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Investigating the digestion of lipids is paramount for developing new lipid-based products. This work evaluated the gastrointestinal (GI) digestion of medium-chain fatty acids (MCFAs) rich lipids. The dynamic GI in vitro system was used to simulate gastric, duodenal, jejunal, and ileal GI tract portions. Results from the dynamic protocol were compared against static in vitro assays and GC analyses were conducted to assess the FA profile of FFA released during digestion. Caprylic and capric acids released during the gastric digestion of MCT oil varied from 6163% and 3638% of total esterified FA, respectively. Lauric acid was the most representative FFA released (3154%) during the gastric digestion of coconut oil samples. It was observed that the gastric digestion phase plays a crucial role in the MCFA lipolysis and the lipase activity restricted the amount of free MCFA liberated during the GI digestion, resulting in incomplete lipids hydrolysis., Ericsem Pereira thanks the São Paulo Research Foundation (FAPESP) for the scholarship and financial support (grants #2017/16979-7 and #2019/13008-6). The authors thank FAPESP (grants #2014/21252-0 and #2016/08566-1), and the National Council for Scientific and Technological Development (CNPq), (grants #305870/2014-9 and #406963/2016-9) for their financial support and scholarships. This study was also financed in part by the Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior — Brazil (CAPES)—Finance Code 001 and supported by the Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT) under the scope of the strategic funding of UIDB/04469/2020 unit and by LABBELS – Associate Laboratory in Biotechnology, Bioengineering and Microelectromechanical Systems, LA/P/0029/2020., info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersion

Introdução: Yokenella regensburgei é uma bactéria bastonete gram-negativa, pertencente à família Enterobacteriaceae, que raramente causa infecções em humanos. Existem poucos relatos da identificação desse patógeno em processos infecciosos em todo o mundo, sobretudo no trato gastrointestinal. Relato caso: Paciente M.J.F.S., sexo feminino, 76 anos, com quadro de astenia, hiporexia, náuseas e vômitos à mudança de decúbito com cerca de 2 semanas de evolução, além de episódios diarreicos de grande volume. Paciente permaneceu afebril durante toda evolução clínica. Apresentava múltiplas comorbidades prévias - HAS, asma, doença arterial coronariana com stent há 10 anos e insuficiência cardíaca com fração de ejeção reduzida de 28%. Durante investigação clínica, realizada tomografia de abdome com contraste que evidenciou moderada distensão hidroaérea do cólon ascendente e transverso, sem evidências de fatores obstrutivos. Evoluiu com quadro de sepse e necessitou de cuidados em Unidade de Terapia Intensiva. Coletado 4 pares de hemoculturas com detecção de Klebsiella oxytoca e Yokenella regensburgei em todas as amostras. Iniciado antibioticoterapia guiado com base em teste de sensibilidade aos antimicrobianos. Paciente evoluiu com melhora clínica após tratamento. Considerações: Infecções em humanos causadas por Yokenella regensburgei são raramente identificadas ao redor do mundo. Tal patógeno pode causar infecções graves, levando o paciente à quadros sépticos, e sua rápida identificação e tratamento direcionado são fundamentais para o sucesso terapêutico, assim como em qualquer microorganismo que comumente causam doenças em humanos.

We used the recombinant trimeric spike (S) glycoprotein in the prefusion conformation to immunize horses for the production of hyperimmune globulins against SARS-CoV-2. Serum antibody titers measured by ELISA were above 1:106, and the neutralizing antibody titer against authentic virus (WT) was 1:14,604 (average PRNT90). Plasma from immunized animals was pepsin digested to remove the Fc portion and purified, yielding an F(ab’)2 preparation with PRNT90 titers 150-fold higher than the neutralizing titers in human convalescent plasma. Challenge studies were carried out in hamsters and showed the in vivo ability of equine F(ab’)2 to reduce viral load in the pulmonary tissues and significant clinical improvement determined by weight gain. The neutralization curve by F(ab’)2 was similar against WT and P.2 variant but displaced to higher concentrations by 0.39 log units against P.1 (Gamma) variant. These results support the possibility of using equine F(ab’)2 preparation for the clinical treatment of COVID patients., Graphical Abstract

Forgotten diseases, more usually known as “neglected tropical diseases” or NTDs, affect developing regions of Africa, Asia, America, and some countries of the European continent. Due to the characteristics of the population affected by NTDs (poor areas in developing countries, low-income patients), little effort is made either to eradicate or to innovate the therapeutics by the screening of new molecules. On the other hand, the improvement of the existing drug delivery systems is a more affordable alternative. This review will summarize the main, latest discoveries regarding NTDs lipid-based drug delivery systems. Out of the 20 different infections currently classified as NTDs, the present chapter will address tuberculosis, leprosy, leishmaniasis, malaria, and schistosomiasis. Special attention has been paid to lipid platforms such as liposomes, emulsions, and solid lipid nanoparticles. The major part of the studies cited in this chapter aims to improve treatment efficacy of the already commercialized molecules with different strategies such as bioavailability improvement, reduced toxic and/or side effects, and drug release control. Advances in treatment efficacy would translate into higher patient compliance and lower resistances, which ultimately will reduce the spread of the infections. In this regard, lipid nanoparticles have demonstrated to be a versatile, robust option for the amelioration of NTDs worldwide.

In this chapter, we will describe systems composed of natural and synthetic clays associated, or not associated with polymers, lipids, and other organic compounds, which have been used in the design of drug delivery systems. The benefits of clays to human and animal health are well documented and have been used in traditional medicine since ancient times. Clays are mineral materials, widely studied, and with different biomedical applications. Among those which stand out are the development of pharmaceuticals and cosmetics, biosensors, implantable biomedical devices and tissue engineering. In the pharmaceutical field, clays and their hybrid derivatives have been exploited to favor mechanical properties of the formed products, to modulate and increase drug bioavailability, increase aqueous solubility of drugs, promote drug targeting to specific sites of action, and to enhance the stability of pharmaceuticals. The advantages and limitations of these natural and synthetic inorganic nanomaterials will be discussed critically, pointing out the perspectives and directions for future research.

Coffee markets have gone through major transformations in the last two decades. Deregulation in most producing countries led to an increase of product competition and differentiation. Beyond structural changes, new consumption patterns have emerged, attributing more importance not only to the intrinsic quality of coffee but also to symbolic attributes linked to personal values. This chapter presents research that evaluates coffee producers and consumer’s personal values regarding existing sustainable coffee certifications under the means-end approach. Coffee producers in a fair trade association located in the state of Minas Gerais were interviewed, and the consumers were selected from specialized coffee shops in Sao Paulo.

Objective: To investigate the correlation between the numerical rating scale, visual analogue scale, and pressure threshold by algometry in women with chronic pelvic pain. Study design: This was a cross-sectional study. We included 47 patients with chronic pelvic pain. All subjects underwent a pain assessment that used three different methods and were divided according to the cause of pain (endometriosis versus non-endometriosis). Moreover, we assessed the agreement between the scales (visual, analogue and algometry) using the intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC). Results: The ICC for the numeric rating scale and the visual analogue scale regarding pain (0.992), dysmenorrhea (1.00) and dyspareunia (0.996) were strong. The agreement between the scales was excellent (p ≤0.01). The correlation between algometry and the scales showed a moderate and inverse association, and this correlation was statistically significant: as the scores on the numeric rating scale and the visual analogue scale regarding dyspareunia increased, the algometry thresholds decreased. Conclusions: The assessment of women with chronic pelvic pain should combine pressure algometry and the numeric rating scale or the visual analogue scale, because of their inverse correlations and satisfactory reliability and sensitivity, to make pain assessment less subjective and more accurate. Keywords: Chronic pelvic pain, Numeric rating scale, Visual analogue scale, Pressure algometry, Pain in endometriosis

In this chapter, liquid–liquid equilibrium (LLE) and vapor–LLE (VLLE) are addressed to food systems. Some effects on the behavior of phase equilibrium, such as temperature, pressure, and solvent, are discussed. As food systems have a strong deviation from ideality, the description of phase equilibrium with the molecular models, nonrandom two liquid and universal quasi-chemical (UNIQUAC), and the prediction with group contribution method UNIQUAC functional-group activity coefficients are presented for LLE and VLLE. The need to understand the LLE and the VLLE for the design and optimization of separation processes is exemplified by the analysis of phase equilibrium of systems that occur in the deacidification of vegetable oils, the purification of organic acids, the obtaining of phytochemicals, the partitioning of proteins, and the production of spirits and neutral alcohol. The orange juice aroma recovering and in the deterpenation of its essential oil are presented as a case study.

Mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs), sometimes called mesenchymal stem cells, are cultured cells able to give rise to mature mesenchymal cells such as adipocytes, osteoblasts, and chondrocytes, and to secrete a wide range of trophic and immunomodulatory molecules. Evidence indicates that pericytes, cells that surround and maintain physical connections with endothelial cells in blood vessels, can give rise to MSCs (da Silva Meirelles et al., 2008 [1]; Caplan and Correa, 2011 [2]). We have compared the transcriptomes of highly purified, human adipose tissue pericytes subjected to culture-expansion in pericyte medium or MSC medium, with that of human adipose tissue MSCs isolated with traditional methods to test the hypothesis that their transcriptomes are similar (da Silva Meirelles et al., 2015 [3]). Here, we provide further information and analyses of microarray data from three pericyte populations cultured in pericyte medium, three pericyte populations cultured in MSC medium, and three adipose tissue MSC populations deposited in the Gene Expression Omnibus under accession number GSE67747. Keywords: Mesenchymal stromal cells, Mesenchymal stem cells, Pericytes, Microarrays

Emerging technologies, such as high isostatic pressure and dynamic high pressure, have been widely studied in food processing. These technologies can be applied to several food products and ingredients in order to improve quality and increase the acceptance of processed foods. The main advantage is the replacement of thermal process by high-pressure process, aimed at the inactivation of microorganisms at room temperature. With this technology it is possible to replace the sensory changes caused by high temperature–produced foods with the characteristics of close-to-fresh foods, besides changing the structure and constituents. These changes have been studied in various foods, including milk and dairy products. The results show that depending on the conditions used with each technology, both processes can improve the consistency and increase water retention and emulsion stability in dairy products. The purpose of this chapter is to compare the evolution of these technologies in milk processing and discuss their application in improving the quality and acceptance of these products.

Reversible phosphorylation of proteins on the amino acids serine/threonine and/or tyrosine is a very effective way used by endothelial cells to respond to environmental challenges. Phosphorylation on serine and threonine residues modifies the conformation of signaling proteins and their associations with specific substrates. Phosphorylation on tyrosine residues promotes the protein-protein interactions in signal transduction pathways. Target proteins are phosphorylated by protein kinases and these phosphate groups are removed by specific phosphatases, maintaining the system homeostasis. Protein kinases and phosphatases are major players in angiogenesis. Angiogenesis involves proliferation, migration, and differentiation of endothelial cells. In addition to protein phosphorylation, accumulating experimental evidence points to the participation of redox-based posttranslational modifications in angiogenesis. S-nitrosylation of cysteine residues and nitration of tyrosine residues are redox-based posttranslational modifications operating in angiogenesis. In this chapter, we provide an overview on the participation of nonredox and redox-based posttranslational modifications and associated signaling pathways in angiogenesis.

Analysis of standardized extracts of Hypericum perforatum, a well-studied botanical medicine, has shown that constituents of this species, along with other members of this genus, exert antidepressant activity. Several representatives of this genus are used in traditional medicine, and some have ornamental significance due to their yellow blossoms and red-brown berries. Phenolic compounds such as naphtodianthrones, xanthones, flavonoids, and phloroglucinol derivatives have been isolated from several Hypericum species. Among the 22 Brazilian species of this genus, only a few have been intensively evaluated regarding their chemical composition. The first studied species was H. brasiliense, affording xanthones and phloroglucinol derivatives. Studies on other species resulted in the isolation of benzopyrans from the aerial parts of H. denudatum and H. polyanthemum, phloroglucinol derivatives from H. austrobrasiliense, H. caprifoliatum, H. carinatum, H. connatum, H. denudatum, H. myrianthum, and H. polyanthemum and benzophenone derivatives from H. carinatum. Flavonoids and tannins were identified in all of the studied species, but none of them produces naphtodianthrones (hypericin and pseudohypericin). Preclinical pharmacological studies demonstrated that some of these species exert antidepressant, antinociceptive, antiviral, antibacterial, antifungal, leishmanicidal, and antiproliferative effects.

