Hepatitis Delta Virus Reporting Requirements in the United States and Territories: A Systematic Review.

Hepatitis D virus (HDV) is a rare coinfection with hepatitis B virus. Currently, HDV is not a nationally notifiable disease in the United States. Only 55% of states and territories require HDV reporting, and most lack defined case definitions. Standardization of reporting requirements is crucial for monitoring HDV epidemiology.

Green synthesis of TiO2 for furfural production by photohydrolysis of tortilla manufacturing waste.

Corn nixtamalization generates a waste byproduct that requires diverse environmental preservation measures depending on the country. Such measures could include catalytic and advanced oxidation processes. This study aims to exploit the hemicellulose within the nejayote (32.5%) to create added value chemicals such as furfural using photocatalytic hydrolysis. In the present work, titania (TiO2) nanoparticles (NPs) were greenly synthesized using Ricinus Communis (RC), Moringa Oleifera (MO) or Bougainvillea Spectabilis (BS) plant extracts. Obtained nanoparticles were characterized using XRD, SEM, EDS, BET, XPS and UV-vis techniques. Furthermore, the photocatalytic performance of the obtained samples was evaluated in the furfural production from nejayote. Furfural yield reached 44% in 30 min using the BS synthesized material, which is 1.6 × the yield obtained by the material synthesized with MO extract (26.4% at 45 min) and 6 × the yield obtained by the material obtained with RC (7.2% at 90 min). Such results have not been reported before in the literature and could be the groundwork for novel waste treatments in the tortilla-making industry.

Ion Channels as Potential Tools for the Diagnosis, Prognosis, and Treatment of HPV-Associated Cancers.

The human papilloma virus (HPV) group comprises approximately 200 genetic types that have a special affinity for epithelial tissues and can vary from producing benign symptoms to developing into complicated pathologies, such as cancer. The HPV replicative cycle affects various cellular and molecular processes, including DNA insertions and methylation and relevant pathways related to pRb and p53, as well as ion channel expression or function. Ion channels are responsible for the flow of ions across cell membranes and play very important roles in human physiology, including the regulation of ion homeostasis, electrical excitability, and cell signaling. However, when ion channel function or expression is altered, the channels can trigger a wide range of channelopathies, including cancer. In consequence, the up- or down-regulation of ion channels in cancer makes them attractive molecular markers for the diagnosis, prognosis, and treatment of the disease. Interestingly, the activity or expression of several ion channels is dysregulated in HPV-associated cancers. Here, we review the status of ion channels and their regulation in HPV-associated cancers and discuss the potential molecular mechanisms involved. Understanding the dynamics of ion channels in these cancers should help to improve early diagnosis, prognosis, and treatment in the benefit of HPV-associated cancer patients.

Ion Channels and Personalized Medicine in Gynecological Cancers.

Targeted therapy against cancer plays a key role in delivering safer and more efficient treatments. In the last decades, ion channels have been studied for their participation in oncogenic processes because their aberrant expression and/or function have been associated with different types of malignancies, including ovarian, cervical, and endometrial cancer. The altered expression or function of several ion channels have been associated with tumor aggressiveness, increased proliferation, migration, invasion, and metastasis of cancer cells and with poor prognosis in gynecological cancer patients. Most ion channels are integral membrane proteins easily accessible by drugs. Interestingly, a plethora of ion channel blockers have demonstrated anticancer activity. Consequently, some ion channels have been proposed as oncogenes, cancer, and prognostic biomarkers, as well as therapeutic targets in gynecological cancers. Here, we review the association of ion channels with the properties of cancer cells in these tumors, which makes them very promising candidates to be exploited in personalized medicine. The detailed analysis of the expression pattern and function of ion channels could help to improve the clinical outcomes in gynecological cancer patients.

Interactions of Antibacterial Naphthoquinones with Mesoporous Silica Surfaces: A Physicochemical and Theoretical Approach.

