Tecnologías de encapsulación disponibles a nivel industrial para aplicaciones cosméticas

Treballs Finals de Màster d'Enginyeria Química, Facultat de Química, Universitat de Barcelona, Curs: 2017-2018, Tutors: José Maria Gutiérrez González, Manel Vicente BuilCosmetics have been used from ancient times, associated to medicine and religious practices or to personal care and beauty. Cosmetic sector has a noticeable innovator character that force manufactures to look for new cosmetic formulas and ingredients that position their products at the forefront of the competitors. The current trend is based on the incorporation of new technologies in cosmetics formulations in order to enhance their effectiveness and make them more attractive for the customers. Delivery systems have been designed for responding this demand. Delivery systems are technological vehicles designed to bear, protect or carry an active ingredient and promote their controlled and targeted release. Several kinds of them are available in the market, of which the most popular would be: vesicular systems, polymeric capsules, and polymeric and lipid particles. The last ones can be divided into spheres and sponges according to their physical structure. The selection of one of them depends on a wide variety of factors, such as active ingredient nature, final application of the product, release mechanism desired, requirements of the production process, materials involved, manufacturing conditions, etc. All the above-mentioned factors have been studied in order to be able to provide a tool that facilitates the selection of the most suitable delivery system for beginner companies by limiting initial options, thus reducing the number of studies that have to be performed and the cost of the design process. Once the delivery system has been chosen, the manufacturing company has to guarantee its quality. The main quality parameters provided by manufacturing companies are reported in the project, as well as the most typical techniques used for their determination

Disseny d’un procés industrial de producción de Diacetona-β-Fructosa (DAF)

Treballs Finals de Grau d'Enginyeria Química, Facultat de Química, Universitat de Barcelona, Curs: 2015-2016, Tutors: Manel Vicente Buil i Esther Chamarro AguileraA company is producing Topiramate from DAF and it is buying the DAF to chinese supplier. Now, it is considering the fact of produce the DAF on the same floor instead of buy it to avoid possible related problems with the supply of the raw materials or with the quality of the received product. The Diacetone-β-Fructose (DAF) is an intermediate in the synthesis process of Topiramate, an antiepileptic drug which can block the spread of seizures. It is used to treat other ailments, such as Lennox-Gastaut syndrome, the bipolar disorder and migraine. The aim of this project is to plan a batch process to industrial scale for the synthesis of Diacetone-β-Fructose. The size of the batch has to be big enough to allow the production of 20,000 kg/year of Topiramate. The DAF synthesis is possible taking as a starting raw material both D-Fructose as Sucrose. From the bibliographic study of patents and the obtained data in pilot plant tests, it has been confirmed that the most profitable route is the synthesis of DAF from D-Fructose. Taking in account that the production does not have limitations of resources but, it has limitations of time, as it seeks to meet the demand of annual desired production of Topiramate, and the fact of that one of the objectives of this project is to realize the production with the minimum number of necessary equipments, it has been detailed in this project the production of 40 batch of 3500kg of DAF each one with the following equipment: 2 vessels (reactors), 2 rotary filters and a rotary dryer, everyone with its auxiliary equipment, control and automation. With these premises, it has also made the sizing of the equipments, the definition of the operational mode and of the conditions of work and the planning in time of all stages of the production process. Finally, with an estimated initial investment of 4,200,000 €, the annual production of 140000kg of DAF with 99% of purity in sixteen weeks is achieve

A valid and reliable measure of nothing: disentangling the “Gavagai effect” in survey data

[EN]Background. In three recent studies, Maul demonstrated that sets of nonsense items can acquire excellent psychometric properties. Our aim was to find out why responses to nonsense items acquire a well-defined structure and high internal consistency. Method. We designed two studies. In the first study, 610 participants responded to eight items where the central term (intelligence) was replaced by the term ``gavagai''. In the second study, 548 participants responded to seven items whose content was totally invented. We asked the participants if they gave any meaning to ``gavagai'', and conducted analyses aimed at uncovering the most suitable structure for modeling responses to meaningless items. Results. In the first study, 81.3% of the sample gave ``gavagai'' meaning, while 18.7% showed they had given it no interpretation. The factorial structures of the two groups were very different from each other. In the second study, the factorial model fitted almost perfectly. However, further analysis revealed that the structure of the data was not continuous but categorical with three unordered classes very similar to midpoint, disacquiescent, and random response styles. Discussion. Apparently good psychometric properties on meaningless scales may be due to (a) respondents actually giving an interpretation to the item and responding according to that interpretation, or (b) a false positive because the statistical fit of the factorial model is not sensitive to cases where the actual structure of the data does not come from a common factor. In conclusion, the problem is not in factor analysis, but in the ability of the researcher to elaborate substantive hypotheses about the structure of the data, to employ analytical procedures congruent with those hypotheses, and to understand that a good fit in factor analysis does not have a univocal interpretation and is not sufficient evidence of either validity nor good psychometric properties

