Preparation and characterization of polymer/layered silicate pharmaceutical nanobiomaterials using high clay load exfoliation processes

Jaqueline Correia Villac¸a,Luiz Cla´udio R. Pereira da Silva,Luisa Helena Falca˜o Barbosa,Carlos Rangel Rodrigues,Luiz Marcelo Lira,Fla´ via Almada do Carmo,Valeria Pereira de Sousa,Maria Ineˆs Bruno 한국공업화학회 2014 Journal of Industrial and Engineering Chemistry Vol.20 No.6

The purpose of this study was to prepare and characterize lamellar silicate nanocomposites usingexfoliation processes, high clay load and polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP), ethylcellulose (EC) andpolyquaternium-H (PQH). The clays (sodium montmorillonite, Viscogel S4TM, S7TM and B8TM) werepre-treated with ultrasonic energy in order to increase clay exfoliation yields. Polymeric nanocompositeswere characterized by XRPD, DSC, TGA, DLS and NMR. The results revealed a new exfoliationmethod and new intercalated nanocomposites. High clay load was used to obtain the nanocomposites,which enables its application at an industrial scale. These nanocomposites could be broadly appliedacross the pharmaceutical, medical and food industries.

Application of Bonelike® as synthetic bone graft in orthopaedic and oral surgery in veterinary clinical cases.

José Miguel Campos,Ana Catarina Sousa,Pedro Olivério Pinto,Jorge Ribeiro,Miguel Lacueva França,Ana Rita Caseiro,Mariana Vieira Branquinho,Sílvia Santos Pedrosa,Carla Mendonça,Ana Brandão,José Domingos 한국생체재료학회 2019 생체재료학회지 Vol.23 No.1

Autologous bone remains the gold standard grafting substrate for bone fusions used for small gaps and critical defects. However, significant morbidity is associated with the harvesting of autologous bone grafts and, for that reason, alternative bone graft substitutes have been developed. In the present case series, a glass-reinforced hydroxyapatite synthetic bone substitute, with osteoinductive and osteoconductive proprieties, was applied. This synthetic bone substitute comprises the incorporation of P2O5-CaO glass-based system within a hydroxyapatite matrix, moulded into spherical pellets with 250-500 μm of diameter. A total of 14 veterinary clinical cases of appendicular bone defects and maxillary / mandibular bone defects are described. In all clinical cases, the synthetic bone substitute was used to fill bone defects, enhancing bone regeneration and complementing the recommended surgical techniques. Results demonstrated that it is an appropriate synthetic bone graft available to be used in veterinary patients. It functioned as a space filler in association with standard orthopaedic and odontological procedures of stabilization, promoting a faster bone fusion without any local or systemic adverse reactions. This procedure improves the animals’ quality of life, decreasing pain and post-operative recovery period, as well as increasing bone stability improving positive clinical outcomes.

A quality by design approach in oral extended release drug delivery systems: where we are and where we are going?

Sousa A. S.,Serra J.,Estevens C.,Costa R.,Ribeiro A. J. 한국약제학회 2023 Journal of Pharmaceutical Investigation Vol.53 No.2

Background Oral extended release (ER) delivery systems have quickly gained increasing importance because of their ability to maintain drug levels in the blood more consistently, reducing side effects and improving patient compliance. The complexity of ER formulation leads to additional development challenges in the fulfilment of quality-related regulatory requirements. Despite their challenging properties, the potential of ER system formulation and process development can be better exploited by applying quality by design (QbD) approaches and advanced modeling techniques such as machine learning (ML). Area covered This review provides a comprehensive overview of QbD concepts applied to oral ER delivery systems, clarifying the impact of raw materials and process variables on critical quality attributes (CQAs). Moreover, data science coupled with ML algorithms is also elucidated in this article as a potential tool for predicting and optimizing ER formulation design and manufacturing processes. Expert opinion QbD, as a scientific and risk-based approach, provides a comprehensive understanding of oral ER drug delivery systems improving product quality and reducing postapproval changes. Enabling QbD with ML-driven pharmaceutical development can provide an opportunity to move toward risk mitigation for efficient ER tablet formulation and process development. However, there are some barriers to overcome in the way of adopting QbD concepts. The key issues are the lack of understanding and the gap between industries and regulatory authorities concerning the scientific principles and terms beyond QbD, which can create an obstacle during the approval process. Furthermore, it is generally believed that the resources and time invested in applying QbD tools are not cost-effective during constant and continuous improvement. Today, it is time to realize that a multidisciplinary understanding of the formulation and manufacturing process is as important as achieving the final result.

