Sex-partitioning of the <i>Plasmodium falciparum</i> stage V gametocyte proteome provides insight into <i>falciparum</i>-specific cell biology

One of the critical gaps in malaria transmission biology and surveillance is our lack of knowledge about Plasmodium falciparum gametocyte biology, especially sexual dimorphic development and how sex ratios that may influence transmission from the human to the mosquito. Dissecting this process has been hampered by the lack of sex-specific protein markers for the circulating, mature stage V gametocytes. The current evidence suggests a high degree of conservation in gametocyte gene complement across Plasmodium, and therefore presumably for sex-specific genes as well. To better our understanding of gametocyte development and subsequent infectiousness to mosquitoes, we undertook a Systematic Subtractive Bioinformatic analysis (filtering) approach to identify sex-specific P. falciparum NF54 protein markers based on a comparison with the Dd2 strain, which is defective in producing males, and with syntenic male and female proteins from the reanalyzed and updated P. berghei (related rodent malaria parasite) gametocyte proteomes. This produced a short list of 174 male- and 258 female-enriched P. falciparum stage V proteins, some of which appear to be under strong diversifying selection, suggesting ongoing adaptation to mosquito vector species. We generated antibodies against three putative female-specific gametocyte stage V proteins in P. falciparum and confirmed either conserved sex-specificity or the lack of cross-species sex-partitioning. Finally, our study provides not only an additional resource for mass spectrometry-derived evidence for gametocyte proteins but also lays down the foundation for rational screening and development of novel sex-partitioned protein biomarkers and transmission-blocking vaccine candidates

Camel genetic resources conservation through tourism: A key sociocultural approach of camelback leisure riding

Camels are exotic elements, which can be comprised within adventure travel companies promoting ecotourism activities. Such recreations contribute to sustainable livelihoods for local communities and educational empowerment towards nature and its conservation. At present, some local camel breeds’ survival reduces to this animal-based leisure industry and its reliability to perform and promote customized services accurately. By conducting an on-site questionnaire to customers participating in camelback riding tours, we assessed the motivational factors affecting participation, satisfaction, and loyalty in this tourism segment that may have made it socially differentiated. The sixfold combination of staff performance, culture geography, diverse and humane close interaction, camel behavior and performance, sociotemporal context, and positive previous experience involves the elemental dimensions that explain customer satisfaction and return intention probability within this entertainment business. Customer knowledge is essential for stakeholders to build personalized riding experiences and align profits with environmental sustainability and biodiversity mainstream concerns into their everyday operations. In turn, domestic camel tourist rides could be managed as a viable path to nature conservation by helping endangered local breeds to avoid their functional devaluation and potential extinction

Effect of research impact on emerging camel husbandry, welfare and social-related awareness

The lack of applied scientific research on camels, despite them being recognized as production animals, compels the reorganization of emerging camel breeding systems with the aim of achieving successful camel welfare management strategies all over the world. Relevant and properly-framed research widely impacts dissemination of scientific contents and drives public willingness to enhance ethically acceptable conditions for domestic animals. Consumer perception of this livestock industry will improve and high-quality products will be obtained. This paper draws on bibliometric indicators as promoting factors for camel-related research advances, tracing historical scientific publications indexed in ScienceDirect directory from 1880–2019. Camel as a species did not affect Journal Citation Reports (JCR) impact (p &gt; 0.05) despite the journal, author number, corresponding author origin, discipline and publication year affecting it (p &lt; 0.001). Countries with traditionally well-established camel farming are also responsible for the papers with the highest academic impact. However, camel research advances may have only locally and partially influenced welfare related laws, so intentional harming acts and basic needs neglect may persist in these species. A sustainable camel industry requires those involved in camel research to influence business stakeholders and animal welfare advocacies by highlighting the benefits of camel wellbeing promotion, co-innovation partnership establishment and urgent enhancement of policy reform

Natural convection and entropy generation in a large aspect ratio cavity with walls of finite thickness

