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Biosurfactants are amphipathic molecules with considerable potential for application in different industries due to their biochemical characteristics, low toxicity as well as greater biodegradability and stability compared to chemical surfactants when submitted to adverse environmental conditions. The aim of the present study was to investigate the production of a biosurfactant by Candida lipolytica UCP 0988 grown in a medium containing 4.0% molasses, 2.5% used soybean frying oil, and 2.5% corn steep liquor for 144 h at 200 rpm. The biosurfactant was characterized; its stability and toxicity were investigated, and the compound was applied in oil removal tests. In the C. lipolytica growth and biosurfactant production studies, the surface tension of the medium was reduced from 72 mN/m to 25 mN/m, the critical micellar concentration (CMC) was 0.5 g/L (w/v), and the yield was 12 g/L. Tests under extreme conditions of temperature, pH, and NaCl indicated the stability of the biosurfactant. Fourier-transform infrared and nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy of the chemical structure of the purified biosurfactant suggested that the biosurfactant is a glycolipid. The anionic biosurfactant exhibited no toxicity to the microcrustacean Artemia salina or vegetable seeds (Brassica oleracea). Dispersion tests in seawater demonstrated 100% efficiency of the biomolecule against motor oil. The biosurfactant was efficient at removing oil from sand in static and kinetic tests at concentrations of ½ CMC (0.25 g/L), CMC (0.5 g/L), and 2 × CMC (1.0 g/L), with removal rates of 70 to 96%, whereas the synthetic surfactants tested removed only 10 to 18% of the oil. Based on the findings, the biosurfactant analyzed has considerable potential for the remediation of contaminated coastal and marine environments due to oil spills.

Background/Objectives: The prolonged use of antibiotics is closely related to increased infections caused by Clostridioides difficile (Cdiff). Plant-origin compounds have been expanding in recent years as the best opportunity to identify new synergic therapies to combat antibiotic-associated diseases. Mexico has incredible plant biodiversity; natural compounds with antibacterial properties are an alternative treatment. The main objective of this study was to analyze the effect of medicinal plants with an antibacterial action against toxigenic clinical Cdiff strains that have a synergic effect on the antibiotics commonly used to combat this disease. Methods: The plants were selected for plants that were previously used in research, and their extracts were tested against Cdiff strains. The antibacterial activity, synergy, and antagonism between the extracts and their synergic effect with antibiotics were evaluated. Results: Our results demonstrated that some extracts have effective antimicrobial activity and synergic effects with vancomycin and metronidazole. Conclusions: This study suggests that plant extracts and plant compounds derived from these extracts could be used as synergic-antibiotic therapy to combat Cdiff infections.

(1) Background: Chagas disease is a public health problem affecting nearly 2 million women of reproductive age in Latin America. From these, 4–8% can transmit the infection to the foetus through the vertical route, whereas horizontal transmission through milk during breastfeeding remains controversial. Therefore, the presence of Trypanosoma cruzi (T. cruzi) DNA in the milk of women seropositive for Chagas disease was analysed to determine whether a relationship with the infection of their children can exist. (2) Methods: 260 pairs (mother–child) from four hospitals located in rural areas endemic to T. cruzi (state of Oaxaca) were studied. The presence of anti-T. cruzi antibodies in the serum of lactating women were determined by ELISA, whereas parasitic DNA in either breast milk or newborn’s blood was identified by PCR; (3) Results: The seroprevalence of infection in lactating women was 5.76%, and the frequency of infection detected by PCR in breast milk was 1.92%, while the frequency of infection in the blood of newborns was 1.92%. Pochutla-Oaxaca presented the highest number of positive cases in both breast milk and blood. The only risk factor found was the presence of the vector in the geographical area analysed, favouring the parasite’s transmission. Overall, the results suggest a probable transmission of T. cruzi, although whether it was through breastfeeding or through the blood during delivery could not be determined. (4) Conclusions: T. cruzi DNA was identified in lactating women’s milk and newborn blood, which is probable evidence of transmission through breastfeeding; nevertheless, future studies must be performed to confirm the presence of the parasite, alive or dead.

