Search Results (20)

Objective: This study aimed to review the structural concepts, definition, classification, and macronutrient and food composition of carbohydrate-restricted diets (CRDs) for individuals with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). Methods: A scoping review was conducted following Joanna Briggs Institute guidelines. Searches were performed in Scopus, PubMed, Web of Science, and Embase, including texts published in Portuguese, English, and Spanish. Official documents from governments, regulatory agencies, and international diabetes organizations were also consulted. Results: In total, 79 articles and 17 official documents were analyzed. The following structural concept was identified: restricted carbohydrate intake decreases the need for endogenous and exogenous insulin, contributing to the maintenance of glycemic control, and justifies its consideration among the nutritional therapy options for individuals with T2DM. CRDs varied in definition, classification, and macronutrient composition. Studies failed to provide detailed information on the food composition of diets, precluding an in-depth understanding of metabolic effects. The existence of several approaches with varying recommendations makes it difficult to generalize the results. International CRD guidelines for T2DM adopt divergent definitions, compromising interpretation, recommendation, and even adherence. Conclusions: Although the concept of CRDs justifies their adoption within the nutritional therapy choices for T2DM, the multiple denominations can hinder understanding and comparison between studies. The lack of information on food composition and carbohydrate types compromises the assessment of the effects and adherence to CRD-based nutritional interventions. We emphasize the need for methodologically consistent studies that evaluate CRDs based on fresh and minimally processed foods with a low glycemic index to support official diabetes guidelines and organizations. Full article

In Brazil, several silicic rocks can be used as powder-based K sources, which can reduce production costs in agriculture. The optimized supply of K not only increases yield but also contributes to soil fertility preservation and long-term sustainability by curtailing nutrient losses and reducing the risk of nutrient imbalances. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate the effects of K application timing, source, and doses on nodulation, productive components, and productivity of soybeans in a not-tillage system in the Savannah. The experiment was carried out in the field, for two years, in an Oxisol, with a clayey texture. The experimental design was in random blocks, in a 2 × 4 × 3 factorial scheme, as follows: two application timings (early and sowing), four K₂O rates (0, 40, 80, and 120 kg ha⁻¹), and three sources (KCl, Potasil, and Ekosil), with four replicates. Potassium fertilizer was broadcasted on the soil without incorporation into the soil. Due to the interactions between doses and K₂O sources, there was a linear adjustment for KCl sources, the higher the dose, the lower the nodule mass. Also, for nodule mass, the interaction between dose and application time was significant for the early application of the Ecosil and Potasil sources for 80 kg ha⁻¹. The highest estimated soybean grain productivity was 3262 kg ha⁻¹ with 78 kg ha⁻¹ of K₂O, being the most suitable for growing soybeans under a no-tillage system. Full article

Women with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) tend to have elevated anti-Müllerian hormone (AMH) levels, which appear to correlate with disease severity and pregnancy outcomes. This was a retrospective observational study designed to assess the relationship between circulating AMH levels and in vitro fertilization (IVF) outcomes. The study involved 150 women with PCOS who underwent IVF treatments. The women’s IVF cycles were allocated into three subgroups according to AMH levels: ‘low’ (AMH < 3.7 ng/mL; n = 49), ‘middle’ (AMH 3.7–7.4 ng/mL; n = 94), and ‘high’ (AMH > 7.4 ng/mL; n = 56). All pregnancy-related outcomes (positive beta human chorionic gonadotropin (βHCG), clinical pregnancy rate, live birth rate, and cumulative live birth rate) were greater in women’s IVF cycles with ‘low’ AMH when compared to those with ‘middle’ or ‘high’ AMH (p < 0.05). AMH levels below 3.7 ng/mL were found to be associated with lower oocyte immaturity rate and better pregnancy outcomes, although baseline AMH was not shown to have any significant predictive power for live birth and cumulative live birth in the multivariable logistic regression analysis after adjusting for possible confounders nor in the ROC analyses. In summary, the current study lays the groundwork to validate high AMH levels as a poor prognostic factor for pregnancy outcomes after IVF in women with PCOS. Full article

Aptamers are short, single-stranded oligonucleotides synthesized in vitro from a randomized oligonucleotide library against a specific target. These molecules are capable of binding to a wide range of biological targets with high specificity and affinity. They present great advantages over antibodies with potential applications in research, diagnosis, and therapeutics. Specifically for tumors with late-stage identification and poor prognosis, like pancreatic cancer, the study of novel aptamers holds tremendous potential for cancer diagnosis and treatment. Along with cancer treatment, aptamers have also shown high potential in regulating the immune response and modulating several critical steps of signaling cascades, such as in immune checkpoints. In the context of microbiota and infection, aptamers are being studied to identify microbes and their metabolites. This assessment has the potential to improve the detection and management of infectious diseases while assisting us in better understanding health risks and treatment outcomes by tracking changes in the microbiota. In this review, the potential of aptamers is explored regarding their applications in cancer, immune, and microbiota therapy. Full article

