Search Results (62)

Background/objectives: The increasing prevalence of multidrug-resistant (MDR) bacteria, particularly Klebsiella pneumoniae, calls for the development of new antimicrobial agents. This study investigates a series of fluorinated azolium salts and their rhodium(I) complexes for antibacterial activity against clinical and reference strains of K. pneumoniae. Methods: Eleven fluorinated azolium salts and their corresponding Rh(I) complexes (22 compounds total) were synthesized and tested against several K. pneumoniae strains, including three MDR clinical isolates (U–13685, H–9871, U–13815) and ATCC reference strains. Minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) were determined. In silico ADMET analyses were conducted to evaluate intestinal absorption, oral bioavailability, Caco-2 permeability, carcinogenicity, solubility, and synthetic accessibility. Results: Among the Rh(I) complexes, Rh–1, Rh–3, and Rh–11 showed activity against the three MDR isolates (MIC = 62.5–250 µg/mL), while Rh–1, Rh–4, Rh–6, and Rh–11 were active against all ATCC strains (MIC = 3.9–250 µg/mL). The corresponding azolium salts displayed weak or no activity, highlighting the critical role of the metal center. ADMET predictions indicated that most Rh complexes had good intestinal absorption, and all except Rh–3, Rh–4, and Rh–9 were predicted to be orally bioavailable. Compounds Rh–1 to Rh–7 showed Caco-2 permeability, and all were classified as non-carcinogenic. Rh–8 to Rh–11 exhibited lower solubility and synthetic accessibility. Conclusions: The results underscore the potential of fluorinated Rh(I) complexes as antibacterial agents against MDR K. pneumoniae, with Rh–1 and Rh–11 emerging as promising leads based on activity and favorable predicted pharmacokinetics. Full article

Background/Objectives: Insomnia has been widely associated with cognitive impairment (CI). However, the relationship between the two entities (insomnia and CI) is poorly understood. In this context, adults with insomnia show metabolic changes, including alterations in the catabolism of branched-chain amino acids, glycerophospholipids, and glutathione and glutamate biosynthesis. Nevertheless, aging itself induces metabolic changes that may be amplified by chronic diseases that compromise the health of the elderly. Therefore, in the present study we aim to characterise metabolomic profiles of insomnia and CI alone in order to address a significant gap in current research regarding the pathways through which insomnia may lead to CI in older persons. Methods: In this study we perform a targeted metabolomics analysis (UPLC-MS) on 80 serum samples from the Cohort of Obesity, Sarcopenia, and Frailty of Older Mexican Adults (COSFOMA); these samples were classified into four groups (control, insomnia, CI, and insomnia + CI). Results: Our results show that insomnia increases the concentration of acylcarnitines (C10, C8, C14, C12:1, C18:1 and C18) as compared to CI group, while older persons with CI show a decrease the concentration of the acylcarnitines C16, C10 and C8. Finally, individuals with both conditions (insomnia + CI) show that only the concentration of the acylcarnitine C16 decreases compared to controls. Conclusions: Taken together, our results shed light on the relevance of insomnia on lipid metabolism in older persons. Full article

Nanoliposomes have increased exponentially since their discovery in the 1960s, primarily for encapsulating medicines or compounds that can improve human health. However, recent studies propose nanoliposomes as vehicles to protect, transport, and subsequently release compounds of various kinds to fortify the properties of foods and cause a prolonged release of encapsulated substances in a specific part of the body. Among the compounds successfully encapsulated are β-carotene; α-carotene; vitamins A, C, and D; and lycopene, among others. The encapsulation of extracts with high contents of antioxidant pigments is still to be explored. Therefore, this review aims to compile the compounds that have been successfully encapsulated and have met the specific prolonged release criteria, highlighting areas of research opportunity and application such as biomedical, pharmaceutical, and nutraceutical industries. Full article

The aim of this research was to compare the growth-inhibitory effect of halloysite-based nanotubes preloaded with sodium fluoride incorporated into two commercial glass ionomers (Vitrebond 3M^TM and Ionobond VOCO) for indirect pulp capping. Methods: Sixty samples were prepared and were distributed into two control groups, two positive control groups and two experimental groups. A total of 10% of the total weight of ionomer powder required to prepare each sample was replaced with nanotubes that had been preloaded at 2000 parts per million (minimum inhibitory dose for Streptococcus mutans established in this study using the McFarland index). The growth-inhibitory effect was determined by placing the samples in Petri dishes inoculated with S. mutans for 24 h at 37 °C. Results: Regarding the control groups, only Vitrebond demonstrated a growth inhibition zone; both experimental groups showed an inhibitory effect, and statistical differences were observed when the experimental Ionobond group and control groups were compared. Conclusions: The ionomers reinforced with fluorine-modified nanotubes showed an adequate inhibitory effect on Streptococcus mutans. Full article

