The present paper describes fundamentals, advantages and limitations of the Box-Behnken design (BBD) for the optimization of analytical methods. It establishes also a comparison between this design ...and composite central, three-level full factorial and Doehlert designs. A detailed study on factors and responses involved during the optimization of analytical systems is also presented. Functions developed for calculation of multiple responses are discussed, including the desirability function
, which was proposed by Derringer and Suich in 1980. Concept and evaluation of robustness of analytical methods are also discussed. Finally, descriptions of applications of this technique for optimization of analytical methods are presented.
Treatment of spinal cord injury is dependent on neuronal survival, appropriate synaptic circuit preservation, and inflammatory environment management. In this sense, mesenchymal stem cell (MSC) ...therapy is a promising tool that can reduce glial reaction and provide trophic factors to lesioned neurons.
Lewis adult female rats were submitted to a unilateral ventral funiculus cut at the spinal levels L4, L5, and L6. The animals were divided into the following groups: IA (intramedullary axotomy), IA + DMEM (Dulbecco's modified Eagle's medium), IA + FS (fibrin sealant), IA + MSC (10
cells), and IA + FS + MSC (10
cells). Seven days after injury, qPCR (n = 5) was performed to assess gene expression of VEGF, BDNF, iNOS2, arginase-1, TNF-α, IL-1β, IL-6, IL-10, IL-4, IL-13, and TGF-β. The cellular infiltrate at the lesion site was analyzed by hematoxylin-eosin (HE) staining and immunohistochemistry (IH) for Iba1 (microglia and macrophage marker) and arginase-1. Fourteen days after injury, spinal alpha motor neurons (MNs), evidenced by Nissl staining (n = 5), were counted. For the analysis of astrogliosis in spinal lamina IX and synaptic detachment around lesioned motor neurons (GAP-43-positive cells), anti-GFAP and anti-synaptophysin immunohistochemistry (n = 5) was performed, respectively. Twenty-eight days after IA, the gait of the animals was evaluated by the walking track test (CatWalk; n = 7).
The site of injury displayed strong monocyte infiltration, containing arginase-1-expressing macrophages. The FS-treated group showed upregulation of iNOS2, arginase-1, proinflammatory cytokine (TNF-α and IL-1β), and antiinflammatory cytokine (IL-10, IL-4, and IL-13) expression. Thus, FS enhanced early macrophage recruitment and proinflammatory cytokine expression, which accelerated inflammation. Rats treated with MSCs displayed high BDNF-positive immunolabeling, suggesting local delivery of this neurotrophin to lesioned motoneurons. This BDNF expression may have contributed to the increased neuronal survival and synapse preservation and decreased astrogliosis observed 14 days after injury. At 28 days after lesion, gait recovery was significantly improved in MSC-treated animals compared to that in the other groups.
Overall, the present data demonstrate that MSC therapy is neuroprotective and, when associated with a FS, shifts the immune response to a proinflammatory profile.
The results of three Partial Least Squares (PLS) regression models were used to gain a holistic view on the consequences of natural processes and anthropogenic pressures for water quality degradation ...and biodiversity decline in a multi-use watershed. The processes were soil erosion and wildfire risk; the pressures comprised land use conflicts, leachates from domestic and industrial waste, arable farming intensity and livestock density. Water quality was characterized for concentrations of nutrients (nitrate, phosphate), oxygen demands (Biochemical Oxygen Demand – BOD5, Chemical Oxygen Demand – COD) and various metals (e.g., As, Cr). Ecological integrity was assessed by the recently developed MELI (Multiple Ecological Level Index). In total, 18 variables were processed in the regression models. Two models were called “nested models” because they dealt with initial (pressures), intermediate (water quality) and final (MELI) environmental descriptors, used as dependent (MELI, quality) or independent (quality, pressures) variables. The third was called “bypass model” because it dealt solely with initial and final descriptors. Overall, the results of PLS regression linked the ineffective treatment of domestic sewage to water quality and ecological integrity declines in the studied watershed. Put another way, all models recurrently affirmed the major role of local factors, meaning of point source pollution, in determining the quality of stream water and the integrity of freshwater ecosystems. Sources of diffuse pollution were accounted for as contributing factors in the PLS regressions, but their influence was scarcely perceptible in the results. The poor treatment of domestic effluents is a public concern. In their strategic plans for mitigating this problem in the forthcoming years, administrative authorities are concentrated on management initiatives to improve the quality of provided services, instead of considering the construction of new wastewater treatment plants.
