Nanocarrier systems are currently being developed for peptide, protein and gene delivery to protect them in the blood circulation and in the gastrointestinal tract. Polylactic acid (PLA) and ...poly(lactic-co-glycolic) acid (PLGA) nanoparticles loaded with a new antimicrobial GIBIM-P5S9K peptide were obtained by the double emulsion solvent extraction/evaporation method. PLA- and PLGA-NPs were spherical with sizes between 300 and 400 nm for PLA and 200 and 300 nm for PLGA and <0.3 polydispersity index as determined by dynamic light scattering and scanning electron microscopy), having the zeta potential of >20 mV. The peptide-loading efficiency of PLA-NP and PLGA-NPs was 75% and 55%, respectively. PLA- and PLGA-NPs released around 50% of this peptide over 8 h. In 10% human sera the size of peptide loaded PLA- and PLGA-NPs increased between 25.2% and 39.3%, the PDI changed from 3.2 to 5.1 and the surface charge from −7.15 to 14.6 mV. Both peptide loaded PLA- and PLGA-NPs at 0.5 M peptide concentration inhibited the growth of Escherichia coli O157:H7 (E. coli O157:H7), methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) and Pseudomonas. aeruginosa (P. aeruginosa). In contrast, free peptide inhibited at 10 M but did not inhibit at 0.5 and 1 M. These PLA- and PLGA-NPs presented <10% hemolysis indicating that they are hemocompatible and promising for delivery and protection system of GIBIM-P5S9K peptide.
Individuals with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) more often think about, attempt, and die by suicide than individuals from the general population. Sexual and religious obsessions (i.e., taboo ...obsessions) have been linked to increased risk of suicidality, but it is unclear if they explain additional risk over and above other risk factors. We refined the recently proposed multidimensional hierarchical model of OCD and explored how each symptom dimension in the model was associated with suicidality in a random half (n = 500) of a well-characterized cohort of patients with OCD. Symptom dimensions and other risk factors significantly associated with suicidality were included in a confirmatory multivariable model conducted with the other half of the sample (n = 501). The predictive confirmatory model accounted for 19% of the variance in suicidality. Taboo obsessions, the general OCD factor (i.e., having many different OCD symptoms at the same time), lifetime major depression, and lifetime substance use disorders significantly predicted suicidality in this model. Lifetime major depression explained most unique variance in suicidality (5.6%) followed by taboo obsessions and the general OCD factor (1.9% each). Taboo obsessions explain a small but significant proportion of variance in suicidality and should be considered an independent risk factor for suicidality in patients with OCD.
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•Individuals with OCD are at increased risk of suicidal thoughts and behaviors.•We tested whether taboo obsessions were uniquely related to suicidality in OCD.•Taboo obsessions were independently and significantly associated with suicidality.•Having many different OCD symptoms at the same time were also linked to suicidality.
Leptin regulates lipid metabolism, maximizing insulin sensitivity; however, peripheral leptin resistance is not fully understood, and its contribution to metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic ...liver disease (MASLD) is unclear. This study evaluated the contribution of the leptin axis to MASLD in humans. Forty-three participants, mostly female (86.04%), who underwent cholecystectomy were biopsied. Of the participants, 24 were healthy controls, 8 had MASLD, and 11 had metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis (MASH). Clinical and biochemical data and the gene expression of leptin, leptin receptor (LEPR), suppressor of cytokine signaling 3 (SOCS3), sterol regulatory element-binding transcription factor 1 (SREBF1), stearoyl-CoA desaturase-1 (SCD1), and patatin-like phospholipase domain-containing protein 2 (PNPLA2), were determined from liver and adipose tissue. Higher serum leptin and LEPR levels in the omental adipose tissue (OAT) and liver with MASH were found. In the liver, LEPR was positively correlated with leptin expression in adipose tissue, and SOCS3 was correlated with SREBF1-SCD1. In OAT, SOCS3 was correlated with insulin resistance and transaminase enzymes (p < 0.05 for all. In conclusion, we evidenced the correlation between the peripheral leptin resistance axis in OAT–liver crosstalk and the complications of MASLD in humans.
Pair densities and associated correlation functions provide a critical tool for introducing many-body correlations into a wide-range of effective theories. Ab initio calculations show that ...two-nucleon pair-densities exhibit strong spin and isospin dependence. However, such calculations are not available for all nuclei of current interest. We therefore provide a simple model, which involves combining the short and long separation distance behavior using a single blending function, to accurately describe the two-nucleon correlations inherent in existing ab initio calculations. We show that the salient features of the correlation function arise from the features of the two-body short-range nuclear interaction, and that the suppression of the pp and nn pair-densities caused by the Pauli principle is important. Our procedure for obtaining pair-density functions and correlation functions can be applied to heavy nuclei which lack ab initio calculations.
Background: Pulmonary involvement in juvenile systemic sclerosis (JSSc) is rare in children and contributes to morbimortality. This study aimed to describe the pulmonary function and clinical, ...radiologic, and tomographic findings in JSSc. Methods: Patients with JSSc between 5-14 years of age were included. Clinical, functional, and imaging characteristics were assessed. Patients were excluded if they showed lung disease not associated with JSSc: mixed connective tissue disease, overlap syndrome, or acute cardiopulmonary failure at the time of the study. All patients underwent physical examination, electrocardiogram, spirometry, chest X-ray, high-resolution computed tomography (HRCT) of the chest, echocardiography, lung function tests, and the 6-minute walk test (6-MWT). Descriptive statistics were employed for data analysis. Results: We studied 15 patients with the following characteristics: median age, 11 years; median since symptoms onset, 6 years; median since JSSc diagnosis and the finding of pulmonary involvement, 2 years. Lung disease was detected in 73%, interstitial lung disease (ILD) the most common affection (67%); pulmonary hypertension was found in 6.6%. 6-MWT was positive in 26.6%, forced vital capacity (FVC) was abnormal in 26.6%. No pulmonary involvement was found in four patients. Conclusions: The most frequent pulmonary affection in JSSc was ILD. Thus, early JSSc detection and periodic lung monitoring are mandatory to avoid further complications once JSSc is diagnosed.
The aim of this research was to compare Projection Microscope (PMic) and Computerized Projection Microscope (CPMic) with Optical Fiber Diameter Analyzer (OFDA100), for the determination of the ...medullation in alpaca fibers expressed in percentage (MED). Fiber samples were taken from Pacomarca Scientific Station. Three experiments were carried out. At experiment 1, the MED was determined in 36 Huacaya alpaca males using PMic and OFDA100. At experiment 2, the MED was determined in 200 alpacas using CPMic and OFDA100 in Arequipa; and at experiment 3 carried out at Huancavelica, the MED was measured in 105 fiber samples with CPMic and OFDA100. OFDA medullation mean was very low in the three experiments (between 9.81±0.61 and 18.30±1.68%), compared with the total medullation obtained by the PMic (67.43±1.74%) and CPMic (between 28.71±1.37 and 41.14±2.00%). The continuous medullation + strongly medullated fibers reported by CPMic was even greater than OFDA medullation. These results indicate that the OFDA100 procedure provides very low and different reports of MED than PMic and CPMic. Although the OFDA100 was a system for rapid evaluation of wool MED, it would not be recommended in alpaca fibers.
El objetivo del presente trabajo fue comparar el microscopio de proyección (MicProy) y el microscopio de proyección computarizado (MicProyCom) con el analizador óptico de diámetro de fibra, denominado OFDA100, en torno a la determinación de la medulación de fibras de alpacas, expresado en porcentaje (MED). Las muestras de fibras fueron tomadas de la Estación Científica de Pacomarca. Tres experimentos fueron llevados a cabo. En el experimento 1, la MED fue determinada en 36 alpacas Huacaya machos utilizando el MicProy y el OFDA100. En el experimento 2, la Med wue determinada en 200 alpacas utilizando el MicProyCom en Arequipa; y el experimento 3, fue realizado en Huancavelica, donde la MED fue determinada en 105 muestras de fibras de alpaca con el MicProyCom y el OFDA100. En los tres experimentos llevado a cabo, la MED obtenida OFDA100 es muy bajo (entre 9.819.81±0.61 and 18.30±1.68%), comparado con la MED total obtenida mediante el MicProy (67.43±1.74%) y el MicProyCom (28.71±1.37 and 41.14±2.00%). Asimismo, la MED de fibras con medulación continuas más las fibras fuertemente meduladas obtenidas con el MicProyCom fue más alta comparada con la MED obtenida con el OFDA100. Por lo tanto, aunque el OFDA100 es un sistema para la evaluación rápida de la medulación de lanas, éste no podría ser recomendado para la evaluación de la medulación de fibras de alpaca.
