Publications by authors named "Rivas M"

Article Synopsis
  • The study details the characterization of a mutated variant of copper-containing nitrite reductase (SmNirK) from S. meliloti, where the catalytic aspartate (Asp) is replaced with serine (Ser) via site-directed mutagenesis.
  • The D134S variant retains the homotrimer structure and similar T1 electron transfer center to the wild-type, but shows altered electronic properties in the T2 active site, impacting its enzymatic efficiency and pH dependence.
  • EPR studies reveal significant changes in the T2 properties due to the mutation, highlighting the role of T2 ligands in catalysis and suggesting a potential mechanism for electron transfer influenced by the Asp/Ser switch.
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Study Design: Retrospective data analysis study.

Objectives: To assess gait recovery rates in subjects with motor incomplete spinal cord injury (SCI) at the start of rehabilitation and to report their gait performance.

Setting: Tertiary inpatient Rehabilitation Center in Argentina.

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Background: Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli-associated hemolytic uremic syndrome (STEC-HUS) is a severe condition mainly affecting children. It is one of the leading causes of acute kidney injury in the pediatric population. There is no established therapy for this disease.

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A temporal neural code reliant on the pattern of spike times rather than spike rates offers a feasible mechanism for encoding information from weak periodic external stimuli, such as static or extremely low-frequency electromagnetic fields. Our model focuses on the influence of magnetic fields on neurotransmitter dynamics near the neuron membrane. Neurotransmitter binding to specific receptor sites on membrane proteins can regulate biochemical reactions.

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Background: This research aimed to enhance the functional value of dietary fiber from broccoli leaves using supercritical fluid technology. By optimizing pressure, temperature, and time parameters through response surface methodology, the study sought to improve the bioactive properties of the fiber and develop a predictive model for its chemical composition and functional properties.

Results: Structural analysis indicated that modified samples had a higher concentration of oligosaccharides than control samples did, with significant increases in galacturonic acid and neutral sugars after supercritical fluid technology treatment, highlighting enhanced pectin release due to cell wall degradation.

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Identifying cell-type-specific 3D chromatin interactions between regulatory elements can help decipher gene regulation and interpret disease-associated non-coding variants. However, achieving this resolution with current 3D genomics technologies is often infeasible given limited input cell numbers. We therefore present ChromaFold, a deep learning model that predicts 3D contact maps, including regulatory interactions, from single-cell ATAC sequencing (scATAC-seq) data alone.

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Shiga toxin-producing (STEC) are the main etiological agents of hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS). Good clinical management of STEC infections and HUS depends on early, rapid, and accurate diagnosis. Here, we have developed and evaluated the first multiplex and glycoprotein-based immunochromatographic test for the detection of IgM antibodies against the O-polysaccharide of the lipopolysaccharide of O157 and O145 in human serum samples.

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Background: Since 2015, malaria vector control on Bioko Island has relied heavily upon long-lasting insecticidal nets (LLIN) to complement other interventions. Despite significant resources utilised, however, achieving and maintaining high coverage has been elusive. Here, core LLIN indicators were used to assess and redefine distribution strategies.

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Importation of malaria infections is a suspected driver of sustained malaria prevalence on areas of Bioko Island, Equatorial Guinea. Quantifying the impact of imported infections is difficult because of the dynamic nature of the disease and complexity of designing a randomized trial. We leverage a six-month travel moratorium in and out of Bioko Island during the initial COVID-19 pandemic response to evaluate the contribution of imported infections to malaria prevalence on Bioko Island.

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Annual mass migrations of seabirds between their breeding and wintering grounds are critical for ensuring their survival and reproductive success. It is essential to comprehend their physical condition in order to identify the causes of death and to facilitate conservation efforts. This study focuses on evaluating the age, body condition index, and metabolites in liver and muscle (triglycerides, glycerol, glycogen, cholesterol, lactate, and glucose) of stranded Razorbills ( = 84) and Atlantic puffins ( = 11).

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The Last Common Ancestor (LCA) is understood as a hypothetical population of organisms from which all extant living creatures are thought to have descended. Its biology and environment have been and continue to be the subject of discussions within the scientific community. Since the first bacterial genomes were obtained, multiple attempts to reconstruct the genetic content of the LCA have been made.

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Objectives: This study assesses exposure to malaria vector mosquitos that is nonpreventable through use of nets, the contribution of outdoor and indoor biting towards residual vector exposure, and the risk factors for being bitten and for being infected with malaria parasites on Bioko Island, Equatorial Guinea.

Methods: Human behavior and malaria infection data were collected from 13,735 randomly selected residents during cross-sectional surveys, concomitantly with entomological human landing catches, indoors and outdoors, in 20 locations on the Island. Self-reported time of going indoors, going to bed and whether using a net were analyzed to impute for each respondent the number of bites received outdoors and indoors during the night before the survey.

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Lateral flow assays are low-cost point-of-care devices that are stable, easy to use, and provide quick results. They are mostly used as qualitative screening tests to detect biomarkers for several diseases. Quantification of the biomarkers is sometimes desirable but challenging to achieve.

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This study aimed to analyse the impact of a simulated human digestion process on the composition and functional properties of dietary fibres derived from pomegranate-peel, tomato-peel, broccoli-stem and grape-stem by-products. For this purpose, a computer-controlled simulated digestion system consisting of three bioreactors (simulating the stomach, small intestine and colon) was utilised. Non-extractable phenols associated with dietary fibre and their influence on antioxidant capacity and antiproliferative activity were investigated throughout the simulated digestive phases.

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In this study, native ureolytic bacteria were isolated from copper tailings soils to perform microbial-induced carbonate precipitation (MICP) tests and evaluate their potential for biocement formation and their contribution to reduce the dispersion of particulate matter into the environment from tailings containing potentially toxic elements. It was possible to isolate a total of 46 bacteria; among them only three showed ureolytic activity: T130-1, sp. T130-13 and sp.

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Article Synopsis
  • Consensus statements are important in medicine and public health, but not all use solid evidence to support their claims.
  • Some statements rely on expert panels, which can be biased if many members share the same opinions or interests, especially without a thorough review of evidence.
  • A recent case about COVID-19 showed that many panel members had strong connections to groups pushing for strict COVID measures without revealing these biases, highlighting the need for clear conflicts of interest to ensure trustworthiness.
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Background: The low prevalence of rare diseases poses a significant challenge in advancing their understanding. This study aims to delineate the clinical and genetic characteristics of patients with rare eye diseases (RED) enrolled in the Spanish Rare Diseases Patient Registry.

Methods: A total of 864 patients from the registry database were included.

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Unlabelled: Alterations in the intestinal microbiota contribute to the pathogenesis of various cardiovascular disorders, but how they affect the development of Kawasaki disease (KD), an acute pediatric vasculitis, remains unclear. We report that depleting the gut microbiota reduces the development of cardiovascular inflammation in a murine model mimicking KD vasculitis. The development of cardiovascular lesions was associated with alterations in the intestinal microbiota composition and, notably, a decreased abundance of and Oral supplementation with either of these live or pasteurized individual bacteria, or with short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) produced by them, attenuated cardiovascular inflammation.

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The dorsal (DRN) and median (MRN) raphe are important nuclei involved in similar functions, including mood and sleep, but playing distinct roles. These nuclei have a different composition of neuronal types and set of neuronal connections, which among other factors, determine their neuronal dynamics. Most works characterize the neuronal dynamics using classic measures, such as using the average spiking frequency (FR), the coefficient of variation (CV), and action potential duration (APD).

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Background: Appendiceal neuroendocrine tumors (NETs) rank as the third most frequent neoplasm affecting the appendix, originating from enterochromaffin cells. This study aims to evaluate the influence of various prognostic factors on the mortality rates of patients diagnosed with NETs of the appendix.

Methods: Conducted retrospectively, the study involved 3346 patients, utilizing data sourced from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) database.

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