Search

We present the case of a 23-year-old man who was admitted to the emergency department due to thoracic trauma with a gunshot wound in the right fifth intercostal space with the anterior axillary line, with an outflow tract in the third intercostal space on the left parasternal line. The patient exhibited signs of cardiac tamponade and grade IV hemorrhagic shock. Bilateral tube thoracostomy was performed, yielding a substantial left hemothorax (1500 mL). As the patient presented deterioration of hemodynamic instability despite adequate resuscitation maneuvers, prompted immediate transportation to the operating room to perform a sternotomy. A posterior brachiocephalic trunk injury was identified, consisting of a laceration of 60% of total circumference, with an extension of over 2 cm. The distal portion of the injury was resected and reconstructed using a 6 mm polytetrafluoroethylene graft, with a proximal graft anastomosis employing a lateral anchor technique and a distal graft anastomosis using a parachute technique, secured with 4-0 polypropylene vascular sutures. The patient's postoperative recovery progressed favorably, he remained in the intensive care unit for 5 days and in general hospitalization for an additional 4 days. Further interventions were not required. A control CT angiography was performed 3 months postoperatively, demonstrating complete graft patency. Resumen: Presentamos el caso de un varón de 23 años que ingresó al servicio de urgencias por traumatismo torácico con herida de bala en el quinto espacio intercostal derecho con la línea axilar anterior, y un tracto de salida en el tercer espacio intercostal en la línea paraesternal izquierda. El paciente presentaba signos de taponamiento cardiaco y shock hemorrágico grado IV. Se realizó toracostomía con inserción de tubo de tórax bilateral, identificado un hemotórax izquierdo sustancial (1.500 mL). Como el paciente presentó deterioro de la inestabilidad hemodinámica a pesar de las adecuadas maniobras de reanimación, se motivó su traslado inmediato al quirófano para realizarle una esternotomía. Se identificó una lesión del tronco braquiocefálico posterior, consistente en una laceración del 60% de la circunferencia total, con una extensión superior a 2 cm. La porción distal de la lesión se resecó y reconstruyó mediante un injerto de politetrafluoroetileno de 6 mm, con una anastomosis del injerto proximal mediante técnica de anclaje lateral y una anastomosis del injerto distal mediante técnica de paracaídas, asegurada con suturas vasculares de polipropileno 4-0. La recuperación postoperatoria del paciente evolucionó favorablemente, permaneció cinco días en unidad de cuidado intensivo y en hospitalización general por cuatro días adicionales. No fueron necesarias más intervenciones. Se realizó una angiografía por TC de control a los tres meses del postoperatorio, demostrando permeabilidad completa del injerto.

Pleural extension of pseudomyxoma peritonei is rare, and treatment demands multidisciplinary care. Perioperative management during cytoreductive surgery and hyperthermic intrathoracic chemotherapy challenges anesthesiology and surgical teams in unique ways. Hemodynamic, arrhythmogenic, ventilatory, fluid balance, acid-base, and nephroprotection issues are important considerations. The use of cytoreductive surgery and hyperthermic intrathoracic chemotherapy for extraperitoneal pseudomyxoma peritonei is an innovative and potentially curative approach. Here, we describe our approach to managing these patients.

Contrast-induced encephalopathy is a neurological complication related to contrast used in endovascular procedures or computed tomography (CT). The main risk factors are arterial hypertension, diabetes mellitus, chronic kidney disease (CKD), hyperosmolar contrasts, the amount of infused contrast and its direct infusion in the posterior cerebral territory, or pathologies with blood-brain barrier damage. Symptomatology is non-specific and may present as altered level of consciousness, neurological focality or seizures. Diagnosis is done by exclusion after ischemic or hemorrhagic stroke has been ruled out; CT or MRI are useful for differentiation. Generally, it appears shortly after exposure and the symptoms lasts 48−72h with complete recovery, although cases with persistence of symptoms or longer duration have been described. Treatment consists of monitoring, supportive measures and kidney replacement therapy (KRT) with hemodialysis (HD) in patients in chronic KRT program. It is important for the nephrologist to be aware of this entity given the susceptibility of the patient on HD as well as its potential therapeutic role in these patients. Resumen: La encefalopatía por contraste es una complicación neurológica relacionada con el contraste utilizado en procedimientos endovasculares o tomografía computarizada (TC). Los principales factores de riesgo son la hipertensión arterial, la diabetes mellitus, la enfermedad renal crónica (ERC), contrastes hiperosmolares, cantidad de contraste infundida y su infusión directa en el territorio cerebral posterior, o patologías que cursen con daño de barrera hematoencefálica. La sintomatología es inespecífica y puede presentarse como alteración del nivel de conciencia, focalidad neurológica o crisis comiciales. El diagnóstico es de exclusión tras haber descartado los accidentes cerebro-vasculares isquémicos o hemorrágicos, el TC o la resonancia magnética son de utilidad para su diferenciación. Generalmente, aparece poco tiempo tras la exposición y la sintomatología dura 48−72h con recuperación completa, aunque se han descrito casos con persistencia de los síntomas o mayor duración. El tratamiento es la monitorización con medidas de soporte y la terapia de sustitución renal con hemodiálisis (HD) en aquellos pacientes en programa crónico. Es importante que el nefrólogo conozca esta entidad dada la susceptibilidad del paciente en HD así como su potencial papel terapéutico en estos pacientes.

Resumen: La encefalopatía por contraste es una complicación neurológica relacionada con el contraste utilizado en procedimientos endovasculares o tomografía computarizada (TC). Los principales factores de riesgo son la hipertensión arterial, la diabetes mellitus, la enfermedad renal crónica (ERC), contrastes hiperosmolares, cantidad de contraste infundida y su infusión directa en el territorio cerebral posterior, o patologías que cursen con daño de barrera hematoencefálica. La sintomatología es inespecífica y puede presentarse como alteración del nivel de conciencia, focalidad neurológica o crisis comiciales. El diagnóstico es de exclusión tras haber descartado los accidentes cerebrovasculares (ACV) isquémicos o hemorrágicos; el TC o la resonancia magnética (RM) son de utilidad para su diferenciación. Generalmente aparece poco tiempo tras la exposición y la sintomatología dura 48-72 h con recuperación completa, aunque se han descrito casos con persistencia de los síntomas o mayor duración. El tratamiento es la monitorización con medidas de soporte y la terapia de sustitución renal con hemodiálisis (HD) en aquellos pacientes en programa crónico. Es importante que el nefrólogo conozca esta entidad, dada la susceptibilidad del paciente en HD, así como su potencial papel terapéutico en estos pacientes. Abstract: Contrast-induced encephalopathy is a neurological complication related to contrast used in endovascular procedures or computed tomography (CT). The main risk factors are arterial hypertension, diabetes mellitus, chronic kidney disease (CKD), hyperosmolar contrasts, the amount of infused contrast and its direct infusion in the posterior cerebral territory, or pathologies with blood–brain barrier damage. Symptomatology is non-specific and may present as altered level of consciousness, neurological focality or seizures. Diagnosis is done by exclusion after ischemic or hemorrhagic stroke has been ruled out; CT or MRI are useful for differentiation. Generally, it appears shortly after exposure and the symptoms lasts 48–72 h with complete recovery, although cases with persistence of symptoms or longer duration have been described. Treatment consists of monitoring, supportive measures and renal replacement therapy (RRT) with hemodialysis (HD) in patients in chronic RRT program. It is important for the nephrologist to be aware of this entity given the susceptibility of the patient on HD as well as its potential therapeutic role in these patients.

