The GABAergic System and Endocannabinoids in Epilepsy and Seizures: What Can We Expect from Plant Oils?

Seizures and epilepsy are some of the most common serious neurological disorders, with approximately 80% of patients living in developing/underdeveloped countries. However, about one in three patients do not respond to currently available pharmacological treatments, indicating the need for research into new anticonvulsant drugs (ACDs). The GABAergic system is the main inhibitory system of the brain and has a central role in seizures and the screening of new ACD candidates. It has been demonstrated that the action of agents on endocannabinoid receptors modulates the balance between excitatory and inhibitory neurotransmitters; however, studies on the anticonvulsant properties of endocannabinoids from plant oils are relatively scarce. The Amazon region is an important source of plant oils that can be used for the synthesis of new fatty acid amides, which are compounds analogous to endocannabinoids. The synthesis of such compounds represents an important approach for the development of new anticonvulsant therapies.     

Single‐wall carbon nanotube interactions with copper‐oxamato building block of molecule‐based magnets probed by resonance Raman spectroscopy

The electronic interactions between the [Cu(opba)]²⁻ anions (where opba is orthophenylenebis (oxamato)) and single‐wall carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) were investigated by resonance Raman spectroscopy. The opba can form molecular magnets, and the interactions of opba with SWCNTs can produce materials with very different magnetic/electronic properties. It is observed that the electronic interaction shows a dependence on the SWCNT diameter independent of whether they are metallic or semiconducting, although the interaction is stronger for metallic tubes. The interaction also is dependent on the amount of complex that is probably adsorbed on the carbon surface of the SWCNTs. Some charge transfer can be also occurring between the metallic complex and the SWCNTs. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Synthesis,structure and electrochemical performance of cobaltite‐based composite cathodes for IT‐SOFC

The development of novel and high‐performance cathodes is a critical issue to be addressed in order to reduce Solid Oxide Fuel Cells (SOFCs) operation temperature to the 600‐800 °C range or less. The performance of CeO₂‐based composite cathodes is very attractive to such operational temperatures. In this work, La_0.6Sr_0.4Co_0.2Fe_0.8O₃ (LSCF) and Ce_0.8Sm_0.2O_1.9 (SDC) powders were synthesized by different synthesis methods and mechanically mixed to prepare LSCF‐SDC composite cathodes. Screen‐printed LSCF‐SDC/CGO/LSCF‐SDC symmetrical cells were sintered at 1150 °C for 4 h and characterized by electrochemical impedance spectroscopy in static air. X‐ray diffraction and scanning electron microscopy were employed to characterize the powders. Area specific resistance values of 0.72 and 2.77 Ω cm² at 800 °C were found for composite cathodes containing SDC powder synthesized by modified Pechini and microwave‐assisted combustion methods, respectively. Furthermore, the activation energy of the composite cathode containing SDC derived from modified Pechini method is 1.18 eV, i.e., much lower than 1.73 eV, value determined for LSCF with SDC from microwave‐combustion method.     

Complete latticeability in vector-valued sequence spaces

Using a technique due to Jiménez–Rodríguez, first we prove the complete latticeability of the set of disjoint non-norm null weakly null sequences and of the set of disjoint non-norm null regular-polynomially null sequences in Banach lattices. Then we apply the mother vector technique to prove the complete latticeability of ${\lambda }_{\pi }(E)\setminus {\lambda }_s(E)$, which implies the complete latticeability of $({\ell }_p{\widehat{\otimes }}_{|\pi |}E)\setminus ({\ell }_p{\widehat{\otimes }}_{\pi }E)$, where E is a Banach lattice and .     

Oxidation Mechanism of 1-Methyl-tryptophan and Tryptophan on Glassy Carbon Electrode: A Comparative Study

The anodic behaviour of 1-methyl-tryptophan (1-mTrp) in aqueous electrolytes was investigated on a glassy carbon electrode (GCE), using voltammetric techniques. The oxidation of 1-mTrp was associated with an electrochemical-chemical (EC) mechanism: one electron and one proton were removed of C2 to form an intermediate radical, 1-mTrp⋅. This was followed by a two-way reaction, producing a 1-mTrp dimer and/or reaction with water to form a final hydroxylated product. The oxidation mechanism of 1-mTrp proposed was also compared with the anodic oxidation Trp on GCE. Differential pulse voltammetry was also explored for quantification of Trp and 1-mTrp in neutral medium with low detection limits, on an anodically pre-treated GCE.