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Abstract INTRODUCTION Olfactory dysfunction can be an early sign of Alzheimer's disease (AD). We used tau positron emission tomography‐magnetic resonance (PET‐MR) to analyze a key region of the olfactory circuit, the piriform cortex, in comparison to the adjacent medial temporal lobe. METHODS Using co‐registered magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and 18F‐PI‐2620 tau PET‐MR scans in 94 older adults, we computed tau uptake in the piriform‐periamygdaloid cortex, amygdala, entorhinal‐perirhinal cortices, and hippocampus. RESULTS We found an ordinal cross‐sectional increase in piriform cortex tau uptake with increasing disease severity (amyloid‐negative controls, amyloid‐positive controls, mild cognitive impairment [MCI] and AD), comparable to entorhinal‐perirhinal cortex. Amyloid‐positive controls showed significantly greater tau uptake than amyloid‐negative controls. Negative correlations were present between memory performance and piriform uptake. Piriform uptake was not elevated in cognitively unimpaired Parkinson's disease. DISCUSSION Cross‐sectionally, there is an early increase in tau uptake in the piriform cortex in AD but not in Parkinson's disease. Highlights Positron emission tomography–magnetic resonance (PET‐MR) analysis of the piriform cortex sheds light on its role as a potential early region affected by neurodegenerative disorders underlying olfactory dysfunction. Uptake of tau tracer was elevated in the piriform cortex in Alzheimer's disease (AD) and mild cognitive impairment (MCI) but not in Parkinson's disease (PD). Memory performance was worse with greater piriform uptake.

IntroductionChitosan membranes with glycerol can function as an effective dispersing agent for different antibiotics or active ingredients that can be used in the treatment of diseases present in the oral cavity.MethodsThe effects of the addition of glycerol on the mechanical, water absorption, swelling, pH, thickness, disintegration, rugosity, and antibacterial properties of chitosan-chlorhexidine- glycerol membranes were investigated in this study.Results and discussionMechanical results indicated that chitosan membranes' rugosity, strength, flexion, and thickness differed at loading 1, 3, 5, 10, 15, and 20% of glycerol (p < 0.05). The chitosan membranes' rugosity, dissolution, strength, and pH results were significantly enhanced by the presence of glycerol at 3, 5, and 10% concentrations. In this investigation, the antimicrobial activity model used was the inhibition of Streptococcus mutans CDBB-B-1455 by chitosan-chlorhexidine membranes. It was observed that there was no change in inhibition with different concentrations of glycerol. The results suggest that chitosan-glycerol-chlorhexidine membranes may be a potential candidate for topical antiseptic application in buccal-dental disorders caused by S. mutans, such as caries, periodontal diseases, and oral squamous cell carcinoma, helping to prevent the development of serious conditions that can compromise human health.

Objetivo: Describir el uso de la terapia de presión negativa con (TPNi) y sin instilación (TPNs) como tratamiento adyuvante en el manejo de infecciones asociadas a dispositivo ortopédico (IADO). Método: Estudio observacional analítico de expedientes de pacientes con IADO manejados con TPNi y TPNs con solución salina al 0.9%, mayores de 18 años, operados en el periodo 2018-2021. Se evaluaron las características clínicas de infección, el agente infeccioso y las variables sociodemográficas. La TPN se realizó con sistema V.A.C.VERAFLO™. Para los análisis se emplearon las pruebas χ2, Fisher y t de Student. Valor estadísticamente aceptado: p < 0.05. Resultados: La muestra fue de 40 pacientes, el 75% masculinos. Fracturas: 42.5% expuestas y 57.5% cerradas. En el 92.5% se aplicó antibiótico profiláctico (30-120 min). Implantes: 35% placas, 12.5% clavo centromedular, 10% prótesis de rodilla y 12.5% cadera. El 47.5% con sangrado < 500 ml. En el 72.5% un tiempo quirúrgico de 2-4 horas. Tiempo de hospitalización previa: TPNs 3 semanas 55.9% y 4 semanas 26.5%; TPNi 3 semanas 50% y 4 semanas 33.3%. Conservación del implante: 73.5% TPNs y 50% TPNi (p = 0.341). Cierre de herida: 91.2% con TPNs y 100% con TPNi (p = 1.000). Conclusiones: El uso de TPNs y TPNi fue útil como tratamiento adyuvante en IADO, y además permitieron conservar el implante y el cierre de la herida en la mayoría de los pacientes.

Objective: To evaluate the study habits in the academic performance of residents of the specialties of Orthopaedics and Trauma (OT) and Family Medicine (MF). Methods: An observational study was carried out with OT and MF medical residents. An online survey was applied to them, with response options on the Likert scale, to evaluate study habits. For the statistical analysis, measures of central tendency and dispersion were used, as well as correlations, P < 0.05. Results: A sample of 112 participants. 51% of participants were male. Mean age of 30.1±3. 75% of participants were single. 84.8% study one hour. 84.8% of respondents answered that they were pursuing the specialty they wanted. 80.4% always or constantly understand what they read. 45.5% of participants draw diagrams or charts. Writing summaries (82.1%) is the most used technique for memorisation. 93.7% always or constantly attend classes on a regular basis. 94.6% of participants strongly agree or agree that study habits can influence academic performance. 58% presented regular habits, 22% good habits and 18% bad habits. It was found that there is a correlation between age and average academic performance (P = 0.016). Conclusions: Age and marital status had a direct association with academic performance. Most of the residents are satisfied with the specialty they are studying. Memorisation and writing summaries are the most used study habits. In general, residents have regular study habits.

