Integrated stress response as a therapeutic target for CNS injuries.

Central nervous system (CNS) injuries, caused by cerebrovascular pathologies or mechanical contusions (e.g., traumatic brain injury, TBI) comprise a diverse group of disorders that share the activation of the integrated stress response (ISR). This pathway is an innate protective mechanism, with encouraging potential as therapeutic target for CNS injury repair. In this review, we will focus on the progress in understanding the role of the ISR and we will discuss the effects of various small molecules that target the ISR on different animal models of CNS injury.post-print825 K

The BRISA process as a path for efficient copper recovery from waste PCBs

In the present work, a two-stage biohydrometallurgical process for copper extraction from waste PCBs is developed. The main goal of this study is to check whether to separate the chemical leaching of copper with ferric iron from the regeneration of the leaching agent by bacterial oxidation of the ferrous iron is an efficient route for copper recovery from waste PCBs. To test this proposal, large waste PCBs pieces were retained in a stirred tank reactor (STR) in contact with a leaching liquor circulating at a high flow rate between this STR and a bioreactor. The kinetics of leaching of large PCB pieces, when ferric iron is added in excess over the stoichiometric requirements, is limited by the rate of mass transfer of the leaching agent. A heterogeneous kinetic model was proposed to fit the experimental data. It was also found that by increasing the ferric iron concentration the leaching rate was increased. Process separation has proven to be a promising configuration in which the productivity of the bioreactor has fulfilled the leaching agent demand and 90% of copper extraction was achieved in 48 h for large waste PCBs

Copper recovery from unground printed circuit board by biogenic ferric at high solid/liquid ratio

In this work, the recovery of Cu from large waste printed circuit board (PCB) pieces by biogenic ferric sulphate at high solid to liquid ratio was studied. PCB parts were packed in a column and biogenic ferric was constantly recirculated. A high oxidation reduction potential (ORP) decrease was observed in ferric leaching due to ferric ion consumption; this drop caused a slower copper dissolution kinetics. After 25 days, 62.2% of copper was leached from PCBs column. PCBs column was connected to a flooded packed-bed (FPB) bioreactor to study the biological regeneration of ferric ion consumed in chemical reaction. The bioreactor connection enabled working at a constant ORP (700 mV vs. Ag/AgCl) during the whole test time. The improvement of oxidising conditions hugely increased copper dissolution rate, reaching 90% of copper recovery after 25 days. The FPB bioreactor operated continuously without showing inhibition problems and generating a leaching liquor with a high and constant ORP. The novel proposed configuration consists of a chemical reactor, where large PCBs pieces are piled at a high solid load, connected to a FPB bioreactor that regenerates the spent ferric ion enabling the leaching without reagents consumption, is a simple, inexpensive, low energy consumption, eco-friendly and effective system to recover copper from PCBs

The reprocessing of hydrometallurgical sulphidic tailings by bioleaching: the extraction of metals and the use of biogenic liquors

Mineralurgical and metallurgical processes generate a large amount of harmful residues. These wastes usually contain a considerable fraction of sulphides and a low percentage of target metals. Due to their characteristics, the main environmental issues concern the acid mine drainage generation and the release of metals. The bioleaching of these tailings can be considered as a win–win process due to the controlled oxidation of sulphides avoids the main environmental issues, while target metals can be recovered. In this work, a residue composed of pyrite (50.4%) and quartz, containing various non-ferrous metals, was reprocessed by bioleaching and brine leaching. Copper and zinc sulphides exhibited a refractory behaviour in bioleaching due to these tailings were previously leached, being the dissolution rate controlled by mass transfer. Cobalt is directly related to the pyrite matrix, requiring the removal of pyrite to extract it. Pyrite dissolution was also controlled by mass transfer, increasing the dissolution rate when the bioreactor conditions were improved. After 10 days of bioleaching in a stirred tank reactor, 87.2% Co, 43.6% Zn, 40.4% Cu, and 96.0% FeS2 were dissolved. In addition, after bioleaching, 55.9% Pb and 37.9% Ag were dissolved through chloride leaching with moderate conditions (100 g/L NaCl, 10 g/L H2SO4, 60 ◦C, and 1 h). Considering the metals extraction and the saving in management costs of tailings, the reprocessing of these tailings was not economically feasible due to the low grade of target metals. Nonetheless, during bioleaching, a great amount of ferric ion and sulphuric acid was released that could be used in the hydrometallurgical circuit as leaching liquor. This saving increased the revenues from tailings reprocessing, obtaining an internal rate of return of 10% with a feed rate of 260 t/d.Universidad de Sevilla - VI PPI

The Effect of Antitumor Glycosides on Glioma Cells and Tissues as Studied by Proton HR-MAS NMR Spectroscopy

