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Reports of pancreatic pseudocyst drainage during metabolic bariatric surgery are extremely rare. Our patient is a 38-year-old female suffering from obesity grade IV and presents a persistent symptomatic pancreatic pseudocyst 8 months after an episode of acute biliary pancreatitis. After an extensive evaluation and considering other treatment options, our multidisciplinary team and the patient decided to perform a one-stage procedure consisting of laparoscopic cystogastrostomy, cholecystectomy, and one-anastomosis gastric bypass. After bringing the patient to the operating room, the surgeon performed an anterior gastrostomy to access the stomach's posterior wall, followed by a 6-cm cystogastrostomy on both the stomach's posterior wall and the cyst. Next, a cholecystectomy which involved dissecting the triangle of Calot was performed. Then, an 18-cm gastric pouch using a 36-Fr calibration tube was created. The cystogastrostomy was left in the remaining stomach. Finally, gastrojejunal anastomosis is done. The patient's postoperative course proceeded smoothly, leading to her home discharge on the third postoperative day. At the 1-year follow-up, the patient had lost 56 kg and was symptom-free; a computer tomography scan showed that the pancreatic pseudocyst had resolved. This case shows a video of a successful laparoscopic cystogastrostomy, cholecystectomy, and one-anastomosis gastric bypass (OAGB) used to treat persistent abdominal pain and obesity grade IV. We also conduct a bibliographic review., (© 2024. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature.)

Leptin regulates lipid metabolism, maximizing insulin sensitivity; however, peripheral leptin resistance is not fully understood, and its contribution to metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD) is unclear. This study evaluated the contribution of the leptin axis to MASLD in humans. Forty-three participants, mostly female (86.04%), who underwent cholecystectomy were biopsied. Of the participants, 24 were healthy controls, 8 had MASLD, and 11 had metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis (MASH). Clinical and biochemical data and the gene expression of leptin, leptin receptor ( LEPR ), suppressor of cytokine signaling 3 ( SOCS3 ), sterol regulatory element-binding transcription factor 1 ( SREBF1 ), stearoyl-CoA desaturase-1 ( SCD1 ), and patatin-like phospholipase domain-containing protein 2 ( PNPLA2 ), were determined from liver and adipose tissue. Higher serum leptin and LEPR levels in the omental adipose tissue (OAT) and liver with MASH were found. In the liver, LEPR was positively correlated with leptin expression in adipose tissue, and SOCS3 was correlated with SREBF1-SCD1 . In OAT, SOCS3 was correlated with insulin resistance and transaminase enzymes ( p < 0.05 for all. In conclusion, we evidenced the correlation between the peripheral leptin resistance axis in OAT-liver crosstalk and the complications of MASLD in humans.

Statement of Problem: The Vita Toothguide 3D-Master (Vita Zahnfabrik) is considered the dental shade guide in which the three dimensions of color - lightness, hue, and chroma - are most well-ordered in the CIELAB color space. No research has yet explored how well the Vita Toothguide 3D-Master is ordered in the 3D color space by recording color coordinates in vivo., Purpose: To evaluate the spatial color distribution of the Vita Toothguide 3D-Master's lightness, chroma, and hue groups and its 26 physical shade tabs., Materials and Methods: The dental color (L*, C*, h°, a*, and b* color coordinates) of a healthy maxillary central incisor was recorded for 1361 participants (aged between 18 and 89 years) using a Vita Easyshade Compact spectrophotometer (Vita Zahnfabrik). The R 2.7.2. statistics program was used to create the visual representations., Results: The five lightness levels are those that are best distributed in the color space, in relation to the L* coordinates, followed by the chroma group and, finally, the hue group. The 5M1, 5M2, and 5M3 physical shade tabs are situated at a greater distance apart from the other tabs in the color space., Conclusions: The Vita Toothguide 3D-Master's 26 physical shade tabs are satisfactorily distributed in three-dimensional space, although strict mathematical criteria are not followed. The natural dental shades that fall lower on the lightness scale are the most poorly represented by the physical shade tabs., Clinical Implications: Darker teeth are poorly represented by the Vita Toothguide 3D-Master's physical shade tabs. The spatial distribution of dental shade guides needs to be improved to ensure they provide homogeneous coverage of the entire chromatic spectrum corresponding to natural teeth. This would help reduce the errors inherent to the subjective visual color selection process., (© 2023 The Authors. Journal of Esthetic and Restorative Dentistry published by Wiley Periodicals LLC.)

In this work, Raman spectroscopy and molecular dynamics simulations were used to elucidate key interactions between polyethylene glycol (PEG) and phosphoric acid (H 3 PO 4 ) in aqueous two-phase systems for the extraction of phosphoric acid. Extensive molecular dynamics simulations were performed, and radial distribution functions as well as hydrogen bonds between PEG and other molecules were measured. Experimental data were used in combination with the slope method to infer PEG-H 3 PO 4 interactions, and the interpretation is consistent with molecular simulation results. Based on our experimental and simulation results, we propose a solvation mechanism governed by hydrogen bonding interactions: at low concentrations of H 3 PO 4 within the polymer-rich aqueous solution, entropy dominates and phosphoric acid molecules have weak interactions with PEG; as the concentration of phosphoric acid increases above a certain critical value, enthalpy dominates with PEG molecules interacting strongly with H 3 PO 4 molecules via hydrogen bonds.

Nitric oxide (NO) plays an important role in the regulation of the immune, cardiovascular and nervous systems. Consequently, being able to monitor and quantify intracellular NO levels would provide a greater understanding of the implications of this molecule in the different biological processes, including, for example, in cancer. Here, we report a broadly applicable two-photon excitable fluorescent nanoprobe able to detect and potentially quantify NO levels in an extensive range of cellular environments. The nanoprobe consists of a thiolated photoinduced electron transfer-based two=photon fluorescent probe attached onto the surface of 2.4 ± 0.7 nm gold nanoparticles (DANPY-NO@AuNPs). The nanoprobe, which can be synthesised in a reproducible manner and exhibits great stability when stored at room temperature, is able to selectively detect NO in solution, with a dynamic range up to 150 μM, and at pH values of biological relevance. DANPY-NO@AuNPs were able to selectively detect endogenous NO in RAW264.7γ NO - macrophages and THP-1 human leukemic cells; and endogenous and exogenous NO in endothelial cells. The nanoprobe accumulated in the acidic organelles of the tested cell lines showing negligible toxicity. Importantly, DANPY-NO@AuNPs showed potential to quantify intracellular NO concentrations in MDA-MB-231 breast cancer cells. The biological evaluation of the nanoprobe was undertaken using confocal laser scanning (images and intracellular emission spectra) and multiphoton microscopies, and flow cytometry. Based on their excellent sensitivity and stability, and outstanding versatility, DANPY-NO@AuNPs can be applied for the spatiotemporal monitoring of in vitro and in vivo NO levels.

Introduction: The increase in laparoscopic surgery in patients with obesity increases the incidence of trocar site hernia (TSH). Therefore, TSH represents a risk for the development of Richter's hernia (RH)., Methods: We present the unusual case of a postoperative gastric bypass patient complicated with a high output enterocutaneous fistula through a trocar site wound., Results: The Laparoscopic surgery consists of an RH reduction, enterotomy, and repair of the preperitoneal space., Conclusion: RH complicated by high-output enterocutaneous fistula has not been previously reported. It is essential to close the preperitoneal space in bariatric surgery to avoid these complications., (© 2022. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature.)

In the city of Arica, northern Chile, the population has been involuntarily exposed to arsenic of natural and anthropogenic origin. This study aims to evaluate the association between urinary arsenic concentration and bronchial asthma diagnosis in the children of Arica. A cross-sectional analysis of a database of 1892 subjects under 18 years of age enrolled in the Environmental Health Centre between 2009 and 2021 was carried out. Arsenic exposure was obtained from a urine sample and bronchial asthma diagnosis from the database of the system for the management of explicit health guarantees. Logistic regression models were used to assess the association between inorganic arsenic and asthma. The median inorganic arsenic was 15 μg/L, and the prevalence of asthma was 7.4%. After adjusting for sex, age, ethnicity, and urinary creatinine, children with the highest tertile of urinary arsenic concentration (≥21.4 μg/L) had a greater chance of developing asthma (odds ratio (OR) 1.90; 95% confidence interval (CI) [1.13-3.18]). When exploring the modifying effect of ethnicity, the association increased among children belonging to any ethnic group (OR 3.51, 95%CI [1.43-8.65]). These findings suggest a relationship between arsenic exposure and bronchial asthma in children. While further studies are needed to assess the impact of arsenic on respiratory health, mitigation efforts to reduce arsenic exposure should be maintained., Competing Interests: The authors declare no conflict of interest.

There are currently fewer than 10 antifungal drugs in clinical development, but new fungal strains that are resistant to most current antifungals are spreading rapidly across the world. To prevent a second resistance crisis, new classes of antifungal drugs are urgently needed. Metal complexes have proven to be promising candidates for novel antibiotics, but so far, few compounds have been explored for their potential application as antifungal agents. In this work, we report the evaluation of 1039 metal-containing compounds that were screened by the Community for Open Antimicrobial Drug Discovery (CO-ADD). We show that 20.9% of all metal compounds tested have antimicrobial activity against two representative Candida and Cryptococcus strains compared with only 1.1% of the >300,000 purely organic molecules tested through CO-ADD. We identified 90 metal compounds (8.7%) that show antifungal activity while not displaying any cytotoxicity against mammalian cell lines or hemolytic properties at similar concentrations. The structures of 21 metal complexes that display high antifungal activity (MIC ≤1.25 μM) are discussed and evaluated further against a broad panel of yeasts. Most of these have not been previously tested for antifungal activity. Eleven of these metal complexes were tested for toxicity in the Galleria mellonella moth larva model, revealing that only one compound showed signs of toxicity at the highest injected concentration. Lastly, we demonstrated that the organo-Pt(II) cyclooctadiene complex Pt1 significantly reduces fungal load in an in vivo G. mellonella infection model. These findings showcase that the structural and chemical diversity of metal-based compounds can be an invaluable tool in the development of new drugs against infectious diseases., Competing Interests: The authors declare no competing financial interest., (© 2022 The Authors. Published by American Chemical Society.)

Nitric oxide (NO) is involved in many biological processes affecting the cardiovascular, nervous and immune systems. Intracellular NO can be monitored using fluorescent probes in combination with fluorescence imaging techniques. Most of the currently available NO fluorescent molecular probes are excited via one-photon excitation using UV or Vis light, which results in poor penetration and high photodamage to living tissues. Here, we report a two-photon fluorescent molecular probe, DANPY-NO, able to detect NO in live cells. The probe consists of an o-phenylenediamine linked to a naphthalimide core; and operates via photoinduced electron transfer. DANPY-NO exhibits good sensitivity (LOD of 77.8 nM) and high selectivity towards NO, and is stable over a broad range of pHs. The probe targeted acidic organelles within macrophages and endothelial cells, and demonstrated enhanced photostability over a commercially available NO probe. DANPY-NO was used to selectively detect endogenous NO in RAW264.7ϒ NO - macrophages, THP-1 human leukemic cells, primary mouse (bone marrow-derived) macrophages and endothelial cells. The probe was also able to detect exogenous NO in endothelial cells and distinguish between increasing concentrations of NO. The NO detection was evidenced using confocal laser scanning and two-photon microscopies, and flow cytometry. Further evidence was obtained by recording the changes in the intracellular fluorescence emission spectrum of the probe. Importantly, the probe displayed negligible toxicity to the analysed biological samples. The excellent sensitivity, selectivity, stability and versatility of DANPY-NO confirm its potential for in vitro and in vivo imaging of NO., 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 © 2022 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Background: Multiple epidemiological studies have shown that exposure to pesticides is associated with adverse health outcomes. However, the literature on pesticide-related health effects in the Latin American and the Caribbean (LAC) region, an area of intensive agricultural and residential pesticide use, is sparse. We conducted a scoping review to describe the current state of research on the health effects of pesticide exposure in LAC populations with the goal of identifying knowledge gaps and research capacity building needs., Methods: We searched PubMed and SciELO for epidemiological studies on pesticide exposure and human health in LAC populations published between January 2007 and December 2021. We identified 233 publications from 16 countries that met our inclusion criteria and grouped them by health outcome (genotoxicity, neurobehavioral outcomes, placental outcomes and teratogenicity, cancer, thyroid function, reproductive outcomes, birth outcomes and child growth, and others)., Results: Most published studies were conducted in Brazil (37%, n = 88 ) and Mexico (20%, n = 46 ), were cross-sectional in design (72%, n = 167 ), and focused on farmworkers (45%, n = 105 ) or children (21%, n = 48 ). The most frequently studied health effects included genotoxicity (24%, n = 62 ) and neurobehavioral outcomes (21%, n = 54 ), and organophosphate (OP) pesticides were the most frequently examined (26%, n = 81 ). Forty-seven percent ( n = 112 ) of the studies relied only on indirect pesticide exposure assessment methods. Exposure to OP pesticides, carbamates, or to multiple pesticide classes was consistently associated with markers of genotoxicity and adverse neurobehavioral outcomes, particularly among children and farmworkers., Discussion: Our scoping review provides some evidence that exposure to pesticides may adversely impact the health of LAC populations, but methodological limitations and inconsistencies undermine the strength of the conclusions. It is critical to increase capacity building, integrate research initiatives, and conduct more rigorous epidemiological studies in the region to address these limitations, better inform public health surveillance systems, and maximize the impact of research on public policies. https://doi.org/10.1289/EHP9934.

Background: It has been pointed out that ghrelin and obestatin could have an impact on the genesis of obesity, since they estimulate and inhibit apetite and, therefore, food consumption., Objective: To compare the metabolic profile, lipid profile and the concentrations of ghrelin and obestatin in children with normal weight or obesity., Material and Methods: Cross-sectional design with 97 normal weight or obese children, 6 to 18 years of age, who did not present systemic diseases. The serum concentrations of glucose, insulin, total cholesterol, triglycerides, high (HDL), low (LDL) and very low density (VLDL) lipoproteins, aspartate aminotransferase (AST), alanine aminotransferase (ALT), ghrelin and obestatin were determined. Descriptive statistics were performed. Student's t test was used to compare groups, and correlation coefficients of ghrelin and obestatin values with biochemical and anthropometric variables. A p value of ≤ 0.05 was significant., Results: 55 children with normal weight and 42 with obesity were included; mean age was 10.7 years. Triglycerides, LDL, VLDL, ALT and insulin were higher, and HDL lower in obese children (p < 0.05). Ghrelin values were higher in normal weight children (p < 0.05), and there was no difference in obestatin values., Conclusions: The lower concentration of ghrelin in obese children may indicate a negative feedback to regulate energy consumption. Children and adolescents with obesity show metabolic and lipid profile alterations that place them at risk of early development of cardiovascular risk factors., (© 2022 Revista Medica del Instituto Mexicano del Seguro Social.)

