Reuse of kaolinitic materials from several bauxite mines of Catalonia, Spain

Els materials bauxítics procedents d'afloraments, runams i estèrils solen contenir elevades quantitats de caolinita susceptibles de ser explotades. Aquest estudi proporciona una caracterització de materials procedents d'afloraments, estèrils i runams de dues mines de bauxita abandonades situades prop de Sant Joan de Mediona i Peramola, Catalunya, Espanya. La mineralogia es va determinar mitjançant difracció de raigs X (DRX) i espectroscòpia infraroja per transformada de Fourier (FTIR). Les propietats tèrmiques es van mesurar mitjançant anàlisi tèrmic diferencial i termogravimètric (ATD-TG), i dilatometria. Les fases cristal·lines són 25-68% en massa de caolinita, 15-54% en massa de boehmita, 10-15% en massa, hematites i quantitats menors de anatasa. La caolinita té una cristal·lització mitjana-alta, amb un índex de Hinckley de 0,51-1,39. El ATD mostra dos pics endotèrmics produïts per la deshidroxilació dels minerals; el primer pic, a 527-538 oC, pertany a la boehmita i el segon, a 564-570 oC, correspon a la caolinita. Un pic exotèrmic, a 950-978 oC, està associat a la cristal·lització de la mullita. Les corbes TG mostren una pèrdua de massa total del 10 al 13% en massa. Els espectres FTIR mostren els pics característics de la caolinita i la boehmita. Els anàlisis dilatomètrics mostren una contracció a 530-550 oC, que es produeix per la pèrdua de grups OH-, a 550-580 oC es registra la transformació de α a β-quars, a 875 oC es produeix la transformació en estructura espinela, i al voltant de 1010 oC es forma mullita. El coeficient tèrmic de dilatació oscil·la entre 3,8·10-6 i 7,3 ·10-6 oC-1. La viabilitat d'aquests materials com a matèries primeres per a ceràmiques és limitada a causa de les baixes quantitats de fil·losilicats, la baixa plasticitat i les altes temperatures de treball. Tot i això, el seu ús com a matèries primeres de substituts del ciment Portland és possible, encara que ha d'estudiar-se en posteriors recerques.Los materiales bauxíticos procedentes de afloramientos, escombreras y estériles suelen contener elevadas cantidades de caolinita susceptibles de ser explotadas. Este estudio proporciona una caracterización de materiales procedentes de afloramientos, estériles y escombreras de dos minas de bauxita abandonadas situadas cerca de Sant Joan de Mediona y Peramola, Cataluña, España. La mineralogía se determinó mediante difracción de rayos X (DRX) y espectroscopia infrarroja por transformada de Fourier (FTIR). Las propiedades térmicas se midieron mediante análisis térmico diferencial y termogravimétrico (ATD-TG), y dilatometría. Las fases cristalinas son 25-68% en masa de caolinita, 15-54% en masa de boehmita, 10-15% en masa, hematites y cantidades menores de anatasa. La caolinita tiene una cristalinidad media-alta, con un índice de Hinckley de 0,51-1,39. El ATD muestra dos picos endotérmicos producidos por la deshidroxilación de los minerales; el primer pico, a 527-538 oC, pertenece a la boehmita y el segundo, a 564-570 oC, corresponde a la caolinita. Un pico exotérmico, a 950-978 oC, está asociado a la cristalización de la mullita. Las curvas TG muestran una pérdida de masa total del 10 al 13% en masa. Los espectros FTIR muestran los picos característicos de la caolinita y la bohemita. Los análisis dilatométricos muestran una contracción a 530-550 oC, que se produce por la pérdida de grupos OH-, a 550-580 oC se registra la transformación de α a β-cuarzo, a 875 oC se produce la transformación en estructura espinela, y alrededor de 1010 oC se forma mullita. El coeficiente térmico de dilatación oscila entre 3,8·10-6 y 7,3 ·10-6 oC-1. La viabilidad de estos materiales como materias primas cerámicas es limitada debido a las bajas cantidades de filosilicatos, la baja plasticidad y las altas temperaturas de trabajo. Aun así, su uso como materias primas de sustitutos del cemento Portland es posible, aunque debe estudiarse en investigaciones posteriores.Bauxitic materials from outcrops, dumps and tailings often contain high amounts of kaolinite that is susceptible to be exploited. This study provides a characterization of materials from outcrops, tailings and dumps of two abandoned bauxite mines located close to Sant Joan de Mediona and Peramola, Catalonia, Spain. Mineralogy was determined by X-ray powder diffraction (XRD) and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). Thermal properties were measured by differential thermal and thermogravimetric analysis (DTA-TG), and dilatometry. The crystalline phases are 25-68 mass% of kaolinite, 15-54 mass% of boehmite, 10-15 mass%, hematite and minor amounts of anatase. Kaolinite has a medium-high crystallinity, with a Hinckley Index of 0.51-1.39. DTA show two endothermic peaks produced by the deshydroxilation of minerals; the first peak, at 527-538 oC, belongs to boehmite and the second peak, at 564-570 oC, corresponds to kaolinite. An exothermic peak, at 950-978 oC, is associated with the mullite crystallization. TG curves show a total mass loss from 10 to 13 mass%. The FTIR spectra show the characteristic peaks of kaolinite and boehmite. The dilatometric analysis show a shrinkage at 530-550 oC, which is produced by the loss of OH- groups, at 550-580 oC the transformation of α to β-quartz is recorded, at 875 oC the transformation into spinel structure occurs, and around 1010 oC mullite is formed. The thermal coefficient of expansion ranges from 3.8 ·10-6 to 7.3 ·10-6 oC-1. The viability of these resources as ceramic raw materials is limited because of their low amounts of phyllosilicate minerals, low plasticity and high working temperatures. Even so, their use as raw materials of Portland cement substitutes is possible however it has to be studied in further investigations

Stenotrophomonas maltophilia responds to exogenous AHL signals through the LuxR solo SmoR (Smlt1839)

Quorum Sensing (QS) mediated by Acyl Homoserine Lactone (AHL) molecules are probably the most widespread and studied among Gram-negative bacteria. Canonical AHL systems are composed by a synthase (LuxI family) and a regulator element (LuxR family), whose genes are usually adjacent in the genome. However, incomplete AHL-QS machinery lacking the synthase LuxI is frequently observed in Proteobacteria, and the regulator element is then referred as LuxR solo. It has been shown that certain LuxR solos participate in interspecific communication by detecting signals produced by different organisms. In the case of Stenotrophomonas maltophilia, a preliminary genome sequence analysis revealed numerous putative luxR genes, none of them associated to a luxI gene. From these, the hypothetical LuxR solo Smlt1839, here designated SmoR, presents a conserved AHL binding domain and a helix-turn-helix DNA binding motif. Its genomic organization-adjacent to hchA gene-indicate that SmoR belongs to the new family "LuxR regulator chaperone HchA-associated." AHL-binding assays revealed that SmoR binds to AHLs in-vitro, at least to oxo-C8-homoserine lactone, and it regulates operon transcription, likely by recognizing a conserved palindromic regulatory box in the hchA upstream region. Supplementation with concentrated supernatants from Pseudomonas aeruginosa, which contain significant amounts of AHLs, promoted swarming motility in S. maltophilia. Contrarily, no swarming stimulation was observed when the P. aeruginosa supernatant was treated with the lactonase AiiA from Bacillus subtilis, confirming that AHL contributes to enhance the swarming ability of S. maltophilia. Finally, mutation of smoR resulted in a swarming alteration and an apparent insensitivity to the exogenous AHLs provided by P. aeruginosa. In conclusion, our results demonstrate that S. maltophilia senses AHLs produced by neighboring bacteria through the LuxR solo SmoR, regulating population behaviors such as swarming motility

Fatty Acid Synthase Inhibitor G28 Shows Anticancer Activity in EGFR Tyrosine Kinase Inhibitor Resistant Lung Adenocarcinoma Models

Epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) tyrosine kinases inhibitors (TKIs) are effectivetherapies for non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients whose tumors harbor an EGFR activatingmutation. However, this treatment is not curative due to primary and secondary resistance suchas T790M mutation in exon 20. Recently, activation of transducer and activator of transcription 3(STAT3) in NSCLC appeared as an alternative resistance mechanism allowing cancer cells to elude theEGFR signaling. Overexpression of fatty acid synthase (FASN), a multifunctional enzyme essentialfor endogenous lipogenesis, has been related to resistance and the regulation of the EGFR/Jak2/STATsignaling pathways. Using EGFR mutated (EGFRm) NSCLC sensitive and EGFR TKIs' resistantmodels (Gefitinib Resistant, GR) we studied the role of the natural polyphenolic anti-FASN compound(−)-epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG), and its derivative G28 to overcome EGFR TKIs' resistance.We show that G28's cytotoxicity is independent of TKIs' resistance mechanisms displaying synergisticeffects in combination with gefitinib and osimertinib in the resistant T790M negative (T790M−)model and showing a reduction of activated EGFR and STAT3 in T790M positive (T790M+) models.Our results provide the bases for further investigation of G28 in combination with TKIs to overcomethe EGFR TKI resistance in NSCLC

Simple approach for ranking structure determining residues

Mutating residues has been a common task in order to study structural properties of the protein of interest. Here, we propose and validate a simple method that allows the identification of structural determinants; i.e., residues essential for preservation of the stability of global structure, regardless of the protein topology. This method evaluates all of the residues in a 3D structure of a given globular protein by ranking them according to their connectivity and movement restrictions without topology constraints. Our results matched up with sequence-based predictors that look up for intrinsically disordered segments, suggesting that protein disorder can also be described with the proposed methodology

The Color of Noise and Weak Stationarity at the NREM to REM Sleep Transition in Mild Cognitive Impaired Subjects

In Older Adults (OAs), Electroencephalogram (EEG) slowing in frontal lobes and a diminished muscle atonia during Rapid Eye Movement sleep (REM) have each been effective tracers of Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI), but this relationship remains to be explored by non-linear analysis. Likewise, data provided by EEG, EMG (Electromyogram) and EOG (Electrooculogram)—the three required sleep indicators—during the transition from REM to Non-REM (NREM) sleep have not been related jointly to MCI. Therefore, the main aim of the study was to explore, with results for Detrended Fluctuation Analysis (DFA) and multichannel DFA (mDFA), the Color of Noise (CN) at the NREM to REM transition in OAs with MCI vs. subjects with good performances. The comparisons for the transition from NREM to REM were made for each group at each cerebral area, taking bilateral derivations to evaluate interhemispheric coupling and anteroposterior and posterior networks. In addition, stationarity analysis was carried out to explore if the three markers distinguished between the groups. Neuropsi and the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) were administered, as well as other geriatric tests. One night polysomnography was applied to 6 OAs with MCI (68.1 ± 3) and to 7 subjects without it (CTRL) (64.5 ± 9), and pre-REM and REM epochs were analyzed for each subject. Lower scores for attention, memory and executive funcions and a greater index of arousals during sleep were found for the MCI group. Results confirmed that EOGs constituted significant markers of MCI, increasing the CN for the MCI group in REM sleep. The CN of the EEG from the pre-REM to REM was higher for the MCI group vs. the opposite for the CTRL group at frontotemporal areas. Frontopolar interhemispheric scaling values also followed this trend as well as right anteroposterior networks. EMG Hurst values for both groups were lower than those for EEG and EOG. Stationarity analyses showed differences between stages in frontal areas and right and left EOGs for both groups. These results may demonstrate the breakdown of fractality of areas especially involved in executive functioning and the way weak stationarity analyses may help to distinguish between sleep stages in OAs

Dinosaur bonebed amber from an original swamp forest soil

Dinosaur bonebeds with amber content, yet scarce, offer a superior wealth and quality of data on ancient terrestrial ecosystems. However, the preserved palaeodiversity and/or taphonomic characteristics of these exceptional localities had hitherto limited their palaeobiological potential. Here, we describe the amber from the Lower Cretaceous dinosaur bonebed of Ariño (Teruel, Spain) using a multidisciplinary approach. Amber is found in both a root layer with amber strictly in situ and a litter layer mainly composed of aerial pieces unusually rich in bioinclusions, encompassing 11 insect orders, arachnids, and a few plant and vertebrate remains, including a feather. Additional palaeontological data¿charophytes, palynomorphs, ostracods¿ are provided. Ariño arguably represents the most prolific and palaeobiologically diverse locality in which fossiliferous amber and a dinosaur bonebed have been found in association, and the only one known where the vast majority of the palaeontological assemblage suffered no or low-grade pre-burial transport. This has unlocked unprecedentedly complete and reliable palaeoecological data out of two complementary windows of preservation¿the bonebed and the amber¿from the same site

