Type I and Type II photosensitization of DNA etheno adducts.

Photophysical and photochemical studies were carried out to examine the photoreactivity of etheno adducts, 1,N-ethenoadenine (εdA) and 1,N-ethenoguanine (εdG), in the presence of two well-known photosensitizers acting by Type I and/or Type II mechanisms such as 4-carboxybenzophenone (CBP) and rose Bengal (RB), respectively. Steady-state photolysis experiments combined with HPLC and mass spectroscopy measurements lead to photoproducts that correspond to the repaired nucleosides. To determine the mechanism of this photooxidation processes, phosphorescence spectroscopy, direct detection of singlet oxygen luminescence and laser flash photolysis were carried out.

Photosensitizing Properties of the Topical Retinoid Drug Adapalene.

Photoreactivity is an important issue for topical drugs especially when these are applied on the sun-exposed skin area. In this context, third-generation retinoids are of special interest due to their conjugated chemical structure and their use in the treatment of acne. Herein, the phototoxic potential of one of these drugs, adapalene, is established using an in vitro 3T3 Neutral Red Uptake (NRU) test.

Environmentally sensitive fluorescence of the topical retinoid adapalene.

Intrinsic fluorescence of drugs brings valuable information on their localization in the organism and their interaction with key biomolecules. In this work, we investigate the absorption and emission properties of the topical retinoid adapalene in different solvents and biological media. While the UVA/UVB absorption band does not exhibit any significant solvent-dependent behavior, a strong positive solvatochromism is observed for the emission.

Modulation of the photobehavior of gefitinib and its phenolic metabolites by human transport proteins.

The photobiological damage that certain drugs or their metabolites can photosensitize in proteins is generally associated with the nature of the excited species that are generated upon interaction with UVA light. In this regard, the photoinduced damage of the anticancer drug gefitinib (GFT) and its two main photoactive metabolites GFT-M1 and GFT-M2 in cellular milieu was recently investigated. With this background, the photophysical properties of both the drug and its metabolites have now been studied in the presence of the two main transport proteins of human plasma, i.

Photolytic splitting of homodimeric quinone-derived oxetanes studied by ultrafast transient absorption spectroscopy and quantum chemistry.

The photoinduced cycloreversion of oxetane derivatives is of considerable biological interest since these compounds are involved in the photochemical formation and repair of the highly mutagenic pyrimidine (6-4) pyrimidone DNA photoproducts ((6-4)PPs). Previous reports have dealt with the photoreactivity of heterodimeric oxetanes composed mainly of benzophenone (BP) and thymine (Thy) or uracil (Ura) derivatives. However, these models are far from the non-isolable Thy〈º〉Thy dimers, which are the real precursors of (6-4)PPs.

Modelling the spatial risk of malaria through probability distribution of s.l. and imported cases.

Malaria remains one of the most important infectious diseases globally due to its high incidence and mortality rates. The influx of infected cases from endemic to non-endemic malaria regions like Europe has resulted in a public health concern over sporadic local outbreaks. This is facilitated by the continued presence of competent vectors in non-endemic countries.

Detection of dengue in German tourists returning from Ibiza, Spain, related to an autochthonous outbreak, August to October 2022.

In February 2023, German public health authorities reported two dengue cases (one confirmed, one probable) and four possible cases who travelled to Ibiza, Spain, in late summer/autumn 2022; the infection was probably acquired through mosquito bites. Case 1 visited Ibiza over 1 week in late August with two familial companions; all three developed symptoms the day after returning home. Only Case 1 was tested; dengue virus (DENV) infection was confirmed by presence of NS1 antigen and IgM antibodies.

Surveillance and screening of Stomoxyinae flies from Mallorca Island (Spain) reveal the absence of selected pathogens but confirm the presence of the endosymbiotic bacterium Wolbachia pipientis.

Adult brachycera biting flies can significantly impact livestock through both direct effects (reduction of food intake, disturbance, painful bites, and blood loss) and indirect effects (pathogen transmission), leading to substantial economic losses and production damage. This study aimed to assess the presence of blood-sucking flies in six mixed-animal farm environments on the island of Mallorca (Balearic Islands, Spain) by employing multiple trapping methods. Additionally, distribution maps of brachycera biting fly species recorded in Spain were created, based on data extracted thorough review of scientific literature and citizen digital databases.