Many bacteria have the ability to survive in challenging environments; however, they cannot all grow on standard culture media, a phenomenon known as the viable but non-culturable (VBNC) state. Bacteria commonly enter the VBNC state under nutrient-poor environments or under stressful conditions. This review explores the concept of the VBNC state, providing insights into the beneficial bacteria known to employ this strategy. The investigation covers different chemical and physical factors that can induce the latency state, cell features, and gene expression observed in cells in the VBNC state. The review also covers the significance and applications of beneficial bacteria, methods of evaluating bacterial viability, the ability of bacteria to persist in environments associated with higher organisms, and the factors that facilitate the return to the culturable state. Knowledge about beneficial bacteria capable of entering the VBNC state remains limited; however, beneficial bacteria in this state could face adverse environmental conditions and return to a culturable state when the conditions become suitable and continue to exert their beneficial effects. Likewise, this unique feature positions them as potential candidates for healthcare applications, such as the use of probiotic bacteria to enhance human health, applications in industrial microbiology for the production of prebiotics and functional foods, and in the beer and wine industry. Moreover, their use in formulations to increase crop yields and for bacterial bioremediation offers an alternative pathway to harness their beneficial attributes.

This study explored the effects of solution pH, biosorbent dose, contact time, and temperature on the Pb(II) biosorption process of natural and chemically treated leaves of A. compressa K. (Raw-AC and AC-OH, respectively). The results show that the surface characteristics of Raw-AC changed following alkali treatment. FT-IR analysis showed the presence of various functional groups on the surface of the biosorbent, which were binding sites for the Pb(II) biosorption. The nonlinear pseudo-second-order kinetic model was found to be the best fitted to the experimental kinetic data. Adsorption equilibrium data at pH = 2–6, biosorbents dose from 5 to 20 mg/L, and temperature from 300.15 to 333.15 K were adjusted to the Langmuir, Freundlich, and Dubinin–Radushkevich (D-R) isotherm models. The results show that the adsorption capacity was enhanced with the increase in the solution pH and diminished with the increase in the temperature and biosorbent dose. It was also found that AC-OH is more effective than Raw-AC in removing Pb(II) from aqueous solutions. This was also confirmed using artificial neural networks and genetic algorithms, where it was demonstrated that the improvement was around 57.7%. The nonlinear Langmuir isotherm model was the best fitted, and the maximum adsorption capacities of Raw-AC and AC-OH were 96 mg/g and 170 mg/g, respectively. The removal efficiency of Pb(II) was maintained approximately after three adsorption and desorption cycles using 0.5 M HCl as an eluent. This research delved into the impact of solution pH, biosorbent characteristics, and operational parameters on Pb(II) biosorption, offering valuable insights for engineering education by illustrating the practical application of fundamental chemical and kinetic principles to enhance the design and optimization of sustainable water treatment systems.

Two fundamental issues in memory research concern when later experiences strengthen or weaken initial memories and when the two memories become linked or remain independent. A promising candidate for explaining these issues is semantic relatedness. Here, across five paired-associate learning experiments (N=1000), we systematically varied the semantic relatedness between initial and later cues, initial and later targets, or both. We found that learning retroactively benefited long-term memory performance for semantically related words (vs. unshown control words), and these benefits increased as a function of relatedness. Critically, memory dependence between initial and later pairs also increased with relatedness, suggesting that pre-existing semantic relationships promote interdependence for memories formed across episodes. We also found that modest retroactive benefits, but not interdependencies, emerged when subjects learned via studying rather than practice testing. These findings demonstrate that semantic relatedness during new learning retroactively strengthens old associations while scaffolding new ones into well-fortified memory traces.

Hybrid films for applications in organic electronics from NiFe2O4 nanoparticles (NPs) in poly(3,4 ethylene dioxythiophene), poly(4-styrenesulfonate) (PEDOT:PSS), and poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) were fabricated by the spin-coating technique. The films were characterized by infrared spectroscopy, atomic force microscopy, scanning electron microscopy, and energy-dispersive spectroscopy to subsequently determine their optical parameters. The electronic transport of the hybrid films was determined in bulk heterojunction devices. The presence of NiFe2O4 NPs reinforces mechanical properties and increases transmittance in the hybrid films; the PEDOT:PSS-NiFe2O4 NPs film is the one that has a maximum stress of 28 MPa and a Knoop hardness of 0.103, while the PMMA-NiFe2O4 NPs film has the highest transmittance of (87%). The Tauc band gap is in the range of 3.78–3.9 eV, and the Urbach energy is in the range of 0.24–0.33 eV. Regarding electrical behavior, the main effect is exerted by the matrix, although the current carried is of the same order of magnitude for the two devices: glass/ITO/polymer-NiFe2O4 NPs/Ag. NiFe2O4 NPs enhance the mechanical, optical, and electrical behavior of the hybrid films and can be used as semi-transparent anodes and as active layers.

(1) Dental caries, periodontitis, or peri-implantitis are commensal infections related to oral biofilm former bacteria. Likewise, magnesium oxide nanoparticles (MgO-NPs) were studied to introduce them to the antibacterial properties of a few microorganisms. Considering this, the purpose of the present investigation was to determine the antibacterial properties of MgO-NPs on representative oral strains. (2) Methods: MgO-NPs with a cubic crystal structure were obtained by magnesium hydroxide mechanical activation. After synthesis, the MgO-NPs product was annealed at 800 °C (2 h). The MgO-NPs obtained were tested against ten oral ATCC strains at ten serial concentrations (1:1 20.0–0.039 mg/mL per triplicate) using the micro-broth dilution method to determine the minimal inhibitory concentration (MIC) or minimal bactericidal concentration (MIB). Measures of OD595 were compared against each positive control with a Student’s t-test. Viability was corroborated by colony-forming units. (3) Results: The polycrystalline structure had an average size of 21 nm as determined by X-ray diffraction and transmission electron microscopy (high resolution). Antimicrobial sensitivity was observed in Capnocytophaga gingivalis (MIB/MIC 10–5 mg/mL), Eikenella corrodens (MIB 10 mg/mL), and Streptococcus sanguinis (MIB 20 mg/mL) at high concentrations of the MgO-NPs and at lower concentrations of the MgO-NPs in Actinomyces israelii (MIB 0.039 mg/mL), Fusobacterium nucleatum subsp. nucleatum (MIB/MIC 5–2.5 mg/mL), Porphyromonas gingivalis (MIB 20 mg/mL/MIC 2.5 mg/mL), Prevotella intermedia (MIB 0.625 mg/mL), Staphylococcus aureus (MIC 2.5 mg/mL), Streptococcus mutans (MIB 20 mg/mL/MIC 0.321 mg/mL), and Streptococcus sobrinus (MIB/MIC 5–2.5 mg/mL). (4) Conclusions: The MgO-NPs’ reported antibacterial properties in all oral biofilm strains were evaluated for potential use in dental applications.

Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) have important regulatory functions across eukarya. It is now clear that many of these functions are related to gene expression regulation through their capacity to recruit epigenetic modifiers and establish chromatin interactions. Several lncRNAs have been recently shown to participate in modulating chromatin within the spatial organization of the genome in the three-dimensional space of the nucleus. The identification of lncRNA candidates is challenging, as it is their functional characterization. Conservation signatures of lncRNAs are different from those of protein-coding genes, making identifying lncRNAs under selection a difficult task, and the homology between lncRNAs may not be readily apparent. Here, we review the evidence for these higher-order genome organization functions of lncRNAs in animals and the evolutionary signatures they display.

The bacterial strain, EMM-1, was isolated from the rhizosphere of red maize ("Rojo Criollo") and identified as Pseudomonas protegens EMM-1 based on phylogenetic analysis of 16S rDNA, rpoB, rpoD, and gyrB gene sequences. We uncovered genes involved in the production of antimicrobial compounds like 2,4-diacetylphloroglucinol (2,4-DAPG), pyoluteorin, and lectin-like bacteriocins. These antimicrobial compounds are also produced by other fluorescent pseudomonads alike P. protegens. Double-layer agar assay showed that P. protegens EMM-1 inhibited the growth of several multidrug-resistant (MDR) bacteria, especially clinical isolates of the genera Klebsiella and β-hemolytic Streptococcus. This strain also displayed inhibitory effects against diverse fungi, such as Aspergillus, Botrytis, and Fusarium. Besides, a crude extract of inhibitory substances secreted into agar was obtained after the cold-leaching process, and physicochemical characterization was performed. The partially purified inhibitory substances produced by P. protegens EMM-1 inhibited the growth of Streptococcus sp. and Microbacterium sp., but no inhibitory effect was noted for other bacterial or fungal strains. The molecular weight determined after ultrafiltration was between 3 and 10 kDa. The inhibitory activity was thermally stable up to 60°C (but completely lost at 100°C), and the inhibitory activity remained active in a wide pH range (from 3 to 9). After treatment with a protease from Bacillus licheniformis, the inhibitory activity was decreased by 90%, suggesting the presence of proteic natural compounds. All these findings suggested that P. protegens EMM-1 is a potential source of antimicrobials to be used against pathogens for humans and plants.

This work presents the deposition and study of the semiconductor behavior of CuBi2O4 nanoparticles (NPs) with an average crystallite size of 24 ± 2 nm embedded in poly(3,4 ethylene dioxythiophene):poly(4-styrene sulfonate) (PEDOT:PSS) films. The CuBi2O4 NP bandgap was estimated at 1.7 eV, while for the composite film, it was estimated at 2.1 eV, due to PEDOT:PSS and the heterojunction between the polymer and the NPs. The charge transport of the glass/ITO/PEDOT:PSS-CuBi2O4 NP/Ag system was studied under light and dark conditions by means of current–voltage (I–V) characteristic curves. In natural-light conditions, the CuBi2O4 NPs presented electric behavior characterized by three different mechanisms: at low voltages, the behavior follows Ohm’s law; when the voltage increases, charge transport occurs by diffusion between the NP–polymer interfaces; and at higher voltages, it occurs due to the current being dominated by the saturation region. Due to their crystalline structure, their low bandgap in films and the feasibility of integrating them as components in composite films with PEDOT:PSS, CuBi2O4 NPs can be used as parts in optoelectronic devices.

Actualmente existe un gran interés en Centro de Ciencias Aplicadas y Desarrollo Tecnológico (CCADET) de la UNAM, por el desarrollo de métodos innovadores que permitan obtener materiales nanoestructurados y en particular aquellos formados por óxidos metálicos, con actividad antimicrobiana. En este artículo se presenta lo que el grupo de investigación de la Dra. América Vázquez ha llevado a cabo sobre la mecanosíntesis de una serie de óxidos nanoestructurados formados por CuO, CuBi2O4, ZnO, Mn3O4, Fe2O3, CuFe2O4, ZnFe2O4 y MgO, así como una revisión sobre las aplicaciones de dichos óxidos, como agentes antimicrobianos. La principal motivación de esta investigación radica en el hecho de que el desarrollo de nuevos antibióticos, a pesar de ser constante, resulta inútil cuando los microorganismos se vuelven multirresistentes. Por tal razón, se han buscado nuevas formas de combatir dichas infecciones y en este sentido, las nanopartículas (NPs) formadas por óxidos metálicos han resultado ser una nueva herramienta en la lucha contra las enfermedades causadas por microorganismos que cada vez se vuelven más resistentes a los tratamientos convencionales con diversos antibióticos.

The removal of Pb(II) from aqueous solutions by acid-modified clinoptilolite-rich tuff was investigated in this work. Clinoptilolite-rich tuff samples were treated using H2SO4 at different concentrations. Prior to and following acid treatment, the samples were characterized using X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS), and Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). The pH of the point of zero charge (pHPZC) was also determined as part of this characterization. Batch studies were studied to investigate Pb(II) removal as a function of contact time, initial Pb(II) concentration, adsorbent dosage, and solution pH. The results of the XRD and SEM techniques showed that clinoptilolite is the main mineral of the non- and acid-treated natural zeolite samples. However, EDS analysis indicated that the Si/Al ratio increases as the exchangeable ions decrease with increasing acid concentrations. The optimum conditions for Pb(II) removal for samples with 4.37 ≤ Si/Al ≤ 7.9 were found to be as follows: Contact time of 60−360 min, pH: 6−8, and adsorbent dose of 6 mg g−1; whereas for acid-modified clinoptilolite-rich tuffs with 9.01 ≤ Si/Al ≤ 9.52, these conditions were as follows: Contact time of 1440 min, pH: 8−10, and adsorbent dose of 10 mg g−1. The experimental data were analyzed by kinetic and isotherms models. The results showed that the sorption of Pb(II) on samples with Si/Al ratios of 4.37, 5.31, and 7.91 were in agreement with the pseudo-second order and Langmuir isotherm with qm = 48.54, 37.04, and 14.99 mg g−1, respectively, while the kinetic data and isotherm for samples with 9.01 ≤ Si/Al ≤ 9.52 were found to fit the pseudo-first order and Freundlich model.

En este artículo se aborda la experiencia social generada frente al riesgo, a partir de los estragos provocados por la tormenta Henriette en el año 2007, en Llano Largo y otros sectores aledaños localizados en la emblemática Zona Diamante de la ciudad de Acapulco. Se identificó a los actores involucrados en las gestiones tras el desastre: población afectada, las empresas constructoras y el Estado. A pesar de la heterogeneidad social y cultural, los pobladores han realizado dinámicas organizativas que aunque incipientes, aportan para identificar el camino que les ayude a comprender y ubicarse en una realidad plagada de riesgos. El Estado, con una política centrada en la emergencia, no logra integrar los procesos de reconstrucción, lo que queda en manos de organismos privados cuyo interés no es la superación de la vulnerabilidad resultante. Únicamente atiende a la población en condiciones de pobreza con ayuda focalizada. Mientras los riesgos son para los pobres, las empresas continúan siendo las ganadoras en este reparto de ganancias.

En este artículo se discute la importancia del uso de la tecnología tradicional en sistemas de riego caracterizados por un entorno ecológico vulnerable, con enfoque en la descripción de su infraestructura: trompezones o protección ribereña, bocatomas y canales, con la intención de contribuir a la reflexión sobre su pertinencia; se pretende también tender un puente hacia una discusión necesaria: la búsqueda de opciones de desarrollo y sustentabilidad, a partir de experiencias productivas con una efectividad probada y arraigada a una cultura ancestral.

Resumen El poli(ácido metacrílico) (PAM) se modificó químicamente mediante la reacción con un derivado 2-oxazolina, produciéndose un material polímero que contiene grupos laterales éster y amida. Los heterociclos 2-(metilen-naftaleno) 4,4-dimetil-2-oxazolina y 2-(3-piridina)-4,4-dimetil-2-oxazolina se prepararon empleando los ácidos a- naftil acético y 3-piridina-carboxílico (ácido nicotínico) como compuestos modelo. Estos ácidos tienen actividad biológica y se han empleado como estimuladores del crecimiento de plantas. Las respectivas poli(amida-ésteres) pueden obtenerse por la reacción de apertura del anillo del derivado 2-(metilen-naftaleno) 4,4-dimetil-2-oxazolina. El agente bioáctivo se encuentra enlazado a través de un grupo espaciador éster-amida al esqueleto del polímero. El poli(amida-éster) fue insoluble en agua, y se analizó por la técnica espectroscópica IR y resonancia magnética protónica 1HRMN. El análisis termogravimétrico del PAM modificado con 2-(metilen-naftaleno) 4,4-dimetil-2-oxazolina reveló que el material volátil se formó en dos etapas, de manera similar al PAM original. No obstante, los procesos de pérdida de peso ocurren a temperaturas inferiores. El primer proceso de descomposición se inició a una temperatura inferior en aproximadamente 50°C, con un porcentaje de pérdida de masa superior al 50 %, en comparación con el PAM. El segundo proceso de volatilización ocurre con una temperatura máxima de 398°C, que es 44°C más baja que en el PAMAbstract Poly(methacrylic acid) (PMA) has been chemically modified by the reaction of a 2-oxazoline derivative producing a polymeric material bearing both ester and amide groups. The 2-(methylenenaphtalene) 4,4-dimethyl-2-oxazoline and 2-(3-pyridine)-4,4-dimethyl-2-oxazoline heterocyclics have been prepared using a-napthyl acetic acid and 3-pyridine-carboxylic acid (nicotinic acid) as model compounds. These acids have biological activity and have been employed as plant growth stimulators. Poly(amide-ester)s can be achieved by ring opening reaction of 2-(methylenenaphtalene) 4,4-dimetil-2-oxazoline. The bioactive agent is linked through a spacer ester-amide group to the polymer backbone. The poly(amide-ester) was insoluble in water and characterized by IR spectroscopy technique and proton magnetic resonance 1HRMN. Thermogravimetric analysis of poly(methacrylic acid) modified with 2-(methylenenaphtalene) 4,4-dimethyl-2-oxazoline revealed that volatile material was formed in two steps, similarly to the original PMA. However, the first decomposition process initiates at lower temperature of about 50°C and a mass percentage loss superior to 50% in comparison to PMA. The second volatilization process occurs with a maximum temperature of 398°C, which is 44°C lower than in PMA