Using gene expression and systems biology to interrogate auditory hallucinations in schizophrenic patients

Schizophrenia is a severe mental disorder affecting around 1% of the opulation. This disease presents a complex aetiology that has not been completely unveiled yet. Auditory hallucinations are a very significant and disruptive symptom of schizophrenia affecting between 60% and 80% of schizophrenic patients. In this paper we have used a network-based transcriptomic analysis aiming to identify differences in gene expression between schizophrenic patients with and without auditory hallucinations. Gene expression data from blood samples drained from 30 schizophrenia patients were generated using Affymetrix Human Gene 2.0 ST Genechips. Affymetrix Expression console was used for normalization and quality control purposes. The RMA normalization method was applied for gene summarization and then a filter applied to keep only the most variably expressed probesets (4,508). These dataset was analysed using the weighted gene co-expression network analysis (WGCNA) package in R. The gene co-expression network analyses allowed us to identify eleven different gene modules based on their topological overlap. These modules were related to the relevant phenotypic information and allowing us to identify modules related with different phenotypic traits of interest. Gene co-expression network analysis is a useful tool for the analysis of gene expression analysis. Its application in the analysis of schizophrenia gene expression provides an insight on the molecular mechanisms related with this disease and the differences at the molecular level between patients presenting auditory hallucinations and those that do not. In our analysis we have been able to identify different gene modules containing genes expression profiles that can be related with clinically relevant phenotypes. These gene modules could be functionally annotated and related with different pathways and gene ontology terms that are relevant in the context of this analysis

Exploring the Contribution of the Transporter AGT1/rBAT in Cystinuria Progression: Insights from Mouse Models and a Retrospective Cohort Study

More than 20 years have passed since the identification of SLC3A1 and SLC7A9 as causative genes for cystinuria. However, cystinuria patients exhibit significant variability in the age of lithiasis onset, recurrence, and response to treatment, suggesting the presence of modulatory factors influencing cystinuria severity. In 2016, a second renal cystine transporter, AGT1, encoded by the SLC7A13 gene, was discovered. Although it was discarded as a causative gene for cystinuria, its possible effect as a modulatory gene remains unexplored. Thus, we analyzed its function in mouse models of cystinuria, screened the SLC7A13 gene in 34 patients with different lithiasic phenotypes, and functionally characterized the identified variants. Mice results showed that AGT1/rBAT may have a protective role against cystine lithiasis. In addition, among the four missense variants detected in patients, two exhibited a 25% impairment in AGT1/rBAT transport. However, no correlation between SLC7A13 genotypes and lithiasis phenotypes was observed in patients, probably because these variants were found in heterozygous states. In conclusion, our results, consistent with a previous study, suggest that AGT1/rBAT does not have a relevant effect on cystinuria patients, although an impact in patients carrying homozygous pathogenic variants cannot be discarded

FOXP2 expression and gray matter density in the male brains of patients with schizophrenia

Common genetic variants of FOXP2 may contribute to schizophrenia vulnerability, but controversial results have been reported for this proposal. Here we evaluated the potential impact of the common FOXP2 rs2396753 polymorphism in schizophrenia. It was previously reported to be part of a risk haplotype for this disease and to have significant effects on gray matter concentration in the patients. We undertook the first examination into whether rs2396753 affects the brain expression of FOXP2 and a replication study of earlier neuroimaging findings of the influence of this genetic variant on brain structure. FOXP2 expression levels were measured in postmortem prefrontal cortex samples of 84 male subjects (48 patients and 36 controls) from the CIBERSAM Brain and the Stanley Foundation Array Collections. High-resolution anatomical magnetic resonance imaging was performed on 79 male subjects (61 patients, 18 controls) using optimized voxel-based morphometry. We found differences in FOXP2 expression and brain morphometry depending on the rs2396753, relating low FOXP2 mRNA levels with reduction of gray matter density. We detected an interaction between rs2396753 and the clinical groups, showing that heterozygous patients for this polymorphism have gray matter density decrease and low FOXP2 expression comparing with the heterozygous controls.This study shows the importance of independent replication of neuroimaging genetic studies of FOXP2 as a candidate gene in schizophrenia. Furthermore, our results suggest that the FOXP2 rs2396753 affects mRNA levels, thus providing new knowledge about its significance as a potential susceptibility polymorphism in schizophrenia

