Extracellular Vesicles and Asthma—More Than Just a Co-Existence

Extracellular vesicles (EVs) are membranous structures, which are secreted by almost every cell type analyzed so far. In addition to their importance for cell-cell communication under physiological conditions, EVs are also released during pathogenesis and mechanistically contribute to this process. Here we summarize their functional relevance in asthma, one of the most common chronic non-communicable diseases. Asthma is a complex persistent inflammatory disorder of the airways characterized by reversible airflow obstruction and, from a long-term perspective, airway remodeling. Overall, mechanistic studies summarized here indicate the importance of different subtypes of EVs and their variable cargoes in the functioning of the pathways underlying asthma, and show some interesting potential for the development of future therapeutic interventions. Association studies in turn demonstrate a good diagnostic potential of EVs in asthma.     

Boosting the activity of FeOOH via integration of ZIF-12 and graphene to efficiently catalyze the oxygen evolution reaction

Transition metal oxyhydroxides have been used as promising electrocatalysts for water splitting however, their catalytic activity is restricted due to low surface area and poor conductivity. Herein, we report novel composite FeOOH@ZIF-12/graphene composite as electrocatalyst for water oxidation, whereby ZIF-12 provide extra surface for the FeOOH dispersion whilst graphene act as excellent electron mediator. The composite shows a low overpotential value of 291 mV to attain a current density of 10 mA cm^?2 and a low Tafel slope value of 78 mV dec^?1. The catalyst offers a maximum current density of 101 mA cm^?2, while it gives a turnover frequency (TOF) value of 0.031 s^?1 at an overpotential of 291 mV only. The excellent activity and remarkable stability of composite is attributed to highly conductive and porous support.     

Flexible poly(styrene-ethylene-butadiene-styrene) hybrid nanofibers for bioengineering and water filtration applications

Among the thermoplastic elastomers that play important roles in the polymer industry due to their superior properties, styrene-based species and polyurethane block copolymers are of great interest. Poly(styrene-ethylene-butadiene-styrene) (SEBS) as a triblock copolymer seems to have the potential to meet many demands in different applications due to various industrial requirements where durability, biocompatibility, breaking elongation, and interfacial adhesion are important. In this study, the SEBS triblock copolymer was functionalized with natural (Satureja hortensis, SH) and synthetic (nanopowder, TiO₂) agents to obtain composite nanofibers by electrospinning and electrospraying methods for use in biomedical and water filtration applications. The results were compared with thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) composite nanofibers, which are commonly used in these fields. Here, functionalized SEBS nanofibers exhibited antibacterial effect while at the same time improving cell viability. In addition, because of successful water filtration by using the SEBS composite nanofibers, the material may have a good potential to be used comparably to TPU for the application.     

Restoration of blood pressure by choline treatment in rats made hypotensive by haemorrhage

1. Intracerebroventricular (i.c.v.) injection of choline (25-150 micrograms) increased blood pressure in rats made acutely hypotensive by haemorrhage. Intraperitoneal administration of choline (60 mg kg-1) also increased blood pressure, but to a lesser extent. Following i.c.v. injection of 25 micrograms or 50 micrograms of choline, heart rate did not change, while 100 micrograms or 150 micrograms i.c.v. choline produced a slight and short lasting bradycardia. Choline (150 micrograms) failed to alter the circulating residual volume of blood in haemorrhaged rats. 2. The pressor response to i.c.v. choline (50 micrograms) in haemorrhaged rats was abolished by pretreatment with mecamylamine (50 micrograms, i.c.v.) but not atropine (10 micrograms, i.c.v.). The pressor response to choline was blocked by pretreatment with hemicholinium-3 (20 micrograms, i.c.v.). 3. The pressor response to i.c.v. choline (150 micrograms) was associated with a several fold increase in plasma levels of vasopressin and adrenaline but not of noradrenaline and plasma renin. 4. The pressor response to i.c.v. choline (150 micrograms) was not altered by bilateral adrenalectomy, but was attenuated by systemic administration of either phentolamine (10 mg kg-1) or the vasopressin antagonist [beta-mercapto-beta,beta-cyclopenta-methylenepropionyl1, O-Me-Tyr2,Arg8]-vasopressin (10 micrograms kg-1). 5. It is concluded that the precursor of acetylcholine, choline, can increase and restore blood pressure in acutely haemorrhaged rats by increasing central cholinergic neurotransmission. Nicotinic receptor activation and an increase in plasma vasopressin and adrenaline level appear to be involved in this effect of choline.     

Enhanced Image Detection on an ARM based Embedded System

This paper presents a new technique for thedetection of Integrated Circuits within images of Printed Circuit Boards autonomouslyand without the need to be assisted by CAD data. The technique is a key partof a suite of algorithms targeted for an embedded System On Chip architecturebased on the ARM7 platform for real time detection of PCB images for diagnosticpurposes. The technique has a significant reduction in complexity when comparedto conventional approaches such as the Hough Transform. The reduction in complexitymakes the approach ideal for an embedded vision application suchas the one described in this paper. This paper presents the technique, thetarget embedded architecture and results showing the reduction in complexitywhen compared to a Hough Transform.     

An experimental study on air window collector having a vertical blind for active solar heating

In this study, an air window collector having vertical black blinds was investigated experimentally under actual outdoor conditions. The vertical blind was installed between two 120 × 80 cm glass panes. It can rotate about the vertical axis. The fully open position makes a 90° angle with the vertical plane. A commercially available blind made of cloth and coated with black paint was tested. The air circulation in the system is provided by a fan parallel to blinds. Various parameters were measured and recorded using a data acquisition system. The effect of these parameters on the thermal performance of the system were determined experimentally.     

Development of an Expert System for Selection of Dam Type on Alluvium Foundations

. A knowledge-based expert system was developed to aid in the selection of the type of dam. The dam type selector expert system (DTSA ES) was designed to determine the type of dam on the alluvium foundations. Detailed expert knowledge is required to estimate the type of dam and to develop an expert system. The DTSA ES utilizes rules of thumb used by an expert for determining the selection of the type of dam. The DTSA ES was developed using a shell program. The expert system was tested on several dam sites in order to validate the decision obtained. The use of this expert system, containing knowledge about the selection of dam type, can be helpful to students, potential owners or contractors in selecting dam types. The current prototype always needs additional parameters for more detailed analyses of new developments. However, the current DTSA ES is designed to include existing information about dam types.     

An experimental and three-dimensional numerical study of natural convection heat transfer between two horizontal parallel plates

In this study, experimental and three-dimensional numerical studies were performed to investigate the effects of plate spacing and temperature difference on natural convection between isothermally heated upward-facing lower horizontal plate and externally insulated horizontal upper plate. Air is used as the heat transfer medium. Rayleigh number varied in the 1108–2.339 × 10⁵ range. Several numerical simulations for three-dimensional steady laminar and turbulent flows heat transfer were carried out using a commercial CFD code Fluent 6.2. Results have shown that there is a good agreement between the numerical and present experimental results as well as with available data in literature.