Chitosan gel film bandages: correlating structure, composition, and antimicrobial properties

Chitosan gel films were successfully obtained by evaporation cast from chitosan solutions in aqueous acidic solutions of organic acids (lactic and acetic acid) as gel film bandages, with a range of additives that directly influence film morphology and porosity. We show that the structure and composition of a wide range of 128 thin gel films, is correlated to the antimicrobial properties, their biocompatibility and resistance to biodegradation. Infrared spectroscopy and solid-state 13C nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy was used to correlate film molecular structure and composition to good antimicrobial properties against 10 of the most prevalent Gram positive and Gram negative bacteria. Chitosan gel films reduce the number of colonies after 24 h of incubation by factors of ∼105–107 CFU/mL, compared with controls. For each of these films, the structure and preparation condition has a direct relationship to antimicrobial activity and effectiveness. These gel film bandages also show excellent stability against biodegradation with lysozyme under physiological conditions (5% weight loss over a period of 1 month, 2% in the first week), allowing use during the entire healing process. These chitosan thin films and subsequent derivatives hold potential as low-cost, dissolvable bandages, or second skin, with antimicrobial properties that prohibit the most relevant intrahospital bacteria that infest burn injuries

Sequential determination of traces of As, Sb and hg by on-line magnetic solid phase extraction coupled with Hr-Cs-Cvg-Gfaas

A green and rapid method was developed for the simultaneous separation/preconcentration and sequential monitoring pf arsenic, antimony and mercury by flow injection magnetic solid phase extraction coupled with on-line chemical vapor generation and determination by high resolution continuum source graphite furnace atomic absorption spectrometry. The system is based on chelating/cationic retention of the analytes onto a magnet based reactor designed to contain functionalized magnetic nanoparticles (MNPs). The MNP score allows overcoming the back-pressure problems that usually happen in SPME methods with NPs thanks to the possibility of inmobilizing the MNPs by applying an external magnetic field. Several chemical and flow variables were considered as factors in the optimization process using central composite designs. With the optimized procedure the detection limits obtained were 0.2, 0.003 and 0.4 µg/L for As, Sb and Hg respectively. For the quality control of the analytical performance and the validation of the developed method the analysis of two certified samples TM 24.3 and TMDA 54.4 Fortified Lake Waters was addressed. The results showed good agreement with the certified values.Universidad de Málaga. Campus de Excelencia Internacional Andalucía Tech

Energy management systems by means of computational intelligence algorithms

This work pretends to take advantage of powerful capabilities of computational intelligence to improve the actual features of modeling, prognosis, diagnosis and optimization of load demand for EMS. This work gives a potent complement to the rising new paradigms about renewable energies, distributed generation, micro-grids and smart grids in general, which are in focusing in the optimization or improving of how the energy is generated and not how the energy is used.Peer ReviewedPostprint (published version

Effectiveness of Smartphone Devices in Promoting Physical Activity and Exercise in Patients with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease: A Systematic Review.

No procedeThe objectives of this systematic review were to analyse existing evidence on the efficacy of smartphone devices in promoting physical activity (PA) in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and to identify the validity and precision of their measurements. A systematic review was undertaken across nine electronic databases: WOS Core Collection, PubMed, CINAHL, AMED, Academic Search Complete, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, SciELO, LILACS and ScienceDirect. Randomized and non-randomized controlled clinical trials were identified. To obtain additional eligible articles, the reference lists of the selected studies were also checked. Eligibility criteria and risk of bias were assessed by two independent authors. A total of eight articles met eligibility criteria. The studies were focused on promoting PA (n = 5) and the precision of device measurements (n = 3). The effectiveness of smartphones in increasing PA level (steps/day) at short and long term is very limited. Mobile-based exercise programs reported improvements in exercise capacity (i.e. incremental Shuttle-Walk-Test) at short and long term (18.3% and 21%, respectively). The precision of device measurements was good-to-excellent (r = 0.69-0.99); however, these data should be interpreted with caution due to methodological limitations of studies. The effectiveness of smartphone devices in promoting PA levels in patients with COPD is scarce. Further high-quality studies are needed to evaluate the effectiveness of smartphone devices in promoting PA levels. Registration number: CRD42016050048.NoActividad Física y DeporteTerapia y Rehabilitació

Inicio y fin de la vida: “aspectos biojurídicos”

