Rheumatoid arthritis molecular targets and their importance to flavonoid-based therapy.

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a progressive, chronic, autoimmune, inflammatory, and systemic condition that primarily affects the synovial joints and adjacent tissues, including bone, muscle, and tendons. The World Health Organization recognizes RA as one of the most prevalent chronic inflammatory diseases. In the last decade, there was an expansion on the available RA therapeutic options which aimed to improve patient's quality of life. Despite the extensive research and the emergence of new therapeutic approaches and drugs, there are still significant unwanted side effects associated to these drugs and still a vast number of patients that do not respond positively to the existing therapeutic strategies. Over the years, several references to the use of flavonoids in the quest for new treatments for RA have emerged. This review aimed to summarize the existing literature about the flavonoids' effects on the major pathogenic/molecular targets of RA and their potential use as lead compounds for the development of new effective molecules for RA treatment. It is demonstrated that flavonoids can modulate various players in synovial inflammation, regulate immune cell function, decrease synoviocytes proliferation and balance the apoptotic process, decrease angiogenesis, and stop/prevent bone and cartilage degradation, which are all dominant features of RA. Although further investigation is necessary to determine the effectiveness of flavonoids in humans, the available data from in vitro and in vivo models suggest their potential as new disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drugs. This review highlights the use of flavonoids as a promising avenue for future research in the treatment of RA.

Cerebellar damage affects the inference of human motion.

The present study aims at the cerebellum's role in prediction mechanisms triggered by action observation. Five cerebellar patients and six age-paired control subjects were asked to estimate the occluded end point position of the shoulder's trajectories in Sit-to-Stand (STS) or Back-to-Sit (BTS) conditions, following or not biological rules. Contrarily to the control group, the prediction accuracy of the end point position in cerebellar patients did not depend on biological rules. Interestingly, both groups presented similar results when estimating the vanishing position of the target. Taken together, these results suggest that cerebellar damage affectsthe capacity of predicting upcoming actions by observation.

Predicting Upcoming Events Occurring in the Space Surrounding the Hand.

Predicting upcoming sensorimotor events means creating forward estimates of the body and the surrounding world. This ability is a fundamental aspect of skilled motor behavior and requires an accurate and constantly updated representation of the body and the environment. To test whether these prediction mechanisms could be affected by a peripheral injury, we employed an action observation and electroencephalogram (EEG) paradigm to assess the occurrence of prediction markers in anticipation of observed sensorimotor events in healthy and brachial plexus injury (BPI) participants. Nine healthy subjects and six BPI patients watched a series of video clips showing an actor's hand and a colored ball in an egocentric perspective. The color of the ball indicated whether the hand would grasp it (hand movement), or the ball would roll toward the hand and touch it (ball movement), or no event would occur (no movement). In healthy participants, we expected to find distinct electroencephalographic activation patterns (EEG signatures) specific to the prediction of the occurrence of each of these situations. Cluster analysis from EEG signals recorded from electrodes placed over the sensorimotor cortex of control participants showed that predicting either an upcoming hand movement or the occurrence of a tactile event yielded specific neural signatures. In BPI participants, the EEG signals from the sensorimotor cortex contralateral to the dominant hand in the hand movement condition were different compared to the other conditions. Furthermore, there were no differences between ball movement and no movement conditions in the sensorimotor cortex contralateral to the dominant hand, suggesting that BPI blurred specifically the ability to predict upcoming tactile events for the dominant hand. These results highlight the role of the sensorimotor cortex in creating estimates of both actions and tactile interactions in the space around the body and suggest plastic effects on prediction coding following peripheral sensorimotor loss.

Validation of a LLME/GC-MS Methodology for Quantification of Volatile Compounds in Fermented Beverages.

