Biologia comparada de Nusalala uruguaya (Navás, 1923) (Neuroptera; Hemerobiidae) alimentada com diferentes espécies de afídeos: I. Fase de larva

The biology of the immature stages of the brown lacewing Nusalala uruguaya (Navás, 1923) was studied under laboratory conditions of 25 ± 2°C temperature, 70 ± 10% RH and photophase of 14 hours, using aphids of the species Toxoptera citricidus (Kirk), Brevicoryne brassicae (L.) and Dactynotus sp. as diets. Prey species affected brown lacewing larval stage development, as indicated by the length and viability of each larval instar, the head capsule width, and the weight and the length of the larvae body. Dactynotus sp. was the most consumed species and gave the best insect development whereas T. citricidus caused 100% mortality during the first instar. Brown lacewing larvae fed only on live aphids and showed a canibalistic behavior eating eggs and larvae of its own species.A fase larval do predador Nusalala uruguaya (Navás, 1923) alimentada com pulgão-preto-dos-citros Toxoptera citricidus (Kirk), pulgão-da-couve Brevicoryne brassicae (L.) e pulgão-do-picao Dactynotus sp. foi estudada, em condições de laboratório à 25 ± 2°C, UR de 70±10% e fotofase de 14 horas. A espécie de presa consumida afetou a fase larval do predador, influenciando a duração e a viabilidade de cada instar, a largura da cápsula cefálica, o peso e o tamanho de suas larvas. Dactynotus sp. foi a espécie mais consumida e que propiciou o melhor desenvolvimento larval, sendo que T. citricidus acarretou 100% de mortalidade no primeiro instar. As larvas de N. uruguaya somente se alimentaram de pre-ovos e larvas da sua própria espécie

Redox transformations of adsorbed NO molecules on a Pt(100) electrode

The electrochemical behavior of adsorbed NO molecules on a Pt(100) electrode has been studied in perchloric acid solutions by means of cyclic voltammetry. According to the literature data, a saturated NO adlayer with a coverage of ∼0.5 monolayers (MLs) is formed under open circuit conditions in an acidic nitrite solution as a result of a disproportionation reaction. The saturated adlayer is stable in the potential range of 0.4–0.9 V vs. a reversible hydrogen electrode in 0.1 M HClO4. NO molecules are oxidized at 0.9–1.1 V with the formation of adsorbed nitrite anions, and they can be reduced to ammonia at potentials less than 0.4 V. In this paper it has been shown that the adlayer stability depends on the surface coverage and extent of ordering. An unsaturated NO adlayer demonstrates NO ↔ NH3 redox transformations at 0.5–0.8 V.Financial support from the Russian Foundation for Basic Research (project no. 10-03-00427), MICINN (CTR2010-1624)(Feder), and Generalitat Valenciana (Prometeo/2009/045)(Feder, Spain) is gratefully acknowledged

Towards a non-living vaccine against Shigella flexneri: from the inactivation procedure to protection studies

Shigellosis is one of the leading causes of diarrhea worldwide with more than 165 million cases annually. Hence, a vaccine against this disease is a priority, but no licensed vaccine is still available. Considering target population as well as intrinsic risks of live attenuated vaccines, non-living strategies appear as the most promising candidates. Remarkably, the preservation of antigenic properties is a major concern since inactivation methods of bacteria affect these qualities. We previously reported the use of a subcellular antigen complex for vaccination against shigellosis, based on outer membrane vesicles (OMVs) released from Shigella flexneri. Now, we describe in more detail the employment of binary ethylenimine (BEI) for inactivation of Shigella and its subsequent effect on the antigenic conservation of the vaccinal product. Results demonstrate the effectiveness of BEI treatment to completely inactivate Shigella cells without disturbing the antigenicity and immunogenicity of the OMVs. Thus, OMVs harvested after BEI inactivation were able to protect mice against an experimental infection with S. flexneri

Treatment of hemorrhagic shock with hypertonic saline solution modulates the inflammatory response to live bacteria in lungs

Shock and resuscitation render patients more susceptible to acute lung injury due to an exacerbated immune response to subsequent inflammatory stimuli. To study the role of innate immunity in this situation, we investigated acute lung injury in an experimental model of ischemia-reperfusion (I-R) followed by an early challenge with live bacteria. Conscious rats (N = 8 in each group) were submitted to controlled hemorrhage and resuscitated with isotonic saline (SS, 0.9% NaCl) or hypertonic saline (HS, 7.5% NaCl) solution, followed by intratracheal or intraperitoneal inoculation of Escherichia coli. After infection, toll-like receptor (TLR) 2 and 4 mRNA expression was monitored by RT-PCR in infected tissues. Plasma levels of tumor necrosis factor α and interleukins 6 and 10 were determined by ELISA. All animals showed similar hemodynamic variables, with mean arterial pressure decreasing to nearly 40 mmHg after bleeding. HS or SS used as resuscitation fluid yielded equal hemodynamic results. Intratracheal E. coli inoculation per se induced a marked neutrophil infiltration in septa and inside the alveoli, while intraperitoneal inoculation-associated neutrophils and edema were restricted to the interseptal space. Previous I-R enhanced lung neutrophil infiltration upon bacterial challenge when SS was used as reperfusion fluid, whereas neutrophil influx was unchanged in HS-treated animals. No difference in TLR expression or cytokine secretion was detected between groups receiving HS or SS. We conclude that HS is effective in reducing the early inflammatory response to infection after I-R, and that this phenomenon is achieved by modulation of factors other than expression of innate immunity components.FAPESPFundação Faculdade de MedicinaCoordenacao de Aperfeicoamento de Pessoal de Nivel Superior (CAPES