Obtaining oligodendroglial cells from dispensable tissues would be of great interest for autologous or immunocompatible cell replacement therapy in demyelinating diseases, as well as for studying myelin-related pathologies or testing therapeutic approaches in culture. We evaluated the feasibility of generating oligodendrocyte precursor cells (OPCs) from adult rat adipose tissue by expressing genes encoding transcription factors involved in oligodendroglial development. Adipose-derived mesenchymal cells were lentivirally transduced with tetracycline-inducible Sox10 , Olig2 , Zfp536 , and/or Nkx6.1 transgenes. Immunostaining with the OPC-specific O4 monoclonal antibody was used to mark oligodendroglial induction. O4- and myelin-associated glycoprotein (MAG)-positive cells emerged after 3 weeks when using the Sox10 + Olig2 + Zfp536 combination, followed in the ensuing weeks by GFAP-, O1 antigen-, p75NTR (low-affinity NGF receptor)-, and myelin proteins-positive cells. The O4 + cell population progressively expanded, eventually constituting more than 70% of cells in culture by 5 months. Sox10 transgene expression was essential for generating O4 + cells but was insufficient for inducing a full oligodendroglial phenotype. Converted cells required continuous transgene expression to maintain their glial phenotype. Some vestigial characteristics of mesenchymal cells were maintained after conversion. Growth factor withdrawal and triiodothyronine (T 3 ) supplementation generated mature oligodendroglial phenotypes, while FBS supplementation produced GFAP + - and p75NTR + -rich cultures. Converted cells also showed functional characteristics of neural-derived OPCs, such as the expression of AMPA, NMDA, kainate, and dopaminergic receptors, as well as similar metabolic responses to differentiation-inducing drugs. When co-cultured with rat dorsal root ganglion neurons, the converted cells differentiated and ensheathed multiple axons. We propose that functional oligodendroglia can be efficiently generated from adult rat mesenchymal cells by direct phenotypic conversion., 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 © 2022 Vellosillo, Pascual-Guerra, Muñoz, Rodríguez-Navarro, González-Nieto, Barrio, Lobo and Paíno.)

Clinical sequelae of a disease as widespread as COVID-19 can be of great importance for primary care due to their prevalence and the morbidity they entail. The definition of long COVID and the establishment of its temporality are various, but some authors consider possible that this syndrome is actually myalgic encephalomyelitis. Similarities are observed when comparing the International Consensus Criteria for the diagnosis of myalgic encephalomyelitis with the symptoms described for long COVID. Blood tests, pulse oximetry, chest radiography, and thoracic ultrasound are recommended in patients with persistent symptoms after acute infection. Management in both conditions consists of treating the main symptoms. The possibility that COVID-19 can lead to a chronic condition such as myalgic encephalomyelitis makes long-term follow-up of patients who have suffered from this infection essential., (Copyright © 2021 Sociedad Española de Médicos de Atención Primaria (SEMERGEN). Publicado por Elsevier España, S.L.U. All rights reserved.)

The incorporation of donor-type substituents on the allene core opens up the possibility of coordination complexes in which the metal is bonded to the donor groups, with or without interaction with the double bond system. Despite the challenges in the synthesis of such allene-containing metal complexes, their unique 3D environments and dual functionality (allene and metal) could facilitate catalysis and interaction with chemical and biological systems. Bis(pyridyl)allenes are presented here as robust ligands for novel Pd(II), Pt(IV) and Au(III) complexes. Their synthesis, characterisation and first application as catalysts of benchmark reactions for Pd, Pt and Au are presented with interesting reactivity and selectivities. The complexes have also been probed as antimicrobial and anticancer agents with promising activities, and the first studies on their unusual interaction with several DNA structures will open new avenues for research in the area of metallodrugs with new mechanisms of action.

Exposure to pesticides during infancy is associated with numerous adverse health outcomes. The assessment of knowledge and perception of pesticides exposure and risk among children has not been thoroughly studied. The aim of the study was to evaluate the reliability and validity of a questionnaire that measures the knowledge and perception of exposure to organophosphate pesticides among rural schoolchildren. The questionnaire was administered to 151 schoolchildren between 9 and 13years from four Chilean rural schools. An internal consistency analysis of the ordinal alpha coefficient and a polychoric factor analysis for categorical data were used. The results show that the ordinal alpha was 0.95. Polychoric matrices of rotated components show the 17 questions summarized pesticide knowledge in five factors extracted after promax rotation. This factorial model explains 56.3% of the variance. The questions were grouped as follows: knowledge about pesticides (Factor 1); knowledge of health effects related to pesticides exposure (Factor 2); pesticide exposure through the growing of fruits and vegetables (Factor 3); perception and action against pesticides exposure at school (Factor 4); and perception and action against pesticides exposure at home (Factor 5). The questionnaire provides a useful tool for examining pesticide exposure in agricultural regions, allowing younger community members to participate., Competing Interests: AB is a volunteer member of the Board for The Organic Center, a nonprofit organization addressing scientific issues about organic food and agriculture, and is also a member of the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) National Organic Standards Board. The remaining 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 © 2021 Muñoz-Quezada, Lucero, Castillo, Bradman, Zúñiga, Baumert, Iglesias, Muñoz, Buralli and Antini.)

Background: Several studies showed that early exposure to pesticides affects the development and health of children. In Maule, there is previous evidence of the high exposure to organophosphate pesticides (OP) of schoolchildren. However, to date, there are no studies assessing exposure to pyrethroids and the herbicide 2,4-D. Objetive. To evaluate children's exposure to pyrethroids insecticides 3-phenoxybenzoic acid (3-PBA), trans 3-(2,2-dichlorovinyl)-2,2-dimethylcyclopropane carboxylic acid (trans-DCCA) and 2,4 dichlorophenoxyacetic acid (2,4-D) herbicides., Method: Longitudinal study with 48 schoolchildren from two rural schools in the Maule region, Chile. Urinary metabolites of pyrethroids 3-PBA, Trans-DCCA and 2,4-D herbicides were evaluated in 2016 and 2017. Mann-Whitney U for repeated measurements and Spearman's rho correlation tests were used for data analysis. Also, we used a system of impulsive differential equations for mathematical modeling., Results: All the schoolchildren assessed had more than two pesticide urinary metabolites in both years, with the 3-PBA metabolite being the most frequent. There was an increase in concentrations of urinary 3-PBA in November 2017, compared to 2016 (from 0.69 μg/L to 1.90 μg/L). In 2016, the specific metabolites of 3-PBA were correlated with Trans-DCCA, 2,4-D, chlorpyrifos, diazinon, and para-nitrophenol. In 2017, 3-PBA was correlated with 2,4-D, and Trans-DCCA. The concentrations of 3-PBA of Chilean children were higher than studies conducted in the USA that found an association of prenatal exposure to these metabolites with cognitive difficulties., Conclusions: We found high concentrations of pyrethroid metabolites among all the schoolchildren assessed, which may impact on their health and development. These insecticides had received no attention from the scientific community in Chile, and neither from the government agencies, despite the increased use of these chemicals in recent years. This is the first study in South America that confirms the exposure to pyrethroids and herbicides through biomarkers in human population living near farm fields., 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. Financial disclosure All authors have no financial interest in disclosing this article., (Copyright © 2020 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Introduction and Objective: Burning coal and firewood generates toxic emissions that are associated with respiratory illness, cardiovascular disease, and even death. The aim of the study is to evaluate the association between county-level prevalence of household coal and firewood use and health outcomes, including total, respiratory, and cardiovascular mortality, as well as total and respiratory hospitalization rates., Material and Methods: The ecological study included data on the use of household coal and firewood in 139 counties obtained from the 2015 Chilean National Socio-economic Characterization Survey. Total, respiratory, and cardiovascular mortality, as well as total and respiratory hospitalization rates, were obtained from the Department of Health Statistics. Poisson models with robust error variance, Pearson linear correlation coefficients, and scatterplots were used to explore associations between household coal and firewood use and morbidity-mortality, stratifying by geographic zone., Results: Total, respiratory, and cardiovascular mortality and total and respiratory hospitalization rates were 5.7 per 1,000, 552 per 100,000, 157 per 100,000, 92.5 per 1000, and 8.8 per 1000 inhabitants, respectively. The median prevalence of coal use for residential cooking, heating, or water heating was 3.64%, while the median prevalence of firewood combustion was 12%. In southern counties, age- and gender-adjusted respiratory mortality increased 2.02 (95% CI: 1.17-3.50), 1.5 (95% CI: 1.11-1.89), and 1.76-fold (95% CI: 1.19-2.60) for each percentage increase in household coal and firewood use for heating, cooking and heating water, respectively., Conclusions: The prevalence of household coal and firewood used for heating and cooking was positively correlated with respiratory mortality and hospitalization in southern zone counties.

Background: The Chilean allocation system for liver transplantation (LT) uses the MELD/PELD score to prioritize candidates on the waiting list., Aim: To assess if the Chilean allocation system for LT is equitable for pediatric candidates compared to their adult counterparts., Material and Methods: We used the Public Health Institute's registry between October 2011 and December 2017. We analyzed candidates with chronic hepatic diseases listed for LT. The primary outcome was the cadaveric liver transplantation (CLT) rate. Secondary outcomes were death or disease progression in the waiting list and living donor liver transplant (LDLT) rate., Results: We analyzed 122 pediatric and 735 adult candidates. Forty one percent of pediatric candidates obtained a CLT compared to 48% of adults (p = NS). Among patients aged under two years of age, the access to CLT on the waiting list there was 28% of CLT, compared to 48% in adults (p = 0.001). Fifty-seven percent of candidates aged under two years were listed for cholestatic diseases, obtaining a CLT in 18% and requiring a LDLT in 49%. The median time in the waiting list for CLT was 5.9 months in pediatric candidates and 5.1 in adults, while the median time to death in the waiting list was 2.8 and 5.6 months, respectively. The mortality rate at one year in candidates under two years old was 38.1% compared to 32.5% in adults., Conclusions: Pediatric candidates with chronic liver diseases, especially under two years of age, have greater access difficulties to CLT than adults. Half of the pediatric candidates die on the waiting list before three months. The mortality among candidates under two years of age in the waiting list is excessively high.

Introduction: Exposure to lead and arsenic has been associated with child behavior problems. In Arica, a northern city of Chile, the natural presence of arsenic in water has been registered. Also, the city has a history of heavy metals contamination of anthropogenic origin. The purpose of this study was to explore the association between the concentration of blood lead and urinary inorganic arsenic with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) as reported by parents., Methods: Cross-sectional design with data analysis of 2656 children between the ages of 3 and 17 enrolled at the Environmental Health Center of Arica between 2009 and 2015. The diagnosis of ADHD was made based on the parents' response to questions about health history. Multiple logistic regression models were used to adjust for confounding variables., Results: The prevalence of ADHD was 6.4%. The means urinary inorganic arsenic and blood lead were 21 μg/L and 1.5 μg/dl, respectively. In the lead model adjusted for sex, age, housing material quality and exposure to secondhand tobacco smoke report; children with blood lead concentrations ≥5 μg/dl were more likely to develop ADHD [Odds Ratio (OR): 2.33 95% confidence intervals (CI) 1.32-4.12)]. Regarding arsenic, the adjusted model revealed a higher chance of developing ADHD in the fifth quintile of exposure (OR = 2.02 IC 95% 1.12-3.61)., Conclusion: The findings of this study suggest that exposure of children to lead and inorganic arsenic was associated with ADHD. This study provides additional evidence to existing literature regarding the potential role of toxic metals such as lead and arsenic in children's behavior. However, our findings should be interpreted with caution due to the limitations of the study., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare no conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2020 Elsevier GmbH. All rights reserved.)

We report here the synthesis, full characterisation and first application in catalysis of novel Au(i), Au(iii) and Pt(ii) carbene-type complexes formed from bis(pyridyl)allenes. The catalytic activity of the new Au(i)-complexes in the cyclisation of 1,6-enynes, a benchmark reaction for new Au and Pt complexes, was comparable to Au(i)-state-of-the-art catalysts used in these reactions. Reactions with the new Au(iii)- and Pt(ii)-complexes occurred under milder conditions than those reported with AuCl3 and PtCl2.

The frequency of celiac disease (CD) has increased along time, with relevant changes reported in geographical variations, clinical presentation and nutritional repercussions. In recent years, some celiac patients are presenting overweight/obesity, but it is unclear how frequent this is and to what extent undernutrition remains a concern. This is relevant because CD tends to be overlooked in overweight patients. With this in mind, we assessed age at diagnosis, clinical characteristics and nutritional status of 155 celiac patients diagnosed between 1994-2017 in four pediatric hospitals in Santiago, Chile. Since 2003, the number of patients diagnosed has increased ( p < 0.0033), coinciding with antitransglutaminase and antiendomysial antibodies becoming available to public health systems. In 2000, 4.5% of patients were asymptomatic at diagnosis, suggesting that active search is not routinely applied. Gastrointestinal symptoms plus failure to thrive were significantly more frequent under 2 years ( p = 0.0001). Nutritional status has improved at diagnosis and during follow up, but undernutrition remains more frequent in children <2 and <5 years ( p < 0.002 and p < 0.0036, respectively). Overweight at diagnosis was reported in 2002 and obesity in 2010. After initiating treatment, since 2010, patients changing from undernourishment to overweight has sometimes been observed after only 6 months on a gluten-free diet.

Nucleophilic additions to allenes catalyzed by transition metals represent a powerful tool to obtain selective access to diverse structures with numerous applications. Reported here is a straightforward methodology to achieve selective addition of azoles to the proximal or distal carbon of activated allenes depending on the catalyst used, unravelling a gold-platinum bimetallic catalysis approach for the 1,3-double addition of azoles to activated allenes to give 1,3-bisazole derivatives, an important scaffold in medicinal and organometallic chemistry.

Background: Organophosphate (OP) pesticides can be hazardous to human health if not applied with appropriate precautions. There is evidence in the Maule region of Chile that rural schoolchildren are exposed to OP pesticides., Objective: To evaluate the effectiveness of an educational intervention on OP exposure and understanding of pesticides and their hazards (risk perception) in two school communities in the Maule Region of Chile during 2016., Method: We conducted a quasi-experimental study about the effects on OP pesticide exposure of a community outreach and education program (COEP) administered in four 2-h sessions that's included hands-on activities among 48 schoolchildren from two rural schools. The intervention was directed to groups of parents and school-children separately, and aimed to educate them about the risks of exposure to pesticides and their effects on health. We measured 3,5,6-trichloro-2-pyridinol (TCPy), 2-isopropyl-4-methyl-6-hydroxypyrimidine (IMPY), malathion dicarboxylic acid (MDA), p-nitrophenol (PNP), specific urinary metabolites of the OP pesticides chlorpyrifos, diazinon, malathion and parathion, respectively, as well as the non-specific diethylakylphosphates (DEAPs) and dimethylalkylphosphates (DMAPs) in 192 urine samples of schoolchildren collected before and after the intervention. The risk perception of school children and their parents was also assessed through a questionnaire before and after the intervention. Generalized Estimated Equations were used to account for each child's repeated measures during four sessions, two in September 2016 (pre-intervention) and two in November 2016 (post-intervention)., Results: The intervention level had significant effect on the risk perception of adults and children, which increased after the intervention. However, the intervention was not associated with reduced of urinary metabolites levels, with no significant differences between the pre and post measures. The detection frequencies were 1.1% (MDA), 71.4% (TCPy), 43.3% (IMPY), 98.96% (PNP), and 100% (DEAPs and DMAPs). Higher DEAPs urine concentrations were associated with eating more fruit at school (p = 0.03), a younger age (p = 0.03), and being male (p = 0.01). DMAPs showed no associations with potential predictor variables (e.g. OPs applied at home, fruit consumption at school, among others). Higher TCPy was associated with attending a school closer to farms (p = 0.04) and living in a home closer to farm fields (p = 0.01); higher PNP was marginally associated with children younger age (p = 0.035)., Conclusion: Environmental exposure to OP pesticides was unchanged even after behavior changes. It is possible that a longer time period is needed to observe changes in both behavior and urinary metabolites. The levels of DEP and DMP metabolites found here are above the reference population of the US, and our findings indicate exposure to a wide variety of OP pesticides. Given that individual-level interventions were not associated with lower exposures, efforts to reduce exposure must occur upstream and require stricter regulation and control of pesticide use by government agencies., (Copyright © 2019 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Introduction: In animal models, gestational exposure to inorganic arsenic has been associated with higher corticosterone concentration and consequent impairment of stress control in offspring. An equivalent association relating cortisol, a glucocorticoid hormone, in humans has not been previously studied., Objective: The aim of the study was to explore the association between prenatal inorganic arsenic exposure and salivary cortisol in infants from Arica, Chile., Material and Methods: A cohort study of 168 mother-child dyads was recruited. In the 2nd trimester of pregnancy, urinary inorganic arsenic was assessed; 18-24 months after delivery, salivary cortisol was measured in the children. Maternal cortisol, maternal depression, stress, and socio-economic status were also evaluated., Results: The adjusted association was estimated with multiple linear regression after evaluating confounding through a directed acyclic graph. Median urinary inorganic arsenic in pregnant women was 14.1 µg/L (IQR: 10.4-21.7) while salivary cortisol in the children was 0.17 µg/L (IQR: 0.11-0.38). Among children from the highest income families (> 614 USD/month), arsenic exposure was associated with salivary cortisol. Children in the third quartile of arsenic exposure had -0.769 units of the logarithm of salivary cortiso, compared with those in the first quartile (p = 0.045)., Conclusions: In this sample, prenatal exposure to arsenic was associated with salivary cortisol (third quartile of inorganic arsenic), only in infants belonging the highest income strata (> 614 USD). More studies are needed to confirm these preliminary results.

The aim was to evaluate the reliability and validity of a questionnaire to assess organophosphate pesticide (OP) exposure in agricultural workers. We then enrolled a random sample of 114 agricultural workers from the region of Maule, Chile (mean age = 50 years [SD = 12]). An internal consistency analysis (Cronbach's alpha> 0.70) and a Varimax rotational factorial analysis were applied. The instrument had a high reliability to predict likely occupational pesticide exposures: Cronbach's alpha = 0.95, the Kaiser-Meyer-Olkin (KMO) measure was 0.90 and the Bartell sphericity test = p < 0.001. Four factors explaining 68% of the variance were extracted. The factors identified were as follows: (1) labor conditions during application of OPs; (2) use of personal protective equipment; (3) workplace conditions related to OP exposure and (4) home conditions related to OP exposure. The questionnaire has adequate metric properties to characterize likely OP exposure of agricultural workers and to explore associated working and home conditions.

As the peripheral sympathoadrenal axis is tightly controlled by the cortex via hypothalamus and brain stem, the central pathological features of Hunting's disease, (HD) that is, deposition of mutated huntingtin and synaptic dysfunctions, could also be expressed in adrenal chromaffin cells. To test this hypothesis we here present a thorough investigation on the pathological and functional changes undergone by chromaffin cells (CCs) from 2-month (2 m) to 7-month (7 m) aged wild-type (WT) and R6/1 mouse model of Huntington's disease (HD), stimulated with acetylcholine (ACh) or high [K + ] (K + ). In order to do this, we used different techniques such as inmunohistochemistry, patch-clamp, and amperometric recording. With respect to WT cells, some of the changes next summarized were already observed in HD mice at a pre-disease stage (2 m); however, they were more pronounced at 7 m when motor deficits were clearly established, as follows: (i) huntingtin over-expression as nuclear aggregates in CCs; (ii) smaller CC size with decreased dopamine β-hydroxylase expression, indicating lesser number of chromaffin secretory vesicles; (iii) reduced adrenal tissue catecholamine content; (iv) reduced Na + currents with (v) membrane hyperpolarization and reduced ACh-evoked action potentials; (v) reduced [Ca 2+ ] c transients with faster Ca 2+ clearance; (vi) diminished quantal secretion with smaller vesicle quantal size; (vii) faster kinetics of the exocytotic fusion pore, pore expansion, and closure. On the basis of these data, the hypothesis is here raised in the sense that nuclear deposition of mutated huntingtin in adrenal CCs of R6/1 mice could be primarily responsible for poorer Na + channel expression and function, giving rise to profound depression of cell excitability, altered Ca 2+ handling and exocytosis. OPEN PRACTICES: This article has received a badge for *Open Materials* because it provided all relevant information to reproduce the study in the manuscript. The complete Open Science Disclosure form for this article can be found at the end of the article. More information about the Open Practices badges can be found at https://cos.io/our-services/open-science-badges/. Cover Image for this issue: doi: 10.1111/jnc.14201., (© 2018 International Society for Neurochemistry.)

Introduction: The association of total arsenic exposure with impaired glucose tolerance and gestational diabetes has been shown; however, evidence regarding urinary inorganic arsenic in pregnant women is still limited. Our aim was to evaluate the association between urinary inorganic arsenic concentration and gestational diabetes among pregnant women living in Arica, Chile. Methods: Cross-sectional study of pregnant women receiving care at primary health centers in urban Arica. The exposure was urinary inorganic arsenic concentration, while gestational diabetes was the outcome. The association was evaluated using multiple logistic regression models adjusted by age, education level, ethnicity, and pre-pregnancy body mass index. Results: 244 pregnant women were surveyed. The median urinary inorganic arsenic was 14.95 &mu;g/L, and the prevalence of gestational diabetes was 8.6%. After adjusting, we did not find a significant association between gestational diabetes and inorganic arsenic exposure tertiles (Odds ratio (OR) 2.98, 95% CI = 0.87⁻10.18), (OR 1.07, 95% CI = 0.26⁻4.33). Conclusion: This study did not provide evidence on the relationship between urinary inorganic arsenic concentration and gestational diabetes. Further research is needed to elucidate the factors underlying this association.

Introduction: Capsule endoscopy (CE) is a non-invasive technique that allows visualization of small intestine mucosa. It is used for diagnosis of lesions not accessible with other tests. Our goal was to describe the experience using CE in a pediatric public hospital in Chile., Patients and Method: A retrospective study was carried out to review the cases in which CE was used at Dr. Luis Calvo Mac- kenna Hospital from 2010 to date. Demographic and clinical data, findings, complications, diagnosis and treatment were recorded., Results: Twenty procedures were performed in 16 patients, 11 men (69%), median age 12 years (range 3 to 15 years). Indications included polyposis study (60%), sus pected Crohn disease (20%), obscure gastrointestinal bleeding (15%) and undiagnosed anemia (5%). Seventeen studies were altered (85%) and 11 led to a diagnosis or clinical behavior change (55%). There were no complications., Conclusions: CE is a useful and safe technique in children, feasible to perform in a pediatric public hospital.

This paper proposes a novel approach that uses meteorological information to predict the incidence of influenza in Galicia (Spain). It extends the Generalized Least Squares (GLS) methods in the multivariate framework to functional regression models with dependent errors. These kinds of models are useful when the recent history of the incidence of influenza are readily unavailable (for instance, by delays on the communication with health informants) and the prediction must be constructed by correcting the temporal dependence of the residuals and using more accessible variables. A simulation study shows that the GLS estimators render better estimations of the parameters associated with the regression model than they do with the classical models. They obtain extremely good results from the predictive point of view and are competitive with the classical time series approach for the incidence of influenza. An iterative version of the GLS estimator (called iGLS) was also proposed that can help to model complicated dependence structures. For constructing the model, the distance correlation measure [Formula: see text] was employed to select relevant information to predict influenza rate mixing multivariate and functional variables. These kinds of models are extremely useful to health managers in allocating resources in advance to manage influenza epidemics.

Optimisation, scope and mechanism of the platinum-catalysed addition of indoles to indolylallenes is reported here to give 2,3'-BIMs with a novel core structure very relevant for pharmaceutical industry. The reaction is modulated by the electronic properties of the substituents on both indoles, with the 2,3'-BIMs favoured when electron donating groups are present. Although simple at first, a complex mechanism has been uncovered that explains the different behaviour of these systems with platinum when compared with other metals (e.g. gold). Detailed labelling studies have shown Pt-catalysed 6-endo-trig cyclisation of the indollylallene as the first step of the reaction and the involvement of two cyclic vinyl-platinum intermediates in equilibrium through a platinum carbene, as the key intermediates of the catalytic cycle towards the second nucleophilic attack and formation of the BIMs., (© 2018 The Authors. Published by Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA.)

Heterobimetallic catalysis offers new opportunities for reactivity and selectivity but still presents challenges, and only a few metal combinations have been explored so far. Reported here is a Pt-Au heterobimetallic catalyst system for the synthesis of a family of multi-heteroaromatic structures through tandem cyclization/C-X coupling reaction. Au-catalyzed 6-endo-cyclization takes place as the first fast step. Pt-Au clusters are proposed to be responsible for the increased reactivity in the second step, that is, the intermolecular nucleophilic addition which occurs through an outer-sphere mechanism by hybrid homogeneous-heterogeneous catalysis., (© 2018 Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.)

Mesenchymal cells cultured from the vasculo-stromal fraction of adipose tissue (ADSC) show adult stem cell characteristics and several groups have claimed generating neural cells from them. However, we have observed that many markers commonly used for the identification of neural cells are spontaneously expressed by ADSC in culture. In the present study, we have examined the expression of characteristic oligodendrocyte molecules in cultured ADSC, aiming to test if myelinating cells could be generated from accessible non-neural adult tissues. In basal growth conditions, rat ADSC spontaneously expressed CNPase, MBP, MOG, protein zero, GAP43, Sox10, and Olig2, as shown by immunocytrochemistry and western blot. A small population of cultured ADSC expressed membrane galactocerebroside (O1 antibody), but no cell stained with O4 antibody. RT-PCR analyses showed the expression of CNPase, MBP, DM20, and low levels of Olig2, Sox10, and Sox2 mRNA by rat ADSC. When rat ADSC were treated with combinations of factors commonly used in neural-inducing media (retinoic acid, dbcAMP, EGF, basic FGF, NT3, and/or PDGF), the number of O1-positive cells changed, but in no case, mRNA expression of Sox10 and Olig2 transcription factors approached CNS oligodendrocyte levels. In co-culture with rat dorsal root ganglion neurons, no sign of axonal myelination by rat ADSC was observed. These studies show that the expression of oligodendrocyte traits by cultured ADSC is not a proof of functional competence as oligodendroglia and suggest that in culture conditions, ADSC acquire intermediate, uncommitted phenotypes.

Background: While the relationship between inorganic arsenic exposure and psychological impairment has been studied previously, the association between low-level arsenic exposure during pregnancy and postpartum depression has not yet been examined. The objective is to estimate the association between low-level arsenic exposure during pregnancy and the Edinburgh score., Methods: A sample of 223 women was collected from five public health services in Arica, Chile. Participation was voluntary and written consent was mandatory. Sociodemographic data related to arsenic exposure and urine samples for total inorganic arsenic assessments were collected during the second trimester. Postpartum depression symptoms were estimated by the Edinburgh Postpartum Depression scale. We examined descriptive statistics and ran multiple linear regressions. The modifying effect of age and depression history was evaluated separately., Results: The median for total urinary inorganic arsenic was 14.6μg/L (range: 2-69.2μg/L), the median for postpartum depression score was 8 points (range: 0-27 points) and 20.6% of women were considered as postpartum depressed. For women older than 25years old without depression history, the adjusted coefficient for the total urinary natural logarithm of inorganic arsenic in multiple linear regressions was -2.51 (95% CI: -4.54, -0.48; P-value=0.02). For women older than 25years old with a depression history, this value was 2.09 (95% CI: -0.90, 5.08; P-value=0.16)., Conclusions: In this cohort, the number of children, physical perception, depression history, stressful maternity, and age were associated with postpartum depression score. The Edinburgh score was associated with inorganic arsenic in women older than 25years without depression history., (Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.)

An unprecedented Pt-catalysed cyclisation of N-tethered 1,5-bisallenes in the presence of oxygen nucleophiles is reported, where formation of 6- or 7-membered rings is driven by the choice of nucleophile and the mechanism dictated by the nucleophile and the electronic properties of the bisallene. The reaction in the presence of alcohols gives preferentially vinyltetrahydropyridines with an extra alkoxy group and Pt-H as the active species in the catalytic cycle, while formation of di- and tetrahydroazepines with an extra hydroxyl group is favoured when water is used as nucleophile, via nucleophilic attack/carbocyclization as the favoured pathway. The products obtained are frequently found in the core of natural products with important biological activities, so understanding this complex mechanistic behaviour and exploiting this new methodology will have a big impact in organic synthesis and organometallic chemistry.

The objective was to evaluate the characteristics of exposure to OP pesticides and health status in Chilean farm workers from the Maule Region. An occupational health questionnaire was administered in 207 agricultural and non-agricultural workers. For the group of agricultural workers, we asked about specific occupational exposure history and symptoms of OP pesticide poisoning. The main health problem of the exposed group was previous OP pesticide poisoning (p < 0.001). Fifty-six percent of agricultural workers reported symptoms consistent with acute OP pesticide poisoning. The use of respiratory personal protective equipment and younger age were protective against these symptoms, and number of years of OP pesticide exposure was positively associated with reporting symptoms of poisoning. Of the pesticide applicators 47 % reported using chlorpyrifos. The regulations regarding use and application of pesticides should be strengthened, as should training and intervention with workers to improve the use of personal protective equipment.

