Valorization of carbohydrates: dehydration of sorbitol to isosorbide in the presence of acidic zeolites

Currently, the growing interest in the use of biomass as a renewable and sustainable raw material for the production of energy, chemicals and biofuels is driving the development of new catalytic processes and technologies for its conversion. In this context, the transformation of lignocellulosic biomass can lead to a variety of platform chemicals, with a broad spectrum of applications. Sorbitol is one of the useful biomass-derived chemicals that is obtained by catalytic hydrogenation of glucose, which subsequent dehydration and intramolecular cyclization in acid medium gives rise to the formation of isosorbide. This is a high value-added chemical widely used as intermediate in the pharmaceutical industry, additive polymers such as polyethylene terephthalate (PET) and production of biodegradable polymers. Mineral acids such as sulphuric and hydrochloric acids have efficient catalytic properties for dehydration of sorbitol. However, the well-known drawbacks associated to homogeneous catalysis have promoted the studies of heterogeneous catalytic processes. Thus, solid acid catalysts such as zeolites, tetravalent metal phosphates and sulfated copper oxide have been reported as alternative solid catalysts. Nevertheless, sometimes, drastic experimental conditions are required to reach a high catalytic activity. In the present work, different commercial zeolites, in their protonic form, have been evaluated as acid solid catalysts for sorbitol dehydration, and several experimental variables have been optimizedUniversidad de Málaga. Campus de Excelencia Internacional Andalucía Tech. Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad (CTQ2012-38204-C04-02 project), Junta de Andalucía (RNM-1565) y Fondos FEDER de la U

Utilización del Compendio de lecturas técnicas de Ciencias Médicas para el desarrollo del idioma inglés

Se realizó un compendio de lecturas técnicas relacionadas con las Ciencias Médicas en versión impresa y en versión digital en forma de libro electrónico o software educativo para el desarrollo de la habilidad de comprensión de lectura para ser utilizado con fines docentes por los estudiantes de las cinco especialidades de la carrera de Ciencias médicas y por profesionales matriculados en cursos de postgrado, además de poder ser utilizado por profesionales que cumplen colaboraciones en países de habla inglesa como material de consulta. Este material complementario consistió en agrupar una serie de textos en ocho capítulos para facilitar la independencia cognoscitiva en los estudiantes de estas carreras y facilitar el proceso de enseñanza aprendizaje del ciclo de Inglés para Fines Específicos. Este trabajo también facilitó la difícil tarea de búsqueda de textos relacionados con las especialidades de las Ciencias Médicas para un eficiente trabajo con la comprensión de, lo que implica un mayor desarrollo técnico, científico y profesional de estudiantes y trabajadores dentro y fuera del país para una mayor calidad en los servicios de salud en Cuba y en el extranjero

Spontaneous changes in brain striatal dopamine synthesis and storage dynamics ex vivo reveal end-product feedback-inhibition of tyrosine hydroxylase

