Category Technology/Electronics

New Formulation of Ibuprofen may be Superior for Pain Relief

Image result for Ibuprofen arginate

Ibuprofen arginine

Scientists used mice and rats to show ibuprofen arginate may allow people to take higher doses without the cardiovascular side effects that are associated with current formulations found in over the counter products. In addition to being better tolerated, ibuprofen arginate also is released into the bloodstream more rapidly than the current formulations, likely providing faster pain relief.

“While more experiments are required, our observations show that ibuprofen arginate provides, in one preparation, a COX-2 inhibitor and arginine supplement,” said Jane A. Mitchell, Ph.D...

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Static Electricity can Control Nanoballoon

Electrostatically Driven Nanoballoon Actuator, Nano Letters (2016). DOI: 10.1021/acs.nanolett.6b02394

Electrostatically Driven Nanoballoon Actuator, Nano Letters (2016). http://pubs.acs.org/doi/abs/10.1021/acs.nanolett.6b02394

Molecular sized machines could in the future be used to control important mechanisms in the body. In a recent study, researchers at University of California, Berkeley and Umeå University show how a nanoballoon comprising a single carbon molecule can be controlled electrostatically to switch between an inflated and a collapsed state. Inflatable balloon actuators are commonly used for macroscopic applications to lift buildings, as impact protection in cars or to widen narrowed or obstructed arteries or veins. At the micro scale they are used as micro pumps and in nature jumping spiders create microformat fluid-filled cushions to power their legs in explosive jumps.

I...

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Quantum-Dot Solar windows evolve with ‘Doctor-Blade’ Spreading

Quantum-dot solar windows evolve with ‘doctor-blade’ spreading

Los Alamos Center for Advanced Solar Photophysics researchers hold a large prototype solar window. From left to right: Jaehoon Lim, Kaifeng Wu, Victor Klimov, Hongbo Li. Credit: Los Alamos National Laboratory

Los Alamos National Lab team demonstrates an important step in taking quantum dot, solar-powered windows from the laboratory to the construction site by proving that the technology can be scaled up from palm-sized demonstration models to windows large enough to put in and power a building. “We are developing solar concentrators that will harvest sunlight from building windows and turn it into electricity, using quantum-dot based luminescent solar concentrators (LSCs),” said lead scientist Victor Klimov.

LSCs are light-management devices that can serve as large-area sunlight collectors...

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New 3D Design for Mobile Microbatteries

A: 3D scaffold of the microbattery machined in a silicon substrate to form double microtubes. B: schematic of a 3D Li-ion microbattery showing the stacking of materials deposited in thin layers using ALD. C: Transmission electron microscopy analysis of thin film coatings

A: 3D scaffold of the microbattery machined in a silicon substrate to form double microtubes. B: schematic of a 3D Li-ion microbattery showing the stacking of materials deposited in thin layers using ALD. C: Transmission electron microscopy analysis of thin film coatings

In the race towards miniaturization, a French-US team has succeeded in improving the energy density of a rechargeable battery without increasing its size (limited to a few square millimeters in mobile sensors). This feat was achieved by developing a 3D structure made of microtubes, the first step towards producing a complete microbattery. The first experiments have demonstrated the excellent conductivity of the battery’s solid electrolyte/.

In the era of connected devices, intelligent connected microsensors require miniatu...

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