New acyclic diaminocarbenes cycloplatinated(II) complexes: synthesis, photophysical properties and cytotoxic activity

Among all phosphorescent molecules, cyclometalated platinum(II) complexes have receivedconsiderable attention because of their photophysical properties and potential applications asdopants in OLEDs, LECs, photocatalysts or bioimaging. Another research of relevant interest istheir employment as anticancer drugs with a broader spectrum of action against differenttumours and fewer side effects than the well-known cisplatin. For that reason, the choice of thecyclometalated group and ancillary ligands play an important role not only in emissive behaviorbut also on the biological activity.1N-acyclic diaminocarbenes (ADCs) show several appealing characteristics; they display strongelectron-donating ability with structural flexibility and can be easily prepared. However, thereare only a few examples of ADC-platinum complexes used as perspective metal-based drugs inthe literature.2In this contribution, we describe a series of new luminescent ADC cycloplatinated(II) compoundsfeaturing 2-(2,4-difluorophenyl)pyridine (3) and 2-phenylquinoline (4) cyclometalated groups[Pt(C^N)Cl{C(NHXyl)(NHR)}] (R = Pr a, Benzyl b) obtained by nucleophilic addition of primarypropyl and benzyl amines, to the isocyanide ligand of the corresponding precursors[Pt(C^N)Cl(CNXyl)] (1, 2) recently reported by our group.3 Their optical properties haveexamined and interpreted with the aid of DFT/TD-DFT calculations and, finally, all newcompounds have been screened for their cytotoxic activity against various cancer cell lines

Leaf water δ18O reflects water vapour exchange and uptake by C3 and CAM epiphytic bromeliads in Panama.

The distributions of CAM and C3 epiphytic bromeliads across an altitudinal gradient in western Panama were identified from carbon isotope (δ13C) signals, and epiphyte water balance was investigated via oxygen isotopes (δ18O) across wet and dry seasons. There were significant seasonal differences in leaf water (δ18Olw), precipitation, stored 'tank' water and water vapour. Values of δ18Olw were evaporatively enriched at low altitude in the dry season for the C3 epiphytes, associated with low relative humidity (RH) during the day. Crassulacean acid metabolism (CAM) δ18Olw values were relatively depleted, consistent with water vapour uptake during gas exchange under high RH at night. At high altitude, cloudforest locations, C3 δ18Olw also reflected water vapour uptake by day. A mesocosm experiment with Tillandsia fasciculata (CAM) and Werauhia sanguinolenta (C3) was combined with simulations using a non-steady-state oxygen isotope leaf water model. For both C3 and CAM bromeliads, δ18Olw became progressively depleted under saturating water vapour by day and night, although evaporative enrichment was restored in the C3 W. sanguinolenta under low humidity by day. Source water in the overlapping leaf base 'tank' was also modified by evaporative δ18O exchanges. The results demonstrate how stable isotopes in leaf water provide insights for atmospheric water vapour exchanges for both C3 and CAM systems

Patient profile and management of delirium in older adults hospitalized due to COVID-19

SARS-CoV-2 can cause neurologic symptoms, as well as respiratory ones. Older adults are at risk of developing acute delirium in older persons (ADOP). The combination of experiencing respiratory isolation due to COVID-19, as well as other associated risk factors for older adults, may have had an impact on ADOP and ADOP management in the acute hospital setting. This study aimed to analyze the characteristics of ADOP in patients admitted to a COVID-19 unit. An observational prospective study on a sample of 108 patients was carried out between November 2020 and May 2021. The following data were collected: sociodemographic characteristics, risk factors for ADOP, management of ADOP, and impact on ADOP on both functional and cognitive deteriora-tion. A 29.6% proportion of older adults admitted to an acute COVID-19 unit presented hyperactive ADOP, mainly during the night. Management of ADOP in our sample involved mainly pharmaco-logical treatment and had a serious impact on hospital stay and both functional and cognitive dete-rioration. Preventive strategies and being accompanied by a relative or a carer may be useful to manage ADOP during hospital admission due to COVID-19

The seasonality of tuberculosis, sunlight, vitamin D, and household crowding.

