0000000000158264
AUTHOR
Marco Giorgetti
Impact of serotonin 2C receptor null mutation on physiology and behavior associated with nigrostriatal dopamine pathway function.
The impact of serotonergic neurotransmission on brain dopaminergic pathways has substantial relevance to many neuropsychiatric disorders. A particularly prominent role has been ascribed to the inhibitory effects of serotonin 2C receptor (5-HT2CR) activation on physiology and behavior mediated by the mesolimbic dopaminergic pathway, particularly in the terminal region of the nucleus accumbens. The influence of this receptor subtype on functions mediated by the nigrostriatal dopaminergic pathway is less clear. Here we report that a null mutation eliminating expression of 5-HT2CRs produces marked alterations in the activity and functional output of this pathway. 5-HT2CR mutant mice displayed i…
Evidence for a Double Doping Regime in Nd:YAG nanopowders
Nanopowders of Yttrium Aluminium Garnet doped with neodymium (Nd:YAG) were investigated by X-Ray Absorption Fine Structure (XAFS) at the Nd LIII-edge in the 1.3 - 20.8 % doping range. XANES spectra appear similar in the full range of the Nd concentration. However, a significant decrease in the white line intensity of XANES is revealed as the quantity of Nd doping ions increases. Plotting the white line intensity as a function of Nd doping ions reveals two linear trends with two different slopes, identifying a threshold value where the neodymium concentration reaches 5 at.% This experimental finding provides support for the existence of a double doping regime in Nd:YAG nanopowders.
Cobalt hexacyanoferrate–poly(methyl methacrylate) composite: Synthesis and characterization
Abstract The preparation of cobalt hexacyanoferrate nanoparticles–poly(methyl methacrylate) (CoHCF–PMMA) composites are described together with their characterization and thermochromic properties. CoHCF nanoparticles – investigated by dynamic light scattering – were prepared by optimizing solvent composition and temperature to obtain nanoparticles with a reduced degree of aggregation. The nanoparticles were embedded in a PMMA matrix to obtain a transparent coloured composite which was studied by transmission electron microscopy. The nanoparticle chromic features, enhanced by their reduced sizes, were investigated by UV–vis and FT-IR spectroscopy.
Synthesis and Characterization of Nanostructured Cobalt Hexacyanoferrate
Cobalt hexacyanoferrate (CoHCF) nanoparticles have been synthesized by mixing aqueous solutions of K3Fe(CN)6 and CoCl2 under vigorous stirring at different temperatures and following two different procedures, drop-by-drop or immediate mixing. The resulting CoHCF nanoparticles, with dimensions of several tens of nanometers, were characterized using TEM, SEM-EDX, IR, and XRD. Their electrochemical behavior was investigated in comparison with the CoHCF powder bulk compound. The CoHCF nanoparticles exhibit an electrochemically driven conversion to the bulk one that has been investigated by a chemometric approach in order to establish the best synthetic parameters. The rate and the degree of con…
Electrochemistry of TiO2–iron hexacyanocobaltate composite electrodes
Abstract In this paper we investigate the electrochemical behavior of iron hexacyanocobaltate (FeHCC) in comparison to the cobalt hexacyanoferrate (CoHCF). The best results were achieved on electrochemical synthesized film of FeHCC on the TiO2 modified electrodes. The chemical and physical characterizations confirm the formation of the FeHCC with the classical cubic crystal structure of the Prussian blue analogs, with cell parameter a very close to 10 A, as well as the formation of micro aggregates of TiO2 covered by FeHCC. The synthesis was performed on various substrates such as glassy carbon (GC), graphite foil (GF) and indium tin oxide (ITO) in order to develop new technological applica…
Physicochemical characterization of metal hexacyanometallate–TiO2composite materials
The paper describes the synthesis and characterization of novel TiO2–metal hexacyanometallates (MHCMs) composite materials. The starting material, TiO2, was modified by addition of cobalt-hexacyanoferrate (CoHCF) or iron-hexacyanocobaltate (FeHCC) at various concentrations. The resulting composites were characterized as follows: cyclic voltammetry (CV) followed the formation of TiO2–MHCM clusters, TEM micrographs studied their morphology, XAS and XPS data indicated that MHCM bonds to TiO2 through the nitrogen atom of its –CN group and modifies the environment of Ti compared to that of pure anatase. As expected, and confirmed by UV-Vis and XP-valence band data, the electronic properties of T…