Evolution of the use of corticosteroids for the treatment of hospitalised COVID-19 patients in Spain between March and November 2020: SEMI-COVID national registry

Objectives: Since the results of the RECOVERY trial, WHO recommendations about the use of corticosteroids (CTs) in COVID-19 have changed. The aim of the study is to analyse the evolutive use of CTs in Spain during the pandemic to assess the potential influence of new recommendations. Material and methods: A retrospective, descriptive, and observational study was conducted on adults hospitalised due to COVID-19 in Spain who were included in the SEMI-COVID- 19 Registry from March to November 2020. Results: CTs were used in 6053 (36.21%) of the included patients. The patients were older (mean (SD)) (69.6 (14.6) vs. 66.0 (16.8) years; p < 0.001), with hypertension (57.0% vs. 47.7%; p < 0.001), obesity (26.4% vs. 19.3%; p < 0.0001), and multimorbidity prevalence (20.6% vs. 16.1%; p < 0.001). These patients had higher values (mean (95% CI)) of C-reactive protein (CRP) (86 (32.7-160) vs. 49.3 (16-109) mg/dL; p < 0.001), ferritin (791 (393-1534) vs. 470 (236- 996) µg/dL; p < 0.001), D dimer (750 (430-1400) vs. 617 (345-1180) µg/dL; p < 0.001), and lower Sp02/Fi02 (266 (91.1) vs. 301 (101); p < 0.001). Since June 2020, there was an increment in the use of CTs (March vs. September; p < 0.001). Overall, 20% did not receive steroids, and 40% received less than 200 mg accumulated prednisone equivalent dose (APED). Severe patients are treated with higher doses. The mortality benefit was observed in patients with oxygen saturation </=90%. Conclusions: Patients with greater comorbidity, severity, and inflammatory markers were those treated with CTs. In severe patients, there is a trend towards the use of higher doses. The mortality benefit was observed in patients with oxygen saturation </=90%

4-Mercaptophenylboronic acid: conformation, FT-IR, Raman, OH stretching and theoretical studies.

4-Mercaptophenylboronic acid (4-mpba, C6H7BO2S) was investigated experimentally by vibrational spectroscopy. The molecular structure and spectroscopic parameters were studied by computational methods. The molecular dimer was investigated for intermolecular hydrogen bonding. Potential energy distribution analysis of normal modes was performed to identify characteristic frequencies. The present work provides a simple physical picture of the OH stretch vibrational spectra of 4-mpba and analogues of the compound studied. When the different computational methods are compared, there is a strong evidence of the better performance of the BLYP functional than the popular B3LYP functional to describe hydrogen bonding in the dimer. The findings of this research work should be useful to experimentalists in their quests for functionalised 4-mpba derivatives

Halogen and solvent effects on the conformational, vibrational and electronic properties of 1,4-diformylpiperazine: A combined experimental and DFT study

The molecular structure and properties of 1,4-diformylpiperazine (1,4-dfp, C6H10N 2 O 2 ) were investigated by Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy, Raman spectroscopy and density functional theory (DFT). The Becke-3-Lee-Yang-Parr (B3LYP) functional was used with the 6-31++G(d,p) basis set. Total energy distribution (TED) analysis of normal modes was performed to identify characteristic frequencies by the scaled quantum mechanical (SQM) method. Halogeno-Analogs of 1,4-dfp were studied to understand the halogen effect. Computations were focused on five conformational isomers of the compounds in the gas phase and in solutions. The computed and experimental frequencies of the C=O stretching vibration of 1,4-dfp were correlated with the empirical solvent parameters such as the Kirkwood-Bauer-Magat (KBM) equation, the solvent acceptor number (AN), Swain parameters and linear solvation energy relationships (LSER). The electronic properties of the compounds were also examined. The findings from the present work may be useful to understand systems involving the halogens and conformational changes analogous to the compounds investigated. © 2015 World Scientific Publishing Company

and theoretical studies

4-Mercaptophenylboronic acid (4-mpba, C6H7BO2S) was investigated experimentally by vibrational spectroscopy. The molecular structure and spectroscopic parameters were studied by computational methods. The molecular dimer was investigated for intermolecular hydrogen bonding. Potential energy distribution analysis of normal modes was performed to identify characteristic frequencies. The present work provides a simple physical picture of the OH stretch vibrational spectra of 4-mpba and analogues of the compound studied. When the different computational methods are compared, there is a strong evidence of the better performance of the BLYP functional than the popular B3LYP functional to describe hydrogen bonding in the dimer. The findings of this research work should be useful to experimentalists in their quests for functionalised 4-mpba derivatives. (C) 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved