Novel and revisited approaches in nanoparticle systems for buccal drug delivery

The buccal route is considered patient friendly due to its non-invasive nature and ease of administration. Such delivery route has been used as an alternative for the delivery of drugs that undergo first-pass metabolism or are susceptible to pH and enzymatic degradation, such as occurs in the gastrointestinal tract. However, the drug concentration absorbed in the buccal mucosa is often low to obtain an acceptable therapeutic effect, mainly due to the saliva turnover, tongue and masticatory movements, phonation, enzymatic degradation and lack of epithelium permeation. Therefore, the encapsulation of drugs into nanoparticles is an important strategy to avoid such problems and improve their buccal delivery. Different materials from lipids to natural or synthetic polymers and others have been used to protect and deliver drugs in a sustained, controlled or targeted manner, and enhance their uptake through the buccal mucosa improving their bioavailability and therapeutic outcome. Overall, the main aim of this review is to perform an overview about the nanotechnological approaches developed so far to improve the buccal delivery of drugs. Herein, several types of nanoparticles and delivery strategies are addressed, and a special focus on pipeline products is also given.info:eu-repo/semantics/acceptedVersio

Comunidades que sustentam a agricultura (CSA): avaliação de impactos em sistemas orgânicos de cultivo

The present work aimed to evaluate the impact of technologies on organic production systems in areas that are part of Communities Supported Agriculture (CSA), in the Federal District. The work, of applied nature and quantitative approach, made use of the System of Weighted Assessment of Environmental Impact of Activities of the New Rural (APOIA-NovoRural). The tool consists of 62 indicators based on the knowledge of rural producers in relation to their establishments. Data were collected in five properties. The implementation of CSA has provided positive results in environmental performance parameters. Considering the pattern of 0.7, there was an average of 0.78, with the following indexes by establishment: P1 = 0.79; P2 = 0.81; P3 = 0.8; P4 = 0.74; P5 = 0.79. Emphasis on water quality indexes, average of 0.98, sociocultural conditions, average of 0.83, and economic, average index of 0.84. On the other hand, data on soil quality, average index of 0.47, require improvements by producers, as well as the management and administration of properties, with an average index of 0.76, that can be improved.O presente trabalho teve como objetivo avaliar o impacto de tecnologias nos sistemas orgânicos de produção em áreas que fazem parte de Comunidades que Sustentam a Agricultura (CSA), no Distrito Federal. O trabalho, de natureza aplicada e abordagem quantitativa, fez uso do Sistema de Avaliação Ponderada de Impacto Ambiental de Atividades do Novo Rural (APOIA-NovoRural). A ferramenta consiste em 62 indicadores baseados no conhecimento dos produtores rurais em relação aos seus estabelecimentos. Os dados foram coletados em cinco propriedades. A implantação de CSA tem proporcionado resultados positivos nos parâmetros de desempenho ambiental. Considerando o padrão de 0,7, verificou-se média de 0,78, com os seguintes índices integrados por estabelecimento: P1 = 0,79; P2 = 0,81; P3 = 0,8; P4 = 0,74; P5 = 0,79. Destaque para os índices de qualidade da água, média de 0,98, condições socioculturais, média de 0,83, e econômicas, cujo índice médio das propriedades alcançou 0,84. Por outro lado, os dados relativos à qualidade do solo, com índice médio de 0,47, requer melhorias por parte dos produtores, bem como a gestão e administração das propriedades, com índice médio de 0,76

Comunidades que sustentam a agricultura (CSA): avaliação de impactos em sistemas orgânicos de cultivo.

O presente trabalhoteve como objetivo avaliar o impacto de tecnologias nos sistemas orgânicos de produção em áreas que fazem parte de Comunidades que Sustentam a Agricultura (CSA), no Distrito Federal. O trabalho, denatureza aplicada e abordagem quantitativa, fez uso do Sistema de Avaliação Ponderada de Impacto Ambiental de Atividades do Novo Rural (APOIA-NovoRural). A ferramenta consiste em62 indicadores baseados no conhecimento dos produtores rurais em relação aos seus estabelecimentos. Os dados foram coletadosem cinco propriedades. Aimplantação deCSA tem proporcionado resultados positivos nos parâmetros dedesempenho ambiental. Considerando o padrão de 0,7, verificou-se média de 0,78, comos seguintes índices integrados por estabelecimento: P1 = 0,79; P2 = 0,81; P3 = 0,8; P4 = 0,74; P5 = 0,79. Destaque para os índicesde qualidade da água, médiade 0,98, condições socioculturais, médiade 0,83, e econômicas, cujo índice médio das propriedades alcançou 0,84. Por outro lado, os dados relativos à qualidade do solo, com índice médio de 0,47, requer melhorias por parte dos produtores, bem como a gestão e administração das propriedades, com índice médio de 0,76

