Degradação Fotocatalítica De Pesticida Organofosforado De Efluente Agrícola Por Tio2 Imobilizado Sob Radiação Solar

This paper describes solar heterogeneous photocatalysis using immobilized TiO2 applied in the treatment of agricultural waste resulting from the application of commercial formulations of methyl parathion. The disappearance of the insecticide, as well as the formation of its metabolite, was monitored by high-performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS), while mineralization efficiency was monitored by measurements of total organic carbon (TOC). Toxicity studies were performed using the microcrustacean Artemia salina. The TOC removal efficiency by photocatalytic process was 48.5%. After 45 minutes of treatment, the removal efficiency of methyl parathion was 90%, being completely mineralized at the end of treatment. The formation and removal of the metabolite methyl paraoxon was observed during the photocatalytic process. The photocatalytic treatment resulted in increased microcrustacean mobility, indicating a reduction of acute toxicity.11477878

A Bacterial Shortcut to Amyloidosis

21 p.-10 fig.The synthetic bacterial prionoid RepA-WH1 causes a vertically transmissible amyloid proteinopathy in Escherichia coli that inhibits growth and eventually kills the cells. Recent in vitro studies show that RepA-WH1 builds pores through model lipid membranes, suggesting a possible mechanism for bacterial cell death. By comparing acutely (A31V) and mildly (ΔN37) cytotoxic mutant variants of the protein, we report here that RepA-WH1(A31V) expression decreases the intracellular osmotic pressure and compromise bacterial viability under either aerobic or anaerobic conditions. Both are effects expected from threatening membrane integrity and are in agreement with findings on the impairment by RepA-WH1(A31V) of the proton motive force (PMF)-dependent transport of ions (Fe3+) and ATP1 synthesis. Systems approaches reveal that, in aerobiosis, the PMF-independent respiratory dehydrogenase NdhII is induced in response to the reduction in intracellular levels of iron. While NdhII is known to generate H2O2 as a by-product of the autoxidation of its FAD cofactor, key proteins in the defense against oxidative stress (OxyR, KatE), together with other stress-resistance factors, are sequestered by co-aggregation with the RepA-WH1(A31V) amyloid. Our findings suggest a route for RepA-WH1 toxicity in bacteria: a primary hit of damage to the membrane, compromising bionergetics, triggers a stroke of oxidative stress, which is exacerbated due to the aggregation-dependent inactivation of enzymes and transcription factors that enable the cellular response to such injury. The proteinopathy caused by the prion-like protein RepA-WH1 in bacteria recapitulates some of the core hallmarks of human amyloid diseases.This work has been supported by grants from Spanish AEI / EU-FEDER (BIO2012-30852, BIO2015- 68730-R and CSD2009-00088) and CSIC (i-LINK0889) to R.G. We acknowledge support of the publication fee by the CSIC Open Access Support Initiative through its Unit of Information Resources for Research (URICI).Peer reviewe

Asymmetric synthesis of (S)-phenylacetylcarbinol – closing a gap in C–C bond formation

(S)-Phenylacetylcarbinol [(S)-PAC] and its derivatives are valuable intermediates for the synthesis of various active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs), but their selective synthesis is challenging. As no highly selective enzymes or chemical catalysts were available, we used semi-rational enzyme engineering to tailor a potent biocatalyst to be >97% stereoselective for the synthesis of (S)-PAC. By optimizing the reaction and process used, industrially relevant product concentrations of >48 g L−1 (up to 320 mM) were achieved. In addition, the best enzyme variant gave access to a broad range of ring-substituted (S)-PAC derivatives with high stereoselectivity, especially for meta-substituted products