BACKGROUND: Unlike other respiratory infections, tuberculosis diagnoses increase in summer. We performed an ecological analysis of this paradoxical seasonality in a Peruvian shantytown over 4 years. METHODS: Tuberculosis symptom-onset and diagnosis dates were recorded for 852 patients. Their tuberculosis-exposed cohabitants were tested for tuberculosis infection with the tuberculin skin test (n = 1389) and QuantiFERON assay (n = 576) and vitamin D concentrations (n = 195) quantified from randomly selected cohabitants. Crowding was calculated for all tuberculosis-affected households and daily sunlight records obtained. RESULTS: Fifty-seven percent of vitamin D measurements revealed deficiency (<50 nmol/L). Risk of deficiency was increased 2.0-fold by female sex (P < .001) and 1.4-fold by winter (P < .05). During the weeks following peak crowding and trough sunlight, there was a midwinter peak in vitamin D deficiency (P < .02). Peak vitamin D deficiency was followed 6 weeks later by a late-winter peak in tuberculin skin test positivity and 12 weeks after that by an early-summer peak in QuantiFERON positivity (both P < .04). Twelve weeks after peak QuantiFERON positivity, there was a midsummer peak in tuberculosis symptom onset (P < .05) followed after 3 weeks by a late-summer peak in tuberculosis diagnoses (P < .001). CONCLUSIONS: The intervals from midwinter peak crowding and trough sunlight to sequential peaks in vitamin D deficiency, tuberculosis infection, symptom onset, and diagnosis may explain the enigmatic late-summer peak in tuberculosis

Beyond the RICH: Innovative Photosensitive Gaseous Detectors for new Fields of Applications

We have developed and successfully used several innovative designs of detectors with solid photocathodes. The main advantage of these detectors is that rather high gains (>10E4) can be achieved in a single multiplication step. This is possible by, for instance, exploiting the secondary electron multiplication and limiting the energy of the steamers by distributed resistivity. The single step approach also allows a very good position resolution to be achieved in some devices: 50 micron on line without applying any treatment method (like center of gravity). The main focus of our report is new fields of applications for these detectors and the optimization of their designs for such purposes.Comment: 14 pages, 7 figures, 3 table

Estudio y planificación de contenidos, materiales y metodologías docentes según el EEES: Itinerario Ocio Digital (Cuarto Curso de Ingeniería Multimedia)

En esta memoria se describe el proyecto realizado para la planificación de contenidos, materiales y metodología docente, y el seguimiento de las asignaturas del itinerario de Creación y Entretenimiento digital del cuarto curso del Grado en Ingeniería Multimedia de la Escuela Politécnica Superior, como continuación del planteamiento realizado en el proyecto de la red de cuarto curso configurada en el año 2012-13 (identificador 2687). En el marco creado por los nuevos estudios dentro del EEES, el proyecto ha tenido como objetivo principal la preparación, coordinación y seguimiento de las asignaturas del citado itinerario, teniendo en cuenta la aplicación de la metodología de Aprendizaje Basado en Proyectos (ABP). A partir de la experiencia adquirida en la planificación de cursos previos, se han elaborado las guías docentes de las asignaturas ajustando las del curso anterior. También se presentan los resultados obtenidos en la primera experiencia llevada a cabo en este curso, expresados en horas de dedicación al proyecto y en grado de satisfacción tanto del alumnado como del profesorado con la metodología ABP. Por último, se ha creado una página web informativa del itinerario explicando todos los aspectos de la metodología, y se han elaborado dos artículos detallando toda la labor realizada

Case report: A novel case of parental mosaicism in SMC1A gene causes inherited Cornelia de Lange syndrome

Ultimate advances in genetic technologies have permitted the detection of transmitted cases of congenital diseases due to parental gonadosomatic mosaicism. Regarding Cornelia de Lange syndrome (CdLS), up to date, only a few cases are known to follow this inheritance pattern. However, the high prevalence of somatic mosaicism recently reported in this syndrome (∼13%), together with the disparity observed in tissue distribution of the causal variant, suggests that its prevalence in this disorder could be underestimated. Here, we report a new case of parental gonadosomatic mosaicism in SMC1A gene that causes inherited CdLS, in which the mother of the patient carries the causative variant in very low allele frequencies in buccal swab and blood. While the affected child presents with typical CdLS phenotype, his mother does not show any clinical manifestations. As regards SMC1A, the difficulty of clinical identification of carrier females has been already recognized, as well as the gender differences observed in CdLS expressivity when the causal variant is found in this gene. Currently, the use of DNA deep-sequencing techniques is highly recommended when it comes to molecular diagnosis of patients, as well as in co-segregation studies. These enable us to uncover gonadosomatic mosaic events in asymptomatic or oligosymptomatic parents that had been overlooked so far, which might have great implications regarding genetic counseling for recurrence risk