Abstract The effect of the treatment with glycolipid derivatives on the metabolic profile of intact glioma cells and tumor tissues, investigated using proton high resolution magic angle spinning ( 1 H HR-MAS) nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy, is reported here. Two compounds were used, a glycoside and its thioglycoside analogue, both showing anti-proliferative activity on glioma C6 cell cultures; however, only the thioglycoside exhibited antitumor activity in vivo. At the drug concentrations showing anti-proliferative activity in cell culture (20 and 40 µM), significant increases in choline containing metabolites were observed in the 1 H NMR spectra of the same intact cells. In vivo experiments in nude mice bearing tumors derived from implanted C6 glioma cells, showed that reduction of tumor volume was associated with significant changes in the metabolic profile of the same intact tumor tissues; and were similar to those observed in cell culture. Specifically, the activity of the compounds is mainly associated with an increase in choline and phosphocholine, in both the cell cultures and tumoral tissues. Taurine, a metabolite that has been considered a biomarker of apoptosis, correlated with the reduction of tumor volume. Thus, the results indicate that the mode of action of the glycoside involves, at least in part, alteration of phospholipid metabolism, resulting in cell death

Prendas de vestir ergonómicas marca “Quick Clothes” que en su diseño incluye una alta practicidad para ser usada

En el presente trabajo de investigación se identificó una necesidad insatisfecha en el mercado, la cual es que las personas con movilidad reducida y capacidades limitadas no cuentan con prendas de vestir que sean confortables y que cumplan con requisitos mínimos de calidad especial para ciertas condiciones a la que estas se enfrentan. En inicios del estudio, se consideró emplear fibra de bambú como materia prima principal; sin embargo, luego confirmamos que este atributo no iba a ser tan valorado en el mercado potencial como lo es un diseño ergonómico. De esta forma fue que dirigimos nuestro modelo de negocio a diseñar prendas únicas con broches, pegapegas y aberturas especiales que brindan mayor facilidad y practicidad al ser usadas, así como también elegimos como materia prima principal el algodón peruano reflejado en las mejores telas del mercado. Con este trabajo de investigación llegamos a conocer a profundidad las vivencias y experiencias de nuestros clientes potenciales y pudimos tener la certeza de que necesitan un producto como el que Quick Clothes ofrece.In the present research work, an unsatisfied need in the market was identified, which is that people with reduced mobility and limited capacities do not have clothing that is comfortable and that meet minimum requirements of special quality for certain conditions at the same time. that these face. At the beginning of the study, it was considered to use bamboo fiber as the main raw material, but later we realized that this attribute was not going to be as valued in the potential market as an ergonomic design is. In this way, we directed our business model to design unique garments with snaps, glue sticks and special openings that provide greater ease and practicality when used, as well as we chose Peruvian cotton as the main raw material reflected in the best fabrics on the market. With this research work we got to know in depth the experiences and experiences of our potential clients and we could have the certainty that they need a product like the one that Quick Clothes offers.Trabajo de investigació

Oxidative Stress and Parkinson’s Disease: Effects on Environmental Toxicology

Epidemiological studies have found an increased risk of Parkinson’s disease (PD) with environmental factors such as exposure to substances derived from industrial processes, use of agrochemicals, or living in a rural environment. The hypothesis that certain environmental toxins could be the source of the EP is supported by the discovery that chemicals such as herbicides paraquat, diquat, and the fungicide maneb are selectively toxic in nigrostriatal dopaminergic neurons. Also, one of the insecticides produced by plants, such as rotenone, and by-product of the synthesis of synthetic heroin MPTP (1-methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine) can be reproduced in animal models where neurochemicals, histopathological, and clinical characteristic of PD can be found. Interestingly, there are similarities in the chemical structure of paraquat and MPTP. Recent evidence exhibited that inflammation and oxidative stress play an essential role in the development of PD. So, in our laboratory we found that in an animal model melatonin decreases the products of lipid oxidation, nitric oxide metabolites, and the activity of cyclooxygenase 2, which are induced by an intraperitoneal injection of MPTP. This suggests that the neuroprotective effects of melatonin are partially attributed to its antioxidant scavenging and anti-inflammatory action

Jardins per a la salut

Facultat de Farmàcia, Universitat de Barcelona. Ensenyament: Grau de Farmàcia. Assignatura: Botànica farmacèutica. Curs: 2014-2015. Coordinadors: Joan Simon, Cèsar Blanché i Maria Bosch.Els materials que aquí es presenten són el recull de les fitxes botàniques de 128 espècies presents en el Jardí Ferran Soldevila de l’Edifici Històric de la UB. Els treballs han estat realitzats manera individual per part dels estudiants dels grups M-3 i T-1 de l’assignatura Botànica Farmacèutica durant els mesos de febrer a maig del curs 2014-15 com a resultat final del Projecte d’Innovació Docent «Jardins per a la salut: aprenentatge servei a Botànica farmacèutica» (codi 2014PID-UB/054). Tots els treballs s’han dut a terme a través de la plataforma de GoogleDocs i han estat tutoritzats pels professors de l’assignatura. L’objectiu principal de l’activitat ha estat fomentar l’aprenentatge autònom i col·laboratiu en Botànica farmacèutica. També s’ha pretès motivar els estudiants a través del retorn de part del seu esforç a la societat a través d’una experiència d’Aprenentatge-Servei, deixant disponible finalment el treball dels estudiants per a poder ser consultable a través d’una Web pública amb la possibilitat de poder-ho fer in-situ en el propi jardí mitjançant codis QR amb un smartphone

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