Biocatalytic reduction of alkenes in micro-aqueous organic solvent catalysed by an immobilised ene reductase.

Biocatalytic asymmetric reduction of alkenes in organic solvent is attractive for enantiopurity and product isolation, yet remains under developed. Herein we demonstrate the robustness of an ene reductase immobilised on Celite for the reduction of activated alkenes in micro-aqueous organic solvent. Full conversion was obtained in methyl t-butyl ether, avoiding hydrolysis and racemisation of products. The immobilised ene reductase showed reusability and a scale-up demonstrated its applicability.

Direct Biocatalytic Processes for CO2 Capture as a Green Tool to Produce Value-Added Chemicals.

Direct biocatalytic processes for CO2 capture and transformation in value-added chemicals may be considered a useful tool for reducing the concentration of this greenhouse gas in the atmosphere. Among the other enzymes, carbonic anhydrase (CA) and formate dehydrogenase (FDH) are two key biocatalysts suitable for this challenge, facilitating the uptake of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere in complementary ways. Carbonic anhydrases accelerate CO2 uptake by promoting its solubility in water in the form of hydrogen carbonate as the first step in converting the gas into a species widely used in carbon capture storage and its utilization processes (CCSU), particularly in carbonation and mineralization methods. On the other hand, formate dehydrogenases represent the biocatalytic machinery evolved by certain organisms to convert CO2 into enriched, reduced, and easily transportable hydrogen species, such as formic acid, via enzymatic cascade systems that obtain energy from chemical species, electrochemical sources, or light. Formic acid is the basis for fixing C1-carbon species to other, more reduced molecules. In this review, the state-of-the-art of both methods of CO2 uptake is assessed, highlighting the biotechnological approaches that have been developed using both enzymes.

Sustainable Setups for the Biocatalytic Production and Scale-Up of Panthenyl Monoacyl Esters under Solvent-Free Conditions.

A sustainable scaling-up process for the biocatalytic production of new bioactive provitamin-B5 monoacyl esters has been demonstrated. A solvent-free reaction protocol, based on the formation of eutectic mixtures between neat substrates, renders highly efficient direct esterification of free fatty acids (i.e., from C6 to C18 alkyl-chain length) with panthenol catalyzed by lipase. The scale-up from 0.5 to 500 g was evaluated by means of using several reaction systems (i.e., ultrasound assistance, orbital shaking, rotary evaporator, and mechanical stirring coupled to vacuum). For all reactor systems, the yield in panthenyl monoacyl esters was improved by increasing the length of the alkyl chain of the fatty acid (i.e., from 63% yield for panthenyl butyrate to 83% yield for panthenyl myristate). The best results (87-95% product yield, for all cases) were obtained upon a scale-up (50-500 g size) and when a vacuum system was coupled to the biocatalytic reaction unit. Under the optimized conditions, a 5-fold reduction of the amount of biocatalysts with respect to reactors without vacuum was achieved. The recovery and reuse of the immobilized enzyme for five operation cycles were also demonstrated. Finally, different metrics have been applied to assess the greenness of the solvent-free biocatalytic synthesis of panthenyl monoesters here reported.

Cognitive functioning after six months of follow-up in a sample of alcohol use disorder outpatients. / Funcionamiento cognitivo después de seis meses de seguimiento en una muestra de pacientes ambulatorios con trastorno por uso de alcohol.

Until now, no follow-up studies had simultaneously evaluated executive functions, other non-executive functions related cognitive functions, and impulsivity in a large enough sample of moderate to severe alcohol use disorder (AUD) patients. The main objective of the present study was to compare neuropsychological performance and its relation to alcohol use in patients with AUD and healthy controls, and to determine the evolution of cognitive impairment and alcohol use over time. For this purpose, a 6-month follow-up study was designed to compare a sample of 100 outpatients with AUD (DSM-5 criteria) with 100 matched healthy controls. The patient group was recruited from three different health centres in Spain located in Orense, Gijón and Barcelona. The assessment consisted of a systematic battery of cognitive tests to evaluate the following functions: attention, anterograde memory, processing speed, verbal fluency, executive function, and implicit attitude toward alcoholic beverages. We also compared clinical variables associated with alcohol use, such as alcohol craving and impulsivity. After 6 months, anterograde memory, working memory, and resistance to interference improved remarkably in AUD patients, although not enough to match the normal population. With regard to clinical variables, there was a small but significant cognitive improvement related to a reduction in alcohol use and impulsivity. Executive dysfunction and other non-executive functions related cognitive functions impairment can be considered prognostic factors in outpatients with moderate to severe AUD.

