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The article focuses on the Salvadoran Catholic Church's opposition to the government's decision to lift a ban on metal mining. Topics include concerns over the environmental and water crisis linked to mining, skepticism toward President Nayib Bukele's claims of economic benefits, and the Church's growing willingness to challenge the administration on social and political issues.

The article discusses the decrease in migrant encounters at the U.S.-Mexico border and Mexico's increased enforcement role in 2024. It states that after the implementation of stricter U.S. asylum restrictions in June, there was a significant drop in encounters along the southwestern border. It highlights Mexico's growing involvement in detaining and containing migrants, with many being redirected to Mexico's southern states where resources and opportunities are limited.

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The article reports on the decision by Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador (AMLO) to let the public know the full details of then-confidential corruption allegations made by former Pemex chief Emilio Lozoya. Topics covered include Lozoya's claim that he took bribes from Odebrecht that helped fund Pena Nieto's campaign in 2012, AMLO's stance on corruption that earned him high marks in opinion polls, and the charges of corruption he himself is facing.

We describe the benefits of, critical impediments to, and crucial enablers for virtual verification. This will provide help for overcoming difficulties and starting a constructive dialogue among ecosystem actors in the automotive industry.

Russia's state broadcaster RT has been successful in expanding its audience in Latin America, particularly in Mexico. RT's Spanish-language service, Actualidad RT, and sister network Sputnik Mundo, promote Russian talking points on the war in Ukraine, conspiracy theories, and positive coverage of leftist presidents in Latin America. This propaganda has found allies in Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador's orbit, and his government advertises in a pro-Russian newspaper. Russia's influence in Latin America is part of its broader strategy to undermine US influence, strengthen authoritarianism, and build a network of allies. Countering Russian disinformation in the region requires a nuanced approach and a clear understanding of the unique history and dynamics of each country. [Extracted from the article]

The article focuses on Argentina's President-elect Javier Milei, who, despite his earlier confrontational stance towards the Catholic Church and Pope Francis, engaged in a phone call with the Pope after his election victory. Topics include Milei's political shift, questions about his governance style, and the potential impact of the Pope's response on mending relations with the Catholic Church in Argentina.

Despite the recent advances in our understanding of the role of lipids, metabolites and related enzymes in mediating kidney injury, there is limited integrated multi-omics data identifying potential metabolic pathways driving impaired kidney function. The limited availability of kidney biopsies from living donors with acute kidney injury has remained a major constraint. Here, we validated the use of deceased transplant donor kidneys as a good model to study acute kidney injury in humans and characterized these kidneys using imaging and multi-omics approaches. We noted consistent changes in kidney injury and inflammatory markers in donors with reduced kidney function. Neighborhood and correlation analyses of imaging mass cytometry data showed that subsets of kidney cells (proximal tubular cells and fibroblasts) are associated with the expression profile of kidney immune cells, potentially linking these cells to kidney inflammation. Integrated transcriptomic and metabolomic analysis of human kidneys showed that kidney arachidonic acid metabolism and seven other metabolic pathways were upregulated following diminished kidney function. To validate the arachidonic acid pathway in impaired kidney function we demonstrated increased levels of cytosolic phospholipase A2 protein and related lipid mediators (prostaglandin E2) in the injured kidneys. Further, inhibition of cytosolic phospholipase A2 reduced injury and inflammation in human kidney proximal tubular epithelial cells in vitro. Thus, our study identified cell types and metabolic pathways that may be critical for controlling inflammation associated with impaired kidney function in humans.

The article discusses issues of surveillance and espionage in Mexico targeting human right defenders and journalists. Topics discussed include email received by human rights center Centro Pro from Apple warning possible targeting by state-sponsored attackers lead to suspicions of spying using Pegasus spyware, history of military in Mexico in targeting journalists, and increased role of army in public security of human rights violations.

