Reduction of Nitrates in waste water through the valorization of rice straw: LIFE LIBERNITRATE Project

An improved and more sustainable waste management system is required for successful development of technologies based on renewable sources. Rice straw is submitted to controlled combustion reactions and the produced ashes are chemically treated to produce silica. After a chemical activation step, the activated silica shows potential as an adsorbent agent and will be used to remove the excess of nitrates in groundwater and wells in the area of Alginet (Valencia, Spain), selected as a vulnerable zone within the Nitrates Directive. The demonstration activity aims to have a local impact on municipalities of 200 inhabitants or fewer, decreasing from current nitrate concentrations close to 50 mg/L, to a target of 25 mg/L. In a successive step, the methodology will be transferred to other municipalities with similar nitrate problems (Piemonte, Italy) and replicated to remove different pollutants such as manure (the Netherlands) and waste waters from the textile industry (Italy)

Effectiveness of an intervention for improving drug prescription in primary care patients with multimorbidity and polypharmacy:Study protocol of a cluster randomized clinical trial (Multi-PAP project)

This study was funded by the Fondo de Investigaciones Sanitarias ISCIII (Grant Numbers PI15/00276, PI15/00572, PI15/00996), REDISSEC (Project Numbers RD12/0001/0012, RD16/0001/0005), and the European Regional Development Fund ("A way to build Europe").Background: Multimorbidity is associated with negative effects both on people's health and on healthcare systems. A key problem linked to multimorbidity is polypharmacy, which in turn is associated with increased risk of partly preventable adverse effects, including mortality. The Ariadne principles describe a model of care based on a thorough assessment of diseases, treatments (and potential interactions), clinical status, context and preferences of patients with multimorbidity, with the aim of prioritizing and sharing realistic treatment goals that guide an individualized management. The aim of this study is to evaluate the effectiveness of a complex intervention that implements the Ariadne principles in a population of young-old patients with multimorbidity and polypharmacy. The intervention seeks to improve the appropriateness of prescribing in primary care (PC), as measured by the medication appropriateness index (MAI) score at 6 and 12months, as compared with usual care. Methods/Design: Design:pragmatic cluster randomized clinical trial. Unit of randomization: family physician (FP). Unit of analysis: patient. Scope: PC health centres in three autonomous communities: Aragon, Madrid, and Andalusia (Spain). Population: patients aged 65-74years with multimorbidity (≥3 chronic diseases) and polypharmacy (≥5 drugs prescribed in ≥3months). Sample size: n=400 (200 per study arm). Intervention: complex intervention based on the implementation of the Ariadne principles with two components: (1) FP training and (2) FP-patient interview. Outcomes: MAI score, health services use, quality of life (Euroqol 5D-5L), pharmacotherapy and adherence to treatment (Morisky-Green, Haynes-Sackett), and clinical and socio-demographic variables. Statistical analysis: primary outcome is the difference in MAI score between T0 and T1 and corresponding 95% confidence interval. Adjustment for confounding factors will be performed by multilevel analysis. All analyses will be carried out in accordance with the intention-to-treat principle. Discussion: It is essential to provide evidence concerning interventions on PC patients with polypharmacy and multimorbidity, conducted in the context of routine clinical practice, and involving young-old patients with significant potential for preventing negative health outcomes. Trial registration: Clinicaltrials.gov, NCT02866799Publisher PDFPeer reviewe

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

Nanomaterials: development of new analysis strategies

La nanociencia y la nanotecnología representan áreas de investigación en expansión, que involucran estructuras, dispositivos y sistemas con propiedades y funciones novedosas. Los nanomateriales (NMs) son una pieza clave en estos campos de estudio cuyas propiedades y rendimiento particulares deben conocerse y estudiarse. De esta forma, en esta tesis se han llevado a cabo diferentes metodologías analíticas con el fin de determinar y caracterizar los NMs como analitos. Además, se han evaluado diferentes herramientas analíticas que emplean estos NMs, con el objetivo de mejorar los procesos analíticos existentes y desarrollar nuevos. Por lo tanto, las AuNPs y AgNPs como NPs metálicas, Carbon Black (CB) como NM a base de carbono y diferentes materiales a base de sílice con diferentes tamaños y formas se han estudiado utilizando diferentes técnicas analíticas. Se han empleado técnicas de análisis de imagen, necesarias para establecer los descriptores de tamaño y forma. Por otro lado, también se han propuesto técnicas espectroscópicas para estudiar la estructura de los diferentes compuestos. Finalmente, se han evaluado técnicas de separación tanto para la caracterización y determinación de los nanomateriales estudiados, como para aportar información adicional a la obtenida con las otras técnicas de caracterización. Centrándonos en las técnicas de separación, se han utilizado técnicas como IT-SPME acoplada en línea a cromatografía líquida (LC) miniaturizada con detector UV-vis y FFF acoplado a detectores UV-vis, DLS y MALS para llevar a cabo la determinación y caracterización de los NMs anteriormente mencionados. Mediante IT-SPME LC miniaturizada, se han evaluado las distribuciones de partículas de AuNPs y AgNPs obteniendo dos poblaciones diferentes en la dispersión a granel. Además, se ha realizado un estudio de retención de AgNPs en suelos. Mediante la técnica AF4 se ha caracterizado la señal de las NPs metálicas y se ha estudiado el efecto de diferentes factores como la dilución, el tiempo de dispersión y el efecto de las matrices ambientales. Por otro lado, las AuNPs y AgNPs se han utilizado como herramientas analíticas con el fin de llevar a cabo ensayos plasmónicos basados en la determinación y cuantificación de compuestos ácidos y espermina en muestras de orina. CB también ha sido estudiado mediante las técnicas FFF. En este caso se ha caracterizado la dispersión de CB utilizando dispersantes poliméricos y biológicos con el fin de establecer los mecanismos de dispersión y evaluar su estabilidad en el tiempo. Además, también se ha ensayado el efecto de las matrices de agua en dicha dispersión. Se ha propuesto por primera vez un procedimiento basado en un medio dispersivo para el aislamiento de CB de muestras de suelo y la recuperación de este NM mediante un paso asistido por filtración con resultados adecuados empleando dispersantes biológicos. Los materiales a base de sílice, como nanopartículas de sílice, nanotubos de haloisita y micro sílice obtenida a partir de cenizas de paja de arroz, se han caracterizado mediante AF4-DLS para mostrar una visión general sobre los mecanismos de separación involucrados, teniendo en cuenta el tamaño y la forma del material. Además, este micro material de sílice obtenido a partir de cenizas de paja de arroz ha sido modificado con un grupo amino con el objetivo de utilizarlo como material adsorbente para reducir la concentración de nitratos en aguas. La metodología propuesta se ha testado utilizando estándares y muestras reales, y se ha evaluado su escalabilidad. Como conclusiones, podemos destacar que en esta tesis se ha podido llevar a cabo el estudio de diferentes NMs, teniendo en cuenta diferentes parámetros que pueden afectar a sus propiedades con el objetivo de caracterizarlos y evaluarlos para asegurar su correcto desempeño en diferentes herramientas analíticas. Además, las metodologías analíticas desarrolladas han contribuido a mejorar y completar el conocimiento existente sobre estos NMs, las cuales podrían ser de utilidad para futuros estudios

Protein kinase D1/2 is involved in the maturation of multivesicular bodies and secretion of exosomes in T and B lymphocytes