Synaptic events are important to define treatment strategies for brain disorders. In the present paper, freshly obtained rat brain striatal minces were incubated under different times and conditions to determine dopamine biosynthesis, storage, and tyrosine hydroxylase phosphorylation. Remarkably, we found that endogenous dopamine spontaneously accumulated during tissue incubation at 37 °C ex vivo while dopamine synthesis simultaneously decreased. We analyzed whether these changes in brain dopamine biosynthesis and storage were linked to dopamine feedback inhibition of its synthesis-limiting enzyme tyrosine hydroxylase. The aromatic-L-amino-acid decarboxylase inhibitor NSD-1015 prevented both effects. As expected, dopamine accumulation was increased with L-DOPA addition or VMAT2-overexpression, and dopamine synthesis decreased further with added dopamine, the VMAT2 inhibitor tetrabenazine or D auto-receptor activation with quinpirole, accordingly to the known synaptic effects of these treatments. Phosphorylation activation and inhibition of tyrosine hydroxylase on Ser31 and Ser40 with okadaic acid, Sp-cAMP and PD98059 also exerted the expected effects. However, no clear-cut association was found between dopamine feedback inhibition of its own biosynthesis and changes of tyrosine hydroxylase phosphorylation, assessed by Western blot and mass spectrometry. The later technique also revealed a new Thr30 phosphorylation in rat tyrosine hydroxylase. Our methodological assessment of brain dopamine synthesis and storage dynamics ex vivo could be applied to predict the in vivo effects of pharmacological interventions in animal models of dopamine-related disorders.This work was supported by Spanish Government grants SAF2006-08240 (J.O.), SAF2009-12510 (J.O.), SAF2014-58396 (J.G, J.O.), SAF2017-87199-R (J.G, J.O.), SAF2016-77541-R (M.V.), The Michael J. Fox Foundation (ID15291, M.V.), “la Caixa” Foundation (ID 100010434), under the agreement LCF/PR/HR17/52150003 (M.V.). The Biological and Environmental Proteomics laboratory is a member of Proteored-PRB3 and is supported by grant PT17/0019/0008 of the PE I + D + i 2013–2016, funded by ISCIII and FEDER. M.G.S. enjoyed a Spanish government FPI fellowship. G.M received a fellowship from the China Scholarship Council. We thank the skillful technical assistance of Susana Benítez

Spontaneous changes in brain striatal dopamine synthesis and storage dynamics ex vivo reveal end-product feedback-inhibition of tyrosine hydroxylase

Altres ajuts: acord transformatiu CRUE-CSICAltres ajuts: , The Michael J. Fox Foundation (ID15291), "la Caixa" Foundation (ID 100010434), under the agreement LCF/PR/HR17/52150003Synaptic events are important to define treatment strategies for brain disorders. In the present paper, freshly obtained rat brain striatal minces were incubated under different times and conditions to determine dopamine biosynthesis, storage, and tyrosine hydroxylase phosphorylation. Remarkably, we found that endogenous dopamine spontaneously accumulated during tissue incubation at 37 °C ex vivo while dopamine synthesis simultaneously decreased. We analyzed whether these changes in brain dopamine biosynthesis and storage were linked to dopamine feedback inhibition of its synthesis-limiting enzyme tyrosine hydroxylase. The aromatic-l-amino-acid decarboxylase inhibitor NSD-1015 prevented both effects. As expected, dopamine accumulation was increased with l-DOPA addition or VMAT2-overexpression, and dopamine synthesis decreased further with added dopamine, the VMAT2 inhibitor tetrabenazine or D2 auto-receptor activation with quinpirole, accordingly to the known synaptic effects of these treatments. Phosphorylation activation and inhibition of tyrosine hydroxylase on Ser31 and Ser40 with okadaic acid, Sp-cAMP and PD98059 also exerted the expected effects. However, no clear-cut association was found between dopamine feedback inhibition of its own biosynthesis and changes of tyrosine hydroxylase phosphorylation, assessed by Western blot and mass spectrometry. The later technique also revealed a new Thr30 phosphorylation in rat tyrosine hydroxylase. Our methodological assessment of brain dopamine synthesis and storage dynamics ex vivo could be applied to predict the in vivo effects of pharmacological interventions in animal models of dopamine-related disorders

Psychosocial and sociodemographic predictors of attrition in a longitudinal study of major depression in primary care: the predictD-Spain study

Few data exist on the psychosocial factors associated with attrition in longitudinal surveys. This study was undertaken to determine psychosocial and sociodemographic predictors of attrition from a longitudinal study of the onset and persistence of episodes of major depression in primary care

Identification of CRF66_BF, a New HIV-1 Circulating Recombinant Form of South American Origin

