Fungal diseases currently affect about a quarter of the population worldwide. Fungi infections caused by Candida albicans have been described as a significant concern to public health. The spectrum of clinical diseases caused by this fungi species range between vulvovaginal candidiasis, oral candidiasis, candidemia and mucositis. The emergence of resistance mechanisms towards antifungal therapy greatly hampers successful management of illness and patient outcome. Nystatin, an antifungal drug, is categorized as a class IV of Biopharmaceutical Classification System, presenting low aqueous solubility and low intestinal permeability. Nowadays, the emerging platform of nanotechnology and lipid nanoparticles, notably solid lipid nanoparticles (SLN), has been subject to growing attention over recent past, owing to the promising properties of vectorization among a substantial variety of pharmaceutical drugs. Due to its hydrophobic proprieties, nystatin was encapsulated in SLN. Thus aiming to understand the relationship between the use of nanosystems and the improvement of the therapeutic effect. The aim of this work was to formulate SLN with nystatin by different methods (high speed homogenization and ultrasonication) with optimization of several parameters and formulation of 2 gels (one of them containing nanoparticles). Initially, 3 lipids were used: Compritol®  888 ATO, cetyl palmitate and Precirol®  ATO 5 and, after the study of several parameters (size, encapsulation efficiency (EE) and polymorphic behaviour of the lipids), Precirol®  ATO 5 was chosen as the lipid with the most satisfactory results. The results of the present work showed that the assay method of nystatin was linear, specific and presented repeatability. The average diameter of empty nanoparticles (NPs) and with drug (Precirol-NYS NPs) was, respectively, 306 nm and 260 nm and an EE of 67.8%. Regarding stability, SLN with drug proved to be more stable than SLN without drug. The polymer used for formulation of gels was the polymer commonly known by the trade name Carbopol® 940. The yield of 0.5% Carbopol® gel preparations and 0.5% Carbopol® gel + 10% Precirol-NYS NPs were 87.2% and 91.39%, respectively.

Os pegmatitos são rochas de origem granítica ou metassedimentar com cristais gigantescos que se formam na fase fluida do líquido magmático enriquecido com elementos incompatíveis, por isso podem ser considerados como depósitos de pedras preciosas e minerais industriais. As duas áreas estudadas no presente artigo foram geradas por processo de anatexia ou fusão parcial. A Mina Jatobá no Campo Pegmatítico de Ferros-Antônio Dias, em Santa Maria de Itabira, explora a gema água-marinha, variedade berilo, num pegmatito que se localiza mais próximo ao sistema granítico do núcleo quartzoso e está encaixado numa rocha granítica gnaisse do Complexo Guanhães. A amostra recolhida foi denominada como Quartzo alcalino feldspato sienito no Diagrama QAPF. A cor azul do berilo é dada pela intrusão de Fe. A Mineração Duas Cores representa o Campo Pegmatítico de Marilac, próximo a Governador Valadares, e a exploração da turmalina bicolor será iniciada em breve. Este mineral encontra-se num pegmatito muito intemperado, posicionado mais ao final do sistema granítico e encaixado na rocha micaxistosa da Formação São Tomé. A amostra foi denominada Tonalita pelo Diagrama QAPF. A variação de cor da gema explorada está relacionada ao enriquecimento do elemento Li no local.

O cobalto é um elemento metálico natural com vastas aplicações em diversas indústrias e é um metal crítico para a produção de baterias de iões de lítio. A única função biológica conhecida do cobalto é seu papel como componente metálico da vitamina B12. Outros compostos de cobalto foram descritos como tóxicos para o ambiente e para o Homem após exposição excessiva. A Agência Internacional de Pesquisa sobre o Câncer (IARC) classificou o cobalto, incluindo o metal de cobalto e os sais solúveis de cobalto (II), como Grupo 2A, o que significa que provavelmente é cancerígeno para os seres humanos. Este artigo de revisão tem por objetivo fornecer uma visão geral das fontes históricas e atuais de cobalto em vários contextos de exposição, bem como das principais vias de exposição. Foi realizada uma pesquisa bibliográfica abrangente, entre setembro de 2021 e janeiro de 2022, analisando mais de 300 publicações. O principal objetivo desses estudos foi identificar as fontes de cobalto, as vias de ingestão e as formas de exposição. Os trabalhadores podem ser expostos a vários compostos de cobalto e pós metálicos principalmente por inalação, mas a exposição também pode ocorrer através do contacto com a pele ou ingestão. Para a população em geral, os alimentos geralmente surgem como a principal fonte de exposição ao cobalto. Além disso, a exposição pode ocorrer através do ar ambiente, da fumaça do tabaco e de implantes médicos.

