Paper-Based Ionic Thermocouples for Inexpensive and High-Precision Measurement of Temperature.

Accurate and yet cost-effective temperature measurements are required in various sectors of academia and industry. Thermocouples (TCs) are most widely used for temperature measurements; however, their low temperature sensitivity and high thermal conductivity should be improved to ensure the reliable measurement of output voltage for small temperature differences. To address this, a paper-based ionic thermocouple (P-iTC) presented here utilizes a pair of paper strips soaked with the electrolytes of potassium ferri-/ferrocyanide and iron (II/III) chloride redox couples, which are used as p- and n-type elements, respectively.

Manufacturing Process of Polymeric Microneedle Sensors for Mass Production.

In this work, we present a fabrication process for microneedle sensors made of polylactic acid (PLA), which can be utilized for the electrochemical detection of various biomarkers in interstitial fluid. Microneedles were fabricated by the thermal compression molding of PLA into a laser machined polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) mold. Sensor fabrication was completed by forming working, counter, and reference electrodes on each sensor surface by Au sputtering through a stencil mask, followed by laser dicing to separate individual sensors from the substrate.

Thermocells for Hybrid Photovoltaic/Thermal Systems.

The photovoltaic conversion efficiency of solar cells is highly temperature dependent and decreases with increasing temperature. Therefore, the thermal management of solar cells is crucial for the efficient utilization of solar energy. We fabricate a hybrid photovoltaic/thermocell (PV/T) module by integrating a thermocell directly into the back of a solar panel and explore the feasibility of the module for its practical implementation.

A cell-free extract from human adipose stem cells protects mice against epilepsy.

Purpose: Stem cell-based therapies are being considered for various neurologic diseases, such as epilepsy. Recent studies have suggested that some effects of transplanted stem cells are due to bystander effects that modulate the host environment, rather than direct effects of cell replacement. The extract from human adipose stem cells (ASCs) that secrete multiple growth factors including cytokines and chemokines may be a potential source of bystander effects for the treatment of epilepsy, in which inflammation is thought to play an important role.

Cholinergic anti-inflammatory pathway in intracerebral hemorrhage.

Stimulated vagus nerve excretes acetylcholine into the peripheral immune organs such as the spleen, reducing innate inflammation. Here, we investigated whether activation of this "cholinergic anti-inflammatory pathway" can be used to reduce cerebral inflammation in a model of hemorrhagic stroke. Experimental intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH) was induced by stereotaxic collagenase injection in rats.

Anti-inflammatory mechanism of intravascular neural stem cell transplantation in haemorrhagic stroke.

Neural stem cell (NSC) transplantation has been investigated as a means to reconstitute the damaged brain after stroke. In this study, however, we investigated the effect on acute cerebral and peripheral inflammation after intracerebral haemorrhage (ICH). NSCs (H1 clone) from fetal human brain were injected intravenously (NSCs-iv, 5 million cells) or intracerebrally (NSCs-ic, 1 million cells) at 2 or 24 h after collagenase-induced ICH in a rat model.

Systemic transplantation of human adipose stem cells attenuated cerebral inflammation and degeneration in a hemorrhagic stroke model.

Adipose-derived stem cells (ASCs) are readily accessible multipotent mesenchymal stem cells and are known to secrete multiple growth factors, and thereby to have cytoprotective effects in various injury models. In the present study, the authors investigated the neuroprotective effect of ASCs in an intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH) model. ICH was induced via the stereotaxic infusion of collagenase, and human ASCs (three million cells per animal) isolated from human fresh fat tissue, were intravenously administered at 24 h post-ICH induction.

Pharmacological induction of heat shock protein exerts neuroprotective effects in experimental intracerebral hemorrhage.

Heat shock proteins (HSPs) are reported to reduce inflammation and apoptosis in a variety of brain insults. Geranylgeranylacetone (GGA), developed as an antiulcer in Japan, has been known to induce HSP70 and to exert cytoprotective effects. In this study, we investigated whether GGA, as a specific HSP inducer, exerts therapeutic effects in experimentally induced intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH).