Understanding the Enzymatic Synthesis of a New Biolubricant: Decane-1,10-diyl bis(2-methylpentanoate).

The value of branched esters comes from the special properties they have in cold environments, which allow them to remain liquid over a wide range of temperatures. These properties make them useful for application in the cosmetic industry or as lubricant additives. This paper presents the studies carried out to ascertain the operational feasibility of the enzymatic esterification of 2-methylpentanoic acid (MPA) with 1,10-decanediol (DD), with the objective of obtaining a novel molecule: decane-1,10-diyl bis(2-methylpentanoate) (DDBMP).

Comparison of Sulfamethoxazole Removal Efficiency Using Polyethersulfone Ultrafiltration Membrane Modified by Various Methods.

Nowadays, there is a growing interest in membrane modification processes to improve their characteristics and the effectiveness of their treatments and reduce the possible fouling. In this sense, in this work, a modification of an ultrafiltration membrane with three different materials has been carried out: reduced graphene oxide (rGO), chitosan and MgCl. For both the native and the modified membranes, a study has been carried out to remove the emerging contaminant sulfamethoxazole (SMX).

Mexican American Intergenerational Research: Transformative Model of Occupational Therapy.

Thirty-seven interviews of Mexican American women who crossed the border into the United States during the era of the Mexican Revolution of 1910 were analyzed using constructivist grounded theory methods. The intent is to expand the occupational therapy profession's occupational consciousness and cultivate cultural humility. Four themes emerged from the data: suffering, work, yearning for an education, and compassion for others.

New-onset diabetes is a predictive risk factor for pancreatic lesions in high-risk individuals: An observational cohort study.

Background And Objectives: Pancreatic cancer (PC) is the third cause of cancer-related deaths. Early detection and interception of premalignant pancreatic lesions represent a promising strategy to improve outcomes. We evaluated risk factors of focal pancreatic lesions (FPLs) in asymptomatic individuals at hereditary high risk for PC.

Surgical outcomes and revision rates for velopharyngeal insufficiency (VPI) in syndromic and non-syndromic children: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

Purpose: To evaluate pre- and post-operative resonance, surgical technique, revision rate, and revision indication among syndromic and non-syndromic children with velopharyngeal insufficiency (VPI).

Materials And Methods: A systematic review was conducted through July 2022. Children surgically treated for VPI were included.

Design, Validation, and Fabrication of a Tailored Electrochemical Reactor Using 3D Printing for Studies of Commercial Boron-Doped Diamond Electrodes.

Boron-doped diamond (BDD) electrodes are the most effective and resistant electrodic materials to perform advanced oxidation processes. Having a reactor that can provide adequate hydrodynamic conditions is mandatory to use these electrodes effectively. In this work, the diamond anode electrochemical reactor (E3L-DAER) is designed to fulfill this necessity.

Speech Intelligibility in Patients with Facial Paralysis.

Patients with facial paralysis often report frustration with communication; however, there are limited data regarding intelligibility deficiencies. To compare speech intelligibility in patients with severe and non-severe facial paralysis, and in patients with or without synkinesis. Video and audio data were reviewed retrospectively.

Impact of Standard Versus Low Pneumoperitoneum Pressure on Peritoneal Environment in Laparoscopic Cholecystectomy. Randomized Clinical Trial.

Background: High CO 2 pneumoperitoneum pressure during laparoscopy adversely affects the peritoneal environment. This study hypothesized that low pneumoperitoneum pressure may be linked to less peritoneal damage and possibly to better clinical outcomes.

Materials And Methods: One hundred patients undergoing scheduled laparoscopic cholecystectomy were randomized 1:1 to low or to standard pneumoperitoneum pressure.

Optimization of human platelet lysate production and pathogen reduction in a public blood transfusion center.

Background: Human platelet lysate (HPL) has been proposed as a safe and efficient xeno-free alternative to fetal bovine serum (FBS) for large-scale culturing of cell-based medicinal products. However, the use of blood derivatives poses a potential risk of pathogen transmission. To mitigate this risk, different pathogen reduction treatment (PRT) practices can be applied on starting materials or on final products, but these methods might modify the final composition and the quality of the products.

Sustainable Biocatalytic Procedure for Obtaining New Branched Acid Esters.

Biocatalytic synthesis of 2-ethylhexyl 2-methylhexanoate is described in this work for the first time. This branched-chain ester is suitable for use at low temperatures in numerous applications. The immobilized lipase Novozym 435 has demonstrated its ability to catalyze the ester synthesis from 2-ethylhexanol and 2-methylhexanoic acid in a solvent-free medium.

Usefulness of an early warning score as an early predictor of clinical deterioration in hospitalized children.

Introduction: The early detection of clinical deterioration in hospitalized patients helps to improve the quality of care. The pediatric early warning score (PEWS) system predicts such deterioration in the first 24 hours of administration. Prior studies support the use of these tools.

Sustainable synthesis of branched-chain diesters.

Esters from branched alcohols and dicarboxylic linear acids are widely used as lube bases due to their good performance at low temperatures. This work proposes a new process to synthesize bis(2-ethylbutyl) adipate and bis(2-ethylbutyl) sebacate by using the lipase-based catalyst Novozym® 435 in a solvent-free system. Different reaction strategies have been tested in order to minimize 2-ethyl-1-butanol losses due to its evaporation and optimum operation conditions have been determined: 2.

Relationship of the neutrophil/lymphocyte ratio with cardiovascular risk markers in premenopausal and postmenopausal women.

