Nanoprobes for biomedical imaging with tunable near-infrared optical properties obtained via green synthesis

Ideally, any material used should be nontoxic and produced with safe, inexpensive, and energy-effective processes. In the case of optically active nanoparticles, this is often not the case, as they are frequently composed of hazardous heavy metals and/or produced with methods far from being environmentally friendly. Herein, the preparation of Ag2S-based nanoparticles via a simple green synthesis route is explored. Aqueous extracts of roasted coffee are used as sources of coordinating molecules. Optimization of the reaction conditions yields dimeric Ag Ag2S nanoparticles, whose near-infrared photoluminescence can be switched on via H2O2-mediated oxidation. This oxidation transforms suitable photoacoustic contrast agents into fluorescence imaging probes. Theoretical calculations further clarify the role of metallic silver in determining the optical properties of Ag2S. Overall, it is demonstrated that nanomaterials with tangible applicative potential can be prepared via cost- and energy-effective synthesis strategies that entail benign, renewable chemical

Pro-oxidant status and matrix metalloproteinases in apical lesions and gingival crevicular fluid as potential biomarkers for asymptomatic apical periodontitis and endodontic treatment response

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Oxidative stress and matrix metalloproteinases -9 and -2 are involved in periodontal breakdown, whereas gingival crevicular fluid has been reported to reflect apical status. The aim of this study was to characterize oxidant balance and activity levels of MMP -2 and -9 in apical lesions and healthy periodontal ligament; and second, to determine whether potential changes in oxidant balance were reflected in gingival crevicular fluid from asymptomatic apical periodontitis (AAP)-affected teeth at baseline and after endodontic treatment.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>Patients with clinical diagnosis of AAP and healthy volunteers having indication of tooth extraction were recruited. Apical lesions and healthy periodontal ligaments, respectively, were homogenized or processed to obtain histological tissue sections. Matrix metalloproteinase -9 and -2 levels and/or activity were analyzed by Immunowestern blot, zymography and consecutive densitometric analysis, and their tissue localization was confirmed by immunohistochemistry. A second group of patients with AAP and indication of endodontic treatment was recruited. Gingival crevicular fluid was extracted from AAP-affected teeth at baseline, after endodontic treatment and healthy contralateral teeth. Total oxidant and antioxidant status were determined in homogenized tissue and GCF samples. Statistical analysis was performed using STATA v10 software with unpaired t test, Mann-Whitney test and Spearman's correlation.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Activity of MMP-2 and MMP-9 along with oxidant status were higher in apical lesions (p < 0.05). Total oxidant status correlated positively with matrix metalloproteinase-2 and lesion size (p < 0.05). Gingival crevicular fluid showed significantly lower levels of total antioxidant status in diseased teeth at baseline compared to controls and endodontically-treated groups.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>Apical lesions display an oxidant imbalance along with increased activity of matrix metalloproteinase-2 and -9 and might contribute to AAP progression. Oxidant imbalance can also be reflected in GCF from AAP-affected teeth and was restored to normal levels after conservative endodontic treatment. These mediators might be useful as potential biomarkers for chair-side complementary diagnostic of apical status in GCF.</p

KIR+ CD8+ T Lymphocytes in Cancer Immunosurveillance and Patient Survival: Gene Expression Profiling

Killer-cell immunoglobulin-like receptors (KIR) are molecules expressed by the most important cells of the immune system for cancer immune vigilance, natural killer (NK) and effector T cells. In this manuscript we study the role that cytotoxic CD8+ T cells expressing KIR receptors could play in cancer immune surveillance. With this objective, frequencies of different KIR+ CD8+ T cell subsets are correlated with the overall survival of patients with melanoma, ovarian and bladder carcinomas. In addition, the gene expression profile of KIR+ CD8+ T cell subsets related to the survival of patients is studied with the aim of discovering new therapeutic targets, so that the outcome of patients with cancer can be improved. Killer-cell immunoglobulin-like receptors (KIR) are expressed by natural killer (NK) and effector T cells. Although KIR+ T cells accumulate in oncologic patients, their role in cancer immune response remains elusive. This study explored the role of KIR+CD8+ T cells in cancer immunosurveillance by analyzing their frequency at diagnosis in the blood of 249 patients (80 melanomas, 80 bladder cancers, and 89 ovarian cancers), their relationship with overall survival (OS) of patients, and their gene expression profiles. KIR2DL1+ CD8+ T cells expanded in the presence of HLA-C2-ligands in patients who survived, but it did not in patients who died. In contrast, presence of HLA-C1-ligands was associated with dose-dependent expansions of KIR2DL2/S2+ CD8+ T cells and with shorter OS. KIR interactions with their specific ligands profoundly impacted CD8+ T cell expression profiles, involving multiple signaling pathways, effector functions, the secretome, and consequently, the cellular microenvironment, which could impact their cancer immunosurveillance capacities. KIR2DL1/S1+ CD8+ T cells showed a gene expression signature related to efficient tumor immunosurveillance, whereas KIR2DL2/L3/S2+CD8+ T cells showed transcriptomic profiles related to suppressive anti-tumor responses. These results could be the basis for the discovery of new therapeutic targets so that the outcome of patients with cancer can be improved

