Progress in Degradation Behavior of Most Common Types of Functionalized Polymers: A Review.

Nowadays, degradation of polymeric material is a hot topic, it is either related to environmental considerations to avoid pollution accumulation, or to biomedical applications to reduce the toxicity or to facilitate the excretion of foreign agents in the body. Functionalization is a promising and interesting method to tune polymers degradation kinetics and profiles in a robust and controllable way depending on the targeted application. The incorporation of a functionality to a macromolecule occurs through mainly two strategies: direct functionalization of the corresponding monomers before their polymerization, and postpolymerization modifications that can occur on the side, main or/and end chains of the polymers. Ideally, the lifespan of a material is restricted to the duration of the application, its mechanical and chemical properties do not deteriorate and does not produce toxic byproducts over the degradation process. This review presents the latest advances in polymer functionalization strategies in terms of their impact on the degradation process. Special considerations are given to the main classes of polymers including polyesters, polyurethanes, polyacetals, as well as vinyl-based and phosphorous-derived polymers.

Evaluation of the Potential of Lipid-Extracted Chlorella vulgaris Residue for Yarrowia lipolytica Growth at Different pH Levels.

Projections show that the cultivation of microalgae will extend to the production of bio-based compounds, such as biofuels, cosmetics, and medicines. This will generate co-products or residues that will need to be valorized to reduce the environmental impact and the cost of the process. This study explored the ability of lipid-extracted Chlorella vulgaris residue as a sole carbon and nitrogen source for growing oleaginous yeasts without any pretreatment. Both wild-type Yarrowia lipolytica W29 and mutant JMY3501 (which was designed to accumulate more lipids without their remobilization or degradation) showed a similar growth rate of 0.28 h-1 at different pH levels (3.5, 5.5, and 7.5). However, the W29 cell growth had the best cell number on microalgal residue at a pH of 7.5, while three times fewer cells were produced at all pH levels when JMY3501 was grown on microalgal residue. The JMY3501 growth curves were similar at pH 3.5, 5.5, and 7.5, while the fatty-acid composition differed significantly, with an accumulation of α-linolenic acid on microalgal residue at a pH of 7.5. Our results demonstrate the potential valorization of Chlorella vulgaris residue for Yarrowia lipolytica growth and the positive effect of a pH of 7.5 on the fatty acid profile.

Unprecedented Biodegradable Cellulose-Derived Polyesters with Pendant Citronellol Moieties: From Monomer Synthesis to Enzymatic Degradation.

Levoglucosenone (LGO) is a cellulose-derived molecule that is present commercially on a multi-ton/year scale. Taking advantage of the α,ß-conjugated ketone of LGO, a new citronellol-containing 5-membered lactone (HBO-citro) was synthesized through a one-pot two-step pathway involving oxa-Michael addition and Baeyer-Villiger oxidation. The solvent-free treatment of HBO-citro with NaBH4 at room temperature led to the full reduction of the lactone moiety which gave a novel fully renewable triol monomer having a citronellol side chain (Triol-citro). Noticeably, by simply changing the reducing agent, temperature and reaction duration, the partial reduction of HBO-citro can be achieved to yield a mixture of 5- and 6-membered Lactol-citro molecules. Triol-citro was chosen to prepare functional renewable polyesters having citronellol pendant chains via polycondensation reactions with diacyl chlorides having different chain lengths. Good thermal stability (Td5% up to 170 °C) and low glass transition temperatures (as low as -42 °C) were registered for the polyesters obtained. The polymers were then hydrolyzed using a commercial lipase from Thermomyces lanuginosus (Lipopan® 50 BG) to assess their biodegradability. A higher degradation profile was found for the polyesters prepared using co-monomers (acyl chlorides) having longer chain lengths. This is likely due to the decreased steric hindrance around the ester bonds which allowed enhanced accessibility of the enzyme.

Glucosinolates: Natural Occurrence, Biosynthesis, Accessibility, Isolation, Structures, and Biological Activities.

Glucosinolates (GSLs) are secondary plant metabolites abundantly found in plant order Brassicales. GSLs are constituted by an S-ß-d-glucopyrano unit anomerically connected to O-sulfated (Z)-thiohydroximate moiety. The side-chain of the O-sulfate thiohydroximate moiety, which is derived from a different amino acid, contributes to the diversity of natural GSL, with more than 130 structures identified and validated to this day. Both the structural diversity of GSL and their biological implication in plants have been biochemically studied. Although chemical syntheses of GSL have been devised to give access to these secondary metabolites, direct extraction from biomass remains the conventional method to isolate natural GSL. While intact GSLs are biologically inactive, various products, including isothiocyanates, nitriles, epithionitriles, and cyanides obtained through their hydrolysis of GSLs, exhibit many different biological activities, among which several therapeutic benefits have been suggested. This article reviews natural occurrence, accessibility via chemical, synthetic biochemical pathways of GSL, and the current methodology of extraction, purification, and characterization. Structural information, including the most recent classification of GSL, and their stability and storage conditions will also be discussed. The biological perspective will also be explored to demonstrate the importance of these prominent metabolites.

Evaluation of Gas-to-Liquid Transfer with Ceramic Membrane Sparger for H2 and CO2 Fermentation.

Hydrogen and carbon dioxide fermentation to methane, called bio-methanation, is a promising way to provide renewable and easy-to-store energy. The main challenge of bio-methanation is the low gas-to-liquid transfer of hydrogen. Gas injection through a porous membrane can be used to obtain microbubbles and high gas-to-liquid transfer. However, the understanding of bubble formation using a membrane in the fermentation broth is still missing. This study focused on the impact of liquid pressure and flow rate in the membrane, gas flow rate, membrane hydrophobicity, surface, and pore size on the overall gas-to-liquid mass transfer coefficient (KLa) for hydrogen with gas injection through a porous membrane in real fermentation conditions. It has been shown that KLa increased by 13% with an increase in liquid pressure from 0.5 bar to 1.5 bar. The use of a hydrophilic membrane increased the KLa by 17% compared to the hydrophobic membrane. The membrane with a pore size of 0.1 µm produced a higher KLa value compared to 50 and 300 kDa. The liquid crossflow velocity did not impact the KLa in the studied range.

Impact of Bis-O-dihydroferuloyl-1,4-butanediol Content on the Chemical, Enzymatic and Fungal Degradation Processes of Poly(3-hydroxybutyrate).

Poly-ß-hydroxybutyrate (PHB) is a very common bio-based and biocompatible polymer obtained from the fermentation of soil bacteria. Due to its important crystallinity, PHB is extremely brittle in nature, which results in poor mechanical properties with low extension at the break. To overcome these issues, the crystallinity of PHB can be reduced by blending with plasticizers such as ferulic acid derivatives, e.g., bis-O-dihydroferuloyl-1,4-butanediol (BDF). The degradation potential of polymer blends of PHB containing various percentages (0, 5, 10, 20, and 40 w%) of BDF was investigated through chemical, enzymatic and fungal pathways. Chemical degradation revealed that, in 0.25 M NaOH solution, the presence of BDF in the blend was necessary to carry out the degradation, which increased as the BDF percentage increased. Whereas no enzymatic degradation could be achieved in the tested conditions. Fungal degradation was achieved with a strain isolated from the soil and monitored through imagery processing. Similar to the chemical degradation, higher BDF content resulted in higher degradation by the fungus.

Synthesis and Enzymatic Degradation of Sustainable Levoglucosenone-Derived Copolyesters with Renewable Citronellol Side Chains.

Recently, a renewable five-membered lactone containing citronellol (HBO-citro) was synthesized from levoglucosenone (LGO). A one-pot two-step pathway was then developed to produce a mixture of 5- and 6-membered Lactol-citro molecules (5ML and 6ML, respectively) from HBO-citro. Proton nuclear magnetic resonance (1H NMR) of a mixture of 5ML and 6ML at varying temperatures showed that the chemical shifts of the hydroxyls, as well as the 5ML:6ML ratio, are temperature-dependent. Indeed, a high temperature, such as 65 °C, led to an up-field shielding of the hydroxyl protons as well as a drop in the 5ML:6ML ratio. The monomers 5ML and 6ML were then engaged in polycondensation reactions involving diacyl chlorides. Renewable copolyesters with low glass transition temperatures (as low as -67 °C) and cross-linked citronellol chains were prepared. The polymers were then hydrolyzed using a commercial lipase from Thermomyces lanuginosus (Lipopan® 50 BG). A higher degradation rate was found for the polymers prepared using Lactol-citro molecules, compared to those obtained by the polycondensation reactions of diacyl chlorides with Triol-citro-a monomer recently obtained by the selective reduction of HBO-citro.

In-situ biogas upgrading by bio-methanation with an innovative membrane bioreactor combining sludge filtration and H2 injection.

A bioreactor using membrane technologies was used to demonstrate the feasibility of in-situ bio-methanation coupled to industrial wastewater treatment for biogas upgrading. High biogas productivity (1.7 Nm3Biogas/m3Bioreactor/day) with high CH4 content (97.9%) was reached. In-situ bio-methanation did not affect the COD removal efficiency of anerobic digestion (>94%). Process resilience has been tested for both substrate overload and H2 intermittence injection. Recovery of high CH4 content after 7 days without H2 injection occurred within few hours. Influence of microbial community has been studied showing that both hydrogenotrophic and homoacetogenic-acetoclastic pathways were involved.

Food-dependent set-up of the DiDGI® dynamic in vitro system: Correlation with the porcine model for protein digestion of soya-based food.

The present study compared in vivo protein digestion in a miniature pig model with the dynamic in vitro system DiDGI®, using three digestive compartments (stomach, duodenum, and jejunum + ileum). Two soya-based meals-commercial soya milk and tofu-were studied, each with the same macronutrient content but different macrostructures. Our aim was to first deduce from the in vivo experiments in pigs key digestive parameters such as gastric pH, stomach emptying kinetics, and intestinal transit time, in order to design a relevant set-up for the dynamic in vitro system. Then, we compared digestive samples collected at fixed sampling times from both in vivo and in vitro models regarding different values related to proteolysis. We observed similar evolutions of gastric peptide distribution and duodenal proteolysis between models. Overall, apparent ileal digestibility of nitrogen was similar in vitro and in vivo and the differences between the two meals were conserved between models.

True ileal amino acid digestibility and digestible indispensable amino acid scores (DIAASs) of plant-based protein foods.

Plant-based protein foods are increasingly common, but data on their nutritional protein quality are scarce. This study evaluated it for seitan (wheat-based food), tofu (soya-based food), soya milk, and a pea emulsion. The true ileal digestibility (TID) of their amino acids was determined in minipigs, to calculate the digestible indispensable amino acid score (DIAAS). The TID of the proteins was high and not significantly different between the foods tested: 97% for seitan, 95% for tofu, 92% for soya milk and 94% for pea emulsion. There were only minor differences in individual amino acid TIDs. DIAAS ranking was thus essentially driven by the amino acid composition of the food: soya-based food > pea emulsion > seitan. Nevertheless, the lower TID of sulphur-containing amino acids in tofu than in soya milk induced a significant decrease in DIAAS (from 117% to 97%), highlighting the importance of the matrix effect on nutritional protein quality.

Intensification of p-coumaric acid heterologous production using extractive biphasic fermentation.

p-coumaric acid (p-CA) can be produced from D-glucose by an engineered S. cerevisiae strain. p-CA has antimicrobial properties and retro-inhibition activity. Moreover, p-CA is a hydrophobic compound, limiting its accumulation in fermentation broth. To overcome these issues all at once, a liquid-liquid extraction in-situ product recovery process using oleyl alcohol as extractant has been implemented in order to continuously extract p-CA from the broth. Media and pH impacts on strain metabolism were assessed, highlighting p-CA decarboxylase endogenous activity. Biphasic fermentations allowed an increase in p-CA respiratory production rates at both pH assessed (13.65 and 9.45 mg L-1.h-1 at pH 6 and 4.5, respectively) compared to control ones (10.5 and 7.5 mg L-1.h-1 at pH 6 and 4.5, respectively). Biphasic fermentation effects on p-CA decarboxylation were studied showing that continuous removal of p-CA decreased its decarboxylation into 4-vinylphenol at pH 4.5 (57 mg L-1 in biphasic fermentation vs 173 mg L-1 in control one).

Hydrolysis of plant proteins at the molecular and supra-molecular scales during in vitro digestion.

