Ethylene Elimination Using Activated Carbons Obtained from Baru (Dipteryx alata vog.) Waste and Impregnated with Copper Oxide.

Ethylene is a plant hormone regulator that stimulates chlorophyll loss and promotes softening and aging, resulting in a deterioration and reduction in the post-harvest life of fruit. Commercial activated carbons have been used as ethylene scavengers during the storage and transportation of a great variety of agricultural commodities. In this work, the effect of the incorporation of copper oxide over activated carbons obtained from baru waste was assessed. Samples were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), N2 adsorption-desorption at -196 °C, field-emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM) coupled with energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS), and infrared (IR) spectroscopy. The results showed that the amount of ethylene removed using activated carbon obtained from baru waste and impregnated with copper oxide (1667 µg g-1) was significantly increased in comparison to the raw activated carbon (1111 µg g-1). In addition, carbon impregnated with copper oxide exhibited better adsorption performance at a low ethylene concentration. Activated carbons produced from baru waste are promising candidates to be used as adsorbents in the elimination of ethylene during the storage and transportation of agricultural commodities at a lower cost.

Anti-Inflammatory Effects of Flavonoids in Common Neurological Disorders Associated with Aging.

Aging reduces homeostasis and contributes to increasing the risk of brain diseases and death. Some of the principal characteristics are chronic and low-grade inflammation, a general increase in the secretion of proinflammatory cytokines, and inflammatory markers. Aging-related diseases include focal ischemic stroke and neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's disease (AD) and Parkinson's disease (PD). Flavonoids are the most common class of polyphenols and are abundantly found in plant-based foods and beverages. A small group of individual flavonoid molecules (e.g., quercetin, epigallocatechin-3-gallate, and myricetin) has been used to explore the anti-inflammatory effect in vitro studies and in animal models of focal ischemic stroke and AD and PD, and the results show that these molecules reduce the activated neuroglia and several proinflammatory cytokines, and also, inactivate inflammation and inflammasome-related transcription factors. However, the evidence from human studies has been limited. In this review article, we highlight the evidence that individual natural molecules can modulate neuroinflammation in diverse studies from in vitro to animal models to clinical studies of focal ischemic stroke and AD and PD, and we discuss future areas of research that can help researchers to develop new therapeutic agents.

Synthesis of BiOI/Mordenite Composites for Photocatalytic Treatment of Organic Pollutants Present in Agro-Industrial Wastewater.

Recently, bismuth oxyiodide (BiOI) is an attractive semiconductor to use in heterogeneous photocatalysis processes. Unfortunately, BiOI individually shows limited photocatalytic efficiency, instability, and a quick recombination of electron/holes. Considering the practical application of this semiconductor, some studies show that synthetic zeolites provide good support for this photocatalyst. This support material permits a better photocatalytic efficiency because it prevents the quick recombination of photogenerated pairs. However, the optimal conditions (time and temperature) to obtain composites (BiOI/ synthetic zeolite) with high photocatalytic efficiency using a coprecipitation-solvothermal growth method have not yet been reported. In this study, a response surface methodology (RSM) based on a central composite design (CCD) was applied to optimize the synthesis conditions of BiOI/mordenite composites. For this purpose, eleven BiOI/mordenite composites were synthesized using a combined coprecipitation-solvothermal method under different time and temperature conditions. The photocatalytic activities of the synthesized composites were evaluated after 20 min of photocatalytic oxidation of caffeic acid, a typical organic pollutant found in agro-industrial wastewater. Moreover, BiOI/mordenite composites with the highest and lowest photocatalytic activity were physically and chemically characterized using nitrogen adsorption isotherms, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), and diffuse reflectance spectroscopy (DRS). The optimal synthesis conditions prove to be 187 °C and 9 h. In addition, the changes applied to the experimental conditions led to surface property modifications that influenced the photocatalytic degradation efficiency of the BiOI/mordenite composite toward caffeic acid photodegradation.

