Sustainable smart tags with two‐step verification for anticounterfeiting triggered by the photothermal response of upconverting nanoparticles

No abstract available.This work was developed within the scope of the projects CICECO-Aveiro Institute of Materials (UIDB/50011/2020 and UIDP/50011/2020) and Shape of Water (PTDC/NAN-PRO/3881/2020) financed by Portuguese funds through the FCT/MEC and when appropriate cofinanced by FEDER under the PT2020 Partnership Agreement. F.E.M. acknowledges the funding received from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under the Marie Sklodowska-Curie grant agreement no. 823941. The support of the European Union’s Horizon 2020 FET Open program under grant agreement no. 801305 (NanoTBTech) is also acknowledged. R.R.S. acknowledges the financial support from the Brazilian agency FAPESP (process no. 16/06612-6).publishe

Performance of Beef Cattle Fed Diets Containing \u3cem\u3eStylosanthes\u3c/em\u3e and Corn Silages

Reports of the use of tropical legumes in silage production are scarce as these legumes have high contents of crude protein, low water soluble carbohydrate and high buffering capacity, which inhibit the production of silages with good fermentation and nutritional characteristics. Recent research has, however, shown that it is possible to produce good quality silages using tropical legumes (Pereira et al. 2012). Souza et al. (2012) concluded that silage produced from Stylosanthes cv. Campo Grande (Stylosanthes capitata + Stylosanthes macrocephala) at 60% proportion of the dry matter of the diet can replace corn silage in diets for beef cattle in feedlots without altering their intake and productive performance. However, the ideal proportion of this silage in the diets for beef cattle is still unknown. Thus, the objective of this study was to evaluate the intake and performance of beef cattle fed diets with Stylosanthes and corn silages

Orange Pectin Mediated Growth and Stability of Aqueous Gold and Silver Nanocolloids

International audienceThe role of orange based pectin in the nucleation and growth of silver and gold nanoparticles is addressed. Pectin is a complex polysaccharide found in fruits such as oranges, lemons, passion fruits or apples. It displays smooth and hairy chain regions contg. hydroxyl-​, ester-​, carboxylate- and eventually amine groups that can act as surface ligands interacting under various pH conditions more or less efficiently with growing nanometals. Here, a high methoxy pectin (>50​% esterified) was used as a stabilizer​/reducing agent in the prepn. of gold, silver and silver-​gold nanoparticles. Com. pectin (CP) and pectin extd. from orange bagasse (OP) were used. Optionally, trisodium citrate or oxalic acid we used to reduce AgNO3 and HAuCl4 in aq. environment. Characterization methods included UV-​vis absorption spectroscopy, transmission electron microscopy, electron diffraction and energy-​dispersive X-​ray spectroscopy. The results show that under different pH conditions, pectin and reducing agents allow producing various nanostructures shapes (triangles, spheres, rods, octahedrons and decahedrons) often with high polydispersity and sizes ranging between 5 nm and 30 nm. In addn., depending on Ag​/Au-​ratio and pH, the surface plasmon bands can be continuously shifted between 410 nm and 600 nm. Finally, pectin seems to be a highly efficient stabilizer of the colloidal systems that show a remarkable stability and unchanged optical spectral response even after five years

Are female scientists underrepresented in self-retractions for honest error?

Retractions are among the effective measures to strengthen the self-correction of science and the quality of the literature. When it comes to self-retractions for honest errors, exposing one's own failures is not a trivial matter for researchers. However, self-correcting data, results and/or conclusions has increasingly been perceived as a good research practice, although rewarding such practice challenges traditional models of research assessment. In this context, it is timely to investigate who have self-retracted for honest error in terms of country, field, and gender. We show results on these three factors, focusing on gender, as data are scarce on the representation of female scientists in efforts to set the research record straight. We collected 3,822 retraction records, including research articles, review papers, meta-analyses, and letters under the category “error” from the Retraction Watch Database for the 2010–2021 period. We screened the dataset collected for research articles (2,906) and then excluded retractions by publishers, editors, or third parties, and those mentioning any investigation issues. We analyzed the content of each retraction manually to include only those indicating that they were requested by authors and attributed solely to unintended mistakes. We categorized the records according to country, field, and gender, after selecting research articles with a sole corresponding author. Gender was predicted using Genderize, at a 90% probability threshold for the final sample (n = 281). Our results show that female scientists account for 25% of self-retractions for honest error, with the highest share for women affiliated with US institutions

