Publications by authors named "Alvaro G"

The present work introduces and validates an artificial cell free system for the synthesis of acetoin from ethanol, representing a greener alternative to conventional chemical synthesis. The one pot multi-enzymatic system, which employs pyruvate decarboxylase from Zymobacter palmae (ZpPDC), alcohol dehydrogenase from Saccharomyces cerevisiae (ScADH), and NADH oxidase from Streptococcus pyogenes (SpNOX), achieves nearly 100 % substrate conversion and reaction yield within 6 h under optimal conditions (pH 7.5, enzyme activities: ZpPDC 100 U·mL, ScADH 50 U·mL, SpNOX 127 U·mL, and 1 mM NAD).

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Small-molecule modulators of diverse voltage-gated K (Kv) channels may help treat a wide range of neurological disorders. However, developing effective modulators requires understanding of their mechanism of action. We apply an orthogonal approach to elucidate the mechanism of action of an imidazolidinedione derivative (AUT5), a highly selective positive allosteric modulator of Kv3.

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The EU low-carbon economy aims to reduce the level of CO emission in the EU to 80% by 2050. High efforts are required to achieve this goal, where successful CCU (Carbon Capture and Utilization) technologies will have a high impact. Biocatalysts offer a greener alternative to chemical catalysts for the development of CCU strategies since biocatalysis conforms 10 of the 12 principles of green chemistry.

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Various psychiatric diseases are characterized by aberrant cognition and emotional regulation. This includes inappropriately attributing affective salience to innocuous cues, which can be investigated using translationally relevant preclinical models of fear discrimination. Activity in the underpinning corticolimbic circuitry is governed by parvalbumin-expressing GABAergic interneurons, which also regulate fear discrimination.

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Introduction: In the European Union (EU), the indication for the antifibrotic pirfenidone prior to April 2023 did not include patients with advanced idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF). This analysis compared the efficacy and safety of pirfenidone in advanced IPF versus non-advanced IPF.

Methods: Data were included from the following studies of pirfenidone: ASCEND (NCT01366209); CAPACITY (004 [NCT00287716] and 006 [NCT00287729]); RECAP (NCT00662038; advanced IPF defined as percent predicted forced vital capacity [%FVC] < 50% and/or percent predicted carbon monoxide diffusing capacity [%DLco] < 35% at baseline); PASSPORT (NCT02699879; advanced IPF defined as baseline %FVC < 50%); and SP-IPF (NCT02951429; patients with advanced IPF [defined as %DLco ≤ 40% at screening] at risk of group 3 pulmonary hypertension).

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Goals: The present study was aimed at identifying a new magnetic resonance enterography (MRE) parameter assessing the clinical outcome of biological therapy in patients with active ileal/ileocolonic Crohn's disease (CD).

Background: Transmural healing (TH) has been associated with improved outcomes in CD. However, some patients with clinical remission and inactive disease at endoscopy do not achieve TH.

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Background: The feasibility of biochemical transformation processes is usually greatly dependent on biocatalysts cost. Therefore, immobilizing and reusing biocatalysts is an approach to be considered to bring biotransformations closer to industrial feasibility, since it does not only allow to reuse enzymes but can also improve their stability towards several reaction conditions. Carbohydrate-Binding Modules (CBM) are well-described domains involved in substrate binding which have been already used as purification tags.

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Herein, we report a method for the isotopic labelling of hydantoins directly from CO by means of trimethyl-λ-phosphine diiodide mediated carbonyl insertion. The method is suitable for C-labelling of diverse substrates and was implementated for C-labelling in PET-imaging facilities for the synthesis of radiotracers. Isolated yields of 90% and radiochemical yields of 89% were achieved for hydantoin containing drug candidates in formulation within 30 min with high molar activity (>400 MBq nmol).

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Fructose-6-phosphate aldolase (FSA) is an important enzyme for the C-C bond-forming reactions in organic synthesis. The present work is focused on the synthesis of a precursor of D-fagomine catalyzed by a mutant FSA. The biocatalyst has been immobilized onto several supports: magnetic nanoparticle clusters (mNC), cobalt-chelated agarose (Co-IDA), amino-functionalized agarose (MANA-agarose) and glyoxal-agarose, obtaining a 29.

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AUT00063 and AUT00202 are novel pharmaceutical modulators of the Kv3 subfamily of voltage-gated K channels. Kv3.1 channels, which control fast firing of many central auditory neurons, have been shown to decline with age and this may contribute to age-related deficits in central auditory processing.

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Drugs that block voltage-gated sodium channels (Nas) have utility in treating conditions including pain, epilepsy, and cardiac arrhythmias and as anesthetics (Lancet Neurol.20109413424; Expert Opin. Ther.

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Introduction: In 2015, the European Medicines Agency (EMA) requested additional Risk Minimization Measures (RMM), consisting of a Direct Healthcare Professional Communication (DHPC), a Guide for Healthcare Professionals (HCPs), and a Guide for Patients, to prevent pregnancy exposure to mycophenolate-containing medicines.

Objectives: This study assessed the effectiveness of the additional RMM for any mycophenolate-containing medicine among prescribers of these products in Europe.

