Choline [Amino Acid] Ionic Liquid/Water Mixtures: A Triple Effect for the Degradation of an Organophosphorus Pesticide.

A series of ionic liquids (ILs) composed by choline (Ch) as a cation and different amino acids (AA) as anions and their respective aqueous mixtures were prepared using different [Ch][AA] contents in a range of 0.4-46 mol % IL. These solvents were used for the first time to achieve an eco-friendlier Paraoxon degradation. The results show that [Ch][AA]/water mixtures are an effective reaction medium to degrade Paraoxon, even when the IL content in the mixture is low (0.4 mol % IL) and without the need of an extra nucleophile. Both the kinetics and the degradation pathways of pesticides depend on the nature of the AA on [Ch][AA] and the amount of an IL present in the mixture. We have demonstrated that in those mixtures with a low amount of [Ch][AA], the hydrolysis reaction is the main pathway for Paraoxon degradation, showing a catalytic effect of the IL. However, as the percentage of [Ch][AA] increases in the mixture, the nucleophilic attack of [Ch][AA] is evident. Finally, the aim of this study was to provide evidence of a promising and biocompatible methodology to degrade a toxic compound (Paraoxon) using a minimal quantity of an IL designed totally from natural resources.

Dual function of amino acid ionic liquids (Bmim[AA]) on the degradation of the organophosphorus pesticide, Paraoxon®.

The synthesis of a series of ionic liquids using 1-butyl 3-methylimidazolium (Bmim+) as a cation and different amino acids (AA) as anions (Bmim[AA]) is described. These ILs were used for the first time as reaction media to achieve more eco-friendly Paraoxon degradation. The results show that the degradation of Paraoxon in these Bmim[AA]s is accomplished with great efficiency and without an extra nucleophilic agent. Therefore, we propose that all the Bmim[AA]s used in this study have a dual role in the outcome of this reaction; as a nucleophile and a solvent to carry out degradation of the organophosphorous pesticide, Paraoxon. Both kinetics and product distribution results found in this study for Paraoxon degradation turned out to be promising, because this process is achieved in a reaction medium with a better environmental profile.

Novel ruthenium(II) cyclopentadienyl thiosemicarbazone compounds with antiproliferative activity on pathogenic trypanosomatid parasites.

Searching for new prospective antitrypanosomal agents, three novel Ru(II)-cyclopentadienyl compounds, [Ru(η(5)-C5H5)(PPh3)L], with HL=bioactive 5-nitrofuryl containing thiosemicarbazones were synthesized and characterized in the solid state and in solution. The compounds were evaluated in vitro on the blood circulating trypomastigote form of Trypanosoma cruzi (Dm28c strain), the infective form of Trypanosoma brucei brucei (strain 427) and on J774 murine macrophages and human-derived EA.hy926 endothelial cells. The compounds were active against both parasites with IC50 values in the micromolar or submicromolar range. Interestingly, they are much more active on T. cruzi than previously developed Ru(II) classical and organometallic compounds with the same bioactive ligands. The new compounds showed moderate to very good selectivity towards the parasites in respect to mammalian cells. The global results point at [RuCp(PPh3)L2] (L2=N-methyl derivative of 5-nitrofuryl containing thiosemicarbazone and Cp=cyclopentadienyl) as the most promising compound for further developments (IC50T. cruzi=0.41µM; IC50T. brucei brucei=3.5µM). Moreover, this compound shows excellent selectivity towards T. cruzi (SI>49) and good selectivity towards T. brucei brucei (SI>6). In order to get insight into the mechanism of antiparasitic action, the intracellular free radical production capacity of the new compounds was assessed by ESR. DMPO (5,5-dimethyl-1-pirroline-N-oxide) spin adducts related to the bioreduction of the complexes and to redox cycling processes were characterized. In addition, DNA competitive binding studies with ethidium bromide by fluorescence measurements showed that the compounds interact with this biomolecule.

Use of antidepressants during pregnancy and risk of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder in the offspring.

OBJECTIVE: Little is known about the impact of in utero exposure to antidepressants on children's long-term mental health. This study analyzed the impact of exposure to antidepressants during pregnancy on the risk of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in the offspring. METHODS: Claims-based data from 38,074 families were used to identify deliveries, parental mental health diagnoses, maternal exposure to antidepressants, and diagnosis or treatment for ADHD in the children. Multiple logistic regressions were performed using the presence of ADHD in the child by the age of 5 years as the dependent variable. RESULTS: A diagnosis of ADHD in the mother or the father was associated with higher rates of ADHD in the children (OR = 4.15, p <.001 and OR = 3.54, p <.001, respectively). A diagnosis of bipolar disorder (OR = 5.08, p <.001), psychotic disorders (OR = 4.05, p =.02), or depressive disorders (OR = 2.58, p <.001) in the mother, but not in the father, increased the risk of ADHD in their children. Exposure to bupropion during pregnancy (OR = 3.63, p =.02), especially during the second trimester (OR = 14.66, p <.001), was strongly associated with increased risk of ADHD, whereas exposure to selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors was not (OR = 0.91, p =.74). CONCLUSION: Children of mothers treated with bupropion during pregnancy have an increased risk of being diagnosed with ADHD; a possible causal effect needs to be further studied. Assessing the mental health of caregivers should be considered as part of the evaluation and treatment of children with ADHD.

Energy intake and energy expenditure among children with polymorphisms of the melanocortin-3 receptor.

BACKGROUND: Homozygosity for 2 protein-altering polymorphisms in the melanocortin-3 receptor gene (MC3R) coding sequence, C17A and G241A, has been reported to be associated with an obesity phenotype in children, yet how these polymorphisms affect energy homeostasis is unknown. Association between adult body weight and +2138InsCAGACC, another variant in the 3' untranslated region of MC3R, has also been described. OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study was to examine associations of C17A + G241A and +2138InsCAGACC MC3R variants with children's energy balance. DESIGN: Children aged 6-19 y were genotyped for MC3R C17A, G241A, and +2138InsCAGACC. Subjects underwent studies of energy intake from a 9835-kcal food array (n = 185), resting energy expenditure (REE) by using indirect calorimetry (n = 302), or total daily energy expenditure (TEE) by using doubly labeled water (n = 120). Linear regression was used to examine the associations between MC3R polymorphisms and the measures of energy balance. RESULTS: Body mass index and fat mass were greater in those with double homozygosity for C17A + G241A (P = 0.001). After accounting for covariates (including body composition), the number of minor C17A + G241A alleles was associated with significantly greater energy intake (beta = +0.15, P = 0.02) but not altered REE or TEE. No significant associations were observed between +2138InsCAGACC and measures of either fat mass or energy balance. CONCLUSIONS: C17A + G241A polymorphisms may be associated with pediatric obesity because of greater energy intake rather than because of diminished energy expenditure. +2138InsCAGACC does not appear to be associated with obesity or measures of energy balance in children.

Platinum(II) metal complexes as potential anti-Trypanosoma cruzi agents.

In the search for new therapeutic tools against Chagas' disease (American Trypanosomiasis) two series of new platinum(II) complexes with bioactive 5-nitrofuryl containing thiosemicarbazones as ligands were synthesized, characterized and in vitro evaluated. Most of the complexes showed IC50 values in the muM range against two different strains of Trypanosoma cruzi, causative agent of the disease, being as active as the anti-trypanosomal drug Nifurtimox. In particular, the coordination of L3 (4-ethyl-1-(5-nitrofurfurylidene)thiosemicarbazide) to Pt(II) forming [Pt(L3)2] lead to almost a five-fold activity increase in respect to the free ligand. Trying to get an insight into the trypanocidal mechanism of action of these compounds, DNA and redox metabolism (intra-parasite free radical production) were evaluated as potential parasite targets. Results suggest that the complexes could inhibit parasite growth through a dual mechanism of action involving production of toxic free radicals by bioreduction and DNA interaction.

Use of claims data to examine the impact of length of inpatient psychiatric stay on readmission rate.