Knowledge of composition of beverages volatile fraction is essential for understanding their sensory attributes. Analysis of volatile compounds predominantly resorts to gas chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry (GC-MS). Often a previous concentration step is required to quantify compounds found at low concentrations. This work presents a liquid-liquid microextraction method combined with GC-MS (LLME/GC-MS) for the analysis of compounds in fermented beverages and spirits. The method was validated for a set of compounds typically found in fermented beverages comprising alcohols, esters, volatile phenols, and monoterpenic alcohols. The key requirements for validity were observed, namely linearity, sensitivity in the studied range, accuracy, and precision within the required parameters. Robustness of the method was also evaluated with satisfactory results. Thus, the proposed LLME/GC-MS method may be a useful tool for the analysis of several fermented beverages, which is easily implementable in a laboratory equipped with a GC-MS.

Use of polyphenols as a strategy to prevent bond degradation in the dentin-resin interface.

This study evaluated the effect of dentin pretreatment with the polyphenols quercetin and resveratrol on the resin-dentin microtensile bonding strength (µTBS) and collagen fibrils stability of the adhesive interface. Different concentrations (100, 250, 500, or 1,000 µg ml-1 ) of quercetin or resveratrol, or a mixture of quercetin and resveratrol (3:1, 1:1, 1:3; vol:vol), as well as distilled water or 2% chlorhexidine digluconate, were applied to etched dentin. Then, a two-step etch-and-rinse adhesive was applied followed by composite restoration. Measurements of resin-dentin µTBS were made after 1 and 120 d. The stability of collagen fibrils in the hybrid layer was evaluated using transmission electron microscopy. The Student's t-test and two-way factorial anova with Tukey's test were used to analyze the effects of dentin pretreatment and storage time on µTBS values. Comparisons between µTBS measurements made on 1 and 120 d showed that resveratrol had the best performance, with significantly higher µTBS values after 120 d for all concentrations of resveratrol tested. Quercetin pretreatment resulted in a significant rise of µTBS when used at concentrations of 100 and 500 µg ml-1 . Quercetin + resveratrol at the ratio of 1:1 performed better than when used at ratios of either 3:1 or 1:3. Resveratrol might represent a potential approach to achieve desirable bonding stability and reduce the frequent replacement of composite restorations.

Appetitive drives for ultra-processed food products and the ability of text warnings to counteract consumption predispositions.

OBJECTIVE: The present study aimed to (i) assess the appetitive drives evoked by the visual cues of ultra-processed food and drink products and (ii) investigate whether text warnings reduce appetitive drives and consumers' reported intentions to eat or drink ultra-processed products. DESIGN: In Study I, a well-established psychometric tool was applied to estimate the appetitive drives associated with ultra-processed products using sixty-four image representations. Sixteen product types with four exemplars of a given product were included. Pictures from the International Affective Picture System (IAPS) served as controls. The two exemplars of each product type rated as more appetitive were selected for investigation in the second study. Study II assessed the impact of textual warnings on the appetitive drive towards these thirty-two exemplars. Each participant was exposed to two picture exemplars of the same product type preceded by a text warning or a control text. After viewing each displayed picture, the participants reported their emotional reactions and their intention to consume the product. SETTING: Controlled classroom experiments SUBJECTS: Undergraduate students (Study I: n 215, 135 women; Study II: n 98, 52 women). RESULTS: In Study I, the pictures of ultra-processed products prompted an appetitive motivation associated with the products' nutritional content. In Study II, text warnings were effective in reducing the intention to consume and the appetitive drive evoked by ultra-processed products. CONCLUSIONS: This research provides initial evidence favouring the use of text warnings as a public policy tool to curb the powerful influence of highly appetitive ultra-processed food cues.

Coating independent cytotoxicity of citrate- and PEG-coated silver nanoparticles on a human hepatoma cell line.

