In chemical analysis and electrochemical catalysis modified electrodes have been used in a wide range. In addition to the several methods of electrode modification reported in literature, the sol-gel route offers a possibility of preparing ceramic like films under rather mild conditions. This enhances the possibility of incorporation of temperature sensitive particles such as enzymes, microorga...

The sol-gel method produces amorphous or crystalline thin gel films of metallic solid compounds by solidifying a sol formed by hydrolyzing and polymerizing a solution containing metallic compounds. Sol-gel processes are widely employed in the field of chemistry to prepare ceramic powders and thin films of hafnium oxide (HfO2) (Nishide et al., 2000) and zirconium oxide (ZrO2) ( Liu et al., 2002)...

To examine whether the ability of complement to form soluble immune complexes plays a role in preventing immune complex-mediated diseases, we analyzed the capacity of complement to inhibit immune precipitation (IIP) and to solubilize preformed immune aggregates (SOL) in 23 sera of patients with various hypocomplementemic states, and we correlated the results of these studies with the clinical s...

BACKGROUND To evaluate the clinical usefulness of serum levels of soluble form of endoglin in stage III colorectal adenocarcinomas (CRC) patients for detection of recurrence. METHODS The case-control study consisted of 80 stage III CRC patients who underwent surgery with curative intent and 70 age-and sex-matched healthy volunteers. Serum levels of soluble form of endoglin (sol-end) were meas...

A study of PDMS (polydimethylsiloxane) sol-gel-coated channels fabricated using soft lithography and a laser direct writing technique is presented. PDMS is a biocompatible material that presents a high versatility to reproduce several structures. It is widely employed in the fabrication of preclinical devices due to its advantages but it presents a rapid chemical deterioration to organic solven...

The effectiveness of silica sol grout on mudstones is reported in this paper. Using X-ray diffraction (XRD), the study investigates how the silica sol grout modifies mudstone mineralogy. Micropore sizes and mechanical properties of the mudstone before and after grouting with four different materials were determined with a surface area/porosity analyser and by uniaxial compression. Tests show th...

In view of the neuromuscular system plasticity the functional changes induced by partial denervation are presented. The long-term effects of partial denervation of postural (soleus-SOL) or flexor (extensor digitorum longus-EDL) muscles on their EMG activity were studied in rats. The activity per motor unit was significantly higher both in the partially denervated SOL and EDL muscles. During sta...

For detection of phenolic compounds a simple amperometric biosensor based on tyrosinase immobilized in titania sol-gel/Nafion composite was employed. Titania sol-gel was mixed with Nafion (v/v) in ratios 1:1 (TiO2/NF-1/1) and 2:1 (TiO2/NF-2/1), v/v. Morphology of immobilization composites was characterized by scanning electron microscopy. Analytical performance of biosensors with Nafion and bas...

Inflammation of the respiratory tract is a crucial process in immune diseases, including asthma, and atopic rhinitis. To establish whether an aqueous extract of Spinacia oleracea Linn (SoL) has a beneficial influence in terms of anti-asthmatic activity, we examined its effects on an ovalbumin-induced asthmatic model. Mice sensitized to ovalbumin were orally administered the SoL extract, and the...

Exocytosis of extrusomes, secretory granules found in protozoa, is involved in prey capture by the heliozoon Actinophrys sol. Here we show that extracellular Ca 2+ is necessary for exocytosis and prey capture in A. sol. We found that A. sol could not capture prey cells in a Ca 2+-free solution. L-type Ca 2+ channel blockers and a calmodulin antagonist also inhibited the capture of prey. These r...