Graphene And Carbon Nanotube Nanocomposite For Gene Transfection.

Graphene and carbon nanotube nanocomposite (GCN) was synthesised and applied in gene transfection of pIRES plasmid conjugated with green fluorescent protein (GFP) in NIH-3T3 and NG97 cell lines. The tips of the multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) were exfoliated by oxygen plasma etching, which is also known to attach oxygen content groups on the MWCNT surfaces, changing their hydrophobicity. The nanocomposite was characterised by high resolution scanning electron microscopy; energy-dispersive X-ray, Fourier transform infrared and Raman spectroscopies, as well as zeta potential and particle size analyses using dynamic light scattering. BET adsorption isotherms showed the GCN to have an effective surface area of 38.5m(2)/g. The GCN and pIRES plasmid conjugated with the GFP gene, forming π-stacking when dispersed in water by magnetic stirring, resulting in a helical wrap. The measured zeta potential confirmed that the plasmid was connected to the nanocomposite. The NIH-3T3 and NG97 cell lines could phagocytize this wrap. The gene transfection was characterised by fluorescent protein produced in the cells and pictured by fluorescent microscopy. Before application, we studied GCN cell viability in NIH-3T3 and NG97 line cells using both MTT and Neutral Red uptake assays. Our results suggest that GCN has moderate stability behaviour as colloid solution and has great potential as a gene carrier agent in non-viral based therapy, with low cytotoxicity and good transfection efficiency.

Carbon Nanoparticles For Gene Transfection In Eukaryotic Cell Lines.

For the first time, oxygen terminated cellulose carbon nanoparticles (CCN) was synthesised and applied in gene transfection of pIRES plasmid. The CCN was prepared from catalytic of polyaniline by chemical vapour deposition techniques. This plasmid contains one gene that encodes the green fluorescent protein (GFP) in eukaryotic cells, making them fluorescent. This new nanomaterial and pIRES plasmid formed π-stacking when dispersed in water by magnetic stirring. The frequencies shift in zeta potential confirmed the plasmid strongly connects to the nanomaterial. In vitro tests found that this conjugation was phagocytised by NG97, NIH-3T3 and A549 cell lines making them fluorescent, which was visualised by fluorescent microscopy. Before the transfection test, we studied CCN in cell viability. Both MTT and Neutral Red uptake tests were carried out using NG97, NIH-3T3 and A549 cell lines. Further, we use metabolomics to verify if small amounts of nanomaterial would be enough to cause some cellular damage in NG97 cells. We showed two mechanisms of action by CCN-DNA complex, producing an exogenous protein by the transfected cell and metabolomic changes that contributed by better understanding of glioblastoma, being the major finding of this work. Our results suggested that this nanomaterial has great potential as a gene carrier agent in non-viral based therapy, with low cytotoxicity, good transfection efficiency, and low cell damage in small amounts of nanomaterials in metabolomic tests.

Antioxidant And Antiproliferative Activities Of Methanolic Extract From A Neglected Agricultural Product: Corn Cobs.

Neglected agricultural products (NAPs) are defined as discarded material in agricultural production. Corn cobs are a major waste of agriculture maize. Here, a methanolic extract from corn cobs (MEC) was obtained. MEC contains phenolic compounds, protein, carbohydrates (1.4:0.001:0.001). We evaluated the in vitro and in vivo antioxidant potential of MEC. Furthermore, its antiproliferative property against tumor cells was assessed through MTT assays and proteins related to apoptosis in tumor cells were examined by western blot. MEC showed no hydroxyl radical scavenger capacity, but it showed antioxidant activity in Total Antioxidant Capacity and DPPH scavenger ability assays. MEC showed higher Reducing Power than ascorbic acid and exhibited high Superoxide Scavenging activity. In tumor cell culture, MEC increased catalase, metallothionein and superoxide dismutase expression in accordance with the antioxidant tests. In vivo antioxidant test, MEC restored SOD and CAT, decreased malondialdehyde activities and showed high Trolox Equivalent Antioxidant Capacity in animals treated with CCl4. Furthermore, MEC decreased HeLa cells viability by apoptosis due an increase of Bax/Bcl-2 ratio, caspase 3 active. Protein kinase C expression increased was also detected in treated tumor cells. Thus, our findings pointed out the biotechnological potential of corn cobs as a source of molecules with pharmacological activity.

[the Use Of Fish On Buccal Smear To Investigate Mosaicism With A 45,x Cell Line: Study On Healthy Men And Patients With Disorders Of Sex Development].

To verify whether fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) of cells from the buccal epithelium could be employed to detect cryptomosaicism with a 45,X lineage in 46,XY patients. Samples of nineteen 46,XY healthy young men and five patients with disorders of sex development (DSD), four 45,X/46,XY and one 46,XY were used. FISH analysis with X and Y specific probes on interphase nuclei from blood lymphocytes and buccal epithelium were analyzed to investigate the proportion of nuclei containing only the signal of the X chromosome. The frequency of nuclei containing only the X signal in the two tissues of healthy men did not differ (p = 0.69). In all patients with DSD this frequency was significantly higher, and there was no difference between the two tissues (p = 0.38), either. Investigation of mosaicism with a 45,X cell line in patients with 46,XY DSD or sterility can be done by FISH directly using cells from the buccal epithelium.

Ecosystem Engineering Effects On Species Diversity Across Ecosystems: A Meta-analysis.