Sustainability of kraft pulp mills: Bleaching technologies and sequences with reduced water use

A.M. Sousa,I.S.S. Pinto,L. Machado,L. Gando-Ferreira,M.J. Quina 한국공업화학회 2023 Journal of Industrial and Engineering Chemistry Vol.125 No.-

The Kraft pulp industry is a relevant industrial sector in many countries with a considerable social, economic,and environmental impact. Thus, sustainability is the adequate framework to address this activitysector. This work presents a review of the literature, with a particular focus on the bleaching area and itsrelevance in reducing water use. The sustainability reports of the most prominent pulp and paper companieswere analyzed, considering their specific water utilization and the sustainability targets they haveoutlined. The most industrially applied bleaching sequences were also addressed and the stages of thestate-of-the-art sequences were analyzed (elemental chlorine free – ECF bleaching). Moreover, in thisreview, a detailed analysis of a sequence used on an industrial scale was carried out, highlighting thewashing steps and the measures that are taken to minimize water use. The main limitations to the minimizationof water use were identified, being deposit formation the major problem. Measures to overcomethese limitations, as well as future perspectives were discussed. Due to the shortage offreshwater nearby some pulp and paper production sites, there will continue to be great pressure inthe future to reduce water utilization, especially in the bleaching area.

Methylsulfonylmethane (MSM), an organosulfur compound, is effective against obesity-induced metabolic disorders in mice

Sousa-Lima, I.,Park, S.Y.,Chung, M.,Jung, H.J.,Kang, M.C.,Gaspar, J.M.,Seo, J.A.,Macedo, M.P.,Park, K.S.,Mantzoros, C.,Lee, S.H.,Kim, Y.B. W.B.Saunders [etc.] 2016 clinical and experimental Vol.65 No.10

Methylsulfonylmethane (MSM), an organosulfur compound, has been used as a dietary supplement that can improve various metabolic diseases. However, the effect of MSM on obesity-linked metabolic disorders remains unclear. The goal of the current study is to determine whether MSM has beneficial effects on glucose and lipid homeostasis in obesity-associated pathophysiologic states. High-fat diet-induced obese (DIO) and genetically obese diabetic db/db mice treated with MSM (1%-5% v/v, by drinking water) were studied. Metabolic parameters involved in glucose and lipid metabolism were determined. Treatment of DIO mice with MSM leads to a significant decrease in blood glucose levels. DIO mice treated with MSM are hypersensitive to insulin, as evidenced by decreased serum insulin and an increase in the area above the curve during an ITT. Concurrently, MSM reduces hepatic triglyceride and cholesterol contents in DIO mice. These effects are accompanied by reductions in gene expression of key molecules involved in lipogenesis and inflammation. FACS analysis reveals that MSM markedly increases the frequency of B cells and decreases the frequency of myeloid cells in peripheral blood and in bone marrow. Moreover, overnutrition-induced changes of femur microarchitecture are restored by MSM. In db/db mice, a marked impairment in glucose and lipid metabolic profiles is notably ameliorated when MSM is supplemented. These data suggest that MSM has beneficial effects on multiple metabolic dysfunctions, including hyperglycemia, hyperinsulinemia, insulin resistance, and inflammation. Thus, MSM could be the therapeutic option for the treatment of obesity-related metabolic disorders such as type 2 diabetes and fatty liver diseases.

