Evaluación de la migración de bromuro de cetilpiridinio desde nanocompósitos activos hacia un simulante graso de alimentos/Cetylpyridinium bromide migration assessment from active nanocomposites to a fatty food simulant

En los últimos años, el desarrollo de nanocompósitos poliméricos se plantea como una interesante alternativa para el diseño de nuevos materiales para el envasado activo de alimentos. A pesar de esto, existe constante preocupación relacionada a la migración de los componentes activos incorporados en el material ya que, un material de envasado destinado a entrar en contacto con un alimento debe presentar valores de migración bajo los límites establecidos en regulaciones internacionales. En este sentido, el objetivo del presente trabajo fue evaluar la migración del surfactante bromuro de cetilpiridinio (CPB) desde nanocompósitos activos de polietileno de baja densidad y montmorillonita modificada con CPB, hacia un simulante graso de alimentos (etanol 95 %). El seguimiento de la migración del componente se realizó a través de la medición de la conductividad eléctrica del simulante en contacto con los nanocompósitos. Se determinó que la presencia del 3,0 % de organoarcilla permite una mayor migración del CPB debido a la presencia del surfactante libre en la matriz y al hinchamiento de la organoarcilla superficial por hidratación. Además, se observó que la migración es prolongada en el tiempo y está por debajo de los límites permitidos por la legislación estadounidense, lo que permitiría la generación de materiales novedosos que podrían ser empleados en el diseño de envases activos de alimentos. In the last years, the development of polymeric nanocomposites is presented as an interesting alternative for the design of new materials for active food packaging. Despite this, there are concerns regarding the migration of the components incorporated in the material since a packaging material intended to come into contact with food must have migration values under the limits established in international regulations. In this sense, the aim in this work was to evaluate the migration of the surfactant cetylpyridinium bromide (CPB) from active nanocomposites of low density polyethylene and motmorillonite modified with CPB to a fatty food simulant (ethanol 95 %). The migration of the component was followed by fat simulant electrical conductivity measurements during the contact with the nanocomposites. It was determined that materials with 3,0 % of organoclay allowed a higher migration of CPB due to the presence of free surfactant in the matrix and swelling of the superficial organoclay. In addition, it was observed that the migration is prolonged in time and it is below the limits allowed by US legislation, which would enable the generation of novel materials that could be used in the design of active food packaging. Palabras clave: surfactante, conductividad eléctrica, polietileno de baja densidad, organoarcilla, envase activo de alimentos. Keywords: surfactant, electrical conductivity, low density polyethylene, organoclay, food active packaging

Gold nanoparticles crossing blood-brain barrier prevent HSV-1 infection and reduce herpes associated amyloid-βsecretion

Infections caused by HSV-1 and their typical outbreaks invading the nervous system have been related to neurodegenerative diseases. HSV-1 infection may deregulate the balance between the amyloidogenic and non-amyloidogenic pathways, raising the accumulation of amyloid-β peptides, one of the hallmarks in the neurodegenerative diseases. An effective treatment against both, HSV-1 infections and neurodegeneration, is a major therapeutic target. Therefore, gold nanoparticles (NPAus) have been previously studied in immunotherapy, cancer and cellular disruptions with very promising results. Our study demonstrates that a new NPAus family inhibits the HSV-1 infection in a neural-derived SK-N-MC cell line model and that this new NPAus reduces the HSV-1-induced β-secretase activity, as well as amyloid-β accumulation in SK-APP-D1 modifies cell line. We demonstrated that NPAuG3-S8 crosses the blood-brain barrier (BBB) and does not generate cerebral damage to in vivo CD1 mice model. The NPAuG3-S8 could be a promising treatment against neuronal HSV-1 infections and neuronal disorders related to the Aβ peptidesThis work has been (partially) funded by the RD16/0025/0019, projects as part of Acción Estratégica en Salud, Plan Nacional de Investigación Científica, Desarrollo e Innovación Tecnológica (2013-2016) and cofinanced by Instituto de Salud Carlos III (Subdirección General de Evaluación) and Fondo Europeo de Desarrollo Regional (FEDER), RETIC PT17/0015/0042, Fondo de Investigacion Sanitaria (FIS) (grant numbers: PI16/01863; PI19/01638) and EPIICAL project. CIBER-BBN is an initiative funded by the VI National R&D&i Plan 2008-2011, Iniciativa Ingenio 2010, the Consolider Program, and CIBER Actions and financed by the Instituto de Salud Carlos III with assistance from the European Regional Development Fund. This work has been supported partially by a EUROPARTNER: Strengthening and spreading international partnership activities of the Faculty of Biology and Environmental Protection for interdisciplinary research and innovation of the University of Lodz Programme: NAWA International Academic Partnership Programme. This article/publication is based upon work from COST Action CA 17140 “Cancer Nanomedicine from the Bench to the Bedside” supported by COST (European Cooperation in Science and Technology