Paper presented at the 9th International Conference on Heat Transfer, Fluid Mechanics and Thermodynamics, Malta, 16-18 July, 2012.In this work, the heat transfer and fluid flow process in a vertical cavity of large aspect ratio, AR = 12, with walls of finitethickness, heatedfrom twoportions localizedin the side walls of the cavity near the bottom, is studied. The equations of motion are written in non-dimensional form, depending of five non dimensional parameters (the Rayleigh number, the Prandtl number, the thermal and conductivity ratio of the fluid and the material of the cavity and the non-dimensional width of the walls) and are solved numerically by the use of the SIMPLE algorithm. Calculations were performed for three different values of the Rayleigh number for two values of the thickness of the wall, and fixed values for the rest of parametersdc201

Alginate-based beads and core-shell capsules loaded with corn oil for potential delivery of functional compounds

info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Development of electrospun active films of poly(3-hydroxybutyrate-co-3-hydroxyvalerate) by the incorporation of cyclodextrin inclusion complexes containing oregano essential oil

[EN] This paper reports the development of biodegradable active packaging films of poly(3-hydroxybutyrate-co-3-hydroxyvalerate) (PHBV) by the incorporation of alpha- and gamma-cyclodextrins (alpha-CD and gamma-CDs) containing oregano essential oil (OEO). Herein, both the kneading method (KM) and freeze-drying method (FDM) were first explored for the preparation of alpha-CD:OEO and gamma-CD:OEO inclusion complexes at host:guest ratios of 80:20 wt/wt and 85:15 wt/wt, respectively. The results showed that KM was the most efficient method for the encapsulation of OEO in the CDs cavity in terms of simplicity and rapidity, while it was also yielded the inclusion complexes with the highest antimicrobial and antioxidant performance. The alpha-CD:OEO and gamma-CD:OEO inclusion complexes obtained by KM were thereafter incorporated at 10, 15, 20, 25, and 30 wt% into PHBV fibres by electrospinning and annealed at 160 degrees C to produce contact transparent films. It was observed that the optimal concentration of alpha-CD:OEO and gamma-CD:OEO inclusion complexes for homogeneous and continuous film formation was attained at contents of 15 and 25 wt%, respectively. Higher antimicrobial and antioxidant activities were obtained for the gamma-CD:OEO inclusion complexes due to the greater encapsulation efficiency of OEO in gamma-CD, resulting in PHBV films with good performance for up to 15 days. This aspect, together with their improved thermal stability and mechanical strength, give interesting applications to these biopolymer films in the design of active-releasing packaging materials to maintain the physical, chemical, and microbiological characteristics of food products.The authors would like to thank the Unidad Asociada IATA-UJI "Plastics Technology" and the Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation (MICI) project RTI 2018-097249-B-C21 and the H2020 EU project YPACK (reference number 773872) for funding. Kelly J. Figueroa-Lopez and S. Torres-Giner are recipients of a Grisolia scholarship (Ref. 0001426013N810001A201) of the Valencian Government (GVA) and a Juan de la Cierva-Incorporaci.on contract (IJCI-2016-29675) from MICI, respectively.Figueroa-Lopez, K.; Enescu, D.; Torres-Giner, S.; Cabedo, L.; Cerqueira, M.; Pastrana, L.; Fuciños, P.... (2020). Development of electrospun active films of poly(3-hydroxybutyrate-co-3-hydroxyvalerate) by the incorporation of cyclodextrin inclusion complexes containing oregano essential oil. Food Hydrocolloids. 108:1-18. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.foodhyd.2020.106013S118108Ashori, A., Jonoobi, M., Ayrilmis, N., Shahreki, A., & Fashapoyeh, M. A. (2019). Preparation and characterization of polyhydroxybutyrate-co-valerate (PHBV) as green composites using nano reinforcements. International Journal of Biological Macromolecules, 136, 1119-1124. doi:10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2019.06.181Aytac, Z., Ipek, S., Durgun, E., Tekinay, T., & Uyar, T. (2017). Antibacterial electrospun zein nanofibrous web encapsulating thymol/cyclodextrin-inclusion complex for food packaging. Food Chemistry, 233, 117-124. doi:10.1016/j.foodchem.2017.04.095Bakkali, F., Averbeck, S., Averbeck, D., & Idaomar, M. (2008). Biological effects of essential oils – A review. Food and Chemical Toxicology, 46(2), 446-475. doi:10.1016/j.fct.2007.09.106Beirão-da-Costa, S., Duarte, C., Bourbon, A. I., Pinheiro, A. C., Januário, M. I. N., Vicente, A. A., … Delgadillo, I. (2013). Inulin potential for encapsulation and controlled delivery of Oregano essential oil. Food Hydrocolloids, 33(2), 199-206. doi:10.1016/j.foodhyd.2013.03.009Bilia, A. R., Guccione, C., Isacchi, B., Righeschi, C., Firenzuoli, F., & Bergonzi, M. C. (2014). Essential Oils Loaded in Nanosystems: A Developing Strategy for a Successful Therapeutic Approach. Evidence-Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine, 2014, 1-14. doi:10.1155/2014/651593Busolo, M. A., & Lagaron, J. M. (2015). Antioxidant polyethylene films based on a resveratrol containing Clay of Interest in Food Packaging Applications. Food Packaging and Shelf Life, 6, 30-41. doi:10.1016/j.fpsl.2015.08.004Campos, E. V. R., Proença, P. L. F., Oliveira, J. L., Melville, C. C., Della Vechia, J. F., de Andrade, D. J., & Fraceto, L. F. (2018). Chitosan nanoparticles functionalized with β-cyclodextrin: a promising carrier for botanical pesticides. Scientific Reports, 8(1). doi:10.1038/s41598-018-20602-yCeccato, M., Lo Nostro, P., Rossi, C., Bonechi, C., Donati, A., & Baglioni, P. (1997). Molecular Dynamics of Novel α-Cyclodextrin Adducts Studied by 13C-NMR Relaxation. The Journal of Physical Chemistry B, 101(26), 5094-5099. doi:10.1021/jp9638447Celebioglu, A., Umu, O. C. O., Tekinay, T., & Uyar, T. (2014). Antibacterial electrospun nanofibers from triclosan/cyclodextrin inclusion complexes. Colloids and Surfaces B: Biointerfaces, 116, 612-619. doi:10.1016/j.colsurfb.2013.10.029Crini, G. (2014). Review: A History of Cyclodextrins. Chemical Reviews, 114(21), 10940-10975. doi:10.1021/cr500081pDas, S., & Subuddhi, U. (2015). Studies on the complexation of diclofenac sodium with β–cyclodextrin: Influence of method of preparation. Journal of Molecular Structure, 1099, 482-489. doi:10.1016/j.molstruc.2015.07.001De Vincenzi, M., Stammati, A., De Vincenzi, A., & Silano, M. (2004). Constituents of aromatic plants: carvacrol. Fitoterapia, 75(7-8), 801-804. doi:10.1016/j.fitote.2004.05.002Del Valle, E. M. M. (2004). Cyclodextrins and their uses: a review. Process Biochemistry, 39(9), 1033-1046. doi:10.1016/s0032-9592(03)00258-9Dietrich, K., Dumont, M.-J., Del Rio, L. F., & Orsat, V. (2019). Sustainable PHA production in integrated lignocellulose biorefineries. New Biotechnology, 49, 161-168. doi:10.1016/j.nbt.2018.11.004Figueroa-Lopez, K., Andrade-Mahecha, M., & Torres-Vargas, O. (2018). Development of Antimicrobial Biocomposite Films to Preserve the Quality of Bread. Molecules, 23(1), 212. doi:10.3390/molecules23010212Figueroa-Lopez, K., Castro-Mayorga, J., Andrade-Mahecha, M., Cabedo, L., & Lagaron, J. (2018). Antibacterial and Barrier Properties of Gelatin Coated by Electrospun Polycaprolactone Ultrathin Fibers Containing Black Pepper Oleoresin of Interest in Active Food Biopackaging Applications. Nanomaterials, 8(4), 199. doi:10.3390/nano8040199Figueroa-Lopez, K. J., Vicente, A. A., Reis, M. A. M., Torres-Giner, S., & Lagaron, J. M. (2019). Antimicrobial and Antioxidant Performance of Various Essential Oils and Natural Extracts and Their Incorporation into Biowaste Derived Poly(3-hydroxybutyrate-co-3-hydroxyvalerate) Layers Made from Electrospun Ultrathin Fibers. Nanomaterials, 9(2), 144. doi:10.3390/nano9020144Gao, N., Yang, J., Wu, Y., Yue, J., Cao, G., Zhang, A., … Feng, Z. (2019). β-Cyclodextrin functionalized coaxially electrospun poly(vinylidene fluoride) @ polystyrene membranes with higher mechanical performance for efficient removal of phenolphthalein. Reactive and Functional Polymers, 141, 100-111. doi:10.1016/j.reactfunctpolym.2019.05.001Gaur, S., Lopez, E. C., Ojha, A., & Andrade, J. E. (2018). Functionalization of Lipid‐Based Nutrient Supplement with β‐Cyclodextrin Inclusions of Oregano Essential Oil. Journal of Food Science, 83(6), 1748-1756. doi:10.1111/1750-3841.14178Giordano, F., Novak, C., & Moyano, J. R. (2001). Thermal analysis of cyclodextrins and their inclusion compounds. Thermochimica Acta, 380(2), 123-151. doi:10.1016/s0040-6031(01)00665-7Guimarães, A. G., Oliveira, M. A., Alves, R. dos S., Menezes, P. dos P., Serafini, M. R., de Souza Araújo, A. A., … Quintans Júnior, L. J. (2015). Encapsulation of carvacrol, a monoterpene present in the essential oil of oregano, with β-cyclodextrin, improves the pharmacological response on cancer pain experimental protocols. Chemico-Biological Interactions, 227, 69-76. doi:10.1016/j.cbi.2014.12.020Haloci, E., Toska, V., Shkreli, R., Goci, E., Vertuani, S., & Manfredini, S. (2014). Encapsulation of Satureja montana essential oil in β-cyclodextrin. Journal of Inclusion Phenomena and Macrocyclic Chemistry, 80(1-2), 147-153. doi:10.1007/s10847-014-0437-zHarada, A., & Kamachi, M. (1990). Complex formation between poly(ethylene glycol) and α-cyclodextrin. Macromolecules, 23(10), 2821-2823. doi:10.1021/ma00212a039Harada, A., Li, J., & Kamachi, M. (1992). The molecular necklace: a rotaxane containing many threaded α-cyclodextrins. Nature, 356(6367), 325-327. doi:10.1038/356325a0Harada, A., Li, J., & Kamachi, M. (1993). Synthesis of a tubular polymer from threaded cyclodextrins. Nature, 364(6437), 516-518. doi:10.1038/364516a0Harada, A., Suzuki, S., Okada, M., & Kamachi, M. (1996). Preparation and Characterization of Inclusion Complexes of Polyisobutylene with Cyclodextrins. Macromolecules, 29(17), 5611-5614. doi:10.1021/ma960428bHedges, A. R. (1998). Industrial Applications of Cyclodextrins. Chemical Reviews, 98(5), 2035-2044. doi:10.1021/cr970014wHill, L. E., Gomes, C., & Taylor, T. M. (2013). Characterization of beta-cyclodextrin inclusion complexes containing essential oils (trans-cinnamaldehyde, eugenol, cinnamon bark, and clove bud extracts) for antimicrobial delivery applications. LWT - Food Science and Technology, 51(1), 86-93. doi:10.1016/j.lwt.2012.11.011Hosseini, S. F., Zandi, M., Rezaei, M., & Farahmandghavi, F. (2013). Two-step method for encapsulation of oregano essential oil in chitosan nanoparticles: Preparation, characterization and in vitro release study. Carbohydrate Polymers, 95(1), 50-56. doi:10.1016/j.carbpol.2013.02.031Jouki, M., Yazdi, F. T., Mortazavi, S. A., & Koocheki, A. (2014). Quince seed mucilage films incorporated with oregano essential oil: Physical, thermal, barrier, antioxidant and antibacterial properties. Food Hydrocolloids, 36, 9-19. doi:10.1016/j.foodhyd.2013.08.030Ju, J., Chen, X., Xie, Y., Yu, H., Guo, Y., Cheng, Y., … Yao, W. (2019). Application of essential oil as a sustained release preparation in food packaging. Trends in Food Science & Technology, 92, 22-32. doi:10.1016/j.tifs.2019.08.005Kaolaor, A., Phunpee, S., Ruktanonchai, U. R., & Suwantong, O. (2019). Effects of β-cyclodextrin complexation of curcumin and quaternization of chitosan on the properties of the blend films for use as wound dressings. Journal of Polymer Research, 26(2). doi:10.1007/s10965-019-1703-yKayaci, F., & Uyar, T. (2012). Encapsulation of vanillin/cyclodextrin inclusion complex in electrospun polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) nanowebs: Prolonged shelf-life and high temperature stability of vanillin. Food Chemistry, 133(3), 641-649. doi:10.1016/j.foodchem.2012.01.040Liang, H., Yuan, Q., Vriesekoop, F., & Lv, F. (2012). Effects of cyclodextrins on the antimicrobial activity of plant-derived essential oil compounds. Food Chemistry, 135(3), 1020-1027. doi:10.1016/j.foodchem.2012.05.054Li, D., & Xia, Y. (2004). Electrospinning of Nanofibers: Reinventing the Wheel? Advanced Materials, 16(14), 1151-1170. doi:10.1002/adma.200400719Loftsson, T., & Brewster, M. E. (1996). Pharmaceutical Applications of Cyclodextrins. 