Development of an injectable PHBV microparticles-GG hydrogel hybrid system for regenerative medicine

Uncontrollable displacements that greatly affect the concentration of active agents at the target tissues are among a major limitation of the use of microparticulate drug delivery systems (DDS). Under this context a biphasic injectable DDS combining poly(hydroxybutyrate-co-hydroxyvalerate) (PHBV) microparticles (MPs) and a gellan gum (GG) injectable hydrogel is herein proposed for the localized delivery and long-term retention of MPs carrying hydrophilic and hydrophobic model active agents. A double emulsion-solvent evaporation method was adopted to develop the PHBV MPs, carrying bovine serum albumin (BSA) or dexamethasone (Dex) as hydrophilic and hydrophobic active agents’ models, respectively. Moreover, this method was modified, together with the properties of the hydrogel to tailor the delivery profile of the active agents. Variations of the composition of the organic phase during the process allowed tuning surface topography, particle size distribution and core porosity of the PHBV MPs and, thus, the in vitro release profile of Dex but not of BSA. Besides, after embedding hydrogels of higher GG concentration led to a slower and more sustained release of both active agents, independently of the processing conditions of the microparticulate system.The authors would like to acknowledge the Project RL1 - ABMR - NORTE-01-0124-FEDER-000016 co-financed by North Portugal Regional Operational Programme (ON.2 - O Novo Norte), under the National Strategic Reference Framework (NSRF), through the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF). This work was partially supported by European Research Council grant agreement ERC-2012-ADG 20120216-321266 for project ComplexiTE

DETERMINANT FACTORS OF MOBILE BANKING USAGE: CASE STUDY IN KUPANG, EAST NUSA TENGGARA

A review of previous research on m-banking in developing countries reveals that research on the drivers of trust in mobile banking is somewhat limited. Therefore, this study attempts to investigate the factors that influence the user's perception of confidence in mobile banking services. This model was tested empirically using an online survey from a convenience sampling of 95 respondents and analyzed using SEM PLS. This study estimates that six variables (perceived credibility, perceived benefits, security risks, privacy risks, social influence, and perceived behavioral control) directly impact perceived trust in mobile banking. The results, in particular, perceived benefits positively affect perceived trust in mobile banking, followed by social influence, security risk, and privacy risk has power on perceived trust in mobile banking. On the other hand, perceived credibility and PBC show no significant effect on the belief of mobile banking users

Activation of the Maternal Immune System During Pregnancy Alters Behavioral Development of Rhesus Monkey Offspring

Background: Maternal infection during pregnancy is associated with an increased risk of schizophrenia and autism in the offspring. Supporting this correlation, experimentally activating the maternal immune system during pregnancy in rodents produces offspring with abnormal brain and behavioral development. We have developed a nonhuman primate model to bridge the gap between clinical populations and rodent models of maternal immune activation (MIA). Methods: A modified form of the viral mimic, synthetic double-stranded RNA (polyinosinic:polycytidylic acid stabilized with poly-L-lysine) was delivered to two separate groups of pregnant rhesus monkeys to induce MIA: 1) late first trimester MIA (n = 6), and 2) late second trimester MIA (n = 7). Control animals (n = 11) received saline injections at the same first or second trimester time points or were untreated. Sickness behavior, temperature, and cytokine profiles of the pregnant monkeys confirmed a strong inflammatory response to MIA. Results: Behavioral development of the offspring was studied for 24 months. Following weaning at 6 months of age, MIA offspring exhibited abnormal responses to separation from their mothers. As the animals matured, MIA offspring displayed increased repetitive behaviors and decreased affiliative vocalizations. When evaluated with unfamiliar conspecifics, first trimester MIA offspring deviated from species-typical macaque social behavior by inappropriately approaching and remaining in immediate proximity of an unfamiliar animal. Conclusions: In this rhesus monkey model, MIA yields offspring with abnormal repetitive behaviors, communication, and social interactions. These results extended the findings in rodent MIA models to more human-like behaviors resembling those in both autism and schizophrenia

Communication Design and Space Narratives

The experience with space is achieved through projects developed according to a design perspective. In addition to collaborating on the creation of spatial narratives by promoting the experience, the design also acts in the sense of enhancing accessibility in both the physical and cognitive domain. Wayfinding systems as well as informational technological systems are informative elements that communicate with citizens, fostering experiences of greater accessibility and the creation of social space. This paper discusses the concept of space from its social dimension, questioning on how spatial narratives, places, and paths can create individual or collective experiences within urban space through Communication Design by the use of technology