We report the first measurement of the (e,e′p) three-body breakup reaction cross sections in helium-3 (3He) and tritium (3H) at large momentum transfer ⟨Q2⟩ ≈ 1.9 (GeV/c)2 and x B > 1 kinematics, ...where the cross section should be sensitive to quasielastic (QE) scattering from single nucleons. The data cover missing momenta 40 ≤ p miss ≤ 500 MeV/c that, in the QE limit with no rescattering, equals the initial momentum of the probed nucleon. The measured cross sections are compared with state-of-the-art ab initio calculations. Overall good agreement, within ± 20 % , is observed between data and calculations for the full p miss range for 3H and for 100 ≤ p miss ≤ 350 MeV/c for 3He . Including the effects of rescattering of the outgoing nucleon improves agreement with the data at p miss > 250 MeV/c and suggests contributions from charge-exchange (SCX) rescattering. The isoscalar sum of 3 He plus 3H , which is largely insensitive to SCX, is described by calculations to within the accuracy of the data over the entire p miss range. This validates current models of the ground state of the three-nucleon system up to very high initial nucleon momenta of 500 MeV/c.
We report on a search for a bound di-neutron by comparing electron-induced proton-knockout (e,e′p) measurements from Helium-3 (3He) and Tritium (3H). The measurements were performed at Jefferson Lab ...Hall A with a 4.326 GeV electron beam, and kinematics of large momentum transfer (〈Q2〉≈1.9 (GeV/c)2) and xB>1, to minimize contributions from non quasi-elastic (QE) reaction mechanisms. Analyzing the measured 3He missing mass (Mmiss) and missing energy (Emiss) distributions, we can distinguish the two-body break-up reaction, in which the residual proton-neutron system remains bound as a deuteron. In the 3H mirror case, under the exact same kinematic conditions, we do not identify a signature for a bound di-neutron with similar binding energy to that of the deuteron. We calculate exclusion limits as a function of the di-neutron binding energy and find that, for binding equivalent to the deuteron, the two-body break-up cross section on 3H is less than 0.9% of that on 3He in the measured kinematics at the 95% confidence level. This limit implies that the di-neutron content of the tritium spectral function is less than 1.5%. With a dedicated measurement using similar high resolution spectrometers, but lower beam energy and vacuum coupling, significantly better energy missing energy resolution could be achieved, extending the sensitivity of the method to search for a di-neutron with far smaller binding energy.
This paper addresses the importance of engineering asset management decisions and control. For this purpose, a Life-Cycle Cost (LCC) analysis is conducted for typical reinforced concrete (R/C) ...buildings located in Mexico City. The objective of this study is to develop an artificial neural network (ANN) model that can estimate the total expected cost of R/C buildings by using LCC functions. The total cost includes the initial cost and the cost of the damage caused by future possible ground motions at the site of interest. The present value of the cost includes: initial cost, repair or reconstruction cost, cost of damage to the contents, costs associated with the loss of life or injuries and economic losses. The structural performance is evaluated using probabilistic models, artificial neural networks models are used to obtain the seismic response of the buildings. The methodology is applied to a set of reinforced concrete buildings with 4, 8, and 12 stories which are located at the soft soil of Mexico City. Finally, it is concluded that the life-cycle cost is efficiently obtained using artificial neural network models for estimating the structural reliability of reinforced concrete buildings, in such a way that it can be used as an excellent planning tool that covers long spans of time.
We investigated the performance of multidimensional alignment analysis and multidimensional scaling on phi coefficient values to evaluate check-all-that-apply questionnaire data. We evaluated 6 dairy ...foods belonging to the category of requeijão cremoso processed cheese (traditional, with starch, or with starch and vegetable fat). We obtained sensory descriptors using trained assessors in descriptive analysis for comparison. A check-all-that-apply questionnaire used with 121 consumers (77 women and 44 men; 18 to 57 yr old) proved to be a suitable alternative for sensory profiling, providing descriptions similar to descriptive analysis and discriminating between products. Multidimensional alignment analysis and multidimensional scaling were efficient and logical approaches for obtaining a deeper understanding of the data, allowing us to clarify the relationships between sensory descriptors and products and contribute to optimizing the different formulations of requeijão cremoso.
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