The nanoscale surface of titanium has been studied to improve the cellular recognition of the biological microenvironment and to increase bone–implant interaction. The aim of this study was to ...analyze the effect of a titanium oxide (TiO2) nanotube surface with a machined surface on osseointegration tibia implants without primary stability. This study used an experimental design, divided into two groups (n = 16): commercially pure titanium machined implants (Cp‐Ti Ma) and commercially pure titanium anodized implants (Cp‐Ti An). Titanium nanotubes were produced by anodic oxidation, and the topography of surface was analyzed using field emission scanning microscope (FE‐SEM). The implants (2.1 × 2.8 mm Ø) were surgically placed in the right tibia (defects with milling drill 2.5 × 3.2 mm Ø) of 32 Wistar male rats (250–300 g). The animals were euthanized at 7 weeks postoperatively. The maximum value of removal torque was measured (N/cm) in the right tibia half of each group (8 animals/8 tibiae); the other half of each group underwent a nondecalcified protocol, stained with Stevenel blue/Alizarin red, and the formation of bone tissue in close contact to the implant was measured. The obtained data were analyzed statistically (t test). Differences were considered statistically significant for α < 0.05. Cp‐Ti An implants were significantly higher in removal torque and peri‐implant bone healing compared with Cp‐Ti Ma implants (p < .01). Within the limitations of this study, it was observed that the surface modification of titanium by anodization (TiO2 nanotubes) can improve osseointegration, and this may be very useful to reduce the time required for peri‐implant bone formation.
• The titanium oxide nanotube surface was better integrated into the bone than the control surface.• The surface anodization can improve the osseointegration, and it may be very useful to reduce the time required for peri‐implant bone formation.
Indigenous people have been managing fire‐prone landscapes for millennia, especially in tropical savannas, thereby maintaining carbon stocks and pyrodiversity and ensuring food security. In some ...indigenous lands in Brazil, fire brigades are composed of indigenous people, integrating their traditional knowledge in Brazilian fire management policies; however, the effectiveness of their management is largely undocumented. Nevertheless, we need to know the effectiveness of indigenous fire brigades and their influence on fire patterns.
Here, we evaluate an 18‐year historical series of fire patterns and burn scars, comparing periods with and without indigenous brigade activity, to describe the role of indigenous fire brigades in the Kadiwéu Indigenous Territory. In this Indigenous Territory, fire brigades composed of indigenous people have been instituted, trained and maintained by the National Center of Prevention and Combat of Wildfire (PREVFOGO/IBAMA) since 2009. These brigades are responsible for fire management throughout the Kadiwéu Indigenous Territory using controlled burning, prescribed burning and combating wildfires.
We found that fire management by the indigenous brigades has reduced fire frequency by 80% in the areas with high fire frequency (over 70% of the analysed time). Management also reduced the size of the area burned by 53% and the influence of climate over the total area burned. According to our models, the area affected by fires is mainly influenced by annual rainfall in the absence of indigenous brigades; in contrast, climatic factors could not explain the variation in the burned area in the period without indigenous brigades.
Synthesis and applications. The fire management realized by the indigenous brigades can modify the fire regime. These changes in the fire regime can include: changes in spatial patterns, the magnitude of fires and reduction in the influence of climate on fire regimes. Hence, the management carried out by the indigenous brigades can be considered an important tool for fire management. In addition to demonstrating the importance of programs that integrate traditional indigenous knowledge with fire management policies, such as the Integrated Fire Management (IFM), to construct effective management strategies.
Resumo
Os povos indígenas vêm gerindo paisagens propensas ao fogo há milênios, especialmente nas savanas tropicais, mantendo assim os estoques de carbono e a pirodiversidade e garantindo a segurança alimentar. Em algumas terras indígenas no Brasil, as brigadas de incêndio são compostas por indígenas, integrando seus conhecimentos tradicionais nas políticas de manejo de incêndios; no entanto, a eficácia da sua gestão é em grande parte não documentada. Deste modo, precisamos conhecer a eficácia das brigadas de incêndio indígenas e sua influência nos padrões de incêndio.