Methods: A cross-sectional survey was conducted among prescribers of mycophenolate-containing medicines in five European countries via the administration of 19 questions checking knowledge levels for the key messages included in the additional RMM.

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Pyruvate decarboxylase (PDC) is responsible for the decarboxylation of pyruvate, producing acetaldehyde and carbon dioxide and is of high interest for industrial applications. PDC is a very powerful tool in the enzymatic synthesis of chiral amines by combining it with transaminases when alanine is used as amine donor. However, one of the main drawback that hampers its use in biocatalysis is its production and the downstream processing on scale.

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Objective: Reducing mortality is a key target in critical care and perioperative medicine. The authors aimed to identify all nonsurgical interventions (drugs, techniques, strategies) shown by randomized trials to increase mortality in these clinical settings.

Design: A systematic review of the literature followed by a consensus-based voting process.

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Fragile X syndrome (FXS) is characterized by hypersensitivity to sensory stimuli, including environmental sounds. We compared the auditory brainstem response (ABR) recorded in mice lacking the gene ( ) for fragile X mental retardation protein (FMRP) with that in wild-type animals. We found that ABR wave I, which represents input from the auditory nerve, is reduced in animals, but only at high sound levels.

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The authors aimed to identify interventions documented by randomized controlled trials (RCTs) that reduce mortality in adult critically ill and perioperative patients, followed by a survey of clinicians' opinions and routine practices to understand the clinicians' response to such evidence. The authors performed a comprehensive literature review to identify all topics reported to reduce mortality in perioperative and critical care settings according to at least 2 RCTs or to a multicenter RCT or to a single-center RCT plus guidelines. The authors generated position statements that were voted on online by physicians worldwide for agreement, use, and willingness to include in international guidelines.

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Intravenous ganciclovir and oral valganciclovir are effective in the prevention and treatment of pediatric cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection but various dosing regimens are used in medical practice. Population pharmacokinetic (PopPK) model-based simulations were used to propose a new ganciclovir pediatric dosing algorithm for regulatory review and to evaluate the approved valganciclovir pediatric dosing algorithm against published dosing recommendations derived from quantitative approaches. Oral valganciclovir (mg = 7 × body surface area (BSA) × creatinine clearance according to the Schwarz formula (CrCLS) daily) and i.

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Noise exposure has been shown to produce long-lasting increases in spontaneous activity in central auditory structures in animal models, and similar pathologies are thought to contribute to clinical phenomena such as hyperacusis or tinnitus in humans. Here we demonstrate that multi-unit spontaneous neuronal activity in the inferior colliculus (IC) of mice is significantly elevated four weeks following noise exposure at recording sites with frequency tuning within or near the noise exposure band, and this selective central auditory pathology can be normalised through administration of a novel compound that modulates activity of Kv3 voltage-gated ion channels. The compound had no statistically significant effect on IC spontaneous activity without noise exposure, nor on thresholds or frequency tuning of tone-evoked responses either with or without noise exposure.

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Objective: Acute kidney injury (AKI) occurs frequently after cardiac surgery. Levosimendan might reduce the incidence of AKI in patients undergoing cardiac surgery. The authors investigated whether levosimendan administration could reduce AKI incidence in a high-risk cardiac surgical population.

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The purpose of this study was to test whether a Kv3 potassium channel modulator, AUT00063, has therapeutic potential for reversing noise-induced increases in spontaneous neural activity, a state that is widely believed to underlie noise-induced tinnitus. Recordings were conducted in noise exposed and control hamsters from dorsal cochlear nucleus (DCN) fusiform cells before and following intraperitoneal administration of AUT00063 (30 mg/kg). Fusiform cell spontaneous activity was increased in sound-exposed animals, approximating levels that were nearly 50% above those of controls.

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Objective: A careful choice of perioperative care strategies is pivotal to improve survival in cardiac surgery. However, there is no general agreement or particular attention to which nonsurgical interventions can reduce mortality in this setting. The authors sought to address this issue with a consensus-based approach.

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Kv3.1 and Kv3.2 voltage-gated potassium channels are expressed on parvalbumin-positive GABAergic interneurons in corticolimbic brain regions and contribute to high-frequency neural firing.

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Background: Acute left ventricular dysfunction is a major complication of cardiac surgery and is associated with increased mortality. Meta-analyses of small trials suggest that levosimendan may result in a higher rate of survival among patients undergoing cardiac surgery.

Methods: We conducted a multicenter, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial involving patients in whom perioperative hemodynamic support was indicated after cardiac surgery, according to prespecified criteria.

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Objective: Of the 230 million patients undergoing major surgical procedures every year, more than 1 million will die within 30 days. Thus, any nonsurgical interventions that help reduce perioperative mortality might save thousands of lives. The authors have updated a previous consensus process to identify all the nonsurgical interventions, supported by randomized evidence, that may help reduce perioperative mortality.

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Objectives: Democracy-based medicine is a combination of evidence-based medicine (systematic review), expert assessment, and worldwide voting by physicians to express their opinions and self-reported practice via the Internet. The authors applied democracy-based medicine to key trials in critical care medicine.

Design And Setting: A systematic review of literature followed by web-based voting on findings of a consensus conference.

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