The antibacterial potential of silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) resulted in their increasing incorporation into consumer, industrial and biomedical products. Therefore, human and environmental exposure to AgNPs (either as an engineered product or a contaminant) supports the emergent research on the features conferring them different toxicity profiles. In this study, 30nm AgNPs coated with citrate or poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) were used to assess the influence of coating on the effects produced on a human hepatoma cell line (HepG2), namely in terms of viability, apoptosis, apoptotic related genes, cell cycle and cyclins gene expression. Both types of coated AgNPs decreased cell proliferation and viability with a similar toxicity profile. At the concentrations used (11 and 5µg/mL corresponding to IC50 and ~IC10 levels, respectively) the amount of cells undergoing apoptosis was not significant and the apoptotic related genes BCL2 (anti-apoptotic gene) and BAX (pro-apoptotic gene) were both downregulated. Moreover, both AgNPs affected HepG2 cell cycle progression at the higher concentration (11µg/mL) by increasing the percentage of cells in S (synthesis phase) and G2 (Gap 2 phase) phases. Considering the cell-cycle related genes, the expression of cyclin B1 and cyclin E1 genes were decreased. Thus, this work has shown that citrate- and PEG-coated AgNPs impact on HepG2 apoptotic gene expression, cell cycle dynamics and cyclin regulation in a similar way. More research is needed to determine the properties that confer AgNPs at lower toxicity, since their use has proved helpful in several industrial and biomedical contexts.

An Edible Antibacterial Coating Integrating Lytic Bacteriophage Particles for the Potential Biocontrol of Salmonella enterica in Ripened Cheese.

The goal of this research was to create an antibacterial biopolymeric coating integrating lytic bacteriophages against Salmonella enterica for use in ripened cheese. Salmonella enterica is the main pathogen that contaminates food products and the food industry. The food sector still uses costly and non-selective decontamination and disease control methods. Therefore, it is necessary to look for novel pathogen biocontrol technologies. Bacteriophage-based biocontrol seems like a viable option in this situation. The results obtained show promise for food applications since the edible packaging developed (EdiPhage) was successful in maintaining lytic phage viability while preventing the contamination of foodstuff with the aforementioned bacterial pathogen.

Reproducibility Study of the Thermoplastic Resin Transfer Molding Process for Glass Fiber Reinforced Polyamide 6 Composites.

Polyamide 6 (PA6) thermoplastic composites have higher recyclability potential when compared to conventional thermoset composites. A disruptive liquid molding manufacturing technology named Thermoplastic Resin Transfer Molding (T-RTM) can be used for processing composites due to the low viscosity of the monomers and additives. In this process, polymerization, crystallization and shrinkage occur almost at the same time. If these phenomena are not controlled, they can compromise the reproducibility and homogeneity of the parts. This work studied the influence of packing pressure, as a process variable, throughout the filling and polymerization stages. To assess the process reproducibility and parts' homogeneity, physical, thermal and mechanical properties were analyzed in different areas of neat PA6 and composite parts. This study showed that a two-stage packing pressure can be successfully used to increase parts' homogeneity and process reproducibility. The use of 3.5 bar packing pressure during the polymerization stage resulted in mechanical properties with lower standard deviations, indicating a higher degree of homogeneity of the manufactured parts and higher process reproducibility. These results will be used for establishing the actual state of the technology and will be a base for future process optimization.

A comparative life cycle assessment of graphene nanoplatelets- and glass fibre-reinforced poly(propylene) composites for automotive applications.

The circulation of motor vehicles with an exhaust system is one of the leading causes of pollution. Due to the risk factor for human health and contribution to climate change, countries have been growing efforts to achieve a sustainable level of air quality and limit carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions in recent years. Hence, there has been significant interest in developing technological innovations such as alternative fuels and lighter thermoplastic composites for auto applications. Thermoplastic nanocomposites show substantial properties improvements, incorporating much lower nanofiller percentages than fibre-reinforced thermoplastic composites, allowing for a reduction in the weight of automotive parts (AP). For these motivations, this study presents a comparative life cycle assessment (LCA) of poly(propylene) (PP)-based graphene nanoplatelets (GnPs) nanocomposite and PP/glass fibre (GF) composite for automotive applications. The AP selected as the functional unit was the front end part of 1.5 tons weight car. The LCA included preparing raw materials, AP manufacturing, AP use, and AP end-of-life (EoL). Three different EoL scenarios were considered in this analysis. Several midpoint environmental impact indicators were evaluated. Overall, the results suggest that the different EoL scenarios do not affect the global environmental impact of both AP systems. The environmental impacts of the AP depend on the type of material. The AP of the PP-based GnPs nanocomposite exhibited a weight 28 % lower than the AP of the PP/GF composite. This lightweight resulted in energy and emissions savings, especially during the AP use stage, which was the stage with the most significant contribution in most environmental impact categories. Using nanocomposite reduced the AP environmental impact from 17 % to 75 %, depending on the impact category. The study suggested that substituting traditional composite with a new lighter nanocomposite can decrease the global environmental impacts caused by AP.

