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Pharmaceutics Jul 2023Medicated chewing gum with lysozyme hydrochloride and ascorbic acid as active pharmaceutical ingredients was developed for application in dentistry. The aim of this...
The Study of the Cytotoxicity, Proliferative and Microbiological Activity of the Medicated Chewing Gum with Ascorbic Acid and Lysozyme Hydrochloride Using Different Culture of Cells.
Medicated chewing gum with lysozyme hydrochloride and ascorbic acid as active pharmaceutical ingredients was developed for application in dentistry. The aim of this research was to study the cytotoxicity, proliferative, and microbiological activities of the active ingredients in different types of cell cultures. The preclinical study of active pharmaceutical ingredients and their combinations was carried out using culture lines such as HepG2 (human hepatocarcinoma cells), Hek293 (human embryonic kidney cells), and MAEC (mouse aortic endothelial cells). MTT assays were used to analyse cytotoxicity and proliferative activity, while the state of antioxidant protection was assessed by the content of sulfhydryl groups and catalase activity. The determination of lipid peroxidation products was based on the level of TBA-active products. As a microbiological model for studying the effect of the developed dental medicine on the ability of the oral cavity microorganisms to form biofilms, the following strains were used: , , , , and . The optical density of the formed biofilm was evaluated by the intensity of the experimental sample's colour on a StatFax 303 Plus photometer at a wavelength of 630 nm. The combination of ascorbic acid and lysozyme hydrochloride in the established concentrations (20 mg and 10 mg per 1 gum, respectively) resulted in a slight stimulation of cell proliferation without any toxic effects and increased antioxidant protection, preventing the development of oxidative stress. It was found that, in contrast to the separately used active substances, the combination of lysozyme hydrochloride and ascorbic acid inhibits the biofilm formation of all studied microorganisms and shows the ability to destroy diurnal biofilms of and fungi of the genus , indicating potentiation and summation of the active pharmaceutical ingredients' composition effects in the developed dental medicine. Due to the observed positive pharmacological and microbiological action, the combination of lysozyme hydrochloride and ascorbic acid in the medicated chewing gum serves as a promising tool for the prevention and treatment of infectious and inflammatory diseases of the periodontium and mucous membranes and the prevention of caries.
PubMed: 37514080
DOI: 10.3390/pharmaceutics15071894 -
Animals : An Open Access Journal From... Jul 2023This research shows the size composition of airborne dust fractions in selected dairy barns down to the smallest particles, including factors that influence this...
This research shows the size composition of airborne dust fractions in selected dairy barns down to the smallest particles, including factors that influence this composition. Measurements with a Dust-Track 8530 laser photometer took place in the summer at external temperatures of 29.5 to 36 °C. In barns with straw bedding, the average total dust concentration TDC was 66.98 ± 28.38 μg·m (PM 60.11 ± 19.93 μg·m, PM 49.48 ± 13.76 μg·m, PM 44.78 ± 10.18 μg·m, and PM 38.43 ± 9.29 μg·m). In barns without straw bedding, the average TDC was 55.91 ± 36.6 μg·m, PM 33.71 ± 13.86 μg·m, PM 30.69 ± 15.29 μg·m, PM 27.02 ± 13.38 μg·m, and PM 22.93 ± 10.48 μg·m. The largest TDC of 108.09 ± 32.93 μg·m (PM 69.80 ± 18.70 μg·m, PM 68.20 ± 18.41 μg·m, PM 53.27 ± 14.73 μg·m, and PM 38.46 ± 5.55 μg·m) was measured in an old cowshed with stanchion housing for 113 cows, straw bedding, and ventilation through windows. In a modern cowshed for loose housing of 440 lactating cows without straw bedding, with natural ventilation and 24 axial fans, TDC was 53.62 ± 49.52 μg·m, PM 20.91 ± 5.24 μg·m, PM 17.11 ± 3.23 μg·m, PM 13.71 ± 0.92 μg·m, and PM 12.69 ± 2.82 μg·m. In all investigated barns, a large proportion of airborne dust particles (54.38 ± 20.82% of TDC) consists of the smallest PM dust particles (from 12.69 ± 2.82 μg·m to 48.48 ± 1.18 μg·m).
