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Los venenos son mezclas complejas de biomoléculas producidos en glándulas especializadas en diversas plantas o animales. Se ha reportado que los componentes mayoritarios de dichos venenos son péptidos y proteínas; los cuales son principales causantes de los síntomas clínicos derivados de un piquete/mordedura. Adicionalmente, por razones culturales y médicas, las serpientes son, probablemente, los animales venenosos más representativos. Entre estos animales, las serpientes de cascabel son altamente temidas y en muchos casos sus venenos han sido poco estudiados. En el estado de Sonora, México se han descrito 12 especies de serpientes de cascabel, todas consideradas altamente venenosas ya que su mordedura requiere atención médica. En ese sentido, se ha reportado que componentes del veneno de estas especies presentan actividad antibacteriana, anticancerígena, entre otras. En este artículo describimos brevemente que los venenos de algunas serpientes sonorenses contienen prometedores componentes de alta importancia farmacéutica y biotecnológica y por qué deberíamos prestarles atención.

BackgroundOn January 1, 2020, the Dutch Compulsory Care Act (WvGGZ) replaced the Special Admissions Act (BOPZ). While the old law only allowed compulsory treatment in hospitals, the new law allows it both inside and outside the hospital. Moreover, the new law prioritizes the patient's own opinion on coercive measures. By following patients' own choices, the Compulsory Care Act is hoped to lead to fewer admission days and less inpatient compulsory treatment in involuntarily admitted patients.MethodsWe studied the seclusion and enforced-medication events before and after January 1, 2020, using coercive measures monitoring data in a Mental Health Trust. Trends in hours of seclusion and the number of enforced-medication events per month from 2012 to 2019 were compared with 2020. We used generalized linear models to perform time series analysis. Logistic regression analyses and generalized linear models were performed to investigate whether patient compilation determined some of the observed changes in seclusion use or enforced-medication events.ResultsThe mean number of hours of seclusion between 2012 and 2019 was 27,124 per year, decreasing from 48,542 in 2012 to 21,133 in 2019 to 3,844 h in 2020. The mean incidence of enforced-medication events between 2012 and 2019 was 167, increasing from 90 in 2012 to 361 in 2019 and then fell to 294 in 2020. In 2020, we observed 3,844 h of seclusion and 294 enforced-medication events. Near to no outpatient coercion was reported, even though it was warranted. The time series analysis showed a significant effect of the year 2020 on seclusion hours (β = −1.867; Exp(β) = 0.155, Wald = 27.22, p = 0.001), but not on enforced-medication events [β = 0.48; Exp(β) = 1.616, Wald = 2.33, p = 0.13].DiscussionThere was a reduction in the number of seclusion hours after the introduction of the Compulsory Care Act. The number of enforced-medication events also increased from a very low baseline, but from 2017 onwards. To see whether these findings are consistent over time, they need to be replicated in the near future.ConclusionWe observed a significant increase in enforced-medication use and a decrease in seclusion hours. The year 2020 predicted seclusion hours, but not enforced-medication events.

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) ranks fifth in occurrence and second in mortality of all cancers. The development of effective therapies for HCC is urgently needed. Anticancer drugs targeted to the liver-specific asialoglycoprotein receptors (ASGPRs) are viewed as a promising potential treatment for HCC. ASGPRs facilitate the recognition and endocytosis of molecules, and possibly vehicles with galactose end groups, by the liver. In this study, bovine serum albumin (BSA) was conjugated with lactose using a thermal treatment. The formation of lactosylated BSA (BSA-Lac) was confirmed by a change of the chemical structure, increased molecular mass, and Ricinus communis lectin recognition. Subsequently, the low-crosslinking BSA-Lac nanoparticles (LC BSA-Lac NPs) and high-crosslinking BSA-Lac nanoparticles (HC BSA-Lac NPs) were synthesized. These nanoparticles presented spherical shapes with a size distribution of 560 ± 18.0 nm and 539 ± 9.0 nm, as well as an estimated surface charge of −26 ± 0.15 mV and −24 ± 0.45 mV, respectively. Both BSA-Lac NPs were selectively recognized by ASGPRs as shown by biorecognition, competition, and inhibition assays using an in vitro model of HCC. This justifies pursuing the strategy of using BSA-Lac NPs as potential drug nanovehicles with selective direction toward hepatocellular carcinoma.