OBJECTIVE: This study analyzed the impact of length of stay for inpatient treatment of psychiatric disorders on readmission rates. METHODS: Hospitalization data were obtained from the MarketScan data set collected by Medstat. The instrumental variable method, an econometric technique, was used to estimate the impact of length of stay on the rate of readmission for 5,735 persons who had at least one discharge with a primary diagnosis of a psychiatric disorder during 1997 and 1998. RESULTS: Decreasing length of stay below ten days led to an increase in the readmission rate during the 30 days after discharge. Decreasing the length of stay from seven to six days increased the expected readmission rate from.04 to.047 (17.5 percent), whereas decreasing length of stay from four to three days increased the readmission rate from.09 to.136 (51.1 percent). CONCLUSION: Decreasing length of stay for inpatient psychiatric treatment increased the readmission rate. The use of instrumental variables could help better estimate the value of mental health services when using observational data.

An outbreak of leptospirosis among Peruvian military recruits.

Acute undifferentiated febrile illnesses are common in tropical developing countries but are difficult to diagnose on clinical grounds alone. Leptospirosis is rarely diagnosed, despite evidence that sporadic cases and epidemics continue to occur worldwide. The purpose of this study was to diagnose an outbreak of acute undifferentiated febrile illness among Peruvian military recruits that developed after a training exercise in the high jungle rainforest of Peru. Of 193 military recruits, 78 developed an acute febrile illness with varied manifestations. Of these, 72 were found to have acute leptospirosis by a microscopic agglutination test (MAT). An enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay using Leptospira biflexa antigen was insensitive for the detection of anti-leptospiral IgM antibodies compared with the MAT (20 of 72, 28%). This outbreak of acute undifferentiated febrile illness among Peruvian military recruits was due to leptospirosis. High clinical suspicion, initiation of preventative measures, and performance of appropriate diagnostic testing is warranted in similar settings to identify, treat, and prevent leptospirosis.

Laparoscopía en cáncer: experiencia inicial. Departamento de Oncología, Hospital General San Felipe y Hospital Viera, Tegucigalpa / Laparascopy in cancer: initial experience. Oncology Department, San Felipe General Hospital and Hospital Viera, Tegucigalpa

Para demostrar la utilidad de la cirugía laparoscópica en el diagnóstico y tratamiento oncológico, se seleccionaron pacientes con sospecha o diagnóstico de cáncer, que requerían de una exploración, toma de biopsia o efectuar un procedimiento quirúrgico paliativo o curativo; se le propuso la alternativa de realizarlo en forma laparoscópica en el Hospital San Felipe y Hospital Viera, durante los meses de octubre a diciembre del año 2000. Se analizaron los siguientes aspectos: Tipo de procedimiento quirúrgico, tiempo operatorio, recuperación postoperatoria, estancia hospitalaria después de la cirugía y el intervalo de tiempo entre la cirugía y el inicio de radioterapia y/o quimioterapia. El total de pacientes fue de 11: uno por Toracoscopía (9.1 por ciento), y 10 por laparoscopía (90.9 por ciento). El tiempo operatorio osciló entre 30 y 270 minutos, con una media de 119 minutos por cirugía. El rango de edad fue entre 17 a 82 años, 5 hombres (45.4 por ciento) y 6 mujeres (54.5 por ciento). Es necesario un estudio prospectivo para demostrar las ventajas de la cirugía laparoscópica en cáncer. Sin embargo, hemos observado que acorta el tiempo de dignóstico, facilita el abordaje terapéutico, disminuye el intervalo de tiempo para iniciar tratamiento neoadyuvante o paliativo e incrementa la especificidad en estadificación del cáncer...

Purificación de anticuerpos policlonales a la enterotoxina estafilocóccica C por cromatografía de afinidad / Purification of policlonals antibodies a the staphylococcal C enterotoxins by affinity chromatography

Se describe un método para la purificación de anticuerpos policlonales, con el objetivo de utilizarlos en la detección de enterotoxinas estafilocóccicas en los alimentos. Se seleccionó la técnica de Cromatografía de Afinidad empleando como inmunoadsorbente la toxina C ligada a Sepharosa 4B activada con Bromuro de Cianógeno. El procedimiento permite la purificación en un paso, donde se obtuvo un alto rendimiento (97 por ciento de la IgG fijada), rapidez y eficiencia