Intense physical activity results in a substantial volume of stress and hence a significant probability of immunosuppression in athletes. Consumption of a probiotic can attenuate immune suppression induced by exhausting exercise in rats. A potential probiotic fermented milk was manufactured from milk treated by dynamic high pressure (P.F. Milk DHP) containing Strep. Salivarius thermophilus ssp. TA 040 and Lactobacillus acidophilus LA14 was fed for 2 weeks to Wistar rats, which then were brought to exhaustion on the treadmill. Two hours after exhaustion, the rats were killed and material was collected for the determination of serum parameter of health and immune system. The immune suppression exercise-induced was observed by alteration in lymphocytes, monocytes, leukocytes and neutrophil counts in all exhausted groups, but it was attenuated by consumption of P.F. Milk DHP. Thus, P.F. Milk DHP was effective in enhancing the immune system and could improve the health status as in Wistar rats.

Complex molecular pathways regulate cancer invasion. This study overviewed proteins and microRNAs (miRNAs) involved in oral tongue squamous cell carcinoma (OTSCC) invasion. The human highly aggressive OTSCC cell line HSC-3 was examined in a 3D organotypic human leiomyoma model. Non-invasive and invasive cells were laser-captured and protein expression was analyzed using mass spectrometry-based proteomics and miRNA expression by microarray. In functional studies the 3D invasion assay was replicated after silencing candidate miRNAs, miR-498 and miR-940, in invasive OTSCC cell lines (HSC-3 and SCC-15). Cell migration, proliferation and viability were also studied in the silenced cells. In HSC-3 cells, 67 proteins and 53 miRNAs showed significant fold-changes between non-invasive vs. invasive cells. Pathway enrichment analyses allocated "Focal adhesion" and "ECM-receptor interaction" as most important for invasion. Significantly, in HSC-3 cells, miR-498 silencing decreased the invasion area and miR-940 silencing reduced invasion area and depth. Viability, proliferation and migration weren't significantly affected. In SCC-15 cells, down-regulation of miR-498 significantly reduced invasion and migration. This study shows HSC-3 specific miRNA and protein expression in invasion, and suggests that miR-498 and miR-940 affect invasion in vitro, the process being more influenced by mir-940 silencing in aggressive HSC-3 cells than in the less invasive SCC-15.

Mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs), cells able to proliferate in culture and give rise to a mature, mesenchymal progeny, have been thought to be able to treat a number of diseases after intravenous delivery. However, this approach has had limited success, partly because cultured cells regarded as MSCs generally do not persist in recipients for a lifetime. Here, we review these results, and discuss evidence that indicates that a subset of perivascular cells (pericytes) gives rise to MSCs after activation during tissue injury, and contributes to tissue repair without the need of recruitment of MSCs from distant sites of the body.

Opresente documento tem por objetivo esclarecer àqueles que tratam das doenças nasossinusais, tanto especialistas quanto generalistas, sobre as terapêuticas tópicas nasais. Por meio de uma revisão das evidências científicas, a Academia Brasileira de Rinologia vem proporcionar sua visão prática e atualizada sobre as medicações tópicas nasais mais utilizadas, excetuando-se as medicações que possuam antibióticos tópicos na sua formulação.This documents aims at educating those who treat sinonasal diseases - both general practitioners and specialists - about topical nasal treatments. By means of scientific evidence reviews, the Brazilian Academy of Rhinology provides its practical and updated guidelines on the most utilized topical nasal medication, except for the drugs that have topical antibiotics in their formulas.