Mucosal immunization with Shigella flexneri outer membrane vesicles induced protection in mice

Vaccination appears to be the only rational prophylactic approach to control shigellosis. Unfortunately, there is still no safe and efficacious vaccine available. We investigated the protection conferred by a new vaccine containing outer membrane vesicles (OMVs) from Shigella flexneri with an adjuvant based on nanoparticles in an experimental model of shigellosis in mice. OMVs were encapsulated in poly(anhydride) nanoparticles prepared by a solvent displacement method with the copolymer PMV/MA. OMVs loaded into NPs (NP-OMVs) were homogeneous and spherical in shape, with a size of 197 nm (PdI = 0.06). BALB/c mice (females, 9-week-old, 20 ± 1 g) were immunized by intradermal, nasal, ocular (20 μg) or oral route (100 μg) with free or encapsulated OMV. Thirty-five days after administration, mice were infected intranasally with a lethal dose of S. flexneri (1 × 107 CFU). The new vaccine was able to protect fully against infection when it was administered via mucosa. By intradermal route the NP-OMVs formulation increased the protection from 20%, obtained with free extract, to 100%. Interestingly, both OMVs and OMV-NP induced full protection when administered by the nasal and conjuntival route. A strong association between the ratio of IL-12p40/IL-10 and protection was found. Moreover, low levels of IFN-γ correlate with protection. Under the experimental conditions used, the adjuvant did not induce any adverse effects. These results place OMVs among promising candidates to be used for vaccination against Shigellosis

Immunogenicity of peanut proteins containing poly (anhydride) nanoparticles

In the last decade, peanut allergy has increased substantially. Significant differences in the prevalence among different countries are attributed to the type of thermal processing. In spite of the high prevalence and the severe reaction induced by peanuts, there is no immunotherapy available. The aim of this work was to evaluate the potential application of poly(anhydride) nanoparticles (NPs) as immunoadjuvants for peanut oral immunotherapy. NPs loaded with raw or roasted peanut proteins were prepared by a solvent displacement method and dried by either lyophilization or spray-drying. After physicochemical characterization, their adjuvant capacity was evaluated after oral immunization of C57BL/6 mice. All nanoparticle formulations induced a balanced T(H)1 and T(H)2 antibody response, accompanied by low specific IgE induction. In addition, oral immunization with spray-dried NPs loaded with peanut proteins was associated with a significant decrease in splenic T(H)2 cytokines (interleukin 4 [IL-4], IL-5, and IL-6) and enhancement of both T(H)1 (gamma interferon [IFN-γ]) and regulatory (IL-10) cytokines. In conclusion, oral immunization with poly(anhydride) NPs, particularly spray-dried formulations, led to a pro-T(H)1 immune response

Stability of the monoclinic phase in the ferroelectric perovskite PbZr(1-x)TixO3

Recent structural studies of ferroelectric PbZr(1-x)TixO3 (PZT) with x= 0.48, have revealed a new monoclinic phase in the vicinity of the morphotropic phase boundary (MPB), previously regarded as the the boundary separating the rhombohedral and tetragonal regions of the PZT phase diagram. In the present paper, the stability region of all three phases has been established from high resolution synchrotron x-ray powder diffraction measurements on a series of highly homogeneous samples with 0.42 <=x<= 0.52. At 20K the monoclinic phase is stable in the range 0.46 <=x<= 0.51, and this range narrows as the temperature is increased. A first-order phase transition from tetragonal to rhombohedral symmetry is observed only for x= 0.45. The MPB, therefore, corresponds not to the tetragonal-rhombohedral phase boundary, but instead to the boundary between the tetragonal and monoclinic phases for 0.46 <=x<= 0.51. This result provides important insight into the close relationship between the monoclinic phase and the striking piezoelectric properties of PZT; in particular, investigations of poled samples have shown that the monoclinic distortion is the origin of the unusually high piezoelectric response of PZT.Comment: REVTeX file, 7 figures embedde

Electron Collisions With Ammonia And Formamide In The Low- And Intermediate-energy Ranges

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)We report an investigation on electron collisions with two nitrogen-containing compounds, namely ammonia (NH3) and formamide (NH2CHO). For ammonia, both theoretical and experimental differential, integral, and momentum-transfer cross sections, as well as calculated grand-total and total absorption cross sections, are reported in the 50-500 eV incident energy range. Calculated results of various cross sections are also reported for energies below 50 eV. Experimentally, angular distributions of the scattered electrons were measured using a crossed electron beam-molecular beam geometry and then converted to absolute differential cross sections using the relative flow technique. Absolute integral and momentum-transfer cross sections for elastic e - ammonia scattering were also derived from the measured differential cross sections. For formamide, only theoretical cross sections are presented in the 1-500 eV incident energy range. A single-center-expansion technique combined with the method of Padé was used in our calculations. For both targets, our calculated cross sections are compared with the present measured data and with the theoretical and experimental data available in the literature and show generally good agreement. Moreover, for formamide, two shape resonances located at 3.5 eV and 15 eV which correspond to the continuum 2A'' and 2A' scattering symmetries, respectively, are identified. The former can be associated to the 2B1 shape resonance in formaldehyde located at around 2.5 eV, whereas the latter can be related to the 2E resonance in ammonia at about 10 eV. 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