Amyloid-Based Albumin Hydrogels.

Amyloid fibrils may serve as building blocks for the preparation of novel hydrogel materials from abundant, low-cost, and biocompatible polypeptides. This work presents the formation of physically cross-linked, self-healing hydrogels based on bovine serum albumin at room temperature through a straightforward disulfide reduction step induced by tris (2-carboxyethyl) phosphine hydrochloride. The structure and surface charge of the amyloid-like fibrils is determined by the pH of the solution during self-assembly, giving rise to hydrogels with distinct physicochemical properties.

Anxiety/fear of dental treatment during pregnancy: use of the Modified Dental Anxiety Scale.

Background: Despite advances in the control of anxiety and fear, dental treatment (DT) continues to be a stressful event, especially during pregnancy. There are several instruments to measure anxiety and fear about DT (AFDT). However, few are validated for use in Brazil.

IL-10 based immunomodulation initiated at birth extends lifespan in a familial mouse model of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis.

Inflammatory signaling is thought to modulate the neurodegenerative cascade in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). We have previously shown that expression of Interleukin-10 (IL-10), a classical anti-inflammatory cytokine, extends lifespan in the SOD1-G93A mouse model of familial ALS. Here we test whether co-expression of the decoy chemokine receptor M3, that can scavenge inflammatory chemokines, augments the efficacy of IL-10.

Recruitment of αβ integrin to αβ integrin-induced clusters enables focal adhesion maturation and cell spreading.

The major fibronectin (FN)-binding αβ and αβ integrins exhibit cooperativity during cell adhesion, migration and mechanosensing, through mechanisms that are not yet fully resolved. Exploiting mechanically tunable nano-patterned substrates, and peptidomimetic ligands designed to selectively bind corresponding integrins, we report that focal adhesions (FAs) of endothelial cells assembled on αβ integrin-selective substrates rapidly recruit αβ integrins, but not vice versa. Blocking of αβ integrin hindered FA maturation and cell spreading on αβ integrin-selective substrates, indicating a mechanism dependent on extracellular ligand binding and highlighting the requirement of αβ integrin engagement for efficient adhesion.

How Functionalized Surfaces Can Inhibit Bacterial Adhesion and Viability.

Device-associated infections (DAI) remain a serious concern in modern healthcare. Bacterial attachment to a surface is the first step in biofilm formation, which is one of the main causes of DAIs. The development of materials capable of preventing or inhibiting bacterial attachment constitutes a promising approach to deal with this problem.

Mat thickness associated with and spp. in the southern rivers of Chile.

is a diatom that can alter aquatic systems. Several investigations have shown as chemical, and hydraulic factors have a great influence on the proliferation of , but the study of other microalgae that could be associated with it has been poorly addressed. The objective of this study is to evaluate the relationship between mat thickness, and another taxon that produces mucilage, , while also considering physical and chemical factors.

[Acute glomerulonephritis with hemodialysis requirement secondary to influenza A H1N1pdm09 infection: Report of two cases].

Acute renal failure (ARF) requiring hemodialysis is not common among patients affected by influenza. We report two unvaccinated adult patients with smoking habit, which were admitted with severe influenza A H1N1pdm09 that evolved with shock and required mechanical ventilation. Both patients developed progressive renal failure with oliguria/anuria, associated with urinary of inflammatory sediment with proteinuria, microhematuria and in one case also with hypocomplementemia, suggesting acute glomerulonephritis.

Substrate engagement of integrins α5β1 and αvβ3 is necessary, but not sufficient, for high directional persistence in migration on fibronectin.

The interplay between specific integrin-mediated matrix adhesion and directional persistence in cell migration is not well understood. Here, we characterized fibroblast adhesion and migration on the extracellular matrix glycoproteins fibronectin and vitronectin, focusing on the role of α5β1 and αvβ3 integrins. Fibroblasts manifested high directional persistence in migration on fibronectin-, but not vitronectin-coated substrates, in a ligand density-dependent manner.

Functional nicotinic acetylcholine receptor reconstitution in Au(111)-supported thiolipid monolayers.

The insertion and function of the muscle-type nicotinic acetylcholine receptor (nAChR) in Au(111)-supported thiolipid self-assembled monolayers have been studied by atomic force microscopy (AFM), surface plasmon resonance (SPR), and electrochemical techniques. It was possible for the first time to resolve the supramolecular arrangement of the protein spontaneously inserted in a thiolipid monolayer in an aqueous solution. Geometric supramolecular arrays of nAChRs were observed, most commonly in a triangular form compatible with three nAChR dimers of ∼20 nm each.

Self-assembly of flagellin on Au(111) surfaces.