A literatura científica atual relata a incidência de agravos auditivos em decorrência do HIV/AIDS e as alterações auditivas podem ocorrer em decorrência de comprometimentos na orelha externa, média e/ou interna. Assim, torna-se relevante a investigação sobre como têm ocorrido essas alterações, a perda auditiva e as relações com a infecção pelo HIV/AIDS. OBJETIVO: Identificar os fatores relacionados à perda auditiva em pessoas com HIV/AIDS na literatura científica mundial. MÉTODO: Estudo realizado por meio de Revisão Integrativa de Literatura. Utilizaram-se como descritores: Perda Auditiva, Transtornos da Audição e Surdez associados separadamente ao descritor HIV, nas bases PUBMED, SciELO, LILACS e ISI, considerando pesquisas originais, de acesso completo, gratuito, nos idiomas inglês, espanhol, francês e português. Selecionaram-se para análise 13 estudos quantitativos, publicados no período de 1994 a 2010. CONCLUSÃO: Pode-se concluir que não foi encontrada forte relação direta da terapia antirretroviral com a perda auditiva; no entanto, evidencia-se a existência de alterações auditivas na população estudada, sendo que suas relações e causas precisam ser mais bem investigadas.The current scientific literature reports on the incidence of hearing impairments due to HIV/AIDS, and the hearing changes can occur due to damage to the outer, middle or inner ear. Thus, it is important to study how these changes occur, the hearing loss and their associations with the HIV/AIDS infection. OBJECTIVE: To identify the factors related to hearing loss in people with HIV/AIDS in the global scientific literature. METHOD: Study carried out an Integrative Review of the Literature. The key words used were: hearing loss, hearing disorders and deafness, separately associated to the keyword HIV on PUBMED, SciELO, LILACS and ISI databases. We used complete original papers, of free access, in English, Spanish, French and Portuguese. Thirteen quantitative studies from 1994-2010 were selected. CONCLUSION: We did not find any strong direct association between anti-retroviral therapy and hearing loss; however, there are indications of hearing loss in the population studied, and their associations and causes need to be better investigated.

Biodiesel is a renewable fuel that is commonly used in diesel engines around the world mostly in blends with the conventional diesel. There are many studies concerning its production and its properties and a series of them confirms the biodiesel advantages when compared with conventional diesel in relation of the environmental impacts. In spite of many advances concerning the biodiesel production and properties its behavior at low temperatures is worst than the conventional diesel, and, unfortunately, low temperature property information concerning fatty acid ethyl esters (FAEE) and the biodiesel is still scarce for researchers. This paper presents nine solid-liquid phase diagrams of FAEE binary mixtures to complement the studies of FAEE phase diagram previously reported. All of the phase diagrams have been determined using differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and also modelled using both the Predictive UNIQUAC and the ideal solution models. The results have been shown good correlation between experimental and modelled data. (C) 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

6 pags., 5 figs., 2 tabs., app: suplementary data, In this work the adsorption of the antibiotic rifampicin (RP) on the surface of gold (AuNP) or silver nanoparticles (AgNP) was investigated using both surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) and surface-enhanced resonance Raman scattering (SERRS) spectroscopies. Such spectra were obtained in the absence and presence of the surface modifier 2-mercaptoethanol (ME) using excitations by laser radiations of 532, 632.8 and 1064 nm wavelengths. The use of different conditions under the presence of ME led to changes in the spectral pattern ascribed to the influence of resonance Raman (RR) effect and distinct chemical interactions of RP with the metallic surfaces. The sensibility of the chromophoric moiety, i.e. a -conjugated orbital, to the adsorption geometries, which can be controlled by surface modifiers, impacts the RR effect. Theoretical models involving RP and metal atoms were obtained from Density Functional Theory (DFT) calculations, and used for supporting the vibrational assignment. © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved., This work was financially supported by the CAPES, CNPq and FAPEMIG (CEX-APQ-01752-13; PRONEM APQ-01283-14) Brazilian Funding Agencies. This work is a collaboration research project of members of the Rede Mineira de Química (RQ-MG) supported by FAPEMIG CEX-RED-00010-14.