Comparative study of e-cigarette aerosol and cigarette smoke effect on ex vivo embryonic chick lung explants.

Electronic cigarette usage has significantly expanded among young people and pregnant women in the last decade. Although there are already some data regarding the short- and long-term consequences of e-cigarettes on human health, their effect on embryo and lung development still needs to be fully disclosed. In this sense, this study describes, for the first time, the impact of electronic cigarette aerosol on early lung development. For this purpose, ex vivo chick (Gallus gallus) embryonic lungs were cultured in vitro for 48 h in e-cigarette aerosol exposed-medium or unexposed medium. Chick lung explants were also cultured in a cigarette smoke-exposed medium for comparison purposes. Lung explants were morphologically analyzed to assess the impact on lung growth. Additionally, TNF-α levels were determined in the supernatant as a marker of pro-inflammatory response. The results suggest that electronic cigarette aerosol impairs lung growth and promotes lung inflammation. However, its impact on early lung growth seems less detrimental than conventional cigarette smoke. This work provides significant data regarding the impact of e-cig aerosol, adding to the efforts to fully understand its effect on embryo development. The validation of these effects may eventually lead to new tobacco control recommendations for pregnant women.

Nanofibrillated cellulose/gellan gum hydrogel-based bioinks for 3D bioprinting of skin cells.

The development of suitable bioinks is an important research topic in the field of three-dimensional (3D) bioprinting. Herein, novel hydrogel-based bioinks composed of nanofibrillated cellulose (NFC) and gellan gum (GG) in different NFC/GG mass proportions (90:10, 80:20, 70:30, and 60:40) were developed and characterized. The increase in the content of GG, as well as its combination with NFC, enhanced their rheological properties, increasing both storage (G') and loss (G") moduli and the G' recovery capacity of the hydrogels (from 70.05 ± 3.06 % (90:10) to 82.63 ± 1.21 % (60:40)), as well as their mechanical properties, increasing the compressive stiffness and stress from 114.02 ± 10.93 Pa (90:10) to 337.16 ± 34.03 Pa (60:40) and from 18.27 ± 1.32 kPa (90:10) to 47.17 ± 3.59 kPa (60:40), respectively. The hydrogels were non-cytotoxic against human keratinocyte cells (HaCaT), with cell viabilities above 70 % for up to 72 h. The hydrogel 60:40 was loaded with HaCaT cells (3 × 106 cells mL-1) and bioprinted. The cell viability was maintained elevated until day 7 (90 ± 3 %) after bioprinting. These results highlight that the combination of these two biopolymers was a good strategy for the development of novel hydrogel-based bioinks for extrusion 3D bioprinting applications.

An Edible Biopolymeric Microcapsular Wrapping Integrating Lytic Bacteriophage Particles for Salmonella enterica: Potential for Integration into Poultry Feed.

This research work aimed at developing an edible biopolymeric microcapsular wrapping (EBMW) integrating lytic bacteriophage particles for Salmonella enterica, with potential application in poultry feed for biocontrol of that pathogen. This pathogen is known as one of the main microorganisms responsible for contamination in the food industry and in foodstuff. The current techniques for decontamination and pathogen control in the food industry can be very expensive, not very selective, and even outdated, such as the use of broad-spectrum antibiotics that end up selecting resistant bacteria. Hence, there is a need for new technologies for pathogen biocontrol. In this context, bacteriophage-based biocontrol appears as a potential alternative. As a cocktail, both phages were able to significantly reduce the bacterial load after 12 h of treatment, at either multiplicity of infection (MOI) 1 and 10, by 84.3% and 87.6%, respectively. Entrapment of the phage virions within the EBMW matrix did not exert any deleterious effect upon their lytic activity. The results obtained showed high promise for integration in poultry feed aiming at controlling Salmonella enterica, since the edible biopolymeric microcapsular wrapping integrating lytic bacteriophage particles developed was successful in maintaining lytic phage viability while fully stabilizing the phage particles.