1. Drug Solubilization and Stabilization. Journal of Pharmaceutical Sciences, 85(10), 1017-1025. doi:10.1021/js950534bLu, Z., Cheng, B., Hu, Y., Zhang, Y., & Zou, G. (2009). Complexation of resveratrol with cyclodextrins: Solubility and antioxidant activity. Food Chemistry, 113(1), 17-20. doi:10.1016/j.foodchem.2008.04.042Marques, H. M. C. (2010). A review on cyclodextrin encapsulation of essential oils and volatiles. Flavour and Fragrance Journal, 25(5), 313-326. doi:10.1002/ffj.2019Melendez-Rodriguez, B., Figueroa-Lopez, K. J., Bernardos, A., Martínez-Máñez, R., Cabedo, L., Torres-Giner, S., & Lagaron, J. M. (2019). Electrospun Antimicrobial Films of Poly(3-hydroxybutyrate-co-3-hydroxyvalerate) Containing Eugenol Essential Oil Encapsulated in Mesoporous Silica Nanoparticles. Nanomaterials, 9(2), 227. doi:10.3390/nano9020227NAKANISHI, K., MASUKAWA, T., NADAI, T., YOSHII, K., OKADA, S., & MIYAJIMA, K. (1997). Sustained Release of Flufenamic Acid from a Drug-Triacetyl-.BETA.-Cyclodextrin Complex. Biological and Pharmaceutical Bulletin, 20(1), 66-70. doi:10.1248/bpb.20.66Owen, L., & Laird, K. (2018). Synchronous application of antibiotics and essential oils: dual mechanisms of action as a potential solution to antibiotic resistance. Critical Reviews in Microbiology, 44(4), 414-435. doi:10.1080/1040841x.2018.1423616Ozdemir, N., Pola, C. C., Teixeira, B. N., Hill, L. E., Bayrak, A., & Gomes, C. L. (2018). Preparation of black pepper oleoresin inclusion complexes based on beta-cyclodextrin for antioxidant and antimicrobial delivery applications using kneading and freeze drying methods: A comparative study. LWT, 91, 439-445. doi:10.1016/j.lwt.2018.01.046Ponce Cevallos, P. A., Buera, M. P., & Elizalde, B. E. (2010). Encapsulation of cinnamon and thyme essential oils components (cinnamaldehyde and thymol) in β-cyclodextrin: Effect of interactions with water on complex stability. Journal of Food Engineering, 99(1), 70-75. doi:10.1016/j.jfoodeng.2010.01.039Prakash, B., Kedia, A., Mishra, P. K., & Dubey, N. K. (2015). Plant essential oils as food preservatives to control moulds, mycotoxin contamination and oxidative deterioration of agri-food commodities – Potentials and challenges. Food Control, 47, 381-391. doi:10.1016/j.foodcont.2014.07.023Prakash, B., Singh, P., Kedia, A., & Dubey, N. K. (2012). Assessment of some essential oils as food preservatives based on antifungal, antiaflatoxin, antioxidant activities and in vivo efficacy in food system. Food Research International, 49(1), 201-208. doi:10.1016/j.foodres.2012.08.020Quiles-Carrillo, L., Montanes, N., Lagaron, J. M., Balart, R., & Torres-Giner, S. (2018). In Situ Compatibilization of Biopolymer Ternary Blends by Reactive Extrusion with Low-Functionality Epoxy-Based Styrene–Acrylic Oligomer. Journal of Polymers and the Environment, 27(1), 84-96. doi:10.1007/s10924-018-1324-2Rakmai, J., Cheirsilp, B., Mejuto, J. C., Torrado-Agrasar, A., & Simal-Gándara, J. (2017). Physico-chemical characterization and evaluation of bio-efficacies of black pepper essential oil encapsulated in hydroxypropyl-beta-cyclodextrin. Food Hydrocolloids, 65, 157-164. doi:10.1016/j.foodhyd.2016.11.014Raut, J. S., & Karuppayil, S. M. (2014). A status review on the medicinal properties of essential oils. Industrial Crops and Products, 62, 250-264. doi:10.1016/j.indcrop.2014.05.055Ribeiro-Santos, R., Andrade, M., Melo, N. R. de, & Sanches-Silva, A. (2017). Use of essential oils in active food packaging: Recent advances and future trends. Trends in Food Science & Technology, 61, 132-140. doi:10.1016/j.tifs.2016.11.021Rusa, C. C., Bullions, T. A., Fox, J., Porbeni, F. E., Wang, X., & Tonelli, A. E. (2002). Inclusion Compound Formation with a New Columnar Cyclodextrin Host. Langmuir, 18(25), 10016-10023. doi:10.1021/la0262452Sagiri, S. S., Anis, A., & Pal, K. (2015). Review on Encapsulation of Vegetable Oils: Strategies, Preparation Methods, and Applications. Polymer-Plastics Technology and Engineering, 55(3), 291-311. doi:10.1080/03602559.2015.1050521Santos, E. H., Kamimura, J. A., Hill, L. E., & Gomes, C. L. (2015). Characterization of carvacrol beta-cyclodextrin inclusion complexes as delivery systems for antibacterial and antioxidant applications. LWT - Food Science and Technology, 60(1), 583-592. doi:10.1016/j.lwt.2014.08.046Saokham, P., Muankaew, C., Jansook, P., & Loftsson, T. (2018). Solubility of Cyclodextrins and Drug/Cyclodextrin Complexes. Molecules, 23(5), 1161. doi:10.3390/molecules23051161Seo, E.