Microglia Response and In Vivo Therapeutic Potential of Methylprednisolone‐Loaded Dendrimer Nanoparticles in Spinal Cord Injury

The control and manipulation of cells that trigger secondary mechanisms following spinal cord injury (SCI) is one of the first opportunities to minimize its highly detrimental outcomes. Herein, the ability of surface‐engineered carboxymethylchitosan/polyamidoamine (CMCht/PAMAM) dendrimer nanoparticles to intracellularly deliver methylprednisolone (MP) to glial cells, allowing a controlled and sustained release of this corticosteroid in the injury site, is investigated. The negatively charged MP‐loaded CMCht/PAMAM dendrimer nanoparticles with sizes of 109 nm enable a MP sustained release, which is detected for a period of 14 days by HPLC. In vitro studies in glial primary cultures show that incubation with 200 μg mL^?1 nanoparticles do not affect the cells' viability or proliferation, while allowing the entire population to internalize the nanoparticles. At higher concentrations, microglial cell viability is proven to be affected in response to the MP amount released. Following lateral hemisection lesions in rats, nanoparticle uptake by the spinal tissue is observed 3 h after administration. Moreover, significant differences in the locomotor output between the controls and the MP‐loaded nanoparticle‐treated animals one month after the lesion are observed. Therefore, MP‐loaded CMCht/PAMAM dendrimer nanoparticles may prove to be useful in the reduction of the secondary injury following SCI.     

Chromium recovery from tannery sludge with saponin and oxidative remediation

Two new methods for treatment of tannery sludge were studied to achieve cost-effective and environmentally acceptable remediation solutions for high chromium containing tannery sludge. Quillaja bark saponin, a plant derived biosurfactant, was applied to dewatered tannery sludge for chromium recovery and a comparative assessment with H(2)O(2) oxidative treatment method is presented. Tannery sludge samples were treated on a laboratory scale with saponin in the pH range 2-3. The effects of various factors like time, concentration of saponin, pH, and temperature on the extraction of chromium were studied. The treatment with saponin extracted 24% of Cr from tannery sludge at a pH around2, performing multiple wash of 6h, at 33 °C. On the other hand, the H(2)O(2) treatment, which include Cr(III) oxidation to Cr(VI) and extraction with sulfuric acid solution at pH 2, enabled to extract 70% of chromium within less than 4h at room temperature (21 °C). The results indicate that the extraction efficiency of saponin was strongly dependent on the organic matter content of the sample, which affects chromium mobility by its high adsorption capacity. On the other hand hydrogen peroxide treatment is effective and the duration of the process is short and requires cheap chemicals and moderate conditions.     

Photodeposition of Pt nanoparticles on TiO2-carbon xerogel composites

Carbon xerogels synthesized from polycondensation of resorcinol with formaldehyde, having specific surface areas in the range 650 to 990 m² g⁻¹ and variable degrees of surface oxidation, are used to prepare TiO₂-carbon xerogel composites by sol-gel methods. These composite materials are used to support Pt nanoparticles (5 wt.%) by the photodeposition technique. After a high temperature reduction treatment at 773 K, the obtained materials were characterized in order to assess the interactions between the phases Pt, TiO₂ and carbon xerogel. It is observed that the carbon xerogel acts as an adhesive agent of the TiO₂ and Pt particles, enhancing the interaction between the metal and the composite support.     

Broadband ultrasound attenuation in the calcaneal region: a comparative study of single-position versus scanning systems

This work describes a system developed to measure the broadband ultrasound attenuation (BUA) in the calcaneal region. The patient's calcanei were inspected using a microcomputer-controlled X-Y axis displacement unit with two 500-kHz, central-frequency, ultrasound transducers. The transducers facing each other are submerged in a small water tank with a support for the patient's foot between them. The system allows data to be collected from a single position or by scanning the calcaneal region to obtain a BUA map. Tests were carried out on 201 patients (110 using the single-position method, and 91 using the scanning method). The results were compared with those of densitometry tests performed using the dual energy X-ray absorptiometry (DEXA) technique (single position: r=0.50; P<0.0001; scanner: r=0.75; P<0.0001). It was concluded that the single position method is more susceptible to errors due to the difficulty in positioning the transducers relative to the calcaneus. The scanning method provides better results and can be used to screen patients before referring them for DEXA.     

