Production of Pure Drug Nanocrystals and Nano Co-crystals by Confinement Methods

The use of drug nanocrystals in the drug formulation is increasing due to the large number of poorly water-soluble drug compounds synthetized and due to the advantages brought by the nanonization process. The downsizing processes are done using a top-down approach (milling and homogenization currently employed at the industrial level), while the crystallization process is performed by bottom-up techniques (e.g., antisolvent precipitation to the use of supercritical fluids or spray and freeze drying). In addition, the production of nanocrystals in confined environment can be achieved within microfluidics channels. This review analyzes the processes for the preparation of nanocrystals and co-crystals, divided by top-down and bottom-up approaches, together with their combinations. The combination of both strategies merges the favorable features of each process and avoids the disadvantages of single processes. Overall, the applicability of drug nanocrystals is highlighted by the widespread research on the production processes at the engineering, pharmaceutical, and nanotechnology level.Peer reviewe

Tailoring Porous Silicon for Biomedical Applications : From Drug Delivery to Cancer Immunotherapy

In the past two decades, porous silicon (PSi) has attracted increasing attention for its potential biomedical applications. With its controllable geometry, tunable nanoporous structure, large pore volume/high specific surface area, and versatile surface chemistry, PSi shows significant advantages over conventional drug carriers. Here, an overview of recent progress in the use of PSi in drug delivery and cancer immunotherapy is presented. First, an overview of the fabrication of PSi with various geometric structures is provided, with particular focus on how the unique geometry of PSi facilitates its biomedical applications, especially for drug delivery. Second, surface chemistry and modification of PSi are discussed in relation to the strengthening of its performance in drug delivery and bioimaging. Emerging technologies for engineering PSi-based composites are then summarized. Emerging PSi advances in the context of cancer immunotherapy are also highlighted. Overall, very promising research results encourage further exploration of PSi for biomedical applications, particularly in drug delivery and cancer immunotherapy, and future translation of PSi into clinical applications.Peer reviewe

GESTÃO AMBIENTAL NA COLETA DE RESÍDUOS ESPECIAIS

This study aimed to identify the strategies and practices related to environmental issues in a company responsible for the collection, transportation, treatment and disposal of special waste. To that end, we reviewed the state of art related to the theme of environmental management and policy. The research was characterized as a case study, involving the opinions and perceptions of the organization’s managers about the environmental policies adopted by the company. Due to its performance in the area of special waste, disposal of paying for hospital solid waste from health services organizations, the company has its own characteristics that give specifics, as it is responsible for giving the appropriate destination for each of the different types of special waste, as well as the working conditions of employees who are often exposed to disease-causing agents . The main results showed that despite the absence of an environmental policy formally established, there was a concern on the part of managers in the organization to implement an environmental program that demonstrates the social responsibility of the organization, emphasizing the importance of an image legitimized in society.Este estudo teve como objetivo identificar as estratégias e práticas relacionadas às questões ambientais de uma empresa responsável pela coleta, transporte, tratamento e destinação final de resíduos especiais. Para tanto, foi revisado o estado da arte relacionado às temáticas da gestão e políticas ambientais. A pesquisa caracterizou-se como um estudo de caso, envolvendo as opiniões e percepções dos gestores da organização quanto às políticas ambientais adotadas pela empresa. Devido à sua atuação na área de resíduos especiais, prestando serviços de destinação final ao lixo hospitalar de organizações da saúde, a empresa possui características próprias que lhe conferem especificidades, já que fica responsável por dar o destino adequado a cada um dos diferentes tipos de resíduos especiais, bem como as condições de trabalho dos funcionários, os quais frequentemente estão expostos aos agentes causadores de doenças. A conclusão do estudo demonstrou que apesar da inexistência de uma política ambiental formalmente estabelecida, há uma forte preocupação por parte dos gestores da organização com a adoção de práticas ambientais que reflitam a responsabilidade social da organização, enfatizando a importância de uma imagem legitimada na sociedade

Bioengineered Porous Silicon Nanoparticles@Macrophages Cell Membrane as Composite Platforms for Rheumatoid Arthritis

Biohybrid nanosystems are at the center of personalized medicine, affording prolonged circulation time and targeting to the disease site, and serving as antigenic sources of vaccines. The optimization and functionality parameters of these nanosystems vary depending on the properties of the core particles. In this work, the effects of the core particles’ surface charge and hydrophobicity are evaluated on the nanosystem coating with vesicles derived from plasma membrane. The measured parameters are the dimensions, surface charge, shape, and stability of the biohybrid nanosystems, both in buffer and in biologically relevant media (plasma and simulated synovial fluid). Moreover, the cytocompatibility properties of the developed nanosystems are evaluated in different cell lines mimicking the target cell populations and other districts of the body involved in the distribution and elimination of the nanoparticles. Finally, the immunological profile of the particles is investigated, highlighting the absence of immune activation promoted by the nanoplatforms.Peer reviewe

Relato da experiência de discentes de engenharia da computação no apoio à avaliação institucional

Institutional evaluation through external community participation is an important tool for the verification and monitoring of aspects related to higher education institutions. In this context, the article discloses an extension project that aimed to assist in the self-assessment of a university. The purpose of this paper is to record the work that was done at the University and at the same time to contribute to the debate about teaching and extension in engineering. The work focused on the construction of an Itinerant Totem built by engineer students. To this end, the project members defined the goals for the development of software to be used in the research, the plan for making the Totem's physical structure and the places to be visited in order to perform data collection. The content of the questions on the form included information about the participant's age, infrastructure, accessibility, and safety at the university. Upon completion of the goals set for Totem creation, research can be conducted at five university locations. Given the results obtained after the research using Totem, there was a significant increase in the number of participants from various segments, which contributed to the broader scope of institutional evaluation and may promote improvements within the University. Moreover, it is noteworthy that for the students involved, it was an application of the knowledge acquired in their undergraduate engineering courses.La evaluación institucional a través de la participación comunitaria externa es una herramienta importante para la verificación y el monitoreo de aspectos relacionados con las instituciones de educación superior. En este contexto, el artículo revela un proyecto de extensión que tenía como objetivo ayudar en la autoevaluación de una universidad. El propósito de este documento es registrar el trabajo realizado en la Universidad y al mismo tiempo contribuir al debate sobre la enseñanza y la extensión en ingeniería. El trabajo se centró en la construcción de un Tótem Itinerante construido por estudiantes. Con este fin, los miembros del proyecto definieron los objetivos para el desarrollo de software que se utilizará en la investigación, el plan para hacer la estructura física del Totem y los lugares a visitar para realizar la recopilación de datos. El contenido de las preguntas en el formulario incluía información sobre la edad, la infraestructura, la accesibilidad y la seguridad del participante en la universidad. Al completar los objetivos establecidos para la creación de Totem, la investigación se puede llevar a cabo en cinco ubicaciones universitarias. Dados los resultados obtenidos después de la investigación usando Totem, hubo un aumento significativo en el número de participantes de varios segmentos, lo que contribuyó al alcance más amplio de la evaluación institucional y puede promover mejoras dentro de la Universidad. Además, es digno de mención que para los estudiantes involucrados, fue una aplicación de los conocimientos adquiridos en sus cursos de ingeniería.A avaliação institucional através da participação da comunidade externa é uma importante ferramenta para a verificação e acompanhamento de aspectos relacionados à instituições de ensino superior. Nesse contexto, o artigo vem divulgar um projeto de extensão que teve por objetivo auxiliar na autoavaliação de uma universidade. O objetivo deste texto é fazer um registro do trabalho que foi realizado na Universidade e ao mesmo tempo procura contribuir para o debate sobre ensino e extensão nas engenharias. O trabalho focou na construção de um Totem Itinerante construído por discentes de engenharia. Para tal, os integrantes do projeto definiram as metas para o desenvolvimento de um software a ser utilizado na pesquisa, o plano para a confecção da estrutura física do Totem e os locais a serem visitados a fim de realizar a coleta de dados. O conteúdo das questões presentes no formulário incluía informações a respeito da faixa etária do participante, infraestrutura, acessibilidade e segurança na universidade. Após a conclusão das metas estabelecidas para criação do Totem, a pesquisa pode ser realizada em cinco locais da universidade. Diante dos resultados obtidos após a pesquisa com a utilização do Totem, verificou-se aumento significativo no número de participantes de vários segmentos o que contribuiu para maior abrangência da avaliação institucional e que podem promover melhorias no âmbito da Universidade. Além disso, vale ressaltar que para os discentes envolvidos, foi uma aplicação dos conhecimentos adquiridos em seus cursos de graduação em engenharia