Nutrition labelling is any description intended to inform consumers about the nutritional properties of a food product and has focused primarily on nutrients. However, literature has shown that the nutritional quality of packaged foods is not limited to the amount of nutrients, considering that individuals do not consume only nutrients separately, but rather the entire food matrix. Therefore, to analyze the nutritional quality of a packaged food, it is necessary to read its ingredients. This scoping review aims to discuss (1) the list of ingredients as a source of health and nutrition information in food labelling; (2) opportunities to improve the nutrition labeling policies around the world. The study was carried out through a systematic search on Codex Alimentarius meeting reports. Results show that the list of ingredients is used as a source of nutritional and health information on food labelling; however, this label item is not considered in the regulatory field as a nutrition labelling requirement. It is suggested that nutrition labelling be discussed as a tool for food choices in the context of public health from a broader, consistent, convergent perspective, considering the list of ingredients as an item of nutrition labelling requirement to be included in public policies around the world. Full article

Adeno-associated viral (AAV) vectors represent one of the leading platforms for gene delivery. Nevertheless, their small packaging capacity restricts their use for diseases requiring large-gene delivery. To overcome this, dual-AAV vector systems that rely on protein trans-splicing were developed, with the split-intein Npu DnaE among the most-used. However, the reconstitution efficiency of Npu DnaE is still insufficient, requiring higher vector doses. In this work, two split-inteins, Cfa and Gp41-1, with reportedly superior trans-splicing were evaluated in comparison with Npu DnaE by transient transfections and dual-AAV in vitro co-transductions. Both Cfa and Gp41-1 split-inteins enabled reconstitution rates that were over two-fold higher than Npu DnaE and 100% of protein reconstitution. The impact of different vector preparation qualities in split-intein performances was also evaluated in co-transduction assays. Higher-quality preparations increased split-inteins’ performances by three-fold when compared to low-quality preparations (60–75% vs. 20–30% full particles, respectively). Low-quality vector preparations were observed to limit split-gene reconstitutions by inhibiting co-transduction. We show that combining superior split-inteins with higher-quality vector preparations allowed vector doses to be decreased while maintaining high trans-splicing rates. These results show the potential of more-efficient protein-trans-splicing strategies in dual-AAV vector co-transduction, allowing the extension of its use to the delivery of larger therapeutic genes. Full article

Renewable energy sources are becoming more and more essential to energy production as societies evolve toward a fossil-fuel-free world. Solar energy is one of the most abundant sources of green energy. Nanoantennas can be used to improve and enhance the absorption of light into a photovoltaic cell in order to generate more current. In this study, different nanoantenna structures are analysed in tandem with a silicon solar cell in an effort to improve its output. The nanoantennas studied are metallic aperture nanoantennas made up of either silver, aluminium, gold or copper. The three geometries compared are rectangular, circular and triangular. The maximum field enhancement obtained is for an aluminium rectangular nanoantenna of 50 nm thickness. Despite this, the geometry with more improvements compared with a basic silicon cell was the circle geometry with a 100 nm radius. Full article

Cancer antigen 15-3 (CA 15-3) is a biomarker for breast cancer used to monitor response to treatments and disease recurrence. The present work demonstrates the preparation and application of a fluorescent biosensor for ultrasensitive detection of the cancer antigen CA 15-3 protein tumor marker using mercaptopropionic-acid-functionalized cadmium telluride (CdTe@MPA) quantum dots (QDs) conjugated with CA 15-3 antibodies. First, the QDs were synthesized by the hydrothermal route, resulting in spherical nanoparticles up to 3.50 nm in diameter. Subsequently, the QD conjugates were characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), UV absorption, and fluorescence. The interaction between the conjugates and the protein was studied by fluorescence spectroscopy in buffer and in 10-fold diluted commercial human serum. Calibration in spiked serum samples gave a detection limit of 0.027 U/mL, 1000-fold lower than the clinical limit for CA 15-3 (25 U/mL to 30 U/mL), indicating that this is an ultrasensitive technique. In addition, a rapid response was obtained within 10 min. The biosensor was selective in the presence of the interfering serum proteins BSA, CEA, and CA-125, with a maximum interference of 2% for BSA. The percent recovery was close to 100% with maximum relative standard deviation (RSD%) values of 1.56. Overall, the developed CA 15-3 biosensor provides a simple and sensitive method for ultrasensitive monitoring of breast cancer, as well as the ability to detect other molecules of interest in human serum matrices. Full article

