Enzybiotic-mediated antimicrobial functionalization of polyhydroxyalkanoates

Polymeric nanoparticles (NPs) present some ideal properties as biomedical nanocarriers for targeted drug delivery such as enhanced translocation through body barriers. Biopolymers, such as polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHAs) are gaining attention as nanocarrier biomaterials due to their inherent biocompatibility, biodegradability, and ability to be vehiculized through hydrophobic media, such as the lung surfactant (LS). Upon colonization of the lung alveoli, below the LS layer, Streptococcus pneumoniae, causes community-acquired pneumonia, a severe respiratory condition. In this work, we convert PHA NPs into an antimicrobial material by the immobilization of an enzybiotic, an antimicrobial enzyme, via a minimal PHA affinity tag. We first produced the fusion protein M711, comprising the minimized PHA affinity tag, MinP, and the enzybiotic Cpl-711, which specifically targets S. pneumoniae. Then, a PHA nanoparticulate suspension with adequate physicochemical properties for pulmonary delivery was formulated, and NPs were decorated with M711. Finally, we assessed the antipneumococcal activity of the nanosystem against planktonic and biofilm forms of S. pneumoniae. The resulting system displayed sustained antimicrobial activity against both, free and sessile cells, confirming that tag-mediated immobilization of enzybiotics on PHAs is a promising platform for bioactive antimicrobial functionalization

Efeitos de uma sessão de jogo pequeno baseado em handebol na atenção seletiva e sustentada e atenção em uma amostra de adultos jovens.

Previous studies have highlighted the chronic and acute effects that physical exercise has on cognitive functioning. However, it is necessary to go deeper in order to obtain precise information on what type of exercise is more favorable for certain cognitive abilities. Thus, the objective of this work was to analyze the effects of a session of small games based on handball on selective, sustained attention and attention span in a sample of young adults. Fifty-two participants between the ages of 21 and 25 (M= 21.83; SD= .94) from the city of Malaga (Spain) took part in this study. A quasi-experimental intersubject's research design was used with a control and experimental group. Using non-parametric statistical analyzes (U Mann Whitney and Wilcoxon) we tried to explore the effects of the physical/sports activity session on four tests of attention span, two of selective attention and one of sustained attention. The results showed statistically significant effects on the selective tests and attention span, although not on the sustained attention test. The findings suggest that collective physical-sporting activity could have a significant acute effect on attention, although it would be necessary to continue investigating the specific dimensions of attention, given the differences found between some parameters and others.Estudios previos han puesto de relieve los efectos crónicos y agudos que el ejercicio físico tiene sobre el funcionamiento cognitivo. Sin embargo, es necesario seguir profundizando para obtener información precisa sobre qué tipo de ejercicio es más favorable sobre determinadas capacidades cognitivas. Así, el objetivo de este trabajo fue analizar los efectos de una sesión de juegos reducidos basados en el balonmano sobre la atención selectiva, sostenida y amplitud atencional en una muestra de adultos jóvenes. Formaron parte de este estudio 52 participantes con edades entre 21 y 25 años (M = 21.83; DT = .94) procedentes de la ciudad de Málaga (España). Se empleó un diseño de investigación cuasiexperimental intersujetos con grupo control y experimental. Mediante análisis estadísticos no paramétricos (U Mann Whitney y Wilcoxon) se trató de explorar los efectos de la sesión de actividad físico/deportiva sobre cuatro pruebas de amplitud atencional, dos de atención selectiva y una de atención sostenida. Los resultados mostraron efectos estadísticamente significativos sobre las pruebas de atención selectiva y amplitud atencional, aunque no en la prueba de atención sostenida. Los hallazgos encontrados sugieren que la actividad físico-deportiva colectiva podría tener un efecto agudo significativo sobre la atención, aunque sería necesario seguir indagando sobre qué dimensiones específicas de la atención, dadas las diferencias encontradas entre unos parámetros y otros.Estudos anteriores destacaram os efeitos crônicos e agudos que o exercício físico tem no funcionamento cognitivo. No entanto, é necessário aprofundar este conhecimento para obter informações mais precisas sobre qual tipo de exercício mais favorável para determinadas habilidades cognitivas. Assim, o objetivo deste trabalho foi analisar os efeitos de uma sessão de pequenos jogos baseados no andebol na atenção seletiva, sustentada e capacidade de atenção numa amostra de adultos jovens. Cinquenta e dois participantes com idades compreendidas entre 21 e 25 anos (M= 21,83; DP= ,94)  da cidade de Málaga (Espanha) participaram deste estudo. Um projeto de pesquisa intersujeitos quase-experimental foi usado com um grupo de controlo e experimental. Através de análises estatísticas não paramétricas (U Mann Whitney e Wilcoxon) procurámos explorar os efeitos da sessão de atividade física/desportiva em quatro testes de capacidade de atenção, dois de atenção seletiva e um de atenção sustentada. Os resultados evidenciaram diferenças estatisticamente significativos nos testes de atenção e seletivos, mas não no teste de atenção sustentada. Os resultados encontrados sugerem que a atividade físico-desportiva coletiva pode ter um efeito agudo significativo na atenção, embora seja necessário continuar a investigar as dimensões específicas da atenção, dadas as diferenças encontradas entre alguns parâmetros