Safety and effectiveness of isavuconazole in real-life non-neutropenic patients

Objectives: Information is scarce on clinical experiences with non-neutropenic patients with invasive fungal infection (IFI) receiving isavuconazole. We aimed to report the safety and effectiveness of this drug as a first-line treatment or rescue in real life. Methods: A retrospective, observational multicentric study of non-neutropenic patients who received isavuconazole as an IFI treatment at 12 different university hospitals (January 2018-2022). All patients met criteria for proven, probable or possible IFI according to EORTC-MSG. Results: A total of 238 IFIs were treated with isavuconazole during the study period. Combination therapy was administered in 27.7% of cases. The primary IFI was aspergillosis (217, 91.2%). Other IFIs treated with isavuconazole were candidemia (n = 10), mucormycosis (n = 8), histoplasmosis (n = 2), cryptococcosis (n = 2), and others (n = 4). Median time of isavuconazole treatment was 29 days. Only 5.9% (n = 14) of cases developed toxicity, mainly hepatic-related (10 patients, 4.2%). Nine patients (3.8%) had treatment withdrawn. Successful clinical response at 12 weeks was documented in 50.5% of patients. Conclusion: Isavuconazole is an adequate treatment for non-neutropenic patients with IFIs. Toxicity rates were low and its effectiveness was comparable to other antifungal therapies previously reported. (c) 2024 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd on behalf of International Society for Infectious Diseases. This is an open access article under the CC BY-NC-ND license ( http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/

A terrestrial planet candidate in a temperate orbit around Proxima Centauri

At a distance of 1.295 parsecs, the red dwarf Proxima Centauri (α Centauri C, GL 551, HIP 70890 or simply Proxima) is the Sun’s closest stellar neighbour and one of the best-studied low-mass stars. It has an effective temperature of only around 3,050 kelvin, a luminosity of 0.15 per cent of that of the Sun, a measured radius of 14 per cent of the radius of the Sun and a mass of about 12 per cent of the mass of the Sun. Although Proxima is considered a moderately active star, its rotation period is about 83 days and its quiescent activity levels and X-ray luminosity are comparable to those of the Sun. Here we report observations that reveal the presence of a small planet with a minimum mass of about 1.3 Earth masses orbiting Proxima with a period of approximately 11.2 days at a semi-major-axis distance of around 0.05 astronomical units. Its equilibrium temperature is within the range where water could be liquid on its surface

Treatment with tocilizumab or corticosteroids for COVID-19 patients with hyperinflammatory state: a multicentre cohort study (SAM-COVID-19)

Objectives: The objective of this study was to estimate the association between tocilizumab or corticosteroids and the risk of intubation or death in patients with coronavirus disease 19 (COVID-19) with a hyperinflammatory state according to clinical and laboratory parameters. Methods: A cohort study was performed in 60 Spanish hospitals including 778 patients with COVID-19 and clinical and laboratory data indicative of a hyperinflammatory state. Treatment was mainly with tocilizumab, an intermediate-high dose of corticosteroids (IHDC), a pulse dose of corticosteroids (PDC), combination therapy, or no treatment. Primary outcome was intubation or death; follow-up was 21 days. Propensity score-adjusted estimations using Cox regression (logistic regression if needed) were calculated. Propensity scores were used as confounders, matching variables and for the inverse probability of treatment weights (IPTWs). Results: In all, 88, 117, 78 and 151 patients treated with tocilizumab, IHDC, PDC, and combination therapy, respectively, were compared with 344 untreated patients. The primary endpoint occurred in 10 (11.4%), 27 (23.1%), 12 (15.4%), 40 (25.6%) and 69 (21.1%), respectively. The IPTW-based hazard ratios (odds ratio for combination therapy) for the primary endpoint were 0.32 (95%CI 0.22-0.47; p < 0.001) for tocilizumab, 0.82 (0.71-1.30; p 0.82) for IHDC, 0.61 (0.43-0.86; p 0.006) for PDC, and 1.17 (0.86-1.58; p 0.30) for combination therapy. Other applications of the propensity score provided similar results, but were not significant for PDC. Tocilizumab was also associated with lower hazard of death alone in IPTW analysis (0.07; 0.02-0.17; p < 0.001). Conclusions: Tocilizumab might be useful in COVID-19 patients with a hyperinflammatory state and should be prioritized for randomized trials in this situatio