Modelo de los determinantes de la actitud hacia la rehidratación

Las políticas de salud suponen que el factor clave de sus programas preventivos está en la participación de la gente respecto a su rehidratación, porque esta se considera un instrumento de prevención de las enfermedades crónicas degenerativas, que han incrementado su tasa de morbilidad recientemente. En tal sentido, el objetivo del presente trabajo es establecer un modelo de las relaciones causales entre factores sociodemográficos y cognitivos relativos al consumo de bebidas. Para tal propósito, se llevó a cabo un estudio transversal y correlacional con una muestra de 100 afiliados a un hospital público. A partir de un modelo estructural (X2 = 163.873, 28 gl, p = .000; GFI = .875; AGFI = .840; PGF = .681; RMSEA = .027; RMR = .066), se estableció que la edad determinó negativamente la actitud hacia la rehidratación (β = -.22) mientras que las creencias de rehidratación grupal (CRG) incidieron de manera positiva (β= ,47.). En el marco de las teorías actitudinales, se discutió la inclusión de las normas y percepciones como sus determinantes

Looking into the eyes to see the heart of chronic kidney disease patients

Abstract: In patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD), the main cause of morbidity and mortality is cardiovascular disease (CVD). Both coronary artery calcium scoring by computed tomography (CT) and optical coherence tomography (OCT) are used to identify patients at increased risk for ischemic heart disease, thereby indicating a higher cardiovascular risk profile. Our study aimed to investigate the utility of these techniques in the CKD population. In patients with CKD, OCT was used to measure the choroidal thickness (CHT) and the thickness of the peripapillary retinal nerve fiber layer (pRNFL). A total of 127 patients were included, including 70 men (55%) with an estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) of 39 ± 30 mL/min/1.73 m2 . Lower pRNFL thickness was found to be related to high-sensitivity troponin I (r=-0.362, p < 0.001) and total coronary calcification (r=-0.194, p=0.032). In a multivariate analysis, pRNFL measurements remained asso ciated with age (β = -0.189; -0.739--0.027; p=0.035) and high-sensitivity troponin I (β = -0.301; -0.259--0.071; p < 0.001). Severe coronary calcification (Agatston score ≥ 400 HU) was related to a worse eGFR (p = 0.008), a higher grade of CKD (p = 0.036), and a thinner pRNFL (p = 0.011). The ROC curve confirmed that the pRNFL measurement could determine the patients with an Agatston score of ≥400 HU (AUC 0.638; 95% CI 0.525-0.750; p = 0.015). Our study concludes that measurement of pRNFL thickness using OCT is related to the markers associated with ischemic heart disease, such as coronary calcification and high-sensitivity troponin I, in the CKD population.Funding: This research was funded by the Marqués de Valdecilla University Hospital—IDIVAL research institute with TRANSVAL 18/01, NextVal 18/09, MTVAL 18/01 and RICORS2040 (RD21/0005/0010). Acknowledgments: We would like to thank our nursing team in the Nephrology Laboratory Rosa Ana Sainz Alonso and our research laboratory technician María Consuelo Agüeros Blanco for their help when collecting blood samples

Diversity of culturable nocardioform actinomycetes from wastewater treatment plants in Spain and their role in the biodegradability of aromatic compounds

[EN] Currently, municipal and industrial wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) are mainly focusing on reduction of biological oxygen demand and on the removal of nutrients. However, there are microorganisms that interfere with the process. In this environment, there is a large diversity of microorganisms that have not been studied in detail and that could provide real and practical solutions to the foaming problems. Among such microorganisms, Gram-positive actinomycete bacteria are of special interest because they are known for producing secondary metabolites as well as chemically diverse compounds and for their capacity to degrade recalcitrant pollutants. Three different media were chosen to isolate actinomycetes from 28 WWTPs in Spain. A total of 189 activated sludge samples were collected; 126 strains were isolated and identified to belong to 1 suborder, i.e. Corynebacterineae, and 7 genera, i.e. Corynebacterium, Dietzia, Gordonia, Mycobacterium, Rhodococcus, Tsukamurella and Williamsia. Furthermore, 71 strains were capable of biodegrading at least 1 aromatic product, and that 27 of them amplified for catA gene. The results of this research help us understand the complexity of the foam-forming microbial populations in Spain and it shows that WWTPs can be a good source of microorganisms that can degrade phenol or naphthalene.This work was supported by grants from Entidad Publica de Saneamiento de Aguas Residuales (EPSAR) de la Comunitat Valenciana.Soler Hernández, A.; García Hernández, J.; Zornoza-Zornoza, AM.; Alonso Molina, JL. (2017). Diversity of culturable nocardioform actinomycetes from wastewater treatment plants in Spain and their role in the biodegradability of aromatic compounds. Environmental Technology. 39(2):172-181. https://doi.org/10.1080/09593330.2017.1296897S17218139