Poly(methacrylic acid) (PMA) has been chemically modified by the reaction of a 2-oxazoline derivative producing a polymeric material bearing both ester and amide groups. The 2-(methylenenaphtalene) 4,4-dimethyl-2-oxazoline and 2-(3-pyridine)-4,4-dimethyl-2-oxazoline heterocyclics have been preparedu sing a-napthyl acetic acid and 3-pyridine-carboxylic acid (nicotinic acid) as model compounds. These acids have biological activity and have been employed as plant growth stimulators. Poly (amide-ester)s can be achieved by ring opening reaction of 2-(methylenenaphtalene) 4,4-dimetil-2-oxazoline. The bioactive agent is linked through a spacer ester-amide group to the polymer backbone. The poly(amide-ester) was insoluble in water and characterized by IR spectroscopy technique and proton magnetic resonance 1HRMN. Thermogravimetric analysis of poly(methacrylic acid) modified with 2-(methylenenaphtalene)4,4-dimethyl-2-oxazoline revealed that volatile material was formed in two steps, similarly to the original PMA. How ever, the first de composition process initiates at lower temperature of about 50°C and a mass percentage loss superior to 50% in comparison to PMA. The second volatilization process occurs with a maximum temperature of 398°C, which is 44°C lower than in PMA.

Resumen El poli(ácido metacrílico) (PAM) se modificó químicamente mediante la reacción con un derivado 2-oxazolina, produciéndose un material polímero que contiene grupos laterales éster y amida. Los heterociclos 2-(metilen-naftaleno) 4,4-dimetil-2-oxazolina y 2-(3-piridina)-4,4-dimetil-2-oxazolina se prepararon empleando los ácidos a- naftil acético y 3-piridina-carboxílico (ácido nicotínico) como compuestos modelo. Estos ácidos tienen actividad biológica y se han empleado como estimuladores del crecimiento de plantas. Las respectivas poli(amida-ésteres) pueden obtenerse por la reacción de apertura del anillo del derivado 2-(metilen-naftaleno) 4,4-dimetil-2-oxazolina. El agente bioáctivo se encuentra enlazado a través de un grupo espaciador éster-amida al esqueleto del polímero. El poli(amida-éster) fue insoluble en agua, y se analizó por la técnica espectroscópica IR y resonancia magnética protónica 1HRMN. El análisis termogravimétrico del PAM modificado con 2-(metilen-naftaleno) 4,4-dimetil-2-oxazolina reveló que el material volátil se formó en dos etapas, de manera similar al PAM original. No obstante, los procesos de pérdida de peso ocurren a temperaturas inferiores. El primer proceso de descomposición se inició a una temperatura inferior en aproximadamente 50°C, con un porcentaje de pérdida de masa superior al 50 %, en comparación con el PAM. El segundo proceso de volatilización ocurre con una temperatura máxima de 398°C, que es 44°C más baja que en el PAM

Background: Nivolumab paved a new way in the treatment of patients with recurrent or metastatic (RM) head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (RM-HNSCC). However, the limited rates of long-term survivors (< 20%) demand a robust prognostic biomarker. This nationwide multi-centric prospective study aimed to identify a plasma exosome (PEX) mRNA signature, which serves as a companion diagnostic of nivolumab and provides a biological clue to develop effective therapies for a majority of non-survivors., Methods: Pre-treatment plasmas ( N = 104) of RM-HNSCC patients were subjected to comprehensive PEX mRNA analyses for prognostic marker discovery and validation. In parallel, paired treatment-naïve tumor and plasma samples ( N = 20) were assayed to elucidate biological implications of the PEX mRNA signature., Results: Assays for pre-treatment blood samples ( N = 104) demonstrated that a combination of 6 candidate PEX mRNAs plus neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio precisely distinguished non-survivors from >2-year survivors (2-year OS; 0% vs 57.7%; P = 0.000124) with a high hazard ratio of 2.878 (95% CI 1.639-5.055; P = 0.0002348). Parallel biological assays demonstrated that in the paired treatment-naïve HNSCC tumor and plasma samples ( N = 20), PEX HLA-E mRNA (a non-survivor-predicting marker) was positively corelated with overexpression of HLA-E protein ( P = 0.0191) and the dense population of tumor-infiltrating NK cells ( P = 0.024) in the corresponding tumor, suggesting that the HLA-E-NKG2A immune checkpoint may inhibit the antitumor effect of PD-1blockade., Conclusion: The PEX mRNA signature could be useful as a companion diagnostic of nivolumab. The combination of an anti-NKG2A antibody (i.e., monalizumab) and nivolumab may serve as a treatment option for non-survivors predicted by a RT-qPCR-based pre-treatment measurement of PEX mRNAs., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2025 Sato, Toh, Murakami, Nakano, Hongo, Matsuo, Hashimoto, Sugasawa, Yamazaki, Ueki, Nakashima, Uryu, Ono, Umeno, Ueda, Kano, Tsukahara, Watanabe, Ota, Monden, Iwae, Maruo, Asada, Hanai, Sano, Ozawa, Asakage, Fukusumi and Masuda.)