Transcription factors NRF2 and NF-κB are coordinated effectors of the Rho family, GTP-binding protein RAC1 during inflammation

16 p.-8 fig.-1 tab.The small GTPase protein RAC1 participates in innate immunity by activating a complex program that includes cytoskeleton remodeling, chemotaxis, activation of NADPH oxidase, and modulation of gene expression. However, its role in regulating the transcriptional signatures that in term control the cellular inflammatory profiles are not well defined. Here we investigated the functional and mechanistic connection between RAC1 and the transcription factor NRF2 (nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2), master regulator of the anti-oxidant response. Lipopolysaccharide and constitutively active RAC1(Q61L) mutant induced the anti-oxidant enzyme heme-oxygenase-1 (HO-1) through activation of NRF2. The use of KEAP1-insensitive NRF2 mutants indicated that RAC1 regulation of NRF2 is KEAP1-independent. Interestingly, NRF2 overexpression inhibited, whereas a dominant-negative mutant of NRF2 exacerbated RAC1-dependent activation of nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB), suggesting that NRF2 has an antagonistic effect on the NF-κB pathway. Moreover, we found that RAC1 acts through NF-κB to induce NRF2 because either expression of a dominant negative mutant of IκBα that leads to NF-κB degradation or the use of p65-NF-κB-deficient cells demonstrated lower NRF2 protein levels and basally impaired NRF2 signature compared with control cells. In contrast, NRF2-deficient cells showed increased p65-NF-κB protein levels, although the mRNA levels remain unchanged, indicating post-translational alterations. Our results demonstrate a new mechanism of modulation of RAC1 inflammatory pathway through a cross-talk between NF-κB and NRF2.This work was supported by Spanish Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovacion Grant SAF2010-17822Peer reviewe

Índice Colectivo de Fluorosis dental en una escuela secundaria del municipio de Tepic, Nayarit

Determine the index group of dental Fluorosis in a secondary school in Tepic. Material and methods: The universe of study was made for the realization of this research it was 794 students 12-15 years of age, belonging to the Technical Secondary School No. 1 Jesus Romero Flores, the morning shift, the municipality of Tepic Nayarit. Inclusion criteria were: students from 12 to 15 years old with fully erupting permanent teeth submit a letter of informed parental or guardian, who were born and reside in Tepic Nayarit consent. Exclusion criteria were: students with orthodontic treatment or rehabilitation of the buccal surfaces of the teeth. Results: Found 142 students without fluorosis, contentious in 144 students, very light at 123 students, light 34 students, moderate fluorosis in 8 students and only 1 student dental was intense. The collective index of dental fluorosis was 0.8.Determinar el índice Colectivo de Fluorosis dental en una escuela secundaria de Tepic. Material y métodos: El universo de estudio que se tomó para la realización de esta investigación fue de 794 estudiantes de 12 a 15 años de edad, pertenecientes a la Escuela Secundaria Técnica número 1, Jesús Romero Flores, del turno matutino, del municipio de Tepic Nayarit, del ciclo escolar 2012 – 2013. Los criterios de inclusión fueron: estudiantes de 12 a 15 años edad con dentición permanente totalmente erupcionado, que presenten carta de consentimiento informado de los padres o tutor, que hayan nacido y radiquen en Tepic Nayarit. Los criterios de exclusión fueron: estudiantes con tratamiento de ortodoncia o rehabilitaciones de las caras vestibulares de los dientes. Resultados: Se encontraron 142 estudiantes sin fluorosis, discutible en 144 estudiantes, muy ligera en 123 estudiantes, ligera en 34 estudiantes, moderada en 8 estudiantes y tan sólo en 1 estudiante la fluorosis dental fue intensa. El Índice colectivo de fluorosis dental fue de 0.8