Understanding the mechanism of fibrillization of amyloid forming peptides could be useful for the development of therapeutics for Alzheimer’s disease (AD). Taking this standpoint, we have explored in this work the free energy profile for the interconversion of monomeric and dimeric forms of amyloid forming peptides into different secondary structures namely beta-sheet, helix, and random coil in aqueous solution using umbrella sampling simulations and density functional theory calculations. We show that the helical structures of amyloid peptides can form β sheet rich aggregates through random coil conformations in aqueous condition. Recent experiments (Chem. Eur. J.2018, 24, 3397–3402 and ACS Appl. Mater. Interfaces2017, 9, 21116–21123) show that molybdenum disulfide nanosurface and nanoparticles can reduce the fibrillization process of amyloid beta peptides. We have unravelled the free energy profile for the interconversion of helical forms of amyloid forming peptides into beta-sheet and random coil in the presence of a two-dimensional nanosurface of MoS2. Results indicate that the monomer and dimeric forms of the peptides adopt the random coil conformation in the presence of MoS2while the helical form is preferable for the monomeric form and that the beta-sheet and helix forms are the preferable forms for dimers in aqueous solution. This is due to strong interaction with MoS2and intramolecular hydrogen bonds of random coil conformation. The stabilization of random coil conformation does not lead to a β sheet like secondary structure for the aggregate. Thus, the confinement of MoS2promotes deaggregation of amyloid beta peptides rather than aggregation, something that could be useful for the development of therapeutics for AD.

Purpose: Clostridioides difficileinfection (CDI) is the leading cause of antibiotic-related diarrhea and healthcare-associated infections, affecting in particular elderly patients and their global health. This review updates the understanding of this infection, with focus on cognitive impairment and frailty as both risk factors and consequence of CDI, summarizing recent knowledge and potential mechanisms to this interplay. Methods: A literature search was conducted including terms that would incorporate cognitive and functional impairment, aging, quality of life, morbidity and mortality with CDI, microbiome and the gut–brain axis. Results: Advanced age remains a critical risk for severe disease, recurrence, and mortality in CDI. Observational and quality of life studies show evidence of functional loss in older people after acute CDI. In turn, frailty and cognitive impairment are independent predictors of death following CDI. CDI has long-term impact in the elderly, leading to increased risk of readmissions and mortality even months after the acute event. Immune senescence and the aging microbiota are key in susceptibility to CDI, with factors including inflammation and exposure to luminal microbial products playing a role in the gut–brain axis. Conclusions: Frailty and poor health status are risk factors for CDI in the elderly. CDI affects quality of life, cognition and functionality, contributing to a decline in patient health over time and leading to early and late mortality. Narrative synthesis of the evidence suggests a framework for viewing the cycle of functional and cognitive decline in the elderly with CDI, impacting the gut–brain and gut–muscle axes.

The article focuses on the mixed messages of the Catholic Church in Canada about vaccination against COVID-19 in 2021. It cites the actions taken by the federal government to encourage the public to receive the vaccination such as loss of employment for civil servants. Scholar D. W. Lafferty points out the presence of resistance and populism in the country. Also noted is the promotion of vaccinations by Catholic bishops.

We investigate the dynamics of resonant Raman scattering in the course of the frequency detuning. The dephasing in the time domain makes the scattering fast when the photon energy is tuned from the absorption resonance. This makes frequency detuning to act as a camera shutter with a regulated scattering duration and provides a practical tool of controlling the scattering time in ordinary stationary measurements. The theory is applied to resonant Raman spectra of a couple of few-mode model systems and to trans-1,3,5-hexatriene and guanine-cytosine (G-C) Watson-Crick base pairs (DNA) molecules. Besides some particular physical effects, the regime of fast scattering leads to a simplification of the spectrum as well as to the scattering theory itself. Strong overtones appear in the Raman spectra when the photon frequency is tuned in the resonant region, while in the mode of fast scattering, the overtones are gradually quenched when the photon frequency is tuned more than one vibrational quantum below the first absorption resonance. The detuning from the resonant region thus leads to a strong purification of the Raman spectrum from the contamination by higher overtones and soft modes and purifies the spectrum also in terms of avoidance of dissociation and interfering fluorescence decay of the resonant state. This makes frequency detuning a very useful practical tool in the analysis of the resonant Raman spectra of complex systems and considerably improves the prospects for using the Raman effect for detection of foreign substances at ultra-low concentrations.