PubMed: 37508099
DOI: 10.3390/ani13142322 -
BioRxiv : the Preprint Server For... Jul 2023Reduction of the production of amyloid beta (Aβ) species has been intensively investigated as potential therapeutic approaches for Alzheimer's disease (AD). However,...
Reduction of the production of amyloid beta (Aβ) species has been intensively investigated as potential therapeutic approaches for Alzheimer's disease (AD). However, the degradation of Aβ species, another potential beneficial approach, has been far less explored. In this study, we discovered that ceruloplasmin (CP), an important multi-copper oxidase (MCO) in human blood, could degrade Aβ peptides. We also found that the presence of Vitamin C could enhance the degrading effect in a concentration-dependent manner. We then validated the CP-Aβ interaction using total internal reflection fluorescence (TIRF) microscopy, fluorescence photometer, and fluorescence polarization measurement. Based on the above discovery, we hypothesized that other MCOs had similar Aβ-degrading functions. Indeed, we found that other MCOs could induce Aβ degradation as well. Remarkably, we revealed that ascorbate oxidase (AO) had the strongest degrading effect among the tested MCOs. Using induced pluripotent stem (iPS) neuron cells, we observed that AO could rescue neuron toxicity which induced by Aβ oligomers. In addition, our electrophysiological analysis with brain slices suggested that AO could prevent an Ab-induced deficit in synaptic transmission in the hippocampus. To the best of our knowledge, our report is the first to demonstrate that MCOs have a degrading function for peptides/proteins. Further investigations are warranted to explore the possible benefits of MCOs for future AD treatment.
PubMed: 37461701
DOI: 10.1101/2023.07.02.547398 -
Environment International Aug 2023This study analyzed the variability of equivalent black carbon (eBC) mass concentrations and their sources in urban Europe to provide insights into the use of eBC as an...
This study analyzed the variability of equivalent black carbon (eBC) mass concentrations and their sources in urban Europe to provide insights into the use of eBC as an advanced air quality (AQ) parameter for AQ standards. This study compiled eBC mass concentration datasets covering the period between 2006 and 2022 from 50 measurement stations, including 23 urban background (UB), 18 traffic (TR), 7 suburban (SUB), and 2 regional background (RB) sites. The results highlighted the need for the harmonization of eBC measurements to allow for direct comparisons between eBC mass concentrations measured across urban Europe. The eBC mass concentrations exhibited a decreasing trend as follows: TR > UB > SUB > RB. Furthermore, a clear decreasing trend in eBC concentrations was observed in the UB sites moving from Southern to Northern Europe. The eBC mass concentrations exhibited significant spatiotemporal heterogeneity, including marked differences in eBC mass concentration and variable contributions of pollution sources to bulk eBC between different cities. Seasonal patterns in eBC concentrations were also evident, with higher winter concentrations observed in a large proportion of cities, especially at UB and SUB sites. The contribution of eBC from fossil fuel combustion, mostly traffic (eBC) was higher than that of residential and commercial sources (eBC) in all European sites studied. Nevertheless, eBC still had a substantial contribution to total eBC mass concentrations at a majority of the sites. eBC trend analysis revealed decreasing trends for eBC over the last decade, while eBC remained relatively constant or even increased slightly in some cities.
Topics: Air Pollutants; Environmental Monitoring; Aerosols; Air Pollution; Europe; Seasons; Soot; Carbon; Particulate Matter
PubMed: 37451041
DOI: 10.1016/j.envint.2023.108081 -
Nanomaterials (Basel, Switzerland) Jul 2023ZnO is an effective photocatalyst applied to the degradation of organic dyes in aqueous media. In this study, the UV-light and sunlight-driven photocatalytic activities...
