Bright nanoparticles for an even brighter future: efficient production of luminescent carbon nanodots from olive mill wastewater

Este trabalho foi financiado pelo Concurso Anual para Projetos de Investigação, Desenvolvimento, Inovação e Criação Artística (IDI&CA) 2016 do Instituto Politécnico de Lisboa. Código de referência IPL/2016/NANOLIVE/ISELCarbon nanodots (CNDs) are a very recent class of spherical-shaped nanosized carbon materials possessing average typical diameters < 10 nm. Since the very first reports on carbon dots,1,2 a variety of methods (top-down and bottom-up strategies), carbon sources and passivating agents, have dealt with their synthesis.3 The bottom-up approach, encompassing the use of pyrolytic/solvothermal processes, is more amenable for large-scale production and can cope with a large diversity of carbon precursors, either from natural or synthetic sources, typically endowed with acid, alcohol and amine functionalities.4 Some of the interesting CNDs properties include tunable photoluminescence, outstanding photostability and negligible cytotoxicity. These unique properties have prompted their intense and widespread use in several fields, such as fluorescent bioimaging and nanomedicine, chemo/biosensing, photocatalysis and optoelectronics.4info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Genomics and proteomics approaches to the study of cancer-stroma interactions

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>The development and progression of cancer depend on its genetic characteristics as well as on the interactions with its microenvironment. Understanding these interactions may contribute to diagnostic and prognostic evaluations and to the development of new cancer therapies. Aiming to investigate potential mechanisms by which the tumor microenvironment might contribute to a cancer phenotype, we evaluated soluble paracrine factors produced by stromal and neoplastic cells which may influence proliferation and gene and protein expression.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>The study was carried out on the epithelial cancer cell line (Hep-2) and fibroblasts isolated from a primary oral cancer. We combined a conditioned-medium technique with subtraction hybridization approach, quantitative PCR and proteomics, in order to evaluate gene and protein expression influenced by soluble paracrine factors produced by stromal and neoplastic cells.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>We observed that conditioned medium from fibroblast cultures (FCM) inhibited proliferation and induced apoptosis in Hep-2 cells. In neoplastic cells, 41 genes and 5 proteins exhibited changes in expression levels in response to FCM and, in fibroblasts, 17 genes and 2 proteins showed down-regulation in response to conditioned medium from Hep-2 cells (HCM). Nine genes were selected and the expression results of 6 down-regulated genes (<it>ARID4A</it>, <it>CALR</it>, <it>GNB2L1</it>, <it>RNF10</it>, <it>SQSTM1</it>, <it>USP9X</it>) were validated by real time PCR.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>A significant and common denominator in the results was the potential induction of signaling changes associated with immune or inflammatory response in the absence of a specific protein.</p

Immunohistochemical and molecular expression of laminin-332 gamma-2 chain in canine mammary tumors

Forty-eight cases of canine mammary cancer were investigated to evaluate the immunohistochemical distribution of the gamma 2 chain of laminin-332. Tumor cells were compared to a pool of normal mammary tissues using quantitative RT-PCR. The western blot was performed in eight tumor samples as complementary test to evaluate protein integrity. Immunohistochemistry experiments showed negative, focal, and weak expression of laminin-332 gamma 2 in tumors with the worst prognosis. Quantitative PCR revealed downregulation of the gene in 27 (56.2%) of the animals. Out of the 16 dogs with gamma 2 chain overexpression, seven were still alive. The western blot results showed bands generation of 36, 50, and 98kDa, suggesting degradation of laminin-332 gamma 2 in malignant tumors. The results suggest that, in the future, low expression and/or degradation of laminin-332 gamma 2 chain in canine mammary tumors may be used as an indicator of malignant potential. However, further studies are necessary to corroborate these results.Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP

Comparação do alongamento estático, balístico e contrair-relaxar nos músculos isquiotibiais