-J., Min, S.-G., & Choi, M.-J. (2010). Release characteristics of freeze-dried eugenol encapsulated withβ-cyclodextrin by molecular inclusion method. Journal of Microencapsulation, 27(6), 496-505. doi:10.3109/02652041003681398Shan, L., Tao, E., Meng, Q., Hou, W., Liu, K., Shang, H., … Zhang, W. (2016). Formulation, optimization, and pharmacodynamic evaluation of chitosan/phospholipid/&beta;-cyclodextrin microspheres. Drug Design, Development and Therapy, 417. doi:10.2147/dddt.s97982Sharifi-Rad, J., Sureda, A., Tenore, G., Daglia, M., Sharifi-Rad, M., Valussi, M., … Iriti, M. (2017). Biological Activities of Essential Oils: From Plant Chemoecology to Traditional Healing Systems. Molecules, 22(1), 70. doi:10.3390/molecules22010070Sherry, M., Charcosset, C., Fessi, H., & Greige-Gerges, H. (2013). Essential oils encapsulated in liposomes: a review. Journal of Liposome Research, 23(4), 268-275. doi:10.3109/08982104.2013.819888Shin, J., Kathuria, A., & Lee, Y. S. (2019). Effect of hydrophilic and hydrophobic cyclodextrins on the release of encapsulated allyl isothiocyanate (AITC) and their potential application for plastic film extrusion. Journal of Applied Polymer Science, 136(42), 48137. doi:10.1002/app.48137Szejtli, J. (1998). Introduction and General Overview of Cyclodextrin Chemistry. Chemical Reviews, 98(5), 1743-1754. doi:10.1021/cr970022cTopuz, F., & Uyar, T. (2019). Electrospinning of nanocomposite nanofibers from cyclodextrin and laponite. Composites Communications, 12, 33-38. doi:10.1016/j.coco.2018.12.002Torres-Giner, S., Martinez-Abad, A., & Lagaron, J. M. (2014). Zein-based ultrathin fibers containing ceramic nanofillers obtained by electrospinning. II. Mechanical properties, gas barrier, and sustained release capacity of biocide thymol in multilayer polylactide films. Journal of Applied Polymer Science, 131(18), n/a-n/a. doi:10.1002/app.40768Torres-Giner, S., Pérez-Masiá, R., & Lagaron, J. M. (2016). A review on electrospun polymer nanostructures as advanced bioactive platforms. Polymer Engineering & Science, 56(5), 500-527. doi:10.1002/pen.24274Torres-Giner, S., Torres, A., Ferrándiz, M., Fombuena, V., & Balart, R. (2017). Antimicrobial activity of metal cation-exchanged zeolites and their evaluation on injection-molded pieces of bio-based high-density polyethylene. Journal of Food Safety, 37(4), e12348. doi:10.1111/jfs.12348Torres-Giner, S., Wilkanowicz, S., Melendez-Rodriguez, B., & Lagaron, J. M. (2017). Nanoencapsulation of Aloe vera in Synthetic and Naturally Occurring Polymers by Electrohydrodynamic Processing of Interest in Food Technology and Bioactive Packaging. Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, 65(22), 4439-4448. doi:10.1021/acs.jafc.7b01393Wang, C. X., & Chen, S. L. (2005). Fragrance-release Property of β-Cyclodextrin Inclusion Compounds and their Application in Aromatherapy. Journal of Industrial Textiles, 34(3), 157-166. doi:10.1177/1528083705049050Yildiz, Z. I., Celebioglu, A., Kilic, M. E., Durgun, E., & Uyar, T. (2018). Menthol/cyclodextrin inclusion complex nanofibers: Enhanced water-solubility and high-temperature stability of menthol. Journal of Food Engineering, 224, 27-36. doi:10.1016/j.jfoodeng.2017.12.020Zainuddin, S., Kamrul Hasan, S. M., Loeven, D., & Hosur, M. (2019). Mechanical, Fire Retardant, Water Absorption and Soil Biodegradation Properties of Poly(3-hydroxy-butyrate-co-3-valerate) Nanofilms. Journal of Polymers and the Environment, 27(10), 2292-2304. doi:10.1007/s10924-019-01517-9Zhang, J., Shishatskaya, E. I., Volova, T. G., da Silva, L. F., & Chen, G.-Q. (2018). Polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHA) for therapeutic applications. Materials Science and Engineering: C, 86, 144-150. doi:10.1016/j.msec.2017.12.035Zhang, M., Wang, J., Lyu, Y., Fitriyanti, M., Hou, H., Jin, Z., … Narsimhan, G. (2018). Understanding the antimicrobial activity of water soluble γ-cyclodextrin/alamethicin complex. Colloids and Surfaces B: Biointerfaces, 172, 451-458. doi:10.1016/j.colsurfb.2018.08.06

