Volumetric and acoustic behaviour of myo-inositol in aqueous Natural Deep Eutectic Solvent solutions

A study of the interactions in aqueous systems containing a sweetener, myo-inositol, and a NAtural Deep Eutectic Solvent, reline or glyceline, is presented. Both NADESs include the same acceptor group, choline chloride, and different donor groups, urea and glycerol. For this purpose, the density and speed of sound were measured for dilute mixtures, and several related properties were calculated: the standard partial molar volume, the standard partial molar isentropic compression, the standard transfer properties, Hepler's constant, and the compressibility hydration number. The results were evaluated as a function of the temperature and composition, and they show the dominance of the ionic-hydrophilic and hydrophilic-hydrophilic interactions. Moreover, the glyceline disturbs the aqueous mixtures more than the reline

pVT behaviour of hydrophilic and hydrophobic eutectic solvents

Among the basic principles of green chemistry is the search for less harmful alternative solvents than conventional solvents. Knowing the thermophysical properties of fluids under different pressure and temperature conditions is essential to propose them. Herein, we present data on the densities at several pressures (from 0.1 to 65 MPa) and temperatures (from 283.15 to 338.15 K) of two deep eutectic solvents with hydrophilic characteristics (choline chloride + ethylene glycol or glycerol) and two eutectic solvents with hydrophobic characteristics (camphor + thymol or menthol). We used the Tait equation of state to correlate and calculate derived properties. Moreover, we modelled the mixtures with the PC-SAFT equation of state. The results showed that the hydrophilic solvents were more compact than the hydrophobic ones. The former exhibited an abnormal thermal behaviour of the isobaric thermal expansibility. The deviations in the correlation of densities with the thermodynamic model were between 0.5 and 3%. They were lower for the mixtures with weaker interactions

Antibodies to the Mr 64,000 (64K) protein in islet cell antibody positive non-diabetic individuals indicate high risk for impaired Beta-cell function

A prospective study of a normal childhood population identified 44 islet cell antibody positive individuals. These subjects were typed for HLA DR and DQ alleles and investigated for the presence of antibodies to the Mr 64,000 (64K) islet cell antigen, complement-fixing islet cell antibodies and radiobinding insulin autoantibodies to determine their potency in detecting subjects with impaired Beta-cell function. At initial testing 64K antibodies were found in six of 44 islet cell antibody positive subjects (13.6%). The same sera were also positive for complement-fixing islet cell antibodies and five of them had insulin autoantibodies. During the follow-up at 18 months, islet cell antibodies remained detectable in 50% of the subjects studied. In all six cases who were originally positive, 64K antibodies were persistently detectable, whereas complement-fixing islet cell antibodies became negative in two of six and insulin autoantibodies in one of five individuals. HLA DR4 (p < 0.005) and absence of asparic acid (Asp) at position 57 of the HLA DQ chain (p < 0.05) were significantly increased in subjects with 64K antibodies compared with control subjects. Of 40 individuals tested in the intravenous glucose tolerance test, three had a first phase insulin response below the first percentile of normal control subjects. Two children developed Type 1 (insulin-dependent) diabetes mellitus after 18 and 26 months, respectively. Each of these subjects was non-Asp homozygous and had persistent islet cell and 64K antibodies. We conclude that 64K antibodies, complement-fixing islet cell antibodies and insulin autoantibodies represent sensitive serological markers in assessing high risk for a progression to Type 1 diabetes in islet cell antibody positive non-diabetic individuals

El modelo de Richard Florida y la creatividad en España. Una aproximación autonómica y provincial

La noción de Clase Creativa ha alcanzado una gran notoriedad en el ámbito de las ciencias sociales desde que Florida publicase The Rise of Creative Class en el año 2002. A partir de las investigaciones de Florida sobre la clase creativa, aparecieron críticas, como las de Peck (2005), Scott Allen (2006) o Uzzi y Spiro (2005). Actualmente, para entender las clases creativas hay que hacer referencia a la “economía creativa” y a las “industrias creativas”. El autor que ha popularizado la expresión de “economía creativa” es Hawkins (2005), el cual observó a finales de los años noventa, que se estaba perdiendo en muchos negocios el hecho de tener ideas. La otra expresión, “industrias creativas”, fue impulsada por la UNESCO (2005) para sustituir el concepto de “industrias culturales”

Prolonged venous bleeding due to traditional treatment with leech bite: a case report

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Introduction</p> <p>The medicinal leech, <it>Hirudo medicinalis</it>, has been used in the treatment of many diseases for thousands of years. In Turkey, it is used most commonly in the management of venous diseases of lower extremities.</p> <p>Case presentation</p> <p>A 25-year-old Turkish woman presented to our emergency room with bleeding from her left leg. She had been treated for varicose veins in her lower extremities with leeches about 24 hours before admission to the emergency room. The bleeding was controlled by applying pressure with sterile gauze upon the wound, and she was discharged. She returned after four hours having started bleeding again. Hemostasis was achieved by vein ligation under local anesthesia.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>Leech bite should be evaluated as a special injury. Prolonged bleeding can be seen after leech bites. In such cases, hemostasis either with local pressure or ligation of the bleeding vessel is mandatory.</p

Insulin autoantibodies as determined by competitive radiobinding assay are positively correlated with impaired beta-cell function — The Ulm-Frankfurt population study

Out of a random population of 4208 non-diabetic pupils without a family history of Type I diabetes 44 (1.05%) individuals had islet cell antibody (ICA) levels greater or equal to 5 Juvenile Diabetes Foundation (JDF) units. 39 of these ICA-positives could be repeatedly tested for circulating insulin autoantibodies (CIAA) using a competitive radiobinding assay. The results were compared with the insulin responses in the intravenous glucose tolerance tests (IVGTT) and with HLA types. Six pupils were positive for CIAA. All of them had complement-fixing ICA, and 5 of them were HLA-DR4 positive. Three of the 6 showed a first-phase insulin response below the first percentile of normal controls. Our data indicate that in population-based studies CIAA can be considered as a high risk marker for impaired beta-cell function in non-diabetic ICA-positive individuals

Front Neurosci

Background: Anxiety is common in patients with cognitive impairment and dementia. However, whether anxiety is a risk factor for dementia is still not known. We aimed to examine the association between trait anxiety at baseline and the 10-year risk of incident dementia to determine to which extent depressive symptoms influence this relationship in the general population. Methods: Data came from 5,234 community-dwelling participants from the Three-City prospective cohort study, aged 65 years at baseline and followed over 10 years. At baseline, anxiety trait was assessed using the Spielberger State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI), and depressive symptoms using Center for Epidemiologic Studies-Depression Scale (CESD). Use of anxiolytic drugs was also considered. Diagnoses of dementia were made at baseline and every 2 years. To examine the relationship between anxiety exposures and risk of incident dementia, Cox proportional hazard regression models were performed. Results: Taking anxiolytic drugs or having high trait anxiety (STAI score >/= 44) increased the risk of dementia assessed over 10 years of follow-up [Hazard Ratio (HR) = 1.39, 95%CI: 1.08-1.80, p = 0.01 and HR = 1.26, 95%CI: 1.01-1.57, p = 0.04, respectively], independently of a large panel of socio-demographic variables, health behaviors, cardio-metabolic disorders, and additional age-related disorders such as cardiovascular diseases, activity limitations, and cognitive deficit. However, the associations were substantially attenuated after further adjustment for depressive symptoms. Conclusion: Our findings suggest that depressive symptoms shape the association between anxiety trait and dementia. Further research is needed to replicate our findings and extrapolate our results to anxiety disorders

Characteristics and outcome of adult patients with acute promyelocytic leukemia and increased body mass index treated with the PETHEMA Protocols

Objective The obesity/overweight may have an influence on APL outcomes. Methods This is the biggest multicentre analysis on 1320 APL patients treated with AIDA-induction and risk-adapted consolidation between 1996 and 2012. Patients body mass index (BMI) was classified as underweight (= 30 kg/m(2)) according to the World Health Organization (WHO) criteria. Results and conclusions Relationship between male gender, older age, and other known laboratory abnormalities in overweight/obese patients was significant. The induction mortality rate was significantly higher in APL with BMI >= 25 vs BMI = 25 had a trend to lower OS (74% vs 80%; P = .06). However, in the multivariate analysis, BMI did not retain the independent predictive value (P = .46). There was no higher incidence of differentiation syndrome with BMI >= 25, but there was a trend in obese. There was no difference in relapse rate according to the BMI. In summary, overweight/obesity does not represent an independent risk factor for APL outcomes. The influence of obesity in APL patients treated with chemotherapy-free regimens remains to be established

Protección de la Heparina a las células B- pancreáticas frente a radicales libres de Oxígeno.