Circulating recombinant forms (CRFs) are important components of the HIV-1 pandemic. Among 110 reported in the literature, 17 are BF1 intersubtype recombinant, most of which are of South American origin. Among these, all 5 identified in the Southern Cone and neighboring countries, except Brazil, derive from a common recombinant ancestor related to CRF12_BF, which circulates widely in Argentina, as deduced from coincident breakpoints and clustering in phylogenetic trees. In a HIV-1 molecular epidemiological study in Spain, we identified a phylogenetic cluster of 20 samples from 3 separate regions which were of F1 subsubtype, related to the Brazilian strain, in protease-reverse transcriptase (Pr-RT) and of subtype B in integrase. Remarkably, 14 individuals from this cluster (designated BF9) were Paraguayans and only 4 were native Spaniards. HIV-1 transmission was predominantly heterosexual, except for a subcluster of 6 individuals, 5 of which were men who have sex with men. Ten additional database sequences, from Argentina (n = 4), Spain (n = 3), Paraguay (n = 1), Brazil (n = 1), and Italy (n = 1), branched within the BF9 cluster. To determine whether it represents a new CRF, near full-length genome (NFLG) sequences were obtained for 6 viruses from 3 Spanish regions. Bootscan analyses showed a coincident BF1 recombinant structure, with 5 breakpoints, located in p17 gag , integrase, gp120, gp41-rev overlap, and nef, which was identical to that of two BF1 recombinant viruses from Paraguay previously sequenced in NFLGs. Interestingly, none of the breakpoints coincided with those of CRF12_BF. In a maximum likelihood phylogenetic tree, all 8 NFLG sequences grouped in a strongly supported clade segregating from previously identified CRFs and from the CRF12_BF "family" clade. These results allow us to identify a new HIV-1 CRF, designated CRF66_BF. Through a Bayesian coalescent analysis, the most recent common ancestor of CRF66_BF was estimated around 1984 in South America, either in Paraguay or Argentina. Among Pr-RT sequences obtained by us from HIV-1-infected Paraguayans living in Spain, 14 (20.9%) of 67 were of CRF66_BF, suggesting that CRF66_BF may be one of the major HIV-1 genetic forms circulating in Paraguay. CRF66_BF is the first reported non-Brazilian South American HIV-1 CRF_BF unrelated to CRF12_BF.This work was funded through Acción Estratégica en Salud Intramural (AESI), Instituto de Salud Carlos III, projects PI16CIII/00033 and PI19CIII/00042; Red de Investigación en SIDA (RIS), Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Subdirección General de Evaluación y Fondo Europeo de Desarrollo Regional (FEDER), Plan Nacional I+D+I, project RD16ISCIII/0002/0004; and scientific agreements with Consellería de Sanidade, Government of Galicia (MVI 1004/16) and Osakidetza-Servicio Vasco de Salud, Government of Basque Country (MVI 1001/16).S

Clinical and Ecological Impact of an Educational Program to Optimize Antibiotic Treatments in Nursing Homes (PROA-SENIOR): A Cluster, Randomized, Controlled Trial and Interrupted Time-Series Analysis

[Background] Antimicrobial stewardship programs (ASPs) are recommended in nursing homes (NHs), although data are limited. We aimed to determine the clinical and ecological impact of an ASP for NHs.[Methods] We performed a cluster, randomized, controlled trial and a before–after study with interrupted time-series analyses in 14 NHs for 30 consecutive months from July 2018 to December 2020 in Andalusia, Spain. Seven facilities implemented an ASP with a bundle of 5 educational measures (general ASP) and 7 added 1-to-1 educational interviews (experimental ASP). The primary outcome was the overall use of antimicrobials, calculated monthly as defined daily doses (DDD) per 1000 resident days (DRD).[Results] The total mean antimicrobial consumption decreased by 31.2% (−16.72 DRD; P = .045) with respect to the preintervention period; the overall use of quinolones and amoxicillin–clavulanic acid dropped by 52.2% (P = .001) and 42.5% (P = .006), respectively; and the overall prevalence of multidrug-resistant organisms (MDROs) decreased from 24.7% to 17.4% (P = .012). During the intervention period, 12.5 educational interviews per doctor were performed in the experimental ASP group; no differences were found in the total mean antimicrobial use between groups (−14.62 DRD; P = .25). Two unexpected coronavirus disease 2019 waves affected the centers increasing the overall mean use of antimicrobials by 40% (51.56 DRD; P < .0001).[Conclusions] This study suggests that an ASP for NHs appears to be associated with a decrease in total consumption of antimicrobials and prevalence of MDROs. This trial did not find benefits associated with educational interviews, probably due to the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic.[Clinical Trials Registration] NCT03543605.Peer reviewe