Neste estudo, avaliamos uma série histórica de 18 anos de padrões de incêndio e cicatrizes de queimadas, comparando períodos com e sem atividade de brigada indígena, para descrever o papel das brigadas indígenas na Terra Indígena Kadiwéu. Neste Território Indígena, desde 2009, brigadas de incêndio compostas por indígenas são instituídas, treinadas e mantidas pelo Centro Nacional de Prevenção e Combate a Incêndios (PREVFOGO/IBAMA). Estas brigadas são responsáveis pelo manejo do fogo em todo o território Kadwéu, utilizando técnicas como a queima prescrita, queima controlada e o combate a incêndios.
Constatamos que o manejo de incêndios realizado pelas brigadas indígenas reduziu a frequência de incêndios em 80% nas áreas com alta frequência de incêndios (mais de 70% do tempo analisado). O manejo também reduziu em 53% o tamanho da área anual queimada e a influência do clima sobre a área total queimada. De acordo com nossos modelos, a área afetada pelos incêndios é influenciada principalmente pelas chuvas anuais na ausência de brigadas indígenas; em contrapartida, os fatores climáticos não puderam explicar a variação da área queimada no período sem brigadas indígenas.
Síntese e aplicações. O manejo do fogo realizado pelas brigadas indígenas pode modificar o regime de fogo. Essas alterações no regime de fogo podem incluir: mudanças nos padrões espaciais, na magnitude dos incêndios e redução na influência do clima sobre os regimes de fogo. Assim, o manejo realizado pelas brigadas indígenas pode ser considerado uma importante ferramenta para o manejo do fogo. Além disso, demonstra a importância de programas que integrem o conhecimento tradicional indígena com políticas de manejo do fogo, como o Manejo Integrado do Fogo (MFI), para a construção de estratégias de manejo eficazes.
The fire management realized by the indigenous brigades can modify the fire regime. These changes in the fire regime can include: changes in spatial patterns, the magnitude of fires and reduction in the influence of climate on fire regimes. Hence, the management carried out by the indigenous brigades can be considered an important tool for fire management. In addition, demonstrates the importance of programs that integrate traditional indigenous knowledge with fire management policies, such as the Integrated Fire Management (IFM), to construct effective management strategies.
Cosmetic residues have been found in water resources, especially trace elements of precursors, couplers, and pigments of hair dyes, which are indiscriminately disposed of in the sewage system. These ...contaminants are persistent, bioactive, and bioaccumulative, and may pose risks to living beings. Thus, the present study assessed the ecotoxicity of two types of effluents generated in beauty salons after the hair dyeing process. The toxicity of effluent derived from capillary washing with water, shampoo, and conditioner (complete effluent—CE) and effluent not associated with these products (dye effluent—DE) was evaluated by tests carried out with the aquatic organisms Artemia salina, Daphnia similis, and Danio rerio. The bioindicators were exposed to pure samples and different dilutions of both effluents. The results showed toxicity in D. similis (CE50 of 3.43% and 0.54% for CE and DE, respectively); A. salina (LC50 8.327% and 3.874% for CE and DE, respectively); and D. rerio (LC50 of 4.25–4.59% and 7.33–8.18% for CE and DE, respectively). Given these results, we can infer that hair dyes, even at low concentrations, have a high toxic potential for aquatic biota, as they induced deleterious effects in all tested bioindicators.
•Method could simultaneously determine minoxidil and latanoprost in skin layers.•The method demonstrated to be selective, linear, sensitive, and precise.•Recovery experiments achieved high levels of ...drugs extracted from the skin layers.•Effective bioanalytical method when tested in in vitro skin penetration studies.
