Clinical and cognitive outcomes in first-episode psychosis: focus on the interplay between cannabis use and genetic variability in endocannabinoid receptors.

Introduction: Research data show the impact of the endocannabinoid system on psychosis through its neurotransmission homeostatic functions. However, the effect of the endocannabinoid system genetic variability on the relationship between cannabis use and psychosis has been unexplored, even less in first-episode patients. Here, through a case-only design, we investigated the effect of cannabis use and the genetic variability of endocannabinoid receptors on clinical and cognitive outcomes in first-episode psychosis (FEP) patients.

Evaluating Guayule ( A. Gray) Germplasm Grown in Spain: Rubber and Resin along Three Production Cycles.

Rubber and resin are potentially important products of guayule ( A. Gray) that can assure the profitability of this crop as an agricultural alternative for the semi-arid areas of central and eastern Spain. This study analyzes, for the first time, the changes in rubber and resin production across 27 guayule accessions (traditional and modern) and along three cycles under the agroclimatic conditions of Castilla-La Mancha, simulating industrial management with a biannual harvest.

Argentatin Content in Guayule Leaves ( A. Gray).

Approximately one-third of the waste biomass from the cultivation of guayule ( A. Gray) for natural rubber production is leaf tissue; however, whether it can be valorized is not known. Guayulins and argentatins are potential high-value products that can be recovered from guayule resin during rubber/latex processing.

Cannabis Use and Endocannabinoid Receptor Genes: A Pilot Study on Their Interaction on Brain Activity in First-Episode Psychosis.

The role of both cannabis use and genetic background has been shown in the risk for psychosis. However, the effect of the interplay between cannabis and variability at the endocannabinoid receptor genes on the neurobiological underpinnings of psychosis remains inconclusive. Through a case-only design, including patients with a first-episode of psychosis (n = 40) classified as cannabis users (50%) and non-users (50%), we aimed to evaluate the interaction between cannabis use and common genetic variants at the endocannabinoid receptor genes on brain activity.

Biopesticide Activity of Guayule Resin.

The extensive use of synthetic pesticides has created considerable concern for both human health and the environment, which has prompted the search for safer alternatives, such as the resin of guayule (). Thus, in the present study, we aimed to test the biopesticide activity of crude guayule resin and three derived fractions and compare them to reference products that act against four of the most economically significant plant pests: , , and . None of the guayule products caused plant damage.

LRRK2 G2019S kinase activity triggers neurotoxic NSF aggregation.

Parkinson's disease is characterized by the progressive degeneration of dopaminergic neurons within the substantia nigra pars compacta and the presence of protein aggregates in surviving neurons. The LRRK2 G2019S mutation is one of the major determinants of familial Parkinson's disease cases and leads to late-onset Parkinson's disease with pleomorphic pathology, including α-synuclein accumulation and deposition of protein inclusions. We demonstrated that LRRK2 phosphorylates N-ethylmaleimide sensitive factor (NSF).

Effect of Seasonal Decrease in Temperature on the Content and Composition of Guayulins in Stems of Guayule (, Gray).

The guayulins are a family of sesquiterpene compounds that consist of an isoprenoid nucleus substituted either by -cinnamic or -anisic acid, and are present only in the resinous fraction of the rubber plant guayule (, Gray). While the natural role of the guayulins remains enigmatic, they may serve as a defense function against other plants or herbivores by virtue of the accumulation of cinnamic acid. Prior research has suggested seasonal variation in guayulin content, which has been shown to decrease as winter arrives in two different varieties.

Macracanthorhynchus hirudinaceus in expanding wild boar (Sus scrofa) populations in Eastern Spain.

Prevalence and temporal evolution of the infection by the acanthocephalan Macracanthorhynchus hirudinaceus is studied in the Valencian Community (Eastern Spain), a region only recently fully colonized by the expanding native Eurasian wild boar (Sus scrofa). For 8 years, a total of 1486 wild boars were sampled in order to look for the parasite. The mean prevalence was 20.

Optimization of the antioxidant capacity of mangosteen peels ( L.) extracts: Management of the drying extraction processes.

Mangosteen peel is a source of natural phenolic antioxidants. During processing, the quality and quantity of these compounds in the final product are altered. Sometimes, the important causal relationships are not easy to establish and thus process management is difficult.

Postoperative treatment compliance rate and complications with two different protocols after pterygium excision and conjunctival autografting.

Aim: To evaluate compliance rate to pterygium postoperative treatment with two different protocols.

Methods: Review of clinical data of patients submitted to pterygium excision and conjunctival autografting in a single centre (and a single surgeon) in Barcelona between March 2014 and December 2017. Initial postoperative protocol (protocol 1) consisted of 4 months of topical steroids in a tapering fashion.

Purine derivatives with heterocyclic moieties and related analogs as new antitumor agents.

Aim: Identification of new antiproliferative compounds.

Methodology: Four series of compounds were synthesized by the Mitsunobu reaction. Their antiproliferative activity was studied against several cancer cells and a noncancerous fibroblast cell line.

Role of Seroalbumin in the Cytotoxicity of cis-Dichloro Pt(II) Complexes with (N^N)-Donor Ligands Bearing Functionalized Tails.

Given the potent anticancer properties of cis-diamminedichloroplatinum(II) and knowing its mode of action, we synthesized four new cis-[PtCl(N^N)] organoplatinum complexes, two with N-substituted pbi ligands (pbiR = 1-R-2-(2-pyridyl)benzimidazole) (namely, 1 and 2) and two more with 4,4'-disubstituted bpy ligands (bpy = 2,2'-bipyridine) (namely, 3 and 4). We explored their cytotoxicity and ability to bind to deoxyguanosine monophosphate (dGMP), DNA, and albumin models. By H NMR and UV-vis spectroscopies, circular dichroism, agarose gel electrophoresis, differential scanning calorimetry measurements, and density functional theory calculations, we verified that only 3 can form aquacomplex species after dimethyl sulfoxide solvation; surprisingly, 1, 2, and 3 can bind covalently to DNA, whereas 4 can form a noncovalent complex.

Highly thermally stable and robust enantiopure zirconium NNN-scorpionates for the controlled ring-opening polymerization of rac-lactide.

A series of enantiopure alkoxide and thioalkoxide zirconium derivatives [Zr(ER)(κ-R,R-fbpza)] (1-6) (E = O, R = CHMe1, CHMeEt 2, CHSiMe3, 2,6-CHMe4, 4-BuPh 5; E = S, R = 4-BuPh 6) has been prepared for use as thermally stable and robust initiators in the ROP of rac-lactide. The compounds were prepared by alcoholysis or thioalcoholysis of the tris(amide) precursor [Zr(NMe)(κ-R,R-fbpza)] [R,R-fbpzaH = N-p-fluorophenyl-(1R)-1-[(1R)-6,6-dimethylbicyclo[3.1.

Association Between Vitamin D Status and Schizophrenia: A First Psychotic Episode Study.

Vitamin D deficiency has been linked with schizophrenia. We aimed to determine whether patients with a first episode of psychosis (FEP) had lower vitamin D levels compared with controls considering their final diagnosis. We conducted a cross-sectional study determining 25-hydroxyvitamin D blood levels.

Safety and seizure control in patients with mesial temporal lobe epilepsy treated with regional superselective intra-arterial injection of autologous bone marrow mononuclear cells.

Temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE) is a highly prevalent syndrome among people with epilepsy, and is usually refractory to drug treatment. Structural and physiological changes, such as hippocampal sclerosis, are often present in TLE patients. The objective of this study is to evaluate the feasibility and safety of intra-arterial infusion of autologous bone marrow mononuclear cells (BMMC) in adults with medically refractory mesial TLE (MTLE) and unilateral hippocampal sclerosis (HS).

LRRK2 phosphorylates pre-synaptic N-ethylmaleimide sensitive fusion (NSF) protein enhancing its ATPase activity and SNARE complex disassembling rate.

Background: Lrrk2, a gene linked to Parkinson's disease, encodes a large scaffolding protein with kinase and GTPase activities implicated in vesicle and cytoskeletal-related processes. At the presynaptic site, LRRK2 associates with synaptic vesicles through interaction with a panel of presynaptic proteins.

Results: Here, we show that LRRK2 kinase activity influences the dynamics of synaptic vesicle fusion.

Exploiting the potential of autophagy in cisplatin therapy: A new strategy to overcome resistance.

Resistance to cisplatin is a major challenge in the current cancer therapy. In order to explore new therapeutic strategies to cisplatin resistance, we evaluated, in a model of lung cancer (H1299 and H460 cell lines), the nature of the pathways leading to cell death. We observed that H1299 displayed a natural resistance to cisplatin due to an inability to trigger an apoptotic response that correlates with the induction of autophagy.