Nannochloropsis oceanica as a sustainable source of n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids for enrichment of hen eggs

This study aimed to evaluate the potential of the marine microalgae Nannochloropsis oceanica as a sustainable source of n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (n-3 PUFA) for hen eggs enrichment. During 4 weeks, hens were fed with 3% (w/w) of Nannochloropsis oceanica supplemented diet. Throughout the assay, eggs were analyzed according to several nutritional and physical parameters, namely: (i) protein, fat, and ash content; (ii) fatty acid profile; (iii) thickness and colour of the shell; (iv) total egg weight; (v) protein quality (HU) and (vi) yolk colour. A remarkable increase in eicosapentaenoic (EPA), from 2.1 ± 0.1 to 5.2 ± 1.2 mg/100 g, and docosahexaenoic (DHA), from 50.3 ± 4.0 to 105 ± 18 mg/100 g, fatty acids was observed. Yolk colour also changed significantly according to the La Roche scale, from 9.6 ± 0.8 to 11.4 ± 0.8 (more orange). Feed supplementation did not lead to changes in the remaining analyzed parameters. A shelf life study, carried out for 28 days at room temperature, showed a decrease in eggs protein quality. In conclusion, eggs from hens fed with Nannochloropsis oceanica had a yolk colour more appealing to consumers and higher levels of EPA and DHA, allowing its classification as high in n-3 PUFA (CE nº 1924/2006).info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Towards a greener endoscopy: considerations on the strategies to improve sustainability

Climate crisis is dramatically changing life on earth. Environmental sustainability and waste management are rapidly gaining centrality in quality improvement strategies of healthcare, especially in procedure- dominant fields such as gastroenterology and digestive endoscopy. Therefore, healthcare interventions and endoscopic procedures must be evaluated through the ‘triple bottom line’ of financial, social, and environmental impact. The purpose of the paper is to provide information on the carbon footprint of gas- troenterology and digestive endoscopy and outline a set of measures that the sector can take to reduce the emission of greenhouse gases while improving patient outcomes. Scientific societies, hospital execu- tives, single endoscopic units can structure health policies and investment to build a “green endoscopy”. The AIGO study group reinforces the role of gastrointestinal endoscopy professionals as advocates of sus- tainability in digestive endoscopy. The “green endoscopy” can shape a more sustainable health service and lead to an equitable, climate-smart, and healthier future.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

A new chalcone derivative with promising antiproliferative and anti-invasion activities in glioblastoma cells

Glioblastoma (GBM) is the most common and most deadly primary malignant brain tumor. Current therapies are not effective, the average survival of GBM patients after diagnosis being limited to few months. Therefore, the discovery of new treatments for this highly aggressive brain cancer is urgently needed. Chalcones are synthetic and naturally occurring compounds that have been widely investigated as anticancer agents. In this work, three chalcone derivatives were tested regarding their inhibitory activity and selectivity towards GBM cell lines (human and mouse) and a non-cancerous mouse brain cell line. The chalcone 1 showed the most potent and selective cytotoxic effects in the GBM cell lines, being further investigated regarding its ability to reduce critical hallmark features of GBM and to induce apoptosis and cell cycle arrest. This derivative showed to successfully reduce the invasion and proliferation capacity of tumor cells, both key targets for cancer treatment. Moreover, to overcome potential systemic side effects and its poor water solubility, this compound was encapsulated into liposomes. Therapeutic concentrations were incorporated retaining the potent in vitro growth inhibitory effect of the selected compound. In conclusion, our results demonstrated that this new formulation can be a promising starting point for the discovery of new and more effective drug treatments for GBM.This research was funded by FCT to the PhD grant of DM fellowship (PD/BD/143038/2018) and the projects PATH (PD/00169/2013), FROnTHERA (NORTE-01-0145-FEDER-000023), Cells4_IDs (PTDC/BTM-SAL/28882/2017) and the NORTE 2020 Structured Project, co-funded by Norte2020 (NORTE-01-0145-FEDER-000021). This research was also supported by the Strategic Funding UIDB/04423/2020 and UIDP/04423/2020 (Group of Natural Products and Medicinal ChemistryCIIMAR) through national funds provided by the FCT and ERDF, within the framework of the program PT2020. Joana Moreira acknowledges her grant (SFRH/BD/135852/2018)

A novel AhR ligand, 2AI, protects the retina from environmental stress.