Silica nanoparticles were functionalized with immobilized molecular bait, Cibacron Blue, and a porous polymeric bis-acrylamide shell. These nanoparticles represent a new alternative to capture low molecular weight (LMW) proteins/peptides, that might be potential biomarkers. Functionalized core-shell silica nanoparticles (FCSNP) presented a size distribution of 243.9 ± 11.6 nm and an estimated surface charge of −38.1 ± 0.9 mV. The successful attachment of compounds at every stage of synthesis was evidenced by ATR-FTIR. The capture of model peptides was determined by mass spectrometry, indicating that only the peptide with a long sequence of hydrophobic amino acids (alpha zein 34-mer) interacted with the molecular bait. FCSNP excluded the high molecular weight protein (HMW), BSA, and captured LMW proteins (myoglobin and aprotinin), as evidenced by SDS-PAGE. Functionalization of nanoparticles with Cibacron Blue was crucial to capture these molecules. FCSNP were stable after twelve months of storage and maintained a capacity of 3.1–3.4 µg/mg.

To establish whether patients with a crisis plan had fewer voluntary or involuntary admissions, or fewer outpatient emergency visits, than patients without such a plan.Multicenter randomized controlled trial with two intervention conditions and one control condition.Adult outpatients diagnosed with psychotic or bipolar disorder who had experienced at least one psychiatric crisis in the previous two years.Two types of advance statement were used: (1) a crisis plan formulated by the patient with the help of a patient advocate (Patient Advocate Crisis Plan: PACP); and (2) a crisis plan developed together with the clinician (Clinician-facilitated Crisis Plan: CCP).The percentages of patients admitted voluntarily or involuntarily (on an emergency basis or by court order), and the percentage who made outpatient emergency visits over an 18-month follow-up period.A total of 212 patients were included: 69 in the PACP condition, 70 in the CCP condition, and 73 in the control condition. No effects of the two interventions were found on the numbers of voluntary admissions, involuntary admissions and emergency visits. Regarding involuntary admissions, there was no significant effect on emergency admissions, which were 17% (12/69) in the PACP condition, 10% (7/70) in the CCP condition, and 19% (14/73) in the control condition. There was a significant effect on planned court-ordered admissions, with 16% (11/69) in the PACP condition, 10% (7/70) in the CCP condition, and 26% (19/73) in the control condition. Finally, the interventions had no effect on outpatient emergency visits, with 32% (22/69) in the PACP group, 31% (22/70) in the CCP group, and 34% (25/73) in the control group.Crisis plans may be an effective intervention for reducing court-ordered admissions in patients with psychotic and bipolar disorders.Current Controlled Trails NTR1166.

Byline: Chang-Xing Ma (1), George Casella (1), Ramon C. Littell (1), Andre I. Khuri (1), Rongling Wu (1) Keywords: Allometry; EM Algorithm; Linkage; Poplar QTL Abstract: Allometric scaling relationships or quarter-power rules, as a universal biological law, can be viewed as having some genetic component, and the particular genes (or quantitative trait loci, QTL) underlying these allometric relationships can be mapped using molecular markers. We develop a mathematical and statistical model for mapping allometric QTL on the basis of nonlinear power functions using Taylor's approximation theory. Simulation studies indicate that the QTL position and effect can be estimated using our model, but the estimation precision can be improved from the higher- over lower-order approximation when the sample size used and gene effects are small. The application of our approach in a real example from forest trees leads to successful detection of a QTL governing the allometric relationship between 3rd-year stem height and 3rd-year stem biomass. It is expected that our model will have broad implications for genetic, evolutionary, biomedical and breeding research. Author Affiliation: (1) Department of Statistics, University of Florida, 533 McCarty Hall C, Gainesville, FL 32611, USA (2) Laboratory of Statistical Genetics, Zhejiang College of Forestry, Linan, Zhejiang, 311300, People's Republic of China Article History: Registration Date: 01/01/2003 Received Date: 10/11/2001 Online Date: 15/05/2003

Introdução: O objetivo deste estudo foi relacionar os níveis de citrulina sérica à rejeição celular aguda após transplante intestinal, avaliando a citrulina como método laboratorial menos invasivo e de menor custo que a biópsia endoscópica para diagnosticar a mais importante complicação após transplante intestinal. Métodos: Estudo aprovado pelo Comitê de Ética em Pesquisa com Animais e realizado em caráter experimental no Batchelor Research Institute da Universidade de Miami, no período de agosto a dezembro de 2004. Foram realizados cinco transplantes heterotópicos de intestino, com duas estomias e vascularização da artéria mesentérica superior na aorta e drenagem venosa do mesentério na veia cava. Amostras de sangue foram colhidas no 3º, 5º e 7º dias pré- e pós-operatórios. Resultados: Os níveis de citrulina sérica variaram de 78 a 99 µmol/L no pré-transplante, de 44 a 54 µmol/L no pós-transplante 3, de 62 a 73 µmol/L no pós-transplante 5 e de 36 a 60 µmol/L no pós-transplante 7. Os níveis médios de citrulina sérica nos pós-transplante 3,5 e 7 foram significativamente menores comparados ao correspondente no pré-transplante. Conclusão: Os níveis séricos diminuíram durante a rejeição celular aguda, o que pode indicar a citrulina como marcadora precoce de episódios de rejeição celular aguda no transplante intestinal.