A review of hemorheology: Measuring techniques and recent advances

Patrícia C. Sousa,Fernando T. Pinho,Manuel A. Alves,Mónica S.N. Oliveira 한국유변학회 2016 Korea-Australia rheology journal Vol.28 No.1

Significant progress has been made over the years on the topic of hemorheology, not only in terms of the development of more accurate and sophisticated techniques, but also in terms of understanding the phenomena associated with blood components, their interactions and impact upon blood properties. The rheological properties of blood are strongly dependent on the interactions and mechanical properties of red blood cells, and a variation of these properties can bring further insight into the human health state and can be an important parameter in clinical diagnosis. In this article, we provide both a reference for hemorheological research and a resource regarding the fundamental concepts in hemorheology. This review is aimed at those starting in the field of hemodynamics, where blood rheology plays a significant role, but also at those in search of the most up-to-date findings (both qualitative and quantitative) in hemorheological measurements and novel techniques used in this context, including technical advances under more extreme conditions such as in large amplitude oscillatory shear flow or under extensional flow, which impose large deformations comparable to those found in the microcirculatory system and in diseased vessels. Given the impressive rate of increase in the available knowledge on blood flow, this review is also intended to identify areas where current knowledge is still incomplete, and which have the potential for new, exciting and useful research. We also discuss the most important parameters that can lead to an alteration of blood rheology, and which as a consequence can have a significant impact on the normal physiological behavior of blood.

Echocardiographic Assessment of Right Ventriculo-arterial Coupling: Clinical Correlates and Prognostic Impact in Heart Failure Patients Undergoing Cardiac Resynchronization Therapy

Bruno Bragança,Maria Trêpa,Raquel Santos,Inês Silveira,Marta Fontes Oliveira,Maria João Sousa,Hipólito Reis,Severo Torres,Mário Santos 한국심초음파학회 2020 Journal of Cardiovascular Imaging (J Cardiovasc Im Vol.28 No.2

BACKGROUND: Right ventriculo-arterial coupling (RV-PA) can be estimated by echocardiography using the ratio between tricuspid annular plane systolic excursion (TAPSE) and pulmonary artery systolic pressure (PASP) and it has prognostic value in the general heart failure (HF) population. We aimed to study the clinical correlates and prognostic value of RV-PA in HF patients undergoing cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT). METHODS: We retrospectively studied 70 HF patients undergoing CRT implantation. RESULTS: RV-PA coupling was estimated by TAPSE/PASP ratio using baseline echocardiography. Non-response to CRT was defined as improvement of left ventricular ejection fraction < 5% in a follow-up echo 6-12 months after CRT. Those with lower TAPSE/PASP ratios (worse RV-PA coupling) had higher NT-proBNP concentrations and increased E/e′ ratio. TAPSE/PASP ratio and PASP, but not TAPSE, predicted nonresponse to CRT with TAPSE/PASP ratio showing the best discriminative ability with a sensitivity of 76% and specificity of 71%. Among these parameters, PASP independently predicted all-cause mortality. CONCLUSIONS: RV-PA coupling estimated by TAPSE/PASP ratio was associated with established prognostic markers in HF. It numerically outperformed PASP and TAPSE in predicting the response to CRT. Our data suggest that this simple and widely available echocardiographic parameter conveys significant pathophysiological and prognostic meaning in HF patients undergoing CRT.

MINERAL CHARACTERISTICS OF RAW GOAT MILK FROM THE REGION OF GOIÂNIA, BRAZIL.

Dias, M.J.,Tanezini, C.A.,D'Alessandro, W.T.,de Oliveria, A.B.C.,Rocha, J. de M.,Pontes, I. dos S.,de Carvalho, A.L.,de Sousa, J.T. Asian Australasian Association of Animal Productio 1994 Animal Bioscience Vol.7 No.1

