Natural Antioxidants in Anemia Treatment

Anemia, characterized by a decrease of the hemoglobin level in the blood and a reduction in carrying capacity of oxygen, is a major public health problem which affects people of all ages. The methods used to treat anemia are blood transfusion and oral administration of iron-based supplements, but these treatments are associated with a number of side effects, such as nausea, vomiting, constipation, and stomach pain, which limit its long-term use. In addition, oral iron supplements are poorly absorbed in the intestinal tract, due to overexpression of hepcidin, a peptide hormone that plays a central role in iron homeostasis. In this review, we conducted an analysis of the literature on biologically active compounds and plant extracts used in the treatment of various types of anemia. The purpose of this review is to provide up-to-date information on the use of these compounds and plant extracts, in order to explore their therapeutic potential. The advantage of using them is that they are available from natural resources and can be used as main, alternative, or adjuvant therapies in many diseases, such as various types of anemia.     

Wood-plastic composites based on HDPE and ionic liquid additives

The improvement of wood-plastic composites properties by additives and compatibilizers is a critical issue to produce value-added materials. High-density polyethylene-wood composites have been obtained through compression molding at 140 °C, using two types of additives, namely methyltrioctylammonium bis (trifluoromethylsulfonyl)imide and trihexyltetradecylphosphonium bis (2,4,4-trimethylpentyl) phosphinate room temperature ionic liquids. The ionic liquids improve the interfacial adhesion between the wood and the polymer phases, contributing to an increased stability of the material to water action and to an improved impact resistance and tensile strength in comparison with the reference. Also, the FTIR spectroscopy tests have proven a higher resistance of the ionic liquid-containing composites to accelerated photooxidation. Preliminary screening tests have also proven the antifungal character of the ionic liquids used in this study against brown rot (Postia placenta). This study opens new insights in the domain of polymeric composite materials, through documenting the possibility of blending new types of chemically distinct materials, difficult to be achieved by traditional functionalization/derivatization routes.     

$$\hbox {SiO}_{2}\hbox {/TiO}_{2}$$ multi-layered thin films with self-cleaning and enhanced optical properties

Self-cleaning, high transmittance glazing was obtained by cold spray deposition for glazings. The thin films contain \(\hbox {TiO}_{2}\), \(\hbox {SiO}_{2}\) and Au nanoparticles in different structures which allow for tailoring the optical, hydrophilic and photocatalytic properties. The crystallinity, morphology and surface energy were correlated with the optical transmittance and reflectance; the transmittance increased from 89.45 (for the glass substrate) to 91.76% when Au nanoparticles were used in the tandem layered structures. The samples containing alternating multi-layered \(\hbox {SiO}_{2}\) and \(\hbox {TiO}_{2}\) thin films without gold nanoparticles show hydrophilic surface; for these layers, the photocatalytic efficiency reaches 40% under simulated solar radiation. A conditioning effect based on adsorption was observed to increase the photocatalytic efficiency. These highly transparent coatings are well suited for glazings and fenestration, showing the self-cleaning effect based on combined superhydrophilicity and photocatalysis.     

Photocatalytic degradation of methyl orange: influence of H2O2 in the TiO2-based system

The purpose of this study was to investigate the photocatalytic oxidation of a reactive azo dye. The photocatalytic activity of the TiO2 was studied using a reactor equipped with UV-A sources, with maximum emission at 365 nm. The photocatalytic activity of the TiO2 powder (99.9% anatase) and thin films has been measured through the decomposition of methyl orange solutions. The thin film was prepared by doctor blade and spray pyrolysis deposition (SPD). The TiO2 suspensions were prepared at 1 g/L concentration, and the initial methyl orange concentration was fixed at 7.8125 mg/L. The influence of the TiO2 (powder or thin films) and/or O2 and H2O2 on the photobleaching rate, was tested under different experiments, at pH = 5. Thin films (doctor blade) of TiO2 formed of mezo-sized aggregates formed of nanosized anatase crystallites show better photobleaching efficiency than thin film (SPD) due to their large internal surface. The rate is even higher in H2O2 compared to oxygen environment.     

The Role of Endothelium in COVID-19

The 2019 novel coronavirus, known as severe acute respiratory syndrome-coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) or coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), is causing a global pandemic. The virus primarily affects the upper and lower respiratory tracts and raises the risk of a variety of non-pulmonary consequences, the most severe and possibly fatal of which are cardiovascular problems. Data show that almost one-third of the patients with a moderate or severe form of COVID-19 had preexisting cardiovascular comorbidities such as diabetes mellitus, obesity, hypertension, heart failure, or coronary artery disease. SARS-CoV2 causes hyper inflammation, hypoxia, apoptosis, and a renin–angiotensin system imbalance in a variety of cell types, primarily endothelial cells. Profound endothelial dysfunction associated with COVID-19 can be the cause of impaired organ perfusion that may generate acute myocardial injury, renal failure, and a procoagulant state resulting in thromboembolic events. We discuss the most recent results on the involvement of endothelial dysfunction in the pathogenesis of COVID-19 in patients with cardiometabolic diseases in this review. We also provide insights on treatments that may reduce the severity of this viral infection.     

