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Although it has been repeatedly indicated the importance to develop implantable devices and cell culture substrates with tissue-specific rigidity, current commercially available products, in particular cell culture substrates, have rigidity values well above most tissues in the body. Herein, six resorbable polyester films were fabricated using compression moulding with a thermal presser into films with tailored stiffness by appropriately selecting the ratio of their building up monomers (e.g. lactide, glycolide, trimethylene carbonate, dioxanone, ε-caprolactone). Typical NMR and FTIR spectra were obtained, suggesting that the fabrication process did not have a negative effect on the conformation of the polymers. Surface roughness analysis revealed no apparent differences between the films as a function of polymer composition. Subject to polymer composition, polymeric films were obtained with glass transition temperatures from -52 °C to 61 °C; contact angles in water from 81 ° to 94 °; storage modulus from 108 MPa to 2,756 MPa and loss modulus from 8 MPa to 507 MPa (both in wet state, at 1 Hz frequency and at 37 °C); ultimate tensile strength from 8 MPa to 62 MPa, toughness from 23 MJ/m3 to 287 MJ/m3, strain at break from 3 % to 278 %, macro-scale Young's modulus from 110 MPa to 2,184 MPa (all in wet state); and nano-scale Young's modulus from 6 kPa to 15,019 kPa (in wet state). With respect to in vitro degradation in phosphate buffered saline at 37 °C, some polymeric films [e.g. poly(glycolide-lactide) 30 / 70] started degrading from day 7 (shortest timepoint assessed), whilst others [e.g. poly(glycolide-co-ε-caprolactone) 10 / 90] were more resilient to degradation up to day 21 (longest timepoint assessed). In vitro biological analysis using human dermal fibroblasts and a human monocyte cell line (THP-1) showed the potential of the polymeric films to support cell growth and controlled immune response. Evidently, the selected polymers exhibited properties suitable for a range of clinical indications. Image, graphical abstract [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the objective of characterizing the composition and spatial distribution of plastic fragments in a subtropical lagoon system, five sample areas affected by various anthropogenic impacts were chosen in the southern part of the Estuarine Lagoon System in Laguna, Santa Catarina, Brazil. The total density of the floating meso- and microplastics encountered was 7.32/m3, with the greatest density in the access channel and external area of the lagoon. Plastic filament was the most abundant and mainly comprised polyester (PET), polypropylene (PP) and polyethylene (PE) from 0.05 to 0.71 mm2. Fishing and urbanization were the main sources of the meso- and microplastics in the environment. This is the first study to evaluate contamination by meso- and microplastics in the southern part of the Estuarine Lagoon System and provides information about the nature and extent of contamination by plastics in this estuarine ecosystem. • Importance of investigating microplastics in transitional aquatic ecosystems • Poor management and educational level increase the marine pollution. • Hydrological and geomorphological processes influenced the transportation of MPs. • The plastic polymers found in the Santo Antônio dos Anjos lagoon were PE, PEsT and PP. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights: [•] Cells can use different metabolic fuels as an adaptive advantage to stress. [•] Proliferation and differentiation are accompanied by metabolic rewiring. [•] Mitochondrial architecture and metabolic compartmentalization influence fuel choice. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Electroporation has been considered one of the most efficient non-viral based methods to deliver genes regardless of frequently observed high cell mortality. In this study we used a microporation technique to optimise the delivery of plasmid DNA encoding green fluorescence protein (GFP) to human bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (BM-MSC). Using resuspension buffer (RB) and as low as 1.5×105 cells and 1μg of DNA, we achieved 40% of cells expressing the transgene, with cell recovery and cell viabilities of 85% and 90%, respectively. An increase in DNA amount did not significantly increase the number of transfected cells but clearly reduced cell recovery. A face-centered composite design was used to unveil the conditions giving rise to optimal plasmid delivery efficiencies when using a sucrose based microporation buffer (SBB). The BM-MSC proliferation kinetics were mainly affected by the presence of plasmid and not due to the microporation process itself although no effect was observed on their immunophenotypic characteristics and differentiative potential. Based on the data shown herein microporation demonstrated to be a reliable and efficient method to genetically modify hard-to-transfect cells giving rise to the highest levels of cell survival reported so far along with superior gene delivery efficiencies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Chemokines belong to a family of chemotactic cytokines that direct the migration of immune cells towards sites of inflammation. They mediate their biological effects by binding to cell surface receptors, which belong to the G protein-coupled receptor superfamily. Since chemokines and their receptors have been implicated in the pathophysiology of a number of autoinflammatory diseases, chemokine receptor antagonists could prove to be useful therapeutics to target these diseases. Here, we review the role of chemokines in autoimmunity, concentrating mainly on the chemokine receptors CCR1 and CCR5, and discuss the potential utility of antagonists that target these 2 receptors as they progress through the clinic. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Objective: To develop a method to select spermatozoa with low DNA fragmentation rates for assisted reproduction technologies (ART). Design: Multistep prospective cohort study. Setting: University hospital. Patient(s): Semen samples of 34 infertile men were prepared in parallel with swim-up and fluorescence-activated cell sorting (FACS), and 11 semen samples were used for testing the staining strategy. Intervention(s): Flow cytometric sorting of YO-PRO–stained spermatozoa. Main Outcome Measure(s): Assessment of recovery of spermatozoa and purity after sorting, quantification of sperm DNA fragmentation and viability after sorting and after swim up preparation. Result(s): Staining with YO-PRO could be performed successfully in regular culture medium, both dead and apoptotic spermatozoa were labeled without the dye entering the viable spermatozoa. Compared with the conventional swim-up method, the sorted viable population showed a significantly reduced number of spermatozoa with fragmented DNA. Conclusion(s): A novel method has been developed, which not only might improve the outcome of ART, but can also help to clarify the ongoing controversy of the role of DNA fragmentation in male infertility. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Several studies have been carried out to investigate the effect of child maltreatment on juvenile justice involvement and future criminal life. However, little is known about the impact of other forms of adversity, beyond abuse and neglect, on juvenile delinquency and criminal persistence. The effect of early adversity on psychosocial problems is underexplored, particularly in juvenile delinquents. This study, using the Childhood Adverse Experiences (ACE) questionnaire, a tool accessing the exposure to different types of abuse, neglect and serious household dysfunction, explored the role of each adverse experience on juvenile justice involvement, persistence in crime and psychosocial problems during young adulthood. A Portuguese sample of 75 young adults with official records of juvenile delinquency in 2010/2011, and 240 young adults from a community sample completed ACE questionnaire and measures of psychosocial adjustment. Seven out of ten adverse experiences were significantly more prevalent in young adults with juvenile justice involvement than in the community sample, after matching the main demographic variables. The strongest predictor of juvenile justice involvement and criminal persistence during early adulthood was sexual abuse. Dimensions of child/adolescent emotional maltreatment and a mental illness in the household predicted a set of psychosocial problems in young adulthood. This study indicates that early adversity is significantly related to juvenile justice involvement, criminal persistence and psychosocial problems. This study also suggests that each experience has a different role in this process. There is an urgent need to screen, prevent and stop serious adversity. Future scientific directions and recommendations for policies are provided. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite efforts in recent years, infectious diseases remain a worldwide major public health problem. Several infectious agents have become resistant to conventional antibiotics and there is thus urgent need to discover new antimicrobial drugs to overcome resistances. Platostoma rotundifolium (Briq.) A. J. Paton, an African plant, is mainly used to treat microbial infections in traditional Burundian medicine. From the ethyl acetate extract of the aerial parts, five pentacyclic triterpenoid acids were isolated and characterized. Based on spectral analysis, these compounds were elucidated to be 2α, 3α, 19β-trihydroxyurs-12-en-28-oic acid (that was named jeremic acid) ( 1 ), 3β-hydroxyurs-12-en-28-oic acid (ursolic acid) ( 2 ), 2α, 3β-dihydroxyurs-12-en-28-oic acid (corosolic acid) ( 3 ), 2α, 3β, 19α-trihydroxyurs-2-en-28-oic acid (tormentic acid) ( 4 ) and 19-hydroxy-2-hydroxymethyl norursa-2, 12-dien-28-oic acid (hyptadienic acid) ( 5 ). Ursolic (MIC = 17.5–68 μM) and corosolic (MIC = 17–68 μM) acids showed significant antibacterial activities against both the Gram-positive Staphylococcus aureus (methicillin-susceptible and -resistant strains) and the Gram-negative Escherichia coli , which may substantiate the use of P. rotundifolium in traditional Burundian medicine. Such hydroxylated pentacyclic triterpenoid acids could point to new antimicrobial strategies that may help overcoming the antimicrobial resistances actually observed throughout the world. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Freshwater wetlands provide crucial ecosystem services, though are subject to anthropogenic/natural stressors that provoke negative impacts on these ecosystems, services and values. The European Union Water Framework Directive aims to achieve good status of surface waters by 2015, through implementation of Catchment Management Plans. Implementation of Catchment Management Plans is costly, though associated benefits from improvements in surface water status are less well known. This paper establishes a functional relationship between surface water status and cultural ecosystem service values of freshwater systems. Hence, we develop a bio-economic valuation approach in which we relate ecological status and chemical status of surface waters (based on local physio-chemical and benthic macro-invertebrates survey data) to willingness-to-pay (using benefit-function transfer). Results for the Pateira de Fermentelos freshwater wetland (Portugal) show that the current status of surface waters is good from a chemical though only moderate from an ecological perspective. The current cultural ecosystem service value of the wetland is estimated at 1.54 m€/yr— increasing to 2.02 m€/yr in case good status of surface waters is obtained. Taking into account ecosystem services and values in decision making is essential to avoid costs from externalities and capture benefits from spill-overs — leading to more equitable, effective and efficient water resources management. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Criminal and anti-social behaviors are mainly perpetrated by adults with a history of juvenile delinquency. In order to prevent recidivism, it is urgent to understand the factors that contribute to young offenders leaving their criminal careers. Following the PRISMA guidelines, we conducted a systematic review of predictors during childhood and adolescence related to crime desistance in males or females with a history of juvenile delinquency. Web of Science, Pubmed, Scopus and PsycArticles were searched by three independent reviewers from their start until December 2014. Longitudinal studies, with independent analysis for males and females with follow-up during the adulthood, were included. Studies with less than five years of follow-up were excluded. Fifteen articles were considered eligible for inclusion and 23 predictors were evaluated in more than one study in men and/or women. Inconsistencies between studies were detected in all 14 predictors, and 12 predictors were consistently not predictive. Strong differences between studies were found in the predictors of desistance from crime. The lack of consistency between studies could be related to the absence of controlling for social marginalization predictors in adulthood and the use of different methodologies. Future research should focus on consensus using gold standard measures and research designs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Ethnopharmacological relevance Respiratory diseases and asthma, in particular, are nowadays a global health problem. In Rwanda, some traditional healers claim to treat asthma with plant-based recipes, though there is no scientific proof so far. Aim of the study Our study aimed at evaluating the toxicity and the anti-inflammatory effect of plant recipes used in Rwanda against asthma in order to select potential candidates for further characterization of the active compounds. Materials and methods Water (aqueous) and methanol-dichloromethane (organic) extracts from selected folkloric recipes were submitted for toxicity test on THP-1 derived macrophages using CellTiter-Glo Luminescent Cell Viability Assay. The evaluation of the anti-inflammatory effect of the plant extracts was carried out using the Caspase-Glo 1 Inflammasome assay on THP-1 -derived macrophages. Results Most of both organic and aqueous extract showed more than 95% of cell viability up to 200 µg/ml, except for R03Cn organic extract that inhibited 25% of the cell viability. Plant extracts inhibited caspase-1 activation in THP-1 derived macrophages in a dose-dependent manner. Four extracts (R03Cn and R07Kn aqueous extracts, R10MK and R19Sz organic extracts) strongly downregulated the activation of caspase-1 (more than 70% at 50 µg/ml). In general, organic extracts exhibited better caspase-1 inhibitory effects than their aqueous counterparts. Conclusions The inhibition of inflammasome/caspase-1 is one of key mechanisms of action in asthma. Some traditional recipes are active on this mechanism and are thus strong candidates for the treatment of asthma and other inflammasome-mediated diseases. Further investigations are needed to characterize active molecules. Graphical abstract fx1 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Poultry meat has been a vehicle of antibiotic resistant bacteria and genes. Yet, the diversity of selective pressures associated with their maintenance in the poultry-production chain remains poorly explored. We evaluated the susceptibility of Enterococcus spp. from chicken meat collected 20 years apart to antibiotics, metals, acidic pH and peracetic acid-PAA. Contemporary chicken-meat samples (n = 53 