Diet-Induced Metabolic Dysfunction of Hypothalamic Nutrient Sensing in Rodents.

A sedentary lifestyle and excessive nutrient intake resulting from the consumption of high-fat and calorie-rich diets are environmental factors contributing to the rapid growth of the current pandemic of type 2 diabetes mellitus (DM2). Fasting hyperglycemia, an established hallmark of DM2, is caused by excessive production of glucose by the liver, resulting in the inability of insulin to suppress endogenous glucose production. To prevent inappropriate elevations of circulating glucose resulting from changes in nutrient availability, mammals rely on complex mechanisms for continuously detecting these changes and to respond to them with metabolic adaptations designed to modulate glucose output. The mediobasal hypothalamus (MBH) is the key center where nutritional cues are detected and appropriate modulatory responses are integrated. However, certain environmental factors may have a negative impact on these adaptive responses. For example, consumption of a diet enriched in saturated fat in rodents resulted in the development of a metabolic defect that attenuated these nutrient sensing mechanisms, rendering the animals prone to developing hyperglycemia. Thus, high-fat feeding leads to a state of "metabolic disability" in which animals' glucoregulatory responses fail. We postulate that the chronic faltering of the hypothalamic glucoregulatory mechanisms contributes to the development of metabolic disease.

Development of an electrochemical enzyme-free glucose sensor based on self-assembled Pt-Pd bimetallic nanosuperlattices.

The huge demand for the clinical diagnosis of diabetes mellitus has prompted the development of great-performance sensing platforms for glucose detection. Non-enzymatic glucose sensors are getting closer to their use in realistic applications. In this work, polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP)-conjugated bimetallic Pt-Pd nanosuperlattices were synthesized precisely through a simple synthesis procedure, leading to controllable spherical morphologies with significantly fine and precise nanostructures in a size range of ∼3-5 nm by the reduction of Pt and Pd precursors in ethylene glycol, using an ultrasonic method. High-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM) measurements evidenced the formation of Pt-Pd bimetallic nanosuperlattices (BMNSLs). The superlattice-fringe patterns (111) of bimetallic Pt-Pd NSLs were identified in the HRTEM images, clearly showing their crystalline nature. The prepared material was used in the electrochemical oxidation of glucose using voltammetry analyses. The experimental evidence indicates that the Pt-Pd BMNSL modified glassy carbon electrode is effective for the selective amperometric detection of glucose in the presence of galactose, sucrose, fructose, lactose, and ascorbic acid. Moreover, its application in the detection of glucose in real serum and urine samples was assessed and good recoveries are achieved. The results show that a Pt-Pd bimetallic nanosuperlattice with high surface area, catalytic activity, and superior selectivity could be a promising material in the generation of novel electrodes for low-cost non-enzymatic glucose sensors.

The content of gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH), kisspeptin, and estrogen receptors (ERα/ERß) in the anteromedial hypothalamus displays daily variations throughout the rat estrous cycle.

The content of gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH), its mRNA, and estrogen receptor alpha (ERα) and beta (ERß) in the hypothalamus varies throughout the estrous cycle. Furthermore, the abundance of these molecules displays asymmetry between the right and left side. In the present study, we investigated the changes in the content of ERα, ERß, kisspeptin, and GnRH by western blot in the left and right anteromedial hypothalamus, at four different times during each stage of the rat estrous cycle. The serum levels of the follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) and luteinizing hormone (LH) were also measured. ERα and ERß levels changed depending on the stage of the estrous cycle, meanwhile that of kisspeptin was modified according to both the hour of the day and the stage of the cycle. Except in estrus day, ERß was higher in the right hypothalamus, while ERα was similar in both sides. During both proestrus and estrus, the content of kisspeptin and GnRH was higher in the right hypothalamus. The highest levels of FSH and LH occurred at 17:00 h of proestrus. But at estrus, the highest FSH levels were observed at 08:00 h and the lowest at 17:00 h. Thus, the current results show that the content of ERα, ERß, kisspeptin, and GnRH in the anteromedial hypothalamus are regulated as a function of the stage of the estrous cycle and the hour of the day. Furthermore, the content of these proteins is regularly higher in the right anteromedial hypothalamus, regardless of the stage of the cycle or time of the day.

