Publications by authors named "Alvarez N"

The CRISPR/Cas9 system has transformed genome editing by enabling precise modifications for diverse applications. Recent advancements, including base editing and prime editing, have expanded its utility beyond conventional gene knock-out and knock-in strategies. Additionally, several catalytically dead Cas9 (dCas9) proteins fused to distinct activation domains have been developed to modulate endogenous gene expression when directed to their regulatory regions by specific single-guide RNAs.

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Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The rapid development of highly effective vaccines against SARS-CoV-2 has altered the trajectory of the pandemic, and antiviral therapeutics have further reduced the number of COVID-19 hospitalizations and deaths. Coronaviruses are enveloped, positive-sense, single-stranded RNA viruses that encode various structural and non-structural proteins, including those critical for viral RNA replication and evasion from innate immunity.

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Endotoxin contamination is a significant hurdle to the translation of nanomaterials for biomedical applications. Multiple reports now describe that more than one-third of nanomaterials fail early pre-clinical assessment due to levels of endotoxin above regulatory requirements. Additionally, most immunological studies or studies testing nanomaterials in the literature lack inclusion of this assessment, which may lead to false-positive or false-negative results if high levels of the contaminant are present.

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  • Existing dynamic wetting models for non-Newtonian fluids are overly simplistic, hindering accurate predictions of their wetting behavior.
  • This study introduces a generalized model validated through experiments on 12 shear-thinning fluids, using both power-law and Carreau-Yasuda approaches.
  • The findings show that using an average viscosity to define a spreading time scale allows for the successful prediction of droplet spreading dynamics across different non-Newtonian fluids.
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  • The study investigates the genetic factors linked to severe COVID-19, specifically focusing on hospitalized cases in admixed Americans.
  • Researchers conducted the largest genome-wide association study (GWAS) for COVID-19 hospitalization in this population, identifying four significant genetic associations, including two novel loci found in Latin Americans.
  • The findings highlight the importance of including diverse populations in genomic research, aiming to improve understanding of genetic risks associated with COVID-19 across different ethnic groups.
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  • The study looks at how whitefish and their parasites affect each other's evolution in lakes in Europe.
  • The researchers found that as different types of whitefish adapted to their environments, it helped the parasites expand and adapt too.
  • They think that the way whitefish eat and their habitats allow parasites to specialize and change over time, but the role of other animals that the parasites use for resources is important too.
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Tau is a microtubule-associated protein implicated in Alzheimer's disease (AD) and other neurodegenerative disorders termed tauopathies. Pathological, aggregated forms of tau form neurofibrillary tangles (NFTs), impairing its ability to stabilize microtubules and promoting neurotoxicity. Indeed, NFTs correlate with neuronal loss and cognitive impairment.

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Objective: To assess the effectiveness of a psychoeducational intervention program (PIP) compared to standard attention in reducing caregiver burden after the intervention (at 4 months) and at follow-up (at 8 months).

Methods: A multicenter, evaluator-blind, randomized controlled trial. The experimental group received a PIP intervention consisting of 10 weekly group sessions, while the control group received standard attention.

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  • Benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) is a common age-related condition causing severe urinary issues, linked to hormonal imbalances such as elevated estradiol and testosterone levels.
  • Previous research in mice revealed that these hormonal changes lead to increased macrophage accumulation in the prostate, where they transform into foam cells.
  • The current study identified specific macrophage subtypes and their gene expression signatures in response to hormone imbalance, while also finding that a protein called Cxcl17 might encourage macrophages to enter the prostate lumen.
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Childhood-onset systemic lupus erythematosus (cSLE) is a multisystem disease; its severity depends on the organs involved. Monogenic diseases have been described as predisposing to the onset of cSLE. Analytical and immunological tests are used for diagnostic confirmation.

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The success of a classic inorganic coordination compound, Cisplatin, cis-[Pt(NH)Cl], as the first anticancer metallodrug started a field of research dedicated to discovering coordination compounds with antitumor activity, encompassing various metals. Among these, copper complexes have emerged as interesting candidates to develop drugs to treat cancer. In this work, mixed ligand complexes of Cu(II) with diimines (phenanthroline or 4-methylphenanthroline) and 3-(4-hydroxyphenyl)propanoate, phenylcarboxylate or phenylacetate were synthesized.

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Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus type 2 (SARS-CoV-2) continues to be a global threat due to its ability to evolve and generate new subvariants, leading to new waves of infection. Additionally, other coronaviruses like Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV, formerly known as hCoV-EMC), which first emerged in 2012, persist and continue to present a threat of severe illness to humans. The continued identification of novel coronaviruses, coupled with the potential for genetic recombination between different strains, raises the possibility of new coronavirus clades of global concern emerging.