Monoamine oxidase-A (MAO-A) is a key mitochondrial enzyme that metabolizes biogenic amine neurotransmitters such as dopamine and serotonin. Individuals with atypical depression (AD) are particularly responsive to treatment with MAO inhibitors (MAOIs). Biomarker tests are essential for prompt diagnosis of AD, and to identify those with an altered brain neurotransmitter metabolism who may selectively respond to MAOI therapy.

Objective:To study the effect of repeated removal of four different adhesive dressings on peri-ulcer skin using quantitative non-invasive techniques.Method:Forty-five patients with open (n=29) or healed (n=16) venous leg ulcers were included. Peri-ulcer skin was treated for 14 days with patches of two different hydrocolloid-based adhesive dressings, one polyurethane adhesive and one soft silicone adhesive dressing. Normal skin of the patients’ ventral forearm was also treated identically. Adhesive patches of the dressings were replaced every second day. The skin barrier function was assessed by measuring transepidermal water loss and stratum corneum hydration by measuring electrical conductance.Results:Thirty-nine patients completed the study. The hydrocolloid adhesives increased transepidermal water loss and conductance while the polyurethane and soft silicone adhesives did not influence these parameters significantly compared with adjacent non-treated peri-ulcer skin. For normal forearm skin, similar relative effects among the four adhesives were found.Conclusion:Repetitive treatment with hydrocolloid-based adhesive dressings induced major functional alterations of the stratum corneum. In contrast, a polyurethane adhesive and a soft silicone adhesive dressing did not alter transepidermal water loss or conductance of peri-ulcer skin.Declaration of interest:This study was funded by Mölnlycke Health Care AB, Göteborg, Sweden.

A population‐based serosurvey of Human Herpesvirus type 8 (HHV8) in Västerbotten county, an area of Northern Sweden with high incidence of Kaposi's Sarcoma, was conducted. Serum samples from an age‐ and sex‐stratified random sample of 520 subjects (260 men and 260 women) participating in a population‐based biobanking project were tested for antibodies against HHV8, using a sensitive indirect immunofluorescence assay to latent and lytic HHV8 antigens. Buffy coat DNA was also analyzed for viral DNA using real time PCR assay. HHV8 DNA was not detectable in any one of the buffy coat samples. Eighty‐four subjects (16.2%) were HHV8 seropositive, 14.4% for the lytic HHV8 antigen, and 1.7% for the latent HHV8 antigen. HHV8 seroprevalences were not associated significantly with sex or age. HHV8 seropositivity was more common among smokers (OR: 1.95, 95% CI: 1.02–3.75), but was less common among consumers of wine and spirits (OR: 0.44, 95% CI: 0.25–0.77 and OR: 0.50, 95% CI: 0.26–0.95, respectively). In summary, HHV8 has an intermediate high and stable seroprevalence rate in Northern Sweden, but environmental determinants that can explain the viral distribution were not found. J. Med. Virol.78:372–378, 2006. © 2006 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.

We briefly outline a modelling strategy, combining quantum chemistry and molecular dynamics simulations, for obtaining macroscopic nonlinear optical coeffcients in guest-host systems like chromophores in solutions or in polymer matrices. The parameters required for the calculation of the macroscopic nonlinear optical property, like the chromophore number density, local field factors, and the order parameter of the chromophore molecules, are derived. These parameters, together with the molecular first hyperpolarizabilities, obtained from quantum chemistry calculations, are used to estimate the macroscopic electro-optic coeffcients. The combined approach leads to some new conclusions about the relation of the chromophore property and its solvent interactions in order to optimize the nonlinear optical coeffcient. For instance, from the simulation results a totally different notion is derived about the collective properties of octupolar molecules. We find that such molecules receive a solvent induced dipole moment that makes it possible to pole them by an external electric field, but also that they can aggregate as an effect of this solvent interaction.

