Influence of Pore Size in Benzoin Condensation of Furfural Using Heterogenized Benzimidazole Organocatalysts

A designed N-heterocyclic carbene (NHC) catalyst was covalently anchored on a range of mesoporous and hierarchical supports, to study the influence of pore size in the benzoin condensation of furfural. The structural and spectroscopic characteristics of the anchored catalysts were investigated, also with the help of molecular dynamics simulations, in order to rationalize the degree of stability and recyclability of the heterogenized organocatalysts. Quantitative yields (99 %) and complete recyclability were maintained after several cycles, vindicating the design rationale

Lubricity of paraffinic fuels additivated with conventional and non-conventional methyl esters

[EN] Fuel lubricity prevents wear between metallic parts in relative motion inside the injection system of combustion engines. Among diesel fuels, paraffinic (gas-to-liquid or hydrotreated oils) and biodiesel (methyl esters) fuels are emerging since some of them are renewable and, in the case of paraffinic fuels, present excellent properties that can be exploited in compression ignition engines. However, the lubricant properties of raw paraffinic fuels are poor. This work explores the potential of individual methyl esters, found in different biodiesel fuels derived from a wide variety of sources, as lubricity additives for paraffinic fuels. Blends at 1% and 2% ester content in a surrogate of paraffinic fuel were tested under the standardized high-frequency reciprocating rig test for lubricity determination. Results confirm the extremely poor lubricity of the surrogate and that the wear scar diameter measured (the higher this, the lower the fuel lubricity) can be significantly reduced with any of the tested esters just at 1% concentration. Higher ester concentration (2%) does not always improve the lubricity further. The number of double bonds in the ester was revealed very significant, but to boost the lubricity of the blend and fulfill the limits set in fuel quality standards, two or more polyunsaturated esters are necessary.The author(s) disclosed receipt of the following financial support for the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article: This study has been carried out under the framework of project ENE2016-79641-R, financed by the Spanish Ministry of Economy, Industry and Competitiveness.Rodriguez-Fernandez, J.; Ramos, A.; Sanchez-Valdepeñas, J.; Serrano, J. (2019). Lubricity of paraffinic fuels additivated with conventional and non-conventional methyl esters. 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Production of docosahexaenoic acid by Aurantiochytrium sp. ATCC PRA-276. Brazilian Journal of Microbiology, 48(2), 359-365. doi:10.1016/j.bjm.2017.01.001Zi-zhe, C., De-po Yang, Sheng-qing, W., Yong, W., Reaney, M. J. T., Zhi-min, Z., … Wen-zhe, Y. (2017). Conversion of poultry manure to biodiesel, a practical method of producing fatty acid methyl esters via housefly (Musca domestica L.) larval lipid. Fuel, 210, 463-471. doi:10.1016/j.fuel.2017.08.109Hussein, M., Pillai, V. V., Goddard, J. M., Park, H. G., Kothapalli, K. S., Ross, D. A., … Selvaraj, V. (2017). Sustainable production of housefly (Musca domestica) larvae as a protein-rich feed ingredient by utilizing cattle manure. PLOS ONE, 12(2), e0171708. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0171708Dodos, G. S., Karonis, D., Zannikos, F., & Lois, E. (2015). Renewable fuels and lubricants from Lunaria annua L. Industrial Crops and Products, 75, 43-50. doi:10.1016/j.indcrop.2015.05.046Miwa, T. K. (1971). 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Telomere Dynamics in Human Cells Reprogrammed to Pluripotency

BACKGROUND:Human induced pluripotent stem cells (IPSCs) have enormous potential in the development of cellular models of human disease and represent a potential source of autologous cells and tissues for therapeutic use. A question remains as to the biological age of IPSCs, in particular when isolated from older subjects. Studies of cloned animals indicate that somatic cells reprogrammed to pluripotency variably display telomere elongation, a common indicator of cell "rejuvenation." METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS:We examined telomere lengths in human skin fibroblasts isolated from younger and older subjects, fibroblasts converted to IPSCs, and IPSCs redifferentiated through teratoma formation and explant culture. In IPSCs analyzed at passage five (P5), telomeres were significantly elongated in 6/7 lines by >40% and approximated telomere lengths in human embryonic stem cells (hESCs). In cell lines derived from three IPSC-teratoma explants cultured to P5, two displayed telomeres shortened to lengths similar to input fibroblasts while the third line retained elongated telomeres. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE:While these results reveal some heterogeneity in the reprogramming process with respect to telomere length, human somatic cells reprogrammed to pluripotency generally displayed elongated telomeres that suggest that they will not age prematurely when isolated from subjects of essentially any age

Safety of cilostazol in peripheral artery disease: a cohort from a primary healthcare electronic database

Background: Cilostazol has been associated with spontaneous reports of cardiovascular adverse events and serious bleeding. The objective of this study is to determine the relative risk of cardiovascular adverse events or haemorrhages in patients with peripheral artery disease treated with cilostazol in comparison to pentoxifylline users. Methods: Population-based cohort study including all individuals older than 40 who initiated cilostazol or pentoxifylline during 2009–2011 in SIDIAP database. The two treatment groups were matched through propensity score (PS). Results: Nine thousand one hundred twenty-nine patients met inclusion criteria and after PS matching, there were 2905 patients in each group. 76% of patients were men, with similar mean ages in both groups (68.8 for cilostazol and 69.4 for pentoxifylline). There were no differences in bleeding, cerebrovascular and cardiovascular events between both groups. Conclusions: Patients treated with cilostazol were different from those treated with pentoxifylline at baseline, so they were matched through PS. We did not find differences between treatment groups in the incidence of bleeding or cardiovascular and cerebrovascular events. Cilostazol should be used with precaution in elderly polymedicated patients

Effectiveness of antitussives, anticholinergics or honey versus usual care in adults with uncomplicated acute bronchitis : a study protocol of an open randomised clinical trial in primary care

Introduction Despite the frequent use of therapies in acute bronchitis, the evidence of their benefit is lacking, since only a few clinical trials have been published, with low sample sizes, poor methodological quality and mainly in children. The objective of this study is to compare the effectiveness of three symptomatic therapies (dextromethorphan, ipratropium or honey) associated with usual care and the usual care in adults with acute bronchitis. Methods and analysis This will be a multicentre, pragmatic, parallel group, open randomised trial. Patients aged 18 or over with uncomplicated acute bronchitis, with cough for less than 3 weeks as the main symptom, scoring ≥4 in either daytime or nocturnal cough on a 7-point Likert scale, will be randomised to one of the following four groups: usual care, dextromethorphan 30 mg three times a day, ipratropium bromide inhaler 20 μg two puffs three times a day or honey 30 mg (a spoonful) three times a day, all taken for up to 14 days. The exclusion criteria will be pneumonia, criteria for hospital admission, pregnancy or lactation, concomitant pulmonary disease, associated significant comorbidity, allergy, intolerance or contraindication to any of the study drugs or admitted to a long-term residence. Sample: 668 patients. The primary outcome will be the number of days with moderate-to-severe cough. All patients will be given a paper-based symptom diary to be self-administered. A second visit will be scheduled at day 2 or 3 for assessing evolution, with two more visits at days 15 and 29 for clinical assessment, evaluation of adverse effects, re-attendance and complications. Patients still with symptoms at day 29 will be called 6 weeks after the baseline visit. Ethics and dissemination The study has been approved by the Ethical Board of IDIAP Jordi Gol (reference number: AC18/002). The findings of this trial will be disseminated through research conferences and peer-review journals. Trial registration number NCT03738917; Pre-results

Effectiveness of antitussives, anticholinergics or honey versus usual care in adults with uncomplicated acute bronchitis: a study protocol of an open randomised clinical trial in primary care

Introduction: Despite the frequent use of therapies in acute bronchitis, the evidence of their benefit is lacking, since only a few clinical trials have been published, with low sample sizes, poor methodological quality and mainly in children. The objective of this study is to compare the effectiveness of three symptomatic therapies (dextromethorphan, ipratropium or honey) associated with usual care and the usual care in adults with acute bronchitis. Methods and analysis: This will be a multicentre, pragmatic, parallel group, open randomised trial. Patients aged 18 or over with uncomplicated acute bronchitis, with cough for less than 3 weeks as the main symptom, scoring ≥4 in either daytime or nocturnal cough on a 7-point Likert scale, will be randomised to one of the following four groups: usual care, dextromethorphan 30 mg three times a day, ipratropium bromide inhaler 20 µg two puffs three times a day or honey 30 mg (a spoonful) three times a day, all taken for up to 14 days. The exclusion criteria will be pneumonia, criteria for hospital admission, pregnancy or lactation, concomitant pulmonary disease, associated significant comorbidity, allergy, intolerance or contraindication to any of the study drugs or admitted to a long-term residence. Sample: 668 patients. The primary outcome will be the number of days with moderate-to-severe cough. All patients will be given a paper-based symptom diary to be self-administered. A second visit will be scheduled at day 2 or 3 for assessing evolution, with two more visits at days 15 and 29 for clinical assessment, evaluation of adverse effects, re-attendance and complications. Patients still with symptoms at day 29 will be called 6 weeks after the baseline visit. Ethics and dissemination: The study has been approved by the Ethical Board of IDIAP Jordi Gol (reference number: AC18/002). The findings of this trial will be disseminated through research conferences and peer-review journals. Trial registration: number NCT03738917; Pre-results

Influence of pore size in benzoin condensation of furfural using heterogenized benzimidazole organocatalysts