Introduction: The Meckel's diverticulum (MD) is the most common congenital anomaly of the gastrointestinal tract present in approximately 1-4% of the population; the MD duplication is exceedingly rare with only a few reports of it. Here we present the firs case of a strangulated Littre's hernia with MD duplication., Presentation of Case: A 30-year-old male presented to the emergency room with clinical signs of small bowel obstruction, at physical examination, a right incarcerated inguinal hernia with erythema was found. We did a laparotomy, and two MD were found, one in the sac with ischemia, and the other 90cm from the Bahuińs valve. A diverticulectomy of the ischemic diverticulum was done, and the other MD was left in place; the inguinal region was repaired with a Lichtenstein technique., Discussion: The complications of the MD are 3-4 times more frequent in men, been an intestinal obstruction, hemorrhage, diverticulitis, ulceration, and perforation. A Littrés hernia is when the MD is found in the sac; this is seen in the inguinal region in 50% of the cases. The management of a Littre's hernia is the resection of the MD; it could be done by an intestinal resection or by a diverticulectomy accordingly to the Park criteria., Conclusion: As to our knowledge, this is the first case of an incarcerated Littre's hernia with duplication of a Meckel's diverticulum., (Copyright © 2017 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.)

This detailed protocol describes the new Spin Saturation Transfer Difference Nuclear Magnetic Resonance protocol (SSTD NMR), recently developed in our group to study processes of mutual-site chemical exchange that are difficult to analyze by traditional methods. As the name suggests, this method combines the Spin Saturation Transfer method used for small molecules, with the Saturation Transfer Difference (STD) NMR method employed for the study of protein-ligand interactions, by measuring transient spin saturation transfer along increasing saturation times (build-up curves) in small organic and organometallic molecules undergoing chemical exchange. Advantages of this method over existing ones are: there is no need to reach coalescence of the exchanging signals; the method can be applied as long as one signal of the exchanging sites is isolated; there is no need to measure T1 or reach steady state saturation; rate constant values are measured directly, and T1 values are obtained in the same experiment, using only one set of experiments. To test the method, we have studied the dynamics of the hindered rotation of N,N-dimethylamides, for which much data is available for comparison. The thermodynamic parameters obtained using SSTD are very similar to the reported ones (spin-saturation transfer techniques and line-shape analysis). The method can be applied to more challenging substrates that cannot be studied by previous methods. We envisage that the simple experimental set up and the wide applicability of the method to a great variety of substrates will make this a common technique amongst organic and organometallic chemists without extensive expertise in NMR.

Introduction: México is the second place in overweight and obese adults. Acute appendicitis (AA), is the most common indication for an emergency surgery around the world, with an estimated lifetime incidence of 7-14%. Laparoscopic appendectomy (LA) has been described as a safe and good surgery approach for this group of patients. Nevertheless, in México, there is not any evidence supporting these outcomes in our population., Methods: All the patients that came to the ER from July to December 2014 with age >16-year, body mass index (BMI) > 25 kg/m(2) (overweight) and, BMI >30 kg/m(2) (obese) were included in the study. We recorded the age, gender, BMI, grade of appendicitis, complications classified by the Clavien-Dindo Classification, and a follow-up period of 7-day, 30-day, 6-month, and 1-year., Results: 27 patients met the inclusion criteria, five had overweight (18.5%), and twenty-two were obese (81.5%). No surgical conversion was needed. The overall complications rate was 29.6%%, with 22.2% mild complications and 7.4% of moderate complication. The average in-hospital cost for the procedure was $15,860 MXN (range $12,860-$22,860 MXN). The surgical time was ≈53.7 ± 19.93 h and the LOS ≈1.6 ± 0.6 days., Conclusion: The outcomes in the Mexican adult obese population with acute appendicitis when a laparoscopic appendectomy is performed are as good as reported in other countries., (Copyright © 2016 IJS Publishing Group Ltd. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

The pathological hallmark of Huntington disease (HD) is the intracellular aggregation of mutant huntingtin (mHTT) in striatal neurons and glia associated with the selective loss of striatal medium-sized spiny neurons. Up to the present, the role of glia in HD is poorly understood and has been classically considered secondary to neuronal disorder. Trehalose is a disaccharide known to possess many pharmacological properties, acting as an antioxidant, a chemical chaperone, and an inducer of autophagy. In this study, we analyzed at an early postnatal development stage the abnormalities observed in striatal glial cell cultures of postnatal R6/1 mice (HD glia), under baseline and stressing conditions and the protective effects of trehalose. Our data demonstrate that glial HD alterations already occur at early stages of postnatal development. After 20 postnatal days in vitro, striatal HD glia cultures showed more reactive astrocytes with increased expression of glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) but with less replication capacity, less A2B5(+) glial progenitors and more microglia than wild-type (WT) cultures. HD glia had lower levels of intracellular glutathione (GSH) and was more susceptible to H2O2 and epoxomicin insults. The amount of expressed GDNF and secreted mature-BDNF by HD astrocytes were much lower than by WT astrocytes. In addition, HD glial cultures showed a deregulation of the major proteolytic systems, the ubiquitin-proteasomal system (UPS), and the autophagic pathway. This produces a defective protein quality control, indicated by the elevated levels of ubiquitination and p62 protein. Interestingly, we show that trehalose, through its capacity to induce autophagy, inhibited p62/SQSTM1 accumulation and facilitated the degradation of cytoplasmic aggregates from mHTT and α-synuclein proteins. Trehalose also reduced microglia activation and reversed the disrupted cytoskeleton of astrocytes accompanied with an increase in the replication capacity. In addition, trehalose up-regulated mature-BDNF neurotrophic factor expression and secretion, probably mediating cytoskeletal organization and helping in vesicular BDNF transport. Together, these findings indicate that glia suffers functional early changes in the disease process, changes that may contribute to HD neurodegeneration. Trehalose could be a very promising compound for treatment of HD and other diseases with abnormal protein aggregates. Furthermore our study identifies glial cells as a novel target for trehalose to induce neurotrophic and neuroprotective actions in HD., (Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Objective: To evaluate organophosphate pesticide exposure and neuropsychological and motor performance in agricultural and non-agricultural workers in the Maule Region in Chile., Method: Analytic cross-sectional study in 93 exposed farm workers and 84 unexposed non-agricultural workers. A battery of four neuropsychological tests was administered together with a neuro-motor physical examination., Results: On the Weschler adult intelligence scale (WAIS-IV), exposed agricultural workers exhibited poorer performance than non-agricultural workers in verbal comprehension (β=-3.2; p=0.034) and processing speed (β=-4.4; p=0.036) and in the full scale (β=-4; p=0.016), as well as in discrimination sensitivity (β=1, p=0,009), adjusted by years of schooling and/or age., Conclusions: We suggest the development of policies and regulations for the control, sale and use of organophosphate pesticides and intervention strategies on safety measures aimed at the exposed population., (Copyright © 2016 SESPAS. Published by Elsevier Espana. All rights reserved.)

