Pain is a common and distressing symptom of many diseases and its clinical treatment generally involves analgesics and anti-inflammatory drugs. This study evaluated the toxicity of Ilex paraguariensis A. St.-Hil. (Aquifoliaceae) aqueous extract (leaves, petioles and branches) and its performance in a nociceptive response. Hepatotoxicity, psycho-stimulant test and evaluation of enzyme markers for liver damage were also tested. Chromatographic analysis by UPLC-MS demonstrated a series of isomeric monocaffeoylquinic acids, isomers of dicaffeoylquinic acid, flavonol glycosides, and saponins. Phase I and II of nociception were obtained for meloxicam, dexamethasone and aqueous Ilex paraguariensis extract. Ilex paraguariensis extract concentration was negatively correlated (R = –0.887) with alanine aminotransferase (p < 0.05) in acetaminophen-induced hepatotoxicity test, indicating hepatoprotective activity of this extract. Ilex paraguariensis extract also presented analgesic properties equivalent to drugs that already have proven efficacy. Notably, the administration of multiple doses of Ilex paraguariensis extract was considered safe from the therapeutic point of view.

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This paper proposes a smart sensor system capable of detecting sparse forces applied to different positions of a metal plate. The sensing is performed with strain transducers based on fiber Bragg gratings (FBG) distributed under the plate. Forces actuating in nine squared regions of the plate, resulting from up to three different loads applied simultaneously to the plate, were monitored with seven transducers. The system determines the magnitude of the force/pressure applied on each specific area, even in the absence of a dedicated transducer for that area. The set of strain transducers with coupled responses and a compressive sensing algorithm are employed to solve the underdetermined inverse problem which emerges from mapping the force. In this configuration, experimental results have shown that the system is capable of recovering the value of the load distributed on the plate with a signal-to-noise ratio better than 12 dB, when the plate is submitted to three simultaneous test loads. The proposed method is a practical illustration of compressive sensing algorithms for the reduction of the number of FBG-based transducers used in a quasi-distributed configuration.

We examine the evolution of non-relativistic cold dark matter gravitationally coupled to baryons with modes deep inside the Hubble radius (sub-horizon regime) using a kinetic theory approach within the realm of Newtonian theory. We obtain the general solution for the total density perturbation and we also show that a baryon perturbation catches up with the dark matter perturbation at late times, which in turn makes possible the formation of bound structures. We extend the linear perturbation analysis by considering the turn-around event, collapse of matter, and its virialization process.

Synthetic human C-peptide bearing a Tyrosine group at its amino end is labelled with 125iodine using chloramin T or hydrogen peroxide and lactoperoxidase. The results are compared applying both methods. Antiserum to synthetic human C-peptide (without Tyrosine) which was partially compared to rabbit albumin, is raised in guinea pigs and goats. Goats show to be superior to guinea pigs concerning antibody production. The so-called "hook effect" phenomenon is observed in setting up the standard curves for the radioimmunoassay. Monotonically decreasing standard curves are obtained on dilution of antiserum with a high antibody titer which was produced by repeated immunization in goats. Free C-peptide and C-peptide bound to antiserum are separated with the anxion exchange resin Amberlite. Using this separation technique we excluded unspecific binding of labelled C-peptide to protein fractions in serum of diabetics. The sensitivity of our radioimmunoassay is approx. 0.3 ng C-peptide/ml serum. Intra- and interassay variability are below 10%. Human proinsulin is the only substance found to crossreact with the antiserum.

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This study aimed to quantify the total phenolic and flavonoid contents in the aqueous extract of Ilex paraguariensis (EIP) and investigate its antioxidant, antimicrobial, antiulcerogenic, and antidepressant properties with concomitant verification of its effects on relevant biochemical parameters using in vivo models. EIP has in its composition 236.28 ± 11.83 mg GAE/g of total phenolics and 44.07 ± 5.56 mg QE/g of total flavonoids, corroborating its antioxidant activity. Antimicrobial assays against gram-positive (Staphylococcus aureus and Enterococcus faecalis) and gram-negative bacteria (Escherichia coli e Pseudomonas aeruginosa) showed a promising activity of EIP. The EIP administered at 500 and 1000 mg/kg doses prevented the development of gastric ulcers induced in rats following immobilization at 4 °C, however, in the ethanol-induced ulcers no significant effects were observed up to a dose of 1000 mg/kg. Gastric secretion and total acidity index in pylorus-ligated rats were reduced after treatment with EIP, and the pH did not change significantly compared to the control in the tested model. Administration of EIP to mice (250, 500, and 1000 mg/kg) significantly altered the barbiturate-induced sleep time and results of the tail suspension and forced swim test. Repeated doses of EIP did not significantly alter the evaluated biochemical markers (blood glucose, urea, creatinine, triglycerides, and total cholesterol). The results indicate that EIP may relieve gastrointestinal disorders by reducing acid secretion and decreasing immobility time in mice, suggesting an antidepressant effect. Notably, administration of multiple doses of EIP was considered preliminarily safe.