Assessing the Efficiency of CFRP Discrete Confinement Systems for Concrete Cylinders

Concrete columns requiring strengthening intervention always contain a certain percentage of steel hoops. Applying strips of wet layup carbon fiber-reinforced polymer (CFRP) sheets inbetween the existent steel hoops might, therefore, be an appropriate confinement technique with both technical and economic advantages, when full wrapping of a concrete column is taken as a basis of comparison. To assess the effectiveness of this discrete confinement strategy, circular cross-sectional concrete elements confined by distinct arrangements of strips of CFRP sheet are submitted to a direct compression load up to the failure point. The influence of the width of the strip, distance between strips, number of CFRP layers per strip, CFRP stiffness, and concrete strength class on the increase of the load carrying capacity and ductility of concrete columns, is evaluated. An analytical model is developed to predict the compressive stress-strain relationship of concrete columns confined by discrete and continuous CFRP arrangements. The main results of the experimental program are presented and analyzed and used to assess the model performance.     

Experimental and numerical analysis of an earth-air heat exchanger

The need to develop new technologies that allow the use of sustainable alternative sources of energy is increasingly evident. Thus, this work presents an experimental and numerical study of earth-air heat exchangers, which are used to reduce consumption of conventional energy for heating and cooling of built environments through the use of thermal energy contained in the soil. The experiment was conducted in southern Brazil in the city of Viamão, and its results were used to validate the computational modeling of heat exchangers. In the present work, the variation of air temperature inside the ducts, to an annual cycle, was investigated. The numerical solution of the conservation equations of the problem is performed with a commercial code (FLUENT) which is based on the Finite Volume Method (FVM). Turbulence is tackled with the Reynolds Stress Model (RSM). The transient temperature fields predicted numerically was compared with the experimental ones, the highest difference found was lower than 15%. The results showed the validity and effectiveness of the employed computational model, enabling its use for future researches and projects developments about earth-air heat exchangers.     

In vitro exposure of Acer negundo pollen to atmospheric levels of SO₂ and NO₂: effects on allergenicity and germination

In the last years, a rising trend of pollen allergies in urban areas has been attributed to atmospheric pollution. In this work, we investigated the effects of SO(2) and NO(2) on the protein content, allergenicity, and germination rate of Acer negundo pollen. A novel environmental chamber was assembled to exposure pollen samples with SO(2) or NO(2) at two different levels: just below and two times the atmospheric hour-limit value acceptable for human health protection in Europe. Results showed that protein content was lower in SO(2)-exposed pollen samples and slightly higher in NO(2)-exposed pollen compared to the control sample. No different polypeptide profiles were revealed by SDS-PAGE between exposed and nonexposed pollen, but the immunodetection assays indicated higher IgE recognition by all sera of sensitized patients to Acer negundo pollen extracts in all exposed samples in comparison to the nonexposed samples. A decrease in the germination rate of exposed in contrast to nonexposed pollen was verified, which was more pronounced for NO(2)-exposed samples. Our results indicated that in urban areas, concentrations of SO(2) and NO(2) below the limits established for human protection can indirectly aggravate pollen allergy on predisposed individuals and affect plant reproduction.     

The degradation products of UV filters in aqueous and chlorinated aqueous solutions

Ultraviolet (UV) filters are vital constituents of sunscreens and other personal care products since they absorb, reflect and/or scatter UV radiation, therefore protecting us from the sun’s deleterious UV radiation and its effects. However, they suffer degradation, mainly through exposure towards sunlight and from reactions with disinfectant products such as chlorine. On the basis of their increasing production and use, UV filters and their degradation products have already been detected in the aquatic environment, especially in bathing waters. This paper presents a comprehensive review on the work done so far as to identify and determine the by-products of UV filter photodegradation in aqueous solutions and those subsequent to disinfection-induced degradation in chlorinated aqueous solutions, namely swimming pools.     

Design,implementation, and test of an SDR for NVIS communications

Although many physical layer solutions have appeared for remote sensors and Internet of things during the recent years, none of them is suited to very remote sensors in areas away from any mobile operator coverage. In that case, a solution on the basis of near vertical incidence skywave (NVIS) with reflection in the ionosphere may be very attractive. Using NVIS, no line of sight is needed and the coverage is much bigger than any other system operating in either the very high frequency (VHF) or ultra high frequency (UHF) band. In this paper, we present a new transmission scheme for very remote sensors using the NVIS transmission technique.     

Foliar-Applied Silicon in Sorghum (Sorghum bicolor L.) Alleviate Zinc Deficiency

Silicon - Foliar-applied silicon may reduce the damage caused by zinc (Zn) deficiency in plants. While adding silicon (Si) and Zn to the solution may increase foliar fertilization efficiency, Si...