Synthesis and characterisation of fluorescent pyrene‐end‐capped polylactide fibres

Fluorescent markers are critical for tracking the position and movement of molecules both in vivo and in vitro. Conventionally, synthetic dyes are non‐covalently added to polymers for fluorescent tracking, but often diffuse away. Here we demonstrate, for the first time, a facile method for the synthesis of fluorescent poly(lactic acid) nano‐/microfibres for biomedical applications using solution spin blowing. Pyrene‐end‐capped poly(l ‐lactide) (PLLA) derivatives were synthesised using the ring‐opening polymerisation of l ‐lactide and they were characterised using spectroscopic and thermal analyses. Submicrometre‐sized fluorescent fibres were produced from these PLLA derivatives using solution blow spinning techniques generating polymer blends and core–shell fibres. Such system could be further exploited to incorporate electrically conductive carbon allotropes via the pyrene aromaticity, producing fluorescent and electrically active fibres for in vitro monitoring and electrical stimulation. © 2018 Society of Chemical Industry     

The effect of co-encapsulation of Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG ATCC 53103 with inulin on alginate/chitosan matrix: the viability in fermented soy blend and simulated digestive system

This research verified the ability of Lactobacillus rhamnosus encapsulated with inulin to tolerate the simulated digestive system and their viability in a soy blend. Probiotic encapsulated in alginate-chitosan matrix without inulin presented a better encapsulation efficiency (80.92%) than encapsulation with inulin (57.39%). On the 28th day, the count of probiotics decreased by 3.42 and 1.99 logarithmic cycles of free and encapsulated cells without inulin, respectively. In contrast, the microorganisms encapsulated with inulin showed an increase of 1.26 logs CFU g⁻¹. During gastrointestinal simulation, cell counts decreased by 0.78, 1.55 and 1.95 CFU g⁻¹ logs for encapsulated cells without inulin, free and encapsulated with inulin, respectively. Sensory panellists liked the fermented soy blend with encapsulated lactobacilli, and this result shows the possibility to create new probiotic foods of plant origin. Therefore, the alginate/chitosan matrix can be considered adequate for the encapsulation of L. rhamnosus. The inulin reduces the encapsulation efficiency and increases the cell loss in gastrointestinal simulation. Considering cellular losses, the best option for preparing a fermented soy blend is to use L. rhamnosus encapsulated without inulin.     

An Improved NER Methodology to the Portuguese Language

Mobile Networks and Applications - The text mining process typically involves the application of natural language processing (NLP) techniques, in order to obtain important information and extract...     

Sugarcane Serine Peptidase Inhibitors,Serine Peptidases,and Clp Protease System Subunits Associated with Sugarcane Borer (Diatraea saccharalis) Herbivory and Wounding

Sugarcane’s (Saccharum spp.) response to Diatraea saccharalis (F.) (Lepidoptera: (Crambidae) herbivory was investigated using a macroarray spotted with 248 sugarcane Expressed Sequence Tags (ESTs) encoding serine peptidase inhibitors, serine peptidases. and Clp protease system subunits. Our results showed that after nine hours of herbivory, 13 sugarcane genes were upregulated and nine were downregulated. Among the upregulated genes, nine were similar to serine peptidase inhibitors and four were similar to Bowman-Birk Inhibitors (BBIs). Phylogenetic analysis revealed that these sequences belong to a phylogenetic group of sugarcane BBIs that are potentially involved in plant defense against insect predation. The remaining four upregulated genes included serine peptidases and one homolog to the Arabidopsis AAA+ chaperone subunit ClpD, which is a member of the Clp protease system. Among the downregulated genes, five were homologous to serine peptidases and four were homologous to Arabidopsis Clp subunits (three homologous to Clp AAA+ chaperones and one to a ClpP-related ClpR subunit). Although the roles of serine peptidase inhibitors in plant defenses against herbivory have been extensively investigated, the roles of plant serine peptidases and the Clp protease system represent a new and underexplored field of study. The up- and downregulated D. saccharalis genes presented in this study may be candidate genes for the further investigation of the sugarcane response to herbivory.     