Various retinal degenerative diseases including dry and neovascular age-related macular degeneration (AMD), retinitis pigmentosa, and diabetic retinopathy are associated with the degeneration of the retinal pigmented epithelial (RPE) layer of the retina. This consequently results in the death of rod and cone photoreceptors that they support, structurally and functionally leading to legal or complete blindness. Therefore, developing therapeutic strategies to preserve cellular homeostasis in the RPE would be a favorable asset in the clinic. The aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR) is a conserved, environmental ligand-dependent, per ARNT-sim (PAS) domain containing bHLH transcription factor that mediates adaptive response to stress via its downstream transcriptional targets. Using in silico, in vitro and in vivo assays, we identified 2,2'-aminophenyl indole (2AI) as a potent synthetic ligand of AhR that protects RPE cells in vitro from lipid peroxidation cytotoxicity mediated by 4-hydroxynonenal (4HNE) as well as the retina in vivo from light-damage. Additionally, metabolic characterization of this molecule by LC-MS suggests that 2AI alters the lipid metabolism of RPE cells, enhancing the intracellular levels of palmitoleic acid. Finally, we show that, as a downstream effector of 2AI-mediated AhR activation, palmitoleic acid protects RPE cells from 4HNE-mediated stress, and light mediated retinal degeneration in mice

Altered iron metabolism is part of the choroid plexus response to peripheral inflammation.

Iron is essential for normal cellular homeostasis but in excess promotes free radical formation and is detrimental. Therefore, iron metabolism is tightly regulated. Here, we show that mechanisms regulating systemic iron metabolism may also control iron release into the brain at the blood-choroid plexus-cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) barrier. Intraperitoneal administration of lipopolysaccharide (LPS) in mice triggers a transient transcription of the gene encoding for hepcidin, a key regulator of iron homeostasis, in the choroid plexus, which correlated with increased detection of pro-hepcidin in the CSF. Similarly, the expression of several other iron-related genes is influenced in the choroid plexus by the inflammatory stimulus. Using primary cultures of rat choroid plexus epithelial cells, we show that this response is triggered not only directly by LPS but also by molecules whose expression increases in the blood in response to inflammation, such as IL-6. Intracellular conveyors of these signaling molecules include signal transducer and activator of transcription 3, which becomes phosphorylated, and SMAD family member 4, whose mRNA levels increase soon after LPS administration. This novel role for the choroid plexus-CSF barrier in regulating iron metabolism may be particularly relevant to restrict iron availability for microorganism growth, and in neurodegenerative diseases in which an inflammatory underlying component has been reported.This work was supported by Grant POCTI/SAU-NEU/56618/2004 from Fundacao para a Ciencia e Tecnologia (Portugal) and a grant from The Dana Foundation (USA). F. M. is the recipient of postdoctoral fellowship, and A. M. F. is the recipient of a Ph. D., fellowship from Fundacao para a Ciencia e Tecnologia (Portugal)

CD90 is not constitutively expressed in functional innate lymphoid cells

Huge progress has been made in understanding the biology of innate lymphoid cells (ILC) by adopting several well-known concepts in T cell biology. As such, flow cytometry gating strategies and markers, such as CD90, have been applied to indentify ILC. Here, we report that most non-NK intestinal ILC have a high expression of CD90 as expected, but surprisingly a sub-population of cells exhibit low or even no expression of this marker. CD90-negative and CD90-low CD127+ ILC were present amongst all ILC subsets in the gut. The frequency of CD90-negative and CD90-low CD127+ ILC was dependent on stimulatory cues in vitro and enhanced by dysbiosis in vivo. CD90-negative and CD90-low CD127+ ILC were a potential source of IL-13, IFNγ and IL-17A at steady state and upon dysbiosis- and dextran sulphate sodium-elicited colitis. Hence, this study reveals that, contrary to expectations, CD90 is not constitutively expressed by functional ILC in the gut

Biochemical characterization of highly stable endolysins with a powerful and broad anti-Gram-negative lytic activity in the presence of weak acids

EMBO Conference on Viruses of Microbes III: Structure and Function - from Molecules to Communities (Programme and Abstract Book)info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Science communication in bioengineering and biotechnology: Active and collaborative learning project

