Heat treatment enhances the plant phenolic (+)-catechin, a weak antimicrobial agent when combined with copper sulphate

The aim of the study was to compare the antimicrobial activities of freshly-made, heat-treated (HT), and 14 d stored (+)-Catechin solutions with (+)-catechin flavanol isomers in the presence of copper sulphate. (+)-Catechin activity was investigated when combined with different ratios of Cu(2+) ; 100°C heat treatment; autoclaving; and 14 d storage against Staphylococcus aureus. Cu(2+) -(+)-Catechin complexation, isomer structure-activity relationships, and H2 O2 generation were also investigated. Freshly-made, HT, and 14d stored flavanols showed no activity. Whilst combined Cu(2+) -autoclaved (+)-Catechin and -HT(+)-Catechin activities were similar, HT(+)-Catechin was more active than either freshly-made (+)-catechin (generating more H2 O2 ) or (-)-Epicatechin (though it generated less H2 O2 ) or 14d-(+)-Catechin (which had similar activity to Cu(2+) controls - though it generated more H2 O2 ). When combined with Cu(2+) , in terms of rates of activity, HT(+)-Catechin was lower than (-)-Epigallocatechin gallate and greater than freshly-made (+)-Catechin. Freshly-made and HT(+)-Catechin formed acidic complexes with Cu(2+) as indicated by pH and UV-vis measurements although pH changes did not account for antimicrobial activity. Freshly-made and HT(+)-Catechin both formed Cu(2+) complexes. The HT(+)-Catechin complex generated more H2 O2 which could explain its higher antimicrobial activity. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved

Valorization of furfural to obtain high value-sdded products with ZrO2- and Al2O3-Pillared clays

Two phyllosilicates (montmorillonite and saponite) have been selected as starting materials to synthesize ZrO2- and Al2O3-pillared clays by the insertion of polyoxocations and subsequent calcination. These pillared clays display higher surface area, porosity and available acid sites in comparison to their respective raw clays. These samples were tested in the one-pot process to transform furfural into obtain valuable products. The incorporation of ZrO2 allows to reach the highest furfural conversion values, with high yields towards furfuryl alcohol (FOL) at shorter reaction times, whereas the formation of i-propyl furfuryl ether (iPFE) is favored at longer times, attaining iPFE yields of about 50% after 24 h at 170 ºC, using isopropanol as sacrificing alcohol.Funding for open access charge: Universidad de Málaga / CBU

Are chimpanzees really so poor at understanding imperative pointing? Some new data and an alternative view of canine and ape social cognition

There is considerable interest in comparative research on different species’ abilities to respond to human communicative cues such as gaze and pointing. It has been reported that some canines perform significantly better than monkeys and apes on tasks requiring the comprehension of either declarative or imperative pointing and these differences have been attributed to domestication in dogs. Here we tested a sample of chimpanzees on a task requiring comprehension of an imperative request and show that, though there are considerable individual differences, the performance by the apes rival those reported in pet dogs. We suggest that small differences in methodology can have a pronounced influence on performance on these types of tasks. We further suggest that basic differences in subject sampling, subject recruitment and rearing experiences have resulted in a skewed representation of canine abilities compared to those of monkeys and apes

Zeolites synthesis from phyllosilicates and their performance for CO2 adsorption

Five phyllosilicates (kaolinite, montmorillonite, saponite, sepiolite and palygorskite) have been selected as starting materi- als for the synthesis of zeolites. Among them, kaolinite and montmorillonite display the lowest Si/Al molar ratio leading to aluminosilicates with high crystallinity. Thus, the hydrothermal treatment under basic conditions forms 4A zeolite when kaolinite is used as starting material while 13X zeolite is obtained when montmorillonite is used as starting material. The microporosity and CO 2 -adsorption capacity of the prepared zeolites are directly related to its crystallinity. Thus, in order to improve it, raw phyllosilicates were subjected to a microwave-assisted treatment to remove undesired Mg or Fe-species, which have a negative effect in the assembling of the zeolites by hydrothermal basic conditions in a second step. The high- est adsorption value was 3.85 mmol/g at 25 °C and 760 mm of Hg for Mont-A-B sample after the consecutive treatments.Funding for open acces charge: Universidad de Málaga / CBU

Self-rated health in middle-aged and elderly Chinese : distribution, determinants and associations with cardio-metabolic risk factors

Background: Self-rated health (SRH) has been demonstrated to be an accurate reflection of a person's health and a valid predictor of incident mortality and chronic morbidity. We aimed to evaluate the distribution and factors associated with SRH and its association with biomarkers of cardio-metabolic diseases among middle-aged and elderly Chinese. Methods: Survey of 1,458 men and 1,831 women aged 50 to 70 years, conducted in one urban and two rural areas of Beijing and Shanghai in 2005. SRH status was measured and categorized as good (very good and good) vs. not good (fair, poor and very poor). Determinants of SRH and associations with biomarkers of cardio-metabolic diseases were evaluated using logistic regression. Results: Thirty two percent of participants reported good SRH. Males and rural residents tended to report good SRH. After adjusting for potential confounders, residence, physical activity, employment status, sleep quality and presence of diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and depression were the main determinants of SRH. Those free from cardiovascular disease (OR 3.68; 95%CI 2.39; 5.66), rural residents (OR 1.89; 95% CI 1.47; 2.43), non-depressed participants (OR 2.50; 95% CI 1.67; 3.73) and those with good sleep quality (OR 2.95; 95% CI 2.22; 3.91) had almost twice or over the chance of reporting good SRH compared to their counterparts. There were significant associations -and trend- between SRH and levels of inflammatory markers, insulin levels and insulin resistance. Conclusion: Only one third of middle-aged and elderly Chinese assessed their health status as good or very good. Although further longitudinal studies are required to confirm our findings, interventions targeting social inequalities, lifestyle patterns might not only contribute to prevent chronic morbidity but as well to improve populations' perceived health

Retrospective harm benefit analysis of pre-clinical animal research for six treatment interventions

The harm benefit analysis (HBA) is the cornerstone of animal research regulation and is considered to be a key ethical safeguard for animals. The HBA involves weighing the anticipated benefits of animal research against its predicted harms to animals but there are doubts about how objective and accountable this process is.i. To explore the harms to animals involved in pre-clinical animal studies and to assess these against the benefits for humans accruing from these studies; ii. To test the feasibility of conducting this type of retrospective HBA.Data on harms were systematically extracted from a sample of pre-clinical animal studies whose clinical relevance had already been investigated by comparing systematic reviews of the animal studies with systematic reviews of human studies for the same interventions (antifibrinolytics for haemorrhage, bisphosphonates for osteoporosis, corticosteroids for brain injury, Tirilazad for stroke, antenatal corticosteroids for neonatal respiratory distress and thrombolytics for stroke). Clinical relevance was also explored in terms of current clinical practice. Harms were categorised for severity using an expert panel. The quality of the research and its impact were considered. Bateson's Cube was used to conduct the HBA.The most common assessment of animal harms by the expert panel was 'severe'. Reported use of analgesia was rare and some animals (including most neonates) endured significant procedures with no, or only light, anaesthesia reported. Some animals suffered iatrogenic harms. Many were kept alive for long periods post-experimentally but only 1% of studies reported post-operative care. A third of studies reported that some animals died prior to endpoints. All the studies were of poor quality. Having weighed the actual harms to animals against the actual clinical benefits accruing from these studies, and taking into account the quality of the research and its impact, less than 7% of the studies were permissible according to Bateson's Cube: only the moderate bisphosphonate studies appeared to minimise harms to animals whilst being associated with benefit for humans.This is the first time the accountability of the HBA has been systematically explored across a range of pre-clinical animal studies. The regulatory systems in place when these studies were conducted failed to safeguard animals from severe suffering or to ensure that only beneficial, scientifically rigorous research was conducted. Our findings indicate a pressing need to: i. review regulations, particularly those that permit animals to suffer severe harms; ii. reform the processes of prospectively assessing pre-clinical animal studies to make them fit for purpose; and iii. systematically evaluate the benefits of pre-clinical animal research to permit a more realistic assessment of its likely future benefits

Higher Education and the demands of inclusive education : the vision of the managers of the Federal University of Ouro Preto.