Em 1604, a última das supernovas observadas a olho nu na Via Láctea teve um grande impacto na história da astronomia e da cosmologia. Cientistas com diferentes concepções do Universo - entre os quais Galileu e Kepler, mas também astrónomos árabes e chineses - competiram e colaboraram para explicar a sua natureza, a sua origem e o seu significado astrológico. Ainda hoje, observamos o que resta dessa supernova e aprendemos sobre astrofísica estelar.

The green economy aims to substitute polluting chemicals and processes with sustainable counterparts deriving from microbial cell factories that provide catalytic specificity and efficient conversions. In this manuscript, we explore how the bio-based production of chemicals enables the production of valuable molecules while reducing contemporary society's dependence on fossil fuels thereby alleviating part of the environmental burden. We discuss several emerging bio-based solutions and their impacts, with a particular focus on the potential of the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae in leading industrial microbial fermentation. Yeast remains a versatile, productive, and robust platform for producing metabolites and recombinant proteins.

The conservation of biodiversity and the understanding of its distribution patterns play a crucial role in promoting effective land management. The present study aimed to identify herbaceous species in Parque Urbano das Camélias located in the city of Braga. The research was conducted as part of an ongoing collaboration between the School of Sciences at the University of Minho and the Municipal Council of Braga. The site was sampled using the quadrant method, employing a 1m2 measurement, to encompass 12 strategically selected locations throughout the park. The findings encompassed 28 distinct specimens, with identification achieved at the genus level for 27 and at the species level for 25. The study area harbors both native species from mainland Portugal and exotic species, with the Poaceae family being predominant, accounting for 50% of the identified individuals. Some of the species identified in the park include Avena spp., Bromus madritensis, and Plantago lanceolata. The study discusses preservation strategies and biodiversity enhancement for the Parque Urbano das Camélias.

Withania somnifera (WS) or Ashwagandha is a well-known medicinal plant, cultivated in dry areas of India and Pakistan, where it represents an important resource as a widely used medicinal crop. Because of its anti-inflammatory and immunomodulatory effects, its extract is used, alone or in combination with other herbal extracts, in the treatment of age-related and neurodegenerative disorders. For tapping on the important therapeutic potential of this resource for biomedicine, strategies for controlled delivery and biodistribution improvement are necessary to guarantee treatment efficacy. Pharmacological properties of WS leaf extract (WSE) are mainly attributed to the presence of withanolides. In the present study, WSE was encapsulated in nanoparticles composed of biodegradable polymers as poly-ε-caprolactone (PCL) and methoxy poly-ethylene glycol poly-ε-caprolactone (MPEG-PCL) di-block copolymer. Laser doppler anemometry (LDA), X-Ray Diffraction (XRD) and Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM) were used to analyze their size and shape. The particle size distribution of WSE-loaded PCL and MPEG-PCL nanoparticles was measured as 214-268 and 30-62 nm, respectively, presenting in both cases a spherical shape. U251 glioma cells, representative of the most common and lethal type of intracranial tumor which is glioblastoma, were exposed to these nanoparticles, demonstrating their efficient uptake. It was showed that MPEG-PCL nanoparticles containing WSE offered better protection to U251 cells against tert-butyl hydroperoxide (tBHP)-induced oxidative damage (95.1%), compared to PCL nanoparticles with WSE (56.4%) and free WSE (39.0%). In vivo distribution of these nanoparticles was further analyzed using zebrafish embryos to validate their biocompatibility in a relevant vertebrate neurodevelopment model.