Current surgical treatments for segmental bone loss do not reliably result in healing, typically necessitate multiple surgeries, and may result in amputation. Although we have demonstrated that polybutylene terephthalate (PBT) scaffolds can regenerate large critical size bone defects, the material is non-resorbable and may lead to problems including acting as a nidus for infection. New strategies have emerged that use resorbable polymers, ceramics, and composite materials to produce patient specific scaffolds that stimulate rapid bone formation without retention of foreign material. This work describes the production of a composite polymer ceramic material composed of polylactic acid (PLA) and tricalcium phosphate (TCP) that can be used with additive manufacturing techniques to rapidly produce scaffolds with custom geometries. The technique we describe can be used to produce composite materials with a ratio of up to 50-50 PLA-TCP that is suitable for fused deposition modeling and does not necessitate the use of solvents. In this study the properties of PBT, PLA, 75-25 PLA-TCP, and 50-50 PLA-TCP materials are compared. PLA and PLA-TCP materials had a higher compressive elastic modulus compared to PBT, while composite PLA-TCP materials had a higher tensile elastic modulus compared to PLA and PBT. Cell culture experiments demonstrated that all materials were non-toxic to cells. Optimal printing parameters are provided for using pure polymer and composite materials for fused deposition modeling. The results of this study demonstrate that resorbable polymer ceramic materials with a high ceramic composition can be produced for additive manufacturing without necessitating solvents.

Summary: The Myb proto-oncogene encodes the transcription factor c-MYB, which is critical for hematopoiesis. Distant enhancers of Myb form a hub of interactions with the Myb promoter. We identified a long non-coding RNA (Myrlin) originating from the −81-kb murine Myb enhancer. Myrlin and Myb are coordinately regulated during erythroid differentiation. Myrlin TSS deletion using CRISPR-Cas9 reduced Myrlin and Myb expression and LDB1 complex occupancy at the Myb enhancers, compromising enhancer contacts and reducing RNA Pol II occupancy in the locus. In contrast, CRISPRi silencing of Myrlin left LDB1 and the Myb enhancer hub unperturbed, although Myrlin and Myb expressions were downregulated, decoupling transcription and chromatin looping. Myrlin interacts with the KMT2A/MLL1 complex. Myrlin CRISPRi compromised KMT2A occupancy in the Myb locus, decreasing CDK9 and RNA Pol II binding and resulting in Pol II pausing in the Myb first exon/intron. Thus, Myrlin directly participates in activating Myb transcription by recruiting KMT2A.

C3 glomerulopathy is a rare disease caused by fluid phase dysregulation of the alternative complement pathway. Currently, treatment depends on clinical and histological severity and includes nephroprotection, unspecific immunosuppression, and terminal complement blockers (C5), without having an etiological treatment approved. C3 glomerulopathy has high recurrence rates after kidney transplantation with a high risk of graft loss. Fortunately, new molecules are being developed that specifically target the proximal alternative complement pathway, such as iptacopan, a factor B inhibitor that showed promising results in native kidneys and cases of transplant recurrence in a phase 2 clinical trial. We present 2 “real-world” cases of C3 glomerulopathy recurrence in kidney allografts treated with iptacopan, with initial excellent clinical response and safety profile, especially with early introduction. We also present follow-up biopsies that showed no C3 deposition during factor B inhibition. Our cases suggest that proximal blockade of the alternative complement pathway can be effective and safe in the treatment of C3 glomerulopathy recurrence in kidney transplantation, bringing other questions such as dual blockade (eg, in C3 and C5), the optimal patient profile to benefit from factor B inhibition or treatment duration and its potential use in other forms of membranoproliferative glomerulonephritis (eg, immune complex-mediated).

Hepatic artery pseudoaneurysms (HAPs) are rare but life-threatening complications associated with hepatic artery infusion pump (HAIP) therapy for unresectable liver metastases. Traditional management options include open surgery or stent placement, but these approaches have drawbacks. We present a unique case of a dislodged stent embedded in a HAP, resulting in delayed type-I endoleak. To address this, we employed a novel technique using multiple overlapping tapered stents to reconstruct the hepatic artery. This approach successfully excluded the pseudoaneurysm without endoleak. Stent-graft placement emerges as a safer and more effective option for managing HAP, preserving hepatic arterial flow, and reducing morbidity compared to other methods. However, further research is needed to evaluate this technique's long-term outcomes and potential complications.

This work focused on the study the lime cycle for samples obtained from agro-waste of chicken eggshells, mainly composed of calcite (CaCO3), in the context of circular economy concept and for nanotechnological applications. The thermal analysis (TGA/DSC) analyzed the transformation temperatures of the individual phases. Based on these results, the eggshells were calcined at 850 °C to ensure the complete conversion of calcite into lime (CaO). The lime was then hydrated with distilled water to convert it into portlandite (Ca(OH)2). The samples belonging to this cycle were structurally characterized using X-ray diffraction, and the vibrational states were identified using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. Scanning Electron Microscopy was used to study the changes in morphology and crystallite size. This showed that all compounds along the cycle are microparticles consisting of nanocrystals, which correlated with the Dynamic Light Scattering results. The Zeta potential was used to determine the surface charge of the samples and shown a variety of results due to the different transformations during the cycle and the mineral content of the eggshells as shown by the results of the ICP technique.

Production planning is a key element for success in building project management. Last Planner System (LPS) has emerged as an alternative proactive management method through the commitment of the different stakeholders involved in the project; however, further research is required to determine the factors that can affect the success of LPS implementation. This research aims to analyze how the implementation of LPS and the construction management experience of the project manager and the construction site foreman individually influence project management's success, getting minimum time and cost deviations. In this work, newly built single-family house projects were analyzed. Quantitative and qualitative analyses, based on the Mann–Whitney U test and qualitative comparative analysis method, respectively, were performed to constrain both the individual and combined effects of LPS, the project foreman, and the project manager in terms of cost and time deviation as measures of project management success. The results highlight that LPS implementation is significant in terms of time deviation and combined LPS implementation and the foreman's experience in construction management are sufficient to maintain time deviations below 10%. However, among the studied variables, only the foreman’s experience is a required condition to maintain cost deviations under 10%. Overall, this study may help construction organizations to improve their managerial practices at construction sites.