The roles of polymorphisms of the sitosterolemia genes ABCG5 and ABCG8 in the regulation of cholesterol metabolism and insulin sensitivity were studied in mildly hypercholesterolemic noncoronary subjects (n = 263, 144 men and 119 women) divided into tertiles by baseline serum cholestanol-to-cholesterol ratio (< or = 118.3 and > or = 147.7 10(2) x mmol/mol cholesterol), a surrogate marker of cholesterol absorption efficiency. The lowest cholestanol tertile was associated with high body mass index (BMI), plasma glucose, serum insulin and triglycerides, and cholesterol synthesis markers (cholestenol, desmosterol, lathosterol) and low HDL cholesterol and cholesterol absorption markers (campesterol, sitosterol) (P < 0.01 for all). The 19H allele of the ABCG8 gene accumulated in the lowest cholestanol tertile (P < 0.001) and was associated with low total and LDL cholesterol and absorption markers and with high synthesis markers (P < 0.05 for all). The 604E allele of the ABCG5 gene in men was associated with high BMI, plasma insulin, low serum sitosterol, and high serum cholestenol levels (P < 0.05 for all). In a subgroup of 71 men, the 604E allele was associated with insulin resistance measured with the hyperinsulinemic euglycemic clamp. In conclusion, low cholesterol absorption efficiency was associated with characteristics of the metabolic syndrome. Low serum cholesterol and cholesterol absorption were linked to the D19H polymorphism of the ABCG8 gene, and characteristics of the insulin resistance syndrome in men were linked with the Q604E polymorphism of the ABCG5 gene.

Excessive matrix metalloproteinase activities have been implicated in the pathogenesis of intestinal anastomotic dehiscence, a serious and potentially life-threatening complication following gastrointestinal surgery. In this review, the properties of matrix metalloproteinases are summarized followed by presentation of clinical therapeutic interventions with synthetic matrix metalloproteinase inhibitors and novel experimental data on colon anastomosis repair that warrant exploration of these drugs in surgical colorectal patients.

Influenza is an important cause of hospitalization due to lower respiratory tract involvement for which there is no specific antiviral treatment with proven efficacy. We conducted a double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled trial to assess the tolerability and efficacy of nebulized zanamivir (16 mg four times a day) in combination with rimantadine compared to rimantadine with nebulized saline for treating influenza in adults hospitalized with influenza. Twenty patients tolerated the inhaled zanamivir (ZNV) plus rimantadine without decline in peak expiratory flow rates compared to the 21 who received inhaled saline. The study was terminated early because the approval of ZNV made further enrolment untenable. No significant differences were observed in the proportion of patients shedding virus by treatment day 3 (57% ZNV plus rimantadine, 67% placebo plus rimantadine), or in the durations of hospitalization and supplemental oxygen use. More ZNV plus rimantadine recipients exhibited no or mild cough on day 3 of treatment (94 vs 55%, P=0.01). Two rimantadine-resistant viruses emerged during rimantadine monotherapy; no ZNV resistance was observed. Nebulized ZNV appears to be well tolerated in this hospitalized population but further studies are needed to assess its efficacy.

The electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) g and ¹⁴N hyperfine coupling (A) tensors of a nitroxide spin label are calculated with density-functional theory (DFT). The influence on the spin label from nearby amino acids in the extracellular part of tissue factor (sTF) and activated factor VII (FVIIa) protein complex is investigated. For that purpose, the nitroxide unit and six surrounding amino acids within 5 Å are selected on the basis of a molecular mechanics structure of the protein complex. The effects of the surroundings on the EPR parameters of the spin label can be divided into indirect effects caused by the induced structure changes of the spin label and direct effects. The structural changes are larger in the present case. The experimentally measurable hyperfine tensor component perpendicular to the molecular plane of the spin label, Azz, as well as the g tensor component along the NO direction, gxx, are significant probes of the intramolecular structure of the spin label. This indicates the possibility of relating EPR properties to the geometric structure of radical sites. The direct environmental effects on the g tensor from the surrounding amino acids mainly affect the second-order spin−orbit/orbital Zeeman cross-term contributions from the spin label itself. The direct effects originating elsewhere in the model are small. Neither the g nor A tensors display additivity of the effects of individual amino acids on the final observable. The results underline the feasibility of DFT calculations of the EPR parameters in large molecular systems, such as spin labels and other radicals in proteins.

The effects of the addition of two different types of cosurfactants, n-alkylamine and n-alkyl alcohol, on the phase behavior of silicate-surfactant mesophases and the pore size of the calcined materials have been investigated using X-ray diffraction, N2-sorption, TG-MS, and solid state ¹H and ¹³C NMR spectroscopy. The cosurfactants were added to a standard room-temperature synthesis, which results in a MCM-41 type, hexagonally ordered material in the absence of cosurfactant. Their addition led either to an increase or a decrease of the pore size and d spacing of the hexagonal mesophase, depending on the nature of the polar headgroup and on the chain length of the cosurfactant. For high cosurfactant/surfactant ratios, however, a transition to a lamellar phase was usually observed. The d spacing and the pore size of the hexagonal mesophase can be decreased considerably down to the supermicropore range by addition of butylamine without a marked decrease in the long-range order of the material. The addition of alcohol, on the other hand, resulted in an increase in the d spacing of the hexagonal phase by up to 3 Å. These results are discussed in terms of differences in the ability of the cosurfactants to interact with the silicate as well as cosurfactant-induced changes in the packing parameter.

We present comprehensive measurements of the C (carbon) K edge near-edge X-ray absorption (NEXAFS) spectra of all 20 amino acids commonly occurring in nature. Qualitative trends among the spectra of amino acids with similar chemical character are identified and spectral features are compared with extensive ab initio calculations. The contributions of individual units and substitutional groups have been determined to explore their fingerprinting character using the building block concept. Several such units are found. Two that give particularly clear features in the C 1s NEXAFS spectra are the carboxyl group (which can be clearly identified by a pronounced structure due to the C 1s→π*C&dbd;O transition with maximum at 288.65(5) eV) and modified phenol rings in aromatic amino acids (which give sharp C 1s→π*C&dbd;C structures). The latter transitions are located around 285 eV, and their shape is specific for each aromatic amino acid. Other building blocks, such as the CNHn group and the CH, CC, CO, CN pair bonds, are also identified, although their characteristic features are less pronounced in the C K edge spectra than the carboxylic and aromatic structures. This study provides the basis for rigorous assignment of the NEXAFS spectra of the amino acids, and will be helpful in developing X-ray absorption spectroscopy for quantitative analysis of proteins.

Hybrid density functional calculations have been performed for the reductive activation of dioxygen by glucose oxidase, for which recent experiments have shown substantial kinetic ¹⁸O isotope effects but no deuterium isotope effect. The present analysis of the mechanism suggests that this surprising isotope effect is best explained if the rate-determining step is the triplet → singlet interconversion that follows after the electron transfer and the superoxide ion production. The oxygen isotope effect is rationalized by an analysis of the spin−orbit coupling in the radical pair M ^• +···O2^•-, where M is the FADH2 cofactor. For the electron transfer between the M and O2, the presence of the protonated His516 plays a crucial role by strongly increasing the electron affinity of O2, which makes the electron transfer exothermic and allows it to occur without any barrier. The chemical step where hydrogen peroxide is formed has a computed free-energy barrier of only 6.6 kcal/mol.

Mesoscopically ordered silicate−surfactant composite materials of the M41S type synthesized in the presence of a swollen agent have been characterized by in situ and ex situ X-ray diffraction analysis. The key feature of the room-temperature synthesis is the use of a mixture of cationic and anionic surfactants as structure-directing agents. The lower interfacial charge density of the mixed surfactant aggregates stabilizes structures of lower interfacial curvature and therefore facilitates a more controlled solubilization of organic swelling agents. An increased solubilization capacity of the catanionic surfactant−silicate mesophase was observed close to an anionic/cationic surfactant ratio corresponding to a transition to the lamellar phase in the absence of toluene. In the presence of toluene, the catanionic template stabilizes microemulsion droplets that serve as building blocks for the final material. However, a fair amount of organic compound is solubilized in the silica−catanionic surfactant composite after the mesophase is formed. Although the present communication concerns mesoporous silica, the concept is a general one and may allow the synthesis of non-siliceous large-pore materials.