Ecosystem engineering is increasingly recognized as a relevant ecological driver of diversity and community composition. Although engineering impacts on the biota can vary from negative to positive, and from trivial to enormous, patterns and causes of variation in the magnitude of engineering effects across ecosystems and engineer types remain largely unknown. To elucidate the above patterns, we conducted a meta-analysis of 122 studies which explored effects of animal ecosystem engineers on species richness of other organisms in the community. The analysis revealed that the overall effect of ecosystem engineers on diversity is positive and corresponds to a 25% increase in species richness, indicating that ecosystem engineering is a facilitative process globally. Engineering effects were stronger in the tropics than at higher latitudes, likely because new or modified habitats provided by engineers in the tropics may help minimize competition and predation pressures on resident species. Within aquatic environments, engineering impacts were stronger in marine ecosystems (rocky shores) than in streams. In terrestrial ecosystems, engineers displayed stronger positive effects in arid environments (e.g. deserts). Ecosystem engineers that create new habitats or microhabitats had stronger effects than those that modify habitats or cause bioturbation. Invertebrate engineers and those with lower engineering persistence (<1 year) affected species richness more than vertebrate engineers which persisted for >1 year. Invertebrate species richness was particularly responsive to engineering impacts. This study is the first attempt to build an integrative framework of engineering effects on species diversity; it highlights the importance of considering latitude, habitat, engineering functional group, taxon and persistence of their effects in future theoretical and empirical studies.

Graded Meshes In Bio-thermal Problems With Transmission-line Modeling Method.

In this study, the transmission-line modeling (TLM) applied to bio-thermal problems was improved by incorporating several novel computational techniques, which include application of graded meshes which resulted in 9 times faster in computational time and uses only a fraction (16%) of the computational resources used by regular meshes in analyzing heat flow through heterogeneous media. Graded meshes, unlike regular meshes, allow heat sources to be modeled in all segments of the mesh. A new boundary condition that considers thermal properties and thus resulting in a more realistic modeling of complex problems is introduced. Also, a new way of calculating an error parameter is introduced. The calculated temperatures between nodes were compared against the results obtained from the literature and agreed within less than 1% difference. It is reasonable, therefore, to conclude that the improved TLM model described herein has great potential in heat transfer of biological systems.

Antitumor Activity Of Irradiated Riboflavin On Human Renal Carcinoma Cell Line 786-o.

Riboflavin (vitamin B2) is a precursor for coenzymes involved in energy production, biosynthesis, detoxification, and electron scavenging. Previously, we demonstrated that irradiated riboflavin (IR) has potential antitumoral effects against human leukemia cells (HL60), human prostate cancer cells (PC3), and mouse melanoma cells (B16F10) through a common mechanism that leads to apoptosis. Hence, we here investigated the effect of IR on 786-O cells, a known model cell line for clear cell renal cell carcinoma (CCRCC), which is characterized by high-risk metastasis and chemotherapy resistance. IR also induced cell death in 786-O cells by apoptosis, which was not prevented by antioxidant agents. IR treatment was characterized by downregulation of Fas ligand (TNF superfamily, member 6)/Fas (TNF receptor superfamily member 6) (FasL/Fas) and tumor necrosis factor receptor superfamily, member 1a (TNFR1)/TNFRSF1A-associated via death domain (TRADD)/TNF receptor-associated factor 2 (TRAF) signaling pathways (the extrinsic apoptosis pathway), while the intrinsic apoptotic pathway was upregulated, as observed by an elevated Bcl-2 associated x protein/B-cell CLL/lymphoma 2 (Bax/Bcl-2) ratio, reduced cellular inhibitor of apoptosis 1 (c-IAP1) expression, and increased expression of apoptosis-inducing factor (AIF). The observed cell death was caspase-dependent as proven by caspase 3 activation and poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase-1 (PARP) cleavage. IR-induced cell death was also associated with downregulation of v-src sarcoma (Schmidt-Ruppin A-2) viral oncogene homologue (avian)/protein serine/threonine kinase B/extracellular signal-regulated protein kinase 1/2 (Src/AKT/ERK1/2) pathway and activation of p38 MAP kinase (p38) and Jun-amino-terminal kinase (JNK). Interestingly, IR treatment leads to inhibition of matrix metalloproteinase-2 (MMP-2) activity and reduced expression of renal cancer aggressiveness markers caveolin-1, low molecular weight phosphotyrosine protein phosphatase (LMWPTP), and kinase insert domain receptor (a type III receptor tyrosine kinase) (VEGFR-2). Together, these results show the potential of IR for treating cancer.

Condutividade e difusividade térmica do figo (Ficus carica L.) Roxo de Valinhos

The post harvest cooling and/or freezing processes for horticultural products have been carried out with the objective of removing the heat from these products, allowing them a bigger period of conservation. Therefore, the knowledge of the physical properties that involve heat transference in the fig fruit Roxo de Valinhos is useful for calculating projects and systems of food engineering in general, as well as, for using in equations of thermodynamic mathematical models. The values of conductivity and thermal diffusivity of the whole fig fruit-rami index were determined, and from these values it was determined the value of the specific heat. For these determination it was used the transient method of the Line Heat Source. The results shown that the fig fruit has a thermal conductivity of 0.52 W m-1°C, thermal diffusivity of 1.56 x 10-7 m² s-1, pulp density of 815.6 kg m-3 and specific heat of 4.07 kJ kg-1 °C.

Determinação da velolcidade critica como referencia do limiar anaerobio para o nado costas

Universidade Estadual de Campinas . Faculdade de Educação Física

Atividade motora adaptada : o conhecimento produzido nos programas Stricto Sensu em Educação Física no Brasil

Universidade Estadual de Campinas . Faculdade de Educação Física