Supplementary Video 1: CMAC-labeled Raji cells (blue) were attached to fibronectin-coated MatTek chamber slides and SEE-pulsed (30 min). Double synapse formation by one GFP-CD63-expressing Jurkat cell was time-lapse imaged (right side). The video shows MVB traffic to the synapse contact areas in this cell and not in Jurkat cells that do not form synapses (left). One representative example is shown of 11 synapses recorded.Supplementary Video 7: Synapse formed by a DsRed2-PKD1-expressing Jurkat T lymphocyte (red) with a SEE-loaded (1 μg/ml) , CMAC-labeled Raji B lymphocyte (blue). Both fluorescence channels were captured simultaneously in the video. The red channel was deconvoluted using Huygens Essential Software. DsRed2-PKD1 accumulation was observed at the synaptic contact after 30 min.Supplementary Video 8. WT mouse T lymphoblasts were challenged with SEB-pulsed (1 μg/ml), CMAC-labeled EL-4 cells (blue) at a 1:1 ratio and transmittance and blue channels were acquired. EL-4 cells were large and blue; T lymphoblasts were smaller and irregular. White arrows indicate synaptic contacts, red arrows indicate cells that show apoptotic blebbing. T, apoptosis of effector T lymphoblasts (AICD); EL4, death of EL-4 target cells (CTL).Multivesicular bodies (MVBs) are endocytic compartments that enclose intraluminal vesicles (ILVs) formed by inward budding from the limiting membrane of endosomes. In T lymphocytes, these ILV contain Fas ligand (FasL) and are secreted as 'lethal exosomes' following activation-induced fusion of the MVB with the plasma membrane. Diacylglycerol (DAG) and diacylglycerol kinase α (DGKα) regulate MVB maturation and polarized traffic, as well as subsequent secretion of pro-apoptotic exosomes, but the molecular basis underlying these phenomena remains unclear. Here we identify protein kinase D (PKD) family members as DAG effectors involved in MVB genesis and secretion. We show that the inducible secretion of exosomes is enhanced when a constitutively active PKD1 mutant is expressed in T lymphocytes, whereas exosome secretion is impaired in PKD2-deficient mouse T lymphoblasts and in PKD1/3-null B cells. Analysis of PKD2-deficient T lymphoblasts showed the presence of large, immature MVB-like vesicles and demonstrated defects in cytotoxic activity and in activation-induced cell death. Using pharmacological and genetic tools, we show that DGKα regulates PKD1/2 subcellular localization and activation. Our studies demonstrate that PKD1/2 is a key regulator of MVB maturation and exosome secretion, and constitutes a mediator of the DGKα effect on MVB secretory traffic.Mark Ware (Nanosight Ltd, UK) for his support in NANOSIGHT studies, and Catherine Mark for excellent editorial assistance. RA received a doctoral fellowship from the Spanish Ministerio de Ciencia y Tecnología. This work was supported by grants from the Spanish Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad (MINECO) Plan Nacional de Investigación Científica (BFU2011-22849 to MI). IM is funded by MINECO grant BFU2013-47640-P.Peer Reviewe

Notes for genera – Ascomycota

Knowledge of the relationships and thus the classification of fungi, has developed rapidly with increasingly widespread use of molecular techniques, over the past 10--15 years, and continues to accelerate. Several genera have been found to be polyphyletic, and their generic concepts have subsequently been emended. New names have thus been introduced for species which are phylogenetically distinct from the type species of particular genera. The ending of the separate naming of morphs of the same species in 2011, has also caused changes in fungal generic names. In order to facilitate access to all important changes, it was desirable to compile these in a single document. The present article provides a list of generic names of Ascomycota (approximately 6500 accepted names published to the end of 2016), including those which are lichen-forming. Notes and summaries of the changes since the last edition of `Ainsworth Bisby's Dictionary of the Fungi' in 2008 are provided. The notes include the number of accepted species, classification, type species (with location of the type material), culture availability, life-styles, distribution, and selected publications that have appeared since 2008. This work is intended to provide the foundation for updating the ascomycete component of the ``Without prejudice list of generic names of Fungi'' published in 2013, which will be developed into a list of protected generic names. This will be subjected to the XIXth International Botanical Congress in Shenzhen in July 2017 agreeing to a modification in the rules relating to protected lists, and scrutiny by procedures determined by the Nomenclature Committee for Fungi (NCF). The previously invalidly published generic names Barriopsis, Collophora (as Collophorina), Cryomyces, Dematiopleospora, Heterospora (as Heterosporicola), Lithophila, Palmomyces (as Palmaria) and Saxomyces are validated, as are two previously invalid family names, Bartaliniaceae and Wiesneriomycetaceae. Four species of Lalaria, which were invalidly published are transferred to Taphrina and validated as new combinations. Catenomycopsis Tibell Constant. is reduced under Chaenothecopsis Vain., while Dichomera Cooke is reduced under Botryosphaeria Ces. De Not. (Art. 59)