The association of minoxidil sulphate and latanoprost is currently emerging as a promising strategy for the treatment of androgenic alopecia, which is the most common type of scalp hair loss. In order to support the development of new pharmaceutical products containing such drugs combination, this study proposes a simple and efficient LC–MS bioanalytical method to simultaneously quantify minoxidil sulphate and latanoprost in different skin layers. Compounds separation was performed by liquid chromatography using a C18 column with gradient elution of a mobile phase composed of 0.1 % formic acid in acetonitrile and water at a flow rate of 0.5 mL min−1. Determinations were executed using mass spectrometry equipped with an ESI interface operating in a positive ionization mode. Quantification was performed using selective ion mode monitoring of m/z 210.1 for minoxidil sulphate and 433.3 for latanoprost. The matrix effect was very pronounced in samples containing some skin layers or electrolyte solution. Accordingly, a calibration curve for each contaminant group was built, leading to correlation coefficient values higher than 0.99. Additionally, lower limits of detection and quantification were obtained, and precision (repeatability and intermediate precision) achieved results with a coefficient of variation less than 15 %. Drug recovery from skin samples was higher than 70 %, fulfilling the recommendations. Also, the bioanalytical method was successfully tested in in vitro skin penetration studies proving its effectiveness in the development of topical formulations containing both drugs.
Forage grasses are mainly used in animal feed to fatten cattle and dairy herds, and guinea grass (
) is considered one of the most productive of the tropical forage crops that reproduce by seeds. Due ...to the recent process of domestication, this species has several genomic complexities, such as autotetraploidy and aposporous apomixis. Consequently, approaches that relate phenotypic and genotypic data are incipient. In this context, we built a linkage map with allele dosage and generated novel information of the genetic architecture of traits that are important for the breeding of
. From a full-sib progeny, a linkage map containing 858 single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) markers with allele dosage information expected for an autotetraploid was obtained. The high genetic variability of the progeny allowed us to map 10 quantitative trait loci (QTLs) related to agronomic traits, such as regrowth capacity and total dry matter, and 36 QTLs related to nutritional quality, which were distributed among all homology groups (HGs). Various overlapping regions associated with the quantitative traits suggested QTL hotspots. In addition, we were able to map one locus that controls apospory (apo-locus) in HG II. A total of 55 different gene families involved in cellular metabolism and plant growth were identified from markers adjacent to the QTLs and APOSPORY locus using the
genome as a reference in comparisons with the genomes of
and
. Our results provide a better understanding of the genetic basis of reproduction by apomixis and traits important for breeding programs that considerably influence animal productivity as well as the quality of meat and milk.
Currently, the search for new alternatives to conventional antibiotics to combat bacterial resistance is an urgent task, as many microorganisms threaten human health due to increasing bacterial ...resistance to traditional medicines. Thus, new molecules such as antimicrobial peptides have emerged as promising alternatives because of their low induction of resistance and broad spectrum of action. In this context, in the past few years, our research group has synthesized and characterized a peptide derived from the C-terminal region of the Lys49 PLA2-like BthTX-I, named p-BthTX-I. After several studies, the peptide (p-BthTX-I)2K was proposed as the molecule with the most considerable biotechnological potential. As such, the present work aimed to evaluate whether the modifications made on the peptide (p-BthTX-I)2K can be applied to other molecules originating from the C-terminal region of PLA2-like Lys49 from snake venoms. The peptides were obtained through the solid-phase peptide synthesis technique, and biochemical and functional characterization was carried out using dichroism techniques, mass spectrometry, antimicrobial activity against ESKAPE strains, hemolytic activity, and permeabilization of lipid vesicles. The antimicrobial activity of the peptides was promising, especially for the peptides (p-AppK)2K and (p-ACL)2K, which demonstrated activity against all strains that were tested, surpassing the model molecule (p-BthTX-I)2K in most cases and maintaining low hemolytic activity. The modifications initially proposed for the (p-BthTX-I)2K peptide were shown to apply to other peptides derived from Lys49 PLA2-like from snake venoms, showing promising results for antimicrobial activity. Future assays comparing the activity of the dimers obtained through this strategy with the monomers of these peptides should be carried out.
