Abstract: Pseudomonas aeruginosa is an opportunistic pathogen associated with life-threatening nosocomial and community-acquired infections. Antibiotic resistance is an immediate threat to public health and demands an urgent action to discovering new antimicrobial agents. One of the best alternatives for pre-clinical tests with animal models is the greater wax moth Galleria mellonella. Here, we evaluated the antipseudomonal activity of silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) against P. aeruginosa strain UCBPP-PA14 using G. mellonella larvae. The AgNPs were synthesized through a non-toxic biogenic process involving microorganism fermentation. The effect of AgNPs was assessed through characterization and quantification of the hemocytic response, nodulation and phenoloxidase cascade. On average, 80% of the larvae infected with P. aeruginosa and prophylactically treated with nanoparticles survived. Both the specific and total larvae hemocyte counts were restored in the treated group. In addition, the nodulation process and the phenoloxidase cascade were less exacerbated when the larvae were exposed to the silver nanoparticles. AgNPs protect the larvae from P. aeruginosa infection by directly killing the bacteria and indirectly by preventing an exacerbated immunological response against the pathogen. Our results suggest that the prophylactic use of AgNPs has a strong protective activity against P. aeruginosa infection.

Palavras-Chave: lepidoptera; bacteria; pseudomonas; nanoparticles; silver; antibiotics; antimicrobial agents; toxicity

Abstract: Different definitions for the concepts of information, information transfer, i.e. communication and its effect and efficiency of false, but also correct information, especially from the environmental sector, are given. "THE TEN ECOLOGICAL COMMANDMENTS" developed by Menke-Glückert at the end of the 1960s, the 9th commandment "Do not pollute information", in particular, is examined in more detail and understood practically as a currently unchanging law in our existing world societies. The "Ethics Consensus", derived from "THE TEN ECOLOGICAL COMMANDMENTS" and developed by Markert at the end of the 1990s, reflects both theoretical and practical levels of action that many people in our highly diverse world societies can support. From a scientific point of view, this article deals with the so-called B & B technologies, i.e. bioindication and biomonitoring of chemical elements, their chemical speciation as well as organic substances. B & B technologies, which deals with the biological detection of atmospheric deposition of chemical substances on a regional, national, and international level, are taken into account. From both an academic and a practical point of view, mosses have prevailed here in the last decades in addition to lichens. The use of mosses is a major focus of international air monitoring, especially in Europe. Furthermore, the phytoremediation of chemical substances in water, soil and air is described as a biological and sustainable biological process, which does not yet have the full scope as it is used in bioindication and biomonitoring, as shown in the example of mosses. However, the phytoremediation is considered to be an excellent tool to have the leading role in the sustainable pollutant "fight". In the future qualitative and quantitative approaches have been further developed to fit scientifically and practically B&B Technologies as well the different forms of phytotechnological approaches. Finally, the example of lithium, which is optionally derived from the Biological System of Chemical Elements (BSCE), becomes a chemical example that the administration of lithium to ALL mentally conditioned diseases such as manic depression to smoking cigarettes becomes one of the most valuable services for the recovery of human society on a global level. As a conclusion of these tremendous effects of lithium can be considered: pulled out, to make clear that only this chemical element beside a psychiatric care and the involvement of family members, friends, physicians, psychologists and psychiatrists. In addition, it is a must that there is a strong relationship between patient, psychiatrist(s) and strongly related persons to the patient. First an intensive information transfer via communication must be guaranteed. After it, psychological support by doctors and, only if it seems necessary Lithium is to be given in a patient specific dose.

Palavras-Chave: plants; environment; monitoring; chemical properties; ecosystems; lithium; neurology; nervous system diseases

Abstract: Papain-based nanoparticles were recently developed using radiation technologies and proven effective to generate nanosized crosslinked papain particles with preserved enzymatic activity. The applications of such nanostructured systems are expected to be similar to native papain with considerable biopharmaceutical advantages and concern drug loading among other biotechnological applications. The nature of such crosslinks and the possibility to provide simultaneous sterilization have been hypothesized but remain not totally clarified. This manuscript advances the discussion on the radiation-induced synthesis of protein nanoparticles by approaching the nature of the crosslinking and the possible contribution of bityrosine linkages and disulfide bridges to the overall nanoparticle assembly as well as the feasibility of the simultaneous sterilization process under the preestablished conditions of processing. Papain nanoparticles were synthesized and characterized according to size, proteolytic activity, bityrosine, cysteine content and molecular weight by SDS-PAGE upon sonication at 40 kHz. Bacterial identification and the sterility tests were performed in accordance with ISO 11737 prior to and after inoculating 106 CFU of Corynebacterium xerosis. Our experiments evidenced the crosslinking of rather intra- than intermolecular nature and a contribution of cysteine bridges and bityrosine linkages to the stabilization and formation of the papain nanoparticle assembly. The technique was effective to promote simultaneous crosslinking and sterilization at the established conditions of processing and may be validated in accordance with the ISO 11137.

Palavras-Chave: papain; sh-proteinases; nanoparticles; gamma radiation; proteins; cross-linking; sterilization; bacteria; disulfides

Abstract: A growing community of scientists has been using neutrons in the most diverse areas of science. In order to meet the researchers demand in the areas of physics, chemistry, materials sciences, engineering, cultural heritage, biology and earth sciences, the Brazilian Multipurpose Reactor (RMB) will provide 3 thermal guides and 3 cold guides, with the installation of several instruments for materials characterization. In this study, we present a standard design requirement of two primordial instruments, namely Sabiá and Araponga. They are, respectively, cold and thermal neutron instruments and correspond to a Small-Angle Neutron Scattering (SANS) and High-Resolution Powder Neutron Diffractometer (HRPND) to be installed in the Neutron Guide Building (N02) of RMB. To provide adequate flux for both instruments, we propose here an initial investigation of the use of simple and split guides to transport neutron beams to two different instruments on the same guide. For this purpose, we use Monte Carlo simulations utilizing McStas software to check the efficiency of thermal neutron transport for different basic configuration and sources. By considering these results, it is possible to conclude that the split guide configuration is, in most cases, more efficient than cases that use transmitted neutron beams independently of source. We also verify that the employment of different coating indexes for concave and convex surfaces on curved guides is crucial, at least on simulated cases, to optimise neutron flux (intensity and divergence) and diminish facility installation cost.

Palavras-Chave: neutron guides; neutron sources; neutron transport; rmb reactor; buildings; cold neutrons; thermal neutrons; reactor instrumentation; simulators; small angle scattering; neutron diffraction; scattering; monte carlo method

Abstract: The correlation matrix for the effective delayed neutron parameters of the IPEN/MB-01 reactor has been successfully built in this work. A standard procedure employed in several least-squares approaches was adopted to cope with this task. One of the most important applications of the effective delayed neutron parameters is to serve as input data for the relationship between reactivity and asymptotic period of a nuclear reactor given by the Inhour equation. Employing this equation, the reactivity was calculated for several periods both negative and positive. The reactivity error propagation was considered with and without the correlation matrix. The analyses of this procedure reveal that the consideration of the correlation matrix is very important. In general, the introduction of the correlation matrix reduces the overall uncertainty by a reasonable amount. There are huge cancellations in the uncertainty analyses. The analyses also reveal that the uncertainty in the reactivity will depend on the specific period range where this quantity is considered. Considering the correlation and for most of the period range considered, the reactivity uncertainties for negative periods are around 3.5% while for positive ones they are nearly 2%. If the correlation matrix is not considered the reactivity uncertainties are as high as 6%. All uncertainties considered in this work are 1-r values. There are two extreme cases where the correlation matrix plays no role; very large negative periods and very small positive periods. In the first case, the first decay constant plays a fundamental role while in the second the prompt neutron generation is of major importance. The experiments performed at the IPEN/MB-01 reactor and evaluated for inclusion in the IRPhE handbook for the determination of the effective delayed neutron parameters will be extremely benefited considering the inclusion of their correlation matrix. The final product can be considered extremely useful to validate methods and nuclear data related to the reactivity determination of thermal reactors fueled with Uranium.

Palavras-Chave: reactivity; reactivity coefficients; delayed neutrons; transients; correlations; matrix elements; reactor noise; reactor components; thermal reactors; brazilian cnen