Mandibular odontogenic myxoma : reconstructive considerations by means of the vascularized fibular free flap

The odontogenic myxoma is a rare entity located in mandible and upper maxilla. Due to its local aggressiveness, wide surgical excision is mandatory. Several surgical techniques have been described for the reconstruction of segmental mandibular defects. In comparison with other free flaps, the vascularized free fibular flap (VFFF) supports the longest amount of bone and, due to the nature of the vascular supply a complete freedom in location of the osteotomy is present. A precise mandibular arc can be performed following bone resection. We suggest the performance of the ?in situ? VFFF technique in order to recreate mandibular contour by means of several osteotomies, while the pedicle is still attached to the leg. Substantial decrease in surgical time is obtained. With the ?double-barrel? technique and subsequent osseointegrated implants, good results are obtained in the reconstruction of dentate patients without maxillary atrophy. We present two new cases of large odontogenic mandibular myxoma. Wide surgical excision by means of hemimandibulectomies and subsequent reconstruction with VFFF were performed

The jigsaw of PRRSV virulence

Porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus (PRRSV) is the causative agent of the, probably, most economically important disease for the pig industry worldwide. This disease, characterised by producing reproductive failure in sows and respiratory problems in growing pigs, appeared in the late 1980s in the United States and Canada. Since its appearance, strains capable of producing higher mortality rates as well as greater severity in clinical signs and lesions than classical strains have been identified. However, since the first reports of these “virulent” PRRSV outbreaks, no homogeneity and consensus in their description have been established. Moreover, to the authors’ knowledge, there is no published information related to the criteria that a PRRSV strain should fulfil to be considered as a “virulent” strain. In this review, we revise the terminology used and gather the information related to the main characteristics and differences in clinical signs, lesions, viral replication and tropism as well as immunological parameters between virulent and classical PRRSV strains and propose a first approximation to the criteria to define a virulent PRRSV strain

Prevalencia de candidiasis vaginal en una población obstétrica de bajo riesgo en Santander

ObjetivoConocer la prevalencia de candidiasis vaginal en embarazadas controladas desde atención primaria y ver si está aumentando con el paso del tiempo.DiseñoEstudio descriptivo, retrospectivo del universo de mujeres embarazadas.EmplazamientoZona Básica de Salud Cazoña (34.783 habitantes).SujetosToda la población obstétrica controlada en nuestro centro de salud desde 1992 a 1997, ambos inclusive.Mediciones y resultadosEstudio retrospectivo de las historias clínicas de todas las mujeres embarazadas captadas en nuestro centro de salud (878 embarazos). Descartados los derivados a tocólogo, abortos y partos prematuros, se han valorado 549 embarazos (62,30% del total) normales, de bajo riesgo, controlados hasta el final por atención primaria, con un rango de edad de 16-40 años. La prevalencia media de candidiasis es de un 18% (IC, 15,0-21,6). Su frecuencia aumenta a medida que se incrementa el número de gestaciones y disminuye a medida que aumenta la edad de la embarazada.ConclusionesLa prevalencia encontrada en nuestro estudio es de un 18%, y no está aumentando a medida que pasan los años.ObjectivesTo find the prevalence of vaginal candidiasis in pregnant women monitored through primary care and to see whether it is on the increase.DesignDescriptive and retrospective study of pregnant women.SettingCazoña Health District (34783 inhabitants).SubjectsThe entire obstetric population monitored by our health centre between 1992 and 1997 inclusive.Measurements and resultsRetrospective study of clinical histories of all the pregnant women seen at our health centre (878 pregnancies). After discounting those referred to obstetricians, abortions/ miscarriages and premature births, 549 normal low-risk pregnancies (62.30% of the total) were monitored to completion in primary care. The women's age range was 16 to 40. The mean prevalence of candidiasis was 18% (CI, 15.0-21.6). Its frequency increased as the number of pregnancies increased and dropped as the age of the pregnant women increased.ConclusionsPrevalence found in our study was 18% and did not increase as the years passed

