Combination of gemcitabine with cell-penetrating peptides: A pharmacokinetic approach using in silico tools

Gemcitabine is an anticancer drug used to treat a wide range of solid tumors and is a first line treatment for pancreatic cancer. Our group has previously developed novel conjugates of gemcitabine with cell-penetrating peptides (CPP), and here we report some preliminary data regarding the pharmacokinetics of gemcitabine, two gemcitabine-CPP conjugates and respective CPP gathered from GastroPlus™, and analyze these results considering our previous evaluation of gemcitabine release and conjugates’ bioactivity. Additionally, seeking to shed some light on the relation between the penetration ability of CPP and their physicochemical properties, chemical descriptors for the 20 natural amino acids were calculated, a new principal property scale (z-scale) was created and CPP prediction models were developed, establishing quantitative structure-activity relationships (QSAR). The z-scores of the peptides conjugated with gemcitabine are presented and analyzed with the aforementioned data.This work has been financed by Fundo Europeu de Desenvolvimento Regional (FEDER) funds through the COMPETE 2020 - Operational Programme for Competitiveness and Internationalisation (POCI) and Portugal 2020, and Portuguese funds through Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia (FCT, Portugal), in the framework of the project “Institute for Research and Innovation in Health Sciences” (POCI-01-0145-FEDER-007274), and through grant UID/QUI/50006/2019 (LAQV-REQUIMTE). NV also acknowledges support from FCT and FEDER (European Union), award number IF/00092/2014/CP1255/CT0004. AF thanks FCT for a doctoral fellowship (PD/BD/135120/2017)

Study of the Organic Extraction and Acidic Leaching of Chars Obtained in the Pyrolysis of Plastics, Tire Rubber and Forestry Biomass Wastes

AbstractThe present work aims to perform a characterization of chars obtained in the co-pyrolysis of waste mixtures composed by plastics, tires and pine biomass, to provide knowledge about the composition, leaching behavior and risk assessment of these materials in order to define strategies for their possible valorization or safe disposal. The chars were submitted to sequential solvent extractions with organic solvents of increasing polarity that allow the recovery of significant amounts of the pyrolysis oils trapped in the crude chars improving the yield of the pyrolysis liquids. An acidic demineralization procedure was successfully applied to the chars and high efficiency removals of the majority of the heavy metals were achieved. The demineralization study also demonstrated that hazardous heavy metals such as chromium, nickel and cadmium are significantly immobilized in the char matrix, and other heavy metals of concern such as zinc and lead will not represent a leaching problem if acidic conditions were not used. The obtained chars present sufficient quality and characteristics to be used as fuel or alternatively, to be used as adsorbents or precursors of activated carbon

EVALUACION SOBRE EL USO DE PLANTAS MEDICINALES EN EL TRATAMIENTO DE HIPERTENSIÓN ARTERIAL HNERM ESSALUD – JUNIO 2015

Introducción: La hipertensión arterial (HTA) es un problema que constituyente para la salud pública, la cual es una enfermedad crónica que afecta a una gran parte de nuestra población, lo cual tiene como uno de los principales factores de riesgo a las enfermedades cardiovasculares. Objetivos: Evaluar el uso de las plantas medicinales en pacientes con o sin  tratamiento farmacológico en pacientes con Hipertensión arterial de dicha institución. Material y Métodos: Estudio Prospectivo Transversal. Se realizó una evaluación sobre el uso de plantas medicinales a los pacientes con HTA del Hospital Nacional Edgardo RebagliatiMartins. Se hizo una encuesta a pacientes con dicha enfermedad. Resultados: Se evaluaron 100 personas del cual 83% usan plantas medicinales y el 17% no usan como tratamiento hipertensivo. Del 100% de pacientes hipertensos (Mujeres = 64%; Varones = 36 %) la edad promedio de encuestados era entre 50 a 70 años de edad, del cual el 47% del total (Mujeres=29%; Varones=18%).  Con respecto a cómo iniciaron su tratamiento de plantas medicinales para la HTA (Consejo de familiares o amistades= 47%). De las plantas más utilizadas para tratar la Hipertensión arterial Maíz morado (Zea Mays)=32%, seguido del Perejil (PetroselinumCrispum)= 30%, ajo (Alliumsativum) =25%, maracuyá (PassifloraEdulisSims) = 23%. Conclusiones: Existe una alta tasa de pacientes en un 83% que utilizan plantas medicinales. Se resalta que las tres plantas medicinales más utilizadas para el tratamiento de la Hipertensión arterial es el Maíz morado (Zea Mays), Perejil (PetroselinumCrispum), ajo (Alliumsativum). Pacientes necesitan iniciar su tratamiento de plantas medicinales con un especialista que conozca bien de las plantas medicinales y no de familiares y/o amistades

Co-firing of biomass and other wastes in fluidised bed systems

A project on co-firing in large-scale power plants burning coal is currently funded by the European Commission. It is called COPOWER. The project involves 10 organisations from 6 countries. The project involves combustion studies over the full spectrum of equipment size, ranging from small laboratory-scale reactors and pilot plants, to investigate fundamentals and operating parameters, to proving trials on a commercial power plant in Duisburg. The power plant uses a circulating fluidized bed boiler. The results to be obtained are to be compared as function of scale-up. There are two different coals, 3 types of biomass and 2 kinds of waste materials are to be used for blending with coal for co-firing tests. The baseline values are obtained during a campaign of one month at the power station and the results are used for comparison with those to be obtained in other units of various sizes. Future tests will be implemented with the objective to achieve improvement on baseline values. The fuels to be used are already characterized. There are ongoing studies to determine reactivities of fuels and chars produced from the fuels. Reactivities are determined not only for individual fuels but also for blends to be used. Presently pilot-scale combustion tests are also undertaken to study the effect of blending coal with different types of biomass and waste materials. The potential for synergy to improve combustion is investigated. Early results will be reported in the Conference. Simultaneously, studies to verify the availability of biomass and waste materials in Portugal, Turkey and Italy have been undertaken. Techno-economic barriers for the future use of biomass and other waste materials are identified. The potential of using these materials in coal fired power stations has been assessed. The conclusions will also be reported

БАЛАНС АЗОТА, ФОСФОРА И КАЛИЯ И ПРИМЕНЕНИЕ УДОБРЕНИЙ НА ПОЧВАХ ПАХОТНЫХ ЗЕМЕЛЬ БЕЛАРУСИ

Perfect system of application of mineral and organic fertilizers is the main factor for obtaining high level agricultural crop yield with the required quality parameters. The article presents the results of data analysis obtained in dynamics over the last 6 rounds of large-scale agrochemical soil survey in the Republic of Belarus for the period of 1986–2015: for introduction of mineral and organic fertilizers for agricultural crops on arable soils; balance (balance intensity) of supply and removal of nutrients on arable soils is determined; performance of agricultural crops on arable soils is presented. Dynamics of agrochemical indicators of soils arable layer (content of humus, P2 O5 , K2 O, pHKCl) for 2009–2015 is also analyzed. It is determined that on average in 2006–2015 in Belarus mineral fertilizers have been used at the same level, although since 2012 there is a tendency to decrease of this index, mostly due to phosphorus fertilizers. Perfect level of mineral fertilizers application on arable soils of the Republic of Belarus is determined in the amount of minimum 260–280 kg/ha of NPK to obtain agricultural crop products at the level of 50 c f.u./ha. The conducted analysis of application of mineral (nitrogen, potassium and phosphoric fertilizers) and organic fertilizers in regions and in entire republic, determination of nutrients balance in soil is of great importance for further prediction of yields and maintenance of soil fertility, implementation of required doses of mineral and organic fertilizers taking into account the required performance of agricultural crops for the near future.Оптимальная система применения минеральных и органических удобрений является основным фактором получения высокого урожая сельскохозяйственных культур с заданными параметрами качества. В статье приведены результаты анализа данных, полученных в динамике за последние 6 туров крупномасштабного агрохимического обследования почв Республики Беларусь за период 1986–2015 гг.: по внесению минеральных и органических удобрений под сельскохозяйственные культуры на пахотных почвах; определен баланс (интенсивность баланса) поступления и выноса питательных элементов на пахотных почвах; приведена продуктивность сельскохозяйственных культур на пахотных почвах. Также проанализирована динамики агрохимических показателей пахотного слоя почв (содержание гумуса, Р2 О5 , K2 О, pHKCl) за 2009–2015 гг. Установлено, что в среднем в 2006–2015 гг. в Беларуси минеральные удобрения применялись на одном уровне, хотя с 2012 г. прослеживается тенденция к снижению этого показателя, в особенности за счет фосфорных удобрений. Определен оптимальный уровень применения минеральных удобрений на пахотных почвах Республики Беларусь в количестве не менее 260–280 кг/га NPK для получения продуктивности растениеводческой сельскохозяйственной продукции на уровне 50 ц к.ед/га. Проведенный анализ применения в областях и в целом по республике минеральных (азотных, калийных и фосфорных удобрений) и органических удобрений, определение баланса питательных веществ в почве имеет большое значение для дальнейшего прогнозирования урожаев и поддержания почвенного плодородия, внесения необходимых доз минеральных и органических удобрений с учетом заданной продуктивности сельскохозяйственных культур на ближайшую перспективу.

