The four-component two-particle propagator for the calculation of double-ionization spectra of heavy-element compounds: I. Method

International audienceIn this work we present a new four-component implementation of the two-particle (2p) propagator as a powerful tool for calculating double ionization spectra of systems containing heavy elements. The 2p-propagator approach provides immediate access to the complete final state distribution of doubly ionized systems together with a detailed configurational information of each final state. This information is vital for the analysis of electronic decay processes as radiationless relaxation mechanisms after an initial core hole ionization and for the simulation of Auger spectra. The capabilities of the four-component realization is first demonstrated at the xenon atom and the bromine molecule for which experimental results are available. It turns out that a relativistic treatment is required for an adequate description of the experimental findings. In this first paper we focus on the electronic structure described by the 2p-propagator and will later on apply this method to the calculation of Auger spectra and electronic decay processes in heavy systems

Adjuvants and delivery systems for antifungal vaccines: Current state and future developments

Mycoses are gaining increasing attention in modern medicine because of the increase in diseases associated with opportunistic fungal infections. Despite the recognized role of the immune system in the control of fungal infections, no antifungal vaccines are currently licensed for use in humans. However, numerous vaccine candidates are being developed in many laboratories, as proof of the renewed interest in integrating or replacing chemotherapy with vaccines to reduce antibiotic use and consequently limit drug resistance and toxicity. In the effort to use safer and simpler fungal antigens for vaccinations, adjuvants have become relevant as immunostimulators to elicit successful protective immune responses. To address the relevant role of adjuvants as determinants in the balance of vaccine efficacy and safety, an updated and critical review of the adjuvants used in preclinical antifungal vaccines is presented, and prospective trends are addressed. Selected recent papers and other historically relevant and innovative strategies using adjuvants in experimental fungal vaccines are highlighted.Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES

Recombinant disintegrin targets alpha(v) beta(3) integrin and leads to mediator production

Integrin alpha v beta 3 is most likely the foremost modulator of angiogenesis among all known integrins. Recombinant disintegrin DisBa-01, originally obtained from snake venom glands, binds to alpha v beta 3, thereby significantly inhibiting adhesion and generating in vivo anti-metastatic ability. However, its function in mediator production is not clear. Here, we observed that the mediators VEGF-A, IL-8, and TGF-beta are not produced by human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVEC cell line) or monocyte/macrophage cells (SC cell line) when cells adhered to vitronectin. However, when exposed to DisBa-01, HUVECs produced higher levels of TGF-beta, and SC cells produced higher levels of VEGF-A. Nonetheless, HUVECs also showed an enhancement of apoptosis after losing adherence when exposed to disintegrin, which is a characteristic of anoikis. We propose that disintegrin DisBa-01 could be used to modulate integrin alpha v beta 3 functions.Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP