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The incidence of age associated chronic diseases has increased in recent years. Although several diverse causes produce these phenomena, abundant evidence shows that oxidative stress plays a central role. In recent years, numerous studies have focused on elucidating the role of oxidative stress in the development and progression of both aging and chronic diseases, opening the door to the discovery of new underlying mechanisms and signaling pathways. Among them, senolytics and senomorphics, and extracellular vesicles offer new therapeutic strategies to slow the development of aging and its associated chronic diseases by decreasing oxidative stress. In this review, we aim to discuss the role of extracellular vesicles in human cardiorenal syndrome development and their possible role as biomarkers, targets, or vehicles of drugs to treat this syndrome.

Applications of advanced cathode materials with well-designed chemical components and/or optimized nanostructures promoting the sulfur redox kinetics and suppressing the shuttle effect of polysulfides are highly valued. However, in the case of actual lithium-sulfur (Li-S) batteries under practical working conditions, one long-term obstacle still exists, which is mainly due to the difficulties in massive synthesis of such nanomaterials with low cost and ease of control on the nanostructure. Herein, we develop a facile synthesis of carbon coated Ti4O7 hollow nanoparticles (C-Ti4O7) using spherical polymer electrolyte brush as soft template, which is scalable via utilizing a minipilot reactor. The C-Ti4O7 hollow nanoparticles provide strong chemical adsorption to polysulfides through the large polar surface and additional physical confinement by rich micro- & mesopores and have successfully been employed as an efficient sulfur host for multilayer pouch cells. Besides, the sluggish kinetics of the sulfur and lithium sulfide redox mechanism can be improved by the highly conductive Ti4O7 via catalyzation of the conversion of polysulfides. Consequently, the C-Ti4O7 based pouch cell endows a high discharge capacity of 1003 mAh g-1 at 0.05 C, a high-capacity retention of 83.7 % after 100 cycles at 0.1 C, and a high Coulombic efficiency of 97.5 % at the 100th cycle. This work proposes an effective approach to transfer the synthesis of hollow Ti4O7 nanoparticles from lab- to large-scale production, paving the way to explore a wide range of advanced nanomaterials for multilayer Li-S pouch cells.

The uptake of the current concept of chronic kidney disease (CKD) by the public, physicians and health authorities is low. Physicians still mix up CKD with chronic kidney insufficiency or failure. In a recent manuscript, only 23% of participants in a cohort of persons with CKD had been diagnosed by their physicians as having CKD while 29% has a diagnosis of cancer and 82% had a diagnosis of hypertension. For the wider public and health authorities, CKD evokes kidney replacement therapy (KRT). In Spain, the prevalence of KRT is 0.13%. A prevalent view is that for those in whom kidneys fail, the problem is ``solved'' by dialysis or kidney transplantation. However, the main burden of CKD is accelerated aging and all-cause and cardiovascular premature death. CKD is the most prevalent risk factor for lethal COVID-19 and the factor that most increases the risk of death in COVID-19, after old age. Moreover, men and women undergoing KRT still have an annual mortality which is 10-100-fold higher than similar age peers, and life expectancy is shortened by around 40 years for young persons on dialysis and by 15 years for young persons with a functioning kidney graft. CKD is expected to become the fifth global cause of death by 2040 and the second cause of death in Spain before the end of the century, a time when 1 in 4 Spaniards will have CKD. However, by 2022, CKD will become the only top-15 global predicted cause of death that is not supported by a dedicated well-funded CIBER network research structure in Spain. Leading Spanish kidney researchers grouped in the kidney collaborative research network REDINREN have now applied for the RICORS call of collaborative research in Spain with the support of the Spanish Society of Nephrology, ALCER and ONT: RICORS2040 aims to prevent the dire predictions for the global 2040 burden of CKD from becoming true. However, only the highest level of research funding through the CIBER will allow to adequately address the issue before it is too late. (C) 2021 Sociedad Espanola de Nefrologia. Published by Elsevier Espana, S.L.U.

Background and Purpose: Cellular Communication Network Factor 2 (CCN2) is a matricellular protein normally present in the vascular wall but overexpressed in several cardiovascular diseases. CCN2 has been proposed as a downstream mediator of profibrotic actions of Transforming Growth Factor (TGF)-β and Angiotensin II (Ang II). However, its direct role in cardiovascular diseases is not completely understood. Experimental Approach: To investigate the direct role of CCN2 under vascular pathological conditions, a conditionally deficient CCN2 (CCN2-KO) mouse was evaluated infused or not with Ang II. Key Results: In the absence of CCN2, Ang II infusion induced a rapid (within 48 hours) aortic aneurysm generation and increased aneurysm rupture with 80 % lethality at the endpoint. CCN2 deletion caused elastin layer disruption and increased metalloproteinase activity, which were aggravated by Ang II administration. Aortic RNA-seq studies and the subsequent Gene Ontology enriched analysis pointed out the aldosterone biosynthesis process as one of the most enriched terms in absence of CCN2. Pharmacological aldosterone pathway intervention in Ang II-infused CCN2-KO mice, by treatment with the mineralocorticoid receptor antagonist spironolactone, reduced aneurysm formation and mortality after Ang II infusion. Conclusion and Implications: CCN2 deletion induces a rapid aneurysm formation and rupture after Ang II infusion which is partially prevented by blocking the mineralocorticoid receptor. Our present data highlight, for the first time, the potential role of CCN2 as a vascular homeostatic factor and its relevance in the aldosterone synthesis, opening new avenues to future studies in aortic aneurysm treatment.

El financiamiento público a los partidos políticos es uno de los temas que generan polémica y discusión entre la ciudadanía, en particular en el electorado mexicano (población de estudio en este trabajo, periodo 2008 al 2020). El sistema actual de la administración mexicana, con respecto a la repartición de recursos a los partidos políticos, ignora algunos elementos importantes para alcanzar un trato equitativo entre los diversos partidos políticos, tal como la barrera a la entrada del reparto de los recursos disponibles para éstos. El objetivo central de esta investigación es proponer una metodología para estimar y distribuir el financiamiento público a los partidos políticos en México. Dicha metodología utiliza el modelo de Promedios Móviles Ponderados para estimar la Votación Total Emitida. Asimismo, se propone una nueva función para la barrera a la entrada de reparto de recursos entre partidos. Se determinó que la tasa de participación del voto es alrededor del 55%, otorgándose en general, a los partidos políticos, un 45% más de los recursos que deberían de obtener; tomando en cuenta el número de votos obtenidos por cada uno de estos. Se concluyó, que se generarían ahorros por encima del 50% en el gasto del erario público.

This work presents the analysis of the bipolar square voltage source composed of a full bridge and a step-up transformer, widely used to supply dielectric barrier discharge (DBD) systems for the generation of non-thermal plasma. First, an electrical schematic of the source is shown that includes the capacitive behavior of the discharges and parasitic elements of the transformer, to explain the operation. As a result of the proposed model, it was found that the leakage inductance of the transformer has an important role to explain the behavior of the voltage and current waveforms of the DBD. Using the electrical circuits classical theory and the state plane (commonly used in the analysis of the resonant converter), equations were developed for important characteristics in the design of plasma power supplies, such as the average power delivered to the DBD, the maximum peak voltage, and the discharge duration, as a function not only of the input voltage and the switching frequency but also of some parasitic elements of the transformer and the parameters of the electrical model of the reactor where the DBD happens. The analysis and the equations developed are a new contribution useful for designers of power supplies of non-thermal plasma systems, that permits to avoid transformer and semiconductor oversizing that increases manufacturing costs. Finally, the model and the equations are compared with some experimental results using an Excimer lamp as a reactor for the DBD., Este trabajo presenta el análisis de una fuente de voltaje bipolar cuadrada compuesta por un puente completo y un transformador elevador, utilizada ampliamente como suministro para sistemas de descarga de barrera dieléctrica (DBD) en la generación de plasma no térmico. Primero se expone un esquema eléctrico de la fuente que incluye el comportamiento capacitivo de las descargas y elementos parásitos del transformador, para explicar el funcionamiento. Como resultado del modelo propuesto, se encontró que la inductancia de fugas del transformador tiene un rol importante para explicar el comportamiento de las formas de onda de voltaje y corriente de la DBD. Utilizando la teoría clásica de circuitos eléctricos y el plano de fase (usado más comúnmente en el análisis de convertidores resonantes), se obtuvieron ecuaciones para características importantes en el diseño de las fuentes de alimentación para plasma, como la potencia promedio suministrada a la DBD, el voltaje pico máximo y la duración de la descarga, en función no solo del voltaje de entrada y la frecuencia de conmutación, sino también de los algunos elementos parásitos del transformador y los parámetros del modelo eléctrico del reactor donde se produzca la DBD. El análisis y las ecuaciones desarrolladas son una nueva contribución útil para los diseñadores de fuentes de alimentación de sistemas de plasma no térmico, que permiten evitar el sobredimensionamiento en los semiconductores y del transformador que incrementan los costos de fabricación. Finalmente se compara el modelo y las ecuaciones con algunos resultados experimentales usando una lámpara Excimer como reactor para la DBD.

In myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS), the 20q deletion [del(20q)] may cause deletion of the ASXL1 gene. We studied 153 patients with MDS and del(20q) to assess the incidence, prognostic value and impact on response to azacitidine (AZA) of ASXL1 chromosomal alterations and genetic mutations. Additionally, in vitro assay of the response to AZA in HAP1 (HAP1(WT)) and HAP1 ASXL1 knockout (HAP1(KN)) cells was performed. ASXL1 chromosomal alterations were detected in 44 patients (28 center dot 5%): 34 patients (22%) with a gene deletion (ASXL1(DEL)) and 10 patients (6 center dot 5%) with additional gene copies. ASXL1(DEL) was associated with a lower platelet count. The most frequently mutated genes were U2AF1 (16%), ASXL1 (14%), SF3B1 (11%), TP53 (7%) and SRSF2 (6%). ASXL1 alteration due to chromosomal deletion or genetic mutation (ASXL1(DEL)/ASXL1(MUT)) was linked by multivariable analysis with shorter overall survival [hazard ratio, (HR) 1 center dot 84; 95% confidence interval, (CI): 1 center dot 11-3 center dot 04; P = 0 center dot 018] and a higher rate for acute myeloid leukaemia progression (HR 2 center dot 47; 95% CI: 1 center dot 07-5 center dot 70, P = 0 center dot 034). ASXL1(DEL)/ASXL1(MUT) patients were correlated by univariable analysis with a worse response to AZA. HAP1(KN) cells showed more resistance to AZA compared to HAP1(WT) cells. In conclusion, ASXL1 alteration exerts a negative impact on MDS with del(20q) and could become useful for prognostic risk stratification and treatment decisions.