Antibacterial efficacy of gold and silver nanoparticles functionalized with the ubiquicidin (29–41) antimicrobial peptide

Recent studies have demonstrated that drug antimicrobial activity is enhanced when metallic nanoparticles are used as an inorganic support, obtaining synergic effects against microorganisms. The cationic antimicrobial peptide ubiquicidin 29–41 (UBI) has demonstrated high affinity and sensitivity towards fungal and bacterial infections. The aim of this research was to prepare and evaluate the antimicrobial efficacy of engineered multivalent nanoparticle systems based on silver or gold nanoparticles functionalized with UBI. Spectroscopy techniques demonstrated that NPs were functionalized with UBI mainly through interactions with the -NH2 groups. A significant increase in the antibacterial activity against Escherichia coli and Pseudomonas aeruginosawas obtainedwith the conjugateAgNP-UBI with regard to that of AgNP. No inhibitionof bacterial growth was observed with AuNP and AuNP-UBI using a nanoparticle concentration of up to 182 gmL−1.Nonetheless, silver nanoparticles conjugated to the UBI antimicrobial peptide may provide an alternative therapy for topical infections.This work was supported by the PROMEP-CA-68 (2013) project and The International Atomic Energy Agency (Contract no. 18358)

Orange peel + nanostructured zero-valent-iron composite for the removal of hexavalent chromium in water

In this work we used the Pulsed Plasma in Liquid technique to synthesize zero-valent iron nanostructures. We used a DC Power Source to produce such plasma on water and methanol. The obtained particles were characterized by TEM to determine their shape and size and Mossbauer Spectroscopy to investigate the chemical state of the iron present. We found that 80% of the particles produced in water are composed of metallic iron and when methanol is used 97% of the particles are metallic iron. Once the Fe colloid was formed, orange skin was impregnated with these nanostructures for the removal of in water solution. The Cr(VI) removal experiments were done in a batch system in the presence of the composites at an inicial concentration of 50 ppm of Cr(VI). When using the iron nanostructures supported on the orange peel, the percentage of removal is 100% in the case of nanostructures formed in water and 96% when obtained in methanol

Transformación Digital: experiencias colectivas

ilustraciones, graficas, videosPara la Universidad Nacional de Colombia, la educación, la ciencia y la tecnología son los pilares que permiten afrontar los cambios y retos que necesita Colombia. En esa medida, hemos aunado esfuerzos y habilidades hacia la articulación inteligente de capacidades en el ecosistema UNAL. Como resultado de este trabajo, presentamos el libro Transformación Digital: experiencias colectivas, una serie de artículos narrados por expertos en Transformación Digital de organizaciones del sector público y privado colombianos. Aquí encontrarán abordajes teóricos, reflexiones y casos reales de instituciones de gran trayectoria abocados a los retos y problemáticas de sus sectores para asumir la Transformación Digital como un camino hacia el cambio cultural. Estas trayectorias toman como base el abanico de posibilidades que brindan las herramientas de la Cuarta Revolución Industrial. (Texto tomado de la fuente)La Transformación Digital: el camino hacia el cambio cultural de la Universidad Nacional de Colombia -- UNALab: un potencializador de las capacidades internas en la Universidad Nacional de Colombia para la Transformación Digital-- Transformación Digital, educación para todos y diseño universal para el aprendizaje -- La Transformación Digital en la Facultad de Medicina de la UNAL en el marco de la Pandemia -- Relato de la experiencia de Integración Transformación Digital en el curso SCADA y Controladores Industriales de la Facultad de Ingeniería de la Universidad Nacional de Colombia - Sede Bogotá -- Una mirada a la Transformación Digital: retos, oportunidades y transferencia de conocimiento -- HORUS: Sistema de visibilidad científica para la Transformación Digital de la Universidad Nacional de Colombia -- Transformación Digital en la gestión ambiental para la sustentabilidad -- Aproximaciones para desarrollar una cultura digital en las organizaciones -- Transformación Digital de la justicia: la interoperabilidad como habilitador tecnológico para la materialización del piloto de Expediente Electrónico Judicial en Colombia -- Transformación Digital en la educación superior en Colombia: oportunidades y retos para la implementación y construcción de datos e indicadores -- Los laboratorios digitales de Bogotá (2016-2020): aprendizajes para Colombia a partir de una experiencia de transformación territorial -- Democracia directa: Gobierno abierto y presupuestos participativos en Bogotá -- Plan Bogotá Territorio Inteligente: proceso de diseño, construcción e implementaciónPrimera edición, enero de 202

Head and neck cancer surgery during the COVID-19 pandemic: An international, multicenter, observational cohort study

Background: The aims of this study were to provide data on the safety of head and neck cancer surgery currently being undertaken during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. Methods: This international, observational cohort study comprised 1137 consecutive patients with head and neck cancer undergoing primary surgery with curative intent in 26 countries. Factors associated with severe pulmonary complications in COVID-19–positive patients and infections in the surgical team were determined by univariate analysis. Results: Among the 1137 patients, the commonest sites were the oral cavity (38%) and the thyroid (21%). For oropharynx and larynx tumors, nonsurgical therapy was favored in most cases. There was evidence of surgical de-escalation of neck management and reconstruction. Overall 30-day mortality was 1.2%. Twenty-nine patients (3%) tested positive for severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) within 30 days of surgery; 13 of these patients (44.8%) developed severe respiratory complications, and 3.51 (10.3%) died. There were significant correlations with an advanced tumor stage and admission to critical care. Members of the surgical team tested positive within 30 days of surgery in 40 cases (3%). There were significant associations with operations in which the patients also tested positive for SARS-CoV-2 within 30 days, with a high community incidence of SARS-CoV-2, with screened patients, with oral tumor sites, and with tracheostomy. Conclusions: Head and neck cancer surgery in the COVID-19 era appears safe even when surgery is prolonged and complex. The overlap in COVID-19 between patients and members of the surgical team raises the suspicion of failures in cross-infection measures or the use of personal protective equipment. Lay Summary: Head and neck surgery is safe for patients during the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic even when it is lengthy and complex. This is significant because concerns over patient safety raised in many guidelines appear not to be reflected by outcomes, even for those who have other serious illnesses or require complex reconstructions. Patients subjected to suboptimal or nonstandard treatments should be carefully followed up to optimize their cancer outcomes. The overlap between patients and surgeons testing positive for severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 is notable and emphasizes the need for fastidious cross-infection controls and effective personal protective equipment

Pseudorapidity densities of charged particles with transverse momentum thresholds in pp collisions at √ s = 5.02 and 13 TeV

The pseudorapidity density of charged particles with minimum transverse momentum (pT) thresholds of 0.15, 0.5, 1, and 2 GeV/c is measured in pp collisions at the center of mass energies of √s=5.02 and 13 TeV with the ALICE detector. The study is carried out for inelastic collisions with at least one primary charged particle having a pseudorapidity (η) within 0.8pT larger than the corresponding threshold. In addition, measurements without pT-thresholds are performed for inelastic and nonsingle-diffractive events as well as for inelastic events with at least one charged particle having |η|2GeV/c), highlighting the importance of such measurements for tuning event generators. The new measurements agree within uncertainties with results from the ATLAS and CMS experiments obtained at √s=13TeV.

Λc+\Lambda^+_c production in pppp and in pp-Pb collisions at sNN\sqrt {s_{NN}}=5.02 TeV

International audienceThe production cross section of prompt $\mathrm{\Lambda_{c}^{+}}$ charm baryons was measured with the ALICE detector at the LHC at midrapidity in proton-proton (pp) and proton-lead (p-Pb) collisions at a centre-of-mass energy per nucleon pair of $\sqrt{s_\mathrm{NN}} = 5.02$ TeV. The $\mathrm{\Lambda_{c}^{+}}$ and $\rm {\overline{\Lambda}{}_c^-}$ baryons were reconstructed in the hadronic decay channels $\rm \Lambda_{c}^{+} \rightarrow p K^{-}\pi^{+}$ and $\rm \Lambda_{c}^{+}\to p K^{0}_{S}$ and respective charge conjugates. The measured differential cross sections as a function of transverse momentum ($p_{\rm T}$) and the $p_{\rm T}$-integrated $\mathrm{\Lambda_{c}^{+}}$ production cross section in pp and in p-Pb collisions are presented. The $\mathrm{\Lambda_{c}^{+}}$ nuclear modification factor ($R_\mathrm{pPb}$), calculated from the cross sections in pp and in p-Pb collisions, is presented and compared with the $R_\mathrm{pPb}$ of D mesons. The $\mathrm {\Lambda_{c}^{+}}/\mathrm {D^0}$ ratio is also presented and compared with the light-flavour baryon-to-meson ratios p$/\pi$ and $\Lambda /\mathrm {K^0_S}$, and measurements from other LHC experiments. The results are compared to predictions from model calculations and Monte Carlo event generators