Does gender moderate the relationship between driver aggression and its risk factors?

Aim

The current study assessed gender as a potential moderator of the relationship between self-reported driver aggression and various demographic variables, general and driving-related risk factors.

Methods

Using data from a general-population telephone survey conducted from July 2002 through June 2005, two approaches to binary logistic regression were adopted. Based on the full dataset (n = 6259), the initial analysis was a hierarchical-entry regression examining self-reported driver aggression in the last 12 months. All demographic variables (i.e., gender, age, income, education, marital status), general risk factors (i.e., psychological distress, binge drinking, cannabis use), and driving-related risk factors (i.e., driving exposure, stressful driving, exposure to busy roads, driving after drinking, driving after cannabis use) were entered in the first block, and all two-way interactions with gender were entered stepwise in the second block. The subsequent analysis involved dividing the sample by gender and conducting logistic regressions with main effects only for males (n = 2921) and females (n = 3338) separately.

Results

Although the prevalence of driver aggression in the current sample was slightly higher among males (38.5%) than females (32.9%), the difference was small, and gender did not enter as a significant predictor of driver aggression in the overall logistic regression. In that analysis, difficulty with social functioning and being older were associated with a reduced risk of driver aggression. Marital status and education were unrelated to aggression, and all other variables were associated with an increased risk of aggression. Gender was found to moderate the relationships between driver aggression and only three variables: income, psychological distress, and driving exposure. Separate analyses on the male and female sub-samples also found differences in the predictive value of income and driving exposure; however, the difference for psychological distress could not be detected using this separate regression approach. The secondary analysis also identified slight differences in the predictive value of four of the risk factors, where the odds ratios for both males and females were in the same direction but only one of the two was statistically significant.

Conclusions

The results demonstrate the importance of conducting the gender analysis using both regression approaches. With few exceptions, factors that were predictive of driver aggression were generally the same for both male and female drivers.     

A Simple Chemical Route toward Monodisperse Iron Carbide Nanoparticles Displaying Tunable Magnetic and Unprecedented Hyperthermia Properties

We report a tunable organometallic synthesis of monodisperse iron carbide and core/shell iron/iron carbide nanoparticles displaying a high magnetization and good air-stability. This process based on the decomposition of Fe(CO)(5) on Fe(0) seeds allows the control of the amount of carbon diffused and therefore the tuning of nanoparticles magnetic anisotropy. This results in unprecedented hyperthermia properties at moderate magnetic fields, in the range of medical treatments.     

Assessment of cleaning effectiveness for new ecological systems on ancient tempera icon by complementary microscopy techniques

The study presents an old icon painted in egg tempera on lime wood, with a poor conservation condition and clogged dirt deposits. The icon is attributed to an anonymous painter of XIXth century and to the neo‐classical style of painting. The painting layer was done with only a hand full of pigments, earth colors that were often used in painting the icons from XVIIth to XIXth century in Eastern Europe, that have Byzantine influences. Taking into consideration the nature and the structure of the materials from the upper layers of the painting, affected by deposits of dirt over time, a series of cleaning recipes were studied, using the so called cleaning tests with compatible mixtures of different juices and infusion from indigenes plants, that were freshly done and odorless. A low alkaline 95% ethyl alcohol solution, combined with a few drops of ammoniac 25%, was used as a reference system, due to its compatibility with the greasy deposits found on the polychrome layer and on the wood. The cleaning capacity of the new systems used, in comparison with the standard solution, was analyzed through modern analytical methods of evaluating the degree of cleaning, more exactly by means of visible and UV reflectography, CIE L*a*b* colorimetry by reflection assisted by SEM‐EDX and IR spectroscopy. Microsc. Res. Tech. 77:1060–1070, 2014. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

Cells as factories for humanized encapsulation

Biocompatibility is of paramount importance for drug delivery, tumor labeling, and in vivo application of nanoscale bioprobes. Until now, biocompatible surface processing has typically relied on PEGylation and other surface coatings, which, however, cannot minimize clearance by macrophages or the renal system but may also increase the risk of chemical side effects. Cell membranes provide a generic and far more natural approach to the challenges of encapsulation and delivery in vivo. Here we harness for the first time living cells as "factories" to manufacture cell membrane capsules for encapsulation and delivery of drugs, nanoparticles, and other biolabels. Furthermore, we demonstrate that the built-in protein channels of the new capsules can be utilized for controlled release of encapsulated reagents.