There are very few taxonomic studies of Brazilian sipunculan worms, and the species occurring along the northern coasts are largely understudied. We report herein the occurrence of four shallow water ...species along the intertidal zones of Bahia and Pernambuco states. Antillesoma antillarum (Grbe & Oersted, 1858) occurs from underneath beach rocks or within sandstone reefs and may reach high densities. The large species Sipunculus (Sipunculus) nudus Linnaeus, 1766, Sipunculus polymyotus Fisher, 1947, and Xenosiphon branchiatus (Fischer, 1895) were collected in sandy-mud, low-energy intertidal environments. For the first time, we report that sipunculans are collected and used as fishing bait by local fishermen in the Western Atlantic. All species are fully described, including notes on their external and internal anatomy.
Lactococcus lactis subsp. lactis NCDO 2118 was recently reported to alleviate colitis symptoms via its anti-inflammatory and immunomodulatory activities, which are exerted by exported proteins that ...are not produced by L. lactis subsp. lactis IL1403. Here, we used in vitro and in silico approaches to characterize the genomic structure, the safety aspects, and the immunomodulatory activity of this strain. Through comparative genomics, we identified genomic islands, phage regions, bile salt and acid stress resistance genes, bacteriocins, adhesion-related and antibiotic resistance genes, and genes encoding proteins that are putatively secreted, expressed in vitro and absent from IL1403. The high degree of similarity between all Lactococcus suggests that the Symbiotic Islands commonly shared by both NCDO 2118 and KF147 may be responsible for their close relationship and their adaptation to plants. The predicted bacteriocins may play an important role against the invasion of competing strains. The genes related to the acid and bile salt stresses may play important roles in gastrointestinal tract survival, whereas the adhesion proteins are important for persistence in the gut, culminating in the competitive exclusion of other bacteria. Finally, the five secreted and expressed proteins may be important targets for studies of new anti-inflammatory and immunomodulatory proteins. Altogether, the analyses performed here highlight the potential use of this strain as a target for the future development of probiotic foods.
PURPOSEThe primary purpose of this study was to assess vascular retinal findings temporally related to COVID-19 vaccination. With greater information regarding all possible future adverse events, we ...hope to understand the real dimension and relevance of what was presented. METHODSEleven patients with visual complaints after COVID-19 vaccination were enrolled. Data on the following were included: age, sex, vaccine, time of symptom onset, systemic findings, medical history, best-corrected visual acuity, and ocular findings by slit-lamp biomicroscopy as well as multimodal retinal imaging (color fundus, red-free photography, spectral-domain optical coherence tomography, optical coherence tomography angiography, and fluorescein-angiography). Inclusion criteria were the presence of ophthalmologic signs within 30 days after the first or second dose of any COVID-19 vaccine. RESULTSOf 11 patients, five had arterial occlusion (45.4%), four had venous occlusion (36.4%), and two (18.2%) had nonspecific vascular alterations suggestive of retinal ischemia such as cotton-wool spots. The mean age was 57 (SD = 16; range: 27-84) years. The mean time of symptoms onset was 10 (SD = 5.4; range: 3-16) days. Nine patients were female (81.8%). Systemic risk factors were observed in 36.4% of patients. Two patients had both neurological and visual symptoms, with arterial occlusion. Overall, 36.4% patients had COVID-19 in the previous year. Seven patients (63.6%) received ChAdOx1 nCoV-19 (AZD1222) vaccine. CONCLUSIONSOur data suggest that retinal events temporally related to COVID-19 vaccination are possible but are very rare. The relationship of these events with post-COVID-19 vaccination warrants further attention to derive a meaningful conclusion.
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