The adsorption of flagellin monomers from Pseudomonas fluorescens on Au(111) has been studied by Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM), Scanning Tunneling Microscopy (STM), X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy (XPS), Surface Plasmon Resonance (SPR), and electrochemical techniques. Results show that flagellin monomers spontaneously self-assemble forming a monolayer thick protein film bounded to the Au surface by the more hydrophobic subunit and exposed to the environment the hydrophilic subunit. The films are conductive and allow allocation of electrochemically active cytochrome C.

Proton and calcium-gated ionic mesochannels: phosphate-bearing polymer brushes hosted in mesoporous thin films as biomimetic interfacial architectures.

Rational construction of interfaces based on multicomponent responsive systems in which molecular transport is mediated by structures of nanoscale dimensions has become a very fertile research area in biomimetic supramolecular chemistry. Herein, we describe the creation of hybrid mesostructured interfaces with reversible gate-like transport properties that can be controlled by chemical inputs, such as protons or calcium ions. This was accomplished by taking advantage of the surface-initiated polymerization of 2-(methacryloyloxy)ethyl phosphate (MEP) monomer units into and onto mesoporous silica thin films.

[Remission of vitiligo during treatment with intravenous immunoglobulin: report of one case].

Vitiligo is associated with other autoimmune diseases. We report a 52-year-old male with a Sjögren syndrome that was treated with monthly pulses of intravenous immunoglobulin for a chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyradiculoneuropathy. The neurological disorder responded adequately to the treatment and the patient also noted a marked remission of his vitiligo with almost compete re-pigmentation of the scalp and face and partial repigmentation of other areas.

Organization of Pseudomonas fluorescens on chemically different nano/microstructured surfaces.

This paper describes bacterial organization on nano/micropatterned surfaces with different chemical properties, which show different interactions with the biological systems (inert, biocompatible, and bactericide). These surfaces were prepared by molding techniques and exposed to Pseudomonas fluorescens (P. fluorescens) cultures.

Desulfosoma caldarium gen. nov., sp. nov., a thermophilic sulfate-reducing bacterium from a terrestrial hot spring.

A thermophilic, sulfate-reducing bacterium, designated strain USBA-053(T), was isolated from a terrestrial hot spring located at a height of 2500 m in the Colombian Andes (5° 45' 33.29″ N 73° 6' 49.89″ W), Colombia.

Variability among four laboratories of the filter bag technique to determine acid and neutral detergent fiber contents in ruminant feeds from Argentina.

The objective of this work was to evaluate the filter bag technique (FBT) in an ANKOM 200 fiber analyzer to assess its accuracy for the determination of acid and neutral detergent fiber (ADF and NDF, respectively) contents in common ruminant feeds from the temperate region of Argentina. The evaluation was done in a ring test of 4 laboratories. The 3 Argentine laboratories were from the College of Agronomy, University of Buenos Aires, the College of Agricultural Sciences of the Catholic University of Argentina, and the Balcarce Agricultural Experiment Station of the National Institute of Agricultural Technology (INTA).

Antimicrobial susceptibility of Streptococcus pyogenes in Central, Eastern, and Baltic European Countries, 2005 to 2006: the cefditoren surveillance program.

The in vitro activity of penicillin, ampicillin, cefditoren, cefotaxime, erythromycin, clarithromycin, and levofloxacin against 763 clinical isolates of Streptococcus pyogenes was determined. Clinically significant isolates collected from November 2005 to December 2006 in the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary, Poland, Romania, Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania (the latter 3 analyzed as Baltic countries) were studied. No resistance to beta-lactams and levofloxacin was found.

Submicron trenches reduce the Pseudomonas fluorescens colonization rate on solid surfaces.

Bacterial adhesion and spreading on biomaterials are considered key features of pathogenicity. Roughness and topography of the substrate have been reported to affect bacterial adhesion, but little is known about their effect on spreading. Submicron row and channel tuning with bacterial diameter (S2) were designed to test bacterial motility on these surfaces.

[Prevalence of hospital infections in adult intensive care units in Argentina].

Objectives: To present consolidated results from two surveys of nosocomial infection incidence, within the framework of Argentina's National Surveillance of Hospital Infections Program.

Methods: Two editions of the National Survey on the Incidence of Hospital Infections in Argentina were used, those of 2004 and 2005. Of the 68 hospitals, 53 reported data from adult intensive care units (in 2004, 26 units; in 2005, 27), for a total of 359 patients (in 2004, 158 patients; in 2005, 201).

Influence of surface sub-micropattern on the adhesion of pioneer bacteria on metals.

Most of the implantable medical devices are prone to infection caused by microorganisms that form biofilms. Pseudomonads are frequently used as model species for studying bacterial adhesion. The initial stages of biofilm formation are influenced by different factors including, among others, the chemistry of the surface, the roughness, and topography.