Co-delivery of two anti-HIV drug nanocrystals from electrospun nanofibers

TRUVADA is the only medication approved by FDA for pre-exposure prophylaxis of the HIV infection. They are tablets with fixed dosages of two antiretroviral compounds for daily oral uptake: Tenofovir disoproxil fumarate (TDF) and Emtricitabine (EMT) that are reverse transcriptase inhibitors. Objectives: Incorporate TDF and EMT drugs in polymeric nanofibers produced by electrospinning; chosen polymers were polyoxyethilene (PEO) and polycaprolactone (PCL). Characterize the nanofibers and study the in vitro release profile of the drugs. Evaluate the possibility of a topical administration of the loaded fibers , by rectal or genital route, for HIV infection prophylaxis.: We thank PARALAB for the SEM analysis and Dr. A. S. Azevedo for the X-ray analysis. This work was supported by the Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT) in the framework of the Strategic Funding UID/FIS/04650/2013, and Programa Gilead GÉNESE, Portugal (ref. PGG/046/2015). Marlene Lúcio acknowledges the exploratory project funded by FCT with the reference IF/00498/2012. José das Neves acknowledges FCT for financial support (grant SFRH/BPD/92934/2013).info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Changes in hematological and biochemical parameters of tambaqui (Colossoma macropomum) parasitized by metazoan species.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the impacts of metazoan parasites on hematological and biochemical parameters and relative condition factor of tambaqui (Colossoma macropomum) farmed in northern Brazil. A total of 32 juvenile fish were captured from a commercial fish farm located in the municipality of Rio Preto da Eva, Amazonas state, Brazil. Parasite prevalence was 100% for Anacanthorus spathulatus, Mymarothecium boegeri and Notozothecium janauachensis, 100% for Neoechinorhynchus buttnerae and 53.13% for Dolops geayi. The greatest mean parasite intensity was found in acantocephalans followed by monogeneans and branchiuran crustaceans. A negative correlation was observed between abundance of N. buttnerae and hematocrit percentage, hemoglobin concentration, total thrombocyte count and glucose and between abundance of the monogenean and glucose concentration. Parasitic infections caused damage in tambaqui in terms of the observed hematological parameters that were characterized by hypochromic anemia and thrombocytopenia, which are important parameters to be used in parasitic diagnosis. This study is the first record of the occurrence of Dolops geayi in farmed tambaqui in the Amazon

Fibers and global geometry of functions

Since the seminal work of Ambrosetti and Prodi, the study of global folds was enriched by geometric concepts and extensions accomodating new examples. We present the advantages of considering fibers, a construction dating to Berger and Podolak's view of the original theorem. A description of folds in terms of properties of fibers gives new perspective to the usual hypotheses in the subject. The text is intended as a guide, outlining arguments and stating results which will be detailed elsewhere

Novel trivalent europium β-diketonate complexes with N-(pyridine-2-yl)amides and N-(pyrimidine-2-yl)amides as ancillary ligands: photophysical properties and theoretical structural modeling

Eighteen new Eu3+ complexes and their Gd3+ analogues with 1,3-diketonate as main ligands and N-(pyridine-2-yl)amides or N-(pyrimidine-2-yl)amides as ancillary ligands were synthesized. The replacement of water molecules by those amides in the Eu3+ complexes increase the intrinsic quantum yields of luminescence, making them comparable or even more efficient than Eu3+ complexes with standard ancillary ligands such as 2,2′-bipyridine. The luminescence spectra of Gd3+ complexes in comparison with the Eu3+ ones show that efficient ligand-to-metal intramolecular energy transfer processes take place. In most cases the experimental Judd-Ofelt intensity parameters (Ω2 and Ω4) for the Eu3+ complexes show variations as a function of the temperature (77 and 300 K) that overall apparently does not follow clearly any trend. For this reason, geometric variations (on the azimuthal angle φ and ancillary ligands distances) were carried out in the coordination polyhedron for simulating thermally induced structural changes. It has been observed that, in this way, the Ω2 and Ω4 can be satisfactorily reproduced by in silico experiments. It was concluded that, at low-temperature, the ancillary ligands become closer to the Eu3+ ion and the angular variations affect more Ω2 than Ω4, in agreement to the theoretical calculations. The use of N-(pyridine-2-yl)amides or N-(pyrimidine-2-yl)amides as ancillary ligands in Eu3+ 1,3-diketonates looks to be a good strategy for obtaining highly luminescent complexes.publishe

Effects of external nutrient sources and extreme weather events on the nutrient budget of a Southern European coastal lagoon

The seasonal and annual nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), and carbon (C) budgets of the mesotidal Ria Formosa lagoon, southern Portugal, were estimated to reveal the main inputs and outputs, the seasonal patterns, and how they may influence the ecological functioning of the system. The effects of extreme weather events such as long-lasting strong winds causing upwelling and strong rainfall were assessed. External nutrient inputs were quantified; ocean exchange was assessed in 24-h sampling campaigns, and final calculations were made using a hydrodynamic model of the lagoon. Rain and stream inputs were the main freshwater sources to the lagoon. However, wastewater treatment plant and groundwater discharges dominated nutrient input, together accounting for 98, 96, and 88 % of total C, N, and P input, respectively. Organic matter and nutrients were continuously exported to the ocean. This pattern was reversed following extreme events, such as strong winds in early summer that caused upwelling and after a period of heavy rainfall in late autumn. A principal component analysis (PCA) revealed that ammonium and organic N and C exchange were positively associated with temperature as opposed to pH and nitrate. These variables reflected mostly the benthic lagoon metabolism, whereas particulate P exchange was correlated to Chl a, indicating that this was more related to phytoplankton dynamics. The increase of stochastic events, as expected in climate change scenarios, may have strong effects on the ecological functioning of coastal lagoons, altering the C and nutrient budgets.Portuguese Science and Technology Foundation (FCT) [POCI/MAR/58427/2004, PPCDT/MAR/58427/2004]; Portuguese Science and Technology Foundation (FCT

The Tourist Experience of Heritage Urban Spaces: Valletta as a Case Study

This article provides an understanding of how tourists experience heritage urban spaces by investigating features that influence tourist experiences most. It is framed within urban design literature which refers to three elements of urban space namely physical setting (or form), activity, and meaning. These elements are used to explore how urban spaces are experienced by tourists. Its findings are derived from an in-depth qualitative analysis of interviews with tourists to Valletta, Malta. The research suggests that the intrinsic qualities of the space are relevant to the tourist experience but what is even more relevant are the interactions of the tourist with different elements within that space, namely interactions with surroundings, interactions with others, and interactions with self/meaning. Within this broad conceptual model, the research identifies important sub-themes. Some of these reinforce the findings of existing work on tourist experiences, but others are often under-estimated or neglected

Parâmetros hematológicos e bioquímicos de tambaqui (Colossoma macropomum) parasitados por metazoários.

O objetivo deste estudo foi avaliar o impacto do parasitismo por metazoários sobre os parâmetros hematológicos, bioquímicos e fator de condição de tambaquis (Colossoma macropomum) cultivados na região Norte do Brasil.AQUACIÊNCIA 2018