Enterotoxigenicidad, actividad termonucleasa y fagotipia en cepas de staphylococcus aureus aislada / Enterotoxigenicity thermonuclease activity, and phago type staphylococus aureus strains isolated in food

Se estudiaron 51 cepas de Staphylococcus aureus involucradas en brotes de intoxicación alimentaria ocurridos en 13 provincias del país. La detección de las toxinas A y C se realizó por el método de Ouchterlony. Se utilizó la prueba la lachica para la determinación de la termonucleasa y el fagotipaje se empleó el método normalizado por el Ministerio de Salud Pública. La enterotoxina del serotipo A fue predominante con el 31,1

de positividad. El 96

de las cepas enterotoxigénicas fueron positivas a la prueba de producción de termonucleasa. Los grupos fagos indicaron la procedencia humana de las cepas

Enterotoxigenicidad, actividad termonucleasa y fagotipia en cepas de staphylococcus aureus aislada / Enterotoxigenicity thermonuclease activity, and phago type staphylococus aureus strains isolated in food

Se estudiaron 51 cepas de Staphylococcus aureus involucradas en brotes de intoxicación alimentaria ocurridos en 13 provincias del país. La detección de las toxinas A y C se realizó por el método de Ouchterlony. Se utilizó la prueba la lachica para la determinación de la termonucleasa y el fagotipaje se empleó el método normalizado por el Ministerio de Salud Pública. La enterotoxina del serotipo A fue predominante con el 31,1 %de positividad. El 96 %de las cepas enterotoxigénicas fueron positivas a la prueba de producción de termonucleasa. Los grupos fagos indicaron la procedencia humana de las cepas

Obtención de antisueros para las enterotoxinas estafilococcicas A y C2 / Attainment of antisera to staphylococcal enterotoxins A and C2

Se expone un método para obtener antisueros específicos de las enterotoxinas estafilocóccicas A y C2 ben conejos, empleando un esquema de inmunización de 8 semanas para cada serotipo toxigénico

Obtención de antisueros para las enterotoxinas estafilococcicas A y C2 / Attainment of antisera to staphylococcal enterotoxins A and C2

Se expone un método para obtener antisueros específicos de las enterotoxinas estafilocóccicas A y C2 ben conejos, empleando un esquema de inmunización de 8 semanas para cada serotipo toxigénico

Pediculosis capitis y pulicosis en jardines infantiles de Vallenar / Pediculosis capitatis and pulicosis in children-day-care guarderies of Vallenar, Chile

Se estudió la frecuencia de pediculosis capitis y de pulicosis en niños y personal de 6 J. Infantiles de Vallenar (agosto-septiembre 1985), y su relación con el nivel socioeconómico de las personas examinadas. El diagnóstico se hizo por exanmen físico en un total de 534 personas (485 niños y 49 adultos), de ambos sexos. Se encontró una frecuencia global de infestación por P humanus capitis del 16,9% y de 10,5% por pulicosis. De los casos infestados, la gran mayoría ocurrió en niños (97,8% de los con pediculosis capitis y todos los con puliculosis), principalmente entre los grupos de lactantes mayores y de preescolares. Entre los niños con pediculosis capitis, la distribución por sexo correspondió al 15.3% para el masculino y de 21,4% en el femenino. En cuanto al nivel socioeconómico de los infestados, ambas parasitosis se presentaron preferentemente en los 2 grupos más bajos, que acumularon el 85,2% de los casos de pediculosis capitis y el 89,2% de los de pulkiculosis

Enteroparasitosis en jardines infantiles de Vallenar / Enteroparasitosis in day care centers in Vallenar

Se realizó una investigación prospectiva entre los meses de agosto y septiembre de 1985, de cinco jardines infantiles de Vallenar. Este estudio comprendió la toma de muestras de deposiciones del personal y niños asistentes a aquellos. Fueron estudadas un total de 534 personas encontrándose un 40,2% de giardiasis en la población afectada; 10,3% de oxyuriasis y, en 5,1% la asociación de ambos. Todas las parasitosis encontradas tuvieron mayor incidencia en el grupo más deposeído socio-económicamente. Se discuten algunas normas para su control, sobre todo en los jardines infantiles