Effectiveness of a strategy that uses educational games to implement clinical practice guidelines among Spanish residents of family and community medicine (e-EDUCAGUIA project):A clinical trial by clusters

This study was funded by the Fondo de Investigaciones Sanitarias FIS Grant Number PI11/0477 ISCIII.-REDISSEC Proyecto RD12/0001/0012 AND FEDER Funding.Background: Clinical practice guidelines (CPGs) have been developed with the aim of helping health professionals, patients, and caregivers make decisions about their health care, using the best available evidence. In many cases, incorporation of these recommendations into clinical practice also implies a need for changes in routine clinical practice. Using educational games as a strategy for implementing recommendations among health professionals has been demonstrated to be effective in some studies; however, evidence is still scarce. The primary objective of this study is to assess the effectiveness of a teaching strategy for the implementation of CPGs using educational games (e-learning EDUCAGUIA) to improve knowledge and skills related to clinical decision-making by residents in family medicine. The primary objective will be evaluated at 1 and 6months after the intervention. The secondary objectives are to identify barriers and facilitators for the use of guidelines by residents of family medicine and to describe the educational strategies used by Spanish teaching units of family and community medicine to encourage implementation of CPGs. Methods/design: We propose a multicenter clinical trial with randomized allocation by clusters of family and community medicine teaching units in Spain. The sample size will be 394 residents (197 in each group), with the teaching units as the randomization unit and the residents comprising the analysis unit. For the intervention, both groups will receive an initial 1-h session on clinical practice guideline use and the usual dissemination strategy by e-mail. The intervention group (e-learning EDUCAGUIA) strategy will consist of educational games with hypothetical clinical scenarios in a virtual environment. The primary outcome will be the score obtained by the residents on evaluation questionnaires for each clinical practice guideline. Other included variables will be the sociodemographic and training variables of the residents and the teaching unit characteristics. The statistical analysis will consist of a descriptive analysis of variables and a baseline comparison of both groups. For the primary outcome analysis, an average score comparison of hypothetical scenario questionnaires between the EDUCAGUIA intervention group and the control group will be performed at 1 and 6months post-intervention, using 95% confidence intervals. A linear multilevel regression will be used to adjust the model. Discussion: The identification of effective teaching strategies will facilitate the incorporation of available knowledge into clinical practice that could eventually improve patient outcomes. The inclusion of information technologies as teaching tools permits greater learning autonomy and allows deeper instructor participation in the monitoring and supervision of residents. The long-term impact of this strategy is unknown; however, because it is aimed at professionals undergoing training and it addresses prevalent health problems, a small effect can be of great relevance. Trial registration: ClinicalTrials.gov: NCT02210442.Publisher PDFPeer reviewe

Effectiveness of an intervention for improving drug prescription in primary care patients with multimorbidity and polypharmacy:Study protocol of a cluster randomized clinical trial (Multi-PAP project)