Enhancement of ciprofloxacin degradation in aqueous system by heterogeneous catalytic ozonation.

Fluoroquinolones are extensively used in medicine due to their antimicrobial activity. Their presence in water inhibits microorganism activity in conventional wastewater treatment plants. This study aims to evaluate the technical feasibility of applying heterogeneous catalytic ozonation to eliminate ciprofloxacin (CIP) as a representative of fluoroquinolone antibiotics normally present in municipal wastewater discharges. Experiments were conducted in a semi-batch stirred slurry reactor, using 0.7 L of 100 mg L-1 CIP aqueous solution, at pH 3 and 30 °C. Experimental results show that single ozonation can easily oxidise CIP molecules (68%) within the first 5 min, leading to the generation of refractory oxidation by-products. However, when heterogeneous catalytic ozonation is applied using iron oxide supported on MFI synthetic zeolite, total degradation of CIP is observed at 5 min and a higher mineralisation rate is obtained. A novel sequential process is developed for CIP mineralisation. In a first step, a flash single ozonation is applied and CIP molecules are broken down. Then, a catalytic ozonation step is conducted by adding the Fe/MFI catalyst into the reactor. As a result of catalyst addition, 44% of Total Organic Carbon (TOC) is eliminated within the first 15 min, compared to single ozonation where only 13% of TOC removal is reached in the same time. The application of this sequential process to a real wastewater effluent spiked with CIP leads to 52% of TOC removal.

Chemoinformatic Analysis of Selected Cacalolides from Psacalium decompositum (A. Gray) H. Rob. & Brettell and Psacalium peltatum (Kunth) Cass. and Their Effects on FcεRI-Dependent Degranulation in Mast Cells.

Cacalolides are a kind of sesquiterpenoids natural compounds synthesized by Psacalium decompositum (A. Gray) H. Rob. & Brettell or Psacalium peltatum (Kunth) Cass. Antioxidant and hypoglycemic effects have been found for cacalolides such as cacalol, cacalone or maturine, however, their effects on inflammatory processes are still largely unclear. The main aim of this study was to investigate the biological activities of secondary metabolites from P. decompositum and P. peltatum through two approaches: (1) chemoinformatic and toxicoinformatic analysis based on ethnopharmacologic background; and (2) the evaluation of their potential anti-inflammatory/anti-allergic effects in bone marrow-derived mast cells by IgE/antigen complexes. The bioinformatics properties of the compounds: cacalol; cacalone; cacalol acetate and maturin acetate were evaluated through Osiris DataWarrior software and Molinspiration and PROTOX server. In vitro studies were performed to test the ability of these four compounds to inhibit antigen-dependent degranulation and intracellular calcium mobilization, as well as the production of reactive oxygen species in bone marrow-derived mast cells. Our findings showed that cacalol displayed better bioinformatics properties, also exhibited a potent inhibitory activity on IgE/antigen-dependent degranulation and significantly reduced the intracellular calcium mobilization on mast cells. These data suggested that cacalol could reduce the negative effects of the mast cell-dependent inflammatory process.

The Role of Neuroinflammation in Age-Related Dementias.

The most common dementias such as Alzheimer's disease, vascular dementia, Lewy body dementia, and frontotemporal dementia are associated with a decline in cognitive and social abilities. Although the molecular mechanisms of tissue damage in these dementias are not completely understood, these neurodegenerative illnesses share certain alterations such as neuroinflammation and gliosis. Increasing evidence suggests that microgliosis and astrogliosis play a key role in neuroinflammation observed in these dementias. Here we provide an overview of the participation of microglia and astrocytes in the neuroinflammatory response in common dementias.

