Investigation of PRDM10 and PRDM13 Expression in Developing Mouse Embryos by an Optimized PACT-Based Embryo Clearing Method

Recent developments in tissue clearing methods have significantly advanced the three-dimensional analysis of biological structures in whole, intact tissue, providing a greater understanding of spatial relationships and biological circuits. Nonetheless, studies have reported issues with maintaining structural integrity and preventing tissue disintegration, limiting the wide application of these techniques to fragile tissues such as developing embryos. Here, we present an optimized passive tissue clearing technique (PACT)-based embryo clearing method, initial embedding PACT (IMPACT)-Basic, that improves tissue rigidity without compromising optical transparency. We also present IMPACT-Advance, which is specifically optimized for thin slices of mouse embryos past E13.5. We demonstrate proof-of-concept by investigating the expression of two relatively understudied PR domain (PRDM) proteins, PRDM10 and PRDM13, in intact cleared mouse embryos at various stages of development. We observed strong PRDM10 and PRDM13 expression in the developing nervous system and skeletal cartilage, suggesting a functional role for these proteins in these tissues throughout embryogenesis.     

Assessment of Different Packaging Structures in the Stability of Frozen Fresh Brazilian Toscana Sausage

The aim of this work was to evaluate the effect of different package conditions on the characteristics of Toscana fresh sausage stored for 150?days under freezing. The analyses of lipid oxidation, moisture, pH, acidity, water activity, and counting of psychotrophic microorganisms were carried out along with the storage time for each package (low-density polyethylene with and without vacuum and oxygen permeability of 500?cm³ O₂/m² day atm at 23 ??C; nylon polyester with and without vacuum and permeability of 100?cm³ O₂/m² day atm at 23 ??C; and formal copolymer of ethylene and vinyl alcohol with and without vacuum and oxygen permeability of 5?cm³ O₂/m² day atm at 23 ??C). Results showed that from 60?days of storage, the samples stored using polyethylene without vacuum and nylon 100?cm³ O₂/m² day atm, without vacuum, presented a slight rancidity flavor, statistically different (p?<?0.05) from the other tested ones. After 151?days of storage, a relationship between 2-thiobarbituric acid reactive substances analysis and sensory characteristics could be observed. In this case, the packages without application of vacuum presented higher values in the sensory and oxidative rancidity analyses, configuring flavor of slight to moderate rancidity.     

Tailoring thermoresponsive microbeads in supercritical carbon dioxide for biomedical applications

The preparation of smart polymeric particles in supercritical carbon dioxide (scCO₂) presents many advantages for biomedical applications over conventional processes due to the easy elimination of trace contaminants rendering highly pure particles. Herein we report the successful optimization of poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) (PNIPAAm) synthesis strategy to obtain cell-sized hydrogel microbeads with defined and systematically varied mechanical properties. The effect of using different hydrophilic cross-linkers such as N,N-methylenebisacrylamide (MBAm), di(ethylene) glycol dimethacrylate (DEGDMA) and glycerol dimethacrylate (GDMA), on beads morphological, physico-chemical and mechanical properties was investigated. In agreement with a larger water uptake ability beads cross-linked with DEGDMA are more compliant than those containing MBAm or GDMA, having lower stiffness as accessed through oscillatory measurements on a rotational rheometer. Cytotoxicity assays showed that the obtained cross-linked PNIPAAm microbeads do not present any toxic effect on fibroblast cell cultures. Microbeads biocompatibility and adequate mechanical compliance enable their potential application on biomedical settings.     

Effect of Cavity Disinfectants on Adhesion to Primary Teeth—A Systematic Review

Some authors have been proposing the use of cavity disinfectants in order to reduce, or even eliminate, the effect of the microorganisms present in a dental cavity before a restoration is placed. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of different cavity disinfectants on bond strength and clinical success of composite and glass ionomer restorations on primary teeth. The research was conducted using Cochrane Library, PubMed/MEDLINE, SCOPUS, and Web of Science for articles published up to February 2021. The search was performed according to the PICO strategy. The evaluation of the methodological quality of each in vitro study was assessed using the CONSORT checklist for reporting in vitro studies on dental materials. Sixteen in vitro studies and one in situ study fulfilled the inclusion criteria and were analyzed. Chlorhexidine was the most studied cavity disinfectant, and its use does not compromise dentin bonding. Sodium hypochlorite is a promising alternative, but more research on its use is required to clearly state that it can safely be used as a cavity disinfectant for primary teeth. Although other disinfectants were studied, there is a low-level evidence attesting their effects on adhesion, therefore their use should be avoided.     