Inclusive J/ψ\psi production at midrapidity in pp collisions at s = 13\sqrt{s}~=~13 TeV

We report on the inclusive J/$\psi$ production cross section measured at the CERN Large Hadron Collider in proton-proton collisions at a centre-of-mass energy $\sqrt{s}~=~13$ TeV. The J/$\psi$ mesons are reconstructed in the $\rm e^{+} e^{-}$ decay channel and the measurements are performed at midrapidity ($|y|<0.9$) in the transverse-momentum interval $0< p_{\rm T} <40$ GeV/$c$, using a minimum bias data sample corresponding to an integrated luminosity $L_{\text{int}} = 32.2~\text{nb}^{-1}$ and an Electromagnetic Calorimeter triggered data sample with $L_{\text{int}} = 8.3~\mathrm{pb}^{-1}$. The $p_{\rm T}$-integrated J/$\psi$ production cross section at midrapidity, computed using the minimum bias data sample, is $\text{d}\sigma/\text{d}y|_{y=0} = 8.97\pm0.24~(\text{stat})\pm0.48~(\text{syst})\pm0.15~(\text{lumi})~\mu\text{b}$. An approximate logarithmic dependence with the collision energy is suggested by these results and available world data, in agreement with model predictions. The integrated and $p_{\rm T}$-differential measurements are compared with measurements in pp collisions at lower energies and with several recent phenomenological calculations based on the non-relativistic QCD and Color Evaporation models

Charged-particle multiplicity fluctuations in Pb–Pb collisions at √ sNN = 2.76 TeV

Measurements of event-by-event fluctuations of charged-particle multiplicities in Pb–Pb collisionsat √sNN = 2.76 TeV using the ALICE detector at the CERN Large Hadron Collider (LHC) are presented in the pseudorapidity range |η| < 0.8 and transverse momentum 0.2 < pT < 2.0 GeV/c. The amplitude of the fluctuations is expressed in terms of the variance normalized by the mean of the multiplicity distribution. The η and pT dependences of the fluctuations and their evolution with respect to collision centrality are investigated. The multiplicity fluctuations tend to decrease from peripheral to central collisions. The results are compared to those obtained from HIJING and AMPT Monte Carlo event generators as well as to experimental data at lower collision energies. Additionally, the measured multiplicity fluctuations are discussed in the context of the isothermal compressibility of the high-density strongly-interacting system formed in central Pb–Pb collisions

First measurements of N-subjettiness in central Pb–Pb collisions at √ sNN = 2.76 TeV

The ALICE Collaboration reports the first fully-corrected measurements of the N-subjettiness observable for track-based jets in heavy-ion collisions. This study is performed using data recorded in pp and Pb–Pb collisions at centre-of-mass energies of √s = 7 TeV and √ sNN = 2.76 TeV, respectively. In particular the ratio of 2-subjettiness to 1-subjettiness, τ2/τ1, which is sensitive to the rate of two-pronged jet substructure, is presented. Energy loss of jets traversing the strongly interacting medium in heavy-ion collisions is expected to change the rate of two-pronged substructure relative to vacuum. The results are presented for jets with a resolution parameter of R = 0.4 and charged jet transverse momentum of 40 ≤ pT,jet ≤ 60 GeV/c, which constitute a larger jet resolution and lower jet transverse momentum interval than previous measurements in heavy-ion collisions. This has been achieved by utilising a semi-inclusive hadron-jet coincidence technique to suppress the larger jet combinatorial background in this kinematic region. No significant modification of the τ2/τ1 observable for track-based jets in Pb–Pb collisions is observed relative to vacuum PYTHIA6 and PYTHIA8 references at the same collision energy. The measurements of τ2/τ1, together with the splitting aperture angle ∆R, are also performed in pp collisions at √s = 7 TeV for inclusive jets. These results are compared with PYTHIA calculations at √s = 7 TeV, in order to validate the model as a vacuum reference for the Pb–Pb centre-of-mass energy. The PYTHIA references for τ2/τ1 are shifted to larger values compared to the measurement in pp collisions. This hints at a reduction in the rate of two-pronged jets in Pb–Pb collisions compared to pp collisions