Oleogels for the development of healthier meat-based food products

Obesity is a disease that can be addressed through preemptive actions and behavioral changes like proper diet and exercise. In connection with obesity, cardiovascular disease can become an additional and severe problem. Scientific data regarding western diets, recons that dietary lipids account for over 35% of the daily caloric content of an individual's diet. Because of this it would be valuable to have alternatives with anti-obesogenic effects [1]. Another significant dietary factor in the prevention of obesity is a balanced omega-6/omega-3 ratio intake, that can be achieved through the consumption of enriched foods. Food innovation is driven by food products that contribute to improve health. These products are known as functional foods and they can be used strategically in order to avoid or battle the above-mentioned disorders. Functional oleogels were produced using enriched alpha-linolenic linseed oil with plant sterols (in hamburger production) and beeswax (in pate production) as oil gelators. Oleogels with 8 % (w/w) of gelator were used in both products as replaces of saturated fat. The range of fat replacement went from 25 to 75 % in hamburgers (H-25 and H-75) and 30 to 60 % in pate (P-30 and P-60). Tests with hamburgers showed that consumer acceptance and preference was directed towards the control samples. Nevertheless, the hamburgers samples with less amount of oleogel (H-25) were classified positively in both the acceptance and preference tests. Those same two sets of samples (control an H-25) showed similar textural characteristics. In the pate sensorial tests, the control sample was the much-liked one, however after data observation, the overall score for the P-30 sample still.Project RECI/BBB-EBI/0179/2012 (FCOMP-01-0124-FEDER-027462). Artur Martins is recipient of a fellowship supported by a doctoral advanced training (call NORTE-69-2015-15) funded by the European Social Fund under the scope of Norte2020 -Programa Operacional Regional do Norte. José M. Lorenzo, is a member of the MARCARNE network, funded by CYTED (ref. 116RT0503)info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Cross-neutralization of cutaneous and mucosal Papillomavirus types with anti-sera to the amino terminus of L2

