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Our study investigated how different levels of antioxidants and contrasting proportions of native legumes in the diet affect lamb meat quality. Twenty-four male Texel lambs were randomly assigned to three groups: two groups on a natural pasture in southern Brazil (Pampa Biome), each at a different proportion of legumes: Low-legume (LL, 4.37%) and High-legume (HL, 14.01%); the other group was stall-fed (Control) to achieve the same growth rates as the grazing groups. Cold carcass yield from the Control lambs was higher than HL. The meat from pasture-fed animals had a higher deposition of muscle α-tocopherol and lower lipid oxidation (TBARS values) after 9 days of storage. LL lambs had higher subcutaneous fat thickness, which promoted better sensory quality of the meat, as assessed by a trained panel. Pasture-based diets enhanced odd- and branched-chain fatty acids (OBCFAs), trans vaccenic acid, and total conjugated linoleic acids (CLAs), while decreasing elaidic acid. Despite the lower ∆9-desaturase activity, the higher proportion of Desmodium incanum (condensed tannin-rich native legume) in the HL diet did not impact meat nutritional quality. Finishing lambs on the Pampa Biome grasslands is an option for improving the oxidative stability and beneficial fatty acid content of lamb meat, which improves product quality and human consumer health.

This study focused on the development and characterization of multi-layered nickel coatings doped with WS2 nanoparticles and electrodeposited on copper substrates. To enhance the solar collector’s performance by improving the solar radiation conversion into heat, two distinct undercoatings were evaluated, along with the incorporation of WS2 nanoparticles in the black nickel layer. X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis revealed that the bright and dull nickel undercoatings consisted of metallic nickel, whereas the black coatings comprised amorphous nickel oxide, inferred to be Ni2O3 based on energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS) analysis. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) analysis of the undercoatings and black nickel morphology showed a compact surface with a relatively homogenous microstructure composed of polyhedric grains, which was free of visible cracks or pinholes. The undercoating influenced the brightness, the reflectivity and the reflectance of the black nickel films, with the dull undercoated sample showing the most promising results, with a total absorbance of 0.94. The incorporation of WS2 nanoparticles induced the formation of cracks and increased the porosity of the black nickel film. With an appropriate content of WS2 nanoparticles and the use of a dull undercoat, these drawbacks can be avoided. Concerning the integration of WS2 nanoparticles, a minor decrease in the brightness of the black films and a subsequent increase in the total absorbance ultimately led to an enhancement of the conversion of solar energy into thermal energy.

A series of 61 thiazolidine-2,4-diones bearing a styryl group at position 5 was synthesized in 2–5 steps and their structure was proved by elemental and spectral analyses. The compounds obtained were evaluated in vitro against the promastigote stage of the kinetoplastid parasite Leishmania infantum and the human HepG2 cell line, to determine selectivity indices and to compare their activities with those of antileishmanial reference drugs. The study of structure–activity relationships indicated the potential of some derivatives bearing a nitro group on the phenyl ring, especially when located at the meta position. Thus, among the tested series, compound 14c appeared as a hit compound with good antileishmanial activity (EC50 = 7 µM) and low cytotoxicity against both the hepatic HepG2 and macrophage THP-1 human cell lines (CC50 = 101 and 121 µM, respectively), leading to good selectivity indices (respectively, 14 and 17), in comparison with the reference antileishmanial drug compound miltefosine (EC50 = 3.3 µM, CC50 = 85 and 30 µM, SI = 26 and 9). Regarding its mechanism of action, among several possibilities, it was demonstrated that compound 14c is a prodrug bioactivated, predominantly by L. donovani nitroreductase 1, likely leading to the formation of cytotoxic metabolites that form covalent adducts in the parasite. Finally, compound 14c is lipophilic (measured CHI LogD7.7 = 2.85) but remains soluble in water (measured PBS solubility at pH7.4 = 16 µM), highlighting the antileishmanial potential of the nitrostyrylthiazolidine-2,4-dione scaffold.

