Use of Phragmites australis for controlling phospohrus contamination in anthropogenic wetland ecosystems

This is an Author's Accepted Manuscript of an article published in J. M. Carricondo, J. V. Oliver-Villanueva, J. V. Turégano, J. A. González & J. Mengual (2021) Use of Phragmites australis for controlling phosphorus contamination in anthropogenic wetland ecosystems, Environmental Technology, 42:19, 3055-3064, DOI: 10.1080/09593330.2020.1720311 [copyright Taylor & Francis], available online at: http://www.tandfonline.com/10.1080/09593330.2020.1720311[EN] Continuous phosphorus discharges in bodies of water, generated by human activities, such as agriculture, domestic effluences or wastewater from industrial processes, produce contaminated water and eutrophication. For this reason, efficient and low-cost systems that can remove phosphorus from contaminated water are necessary. In addition, it is important to generate renewable energy such as the energy produced in biomass power plants, taking advantage of the available biomass waste in each place. When producing this renewable energy, the resulting ash is a residue that can be used for phosphorus removal by adsorption processes. Moreover, according to the concept of the circular economy, the ash waste generated in this bio energy process should be reduced as much as possible. One of the advantages of this research being that surplus phosphorus-laden ash can be reused as fertilizer in agricultural fields. Considering this, the efficiency of reed ash (RA) (Phragmites australis) has been analysed in batch experiments, as well as the effect of several parameters on the removal of phosphate, such as contact time, phosphate-ash ratio, ash dose and temperature. Significant results obtained show that RA can be used to improve water quality.Carricondo, JM.; Oliver Villanueva, JV.; Turegano Pastor, JV.; González Romero, JA.; Mengual Cuquerella, J. (2021). Use of Phragmites australis for controlling phospohrus contamination in anthropogenic wetland ecosystems. 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Photosensitised biphotonic chemistry of pyrimidine derivatives

Photosensitised biphotonic irradiation of DNA has been rarely addressed, probably due to the difficulties in the experimental design. This is associated with the selection of nucleobases and sensitisers with appropriate absorption spectra and photochemical reactivity, in combination with a laser source emitting intense UVA light of the adequate wavelength. The present paper presents a new strategy involving absorption of a first UVA photon by an adequate sensitiser followed by triplet energy transfer to a pyrimidine (Pyr) derivative and absorption of a second UVA photon by the resulting Pyr triplet excited state. The feasibility of the proposed strategy has been demonstrated using two model reactions: (i) the Norrish-Yang photocyclisation of a tert-butyluracil and (ii) the photohydration of its uracil analogue, lacking the tert-butyl substituent.Financial support by the Spanish Government (O. R-A. for FPU14/05294) and Generalitat Valenciana (PROMETEO/2017/075) is gratefully acknowledged. We also thank Dr Lhiaubet-Vallet for her help with the UPLC-MS/MS experiments

Superimposed visceral leishmanial infection aggravates response to Heligmosomoides polygyrus

Abstract Background Polyparasitism is the rule in all animal species, including humans, and has an important role in pathogenicity, diagnosis and control measures. Among them, co-infections by gastrointestinal helminths and protists are very prevalent under natural conditions but experimental infections are relatively scarce. Thus, despite the frequent association of visceral Leishmania infections and intestinal helminth parasitism the experimental co-infection has not been addressed. Heligmosomoides polygyrus, an intestinal nematode of mice, is related to other helminths causing important pathologies and is a model species for immunological studies. Mice are valuable experimental model for visceral leishmaniasis. Methods BALB/c mice infected with H. polygyrus (200 third-stage larvae, L3) were subsequently infected seven days later with Leishmania infantum (107 promastigotes) with the aim of determining the effect of the overinfection on the host response to the primary infection with the helminth. Results Overinfection with the protist did not affect the establishment rate of the nematode but induced a higher fecal egg output. Helminth burdens in co-infected animals were significant at the end of the experiment. Early unspecific immune suppression induced by the nematode in mesenteric lymph nodes was not switched by L. infantum infection. Co-infection elicited a higher serum antibody (IgG1) response against the helminth. Conclusions Visceral leishmanial overinfection aggravated the early host response against primary infections with the intestinal helminth. This effect was evidenced by an increased longevity and higher production of non-protective antibodies

Antileishmanial Drug Discovery and Development: Time to Reset the Model?

Leishmaniasis is a vector-borne parasitic disease caused by Leishmania species. The disease affects humans and animals, particularly dogs, provoking cutaneous, mucocutaneous, or visceral processes depending on the Leishmania sp. and the host immune response. No vaccine for humans is available, and the control relies mainly on chemotherapy. However, currently used drugs are old, some are toxic, and the safer presentations are largely unaffordable by the most severely affected human populations. Moreover, its efficacy has shortcomings, and it has been challenged by the growing reports of resistance and therapeutic failure. This manuscript presents an overview of the currently used drugs, the prevailing model to develop new antileishmanial drugs and its low efficiency, and the impact of deconstruction of the drug pipeline on the high failure rate of potential drugs. To improve the predictive value of preclinical research in the chemotherapy of leishmaniasis, several proposals are presented to circumvent critical hurdles—namely, lack of common goals of collaborative research, particularly in public–private partnership; fragmented efforts; use of inadequate surrogate models, especially for in vivo trials; shortcomings of target product profile (TPP) guides

Photoreactivity of fluoroquinolones: nature of aryl cations generated in water

The nature of stabilized aryl cations generated from photodehalogenations of fluoroquinolones in aqueous media has been studied by comparing the photophysical and photochemical behavior of lomefloxacin (LFX) and its N(40)-acetylated form (ALFX). Photoproduct studies, laser flash photolysis, and emission measurements have shown that this small peripheral modification produces important changes in the properties of the singlet aryl cations generated. Also, in basic medium, a new photodehalogenation pathway for 6,8-dihalogenated fluoroquinolones has been observed.Financial support from Spanish government (CTQ2010-19909) and the Generalitat Valenciana (PROMETEO program, ref 2008/090) is gratefully acknowledged.Soldevila Serrano, S.; Bosca Mayans, F. (2012). Photoreactivity of fluoroquinolones: nature of aryl cations generated in water. Organic letters. 14(15):3940-3943. https://doi.org/10.1021/ol301694pS39403943141