La diabetes autoinmune tipo 1 se caracteriza por la invasión de células mononucleares en los islotes pancreáticos, destruyendo así las células beta productoras de insulina. Se ha visto que in vivo la destrucción autoinmune de los islotes se asocia con la producción de heparanasa, la cual degrada heparán sulfato (molécula imprescindible para la supervivencia de los islotes) y se permite la entrada de las células inmunitarias que atacarán los islotes beta pancreáticos. Se han obtenido resultados mediante la adición de concentraciones conocidas de heparina, la cual confiere una protección extra frente a radicales libres de oxígeno y como consecuencia hay una disminución de la mortalidad celular.A través de tres líneas celulares distintas se ha llevado a cabo el experimento. Primeramente con Rinm5F productora de insulina y somatostatina, con células Ins capaces de responder al estímulo de glucosa produciendo y secretando insulina y finalmente con fibroblastos. El experimento se basa en dejar crecer las cepas celulares en un número determinado de flacs según el tratamiento. Se añade heparina a una concentración conocida y establecida anteriormente y al día siguiente con una concentración exacta de agua oxigenada (aporta los radicales libres de oxígeno) se la añadimos al cultivo. Recogemos las células y gracias al ioduro de propidio con concentración 1 mg/ml marcamos las células muertas para así poder comprobar el porcentaje de supervivencia celular que le ha conferido la heparina a cada línea celular. Procedemos a realizar el contaje con el citómetro que indica el % de muerte celular, ya que el ioduro de propidio es un agente intercalante que se une a los ácidos nucleicos. Esta molécula fluorescente se utiliza para evaluar la viabilidad celular o el contenido de ADN en las células. Se puede utilizar para diferenciar células necróticas, apoptóticas o vivas.Los resultados obtenidos con las líneas celulares Rinm5F y las Ins nos muestran que a bajas concentraciones de agua oxigenada y con heparina, efectivamente hay protección ya que la muerte celular se reduce de un 10 a un 15%. En cambio con los fibroblastos no vemos protección a ninguna de las concentraciones establecidas, resultado que ya esperábamos en nuestra hipótesis inicial. Estos resultados sólo son el inicio de un largo estudio, ya que  primero se ajustan las concentraciones a trabajar con radicales libres de oxígeno, pero en un  futuro el estudio se realizará también con radicales de nitrógeno

Relación entre muerte celular y mantenimiento de la pluripotencialidad de células mES en protocolos de diferenciación con óxido nítrico

En este proyecto se pretende estudiar la relación entre la muerte celular y la diferenciación durante el desarrollo usando como modelo experimental células madre embrionarias de ratón (mESC). Se ha descrito que las altas concentraciones de DETA-NO (500uM) provocan la diferenciación de estas mESC hacia endodermo (Mora-Castilla et al., 2010), pero en estos protocolos no todas consiguen sobrevivir y un alto porcentaje de células muere. Es por ello que se quiere analizar la relación entre ambos eventos. Se estudiará, por un lado, si el bloqueo de la apoptosis con inhibidores de caspasas tiene efectos sobre la diferenciación; y por otro lado si es probable que exista una liberación de moléculas al medio por parte de las células apoptóticas que contribuya a la pérdida de la pluripotencialidad de sus vecinas. Para ello se ha analizado el mantenimiento del estado pluripotente en dos tipos de ensayos. Por un lado se ha estudiado el efecto de inhibidores de caspasas en tratamientos con DETA-NO en dos líneas de mESC (D3 y R1/E), y por otro lado se ha evaluado el efecto del reciclaje de medios de cultivo en la línea celular D3. Para medir el mantenimiento de la pluripotencialidad se han empleado distintas técnicas de biología molecular (extracción de RNA, PCR, qPCR, Western Blotting…) y técnicas de microscopía. Con ello se han buscado diferencias de expresión de los marcadores de pluripotencia (Nanog y Oct4) y marcadores de endodermo (Pdx1, Cxcr4), mesodermo (Brachyury) y ectodermo (Zic1). Se ha demostrado que el uso de inhibidores de caspasas en tratamientos con DETA-NO bloquea la regulación a la baja de Nanog, tanto en niveles de RNAm como de proteína, y disminuye la expresión de los marcadores de diferenciación. Por otro lado, el uso de medios de cultivo reciclados procedentes de tratamientos anteriores con y sin DETA-NO, suplementados y con el factor inhibidor de la diferenciación LIF (Leukemia Inhibitory Factor) estimula la diferenciación de las células. Los resultados obtenidos apuntan a que podría existir una relación entre la muerte celular y la diferenciación, ya que al inhibir la muerte por apoptosis se favorece el mantenimiento del estado pluripotente . Además, el uso de medios reciclados ayuda a la diferenciación de las células incluso en presencia de LIF. Por ello se cree que células apoptóticas podrían estar secretando sustancias al medio que las células vecinas estarían utilizando como señales para diferenciarse