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Multiple dynamic libraries of compounds are generated when more than one reversible reaction comes into play. Commonly, two or more orthogonal reversible reactions are used, leading to non-communicating dynamic libraries which share no building blocks. Only a few examples of communicating libraries have been reported, and in all those cases, building blocks are reversibly exchanged from one library to the other, constituting an antiparallel dynamic covalent system. Herein we report that communication between two different dynamic libraries through an irreversible process is also possible. Indeed, alkyl amines cancel the dynamic regime on the nucleophilic substitution of tetrazines, generating kinetically inert compounds. Interestingly, such amine can be part of another dynamic library, an imine-amine exchange. Thus, both libraries are interconnected with each other by an irreversible process which leads to kinetically inert structures that contain parts from both libraries, causing a collapse of the complexity. Additionally, a latent irreversible intercommunication could be developed. In such a way, a stable molecular system with specific host–guest and fluorescence properties, could be irreversibly transformed when the right stimulus was applied, triggering the cancellation of the original supramolecular and luminescent properties and the emergence of new ones.

Objectives: Recently, desert dust in Europe has been recognized as a cardiovascular health problem. In Spain, desert dust inflows in recent years have been associated with worsening air quality. The present study examines whether desert dust events are related to the incidence of acute coronary syndrome (ACS) in patients under 55 years of age. Methods: Data from 2416 consecutive patients admitted to a tertiary hospital due to ACS were prospectively analyzed. A case-crossover time-stratified design using Poisson conditional regression models was applied to estimate the impact of desert dust events involving particulate matter concentrations of an aerodynamic diameter <10 μm (PM10) on the incidence of ACS in patients under 55 years of age. Results: Desert dust intrusion on days 0 to 5 before ACS onset showed no significant association with the incidence of ACS in patients under 55 years of age. The incidence rate ratios of PM10 concentrations 1, 2, 3, 3, 4, and 5 days before ACS onset (for changes of 10 µg/m3) were 1.02 (95% CI 0.97–1.1; p = 0.41), 1.01 (95% CI 0.96–1.07; p = 0.66), 0.99 (95% CI 0.94–1.05; p = 0.78), 0.96 (95% CI 0.9–1.02; p = 0.18), and 0.97 (95% CI 0.91–1.04; p = 0.41). Conclusions: Our findings suggest that desert dust is unlikely to be related to the incidence of ACS in patients under 55 years of age.

Purpose:

The main aim of this study is to characterise and identify specific chemo-sensory profiles of ciders from the Canary Islands (Spain).

Design/methodology/approach:

Commercial samples of Canary ciders were compared to ciders from the Basque Country and Asturias. In total, 18 samples were studied, six for each region. The analysis comprised their sensory profiling and chemical characterisation of their polyphenolic profile, volatile composition, conventional chemical parameters and CIELAB colour coordinates. In parallel, the sensory profile of the samples from the Canary Islands was first compared with their Basque and Asturian counterparts by labelled sorting task. Then, their specific aroma profile was characterised by flash profile. Further quantification of sensory-active compounds was performed by GC–MS and GC-FID to identify the volatile compounds involved in their aroma profile.

Findings:

Results show that Canary ciders present a specific chemical profile characterised by higher levels of ethanol, and hydroxycinnamic acids, mainly t-ferulic, t-coumaric and neochologenic acids, and lower levels of volatile and total acidity than their Asturian and Basque counterparts. They also present a specific aroma profile characterised by fruity aroma, mainly fruit in syrup and confectionary, and sweet flavours related to their highest levels of vinylphenols formed by transformation of hydroxycinnamic acids.

Originality/value:

An integrated strategy to explore the typicity of the currently existing Canary ciders in the market was developed. The results are important in that they will help other regions to identify specific typical chemo-sensory profiles and to promote the creation of certifications supporting regional typicity.

Despite providing important ecosystem services, termites are also serious pests of wooden structures. Termites are highly adaptive organisms that cause concern as an invasive species. Predictions of the future spread of their distribution range due to factors such as climate change, urban growth, and global trade present new challenges to our capacity to protect our wood and wood-based materials and structures effectively. Reticulitermes grassei Clément, 1978 (Blattodea: Rhinotermitidae) is a subterranean termite native to the Iberian Peninsula and France, whose global distribution has widened over recent years. This article updates the distribution range of this species, confirming its identification in the Azores, Madeira, and Morocco through molecular analysis. The origin and consequences of these putative invasive populations are discussed in light of previously available data. The resulting network showed a highly structured base consisting of many haplotypes from the southern and southwestern Iberian Peninsula (Spain and Portugal), including those from Morocco (in natural landscapes) and Switzerland (in infrastructures). The more derived part of the network includes the haplotypes from southwest France, the northwest Iberian Peninsula, the United Kingdom, Azores, and Madeira, the last 3 being linked probably to human-mediated transportation events. The potential impacts of invasive subterranean termite populations expanding into new regions are concerning, especially in urban environments, and remain uncertain in natural areas. The challenges posed by these termites could be especially worrying in island ecosystems. Hence, it is crucial to implement early warning systems and monitoring programs in regions susceptible to subterranean termite invasions.

The Canary Islands are a Spanish archipelago of volcanic origin in the Atlantic Ocean near the Saharan coast. The extensive intricacy and multitude of variables inherent in the Canary Islands winemaking tradition have posed a substantial challenge, preventing comprehensive research on the main factors contributing to the character of local wine, thus, far. This challenge arises from a convergence of factors including the presence of 14 different grape varieties, and radically different climatic, soil and geographic conditions. This investigation sought to start unraveling this complexity by discerning the impacts of various geographical (specifically, island-related) and management factors (namely, organic vs. conventional practices) on soils and wines within the Canary Islands. Additional variables, such as wine type (red and white) and island of origin, were explored and correlated with the chosen management system. Pairs of organic and conventional wine and soil samples, possessing similar characteristics, were systematically collected from each of the seven wine-producing islands in the Canary archipelago. An examination of elemental composition, oenological attributes and fertility parameters was conducted, followed by comprehensive statistical analysis. Among the variables examined, only the island of origin emerged as statistically significant within the sample. Concerning soil fertility, organic samples exhibited elevated levels of organic matter compared to their conventional counterparts. No notable disparities were observed between the two production methods in terms of soil metal composition and other fertility parameters. However, it is noteworthy that four soil samples surpassed the legally permissible limits for Nickel (Ni) and Mercury (Hg), with three of these instances originating from Lanzarote.

Catastrophic flank collapses are recognized as important drivers of insular biodiversity dynamics, through the disruption of species ranges and subsequent allopatric divergence. However, little empirical data supports this conjecture, with their evolutionary consequences remaining poorly understood. Using genome-wide data within a population genomics and phylogenomics framework, we evaluate how mega-landslides have impacted evolutionary and demographic history within a species complex of weevils (Curculionidae) within the Canary Island of Tenerife. We reveal a complex genomic landscape, within which individuals of single ancestry were sampled in areas characterized by long-term geological stability, relative to the timing of flank collapses. In contrast, individuals of admixed ancestry were almost exclusively sampled within the boundaries of flank collapses. Estimated divergence times among ancestral populations aligned with the timings of mega-landslide events. Our results provide first evidence for a cyclical dynamic of range fragmentation and secondary contact across flank collapse landscapes, with support for a model where this dynamic is mediated by Quaternary climate oscillations. The context within which we reveal climate and topography to interact cyclically through time to shape the geographic structure of genetic variation, together with related recent work, highlights the importance of topoclimatic phenomena as an agent of diversification within insular invertebrates.

This book accumulates the most recent advancements in the field of bioengineering regarding hybrid science named nanobiotechnology and enriches the readers with vast and comprehensive knowledge about different biomedical applications of nanomaterials. It includes drug and gene delivery, tissue engineering, antimicrobial properties, hyperthermia, cancer therapy, bioimaging, biosensing, photoablation therapy, etc., utilizing the potential of different nanomaterials that are helpful for the well-being of diseased individuals. Furthermore, the concerns about multidrug-resistant microorganisms are increasing daily in the healthcare system. Since conventional therapies fail to combat various infectious diseases, novel nanotechnology techniques provide an alternative approach to developing innovative biomaterials. The novel features of nanomaterials need to be exploited for use in the biomedical engineering domain. They should be fabricated so that the novel multifunctional nanomaterials notonly improve drug efficacy but also reduce their side effects. Moreover, a detailed understanding of the nanotoxicological effects of promising biomedical nanomaterials should necessarily be explored using the cell culture approach. Corona of nanomaterials should be investigated in detail to determine its fate in the biological system regarding safety concerns. This is the most important feature that is novel and explored in this book and would be very helpful for customers like clinicians, scientists, engineers, and technicians who will gain extensive knowledge from this book and work together to get the desired results in the healthcare sector.

The role of manganese (Mn) in ecosystem carbon (C) biogeochemical cycling is gaining increasing attention. While soil Mn is mainly derived from bedrock, atmospheric deposition could be a major source of Mn to surface soils, with implications for soil C cycling. However, quantification of the atmospheric Mn cycle, which comprises emissions from natural (desert dust, sea salts, volcanoes, primary biogenic particles, and wildfires) and anthropogenic sources (e.g., industrialization and land-use change due to agriculture), transport, and deposition, remains uncertain. Here, we use compiled emission data sets for each identified source to model and quantify the atmospheric Mn cycle by combining an atmospheric model and in situ atmospheric concentration measurements. We estimated global emissions of atmospheric Mn in aerosols (<10 μm in aerodynamic diameter) to be 1,400 Gg Mn year−1. Approximately 31% of the emissions come from anthropogenic sources. Deposition of the anthropogenic Mn shortened Mn “pseudo” turnover times in 1-m-thick surface soils (ranging from 1,000 to over 10,000,000 years) by 1–2 orders of magnitude in industrialized regions. Such anthropogenic Mn inputs boosted the Mn-to-N ratio of the atmospheric deposition in non-desert dominated regions (between 5 × 10−5 and 0.02) across industrialized areas, but that was still lower than soil Mn-to-N ratio by 1–3 orders of magnitude. Correlation analysis revealed a negative relationship between Mn deposition and topsoil C density across temperate and (sub)tropical forests, consisting with atmospheric Mn deposition enhancing carbon respiration as seen in in situ biogeochemical studies.

Merkel cell polyomavirus (MCPyV) is associated with Merkel cell carcinoma (MCC). In tumor cells the MCPyV large T antigen (LT-Ag) is frequently found truncated and this is considered a major tumor-specific signature. The role of MCPyV in other, non-MCC tumours, is little known. Viral DNA and/or tumour-specific mutations have been sometimes detected in different tumours, but such data are not unequivocal and the involvement of the virus in the tumorigenesis is not clear. In a previous study, we demonstrated a significantly higher prevalence of MCPyV DNA in formalin fixed paraffin embedded (FFPE) porocarcinoma tissues compared to the normal skin.

In the present study, we investigated the presence of truncating mutations in MCPyV LT-Ag coding region in porocarcinoma specimens. Using several overlapped PCR primer pairs, the complete LT-Ag sequence from two biopsies were obtained. No truncating mutations were detected.

The lack of truncating mutations in LT-Ag sequence does not seem to support the role of MCPyV in porocarcinoma oncogenesis. However, an oncogenetic mechanism, different from that proposed for MCC and not associated with the LT-Ag mutations/deletions, cannot be excluded. Further studies of more sequences coding for LT-Ag would be needed to verify this hypothesis.

Directional bonding strategies guide the design of complex molecular architectures, yet challenges arise due to emergent behavior. Rigid structures face geometric constraints and sensitivity to mismatches, hindering the efficient assembly of molecular organic cages (MOCs). Harnessing intramolecular non-covalent interactions offers a promising solution, broadening geometrical possibilities and enhancing adaptability to boost assembly yields. However, identifying these interactions remains challenging, with their full potential sometimes latent until final assembly. This study explores these challenges by synthesizing boronic acid tripods with varied oxygen positions at the tripodal feet and investigating their role in assembling tetrahedral boronate MOCs. Our results reveal substantial differences in the assembly efficiency among tripods. While the building blocks with oxygen in the benzylic position relative to the central aromatic ring form the MOCs in high yields, those with the oxygen atom directly bound to the central aromatic ring, only yield traces. Through X-ray crystallography and DFT analyses, we elucidate how intramolecular interactions profoundly influence the geometry of the building blocks and cages in a relay-like fashion, highlighting the importance of considering intramolecular interactions in the rational design of (supra)molecular architectures.