A crescente demanda no campo da educa??o inclusiva, que vem se tornando pauta na Educa??o Superior, tem, de alguma maneira, contribu?do para o repensar dessa etapa de forma??o. Faz-se necess?ria a tomada de posi??o das institui??es no sentido de diminuir as barreiras que dificultam o pleno exerc?cio do direito dos cidad?os que, agora, nela adentram. Para tanto, investigamos como os gestores da Universidade Federal de Ouro Preto (Ufop) concebem tr?s conceitos que entendemos fundamentais para a implementa??o de pol?ticas inclusivas, sendo eles: inclus?o, interculturalidade e inova??o pedag?gica. Por meio da aplica??o de question?rios, realizamos a coleta de dados nos diferentes n?veis de gest?o da universidade. Do total de 120 question?rios aplicados 38 foram respondidos. Foi poss?vel observar que os gestores possu?am um maior conhecimento sobre o tema da inclus?o, o que n?o se estendeu aos outros dois conceitos. Podemos considerar que as respostas apontam para a necessidade de construir um campo de estudos e debates acerca dos conceitos investigados, no intuito de promover a forma??o no ?mbito da institui??o e, assim, garantir que a educa??o inclusiva seja central nas a??es da Ufop.The growing demand in the field of inclusive education that has become a subject in Higher Education has contributed to the rethinking of this stage of education. It is necessary for higher education institutions to step up the barriers that hinder the full exercise of the right of citizens who are now studying it. In this research, we investigate how the managers of theFederal University of Ouro Preto (Ufop) understand three fundamental concepts for the implementation of inclusive policies: inclusion, interculturality and pedagogical innovation. Data collection was performed through the application of 120 questionnaires with 38 respondents. From the answers it was possible to observe that the managers had a greater knowledge on the theme of inclusion, unlike the other two concepts. We can consider that the answers reveal the need to build a field of studies and debates about the concepts investigated. This can contribute to promote training in universities and to ensure that inclusive education is central to Ufop?s actions

Lung Cancer Risk after Exposure to Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons: A Review and Meta-Analysis

Typical polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon mixtures are established lung carcinogens, but the quantitative exposure–response relationship is less clear. To clarify this relationship we conducted a review and meta-analysis of published reports of occupational epidemiologic studies. Thirty-nine cohorts were included. The average estimated unit relative risk (URR) at 100 μg/m(3) years benzo[a]pyrene was 1.20 [95% confidence interval (CI), 1.11–1.29] and was not sensitive to particular studies or analytic methods. However, the URR varied by industry. The estimated means in coke ovens, gasworks, and aluminum production works were similar (1.15–1.17). Average URRs in other industries were higher but imprecisely estimated, with those for asphalt (17.5; CI, 4.21–72.78) and chimney sweeps (16.2; CI, 1.64–160.7) significantly higher than the three above. There was no statistically significant variation of URRs within industry or in relation to study design (including whether adjusted for smoking), or source of exposure information. Limited information on total dust exposure did not suggest that dust exposure was an important confounder or modified the effect. These results provide a more secure basis for risk assessment than was previously available

Valorización de furfural hacia productos de alto valor añadido con arcillas pilareadas con ZrO2 o Al2O3.

El agotamiento de los combustibles fósiles ha dado lugar a la búsqueda y desarrollo de nuevas fuentes de energía y productos químicos. De las potenciales fuentes, la biomasa lignocelulósica se ha perfilado como una alternativa interesante por su alta disponibilidad y bajo coste. Centrándonos en la fracción hemicelulosa, la hidrólisis de esta fracción da lugar a sus respectivos monómeros, principalmente xilanos, que pueden deshidratarse con el uso de catalizadores ácidos, obteniéndose furfural. El furfural se considera un producto muy valioso ya que se pueden obtenerse una amplia gama de productos valiosos a partir de diferentes reacciones. En el caso de las reacciones de hidrogenación, el furfural se puede hidrogenar para formar alcohol furfurílico utilizando un catalizador de Lewis. Este compuesto muestra un gran interés ya que se utiliza en el campo de los polímeros. Sin embargo, la coexistencia de acidez de tipo Lewis y Brönsted puede dar lugar a una serie de reacciones en cadena donde se obtengan diversos productos de interés comercial entre los que podemos destacar los levulinatos de alquilo o la γ- valerolactona.Universidad de Málaga. Campus de Excelencia Internacional Andalucía Tech