Cellular prion protein interaction with vitronectin supports axonal growth and is compensated by integrins

The physiological functions of the cellular prion protein, PrPC, as a cell surface pleiotropic receptor are under debate. We report that PrPC interacts with vitronectin but not with fibronectin or collagen. the binding sites mediating this PrPC-vitronectin interaction were mapped to residues 105-119 of PrPC and the residues 307-320 of vitronectin. the two proteins were co-localized in embryonic dorsal root ganglia from wild-type mice. Vitronectin addition to cultured dorsal root ganglia induced axonal growth, which could be mimicked by vitronectin peptide 307-320 and abrogated by anti-PrPC antibodies. Full-length vitronectin, but not the vitronectin peptide 307-320, induced axonal growth of dorsal root neurons from two strains of PrPC-null mice. Functional assays demonstrated that relative to wild-type cells, PrPC-null dorsal root neurons were more responsive to the Arg-Gly-Asp peptide (an integrin-binding site), and exhibited greater alpha v beta 3 activity. Our findings indicate that PrPC plays an important role in axonal growth, and this function may be rescued in PrPC-knockout animals by integrin compensatory mechanisms.Hosp Alemao Oswaldo Cruz, Ludwig Inst Canc Res, São Paulo, BrazilUniv São Paulo, Inst Quim, Dept Bioquim, BR-05508 São Paulo, BrazilHosp Canc, Ctr Tratamento & Pesquisa, São Paulo, BrazilUniv Fed Parana, Dept Patol Basica, BR-80060000 Curitiba, Parana, BrazilUniv Fed Parana, Dept Biol Celular, BR-80060000 Curitiba, Parana, BrazilUniversidade Federal de São Paulo, INFAR, BR-04023062 São Paulo, BrazilUniversidade Federal de São Paulo, INFAR, BR-04023062 São Paulo, BrazilWeb of Scienc

Microbial population, fermentative characteristics and dry matter recovery of mixed silage grass xaraés and stylo Campo Grande

The population of microorganisms, the fermentative characteristics and the recovery of dry matter of silage of xaraés grass (Brachiaria brizantha) with growing levels of Styansanthes capitata x S. macrocephala (0; 25; 50; 75) and 100%), with and without microbial inoculant. The 5 x 2 factorial scheme (five proportions of Campo Grande stylos with and without inoculant) was used in the completely randomized design, with three replications. There was no effect of the interaction of levels of stylos and microbial inoculant for the studied variables, however, it was observed effect of stylos levels on pH and ammoniacal nitrogen and inoculant on dry matter recovery. The mean population of lactic acid bacteria in the silages was 6.8 log cfu/g. The values of pH and ammoniacal nitrogen decreased linearly with the increase of the stylos levels in the silage. Mean dry matter recovery was 94%. It is concluded that the use of legume together with grass for silage production improves the fermentation characteristics and provides high recovery of dry matter, however, the inoculant evaluated does not alter the fermentative characteristics of the silages

Flexibility of C 4 decarboxylation and photosynthetic plasticity in sugarcane plants under shading

The flexibility between C4 photosynthetic sub-types NADP-malic enzyme (NADP-ME) and phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase (PEPCK), recently identified in some C4 species, confers high photosynthetic efficiency under varying light conditions. Theoretically, PEPCK decarboxylation uses less quanta per CO2 fixed than NADP-ME, suggesting an increase in PEPCK activity could be advantageous under shading, as CO2 leakiness increases under low light. Thus, we hypothesize that sugarcane plants have flexibility among the decarboxylation pathways, i.e., more than one decarboxylation route occurs independent of the environmental condition; furthermore, low light availability induces biochemical and anatomical adjustments resulting in increased PEPCK activity, which could contribute to maintaining or even increasing quantum efficiency of CO2 assimilation under limiting light. Two sugarcane varieties were evaluated and both presented activities of the three decarboxylases, either under full sunlight or shading. In vitro PEPCK activity increased in plants grown under low light, suggesting an upregulation of this decarboxylation pathway. Accordingly, changes in chloroplast arrangement of bundle sheath cells from centrifugal to evenly distributed were found. Our data suggest that such biochemical and anatomical adjustments found in sugarcane grown under shading were important to maintain the maximum quantum efficiency of CO2 assimilation. Finally, we propose a model highlighting the integration between the decarboxylation pathways under shading, considering carboxylation and decarboxylation pathways in sugarcane plants

