Extended abstract of a paper presented at Microscopy and Microanalysis 2008 in Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA, August 3 – August 7, 2008

High temperatures in Solid Oxide Fuel Cells (SOFCs) place stringent requirements on the cell components materials which result in high material costs for interconnects and insulation and cause the degradation of the system. The development of Intermediate Temperature SOFCs (IT-SOFCs) will require electrolyte materials with higher ionic conductivity at moderate temperatures than the conventional yttria-stabilised zirconia (YSZ). Recently, lanthanum silicates with an apatite-like structure (La9,33Si6O26) have attracted considerable interest as potential materials for low cost electrolyte. Some of these materials show conductivities at 875 K comparable to, or better than, YSZ; their high level of oxide ion mobility was related to the presence of oxygen channels along the c axis which facilitate the diffusion of the anionic species (O2− for SOFCs applications). Another way to fulfil IT-SOFCs requirements is to decrease the electrolyte thickness to the micrometer range and, therefore, the ohmic drop at the electrolyte. Magnetron sputtering has already been used to synthesize thin film electrolytes for SOFCs owing to its versatility for depositing complex materials as well as its ability to control their composition and morphology. The manufacturing of thin film lanthanum silicate electrolytes by magnetron sputtering, with thicknesses in the micrometer range, can be achieved through the previous deposition of La-Si films and subsequent thermal oxidation. The present study focuses on the characterization of the morphological and structural changes upon oxidation of La-Si films deposited by magnetron sputtering.

Extended abstract of a paper presented at Microscopy and Microanalysis 2008 in Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA, August 3 – August 7, 2008

Ni-Ti Shape Memory Alloys (SMAs) have been attracting attention as smart materials because they can work as sensors and actuators at the same time. Miniaturization of mechanical devices is evolving toward sub-micron dimensions raising important questions in the properties of Ni-Ti films. In thin films it is essential to investigate the microstructure to understand the origin of the thickness limit. The design of functionally graded films has also been considered but for their successful development it is important to characterize the variations in crystalline structure.

Extended abstract of a paper presented at Microscopy and Microanalysis 2008 in Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA, August 3 – August 7, 2008

Friction stir welding (FSW) is a solid-state joining technique initially developed for aluminium alloys. The heat generated by a rotating tool softens the material in the vicinity of the tool. The material undergoes intense plastic deformation following quite complex paths around the tool, depending on the tool geometry, process parameters and material to be welded. The comprehension of the material flow is essential to prevent voids and other internal defects which may form during welding. Several techniques have been used for tracking material flow during FSW such as metallography, the use of a marker material as a tracer or the flow visualization by FSW of dissimilar materials or even the X-ray and computer tomography. Some of these techniques are useless in the analysis of welds in homogenous materials or welds between materials of the same group. The aim of this investigation is tracking the material flow in FSW between 1mm thick sheets in aluminium alloys AA 5182-H111 and AA 6016-T4, currently used in automotive industry.

Extended abstract of a paper presented at Microscopy and Microanalysis 2008 in Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA, August 3 – August 7, 2008

Arraiolos tapestries are probably one of the richest artistic Portuguese expressions in terms of textile heritage. It is difficult to date the beginning of the production of rugs in Arraiolos (Southern Portugal), but they were already produced in the late 1600's as they are listed in the inventories of Portuguese aristocratic households in the beginning of the 18th century. Sensitive detection techniques play an increasing role in the chemical investigation of historical objects since the knowledge derived from the chemical composition of materials is of upmost importance for textile conservation and restoration purposes. Textiles deteriorate due to natural causes like heat, radiation, mechanical stress, moisture, microbiological and enzymatic attack. Deterioration of materials causes breakdown of the molecular structure and results in a loss of strength, extensibility and durability, discoloration and fading which affects the appearance of the textiles.