Enhanced attentional bias towards sexually explicit cues in individuals with and without compulsive sexual behaviours.

Compulsive sexual behaviour (CSB) is relatively common and has been associated with significant distress and psychosocial impairments. CSB has been conceptualized as either an impulse control disorder or a non-substance 'behavioural' addiction. Substance use disorders are commonly associated with attentional biases to drug cues which are believed to reflect processes of incentive salience. Here we assess male CSB subjects compared to age-matched male healthy controls using a dot probe task to assess attentional bias to sexually explicit cues. We show that compared to healthy volunteers, CSB subjects have enhanced attentional bias to explicit cues but not neutral cues particularly for early stimuli latency. Our findings suggest enhanced attentional bias to explicit cues possibly related to an early orienting attentional response. This finding dovetails with our recent observation that sexually explicit videos were associated with greater activity in a neural network similar to that observed in drug-cue-reactivity studies. Greater desire or wanting rather than liking was further associated with activity in this neural network. These studies together provide support for an incentive motivation theory of addiction underlying the aberrant response towards sexual cues in CSB.This is the published version of the manuscript. It is originally published by PLoS in PLoS ONE here: http://www.plosone.org/article/info%3Adoi%2F10.1371%2Fjournal.pone.0105476

Coupled Macrospins: Mode Dynamics in Symmetric and Asymmetric Vertices

We report the microwave response of symmetric and asymmetric threefold clusters with nearly contacting segments that can serve as the node in a Kagome artificial spin ice lattice. The structures are patterned on a coplanar waveguide and consist of elongated and nearly-contacting ellipses with uniform thickness. Branches of the ferromagnetic resonance spectra display mode softening that correlates well with the calculations, whereas agreement between the measured and simulated static magnetization is more qualitative

ФЕРМЕНТАТИВНАЯ АКТИВНОСТЬ ДЕРНОВО-ПОДЗОЛИСТЫХ ПОЧВ ПРИ РАЗНЫХ УРОВНЯХ ПРИМЕНЕНИЯ УДОБРЕНИЙ

Announcement has shown that the data of hydrolytic and oxidation enzyme activities may be used for biochemical estimation of the intensity of organic substances mineralization in C- and N-cycles and humification in C-cycle in Luvisol soils. The ratio between mineralization and humification intensities indicates more probable trends of soil fertility status changes under different levels of fertilizer application.В сообщении показано, что данные по активности гидролитических и окислительных ферментов можно использовать для биохимической оценки интенсивности минерализации в циклах С и N и гумификации в цикле С и по их соотношению устанавливать наиболее вероятные тренды изменения плодородия дерново-подзолистых почв при разных уровнях применения удобрений

АКТИВНОСТЬ ПРОЦЕССОВ МИНЕРАЛИЗАЦИИ И ГУМИФИКАЦИИ В ВЫСОКО ОКУЛЬТУРЕННОЙ ДЕРНОВО-ПОДЗОЛИСТОЙ ЛЕГКОСУГЛИНИСТОЙ ПОЧВЕ В ЗАВИСИМОСТИ ОТ ПРИМЕНЕНИЯ УДОБРЕНИЙ

The changes of biochemical indices of mineralization and humification of organic substances in high-fertility derno-podzolic sandy-loam soil depending on the application of different fertilizer systems were established using the data on the activity of cellulolytic and amylolytic microbial communities, as well as the results of enzymatic soil diagnostics (hydrolytic and oxidative enzymes). The application of N90+30P15K30 was shown to provide high and sustainable crop yields under a moderate level of organic substances mineralization in С and N-circles.На основании анализа активности целлюлозолитического и амилолитического микробных сообществ и результатов диагностики по гидролитическим и окислительным ферментам установлены изменения биохимических показателей минерализации и гумификации органических веществ в высоко окультуренной дерново-подзолистой легкосуглинистой почве при ресурсосберегающих системах удобрения. Показано, что для сохранения плодородия почвы экологически наиболее целесообразно внесение полного минерального удобрения, N90+30P15K30, что обеспечивает высокую и устойчивую урожайность при сберегающем уровне минерализации органического вещества в циклах углерода и азота