Caffeine photocatalytic degradation using composites of NiO/TiO2–F and CuO/TiO2–F under UV irradiation

The interest in the removal of emerging contaminants has increased in the last decade. Photocatalytic degradation using p-n heterojunctions could effectively provide the degradation of these type of substances that are persistent in the environment. In this work, the synthesis, characterization, and photocatalytic evaluation of TiO2–F as well as CuO/TiO2–F and NiO/TiO2–F composite materials were studied in the photo-assisted degradation of caffeine using UV radiation. The fluorination of titanium dioxide induced changes in some physicochemical properties of the materials, which contributed to a decrease in surface area and bandgap energy as well as an increase in crystallite size as compared to pristine TiO2. ≡Ti–F species were evidenced to be formed, which could favor charge separation processes. A highest segregation of CuO species in comparison with NiO on the surface of TiO2–F could be formed, which could increase defect sites and decrease the band gap. The formation of a heterojunction between the semiconductors was evidenced, responsible for the observed improvements in photocatalytic properties of the composite materials. The photocatalytic tests evidenced an important degradation of caffeine; however, mineralization was incomplete. The stability of the composite materials and their potential use in the photocatalytic treatment of caffeine was evaluated by reuse tests

Peripheral Innate Immune Activation Correlates With Disease Severity in GRN Haploinsufficiency.

Objective: To investigate associations between peripheral innate immune activation and frontotemporal lobar degeneration (FTLD) in progranulin gene (GRN) haploinsufficiency. Methods: In this cross-sectional study, ELISA was used to measure six markers of innate immunity (sCD163, CCL18, LBP, sCD14, IL-18, and CRP) in plasma from 30 GRN mutation carriers (17 asymptomatic, 13 symptomatic) and 29 controls. Voxel based morphometry was used to model associations between marker levels and brain atrophy in mutation carriers relative to controls. Linear regression was used to model relationships between plasma marker levels with mean frontal white matter integrity [fractional anisotropy (FA)] and the FTLD modified Clinical Dementia Rating Scale sum of boxes score (FTLD-CDR SB). Results: Plasma sCD163 was higher in symptomatic GRN carriers [mean 321 ng/ml (SD 125)] compared to controls [mean 248 ng/ml (SD 58); p < 0.05]. Plasma CCL18 was higher in symptomatic GRN carriers [mean 56.9 pg/ml (SD 19)] compared to controls [mean 40.5 pg/ml (SD 14); p < 0.05]. Elevation of plasma LBP was associated with white matter atrophy in the right frontal pole and left inferior frontal gyrus (p FWE corrected <0.05) in all mutation carriers relative to controls. Plasma LBP levels inversely correlated with bilateral frontal white matter FA (R2 = 0.59, p = 0.009) in mutation carriers. Elevation in plasma was positively correlated with CDR-FTLD SB (b = 2.27 CDR units/μg LBP/ml plasma, R2 = 0.76, p = 0.003) in symptomatic carriers. Conclusion: FTLD-GRN is associated with elevations in peripheral biomarkers of macrophage-mediated innate immunity, including sCD163 and CCL18. Clinical disease severity and white matter integrity are correlated with blood LBP, suggesting a role for peripheral immune activation in FTLD-GRN

Cytological effects of pulsed electromagnetic fields and static magnetic fields induced by a therapeutic device on in vivo exposed rats

Background: There is a trend towards the use of magnetic fields in medicine. Pulsed electromagnetic fields (PEMFs) technology was based upon 20 years of fundamental studies on the electromechanical properties of bone and other connective tissues. More recently, these magnetic fields have been used to treat several health conditions. There remains continuing concern that exposure to electromagnetic devices may cause adverse effects. The aim of the present study was to investigate the cytological effects induced in rats exposed in a patented medical device that uses PEMFs combined with static magnetic fields (SMFs).Material and Methods: Thirty sexually mature 14-week-old male and female Sprague Dawley rats were distributed into three groups: (a) 5 males and 5 females (independently) exposed to PEMFs combined with SMFs, (b) animals treated with SMFs only, and (c) non-exposed animals. Acridine orange fluorescent-staining micronucleus test and male germ cells analysis were performed according to standardized techniques.Results: A lack of evidence for alterations on micronucleus frequency, on polychromatic erythrocytes percentage, and on sperm counts and morphological characteristics of male germ cells were found in mature rats exposed to PEMFs medical device compared to non-exposed animals.Conclusions: This study suggests that the applied magnetic field generated in a therapeutic device did not have any detectable cytotoxic or genotoxic effect in exposed rats. In view of these findings and the contradictory reports in the literature, it is necessary to carry out more research to help clarify the controversy concerning cytogenotoxic risk associated with therapeutic magnetic fields exposures.Keywords: Cytotoxicity, pulsed electromagnetic fields, static magnetic fields, micronuclei, sperm abnormalitie

