Abstract Polyethylenimine (PEI) is widely used as transfection agent in preclinical studies, both in vitro and in vivo. Due to their unique chemical and physical properties, SPIONs (superparamagnetic ...iron oxide nanoparticles) have been thoroughly studied as nanocarriers. PEI appears to activate different immune cells to an inflammatory response (M1/TH 1), whereas the SPION-induced response seems to be context-dependent; the immunogenicity of the combination of these components has not been studied. Here we show that PEI-coated SPIONs (PMag) activate macrophages, as determined by measuring IL-12 secretion into culture medium and upregulation of several genes linked to the M1 phenotype. PMag-induced phosphorylation of p38 MAPK, p44/p42 MAPK and JNK, and upregulation of CD40, CD80, CD86 and I-A/I-E activation markers. PMag-induced macrophage activation depended partially on TLR4 (Toll-like receptor 4) and ROS (reactive oxygen species) signaling. Comparison of these responses with the LPS (lipopolysaccharide)-induced phenotype showed differences in gene expression profiling. PMag positively modulated podosome formation in murine macrophages, but hampered gelatin degradation by these cells. In conclusion, PMag induced an M1-like phenotype that was partially dependent on both TLR4 and ROS. These results show the adjuvant potential of PMag and suggest their use in vaccination schedules.
Probiotic based products are associated with many health benefits. However, the main problem is the low survival of these microorganisms in food products and in gastrointestinal tract. Providing ...probiotics with a physical barrier is an efficient approach to protect microorganisms and to deliver them into the gut. In our opinion, microencapsulation is one of the most efficient methods, and has been under especial consideration and investigation. However, there are still many challenges to overcome with respect to the microencapsulation process. This review focuses mainly on the methodological approach of probiotic encapsulation including materials and results obtained using encapsulated probiotic in food matrices and different pathologies in animal models.
The inclusion of probiotics into food matrices is one of the most challenging lines of research in food technology. Probiotics in general, and some strains in particular, have a low resistance to different environmental conditions, such as oxygen, light or temperature. Thus, the protection and isolation of the microorganism from the food matrix and the environmental condition are crucial for the development of new probiotic food. In this sense, microencapsulation has gained an increasing interest, since it has been demonstrated that it could protect the bacteria not only during its production process but also during its incorporation into the food matrix, also with protective effects during storage. In conclusion, microencapsulation is of great interest since it could allow a wider application of probiotics in the food market, actually restricted to fresh or powder products.
•The article summarizes the most important and new technologies applied in probiotic encapsulation.•An overview of the materials used in these technologies is given, paying special attention to advantages and disadvantages.•Our work is the first time that a review described the results obtained using encapsulated probiotic in various pathologies.
•Effect of pH on wastewater treatment and biomass productivity/composition was null.•CO2 from flue gas supported a superior wastewater treatment performance.•Carbon, nutrients and E. coli were ...efficiently removed from domestic wastewater.•Maximum biomass productivity of 17±1gm−2d−1 was recorded in the outdoor pilot RWs.
The influence of pH (7, 8 and 9) and CO2 source (pure CO2 or CO2 from flue gas) on both the performance of secondary domestic wastewater treatment and biomass productivity and composition in three outdoors pilot raceways was evaluated for 6months. Average COD, TN, TP and Escherichia coli removal efficiencies of 84±7%, 79±14%, 57±12% and 93±7%, respectively, were recorded. The influence of pH on wastewater treatment was negligible, while the supply of CO2 from flue gas supported higher COD, TOC and TP removals. Biomass productivities ranged from 4±0gm−2d−1 in December to 17±1gm−2d−1 in July. The highest C, N and P biomass contents (64.8%, 12.6% and 2.4%, respectively) were recorded when flue gas was supplied. Finally, while the protein content in the biomass remained constant (38.2±3.3%), the lipid and carbohydrate contents ranged from 5.8% to 23.0% and from 38.0% to 61.2%, respectively.
Progress in the design of nanoscale magnets for localized hyperthermia cancer therapy has been largely driven by trial-and-error approaches, for instance, by changing of the stoichiometry ...composition, size, and shape of the magnetic entities. So far, widely different and often conflicting heat dissipation results have been reported, particularly as a function of the nanoparticle concentration. Thus, achieving hyperthermia-efficient magnetic ferrofluids remains an outstanding challenge. Here we demonstrate that diverging heat-dissipation patterns found in the literature can be actually described by a single picture accounting for both the intrinsic magnetic features of the particles (anisotropy, magnetization) and experimental conditions (concentration, magnetic field). Importantly, this general magnetic-hyperthermia scenario also predicts a novel non-monotonic concentration dependence with optimum heating features, which we experimentally confirmed in iron oxide nanoparticle ferrofluids by fine-tuning the particle size. Overall, our approach implies a magnetic hyperthermia trilemma that may constitute a simple strategy for development of magnetic nanomaterials for optimal hyperthermia efficiency.
Interleukin 17 (IL-17) is a proinflammatory cytokine that has been the focus of intensive research because of its crucial role in the pathogenesis of different diseases across many medical ...specialties. In this context, the present review in which a panel of 13 experts in immunology, dermatology, rheumatology, neurology, hematology, infectious diseases, hepatology, cardiology, ophthalmology and oncology have been involved, puts in common the mechanisms through which IL-17 is considered a molecular target for the development of novel biological therapies in these different fields. A comprehensive review of the literature and analysis of the most outstanding evidence have provided the basis for discussing the most relevant data related to IL-17A blocking agents for the treatment of different disorders, such as psoriasis, psoriatic arthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, ankylosing spondylitis, cardiovascular disorders, non alcoholic fatty liver disease, multiple sclerosis, inflammatory bowel disease, uveitis, hematological and solid cancer. Current controversies are presented giving an opening line for future research.
In addition to the nature of the solvent, the intrinsic metal properties and degree of dispersion, the selective hydrogenation of 5-hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF) has been reported to be greatly ...affected by the nature of the support. In this work, four Ni catalysts were prepared starting from different carbonaceous supports ─with diverse graphitic and porous structure─ and comparatively evaluated in the hydrogenation reaction of HMF. The reaction was conducted in a batch stirred reactor under 30 bar H2 pressure at 60 °C in aqueous media. Ni supported on a commercial silica and Raney Ni were also tested for reference purposes. We found that carbon supports limit in some extent the reactivity of Ni towards CC hydrogenation, offering higher selectivity to the carbonyl hydrogenated compound, 2,5-di-hydroxymethylfuran (DHMF), in detrimental to the total hydrogenated derivative, 2,5-di-hydroxymethyl-tetrahydrofuran (DHMTHF). However, the latter was the major product over Raney Ni and Ni/SiO2. The unusual catalytic performance of our Ni/carbon catalysts was related to the composition, structural and surface properties. Among all tested Ni/carbon catalysts, Ni over the commercial high surface area graphite (HSAG) exhibited the best catalytic behaviour in terms of DHMF selectivity (90%) and intrinsic catalytic activity. Furthermore, Ni/HSAG displayed satisfactory stability after three consecutive runs.
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•Carbon supports inhibit the characteristic overhydrogenation activity of Ni.•However, Ni/SiO2 and Raney Ni promote the hydrogenation of the furan-ring.•Ni/HSAG afforded 90% selectivity towards the partial hydrogenation product at 60 °C.•At 180 °C the hydrogenative rearrangement of the furan ring is favored.
The terms genome engineering, genome editing, and gene editing, refer to modifications (insertions, deletions, substitutions) in the genome of a living organism. The most widely used approach to ...genome editing nowadays is based on Clustered Regularly Interspaced Short Palindromic Repeats and associated protein 9 (CRISPR-Cas9). In prokaryotes, CRISPR-Cas9 is an adaptive immune system that naturally protects cells from DNA virus infections. CRISPR-Cas9 has been modified to create a versatile genome editing technology that has a wide diversity of applications in medicine, agriculture, and basic studies of gene functions. CRISPR-Cas9 has been used in a growing number of monocot and dicot plant species to enhance yield, quality, and nutritional value, to introduce or enhance tolerance to biotic and abiotic stresses, among other applications. Although biosafety concerns remain, genome editing is a promising technology with potential to contribute to food production for the benefit of the growing human population. Here, we review the principles, current advances and applications of CRISPR-Cas9-based gene editing in crop improvement. We also address biosafety concerns and show that humans have been exposed to Cas9 protein homologues long before the use of CRISPR-Cas9 in genome editing.
•A comprehensive mathematical model is proposed for biofuel supply chain design.•We link the three dimensions of sustainability using multiobjective programming.•Dynamic capacity strategy in ...facilities is addressed.•A realistic case study in Colombia is conducted.
Biofuel production from agricultural waste has been identified as a promising strategy in the field of renewable energy. This topic involves complex mathematical modeling tasks such as feedstock characteristics, biorefinery location, capacity strategy and material flows. This paper proposes a Multiple Objective Mixed Integer Linear Programming model (MOMILP) for the design of a sustainable supply chain using multiple agricultural residues. The proposed comprehensive model is utilized in a case study in Colombia, using coffee crop residues. Computational results show the model’s robustness as a decision-making tool, which allows the projection of a flexible supply chain structure in the long term.
The concept of e-learning is a technology-mediated learning approach of great potential from the educational perspective and it has been one of the main research lines of Educational Technology in ...the last decades. The aim of the present systematic literature review (SLR) was to identify (a) the research topics; (b) the most relevant theories; (c) the most researched modalities; and (d) the research methodologies used. To this end, the PRISMA protocol was followed, and different tools were used for the bibliographic management and text-mining. The literature selection was carried out in three first-quartile journals indexed in JCR-SSCI specialized in Educational Technology. A total of 248 articles composed the final sample. The analysis of the texts identified three main nodes: (a) online students; (b) online teachers; and (c) curriculum-interactive learning environments. It was revealed that MOOC was the most researched e-learning modality. The Community of Inquiry and the Technological Acceptance Model, were the most used theories in the analyzed studies. The most frequent methodology was case study. Finally, the conclusions regarding the objectives of our SRL are presented: Main themes and research sub-themes, most researched e-learning modality, most relevant theoretical frameworks on e-learning, and typologies of research methodologies.
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