The most widely used approach in the immunotherapy treatment of cancer is the administration of monoclonal antibodies directed against regulatory molecules of immune control that inhibit the activation of T cells, the so-called check point inhibitors (ICI). ICI nephrotoxicity epidemiology and pathology; its diagnosis with or without kidney biopsy; the type and duration of treatment; the possibility of rechallenging after kidney damage; and its indication in patients with cancer and renal transplantation are certainly controversial. In the absence of definitive studies, this document is intended to specify some recommendations agreed by the group of Onconephrology experts of the Spanish Society of Nephrology in those areas related to ICI nephrotoxicity, in order to help decision-making in daily clinical practice in Onconephrology consultations. Resumen: El enfoque más utilizado en el tratamiento inmunoterápico del cáncer es la administración de anticuerpos monoclonales dirigidos contra moléculas reguladoras del control inmunitario que inhiben la activación de las células T, los llamados inhibidores del Check-Point (ICP). La epidemiología y patología de la nefrotoxicidad por los ICP; su diagnóstico con o sin biopsia renal; el tipo y la duración del tratamiento; la posibilidad de retratar después del daño renal; y su indicación en pacientes con cáncer y trasplante renal son ciertamente controvertidas. En ausencia de estudios definitivos, este documento está destinado a concretar unas recomendaciones consensuadas por el grupo de expertos de Onconefrología de la S.E.N en aquellas áreas relacionadas con la nefrotoxicidad por los ICP, con la finalidad de ayudar en la toma de decisiones en la práctica clínica diaria de las consultas de Onconefrología.

Resumen: El enfoque más utilizado en el tratamiento inmunoterápico del cáncer es la administración de anticuerpos monoclonales dirigidos contra moléculas reguladoras del control inmunitario que inhiben la activación de las células T, los llamados inhibidores del check-point (ICP). La epidemiología y patología de la nefrotoxicidad por los ICP, su diagnóstico con o sin biopsia renal, el tipo y la duración del tratamiento, la posibilidad de retratar después del daño renal, y su indicación en pacientes con cáncer y trasplante renal son ciertamente controvertidas. En ausencia de estudios definitivos, este documento está destinado a concretar unas recomendaciones consensuadas por el grupo de expertos de Onconefrología de la SEN en aquellas áreas relacionadas con la nefrotoxicidad por los ICP, con la finalidad de ayudar en la toma de decisiones en la práctica clínica diaria de las consultas de Onconefrología. Abstract: The most widely used approach in the immunotherapy treatment of cancer is the administration of monoclonal antibodies directed against regulatory molecules of immune control that inhibit the activation of T cells, the so-called check point inhibitors (ICI). ICI nephrotoxicity epidemiology and pathology; its diagnosis with or without kidney biopsy; the type and duration of treatment; the possibility of rechallenging after kidney damage; and its indication in patients with cancer and renal transplantation are certainly controversial. In the absence of definitive studies, this document is intended to specify some recommendations agreed by the group of onconephrology experts of the Spanish Society of Nephrology in those areas related to ICI nephrotoxicity, in order to help decision-making in daily clinical practice in onconephrology consultations.

Copper oxide (CuO) is an abundant and low-cost material, which is active as a photocatalyst under visible light due to its narrow band gap (1.3 eV). In the present work, CuO thin films at different Ni doping amounts (5, 10, and 30 % mol) were prepared using two different techniques: dip-coating and electrodeposition of Cu precursors over glass and PET substrates. X-Ray analysis results indicate the presence of Cu2O, CuO and Cuo phases in PET substrate films, while only CuO phase in Glass-substrate films. Glass substrate films presented a higher formic acid production performance reaching 50,000 μmol/g·h using 5% Ni doping on CuO. This higher activity was associated with a lower ratio between the adsorbed oxygen and the oxygen located in the crystal lattice, attributing this to the oxygen species adsorbed over the surface that could hinder the active sites of the material. Finally, PET substrate samples present a higher ratio between adsorbed oxygen and lattice oxygen, however, the Cu2O phase presents less affinity to adsorb CO2 molecules than CuO monoclinic phase reducing the photoactivity of the CO2 photoreduction. Majority charge carrier mobility of 4 cm2/Vs and 35 cm2/Vs for Cu2O and CuO respectively, with the charge carrier concentration of ∼1 × 1019 order was achieved switching the conducting type.

Background: Dual therapy (DT) has shown comparable results to triple therapy (TT) in efficacy and other immunological aspects. However, there are still some concerns about DT, including several immunological features. Therefore, we evaluated whether HIV-1-specific memory T-cell responses and exhaustion phenotypes are adversely influenced after simplification to DT. Methods: HIV-1-specific CD4+ and CD8+ T-cell responses were assessed by intracellular cytokine and degranulation marker staining, and polyfunctionality indexes after stimulation with a Gag peptide pool. Exhaustion phenotypes were evaluated by PD-1, TIM-3, and LAG-3 expression in CD4+ and CD8+ T cells. Results: Forty participants in the TRIDUAL trial (ClinicalTrials.gov: NCT03447873) who were randomized to continue integrase inhibitor-based TT (n = 20) or to switch to DT (dolutegravir or darunavir/cobicistat plus lamivudine) (n = 20). After 96 weeks, the magnitude of CD4+ and CD8+ T-cell responses was similar in both treatment arms (p = 0.221 and p = 0.602, respectively). The CD4+ polyfunctionality index decreased in the TT arm (p = 0.013) and remained stable in the DT arm, while the polyfunctionality of CD8+ T cells was unchanged in both arms. There was a significant decrease in the expression of PD-1, TIM-3, and the co-expression of PD-1+TIM-3+LAG-3+, and PD-1 +TIM-3 + in both CD4+ and CD8+ T cells. However, the decrease in the expression of exhaustion markers did not improve HIV-1-specific T-cell responses. Conclusions: Our results suggest that simplification to DT does not negatively influence the HIV-1-specific T-cell response or the exhaustion phenotype after 96 weeks of follow-up.

The photoelectrocatalytic reduction of CO2 (CO2RR) onto bismuth oxyhalides (BiOX, X = Cl, Br, I) was studied through physicochemical and photoelectrochemical measurements. The successful synthesis of the BiOX compounds was carried out through a solvothermal methodology and confirmed by XRD measurements. The morphology was analyzed by SEM; meanwhile, area and pore size were determined through BET area measurements. BiOI and BiOCl present a lower particle size (3.15 and 2.71 μm, respectively); however, the sponge-like morphology presented by BiOI results in an increase in the BET area, which can enhance the catalytic activity of this semiconductor. In addition, DRS measurements allowed us to determine bandgap values of 1.9, 2.4, and 3.6 eV for BiOI, BiOBr, and BiOCl, respectively. Such results predict better visible light harvesting for BiOI. Photoelectrochemical measurements indicated that BiOX shows p-type semiconductor behavior, being the holes the majority charge carriers, making BiOI the most active material to carry out photoelectrocatalytic CO2RR. In the second stage, three different composites, BiOI–Pd, BiOI–Cu, and BiOI–PdCu, (BiOI-M; M = Pd, Cu, PdCu), were fabricated to study the influence of active metal nanoparticles (NP's) in the BiOI CO2RR activity. XRD measurements confirmed the interaction between BiOI and the metallic NP's, the three composites overpassed by 20% the BET area of pristine BiOI. Photoelectrochemical measurements indicate that all BiOI-metal composites are suitable materials to perform CO2 reduction in neutral media efficiently; however, the BiOI–PdCu composites surpassed the faradaic current of BiOI–Pd and BiOI–Cu at 0.85 V vs. RHE (3.15, 2.06 and 2.15 mA cm−2, respectively). BiOI–PdCu presented photoactivity to carry out the CO2 reduction evolving formic acid and acetic acid as the main products under visible-light irradiation.

A significant number of patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (between 20% and 60% according to different reported series) develop lupus nephritis in the course of its evolution, which directly influences their quality of life and vital prognosis. In recent years, the greater knowledge about the pathogenesis of systemic lupus and lupus nephritis has allowed relevant advances in the diagnostic approach and treatment of these patients, achieving the development of drugs specifically aimed at blocking key pathogenic pathways of the disease. Encouragingly, these immunomodulatory agents have shown in well-powered, randomized clinical trials good clinical efficacy in the medium-term, defined as proteinuria remission and preservation of kidney function, with an acceptable safety profile and good patient tolerability. All this has made it possible to reduce the use of corticosteroids and other potentially more toxic therapies, as well as to increase the use of combined therapies. The present consensus document carried out by the Glomerular Diseases Working Group of the Spanish Society of Nephrology (GLOSEN), collects in a practical and summarized, but rigorous way, the best currently available evidence about the diagnosis, treatment, and follow-up of lupus nephritis patients, including cases of special situations, with the main objective of providing updated information and well-founded clinical recommendations to treating physicians, to improve the diagnostic and therapeutic approach to our patients. Resumen: Un número importante de pacientes con lupus eritematoso sistémico (entre un 20% a 60%, según diferentes series), desarrolla nefritis lúpica en el curso de su evolución, lo que influye directamente en su calidad de vida y pronóstico vital. En años recientes, el mayor conocimiento sobre la patogénesis del lupus sistémico y de la nefritis lúpica, ha permitido avances relevantes en el abordaje diagnóstico y en el tratamiento de estos pacientes, lográndose desarrollar fármacos dirigidos específicamente a bloquear vías patogénicas claves de la enfermedad. Alentadoramente, estos agentes inmunomoduladores han demostrado en ensayos clínicos aleatorizados y bien ponderados, buena eficacia clínica a mediano plazo, definida como remisión de proteinuria y preservación de la función renal, con un aceptable perfil de seguridad y buena tolerabilidad del paciente. Todo esto ha permitido reducir el uso de corticoides y de otras terapias potencialmente más tóxicas, así como incrementar el uso de terapias combinadas. El presento documento de consenso realizado por el Grupo de Trabajo de Enfermedades Glomerulares de la Sociedad Española de Nefrología (GLOSEN), recoge de manera práctica y resumida, pero rigurosa, la mejor evidencia actual disponible acerca del diagnóstico, tratamiento y seguimiento del paciente con nefritis lúpica, incluyendo casos de situaciones especiales, con el objetivo principal de brindar información actualizada y recomendaciones clínicas bien fundamentadas a los médicos tratantes, para mejorar el enfoque diagnóstico y terapéutico a nuestro pacientes.

Resumen: El Gerbode es un defecto septal infrecuente que origina un cortocircuito entre el ventrículo izquierdo y la aurícula derecha. Presentamos el caso de un paciente de 68 años con insuficiencia aórtica moderada en seguimiento y antecedentes de neurocirugía reciente para resección de malformación arteriovenosa cerebral, con epilepsia de difícil control posterior. Ingresó en nuestro centro por fiebre secundaria a tromboflebitis y hemocultivos positivos a Staphylococcus aureus resistente a meticilina. En el ecocardiograma transesofágico no se observaron signos de endocarditis y se instauró tratamiento antibiótico dirigido. Seis días después presentó parada cardiorrespiratoria en el contexto de bloqueo auriculoventricular completo y bajo gasto cardiaco. Ingresó en la UCI, donde se implantó un marcapasos transitorio, sufriendo una crisis tónico-clónica que obligó a intubación. Un nuevo ecocardiograma demostró insuficiencia aórtica masiva y engrosamiento de la continuidad mitroaórtica, decidiéndose reemplazo valvular aórtico emergente. El paciente tuvo una buena evolución posquirúrgica inicial hasta que a la semana se detectó en eco de control una masa en la aurícula derecha asociada a comunicación tipo Gerbode. Se decidió manejo conservador pero a los 15 días del diagnóstico, coincidiendo con un claro empeoramiento clínico, se objetivó importante aumento del shunt, indicándose corrección quirúrgica urgente mediante cierre del orificio de salida en la aurícula derecha. El eco de control poscirugía mostró una prótesis aórtica normofuncionante, ausencia de shunt residual y válvula tricúspide competente. La evolución posterior discurrió sin incidencias y el paciente fue dado de alta al finalizar el tratamiento antibiótico. Abstract: Gerbode is a rare septal defect that causes a shunt between the left ventricle and the right atrium. We present the case of a 68-year-old patient with moderate aortic regurgitation under follow-up and a history of recent neurosurgery for resection of a cerebral arteriovenous malformation, with residual epilepsy difficult to control. He was admitted to our center due to fever secondary to thrombophlebitis and positive blood cultures for methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus. Transesophageal echocardiogram showed no signs of endocarditis and targeted antibiotic treatment was started. 6 days later, he presented cardiorespiratory arrest in the context of complete atrioventricular block and low cardiac output. He was admitted to the ICU, where a temporary pacemaker was implanted, suffering a tonic-clonic seizure that required intubation. A new echocardiogram showed massive aortic insufficiency and thickening of the mitro-aortic continuity, so emergent aortic valve replacement was indicated. The patient had a good initial post-surgical evolution but, a week later, a mass in the right atrium associated with a Gerbode-type communication was detected in a control echo. Conservative management was decided, but 15 days after the diagnosis of the shunt, coinciding with a clear clinical worsening, a significant increase in the shunt was observed, and he underwent urgent surgical correction by closing the outlet orifice in the right atrium. Post-surgery control echo showed normally functioning aortic prosthesis, absence of residual shunt and competent tricuspid valve. Postoperative recovery was uneventful and patient was discharge after finishing antibiotic treatment.