Microencapsulation of Lactobacillus paracasei LAFTI® L26 by extrusion in an alginate matrix

Probiotic bacteria are currently used in the development of functional food products, yet sometimes face technological challenges when incorporated in food matrices with more aggressive environments – salt, acid or oxygen concentrations. Encapsulation is an efficient technique to overcome such difficulties since encapsulation microcapsules help in their protection from both the product intrinsic properties and the gastrointestinal tract. Among the many factors influencing encapsulation efficiency, capsule size is an important issue since it can affect the textural and sensorial properties of the food product to which they are added. In this research work the microencapsulation efficiency and stability throughout storage of calcium alginate capsules (produced by extrusion) of Lactobacillus paracasei LAFTI® L26 was studied. Initially, extrusion by coaxial flow was used for encapsulation. Storage in Ringer solution at 4 ºC in a 1:9 (g/mL) racio – and the effect of a protecting agent – lactose, were assessed (samples collected at 0, 3, 5, 7 and 14d). In order to reduce the capsules’ size, extrusion by aerodynamically assisted flow was also tested and two different rupture solutions (sodium citrate 2 %(w/v) and phosphate buffer (0.5 M; pH 7)) were assessed. The capsules obtained via extrusion by coaxial flow presented dimensions superior to 200 µm. The incorporation method was shown to be effective. Suspension of the L. paracasei LAFTI® L26 alginate capsules in Ringer solution and storage at 4 ºC was shown to be a good preservation method and lactose did not present a protective effect. Such encapsulation increased survival of bacteria under storage at 4 ºC for two months (samples collected at 0, 3, 5, 7, 14, 21, 30 and 60d), reducing the decline of viable cell numbers when in comparison with free cells (3 log cycles versus 4 log cycles). The size of the capsules obtained using extrusion by aerodynamically assisted flow was smaller than 100 µm which allows the capsules to be incorporated in food products without a negative sensorial perception. The encapsulation method was also shown to be effective and no difference between rupture solutions was observed.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Manganese Defective Clustering: Influence on the Spectroscopic Features of Ceria-Based Nanomaterials

The influence of manganese modification on the spectroscopic features of manganese-doped CeO2 systems synthesized by the microwave-assisted hydrothermal route and their correlation with the presence of O defective structures were verified, focusing on their interaction with poisonous atmospheres. Raman and electron paramagnetic resonance studies confirmed the presence of defective clusters formed by dipoles and/or quadrupoles. The number of paramagnetic species was found to be inversely proportional to the doping concentration, resulting in an increase in the Mn2+ signal, likely due to the reduction of Mn3+ species after the interaction with CO. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy data showed the pure system with 33% of its cerium species in the Ce3+ configuration, with an abrupt decrease to 19%, after the first modification with Mn, suggesting that 14% of the Ce3+ species are donating one electron to the Mn2+ ions, thus becoming nonparamagnetic Ce4+ species. On the contrary, 58% of the manganese species remain in the Mn2+ configuration with five unpaired electrons, corroborating the paramagnetic feature of the samples seen in the electron paramagnetic resonance study