Hasta la fecha, ningún estudio de seguimiento había evaluado simultáneamente la función ejecutiva, otras funciones no ejecutivas relacionadas con funciones cognitivas y la impulsividad en una muestra suficientemente grande de pacientes con trastorno por uso de alcohol (TUA) entre moderado y grave. Este estudio tuvo como objetivo principal comparar el desempeño neuropsicológico y su relación con el uso de alcohol en pacientes con TUA y en controles sanos, y determinar la evolución del deterioro cognitivo y el uso de alcohol a largo plazo. Con este fin, se diseñó un estudio de seguimiento de seis meses para comparar una muestra de 100 pacientes ambulatorios con TUA (criterios del DSM-5) emparejados con 100 controles sanos. Los pacientes se reclutaron de tres centros sanitarios diferentes de España, Orense, Gijón y Barcelona. La evaluación consistió en una batería sistematizada de pruebas cognitivas para evaluar las siguientes funciones: atención, memoria anterógrada, velocidad de procesamiento, fluidez verbal, función ejecutiva y actitud implícita hacia bebidas alcohólicas. También se compararon variables clínicas asociadas al consumo de alcohol, como el craving y la impulsividad. Después de seis meses, la memoria anterógrada, memoria de trabajo y resistencia a la interferencia mejoraron notablemente en los pacientes con TUA, aunque no llegaron a igualar la población general. Respecto de las variables clínicas, hubo una pequeña pero significativa mejoría cognitiva relacionada con una reducción del consumo de alcohol y de la impulsividad. La disfunción ejecutiva y otras funciones no ejecutivas relacionadas con el deterioro cognitivo pueden considerarse factores pronósticos en pacientes ambulatorios con TUA entre moderado y grave.

Funcionamiento cognitivo después de seis meses de seguimiento en una muestra de pacientes ambulatorios con trastorno por uso de alcohol / Cognitive functioning after six months of follow-up in a sample of alcohol use disorder outpatients

Hasta la fecha, ningún estudio de seguimiento había evaluado simultáneamente la función ejecutiva, otras funciones no ejecutivas relacionadas con funciones cognitivas y la impulsividad en una muestra suficientemente grande de pacientes con trastorno por uso de alcohol(TUA) entre moderado y grave. Este estudio tuvo como objetivo principal comparar el desempeño neuropsicológico y su relación con el usode alcohol en pacientes con TUA y en controles sanos, y determinarla evolución del deterioro cognitivo y el uso de alcohol a largo plazo.Con este fin, se diseñó un estudio de seguimiento de seis meses paracomparar una muestra de 100 pacientes ambulatorios con TUA (criterios del DSM-5) emparejados con 100 controles sanos. Los pacientesse reclutaron de tres centros sanitarios diferentes de España, Orense,Gijón y Barcelona. La evaluación consistió en una batería sistematizadade pruebas cognitivas para evaluar las siguientes funciones: atención,memoria anterógrada, velocidad de procesamiento, fluidez verbal, función ejecutiva y actitud implícita hacia bebidas alcohólicas. También secompararon variables clínicas asociadas al consumo de alcohol, comoel craving y la impulsividad. Después de seis meses, la memoria anterógrada, memoria de trabajo y resistencia a la interferencia mejoraron notablemente en los pacientes con TUA, aunque no llegaron a igualar lapoblación general. Respecto de las variables clínicas, hubo una pequeña pero significativa mejoría cognitiva relacionada con una reduccióndel consumo de alcohol y de la impulsividad. La disfunción ejecutiva yotras funciones no ejecutivas relacionadas con el deterioro cognitivopueden considerarse factores pronósticos en pacientes ambulatorioscon TUA entre moderado y grave. (AU)

Until now, no follow-up studies had simultaneously evaluated executive functions, other non-executive functions related cognitive functions, and impulsivity in a large enough sample of moderate to severealcohol use disorder (AUD) patients. The main objective of the present study was to compare neuropsychological performance and its relation to alcohol use in patients with AUD and healthy controls, andto determine the evolution of cognitive impairment and alcohol useover time. For this purpose, a 6-month follow-up study was designed tocompare a sample of 100 outpatients with AUD (DSM-5 criteria) with100 matched healthy controls. The patient group was recruited fromthree different health centres in Spain located in Orense, Gijón andBarcelona. The assessment consisted of a systematic battery of cognitive tests to evaluate the following functions: attention, anterogradememory, processing speed, verbal fluency, executive function, andimplicit attitude toward alcoholic beverages. We also compared clinical variables associated with alcohol use, such as alcohol craving andimpulsivity. After 6 months, anterograde memory, working memory,and resistance to interference improved remarkably in AUD patients,although not enough to match the normal population. With regard toclinical variables, there was a small but significant cognitive improvement related to a reduction in alcohol use and impulsivity. Executivedysfunction and other non-executive functions related cognitive functions impairment can be considered prognostic factors in outpatientswith moderate to severe AUD. (AU)

Learning and verbal memory: A comparison between patients with alcohol use disorder and major depressive disorder. / Aprendizaje y memoria verbal: Comparación entre pacientes con trastorno por consumo de alcohol y trastorno de depresión mayor.

Brain damage related to alcohol consumption is associated with impairments in cognitive functions, among which memory and verbal learning stand out. The main objective is to evaluate memory and verbal learning in a sample of 111 patients with alcohol use disorder (AUD) versus 78 with major depressive disorder (MDD) and 100 healthy controls. The evaluation included sociodemographic and clinical variables, the Hamilton Depression Scale (HDRS) and the California Verbal Learning Test (CVLT). One-way ANOVA was used for comparisons between the 3 groups and two-way ANCOVAS including different covariates. The one-way ANOVA shows that patients with AUD and MDD had scores similar to each other and lower than those of the control group (p <0.001), with the exception of the Cued CVLT (worse scores in MDD vs AUD, p <0.001). After including age, sex and years of completed studies as covariates, the differences between the AUD and MDD groups persisted compared to the control group (p ≤ 0.003) in all indices except for the Immediate Free CVLT and the Cued CVLT (worse performance in MDD vs AUD, p = 0.022 and p = 0.035, respectively). In the second ANCOVA, after controlling for depression severity, differences were only detected between AUD patients and healthy controls (p ≤ 0.007). Patients with AUD present a significant impairment in learning and verbal memory when compared with patients with MDD and with healthy people.

El daño cerebral relacionado con el consumo de alcohol se asocia a alteraciones de las funciones cognitivas, entre las que destacan memoria y aprendizaje verbal. El objetivo principal es evaluar memoria y aprendizaje verbal en una muestra de 111 pacientes con trastorno por consumo de alcohol (TCA) versus 78 con trastorno de depresión mayor (TDM) y 100 controles sanos. La evaluación incluyó variables sociodemográficas y clínicas, la Escala de Hamilton para la Depresión (HDRS) y el Test de Aprendizaje Verbal de California (CVLT). Se utilizó ANOVA de un factor para comparaciones entre los 3 grupos y ANCOVAS bidireccionales incluyendo diferentes covariables. El ANOVA de un factor muestra que los pacientes con TCA y TDM obtienen puntuaciones similares entre sí e inferiores a las del grupo control (p < 0,001), con excepción del CVLT Guiado (peores puntuaciones en TDM vs TCA, p < 0,001). Tras incluir como covariables la edad, sexo y los años de estudios completados, persisten las diferencias entre los grupos de TCA y TDM frente al grupo control (p ≤ 0,003) en todos los índices con excepción del CVLT Libre Inmediato y del CVLT Guiado (peor rendimiento en TDM vs TCA, p = 0,022 y p = 0,035, respectivamente). En el segundo ANCOVA, tras controlar por gravedad de la depresión, únicamente se detectan diferencias entre los pacientes con TCA y los controles sanos (p ≤ 0,007). Los pacientes con TCA presentan una importante alteración en aprendizaje y memoria verbal al compararlos con pacientes con TDM y con personas sanas.

Ultrasound-assisted enzymatic synthesis of xylitol fatty acid esters in solvent-free conditions.

A commercial immobilized lipase was successfully used for the synthesis of five xylityl acyl esters by means of the esterification of free fatty acids (caprylic, capric, lauric and myristic, respectively) with xylitol under solvent-free conditions. Ultrasound-assistance was shown to be a key tool to overcome the handicap imposed by both the mutual immiscibility of fatty acids and xylitol substrates, and the semisolid character of the initial reaction mixtures. In such semisolid systems, ultrasonic irradiation may enable the transport of substrate molecules to the enzyme catalytic-site, leading to the efficient synthesis of xylityl fatty ester (e.g. up to 95% yield after 90 min at 40 °C), with xylityl monoacyl ester and xylitol diacyl ester appearing as the main products (greater than 96%), assessed by HPLC and NMR analyses. The separation of products was carried out by heating and simple centrifugation of the reaction medium, which was possible due to different densities of the resulting fractions.

Cognitive functioning in patients with alcohol use disorder who start outpatient treatment. / Funcionamiento cognitivo en pacientes con trastorno por uso de alcohol que inician tratamiento ambulatorio de deshabituación alcohólica.

The main objective of the present study is to analyze the presence of cognitive impairment associated with alcohol consumption in patients with moderate or severe alcohol use disorder seeking outpatient treatment for their dependence. To do this, we compared a sample of 111 patients with active alcohol use disorder who initiated ambulatory treatment with 100 healthy controls. We compared sociodemographic and clinical variables associated with alcohol consumption, such as alcohol craving and impulsivity. A systematized battery of cognitive tests was also used in the comparison, which allowed the evaluation of the following functions: Attention, anterograde memory, processing speed, verbal fluency, executive function and implicit attitude towards alcoholic beverages. Compared with healthy controls, patients with moderate or severe alcohol use disorder performed significantly worse in all tests used, and therefore in all cognitive functions evaluated, but for two tests, the Iowa Gambling Test and the Implicit Association Test. The analysis through a correlation matrix of the patient group indicates that patients who report more impulsivity and more chronic alcohol abuse and with more addiction are those who suffer greater deterioration in their cognitive function. Cognitive damage associated with alcohol consumption was distributed heterogeneously among patients. The present study confirms the presence of cognitive deterioration associated with alcohol consumption in patients seeking outpatient treatment.

El objetivo principal del presente estudio es analizar la presencia del deterioro cognitivo asociado al consumo de alcohol en los pacientes con trastorno por uso de alcohol moderado o grave que demandan tratamiento de deshabituación alcohólica ambulatorio. Para ello, se comparó una muestra de 111 pacientes con trastorno por uso de alcohol activo que iniciaban tratamiento ambulatorio versus 100 controles sanos. Se compararon variables sociodemográficas y clínicas asociadas al consumo de alcohol, como el craving de alcohol y la impulsividad. También se empleó en la comparación una batería sistematizada de pruebas cognitivas que permitía valorar las siguientes funciones: atención, memoria anterógrada, velocidad de procesamiento, fluidez verbal, función ejecutiva y actitud implícita ante las bebidas alcohólicas. En comparación con los controles sanos, los pacientes con trastorno por uso de alcohol moderado o grave presentaban un rendimiento significativamente inferior en todas las pruebas utilizadas, y por ello en todas las funciones cognitivas evaluadas, con la excepción de dos pruebas, el Iowa Gambling Test y el Implicit Association Test. El análisis a través de una matriz de correlaciones del grupo de pacientes indica que los pacientes que refieren más impulsividad y un consumo abusivo de alcohol más cronificado y con más adicción son los que presentan un mayor deterioro en su función cognitiva. El daño cognitivo asociado al consumo de alcohol se distribuyó de forma heterogénea entre los pacientes. El presente estudio confirma la presencia del deterioro cognitivo asociado al consumo de alcohol en los pacientes que demandan tratamiento ambulatorio.

Funcionamiento cognitivo en pacientes con trastorno por uso de alcohol que inician tratamiento ambulatorio de deshabituación alcohólica / Cognitive functioning in patients with alcohol use disorder who start outpatient treatment

El objetivo principal del presente estudio es analizar la presencia del deterioro cognitivo asociado al consumo de alcohol en los pacientes con trastorno por uso de alcohol moderado o grave que demandan tratamiento de deshabituación alcohólica ambulatorio. Para ello, se comparó una muestra de 111 pacientes con trastorno por uso de alcohol activo que iniciaban tratamiento ambulatorio versus 100 controles sanos. Se compararon variables sociodemográficas y clínicas asociadas al consumo de alcohol, como el craving de alcohol y la impulsividad. También se empleó en la comparación una batería sistematizada de pruebas cognitivas que permitía valorar las siguientes funciones: atención, memoria anterógrada, velocidad de procesamiento, fluidez verbal, función ejecutiva y actitud implícita ante las bebidas alcohólicas. En comparación con los controles sanos, los pacientes con trastorno por uso de alcohol moderado o grave presentaban un rendimiento significativamente inferior en todas las pruebas utilizadas, y por ello en todas las funciones cognitivas evaluadas, con la excepción de dos pruebas, el Iowa Gambling Test y el Implicit Association Test. El análisis a través de una matriz de correlaciones del grupo de pacientes indica que los pacientes que refieren más impulsividad y un consumo abusivo de alcohol más cronificado y con más adicción son los que presentan un mayor deterioro en su función cognitiva. El daño cognitivo asociado al consumo de alcohol se distribuyó de forma heterogénea entre los pacientes. El presente estudio confirma la presencia del deterioro cognitivo asociado al consumo de alcohol en los pacientes que demandan tratamiento ambulatorio