batches, each including a pool of neck skin from 10 single carcasses) were collected in a slaughterhouse facility using PAA as disinfectant (March–August 2018, North of Portugal). Broilers were raised in intensive farms (n = 29) using CuSO 4 and organic acids as feed additives. Data were compared with that of 67 samples recovered in the same region during 1999–2001. All 2018 samples had multidrug resistant-MDR isolates, with >45 % carrying Enterococcus faecalis, Enterococcus faecium or Enterococcus gallinarum resistant to tetracycline, erythromycin, ampicillin, quinupristin-dalfopristin, ciprofloxacin, chloramphenicol or aminoglycosides. Resistance rates were similar (P > 0.05) to those of 1999–2001 samples for all but five antibiotics. The decrease of samples carrying vancomycin-resistant isolates from 46 % to 0 % between 1999-2001 and 2018 was the most striking difference. Isolates from both periods were similarly susceptible to acid pH [minimum-growth pH (4.5-5.0), minimum-survival pH (3.0-4.0)] and to PAA (MIC 90 = 100–120 mg/L/MBC 90 = 140–160 mg/L; below concentrations used in slaughterhouse). Copper tolerance genes (tcrB and/or cueO) were respectively detected in 21 % and 4 % of 2018 and 1999-2001 samples. The tcrB gene was only detected in E. faecalis (MIC CuSO4 > 12 mM), and their genomes were compared with other international ones of chicken origin (PATRIC database), revealing a polyclonal population and a plasmid or chromosomal location for tcrB. The tcrB plasmids shared diverse genetic modules, including multiple antimicrobial resistance genes (e.g. to tetracyclines, chloramphenicol, macrolide-lincosamide-streptogramin B-MLS B , aminoglycosides, bacitracin, coccidiostats). When in chromosome, the tcrB gene was co-located closely to merA (mercury) genes. Chicken meat remains an important vehicle of MDR Enterococcus spp. able to survive under diverse stresses (e.g. copper, acid) potentially contributing to these bacteria maintenance and flux among animal-environment-humans. • Chicken-meat samples collected 20 years apart have multidrug-resistant Enterococcus. • Significant decrease of vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus in recent years. • Plasmids with copper/antibiotic resistance genes and other adaptive features. • Enterococcus survive to low pH found in poultry production-chain. • Peracetic acid remains with good activity against multidrug resistant Enterococcus. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Fram Strait is one of the largest gateways through which meltwater and sea ice are exported to the subarctic North Atlantic, transiting the North-East Greenland shelf via the southward flowing East Greenland Current. Observations indicate a recent freshening of the East Greenland Current that may have implications for wider oceanic circulation regimes. The North-East Greenland shelf is an opportune region to assess these changes back through time. Paleoceanographic reconstructions from the North-East Greenland shelf are sparse and their temporal coverage is limited to the Holocene, limiting our ability to assess the impact of rapid climatic variations on marine conditions, such as during the Younger Dryas/Holocene transition. Here, we present data from a well-dated marine sediment core retrieved from the North-East Greenland shelf (74°N; east of Young Sound-Tyrolerfjord system) that captures the late Younger Dryas Stadial through to the Mid-Holocene at sub-centennial resolution. We apply a multi-proxy approach to reconstruct changes in productivity, surface and bottom ocean conditions. We show that at 74° N the presence of warm Atlantic waters on the inner North-East Greenland shelf was limited to the late Younger Dryas, as the Greenland Ice Sheet retreated landward and isostatic rebound caused the area to uplift. A unique dimension to this record is its location within one of the few biological hotspots on the East Greenland shelf today; the Sirius Water polynya. Archaeological studies indicate the polynya was forming as early as 4500 years ago, but nothing is known about its evolution from a marine perspective. Cooling of bottom waters, increasing sea-surface productivity and more frequent open water conditions indicate an Early Holocene onset of the Sirius Water (ca. 10–8.7 ka BP). • First paleoceanographic study from the Sirius Water polynya on the North-East Greenland shelf. • Multi-proxy approach to reconstruct productivity and bottom water conditions. • Sub-centennial resolution over the Younger Dryas/Holocene transition. • Extensive Atlantic Water influence during the late Younger Dryas. • Indications of recurrent Sirius Water Polynya formation since the Early Holocene (∼10–8.7 ka BP). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: The identification and evaluation of aryl-[1,4]diazepane ureas as functional antagonists of the chemokine receptor CXCR3 are described. Specific examples exhibit IC50 values of ∼60nM in a calcium mobilization functional assay, and dose-dependently inhibit CXCR3 functional response to CXCL11 (interferon-inducible T-cell α chemoattractant/I-TAC) as measured by T-cell chemotaxis, with a potency of approximately 100nM. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]