Efferent Pathways in Sodium Overload-Induced Renal Vasodilation in Rats

Hypernatremia stimulates the secretion of oxytocin (OT), but the physiological role of OT remains unclear. the present study sought to determine the involvement of OT and renal nerves in the renal responses to an intravenous infusion of hypertonic saline. Male Wistar rats (280-350 g) were anesthetized with sodium thiopental (40 mg. kg(-1), i.v.). A bladder cannula was implanted for collection of urine. Animals were also instrumented for measurement of mean arterial pressure (MAP) and renal blood flow (RBF). Renal vascular conductance (RVC) was calculated as the ratio of RBF by MAP. in anesthetized rats (n = 6), OT infusion (0.03 mu g . kg(-1), i.v.) induced renal vasodilation. Consistent with this result, ex vivo experiments demonstrated that OT caused renal artery relaxation. Blockade of OT receptors (OXTR) reduced these responses to OT, indicating a direct effect of this peptide on OXTR on this artery. Hypertonic saline (3 M NaCl, 1.8 ml . kg(-1) b.wt., i.v.) was infused over 60 s. in sham rats (n = 6), hypertonic saline induced renal vasodilation. the OXTR antagonist (AT; atosiban, 40 mu g . kg(-1) . h(-1), i.v.; n = 7) and renal denervation (RX) reduced the renal vasodilation induced by hypernatremia. the combination of atosiban and renal denervation (RX+AT; n = 7) completely abolished the renal vasodilation induced by sodium overload. Intact rats excreted 51% of the injected sodium within 90 min. Natriuresis was slightly blunted by atosiban and renal denervation (42% and 39% of load, respectively), whereas atosiban with renal denervation reduced sodium excretion to 16% of the load. These results suggest that OT and renal nerves are involved in renal vasodilation and natriuresis induced by acute plasma hypernatremia.Fundacao de Amparo a Pesquisa do Estado de Goias (FAPEG)Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)Univ Fed Goias, Ctr Neurosci & Cardiovasc Physiol, Inst Biol Sci, Dept Physiol Sci, Goiania, Go, BrazilUniv Fed Uberlandia, Fac Phys Educ, Inst Biol Sci, BR-38400 Uberlandia, MG, BrazilUniversidade Federal de São Paulo, Dept Physiol, São Paulo, BrazilUniv Fed Goias, Inst Biol Sci, Mol Biol Lab, Goiania, Go, BrazilUniv Fed Goias, Inst Biol Sci, Dept Biochem & Mol Biol, Goiania, Go, BrazilUniversidade Federal de São Paulo, Dept Physiol, São Paulo, BrazilFundacao de Amparo a Pesquisa do Estado de Goias (FAPEG): 2012/0055431086Fundacao de Amparo a Pesquisa do Estado de Goias (FAPEG): 2009/10267000352CNPq: 477832/2010-5CNPq: 483411/2012-4Web of Scienc

Quantitative methods for the analysis of CFTR transcripts/splicing variants

AbstractIn cystic fibrosis (CF), transcript analysis and quantification are important for diagnosis, prognosis and also as surrogate markers for some therapies including gene therapy. Classical RNA-based methods require significant expression levels in target samples for appropriate analysis, thus PCR-based methods are evolving towards reliable quantification. Various protocols for the quantitative analysis of CFTR transcripts (including those resulting from splicing variants) are described and discussed here

Clinical and genetic characterization of RDH12-retinal dystrophy in a South American cohort

Purpose: To characterize the largest cohort of individuals with RDH12-retinal dystrophy to date, and the first one from South America. // Design: Retrospective multicenter international study. // Subjects: 78 patients (66 families) with an inherited retinal dystrophy and biallelic variants in RDH12. // Methods: Review of clinical notes, ophthalmic images, and molecular diagnosis. // Main outcome measures: Visual function, retinal imaging and characteristics were evaluated and correlated. // Results: Thirty-seven individuals self-identified as Latino (51%) and 34 as White (47%). Mean age at the baseline visit was 19.8 ± 13 years old (6 months – 46 years old, median 18.5); 41 (53%) were children. Thirty-nine patients (50%) had subsequent visits, with mean follow-up of 6.8 + 7.3 years (0 – 29). Sixty-nine individuals (88%) had Leber congenital amaurosis/early onset severe retinal dystrophy (LCA/EOSRD). Macular and mid-peripheral atrophy was seen in all patients from 3 years of age. A novel retinal finding was a hyperautofluorescent ring in 2 young children with LCA. Eight variants (21%) were previously unreported and the most frequent variant was c.295C>A, p.Leu99Ile, present in 52 alleles of 32 probands. Individuals with LCA homozygous for p.Leu99Ile (31%) had a later age of onset, slower rate of BCVA decrease, the largest percentage of patients with mild visual impairment, and were predicted to reach legal blindness at an older age than the rest of the cohort. // Conclusions: By describing the largest molecularly confirmed cohort to date, improved understanding of disease progression was possible. Our detailed characterization aims to support research and the development of novel therapies that may have the potential to reduce or prevent vision loss in individuals with RDH12-associated retinal dystrophy

Isolation of rabies virus in Artibeus fimbriatus bat in the State of Sao Paulo, Brazil

This is the first report of the isolation and identification of the rabies virus in the frugivorous bat Artibeus fimbriatus in the city of Sao José do Rio Preto, Sao Paulo State, Brazil. The virus was isolated from an animal found in an urban area. The animal was found on the ground under a tree, still alive. Diagnosis was made by direct immunofluorescence and intracerebral inoculation of mice.Descrevem-se, pela primeira vez, o isolamento e a identificação do vírus da raiva em morcego frugívoro Artibeus fimbriatus no município de São José do Rio Preto, Estado de São Paulo. O vírus foi isolado de exemplar encontrado em área urbana, caído sob uma árvore e ainda vivo. O diagnóstico foi realizado pelas técnicas de imunofluorescência direta e inoculação intracerebral em camundongos