Resumen: Un número importante de pacientes con lupus eritematoso sistémico (entre 20 a 60%, según diferentes series) desarrolla nefritis lúpica en el curso de su evolución, lo que influye directamente en su calidad de vida y pronóstico vital. En años recientes, el mayor conocimiento sobre la patogénesis del lupus sistémico y de la nefritis lúpica ha permitido avances relevantes en el abordaje diagnóstico y en el tratamiento de estos pacientes, lográndose desarrollar fármacos dirigidos específicamente a bloquear vías patogénicas claves de la enfermedad. Alentadoramente estos agentes inmunomoduladores han demostrado en ensayos clínicos aleatorizados, y bien ponderados, buena eficacia clínica a mediano plazo, definida como remisión de proteinuria y preservación de la función renal, con un aceptable perfil de seguridad y buena tolerabilidad del paciente. Todo esto ha permitido reducir el uso de corticoides y de otras terapias potencialmente más tóxicas, así como incrementar el uso de terapias combinadas. El presento documento de consenso realizado por el Grupo de Trabajo de Enfermedades Glomerulares de la Sociedad Española de Nefrología (GLOSEN) recoge de manera práctica y resumida, pero rigurosa, la mejor evidencia actual disponible acerca del diagnóstico, tratamiento y seguimiento del paciente con nefritis lúpica, incluyendo casos de situaciones especiales, con el objetivo principal de brindar información actualizada y recomendaciones clínicas bien fundamentadas a los médicos tratantes, para mejorar el enfoque diagnóstico y terapéutico a nuestro pacientes. Summary: A significant number of patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (between 20% to 60% according to different reported series) develop lupus nephritis in the course of its evolution, which directly influences their quality of life and vital prognosis. In recent years, the greater knowledge about the pathogenesis of systemic lupus and lupus nephritis has allowed relevant advances in the diagnostic approach and treatment of these patients, achieving the development of drugs specifically aimed at blocking key pathogenic pathways of the disease. Encouragingly, these immunomodulatory agents have shown in well-powered, randomized clinical trials good clinical efficacy in the medium-term, defined as proteinuria remission and preservation of kidney function, with an acceptable safety profile and good patient tolerability. All this has made it possible to reduce the use of corticosteroids and other potentially more toxic therapies, as well as to increase the use of combined therapies. The present consensus document carried out by the Glomerular Diseases Working Group of the Spanish Society of Nephrology (GLOSEN), collects in a practical and summarized, but rigorous way, the best currently available evidence about the diagnosis, treatment, and follow-up of lupus nephritis patients, including cases of special situations, with the main objective of providing updated information and well-founded clinical recommendations to treating physicians, to improve the diagnostic and therapeutic approach to our patients.

A 59-year-old male presented with a primary synovial sarcoma around his knee. Two months after resection, he presented with a new, rapidly-growing mass in the ipsilateral proximal thigh. A biopsy of the new mass demonstrated a pleomorphic liposarcoma, distinct from the prior synovial sarcoma. He underwent neoadjuvant radiation, followed by wide resection. He is now undergoing surveillance for recurrence. While 2 distinct primary sarcomas developing in rapid succession is rare, this case emphasizes the need for a complete work-up, including obtaining a tissue diagnosis for suspected recurrent lesions as this may alter treatment and follow-up recommendations.

This article deals with the extraction, recovery, and characterization of nano bio-hydroxyapatite particles (nBio-HAp) from pig bones obtained by hydrothermal alkaline treatment in combination with an ultrasonic wet milling process. Pig bone powder was defatted and deproteinized with an 1 N potassium hydroxide (KOH) aqueous solution for 24 h with stirring at 90 °C, followed by ultrasonic treatment pulsed at 100 W (Pulse-cycle: 70%) for 10, 20, 30, and 60 min. Fourier Transform Infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR) showed that the alkaline treatment removed the organic compounds from the mineral matrix. Dynamic Light Scattering (DLS) and Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) showed that the particle size decreased with increasing duration of ultrasound, indicating the mechanism of erosion and fragmentation of micro agglomerates into nanoparticles. The X-ray patterns showed that none of the methods used to clean and extract the nanoparticles (ultrasound) damaged the Bio-HAp nanocrystals. Full Width at Half Maximum (FWHM) and crystallite size proved that they have a size between 22 and 27 nm, which was confirmed by Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM) in the form of platelets and bacilli. Inductively coupled plasma (ICP) showed the presence of Mg, Na, K, and Zn as minority ions and that the isolation processes of Bio-HAp nanoparticles do not affect their trace element concentrations.

Apparent optical properties, absorptance and emittance, in particle curtains are analyzed by means of a discrete Monte Carlo Ray-Tracing model. The effect of solid volume fraction, particle diameter and curtain thickness on these properties is investigated for two types of particles with different absorptivity and emissivity: sand and CARBO HSP. Absorptance and emittance achieved by curtains made of these particles are greater than the values of absorptivity and emissivity of material. The increase in curtain absorptance/emittance compared to the particle absorptivity/emissivity is higher as the particle property is poorer, such as in sand. Both absorptance and emittance are maximum for opaque curtains, which entails high thicknesses. Assuming opaque curtains, the absorptance and emittance increase as the solid volume fraction decreases. The results obtained with the Monte Carlo Ray-Tracing model are used to estimate particle curtain radiative losses including emission and reflection losses. If material properties absorptivity and emissivity are used instead of the obtained curtain properties absorptance and emittance, sand curtain losses are up to 35 pp and only 9 pp in the case of CARBO HSP. Absorptivity is more important than emissivity, that is, it is preferable having high absorptivity than low emissivity to achieve low radiative losses. Emission losses are less important than reflected losses being very similar in both types of curtains. Sand curtains lose 33% of the incoming power while CARBO curtains lose only 7%. Radiative losses are significantly higher than advection losses in sand curtains. However, in CARBO curtains, advection losses are higher.