Chronic Treatment with Ivabradine Does Not Affect Cardiovascular Autonomic Control in Rats

A low resting heart rate (HR) would be of great benefit in cardiovascular diseases. Ivabradine a novel selective inhibitor of hyperpolarization-activated cyclic nucleotide gated (HCN) channels- has emerged as a promising HR lowering drug. Its effects on the autonomic HR control are little known. This study assessed the effects of chronic treatment with ivabradine on the modulatory, reflex and tonic cardiovascular autonomic control and on the renal sympathetic nerve activity (RSNA). Male Wistar rats were divided in 2 groups, receiving intraperitoneal injections of vehicle (VEH) or ivabradine (IVA) during 7 or 8 consecutive days. Rats were submitted to vessels cannulation to perform arterial blood pressure (AP) and HR recordings in freely moving rats. Time series of resting pulse interval and systolic AP were used to measure cardiovascular variability parameters. We also assessed the baroreflex, chemoreflex and the Bezold-Jarish reflex sensitivities. To better evaluate the effects of ivabradine on the autonomic control of the heart, we performed sympathetic and vagal autonomic blockade. As expected, ivabradine treated rats showed a lower resting (VEH: 362 +/- 16 bpm vs. IVA: 260 +/- 14 bpm, p = 0.0005) and intrinsic HR (VEH: 369 +/- 9 bpm vs. IVA: 326 +/- 11 bpm, p = 0.0146). However, the chronic treatment with ivabradine did not change normalized HR spectral parameters LF (nu) (VEH: 24.2 +/- 4.6 vs. IVA: 29.8 +/- 6.4p > 0.05)HF (nu) (VEH: 75.1 +/- 3.7 vs. IVA: 69.2 +/- 5.8p > 0.05), any cardiovascular reflexes, neither the tonic autonomic control of the HR (tonic sympathovagal indexVEH: 0.91 +/- 0.02 vs. IVA: 0.88 +/- 0.03, p = 0.3494). We performed the AP, HR and RSNA recordings in urethane-anesthetized rats. The chronic treatment with ivabradine reduced the resting HR (VEH: 364 +/- 12 bpm vs. IVA: 207 +/- 11 bpm, p < 0.0001), without affecting RSNA (VEH: 117 +/- 16 vs. IVA: 120 +/- 9 spikes/s, p = 0.9100) and mean arterial pressure (VEH: 70 +/- 4 vs. IVA: 77 +/- 6 mmHg, p = 0.3293). Our results suggest that, in health rats, the long-term treatment with ivabradine directly reduces the HR without changing the RSNA modulation and the reflex and tonic autonomic control of the heart.Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Cientifico e Tecnologico (CNPq)Coordenacao de Aperfeicoamento de Pessoal de Nivel Superior (CAPES)Fundacao de Amparo a Pesquisa de Minas Gerais (FAPEMIG)Universidade Federal de Ouro Preto (UFOP)Universidade Federal do Triangulo Mineiro (UFTM), BrazilUniv Fed Ouro Preto, Inst Exact & Biol Sci, Dept Biol Sci, Lab Cardiovasc Physiol, Ouro Preto, BrazilUniv Fed Ouro Preto, CBIOL NUPEB, Grad Program Biol Sci, Ouro Preto, BrazilUniv Fed Minas Gerais, Inst Biol Sci, Dept Physiol & Biophys, Lab Hypertens, Belo Horizonte, MG, BrazilUniv Fed Sao Paulo, Inst Sci & Technol, Biomed Engn Lab, Sao Jose Dos Campos, BrazilUniv Uberaba, Dept Physiol, Uberaba, BrazilUniv Milan, Osped Maggiore Policlin, IRCCS Ca Granda Fdn, Dept Clin Sci & Community Hlth, Milan, ItalyFed Univ Trianaulo Pvlineiro, Inst Biol & Nat Sci, Dept Physiol, Uberaba, BrazilUniv Fed Sao Paulo, Inst Sci & Technol, Biomed Engn Lab, Sao Jose Dos Campos, BrazilCNPq: 400851/2014-8Web of Scienc