Neural crest cells (NCCs) play a significant role in the development of ventricular outflow tracts (OFTs), and cardiac neural crest cells (cNCCs) are involved in the development of the embryonic conus, suggesting that these cell lineages may be a teratogenic target for the development of cardiopathies in offspring conceived under a hyperglycemic environment. We evaluate the effect of the hyperglycemic intrauterine environment on the morphological and anatomical changes in the conal ridges along with the alterations in the spatiotemporal expression of AP2α in offspring hearts at 13, 15, and 17 DPC. The anatomical and histological analysis of the hearts in the experimental group presented smaller dimensions compared to the control group in the offspring at the three ages studied. Consequently, this resulted in a hyperglycemic environment that altered the immunostaining of AP2α in the hearts of the offspring at the three ages studied. Thus, the hyperglycemic intrauterine environment in offspring caused important morphological alterations in the development of conal ridges and promoted the generation of conotruncal heart defects in which the double outlet of the right ventricle, the atrioventricular (AV) canal, predominated. Therefore, knowing that exposing the offspring to more glucose potentially can lead to complications during organogenesis of the circulatory and central nervous systems. Full article

Background: Breast-conserving surgery (BCS) is one of the major surgical advances in breast cancer treatment. This study evaluated the oncological outcomes of BCS in patients with non-metastatic breast cancer at a referral cancer center in a medium-resource country between 2013 and 2019. Methods: An observational, analytical, retrospective cohort study was conducted on patients with stage I–IIIC breast cancer treated at the Instituto Nacional de Cancerología (Bogotá, Colombia) from September 2013 to March 2019. Demographic data, tumor characteristics, treatment types, and survival outcomes were retrospectively collected. Results: A total of 409 patients were included. In 64.1% of cases, BCS was performed as the initial treatment and in 35.9%, after neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NACT). With a median follow-up of 85.2 months, tumor recurrence was documented in 9.04% of patients, local recurrence in 2.9%, regional in 2.2%, and distant in 5.6%. The identified risk factors for mortality were a locally advanced clinical stage (HR 5.13; p = 0.01), triple-negative subtype (HR 8.02; p < 0.01), and nodal involvement of more than four lymph nodes in the surgical specimen (HR 4.00; p < 0.01). Conclusions: Breast-conserving surgery is an oncologically safe procedure for patients with early and locally advanced breast cancer who respond to NACT. The time to recurrence and overall survival are determined by the clinical stage, axillary tumor burden, and biological subtype of the disease. Full article

This study investigates the impact of flipped learning (FL) with and without teacher feedback on resilience and perceived professional competence among university students. This quasi-experimental study, conducted over three academic years, involved 255 s-year students (mean age = 20.47 ± 2.63; 60.4% female) enrolled in a Primary Education Teaching degree program at a Spanish public university. Participants were divided into two treatment groups: Feedback FL and Non-feedback FL. Validated scales—the Brief Resilience Scale (BRS) and the Perceived Competence Scale for Students (PCNS)—were used for pre- and post-intervention assessments. Both groups demonstrated significant improvements in resilience and perceived competence, with no statistically significant differences between the Feedback FL and Non-feedback FL groups. Data analysis included Mann–Whitney U tests for inter-group comparisons, Wilcoxon tests for intra-group comparisons, and 2 × 2 repeated measures ANOVA, which revealed no interaction effects (Time × Treatment) for either variable. These results suggest that FL alone fosters the development of transversal skills such as resilience and perceived competence, regardless of teacher feedback. The findings highlight the effectiveness of active learning models like FL in higher education for promoting essential competencies. Future research should address additional soft skills and employ larger, more diverse samples to further explore the role of feedback and innovative methodologies in enhancing FL’s impact. Full article