Midwestern Latino caregivers’ knowledge, attitudes and sense making of the oral health etiology, prevention and barriers that inhibit their children’s oral health: a CBPR approach

Using community-based participatory research, the Health Protection Model was used to understand the cultural experiences, attitudes, knowledge and behaviors surrounding caries etiology, its prevention and barriers to accessing oral health care for children of Latino parents residing in Central Indiana

Mental Disorders and Level of Resilience in Eight High-Altitude Cities of Peru during the Second Pandemic Wave: A Multicenter Population-Based Study

COVID-19 has led us to take preventive measures, such as social isolation, to reduce the high transmissibility of the disease. This could have affected the mental health of various population groups and the development of resilience as a mitigator. A cross-sectional analytical study was conducted with 700 participants from eight cities. The dependent variables were depression, anxiety, and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). The independent variable was resilience. Generalized logistic regressions were used to identify the associations between the variables. The population consisted mostly of university students (65.0%); the rest of the population was distributed among workers of public or private institutions, housewives, and others (35.0%). High prevalences of anxiety (72.7%), depression (64.1%), and PTSD (15.1%) were found, as well as a median (interquartile range) resilience score of 24 points was determined. Factors associated with a high prevalence of PTSD were having lost employment and having a family member who died from COVID-19. For depression, associated factors were severe food insecurity and hypersomnia. For anxiety, associated factors were were having a deceased family member with COVID-19 and mild food insecurity. Our results show that, during the pandemic, the general population had a higher prevalence of mental disorders. In addition, anxiety was the most prevalent of the dependent variables. Special attention should be paid to the factors influencing the development of mental disorders and mental health prevention and promotion programs should be established

Evaluation of the in vitro and in vivo efficacy of ruthenium polypyridyl compounds against breast cancer

[Abstract] The clinical success of cisplatin, carboplatin, and oxaliplatin has sparked the interest of medicinal inorganic chemistry to synthesize and study compounds with non-platinum metal centers. Despite Ru(II)–polypyridyl complexes being widely studied and well established for their antitumor properties, there are not enough in vivo studies to establish the potentiality of this type of compound. Therefore, we report to the best of our knowledge the first in vivo study of Ru(II)–polypyridyl complexes against breast cancer with promising results. In order to conduct our study, we used MCF7 zebrafish xenografts and ruthenium complexes [Ru(bipy)2(C12H8N6-N,N)][CF3SO3]2Ru1 and [{Ru(bipy)2}2(μ-C12H8N6-N,N)][CF3SO3]4Ru2, which were recently developed by our group. Ru1 and Ru2 reduced the tumor size by an average of 30% without causing significant signs of lethality when administered at low doses of 1.25 mg·L−1. Moreover, the in vitro selectivity results were confirmed in vivo against MCF7 breast cancer cells. Surprisingly, this work suggests that both the mono- and the dinuclear Ru(II)–polypyridyl compounds have in vivo potential against breast cancer, since there were no significant differences between both treatments, highlighting Ru1 and Ru2 as promising chemotherapy agents in breast cancer therapy.Xunta de Galicia; ED431C 2018/39Portugal. Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia; PEst 2015-2020Portugal. Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia; UID/Multi/04349/2013Portugal. Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia; RECI/QEQ-QIN/0189/2012Portugal. Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia; UID/QUI/00100/2020Portugal. Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia; UIDP/04378/2020Portugal. Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia; UIDB/04378/2020Portugal. Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia; LA/P/0140/202

Análisis molecular de la resistencia a la polimixina en Klebsiella pneumoniae productora de carbapenemasas en Colombia

La resistencia a la polimixina en Klebsiella pneumoniae se ha atribuido a mutaciones en mgrB, phoPQ, pmrAB y crrAB y a la presencia de genes mediados por plásmidos mcr. En este trabajo se describen las características moleculares de 24 aislamientos de K. pneumoniae resistentes a polimixina y carbapenem recuperados en seis ciudades colombianas entre 2009 y 2019. Las concentraciones inhibitorias mínimas (CIM) a la polimixina se confirmaron por microdilución en caldo, y se realizó la secuenciación del genoma completo para determinar el tipo de secuencia, el resistoma y las mutaciones en los genes relacionados con la resistencia a la polimixina, así como la presencia de mcr. Los resultados mostraron una resistencia de alto nivel a la polimixina (CMI _ 4 _g/mL). blaKPC-3 estaba presente en la mayoría de los aislados (17/24; 71%), seguido de blaKPC-2 (6/24; 25%) y blaNDM-1 (1/24; 4%). La mayoría de los aislados pertenecían al CG258 (17/24; 71%) y presentaban sustituciones de aminoácidos en PmrB (22/24; 92%) y CrrB (15/24; 63%); las mutaciones en mgrB sólo se produjeron en cinco aislados (21%). No se identificaron mutaciones adicionales en pmrA, crrA y phoPQ ni en ninguno de los genes de resistencia mcr. En conclusión, se encontró diseminación clonal de aislamientos de K. pneumoniae resistentes a polimixina y carbapenemes en Colombia, principalmente asociados con CG258 y blaKPC-3. La vigilancia de esta bacteria multirresistente a fármacos se ha llevado a cabo en Colombia. La vigilancia de este clon multirresistente se justifica debido a las limitadas opciones terapéuticas para el tratamiento de las infecciones por K. pneumoniae resistente a carbapenemes.Polymyxin resistance in Klebsiella pneumoniae has been attributed to mutations in mgrB, phoPQ, pmrAB, and crrAB and to the presence of mcr plasmid-mediated genes. Herein, we describe the molecular characteristics of 24 polymyxin- and carbapenem-resistant K. pneumoniae isolates recovered from six Colombian cities between 2009 and 2019. Minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) to polymyxin were confirmed by broth microdilution, and whole-genome sequencing was performed to determine sequence type, resistome, and mutations in the genes related to polymyxin resistance, as well the presence of mcr. The results showed high-level resistance to polymyxin (MICs _ 4 _g/mL). blaKPC-3 was present in the majority of isolates (17/24; 71%), followed by blaKPC-2 (6/24; 25%) and blaNDM-1 (1/24; 4%). Most isolates belonged to the CG258 (17/24; 71%) and presented amino acid substitutions in PmrB (22/24; 92%) and CrrB (15/24; 63%); mutations in mgrB occurred in only five isolates (21%). Additional mutations in pmrA, crrA, and phoPQ nor any of the mcr resistance genes were identified. In conclusion, we found clonal dissemination of polymyxin and carbapenemresistant K. pneumoniae isolates in Colombia, mainly associated with CG258 and blaKPC-3. Surveillance of this multidrug-resistant clone is warranted due to the limited therapeutic options for the treatment of carbapenem-resistant K. pneumoniae infections

The Antimicrobial Scrub Contamination and Transmission (ASCOT) Trial: A Three-Arm, Blinded, Randomized Controlled Trial With Crossover Design to Determine the Efficacy of Antimicrobial-Impregnated Scrubs in Preventing Healthcare Provider Contamination

OBJECTIVE To determine whether antimicrobial-impregnated textiles decrease the acquisition of pathogens by healthcare provider (HCP) clothing. DESIGN We completed a 3-arm randomized controlled trial to test the efficacy of 2 types of antimicrobial-impregnated clothing compared to standard HCP clothing. Cultures were obtained from each nurse participant, the healthcare environment, and patients during each shift. The primary outcome was the change in total contamination on nurse scrubs, measured as the sum of colony-forming units (CFU) of bacteria. PARTICIPANTS AND SETTING Nurses working in medical and surgical ICUs in a 936-bed tertiary-care hospital. INTERVENTION Nurse subjects wore standard cotton-polyester surgical scrubs (control), scrubs that contained a complex element compound with a silver-alloy embedded in its fibers (Scrub 1), or scrubs impregnated with an organosilane-based quaternary ammonium and a hydrophobic fluoroacrylate copolymer emulsion (Scrub 2). Nurse participants were blinded to scrub type and randomly participated in all 3 arms during 3 consecutive 12-hour shifts in the intensive care unit. RESULTS In total, 40 nurses were enrolled and completed 3 shifts. Analyses of 2,919 cultures from the environment and 2,185 from HCP clothing showed that scrub type was not associated with a change in HCP clothing contamination ( P =.70). Mean difference estimates were 0.118 for the Scrub 1 arm (95% confidence interval [CI], −0.206 to 0.441; P =.48) and 0.009 for the Scrub 2 rm (95% CI, −0.323 to 0.342; P =.96) compared to the control. HCP became newly contaminated with important pathogens during 19 of the 120 shifts (16%). CONCLUSIONS Antimicrobial-impregnated scrubs were not effective at reducing HCP contamination. However, the environment is an important source of HCP clothing contamination. TRIAL REGISTRATION Clinicaltrials.gov Identifier: NCT 02645214 Infect Control Hosp Epidemiol 2017;38:1147–115

Lugares, recorridos y sentidos de la memoria histórica: acercamientos metodológicos

244 páginasEste libro es una iniciativa de los Grupos Regionales de Memoria Histórica (GRMH), que, junto con el Centro Nacional de Memoria Histórica desde el 2013 generaron propuestas para la construcción de memoria histórica en Colombia. El objetivo de la consolidación de los GRMH ha sido reconocer procesos de investigación locales que hacen profesores universitarios para tejer puentes entre las instituciones del país y comunidades victimizadas en el marco del con icto armado interno de Colombia. Aunque las apuestas de investigación social participativa se nutren de múltiples aristas, disciplinas y escuelas de pensamiento, existen particularidades metodológicas en las investigaciones que se formulan en clave de memoria histórica que, en esta ocasión, son transversales y se profundizan en cada capítulo.La fuerza de la memoria: hilos, nudos y reflexiones de una trayectoria colectiva || Introducción || El objeto-relato como dispositivo de memoria: el caso del grupo de alabao de pogue, bojayá, chocó || Metodologías colaborativas y memorias con potencial transformador en la comunidad de Puerto Gaviotas, Calamar, Guaviar

Evolutionary development methodology of three-dimensional scenarios for the creation of a virtual tour for the UAEM Ecatepec University Center

Actualmente, uno de los medios de comunicación claves para acceder al público en general es el uso de las tecnologías de información y comunicación dentro de las cuales se encuentra la Realidad Virtual, que ha sido utilizada para desarrollar entornos virtuales como una alternativa novedosa de difusión a través de la Web. Es por ello, que en esta investigación se propone y se aplica una metodología para el desarrollo de escenarios tridimensionales para la creación de una visita virtual: caso Centro Universitario UAEM Ecatepec. Esta metodología con características evolutivas permite la eliminación de errores y alternativas no atractivas al comienzo del proyecto; la entrega de productos intermedios operacionales que se pueden ir refinando en cada iteración; logrando de esta manera, crear visitas virtuales de una forma organizada en lapsos de tiempo estimado, manteniendo colaboración y tomando en cuenta los puntos de vista de los integrantes del proyecto, el cliente y/o usuarios.Currently, one of the key means of communication to access the public In general, it is the use of information and communication technologies within which is Virtual Reality, which has been used to develop virtual environments as a novel alternative for diffusion through the Web. That is why, in this research, a methodology is proposed and applied. for the development of three-dimensional scenarios for the creation of a visit virtual: UAEM Ecatepec University Center case. This methodology with evolutionary characteristics allows the elimination of errors and alternatives not attractive at the beginning of the project; delivery of intermediate products operational that can be refined in each iteration; achieving from this way, create virtual tours in an organized way in periods of time estimated, maintaining collaboration and taking into account the points of view of the members of the project, the client and/or users