Extended abstract of a paper presented at Microscopy and Microanalysis 2008 in Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA, August 3 – August 7, 2008

The alkali-silica reaction (ASR) and internal sulfatic reaction (ISR), normally both referred as internal expansive reactions, are among the most common causes of concrete structures deterioration worldwide. These reactions, which could be present simultaneously, origin products those are responsible for expansive stresses in the cement-based building materials, leading to severe cracking and loss of strength. The reaction products are also often amorphous or badly crystallized, or even present in very low content that they are very difficult to identify by current analytical physico-chemical techniques. The main macroscopic evidence of these degradation phenomena in concrete structures are the superficial occurrence of map-cracking, pop-outs and exudates (figure 1). Nevertheless, these symptoms are not exclusive and enough to establish a correct diagnosis.

Extended abstract of a paper presented at Microscopy and Microanalysis 2008 in Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA, August 3 – August 7, 2008

Small vessels of the penis are very sensitive to structural and functional changes, and small disturbances can conduce to any degree of erectile dysfunction (ED). For this motive, ED is now considered as an early manifestation of atherosclerosis and consequently a precursor of systemic vascular disease. Ageing, diabetes and hipogonadic states are recognized risk factors for ED, contributing together to vascular damage of penile tissue. Penile trabeculae of corpus cavernosum in the rat, constituted by connective tissue with abundant collagen fibrils, scarce fibroblasts and fibroelastic components, support smooth muscle fibers in subendothelium location. Corpus cavernosum structural elements act in concert, allowing increase of intra-cavernous arterial flow and smooth muscle relaxing, processes which are fundamental to penis erection. The purpose of this study is to clarify ultrastructural organization of corpus cavernosum of experimental rat models of known ED-risk factors.

Extended abstract of a paper presented at Microscopy and Microanalysis 2008 in Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA, August 3 – August 7, 2008

A key factor limiting the success of Assisted Reproduction Techniques (ART) is oocyte and embryo quality, usually assessed by their morphologic appearance. Due to the subjectivity and inaccuracy of such criteria, other predictors of oocyte and embryo quality would be welcome. Cumulus oophorus (c.o.) cells are eligible as oocyte quality predictors, due to their direct contact with it. In addition, ART success was also related to oxidative stress, whose effects in the porcine and bovine oocytes may be prevented by the presence of c.o. cells. Yet, it is unknown if a similar effect exists in humans due to the scarcity of studies employing human c.o. cells.

Extended abstract of a paper presented at Microscopy and Microanalysis 2008 in Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA, August 3 – August 7, 2008

Extended abstract of a paper presented at Microscopy and Microanalysis 2008 in Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA, August 3 – August 7, 2008

Adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) is the most potent stimulator of adrenal cortex, acting through the Melanocortin-2 receptor (MC2R). ACTH induces secretion of steroid hormones, critical for the normal stress response and plays also an important role on cell proliferation and differentiation. MC2R is a classical G-Protein coupled receptor (GPCR), thus activating Protein Kinase A (PKA). However, many studies suggested a cross-talk between different signalling pathways and a more complex intracellular network. In fact, in adrenocortical Y1 tumour cell line, ACTH may activate Extracellular Regulated Kinases 1/2 (ERK 1/2), which belong to the Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases (MAPKs) family. In addition, this pathway was implicated in in vivo proliferation and steroidogenesis as shown by our group. In order to further explore and clarify ACTH signalling mechanisms, we made the present work to establish a model of primary cultures of rat adrenal cells.

The structure of human oocytes at the different maturation stages is known based on descriptive studies of its ultrastructural composition. The tridimensional quantitative ultrastructural analysis of human oocytes would be important for understanding folliculogenesis and establishing adequate methods of in vitro oocyte maturation. In this study, stereological methods were applied to quantify the distribution of mitochondria (M) and smooth endoplasmic reticulum (SER) in oocytes at the germinal vesicle (VG) stage of prophase I.

Extended abstract of a paper presented at Microscopy and Microanalysis 2008 in Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA, August 3 – August 7, 2008

Aging is the major known risk factor for Alzheimer's disease (AD) and Parkinson's disease (PD), but genetic deffects have been associated with familial cases. Huntington's disease (HD) is a purely genetic neurodegenerative disorder, where mutations in the IT15 gene, encoding for the protein huntingtin, determine the development of the disease. The Prion diseases differ from these other disorders because they can also have infections origin.