A designed N‐heterocyclic carbene (NHC) catalyst was covalently anchored on a range of mesoporous and hierarchical supports, to study the influence of pore size in the benzoin condensation of furfural. The structural and spectroscopic characteristics of the anchored catalysts were investigated, also with the help of molecular dynamics simulations, in order to rationalize the degree of stability and recyclability of the heterogenized organocatalysts. Quantitative yields (99 %) and complete recyclability were maintained after several cycles, vindicating the design rationale

Effectiveness and safety of integrase strand transfer inhibitors in Spain: a prospective real-world study

IntroductionSecond-generation integrase strand transfer inhibitors (INSTIs) are preferred treatment options worldwide, and dolutegravir (DTG) is the treatment of choice in resource-limited settings. Nevertheless, in some resource-limited settings, these drugs are not always available. An analysis of the experience with the use of INSTIs in unselected adults living with HIV may be of help to make therapeutic decisions when second-generation INSTIs are not available. This study aimed to evaluate the real-life effectiveness and safety of dolutegravir (DTG), elvitegravir/cobicistat (EVG/c), and raltegravir (RAL) in a large Spanish cohort of HIV-1-infected patients.MethodsReal-world study of adults living with HIV who initiated integrase INSTIs DTG, EVG/c, and RAL-based regimens in three settings (ART-naïve patients, ART-switching, and ART-salvage patients). The primary endpoint was the median time to treatment discontinuation after INSTI-based regimen initiation. Proportion of patients experiencing virological failure (VF) (defined as two consecutive viral loads (VL) ≥200 copies/mL at 24 weeks or as a single determination of VL ≥1,000 copies/mL while receiving DTG, EVG/c or RAL, and at least 3 months after INSTI initiation) and time to VF were also evaluated.ResultsVirological effectiveness of EVG/c- and RAL-based regimens was similar to that of DTG when given as first-line and salvage therapy. Treatment switching for reasons other than virological failure was more frequent in subjects receiving EVG/c and, in particular, RAL. Naïve patients with CD4+ nadir <100 cells/μL were more likely to develop VF, particularly if they initiated RAL or EVG/c. In the ART switching population, initiation of RAL and EVG/c was associated with both VF and INSTI discontinuation. There were no differences in the time to VF and INSTI discontinuation between DTG, EVG/c and RAL. Immunological parameters improved in the three groups and for the three drugs assessed. Safety and tolerability were consistent with expected safety profiles.DiscussionWhereas second-generation INSTIs are preferred treatment options worldwide, and DTG is one of the treatment of choices in resource-limited settings, first-generation INSTIs may still provide high virological and immunological effectiveness when DTG is not available

Aproximación a los conflictos de convivencia en el Principado de Andorra

Director: Salvador PuntesLa tesis de máster ¿Aproximación a los conflictos de convivencia en el Principado de Andorra? realiza un análisis de la tipología y gestión de los conflictos vecinales en el Principado de Andorra. El objetivo de la tesis es conocer en profundidad el fenómeno para proponer herramientas de gestión de los conflictos que sean lo más eficientes posible, promuevan la comunicación vecinal, fortalezcan la cohesión social y, en definitiva, contribuyan a una democracia local de calidad. El método escogido para la recolección de información sobre los conflictos de convivencia ha sido el de las entrevistas en profundidad a 19 gestores de conflictos (Cònsols, Consellers de Comú, técnicos del Gobierno de Andorra, policías¿). Las informaciones recogidas en las entrevistas, algunas de las cuales están transcritas en el anexo 3, han sido complementadas con un análisis de la prensa nacional andorrana. La primera parte está dedicada a esclarecer algunos aspectos sobre el Principado de Andorra y el fenómeno del conflicto que ayuden a arrojar luz sobre la tipología de conflictos vecinales que se da en Andorra. En la segunda parte se entrará en detalle en los conflictos de proximidad en el Principado de Andorra. Para ello se seguirá la estructura propuesta por el académico y mediador Johan Galtung, quien considera que hay que aproximarse a los problemas o fenómenos sociales como lo haría un médico. Así, el politólogo noruego propone empezar elaborando un diagnóstico de la situación, para acto seguido generar un pronóstico de los síntomas que la enfermedad podría desarrollar y finalmente proponer una terapia o cura. Por último, la conclusión recapitula los elementos más novedosos que haya arrojado el artículo y propondrá algunas vías que abre esta investigación y que sería interesante explotar para profundizar en este ámbito. En cuanto a los resultados, la investigación plantea la necesidad de encontrar sistemas de gestión de conflictos que permitan fomentar la comunicación vecinal, aumentar la participación de los vecinos en la gestión de sus propios conflictos y dar solución a los elementos más profundos del conflicto (relación vecinal, elementos no resueltos del pasado, intereses no expresados¿). Una de las propuestas de la tesis para hacer frente a estas problemáticas es el desarrollo de sistemas de mediación ciudadana en el Principado de Andorra