Search

Antioxidants agents play an essential role in the food industry for improving the oxidative stability of food products. In the last years, the search for new natural antioxidants has increased due to the potential high toxicity of chemical additives. Therefore, the synthesis and evaluation of the antioxidant activity in peptides is a field of current research. In this study, we performed a Quantitative Structure Activity Relationship analysis (QSAR) of cysteine-containing 19 dipeptides and 19 tripeptides. The main objective is to bring information on the relationship between the structure of peptides and their antioxidant activity. For this purpose, 1D and 2D molecular descriptors were calculated using the PaDEL software, which provides information about the structure, shape, size, charge, polarity, solubility and other aspects of the compounds. Different QSAR model for di- and tripeptides were developed. The statistic parameters for di-peptides model (R2train = 0.947 and R2test = 0.804) and for tripeptide models (R2train = 0.923 and R2test = 0.847) indicate that the generated models have high predictive capacity. Then, the influence of the cysteine position was analyzed predicting the antioxidant activity for new di- and tripeptides, and comparing them with glutathione. In dipeptides, excepting SC, TC and VC, the activity increases when cysteine is at the N-terminal position. For tripeptides, we observed a notable increase in activity when cysteine is placed in the N-terminal position. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Improved survival rates in extremely low birth weight (ELBW) neonates require smaller instruments and newer techniques to manage atelectasis in neonates on mechanical ventilation. Case presentation: A chronically ventilated 23-week gestational age neonate weighing 465g developed worsening respiratory distress on day of life 17. X-rays showed complete opacification of the left lung. Flexible fiberoptic bronchoscopy (FFB) was performed with a 2.2 mm bronchoscope through the endotracheal tube (ETT), where an occlusive mucus plug was visualized in the left mainstem bronchus. Due to the lack of suction capability with this bronchoscope and inability to pass a larger one, the bronchoscope was positioned proximal to the mucous plug, the ETT was advanced over the bronchoscope, thereby selectively intubating the left mainstem bronchus, the bronchoscope was removed, an 8Fr suction catheter was inserted, and suction was applied resulting in successfully removal of the mucous plug. Immediate clinical improvement and reaeration of the left lung were noted. Conclusion: This case introduces a novel FFB technique to manage left lung atelectasis in critically ill ELBW neonates. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The HClO scavenging capacity of a group of heteroaryl‐nitrones (HA−N) that contain a substituted five‐membered ring (furan or thiophene) in their structure was studied using experimental and quantum computational methods. Experimentally, it was found that four HA−N showed scavenging activity with IC50 values ranging from 26.15 to 61.20 nM, while two HA−N were found to be inactive. To explain the HClO activity of the analyzed HA−N, we proposed and investigated a reaction mechanism based on a nucleophilic attack by the hypochlorous anion (pKa=7.46) on α‐carbon of each HA−N, taking into account the results obtained by calculating the electrostatic potential. For this purpose, we used the B3LYP functional of the density functional theory (DFT) and the basis set 6‐311+G(d,p) included in the Gaussian 09 program. We calculated the rate constants (k), the HOMO and LUMO energies, and several reactivity indices such as the electronic chemical potential (μ), chemical hardness (η), and global electrophilicity (ω) to establish a quantified relationship with the observed activities. The SAR analysis and the correlation between the rate constants and the global electrophilicity with the HClO scavenging activity allow us to explain the experimental activity presented by the six HA−N analyzed here. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has had a significant impact on dermatology, but to date no bibliometric analysis of this field has been identified. Therefore, the aim of this study was to perform a bibliometric indicator analysis of the worldwide scientific production of COVID-19 in dermatology. Materials and Methods: An advanced bibliographic search was performed in the Scopus database to identify articles on COVID-19 and dermatology from 2020 to 2021. The collected information was analysed with SciVal software. Bibliometric data were described through figures and summary tables. Results: A total of 1448 documents were collected and analysed. Torello Lotti was the author with the greatest scientific production; however, Esther Freeman had the greatest impact. Harvard University was the institution with the highest number of published articles. Most papers were published in the first quartiles. The United States and Italy were the leading countries in terms of production. Articles with international collaboration had the highest impact. Conclusion: Articles related to dermatology and COVID-19 are mostly published with American and Italian affiliations. In addition, there has been an increase in the distribution of articles published in the first quartile, which would reflect a growing interest in the community. Publications with international collaboration reported the highest impact, so future authors should take this into account. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The inferior vena cava (IVC) is a critical structure for venous return to the heart, and congenital anomalies of the IVC, though rare, can have significant clinical implications during procedures like catheter ablation for arrhythmias. In this case, a 26-year-old male presented with left-sided chest pressure after a routine exercise. Electrocardiography (ECG) revealed a delta wave and shortened PR interval, consistent with Wolf-Parkinson-White (WPW) syndrome, which involves an accessory electrical pathway leading to supraventricular tachycardia. Catheter ablation was planned to treat WPW syndrome; however, during the procedure, access to the right atrium via the IVC was obstructed due to an undiagnosed congenital IVC anomaly. Imaging revealed that the IVC was interrupted at the abdominal level, with venous return rerouted through an enlarged azygos vein into the superior vena cava. This anomaly prevented the use of the standard transvenous approach for ablation, and alternative approaches requiring specialized equipment and a highly skilled team available only at a tertiary care center were necessary. The patient was subsequently referred to such a center for further management. The IVC anomaly directly affected the procedural outcome, making pre-procedural imaging important when unexpected difficulties arise during ablation for WPW. This case demonstrates how congenital vascular anomalies may complicate standard electrophysiological procedures, especially in arrhythmia management. Future research should focus on developing alternative ablation techniques, such as the aortic approach, which may offer solutions for patients with vascular anomalies but require specialized facilities. While routine imaging for all WPW patients is not necessary, this case suggests that early imaging should be considered when procedural access is unexpectedly difficult. Establishing protocols and training for these complex scenarios is important for improving outcomes in similar cases., Competing Interests: Human subjects: Consent was obtained or waived by all participants in this study. Conflicts of interest: In compliance with the ICMJE uniform disclosure form, all authors declare the following: Payment/services info: All authors have declared that no financial support was received from any organization for the submitted work. Financial relationships: All authors have declared that they have no financial relationships at present or within the previous three years with any organizations that might have an interest in the submitted work. Other relationships: All authors have declared that there are no other relationships or activities that could appear to have influenced the submitted work., (Copyright © 2024, Rivera-Martinez et al.)