The action of curcumin against damage resulting from cerebral stroke: A systematic review.

Stroke is the second leading cause of morbidity and mortality globally. Treatments for stroke are limited, and preventive treatments are scarce. Curcumin (CUR) has several biological effects, as described in the literature, which highlight its antioxidant and neuroprotective effects.

Linear Scleroderma and Primary Sclerosing Cholangitis: An Undescribed Association.

Linear scleroderma (LS) is clinically characterized by the presence of sclerotic areas of skin, which develop in a linear pattern. Primary sclerosing cholangitis is a cholestatic disorder that can lead to end-stage liver disease. We present, for the first time in English literature, the case of a patient suffering from both the diseases.

Multi-walled carbon nanotubes functionalized with pyrene-PEG via π-π interactions: toxicological assessment in zebrafish embryos.

Multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNT) have many promising biological applications, even though functionalization is needed for better biocompatibility. Functionalization of MWCNT with polyethylene glycol (PEG) is a promising and widely studied approach, but the best PEGylation method is still under investigation. In this work, we have tested the biological implications of MWCNT functionalized via π-stacking with pyrene-PEG (MWCNT-Pyr-PEG) in zebrafish embryos.

Curcumin-loaded nanoemulsion improves haemorrhagic stroke recovery in wistar rats.

Cerebrovascular diseases are currently a major global health problem. Considering the limitations of current therapy, the search for new alternatives for the treatment of these diseases is necessary and, in this context, curcumin, a molecule that has neuroprotective properties already described in the literature. A limiting factor when considering therapies for the nervous tissue is the presence of the blood-brain barrier which stimulates the search for new drug delivery strategies.

Reversible perovskite electrocatalysts for oxygen reduction/oxygen evolution.

The identification of electrocatalysts mediating both the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) and oxygen evolution reaction (OER) are prerequisite for the development of reversible fuel cells and rechargeable metal-air batteries. The question remains as to whether a bifunctional catalyst, or a single catalyst site, will exhibit potentials converging to +1.23 V.

High-Throughput Synthesis and Characterization of Eu Doped Ba SrSiO Thin Film Phosphors.

High-throughput techniques have been employed for the synthesis and characterization of thin film phosphors of Eu-doped Ba SrSiO. Direct synthesis from evaporation of the constituent elements under a flux of atomic oxygen on a sapphire substrate at 850 °C was used to directly produce thin film libraries (415 nm thickness) of the crystalline orthosilicate phase with the desired compositional variation (0.24 > x > 1.

Synthesis and Screening of Phase Change Chalcogenide Thin Film Materials for Data Storage.

A combinatorial synthetic methodology based on evaporation sources under an ultrahigh vacuum has been used to directly synthesize compositional gradient thin film libraries of the amorphous phases of GeSbTe alloys at room temperature over a wide compositional range. An optical screen is described that allows rapid parallel mapping of the amorphous-to-crystalline phase transition temperature and optical contrast associated with the phase change on such libraries. The results are shown to be consistent with the literature for compositions where published data are available along the SbTe-GeTe tie line.

Electrochemical 'bubble swarm' enhancement of ultrasonic surface cleaning.

An investigation of surface cleaning using a swarm of gas bubbles within an acoustically activated stream is presented. Electrolysis of water at Pt microwires (100 μm diameter) to produce both hydrogen and oxygen bubbles is shown to enhance the extent of ultrasonic surface cleaning in a free flowing water stream containing an electrolyte (0.1 M Na2SO4) and low surfactant concentration (2 mM SDS).

Cold water cleaning of brain proteins, biofilm and bone - harnessing an ultrasonically activated stream.

In the absence of sufficient cleaning of medical instruments, contamination and infection can result in serious consequences for the health sector and remains a significant unmet challenge. In this paper we describe a novel cleaning system reliant on cavitation action created in a free flowing fluid stream where ultrasonic transmission to a surface, through the stream, is achieved using careful design and control of the device architecture, sound field and the materials employed. Cleaning was achieved with purified water at room temperature, moderate fluid flow rates and without the need for chemical additives or the high power consumption associated with conventional strategies.

Multiple observations of cavitation cluster dynamics close to an ultrasonic horn tip.

Bubble dynamics in water close to the tip of an ultrasonic horn (∼23 kHz, 3 mm diameter) have been studied using electrochemistry, luminescence, acoustics, light scattering, and high-speed imaging. It is found that, under the conditions employed, a large bubble cluster (∼1.5 mm radius) exists at the tip of the horn.

Investigation of noninertial cavitation produced by an ultrasonic horn.

This paper reports on noninertial cavitation that occurs beyond the zone close to the horn tip to which the inertial cavitation is confined. The noninertial cavitation is characterized by collating the data from a range of measurements of bubbles trapped on a solid surface in this noninertial zone. Specifically, the electrochemical measurement of mass transfer to an electrode is compared with high-speed video of the bubble oscillation.

Opto-isolation of electrochemical systems in cavitation environments.

An electrochemical technique that can detect inertial cavitation within an ultrasonic reactor is reported. The technique relies on the erosion and repassivation of an oxide covered electrode (specifically aluminum). The sensitivity of the technique (<46 fg per erosion event) is significantly greater than normal weight loss measurements.

Analysis of secreted protease inhibitors after water stress in potato tubers.

Potato tubers (Solanum tuberosum) secrete two kinds of proteinase inhibitors after a water stress. The polypeptides have differing inhibitory activities but are Kunitz-type inhibitors based on amino-terminal sequences homologies. A proteolysis maturation type of a cell protease inhibitor was observed.

[New technologies and workers' health: mechanization of sugar cane harvesting].

In the context of reorganization of production in the sugar and alcohol industry, mechanization of sugar cane harvesting has been justified as a protective measure for the environment and workers. This article focuses on the consequences of organization of work in mechanization of sugar cane harvesting with regard to the harvester operators' health. Based on data gathered through interviews and direct observation at the workplace, changes implemented in the technological base and division of labor and organization were analyzed, identifying the work load inherent to the process and how it affects workers' health.

Rapid systemic up-regulation of genes after heat-wounding and electrical stimulation.

When one leaf of a tomato plant is electrically-stimulated or heat-wounded, proteinase inhibitor genes are rapidly up-regulated in distant leaves. The identity of the systemic wound signal(s) is not yet known, but major candidates include hormones transmitted via the phloem or the xylem, the electrically-stimulated self-propagating electrical signal in the phloem (the action potential, AP), or the heat-wound-induced surge in hydraulic pressure in the xylem evoking a local change in membrane potential in adjacent living cells (the variation potential, VP). In order to discriminate between these signals we have adopted two approaches.