Clinical and epidemiological approach to delirium in an acute care unit: a cross-sectional study

During hospital admissions, the union of various factors, those related to acute pathology, dependency conditions, cognitive impairment, change of habitual environment, and others, can cause delirium. Acute delirium in the elderly (ADE) occurs in around a third of patients over 70 years of age. The syndrome generates serious complications that increase hospital morbidity and mortality and a high cost for the health administration. This study aimed to determine the clinical and epidemiological profile of ADE in an internal medicine unit. A descriptive cross-sectional study was carried out using a convenience test. A total of 356 patients participated between September and November 2021. Sociodemographic variables, predisposing and precipitating factors of ADE, methods of action against ADE, and the impact on functional and cognitive deterioration were analyzed. A total of 35.1% of the patients developed ADE, mostly of the hyperactive type and of nocturnal appearance. ADE was mainly treated with psychoactive drugs and 22% required mechanical restraint, with non-pharmacological preventive strategies, support, and caregiver training being the main tools for controlling ADE during hospital admission

Evolution of genetic networks for human creativity

The genetic basis for the emergence of creativity in modern humans remains a mystery despite sequencing the genomes of chimpanzees and Neanderthals, our closest hominid relatives. Data-driven methods allowed us to uncover networks of genes distinguishing the three major systems of modern human personality and adaptability: emotional reactivity, self-control, and self-awareness. Now we have identified which of these genes are present in chimpanzees and Neanderthals. We replicated our findings in separate analyses of three high-coverage genomes of Neanderthals. We found that Neanderthals had nearly the same genes for emotional reactivity as chimpanzees, and they were intermediate between modern humans and chimpanzees in their numbers of genes for both self-control and self-awareness. 95% of the 267 genes we found only in modern humans were not protein-coding, including many long-non-coding RNAs in the self-awareness network. These genes may have arisen by positive selection for the characteristics of human well-being and behavioral modernity, including creativity, prosocial behavior, and healthy longevity. The genes that cluster in association with those found only in modern humans are over-expressed in brain regions involved in human self-awareness and creativity, including late-myelinating and phylogenetically recent regions of neocortex for autobiographical memory in frontal, parietal, and temporal regions, as well as related components of cortico-thalamo-ponto-cerebellar-cortical and cortico-striato-cortical loops. We conclude that modern humans have more than 200 unique non-protein-coding genes regulating co-expression of many more protein-coding genes in coordinated networks that underlie their capacities for self-awareness, creativity, prosocial behavior, and healthy longevity, which are not found in chimpanzees or Neanderthals.Peer reviewe

Uncovering the complex genetics of human temperament

Experimental studies of learning suggest that human temperament may depend on the molecular mechanisms for associative conditioning, which are highly conserved in animals. The main genetic pathways for associative conditioning are known in experimental animals, but have not been identified in prior genome-wide association studies (GWAS) of human temperament. We used a data-driven machine learning method for GWAS to uncover the complex genotypic-phenotypic networks and environmental interactions related to human temperament. In a discovery sample of 2149 healthy Finns, we identified sets of single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) that cluster within particular individuals (i.e., SNP sets) regardless of phenotype. Second, we identified 3 clusters of people with distinct temperament profiles measured by the Temperament and Character Inventory regardless of genotype. Third, we found 51 SNP sets that identified 736 gene loci and were significantly associated with temperament. The identified genes were enriched in pathways activated by associative conditioning in animals, including the ERK, PI3K, and PKC pathways. 74% of the identified genes were unique to a specific temperament profile. Environmental influences measured in childhood and adulthood had small but significant effects. We confirmed the replicability of the 51 Finnish SNP sets in healthy Korean (90%) and German samples (89%), as well as their associations with temperament. The identified SNPs explained nearly all the heritability expected in each sample (37-53%) despite variable cultures and environments. We conclude that human temperament is strongly influenced by more than 700 genes that modulate associative conditioning by molecular processes for synaptic plasticity and long-term memory.Peer reviewe