Paper-based in-situ gold nanoparticle synthesis for colorimetric, non-enzymatic glucose level determination

ref. 787410 SFRH/BD/115173/2016 SFRH/BD/132057/2017Due to its properties, paper represents an alternative to perform point-of-care tests for colorimetric determination of glucose levels, providing simple, rapid, and inexpensive means of diagnosis. In this work, we report the development of a novel, rapid, disposable, inexpensive, enzyme-free, and colorimetric paper-based assay for glucose level determination. This sensing strategy is based on the synthesis of gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) by reduction of a gold salt precursor, in which glucose acts simultaneously as reducing and capping agent. This leads to a direct measurement of glucose without any enzymes or depending on the detection of intermediate products as in conventional enzymatic colorimetric methods. Firstly, we modelled the synthesis reaction of AuNPs to determine the optical, morphological, and kinetic properties and their manipulation for glucose sensing, by determining the influence of each of the reaction precursors towards the produced AuNPs, providing a guide for the manipulation of nucleation and growth. The adaptation of this synthesis into the developed paper platform was tested and calibrated using different standard solutions with physiological concentrations of glucose. The response of the colorimetric signals obtained with this paper-based platform showed a linear behavior until 20 mM, required for glycemic control in diabetes, using the Red × Value/Grey feature combination as a calibration metric, to describe the variations in color intensity and hue in the spot test zone. The colorimetric sensor revealed a detection limit of 0.65 mM, depending on calibration metric and sensitivity of 0.013 AU/mM for a linear sensitivity range from 1.25 to 20 mM, with high specificity for the determination of glucose in complex standards with other common reducing interferents and human serum.publishersversionpublishe

Pulmonary rehabilitation programs for patients with COPD

Pulmonary rehabilitation programs are aimed at providing benefits to COPD patients, in various aspects. Our objective was to review the literature on COPD patient rehabilitation. This systematic review involved articles written in English, Spanish, or Portuguese; published between 2005 and 2009; and indexed in national and international databases. Articles were classified in accordance with the Global Initiative for Chronic Obstructive Lung Disease criteria for the determination of the level of scientific evidence (grade of recommendation A, B, or C). The outcome measures were exercise, quality of life, symptoms, exacerbations, mortality, and pulmonary function. Treatments were classified as standard rehabilitation, partial rehabilitation, strength exercises, and resistance exercises. Of the 40 articles selected, 4, 18, and 18 were classified as grades A, B, and C, respectively. Of the 181 analyses made in these articles, 61, 50, 23, 23, 20, and 4, respectively, were related to the outcome measures quality of life, exercise, symptoms, exacerbations, pulmonary function, and mortality. The standard rehabilitation programs showed positive effects on all of the outcomes evaluated, except for mortality (because of the small number of analyses). However, we found no differences among the various rehabilitation programs regarding their effects on the outcomes studied. Rehabilitation programs can be considered important tools for the treatment of COPD. Therefore, health administrators should implement public policies including such programs in the routine of health care facilities.Programas de reabilitação pulmonar visam à melhora do paciente com DPOC em vários aspectos. Esta revisão teve como objetivo avaliar a literatura sobre reabilitação em pacientes com DPOC. Foi realizada uma revisão sistemática incluindo artigos publicados entre 2005 e 2009, indexados em bases de dados nacionais e internacionais e escritos em inglês, espanhol ou português. Os artigos foram classificados segundo o critério da Global Initiative for Chronic Obstructive Lung Disease para nível de evidência científica (grau de recomendação A, B e C). Os desfechos exercício, qualidade de vida, sintomas, exacerbações, mortalidade e função pulmonar foram pesquisados. Os tratamentos foram classificados como reabilitação padrão, reabilitação parcial, exercícios de força e exercícios de resistência. Dos 40 artigos selecionados, 4, 18 e 18 foram classificados com graus A, B e C, respectivamente. Das 181 análises oriundas desses artigos, 61, 50, 23, 23, 20 e 4, respectivamente, foram relacionadas aos desfechos qualidade de vida, exercício, sintomas, exacerbação, função pulmonar e mortalidade. Em todos os desfechos avaliados, os programas de reabilitação padrão tiveram efeitos positivos sobre os desfechos estudados, exceto para mortalidade pelo reduzido número de análises. Entretanto, não foram verificadas diferenças nos efeitos sobre os desfechos estudados quando os diferentes programas de reabilitação foram comparados. Programas de reabilitação pulmonar podem ser considerados importantes ferramentas no arsenal do tratamento da DPOC, merecendo atenção dos gestores em saúde para a implementação de políticas públicas que os incluam como rotina nos serviços de saúde.Universidade Federal de Pelotas Faculdade de Medicina Departamento de Clínica MédicaUniversidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul Faculdade de Medicina Departamento de Medicina InternaUniversidade Federal de São Paulo (UNIFESP)Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina Departamento de NutriçãoFundação Universidade Federal do Rio Grande Instituto de Ciências Humanas e da InformaçãoUniversidade Federal de Pelotas Escola Superior de Educação FísicaUNIFESPSciEL