Introduction: Cardiovascular disease is more frequent in postmenopausal women. Atherosclerosis is associated with inflammation and the neutrophil/lymphocyte ratio (NLR) is a marker of inflammation whose behavior in postmenopause is unknown.

Aim Of The Study: To know the relationship of the NLR with cardiovascular risk markers in premenopausal and postmenopausal women.

Retrieval of germinal zone neural stem cells from the cerebrospinal fluid of premature infants with intraventricular hemorrhage.

Intraventricular hemorrhage is a common cause of morbidity and mortality in premature infants. The rupture of the germinal zone into the ventricles entails loss of neural stem cells and disturbs the normal cytoarchitecture of the region, compromising late neurogliogenesis. Here we demonstrate that neural stem cells can be easily and robustly isolated from the hemorrhagic cerebrospinal fluid obtained during therapeutic neuroendoscopic lavage in preterm infants with severe intraventricular hemorrhage.

Reaction strategies for the enzymatic synthesis of neopentyl glycol diheptanoate.

This work describes for the first time the green synthesis of neopentyl glycol diheptanoate in a solvent-free medium via an enzymatic pathway. The process has been carried out in an open-air reactor in order to ease water removal through evaporation and shift the chemical equilibrium towards product formation. The inhibiting effect of high concentrations of heptanoic acid has been put into evidence by a reduction of initial reaction rate when esterification was performed with stoichiometric amounts of substrates.

Development and economic evaluation of an eco-friendly biocatalytic synthesis of emollient esters.

During the past decades the understanding and prospects of enzyme-catalysed reactions have been massively widened and there are a number of implemented large-scale enzymatic processes mainly based in the use of commercial biocatalysts. As it might happen that the same process can be successfully carried out by different commercial lipases, the election of the biocatalyst must rely on productivity and economic considerations. This work presents productiveness and direct operation cost evaluation as a key tool for the selection between two commercial lipase catalysts, the versatile but expensive Novozym 435 and a much more economical option, Lipozyme TL IM, in the synthesis of spermaceti, a mixture of emollient esters with cosmetic applications.

Effects of locally applied Insulin-like Growth Factor-I on osseointegration.

Background: The aim of this study was to assess the effect of local application of IGF-I on osseointegration of dental implants placed in osteoporotic bones.

Material And Methods: 16 rabbits were randomly distributed into two groups: eight animals were ovariectomized and fed a low-calcium diet for six weeks, in order to induce experimental osteoporosis, and the others were sham-operated and fed a standard diet. A titanium implant was inserted into the tibiae in both groups.

Tumor Microbiome Diversity and Composition Influence Pancreatic Cancer Outcomes.

Most patients diagnosed with resected pancreatic adenocarcinoma (PDAC) survive less than 5 years, but a minor subset survives longer. Here, we dissect the role of the tumor microbiota and the immune system in influencing long-term survival. Using 16S rRNA gene sequencing, we analyzed the tumor microbiome composition in PDAC patients with short-term survival (STS) and long-term survival (LTS).

Biocatalytic solutions to cyclomethicones problem in cosmetics.

Silicones are polymers that have properties of great interest for cosmetic and personal care industry, especially D (octamethylcyclotetrasiloxane) and D (decamethylcyclopentasiloxane), generically named cyclomethicones. However, different studies show the hypothesis that the use of these products is harmful and, therefore, several countries have adopted legislative actions to limit their use in personal care and cosmetic products. Faced with this new situation, different cosmetic companies began to look for different alternatives to cyclomethicones, mainly: organomodified silicones or esters.

Mercury assessment, macrobenthos diversity and environmental quality conditions in the Salado Estuary (Gulf of Guayaquil, Ecuador) impacted by anthropogenic influences.

Water and sediment quality, macrobenthos diversity and mercury levels were assessed in the Salado Estuary, Gulf of Guayaquil (Ecuador) during 2008, 2009 and 2014. Severe hypoxia, anoxia and large fluctuations of salinity occurred in an impacted sector within Guayaquil city relative to a mangrove area within the Salado Mangroves Faunal Production Reserve. Significant inter-site and temporal differences were observed for dissolved oxygen, salinity, total dissolved solids, percentage of silts and clays, and species diversity.

High Prevalence of Hereditary Cancer Syndromes and Outcomes in Adults with Early-Onset Pancreatic Cancer.

We aimed to determine the prevalence and landscape of germline mutations among patients with young-onset pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) as well as their influence in prognosis. Patients from two cohorts were studied, the high-risk cohort (HRC), which included 584 PDAC patients who received genetic counseling at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, and a general cohort (GC) with 233 metastatic PDAC patients. We defined germline DNA sequencing on 13 known pancreatic cancer susceptibility genes.

Electrocatalytic studies on imidazolium based ionic liquids: defining experimental conditions.

The number of publications devoted to studying electrochemical reactions in room temperature ionic liquids (RTILs) is constantly growing, but very few of them have been devoted to defining proper experimental conditions to obtain reproducible electrochemical results. In this work, we demonstrate that the combination of a proper RTIL purification treatment and a filtered Ar gas stream allow us to obtain featureless voltammograms in [C4mim][BF4], [C4mim][NTf2], and [C4m2im][NTf2], which otherwise present signals associated with different types of impurities such as water and some minor electroactive impurities acquired during the RTIL synthesis process. Moreover, we demonstrate that bubbling Ar, or another inert gas, through the electrolyte in order to purge O2 dissolved in RTILs is one of the major sources of water and O2 impurities incorporated in RTILs within the electrochemical cell.