Infected pancreatic necrosis: outcomes and clinical predictors of mortality. A post hoc analysis of the MANCTRA-1 international study

: The identification of high-risk patients in the early stages of infected pancreatic necrosis (IPN) is critical, because it could help the clinicians to adopt more effective management strategies. We conducted a post hoc analysis of the MANCTRA-1 international study to assess the association between clinical risk factors and mortality among adult patients with IPN. Univariable and multivariable logistic regression models were used to identify prognostic factors of mortality. We identified 247 consecutive patients with IPN hospitalised between January 2019 and December 2020. History of uncontrolled arterial hypertension (p = 0.032; 95% CI 1.135-15.882; aOR 4.245), qSOFA (p = 0.005; 95% CI 1.359-5.879; aOR 2.828), renal failure (p = 0.022; 95% CI 1.138-5.442; aOR 2.489), and haemodynamic failure (p = 0.018; 95% CI 1.184-5.978; aOR 2.661), were identified as independent predictors of mortality in IPN patients. Cholangitis (p = 0.003; 95% CI 1.598-9.930; aOR 3.983), abdominal compartment syndrome (p = 0.032; 95% CI 1.090-6.967; aOR 2.735), and gastrointestinal/intra-abdominal bleeding (p = 0.009; 95% CI 1.286-5.712; aOR 2.710) were independently associated with the risk of mortality. Upfront open surgical necrosectomy was strongly associated with the risk of mortality (p < 0.001; 95% CI 1.912-7.442; aOR 3.772), whereas endoscopic drainage of pancreatic necrosis (p = 0.018; 95% CI 0.138-0.834; aOR 0.339) and enteral nutrition (p = 0.003; 95% CI 0.143-0.716; aOR 0.320) were found as protective factors. Organ failure, acute cholangitis, and upfront open surgical necrosectomy were the most significant predictors of mortality. Our study confirmed that, even in a subgroup of particularly ill patients such as those with IPN, upfront open surgery should be avoided as much as possible. Study protocol registered in ClinicalTrials.Gov (I.D. Number NCT04747990)

Complementary relationship in the estimation of regional evapotranspiration: an enhanced advection-aridity model

Includes bibliographical references

Dopamine Released from TiO2 Semicrystalline Lattice Implants Attenuates Motor Symptoms in Rats Treated with 6‑Hydroxydopamine

The motor dysfunction featured by patients aggrieved by Parkinson’s disease (PD) results from the reduction of dopamine (DA) availability in the caudate nucleus (CN). Restituting CN DA levels is therefore essential to ameliorate PD motor deficits. In this regard, nanotechnology may offer solutions to restore CN DA availability. DA, however, can be rapidly oxidized into toxic compounds if made available in situ, unprotected. Then, we tested whether a semicrystalline TiO2 lattice, implanted into the CN of 6-hydroxydopamine (6-OHDA)-lesioned, hemiparkinsonian rats, was able to release DA during a time window sufficient to attenuate motor symptoms while protecting it from the ongoing oxidation. Accordingly, implanted semicrystalline TiO2 lattices released incremental amounts of DA into the CN of lesioned rats. Motor symptoms were already attenuated by the 1st month and significantly reduced 2 months after implantation. These effects were specific since TiO2 lattices alone did not modify motor symptoms in lesioned rats. DA-unloaded or -loaded TiO2 lattices did not produce obvious symptoms of systemic or neurological toxicity nor significantly increased CN lipid peroxidation in implanted, lesioned rats at the time of sacrifice. Our results thus support that loaded TiO2 lattices are capable of releasing DA while protecting it from the ongoing oxidation when implanted into the brain. Their implantation does not cause noticeable systemic or local toxicity. On the contrary, they attenuated motor symptoms in hemiparkinsonian rats

Linear, Single-Strand Heteroaromatic Polymers from Superacid-Catalyzed Step-Growth Polymerization of Ketones with Bisphenols

Novel, linear, high-molecular-weight single-strand heteroaromatic polymers and copolymers containing 9<i>H</i>-xanthene moieties in the backbone were synthesized by metal-free superacid-catalyzed stoichiometric and nonstoichiometric step-growth polymerizations of carbonyl compounds bearing electron-withdrawing substituents with bisphenols. The electrophilic aromatic substitution reactions of ketones with phenol fragments occur exclusively in <i>ortho</i>-positions to the hydroxy phenol group and followed by highly efficient cyclodehydration reaction of hydroxyl-containing intermediates to give corresponding substituted 9<i>H</i>-xanthene-2,7-diyl polymers. The polymerizations were performed at room temperature in the Brønsted superacid trifluoromethanesulfonic acid (CF₃SO₃H, TFSA) and in a mixture of TFSA with methylene chloride and nitrobenzene

Multifunctional Properties of Zwitterionic Liquids. Application in Enhanced Oil Recovery and Asphaltene Aggregation Phenomena

In this experimental study is investigated the performance of a new class of zwitterionic liquids (ZL) as multifunctional agents with asphaltene inhibition-dispersion activity as well as rock wettability and relative permeability modification properties to increase oil recovery factor. Asphaltenes isolated from two crude oil samples (light and heavy) and a crude oil sediment were used to evaluate the inhibition-dispersion performance of ZL, whereas two different rock samples were used to carry out the core flooding tests in order to evaluate the influence of the porous media properties on the performance of the ZL product in recovery factor enhancement. Results demonstrated that ZL can be used to control aggregation and deposition of asphaltenes as well as to modify rock wettability in order to increase the oil recovery factor. Finally, in order to explain how the chemical product enhances oil recovery, a mechanism involving oil production and rock wettability alteration is discussed

Synthesis, Photophysical Study, and Biological Application Analysis of Complex Borondipyrromethene Dyes

A series of complex boronic acids were prepared through multicomponent reactions (MCRs). Both Passerini and Ugi MCRs were carried out in which one component was an arylboronic acid. The resulting highly functionalized boronic acids participated efficiently in the Liebeskind–Srogl cross-coupling reaction with <i>meso</i>-methylthioBODIPY derivatives to yield complex borondipyrromethene (BODIPY) dyes in good yields. The joined spectroscopic and computational study points out the deep impact of the arylated chromophoric position on the photophysical signatures. Thus, unconstrained aryls grafted at the meso position did not sway the spectral band positions but switched on new nonradiative relaxation channels, whereas additional arylation at the opposite α-pyrrolic position softened such fluorescence quenching and shifted the emission to the red-edge of the visible spectrum. The conducted biological analysis revealed that peripheral blood mononuclear cells incubated with these new compounds showed reduced cytotoxicity and retained their normal activities. Additionally, the dyes remained stable inside the cells after 24 h of incubation. These results demonstrated that these novel fluorescent probes based on BODIPY can be applied for cell imaging and analysis, expanding their applications

An Approach to Understanding the Electrocatalytic Activity Enhancement by Superexchange Interaction toward OER in Alkaline Media of Ni–Fe LDH

In the present work, the hydrotalcite-like materials known as layered double hydroxides (LDHs) were synthesized. The Ni–Al and Ni–Fe materials with different Ni/Fe ratio were obtained by coprecipitation method at variable pH. The LDH structure was verified by X-ray diffraction, Fourier transform infrared, and Raman spectroscopy. No secondary extra phases were observed for any material. The electronic properties were evaluated by UV–vis spectroscopy, while the magnetic ones were followed by electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR). The results suggested that sample H/Ni–Fe2 (Ni/Fe = 2) has a ferrimagnetic behavior as a result of the combined action of Ni^II–OH–Ni^II, Fe^III–OH–Ni^II, and Fe^III–OH–Fe^III pairs across the layers and ferromagnetic interactions operating between layers. Furthermore, the material H/Ni–Fe1 (Ni/Fe = 1.5) showed a combination of paramagnetic and ferromagnetic interactions which favors a superexchange interaction among metal centers through the OH bridges across the cationic sheets; the superexchange interaction enhances the electrocatalytic activity on the oxygen evolution reaction (OER) in alkaline media. On the other hand, XPS experiments showed that the H/Ni–Fe1 did not exhibit structural changes after electrochemical processes. The activity toward the OER was in the order H/Ni–Fe1 > H/Ni–Fe2 > H/Ni–Al, as was confirmed using in situ linear sweep voltammetry (LSV) coupled with mass spectrometry (differential electrochemical mass spectrometry)

FormylBODIPYs: Privileged Building Blocks for Multicomponent Reactions. The Case of the Passerini Reaction

Eleven formyl-containing BODIPY dyes were prepared by means of either the Liebeskind–Srogl cross-coupling reaction or the Vilsmeier reaction. These dyes were used as components in the Passerini reaction to give highly substituted BODIPY dyes. A joined spectroscopic and theoretical characterization of the synthesized compounds was conducted to unravel the impact of the structural rigidity/flexibility on the photophysical signatures. These dyes were tested as fluorescent trackers for phagocytosis. Additionally, they proved to be useful to stain different blood cells with an intense and stable signal at a very low exposure time