The increased use of computational human models in evaluation of safety systems demands greater attention to selected methods in coupling the model to its seated environment. This study assessed the THUMS v4.0.1 in an upright driver posture and a reclined occupant posture. Each posture was gravity settled into an NCAC vehicle model to assess model quality and HBM to seat coupling. HBM to seat contact friction and seat stiffness were varied across a range of potential inputs to evaluate over a range of potential inputs. Gravity settling was also performed with and without constraints on the pelvis to move towards the target H-Point. These combinations resulted in 18 simulations per posture, run for 800 ms. In addition, 5 crash pulse simulations (51.5 km/h delta V) were run to assess the effect of settling time on driver kinematics. HBM mesh quality and HBM to seat coupling metrics were compared at kinetically identical time points during the simulation to an end state where kinetic energy was near zero. A gravity settling time of 350 ms was found to be optimal for the upright driver posture and 290 ms for the reclined occupant posture. This suggests that reclined passengers can be settled for less time than upright passengers, potentially due to the increased contact area. The pelvis constrained approach was recommended for the upright driver posture and was not recommended for the reclined occupant posture. The recommended times were sufficient to gravity settle both postures to match the quality metrics of the 800 ms gravity settled time. Driver kinematics were found to be vary with gravity settling time. Future work will include verifying that these recommendations hold for different HBMs and test modes.

Arsenic is a relatively abundant metalloid that impacts DNA methylation and has been implicated in various adverse health outcomes including several cancers and diabetes. However, uncertainty remains about the identity of genomic CpGs that are sensitive to arsenic exposure, in utero or otherwise. Here we identified a high confidence set of CpG sites whose methylation is sensitive to in utero arsenic exposure. To do so, we analyzed methylation of infant CpGs as a function of maternal urinary arsenic in cord blood and placenta from geographically and ancestrally distinct human populations. Independent analyses of these distinct populations were followed by combination of results across sexes and populations/tissue types. Following these analyses, we concluded that both sex and tissue type are important drivers of heterogeneity in methylation response at several CpGs. We also identified 17 high confidence CpGs that were hypermethylated across sex, tissue type and population; 11 of these were located within protein coding genes. This pattern is consistent with hypotheses that arsenic increases cancer risk by inducing the hypermethylation of genic regions. This study represents an opportunity to understand consistent, reproducible patterns of epigenomic responses after in utero arsenic exposure and may aid towards novel biomarkers or signatures of arsenic exposure. Identifying arsenic-responsive sites can also contribute to our understanding of the biological mechanisms by which arsenic exposure can affect biological function and increase risk of cancer and other age-related diseases., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2023 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

In the last decades, advances in percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) strategies have significantly reduced the risk of procedural complications and in-hospital mortality of patients with acute coronary syndromes (ACS), thus increasing the population of stable post-ACS patients. This novel epidemiological scenario emphasizes the importance of implementing secondary preventive and follow-up strategies. The follow-up of patients after ACS or elective PCI should be based on common pathways and on the close collaboration between hospital cardiologists and primary care physicians. However, the follow-up strategies of these patients are still poorly standardized. This SICI-GISE/SICOA consensus document was conceived as a proposal for the long-term management of post-ACS or post-PCI patients based on their individual residual risk of cardiovascular adverse events. We defined five patient risk classes and five follow-up strategies including medical visits and examinations according to a specific time schedule. We also provided a short guidance for the selection of the appropriate imaging technique for the assessment of left ventricular ejection fraction and of non-invasive anatomical or functional tests for the detection of obstructive coronary artery disease. Physical and pharmacological stress echocardiography was identified as the first-line imaging technique in most of cases, while cardiovascular magnetic resonance should be preferred when an accurate evaluation of left ventricular ejection fraction is needed. The standardization of the follow-up pathways of patients with a history of ACS or elective PCI, shared between hospital doctors and primary care physicians, could result in a more cost-effective use of resources and potentially improve patient's long-term outcome.

The mechanical properties of polymer nanocomposites can be improved by incorporating various types of nanofillers. The hybridization of nanofillers through covalent linkages between nanofillers with different dimensions and morphology can further increase the properties of nanocomposites. In this work, aramid nanofibers (ANFs) are modified using chlorinated cellulose nanocrystals (CNCs) and functionalized with 3-glycidoxypropyltrimethoxysilane to improve the chemical and mechanical interaction in an epoxy matrix. The integration of CNC functionalized ANFs (fACs) in the epoxy matrix simultaneously improves Young's modulus, tensile strength, fracture properties, and viscoelastic properties. The test results show that 1.5 wt% fAC reinforced epoxy nanocomposites improve Young's modulus and tensile strength by 15.1% and 10.1%, respectively, and also exhibit 2.5 times higher fracture toughness compared to the reference epoxy resin. Moreover, the glass transition temperature and storage modulus are found to increase when fACs are incorporated. Thus, this study demonstrates that the enhanced chemical and mechanical interaction by the CNC functionalization on the ANFs can further improve the static and dynamic mechanical properties of polymer nanocomposites., (Creative Commons Attribution license.)

Filamentous fungi are prolific producers of carbohydrate-active enzymes (CAZymes) and important agents that carry out plant cell wall degradation in natural environments. The number of fungal species is frequently reported in the millions range, with a huge diversity and genetic variability, reflecting on a vast repertoire of CAZymes that these organisms can produce. In this study, we evaluated the ability of previously selected ascomycete and basidiomycete fungi to produce plant cell wall-degrading enzyme (PCWDE) activities and the potential of the culture supernatants to increase the efficiency of the Cellic® CTec2/HTec2 for steam-exploded sugarcane straw saccharification. The culture supernatant of Penicillium ochrochloron RLS11 showed a promising supplementation effect on Cellic® CTec2/HTec2, and we conducted the whole-genome sequencing and proteomic analysis for this fungus. The size of the assembled genome was 38.06 Mbp, and a total of 12,015 protein-coding genes were identified. The repertoire of PCWDE-coding genes was comparatively high among Penicillium spp. and showed an expansion in important cellulases and xylanases families, such as GH3, GH6, GH7, and GH11. The proteomic analysis indicated cellulases that probably enhanced the biomass saccharification performance of the Cellic® CTec2/HTec2, which included enzymes from GH3, GH6, and GH7 families., (© 2022. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature.)

The left ventricular (LV) ejection fraction (EF) is the preferred parameter applied for the non-invasive evaluation of LV systolic function in clinical practice. It has a well-recognized and extensive role in the clinical management of numerous cardiac conditions. Many imaging modalities are currently available for the non-invasive assessment of LVEF. The aim of this review is to describe their relative advantages and disadvantages, proposing a hierarchical application of the different imaging tests available for LVEF evaluation based on the level of accuracy/reproducibility clinically required.

Objective: To investigate the effects of human force anticipation, we conducted an experimental load-pushing task with diverse combinations of informed and actual loading weights., Background: Human motor control tends to rely upon the anticipated workload to plan the force to exert, particularly in fast tasks such as pushing objects in less than 1 s. The motion and force responses in such tasks may depend on the anticipated resistive forces, based on a learning process., Method: Pushing performances of 135 trials were obtained from 9 participants. We varied the workload by changing the masses from 0.2 to 5 kg. To influence anticipation, participants were shown a display of the workload that was either correct or incorrect. We collected the motion and force data, as well as electromyography (EMG) signals from the actively used muscle groups., Results: Overanticipation produced overshoot performances in more than 80% of trials. Lighter actual workloads were also associated with overshoot. Pushing behaviors with heavier workloads could be classified into feedforward-dominant and feedback-dominant responses based on the timing of force, motion, and EMG responses. In addition, we found that the preceding trial condition affected the performance of the subsequent trial., Conclusion: Our results show that the first peak of the pushing force increases consistently with anticipatory workload., Application: This study improves our understanding of human motion control and can be applied to situations such as simulating interactions between drivers and assistive systems in intelligent vehicles.

Background: Mitral valve prolapse (MVP) is characterized by an abnormal movement of the valvular apparatus which may affect the papillary muscles (PMs) function and structure. Aim of the study was to investigate abnormal PM signal in MVP by using cardiac magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)., Methods and Results: We enrolled 47 consecutive patients with MVP evaluated by cardiac MRI. Additional groups included healthy volunteers, patients with moderate-to-severe mitral regurgitation (not caused by MVP) and patients with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy. Visual assessment of the PM signals was carried out and the signal intensity (SI) of both the antero-lateral and postero-medial PMs was normalized by that of the left ventricular (LV) parietal myocardium. Our results show that in the MVP group only, the PM signal intensity was significantly lower compared to the one of the LV parietal myocardium. This sign did not correlate with either LV late gadolinium enhancement or positive anamnesis for significant arrhythmias., Conclusions: In MVP patients only, PM signal is significantly reduced compared to LV parietal myocardium ("darker appearance"). The described findings are not clearly related to evidence of myocardial fibrosis, as assessed by MRI, and to previous occurrence of complex ventricular arrhythmias.

Introduction: Spontaneous intracranial hemorrhage (sICH) that increases intracranial pressure (ICP) is a life-threatening emergency often requiring intubation in Emergency Departments (ED). A previous study of intubated ED patients found that providing ≥5 interventions after initiating mechanical ventilation (pMVI) reduced mortality rate. We hypothesized that pMVIs would lower blood pressure variability (BPV) in patients with sICH and thus improve survival rates and neurologic outcomes., Method: We performed a retrospective study of adults, who were transferred to a quaternary medical center between 01/01/2011 and 09/30/2015 for sICH, received an extraventricular drain during hospitalization. They were identified by International Classification of Diseases, version 9 (430.XX, 431.XX), and procedure code 02.21. Outcomes were BPV indices, death, and being discharged home., Results: We analyzed records from 147 intubated patients transferred from 40 EDs. Forty-one percent of patients received ≥5 pMVIs and was associated with lower median successive variation in systolic blood pressure (BP SV ) (31,[IQR 18-45) compared with those receiving 4 or less pMVIs (38[IQR 16-70]], p = 0.040). Three pMVIs, appropriate tidal volume, sedative infusion, and capnography were significantly associated with lower BPV. In addition to clinical factors, BP SV (OR 26; 95% CI 1.2, >100) and chest radiography (OR 0.3; 95% CI 0.09, 0.9) were associated with mortality rate. Use of quantitative capnography (OR 8.3; 95%CI, 4.7, 8.8) was associated with increased likelihood of being discharged home., Conclusions: In addition to disease severity, individual pMVIs were significantly associated with BPV and patient outcomes. Emergency physicians should perform pMVIs more frequently to prevent BPV and improve patients' outcomes., (Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Cities around the world are inundated by cars and suffer traffic congestion that results in excess delays, reduced safety and environmental pollution. The interplay between road infrastructure and travel choices defines the level and the spatio-temporal extent of congestion. Given the existing infrastructure, understanding how the route choice decisions are made and how travellers interact with each other is a crucial first step in mitigating traffic congestion. This is a problem with fundamental importance, as it has implications for other limited supply systems where agents compete for resources and reach an equilibrium. Here, we observe the route choice decisions and the traffic conditions through an extensive data set of GPS trajectories. We compare the actual paths followed by travellers to those implied by equilibrium conditions (i) at a microscopic scale, where we focus on individual path similarities, and (ii) at a macroscopic scale, where we perform network-level comparison of the traffic loads. We present that non-cooperative or selfish equilibrium replicates the actual traffic (to a certain extent) at the macroscopic scale, while the majority of individual decisions cannot be reproduced by neither selfish nor cooperative equilibrium models.