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•PLS regression and GIS were used to correlate spatial patterns of environmental descriptors in the Ave River basin (Portugal)•Results linked ecological integrity declines observed downstream to poor treatment of domestic sewage•The impact of industrial effluents and diffuse pollution sources are viewed as subsidiary•Local factors have a greater influence on the values of BOD5, COD, PO4, NO3 and Fe, than larger scale factors•Mitigation of urban pollution relies on the improvement of wastewater treatment and not on the construction of new plants
Abstract The aim of this systematic review was to evaluate the survival and success rates of osseointegrated implants determined in longitudinal studies that conducted a follow-up of at least 10 ...years. A broad electronic search was conducted in MEDLINE/PubMed and the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL) for relevant publications in indexed journals, evaluating the clinical performance of dental implants. Using inclusion and exclusion criteria, two reviewers analyzed titles, abstracts, and complete articles, prioritizing studies of the randomized clinical trial type. A total of 23 articles were included in this review. Ten prospective studies, nine retrospective studies, and four randomized clinical trials, which evaluated 7711 implants, were selected. The mean follow-up time of the studies included was 13.4 years. All of the studies reported survival rates and mean marginal bone resorption values, with cumulative mean values of 94.6% and 1.3 mm, respectively. Fourteen studies related success rates. Taking into consideration the disparate outcome measures employed to assess dental implant performance and within the limitations of this systematic review, we may affirm that osseointegrated implants are safe and present high survival rates and minimal marginal bone resorption in the long term.
The main purpose of this study was to use Partial Least Squares – Path Modeling (PLS-PM) to quantify the contributions of natural and human-induced threats to biodiversity loss in rural and urban ...watersheds. The study area comprised the Sabor and Ave river basins, located in northern Portugal. The Sabor is rural and sparsely populated while the Ave is urbanized, industrialized and densely populated. Within PLS-PM, threats are called exogenous latent variables while the ultimate environmental consequence (biodiversity loss) is termed endogenous latent variable. Latent variables are concepts represented by numerical parameters called formative variables. The selected latent variables were given the names “pressures”, “contamination” and “ecological integrity”. The most important “pressures” were the wildfire risk, the percentage of urban area in sub-catchments, the diffuse emissions of livestock nitrogen (N) and agriculture/forest phosphorus (P), and the point source emissions of urban N, P and biochemical oxygen demand, as well as of industrial N. The latent variable called “contamination” was primarily represented by stream water concentrations of phosphate, suspended solids and dissolved oxygen. And finally, the “ecological integrity” was represented by the he North Invertebrate Portuguese Index. The results unequivocally showed that point source emissions in the Sabor (except industrial N) and stream water contamination in the Ave determine biodiversity loss. These contrasting influences suggest that Ave basin has evolved from a catchment where man once produced localized negative effects on stream ecological integrity (a condition still observed in the Sabor basin) to a catchment where the dense human occupation has covered the entire area with urban contaminant sources, somewhat generalizing the local effects. The attribution of local effects to biodiversity loss in the rural catchment and of regional effects in the urban catchment is confirmed by the results of a study covering the entire planet.
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•Partial Least Squares – Path Modeling is used to relate environmental descriptors.•Results link ecological integrity declines to inefficient treatment of domestic sewage.•In the rural watershed (Sabor), biodiversity loss is localized and of low magnitude.•In the urban watershed (Ave), biodiversity loss is generalized and of high magnitude.•Pressures and water contamination describe biodiversity loss in the Sabor and Ave.
•NIR was evaluated as a rapid method to measure volatile compounds (VC) of wines.•A new chemometric approach was used to calibrate the data.•The obtained models were able to predict ten VC with high ...correlation coefficients.•Results showed that this technique can be used to quantify volatile compounds.