Proteomic Profiling of Plasma- and Gut-Derived Extracellular Vesicles in Obesity

Funding Information: This research was funded by Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia (PTDC/MEC-MET/29314/2017, and 2022.05764.PTDC), by the European Comission CORDIS Pas Gras Project (101080329) and by the European Union EVCA Twining Project (Horizon GA n° 101079264). Publisher Copyright: © 2024 by the authors.Obesity entails metabolic alterations across multiple organs, highlighting the role of inter-organ communication in its pathogenesis. Extracellular vesicles (EVs) are communication agents in physiological and pathological conditions, and although they have been associated with obesity comorbidities, their protein cargo in this context remains largely unknown. To decipher the messages encapsulated in EVs, we isolated plasma-derived EVs from a diet-induced obese murine model. Obese plasma EVs exhibited a decline in protein diversity while control EVs revealed significant enrichment in protein-folding functions, highlighting the importance of proper folding in maintaining metabolic homeostasis. Previously, we revealed that gut-derived EVs’ proteome holds particular significance in obesity. Here, we compared plasma and gut EVs and identified four proteins exclusively present in the control state of both EVs, revealing the potential for a non-invasive assessment of gut health by analyzing blood-derived EVs. Given the relevance of post-translational modifications (PTMs), we observed a shift in chromatin-related proteins from glycation to acetylation in obese gut EVs, suggesting a regulatory mechanism targeting DNA transcription during obesity. This study provides valuable insights into novel roles of EVs and protein PTMs in the intricate mechanisms underlying obesity, shedding light on potential biomarkers and pathways for future research.publishersversionpublishe

Molecular determinants of ligand specificity in family 11 carbohydrate binding modules - An NMR, X-ray crystallography and computational chemistry approach

12 pags, 6 figs, 1 tabThe direct conversion of plant cell wall polysaccharides into soluble sugars is one of the most important reactions on earth, and is performed by certain microorganisms such as Clostridium thermocellum (Ct). These organisms produce extracellular multi-subunit complexes (i.e. cellulosomes) comprising a consortium of enzymes, which contain noncatalytic carbohydrate-binding modules (CBM) that increase the activity of the catalytic module. In the present study, we describe a combined approach by X-ray crystallography, NMR and computational chemistry that aimed to gain further insight into the binding mode of different carbohydrates (cellobiose, cellotetraose and cellohexaose) to the binding pocket of the family 11 CBM. The crystal structure of C. thermocellum CBM11 has been resolved to 1.98 Å in the apo form. Since the structure with a bound substrate could not be obtained, computational studies with cellobiose, cellotetraose and cellohexaose were carried out to determine the molecular recognition of glucose polymers by CtCBM11. These studies revealed a specificity area at the CtCBM11 binding cleft, which is lined with several aspartate residues. In addition, a cluster of aromatic residues was found to be important for guiding and packing of the polysaccharide. The binding cleft of CtCBM11 interacts more strongly with the central glucose units of cellotetraose and cellohexaose, mainly through interactions with the sugar units at positions 2 and 6. This model of binding is supported by saturation transfer difference NMR experiments and linebroadening NMR studies. © 2008 The Authors.The authors would like to thank the research network REQUIMTE (Project Reqmol), as well as the Portuguese Science and Technology Foundation (FCT-MCTES), for financial support through projectPTDC⁄QUI⁄68286⁄2006 and scholarships SFRH⁄BPD⁄27237⁄2006 and SFRH⁄BD⁄31359⁄200

TRANSTORNO DE PERSONALIDADE ANTISSOCIAL: UMA REVISÃO INTEGRATIVA ACERCA DOS FATORES GENÉTICOS E AMBIENTAIS DO DIAGNÓSTICO