Outbreak of Endoparasitosis in Free-Range Chickens (Gallus gallus domesticus) in Bahia, Brazil

Background: Free-range chickens are quite common in Brazil. In this alternative rearing system, the animals are rustic and raised in an extensive system. Free access to “bare soil” results in the increased occurrence of intestinal parasites since larvae and / or eggs of helminths and protozoa oocysts find favorable conditions for their survival and dissemination in the soil. Although the occurrence and importance of parasitic infections in free-range chickens is well known, the objective of this study is to report an outbreak of endoparasites in free-range chickens in the municipality of Barra - BA, in view of bird susceptibility associated with scarcity of studies in western Bahia.Cases: The chickens were kept free, in a bare soil yard in a household at the urban perimeter of the municipality of Barra - BA. Feeding consisted of whole corn grains, thrown directly in the soil. The drinking fountains were dirty and the animals had no history of vaccination or deworming. Symptoms Anorexia, difficulty in eating and in locomotion, presence of seromucous secretion in the oral cavity, emaciation and diarrhea were all observed symptoms. One of the birds presented excessive vocalization, drowsiness and flaccid paralysis of the neck. Necropsy was performed on 3 chickens: 2 females (cases 1 and 2) and 1 male (case 3). Macroscopic analysis revealed the presence of seromucous secretion in the upper respiratory tract of all animals. Specimens of Ascaridia galli were observed in cases 1 and 2, Heterakis gallinarum in cases 2 and 3, Raillietina sp. in cases 2 and 3 and Davainea proglottina in case 1. Microscopically, the animals had an inflammatory infiltrate in the liver and intestines. Some animals presented necrosis of the tracheal epithelial cells, as well as of the epithelial cells present at the apex of the villi. No significant results were found in the coproparasitological exam.Discussion: The diagnosis of endoparasitosis in this outbreak was based on epidemiological, clinical and pathological findings. The prevalence of intestinal parasitosis in free-range chickens is linked to factors such as age, high animal density, absence of sanitary hygienic measures, as well as environmental temperature and humidity. The appearance of injuries in the intestinal mucosa is influenced by characteristics such as parasitic load, concomitant infections, age and the host's immune status. During necropsy of the birds were found 2 helminths of the Nematoda class (Ascaridia galli and Heterakis gallinarum) and 2 of the Cestoda class (Davainea proglottina and Raillietina sp.). A. galli, seen in 2 cases, is considered low pathogenicity for adult chickens, however young birds are susceptible and can die due to intestinal obstruction and hemorrhages. H. gallinarum is responsible for causing typhlitis, with diarrhea and weight loss, this helminth was found in 2 animals in the present study, however only 1 had changes in the digestive tract. Davainea proglotina and Raillietina spp. might cause, respectively, severe hemorrhagic enteritis and nodule formation in the small intestine mucosa. In Brazil, even though it is notable that intestinal parasitism is one of the key problems in alternative poultry farming, there are few studies that evaluate the presence of endoparasites in chickens raised in alternative production systems, with animals being more frequently exposed to nematodes and cestodes. The multiparasitism observed in this study probably stems from flaws in the rearing system, mainly related to sanitary hygiene management. Therefore, the reduction in the occurrence of these helminths is closely related to the performance of basic prophylactic measures, such as offering good quality food and water in clean containers, separating lots by age, performing sanitary emptiness and deworming.Keywords: livelihood creation, nematode, cestode, multiparasitism, avian pathology.Surto de endoparasitose em galinhas caipiras (Gallus gallus domesticus) na Bahia, BrasilDescritores: criação de subsistência, nematoide, cestoide, multiparasitismo, patologia aviária

