Fast and Eco–friendly Microwave-Assisted Synthesis of Silver Nanoparticles using Rosemary Essential Oil as Renewable Reducing Agent

A green and fast methodology was developed to synthesize silver nanoparticlesusing rosemary essential oil (EO) as a renewable reducing agent. The synthesis process was microwave (MW) assisted, using acoaxialdipole antenna immersed into the reaction medium. This configuration was used to promote both: i) rosemary EO extraction by hydrodistillation, and ii) silver nanoparticle synthesis in an aqueous solution at atmosphericpressure. The effect of two different silver salt substrates and the time reaction on the morphology of the silver nanoparticles was explored. The coaxial microwave assisted hydrodistillation of rosemary yields 0.4%(w/w) in 30 min and contains ethers (17%), ketones (50%) and alcohols (15%). Silver nanoparticles with a tuneable particle size (from 7 to 18 nm) and morphology(from spherical to round-like shapes)were obtained in reaction times ranging from 2to 30 min. The nanoparticle formation was followed b yU V-vis spectroscopy and SEM imaging

Effects of comfort food on food intake, anxiety-like behavior and the stress response in rats

It has been suggested that access to high caloric food attenuates stress response. the present paper investigates whether access to commercial chow enriched with glucose and fat, here referred to as comfort food alters behavioral, metabolic, and hormonal parameters of rats submitted to three daily sessions of foot-shock stress. Food intake, anxiety-like behaviors, and serum levels of insulin, leptin, corticosterone. glucose and triglycerides were determined. the rats submitted to stress decreased the intake of commercial chow, but kept unaltered the intake of comfort food. During the elevated plus maze (EPM) test, stressed rats increased the number of head dipping, entries into the open arms, as well as the time spent there, and decreased the number of stretched-attend posture and risk assessment. These effects of stress were independent of the type of food consumed. Non-stressed rats ingesting comfort food decreased risk assessment as well. Stress and comfort food increased time spent in the center of the open field and delayed the first crossing to a new quadrant. Stress increased the plasma level of glucose and insulin, and reduced triglycerides, although consumption of comfort food increases glucose, triglyceride and leptin levels; no effect on leptin level was associated to stress. the stress induced increase in serum corticosterone was attenuated when rats had access to comfort food. It was concluded that foot-shock stress has an anorexigenic effect that is independent of leptin and prevented upon access to comfort food. Foot-shock stress also has an anxiolytic effect that is potentiated by the ingestion of comfort food and that is evidenced by both EPM and open field tests. (C) 2011 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)UNIFESP, Dept Biociencias, BR-11060001 Santos, SP, BrazilUniv Estadual Campinas, Inst Biol, Dept Anat Cell Biol Physiol & Biophys, Campinas, SP, BrazilUniversidade Federal de São Paulo, Dept Physiol, São Paulo, BrazilUNIFESP, Dept Biociencias, BR-11060001 Santos, SP, BrazilUniversidade Federal de São Paulo, Dept Physiol, São Paulo, BrazilWeb of Scienc

20 years of microwave technology developments using a coaxial antenna: From human health to green chemistry applications

The global interest on microwave assisted chemistry (MAC) is due to the important benefits for the sustainable growth of green chemical industries and environmentally friendly progress of society. MAC has been firstly developed using oven-type microwaves (MWs) assisted reactors, which requires difficult and expensive industrial scale-up. In 2002, the development of coaxial dipole antenna allowed a direct application of MWs in situ in the reaction media, opening a crucial, novel versatile technological solution, making MW-assisted processes feasible in any configuration at any industrial level. Here, we present an overview of the technological development of 20 years research using a coaxial MW antenna for green chemistry and human health applications. The major MW technology breakthroughs described in these short-review are: i) MW-induced thermoablation machine, ii) in situ MW heating in open glassware chemical reactors, iii) electrodeless MW/ultraviolet (UV) lamps and photoreactors, iv) MW-high pressure reactor and v) solventless/simultaneous MW/UV/ultrasound (US) configurations. Applications for the synthesis of nanocatalysts, nanoparticles and polymers, advanced oxidative decomposition photochemical processes, solvothermal extraction of valuable products and biomass processing are discussed. Remarks on the scaling up of the extraction processes and frontier applications addressed to the treatment of current and future outbreak pandemic emergences are also shown

Magnetothermally-responsive nanocarriers using confined phosphorylated halloysite nanoreactor for in situ iron oxide nanoparticle synthesis: a MW-assisted solvothermal approach

