Continuous solar photo-Fenton for wastewater reclamation in operational environment at demonstration scale.

For the first time, a continuous flow solar photo-Fenton demonstration plant has been assessed for wastewater reclamation according to the EU 2020/741 regulation. The treated water qualities achieved under two operating strategies (acidic and neutral pH) in a 100-m2 raceway pond reactor were explored in terms of liquid depth, iron source, reagent concentrations, and hydraulic residence time over three consecutive days of operation. The results obtained at acidic pH showed removal percentages of contaminants of emerging concern (CECs) > 75% and water quality classes B, C and D according to EU regulation at both assessed operating conditions, with treatment capacities up to 1.92 m3 m-2 d-1. At neutral pH with ferric nitrilotriacetate (Fe3+-NTA), 50% of CEC removal and only water quality class D were achieved with the most oxidizing condition assessed, giving a treatment capacity of 0.80 m3 m-2 d-1. The treatment capacities obtained in this work, which have never been achieved with solar water treatments, demonstrate the potential of this technology for commercial-scale application.

Proteomic analysis of the effect of hemin in breast cancer.

Heme, an iron-containing prosthetic group found in many proteins, carries out diverse biological functions such as electron transfer, oxygen storage and enzymatic reactions. Hemin, the oxidised form of heme, is used to treat porphyria and also to activate heme-oxygenase (HO) which catalyses the rate-limiting step in heme degradation. Our group has previously demonstrated that hemin displays antitumor activity in breast cancer (BC). The aim of this work has been to study the effect of hemin on protein expression modifications in a BC cell line to gain insight into the molecular mechanisms of hemin antitumor activity. For this purpose, we carried out proteome analysis by Mass Spectrometry (MS) which showed that 1309 proteins were significantly increased in hemin-treated cells, including HO-1 and the proteases that regulate HO-1 function, and 921 proteins were significantly decreased. Furthermore, the MS-data analysis showed that hemin regulates the expression of heme- and iron-related proteins, adhesion and cytoskeletal proteins, cancer signal transduction proteins and enzymes involved in lipid metabolism. By biochemical and cellular studies, we further corroborated the most relevant in-silico results. Altogether, these results show the multiple physiological effects that hemin treatment displays in BC and demonstrate its potential as anticancer agent.

Bringing Machine-Learning Enhanced Quantum Chemistry and Microwave Spectroscopy to Conformational Landscape Exploration: the Paradigmatic Case of 4-Fluoro-Threonine.

A combined experimental and theoretical study has been carried out on 4-fluoro-threonine, the only naturally occurring fluorinated amino acid. Fluorination of the methyl group significantly increases the conformational complexity with respect to the parent amino acid threonine. The conformational landscape has been characterized in great detail, with special attention given to the inter-conversion pathways between different conformers. This led to the identification of 13 stable low-energy minima. The equilibrium population of so many conformers produces a very complicated and congested rotational spectrum that could be assigned through a strategy that combines several levels of quantum chemical calculations with the principles of machine learning. Twelve conformers out of 13 could be experimentally characterized. The results obtained from the analysis of the intra-molecular interactions can be exploited to accurately model fluorine-substitution effects in biomolecules.

New magnetic chelating sorbent for chromium speciation by magnetic solid phase extraction on-line with inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometry.

A novel sorbent material employing magnetic nanoparticles (MNPs) coupled to graphene oxide (GO) functionalized with 4-aminobenzenesulfonic acid (M@GO-ABS) has been synthesized and applied to develop an inexpensive and automatic method for Cr(III) and Cr(VI) speciation in environmental samples; the developed method combines inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometry (ICP-OES) with on-line magnetic solid phase extraction (MSPE). Two magnetic-knotted reactors containing M@GO-ABS were installed in the eight-port injection valve of a flow injection (FI) manifold. Two different eluents were used, one for Cr(VI) (the most toxic chromium species) and one for total Cr concentration. Cr(III) concentration was calculated by the difference between Cr(VI) concentration and total Cr concentration. The optimized method presented detection limits (LOD, peak height) of 0.1 µg L-1 for chromium (VI) and 0.08 µg L-1 for total chromium, and enrichment factors of 15 and 23, respectively. Certified reference materials (TMDA 54.5 fortified lake water and SPS-SW2 surface water) and spiked aqueous samples were used to validate the developed method. The developed method was fruitfully applied to chromium speciation in environmental water samples such as seawater, well water and tap water collected in Málaga (Spain). The obtained values were in good agreement with the certified values, and the recoveries were found in the range of 91-108% for the spiked samples.

Perfil de pacientes grandes consumidores de fentanilo de liberación rápida en un área sanitaria de Córdoba / Profile of patients with abusive consumption of quick-release fentanyl in a health area of Cordoba

Objetivo: Describir el tipo de pacientes que superan la dosis diaria definida (DDD) de fentanilo de liberación inmediata en un área sanitaria.Material y métodos: Estudio observacional, descriptivo, realizado en un área sanitaria de 256.807 habitantes en el que se incluyeron todos los pacientes que superaban la DDD de fentanilo de liberación inmediata en diciembre de 2019.Resultados: Se detectaron 29 pacientes, 58,6% mujeres, con una mediana de edad de 59 (31-87) años, que superaban una media de 3 (1,1-10) veces la DDD de fentanilo de liberación inmediata, en sus distintas presentaciones, siendo la indicación en el 69% de los casos dolor crónico no oncológico (DCNO). La mayoría de los pacientes tomaba benzodiacepinas (79,3%) y el mayor porcentaje de primeras prescripciones de fentanilo de liberación rápida procedía de atención primaria (38%).Conclusiones: En nuestro estudio el uso inadecuado o posible abuso de fentanilo de liberación inmediata se da en mayor proporción en pacientes con DCNO, y en la mayoría de los casos la primera prescripción se realizó en atención primaria. No observamos relación clara con patología psiquiátrica ni otras adicciones. (AU)

Objective: To describe the type of patients that exceed the defined daily dose (DDD) of immediate-release fentanyl in a health area.Material and methods: Observational, descriptive study, carried out in a health area of ​​256,807 inhabitants, which included all patients who passed the immediate-release fentanyl DDD in December 2019.Results: 29 patients were detected, 58.6% female, with a median age of 59 (31-87) years, who exceeded an average of 3 (1.1-10) times the immediate-release fentanyl DDD, in its different presentations, being the indication in 69% of cases chronic non-cancer pain (CNCP). The majority of patients took benzodiazepines (79.3%) and the highest percentage of first-prescriptions for inmediate-release fentanyl came from primary care (38%).Conclusions: In our study, the inappropriate use or possible abuse of immediate-release fentanyl occurs in a greater proportion in patients with CNCP, and in most cases the first prescription was made in primary care. We did not observe a clear relationship with psychiatric pathology or other addictions. (AU)

Hereditary angioedema: 24 years of experience in a Portuguese Reference Center.

Summary: Hereditary angioedema (HAE) poses a high burden of disease, being its epidemiological and clinical data heterogeneous among countries, with no recent published studies concerning Portuguese patients. Therefore, we aimed to raise awareness of HAE and to contribute to clinical knowledge. An observational, descriptive, retrospective, and cross-sectional study was performed, that included a cohort of 126 patients followed in a single Portuguese Center. We observed a high prevalence of HAE-C1-INH type II (45.2% of patients). Most HAE patients (67.4%) presented the initial manifestations of the disease before adulthood, at a mean age of 12.6 ± 8.4 years. However, we found a long delay in HAE diagnosis, especially in those without family history (mean 20.7 ± 17.3 years). Stress was the most common trigger, followed by trauma and infection. Symptoms involving different systems were increasingly reported with increased disease duration. Cutaneous symptoms (95.0%) were more frequent, followed by gastrointestinal (80.7%), and respiratory symptoms (50.4%). HAE symptoms led to abdominal surgery in 22 (17.5%) patients and induced laryngeal edema requiring intubation/tracheostomy in 8 (6.3%) patients. Most patients were under long-term prophylaxis, mainly with attenuated androgens (62.7% of patients).The correct distinction between HAE and other common causes of angioedema is critical, allowing reduction of diagnostic delay, improvement of adequate management, and ultimately improving outcomes and quality of life of HAE patients.

Understanding the abundance of the rare sugar ß-D-allose.

The conformational landscape of ß-D-allose, a rare sugar, was investigated using laser ablation in combination with high-resolution rotational spectroscopy. Altogether, three species are identified, exhibiting a counter-clockwise intramolecular hydrogen bond network. The effect of epimerization on the main aldohexose is also studied and, despite the main conformers being very similar, the position of the hydroxyl groups in allose allows the formation of considerably stronger intramolecular hydrogen bonds than in glucose, and this could explain the low abundance of ß-D-allose in Nature.

Novel nonylphenol-degrading bacterial strains isolated from sewage sludge: Application in bioremediation of sludge.

Nonylphenol (NP) is an anthropogenic pollutant frequently found in sewage sludge due to the insufficient degrading effectiveness of conventional WWTPs and has attracted attention as an endocrine disruptor. The aim of this study was to isolate specific NP-degrading bacteria from sewage sludge to be used in the degradation of this contaminant through bioaugmentation processes in aqueous solution and sewage sludge. Up to eight different bacterial strains were isolated, six of them not previously described as NP degraders. Bacillus safensis CN12 presented the best NP degradation in solution, and glucose used as an external carbon source increased its effect, reaching DT50 degradation values (time to decline to half the initial concentration of the pollutant) of only 0.9 days and a complete degradation in <7 days. Four NP metabolites were identified throughout the biodegradation process, showing higher toxicity than the parent contaminant. In sewage sludge suspensions, the endogenous microbiota was capable of partially degrading NP, but a part remained adsorbed as bound residue. Bioaugmentation was used for the first time to remove NP from sewage sludge to obtain more environmentally friendly biosolids. However, B. safensis CN12 was not able to degrade NP due to its high adsorption on sludge, but the use of a cyclodextrin (HPBCD) as availability enhancer allowed us to extract NP and degrade it in solution. The addition of glucose as an external carbon source gave the best results since the metabolism of the sludge microbiota was activated, and HPBCD was able to remove NP from sewage sludge to the solution to be degraded by B. safensis CN12. These results indicate that B. safensis CN12 can be used to degrade NP in water and sewage sludge, but the method must be improved using consortia of B. safensis CN12 with other bacterial strains able to degrade the toxic metabolites produced.

Comprende el medicamento/descubre al farmacéutico. Resultados preliminares 2021 y 2022. Diferencias entre cursos / Understand the medicine/discover the pharmacist. Preliminary results 2021 and 2022. Differences between courses

Introducción. En 2020 el estudio CONÓCEME: Impacto de intervenciones educativas en el uso adecuado del medicamento por farmacéuticos comunitarios (FC) en estudiantes de bachiller, concluye que las intervenciones educativas (IE) fueron efectivas y viables para mejorar el conocimiento general del uso adecuado del medicamento en estudiantes. En 2021 el proyecto CONÓCEME: comprende el medicamento/descubre al farmacéutico, va dirigido también a estudiantes de 4º o 3º Educación Secundaria Obligatoria (ESO) con el fin de llegar a todos los adolescentes.Objetivos. Evaluar la diferencia de aprendizaje de las nociones básicas del uso adecuado del medicamento entre estudiantes de 1º bachillerato, 4º y 3º ESO. _Impartir las IE como una actividad complementaria en el programa educativo para inculcar buenos hábitos desde la adolescencia con la finalidad de conseguir un uso responsable del medicamento a medio y largo plazo. _Evaluar el grado de satisfacción con la actividad de los estudiantes y personal docente.Material y métodos. Estudio observacional descriptivo, transversal, prospectivo, multicéntrico, realizado en 23 provincias de España durante 2021/2022. La actividad educativa fue impartida por uno o dos FC en dos sesiones. Después de cada IE, de forma anónima los estudiantes resolvieron cinco ejercicios en la plataforma del proyecto. En la segunda además rellenaron una encuesta de satisfacción. Para completar la actividad se envió al centro el ebook “Guía práctica para el uso adecuado de los medicamentos” para su difusión entre alumnos y profesores. Además, se envió una encuesta anónima de satisfacción al personal docente. (AU)

Recomendaciones para el manejo de los pacientes críticos con COVID-19 en las Unidades de Cuidados Intensivos / Recommendations for the management of critically ill patients with COVID-19 in Intensive Care Units

The COVID-19 pandemic has led to the admission of a high number of patients to the ICU, generally due to severe respiratory failure. Since the appearance of the first cases of SARS-CoV-2 infection, at the end of 2019, in China, a huge number of treatment recommendations for this entity have been published, not always supported by sufficient scientific evidence or with methodological rigor necessary. Thanks to the efforts of different groups of researchers, we currently have the results of clinical trials, and other types of studies, of higher quality. We consider it necessary to create a document that includes recommendations that collect this evidence regarding the diagnosis and treatment of COVID-19, but also aspects that other guidelines have not considered and that we consider essential in the management of critical patients with COVID-19. For this, a drafting committee has been created, made up of members of the SEMICYUC Working Groups more directly related to different specific aspects of the management of these patients (AU)

La pandemia por COVID-19 ha provocado el ingreso de un elevado número de pacientes en UCI, generalmente por insuficiencia respiratoria severa. Desde la aparición de los primeros casos de infección por SARS-CoV-2, a finales de 2019, en China, se ha publicado una cantidad ingente de recomendaciones de tratamiento de esta entidad, no siempre respaldadas por evidencia científica suficiente ni con el rigor metodológico necesario. Gracias al esfuerzo de distintos grupos de investigadores, actualmente disponemos de resultados de ensayos clínicos, y otro tipo de estudios, de mayor calidad. Consideramos necesario realizar un documento que incluya recomendaciones que recojan estas evidencias en cuanto al diagnóstico y el tratamiento de COVID-19, pero también aspectos que otras guías no han contemplado y que consideramos fundamentales en el manejo del paciente crítico con COVID-19. Para ello se ha creado un comité redactor, conformado por miembros de los Grupos de Trabajo de SEMICYUC más directamente relacionados con diferentes aspectos específicos del manejo de estos pacientes (AU)

The eight structures of caffeic acid: a jet-cooled laser ablated rotational study.

This work reports a complete conformational analysis of caffeic acid, an exceptionally versatile pharmacophore, using laser ablation chirped-pulse Fourier transform microwave spectroscopy. The whole conformational space consisting of eight distinct species has been fully deciphered based on the trend of the rotational constants supported by theoretical computations. We show how rotational spectroscopy can be confidently used to distinguish between conformers even when the structural differences are minimal, such as those involved in the conformational panorama of caffeic acid. Additionally, the structural information here provided, such as the planarity observed in all the conformers, could help to elucidate the mechanisms underlying the biological and pharmacological activity of hydroxycinnamic acids.

[Recommendations for the management of critically ill patients with COVID-19 in Intensive Care Units]. / Recomendaciones para el manejo de los pacientes críticos con COVID-19 en las Unidades de Cuidados Intensivos.

The COVID-19 pandemic has led to the admission of a high number of patients to the ICU, generally due to severe respiratory failure. Since the appearance of the first cases of SARS-CoV-2 infection, at the end of 2019, in China, a huge number of treatment recommendations for this entity have been published, not always supported by sufficient scientific evidence or with methodological rigor necessary. Thanks to the efforts of different groups of researchers, we currently have the results of clinical trials, and other types of studies, of higher quality. We consider it necessary to create a document that includes recommendations that collect this evidence regarding the diagnosis and treatment of COVID-19, but also aspects that other guidelines have not considered and that we consider essential in the management of critical patients with COVID-19. For this, a drafting committee has been created, made up of members of the SEMICYUC Working Groups more directly related to different specific aspects of the management of these patients.

Recommendations for the management of critically ill patients with COVID-19 in Intensive Care Units.

The COVID-19 pandemic has led to the admission of a high number of patients to the ICU, generally due to severe respiratory failure. Since the appearance of the first cases of SARS-CoV-2 infection, at the end of 2019, in China, a huge number of treatment recommendations for this entity have been published, not always supported by sufficient scientific evidence or with methodological rigor necessary. Thanks to the efforts of different groups of researchers, we currently have the results of clinical trials, and other types of studies, of higher quality. We consider it necessary to create a document that includes recommendations that collect this evidence regarding the diagnosis and treatment of COVID-19, but also aspects that other guidelines have not considered and that we consider essential in the management of critical patients with COVID-19. For this, a drafting committee has been created, made up of members of the SEMICYUC Working Groups more directly related to different specific aspects of the management of these patients.

Desorption and ablation regimes in UV-MALDI: the critical fluence.

Although MALDI is a widely used technique, there is so far no theoretical description able to reproduce some critical aspects of the experimental results. For example, there is experimental as well as theoretical controversy regarding the minimum laser fluence, i.e., the so-called fluence threshold (F T), required to evaporate a sample. Furthermore, although the different processes involved in ion production have been the focus of many investigations, the fact is that the primary process for ion formation in MALDI is not desorption but ablation. In this work, we present a new phenomenological approach for understanding MALDI results based on a simple, but physically intuitive, idea consisting of limiting the laser-matter interaction process to three layers. This description allows us to consider the different processes that dominate ion formation, i.e., heat dissipation, as well as the different existing regimes. Concretely, we present the results for three different matrices, i.e., DHB, ferulic acid (FA) and α-cyano-4-hydroxycinnamic acid (CHCA), in the limit of low fluence. The simulations we carried out show great qualitative and pseudo-quantitative agreement with the experimental results. Also, based on the simulation results, it is possible to distinguish clearly between the two dominant regimes, i.e., desorption and ablation, and it is possible, therefore, to estimate the critical fluence (F C) that defines the transition from one regime to another.