ZnO is an effective photocatalyst applied to the degradation of organic dyes in aqueous media. In this study, the UV-light and sunlight-driven photocatalytic activities of ZnO nanoparticles are evaluated. A handheld Lovibond photometer was purposefully calibrated in order to monitor the dye removal in outdoor conditions. The effect of ZnO defect states, i.e., the presence of zinc and oxygen defects on the photocatalytic activity was probed for two types of dyes: fuchsin and methylene blue. Three morphologies of ZnO nanoparticles were deliberately selected, i.e., spherical, facetted and a mix of spherical and facetted, ascertained via transmission electron microscopy. Aqueous and non-aqueous sol-gel routes were applied to their synthesis in order to tailor their size, morphology and defect states. Raman spectroscopy demonstrated that the spherical nanoparticles contained a high amount of oxygen vacancies and zinc interstitials. Photoluminescence spectroscopy revealed that the facetted nanoparticles harbored zinc vacancies in addition to oxygen vacancies. A mechanism for dye degradation based on the possible surface defects in facetted nanoparticles is proposed in this work. The reusability of these nanoparticles for five cycles of dye degradation was also analyzed. More specifically, facetted ZnO nanoparticles tend to exhibit higher efficiencies and reusability than spherical nanoparticles.
PubMed: 37446514
DOI: 10.3390/nano13131998 -
Biosensors May 2023Excessive use of pesticides could potentially harm the environment for a long time. The reason for this is that the banned pesticide is still likely to be used...
Excessive use of pesticides could potentially harm the environment for a long time. The reason for this is that the banned pesticide is still likely to be used incorrectly. Carbofuran and other banned pesticides that remain in the environment may also have a negative effect on human beings. In order to provide a better chance for effective environmental screening, this thesis describes a prototype of a photometer tested with cholinesterase to potentially detect pesticides in the environment. The open-source portable photodetection platform uses a color-programmable red, green and blue light-emitting diode (RGB LED) as a light source and a TSL230R light frequency sensor. Acetylcholinesterase from (AChE) with high similarity to human AChE was used for biorecognition. The Ellman method was selected as a standard method. Two analytical approaches were applied: (1) subtraction of the output values after a certain period of time and (2) comparison of the slope values of the linear trend. The optimal preincubation time for carbofuran with AChE was 7 min. The limits of detection for carbofuran were 6.3 nmol/L for the kinetic assay and 13.5 nmol/L for the endpoint assay. The paper demonstrates that the open alternative for commercial photometry is equivalent. The concept based on the OS3P/OS3P could be used as a large-scale screening system.
Topics: Humans; Carbofuran; Cholinesterase Inhibitors; Acetylcholinesterase; Pesticides; Cholinesterases
PubMed: 37366964
DOI: 10.3390/bios13060599 -
Journal of Environmental Sciences... Oct 2023Black carbon (BC) aerosols in the atmosphere play a significant role in climate systems due to their strong ability to absorb solar radiation. The lifetime of BC depends...
Black carbon (BC) aerosols in the atmosphere play a significant role in climate systems due to their strong ability to absorb solar radiation. The lifetime of BC depends on atmospheric transport, aging and consequently on wet scavenging processes (in-cloud and below-cloud scavenging). In this study, sequential rainwater samples in eight rainfall events collected in 2 mm interval were measured by a tandem system including a single particle soot photometer (SP2) and a nebulizer. The results showed that the volume-weighted average (VWA) mass concentrations of refractory black carbon (rBC) in each rainfall event varied, ranging from 10.8 to 78.9 µg/L. The highest rBC concentrations in the rainwater samples typically occurred in the first fraction from individual rainfall events. The geometric mean median mass-equivalent diameter (MMD) decreased under precipitation, indicating that rBC with larger sizes was relatively aged and preferentially removed by wet scavenging. A positive correlation (R = 0.73) between the VWA mass concentrations of rBC in rainwater and that in ambient air suggested the important contribution of scavenging process. Additionally, the contributions of in-cloud and below-cloud scavenging were distinguished and accounted for 74% and 26% to wet scavenging, respectively. The scavenging ratio of rBC particles was estimated to be 0.06 on average. This study provides helpful information for better understanding the mechanism of rBC wet scavenging and reducing the uncertainty of numerical simulations of the climate effects of rBC.
Topics: Air Pollutants; Beijing; Soot; Aerosols; Carbon; Environmental Monitoring
PubMed: 37336608
DOI: 10.1016/j.jes.2022.07.039 -
Spectrochimica Acta. Part A, Molecular... Dec 2023Abnormal iron ions levels may lead to some diseases and serious environmental pollution. Herein, optical and visual detection strategies of Fe in water based on co-doped...