A family of easily recoverable magnetic and thermally responsive composite materials, with nanoscale dimensions, were synthesized by a rapid and simple solvothermal approach. The synthesis was thermally activated, accelerated, and controlled using a coaxial antenna to directly apply the microwave energy inside the solvothermal reactor. The composite materials were made up by a confined phosphorylated nanoreactor, namely halloysite nanotubes grafted on the inner lumen with phosphoric acid (HNTs-(H+-PO4)), that promoted the urea hydrolysis thus favoring the formation of a local alkaline environment to catalyze the homogeneous in situ precipitation of superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles (IONs) selectively on their inner or outer surface. Two new MW-assisted solvothermal methodologies were used: 1) in the first the solvent is directly loaded into the MW-assisted reactor together with HNTs-(H+-PO4) mechanically preloaded with iron chloride and urea in the lumen 2) in the second the synthesis is preceded by a further pre-functionalization step of the iron salt with clove essential oil (EO) as a green functionalization agent. Structural, morphological, textural, and magnetic properties were assessed by TEM, N2 physisorption, TG-FTIR, ICP, XRD, magnetic and magnetic hyperthermia measurements. The MW-assisted solvothermal deposition of IONs was fully controlled using the phosphorylated nanoreactor, in short synthesis times, by a simple methodology following the principles of sustainable chemistry. IONs were selectively deposited on the outer surface or in the inner lumen of HNTs yielding easily recoverable superparamagnetic and thermally responsive nanocarriers suitable for applications like targeted hyperthermia therapy

Targeting the thyroid gland with thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH)-nanoliposomes

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Glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase of Paracoccidioides brasiliensis is a cell surface protein involved in fungal adhesion to extracellular matrix proteins and interaction with cells

The pathogenic fungus Paracoccidioides brasiliensis causes paracoccidioidomycosis, a pulmonary mycosis acquired by inhalation of fungal airborne propagules, which may disseminate to several organs and tissues, leading to a severe form of the disease. Adhesion to and invasion of host cells are essential steps involved in the infection and dissemination of pathogens. Furthermore, pathogens use their surface molecules to bind to host extracellular matrix components to establish infection. Here, we report the characterization of the glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase (GAPDH) of P. brasiliensis as an adhesin, which can be related to fungus adhesion and invasion. the P. brasiliensis GAPDH was overexpressed in Escherichia coli, and polyclonal antibody against this protein was obtained. By immunoelectron microscopy and Western blot analysis, GAPDH was detected in the cytoplasm and the cell wall of the yeast phase of P. brasiliensis. the recombinant GAPDH was found to bind to fibronectin, laminin, and type I collagen in ligand far-Western blot assays. of special note, the treatment of P. brasiliensis yeast cells with anti-GAPDH polyclonal antibody and the incubation of pneumocytes with the recombinant protein promoted inhibition of adherence and internalization of P. brasiliensis to those in vitro-cultured cells. These observations indicate that the cell wall-associated form of the GAPDH in P. brasiliensis could be involved in mediating binding of fungal cells to fibronectin, type I collagen, and laminin, thus contributing to the adhesion of the microorganism to host tissues and to the dissemination of infection.Univ Fed Goias, Inst Ciencias Biol, Mol Biol Lab, BR-74001970 Goiania, Go, BrazilUniv Brasilia, BR-70910900 Brasilia, DF, BrazilUniv Estadual Julio Mesquita Filho, Araraquara, SP, BrazilUniversidade Federal de São Paulo, São Paulo, BrazilUniversidade Federal de São Paulo, São Paulo, BrazilWeb of Scienc

Head-to-Head Comparison of Poxvirus NYVAC and ALVAC Vectors Expressing Identical HIV-1 Clade C Immunogens in Prime-Boost Combination with Env Protein in Nonhuman Primates.