The traditional design approach faces difficulties in adequately responding to the value expected by customers. This research explores the generation and loss of value in the traditional housing design to understand how it responds to customer needs based on different conditions of satisfaction and identify the most common value losses. The novel Value Analysis Model (VAM) is applied in three traditional housing design projects as case studies to explore the desired, potential, and generated value for four typical customers: owners, designers, builders, and end-users. The main results quantitatively show that the traditional housing design process does not meet the value expected by customers; the builders and the designers obtain less value in the process, and the product, respectively; and both the end-user and the owner are the customers who receive more value. This paper incorporates the value losses associated with differences in the criteria of the various project stakeholders (default) and losses resulting from poor project performance. According to the findings, the most widespread value losses are associated with the project performance itself rather than differences in customers' perceptions. The main practical contribution is that the value benefits become explicit (measurable and traceable) through VAM. These explicit value metrics can be included alongside traditional project performance measures to provide a customer-centric perspective. For teams attempting to design efficiently, having a tool to assess and measure value generation during creating is important because value losses can be detected early.

Background: Acute respiratory illness (ARI) remains the leading cause of global morbidity. Its primary etiology is viral; nevertheless, viral pathogen identification is limited. Clinical information about Latin America's viral etiology, outcomes, and severity is unknown. This study aims to identify the clinical burden of respiratory viral infections, severity, and adult outcomes. Methods: This multicentric, population-based study was conducted through the Health Institute of Bogotá, Colombia, including adult patients diagnosed with ARI between 2013 and 2019. Data collection followed ARI public health surveillance program. Incidence, etiological pathogens, and mortality were calculated. Results: A total of 2304 patients were included in the study. ARI was most frequently reported in 2018 (23.3% [538/2304]). Incidence varies between years, maintaining a range between 3.5 and 8.4. The most frequent clinical diagnosis was pneumonia in 59.1%. Etiological viral detection was obtained in 21.5% of patients [495/2304], principally by Influenza A. Mortality was 21.8%, and ICU admission was 7.3%. The type of event did not predict the causative pathogen, disease severity, or mortality. Conclusions: ARI is a leading cause of morbidity and mortality in Colombia. ARI incidence varies per year and is caused mainly by Influenza A. The classification used in the surveillance program does not correlate with viral etiology, disease severity, and mortality.

Nephrotic syndrome in patients with cancer may be related to the primary malignancy or chemotherapeutic therapy. Solid organ cancers may cause membranous glomerulonephritis which is manifested by nephrotic syndrome; other less common histologic presentations include focal and segmental glomerulosclerosis and minimal change disease. In addition, chemotherapy agents may cause renal toxicity by affecting the small blood vessels, glomeruli, tubules, and interstitium. Tyrosine kinase inhibitors such as sunitinib may cause endothelial and podocyte damage leading to thrombotic microangiopathy affecting only the kidney and manifested by proteinuria and hypertension. We report a case of an elderly man with gastrointestinal stromal tumor (GIST) on treatment with sunitinib who had as a complication a thrombotic microangiopathy manifested with nephrotic syndrome and a hypertension of difficult control, which was finally controlled by stopping this drug but had a fatal outcome due to its malignancy. Resumen: El síndrome nefrótico en los pacientes con cáncer se puede asociar a su enfermedad de base o al tratamiento quimioterapéutico. El cáncer de órganos sólidos puede producir una glomerulonefritis membranosa que se manifiesta con síndrome nefrótico; otras presentaciones histológicas menos frecuentes son la glomeruloesclerosis focal y segmentaria y la enfermedad de cambios mínimos. Adicionalmente, los tratamientos quimioterapéuticos pueden causar toxicidad renal por afección de los pequeños vasos sanguíneos, los glomérulos, los túbulos y el intersticio. Los inhibidores de la tirosin quinasa como el sunitinib pueden causar daño endotelial y podocitario, produciendo una microangiopatía trombótica limitada a los riñones, que se manifiesta con proteinuria e hipertensión. Se presenta el caso de un hombre anciano con tumor de GIST que fue tratado con sunitinib y como complicación presentó una microangiopatía trombótica manifestada con síndrome nefrótico e hipertensión de difícil control, que se controló al suspender este medicamento pero con desenlace fatal por su neoplasia maligna.

Resumen: El síndrome nefrótico en los pacientes con cáncer se puede asociar a su enfermedad de base o al tratamiento quimioterapéutico. El cáncer de órganos sólidos puede producir una glomerulonefritis membranosa que se manifiesta con síndrome nefrótico; otras presentaciones histológicas menos frecuentes son la glomeruloesclerosis focal y segmentaria y la enfermedad de cambios mínimos. Adicionalmente, los tratamientos quimioterapéuticos pueden causar toxicidad renal por afección de los pequeños vasos sanguíneos, los glomérulos, los túbulos y el intersticio. Los inhibidores de la tirosina quinasa como el sunitinib pueden causar daño endotelial y podocitario, produciendo una microangiopatía trombótica limitada a los riñones, que se manifiesta con proteinuria e hipertensión. Se presenta el caso de un hombre anciano con tumor del estroma gastrointestinal (GIST, por sus siglas en inglés) que fue tratado con sunitinib y como complicación presentó una microangiopatía trombótica manifestada con síndrome nefrótico e hipertensión de difícil control, que se controló al suspender este medicamento pero con desenlace fatal por su neoplasia maligna. Abstract: Nephrotic syndrome in patients with cancer may be related to the primary malignancy or chemotherapeutic therapy. Solid organ cancers may cause membranous glomerulonephritis manifesting with nephrotic syndrome; other less common histologic presentations include focal and segmental glomerulosclerosis and minimal change disease. In addition, chemotherapy agents can cause renal toxicity by affecting the small blood vessels, glomeruli, tubules, and interstitium. Tyrosine kinase inhibitors such as sunitinib may cause endothelial and podocyte damage leading to renal limited thrombotic microangiopathy, manifested by proteinuria and hypertension. We report a case of an elderly man with gastrointestinal stromal tumor (GIST) on treatment with sunitinib who had as a complication of a thrombotic microangiopathy manifested with nephrotic syndrome and difficult-to-control hypertension, which was controlled by stopping this drug but with a fatal outcome due to its malignant neoplasm.

