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Solid–lipid nanoparticles and nanostructured lipid carriers are delivery systems for the delivery of drugs and other bioactives used in diagnosis, therapy, and treatment procedures. These nanocarriers may enhance the solubility and permeability of drugs, increase their bioavailability, and extend the residence time in the body, combining low toxicity with a targeted delivery. Nanostructured lipid carriers are the second generation of lipid nanoparticles differing from solid lipid nanoparticles in their composition matrix. The use of a liquid lipid together with a solid lipid in nanostructured lipid carrier allows it to load a higher amount of drug, enhance drug release properties, and increase its stability. Therefore, a direct comparison between solid lipid nanoparticles and nanostructured lipid carriers is needed. This review aims to describe solid lipid nanoparticles and nanostructured lipid carriers as drug delivery systems, comparing both, while systematically elucidating their production methodologies, physicochemical characterization, and in vitro and in vivo performance. In addition, the toxicity concerns of these systems are focused on.

Background: Over the past decade, variations of the coding portion of the human genome have become increasingly evident. In this study, we focus on polymorphic pseudogenes, a unique and relatively unexplored type of pseudogene whose inactivating mutations have not yet been fixed in the human genome at the global population level. Thus, polymorphic pseudogenes are characterized by the presence in the population of both coding alleles and non-coding alleles originating from Loss-of-Function (LoF) mutations. These alleles can be found both in heterozygosity and in homozygosity in different human populations and thus represent pseudogenes that have not yet been fixed in the population. Results: A methodical cross-population analysis of 232 polymorphic pseudogenes, including 35 new examples, reveals that human olfactory signalling, drug metabolism and immunity are among the systems most impacted by the variable presence of LoF variants at high frequencies. Within this dataset, a total of 179 genes presented polymorphic LoF variants in all analysed populations. Transcriptome and proteome analysis confirmed that although these genes may harbour LoF alleles, when the coding allele is present, the gene remains active and can play a functional role in various metabolic pathways, including drug/xenobiotic metabolism and immunity. The observation that many polymorphic pseudogenes are members of multigene families argues that genetic redundancy may play a key role in compensating for the inactivation of one paralogue. Conclusions: The distribution, expression and integration of cellular/biological networks in relation to human polymorphic pseudogenes, provide novel insights into the architecture of the human genome and the dynamics of gene gain and loss with likely functional impact.

The correlation between vegetation patterns (species distribution and richness) and altitudinal variation has been widely reported for tropical forests, thereby providing theoretical basis for biodiversity conservation. However, this relationship may have been oversimplified, as many other factors may influence vegetation patterns, such as disturbances, topography and geographic distance. Considering these other factors, our primary question was: is there a vegetation pattern associated with substantial altitudinal variation (10–1,093 m a.s.l.) in the Atlantic Rainforest—a top hotspot for biodiversity conservation—and, if so, what are the main factors driving this pattern? We addressed this question by sampling 11 1-ha plots, applying multivariate methods, correlations and variance partitioning. The Restinga (forest on sandbanks along the coastal plains of Brazil) and a lowland area that was selectively logged 40 years ago were floristically isolated from the other plots. The maximum species richness (>200 spp. per hectare) occurred at approximately 350 m a.s.l. (submontane forest). Gaps, multiple stemmed trees, average elevation and the standard deviation of the slope significantly affected the vegetation pattern. Spatial proximity also influenced the vegetation pattern as a structuring environmental variable or via dispersal constraints. Our results clarify, for the first time, the key variables that drive species distribution and richness across a large altitudinal range within the Atlantic Rainforest.

This study explored the association between family cohesion and self-perceived need for dental treatment among adolescents. A school-based representative cross-sectional study was conducted with 746 students aged 15 to 19 randomly selected from schools in Campina Grande, Brazil. Parents/guardians provided information on sociodemographic data, and students completed questionnaires about the self-perceived need for dental treatment, dental pain, and family cohesion and adaptability (FACES III). Two dentists were trained (kappa >0.80) to diagnosis dental caries using the Nyvad criteria and assess adolescents’ level of functional oral health literacy (BREALD-30). Descriptive analysis was performed, followed by nonadjusted and adjusted robust binary logistic regression for complex samples (α=5%). The prevalence of self-perceived need for dental treatment was 88.6%. The presence of dental caries (OR=2.10; IC 95%: 1.22–3.61), tooth loss (OR=15.81; IC 95%: 2.14–116.56), dental pain in the last six months (OR=1.87; IC 95%: 1.06–3.31), and enmeshed family cohesion type (OR=10.23; IC 95%: 3.96–26.4) remained associated with the self-perceived need for dental treatment in the final model. In conclusion, dental caries, dental pain, tooth loss, and family cohesion influenced the self-perceived need for dental treatment in adolescents.

Diarrheal diseases are an important cause of morbidity and mortality among children in developing countries. We aimed to study the etiology and severity of diarrhea in children living in the low-income semiarid region of Brazil. This is a cross-sectional, age-matched case-control study of diarrhea in children aged 2-36 months from six cities in Brazil's semiarid region. Clinical, epidemiological, and anthropometric data were matched with fecal samples collected for the identification of enteropathogens. We enrolled 1,200 children, 596 cases and 604 controls. By univariate analysis, eight enteropathogens were associated with diarrhea: Norovirus GII (OR 5.08, 95% CI 2.10, 12.30), Adenovirus (OR 3.79, 95% CI 1.41, 10.23), typical enteropathogenic Escherichia coli (tEPEC), (OR 3.28, 95% CI 1.39, 7.73), enterotoxigenic E. coli (ETEC LT and ST producing toxins), (OR 2.58, 95% CI 0.99, 6.69), rotavirus (OR 1.91, 95% CI 1.20, 3.02), shiga toxin-producing E. coli (STEC; OR 1.77, 95% CI 1.16, 2.69), enteroaggregative E. coli (EAEC), (OR 1.45, 95% CI 1.16, 1.83) and Giardia spp. (OR 1.39, 95% CI 1.05, 1.84). By logistic regression of all enteropathogens, the best predictors of diarrhea were norovirus, adenovirus, rotavirus, STEC, Giardia spp. and EAEC. A high diarrhea severity score was associated with EAEC. Six enteropathogens: Norovirus, Adenovirus, Rotavirus, STEC, Giardia spp., and EAEC were associated with diarrhea in children from Brazil's semiarid region. EAEC was associated with increased diarrhea severity.

In this work, achieved results on the NICHE project (Neutron Imaging in Cultural HEritage) are presented. It fits in the frame of the Cultural Heritage Network (CHNet) of the Italian Nuclear Physics Institute (INFN), and is devoted to the development and usage of a new neutron imaging station on the thermal port of the 250 kW TRIGA Mark-II reactor installed in the Laboratorio Energia Nucleare Applicata (LENA) in Pavia (Italy). The application of neutron radiography to the diagnostic in the cultural heritage field is quite widespread among the research community since it is a non-invasive technique which allows for revealing of the inner structure of the investigated objects, the identification of different materials and their relative spatial distribution with a suitable level of resolution and contrast. We present here the status and progresses within the project: technical characteristics of the beamline and the imaging station component, measuring configuration, possible applications, and examples.

Hiorobenzenje važan hemijski intermed jer u proizvodnji herbicida, boja i guma. U ovom radu je predložena integracija toplote za proces separacje monohlorobenzena. Projektovaná je i simulirana konvencionalna struktura procesa i predložena in tegrisana. Izvršena je optimizacija usmerena na minimiziranje troškova hladenja i grejanja. kako bi se postigli najbolji uslovi rada za integraciju top/ote. Simulācijā postrojenja, uključujući sekcije za proizvodnju rashladne vode i pare. sprovedena je za preciznije procene emisije СО2. vode. potrošnje energije i operativnih troškova. Procesi su proce njeni i uporedeni u smislu njihovih održivih performansi korišćenjem metode poredenja indeksa eko-efikasnosti i ekoloških i ekonomskih indikatora, kao što su emisja CO2, potrošnja vode i operativni troškovi, kako bi se proceň iie prednosti integracije top/ote. Rezultati su pokazali da je predložena strategija smanjila oko 57% svih uticaja na životnu sredinu i operativnih troškova. Kao što je pokazao kompozitní indeks evaiuacije iz indikatora učinka, predloženo optimalno topiotno integrisano industrijsko postrojenje značajno je poboljšalo ekološku efikasnost početnih procesa, do 83%, dokazujući odgovarajuću strategiju za održiviji proces.

