Advanced characterization of natural biofilm on nanofiber scaffold.

Nanofiber scaffolds provide numerous advantages over common carriers engineered for microorganisms. The most important advantage is an increased speed of primary surface colonization (up to four times faster), which shortens the time required for the areal biofilm formation and optimum performance of attached microorganisms (higher efficiency of biological activity of up to twice as fast). Image analysis predicts early formation of biofilm even in beginning stages; analysis of biofilm reveals the different structures of bacterial colonies on both scaffolds (higher porosity, size, and number of bacterial colonies on nanofiber's surface).

An across-species comparison of the sensitivity of different organisms to Pb-based perovskites used in solar cells.

Organic-inorganic perovskite solar cells (PSCs) are promising candidates as photovoltaic cells. Recently, they have attracted significant attention due to certified power conversion efficiencies exceeding 23%, low-cost engineering, and superior electrical/optical characteristics. These PSCs extensively utilize a perovskite-structured composite with a hybrid of Pb-based nanomaterials.

In vitro and environmental toxicity of reduced graphene oxide as an additive in automotive lubricants.

Despite the ground-breaking potential of nanomaterials, their safe and sustainable incorporation into an array of industrial markets prompts a deep and clear understanding of their potential toxicity for both humans and the environment. Among the many materials with great potential, graphene has shown promise in a variety of applications; however, the impact of graphene based products on living systems remains poorly understood. In this paper, we illustrate that via exploiting the tribological properties of graphene nanosheets, we can successfully improve both the frictional behaviour and the anti-wear capacity of lubricant oil for mechanical transmission.

Extended magnetic resonance imaging studies on the effect of classically activated microglia transplantation on white matter regeneration following spinal cord focal injury in adult rats.

Spinal cord injuries are still a serious problem for regenerative medicine. Previous research has demonstrated that activated microglia accumulate in spinal lesions, influencing the injured tissues in various ways. Therefore, transplantation of activated microglia may have a beneficial role in the regeneration of the nervous system.

In vivo longitudinal Myelin Water Imaging in rat spinal cord following dorsal column transection injury.

Longitudinal Myelin Water Imaging was carried out in vivo to characterize white matter damage following dorsal column transection (DC Tx) injury at the lumbar level L1 of rat spinal cords. A transmit-receive implantable coil system was used to acquire multiple spin-echo (MSE) quantitative T2 data from the lumbar spinal cords of 16 rats at one week pre-injury as well as 3 and 8weeks post-injury (117 microns in-plane resolution and 1.5mm slice thickness).