Antisocial Personality Disorder is a complex psychiatric condition characterized by persistent patterns of disregard for the rights of others, impulsive behaviors, lack of empathy and remorse, and tendencies toward manipulation and deception. Understanding Antisocial Personality Disorder involves careful analysis of a wide range of factors, including genetic and environmental factors, which play a key role in its development and diagnosis. This article consists of an integrative review, which aims to discuss the genetic and environmental factors that influence the diagnosis of antisocial personality disorder, through considerations about the pathology and the intersection between them, with the aim of expanding society's knowledge , of students and professionals in the field on the topic in question. This is an integrative review, in which basic, qualitative, exploratory and bibliographical research was carried out in the databases. Genetic factors play a key role in the development of Antisocial Personality Disorder. Scientific studies have shown that genetic predisposition is one of the key components for understanding this complex disorder. Environmental factors play an extremely important role in the development of Antisocial Personality Disorder. They constitute external influences that shape the way individuals with the disorder interact with the environment that surrounds them and influence the manifestation of their behaviors. In short, it is possible to conclude that the intersection between genetic and environmental factors is essential to understanding Antisocial Personality Disorder.O Transtorno de Personalidade Antissocial é uma condição psiquiátrica complexa caracterizada por padrões persistentes de desrespeito pelos direitos dos outros, comportamentos impulsivos, falta de empatia e remorso, além de tendências para a manipulação e a enganação. A compreensão do Transtorno de Personalidade Antissocial envolve a análise cuidadosa de uma ampla gama de fatores, incluindo fatores genéticos e ambientais, que desempenham um papel fundamental no seu desenvolvimento e diagnóstico. O presente artigo consiste em uma revisão integrativa, no qual tem como objetivos discorrer acerca dos fatores genéticos e ambientais que influenciam no diagnóstico do transtorno de personalidade antissocial, mediante considerações acerca da patologia e da interseção entre eles, no intuito de ampliar os conhecimentos da sociedade, de estudantes e profissionais da área acerca do tema em questão. Trata-se de uma revisão integrativa, na qual foi realizada uma pesquisa dos tipos básica, qualitativa, exploratória e bibliográfica, nas bases de dados. Os fatores genéticos desempenham um papel fundamental no desenvolvimento do Transtorno de Personalidade Antissocial. Estudos científicos têm apontado que a predisposição genética é um dos componentes-chave para a compreensão desse transtorno complexo. Os fatores ambientais exercem um papel de extrema importância no desenvolvimento do Transtorno de Personalidade Antissocial. Eles constituem influências externas que moldam a maneira como os indivíduos com o transtorno interagem com o ambiente que os cerca e influenciam a manifestação de seus comportamentos. Em suma, é possível concluir que a interseção entre fatores genéticos e ambientais é essencial para compreender o Transtorno de Personalidade Antissocial

Tuberculosis across the seas: CPLP-TB - a joint effort in cataloguing mycobacterium tuberculosis genetic diversity in the lusophone space

The Community of Portuguese Language Speaking Countries (CPLP) comprises nine countries across four continents, accounting for 7.2% of the world’s land area, and where tuberculosis (TB) is still a cause of public health concern. A marked variation in TB incidence (23 to 551 cases per 100 000 habitants) can be observed across the different member-states and, despite of this, a considerable gap in the knowledge on the Mycobacterium tuberculosis population structure and country-level geospatial distribution still exists. To address this we have gathered a comprehensive set of molecular and phenotypic drug susceptibility data on approximately 1150 different clinical isolates, from different partners, across 5 distinct portuguesespeaking countries. This initial dataset comprises molecular genotypic data obtained by either 12, 15 or 24-loci Mycobacterial Interspersed Repetitive Unit – Variable Number of Tandem repeat (MIRU-VNTR) and/or Spoligotyping. The complete dataset therefore includes M. tuberculosis clinical isolates from Portugal (n≈370), Angola (n≈80), Guinea-Bissau (n≈13), Mozambique (n≈14) and Brazil (n≈680). To make this data available to the scientific community and public health authorities we have developed CPLP-TB, an online database coupled with webbased tools that enable exploratory data analysis. This new tool specifically directed at CPLP countries include advanced data analysis capability together with graphical visualization tools (e.g. dendrogram and choropleth mapping). As a public health tool, it is expected to contribute for a deeper knowledge on the combined population structure and strain circulation between countries, thus enabling the assessment of strain specific trends in a broader macroepidemiological context. Furthermore, this new tool provides a new framework for interlaboratory cooperation on TB molecular epidemiology.N/