Molecular brushes with extreme grafted side chain densities

A series of densely grafted poly(n-butyl acrylate) (PBA) molecular brushes with four different grafting densities were synthesized by the “grafting-from” approach using atom transfer radical polymerization (ATRP). A novel monomer, isopropylidene-2,2-Bis(methoxy)propionic hydroxyethylmethacrylate (IMPHMA), was synthesized and copolymerized with methyl methacrylate (MMA) under different monomer feed ratios to yield a series of linear poly(methyl methacrylate-stat-IMAPA), [PMMA-s-(PIMPHMA)]. The resulting copolymers were deprotected and transformed to macroinitiators, [PMMA-s-(PHEMA-IMPHMA-Br)]. n-Butyl acrylate (BA) was grafted from these macroinitiators to yield a series of molecular brushes, [PMMA-s-{(PIMPHMA)-g-PBA}], with various side chain lengths. Molecular brushes were characterized by gel permeation chromatography (GPC) and ¹H NMR. PBA side chains were cleaved by acid hydrolysis, and the resulting linear PBA polymers were characterized by GPC to study initiation efficiency during the synthesis of molecular brushes. The initiation efficiency increased with polymerization time and decreased with macroinitiators that had more initiation sites. Atomic force microscopy (AFM) measurements demonstrated the characteristic molecular structure by resolving individual brush molecules.     

A comprehensive meta-analysis on evidence of Mediterranean diet and cardiovascular disease: Are individual components equal?

Many studies have reported that higher adherence to Mediterranean diet may decrease cardiovascular disease (CVD) incidence and mortality. We performed a meta-analysis to explore the association in prospective studies and randomized control trials (RCTs) between Mediterranean diet adherence and CVD incidence and mortality. The PubMed database was searched up to June 2014. A total of 17 studies were extracted and 11 qualified for the quantitative analysis. Individuals in the highest quantile of adherence to the diet had lower incidence [relative risk (RR): 0.76, 95% confidence intervals (CI): 0.68, 0.83] and mortality (RR: 0.76, 95% CI: 0.68, 0.83) from CVD compared to those least adherent. A significant reduction of risk was found also for coronary heart disease (CHD) (RR: 0.72, 95% CI: 0.60, 0.86), myocardial infarction (MI) (RR: 0.67; 95% CI: 0.54, 0.83), and stroke (RR: 0.76; 95% CI: 0.60, 0.96) incidence. Pooled analyses of individual components of the diet revealed that the protective effects of the diet appear to be most attributable to olive oil, fruits, vegetables, and legumes. An average reduced risk of 40% for the aforementioned outcomes has been retrieved when pooling results of RCTs. A Mediterranean dietary pattern is associated with lower risks of CVD incidence and mortality, including CHD and MI. The relative effects of specific food groups should be further investigated.     

Polycationic star polymers with hyperbranched cores for gene delivery

Core-shell type stars synthesized via atom transfer radical polymerization were used for the delivery of nucleic acids. The interior of the stars consisted of hyperbranched poly(arylene oxindole), while the arms were composed of poly(N,N-dimethylaminoethyl methacrylate). The length of the star arms varied in degree of polymerization (DP) from 14 to 98. The hydrodynamic radius of the structures measured in water indicated the presence of small aggregates, while isolated stars ranging in size from 14 to 29 nm were seen in organic solvent. The phase transition temperatures of the stars in water, measured in basic conditions, were shifted to lower values with increasing DP of the arms. Stable polyplexes of stars with plasmid DNA were formed. Their size varied from 300 nm to 400 nm, depending upon the DP of arms. The zeta potential of the polyplexes was positive, which facilitated their cellular uptake. The DP of the arms influenced the transfection efficiency of HT-1080 cells, demonstrating that stars are promising candidates for synthetic gene vectors.     

Validation of Gamma and Electron Beam Irradiation as Alternative Conservation Technology for European Chestnuts

Chestnuts are widely consumed around the world, especially in China, which is the major producer. Portugal is the fifth biggest producer, reaching an income of 17 M €, with particular relevance for Trás-os-Montes region, which is responsible for 81 % of Portuguese production. During postharvest storage, a number of pests tend to attack chestnuts, contributing to high economic losses. Since 2010, the most effective postharvest treatment, i.e., fumigation with methyl bromide, was banned in the European Union, urging producers to seek effective and reasonable alternatives. One alternative could be irradiation with gamma rays or electron beam, which is used in food commodities, legally regulated and allows outstanding results. Our research group has tested both irradiation types in chestnuts and studied the nutritional, antioxidant, and other chemical parameters, obtaining promising results. Herein, we extended these studies to selected cultivars from Portugal and Italy in order to validate this technique as a viable alternative to fumigation. The selected irradiation dose (1 kGy) was chosen following previous results where it proved to be effective without causing remarkable changes in chemical or antioxidant profiles. To obtain a global knowledge about how each cultivar reacts to irradiation, principal component analysis was performed using all the measured parameters. Despite the detected differences among cultivars, which differentiated particularly Palummina and Cota, it was verified that irradiation did not cause changes in chemical and antioxidant parameters that could enable defining distinctive features among irradiated and non-irradiated chestnuts. Hence, the results herein reported might be seen as a new step toward the completion of irradiation as feasible conservation technology, independently of chestnuts origin.     

A numerical approach to nonlinear propagation of light in photorefractive media

The article presents a new approach to the analysis of light propagation in photorefractive materials. The discussed numerical method can be used for an analysis of the dynamics of nonlinear effects taking place in those media in which an analytical approach requires the use of approximations or is impossible. As an example of how the method works, the results of simulation are shown, illustrating the process of spatial solitary wave formation in two materials: a photorefractive semiconductor and a ferroelectric crystal.     

Genetic Variation of the Endangered Gentiana lutea L. var. aurantiaca (Gentianaceae) in Populations from the Northwest Iberian Peninsula

Gentiana lutea L. (G. lutea L.) is an endangered plant, patchily distributed along the mountains of Central and Southern Europe. In this study, inter-simple sequence repeat (ISSR) markers were used to investigate the genetic variation in this species within and among populations of G. lutea L. var. aurantiaca of the Cantabrian Mountains (Northwest Iberian Peninsula). Samples of G. lutea L. collected at different locations of the Pyrenees and samples of G. lutea L. subsp. vardjanii of the Dolomites Alps were also analyzed for comparison. Using nine ISSR primers, 106 bands were generated, and 89.6% of those were polymorphic. The populations from the Northwest Iberian Peninsula were clustered in three different groups, with a significant correlation between genetic and geographic distances. Gentiana lutea L. var. aurantiaca showed 19.8% private loci and demonstrated a remarkable level of genetic variation, both among populations and within populations; those populations with the highest level of isolation show the lowest genetic variation within populations. The low number of individuals, as well as the observed genetic structure of the analyzed populations makes it necessary to protect them to ensure their survival before they are too small to persist naturally.