This work aims to explore the potential of near infrared (NIR) spectroscopy to quantify volatile compounds in Vinho Verde wines, commonly determined by gas chromatography. For this purpose, 105 Vinho Verde wine samples were analyzed using Fourier transform near infrared (FT-NIR) transmission spectroscopy in the range of 5435 cm−1 to 6357 cm−1. Boxplot and principal components analysis (PCA) were performed for clusters identification and outliers removal. A partial least square (PLS) regression was then applied to develop the calibration models, by a new iterative approach. The predictive ability of the models was confirmed by an external validation procedure with an independent sample set. The obtained results could be considered as quite good with coefficients of determination (R2) varying from 0.94 to 0.97. The current methodology, using NIR spectroscopy and chemometrics, can be seen as a promising rapid tool to determine volatile compounds in Vinho Verde wines.
Aims
To investigate the probiotic potential of yeasts isolated from naturally fermented Brazilian table olives.
Methods and Results
Eighteen yeast strains were tested in terms of: safety; survival of ...gastrointestinal and digestion conditions; antimicrobial activity; cellular hydrophobicity; autoaggregation ability and adhesion to epithelial cells; coaggregation and inhibition of pathogenic bacteria adhesion. Six yeasts showed favourable results for all probiotic attributes: Saccharomyces cerevisiae CCMA 1746, Pichia guilliermondii CCMA 1753, Candida orthopsilosis CCMA 1748, Candida tropicalis CCMA 1751, Meyerozyma caribbica CCMA 1758 and Debaryomyces hansenii CCMA 1761. These yeasts demonstrated resistance to 37°C, pH 2·0 and bile salts, and survived in vitro digestion (≥106 CFU per ml). Furthermore, the yeasts exhibited a hydrophobic cell surface (42·5–92·2%), autoaggregation capacity (41·0–91·0%) and adhesion to Caco‐2 (62·0–82·8%) and HT‐29 (57·6–87·3%) epithelial cell lines. Also, the strains showed antimicrobial activity against Salmonella Enteritidis as well as the ability to coaggregate and reduce the adhesion of this pathogen to intestinal cells.
Conclusions
Autochthonous yeasts from naturally fermented Brazilian table olives have probiotic properties, with potential for development of new probiotic food products.
Significance and Impact of Study
These data are important and contribute to the knowledge of new potential probiotic yeasts capable of surviving gastrointestinal tract conditions and inhibiting pathogenic bacteria.
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•Basic aspects used to control the architecture and functional properties of smart hydrogels.•What has been accomplished regarding smart hydrogels.•Chemical interactions and the main ...variables involved in smart hydrogels architecture construction.•System modulation for optimizing biological responses.•Perspectives and challenges for building smart hydrogels into functionalized and modulated delivery systems.
This review discusses basic aspects used to control the architecture and functional properties of smart hydrogels. The introduction briefly outlines what has been accomplished regarding smart hydrogels and explores historical aspects and the fundamental understanding of these systems. Then, a short discussion on the chemical interactions and the main variables involved in architectural construction is exhibited. Further analysis provides the basis for optimizing biological responses through system modulation. Finally, we outline perspectives and challenges for building smart hydrogels into functionalized and modulated delivery systems.
Methane is an important greenhouse gas and energy resource generated dominantly by methanogens at low temperatures and through the breakdown of organic molecules at high temperatures. However, ...methane-formation temperatures in nature are often poorly constrained. We measured formation temperatures of thermogenic and biogenic methane using a "clumped isotope" technique. Thermogenic gases yield formation temperatures between 157° and 221°C, within the nominal gas window, and biogenic gases yield formation temperatures consistent with their comparatively lower-temperature formational environments (<50°C). In systems where gases have migrated and other proxies for gas-generation temperature yield ambiguous results, methane clumped-isotope temperatures distinguish among and allow for independent tests of possible gas-formation models.
In this paper we present a layerwise finite element model for the analysis of sandwich laminated plates with a viscoelastic core and laminated anisotropic face layers. The stiffness and mass matrices ...of the element are obtained by Carrera’s Unified Formulation (CUF). The dynamic problem is solved in the frequency domain with viscoelastic frequency-dependent material properties for the core. The dynamic behaviour of the model is compared with solutions found in the literature, including experimental data.
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