Malaria, a devastating illness remains a global health concern with an estimated 249 million malaria cases in 85 malaria-endemic countries around the world. Malaria elimination, challenged by drug resistance, requires strategic interventions that could be the implementation of antimalarials with selective actions on the different phases of the parasite life cycle. Of particular relevance is gametocytocidal drugs that could be used to prevent transmission of malaria infection to the mosquito. Finding drugs with gametocidal effect thus are limited by the technical challenges of large-scale production and quantification of parasite transmission stage, gametocytes. To surmount these obstacles, our study endeavors to design a genetic engineering strategy (a vector construct) to further deliver nucleic acid information through transfections-based systems in the form of a plasmid into Plasmodium falciparum. This approach will enable us to engineer a transgenic parasite line for multi-stage drug screening, targeting the symptomatic intra-erythrocyte parasite stage and gametocytes. Genetic engineering tools such as selected linked integration system and attB-attP site-specific recombination will be used in our vector construct aiming the genetic integration process into the P. falciparum genome. These systems will accommodate strategies for easy and accurate stage-specific quantification such as RFP-luciferase fusion cloned downstream stage-specific promoters leading to reporter products with optical outputs and for efficient production of gametocytes at large scale using a riboswitch-based inducible gene expression system. Such technology is of major need and will pave the way for scaling up the capacity for high-throughput drug screening, leading to improved strategies to find drugs capable of blocking malaria transmission.

2D cell cultures are widely used in skin research but often fail to accurately replicate the complexity of the in vivo microenvironment. Co-culture systems offer advantages over monocultures since cell communication and interaction are more realistic. Nevertheless, co-cultures are generally considered simplistic models. The development of 3D skin models can more closely resemble in vivo context, minimizing the need for animal models. Most developed 3D skin models result in complete keratinocyte differentiation, evidenced by the expression of specific protein markers like cytokeratin 10 (CK10), and provide a more accurate platform for drug screening and toxicity testing. Here we report on the development of an inflammatory co-culture model, using activated monocytic cells and keratinocytes. Inflammation was induced by incubating the monocytic cells with Escherichia coli bacterial extract (BE) and validated by quantification of TNF-α, IL-6 and -8 cytokines expression. Co-incubation of these two cell lines for 8h is sufficient to maintain the inflammatory state of keratinocytes for at least 24h. Additionally, a co-culture of fibroblasts and keratinocytes, the main cell types that compose the skin, and a 3D skin equivalent were developed and compared for cytokeratin expression. Although the co-culture of fibroblasts and keratinocytes allows for both juxtacrine and paracrine signaling, it did not lead to CK10 expression, indicating that keratinocyte differentiation was not fully attained. On the other hand, CK10 expression was observed already after 11 days in 3D skin equivalents, and was well-defined at 18 and 28 days, demonstrating that 3D models better mimic reality in terms of keratinocyte differentiation.

Fungal diseases currently affect about a quarter of the population worldwide. Fungi infections caused by Candida albicans have been described as a significant concern to public health. The spectrum of clinical diseases caused by this fungi species range between vulvovaginal candidiasis, oral candidiasis, candidemia and mucositis. The emergence of resistance mechanisms towards antifungal therapy greatly hampers successful management of illness and patient outcome. Nystatin, an antifungal drug, is categorized as a class IV of Biopharmaceutical Classification System, presenting low aqueous solubility and low intestinal permeability. Nowadays, the emerging platform of nanotechnology and lipid nanoparticles, notably solid lipid nanoparticles (SLN), has been subject to growing attention over recent past, owing to the promising properties of vectorization among a substantial variety of pharmaceutical drugs. Due to its hydrophobic proprieties, nystatin was encapsulated in SLN. Thus aiming to understand the relationship between the use of nanosystems and the improvement of the therapeutic effect. The aim of this work was to formulate SLN with nystatin by different methods (high speed homogenization and ultrasonication) with optimization of several parameters and formulation of 2 gels (one of them containing nanoparticles). Initially, 3 lipids were used: Compritol®  888 ATO, cetyl palmitate and Precirol®  ATO 5 and, after the study of several parameters (size, encapsulation efficiency (EE) and polymorphic behaviour of the lipids), Precirol®  ATO 5 was chosen as the lipid with the most satisfactory results. The results of the present work showed that the assay method of nystatin was linear, specific and presented repeatability. The average diameter of empty nanoparticles (NPs) and with drug (Precirol-NYS NPs) was, respectively, 306 nm and 260 nm and an EE of 67.8%. Regarding stability, SLN with drug proved to be more stable than SLN without drug. The polymer used for formulation of gels was the polymer commonly known by the trade name Carbopol® 940. The yield of 0.5% Carbopol® gel preparations and 0.5% Carbopol® gel + 10% Precirol-NYS NPs were 87.2% and 91.39%, respectively.