Comportamientos, problemas y avances

Libro electrónicoNo obstante los empeños emprendidos por muchos de los estudiosos del turismo en Latinoamérica, se destaca que una de las limitaciones más enfáticamente reiteradas sobre el quehacer científico es la escasa conjunción de esfuerzos para potencializar y difundir sus investigaciones sobre las problemáticas sociales, culturales, ambientales, económicas y políticas que presenta el turismo en la región (Osorio, 2016; Pearce, 2013). Esta exigua coordinación y trabajo en red de los académicos latinoamericanos ha inhibido la construcción de una sinergia colaborativa que visibilice y comparta los conocimientos entorno a una región geográfica con retos comunes. Justo con la intención de contribuir a superar esta limitante, se integra la presente obra, cuyo propósito radica en conjuntar distintos casos de estudio sobre la planificación y gestión del turismo en México, Chile, Argentina y Brasil, como una muestra indicativa de los objetos de estudio, los marcos teórico-metodológicos y las aportaciones de conocimiento que se están desarrollando en la región, para con ello desvelar su contribución al estado del arte de los estudios espaciales del turismo.Colección PASOS Edita Academia Mexicana de Investigación Turística Universidad del Carib

Analysis of ancestral and functionally relevant CD5 variants in systemic lupus erythematosus patients

OBJECTIVE: CD5 plays a crucial role in autoimmunity and is a well-established genetic risk factor of developing RA. Recently, evidence of positive selection has been provided for the CD5 Pro224-Val471 haplotype in East Asian populations. The aim of the present work was to further analyze the functional relevance of non-synonymous CD5 polymorphisms conforming the ancestral and the newly derived haplotypes (Pro224-Ala471 and Pro224-Val471, respectively) as well as to investigate the potential role of CD5 on the development of SLE and/or SLE nephritis. METHODS: The CD5 SNPs rs2241002 (C/T; Pro224Leu) and rs2229177 (C/T; Ala471Val) were genotyped using TaqMan allelic discrimination assays in a total of 1,324 controls and 681 SLE patients of Spanish origin. In vitro analysis of CD3-mediated T cell proliferative and cytokine response profiles of healthy volunteers homozygous for the above mentioned CD5 haplotypes were also analyzed. RESULTS: T-cell proliferation and cytokine release were significantly increased showing a bias towards to a Th2 profile after CD3 cross-linking of peripheral mononuclear cells from healthy individuals homozygous for the ancestral Pro224-Ala471 (CC) haplotype, compared to the more recently derived Pro224-Val471 (CT). The same allelic combination was statistically associated with Lupus nephritis. CONCLUSION: The ancestral Ala471 CD5 allele confers lymphocyte hyper-responsiveness to TCR/CD3 cross-linking and is associated with nephritis in SLE patients

Further delineation of Malan syndrome

Malan syndrome is an overgrowth disorder described in a limited number of individuals. We aim to delineate the entity by studying a large group of affected individuals. We gathered data on 45 affected individuals with a molecularly confirmed diagnosis through an international collaboration and compared data to the 35 previously reported individuals. Results indicate that height is > 2 SDS in infancy and childhood but in only half of affected adults. Cardinal facial characteristics include long, triangular face, macrocephaly, prominent forehead, everted lower lip, and prominent chin. Intellectual disability is universally present, behaviorally anxiety is characteristic. Malan syndrome is caused by deletions or point mutations of NFIX clustered mostly in exon 2. There is no genotype-phenotype correlation except for an increased risk for epilepsy with 19p13.2 microdeletions. Variants arose de novo, except in one family in which mother was mosaic. Variants causing Malan and Marshall-Smith syndrome can be discerned by differences in the site of stop codon formation. We conclude that Malan syndrome has a well recognizable phenotype that usually can be discerned easily from Marshall–Smith syndrome but rarely there is some overlap. Differentiation from Sotos and Weaver syndrome can be made by clinical evaluation only