Remote fruit fly detection using computer vision and machine learning-based electronic trap.

Introduction: Intelligent monitoring systems must be put in place to practice precision agriculture. In this context, computer vision and artificial intelligence techniques can be applied to monitor and prevent pests, such as that of the olive fly. These techniques are a tool to discover patterns and abnormalities in the data, which helps the early detection of pests and the prompt administration of corrective measures.

First report of Culicoides caucoliberensis in Spain: Exploring molecular phylogeny, host-feeding behaviour and avian haemosporidian parasites.

Culicoides biting midges (Diptera: Ceratopogonidae) are vectors of pathogens that affect wildlife and livestock. Understanding the composition and distribution of vector species is crucial for implementing control strategies and preventing the spread of infectious diseases. This study provides a morphological and molecular characterisation of Culicoides caucoliberensis, which represents the first record for Spain, increasing the number of Culicoides species in the country to 85.

Reductive Photocycloreversion of Cyclobutane Dimers Triggered by Guanines.

The quest for simple systems achieving the photoreductive splitting of four-membered ring compounds is a matter of interest not only in organic chemistry but also in biochemistry to mimic the activity of DNA photorepair enzymes. In this context, 8-oxoguanine, the main oxidatively generated lesion of guanine, has been shown to act as an intrinsic photoreductant by transferring an electron to bipyrimidine lesions and provoking their cycloreversion. But, in spite of appropriate photoredox properties, the capacity of guanine to repair cyclobutane pyrimidine dimer is not clearly established.

Cellular photo(geno)toxicity of gefitinib after biotransformation.

Gefitinib (GFT) is a selective epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) inhibitor clinically used for the treatment of patients with non-small cell lung cancer. Bioactivation by mainly Phase I hepatic metabolism leads to chemically reactive metabolites such as O-Demethyl gefitinib (DMT-GFT), 4-Defluoro-4-hydroxy gefitinib (DF-GFT), and O-Demorpholinopropyl gefitinib (DMOR-GFT), which display an enhanced UV-light absorption. In this context, the aim of the present study is to investigate the capability of gefitinib metabolites to induce photosensitivity disorders and to elucidate the involved mechanisms.

Assessment of listing and categorisation of animal diseases within the framework of the Animal Health Law (Regulation (EU) No 2016/429): infectious pancreatic necrosis (IPN).

Infectious pancreatic necrosis (IPN) was assessed according to the criteria of the Animal Health Law (AHL), in particular, the criteria of Article 7 on disease profile and impacts, Article 5 on its eligibility to be listed, Annex IV for its categorisation according to disease prevention and control rules as in Article 9, and Article 8 for listing animal species related to IPN. The assessment was performed following a methodology previously published. The outcome reported is the median of the probability ranges provided by the experts, which indicates whether each criterion is fulfilled (lower bound ≥ 66%) or not (upper bound ≤ 33%), or whether there is uncertainty about fulfilment.

Topological effects in ultrafast photoinduced processes between flurbiprofen and tryptophan in linked dyads and within human serum albumin.

The interaction dynamics between flurbiprofen (FBP) and tryptophan (Trp) has been studied in covalently linked dyads and within human serum albumin (HSA) by means of fluorescence and ultrafast transient absorption spectroscopy. The dyads have proven to be excellent models to investigate photoinduced processes such as energy and/or electron transfer that may occur in proteins and other biological media. Since the relative spatial arrangement of the interacting units may affect the yield and kinetics of the photoinduced processes, two spacers consisting of amino and carboxylic groups separated by a cyclic or a long linear hydrocarbon chain (1 and 2, respectively) have been used to link the ()- or ()-FBP with the ()-Trp moieties.

The use of path analysis to determine effects of environmental factors on the adult seasonality of (Diptera: Ceratopogonidae) vector species in Spain.

biting midges (Diptera: Ceratopogonidae) are the main vectors of livestock diseases such as bluetongue (BT) which mainly affect sheep and cattle. In Spain, bluetongue virus (BTV) is transmitted by several taxa, including , Obsoletus complex, and that vary in seasonality and distribution, affecting the distribution and dynamics of BT outbreaks. Path analysis is useful for separating direct and indirect, biotic and abiotic determinants of species' population performance and is ideal for understanding the sensitivity of adult dynamics to multiple environmental drivers.

Mosquito alert: leveraging citizen science to create a GBIF mosquito occurrence dataset.