Background: In medicine, social networks contribute to the professional training because it is a way to improve the knowledge and skills of students, residents and specialists; additionally, these networks allow the dissemination of evidence. However, Latin American surgeons' influence within this social network is not highlighted. In this study, using the hashtags #SoMe4Surgery and #SoMe4IQLatAm, the participation of Latin American surgeons in Twitter is established. Study Design: This is a prospective cross-sectional study of the academic tweets published in the period between October 13 and October 19, 2020, on Twitter by the academic accounts @Cirbosque and @MISIRG1 who are users of the social network Twitter in Latin America who participate in the network with the hashtags #SoMe4Surgery and #SoMe4IQLatAm with academic use. Results: A total of 56 tweets and 665 retweets were analyzed. Male sex presents greater interaction, as well as Mondays and Tuesdays week days. Geolocation was recorded as 37.1% in Latin America and 17.6% in Europe. #SoMe4Surgery was mentioned in 31 tweets and generated 211,700 impressions and 25,557 interactions, and #SoMe4IQLatam was mentioned in 25 tweets and achieved 57,585 impressions and 21,901 interactions. A growth of the participation rate of 6.5% in @Cirbosque and 10.5% in @ MISIRG1 was estimated for 2021. Conclusion: The use of social networks, particularly Twitter, in the surgeon community has proven to be a valuable tool during the last decade. The tweet that needs to be shared among more surgeons should be linked to the hashtag #SoMe4IQLatAm and #SoMe4Surgery and Twitter surgeon leaders mentions.

Fe-derived catalysts were synthesized by the pyrolysis of MIL-100 (Fe) metal-organic framework (MOF) and evaluated in the reverse water-gas shift (RWGS) reaction. The addition of Rh as a dopant by in-situ incorporation during the synthesis and wet impregnation was also considered. Our characterization data showed that the main active phase was a mixture of α-Fe, Fe3C, and Fe3O4 in all the catalysts evaluated. Additionally, small Rh loading leads to a decrease in the particle size in the active phase. Despite all three catalysts showing commendable CO selectivity levels, the C@Fe* catalyst showed the most promising performance at a temperature below 500 °C, attributed to the in-situ incorporation of Rh during the synthesis. Overall, this work showcases a strategy for designing novel Fe MOF-derived catalysts for RWGS reaction, opening new research opportunities for CO2 utilization schemes.

Summary: Background: Plasmacytoid dendritic cells (pDCs) sense viral and bacterial products through Toll-like receptor (TLR)-7 and -9 and translate this sensing into Interferon-α (IFN-α) production and T-cell activation. The understanding of the mechanisms involved in pDCs stimulation may contribute to HIV-cure immunotherapeutic strategies. The objective of the present study was to characterize the immunomodulatory effects of TLR agonist stimulations in several HIV-1 disease progression phenotypes and in non HIV-1 infected donors. Methods: pDCs, CD4 and CD8 T-cells were isolated from 450 ml of whole blood from non HIV-1 infected donors, immune responders (IR), immune non responders (INR), viremic (VIR) and elite controller (EC) participants. pDCs were stimulated overnight with AT-2, CpG-A, CpG-C and GS-9620 or no stimuli. After that, pDCs were co-cultured with autologous CD4 or CD8 T-cells and with/without HIV-1 (Gag peptide pool) or SEB (Staphylococcal Enterotoxin B). Cytokine array, gene expression and deep immunophenotyping were assayed. Findings: pDCs showed an increase of activation markers levels, interferon related genes, HIV-1 restriction factors and cytokines levels after TLR stimulation in the different HIV-disease progression phenotypes. This pDC activation was prominent with CpG-C and GS-9620 and induced an increase of HIV-specific T-cell response even in VIR and INR comparable with EC. This HIV-1 specific T-cell response was associated with the upregulation of HIV-1 restriction factors and IFN-α production by pDC. Interpretation: These results shed light on the mechanisms associated with TLR-specific pDCs stimulation associated with the induction of a T-cell mediated antiviral response which is essential for HIV-1 eradication strategies. Funding: This work was supported by Gilead fellowship program, the Instituto de Salud Carlos III (Fondo Europeo de Desarrollo Regional, FEDER, “a way to make Europe”) and the Red Temática de Investigación Cooperativa en SIDA and by the Spanish National Research Council (CSIC).

In Mexico, bullfrogs (Lithobates catesbeianus) are produced as gourmet food. However, bullfrogs can be carriers of pathogens because the frogs' preferred living conditions occur in stagnant water. The present study aimed to identify bacteria that cause foodborne diseases or are associated with human diseases. For molecular identification, based on the sequential analysis by 16S rRNA or rpoD was conducted on all isolates obtained from bullfrog. A total of 91 bacterial isolates were obtained from bullfrogs; 14 genera and 23 species were identified, including Acinetobacter johnsonii 16.5%; Aeromonas media 14.3%; Aeromonas veronii 13.2%; Providencia rettgeri 7.7%; Citrobacter freundii 6.6%; Aeromonas caviae 4.4%; Aeromonas hydrophila and Elizabethkingia ursingii 3.3%; Pseudomonas stutzeri, Raoultella ornithinolytica, and Shewanella putrefaciens 2.2%; Acinetobacter guillouiae, Acinetobacter pseudolwoffii, Citrobacter portucalensis, Citrobacter werkmanii, Edwardsiella anguillarum, Klebsiella michiganensis, Kluyvera intermedia, Kocuria rosea, Myroides odoratimimus, Myroides odoratus, Proteus sp., and Proteus hauseri 1.1%. In this study, 49.4% of the isolates obtained cause foodborne disease, 19.8% are bacteria that play an important role in the spoilage of food, 5.5% of isolates have nosocomial significance, 13.2% of bacteria are considered to be pollutants of the ecosystem, and in the case of A. salmonicida and Edwardsiella anguillarum (12.1%) to have a negative impact on aquaculture. Acinetobacter pseudolwoffii and Citrobacter portucalensis have not been reported to cause disease. Lastly of these isolates, 97.8% (89/91) can cause disease by food consumption or by direct contact for immunocompromised persons. The presence of these bacteria in bullfrogs represents a significant problem for human health. There is evidence that these microorganisms are pathogenic and frogs may also be reservoirs.

Summary: Elucidating a basic blueprint of osteoclast-osteoblast coordination in skeletal remodeling and understanding how this coordination breaks down with age and disease is essential for addressing the growing skeletal health problem in our aging population. The paucity of simple, activatable, biologically relevant models of osteoclast-osteoblast coordination has hindered our understanding of how skeletal remolding is regulated. Here, we describe an inducible ex vivo model of osteoclast-osteoblast progenitor coordination. Induction activates the release of osteoclastogenic factors from osteoprogenitors, which elicits the differentiation and fusion of neighboring preosteoclasts. In turn, multinucleated osteoclasts release soluble coupling factors, RANK+ extracellular vesicles and promote osteoprogenitor proliferation, recapitulating aspects of perturbed coordination in diseases underpinned by excessive osteoclast formation. We expect this model to expedite the investigation of cell-cell fusion, osteoclast-osteoblast progenitor coordination, and extracellular vesicle signaling during bone remodeling and offer a powerful tool for evaluating signaling cascades and novel therapeutic interventions in osteoclast-linked skeletal disease.