This study aimed to investigate the liquid–liquid equilibrium (LLE) behavior of sesame fatty acid ethyl ester (FAEE) and methyl ester (FAME) in combination with glycerol and the co-solvents ethanol and methanol. FAEE and FAME were produced through the transesterification of mechanically extracted and purified sesame oil, using potassium hydroxide (KOH) as a homogeneous base catalyst. The reactions were conducted in ethanol and methanol to produce FAEE and FAME, respectively. Post-reaction, the products were separated and purified, followed by an analysis of the LLE behavior at 313.15 K and 323.15 K under atmospheric pressure (101.3 kPa). The experimental process for the miscibility analysis utilized a jacketed glass cell adapted for this study. Miscibility limits or binodal curves were determined using the turbidity-point method. Tie lines were constructed by preparing mixtures of known concentrations within the two-phase region, which allowed the phases to separate after agitation. Samples from both phases were analyzed to determine their composition. This study revealed that higher temperatures promoted greater phase separation and enhanced the biodiesel purification process. The NRTL model effectively correlated the activity coefficients with the experimental data, showing good agreement, with a root-mean-square deviation of 3.5%. Additionally, the data quality was validated using Marcilla’s method, which yielded an R2 value close to 1. Attraction factors and distribution coefficients were also calculated to evaluate the efficiency of the co-solvents as extraction agents. The findings indicated higher selectivity for methanol than for ethanol, with varying degrees of distribution among the co-solvents. These results offer significant insights into enhancing biodiesel production processes by considering the effects of co-solvents on the LLE properties of mixtures, ultimately contributing to more efficient and cost-effective biodiesel production.

Banana bunchy top virus (BBTV) was recently detected in Mozambique and appears to be limited to the provinces of Gaza, Maputo and Zambezia, but it has great potential to spread to other provinces. Despite its importance, nothing is known about the BBTV isolates that occur in Mozambique. In this study, the sequences of the S and R genes of forty isolates chosen as representatives of samples collected previously from eleven farms of the four administrative posts of the district of Chóckwè, province of Gaza, were sequenced and analyzed. The S-DNA nucleotide sequences of the analyzed isolates were highly conserved, with identity ranging from 97% to 100%. The same was observed for the R-DNA sequences, with most identities ranging between 98% and 100% among the isolates from Chókwè and above 90% when compared to the isolates from GenBank. The phylogenetic analysis showed that the Mozambican BBTV isolates belong to the Pacific–Indian Oceans (PIO) group, showing greater proximity to the isolate JQ820453 from Malawi than to the isolates from sub-Saharan countries, which were grouped in a distinct subclade. This is the first study conducted to determine the molecular characteristics of BBTV isolates present in Mozambique.

The inability to wait for a target before initiating an action (i.e., waiting impulsivity) is one of the main features of addictive behaviors. Current interventions for addiction, such as transcranial Direct Current Stimulation (tDCS), have been suggested to improve this inability. Nonetheless, the effects of tDCS on waiting impulsivity and underlying electrophysiological (EEG) markers are still not clear. Therefore, this study aimed to evaluate the effects of neuromodulation over the right inferior frontal gyrus (rIFG) on the behavior and EEG markers of reward anticipation (i.e., cue and target-P3 and underlying delta/theta power) during a premature responding task. For that, forty healthy subjects participated in two experimental sessions, where they received active and sham tDCS over the rIFG combined with EEG recording during the task. To evaluate transfer effects, participants also performed two control tasks to assess delay discounting and motor inhibition. The active tDCS decreased the cue-P3 and target-P3 amplitudes, as well as delta power during target-P3. While no tDCS effects were found for motor inhibition, active tDCS increased the discounting of future rewards when compared to sham. These findings suggest a tDCS-induced modulation of the P3 component and underlying oscillatory activity during waiting impulsivity and the discounting of future rewards.

