Biomarkers at the Individual and Biochemical Level: Effects of Pure and Formulated Lambda-Cyhalothrin in Boana pulchella Tadpoles (Duméril and Bibron, 1841).

We compared the effects of lambda-cyhalothrin as the pure active ingredient and as a formulated product (Zero®), on the larval stage of the autochthonous species Boana pulchella. We evaluated ecotoxicological endpoints, behavioral and developmental alterations, and the biochemical detoxifying, neurotoxic, and oxidative stress responses, covering a wide concentration range from environmental to high application levels. Both pyrethroid preparations displayed similar ecotoxicity (median lethal concentration of ~0.

Fractional Factorial Design to Evaluate the Synthesis and Electrochemical Transfer Parameters of h-BN Coatings.

In this study, we present a fractional factorial design approach for exploring the effects and interactions of key synthesis and electrochemical transfer parameters on the roughness and wettability of hexagonal boron nitride (h-BN) coatings, due to their essential role in biofilm formation. The studied parameters for the synthesis process include precursor mass, growth time, and substrate conditioning, whereas for the transfer process, applied voltage and aqueous medium concentration were studied. Through this polynomial model, we confirmed the strong influence of precursor mass and medium concentration parameters on h-BN surface roughness and its resulting antibiofilm properties.

Quantification of rare somatic single nucleotide variants by droplet digital PCR using SuperSelective primers.

Somatic single-nucleotide variants (SNVs) occur every time a cell divides, appearing even in healthy tissues at low frequencies. These mutations may accumulate as neutral variants during aging, or eventually, promote the development of neoplasia. Here, we present the SP-ddPCR, a droplet digital PCR (ddPCR) based approach that utilizes customized SuperSelective primers aiming at quantifying the proportion of rare SNVs.

The current clinical practice for management of post-infarction ventricular septal rupture: a European survey.

Aims: Many historical and recent reports showed that post-infarction ventricular septal rupture (VSR) represents a life-threatening condition and the strategy to optimally manage it remains undefined. Therefore, disparate treatment policies among different centres with variable results are often described. We analysed data from European centres to capture the current clinical practice in VSR management.

Alkalization of Kraft Pulps from Pine and Eucalyptus and Its Effect on Enzymatic Saccharification and Viscosity Control of Cellulose.

Bleached kraft pulps from eucalyptus and pine were subjected to cold caustic extraction (CCE) with NaOH (5, 10, 17.5, and 35%) for hemicelluloses removal and to increase cellulose accessibility. The effect of these changes was evaluated in enzymatic saccharification with the multicomponent Cellic CTec3 enzyme cocktail, and in viscosity reduction of pulps with the monocomponent endoglucanase (EG).

Sulfated Polysaccharide Extracted from the Green Algae : Physicochemical Characterization and Antioxidant, Anticoagulant and Antitumor Activity.

Codium bernabei is a green alga that grows on Chilean coasts. The composition of its structural polysaccharides is still unknown. Hence, the aim of this work is to isolate and characterize the hot water extracted polysaccharide fractions.

Prognostic Implications of Neutrophil Extracellular Traps in Coronary Thrombi of Patients with ST-Elevation Myocardial Infarction.

Aims:  The mechanisms of coronary thrombosis can influence prognosis after ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) and allow for different treatment groups to be identified; an association between neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs) and unfavorable clinical outcomes has been suggested. Our aim was to determine the role played by NETs in coronary thrombosis and their influence on prognosis. The role of other histological features in prognosis and the association between NETs and bacteria in the coronary thrombi were also explored.

MicroRNAs Deregulated in Intraductal Papillary Mucinous Neoplasm Converge on Actin Cytoskeleton-Related Pathways That Are Maintained in Pancreatic Ductal Adenocarcinoma.

Intraductal papillary mucinous neoplasms (IPMN) are pancreatic cystic lesions that can develop into pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC). Although there is an increasing incidence of IPMN diagnosis, the mechanisms of formation and progression into invasive cancer remain unclear. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are small non-coding RNAs, repressors of mRNA translation, and promising diagnostic biomarkers for IPMN and PDAC.

Signatures of two-dimensional superconductivity emerging within a three-dimensional host superconductor.

Spatial disorder has been shown to drive two-dimensional (2D) superconductors to an insulating phase through a superconductor-insulator transition (SIT). Numerical calculations predict that with increasing disorder, emergent electronic granularity is expected in these materials-a phenomenon where superconducting (SC) domains on the scale of the material's coherence length are embedded in an insulating matrix and coherently coupled by Josephson tunneling. Here, we present spatially resolved scanning tunneling spectroscopy (STS) measurements of the three-dimensional (3D) superconductor BaPb Bi O (BPBO), which surprisingly demonstrate three key signatures of emergent electronic granularity, having only been previously conjectured and observed in 2D thin-film systems.

Effects on Lignin Redistribution in Fibres Pre-Treated by Steam Explosion: A Microscale Study to Cellulose Accessibility.

The objective of this study was to investigate structural changes and lignin redistribution in pre-treated by steam explosion under different degrees of severity (S), in order to evaluate their effect on cellulose accessibility by enzymatic hydrolysis. Approximately 87.7% to 98.

Bioprinted Injectable Hierarchically Porous Gelatin Methacryloyl Hydrogel Constructs with Shape-Memory Properties.

Direct injection of cell-laden hydrogels shows high potentials in tissue regeneration for translational therapy. The traditional cell-laden hydrogels are often used as bulk space fillers to tissue defects after injection, likely limiting their structural controllability. On the other hand, patterned cell-laden hydrogel constructs often necessitate invasive surgical procedures.

Patterns of Lignocellulosic Sugar Assimilation and Lipid Production by Newly Isolated Yeast Strains From Chilean Valdivian Forest.

Three yeast strains were isolated from decaying wood of Chilean Valdivian forest and identified as Meyerozyma guilliermondii, Scheffersomyces coipomensis, and Sugiyamaella paludigena. These strains were able to efficiently grow on the major monomers contained in Pinus spp. and Eucalyptus spp.

Overexpression of the mitochondrial pyruvate carrier reduces lactate production and increases recombinant protein productivity in CHO cells.

Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cells are characterized by a low glucose catabolic efficiency, resulting in undesirable lactate production. Here, it is hypothesized that such low efficiency is determined by the transport of pyruvate into the mitochondria. The mitochondrial pyruvate carrier (MPC), responsible for introducing pyruvate into the mitochondria, is formed by two subunits, MPC1 and MPC2.

Tetraploidy-Associated Genetic Heterogeneity Confers Chemo-Radiotherapy Resistance to Colorectal Cancer Cells.

Tetraploidy, or whole-genome duplication, is a common phenomenon in cancer and preludes chromosome instability, which strongly correlates with disease progression, metastasis, and treatment failure. Therefore, it is reasonable to hypothesize that tetraploidization confers multidrug resistance. Nevertheless, the contribution of whole-genome duplication to chemo-radiotherapy resistance remains unclear.

Incidence and Predictive Factors of Hidden Atrial Fibrillation Detected by Implantable Loop Recorder After an Embolic Stroke of Undetermined Source.

Background: The term embolic stroke of undetermined source (ESUS) has been defined for patients with ischemic strokes, where neither a cardioembolic nor a non-cardiac source can be detected. These patients may have asymptomatic episodes of atrial fibrillation (AF). Prolonged monitoring with implantable loop recorder (ILR) and daily remote interrogation in patients after an ESUS has shown an incidence of AF of about 25%.

Determination of the potency of hexyl-ciprofloxacin molecules that interact with gold nanoparticles in a reversible manner.

This work determined the potency of hexyl-ciprofloxacin molecules that reversibly interact with gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) passivated with 11-mercaptoundecanoic acid (MUA) on cells. For this, partition of modified antibiotic between different compartments of the gold colloid was determined using analytical techniques. First, concentration of hexyl-ciprofloxacin was determined in the continuous phase of the colloid.

Inhibition of Wild Biofilm Formation by Nanostructured Graphene- and Hexagonal Boron Nitride-Coated Surfaces.

Although biofilm formation is a very effective mechanism to sustain bacterial life, it is detrimental in medical and industrial sectors. Current strategies to control biofilm proliferation are typically based on biocides, which exhibit a negative environmental impact. In the search for environmentally friendly solutions, nanotechnology opens the possibility to control the interaction between biological systems and colonized surfaces by introducing nanostructured coatings that have the potential to affect bacterial adhesion by modifying surface properties at the same scale.

Formation of BiSe Phases Upon Annealing of the Topological Insulator BiSe: Stabilization of In-Depth Bismuth Bilayers.

The goal of this work is to study transformations that occur upon heating BiSe to temperatures up to 623 K. X-ray diffraction (XRD) and scanning tunneling microscopy (STM) and spectroscopy (STS) techniques were used in our investigation. XRD was measured following the 00L and 01L truncation rods.

The Many Faces of Graphene as Protection Barrier. Performance under Microbial Corrosion and Ni Allergy Conditions.

In this work we present a study on the performance of CVD (chemical vapor deposition) graphene coatings grown and transferred on Ni as protection barriers under two scenarios that lead to unwanted metal ion release, microbial corrosion and allergy test conditions. These phenomena have a strong impact in different fields considering nickel (or its alloys) is one of the most widely used metals in industrial and consumer products. Microbial corrosion costs represent fractions of national gross product in different developed countries, whereas Ni allergy is one of the most prevalent allergic conditions in the western world, affecting around 10% of the population.

Dizziness in a patient with a permanent VVI pacemaker.

A 83-year-old woman with a single-chamber pacemaker implanted 15 years earlier was brought to the ED due to symptomatic bradycardia. ECG continuous monitoring allowed the diagnosis of atrial fibrillation with complete atrioventricular block in the setting of a complete failure to capture. The differing timing cycles of pacing outputs can confirm that sensing is preserved in the absence of a pacemaker programmer.

Phase Separation of Dirac Electrons in Topological Insulators at the Spatial Limit.

In this work we present unique signatures manifested by the local electronic properties of the topological surface state in BiTe nanostructures as the spatial limit is approached. We concentrate on the pure nanoscale limit (nanoplatelets) with spatial electronic resolution down to 1 nm. The highlights include strong dependencies on nanoplatelet size: (1) observation of a phase separation of Dirac electrons whose length scale decreases as the spatial limit is approached, and (2) the evolution from heavily n-type to lightly n-type surface doping as nanoplatelet thickness increases.

A nanomolecular approach to decrease adhesion of biofouling-producing bacteria to graphene-coated material.

Background: Biofouling, the colonization of artificial and natural surfaces by unwanted microorganisms, has an important economic impact on a wide range of industries. Low cost antifouling strategies are typically based on biocides which exhibit a negative environmental impact, affecting surrounding organisms related and not related to biofouling. Considering that the critical processes resulting in biofouling occur in the nanoscale/microscale dimensions, in this work we present a bionanotechnological approach to reduce adhesion of biofilm-producing bacteria Halomonas spp.

Suppressing bacterial interaction with copper surfaces through graphene and hexagonal-boron nitride coatings.

Understanding biological interaction with graphene and hexagonal-boron nitride (h-BN) membranes has become essential for the incorporation of these unique materials in contact with living organisms. Previous reports show contradictions regarding the bacterial interaction with graphene sheets on metals. Here, we present a comprehensive study of the interaction of bacteria with copper substrates coated with single-layer graphene and h-BN.