Development of an activity disease score in patients with uveitis (UVEDAI)

To develop a disease activity index for patients with uveitis (UVEDAI) encompassing the relevant domains of disease activity considered important among experts in this field. The steps for designing UVEDAI were: (a) Defining the construct and establishing the domains through a formal judgment of experts, (b) A two-round Delphi study with a panel of 15 experts to determine the relevant items, (c) Selection of items: A logistic regression model was developed that set ocular inflammatory activity as the dependent variable. The construct "uveitis inflammatory activity" was defined as any intraocular inflammation that included external structures (cornea) in addition to uvea. Seven domains and 15 items were identified: best-corrected visual acuity, inflammation of the anterior chamber (anterior chamber cells, hypopyon, the presence of fibrin, active posterior keratic precipitates and iris nodules), intraocular pressure, inflammation of the vitreous cavity (vitreous haze, snowballs and snowbanks), central macular edema, inflammation of the posterior pole (the presence and number of choroidal/retinal lesions, vascular inflammation and papillitis), and global assessment from both (patient and physician). From all the variables studied in the multivariate model, anterior chamber cell grade, vitreous haze, central macular edema, inflammatory vessel sheathing, papillitis, choroidal/retinal lesions and patient evaluation were included in UVEDAI. UVEDAI is an index designed to assess the global ocular inflammatory activity in patients with uveitis. It might prove worthwhile to motorize the activity of this extraarticular manifestation of some rheumatic diseases

Epidemiology of Invasive Fungal Infections in Latin America

The pathogenic role of invasive fungal infections (IFIs) has increased during the past two decades in Latin America and worldwide, and the number of patients at risk has risen dramatically. Working habits and leisure activities have also been a focus of attention by public health officials, as endemic mycoses have provoked a number of outbreaks. An extensive search of medical literature from Latin America suggests that the incidence of IFIs from both endemic and opportunistic fungi has increased. The increase in endemic mycoses is probably related to population changes (migration, tourism, and increased population growth), whereas the increase in opportunistic mycoses may be associated with the greater number of people at risk. In both cases, the early and appropriate use of diagnostic procedures has improved diagnosis and outcome