Evaluation of production and characterization of polygalacturonase by Aspergillus niger ATCC 9642

The aim of our study was to evaluate polygalacturonase (PG) production and characterization by Aspergillus niger ATCC 9642. The maximum PG activity (51.82 U/mL) was obtained using pectin, l-asparagine, and, iron sulphate concentrations of 32 g/L, 2 g/L, 0.06 g/L and 1.0 g/L, respectively; 180 rpm of stirring rate, 25 °C and an initial pH of 4.0. The kinetic study showed that the highest enzyme activity was achieved at 27 h of fermentation. The evaluation of the optimum pH and temperature permitted us to observe that highest PG activities were achieved at 37 °C and pH of 5.5. The enzymatic extract presented higher stability at 55 °C and pH of 5.0. The results showed that at low temperatures the enzyme extract kept the initial activity until 40 days of storage. The experimental design methodology permitted us to optimize the PG activity and an important aspect of this study is the characterization of the PG in terms of optimum temperature and pH using experimental design technique and also, the characterization of enzyme stability at low temperature. Such studies are very scarce in the literature and should be helpful to understand the true potentialities of pectinases in its industrial applications.     

Investigation of the Putative Associations Between Dairy Consumption and Incidence of Type 1 and Type 2 Diabetes

A growing body of evidence suggests a possible relationship between the consumption of dairy products and the incidence of diabetes. A positive correlation between the early introduction of dairy in infancy and the incidence of type 1 diabetes (T1D) in genetically predisposed infants has been suggested by studies on rodents and humans. However, the lines of evidence supporting this association, including epidemiological studies and the observation of antibodies to bovine serum albumin, β-casein and bovine insulin in the serum of patients with T1D, are not without controversy. On the other hand, an inverse relationship between the consumption of dairy foods and the development of metabolic syndrome and/or type 2 diabetes (T2D) has been implied by epidemiological studies. Several dairy components, especially milk proteins, are believed to play a role in the beneficial effect of dairy consumption on glucose regulation by modulation of incretin hormones. Other dietary factors have also been associated with the incidence of T1D and T2D, indicating that dairy foods might be only one among many dietary agents possibly implicated in the development of diabetes. The present paper critically reviews the evidence and plausible mechanisms for the putative associations between dairy food consumption and incidence of T1D and T2D.     

Overview of food products and dietary constituents with antidiabetic properties and their putative mechanisms of action: A natural approach to complement pharmacotherapy in the management of diabetes

Diabetes is one of the fastest growing chronic, noncommunicable diseases worldwide. Currently, 11 major classes of pharmacotherapy are available for the management of this metabolic disorder. However, the usage of these drugs is often associated with undesirable side effects, including weight gain and hypoglycemia. There is thus a need for new, safe and effective treatment strategies. Diet is known to play a major role in the prevention and management of diabetes. Numerous studies have reported the putative association of the consumption of specific food products, or their constituents, with the incidence of diabetes, and mounting evidence now suggests that some dietary factors can improve glycemic regulation. Foods and dietary constituents, similar to synthetic drugs, have been shown to modulate hormones, enzymes, and organ systems involved in carbohydrate metabolism. The present article reviews the major classes and modes of action of antidiabetic drugs, and examines the evidence on food products and dietary factors with antidiabetic properties as well as their plausible mechanisms of action. The findings suggest potential use of dietary constituents as a complementary approach to pharmacotherapy in the prevention and/or management of diabetes, but further research is necessary to identify the active components and evaluate their efficacy and safety.     

The removal of an anionic red dye from aqueous solutions using chitosan beads-the role of experimental factors on adsorption using a full factorial design

A factorial design was employed to evaluate the quantitative removal of an anionic red dye from aqueous solutions on epichlorohydrin-cross-linked chitosan. The experimental factors and their respective levels studied were the initial dye concentration in solution (25 or 600 mg L⁻¹), the absence or the presence of the anionic surfactant sodium dodecylbenzenesulfonate (DBS) and the adsorption temperature (25 or 55 °C). The adsorption parameters were analyzed statistically using modeling polynomial equations. The results indicated that increasing the dye concentration from 25 to 600 mg L⁻¹ increases the dye adsorption whereas the presence of DBS increases it. The principal effect of temperature did not show a high statistical significance. The factorial results also demonstrate the existence of statistically significant binary interactions of the experimental factors. The adsorption thermodynamic parameters, namely Δ_adsH, Δ_adsG and Δ_adsS, were determined for all the factorial design results. Exothermic and endothermic values were found in relation to the Δ_adsH. The positive Δ_adsS values indicate that entropy is a driving force for adsorption. The Δ_adsG values are significantly affected by an important synergistic effect of the factors and not by the temperature changes alone.