The Mosquito Alert dataset includes occurrence records of adult mosquitoes collected worldwide in 2014-2020 through Mosquito Alert, a citizen science system for investigating and managing disease-carrying mosquitoes. Records are linked to citizen science-submitted photographs and validated by entomologists to determine the presence of five targeted European mosquito vectors: , , , , and . Most records are from Spain, reflecting Spanish national and regional funding, but since autumn 2020 substantial records from other European countries are included, thanks to volunteer entomologists coordinated by the AIM-COST Action, and to technological developments to increase scalability.

AIMSurv: First pan-European harmonized surveillance of invasive mosquito species of relevance for human vector-borne diseases.

Human and animal vector-borne diseases, particularly mosquito-borne diseases, are emerging or re-emerging worldwide. Six invasive mosquito (AIM) species were introduced to Europe since the 1970s: , , , , and . Here, we report the results of AIMSurv2020, the first pan-European surveillance effort for AIMs.

Singlet oxygen and radical-mediated mechanisms in the oxidative cellular damage photosensitized by the protease inhibitor simeprevir.

Hepatitis C, a liver inflammation caused by the hepatitis C virus (HCV), is treated with antiviral drugs. In this context, simeprevir (SIM) is an NS3/4A protease inhibitor used in HCV genotypes 1 and 4. It is orally administered and achieves high virological cure rates.

Switching from ultrafast electron transfer to proton transfer in excited drug-protein complexes upon biotransformation.

Photosensitization by drugs is directly related with the excited species and the photoinduced processes arising from interaction with UVA light. In this context, the ability of gefitinib (GFT), a tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI) used for the treatment of a variety of cancers, to induce phototoxicity and photooxidation of proteins has recently been demonstrated. In principle, photodamage can be generated not only by a given drug but also by its photoactive metabolites that maintain the relevant chromophore.

Topology and Excited State Multiplicity as Controlling Factors in the Carbazole-Photosensitized CPD Formation and Repair.

Photosensitized thymine<>thymine (Thy<>Thy) formation and repair can be mediated by carbazole (Cbz). The former occurs from the Cbz triplet excited state via energy transfer, while the latter takes place from the singlet excited state via electron transfer. Here, fundamental insight is provided into the role of the topology and excited state multiplicity, as factors governing the balance between both processes.

Geographic distribution of the V1016G knockdown resistance mutation in Aedes albopictus: a warning bell for Europe.

Background: Colonization of large part of Europe by the Asian tiger mosquito Aedes albopictus is causing autochthonous transmission of chikungunya and dengue exotic arboviruses. While pyrethroids are recommended only to reduce/limit transmission, they are widely implemented to reduce biting nuisance and to control agricultural pests, increasing the risk of insurgence of resistance mechanisms. Worryingly, pyrethroid resistance (with mortality < 70%) was recently reported in Ae.

Solar light mediated anthracene abatement in aerated aqueous media using a thermoplastic nanocomposite photocatalyst.

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are the most widespread xenobiotic pollutants in water and their abatement usually involves expensive and energy-consuming treatments. In this work, anthracene (AN) was selected as the recalcitrant model of PAHs and its solar light-stimulated heterogeneous photocatalytic abatement in aerated aqueous media was investigated using a new TiO derived thermoplastic nanocomposite in thin film form. The results were also compared with the benchmark TiO photocatalyst in slurry form.

Analysis of Intraoperative Motor Evoked Potential Changes and Surgical Interventions in 513 Pediatric Spine Surgeries.

Purpose: (1) To determine probabilities of immediate postoperative new motor deficits after no, reversible, and irreversible motor evoked potentials (MEP) deteriorations and (2) to calculate the same outcome considering whether MEP deteriorations were followed by surgical interventions in the absence of confounding factors.

Methods: We analyzed MEPs from 513 surgeries. Four-limb MEPs were evoked by transcranial electrical stimulation.

Degradation of Benzotriazole UV-stabilizers in the presence of organic photosensitizers and visible light: A time-resolved mechanistic study.

Benzotriazole UV-stabilizers (BUVSs) are commonly used in industry as solar filters, due to their strong UV light absorption. Because of their extended usage, environmental contamination of waters due to BUVSs constitutes a growing concern. Direct photodegradation of BUVSs is not efficient due to their intrinsic thermal pathways to release the absorbed light.