Box for interaction with objects (BIO): a new device to synchronize the presentation of objects with electrophysiological recordings.

Brain event-related potentials are a useful tool for investigating visual processing and action planning. This technique requires extremely accurate synchronization of stimulus delivery with recordings. The precision of the onset time of visual stimulus delivery is a major challenge when attempting to use real, three-dimensional objects as stimuli. Here, we present an innovative device, the "box for interaction with objects" (BIO), that is designed to synchronize the presentation of objects with electroencephalographic (EEG) recordings. To reach the required resolution of stimulus-onset timing, the BIO system features an interface with reflective glass and light-emitting diodes (LEDs). When the LEDs inside the BIO are turned on, the object inside becomes visible, and a synchronizing pulse is sent to the recording systems. The BIO was tested in a motivational study that focused on visual and motor event-related potentials. EEG signals were recorded during the presentation of an emotion-laden object that could be grasped and brought close to the participant's chest. BIO successfully synchronized the appearance of a three-dimensional object with EEG recordings, which would allow for an analysis of visual and motor event-related potentials in the same experiment. The BIO device, through a high-quality psychophysiological approach, offers a new perspective for the study of the motivational factors that drive actions toward relevant stimuli.

Fluorine-18 Fluorocholine Positron Emission Tomography/Computed Tomography in Primary Hyperparathyroidism: A Case Report and Review of Literature.

Positron emission tomography (PET) tracers (Fluorine-18 Fluorocholine [18F-Fluorocholine] and Carbon-11 Choline [11C-Choline]) have been widely used with promising accuracy in detecting abnormal parathyroids, being crucial for an effective and safe minimally invasive parathyroidectomy. We report a case of a 72-year-old woman with a long-term personal history of osteoporosis and recurrent nephrolithiasis with the need for invasive interventions. Primary hyperparathyroidism was biochemically assumed, although localization of the hyperfunctioning parathyroid had been challenging since cervical ultrasound and technetium-99m sestamibi scintigraphy were negative/equivocal. An 18F-Fluorocholine positron emission tomography/computed tomography (PET/CT) was performed, having identified a small cervical nodule with increased tracer uptake, compatible with a right parathyroid adenoma. After its removal, the patient went into clinical and biochemical remission. 18F-Fluorocholine PET/CT allowed an effective and safe parathyroidectomy as conventional imaging modalities were inaccurate in detecting the abnormal parathyroid, in this patient with serious hyperparathyroidism-related complications.

Visuo-Motor Affective Interplay: Bonding Scenes Promote Implicit Motor Pre-dispositions Associated With Social Grooming-A Pilot Study.

Proximity and interpersonal contact are prominent components of social connection. Giving affective touch to others is fundamental for human bonding. This brief report presents preliminary results from a pilot study. It explores if exposure to bonding scenes impacts the activity of specific muscles related to physical interaction. Fingers flexion is a very important component when performing most actions of affectionate contact. We explored the visuo-motor affective interplay by priming participants with bonding scenes and assessing the electromyographic activity of the fingers flexor muscle, in the absence of any overt movements. Photographs of dyads in social interaction and of the same dyads not interacting were employed. We examined the effects upon the electromyographical activity: (i) during the passive exposure to pictures, and (ii) during picture offset and when expecting the signal to perform a fingers flexion task. Interacting dyads compared to matched non-interacting dyads increased electromyographic activity of the fingers flexor muscle in both contexts. Specific capture of visual bonding cues at the level of visual cortex had been described in the literature. Here we showed that the neural processing of visual bonding cues reaches the fingers flexor muscle. Besides, previous visualization of bonding cues enhanced background electromyographic activity during motor preparation to perform the fingers flexion task, which might reflect a sustained leakage of central motor activity downstream leading to increase in firing of the respective motor neurons. These data suggest, at the effector level, an implicit visuo-motor connection in which social interaction cues evoke intrinsic dispositions toward affectionate social behavior.