Oxidative regeneration of toluene-saturated natural zeolite by gaseous ozone: the influence of zeolite chemical surface characteristics.

In this study, the effect of zeolite chemical surface characteristics on the oxidative regeneration of toluene saturated-zeolite samples is investigated. A Chilean natural zeolite (53% clinoptilolite, 40% mordenite and 7% quartz) was chemically modified by acid treatment with hydrochloric acid and by ion-exchange with ammonium sulphate. Thermal pre-treatments at 623 and 823K were applied and six zeolite samples with different chemical surface characteristics were generated. Chemical modification of natural zeolite followed by thermal out-gassing allows distinguishing the role of acidic surface sites on the regeneration of exhausted zeolites. An increase in Brønsted acid sites on zeolite surface is observed as a result of ammonium-exchange treatment followed by thermal treatment at 623K, thus increasing the adsorption capacity toward toluene. High ozone consumption could be associated to a high content of Lewis acid sites, since these could decompose ozone into atomic active oxygen species. Then, surface oxidation reactions could take part among adsorbed toluene at Brønsted acid sites and surface atomic oxygen species, reducing the amount of adsorbed toluene after the regenerative oxidation with ozone. Experimental results show that the presence of adsorbed oxidation by-products has a negative impact on the recovery of zeolite adsorption capacity.

Natural zeolite reactivity towards ozone: the role of compensating cations.

Among indoor pollutants, ozone is recognised to pose a threat to human health. Recently, low cost natural zeolites have been applied as alternative materials for ozone abatement. In this work, the effect of compensating cation content of natural zeolite on ozone removal is studied. A Chilean natural zeolite is used here as starting material. The amount of compensating cations in the zeolite framework was modified by ion exchange using an ammonium sulphate solution (0.1 mol L(-1)). Characterisation of natural and modified zeolites were performed by X-ray powder diffraction (XRD), nitrogen adsorption at 77K, elemental analysis, X-ray fluorescence (XRF), thermogravimetric analysis coupled with mass spectroscopy (TGA-MS), and temperature-programmed desorption of ammonia (NH(3)-TPD). Ozone adsorption and/or decomposition on natural and modified zeolites were studied by diffuse reflectance infrared Fourier transform spectroscopy (DRIFTS). Results show that the zeolite compensating cation content affects ozone interaction with zeolite active sites. Ammonium ion-exchange treatments followed by thermal out-gassing at 823 K, reduces ozone diffusion resistance inside the zeolite framework, increasing ozone abatement on zeolite surface active sites. Weak and strong Lewis acid sites of zeolite surface are identified here as the main active sites responsible of ozone removal.

Catalytic ozone aqueous decomposition promoted by natural zeolite and volcanic sand.

Chemical oxidation using ozone in the presence of appropriate catalysts offers an attractive option for removing poorly biodegradable pollutants. However, the effect of such catalysts on ozone aqueous decomposition is not well documented. This study compares experimental results on ozone aqueous decomposition promoted by zeolite and volcanic sand. These are two low costs natural materials identified as suitable catalysts for heterogeneous ozonation. The effects of pH (2-8) and free radical scavengers (acetic acid) on the dissolved ozone decay rate are evaluated at laboratory scale. Results show that the ozone decay rate increases in the presence of natural materials tested here. Under alkaline conditions, the effect of free radical scavengers on ozone self-decomposition is significantly reduced when such materials were present, particularly in the case of volcanic sand. Results suggest that ozone aqueous decomposition in the presence of zeolite and volcanic sand take place mainly on the natural material surface. The presence of metal oxides in zeolite and volcanic sand might catalyse ozone decomposition into more active radicals, thus enhancing the oxidation of organic pollutant.

Browning in Annona cherimola fruit: role of polyphenol oxidase and characterization of a coding sequence of the enzyme.

Cherimoya (Annona cherimola Mill.) fruit is an attractive candidate for food processing applications as fresh cut. However, along with its desirable delicate taste, cherimoya shows a marked susceptibility to browning. This condition is mainly attributed to polyphenol oxidase activity (PPO). A general lack of knowledge regarding PPO and its role in the oxidative loss of quality in processed cherimoya fruit requires a better understanding of the mechanisms involved. The work carried out included the cloning of a full-length cDNA, an analysis of its properties in the deduced amino sequence, and linkage of its mRNA levels with enzyme activity in mature and ripe fruits after wounding. The results showed one gene different at the nucleotide level when compared with previously reported genes, but a well-conserved protein, either in functional and in structural terms. Cherimoya PPO gene (Ac-ppo, GenBank DQ990911) showed to be present apparently in one copy of the genome, and its transcripts could be significantly detected in leaves and less abundantly in flowers and fruits. Analysis of wounded matured and ripened fruits revealed an inductive behavior for mRNA levels in the flesh of mature cherimoya after 16 h. Although the highest enzymatic activity was observed on rind, a consistent PPO activity was detected on flesh samples. A lack of correlation between PPO mRNA level and PPO activity was observed, especially in flesh tissue. This is probably due to the presence of monophenolic substrates inducing a lag period, enzyme inhibitors and/or diphenolic substrates causing suicide inactivation, and proenzyme or latent isoforms of PPO. To our knowledge this is the first report of a complete PPO sequence in cherimoya. Furthermore, the gene is highly divergent from known nucleotide sequences but shows a well conserved protein in terms of its function, deduced structure, and physiological role.

Heterogeneous and homogeneous catalytic ozonation of benzothiazole promoted by activated carbon: kinetic approach.

Ozone oxidation combined with activated carbon adsorption (O(3)/AC) has recently started to be developed as a single process for water and wastewater treatment. While a number of aspects of aqueous ozone decomposition are well understood, the importance and relationship between aqueous ozone decomposition and organic contaminant degradation in the presence of activated carbon is still not clear. This study focuses on determining the contribution of homogeneous and heterogeneous reactions to organic contaminants removal in O(3)/AC system. Benzothiazole (BT) was selected as a target organic pollutant due to its environmental concern. A reactor system based on a differential circular flow reactor composed by a 19 cm(3) activated carbon fixed bed column and 1 dm(3) storage tank was used. Ozone was produced from pure and dry oxygen using an Ozocav ozone generator rated at 5 g O(3)h(-1). Experimental results show that BT removal rate was proportional to activated carbon dosage. Activated carbon surface contribution to BT oxidation reactions with ozone, increased with pH in absence of radical scavengers. The radical reaction contribution within the pH range 2-11 accounted for 67-83% for BT removal in O(3)/AC simultaneous treatment. Results suggest that at pH higher than the pH of the point of zero charge of the activated carbon dissociated acid groups such as carboxylic acid anhydrides and carboxylic acids present on activated carbon surface could be responsible for the observed increase in the ozone decomposition reaction rate. A simplified mechanism and a kinetic scheme representing the contribution of homogeneous and heterogeneous reactions on BT ozonation in the presence of activated carbon is proposed.

Isolation and properties of a Kunitz-type protein inhibitor obtained from Pithecellobium dulce seeds.

We report for the first time the isolation and characterization of a protease inhibitor from the seeds of Pithecellobium dulce, which is a Leguminosae tree native to Mexico. The purification of the P. dulce trypsin inhibitor (PDTI) was a direct process. After its extraction (pH 8.0) and precipitation (80% (NH(4))(2)SO(4)), the pH was adjusted to 4.0, the supernatant was loaded onto a CM-Sepharose column, and a single peak of trypsin inhibitory activity was eluted (CM-TIA). The main component of CM-TIA was PDTI, a protein composed of two polypeptide chains joined by disulfide bridge(s), with a pI of 4.95 and a molecular weight determined by electrospray mass spectrometry of 19 614 Da. The N-terminal sequence of PDTI has the highest similarity with the seed inhibitor of Acacia confusa. PDTI lacks chymotrypsin inhibitory activity. A low rate of cytotoxicity of CM-TIA toward RINm5F cells contrasted with a high rate of the active fraction G75-TIA (gel filtration chromatography; LC(50) of 0.04 mg/mL).