1,4-naftoquinone (NQ) molecules have been extensively evaluated as potent antibacterial compounds; however, their use is limited, since they have low water solubility and exhibit toxicities in healthy eukaryotic cells. A possible path to overcoming these challenges is the use of particulate vehicles, such as SBA-15, which is a biocompatible and biodegradable mesoporous silica material, that may enhance drug delivery and decrease dosages. In this work, an isotherm model-based adsorption of three NQs into SBA-15 microparticles was evaluated. Interactions between NQs and SBA-15 microparticles were modeled at the B3LYP/6-31+G(d,p) level of theory to understand the nature of such interactions. The results demonstrated that the adsorption of NQ, 2NQ, and 5NQ into SBA-15 fit the Freundlich adsorption model. According to theorical studies, physisorption is mediated by hydrogen bonds, while the most stable interactions occur between the carbonyl group of NQ and silica surfaces. Both experimental and theoretical results contribute to a deeper understanding of the use of SBA-15 or similar particles as nanovehicles in such a way that NQs can be modified in carbonyl or C3 to enhance adsorptions. The theoretical and experimental results were in accordance and contribute to a deeper understanding of how interactions between NQ-type molecules and SiO2 materials occur.

Synthesis by spray pyrolysis of gold nano species confined in iron oxide nanospheres effective in the reduction of 4-nitrophenol to 4-aminophenol.

The highly effective Au/Fe2O3-@Au/Fe2O3nanoreactors for the 4-nitrophenol (4-NP) reduction are successfully obtained by one-pot synthesis using the spray pyrolysis (SP) technique. The Au/Fe2O3-@Au/Fe2O3nanoreactors manifest superior catalytic activity in the reduction of 4-NP in the presence of sodium borohydride (NaBH4) compared to gold-iron oxide nanoreactors prepared via a colloidal approach. The negative effect of the reaction product accumulation, the 4-aminophenol (4-AP), on the catalytic reduction of 4-NP over Au/Fe2O3-@Au/Fe2O3is examined by a direct pre-injection of 4-AP to the reaction media. To the best of our knowledge, it is the first experimental evidence of gold active sites blocking by 4-AP. All obtained samples are characterized by the yolk-shell spherical hollow structure mainly consisted of two embedded hollow nanospheres. The reduction of iron oxide precursor concentration diminishes the diameter of final iron oxide nanospheres. According to STEM-EDS analysis and STEM, Au nano species are uniformly dispersed on both iron oxide nanospheres. The SP technique presently used to synthesize Au/Fe2O3-@Au/Fe2O3nanoreactors manifests high potential for the one-pot fabrication of a large variety of nanoreactors with various active materials applied as heterogeneous catalysts in numerous catalytic processes.

Ag@ZnO/MWCNT ternary nanocomposite as an active and stable catalyst for the 4-nitrophenol reduction in water.

The nitroaromatic compounds, known as organic pollutants, have arising attention due to their carcinogenic character, highly dangerous to human health. In this work, the Ag@ZnO/MWCNT ternary nanocomposite synthesized via conjugation of sonochemical and solvothermal treatments manifests high performance in the reduction of 4-nitrophenol in the aqueous media (TOF value of 246 min-1µmol metal-1). The incorporation of MWCNT onto the nanocomposite structure favored the reusing of the catalysts even after eight consecutive catalytic runs without catalysts cleaning nor product removal. Obtained samples were characterized by XRD, TEM, UV-vis, Raman and FTIR spectroscopies. It was found that ultrasonic treatment at relatively moderate conditions leads to functionalization of MWCNT, the appearance of C=C and OH groups and change of electronic properties of Ag@ZnO/MWCNT composite which provide its stable material dispersion in aqueous solution and high catalytic performance in the 4-nitrophenol reduction. This technique may be effectively applied for the functionalization of carbon including materials for their usage in an aqueous media.

Mortalidad por tumores malignos en el Policlínico Universitario 4 de abril del municipio Guantánamo / Malignant tumors at the Community University Policlinic 4 of April Guantánamo

Se realiza un estudio descriptivo y retrospectivo con el objetivo de caracterizar el comportamiento de la mortalidad por tumores malignos en el Policlínico 4 de abril del municipio Guantánamo, provinciaGuantánamo, en el período comprendido desde el 1ro de enero de 2006 al 31 de diciembre de 2011. El universo de estudio fue de 327 fallecidos por dicha causa. Se estudian variables, como: edad, sexo, tipo de tumor maligno, año y mes de fallecimiento y confirmación a través de necropsia. Predominaron los fallecidos por cáncer en los años 2008 y 2011, del sexo masculino y mayores de 60 años de edad. Prevaleció dicha mortalidad en el cáncer de pulmón y de próstata y el mayor lugar de ocurrencia de los pacientes fallecidos fue en el domicilio (AU)

New insights into thyroid hormone replacement therapy.

It is widely accepted that thyroid hormone replacement for patients with hypothyroidism can be fully accomplished with levothyroxine monotherapy, as assessed by serum thyroid function tests. However, approximately 10% of hypothyroid patients are dissatisfied with the outcome of levothyroxine monotherapy, and physicians continue to report benefits from combined levothyroxine-triidothyronine therapy for some hypothyroid patients. Recently, a large prospective study reported that the benefit of the combined levothyroxine-triidothyronine therapy is associated with the Thr92Ala polymorphism in the type 2 deiodinase gene, which is present in about 15% of the general population. If confirmed, these findings indicate that personalized medicine is rapidly catching up with modern thyroidology.

Evaluación psicométrica de los sistemas de activación e inhibición del comportamiento en adultos mexicanos / Psychometric evaluation of the behavioral activation and behavioral inhibition systems in Mexican adults

Gray (1987a) propuso valorar en humanos el sistema de inhibición de comportamiento (BIS, por sus siglas en inglés) y el sistema de activación de comportamiento (BAS). El objetivo de este estudio fue evaluar las propiedades psicométricas de las Escalas BIS/BAS (EBIS/EBAS) y del Cuestionario de Sensibilidad al Castigo y Sensibilidad a la Recompensa (CSCSR), desarrollados directamente de la teoría de la susceptibilidad al reforzamiento (Pickering, Corr, y Gray, 1999), y que no han sido aplicados a muestras latinoamericanas. Participaron 645 adultos (399 mujeres y 246 varones). El análisis factorial de las EBIS/EBAS no apoyó la estructura de cuatro factores, sino de dos factores. En contraste, el análisis factorial del CSCSR confirmó la estructura de dos factores. Comparadas con el CSCSR, las EBIS/EBAS mostraron menos consistencia interna y coeficientes de fiabilidad menores. Los resultados de validez convergente y concurrente de las dos medidas indicaron hallazgos mixtos. Sobre todo, los resultados apoyan más las propiedades psicométricas del CSCSR, que las de las EBIS/EBAS en esta muestra mexicana(AU)

Gray (1987a) proposed that the behavioral inhibition (BIS) and behavioral activation systems (BAS) be assessed in humans. The objective of the present study was to test the psychometric properties of the BIS/BAS scales and the SPSRQ, which are self-report measures developed from the reinforcement sensitivity theory (Pickering, Corr, y Gray, 1999), and which have not been tested in Latin-American samples. Factor analyses of the BIS/BAS items did not supported the 4-factor structure, but a 2-factor one. On the contrary, factor analyses of the SPSRQ items supported the 2-factor structure. The BIS/BAS scales had less internal consistency, and lower reliability coefficients, compared to the SPSRQ. The results from convergent and concurrent validities showed mixed findings for both measures. Overall, the results support the psychometric properties of the SPSRQ more than those of the BIS/BAS scales in this Mexican sample(AU)