Comunicar ciencia en México. Prácticas y escenarios

Este volumen permite profundizar en las prácticas y los escenarios de la comunicación de la ciencia en México. En sus capítulos se abordan desde temas generales en materia de investigación y divulgación de la ciencia en el país, hasta aspectos específicos de estas áreas mediante un rico conjunto de estudios de caso que tratan cuestiones como la construcción simbólica del futuro en la ficción, la narrativa de la ciencia, el proceso de producción del proyecto de divulgación denominado La batalla de las ciencias, o las implicaciones de los recursos de autoridad al elegir una licenciatura en física, química o biología

Safety and Revisit Related to Discharge the Sixty-one Spanish Emergency Department Medical Centers Without Hospitalization in Patients with COVID-19 Pneumonia. A Prospective Cohort Study UMC-Pneumonia COVID-19

Background: Information is needed on the safety and efficacy of direct discharge from the emergency department (ED) of patients with COVID-19 pneumonia. Objectives: The objectives of the study were to study the variables associated with discharge from the ED in patients presenting with COVID-19 pneumonia, and study ED revisits related to COVID-19 at 30 days (EDR30d). Methods: Multicenter study of the SIESTA cohort including 1198 randomly selected COVID patients in 61 EDs of Spanish medical centers from March 1, 2020, to April 30, 2020. We collected baseline and related characteristics of the acute episode and calculated the adjusted odds ratios (aOR) for ED discharge. In addition, we analyzed the variables related to EDR30d in discharged patients. Results: We analyzed 859 patients presenting with COVID-19 pneumonia, 84 (9.8%) of whom were discharged from the ED. The variables independently associated with discharge were being a woman (aOR 1.890; 95%CI 1.176-3.037), age 1200/mm(3) (aOR 4.667; 95%CI 1.045-20.839). The EDR30d of the ED discharged group was 40.0%, being lower in women (aOR 0.368; 95%CI 0.142-0.953). A total of 130 hospitalized patients died (16.8%) as did two in the group discharged from the ED (2.4%) (OR 0.121; 95%CI 0.029-0.498). Conclusion: Discharge from the ED in patients with COVID-19 pneumonia was infrequent and was associated with few variables of the episode. The EDR30d was high, albeit with a low mortality

Predicting Survival after Allogeneic Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation in Myelofibrosis : Performance of the Myelofibrosis Transplant Scoring System (MTSS) and Development of a New Prognostic Model

Accurate prognostic tools are crucial to assess the risk/benefit ratio of allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation (allo-HCT) in patients with myelofibrosis (MF). We aimed to evaluate the performance of the Myelofibrosis Transplant Scoring System (MTSS) and identify risk factors for survival in a multicenter series of 197 patients with MF undergoing allo-HCT. After a median follow-up of 3.1 years, 47% of patients had died, and the estimated 5-year survival rate was 51%. Projected 5-year risk of nonrelapse mortality and relapse incidence was 30% and 20%, respectively. Factors independently associated with increased mortality were a hematopoietic cell transplantation-specific comorbidity index (HCT-CI) ≥3 and receiving a graft from an HLA-mismatched unrelated donor or cord blood, whereas post-transplant cyclophosphamide (PT-Cy) was associated with improved survival. Donor type was the only parameter included in the MTSS model with independent prognostic value for survival. According to the MTSS, 3-year survival was 62%, 66%, 37%, and 17% for low-, intermediate-, high-, and very high-risk groups, respectively. By pooling together the low- and intermediate-risk groups, as well as the high- and very high-risk groups, we pinpointed 2 categories: standard risk and high risk (25% of the series). Three-year survival was 62% in standard-risk and 25% in high-risk categories (P <.001). We derived a risk score based on the 3 independent risk factors for survival in our series (donor type, HCT-CI, and PT-Cy). The corresponding 5-year survival for the low-, intermediate-, and high-risk categories was 79%, 55%, and 32%, respectively (P <.001). In conclusion, the MTSS model failed to clearly delineate 4 prognostic groups in our series but may still be useful to identify a subset of patients with poor outcome. We provide a simple prognostic scoring system for risk/benefit considerations before transplantation in patients with MF

Transformaciones y retos de la educación en las artes y los diseños (tomo 1)

El presente libro contiene doce reflexiones que nos sugieren un balance para repensar la educación superior tras las experiencias pandémicas en tres dimensiones: pedagogía, didáctica general y didácticas especiales, Estas tres dimensiones ofrecen un panorama integral para repensar los problemas educativos actuales. A diferencia de otros balances que hemos visto o leído en los últimos años, el presente se compone de tres ejes que atraviesan todas las reflexiones: reorganización de ideas, consolidación de la inter y transdisciplina, y mejora efectiva de las prácticas de enseñanza-aprendizaje desde planes y programas de estudios hasta actividades entre docentes y alumnos.Coordinadoras: Alma Elisa Delgado Coellar, Juana Cecilia Angeles Cañedo & Daniela Velázquez Ruí