Effects of clomipramine on neuronal nicotinic acetylcholine receptors.

The action of the tricyclic antidepressant clomipramine on membrane currents elicited by acetylcholine was studied in Xenopus oocytes expressing neuronal alpha2beta4 nicotinic acetylcholine receptors. Clomipramine inhibited the acetylcholine responses rapidly and reversibly, with a similar IC(50) when the oocytes were preincubated with clomipramine (1.3+/-0.2 microM) or when they were exposed simultaneously with acetylcholine and clomipramine (1.5+/-0.3 microM). The EC(50) was 39.9+/-2.1 microM for acetylcholine alone and 65.7+/-3.6 microM for acetylcholine in the presence of 2 microM clomipramine. The inhibitory effect of clomipramine was weakly voltage-dependent, with an electric distance of approximately 0.14. Moreover, clomipramine increased the rate of decay of currents elicited by acetylcholine. From all of these, we conclude that clomipramine reversibly and noncompetitively regulates neuronal alpha2beta4 nicotinic acetylcholine receptors by blocking the open receptor-channel complex at a site close to the extracellular vestibule of the channel. The actions of clomipramine on neuronal nicotinic acetylcholine receptors may play an important role in the treatment of mental depression and other mood disorders.

Resultados inmediatos de la angioplastía coronaria percutánea transluminal en el Hospital San José de Monterrey / Early results of transluminal angioplasty at the San José Hospital in Monterrey

Analizamos 69 angioplastías coronarias percutáneas transluminales (ACPT) consecutivas, realizadas a 64 pacientes de enero de 1990 a mayo de 1992. La edad fue de 55 ñ 12 años y 80 por ciento eran varones. Los antecedentes incluían tabaquismo (59 por ciento), hipertensión arterial (32 por ciento), infarto de miocardio antiguo (16 por ciento), diabetes (14 por ciento), ACPT previa (12 por ciento) y cirugía de revascularización miocárdica previa (6 por ciento). El colesterol total era de 238 ñ 75 mg/dl. La mayoría presentaban síndromes coronarios isquémicos agudos representados como angina inestable (n = 31) o como infarto del miocardio reciente (n = 23). Angiográficamente, 52 por ciento tenían estenosis coronaria ò 60 por ciento en 1 vaso, 39 por ciento en dos y 9 por ciento en los tres. La fracción de expulsión del VI era de 55 ñ 11 por ciento y la presión telediastólica del VI de 17 ñ 10 mm Hg y se documentaron anormalidades de la sinergia contráctil en 44 por ciento. Se dilataron 1.4 lesiones/pacientes (límites 1-4) para un total de 100 lesiones. Se redujo la estenosis luminal de 88.5 ñ 1.1 por ciento a 22.6 ñ 2.2 por ciento (p<0.0001). Se obtuvo éxito clínico total en un 85.6 por ciento y éxito clínico parcial en 4.3 por ciento. Se obtuvo una revascularización completa en 62.3 por ciento de los casos e incompleta "adecuada" en 26 por ciento. En 30 por ciento se dilataron lesiones múltiples y en 17 por ciento vasos múltiples. De las 100 lesiones dilatadas, 47 pertenecían al territorio de la descendente anterior (éxito angiográfico 91.5 por ciento), 24 a la circunfleja (éxito angiográfico 95.8 por ciento), 26 a la derecha (éxito antiográfico 88.4 por ciento) y 3 a otras. Hubo 10 por ciento de fracasos y 13 por ciento de complicaciones, de las cuales más de la mitad se resolvieron médicamente, pero hubo necesidad de cirugía de revascularización miocárdica de urgenciaen 4 casos (5.7 por ciento). Un paciente falleció