Highly water-stable rare ternary Ag-Au-Se nanocomposites as long blood term X-rays computed tomography contrast agents

X-ray computed tomography (CT) is a powerful and widely used medical non-invasive technique that requires intravenously administration of contrast agents to enhance the sensitivity and visualization of soft tissues. In this work, we have developed a novel CT contrast agent based on ternary Ag-Au-Se chalcogenide nanoparticles. A facile and gentle ligand exchange by using a 3 kDa PEGylated ligand with a dithiol dihydrolipoic as an anchor resulted in highly water-soluble and monodisperse nanoparticles. Moreover, the injected PEGylated ternary NPs presented excellent characteristics as a CT contrast agent with high bioavailability, low cytotoxicity and long blood circulation times with slow uptake by the mononuclear phagocyte system, thus being ideal for in vivo imaging

Relative Growth Of Carcass Tissues Of Goat Kids From Five Breed Types Finished On Pasture Or Feedlot

The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of cross breeding, finishing system, and gender on the relative growth of carcass tissues of dairy kids. Seventy eight kids (39 male and 39 female) from five breed types were used: Alpine; 1/2 Boer + 1/2 Alpine (1/2 BA); 1/2 Nubian + 1/2 Alpine (1/2 ANA); 3/4 Boer + 1/4 Alpine (3/4 BA); and 1/2 Nubian + 1/4 Boer + 1/4 Alpine (TC). Kids were distributed into two finishing systems: in pasture with doe (FS1) and weaned in feedlot (FS2). Kids were slaughtered at a mean age of 128.4 ± 7.9 days and mean live weight of 22.07 kg. The mean weight of half carcasses was 5.09 kg. To determine allometric growth, we used the exponential equation Y= aXb. In the half carcass, muscle tissue showed comparatively early growth in group 1/2 BA, whereas fat tissue of animals in FS1 had relatively late growth. Females exhibited early growth of muscle tissue, while in males this tissue was intermediate. The 1/2 BA first-cross improved carcass characteristics by enhancing the growth of muscle tissue.37298999

Salicornia ramosissima: Secondary metabolites and protective effect against acute testicular toxicity

AbstractSalicornia ramosissima J. Woods is a salt tolerant plant currently used in the human diet, whose genus not only displays great potential as a crop plant in deserts and highly saline soils, but also has value in traditional medicine and exhibits promising biological activities. The present study was designed to evaluate the effect of S. ramosissima ethanolic extract on carbon tetrachloride (CCl4)-induced testicular damage in a mouse model and identify secondary metabolites present in the tested extract. The histopathological analysis showed that the treatment with the ethanolic extract prior to CCl4 administration prevented significantly the architectural disorder of seminiferous epithelium and germ cell exfoliation. The phytochemical study allowed the identification of known phenolic and aliphatic compounds [ethyl linolenoate (1), sitostanol (2), octadecyl (3) and eicosanyl (4) (E)-ferulates, ethyl (E)-2-hydroxycinnamate (5), scopoletin (6), a triacylglycerol of tetracosanoic acid (7)], and three new compounds: saliramoester, a long chain triester (8), saliramophenone, a propiophenone derivative (9) and saliramopyrrole a pyrrole-3-carbaldehyde derivative (10). Their chemical structures were elucidated using detailed spectroscopic studies (1D and 2D NMR and MS). These results enhance the value of S. ramosissima as an excellent source of structurally interesting phytochemicals and as protective agent against testicular toxicity

Legionella SBT applied directly to respiratory samples as a rapid molecular epidemiological tool

Legionnaires' disease (LD) is an atypical pneumonia caused by the inhalation of Legionella. The methods used for the diagnosis of LD are direct culture of respiratory samples and urinary antigen detection. However, the sensitivity of culture is low, and the urinary antigen test is specific only for L. pneumophila sg1. Moreover, as no isolates are obtained, epidemiological studies cannot be performed. The implementation of Nested-sequence-based typing (Nested-SBT) makes it possible to carry out epidemiological studies while also confirming LD, especially in cases caused by non-sg 1. Sixty-two respiratory samples from patients with Legionella clinically confirmed by positive urinary antigen tests were cultured and tested by Nested-SBT, following the European Study Group for Legionella Infections (ESGLI) protocol. Only 2/62 (3.2%) respiratory samples were culture-positive. Amplification and sequencing of Nested-SBT genes were successfully performed in 57/62 samples (91.9%). The seven target genes were characterised in 39/57 (68.4%) respiratory samples, and the complete sequence type (ST) was obtained. The mip gene was the most frequently amplified and sequenced. Nested-SBT is a useful method for epidemiological studies in culture-negative samples, achieving a 28.7-fold improvement over the results of culture studies and reducing the time needed to obtain molecular epidemiological results

Fe3O4-Au Core-Shell Nanoparticles as a Multimodal Platform for In Vivo Imaging and Focused Photothermal Therapy

In this study, we report the synthesis of gold-coated iron oxide nanoparticles capped with polyvinylpyrrolidone (Fe@Au NPs). The as-synthesized nanoparticles (NPs) exhibited good stability in aqueous media and excellent features as contrast agents (CA) for both magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and X-ray computed tomography (CT). Additionally, due to the presence of the local surface plasmon resonances of gold, the NPs showed exploitable “light-to-heat” conversion ability in the near-infrared (NIR) region, a key attribute for effective photothermal therapies (PTT). In vitro experiments revealed biocompatibility as well as excellent efficiency in killing glioblastoma cells via PTT. The in vivo nontoxicity of the NPs was demonstrated using zebrafish embryos as an intermediate step between cells and rodent models. To warrant that an effective therapeutic dose was achieved inside the tumor, both intratumoral and intravenous routes were screened in rodent models by MRI and CT. The pharmacokinetics and biodistribution confirmed the multimodal imaging CA capabilities of the Fe@AuNPs and revealed constraints of the intravenous route for tumor targeting, dictating intratumoral administration for therapeutic applications. Finally, Fe@Au NPs were successfully used for an in vivo proof of concept of imaging-guided focused PTT against glioblastoma multiforme in a mouse model.Spanish Ministry of Economy, Industry and Competitiveness (CTQ2017-86655-R and BIO2017-84246-C2-1-R)Fondo Social de la DGA (grupos DGA) and by the Regional Ministry of Health of Andalusia (OH-0026-2018).Associate Laboratory for Green Chemistry—LAQVApplied Molecular Biosciences Unit –UCIBIOPortuguese national funds from FCT/MCTES (UIDB/04378/2020 and UIDB/50006/2020