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This study discusses the importance of minimal residual disease (MRD) detection in acute myeloid leukemia (AML) patients using liquid biopsy and next-generation sequencing (NGS). AML prognosis is based on various factors, including genetic alterations. NGS has revealed the molecular complexity of AML and helped refine risk stratification and personalized therapies.

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Prefixes and suffixes in pharmacy might suggest a drug class, generation, or mechanism of action. As pharmacy educators, we also use an alphabet soup of acronyms and abbreviations to describe board certifications or professional organizations and our affiliation to them. Although we may be experts in nomenclature and abbreviations related to health professions education, sometimes, we also have to remind ourselves to be humble and embrace a learning mindset relative to the abbreviations and naming conventions used more broadly in higher education and in other fields.

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The influence of Hofmeister cations (NH, Na, Mg) and anions (HPO, CHCOO, Cl NO) on the thermostability of a GHG hydrogel was investigated. The combined results of UV circular dichroism (UVCD) and Small Amplitude Oscillatory Shear Rheology experiments reveal that the addition of salt reduces the stability of the gel phase and the underlying fibrils. In line with the cationic Hofmeister hierarchy, the chaotropic Mg ions caused the greatest thermal destabilization of the gel phase with the gel → sol transition temperature T value lowered by 10 °C.

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The singular BRCA1/2 mutational landscape of Asturias is updated 10 years after the first study. We analyzed BRCA1 and BRCA2 pathogenic variants in 1653 index cases. In total, 238 families were identified to carry a pathogenic variant, 163 families in BRCA1 and 75 families in BRCA2.

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Hypothesis: Superhydrophobic surfaces can effectively prevent the freezing of supercooled droplets in technological systems. Droplets on superhydrophobic surfaces commonly not only wet the top asperities (Cassie State), but also partially penetrate into microstructure due to surface properties, environment, and droplet impact occurring in real-world applications. Implications on ice nucleation can be expected and are little explored.

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Benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) is a prevalent age-related condition often characterized by debilitating urinary symptoms. Its etiology is believed to stem from hormonal imbalance, particularly an elevated estradiol-to-testosterone ratio and chronic inflammation. Our previous studies using a mouse steroid hormone imbalance model identified a specific increase in macrophages that migrate and accumulate in the prostate lumen where they differentiate into lipid-laden foam cells in mice implanted with testosterone and estradiol pellets, but not in sham animals.

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(MTB) is known for its adaptive capability in developing resistance to antibiotics, through the selection of spontaneous mutations that arise during treatment. Generating spontaneous antibiotic-resistant mutants is challenging but necessary for studying this phenomenon. A protocol was designed and tested to select stable, MTB spontaneous, d-cycloserine (DCS) resistant mutants.

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Halide perovskite thin films can be the centerpiece of high-performance solar cells, light-emitting diodes, and other optoelectronic devices if the films are of high uniformity and relatively free of pinholes and other defects. A common strategy to form dense films from solution has been to generate a high density of nuclei by rapidly increasing supersaturation, for example, by timely application of an antisolvent or forced convection. In this work, we examine the role of retrograde solubility, wherein solubility decreases with increasing temperature, as a means of increasing the nucleation density and film coverage of slot-die-coated methylammonium lead iodide (MAPbI) from γ-butyrolactone (GBL) solution.

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Preventing microbiological surface contamination in public spaces is nowadays of high priority. The proliferation of a microbial infection may arise through air, water, or direct contact with infected surfaces. Chemical sanitization is one of the most effective approaches to avoid the proliferation of microorganisms.

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Introduction: Leadership development is important both from a curricular standpoint and for continued advancement of the profession. Advice from current leaders in the profession may serve as a powerful motivator to students desiring to be leaders. The purpose of this qualitative study was to provide advice from experienced pharmacy leaders.

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Although "implicit bias" has been a major focus in diversity, equity, inclusion, and antiracism educational efforts, less attention has been directed to "stereotype threat." This commentary aimed to bring increased awareness to the pharmacy academy about stereotype threat phenomena as well as explore its impact in the areas of education, with a specific focus on health professions education. In addition, potential and practical strategies are discussed to mitigate its occurrence in pharmacy education.

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As SARS-CoV-2 continues to circulate, antiviral treatments are needed to complement vaccines. The virus's main protease, 3CLPro, is an attractive drug target in part because it recognizes a unique cleavage site, which features a glutamine residue at the P1 position and is not utilized by human proteases. Herein, we report the invention of MK-7845, a novel reversible covalent 3CLPro inhibitor.

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