Little information is available in the literature concerning the kinetics of the production of exopolysaccharides (EPS). The kinetics of growth, substrate consumption and lasiodiplodan (LAS) production by the filamentous fungus Lasiodiplodia theobromae MMPI were studied in a new bioreactor design (Low-Shear Aerated and Agitated Bioreactor; LSAAB) using media based on glucose and glycerol. The kinetic parameters of cultivation were compared with fermentations conducted in a stirred tank bioreactor (STR) and in shake flasks. Cultivation in LSAAB using glucose resulted in 3.17 ± 0.16 g.L−1 of LAS, a value lower than that obtained in shake-flasks (6.49 ± 0.03 g.L−1), but somewhat higher than obtained in STR (0.70 ± 0.12 g.L−1). When glycerol was used as substrate, the production of LAS was less effective than glucose. From the fungal biomass produced, as well as the related growth kinetic parameters (YX/S and QX), fungal growth was more efficient in LSAAB. Lasiodiplodan production by L. theobromae MMPI from glycerol was accelerated by an increase in broth pH during cultivation, and the behavior was opposite (decreased pH) when using glucose. LSAAB proved to be promising for the production of LAS by the fungus studied. Although glucose was shown to be the better substrate for the production of LAS, glycerol, as a fermentation substrate, has potential of a less-expensive medium for cultivating the fungus.

Background In Rwanda, epidemiological data characterizing people who inject drugs (PWID) and their burden of HIV are limited. We examined injection drug use (IDU) history and practices, and HIV infection in a sample of PWID in Kigali. Methods From October 2019 to February 2020, 307 PWID aged ≥ 18 were enrolled in a cross-sectional study using convenience sampling in Kigali. Participants completed interviewer-administered questionnaires on IDU history and practices and HIV testing. We used Poisson regression with robust variance estimation to assess IDU practices associated with HIV infection and assessed factors associated with needle sharing in the six months preceding the study. Results The median age was 28 years (IQR 24–31); 81% (251) were males. Female PWID were more likely to report recent IDU initiation, selling sex for drugs, and to have been injected by a sex partner ( p  < 0.05). In the prior six months, heroin was the primary drug of choice for 99% (303) of participants, with cocaine and methamphetamine also reported by 10% (31/307) and 4% (12/307), respectively. In total, 91% (280/307) of participants reported ever sharing needles in their lifetime and 43% (133) knew someone who died from a drug-related overdose. HIV prevalence was 9.5% (95% CI 6.6–13.3). Sharing needles at least half of the time in the previous six months was positively associated with HIV infection (adjusted prevalence ratio (aPR) 2.67; 95% CI 1.23–5.78). Overall, 31% (94/307) shared needles and 33% (103/307) reused needles in the prior six months. Female PWID were more likely to share needles compared to males (aPR 1.68; 95% CI 1.09–2.59). Additionally, bisexual PWID (aPR 1.68; 95% CI 1.09–2.59), those who shared needles at the first injection (aPR 2.18; 95% CI 1.59–2.99), reused needles recently (aPR 2.27; 95% CI 1.51–3.43) and shared other drug paraphernalia (aPR 3.56; 95% CI 2.19–5.81) were more likely to report recent needle sharing. Conclusion HIV infection was common in this study. The high prevalence of needle reuse and sharing practices highlights significant risks for onward transmission and acquisition of HIV and viral hepatitis. These data highlight the urgent need for PWID-focused harm reduction services in Rwanda, including syringe services programs, safe injection education, naloxone distribution, and substance use disorder treatment programs and optimizing these services to the varied needs of people who use drugs in Rwanda.

In the last 30 years, the incredible experimental progress made in the studies of neutrino oscillation allowed to better understand the pattern of neutrino masses and neutrinos mixing. However, further investigation are necessary, in particular concerning a series of experimental anomalies, observed in different neutrino experiments, which are uncorrelated with each other but all hinting at oscillation phenomena. The goal of the new Short Baseline Neutrino program is to perform sensitive searches for νe appearance and νμ disappearance in the Booster Neutrino Beam in order to understand experimental anomalies in neutrino physics and to perform the most sensitive search for sterile neutrinos at the eV mass-scale. The experiment includes three Liquid Argon Time Projection Chamber detectors located along the Booster Neutrino Beam line at Fermilab. In this paper, the functioning of the Short Baseline Neutrino far detector, ICARUS-T600, is shown. In particular, this work is focused on the detector light collection system and on its upgrade concerning the wavelength shifting of the liquid argon scintillation from vacuum ultra-violet into visible light.