The aim of the study was to analyze possible correlations between strain echocardiography (STE) and PET myocardial perfusion in a population of heart transplantation (HTx) recipients showing preserved left ventricular (LV) ejection fraction. By STE, LV global longitudinal strain (LV GLS) was lower in HTx. PET showed no transient or chronic ischemia in 83 of 115 HTx (73%). Fixed perfusion defects were observed in 17% of HTx and reversible ischemia in 10%. Significant coronary stenosis was observed only in 10 cases. GLS was independently associated with age at HTx and fixed perfusion defects (HR 0.41; P<.001). Such relationships underline STE ability to early identify HTx pts with subclinical myocardial dysfunction during long-term follow-up., (© 2017, Wiley Periodicals, Inc.)

Intense exercise may cause heart remodeling to compensate increases in blood pressure or volume by increasing muscle mass. Cardiac changes do not involve only the left ventricle, but all heart chambers. Physiological cardiac modeling in athletes is associated with normal or enhanced cardiac function, but recent studies have documented decrements in left ventricular function during intense exercise and the release of cardiac markers of necrosis in athlete's blood of uncertain significance. Furthermore, cardiac remodeling may predispose athletes to heart disease and result in electrical remodeling, responsible for arrhythmias. Athlete's heart is a physiological condition and does not require a specific treatment. In some conditions, it is important to differentiate the physiological adaptations from pathological conditions, such as hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, arrhythmogenic dysplasia of the right ventricle, and non-compaction myocardium, for the greater risk of sudden cardiac death of these conditions. Moreover, some drugs and performance-enhancing drugs can cause structural alterations and arrhythmias, therefore, their use should be excluded., Competing Interests: Conflict-of-interest statement: No potential conflicts of interest exist.

Low cost and high efficiency cellulolytic cocktails can consolidate lignocellulosic ethanol technologies. Sugarcane bagasse (SCB) is a low cost agro-industrial residue, and its use as a carbon source can reduce the costs of fungi cultivation for enzyme production. Chrysoporthe cubensis grown under solid state fermentation (SSF) with wheat bran has potential to produce efficient enzymatic extracts for SCB saccharification. This fungus was grown under submersed fermentation (SmF) and SSF with in natura SCB, pretreated with acid or alkali and with others carbon sources. In natura SCB induced the highest carboxymethylcellulase (CMCase), xylanase, β-xylosidase, α-galactosidase and mannanase activities by C. cubensis under SSF. In natura and washed SCB, inducers of enzyme production under SSF, did not induce high cellulases and hemicellulases production by C. cubensis in SmF. The C. cubensis enzymatic extract produced under SSF with in natura SCB as a carbon source was more efficient for lignocelulolic biomass hydrolysis than extracts produced under SSF with wheat bran and commercial cellulolytic extract. Chrysoporthe cubensis showed high potential for cellulases and hemicellulases production, especially when grown under SSF with in natura SCB as carbon source.

Photodegradation is an important abiotic degradation process to be taken into account for more accurate assessment of the fate of chemicals in the aquatic environment, especially those that are not readily biodegradable. Although the significant role of indirect photodegradation in the environmental fate of chemicals has been revealed in recent research, because of the many confounding factors affecting its kinetics, no straightforward approaches can be used to investigate this degradation process for environmental fate assessment. The indirect photodegradation of a fragrance ingredient named Pamplewood was studied in this work for its fate assessment. Indirect photodegradation rates under various indoor and outdoor conditions were measured by using an LC-MS method. Although the half-lives varied from 4 to 13 days, they collectively indicated that Pamplewood is intrinsically photolabile and can undergo rapid photodegradation. Results from quencher experiments revealed that ⋅OH was the main reactive intermediate responsible for indirect photodegradation, with a half-life of about 18 days in sunlit surface water, based on the experimentally determined second-order rate constant (8.48 ± 0.19 × 10 9  M -1  s -1 ). Photodegradation products of Pamplewood were also studied by GC-MS, LC-MS and total organic carbon content analyses. The results indicated that intermediates of Pamplewood photodegradation continued to photodegrade into smaller and more polar species. Complete mineralization of Pamplewood was observed when it was reacted with hydroxyl radicals in an aqueous solution. This novel approach can be applied for a more realistic environmental fate assessment of other non-readily biodegradable, hydrolysis-resistant, and non-sunlight-absorbing fragrance ingredients., (Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

During last decades, most studies have examined the exercise-induced remodeling defined as "athlete's heart". During exercise, there is an increased cardiac output that causes morphological, functional, and electrical modification of the cardiac chambers. The cardiac remodeling depends also on the type of training, age, sex, ethnicity, genetic factors, and body size. The two main categories of exercise, endurance and strength, determine different effects on the cardiac remodeling. Even if most sport comprise both strength and endurance exercise, determining different scenarios of cardiac adaptation to the exercise. The aim of this paper is to assemble the current knowledge about physiologic and pathophysiologic response of both the left and the right heart in highly trained athletes.