In a society increasingly dependent on science and technology, the need to equip our students with the most varied digital and communication skills is crucial. Active and collaborative learning among peers is essential for the acquisition of transversal skills. Communication is one of the main tools that the Engineer uses to reach his target audience. Science Communication in Bioengineering and Biotechnology (CCBioTec) is a project on Innovation and Development of Teaching and Learning supported by Center IDEA-UMinho, a structure that emerges to promote and value Innovation and Development of Teaching and Learning at the University of Minho. CCBioTec is transversal to a set of Learning Units (LU) under the responsibility of the Department of Biological Engineering (DEB), including one LU of each year of the Integrated Masters in Biological Engineering and in Biomedical Engineering. The main goals of CCBioTEc are: to foster the awareness of the DEB educational community on the importance of science communication, as well as to develop science communication skills, through the production of short videos (pitches) displaying the explanation, in a simple and dynamic way, of complex concepts of Bioengineering and Biotechnology related with the curricula of each LU. CCBioTec started in the second semester of 2020/21, and it will go on in the 1st semester of 2021/22. The project was designed to be implemented according to the following steps: 1 - Technical and pedagogical training of teachers; 2 - Technical training of students involved in the project - Week CCBioTEC-2021; 3 - Development of materials for Science Communication in Bioengineering and Biotechnology; 4 - CCBioTec-2021 competition. In CCBioTec, teachers presenting himself as a mediator/facilitator of learning, boosting students development of transversal skills, collaborative work, decision making and the expression of ideas, together with the acquisition of knowledge foreseen in the curricular contents of the LU.(undefined)info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Is obesity a risk factor for carotid atherosclerotic disease?—opportunistic review

Obesity is a risk factor for coronary atherosclerosis. However, the influence of adipose tissue in carotid atherosclerosis is not completely understood. No systematic review/meta-analysis was previously performed to understand if obesity is a risk factor for carotid atherosclerosis. This paper aims to provide an opportunistic review of the association between obesity and carotid atherosclerosis and define the role of the different adipose tissue depots in the characteristics of carotid stenosis. The databases PubMed and Cochrane Library were searched on 15–27 April and 19 May 2021. A total of 1750 articles published between 1985 and 2019 were identified, 64 were preselected, and 38 papers (35,339 subjects) were included in the final review. The most frequent methods used to determine obesity were anthropometric measures. Carotid plaque was mostly characterized by ultrasound. Overall obesity and visceral fat were not associated with the presence of carotid plaque when evaluated separately. Waist-hip ratio, however, was a significant anthropometric measure associated with the prevalence of carotid plaques. As it reflected the ratio of visceral and subcutaneous adipose tissue, the balance between these depots could impact the prevalence of carotid plaques.This work was supported by the Portuguese Society of Vascular Surgery. This work was developed under the scope of project NORTE-01-0145-FEDER- 000013, supported by the Northern Portugal Regional Operational Programme (NORTE 2020) under the Portugal Partnership Agreement, through the European Regional Development Fund (FEDER), and by National funds, through the Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT)—project UIDB/50026/2020 and UIDP/50026/2020

Infrared spectroscopy to assess manufacturing procedures of bone artefacts from the chalcolithic settlement of Vila Nova de São Pedro (Portugal)

Vibrational spectroscopy was applied to study cylindrical engraved bone boxes from the Chalcolithic settlement of Vila Nova de São Pedro (VNSP, Azambuja, Portugal) which has the largest and richest artefact assemblage of Copper Age Western Iberia. The objectives were to reconstitute manufacturing techniques, determine the role of pyrotechnology in the production of cylindrical engraved bone boxes and assess oxygen conditions during burning. Four fragments of cylindrical engraved bone “boxes” from VNSP were used in this research. Anaerobic experimental burn conditions were recreated by using a home-made steel airtight chamber under vacuum. Human bone fragments were burnt at 400–1000 °C for 120–211 min. Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy analyses were performed on bone powder samples. The resulting spectra and chemometric indices were used as a reference to establish comparisons with the archaeological artefacts. None of these presented spectral features compatible with anaerobic burning. Therefore, aerobic burns were used to achieve the whitish look and were most probably used to attain the darker shade displayed by the artefacts. Artefact manufacturing appears to have relied on bone cutting, bone engraving and maybe polishing, followed by heat treatment. The population from VNSP appears to have been highly specialized in the use of fire to work different raw materials.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio