Novel studies on typical synthesized magnetite nanoparticles were encapsulated into a poly (butylene succinate)/poly (ethylene glycol) copolymer (PBS-PEG). PBS was chosen because of its biocompatibility characteristics necessary for biomedical applications. PEG, as part of the macromolecular structure, increases the hybrid system's solubility in an aqueous environment, increasing the circulation time of the material in the bloodstream.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBioremediation, involving the strategic use of microorganisms, has proven to be a cost-effective alternative for restoring areas impacted by persistent contaminants such as polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). In this context, the aim of this study was to explore hydrocarbon-degrading microbial consortia by prospecting native species from soils contaminated with blends of diesel and biodiesel (20% biodiesel/80% diesel). After enrichment in a minimal medium containing diesel oil as the sole carbon source and based on 16S rRNA, Calmodulin and β-tubulin gene sequencing, seven fungi and 12 bacteria were identified.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFIrrigating fresh produce with contaminated water contributes to the burden of foodborne illness. Identifying fecal contamination of irrigation waters and characterizing fecal sources and associated environmental factors can help inform fresh produce safety and health hazard management. Using two previously collected data sets, we developed and evaluated the performance of logistic regression and conditional random forest models for predicting general and human-specific fecal contamination of ponds in southwest Georgia used for fresh produce irrigation.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFPeri-urban conserved natural or semi-natural areas provide several ecosystem services and assist in reducing air pollution in cities. The aim of this study is to assess the contribution to the improvement of air quality of a small area (<1 km) adjacent to a city in the Metropolitan Region of Rio de Janeiro (Brazil), which is seriously affected by vehicular and industrial emissions of pollutants. Hydrocarbon (HC) and carbonyl compounds (CC) levels were determined, by employing TO-15 and TO-11A US EPA Methods, respectively, in both the urban and green areas.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFLeaves of tomato plants contain various glandular trichomes that produce a wide range of metabolic products including acylsugars, which may serve as a defense mechanism against various insect pests. Acylsugars exhibit significant structural diversity, differing in their sugar cores, acylated positions, and type of acyl chains. This work demonstrated a comprehensive approach using multidimensional separation techniques, specifically liquid chromatography-ion mobility-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-IM-MS/MS), for structural characterization, and the discrimination of different tomato plants (one cultivar and five accessions) was demonstrated using tomato leaf extracts; six genotypes from five species of were represented.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFKnee
January 2025
Background: Few comparative studies have evaluated patients who underwent two revision anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction (ACLR) and patients who underwent one revision ACLR, and many of them have a short postoperative follow-up and a relatively small number of patients. The objective of this study is to evaluate the functional results, complications, and failure rates of patients who underwent one revision ACLR and patients who underwent two revision ACLRs.
Methods: This is a retrospective study comparing patients who underwent one revision ACLR (Group 1) with patients who underwent a re-revision ACLR (Group 2).
Background: The severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) virus caused the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic, and the prevalence of deaths among men is higher than among women. The epididymis, divided into caput, corpus, and cauda, shows a region-specific immunity. The K18-hACE2 mouse expresses human angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (hACE2), the receptor that allows SARS-CoV-2 infection.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFCurr Microbiol
September 2024
The cajuzinho do cerrado (Anacardium humile-Anacardiaceae), a shrub species native to Brazil, is harvested for multiple uses in food and medicine. Members of a harvesting community, near the municipality of Bonito de Minas, Minas Gerais state, Brazil reported characteristic symptoms of shoot blight and dieback reducing pseudofruit and seed production by this plant. This study aimed to identify the etiological agent of this disease.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThe first case of COVID-19 was detected in Dec 2019, in China. The disease shortly evolved into a pandemic and imposed an unparalleled health and social burden on mankind. Severe forms of COVID-19 mainly affect adults, especially the elderly and those with comorbidities.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFRecent advances in understanding Alzheimer's disease (AD) suggest the possibility of an infectious etiology, with Porphyromonas gingivalis emerging as a prime suspect in contributing to AD. P. gingivalis may invade systemic circulation via weakened oral/intestinal barriers and then cross the blood-brain barrier (BBB), reaching the brain and precipitating AD pathology.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFAlthough is the most frequently identified species in clinical settings, a significant number of infections related to the non- (NAC) species, , has been reported. Both species are able to produce biofilms and have been an important resistance-related factor to antimicrobial resistance. In addition, the microbial relationship is common in the human body, contributing to the formation of polymicrobial biofilms.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFUrology
October 2024
Limb-girdle muscular dystrophy type 2G/R7 (LGMD2G/R7) is an ultra-rare condition initially identified within the Brazilian population. We aimed to expand clinical and genetic information about this disease, including its worldwide distribution. A multicenter historical cohort study was performed at 13 centers in Brazil in which data from index cases and their affected relatives from consecutive families with LGMD2G/R7 were reviewed from July 2017 to August 2023.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFInt J Biol Macromol
September 2024
Bacterial cellulose (BC), produced by bacterial fermentation, is a high-purity material. BC can be oxidized (BCOXI), providing aldehyde groups for covalent bonds with drugs. Frutalin (FTL) is a lectin capable of modulating cell proliferation and remodeling, which accelerates wound healing.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFAlthough SARS-CoV-2 induces mucin hypersecretion in the respiratory tract, hyposalivation/xerostomia has been reported by COVID-19 patients. We evaluate the submandibular gland (SMGs) pathogenesis in SARS-CoV-2-infected K18-hACE2 mice, focusing on the impact of infection on the mucin production and structural integrity of acini, ductal system, myoepithelial cells (MECs) and telocytes. The spike protein, the nucleocapsid protein, hACE2, actin, EGF, TNF-α and IL-1β were detected by immunofluorescence, and the and expression was evaluated.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFFresh produce can be contaminated by enteric pathogens throughout crop production, including through contact with contaminated agricultural water. The most common outbreaks and recalls in fresh produce are due to contamination by and Shiga toxin-producing (STEC). Thus, the objectives of this study were to investigate the prevalence of markers for STEC (, , , , -I, -II) and () in surface water sources ( = 8) from produce farms in Southwest Georgia and to determine correlations among the prevalence of virulence markers for STEC, water nutrient profile, and environmental factors.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Dengue virus (DENV) causes an important disease and directly affects public health, being the arbovirus that presents the highest number of infections and deaths in the Western Brazilian Amazon. This virus is divided into 4 serotypes that have already circulated in the region.
Methodology: Molecular characterization of a cohort containing 841 samples collected from febrile patients between 2021 and 2023 was analyzed using a commercial kit to detect the main arboviruses circulating in Brazil: Zika, DENV-1, DENV-2, DENV-3, DENV-4 and, Chikungunya.
Ecology
May 2024
Camera traps became the main observational method of a myriad of species over large areas. Data sets from camera traps can be used to describe the patterns and monitor the occupancy, abundance, and richness of wildlife, essential information for conservation in times of rapid climate and land-cover changes. Habitat loss and poaching are responsible for historical population losses of mammals in the Atlantic Forest biodiversity hotspot, especially for medium to large-sized species.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFJ Biomed Mater Res B Appl Biomater
April 2024
Deep skin burn represents a global morbidity and mortality problem, and the limitation of topical treatment agents has motivated research to development new formulations capable of preventing infections and accelerating healing. The aim of this work was to develop and characterize an emulgel based on collagen (COL) and gelatin (GEL) extracted from fish skin associated with Chlorella vulgaris extract (CE) and silver nitrate (AgNO). COL and GEL were characterized by physicochemical and thermal analyses; and CE by electrophoresis and its antioxidant capacity.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFNatural pigments have received special attention from the market and industry as they could overcome the harm to health and the environmental issues caused by synthetic pigments. These pigments are commonly extracted from a wide range of organisms, and when added to products they can alter/add new physical-chemical or biological properties to them. Fungi from extreme environments showed to be a promising source in the search for biomolecules with antimicrobial and antiparasitic potential.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFTerpenes play a vital role in plant defense; tomato plants produce a diverse range of terpenes within specialized glandular trichomes, influencing interactions with herbivores, predators, and pollinators. This study employed two distinct methods, namely leaf dip and maceration, to extract trichomes from tomato leaves. Terpene quantification was carried out using Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry (GC-MS).
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