The main objective of the present study is to analyze the presence of cognitive impairment associated with alcohol consumption in patients with moderate or severe alcohol use disorder seeking outpatient treatment for their dependence. To do this, we compared a sample of 111 patients with active alcohol use disorder who initiated ambulatory treatment with 100 healthy controls. We compared sociodemographic and clinical variables associated with alcohol consumption, such as alcohol craving and impulsivity. A systematized battery of cognitive tests was also used in the comparison, which allowed the evaluation of the following functions: Attention, anterograde memory, processing speed, verbal fluency, executive function and implicit attitude towards alcoholic beverages. Compared with healthy controls, patients with moderate or severe alcohol use disorder performed significantly worse in all tests used, and therefore in all cognitive functions evaluated, but for two tests, the Iowa Gambling Test and the Implicit Association Test. The analysis through a correlation matrix of the patient group indicates that patients who report more impulsivity and more chronic alcohol abuse and with more addiction are those who suffer greater deterioration in their cognitive function. Cognitive damage associated with alcohol consumption was distributed heterogeneously among patients. The present study confirms the presence of cognitive deterioration associated with alcohol consumption in patients seeking outpatient treatment

Clinical implications of cognitive impairment and alcohol dependence. / Deterioro cognitivo y dependencia alcohólica, implicaciones clínicas.

Editorial of vol. 31-1.

Editorial del vol 31-1.

Deterioro cognitivo y dependencia alcohólica, implicaciones clínicas / Clinical implications of cognitive impairment and alcohol dependence

No disponible

Voxel-based morphometry comparison between first episodes of psychosis with and without evolution to schizophrenia.

First episodes (FE) of psychosis may evolve or not to schizophrenia in ensuing years, but there is a lack of reliable predictors of which patients will have to face such an unfavorable outcome. Given the replicated structural alterations of the brain in schizophrenia, it seems advisable to assess whether the alterations of this kind that can be detected at the time of an initial psychotic episode are different depending on the outcome of the patients. To this end, here we applied voxel-based morphometry to assess whether the degree of cerebral abnormalities differ between 30 FE patients who evolved to schizophrenia in the ensuing 2years and another 14 FE patients who could not be diagnosed as such during that period. Forty-one controls were also included in the study. We found that the FE patients who evolved to schizophrenia had a significantly lower GM value than the controls bilaterally in the left dorsolateral prefrontal (BA 9) and in left anterior cingulate (BA 33) regions while the FE patients who did not develop schizophrenia showed a distinct, right-sided pattern of deviation (visual cortex, superior temporal gyrus and inferior frontal). The direct comparison between FE patients who evolved or not evolved to schizophrenia did not reveal significant differences. Taken together, our results support the notion that brain abnormalities may be different in psychotic FE patients depending on their evolution in the medium term.

No association between prepulse inhibition of the startle reflex and neuropsychological deficit in chronic schizophrenia.

Sensorimotor gating deficits are relevant in schizophrenia and can be measured using prepulse inhibition (PPI) of the startle reflex. It is conceivable that such deficits may hinder the cognitive functions in schizophrenia patients. In this study, using PPI and a neuropsychological battery, we studied this possibility in a group of 23 acute, neuroleptic-free schizophrenia patients and 16 controls. A non-significant decrease in PPI was found in the patients as compared to the controls, as well as significant differences in the performance of Trail A and B in Wisconsin Card Sorting and Digit/Symbol Tests. No statistically significant correlations between PPI and neuropsychological performance were found after the correction for multiple comparisons in any group. Our results suggest that PPI deficits in schizophrenia patients may not contribute to the cognitive deficits typical of that illness, at least in patients with a non-significant PPI decrease.