Abnormal iron ions levels may lead to some diseases and serious environmental pollution. Herein, optical and visual detection strategies of Fe in water based on co-doped carbon dots (CDs) were established in the present study. Firstly, a one-pot synthetic strategy for the preparation of the N, S, B co-doped CDs with a home microwave oven was developed. Secondly, the optical properties, chemical structures, and morphology of CDs were further characterized by fluorescence spectroscopy, Uv-vis absorption spectroscopy, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, and transmission electron microscope. Finally, the results indicated that the fluorescence of the co-doped CDs was quenched by ferric ions via the static mechanism and the aggregation of CDs, accompanied by the increased red color. The multi-mode sensing strategies of Fe with fluorescence photometer, UV-visible spectrophotometer, portable colorimeter and smartphone had the advantages of good selectivity, excellent stability and high sensitivity. Fluorophotometry based on co-doped CDs was a powerful probe platform for measuring lower concentrations of Fe due to its higher sensitivity, better linear relationship, lower limit of detection (0.27 μM) and limit of quantitation (0.91 μM). In addition, the visual detection methods with a portable colorimeter and smartphone had been proven to be very suitable for rapid and simple sensing of higher concentrations of Fe. Moreover, the co-doped CDs utilized for Fe probes in tap water and boiler water obtained satisfactory results. Consequently, the efficient, versatile optical and visual multi-mode sensing platform could be extended to apply such a visual analysis of ferric ions in the biological, chemical and other fields.
PubMed: 37329831
DOI: 10.1016/j.saa.2023.122995 -
Science (New York, N.Y.) Jun 2023Understanding the causes and potential mitigations of light pollution requires measuring and monitoring artificial light at night (ALAN). We review how ALAN is measured,... (Review)
Review
Understanding the causes and potential mitigations of light pollution requires measuring and monitoring artificial light at night (ALAN). We review how ALAN is measured, both from the ground and through remote sensing by satellites in Earth orbit. A variety of techniques are described, including single-channel photometers, all-sky cameras, and drones. Spectroscopic differences between light sources can be used to determine which are most responsible for light pollution, but they complicate the interpretation of photometric data. The variability of Earth's atmosphere leads to difficulty in comparisons between datasets. Theoretical models provide complementary information to calibrate experiments and interpret their results. Here, we identify several shortcomings and challenges in current approaches to measuring light pollution and suggest ways forward.
Topics: Atmosphere; Earth, Planet; Light Pollution; Models, Theoretical; Environmental Monitoring; Remote Sensing Technology
PubMed: 37319204
DOI: 10.1126/science.adg0473 -
Animals : An Open Access Journal From... May 2023Artificial insemination in the swine industry, as in other species, demands adequate semen handling and accurate evaluation for the preparation of seminal doses. Sperm...
Artificial insemination in the swine industry, as in other species, demands adequate semen handling and accurate evaluation for the preparation of seminal doses. Sperm concentration and motility estimates are part of the semen evaluation process and are considered important for maximizing the yield of doses for insemination. In this study, methods were examined for their accuracy in the estimation of boar sperm concentration and motility. Assessments of sperm concentration were carried out using iSperm, ISAS v1, Open CASA v2, and the Accuread photometer. Analyses of sperm motility were performed with iSperm, ISAS v1, and Open CASA v2 systems. In this study, boar semen samples were collected from 10 healthy males from two genetic lines. There were no relevant differences between sire lines when sperm concentration was assessed. A Bayesian analysis was applied to the four methods used to assess sperm concentration to examine whether there are relevant differences between them. Results suggested differences in the four methods, with a probability of relevance (PR) of 0.86-1.00. The iSperm method revealed higher concentration values within the highest posterior density region at 95% confidence interval (HPD) = 167.0, 224.2 M/mL, whereas Open CASA v2 showed the lowest values, with HPD = 99.3, 155.9 M/mL. The iSperm demonstrated higher reliability in measuring sperm concentration compared to other methods or devices within the given range of confidence. ANOVAs revealed relevant differences in the three methods of motility estimation. Overall, differences in boar sperm concentration and motility estimates were found using various methods, but further studies are needed for better characterization of these differences.
PubMed: 37238052
DOI: 10.3390/ani13101622