On the relationship between the specific heat enhancement of salt-based nanofluids and the ionic exchange capacity of nanoparticles

Nanoparticles have been used in thermal applications to increase the specific heat of the molten salts used in Concentrated Solar Power plants for thermal energy storage. Although several mechanisms for abnormal enhancement have been proposed, they are still being investigated and more research is necessary. However, this nanoparticle-salt interaction can also be found in chemical applications in which nanoparticles have proved suitable to be used as an adsorbent for nitrate removal given their high specific surface, reactivity and ionic exchange capacity. In this work, the ionic exchange capacity mechanism for the nanoparticles functionalization phenomenon was evaluated. The ionic exchange capacity of silica and alumina nanoparticles dispersed in lithium, sodium and potassium nitrates was measured. Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy tests confirmed the adsorption of nitrate ions on the nanoparticle surface. A relationship between the ionic exchange capacity of nanoparticles and the specific heat enhancement of doped molten salts was proposed for the first time

A comprehensive biomarker analysis of microsatellite unstable/mismatch repair deficient colorectal cancer cohort treated with immunotherapy

The search for immunotherapy biomarkers in Microsatellite Instability High/Deficient Mismatch Repair system (MSI-H/dMMR) metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC) is an unmet need. Sixteen patients with mCRC and MSI-H/dMMR (determined by either immunohistochemistry or polymerase chain reaction) treated with PD-1/PD-L1 inhibitors at our institution were included. According to whether the progression-free survival with PD-1/PD-L1 inhibitors was longer than 6 months or shorter, patients were clustered into the IT-responder group (n: 9 patients) or IT-resistant group (n: 7 patients), respectively. In order to evaluate determinants of benefit with PD-1/PD-L1 inhibitors, we performed multimodal analysis including genomics (through NGS panel tumour-only with 431 genes) and the immune microenvironment (using CD3, CD8, FOXP3 and PD-L1 antibodies). The following mutations were more frequent in IT-resistant compared with IT-responder groups: B2M (4/7 versus 2/9), CTNNB1 (2/7 versus 0/9), and biallelic PTEN (3/7 versus 1/9). Biallelic ARID1A mutations were found exclusively in the IT-responder group (4/9 patients). Tumour mutational burden did not correlate with immunotherapy benefit, neither the rate of indels in homopolymeric regions. Of note, biallelic ARID1A mutated tumours had the highest immune infiltration and PD-L1 scores, contrary to tumours with CTNNB1 mutation. Immune microenvironment analysis showed higher densities of different T cell subpopulations and PD-L1 expression in IT-responders. Misdiagnosis of MSI-H/dMMR inferred by discordances between immunohistochemistry and polymerase chain reaction was only found in the IT-resistant population (3/7 patients). Biallelic ARID1A mutations and Wnt signalling activation through CTNNB1 mutation were associated with high and low T cell immune infiltrates, respectively, and deserve special attention as determinants of response to PD-1/PD-L1 inhibitors. The non-MSI-H phenotype in dMMR is associated with poor benefit to immunotherapy. Our results suggest that mechanisms of resistance to immunotherapy are multi-factorial

A Comprehensive Biomarker Analysis of Microsatellite Unstable/Mismatch Repair Deficient Colorectal Cancer Cohort Treated with Immunotherapy

Biomarkers; Colorectal cancer; ImmunotherapyBiomarcadors; Càncer colorectal; ImmunoteràpiaBiomarcadores; Cáncer colorrectal; InmunoterapiaThe search for immunotherapy biomarkers in Microsatellite Instability High/Deficient Mismatch Repair system (MSI-H/dMMR) metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC) is an unmet need. Sixteen patients with mCRC and MSI-H/dMMR (determined by either immunohistochemistry or polymerase chain reaction) treated with PD-1/PD-L1 inhibitors at our institution were included. According to whether the progression-free survival with PD-1/PD-L1 inhibitors was longer than 6 months or shorter, patients were clustered into the IT-responder group (n: 9 patients) or IT-resistant group (n: 7 patients), respectively. In order to evaluate determinants of benefit with PD-1/PD-L1 inhibitors, we performed multimodal analysis including genomics (through NGS panel tumour-only with 431 genes) and the immune microenvironment (using CD3, CD8, FOXP3 and PD-L1 antibodies). The following mutations were more frequent in IT-resistant compared with IT-responder groups: B2M (4/7 versus 2/9), CTNNB1 (2/7 versus 0/9), and biallelic PTEN (3/7 versus 1/9). Biallelic ARID1A mutations were found exclusively in the IT-responder group (4/9 patients). Tumour mutational burden did not correlate with immunotherapy benefit, neither the rate of indels in homopolymeric regions. Of note, biallelic ARID1A mutated tumours had the highest immune infiltration and PD-L1 scores, contrary to tumours with CTNNB1 mutation. Immune microenvironment analysis showed higher densities of different T cell subpopulations and PD-L1 expression in IT-responders. Misdiagnosis of MSI-H/dMMR inferred by discordances between immunohistochemistry and polymerase chain reaction was only found in the IT-resistant population (3/7 patients). Biallelic ARID1A mutations and Wnt signalling activation through CTNNB1 mutation were associated with high and low T cell immune infiltrates, respectively, and deserve special attention as determinants of response to PD-1/PD-L1 inhibitors. The non-MSI-H phenotype in dMMR is associated with poor benefit to immunotherapy. Our results suggest that mechanisms of resistance to immunotherapy are multi-factorial.This research was funded by Merck Research Grants (Call 2018) in the Area of Colorectal Cancer Clinical Investigation