AbstractVaccination with papillomavirus L2 has been shown to induce neutralizing antibodies that protect against homologous type infection and cross-neutralize a limited number of genital HPVs. Surprisingly, we found that antibodies to bovine papillomavirus (BPV1) L2 amino acids 1–88 induced similar titers of neutralizing antibodies against Human papillomavirus (HPV)16 and 18 and BPV1 pseudoviruses and also neutralized HPV11 native virions. These antibodies also neutralized each of the other pseudovirus types tested, HPV31, HPV6 and Cottontail rabbit papillomavirus (CRPV) pseudoviruses, albeit with lower titers. HPV16, HPV18, HPV31, HPV6 and CRPV L2 anti-sera also displayed some cross-neutralization, but the titers were lower and did not encompass all pseudoviruses tested. This study demonstrates the presence of broadly cross-neutralizing epitopes at the N-terminus of L2 that are shared by cutaneous and mucosal types and by types that infect divergent species. BPV1 L2 was exceptionally effective at inducing cross-neutralizing antibodies to these shared epitopes

Sorting live stem cells based on Sox2 mRNA expression.

PMCID: PMC3507951This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.While cell sorting usually relies on cell-surface protein markers, molecular beacons (MBs) offer the potential to sort cells based on the presence of any expressed mRNA and in principle could be extremely useful to sort rare cell populations from primary isolates. We show here how stem cells can be purified from mixed cell populations by sorting based on MBs. Specifically, we designed molecular beacons targeting Sox2, a well-known stem cell marker for murine embryonic (mES) and neural stem cells (NSC). One of our designed molecular beacons displayed an increase in fluorescence compared to a nonspecific molecular beacon both in vitro and in vivo when tested in mES and NSCs. We sorted Sox2-MB(+)SSEA1(+) cells from a mixed population of 4-day retinoic acid-treated mES cells and effectively isolated live undifferentiated stem cells. Additionally, Sox2-MB(+) cells isolated from primary mouse brains were sorted and generated neurospheres with higher efficiency than Sox2-MB(-) cells. These results demonstrate the utility of MBs for stem cell sorting in an mRNA-specific manner

Neutralization Serotyping of BK Polyomavirus Infection in Kidney Transplant Recipients

Abstract BK polyomavirus (BKV or BKPyV) associated nephropathy affects up to 10% of kidney transplant recipients (KTRs). BKV isolates are categorized into four genotypes. It is currently unclear whether the four genotypes are also serotypes. To address this issue, we developed high-throughput serological assays based on antibody-mediated neutralization of BKV genotype I and IV reporter vectors (pseudoviruses). Neutralization-based testing of sera from mice immunized with BKV-I or BKV-IV virus-like particles (VLPs) or sera from naturally infected human subjects revealed that BKV-I specific serum antibodies are poorly neutralizing against BKV-IV and vice versa. The fact that BKV-I and BKV-IV are distinct serotypes was less evident in traditional VLP-based ELISAs. BKV-I and BKV-IV neutralization assays were used to examine BKV type-specific neutralizing antibody responses in KTRs at various time points after transplantation. At study entry, sera from 5% and 49% of KTRs showed no detectable neutralizing activity for BKV-I or BKV-IV neutralization, respectively. By one year after transplantation, all KTRs were neutralization seropositive for BKV-I, and 43% of the initially BKV-IV seronegative subjects showed evidence of acute seroconversion for BKV-IV neutralization. The results suggest a model in which BKV-IV-specific seroconversion reflects a de novo BKV-IV infection in KTRs who initially lack protective antibody responses capable of neutralizing genotype IV BKVs. If this model is correct, it suggests that pre-vaccinating prospective KTRs with a multivalent VLP-based vaccine against all BKV serotypes, or administration of BKV-neutralizing antibodies, might offer protection against graft loss or dysfunction due to BKV associated nephropathy