The use of tris(4-aminophenyl)amine (TAPA) as central to the synthesis of both polyimines and polyimides and covalent organic frameworks and inorganic cages, among others, has grown in the last few years. The resulting materials exhibit high performance in their area of application. In this contribution, the crystal structures of two TAPA derivatives, triethyl (nitrilotris(benzene-4,1-diyl))tricarbamate (1) and triethyl 2,2′,2″-((nitrilotris(benzene-4,1-diyl))tris(azanediyl))tris(2-oxoacetate) (2), are described. The molecular and supramolecular structures of both compounds were compared between them and with analogous compounds. The analyses of their vibrational and 13C-CPMAS NMR spectroscopies, as well as their thermal stability, were included and corelated with the crystal structure. Hirshfeld surface analysis on the crystal structures of both TAPA derivatives revealed the stabilization of the crystal network via the amide N—H∙∙∙O interactions of dispersive nature in the carbamate, whereas dispersive carbonyl–carbonyl interactions also played a competitive role in the supramolecular arrangement of the oxamate. Interaction energy DFT calculations performed at the B3LYP/6-31G(d,p) level allowed us to estimate the energy contributions and nature of several interactions in terms of the stability of both crystal lattices.

Industrial interest in surfactants of microbial origin has intensified recently due to the characteristics of these compounds, such as biodegradability and reduced toxicity, and their efficiency in removing heavy metals and hydrophobic organic compounds from soils and waters. The aim of this study was to produce a biosurfactant using Candida bombicola URM 3712 in a low-cost medium containing 5.0% molasses, 3.0% corn steep liquor and 2.5% residual frying oil for 144 h at 200 rmp. Measurements of engine oil tension and emulsification were made under extreme conditions of temperature (0 °C, 5 °C, 70 °C, 100 °C and 120 °C), pH (2–12) and NaCl concentrations (2–12), demonstrating the stability of the biosurfactant. The isolated biosurfactant was characterized as an anionic molecule with the ability to reduce the surface tension of water from 72 to 29 mN/m, with a critical micellar concentration of 0.5%. The biosurfactant had no toxic effect on vegetable seeds or on Eisenia fetida as a bioindicator. Applications in the removal of heavy metals from contaminated soils under dynamic conditions demonstrated the potential of the crude and isolated biosurfactant in the removal of Fe, Zn and Pb with percentages between 70 and 88%, with the highest removal of Pb being 48%. The highest percentage of removal was obtained using the cell-free metabolic liquid, which was able to remove 48, 71 and 88% of lead, zinc and iron from the soil, respectively. Tests in packed columns also confirmed the biosurfactant’s ability to remove Fe, Zn and Pb between 40 and 65%. The removal kinetics demonstrated an increasing percentage, reaching removal of 50, 70 and 85% for Pb, Zn and Fe, respectively, reaching a greater removal efficiency at the end of 24 h. The biosurfactant was also able to significantly reduce the electrical conductivity of solutions containing heavy metals. The biosurfactant produced by Candida bombicola has potential as an adjuvant in industrial processes for remediating soils and effluents polluted by inorganic contaminants.

This study compared the effect of oregano essential oil versus sodium hypochlorite, hydrogen peroxide, and benzalkonium chloride against the viability of adhered Salmonella Typhimurium and Escherichia coli O157:H7 on 304 stainless steel. Oregano essential oil was effective in disrupting the biofilms of both bacteria at concentrations ranging from 0.15 to 0.52 mg mL−1. In addition, damage to stainless-steel surfaces following disinfection treatments was assessed by weight loss analysis and via visual inspection using light microscopy. Compared to the other treatments, oregano oil caused the least damage to stainless steel (~0.001% weight loss), whereas sodium hypochlorite caused the most severe damage (0.00817% weight loss) when applied at 0.5 mg mL−1. Moreover, oregano oil also had an apparent protective impact on the stainless steel as weight losses were less than for the control surfaces (distilled water only). On the other hand, sodium hypochlorite caused the most severe damage to stainless steel (0.00817% weight loss). In conclusion, oregano oil eliminated monoculture biofilms of two important foodborne pathogens on 304 stainless-steel surfaces, while at the same time minimizing damage to the surfaces compared with conventional disinfectant treatments.

Background: We analyzed the demographic, clinical, and diagnostic data of children and adolescents in Mexico, from the first case of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) to 28 February 2022. Methods: Using the open databases of the Ministry of Health and a tertiary pediatric hospital, we obtained demographic and clinical data from the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic until 28 February 2022. In addition, quantitative reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction outputs were used to determine the viral load, and structural protein-based serology was performed to evaluate IgG antibody levels. Results: Of the total 437,832 children and adolescents with COVID-19, 1187 died. Of these patients, 1349 were admitted to the Hospital Infantil de Mexico Federico Gómez, and 11 died. Obesity, asthma, and immunosuppression were the main comorbidities, and fever, cough, and headache were the main symptoms. In this population, many patients have a low viral load and IgG antibody levels. Conclusion: During the first 2 years of the COVID-19 pandemic in Mexico, children and adolescents had low incidence and mortality. They are a heterogeneous population, but many patients had comorbidities such as obesity, asthma, and immunosuppression; symptoms such as fever, cough, and headache; and low viral load and IgG antibodies.

Modern energy systems collect high volumes of data that can provide valuable information about energy consumption. Electric companies can now use historical data to make informed decisions on energy production by forecasting the expected demand. Many deep learning models have been proposed to deal with these types of time series forecasting problems. Deep neural networks, such as recurrent or convolutional, can automatically capture complex patterns in time series data and provide accurate predictions. In particular, Temporal Convolutional Networks (TCN) are a specialised architecture that has advantages over recurrent networks for forecasting tasks. TCNs are able to extract long-term patterns using dilated causal convolutions and residual blocks, and can also be more efficient in terms of computation time. In this work, we propose a TCN-based deep learning model to improve the predictive performance in energy demand forecasting. Two energy-related time series with data from Spain have been studied: the national electric demand and the power demand at charging stations for electric vehicles. An extensive experimental study has been conducted, involving more than 1900 models with different architectures and parametrisations. The TCN proposal outperforms the forecasting accuracy of Long Short-Term Memory (LSTM) recurrent networks, which are considered the state-of-the-art in the field.

The aim of the present work was to study the feasibility of pasture cropping under the Mediterranean conditions prevailing in central Spain and its potential as a weed management tool. Three cropping systems were assessed: conventionally grown winter barley and winter barley in pasture cropping with two perennial summer species, Cynodon dactylon and Eragrostis curvula. The results showed that the growth of these two species in a pasture cropping system was limited by the severe drought conditions and high temperatures present during the summer in some of the study years. Although there were no differences in the establishment of winter barley in any of the treatments assessed, pasture cropping reduced winter barley yields up to 50%−60% in years with low rainfall in spring. Regarding weed control, pasture cropping showed a significant suppression of the total weed density and number of weed species. As a conclusion, pasture cropping can be considered as a valid weed management tool. However, the economic feasibility of this system under the climatic conditions of central Spain (characterized by a high risk of severe summer droughts) is still not clear. The availability of supplemental irrigation may reduce competition between pastures and winter crops and ensure a profitable production of summer pastures.

This study explores the aspirations of undocumented youth seeking to defer deportation from the United States and obtain temporary employment authorization through Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA). The data are twenty-three letters submitted from 2013−2015 to a nonprofit foundation in the US Southwest that provides financial assistance to pay DACA application fees. Conducted within a narrative framework, analysis of emergent themes reveals a story of hope and family that counters the dominant political story of fear and threat to public safety. Specifically, from the DACA applicant’s standpoint, family is their most valuable form of social capital and by providing the means for employment and the education needed to launch a sustainable career, DACA status provides the leverage required to maximize family capital. Our analysis reveals a disturbing disjuncture between their testimonios and the realities of a policy intended to serve as a safety net. The current political climate makes aspirations like theirs increasingly difficult to achieve and may actually exacerbate legal and social liminality.

New technologies such as sensor networks have been incorporated into the management of buildings for organizations and cities. Sensor networks have led to an exponential increase in the volume of data available in recent years, which can be used to extract consumption patterns for the purposes of energy and monetary savings. For this reason, new approaches and strategies are needed to analyze information in big data environments. This paper proposes a methodology to extract electric energy consumption patterns in big data time series, so that very valuable conclusions can be made for managers and governments. The methodology is based on the study of four clustering validity indices in their parallelized versions along with the application of a clustering technique. In particular, this work uses a voting system to choose an optimal number of clusters from the results of the indices, as well as the application of the distributed version of the k-means algorithm included in Apache Spark’s Machine Learning Library. The results, using electricity consumption for the years 2011–2017 for eight buildings of a public university, are presented and discussed. In addition, the performance of the proposed methodology is evaluated using synthetic big data, which cab represent thousands of buildings in a smart city. Finally, policies derived from the patterns discovered are proposed to optimize energy usage across the university campus.

Segmenting and classifying nuclei in H&E histopathology images is often limited by the long-tailed distribution of nuclei types. However, the strong generalization ability of image segmentation foundation models like the Segment Anything Model (SAM) can help improve the detection quality of rare types of nuclei. In this work, we introduce category descriptors to perform nuclei segmentation and classification by prompting the SAM model. We close the domain gap between histopathology and natural scene images by aligning features in low-level space while preserving the high-level representations of SAM. We performed extensive experiments on the Lizard dataset, validating the ability of our model to perform automatic nuclei segmentation and classification, especially for rare nuclei types, where achieved a significant detection improvement in the F1 score of up to 12%. Our model also maintains compatibility with manual point prompts for interactive refinement during inference without requiring any additional training.

Cholesterol-7-alpha hydroxylase (CYP7A1) is a key enzyme in the synthesis of bile salts, and its activity can contribute to determining cholesterol levels and, consequently, the risk of developing coronary atherosclerotic disease. We evaluated whether seven (rs3808607 G/T , rs9297994 G/A , rs10504255 A/G , rs8192870 G/T , rs2081687 C/T , rs1457043 C/T, and rs10107182 C/T) polymorphisms located in the promoter and enhancer regions of the CYP7A1 gene, which have not been sufficiently explored, are candidates of risk markers of acute coronary syndrome (ACS) in the Mexican population. These polymorphisms were determined in a group of 1317 patients with ACS and 1046 control subjects. The results showed that, under different inheritance models, the alleles rs9297994 G , rs10504255 G , rs8192870 T , rs2081687 T , and rs10107182 C were significantly associated with an increased risk of ACS ( pC < 0.05). In addition, the incidence of dyslipidemia among patients with ACS, notably high total cholesterol and LDL-cholesterol, and low HDL-cholesterol plasma levels, were more frequent in carriers of the same five risk alleles associated with ACS ( p < 0.05). There was also an unexpected increased incidence of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) in patients with ACS who are homozygous for the rs2081687 T , rs9297944 G , rs10504255 G , and rs10107182 C alleles of the CYP7A1 gene, suggesting that such gene variants enhance the development of coronary complications in patients with diabetes ( p < 0.05). In summary, our study demonstrated that five polymorphisms situated in the promoter and enhancer regions of the CYP7A1 gene are associated with the risk of ACS and higher incidences of dyslipidemia and T2DM in Mexican patients with ACS.

Background and Aim: Peru is the country with the highest mortality rate from COVID-19 globally, so the analysis of the characteristics of deaths is of national and international interest. The aim was to determine the epidemiological characteristics of deaths from COVID-19 in Peru from 28 March to 21 May 2020., Methods: Deaths from various sources were investigated, including the COVID-19 Epidemiological Surveillance and the National System of Deaths (SINADEF). In all, 3851 deaths that met the definition of a confirmed case and had a positive result of RT-PCR or rapid test IgM/IgG, were considered for the analysis. We obtained the epidemiological variables and carried out an analysis of time defined as the pre-hospital time from the onset of symptoms to hospitalization, and hospital time from the date of hospitalization to death., Results: Deaths were more frequent in males (72.0%), seniors (68.8%) and residents of the region of Lima (42.7%). In 17.8% of cases, the death occurred out-of-hospital, and 31.4% had some comorbidity. The median of pre-hospital time was 7 days (IQR: 4.0-9.0) and for the hospital time was 5 days (IQR: 3.0-9.0). The multivariable analysis with Poisson regression with robust variance found that the age group, comorbidity diagnosis and the region of origin significantly influenced pre-hospital time; while sex, comorbidity diagnosis, healthcare provider and the region of origin significantly influenced hospital time., Conclusion: Deaths occurred mainly in males, seniors and on the coast, with considerable out-of-hospital deaths. Pre-hospital time was affected by age group, the diagnosis of comorbidities and the region of origin; while, hospital time was influenced by gender, the diagnosis of comorbidities, healthcare provider and the region of origin.

Diseases, such as cancer, peptic ulcers, and diabetes, as well as those caused by drug-resistant infectious agents are examples of some of the world's major public health problems. Amphipterygium adstringens (Schltdl.) Schiede ex Standl is an endemic tree to Mexico. Its stem bark has been used medicinally since pre-Hispanic times, but in recent decades it has been scientifically proven that it has properties that help counteract some diseases; extracts with organic solvents of the plant are outstanding for their anticancer, gastroprotective, and antimicrobial properties; terpenes and long-chain phenols have been identified as the main active compounds. Currently, overharvesting is causing a sharp reduction in natural populations due to an increase in demand for the stem bark by people seeking to improve their health and by national and transnational companies seeking to market it. Because of the growing interest of the world population and the scientific community, we reviewed recent studies on the bioactive properties of A. adstringens . Through the orderly and critical compendium of the current knowledge of A. adstringens , we provide a reference for future studies aimed at the rational use and protection of this valuable endemic natural resource.

Background: Human papillomavirus (HPV) is a sexually transmitted infection, and HPV types 16 and 18 are responsible for approximately 66% of all U.S. cervical cancer cases in women. The quadrivalent HPV vaccine was licensed in mid-2006, and it was designed to target and protect against HPV types 6, 11, 16, and 18. The aim of this study is to examine the utilization rate of the HPV vaccine, and the trends and incidence rate of malignant cervical cancer across the United States., Methods: This study utilized data from Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) and the National Immunization Survey's (NIS) teenage datasets across select years. For the SEER survey, the modification for confidence intervals by Tiwari et al., 2006, was utilized to obtain the incidence rate per 100,000, so that it could be age-adjusted for the 2000 U.S. standard population, as noted in the data provided by the U.S. Census. The dates examined started in the year 2000 and ended in 2017. For the NIS-Teen survey, the public-use data file was used, and a point estimate (%), with a 95% confidence interval, was performed to examine the trends in HPV vaccine utilization across the U.S. adolescent female population from the years 2007 to 2019., Results: This study found that the rate of diagnosis had been falling over the nearly two decades examined in this study., Implications: This study would support current efforts to encourage the utilization of HPV vaccines that are currently in the vaccination schedule rotation, and to illustrate the importance of completing all doses of the three-step series.

The anti-atherogenic properties of high-density lipoproteins (HDL) have been explained mainly by reverse cholesterol transport (RCT) from peripheral tissues to the liver. The RCT seems to agree with most of the negative epidemiological correlations between HDL cholesterol levels and coronary artery disease. However, therapies designed to increase HDL cholesterol failed to reduce cardiovascular risk, despite their capacity to improve cholesterol efflux, the first stage of RCT. Therefore, the cardioprotective role of HDL may not be explained by RCT, and it is time for new paradigms about the physiological function of these lipoproteins. It should be considered that the main HDL apolipoprotein, apo AI, has been highly conserved throughout evolution. Consequently, these lipoproteins play an essential physiological role beyond their capacity to protect against atherosclerosis. We propose HDL as bidirectional lipid vectors carrying lipids from and to tissues according to their local context. Lipid influx mediated by HDL appears to be particularly important for tissue repair right on site where the damage occurs, including arteries during the first stages of atherosclerosis. In contrast, the HDL-lipid efflux is relevant for secretory cells where the fusion of intracellular vesicles drastically enlarges the cytoplasmic membrane with the potential consequence of impairment of cell function. In such circumstances, HDL could deliver some functional lipids and pick up not only cholesterol but an integral part of the membrane in excess, restoring the viability of the secretory cells. This hypothesis is congruent with the beneficial effects of HDL against atherosclerosis as well as with their capacity to induce insulin secretion and merits experimental exploration.

There is limited evidence of the potential benefits of the use of high-flow nasal cannula (HFNC) for the management of bronchiolitis in the ward. Our aim is to describe the ventilation trends for bronchiolitis in our hospital along with the introduction of an HFNC ward protocol and to determine the need for respiratory support escalation and transfer to an intensive care unit (ICU). A retrospective analytical observational study of children < 12 months old requiring admission for a first RSV bronchiolitis episode in a single centre from January 2009 to December 2018. The sample was divided into four groups according to the type of respiratory support that would ensure the clinical stability of the infants on admission. A total of 502 infants were recruited. The total number and percentage of patients admitted in the ward grew progressively over time. Simultaneously, there was an increase in HFNC and, paradoxically, an increase in ICU transfers. The risk of failure was higher for those who required HFNC or CPAP for clinical stabilisation in the first 12 h after admission. Moreover, the risk of failure was also higher in children with standard oxygen therapy promptly escalated to HFNC, especially if they had atelectasis/viral pneumonia, coinfections or a history of prematurity. Despite the limitations of a retrospective analysis, our study reflects usual clinical practice and no correlation was found between the usage of HFNC and a shorter length of hospital stay or less time spent on oxygen therapy.

We studied three soils of the former lake Texcoco with different electrolytic conductivity (1.9 dS m -1 , 17.3 dS m -1 , and 33.4 dS m -1 ) and pH (9.3, 10.4, and 10.3) amended with young maize plants and their neutral detergent fibre (NDF) fraction and aerobically incubated in the laboratory for 14 days while the soil bacterial community structure was monitored by means of 454-pyrosequencing of their 16S rRNA marker gene. We identified specific bacterial groups that showed adaptability to soil salinity, i.e., Prauseria in soil amended with young maize plants and Marinobacter in soil amended with NDF. An increase in soil salinity (17.3 dS m -1 , 33.4 dS m -1 ) showed more bacterial genera enriched than soil with low salinity (1.9 dS m -1 ). Functional prediction showed that members of Alfa-, Gamma-, and Deltaproteobacteria, which are known to adapt to extreme conditions, such as salinity and low nutrient soil content, were involved in the lignocellulose degradation, e.g., Marinimicrobium and Pseudomonas as cellulose degraders, and Halomonas and Methylobacterium as lignin degraders. This research showed that the taxonomic annotation and their functional prediction both highlighted keystone bacterial groups with the ability to degrade complex C-compounds, such as lignin and (hemi)cellulose, in the extreme saline-alkaline soil of the former Lake of Texcoco.

The high pollution levels in our cities are producing a significant increase of dust on buildings. An application of photoactive coatings on building materials can produce buildings with self-cleaning surfaces. In this study, we have developed a simple sol-gel route for producing Au-TiO₂/SiO₂ photocatalysts with application on buildings. The gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) improved the TiO₂ photoactivity under solar radiation because they promoted absorption in the visible range. We varied the content of AuNPs in the sols under study, in order to investigate their effect on self-cleaning properties. The sols obtained were sprayed on a common building stone, producing coatings which adhere firmly to the stone and preserve their aesthetic qualities. We studied the decolourization efficiency of the photocatalysts under study against methylene blue and against soot (a real staining agent for buildings). Finally, we established that the coating with an intermediate Au content presented the best self-cleaning performance, due to the role played by its structure and texture on its photoactivity., Competing Interests: The authors declare no conflict of interest.