RICORS2040 : The need for collaborative research in chronic kidney disease

Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is a silent and poorly known killer. The current concept of CKD is relatively young and uptake by the public, physicians and health authorities is not widespread. Physicians still confuse CKD with chronic kidney insufficiency or failure. For the wider public and health authorities, CKD evokes kidney replacement therapy (KRT). In Spain, the prevalence of KRT is 0.13%. Thus health authorities may consider CKD a non-issue: very few persons eventually need KRT and, for those in whom kidneys fail, the problem is 'solved' by dialysis or kidney transplantation. However, KRT is the tip of the iceberg in the burden of CKD. The main burden of CKD is accelerated ageing and premature death. The cut-off points for kidney function and kidney damage indexes that define CKD also mark an increased risk for all-cause premature death. CKD is the most prevalent risk factor for lethal coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) and the factor that most increases the risk of death in COVID-19, after old age. Men and women undergoing KRT still have an annual mortality that is 10- to 100-fold higher than similar-age peers, and life expectancy is shortened by ~40 years for young persons on dialysis and by 15 years for young persons with a functioning kidney graft. CKD is expected to become the fifth greatest global cause of death by 2040 and the second greatest cause of death in Spain before the end of the century, a time when one in four Spaniards will have CKD. However, by 2022, CKD will become the only top-15 global predicted cause of death that is not supported by a dedicated well-funded Centres for Biomedical Research (CIBER) network structure in Spain. Realizing the underestimation of the CKD burden of disease by health authorities, the Decade of the Kidney initiative for 2020-2030 was launched by the American Association of Kidney Patients and the European Kidney Health Alliance. Leading Spanish kidney researchers grouped in the kidney collaborative research network Red de Investigación Renal have now applied for the Redes de Investigación Cooperativa Orientadas a Resultados en Salud (RICORS) call for collaborative research in Spain with the support of the Spanish Society of Nephrology, Federación Nacional de Asociaciones para la Lucha Contra las Enfermedades del Riñón and ONT: RICORS2040 aims to prevent the dire predictions for the global 2040 burden of CKD from becoming true

Intoxicación con fosfinas en pacientes ingresados al Dpto. de Medicina Interna de los Hospitales ...

Tesis (Dr. Médico y Cirujano)-Universidad Nacional Autónoma de Nicaragua, LeónUNAN-Leó

Micromagnetic Modeling of All Optical Switching of Ferromagnetic Thin Films: The Role of Inverse Faraday Effect and Magnetic Circular Dichroism

There is a lot of experimental evidence of All Optical Switching (AOS) by applying ultrashort laser pulses on ferromagnetic thin films with perpendicular magnetic anisotropy. However, the physical origin behind these processes remains under debate. In addition to the heating caused by the laser pulses, the Inverse Faraday Effect (IFE) and Magnetic Circular Dichroism (MCD) have been proposed as the most probable phenomena responsible for the observations of helicity-dependent AOS. Here, we review the influence of both phenomena by means of realistic micromagnetic simulations based on the Landau–Lifshitz–Bloch equation coupled to the heat transport caused by the laser heating. The analysis allows us to reveal the similarities and differences between both effects. While both mechanisms may lead to the local inversion of the initial magnetic state of a ferromagnetic sample submitted to a train of circularly polarized laser pulses, the Inverse Faraday Effect proves to be more efficient for nucleation and domain wall movement and it reproduces more accurately the different magnetic configurations that the experiments report for different values of the fluence of the laser beam

From residues to added-value bacterial biopolymers as nanomaterials for biomedical applications

41 p.-4 fig.-5 tab.Bacterial biopolymers are naturally occurring materials comprising a wide range of molecules with diverse chemical structures that can be produced from renewable sources following the principles of the circular economy. Over the last decades, they have gained substantial interest in the biomedical field as drug nanocarriers, implantable material coatings, and tissue-regeneration scaffolds or membranes due to their inherent biocompatibility, biodegradability into nonhazardous disintegration products, and their mechanical properties, which are similar to those of human tissues. The present review focuses upon three technologically advanced bacterial biopolymers, namely, bacterial cellulose (BC), polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHA), and γ-polyglutamic acid (PGA), as models of different carbon-backbone structures (polysaccharides, polyesters, and polyamides) produced by bacteria that are suitable for biomedical applications in nanoscale systems. This selection models evidence of the wide versatility of microorganisms to generate biopolymers by diverse metabolic strategies. We highlight the suitability for applied sustainable bioprocesses for the production of BC, PHA, and PGA based on renewable carbon sources and the singularity of each process driven by bacterial machinery. The inherent properties of each polymer can be fine-tuned by means of chemical and biotechnological approaches, such as metabolic engineering and peptide functionalization, to further expand their structural diversity and their applicability as nanomaterials in biomedicine.The authors thank the Community of Madrid [P2018/NMT4389], the Spanish Ministry of Science, Innovation, and Universities [BiO2017-8344-8-R, PID2019-105126RB-I00], and the European Union’s Horizon 2020 Research and Innovation Programme [grant agreement no 870294 (Mix-Up)] for the financial support of this project. Francisco Blanco is the recipient of a predoctoral grant from the State Program for the Promotion of Talent and Its Employability in R&D&I (PRE-2018-083859) from the Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation.Peer reviewe