We aim at developing hexavalent chromium-free coatings for frequently touched decorative parts. Cr(N,O) and multilayered CrN/CrO coatings were deposited by means of reactive magnetron sputtering. All samples presented good adhesion to the substrates enhanced by an epoxy layer designed to enhance PVD coating adhesion. Similar substrates are found in the automotive industry and can be used in appliances where a metallic finish is desired by the consumer. Corrosion behavior was induced, using artificial sweat to simulate long exposure to human touch for 96 h. In potentiodynamic polarization tests, the coatings were revealed to be nobler than the substrate alone. Cr displayed a non-existent passivation region, while gCrN exhibited a quick passivation of the surface and its respective breakdown and several current fluctuations, indicating the occurrence of pitting, which was confirmed by SEM micrography after the corrosion. Regarding EIS results, all films depicted a diminution of impedance modulus (|Z|) after 96 h, which indicates a diminution of corrosion resistance against artificial sweat. Nitride films exhibited the worst anticorrosive features. On the other hand, Cr and CrO exhibited the highest |Z| values. These results are corroborated by low the corrosion rates of both coatings. The equivalent electrical circuit allows us to confirm oxide formation in the outermost layer of the films due to electrolyte/surface interaction, indicating a self-protecting mechanism. Nitride films showed the lowest values and less corrosion resistance, confirming the results obtained in polarization potentiodynamic tests. The coatings developed in this work, namely Cr and CrO, showed a promising corrosion resistance behavior that could endure a lifetime of frequent human touch in various decorative applications either automotive or general appliances.

Metal-coated plastic parts are replacing traditional metallic materials in the automotive industry. Sputtering is an alternative technology that is more environmentally friendly than electrolytic coatings. Most metalized plastic parts are coated with a thin metal layer (~100–200 nm). In this work, the challenge is to achieve thicker films without cracking or without other defects, such as pinholes or pores. Chromium coatings with different thicknesses were deposited onto two different substrates, polycarbonate with and without a base coat, using dc magnetron sputtering in an atmosphere of Ar. Firstly, in order to improve the coating adhesion on the polymer surface, a plasma etching treatment was applied. The coatings were characterized for a wide thickness range from 800 nm to 1600 nm. As the thickness of the coatings increased, there was an increase in the specular reflectivity and roughness of the coatings and changes in morphology due to the columnar growth of the film and a progressive increase in thermal stresses. Furthermore, a decrease in the hardness and the number of pinholes was noticed. The maximum thickness achieved without forming buckling defects was 1400 nm. The tape tests confirmed that every deposited coating showed a good interface adhesion to both polymers.

Pathogens (disease-causing microorganisms) can survive up to a few days on surfaces and can propagate through surfaces in high percentages, and thus, these surfaces turn into a primary source of pathogen transmission. To prevent and mitigate pathogen transmission, antimicrobial surfaces seem to be a promising option that can be prepared by using resilient, mass-produced polymers with partly embedded antimicrobial nanoparticles (NPs) with controlled size. In the present study, a 6 nm thick Ag nanolayer was sputter deposited on polycarbonate (PC) substrate and then thermally annealed, in a first step at 120 °C (temperature below Tg) for two hours, for promoting NP diffusion and growth, and in a second step at 180 °C (temperature above Tg) for 22 h, for promoting thermal embedding of the NPs into the polymer surface. The variation in the height of NPs on the polymer surface with thermal annealing confirms the embedding of NPs. It was shown that the incorporation of silver nanoparticles (Ag NPs) had a great impact on the antibacterial capacity, as the Ag NP-embedded polymer surface presented an inhibition effect on the growth of Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria. The tested surface-engineering process of incorporating antimicrobial Ag NPs in a polymer surface is both cost-effective and highly scalable.

An 8-year-old female neutered Labrador retriever was presented for a second opinion consultation due to vomiting and lethargy, having failed to respond to symptomatic therapy. Blood analysis revealed hyperbilirubinemia and hypoalbuminemia, associated with hypocobalaminemia. An abdominal ultrasound identified diffused bowel thickening and hypoechoic hepatomegaly. An ultrasound-guided liver fine-needle aspiration was performed for cytology and also for cell block immunocytochemistry. Gastric and duodenal biopsies were collected by gastroduodenoscopy. Liver cytology showed numerous lymphocytes, suggesting lymphoma at the hepatic infiltration stage, and immunocytochemistry in the cell block of the hepatic aspirate indicated co-expression of CD3 and CD20 in the lymphoid cells present. The histopathology of gastric and duodenal biopsies supported the hypothesis of gastrointestinal lymphoma due to heavy lymphoid infiltration of the gastric epithelium and intestinal mucosa, including the villi. Concurrent immunohistochemistry was performed using CD3, CD20, PAX5, and CD79αcy antibodies. Immunomarking was positive for CD3 and CD20, which overlapped populations of lymphoid cells, and was negative for all other antibodies. In the clonality test, lymphocyte co-expression of CD3 and CD20 was confirmed by monoclonal rearrangement of T-cell gamma receptors. The final diagnosis was type 2 enteropathy-associated T-cell lymphoma with hepatic infiltration. Co-expression was examined in conjunction with the PARR result in the presence of T-cell monoclonal rearrangement.