The digestion of plant protein is highly dependent on multiple factors, with two of the most important being the protein source and the food matrix. The present study investigated the effects of these two factors on the digestion of seitan (a wheat-based food), tofu, soya juice, and a homemade emulsion of soy oil and water that was stabilised with pea protein. The four plant matrices and their respective protein isolates/concentrates (wheat gluten, soya protein, pea protein) were subjected to in vitro static digestion following the INFOGEST consensus protocol. We monitored the release of α-amino groups during digestion. We found that food matrix had a strong influence on protein digestion: soya juice was more hydrolysed than fresh tofu (51.1% versus 33.1%; P = 0.0087), but fresh tofu was more hydrolysed than soya protein isolate (33.1% versus 17.9%; P < 0.0001). Likewise, the pea-protein emulsion was better hydrolysed than the pea-protein isolate (P = 0.0033). Differences were also detected between the two solid foods investigated here: a higher degree of hydrolysis was found for tofu compared to seitan (33.1% versus 11.8%), which was perhaps a function of the presence of numerous dense protein aggregates in the latter but not the former. Furthermore, freeze-drying more than doubled the final degree of hydrolysis of seitan (P < 0.0001), but had no effect on tofu (P = 1.0000). Confocal microscopy revealed that protein networks in freeze-dried seitan were strongly altered with respect to the fresh product; instead, protein networks in freeze-dried and fresh tofu were largely similar. Finally, we found that the protease:protein ratio had a strong effect on the kinetics of proteolysis: a 3.7-fold increase in the concentration of the soya protein isolate with respect to that of the soya juice decreased the final degree of hydrolysis from 50.3 to 17.9% (P = 0.0988).

Temporal changes in postprandial intragastric pH: Comparing measurement methods, food structure effects, and kinetic modelling.

Intragastric pH greatly affects food disintegration and the release of nutrients in the gut. Here, the behaviour of two liquid meals (soymilk, pea emulsion) and two solid meals (tofu, seitan) was tested in miniature pigs fitted with gastric cannula. For 5 h, intragastric pH was recorded using one of three methods: ex vivo measurements of chyme samples, in situ measurements using pH catheters, or in situ measurements using wireless pH capsules, both inserted through a pig's cannula. The pH values obtained with the two in situ methods were highly correlated. The liquid and solid foods yielded distinct pH kinetics. For the solids, pH simply decreased exponentially. For the liquids, pH increased rapidly and then plateaued for 2 h before dropping Food macrostructure and, to a lesser extent, food buffering capacity clearly had an impact on intragastric pH. We modelled changes in intragastric pH over time with food-dependent nonlinear equations.

A close relative of the Amazon river dolphin in marine deposits: a new Iniidae from the late Miocene of Angola.

BACKGROUND: A few odontocetes (echolocating toothed cetaceans) have been able to independently colonize freshwater ecosystems. Although some extant species of delphinids (true dolphins) and phocoenids (porpoises) at least occasionally migrate upstream of large river systems, they have close relatives in fully marine regions. This contrasts with the three odontocete families only containing extant species with a strictly freshwater habitat (Iniidae in South America, the recently extinct Lipotidae in China, and Platanistidae in southeast Asia). Among those, the fossil record of Iniidae includes taxa from freshwater deposits of South America, partly overlapping geographically with the extant Amazon river dolphin Inia geoffrensis, whereas a few marine species from the Americas were only tentatively referred to the family, leaving the transition from a marine to freshwater environment poorly understood. METHODS: Based on a partial odontocete skeleton including the cranium, discovered in late Miocene (Tortonian-Messinian) marine deposits near the estuary of the Cuanza River, Angola, we describe a new large iniid genus and species. The new taxon is compared to other extinct and extant iniids, and its phylogenetic relationships with the latter are investigated through cladistic analysis. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION: The new genus and species Kwanzacetus khoisani shares a series of morphological features with Inia geoffrensis, including the combination of a frontal boss with nasals being lower on the anterior wall of the vertex, the laterally directed postorbital process of the frontal, the anteroposterior thickening of the nuchal crest, and robust teeth with wrinkled enamel. As confirmed (although with a low support) with the phylogenetic analysis, this makes the new taxon the closest relative of I. geoffrensis found in marine deposits. The geographic provenance of K. khoisani, on the eastern coast of South Atlantic, suggests that the transition from the marine environment to a freshwater, Amazonian habitat may have occurred on the Atlantic side of South America. This new record further increases the inioid diversity during the late Miocene, a time interval confirmed here as the heyday for this superfamily. Finally, this first description of a Neogene cetacean from inland deposits of western sub-Saharan Africa reveals the potential of this large coastal area for deciphering key steps of the evolutionary history of modern cetaceans in the South Atlantic.