Influence of Obesity and Metabolic Disease on Carotid Atherosclerosis in Patients with Coronary Artery Disease (CordioPrev Study)

Background Recent data suggest that the presence of associated metabolic abnormalities may be important modifiers of the association of obesity with a poorer prognosis in coronary heart disease. We determined the influence of isolated overweight and obesity on carotid intima media thickness (IMT-CC), and also assessed whether this influence was determined by the presence of metabolic abnormalities. Methods 1002 participants from the CordioPrev study were studied at entry. We determined their metabolic phenotypes and performed carotid ultrasound assessment. We evaluated the influence of obesity, overweight and metabolic phenotypes on the IMT-CC. Results Metabolically sick participants (defined by the presence of two or more metabolic abnormalities) showed a greater IMT-CC than metabolically healthy individuals (p = 4 * 10−6). Overweight and normal weight patients who were metabolically healthy showed a lower IMT-CC than the metabolically abnormal groups (all p<0.05). When we evaluated only body weight (without considering metabolic phenotypes), overweight or obese patients did not differsignificantly from normal-weight patients in their IMT-CC (p = 0.077). However, obesity was a determinant of IMT-CC when compared to the composite group of normal weight and overweight patients (all not obese). Conclusions In coronary patients, a metabolically abnormal phenotype is associated with a greater IMTCC, and may be linked to a higher risk of suffering new cardiovascular events. The protection conferred in the IMT-CC by the absence of metabolic abnormality may be blunted by the presence of obesit

Chronic lymphocytic leukemia in the elderly: clinico-biological features, outcomes, and proposal of a prognostic model.

We investigated the clinico-biological features, outcomes, and prognosis of 949 patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia according to age. No biological differences (cytogenetics by fluorescent in situ hybridization, IGHV, ZAP-70, CD38, NOTCH1, SF3B1) were found across age groups. Elderly patients (>70 years; n=367) presented more frequently with advanced disease (Binet C/Rai III-IV: 10/12% versus 5/5%; P4; hazard ratio 2.2, P<0.001) and response (treatment failure versus response: hazard ratio 1.60, P<0.04) were the most important prognostic factors for overall survival. In conclusion, in our series, elderly patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia did not present with any biological features distinct from those of younger patients, but did have a poorer clinical outcome. This study highlights the importance of comprehensive medical care, achieving response to therapy, and specific management strategies for elderly patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia

Incidence, clinical characteristics and management of inflammatory bowel disease in Spain: large-scale epidemiological study

(1) Aims: To assess the incidence of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) in Spain, to describe the main epidemiological and clinical characteristics at diagnosis and the evolution of the disease, and to explore the use of drug treatments. (2) Methods: Prospective, population-based nationwide registry. Adult patients diagnosed with IBD—Crohn’s disease (CD), ulcerative colitis (UC) or IBD unclassified (IBD-U)—during 2017 in Spain were included and were followed-up for 1 year. (3) Results: We identified 3611 incident cases of IBD diagnosed during 2017 in 108 hospitals covering over 22 million inhabitants. The overall incidence (cases/100, 000 person-years) was 16 for IBD, 7.5 for CD, 8 for UC, and 0.5 for IBD-U; 53% of patients were male and median age was 43 years (interquartile range = 31–56 years). During a median 12-month follow-up, 34% of patients were treated with systemic steroids, 25% with immunomodulators, 15% with biologics and 5.6% underwent surgery. The percentage of patients under these treatments was significantly higher in CD than UC and IBD-U. Use of systemic steroids and biologics was significantly higher in hospitals with high resources. In total, 28% of patients were hospitalized (35% CD and 22% UC patients, p < 0.01). (4) Conclusion: The incidence of IBD in Spain is rather high and similar to that reported in Northern Europe. IBD patients require substantial therapeutic resources, which are greater in CD and in hospitals with high resources, and much higher than previously reported. One third of patients are hospitalized in the first year after diagnosis and a relevant proportion undergo surgery. © 2021 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland