Three-Dimensional (3D) Printed Microneedles for Microencapsulated Cell Extrusion

Cell-hydrogel based therapies offer great promise for wound healing. The specific aim of this study was to assess the viability of human hepatocellular carcinoma (HepG2) cells immobilized in atomized alginate capsules (3.5% (w/v) alginate, d = 225 µm ± 24.5 µm) post-extrusion through a three-dimensional (3D) printed methacrylate-based custom hollow microneedle assembly (circular array of 13 conical frusta) fabricated using stereolithography. With a jetting reliability of 80%, the solvent-sterilized device with a root mean square roughness of 158 nm at the extrusion nozzle tip (d = 325 μm) was operated at a flowrate of 12 mL/min. There was no significant difference between the viability of the sheared and control samples for extrusion times of 2 h (p = 0.14, α = 0.05) and 24 h (p = 0.5, α = 0.05) post-atomization. Factoring the increase in extrusion yield from 21.2% to 56.4% attributed to hydrogel bioerosion quantifiable by a loss in resilience from 5470 (J/m3) to 3250 (J/m3), there was no significant difference in percentage relative payload (p = 0.2628, α = 0.05) when extrusion occurred 24 h (12.2 ± 4.9%) when compared to 2 h (9.9 ± 2.8%) post-atomization. Results from this paper highlight the feasibility of encapsulated cell extrusion, specifically protection from shear, through a hollow microneedle assembly reported for the first time in literature

Presenting LusoLit: A lithotheque of knappable raw materials from central and southern Portugal

The knowledge of where past human populations collected their raw materials to produce stone-tools is crucial to understand subjects such as their territoriality, mobility, decision-making, range of acquisition, networks and, eventually, to infer their cognitive abilities and the adaptations to new environments, landscapes and territories. Therefore, the creation of lithic reference collections (lithotheque) is of utmost importance. In geological terms, Portugal is a highly complex and diversified region, with a plethora of igneous, sedimentary and metamorphic rocks dated from Proterozoic to present days. Such diversity might have influenced considerably the human decision-making on the choices of raw material and it might be one of the major reasons for the diversity seen throughout the diachrony of its archaeological record. Thus, sampling, cataloguing and mapping the raw material diversity in a territory with such variability allows to enrich the knowledge about it and, consequently to build stronger inferences about past human behaviour with more detail and less bias. In order to help the archaeological and anthropological research to better understand such archaeological record and past human behaviour in this territory, we started a reference collection for this region host in the University of Algarve: the LusoLit. Though in its early stages, this collection has already several hundred chert samples from Central and Southern Portugal. In this early stage, the raw material that we start collecting was chert because it is the least ubiquitous through the landscape and, consequently, that can provide better information. &nbsp

Xylo-oligosaccharides and inulin affect genotoxicity and bacterial populations differently in a human colonic simulator challenged with soy protein.

High dietary intakes of some protein sources, including soy protein, can increase colonic DNA damage in animals, whereas some carbohydrates attenuate this. We investigated whether inulin and xylo-oligosaccharides (XOS) could be protective against DNA strand breaks by adding them to a human colonic simulator consisting of a proximal vessel (PV) (pH 5.5) and a distal vessel (DV) (pH 6.8) inoculated with human faeces and media containing soy protein. Genotoxicity of the liquid phase and microbial population changes in the vessels were measured. Soy protein (3%) was fermented with 1% low amylose cornstarch for 10 day followed by soy protein with 1% XOS or 1% inulin for 10 day. Inulin did not alter genotoxicity but XOS significantly reduced PV genotoxicity and increased DV genotoxicity. Inulin and XOS significantly increased butyrate concentration in the DV but not PV. Numbers of the key butyrate-producing bacterium Faecalibacterium prausnitzii were significantly increased in the PV and DV by inulin but significantly decreased by XOS in both vessels. Other bacteria examined were also significantly impacted by the carbohydrate treatments or by the vessel (i.e., pH). There was a significant overall inverse correlation between levels of damage induced by the ferments and levels of sulphate-reducing bacteria, Bacteroides fragilis, and acetate. In conclusion, dietary XOS can potentially modulate the genotoxicity of the colonic environment and specific bacterial groups and short chain fatty acids may mediate this

Piscine orthoreovirus infection in Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) protects against subsequent challenge with infectious hematopoietic necrosis virus (IHNV)

Abstract Infectious hematopoietic necrosis virus (IHNV) is endemic in farmed rainbow trout in continental Europe and in various salmonid fish species at the Pacific coast of North America. IHN has never occurred in European Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) farms, but is considered as a major threat for the European salmon industry. Another virus, Piscine orthoreovirus (PRV), is widespread in the sea phase of Atlantic salmon, and is identified as the causative agent of heart and skeletal muscle inflammation. The aim of this study was to investigate the interactions between a primary PRV infection and a secondary IHNV infection under experimental conditions. A PRV cohabitation challenge was performed with Atlantic salmon. At peak of PRV viremia the fish were challenged by immersion with an IHNV genogroup E isolate. Clinical signs and morbidity were monitored. Target organs were sampled at selected time points to assess viral loads of both pathogens. Antiviral immune response and presence of histopathological findings were also investigated. Whereas the PRV-negative/IHNV positive group suffered significant decrease in survival caused by IHNV, the PRV infected groups did not suffer any morbidity and showed negligible levels of IHNV infection. Antiviral response genes were induced, as measured in spleen samples, from PRV infected fish prior to IHNV challenge. In conclusion, PRV-infection protects Atlantic salmon against IHNV infection and morbidity, most likely by inducing a protective innate antiviral response

Infection experiments with novel Piscine orthoreovirus from rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) in salmonids

A new disease in farmed rainbow trout (Onchorhyncus mykiss) was described in Norway in 2013. The disease mainly affected the heart and resembled heart and skeletal muscle inflammation (HSMI) in Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar L.). HSMI is associated with Piscine orthoreovirus (PRV), and a search for a similar virus in the diseased rainbow trout led to detection of a sequence with 85% similarity to PRV. This finding called for a targeted effort to assess the risk the new PRV-variant pose on farmed rainbow trout and Atlantic salmon by studying infection and disease pathogenesis, aiming to provide more diagnostic knowledge. Based on the genetic relationship to PRV, the novel virus is referred to as PRV-Oncorhynchus mykiss (PRV-Om) in contrast to PRV-Salmo salar (PRV-Ss). In experimental trials, intraperitoneally injected PRV-Om was shown to replicate in blood in both salmonid species, but more effectively in rainbow trout. In rainbow trout, the virus levels peaked in blood and heart of cohabitants 6 weeks post challenge, along with increased expression of antiviral genes (Mx and viperin) in the spleen, with 80-100% of the cohabitants infected. Heart inflammation was diagnosed in all cohabitants examined 8 weeks post challenge. In contrast, less than 50% of the Atlantic salmon cohabitants were infected between 8 and 16 weeks post challenge and the antiviral response in these fish was very low. From 12 weeks post challenge and onwards, mild focal myocarditis was demonstrated in a few virus-positive salmon. In conclusion, PRV-Om infects both salmonid species, but faster transmission, more notable antiviral response and more prominent heart pathology were observed in rainbow trout

Reflexões sobre as ações extensionistas e de pesquisa no combate à COVID-19 na universidade do estado do Rio Grande do Norte / Reflections on extensionist and research actions in the fight against COVID-19 at the university of the state of Rio Grande do Norte

A Universidade, por meio das atividades de pesquisa e extensão, apresenta um papel fundamental para construir novos conhecimentos e viabilizar a troca de conhecimentos, descobrir e redescobrir soluções juntamente com a comunidade e, nesse processo, contribui com a formação profissional e cidadã dos alunos. Nesse contexto, o objetivo geral deste ensaio é identificar as ações desenvolvidas pela Universidade do Estado do Rio Grande do Norte (UERN) no combate à COVID-19. Em sua forma metodológica, o ensaio assumiu uma abordagem qualitativa na promoção de uma pesquisa documental e bibliográfica na perspectiva fenomenológica. Evidenciamos uma série de ações de natureza extensionista e de pesquisa na UERN, no sentido de contribuir para o combate à COVID-19 no Estado do Rio Grande do Norte (RN), de forma particular no munícipio de Mossoró, onde se localiza o Campus Central da instituição. As ações vão de oficinas para a produção de máscaras de tecido à produção de sabão e saneantes, assistência à população por parte das faculdades de Enfermagem e Medicina, programas em redes sociais com caráter informativo, entre outras. As atividades desenvolvidas evidenciam a importância das universidades públicas com a formação profissional e cidadã dos alunos e o favorecimento do conhecimento nelas produzido para servir a sociedade

Adolescência e mídias digitais: Alguns desdobramentos possíveis

A adolescência é um momento atravessado por uma intensa exigência de reorganização narcísica. Os recursos simbólicos, próprios da relação e vínculo com o outro, são elementos centrais para que o sujeito enriqueça suas possibilidades de encaminhamento pulsional, rumo à consolidação narcísica. Entretanto, o cenário contemporâneo parece caminhar na contramão da lógica de vinculação e troca com o outro, quando pensamos em movimentos como a individualização e a performatização. Tendo esses aspectos em vista, discutiremos como as mídias digitais – mais especificamente as redes sociais – podem ser pensadas na contemporaneidade como um dispositivo que contribui para a elaboração psíquica das mudanças vivenciadas na adolescência e como, por outro lado, podem também ocasionar em entraves psíquicos nessa travessia

A PERCEPÇÃO DO IDOSO ACERCA DAS ATIVIDADES SOCIAIS E SAÚDE

O objetivo deste estudo foi analisar a percepção de idosos acerca da relação entre atividades sociais e saúde. Pesquisa exploratória e descritiva, com abordagem qualitativa, realizada no segundo semestre de 2011 com 20 idosos participantes e não participantes de atividades sociais, por meio de entrevista semiestruturada e analisada pela técnica de análise de conteúdo. Dessa análise emergiram quatro categorias, que são: saúde e qualidade de vida; doença; ser saudável e ativo e limitações impostas pela terceira idade, as quais revelaram as percepções desses idosos acerca da relação entre atividades sociais e saúde do idoso.  Promover o envelhecimento ativo é uma das formas de se preparar a sociedade para atender as necessidades da progressiva demanda de idosos