Aim: This article describes the changes and relationships between biochemical and immunological parameters in the colostrum and serum of diabetic women.
Methods: Colostrum and blood samples were ...collected from 30 diabetic and 15 normoglycaemic women. Glucose, total protein, antibody, complement proteins (C3 and C4), fat and calorie content, amylase, lipase and superoxide dismutase (SOD) were determined.
Results: Glucose was higher in both the colostrum and serum of diabetic mothers compared to that of their normoglycaemic counterparts. In both groups, total protein was higher in colostrum than in serum. IgA and IgG were lower in the colostrum of hyperglycaemic mothers, whereas IgM did not vary between the groups. Colostral C3 protein was significantly lower in diabetic mothers, but colostral C4 protein was similar between normoglycaemic and hyperglycaemic mothers. Fat content was lower in the colostrum of the diabetic mothers, although calorie content did not vary between the groups. Amylase was lower in colostrum than in serum in both groups. Lipase was higher in the colostrum and serum of diabetic mothers. Colostral SOD was similar between the groups.
Conclusions: Our results support the hypothesis that the colostrum of diabetic mothers suffers biochemical and immunological alterations that affect the levels of its components.
Calcium silicate cements (CSCs) are the choice materials for vital pulp therapy because of their bioactive properties, promotion of pulp repair, and dentin bridge formation. Despite the significant ...progress made in understanding CSCs’ mechanisms of action, the key events that characterize the early interplay between CSC-dentin-pulp are still poorly understood. To address this gap, a microfluidic device, the “tooth-on-a-chip,” which was developed to emulate the biomaterial-dentin-pulp interface, was used to test 1) the effect of CSCs (ProRoot, Biodentine, and TheraCal) on the viability and proliferation of human dental pulp stem cells, 2) variations of pH, and 3) release within the pulp chamber of transforming growth factor–β (TGFβ) as a surrogate of the bioactive dentin matrix molecules. ProRoot significantly increased the extraction of TGFβ (P < 0.05) within 24 to 72 h and, along with Biodentine, induced higher cell proliferation (P > 0.05), while TheraCal decreased cell viability and provoked atypical changes in cell morphology. No correlation between TGFβ levels and pH was observed. Further, we established a biofilm of Streptococcus mutans on-chip to model the biomaterial-biofilm-dentin interface and conducted a live and dead assay to test the antimicrobial capability of ProRoot in real time. In conclusion, the device allows for direct characterization of the interaction of bioactive dental materials with the dentin-pulp complex on a model of restored tooth while enabling assessment of antibiofilm properties at the interface in real time that was previously unattainable.
This study investigated the expression of the neonatal Fc receptor (FcRn) in maternal blood, cord blood and placental cells and determined IgG levels in maternal blood and cord blood from diabetic ...mothers. Peripheral blood, cord blood and placenta samples were collected from 26 mothers with normoglycaemia (non‐diabetic, ND group) and 52 with hyperglycaemia (26 with mild gestational hyperglycaemia, MGH group, and 26 with type 2 diabetes mellitus, DM‐2 group). Cells expressing CD19+ and FcRn were identified by flow cytometry. Total IgG and its subclasses were quantified by ELISA. Maternal blood from DM‐2 and cord blood from MGH exhibited a higher proportion of CD19+ expression by B cells. DM‐2 showed a lower proportion of CD19+ cells in placenta. FcRn expression increased in cells from cord blood and placenta from MGH. Maternal blood, cord blood and placenta cells from DM‐2 showed lower FcRn expression. Blood IgG levels were lower in DM‐2, and cord blood IgG levels were higher in MGH. The highest levels of IgG4 were detected in the blood of hyperglycaemic mothers. The highest IgG3 and IgG4 levels in cord blood were detected in MGH, and the lowest IgG2 and IgG3 levels in DM‐2. Maternal hyperglycaemia compromised placental transfer of IgG1, IgG3 and IgG4. The results suggest that regardless of hyperglycaemia degree, it decreases FcRn expression in placenta and blood cells and compromises the production and transfer of antibodies from maternal blood to newborns.
This work presents a new methodology for fabrication of membrane-assisted elongated YIG nanostructures through the sol-gel method using low-cost materials, and the estimation of the average size of ...the geometries formed within the pores through ferromagnetic resonance measurements. A precursor solution was deposited on the internal surface of porous aluminum oxide membrane, using an assembly consisting of a vacuum system coupled to an apparatus, which assists in the entry of the used precursor solution, breaking the barriers related to the existing surface tension, with subsequent heat treatment to form the single phase of yttrium iron garnet (YIG). The data collected by X-ray diffraction and Raman spectroscopy indicated this result. The study of the contact angle of the precursor solution and the alumina template indicated great compatibility, an angle of 35.4°. SEM analysis showed that elongated structures were deposited inside the pore’s walls, with different lengths up to 3 micrometers and the EDS analysis showed the presence of the main elements of the YIG phase. The Kittel’s equation and FMR spectral data were used to estimate the mean size of the elongated nanostructures. We found six different size categories with 1856, 1768, 1661, 1588, 1570, 1498 nm . The methodology proved to be efficient for the characterization of elongated YIG nanostructures, becoming a perspective of future applications.
Graphical Abstract
Highlights
Setup for the infiltration of the alumina membrane with the YIG precursor was proposed.
Elongated YIG structures were obtained with diverse potential applications.
The FMR was used to estimate the mean size of elongated YIG structures.
We search for energetic electron recoil signals induced by boosted dark matter (BDM) from the galactic center using the COSINE-100 array of NaI(Tl) crystal detectors at the Yangyang Underground ...Laboratory. The signal would be an excess of events with energies above 4 MeV over the well-understood background. Because no excess of events are observed in a 97.7 kg·yr exposure, we set limits on BDM interactions under a variety of hypotheses. Notably, we explored the dark photon parameter space, leading to competitive limits compared to direct dark photon search experiments, particularly for dark photon masses below 4 MeV and considering the invisible decay mode. Furthermore, by comparing our results with a previous BDM search conducted by the Super-Kamionkande experiment, we found that the COSINE-100 detector has advantages in searching for low-mass dark matter. This analysis demonstrates the potential of the COSINE-100 detector to search for MeV electron recoil signals produced by the dark sector particle interactions.
We present a background model for dark matter searches using an array of NaI(Tl) crystals in the COSINE-100 experiment that is located in the Yangyang underground laboratory. The model includes ...background contributions from both internal and external sources, including cosmogenic radionuclides and surface
210
Pb contamination. To build the model in the low energy region, with a threshold of 1 keV, we used a depth profile of
210
Pb contamination in the surface of the NaI(Tl) crystals determined in a comparison between measured and simulated spectra. We also considered the effect of the energy scale errors propagated from the statistical uncertainties and the nonlinear detector response at low energies. The 1.7 years COSINE-100 data taken between October 21, 2016 and July 18, 2018 were used for this analysis. Our Monte Carlo simulation provides a non-Gaussian peak around 50 keV originating from beta decays of bulk
210
Pb in a good agreement with the measured background. This model estimates that the activities of bulk
210
Pb and
3
H are dominating the background rate that amounts to an average level of
2.85
±
0.15
counts/day/keV/kg in the energy region of (1–6) keV, using COSINE-100 data with a total exposure of 97.7 kg
·
years.
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•Aqueous leaf extract of Annona muricata is effective against eggs, L3 lavae and adults of Haemonchus contortus.•Aqueous leaf extract of A. muricata is rich in phenolic ...compounds.•This work validated the ethnopharmacological potential of A. muricata.
Despite the overall progress of sheep farming in Brazil, infections with the gastrointestinal parasite Haemonchus contortus represent one the most important problems in sheep production, aggravated by the increasing resistance of nematodes to traditional anthelmintic drugs caused by inadequate sheep flock management by breeders. Ethnopharmacological data indicate Annona muricata as a promising alternative for the control of gastrointestinal nematodes because of its general anthelmintic properties. The aim of this work was to evaluate the in vitro anthelmintic effects of A. muricata aqueous leaf extract against eggs, infective larvae and adult forms of parasitic nematode H. contortus. At higher doses, A. muricata extract showed 84.91% and 89.08% of efficacy in egg hatch test (EHT) and larval motility test (LMT), respectively. In the adult worm motility test, worms were completely immobilized within the first 6–8h of nematode exposition to different dilutions of extract. Phytochemical analysis indicated the presence of phenolic compounds in A. muricata aqueous leaf extract that may be responsible for the anthelmintic effects observed. Moreover those results validate the traditional use of A. muricata as a natural anthelmintic and then the pharmacological potential of its compounds for future in vivo investigations.
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