This study was funded by the Fondo de Investigaciones Sanitarias ISCIII (Grant Numbers PI15/00276, PI15/00572, PI15/00996), REDISSEC (Project Numbers RD12/0001/0012, RD16/0001/0005), and the European Regional Development Fund ("A way to build Europe").Background: Multimorbidity is associated with negative effects both on people's health and on healthcare systems. A key problem linked to multimorbidity is polypharmacy, which in turn is associated with increased risk of partly preventable adverse effects, including mortality. The Ariadne principles describe a model of care based on a thorough assessment of diseases, treatments (and potential interactions), clinical status, context and preferences of patients with multimorbidity, with the aim of prioritizing and sharing realistic treatment goals that guide an individualized management. The aim of this study is to evaluate the effectiveness of a complex intervention that implements the Ariadne principles in a population of young-old patients with multimorbidity and polypharmacy. The intervention seeks to improve the appropriateness of prescribing in primary care (PC), as measured by the medication appropriateness index (MAI) score at 6 and 12months, as compared with usual care. Methods/Design: Design:pragmatic cluster randomized clinical trial. Unit of randomization: family physician (FP). Unit of analysis: patient. Scope: PC health centres in three autonomous communities: Aragon, Madrid, and Andalusia (Spain). Population: patients aged 65-74years with multimorbidity (≥3 chronic diseases) and polypharmacy (≥5 drugs prescribed in ≥3months). Sample size: n=400 (200 per study arm). Intervention: complex intervention based on the implementation of the Ariadne principles with two components: (1) FP training and (2) FP-patient interview. Outcomes: MAI score, health services use, quality of life (Euroqol 5D-5L), pharmacotherapy and adherence to treatment (Morisky-Green, Haynes-Sackett), and clinical and socio-demographic variables. Statistical analysis: primary outcome is the difference in MAI score between T0 and T1 and corresponding 95% confidence interval. Adjustment for confounding factors will be performed by multilevel analysis. All analyses will be carried out in accordance with the intention-to-treat principle. Discussion: It is essential to provide evidence concerning interventions on PC patients with polypharmacy and multimorbidity, conducted in the context of routine clinical practice, and involving young-old patients with significant potential for preventing negative health outcomes. Trial registration: Clinicaltrials.gov, NCT02866799Publisher PDFPeer reviewe

El derecho del trabajo y de la seguridad social en españa en 2018

En su quinta edición, el Informe “El Derecho del Trabajo y de la Seguridad Social en España 2018” le ofrece una síntesis, que por concreta no es menos rigurosa, de los principales hitos por los que ha transitado el iuslaboralismo a lo largo del último año. En concreto, en las páginas que siguen, los expertos integrantes de la Sección Juvenil de la Asociación Española de Derecho del Trabajo y de la Seguridad Social (AEDTSS) analizan para usted, en primer lugar, las principales resoluciones europeas y nacionales en materia de igualad y no discriminación, acoso en sus más diversas manifestaciones, liberad religiosa y libertad de expresión. Asimismo, se abordan también las cuestiones relativas al empleo y la contratación, casi monopolizadas por el impacto de las plataformas y las consecuencias del caso de Diego. En materia de vicisitudes, sin perder importancia el despido colectivo, observará un cierto auge de los casos relativos a sucesión empresarial, movilidad funcional y empleo público. En el ámbito del derecho colectivo, además de analizarse el IV AENC, encontrará un estudio pormenorizado de las principales resoluciones en materia de libertad sindical, representación unitaria y ultraactividad. La sección relativa a conciliación y corresponsabilidad incluye este año como novedad un apartado relativo a violencia de género, al hilo de los avances normativos derivados del Real Decreto-ley 9/2018. Los epígrafes concernientes a la protección social y la prevención de riesgos laborales crecen de forma significativa en esta edición, lo que ha permitido abordar la evolución jurisprudencial para buena parte de las prestaciones y riesgos previstos en la Ley. Por último, las expertas del apartado de derecho procesal se han encargado de revisar a fondo los casos más significativos en el marco de las modalidades procesales especiales, con especial hincapié en el ámbito concursal. También han abordado la jurisprudencia constitucional más reciente sobre el de recurso de reposición. En suma, tienen ante usted un trabajo científico consolidado en el tiempo y sólido en cuanto al contenido, fiel reflejo de, a pesar del difícil contexto, el buen hacer de la joven doctrina iuslaboralista española