Valor pronóstico de la glicemia en la evolución neurológica de pacientes diabéticos con enfermedad cerebrovascular / Prognostic value of glycemia in the neurological evolution of diabetic patients with cerebrovascular disease

Introducción: La diabetes mellitus es una de las enfermedades que aumenta el riesgo de una persona de sufrir un accidente cerebrovascular. Las personas con diabetes tienen tres veces el riesgo de un accidente cerebrovascular y peor pronóstico cuando las cifras de glucemia son altas. Objetivo: Describir la evolución neurológica en pacientes diabéticos con enfermedad cerebrovascular isquémica aguda. Métodos: Se realizó un estudio descriptivo, en pacientes diabéticos que ingresan en el Hospital Enrique Cabrera con enfermedad cerebrovascular isquémica aguda. Resultados: Se estudiaron una totalidad de 118 pacientes. El sexo masculino, color de piel blanca y las edades comprendidas entre los 60 y 69 años fueron los más afectados. Se evidenció, con una relación estadísticamente significativa, que los valores de glicemia elevados al momento del diagnóstico de la enfermedad cerebrovascular isquémica estuvieron asociados con la evolución neurológica tórpida de la enfermedad (p=0,0007). Conclusiones: La hiperglucemia al ingreso se asocia con un peor pronóstico neurológico en pacientes diabéticos ingresados por un accidente cerebrovascular isquémico agudo(AU)

Introduction: Diabetes mellitus is one of the diseases that increase a person's risk of suffering a stroke. People with diabetes have three times the risk of stroke and a worse prognosis when blood glucose levels are high. Objective: To describe the neurological evolution in diabetic patients with acute ischemic cerebrovascular disease. Methods: A descriptive study was carried out in diabetic patients admitted to Hospital Enrique Cabrera with acute ischemic cerebrovascular disease. Results: A total of 118 patients were studied. The male sex, white skin color and the ages between 60 and 69 years were the most affected. It was evidenced, with a statistically significant relationship, that elevated blood glucose values at the time of ischemic cerebrovascular disease diagnosis were associated with the torpid neurological evolution of the disease (p = 0.0007). Conclusions: Hyperglycemia on admission is associated with a worse neurological prognosis in diabetic patients admitted for an acute ischemic stroke(AU)

Ventilación mecánica no invasiva en ingresados en un centro provisional para pacientes con CO VID-19 moderada / Non-invasive mechanical ventilation in patients admitted to a provisional center for moderate COVID-19 patients

Introducción: La ventilación mecánica no invasiva es una alternativa ventilatoria para los casos con COVID-19. Objetivo: Describir las características y la evolución de la ventilación mecánica no invasiva en los pacientes egresados en el Centro Provisional para pacientes moderados con COVID-19 en Figali, Panamá. Métodos: Estudio descriptivo, retrospectivo, longitudinal. Incluyó a todos los pacientes adultos egresados entre junio y julio del 2021 que recibieron ventilación mecánica no invasiva. Se utilizó un cuestionario cuya fuente primaria fue la historia clínica individual digital. Se emplearon técnicas de la estadística descriptiva. Resultados: De 217 ingresados con COVID-19 moderado, 78 (35,9 por ciento) necesitaron ventilación mecánica no invasiva, iniciada con media al noveno día de síntomas y segundo después del ingreso. De estos, el 62,8 por ciento eran obesos y el 29,5 por ciento hipertensos. En el 56,4 por ciento, la frecuencia respiratoria ≥30 y la disminución de la razón PaO2/FiO2 fueron los indicadores principales que decidieron el inicio de la VMNI. Del total de ventilados, el 62,8 por ciento tuvo un síndrome de distrés respiratorio agudo moderado-grave y esto se relacionó con el fracaso de la ventilación. La ventilación fue exitosa en el 65,4 por ciento. La razón PaO2/FiO2 <150 (62,9 por ciento), la frecuencia respiratoria ≥30 (55,6 por cientpo y el agotamiento físico (51,85 por ciento), indicaron la falla de la ventilación. Conclusiones: La ventilación mecánica no invasiva es un proceder efectivo en pacientes con COVID-19 y distrés respiratorio moderado o severo; aunque su éxito se relaciona con las formas menos graves. La PaO2/FiO2 baja junto a la clínica, fueron indicadores clave para evaluar inicio, éxito o fracaso de la ventilación mecánica no invasiva; no así los valores de PaO2, PaCO2 y SpO2(AU)

Introduction: Non-invasive mechanical ventilation is a ventilatory alternative for COVID-19 cases. Objective: To describe the characteristics and evolution of non-invasive mechanical ventilation (NIMV) in patients discharged from Provisional Center for moderate COVID-19 patients in Figali, Panama. Methods: A descriptive, retrospective, longitudinal stu was carried out in all adult patients discharged from June to July 2021 and who received non-invasive mechanical ventilation. A questionnaire was used using the digital individual medical record as primary source. Descriptive statistics techniques were used. Results: 35.9percent of the patients (78/217) who were admitted required non-invasive mechanical ventilation on the ninth day of symptoms and the second day after admission. 62.8percent (49/78) were obese and 29.5percent (23/78) hypertensive. The respiratory rate ≥30 and the decrease in the PaO2/FiO2 ratio decided the begining of non-invasive mechanical ventilation in 56.4percent (78/217) of those admitted. 62.8percent (49/78) had moderate-severe acute respiratory distress syndrome, and the severity was related to ventilation failure out of the total number of ventilated patients. Ventilation was successful in 65.4percent (51/78). PaO2/FiO2 <150 (62.9percent), respiratory rate ≥30 (55.6percent) and physical exhaustion (51.85percent) decided ventilation failure. Conclusions: Non-invasive mechanical ventilation is an effective procedure in COVID-19 patients and moderate or severe respiratory distress; although its success is related to the less severe forms. Low PaO2/FiO2, together with symptoms, were key indicators to assess the begining, success or failure of NIMV; not so the values of PaO2, PaCO2 and SpO2(AU)

Caracterización clínica de los pacientes con COVID-19 moderado / Clinical characterization of patients with moderate COVID-19

Introducción: En Panamá, para asumir la masiva demanda de casos con COVID-19, fueron creados centros temporales para atención médica en algunos establecimientos públicos. Objetivo: Caracterizar clínicamente a pacientes ingresados con COVID-19 moderado. Métodos: Estudio descriptivo, ambispectivo, de serie de casos, realizado entre febrero y abril del 2021. Incluyó todos los ingresos en los 5 primeros meses del Centro de Atención Integral para Casos Moderados por COVID-19 en Figali. Se diseñó un cuestionario para cada paciente con datos recogidos de las historias clínicas individuales electrónicas. Resultados: De 628 pacientes ingresados, el 58,1 por ciento eran hombres y 41,6 por ciento del grupo etario de ≥ 60 años. El 54,94 por ciento ingresó luego de 7 días de síntomas, procedentes principalmente de hoteles de aislamiento (39,65 por ciento) y hospitales (26,43 por ciento). Los síntomas más frecuentes fueron la tos, disnea, fiebre y debilidad. El 84,39 por ciento fueron clasificados como COVID-19 moderados. El 51,75 por ciento requirió del ingreso en la Unidad de Cuidados Respiratorios Especiales y de estos el 3,82 por ciento necesitó ventilación mecánica invasiva. El 67,70 por ciento fue dado de alta al hogar y 14,59 por ciento fue transferido a hospitales de tercer nivel luego de la intubación orotraqueal. Conclusiones: El Centro-Figali brindó atención médica a pacientes con COVID-19 moderados, severos y críticos. Prevalecieron los síntomas generales y respiratorios altos, que se intensificaron en la fase pulmonar de la enfermedad y motivaron el ingreso. Entre los hombres, adultos mayores y pacientes con enfermedades crónicas no transmisibles estuvieron la mayoría de los ingresados y fallecidos(AU)

Introduction: In Panama, temporary centers for medical care were created in some public establishments to meet the massive demand for cases with COVID-19. Objective: To clinically describe hospitalized patients with moderate COVID-19. Methods: A descriptive, ambispective, case series study was conducted from February to April 2021. It included all admissions in the first 5 months of the Comprehensive Care Center for Moderate Cases due to COVID-19 in Figali. A questionnaire was designed for each patient with data collected from individual electronic medical records. Results: Out of 628 admitted patients, 58.1 percent were men and 41.6 percent were in the age group ≥60 years. 54.94 percent were admitted after 7 days of symptoms, mainly from isolation hotels (39.65 percent) and hospitals (26.43 percent). The most frequent symptoms were cough, dyspnea, fever and weakness. 84.39 percent were classified as moderate COVID-19. 51.75 percent required admission to the Special Respiratory Care Unit, and out of these 3.82 percent required invasive mechanical ventilation. 67.70 percent were discharged and 14.59 percent were transferred to third level hospitals after orotracheal intubation. Conclusions: Centro Figali provided medical care to patients with moderate, severe and critical COVID-19. General and upper respiratory symptoms prevailed, which intensified in the pulmonary phase of the disease and led to admission. Among men, older adults and patients with chronic non-communicable diseases were the majority of those admitted and deceased(AU)

Effective prevention of chill-haze in beer using an acid proline-specific endoprotease from Aspergillus niger.

Chill-haze formation during beer production is known to involve polyphenols that interact with proline-rich proteins. We hypothesized that incubating beer wort with a proline-specific protease would extensively hydrolyze these proline-rich proteins, yielding a peptide fraction that is unable to form a haze. Predigestion of the proline-rich wheat gliadin with different proteases pointed toward a strong haze-suppressing effect by a proline-specific enzyme. This finding was confirmed in small-scale brewing experiments using a recently identified proline-specific protease with an acidic pH optimum. Subsequent pilot plant trials demonstrated that, upon its addition during the fermentation phase of beer brewing, even low levels of this acidic enzyme effectively prevented chill-haze formation in bottled beer. Results of beer foam stability measurements indicated that the enzyme treatment leaves the beer foam almost unaffected. In combination with the enzyme's cost-effectiveness and regulatory status, these preliminary test results seem to favor further industrial development of this enzymatic beer stabilization method.

Determination of cardiac troponin I forms in the blood of patients with unstable angina pectoris.

OBJECTIVE: To determine the predominant form in which cardiac troponin I circulates in the bloodstream of unstable angina patients. DESIGN AND METHODS: The cardiac troponin I forms released in the bloodstream of 25 patients suffering from unstable angina were examined by using three immunoenzymatic assays: the total cTnI assay for detection of free and complexed cTnI, the IC-TIC assay for detection of the IC and TIC troponin complexes, and the IT-TIC assay for detection of the IT and TIC troponin complexes. RESULTS: Approximately 60% of patients with unstable angina had at least one positive value in the total cTnI assay or in the IC-TIC assay. Our results demonstrated that the predominant cardiac troponin I form circulating in the bloodstream of patients with unstable angina was the IC complex. Free cTnI, IT, and/or TIC forms were seldom found, the frequency of IT and/or TIC complexes being higher than that observed previously in patients with acute myocardial infarction. CONCLUSIONS: The release pattern of cTnI in patients suffering from unstable angina is similar to that previously observed in patients with acute myocardial infarction, i.e., a predominance of the IC complex.

Comparative performance of commercial and laboratory enzymatic complexes from submerged or solid-state fermentation in lignocellulosic biomass hydrolysis.

The aim of this study was to compare the hydrolysis performances of four lignocellulolytic complexes from commercial or laboratory origin and produced either by solid-state fermentation or by submerged fermentation. To evaluate their potential, saccharification tests were performed on cellulose, as model substrate, and wheat bran, as lignocellulosic substrate, using either the same filter paper unit or the same amount of protein to introduce these enzymatic complexes. A great difference was observed for the laboratory enzymatic complex produced by solid-state fermentation, which has shown a greater efficiency of cellobiohydrolase on cellulose and better conversion capacity on wheat bran, probably due to the presence of side activities. This comparison has proved that solid-state fermentation could be a promising technology to overcome the biomass recalcitrance and lower the cost of conversion step.