Evidence has supported the use of leucine as a promising agent for the maintenance of muscle tone. This study aimed to assess the combined effect of leucine and cream-based lactic acid (novel cosmetic product), associated with the use of surface electrical stimulation to improve contour and facial tonus in women. A total of 23 women were randomly allocated into two groups: Experimental (EG)—use of the leucine-based cream and lactic acid + electrostimulation for facial toning (mean intensity 13 Hz and protocol in progression); and placebo (GP)—use of the placebo cream (without the addition of leucine and lactic acid) + stimulation with the same protocol as the EG. Each group used their cream daily and underwent the intervention protocol three x/week with stimulation for 40 min, for a total of 8 weeks. Three main outcomes were reported: angular variation of facial contour by means of photogrammetry, muscle tone through the electromyographic activity of the masseter and zygomatic muscles during rest and functional tasks of biting and smiling. A significant effect of the intervention and between the groups was obtained for the experimental group against the placebo group for facial contour and muscle tone. An increased muscular activity of the masseter (average 28%) when smiling, and a reduction of zygomatic activity (in average 41%) when biting were found. The use of cream containing leucine and lactic acid combined with electrostimulation contributes to the improvement of facial contour and muscle tone when biting and smiling. Full article

Identifying the species of the subfamily Anophelinae that are Plasmodium vectors is important to vector and malaria control. Despite the increase in cases, vector mosquitoes remain poorly known in Brazilian indigenous communities. This study explores Anophelinae mosquito diversity in the following areas: (1) a Yanomami reserve in the northwestern Amazon Brazil biome and (2) the Pantanal biome in southwestern Brazil. This is carried out by analyzing cytochrome c oxidase (COI) gene data using Refined Single Linkage (RESL), Assemble Species by Automatic Partitioning (ASAP), and tree-based multi-rate Poisson tree processes (mPTP) as species delimitation approaches. A total of 216 specimens collected from the Yanomami and Pantanal regions were sequenced and combined with 547 reference sequences for species delimitation analyses. The mPTP analysis for all sequences resulted in the delimitation of 45 species groups, while the ASAP analysis provided the partition of 48 groups. RESL analysis resulted in 63 operational taxonomic units (OTUs). This study expands our scant knowledge of anopheline species in the Yanomami and Pantanal regions. At least 18 species of Anophelinae mosquitoes were found in these study areas. Additional studies are now required to determine the species that transmit Plasmodium spp. in these regions. Full article

The COVID-19 outbreak has rapidly spread on a global scale, affecting the economy and public health systems throughout the world. In recent years, peptide-based therapeutics have been widely studied and developed to treat infectious diseases, including viral infections. Herein, the antiviral effects of the lysine linked dimer des-Cys¹¹, Lys¹²,Lys¹³-(pBthTX-I)₂K ((pBthTX-I)₂K)) and derivatives against SARS-CoV-2 are reported. The lead peptide (pBthTX-I)₂K and derivatives showed attractive inhibitory activities against SARS-CoV-2 (EC₅₀ = 28–65 µM) and mostly low cytotoxic effect (CC₅₀ > 100 µM). To shed light on the mechanism of action underlying the peptides’ antiviral activity, the Main Protease (M^pro) and Papain-Like protease (PL^pro) inhibitory activities of the peptides were assessed. The synthetic peptides showed PL^pro inhibition potencies (IC₅₀s = 1.0–3.5 µM) and binding affinities (K_d = 0.9–7 µM) at the low micromolar range but poor inhibitory activity against M^pro (IC₅₀ > 10 µM). The modeled binding mode of a representative peptide of the series indicated that the compound blocked the entry of the PL^pro substrate toward the protease catalytic cleft. Our findings indicated that non-toxic dimeric peptides derived from the Bothropstoxin-I have attractive cellular and enzymatic inhibitory activities, thereby suggesting that they are promising prototypes for the discovery and development of new drugs against SARS-CoV-2 infection. Full article

Advanced prostate cancers frequently develop resistance to androgen-deprivation therapy with serious implications for patient survival. Considering their importance in this type of neoplasia, epigenetic modifications have drawn attention as alternative treatment strategies. The aim of this study was to assess the antitumoral effects of the combination of hydralazine, a DNA methylation inhibitor, with enzalutamide, an antagonist of the androgen receptor, in prostate cancer cell lines. Several biological parameters, such as cell viability, proliferation, DNA damage, and apoptosis, as well as clonogenic and invasive potential, were evaluated. The individual treatments with hydralazine and enzalutamide exerted growth-inhibitory effects in prostate cancer cells and their combined treatment displayed synergistic effects. The combination of these two drugs was very effective in decreasing malignant features of prostate cancer and may become an alternative therapeutic option for prostate cancer patient management. Full article