Data management in digital twins: a systematic literature review

Knowledge and Information Systems - The Internet of Things (IoT) and continuous advances in data-gathering devices and techniques have significantly increased the amount of relevant data that can...     

In Vitro Inactivation of Herpes Virus by Ozone

Viruses represent a major threat to human health and might be transmitted by direct and indirect contact. Reducing the viral load, either in the host or in the environment greatly reduces virus spreading. In this work we aimed to evaluate the virucidal activity of ozone against herpes virus of human (Herpes Simplex Virus 1 – HSV-1) and bovine (Bovine Herpes Virus 1 – BoHV-1) origin. The virucidal activity was measured by tittering aliquots of HSV-1 and BoHV-1 exposed for 1, 2, and 3 h to ozone generated by a domestic device. In addition, the possible cytotoxic effect of ozone to cultured MDBK cells was also assessed using the MTT method. MDBK cells exposed to ozone for 3 h and tested immediately after exposure, or after culturing for 24 h, had viability similar to non-exposed cells, indicating that ozone per se was not cytotoxic to the cells. Furthermore, a significant reduction in BoHV-1 (99.62%) and HSV-1 (90.0%) titer was observed after 3 h exposure to ozone. Our results indicate that ozone might be safely used to reduce environmental load of herpes virus.     

In vitro antifungal activity and toxicity of itraconazole in DMSA-PLGA nanoparticles

Itraconazole (ITZ) is a drug used to treat various fungal infections and may cause side effects. The aim of this study was to develop and evaluate the in vitro activity of DMSA-PLGA nanoparticles loaded with ITZ against Paracoccidioides brasiliensis, as well as their cytotoxicity. Nanoparticles were prepared using the emulsification-evaporation technique and characterized by their encapsulation efficiency, morphology (TEM), size (Nanosight) and charge (zeta potential). Antifungal efficacy in P. brasiliensis was determined by minimal inhibition concentration (MIC), and cytotoxicity using MTT assay. ITZ was effectively incorporated in the PLGA-DMSA nanoparticles with a loading efficiency of 72.8 +/- 3.50%. The shape was round with a solid polymeric structure, and a size distribution of 174 +/- 86 nm (Average +/- SD). The particles were negatively charged. ITZ-NANO presented antifungal inhibition (MIC = 6.25 ug/mL) against P. brasiliensis and showed lower in vitro cytotoxicity than free drug (ITZ).