Design and characterization of PNVCL-based nanofibers and evaluation of their potential applications as scaffolds for surface drug delivery of hydrophobic drugs

In this work, nanofiber scaffolds for surface drug delivery applications were obtained by electrospinning poly(N-vinylcaprolactam) (PNVCL) and its blends with poly(ε-caprolactone) and poly(N-vinylcaprolactam)-b-poly(ε-caprolactone). The process parameters to obtain smooth and beadless PNVCL fibers were optimized. The average fibers diameter was less than 1 μm, and it was determined by scanning electron microscopy analyses. Their affinity toward water was evaluated by measuring the contact angle with water. The ketoprofen release behavior from the fibers was analyzed using independent and model-dependent approaches. The low values of the release exponent (n < 0.5) obtained for 20 and 42 °C, indicating a Fickian diffusion mechanism for all formulations. Dissolution efficiencies (DEs) revealed the effect of polymer composition, methodology used in the electrospinning process, and temperature on the release rate of ketoprofen. PNVCL/poly(N-vinylcaprolactam)-b-poly(ε-caprolactone)-based nanofibers showed greater ability to control the in vitro release of ketoprofen, in view of reduced kinetic constant and DE, making this material promising system for controlling release of hydrophobic drugs. © 2019 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2020 , 137, 48472.     

MODELLING OF MICROSTRUCTURE EVOLUTION AND PROPERTIES OF LOW-CARBON STEELS

1.IntroductionMicrostructureprocessmodelsareincreasinglyonhotstriprollingofste.l[1--7].Thesemodelsfrequentlyincorporateagreatdealofempiricismwithcomparativelytightprocessrangesofapplicability.Morefundamentallybasedprocessmodelsarerequiredtodeveloppredictivetoolstooptimizetheproductionforawiderangeofmilldesignsandprocessingconditions.Theprocessofhotstriprollingoflow--carbonsteelscanbesubdividedintothreeprin-cipalstages:(i)reheating,(n)rollingand(iii)cooling(watercoolingontherun--outtableandsubs…     

Physical properties of spray dried acerola pomace extract as affected by temperature and drying aids

The objective of this study was to assess the impact of some processing parameters on moisture content, flowability, hygroscopicity and water solubility of spray dried acerola pomace extract using maltodextrin and cashew tree gum as drying aids. The experiment was conducted according to Response Surface Methodology, with the independent variables being: inlet temperature (170-200 °C), drying aid/acerola ratio (2:1-5:1), and percent replacement of maltodextrin by cashew tree gum (0-100%). Higher inlet temperatures favored the desired physical properties of the powders, decreasing their moisture contents and hygroscopicity, and increasing flowability. The drying aids decreased the powder hygroscopicity, especially cashew tree gum (CTG), which also enhanced the powder flowability. The best processing conditions to obtain a free-flowing and least hygroscopic acerola pomace extract powder by spray drying were: inlet temperature above 194 °C; drying aid/acerola solid ratio, 4:1; percent replacement of maltodextrin by CTG, at least 80%.     

Effect of chitosan and Dysphania ambrosioides on the bone regeneration process: A randomized controlled trial in an animal model

The focus of this triple‐blind study was on evaluating the effect of chitosan combined with Dysphania ambrosioides (A) extract on the bone repair process in vivo. In total, 60 male Wistar rats (Rattus norvegicus albinus) weighing between 260 and 270 g were randomly selected for this study and distributed into four groups (n = 15). Group C (chitosan), Group CA5 (chitosan + 5% of D. ambrosioides), Group CA20 (chitosan + 20% of D. ambrosioides), and Group CO (Control‐Blood clot). In each animal, bone defects measuring 2 mm in diameter were performed in both tibias for placement of the substances. After 7, 15, and 30 days, the animals were sedated and sacrificed using the cervical dislocation technique and the tissues were analyzed under optical microscope relative to the following events: inflammatory infiltrate, necrosis, osteoclasts, osteoblasts, fibroblasts, periosteal, and endosteal bone formation. The data were evaluated to verify distribution using the Kolmogorov–Smirnov test, and variance, using the Levene test; as distribution was not normal, data were subjected to the Kruskal–Wallis and Dunn nonparametric tests (p < .05). A significant inflammatory infiltrate was observed in Group CA5 (p = .008) in the time interval of 7 days, and in Group C at 15 (p = .009) and 30 (p = .017) days. Osteoblastic activity was more significant in Group CA20 (p = .027) compared with CA5 in the time interval of 7 days. Group CA20 demonstrated a significantly higher endosteal and periosteal bone formation value in the time interval of 7 (p = .013), 15 (p = .004), and 30 days (p = .008) compared with the other groups. The null hypothesis was refuted, bone regeneration was faster in spheres with an association of chitosan and 20% extract, and complete bone repair occurred clinically at 15 days and histologically at 30 days. The spheres proved to be a promising method for the biostimulation of alveolar bone repair and bone fractures.