This study aimed to compare the effect of three stretching techniques (ballistic, static and contract-relax) on instant gain muscle flexibility on the hamstring muscle. We evaluated 23 subjects of both gender [means (SD) age 21.17 (1.4) years]. All volunteers performed static, ballistic and contract-relax stretching. Each technique was performed in a single session with an interval of seven days between sessions. To assess the immediate effects of the different techniques were performed two tests of flexibility, Sit and Reach Test and the Popliteal Angle Test. In comparison with the baseline there were significant increase in muscle flexibility in the Popliteal Angle Test after application ballistic (6.26%) and contract-relax technique (6.5%) respectively (p<0.05). When comparing the three techniques regarding the change score significant difference was found in the the Popliteal Angle Test for ballistic and contract-relax stretching, but Sit and Reach Test showed no significance difference. These data suggest that the ballistic and contract-relax were better than the technique of static stretching and both are equally effective. The ballistic contract-relax stretching techniques improved gain of muscle flexibility on the hamstring muscle.Objetivou-se, por meio deste estudo, comparar o efeito de três técnicas de alongamento muscular (balístico, estático e contrai-relaxa) no ganho imediato de flexibilidade dos músculos isquiotibiais. Foram avaliados 23 sujeitos, de ambos os gêneros [média (DP) idade 21,17 (1,4)]. Todos os voluntários realizaram o alongamento estático, o balístico e o contrai-relaxa. Cada técnica foi realizada em sessão única com intervalo de sete dias entre as sessões. Para avaliar os efeitos imediatos das diferentes técnicas, realizaram-se, antes e após a série de alongamentos, os testes de flexibilidade Sentar e Alcançar e o Teste do Ângulo Poplíteo. Em comparação à linha de base, houve aumento significativo de flexibilidade para o teste do Ângulo Poplíteo após aplicação do alongamento balístico (6,26%) e contrai-relaxa (6,5%), respectivamente (p<0,05). Ao contrair-relaxar as três técnicas em relação ao escore de mudança, encontrou-se diferença considerável no teste do Ângulo Poplíteo para os alongamentos balístico e contrair-relaxar, porém, o Teste Sentar e Alcançar não apresentou relevância. De acordo com esses dados, as técnicas balísticas e -contrair-relaxar foram melhores que a técnica de alongamento estático, e ambas as técnicas mostraram-se igualmente efetivas. As técnicas de alongamento balístico e contrair-relaxar melhoraram a flexibilidade dos músculos isquiotibiais.Se procuró, por medio de este estudio, comparar el efecto de tres técnicas de alongamiento muscular (balístico, estático y contrae-relaja) en el aumento inmediato de flexibilidad de los músculos isquiocrurales. Se evaluaron 23 sujetos, de ambos géneros [media (DE) edad 21,17 (1,4)]. Todos voluntarios realizaron el alongamiento estático, el balístico y el contrae-relaja. Cada técnica fue realizada en sesión única con intervalo de siete días entre las sesiones. Para evaluar los efectos inmediatos de las diferentes técnicas, se realizaron, antes y después de la serie de alongamientos, los tests de flexibilidad Sentar y Alcanzar y el Test del Ángulo Poplíteo. En comparación a la línea de base, hubo aumento significativo de flexibilidad para el test del Ángulo Poplíteo, después de aplicación del alongamiento balístico (6,26%) y contrae-relaja (6,5%), respectivamente (p<0,05). Al comparar las tres técnicas en relación al escore de cambio, se encontró diferencia considerable en el test del Ángulo Poplíteo para los alongamientos balístico y contrae-relaja, sin embargo el Test Sentar y Alcanzar no presentó relevancia. De acuerdo con esos datos, las técnicas balísticas y contrae-relaja fueron mejores que la técnica de alongamiento estático y, ambas técnicas, se mostraron igualmente efectivas. Las técnicas de alongamiento balístico y contrae-relaja mejoraron la flexibilidad de los músculos isquiocrurales

Homeobox gene expression profile indicates HOXA5 as a candidate prognostic marker in oral squamous cell carcinoma

The search for molecular markers to improve diagnosis, individualize treatment and predict behavior of tumors has been the focus of several studies. This study aimed to analyze homeobox gene expression profile in oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) as well as to investigate whether some of these genes are relevant molecular markers of prognosis and/or tumor aggressiveness. Homeobox gene expression levels were assessed by microarrays and qRT-PCR in OSCC tissues and adjacent non-cancerous matched tissues (margin), as well as in OSCC cell lines. Analysis of microarray data revealed the expression of 147 homeobox genes, including one set of six at least 2-fold up-regulated, and another set of 34 at least 2-fold down-regulated homeobox genes in OSCC. After qRT-PCR assays, the three most up-regulated homeobox genes (HOXA5, HOXD10 and HOXD11) revealed higher and statistically significant expression levels in OSCC samples when compared to margins. Patients presenting lower expression of HOXA5 had poorer prognosis compared to those with higher expression (P=0.03). Additionally, the status of HOXA5, HOXD10 and HOXD11 expression levels in OSCC cell lines also showed a significant up-regulation when compared to normal oral keratinocytes. Results confirm the presence of three significantly upregulated (>4-fold) homeobox genes (HOXA5, HOXD10 and HOXD11) in OSCC that may play a significant role in the pathogenesis of these tumors. Moreover, since lower levels of HOXA5 predict poor prognosis, this gene may be a novel candidate for development of therapeutic strategies in OSCC