Evaluation of multi-starter S. cerevisiae/ D. bruxellensis cultures for mimicking and accelerating transformations occurring during barrel ageing of beer.

During beer ageing, endogenous barrel microbes grow spontaneously and transform wort/beer composition, being Dekkera bruxellensis and Saccharomyces cerevisiae among the main contributors to the chemical and sensory profile of aged beer. This work aims at the application of multi-starter cultures to mimic and accelerate biological modifications occurring during barrel ageing of beer, in controlled fermentation processes. Co-cultures of D.bruxellensis/S.cerevisiae were conducted under conditions commonly found in barrel aged beer production: different pitching rates, high glucose concentration and presence of ethanol and wood extracts. Selective pressures and competition between yeasts influenced microbial growth and metabolite production, namely ethanol, acetic acid and target volatile compounds (esters, alcohols, terpenols, volatile acids and volatile phenols). Metabolic profiles of co-cultures combined traits of both species, and differed from those of pure cultures. Lastly, multi-starters were successfully applied in combination with wood in a controlled and accelerated fermentation process for mimicking barrel ageing transformations.

Transdermal permeation of bacteriophage particles by choline oleate: potential for treatment of soft-tissue infections.

Aim: A sodium alginate-based biohydrogel was prepared integrating choline oleate deep euthetic solvent as facilitator of transdermal delivery and a cocktail of lytic bacteriophages for Acinetobacter baumannii, aiming at treating soft-tissue infections by the aforementioned pathogen. Materials & methods: Two bacteriophages were isolated from a hospital sewage and a wastewater treatment plant sewage in Sorocaba (Brazil), and characterized via SDS-PAGE electrophoresis, transmission electron microscope and evaluation of lytic spectra of the bacteriophage cocktail. The biohydrogel was prepared and characterized by DSC, FTIR, XRD, DESEM, XRT and transdermal permeation of the bacteriophage cocktail. Results & conclusion: The physico-chemical characterization of the biohydrogel produce indicated adequate structural characteristics and ability to promote/facilitate transdermal delivery of bacteriophage particles, thus showing potential for biopharmaceutical applications.

Freeform 3D printing using a continuous viscoelastic supporting matrix.

Embedded bio-printing has fostered significant advances toward the fabrication of soft complex tissue-like constructs, by providing a physical support that allows the freeform shape maintenance within the prescribed spatial arrangement, even under gravity force. Current supporting materials still present major drawbacks for up-scaling embedded 3D bio-printing technology towards tissue-like constructs with clinically relevant dimensions. Herein, we report a a cost-effective and widely available supporting material for embedded bio-printing consisting on a continuous pseudo-plastic matrix of xanthan-gum (XG). This natural polisaccharide exhibits peculiar rheological properties that have enabled the rapid generation of complex volumetric 3D constructs with out-of-plane features. The freedom of design within the three orthogonal axes through the independent and controlled bio-printing process opens new opportunities to produce on demand large arbitrary shapes for personalized medicine. Additionally, we have demonstrated the versatile functionality of XG as a photocurable gel reservoir to engineer perfused cell-laden hydrogel constructs, addressing other practical biomedical applications such as in vitro models and organ-on-chip platforms.

Non-invasive Transdermal Delivery of Human Insulin Using Ionic Liquids: In vitro Studies.

In this research project, synthesis and characterization of ionic liquids and their subsequent utilization as facilitators of transdermal delivery of human insulin was pursued. Choline geranate and choline oleate ionic liquids (and their deep eutectic solvents) were produced and characterized by nuclear magnetic resonance (1H NMR), water content, oxidative stability, cytotoxicity and genotoxicity assays, and ability to promote transdermal protein permeation. The results gathered clearly suggest that all ionic liquids were able to promote/facilitate transdermal permeation of insulin, although to various extents. In particular, choline geranate 1:2 combined with its virtually nil cyto- and geno-toxicity was chosen to be incorporated in a biopolymeric formulation making it a suitable facilitator aiming at transdermal delivery of insulin.