Background: Previous studies have demonstrated that acute poisoning from exposure to organophosphate (OP) pesticides in agricultural workers causes adverse health effects. However, neuropsychological and cognitive effects of chronic occupational exposure to OP pesticides remain controversial., Objective: To identify, evaluate, and systematize existing evidence regarding chronic exposure to OP pesticides and neuropsychological effects in farmworkers., Methods: Using the PubMed search engine, a systematic review process was implemented and replicated according to the PRISMA statement. Eligibility criteria included workers over 18 years of age exposed to OP pesticides as well as assessment of neuropsychological and cognitive functioning. Search terms were in English and Spanish languages and included organophosphate and workers., Results: Of the search results, 33 of 1,256 articles meet eligibility criteria. Twenty-four studies found an association between chronic occupational exposure to OP pesticides and low neuropsychological performance in workers. We classified nine of the studies to have study design limitations. Studies indicated occupational exposure to OP pesticides is linked to difficulties in executive functions, psychomotor speed, verbal, memory, attention, processing speed, visual-spatial functioning, and coordination. Nine studies find no relationship between OP pesticides exposure and neuropsychological performance., Conclusions: Overall, evidence suggests an association between chronic occupational exposure to OP pesticides and neuropsychological effects. However, there is no consensus about the specific cognitive skills affected.

We report here the Initial Growth Rates SSTD NMR method, as a new powerful tool to obtain the kinetic parameters of intramolecular chemical exchange in challenging small organic and organometallic molecules.

Transition-metal catalysed nucleophile addition to allenes is a very powerful tool for the synthesis of functionalised molecules containing heteroatoms, heterocycles in the intramolecular version, or allyl derivatives in the intermolecular version. The reaction has been explored with a wide variety of metals, silver being one of the most effective. Although platinum has somehow been less explored, different reactivities have been observed with this metal, showing the great potential and versatility of this methodology. This review will highlight the reactions with these two metals, silver and platinum, when oxygen or nitrogen nucleophiles are employed. Although most of the examples describe the intramolecular version, some intermolecular reactions with platinum have been described, and will also be covered.

Objective: To describe pesticide concentrations in distinct environmental matrices at two time points (low and high seasons in local agricultural production) and to estimate the association between the presence of pesticide residues in matrices and the use of pesticides in the home with the sociodemographic variables of schoolchildren in the Province of Talca, Chile., Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted in 190 schoolchildren. Families were surveyed about their children's vegetable consumption in school and at home, the use of pesticides in the home, and other sociodemographic variables. Additionally, we measured pesticide residues in vegetables and water consumed by the schoolchildren and in the soil of 14 schools., Results: At both time points, the vegetable matrix had the highest pesticide concentration, both in urban and rural schoolchildren. The most common pesticide residues in vegetables were chlorpyrifos, diphenylamine, pyrimethanil, and thiabendazole. In the home, pyrethroid and organophosphate pesticides were mainly used in summer. Dangerous pesticide residues such as azinphos methyl and dimethoate were found in vegetables consumed by the children in schools and households, and organochlorines were found in the soil in some schools., Conclusions: Pesticide exposure should be limited and the health effects related to pesticide exposure should be assessed in the school population., (Copyright © 2013 SESPAS. Published by Elsevier Espana. All rights reserved.)

A new gold-catalysed azidation reaction of allenes is presented as a new highly modular approach for the synthesis of substituted allyl derivatives containing nitrogen from simple precursors.

Huntington's disease is a neurodegenerative disorder caused by an expansion of CAG repeats in the huntingtin gene which produces widespread neuronal and glial pathology. We here investigated the possible therapeutic role of glia or glial products in Huntington's disease using striatal glial conditioned medium (GCM) from fetus mice (E16) continuously infused for 15 and 30 days with osmotic minipumps into the left striatum of R6/1 mice. Animals infused with GCM had significantly less huntingtin inclusions in the ipsilateral cerebral cortex and in the ipsilateral and contralateral striata than mice infused with cerebrospinal fluid. The numbers of DARPP-32 and TH positive neurons were also greater in the ipsilateral but not contralateral striata and substantia nigra, respectively, suggesting a neuroprotective effect of GCM on efferent striatal and nigro-striatal dopamine neurons. GCM increases activity of the autophagic pathway, as shown by the reduction of autophagic substrate, p-62, and the augmentation of LC3 II, Beclin-1 and LAMP-2 protein levels, direct markers of autophagy, in GCM infused mice. GCM also increases BDNF levels. These results suggest that CGM should be further explored as a putative neuroprotective agent in Huntington's disease.

Cannabinoids are neuroprotective in models of neurodegenerative dementias. Their effects are mostly mediated through CB1 and CB2 receptor-dependent modulation of excitotoxicity, inflammation, oxidative stress, and other processes. We tested the effects of Sativex®, a mixture of Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol and cannabidiol, acting on both CB1 and CB2 receptors, in parkin-null, human tau overexpressing (PK-/-/TauVLW) mice, a model of complex frontotemporal dementia, parkinsonism, and lower motor neuron disease. The animals received Sativex®, 4.63 mg/kg, ip, daily, for one month, at six months of age, at the onset of the clinical symptoms. We evaluated the effects of Sativex® on behavior, dopamine neurotransmission, glial activation, redox state, mitochondrial activity, and deposition of abnormal proteins. PK-/-/TauVLW mice developed the neurological deficits, but those treated with Sativex® showed less abnormal behaviors related to stress, less auto and hetero-aggression, and less stereotypy. Sativex® significantly reduced the intraneuronal, MAO-related free radicals produced during dopamine metabolism in the limbic system. Sativex® also decreased gliosis in cortex and hippocampus, increased the ratio reduced/oxidized glutathione in the limbic system, reduced the levels of iNOS, and increased those of complex IV in the cerebral cortex. With regard to tau and amyloid pathology, Sativex® reduced the deposition of both in the hippocampus and cerebral cortex of PK-/-/TauVLW mice and increased autophagy. Sativex®, even after a short administration in animals with present behavioral and pathological abnormalities, improves the phenotype, the oxidative stress, and the deposition of proteins in PK-/-/TauVLW mice, a model of complex neurodegenerative disorders.

Background: The Hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection is a major cause of liver disease and liver cancer worldwide according to the World Health Organization. Following acute HBV infection, 1-5% of infected healthy adults and up to 90% of infected infants become chronic carriers and have an increased risk of cirrhosis and primary hepatocellular carcinoma. The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between the reduction in acute hepatitis B incidence and the universal vaccination programme in preadolescents in Catalonia (Spain), taking population changes into account, and to construct a model to forecast the future incidence of cases that permits the best preventive strategy to be adopted., Methods: Reported acute hepatitis B incidence in Catalonia according to age, gender, vaccination coverage, percentage of immigrants and the year of report of cases was analysed. A statistical analysis was made using three models: generalized linear models (GLM) with Poisson or negative binomial distribution and a generalized additive model (GAM)., Results: The higher the vaccination coverage, the lower the reported incidence of hepatitis B (p <0.01). In groups with vaccination coverage > 70%, the reduction in incidence was 2-fold higher than in groups with a coverage <70% (p <0.01). The increase in incidence was significantly-higher in groups with a high percentage of immigrants and more than 15% (p <0.01) in immigrant males of working age (19-49 years)., Conclusions: The results of the adjusted models in this study confirm that the global incidence of hepatitis B has declined in Catalonia after the introduction of the universal preadolescent vaccination programme, but the incidence increased in male immigrants of working age. Given the potential severity of hepatitis B for the health of individuals and for the community, universal vaccination programmes should continue and programmes in risk groups, especially immigrants, should be strengthened.