Learning alterations in the child population may be linked to gestational diabetes as a causal factor, though this remains an open and highly controversial question. In that sense, it has been reported that maternal hyperglycemia generates a threatening condition that affects hippocampal development in offspring. The pyramidal cells of the CA3 subfield, a key structure in learning and memory processes, are particularly important in cognitive deficiencies. We evaluate the effect of the hyperglycemic intrauterine environment on hippocampal histomorphometry in offspring, correlating it with spatial learning and memory, as well as the morphology of dendrites and spines in 30-day-old pups (P30). The maternal hyperglycemia affected the body weight, height, and brain size of fetuses at 21 days of gestation (F21), newborn pups (P0) and P30 pups from diabetic rats, which were smaller compared to the control group. Consequently, this resulted in a decrease in hippocampal size, lower neuronal density and cytoarchitectural disorganization in the CA3 region of the hippocampus in the offspring at the three ages studied. The behavioral tests performed showed a direct relationship between morpho-histological alterations and deficiencies in learning and memory, as well as alterations in the morphology of the dendrites and spines. Therefore, knowing the harmful effects caused by gestational diabetes can be of great help to establish therapeutic and educational strategies that can help to improve learning and memory in children. Full article

Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) is a complex chronic disease characterized by decreased insulin secretion and the development of insulin resistance. Previous genome-wide association studies demonstrated that single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) present in genes coding for ion channels involved in insulin secretion increase the risk of developing this disease. We determined the association of 16 SNPs found in CACNA1D, KCNQ1, KCNJ11, and CACNA1E genes and the increased probability of developing T2DM. In this work, we performed a case-control study in 301 Mexican adults, including 201 cases with diabetes and 100 controls without diabetes. Our findings indicate a moderate association between T2DM and the C allele, and the C/C genotype of rs312480 within CACNA1D. The CAG haplotype surprisingly showed a protective effect, whereas the CAC and CGG haplotypes have a strong association with T2DM. The C allele and C/C genotype of rs5219 were significantly associated with diabetes. Also, an association was observed between diabetes and the A allele and the A/A genotype of rs3753737 and rs175338 in CACNA1E. The TGG and CGA haplotypes were also found to be significantly associated. The findings of this study indicate that the SNPs examined could serve as a potential diagnostic tool and contribute to the susceptibility of the Mexican population to this disease. Full article

In this paper, we present the design of a fractional-order sliding mode observer (FO-SMO) for actuator fault estimation in a quadrotor unmanned aerial vehicle (QUAV) system. Actuator faults can significantly compromise the stability and performance of QUAV systems; therefore, early detection and compensation are crucial. Sliding mode observers (SMOs) have recently demonstrated their accuracy in estimating faults in QUAV systems under matched uncertainties. However, existing SMOs encounter difficulties associated with chattering and sensitivity to initial conditions and noise. These challenges significantly impact the precision of fault estimation and may even render fault estimation impossible depending on the magnitude of the fault. To address these challenges, we propose a new fractional-order SMO structure based on the Caputo derivative definition. To demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed FO-SMO in overcoming the limitations associated with classical SMOs, we assess the robustness of the FO-SMO under three distinct scenarios. First, we examined its performance in estimating actuator faults under varying initial conditions. Second, we evaluated its ability to handle significant chattering phenomena during fault estimation. Finally, we analyzed its performance in fault estimation under noisy conditions. For comparison purposes, we assess the performance of both observers using the Normalized Root-Mean-Square Error (NRMSE) criterion. The results demonstrate that our approach enables more accurate actuator fault estimation, particularly in scenarios involving chattering phenomena and noise. In contrast, the performance of classical (non-fractional) SMO suffers significantly under these conditions. We concluded that our FO-SMO is more robust to initial conditions, chattering phenomena, and noise than the classical SMO. Full article

A poorly studied issue in women with breast cancer is the role of incretins (GIP (glucose-dependent insulinotropic polypeptide) and GLP-1 (glucagon-like peptide-1)) in the quantity and quality of muscle mass in lean and obese individuals. The current report aims to analyze the patterns of association and the role of incretin in muscle functionality and body composition in women with cancer compared with healthy women (mammography BI-RADS I or II) to elucidate whether GIP and GLP-1 can be used to estimate the risk, in conjunction with overweight or obesity, for breast cancer. We designed a case–control study in women with a breast cancer diagnosis confirmed by biopsy in different clinical stages (CS; n = 87) and healthy women with a mastography BI-RADS I or II within the last year (n = 69). The women were grouped according to body mass index (BMI): lean (<25 kg/m²BS), overweight (≥25–<30 kg/m²BS), and obese (≥30 kg/m²BS). We found that GLP-1 and GIP levels over 18 pg/mL were associated with a risk of breast cancer (GIP OR = 36.5 and GLP-1 OR = 4.16, for the entire sample), particularly in obese women (GIP OR = 8.8 and GLP-1 OR = 6.5), and coincidentally with low muscle quality indexes, showed an association between obesity, cancer, incretin defects, and loss of muscle functionality. Full article

Genetic algorithms are a powerful tool in optimization for single and multimodal functions. This paper provides an overview of their fundamentals with some analytical examples. In addition, we explore how they can be used as a parameter estimation tool in cosmological models to maximize the likelihood function, complementing the analysis with the traditional Markov chain Monte Carlo methods. We analyze that genetic algorithms provide fast estimates by focusing on maximizing the likelihood function, although they cannot provide confidence regions with the same statistical meaning as Bayesian approaches. Moreover, we show that implementing sharing and niching techniques ensures an effective exploration of the parameter space, even in the presence of local optima, always helping to find the global optima. This approach is invaluable in the cosmological context, where an exhaustive space exploration of parameters is essential. We use dark energy models to exemplify the use of genetic algorithms in cosmological parameter estimation, including a multimodal problem, and we also show how to use the output of a genetic algorithm to obtain derived cosmological functions. This paper concludes that genetic algorithms are a handy tool within cosmological data analysis, without replacing the traditional Bayesian methods but providing different advantages. Full article

The performance of chemical and biological additives in the methane hydrates formation and dissociation processes is of relevance for the development of gas-transport and gas-storage systems. The effect of sodium surfactin, rhamnolipids, and sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) on the methane hydrate formation process was assessed in this work at different temperatures and a fixed pressure of 50 bar. The studied parameters were induction time, methane uptake, period to reach 90 percent of the consumed gas, water-to-hydrate conversion, and formation rate. Concentrations for sodium surfactin were 3, 150, 750, 1500, 2000, and 2500 ppm, while rhamnolipids and SDS solutions were analyzed at 1500, 2000, and 2500 ppm. Performance testing of these additives was carried out by means of the isochoric–isothermal method. The experimental setup consisted of an isochoric three-cell array with 300 mL of capacity and magnetic stirring. According to the results, the sodium surfactin promoted the methane hydrate formation since the kinetics were higher and the water-to-hydrate conversion averaged 24.3%; meanwhile, the gas uptake increased as concentration was rising, and the induction time was reduced even at a temperature of 276.15 K. Full article

This paper shows the implementation of the Moth–Flame Optimization algorithm in a Cascade-H multilevel inverter with five and seven levels to determine the optimal switching sequence of the inverter’s semiconductor devices. The algorithm was coded in Matlab software, and the obtained switching sequences were implemented in a Cascade-H multilevel inverter laboratory prototype, where the output voltage waveform was obtained using a digital oscilloscope. The experimental Total Harmonic Distortion was obtained using a power quality analyzer. The experimental results show the improvement of the Total Harmonic Distortion in the voltage output. These results were compared with other papers in the literature with different metaheuristic methods concerning the same modulation. These findings demonstrate the feasibility of employing the Moth–Flame Optimization Algorithm to significantly reduce the Total Harmonic Distortion, obtaining a lower value than most analyzed papers. Full article

The chorioallantoic membrane (CAM) can be used as a valuable research tool to examine tumors. The CAM can be used to investigate processes such as migration, invasion, and angiogenesis and to assess novel antitumor drugs. The CAM can be used to establish tumors in a straightforward, rapid, and cost-effective manner via xenotransplantation of cells or tumor tissues with reproducible results; furthermore, the use of the CAM adheres to the three “R” principle, i.e., replace, reduce, and refine. To achieve successful tumor establishment and survival, several technical aspects should be taken into consideration. The complexity and heterogeneity of diseases including neuroblastoma and cancers in general and their impact on human health highlight the importance of preclinical models that help us describe tumor-specific biological processes. These models will not only help in understanding tumor biology, but also allow clinicians to explore therapeutic alternatives that will improve current treatment strategies. In this review, we summarize the technical characteristics as well as the main findings regarding the use of this model to study neuroblastoma for angiogenesis, metastasis, drug sensitivity, and drug resistance. Full article