Didelphis marsupialis has been reported as a competent reservoir for trypanosomatid parasites infections. The aim of this study was to measure Trypanosoma cruzi, T. rangeli, and Leishmania spp. infection rates and to characterize discrete typing units (DTUs) of T. cruzi in D. marsupialis from two Chagas disease endemic sites in Panama. Blood from 57 wild-caught D. marsupialis were examined from two rural communities, Las Pavas (N = 18) and Trinidad de las Minas (N = 39). Twenty-two (38.60%) opossums were positive for flagellates by general hemoculture. T. cruzi infection was confirmed by positive hemoculture and/or kDNA based PCR performed in 31/57 (54.39%) blood samples from opossums. T. rangeli infection was confirmed by hemoculture and/or TrF/R2-Primer PCR assay applied on 12/57 (21.05%) blood samples. Nine (15.79%) D. marsupialis harbored T. cruzi/T. rangeli coinfections. All opossums tested negative for Leishmania spp. by PCR assays based on kDNA and HSP70 gene amplification. There was a significant association between T. cruzi infection and site (Fisher exact test, p = 0.02), with a higher proportion of T. cruzi infected opossums in Las Pavas (77.78%, n = 14/18) compared to Trinidad de las Minas (43.59%, n = 17/39). A significant association was found between habitat type and T. cruzi infection in opossums across both communities, (X2 = 6.91, p = 0.01, df = 1), with a higher proportion of T. cruzi infection in opossums captured in forest remnants (76%, 19/25) compared to peridomestic areas (37.5%, 12/32). T. rangeli detection, but not T. cruzi detection, may be improved by culture followed by PCR. TcI was the only DTU detected in 22 T. cruzi samples using conventional and real-time PCR. Eight T. rangeli positive samples were characterized as KP1(-)/lineage C. Trypanosome infection data from this common synanthropic mammal provides important information for improved surveillance and management of Chagas disease in endemic regions of Panama.

Solar Heat for Industrial Processes (SHIP) is one of the most promising alternatives to decarbonize the industry. The present work aims to analyze the influence of thermal pipelines inertia on a small-scale solar concentrator of 20 kW with a phase-change material thermal storage. Two dynamic simulations for this SHIP system integrated into a tube steel factory in Romania were developed with Dymola software: one of them considered the thermal inertia of the pipelines and the other did not. By comparing the simulation results, we have found that the pipeline inertia conveyed delays in the start-up sequence of the system and decreased the temperatures of heat transfer fluids until the steady state is reached. Furthermore, the thermal inertia decreased the total energy produced. Other researchers have also found delays due to the inertia of the pipelines, but the delays were lower than ours. The difference in the delays may be due to the small scale of the SHIP system analyzed in the present work. Finally, we can conclude that dynamic simulation became important in SHIP systems because of the difference found with the non-inertia simulation.

Naphthalene combustion has been used to synthesize grams per hour of solid carbon spheres (CS). The carbon soot was activated by acid treatment consisting in a mixture of HNO3 and H2SO4 (1/3 v/v) to produce hollow carbon spheres (HCS). The effect of two concentrations of CSs (5 and 10 mg mL−1) in the acid mixture, on the physicochemical properties of the activated HCSs was studied. The HSCs were subjected to a thermal treatment to increase their graphitization to enhance their electrical conductivity. High-resolution transmission electron microscopy confirmed the formation of HCSs due to the acid treatment whereas FTIR spectra showed that the chemical activation produced functional groups on the carbon spheres surface and the heat treatment effect to remove some of them as well. A specific surface area of 300 m2 g−1 and a large density of micropores for the acid-treated CSs as well as the heat-treated CSs were estimated by analysis of N2 adsorption-desorption isotherms. A specific capacitance 70 F g−1 was calculated by cyclic voltammetry of the acid and thermally treated HCSs at 5 mV s−1, for both CS concentrations, indicating the possibility of synthesizing these HCSs using a simple method in large quantities for their use in electrochemical capacitors.

Ternary of titania-based composites were prepared in two steps. First, pure and nitrogen-doped titanium dioxide powders were obtained using Pechini´s method. Then, these powders were impregnated with 3% wt. of cerium and copper oxide particles. The X-ray diffraction characterization shows the presence of rutile and anatase phases. The morphological characterizations exhibited some CuO agglomeration that resulted in a limited dispersion. Nitrogen-doped composite materials present better surface area due to the synergy effect of the urea precursor employed in their synthesis. UV–Vis analysis shows a redshift displacement for double and triple composites related to enhancing light absorption. XPS characterization made it possible to identify a mixed-valence state of Ti associated with the presence of oxygen vacancies, which presumable are responsible for the increase of adsorption of interest molecules. N-TiO2/CuO presents the highest formic acid production (33 µmol g−1 min-1) attributed to a better capacity to adsorb CO2 molecules and the formation of a Z-scheme where charges are spatially separated. The addition of CeO2 co-catalyst decreases formic acid performance due to its inherent ability to adsorb CO3−2 and OH ions that could hinder available active sites. On the other hand, in the case of hydrogen production, N-TiO2/CeO2/CuO material exhibited the highest production due to its highest Ti3+/Ti4+ valence state ratio, which presumably increases available active sites for molecular water adsorption and consequently for transformation into H2.

Background: Molecular brain therapies require the development of molecular switches to control gene expression in a limited and regulated manner in time and space. Light-switchable gene systems allow precise control of gene expression with an enhanced spatio-temporal resolution compared to chemical inducers. In this work, we adapted the existing light-switchable Light-On system into a lentiviral platform, which consists of two modules: (i) one for the expression of the blue light-switchable trans-activator GAVPO and (ii) a second module containing an inducible-UAS promoter (UAS) modulated by a light-activated GAVPO. Results: In the HEK293-T cell line transfected with this lentiviral plasmids system, the expression of the reporter mCherry increased between 4 to 5 fold after light induction. A time expression analysis after light induction during 24 h revealed that mRNA levels continuously increased up to 9 h, while protein levels increased throughout the experiment. Finally, transduction of cultured rat hippocampal neurons with this dual Light-On lentiviral system showed that CDNF, a potential therapeutic trophic factor, was induced only in cells exposed to blue light. Conclusions: In conclusion, the optimized lentiviral platform of the Light-On system provides an efficient way to control gene expression in neurons, suggesting that this platform could potentially be used in biomedical and neuroscience research, and eventually in brain therapies for neurodegenerative diseases.How to cite: Zárate RV, Arancibia D, Fernández A, et al. Optimization of the Light-On system in a lentiviral platform to a light-controlled expression of genes in neurons. Electron J Biotechnol 2021;51. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ejbt.2021.03.006