Influence of Blood Glycemia Levels in Refraction, Binocular Vision and Accommodation: A Case Report

This case report provides us with insight on how blood glycemia affects refraction, vergence and accommodation in a single diabetic patient. A 21-year-old type I diabetic woman was the subject studied in this report. Refraction, near and far fusional vergence ranges, near point of convergence, monocular accommodative facility, amplitude of accommodation, lag of accommodation, and near and far phoria, were measured before and after controlled caloric intake and insulin injection. Measurements were taken a total of 10 times, once a week for 10 consecutive weeks. Blood glycemia levels were provided by a measuring device that was attached to the patient’s body at all times. Statistically significant differences were found in the glucose levels before and after lunch, p = 0.041, sphere refraction of the right eye, p = 0.016, but not in the left eye, p = 0.051. Accommodative facility in both right and left eyes, p = 0.019, p = 0.028, respectively, and amplitude of accommodation, p = 0.016, p = 0.019, right and left eyes, respectively were statistically different before and after insulin injection. In a 21-year-old subject with type I diabetes, a diminution in blood glucose levels influences refractive myopic state, and is associated with a decrease in accommodative facility and in amplitude of accommodation

Movimientos sociales, constructivismo y reflexividad social. Recordando a Enrique Laraña

Se presenta un recorrido coral por la trayectoria intelectual y personal de Enrique Laraña a partir de los testimonios y reflexiones de Emilio Lamo de Espinosa (Catedrático de Sociología de la UCM), Luis Enrique Alonso (Catedrático de Sociología de la UAM), Benjamín Tejerina (Catedrático de Sociología de la UPV) y Ramón Adell (Profesor Titular de la UNED) expresados durante el acto de homenaje que tuvo lugar el pasado 26 de febrero de 2015, en recuerdo a su figura en el primer aniversario de su fallecimiento. Estas intervenciones vienen precedidas de un texto de recuerdo enviado por su amigo y mentor Aaron Cicourel (Universidad de California-San Diego)

Stabilization and characterization of a nanofluid based on a eutectic mixture of diphenyl and diphenyl oxide and carbon nanoparticles under high temperature conditions

(C12H10O), and it is used as an HTF with a maximum working temperature of 400 °C. However, one of the drawbacks of Therminol VP1 is its low thermal conductivity. In recent years it has been demonstrated that the addition of nanoparticles can improve the thermal properties of HTFs, and they are then called nanofluids. The key factor of nanofluids is their high stability over time. However, at high temperatures it is necessary to add chemically compatible surfactants that do not degrade and endow the nanofluids with stability through steric repulsion even under high temperature conditions. In this work, a carbon black/Therminol VP1 nanofluid was synthesized and stabilized using diphenyl sulfone as a stabilizer. Stability tests after thermal cycling at 400 °C showed the higher performance of this additive compared to others commonly used in the literature. Thermal conductivity, heat capacity, and viscosity of the nanofluids at 3 vol% and 5 vol% were characterized from 50 °C to 350 °C. Finally, the Mouromsteff number was calculated to determine the heat transfer enhancement provided by the use of nanofluids

BRAF, MEK and EGFR inhibition as treatment strategies in BRAF V600E metastatic colorectal cancer

Introduction: BRAF driver mutations are found in up to 15% of patients with colorectal cancer (CRC) and lead to constitutive activation of BRAF kinase and sustained RAS/RAF/MEK/ERK pathway signaling. BRAF mutations define a sub-population characterized by a poor prognosis and dismal median survival. Following successful outcomes with BRAF inhibition in BRAF mutant metastatic melanoma, this approach was evaluated in metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC). The development and combination of targeted therapies against multiple signaling pathways has proved particularly successful, with improved survival and response rates. Areas covered: This review addresses the development of therapeutic strategies with inhibitors targeting MAPK/ERK and EGFR signaling in BRAF V600E mutated mCRC, focusing on encorafenib, binimetinib and cetuximab. A pharmacological and clinical review of these drugs and the therapeutic approaches behind their optimization are presented. Expert opinion: Exploiting knowledge of the mechanisms of resistance to BRAF inhibitors has been crucial to developing effective therapeutic strategies in BRAF-V600E mutant mCRC. The BEACON trial is a successful example of this approach, using encorafenib and cetuximab with or without binimetinib in patients with previously treated BRAF V600E mutant mCRC, showing an impressive improvement in clinical outcomes and tolerable toxicity compared with chemotherapy, establishing a new standard of care in this setting