UNLABELLED: We compared the HIV-1-specific cellular and humoral immune responses elicited in rhesus macaques immunized with two poxvirus vectors (NYVAC and ALVAC) expressing the same HIV-1 antigens from clade C, Env gp140 as a trimeric cell-released protein and a Gag-Pol-Nef polyprotein as Gag-induced virus-like particles (VLPs) (referred to as NYVAC-C and ALVAC-C). The immunization protocol consisted of two doses of the corresponding poxvirus vector plus two doses of a combination of the poxvirus vector and a purified HIV-1 gp120 protein from clade C. This immunogenicity profile was also compared to that elicited by vaccine regimens consisting of two doses of the ALVAC vector expressing HIV-1 antigens from clades B/E (ALVAC-vCP1521) plus two doses of a combination of ALVAC-vCP1521 and HIV-1 gp120 protein from clades B/E (similar to the RV144 trial regimen) or clade C. The results showed that immunization of macaques with NYVAC-C stimulated at different times more potent HIV-1-specific CD4(+) T-cell responses and induced a trend toward higher-magnitude HIV-1-specific CD8(+) T-cell immune responses than did ALVAC-C. Furthermore, NYVAC-C induced a trend toward higher levels of binding IgG antibodies against clade C HIV-1 gp140, gp120, or murine leukemia virus (MuLV) gp70-scaffolded V1/V2 and toward best cross-clade-binding IgG responses against HIV-1 gp140 from clades A, B, and group M consensus, than did ALVAC-C. Of the linear binding IgG responses, most were directed against the V3 loop in all immunization groups. Additionally, NYVAC-C and ALVAC-C also induced similar levels of HIV-1-neutralizing antibodies and antibody-dependent cellular cytotoxicity (ADCC) responses. Interestingly, binding IgA antibody levels against HIV-1 gp120 or MuLV gp70-scaffolded V1/V2 were absent or very low in all immunization groups. Overall, these results provide a comprehensive survey of the immunogenicity of NYVAC versus ALVAC expressing HIV-1 antigens in nonhuman primates and indicate that NYVAC may represent an alternative candidate to ALVAC in the development of a future HIV-1 vaccine. IMPORTANCE: The finding of a safe and effective HIV/AIDS vaccine immunogen is one of the main research priorities. Here, we generated two poxvirus-based HIV vaccine candidates (NYVAC and ALVAC vectors) expressing the same clade C HIV-1 antigens in separate vectors, and we analyzed in nonhuman primates their immunogenicity profiles. The results showed that immunization with NYVAC-C induced a trend toward higher HIV-1-specific cellular and humoral immune responses than did ALVAC-C, indicating that this new NYVAC vector could be a novel optimized HIV/AIDS vaccine candidate for human clinical trials.This investigation was supported by the PTVDC/CAVD program with support from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation (BMGF). Humoral immune monitoring data was supported by the BMGF CAVIMC 1032144 grant and the NIH/NIAID Duke Center for AIDS Research (CFAR) 5P30 AI064518. Novartis Vaccines received support for this work under contract number HHSN266200500007C from DAIDS-NIAID-NIH.This is the accepted manuscript. The final version is available at http://jvi.asm.org/content/early/2015/05/29/JVI.01265-15.abstract

ÁREA DE PRESIDENCIA [Material gráfico]

Forma parte del reportaje fotográfico sobre la inauguración en los años 40 del nuevo edificio institucional del Cabildo de Gran CanariaCopia digital. Madrid : Ministerio de Educación, Cultura y Deporte. Subdirección General de Coordinación Bibliotecaria, 201

The role of the general practictioner in the management of urinary calculi

Background: The prevalence of kidney stones tends to increase worldwide due to dietary and climate changes. Disease management involves a high consumption of healthcare system resources which can be reduced with primary prevention measures and prophylaxis of recurrences. In this field, collaboration between general practitioners (GPs) and hospitals is crucial. Methods: a panel composed of general practitioners and academic and hospital clinicians expert in the treatment of urinary stones met with the aim of identifying the activities that require the participation of the GP in the management process of the kidney stone patient. Results: Collaboration between GP and hospital was found crucial in the treatment of renal colic and its infectious complications, expulsive treatment of ureteral stones, chemolysis of uric acid stones, long-term follow-up after active treatment of urinary stones, prevention of recurrence and primary prevention in the general population. Conclusions: The role of the GP is crucial in the management and prevention of urinary stones. Community hospitals which are normally led by GPs in liaison with consultants and other health professional can have a role in assisting multidisciplinary working as extended primary care

Rates and Predictors of Treatment Failure in Staphylococcus aureus Prosthetic Joint Infections According to Different Management Strategies: A Multinational Cohort Study—The ARTHR-IS Study Group

Introduction: Guidelines have improved the management of prosthetic joint infections (PJI). However, it is necessary to reassess the incidence and risk factors for treatment failure (TF) of Staphylococcus aureus PJI (SA-PJI) including functional loss, which has so far been neglected as an outcome. Methods: A retrospective cohort study of SA-PJI was performed in 19 European hospitals between 2014 and 2016. The outcome variable was TF, including related mortality, clinical failure and functional loss both after the initial surgical procedure and after all procedures at 18 months. Predictors of TF were identified by logistic regression. Landmark analysis was used to avoid immortal time bias with rifampicin when debridement, antibiotics and implant retention (DAIR) was performed. Results: One hundred twenty cases of SA-PJI were included. TF rates after the first and all surgical procedures performed were 32.8% and 24.2%, respectively. After all procedures, functional loss was 6.0% for DAIR and 17.2% for prosthesis removal. Variables independently associated with TF for the first procedure were Charlson >= 2, haemoglobin 30 kg/m(2) and delay of DAIR, while rifampicin use was protective. For all procedures, the variables associated with TF were haemoglobin < 10 g/dL, hip fracture and additional joint surgery not related to persistent infection. Conclusions: TF remains common in SA-PJI. Functional loss accounted for a substantial proportion of treatment failures, particularly after prosthesis removal. Use of rifampicin after DAIR was associated with a protective effect. Among the risk factors identified, anaemia and obesity have not frequently been reported in previous studies. [GRAPHICS]