Activation of T-bet, FOXP3, and EOMES in Target Organs From Piglets Infected With the Virulent PRRSV-1 Lena Strain

Transcription factors (TFs) modulate genes involved in cell-type-specific proliferative and migratory properties, metabolic features, and effector functions. Porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus (PRRSV) is one of the most important pathogen agents in the porcine industry; however, TFs have been poorly studied during the course of this disease. Therefore, we aimed to evaluate the expressions of the TFs T-bet, GATA3, FOXP3, and Eomesodermin (EOMES) in target organs (the lung, tracheobronchial lymph node, and thymus) and those of different effector cytokines (IFNG, TNFA, and IL10) and the Fas ligand (FASL) during the early phase of infection with PRRSV-1 strains of different virulence. Target organs from mock-, virulent Lena-, and low virulent 3249-infected animals humanely euthanized at 1, 3, 6, 8, and 13 days post-infection (dpi) were collected to analyze the PRRSV viral load, histopathological lesions, and relative quantification through reverse transcription quantitative PCR (RT-qPCR) of the TFs and cytokines. Animals belonging to both infected groups, but mainly those infected with the virulent Lena strain, showed upregulation of the TFs T-bet, EOMES, and FOXP3, together with an increase of the cytokine IFN-g in target organs at the end of the study (approximately 2 weeks post-infection). These results are suggestive of a stronger polarization to Th1 cells and regulatory T cells (Tregs), but also CD4+ cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTLs), effector CD8+ T cells, and gdT cells in virulent PRRSV-1-infected animals; however, their biological functionality should be the object of further studies

High-pressure lattice-dynamics of NdVO4

High-pressure Raman-scattering measurements and ab initio calculations on NdVO4 have been carried out up to 30 GPa. Our combined experimental and theoretical study confirms that beyond 5.9 GPa NdVO4 undergoes an irreversible zircon to monazite transition. The coexistence of zircon and monazite phases is experimentally observed up to ~8 GPa (which agrees with the theoretical transition pressure), stabilizing the monazite phase as a single phase around 10 GPa. Calculations additionally predict the existence of a second high-pressure phase transition at 12.4 GPa. This reversible phase transition has been experimentally observed beyond 18.1 GPa and remains stable up to 30 GPa. The post-monazite phase is predicted to have a monoclinic structure isomorphic to the BaWO4-II type structure. The calculated structure for the three polymorphs of NdVO4 is reported and the pressure dependence of their Raman modes is discussed

Niemann-Pick disease type-B: a unique case report with compound heterozygosity and complicated lipid management

BACKGROUND: Niemann-Pick disease (NPD) is a rare autosomal recessive hereditary disease characterized by deficient activity of acid sphingomyelinase. CASE PRESENTATION: We present a case of NPD type B with a unique compound heterozygosity for SMPD1 (NM_000543.4:c.[84delC];[96G¿>¿A]) in which both mutations that induce an early stop codon are located before the second in-frame initiation codon. The clinical presentation of the patient is compatible with NPD type B. She was initially diagnosed of Gaucher Disease, but her altered lipid profile led to a clinical suspicion of NPD. Combined high doses of atorvastatin and ezetimibe were given to treat the severe hypercholesterolemia. CONCLUSIONS: The pharmacological management of the lipid profile in these patients is important. A unique compound mutation in SMPD1 gene is described

Activation of pro- and anti-inflammatory responses in lung tissue injury during the acute phase of PRRSV-1 infection with the virulent strain Lena

Porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus (PRRSV) plays a key role in porcine respiratory disease complex modulating the host immune response and favouring secondary bacterial infections. Pulmonary alveolar macrophages (PAMs) are the main cells supporting PRRSV replication, with CD163 as the essential receptor for viral infection. Although interstitial pneumonia is by far the representative lung lesion, suppurative bronchopneumonia is described for PRRSV virulent strains. This research explores the role of several immune markers potentially involved in the regulation of the inflammatory response and sensitisation of lung to secondary bacterial infections by PRRSV-1 strains of different virulence. Conventional pigs were intranasally inoculated with the virulent subtype 3 Lena strain or the low virulent subtype 1 3249 strain and euthanised at 1, 3, 6 and 8 dpi. Lena-infected pigs exhibited more severe clinical signs, macroscopic lung score and viraemia associated with an increase of IL-6 and IFN-γ in sera compared to 3249-infected pigs. Extensive areas of lung consolidation corresponding with suppurative bronchopneumonia were observed in Lena-infected pigs. Lung viral load and PRRSV-N-protein+ cells were always higher in Lena-infected animals. PRRSV-N-protein+ cells were linked to a marked drop of CD163+ macrophages. The number of CD14+ and iNOS+ cells gradually increased along PRRSV-1 infection, being more evident in Lena-infected pigs. The frequency of CD200R1+ and FoxP3+ cells peaked late in both PRRSV-1 strains, with a strong correlation between CD200R1+ cells and lung injury in Lena-infected pigs. These results highlight the role of molecules involved in the earlier and higher extent of lung lesions in piglets infected with the virulent Lena strain, pointing out the activation of routes potentially involved in the restraint of the local inflammatory response.info:eu-repo/semantics/acceptedVersio

Dynamics of the population of Common quail males in the island of Majorca and comparison with the northeast peninsular populations

[eng] The population dynamics of the common quail males in Majorca were studied through censuses and captures during two reproductive cycles (2017 and 2018). Results were compared with those obtained in a monitoring program of 13 years (2005-2017) that had taken place in two sites in the northeast of the Iberian Peninsula (Figuerola del Camp in Tarragona, and Alp in Girona). The aim of the study was to investigate the migratory status of the Majorca population and its possible connectivity with other adjacent populations. Being a game species, the knowledge of the phenology and population dynamics throughout the reproductive cycle allow suitable management and conservation. The temporal pattern of abundance of the quail found in Majorca was different from that of the continental populations. A very early phenology of breeding individuals, similar to that found in latitudes of the south of the Iberian Peninsula, suggests the possible winter stay of a fraction of the population in this island. On the other hand, a very delayed phenology in the presence of breeder yearlings suggests an isolation of the Majorca population in relation to the one that breeds in the continent. The lack of synchronization between the abundance pattern of the breeding stock and the cereal cycle, raises more detailed studies on the possible effects this may cause in the population.[cat] Es va estudiar la dinàmica poblacional dels mascles de guàtlera a Mallorca a través de censos i captures durant dos cicles reproductors (2017 i 2018). Els resultats es van comparar amb els obtinguts en un seguiment de 13 anys (2005-2017) que havia tingut lloc en dos localitats del nord-est de la península Ibèrica (Figuerola del Camp a Tarragona, i Alp a Girona). L'objectiu del treball va ser indagar l'estatus migratori de la població mallorquina i la seva possible connectivitat amb altres poblacions adjacents. En tractar-se d'una espècie cinegètica, el coneixement de la fenologia i dinàmica poblacional al llarg del cicle reproductor permeten una adequada gestió i conservació. El patró temporal d'abundància de la guàtlera trobat a Mallorca va ser diferent al de les poblacions continentals. Una fenologia molt primerenca d'individus reproductors, similar a la trobada en latituds del sud de la península Ibèrica, suggereix la possible permanència hivernal d'una fracció de la població en aquesta illa. Per altra banda, una fenologia molt endarrerida en la presència de joves reproductors nascuts dins l'any suggereix un aïllament de la població mallorquina en relació a la que cria al continent. La manca de sincronització entre el patró d'abundància dels efectius reproductors i el cicle del cereal, planteja la realització d'estudis més detallats sobre els possibles efectes que això pugui provocar en la població