Human iPSC-derived self-organized cardiac tissues can be valuable for the development of platforms for disease modeling and drug screening, enhancing test accuracy and reducing pharmaceutical industry financial burden. However, current differentiation systems still rely on static culture conditions and specialized commercial microwells for aggregation, which hinders the full potential of hiPSC-derived cardiac tissues. Herein, we integrate cost-effective and reproducible manual aggregation of hiPSC-derived cardiac progenitors with Matrigel encapsulation and a dynamic culture to support hiPSC cardiac differentiation and self-organization. Manual aggregation at day 7 of cardiac differentiation resulted in 97% of beating aggregates with 78% of cTnT-positive cells. Matrigel encapsulation conjugated with a dynamic culture promoted cell migration and the creation of organized structures, with observed cell polarization and the creation of lumens. In addition, encapsulation increased buoyancy and decreased coalescence of the hiPSC-derived cardiac aggregates. Moreover, VEGF supplementation increased over two-fold the percentage of CD31-positive cells resulting in the emergence of microvessel-like structures. Thus, this study shows that the explored culture parameters support the self-organization of hiPSC-derived cardiac microtissues containing multiple cardiac cell types. Additional stimuli (e.g., BMP) in long-term scalable and fully automatized cultures can further potentiate highly structured and mature hiPSC-derived cardiac models, contributing to the development of reliable platforms for high-throughput drug screening and disease modeling.

Micro-structured coatings with functional properties have been investigated due to a wide range of applications. It is known that micro-structures can play an important role in surface interactions determining the materials’ performance. Amongst the other materials, there has been an increasing interest in tantalum oxide (Ta2O5). This attention is mainly due to its variety of properties: biocompatibility and bioactivity; high dielectric constant; good thermal and chemical stability; excellent corrosion and mechanical resistance. Moreover, there is a wide range of applications in which the properties can be fitted. Furthermore, according to the final application, these properties can be enhanced or tailored through surface micro-structures manipulation. Due to this purpose, over the past decade, Ta surface modification by micro-arc oxidation (MAO) has been investigated mostly for biomedical applications. Therefore, this review focuses on Ta surface functionalization using the MAO technique. A clear understanding of the micro-discharge phenomena and the formation mechanism of a Ta2O5 anodic coating by MAO is supplied. The Ta2O5 coating morphology, topography, chemistry, and structure are explored, establishing their correlation with the MAO parameters. Additionally, an understanding of Ta2O5’s biological, mechanical, and electrochemical properties is provided and reviewed.

Metallic and bimetallic nanostructures have shown interesting chromatic and antibacterial properties, and they can be used in various applications. In this work, zinc (Zn) and iron (Fe) nanostructures were produced with different morphologies: (i) pure Zn; (ii) Zn-Fe nanoalloys; (iii) Zn-Fe nanolayers (Zn-Fe NLs); and (iv) Zn nanolayers combined with Fe nanoparticles (Zn NLs + Fe NPs). The aim was to produce components for food packaging materials with active and intelligent properties, including oxygen absorption capacity, chromatic properties, and antibacterial properties. Thus, the morphology, structure, and chemical composition of the samples were characterized and correlated with their oxidation, chromatic, and antibacterial properties. The results revealed a relevant reduction in the coating’s opacity after oxidation varying from 100 to 10% depending on the morphology of the system. All coatings exhibited significant antibacterial activity against S. aureus, revealing a direct correlation with Zn content. The incorporation of Fe for all atomic arrangements showed a negative impact on the antibacterial effect against E. coli, decreasing to less than half the zone of inhibition for Zn-Fe NLs and Zn NLs + Fe NPs and suppressing the antibacterial effect for Zn-Fe alloy when compared with the pure Zn system.