432 samples of raw goat milk were analyzed for sodium, calcium, potassium, chloride, and ashes content. The samples came from 16 pure breed goats, 2 to 4 years of age kept in semi-feedlots. They were basically fed soy bran, cotton bran, triturated Guandu hay and disintegrated corn with its straw and corncob (according to requirements for due preservation and production). The mean values found were: sodium, $45{\pm}10.2mg%$ (24.5-65.6 mg%); potassium, $206{\pm}44.7mg%$ (116.6-295 mg%); calcium, $111{\pm}22mg%$ (66.5-155.4 mg %); ashes, $0.82{\pm}0.06mg%$ (0.68-0.95%); chloride, $235{\pm}39mg%$ (157-313 mg%). Results were related to: a) breed, the Brown and the Saanen revealed superior values for calcium and ashes, b) climate, which in the rain season led to higher contents of sodium, potassium, and calcium when compared to the local dry season, c) time of lactation which increasingly affected the contents of calcium, sodium and ashes, and d) the time between milking, when higher concentration of chloride and ashes were mostly concentrated in the evening and calcium in the morning. These results have important implications in the handling and management of the goat herd.

Anti-Inflammatory and Anti-Ulcer Activities of Carvacrol, a Monoterpene Present in the Essential Oil of Oregano

Francilene V. Silva,Adriana G. Guimara˜es,Elayne R.S. Silva,Benedito P. Sousa-Neto,Fla´via D.F. Machado,Lucindo J. Quintans-Ju´nior,Daniel D.R. Arcanjo,Francisco A. Oliveira,Rita C.M. Oliveira 한국식품영양과학회 2012 Journal of medicinal food Vol.15 No.11

This study reports a pharmacological evaluation of anti-inflammatory and anti-ulcer activities of carvacrol, a phenolic monoterpene constituent of essential oils produced by oregano and other several aromatic plants and spices, in experimental models of edema induced by different phlogistic agents and gastric lesions induced by acetic acid. In models of paw edema induced by dextran or histamine, carvacrol was effective at 50 mg/kg (46% and 35%, respectively); in these models, cyproheptadine reduced edema formation (61% and 43%, respectively). In edema induced by substance P, carvacrol (100 mg/kg) and ruthenium red (3 mg/kg) also decreased the edema formation (46% and 40%, respectively). Carvacrol significantly reduced the ear edema induced by 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol acetate and arachidonic acid at 0.1 mg per ear (43% and 33%, respectively), similar to indomethacin at 0.5 mg per ear or 2.0 mg per ear (55% and 57%, respectively). Carvacrol (at doses of 25, 50, and 100 mg/kg) showed a healing capacity on gastric lesions induced by acid acetic (60%, 91%, and 81%, respectively) after 14 days of treatment. These results suggest that carvacrol acts on different pharmacological targets, probably interfering in release and/or synthesis of inflammatory mediators, such as the prostanoids, and thus favoring the healing process for gastric ulcers.

Cast Aluminum Surface Reinforced with Carbon Nanotube via Solubilization Treatment

Paulo R. O. Brito,Cristhian R. L. Loayza,Mário E. S. Sousa,Eduardo M. Braga,Rômulo S. Angélica,Simone P. A. da Paz,Marcos A. L. Reis 대한금속·재료학회 2022 METALS AND MATERIALS International Vol.28 No.3

Carbon nanotubes (CNTs) are noteworthy, as they reinforce the metallic matrix, due to mechanical properties, such asthe ~ 1.0 TPa Young module. To improve the maintenance of the commercially pure aluminum surface, multi-walled carbonnanotubes were incorporated into the aluminum surface with heat treatment by solid solubilization, in order to improvethe surface properties of aluminum. The aluminum samples were chemically attacked for 30, 60 and 120 s and placed in acontainer with CNTs, being subjected to a temperature of 640 °C for 1 h. Then, the roughness was evaluated by a roughnessmeter for morphology in the scanning electron microscopy. An intensity of aggregation of CNTs was evaluated by XRD, andthe Raman Spectra has evaluated the transfer of charge to the matrix. Microhardness was performed to evaluate the influenceof the incorporation of CNTs in the matrix. The results obtained show that the incorporation of CNTs in the aluminummatrix increases the hardness in approximately 20% of the surface, in comparison with the control sample. The process ofincorporating CNTs into the aluminum matrix by solubilization is a promising, simple and inexpensive alternative to improvethe durability of the aluminum surface.