Ferramenta de Busca para Redação Jornalística

Muitos jornais apresentam dificuldades com o arquivamento das edições impressas. O problema se torna maior, considerando o fato de que este meio de comunicação (mídia impressa) possui uma importância legal e histórica dos fatos e atos que acontecem na localidade onde está situado. Este projeto propõe a implementação de realizar um sistema de armazenamento das edições digitais, preservando a forma com que as mesmas foram impressas. Para auxiliar nas buscas de edições, é utilizado o processo de Mineração de Textos e suas funcionalidades. O projeto propõe ainda um módulo para gerenciar fotografias, além de armazená-las e renomeá-las, pode-se efetuar buscas por meio de palavras-chaves

Impacto do rastreamento clínico e genético para neoplasia endócrina múltipla tipo 1

PURPOSE: To perform clinical and genetic screening for multiple endocrine neoplasia type 1 (MEN1) in patients at the Academic Hospital of the University of São Paulo School of Medicine, and to analyze its impact on clinical management of patients with MEN1. METHODS: The clinical diagnosis of MEN1 was made in accordance with the Consensus on multiple endocrine neoplasias. Mutation analysis of the entire MEN1 tumor suppressor gene and genetic screening of at-risk family members were performed by direct sequencing. To analyze the implementation of genetic diagnosis, the studied patients were separated into 3 groups: MEN1 index cases (group I), clinically diagnosed MEN1 cases (group II), and genetically diagnosed MEN1 cases (group III). RESULTS: In total, 154 individuals were clinically and genetically studied. We identified 12 different MEN1 mutations. Fifty-two MEN1 cases were identified: 13 in group I, 28 in group II, and 11 in group III. The mean age in group III (27.0 years) was significantly lower than in groups I (39.5 years) and II (42.4 years; P = 0.03 and P = 0.01, respectively). Patients in groups I and II mostly presented 2 or 3 MEN1-related tumors, while 81.8% of those in group III presented 1 or no MEN1-related tumor. Additionally, in group III, 45.4% of cases were asymptomatic, and no metastasis or death was verified. Surveillance for MEN1 mutations allowed the exclusion of 102 noncarriers, including a case of MEN1 phenocopy. CONCLUSION: Our data supports the benefits of clinical and genetic screening for multiple endocrine neoplasia type 1 in the management of this syndrome.OBJETIVOS: Realizar rastreamentos clínico e gênico para Neoplasia Endócrina Múltipla tipo 1 (NEM1) e analisar seu impacto no seguimento clínico desses pacientes no Hospital das Clínicas, SP. MÉTODOS: O diagnóstico clínico de NEM1 foi realizado de acordo com o Consenso sobre neoplasias endócrinas múltiplas. A análise genética para identificação de mutações foi realizada por sequenciamento automático de todas as regiões codificadoras e fronteiras exon/intron do gene MEN1. Os casos afetados foram sub-divididos em 3 grupos e analisados separadamente: casos-índices (grupo I), familiares diagnosticados clinicamente (grupo II) e genicamente (grupo III). RESULTADOS: Um total de 154 casos participou desse estudo, sendo 52 diagnosticados com NEM1: 13 do grupo I, 28 do grupo II e 11 do grupo III. A idade média ao diagnóstico no grupo III (27 anos) foi significativamente menor que a dos grupos I (39,5 anos; p = 0,03) e II (42,4 anos; p = 0,01). A maioria dos pacientes dos grupos I e II apresentou 2 ou 3 tumores, enquanto que 81,8% dos casos do grupo III apresentavam 1 ou nenhum tumor relacionado à NEM1. Além disto, 45,4% dos casos do grupo III eram assintomáticos, não sendo observados nenhuma metástase ou óbito. Os demais 102 familiares sob-risco estudados não herdaram mutação MEN1 e foram excluídos do rastreamento clínico. Um caso de fenocópia NEM1 foi também localizado. DISCUSSÃO: Nossos dados demonstraram importantes benefícios no seguimento dos pacientes NEM1, obtidos pela implementação dos rastreamentos clínico e gênico para essa doença