This work reports on TiN-Ag antimicrobial coatings deposited by d.c. magnetron sputtering on leather used for insoles on the footwear industry, studies involving the antimicrobial properties of Ag-based functionalized leathers by sputtering techniques are shown. The X-ray diffraction (XRD) results suggested the presence of crystalline fcc-TiN phase for the sample without silver, and also a fcc-Ag phase in the samples containing silver. According to the Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) analysis, the coatings were homogeneous and dispersed Ag clusters were detected on the surface of samples with silver content above 8 at. %. The Inductively coupled plasma—optical emission spectrometry (ICP-OES) analysis showed that the ionization of silver over time depends on the morphology of the coatings. The samples did not present cytotoxicity and only samples with incorporated silver presented antibacterial and antifungal activity, highlighting the potential of the TiN-Ag insole coatings for diseases such as diabetic foot.

The present work aims to study the impact of O and N addition on Cr-sputtered coatings on plastic (polycarbonate, PC) used in automobile parts, as a promisor alternative for auto part metallization, while eliminating the usage of toxic hexavalent chromium. The coatings were deposited using DC magnetron sputtering from a single pure Cr target in a reactive atmosphere (N2 and/or O2). The deposition of the coatings was performed maintaining the total pressure constant and close to 1 Pa by tuning Ar pressure while reactive gases were added. The target current density was kept at JW = 20 mA·cm−2. Structural characterization revealed a mixture of α-Cr, δ-Cr, β-Cr2N, and CrN crystalline structures as well as amorphous oxides. The coating hardness ranged from 9 GPa for the CrON coating to 15 GPa for the CrN coating. All deposited coatings showed a particularly good interface adhesion; adjusting the amount of O and N made it possible to tune the optical properties of the Cr-based coatings as desired. The promising results open future industrialization of sputtered Cr-based coatings for automotive industries.

Colorectal cancer is the second leading cause of cancer death worldwide. Significant advances in the molecular mechanisms underlying colorectal cancer have been made; however, the clinical approval of new drugs faces many challenges. Drug discovery is a lengthy process causing a rapid increase in global health care costs. Patient-derived tumour organoids are considered preclinical models with the potential for preclinical drug screening, prediction of patient outcomes, and guiding optimized therapy strategies at an individual level. Combining microfluidic technology with 3D tumour organoid models to recapitulate tumour organization and in vivo functions led to the development of an appropriate preclinical tumour model, organoid-on-a-chip, paving the way for personalized cancer medicine. Herein, a low-cost microfluidic device suitable for culturing and expanding organoids, OrganoidChip, was developed. Patient-derived colorectal cancer organoids were cultured within OrganoidChip, and their viability and proliferative activity increased significantly. No significant differences were verified in the organoids’ response to 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) treatment on-chip and on-plate. However, the culture within the OrganoidChip led to a significant increase in colorectal cancer organoid-forming efficiency and overall size compared with conventional culture on a 24-well plate. Interestingly, early-stage and late-stage organoids were predominantly observed on-plate and within the OrganoidChip, respectively. The OrganoidChip thus has the potential to generate in vivo-like organotypic structures for disease modelling and drug screening applications.

Diabetic foot ulcers (DFUs) are major complications of Diabetes mellitus being responsible for significant morbidity and mortality. DFUs frequently become chronically infected by a complex community of bacteria, including multidrug-resistant and biofilm-producing strains of Staphylococcus aureus and Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Diabetic foot infections (DFI) are often recalcitrant to conventional antibiotics and alternative treatment strategies are urgently needed. Antimicrobial Peptides (AMPs), such as pexiganan and nisin, have been increasingly investigated and reported as effective antimicrobial agents. Here, we evaluated the antibacterial potential of pexiganan and nisin used in combination (dual-AMP) to control the growth of planktonic and biofilm co-cultures of S. aureus and P. aeruginosa clinical strains, co-isolated from a DFU. A DFU collagen three-dimensional (3D) model was used to evaluate the distribution and efficacy of AMPs locally delivered into the model. The concentration of pexiganan required to inhibit and eradicate both planktonic and biofilm-based bacterial cells was substantially reduced when used in combination with nisin. Moreover, incorporation of both AMPs in a guar gum delivery system (dual-AMP biogel) did not affect the dual-AMP antimicrobial activity. Importantly, the application of the dual-AMP biogel resulted in the eradication of the S. aureus strain from the model. In conclusion, data suggest that the local application of the dual-AMPs biogel constitutes a potential complementary therapy for the treatment of infected DFU.