Hablar del inicio y fin de la vida no es tarea fácil dados los tabús y la carga emocional que generalmente conllevan estas discusiones. Sin embargo, hoy más que nunca se hace necesario, frente al avasallador avance científico, abordar ambos temas y hacerlo desde una perspectiva multidisciplinaria, plural e incluyente. En ese orden de ideas, el derecho, como regulador de la vida social de los individuos, está llamado a discutir las nuevas formas de generación de vida humana, así como los nuevos métodos de prolongación de la vida. Derivado de lo anterior, el derecho se ve actualmente obligado a nutrirse e interactuar con un área del conocimiento que hasta hace poco era ignorada por la ciencia jurídica, la biología. Frente a la nueva conceptualización de la vida, tanto en sus inicios como en su final, surge la necesidad de analizar dichos fenómenos desde una perspectiva biojurídica e inclusive biopolítica. Hoy es necesario dar un paso más y transitar de la bioética al bioderecho. Inicio y fin de la vida, implican ahora un debate que no debe ni puede ser aislado, un debate que nutrido del conocimiento científico se habrá de reflejar, tarde o temprano, en nuestra legislación nacional así como en las diversas formas de regulación de la vida social.Hablar del inicio y fin de la vida no es tarea fácil dados los tabús y la carga emocional que generalmente conllevan estas discusiones. Sin embargo, hoy más que nunca se hace necesario, frente al avasallador avance científico, abordar ambos temas y hacerlo desde una perspectiva multidisciplinaria, plural e incluyente. En ese orden de ideas, el derecho, como regulador de la vida social de los individuos, está llamado a discutir las nuevas formas de generación de vida humana, así como los nuevos métodos de prolongación de la vida. Derivado de lo anterior, el derecho se ve actualmente obligado a nutrirse e interactuar con un área del conocimiento que hasta hace poco era ignorada por la ciencia jurídica, la biología. Frente a la nueva conceptualización de la vida, tanto en sus inicios como en su final, surge la necesidad de analizar dichos fenómenos desde una perspectiva biojurídica e inclusive biopolítica. Hoy es necesario dar un paso más y transitar de la bioética al bioderecho. Inicio y fin de la vida, implican ahora un debate que no debe ni puede ser aislado, un debate que nutrido del conocimiento científico se habrá de reflejar, tarde o temprano, en nuestra legislación nacional así como en las diversas formas de regulación de la vida social

Lifestyle and fat distribution in asthmatic and healthy adolescents

Introducción: el objetivo es analizar el estilo de vida, en función del ejercicio y la dieta, de un grupo de adolescentes de la Comunidad de Madrid, teniendo en cuenta género y patología y su relación con el estado nutricional, la distribución de grasa y la función pulmonar. Metodología: Estudio descriptivo de 207 sujetos que analizó el estilo de vida a partir del nivel de actividad física (AF) y la adherencia a la dieta mediterránea, el estado nutricional y la distribución de grasa, y la salud respiratoria. Resultados: El grupo de no asmáticos fue más activo (p=0,003) y presentó menor ICT (p=0,001) que el grupo de asmáticos. Se encontraron diferencias significativas dentro del grupo sin asma en nivel de AF siendo los varones más activos (p=0,01) y presentando menor índice cintura-talla (ICT) que las mujeres del mismo grupo (p=0,001). Conclusiones: Los adolescentes no asmáticos fueron más activos y presentaron mejor distribución de grasa que los asmáticosObjectives: objective is to analyze the lifestyle, integrating exercise and diet, of a group of adolescents from the Community of Madrid, taking into account gender and pathology and its relationship with nutritional status, fat distribution and lung function in adolescents with or without asthma. Methods: This was a descriptive study including 207 subjects aged 13.20 ± 0.62 years. Lifestyle was assessed in terms of physical activity (PA) levels, Mediterranean diet, nutritional status, and respiratory health measured through FEV1 (z). Results: In the non-asthma group, boys were more active (p = 0.01) and showed a lower waist-to-height ratio (WHtR) than girls (p = 0.001). Participants without asthma were more active (p = 0.003), and had a better WHtR (p = 0.001) and FEV1 (p = 0.001) than those with asthma. Conclusions: In this Spanish population sample, non-asthmatic adolescents were more active and showed a better nutritional status, fat distribution and respiratory health than their peers with asthmaFinanciado a través de la VII Convocatoria Real Madrid-Universidad Europea (Ref 2015/03RM); Tercer premio en los XV Premios Neumomadrid; Beca Jóvenes Investigadores de la SENP 2015

Combined direct-sun ultraviolet and infrared spectroscopies at Popocatépetl volcano (Mexico)

Volcanic plume composition is strongly influenced by both changes in magmatic systems and plume-atmosphere interactions. Understanding the degassing mechanisms controlling the type of volcanic activity implies deciphering the contributions of magmatic gases reaching the surface and their posterior chemical transformations in contact with the atmosphere. Remote sensing techniques based on direct solar absorption spectroscopy provide valuable information about most of the emitted magmatic gases but also on gas species formed and converted within the plumes. In this study, we explore the procedures, performances and benefits of combining two direct solar absorption techniques, high resolution Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR) and Ultraviolet Differential Optical Absorption Spectroscopy (UV-DOAS), to observe the composition changes in the Popocatépetl’s plume with high temporal resolution. The SO2 vertical columns obtained from three instruments (DOAS, high resolution FTIR and Pandora) were found similar (median difference <12%) after their intercalibration. We combined them to determine with high temporal resolution the different hydrogen halide and halogen species to sulfur ratios (HF/SO$_{2}$, BrO/SO$_{2}$, HCl/SO$_{2}$, SiF$_{4}$/SO$_{2}$, detection limit of HBr/SO$_{2}$) and HCl/BrO in the Popocatépetl’s plume over a 2.5-years period (2017 to mid-2019). BrO/SO$_{2}$, BrO/HCl, and HCl/SO$_{2}$ ratios were found in the range of (0.63 ± 0.06 to 1.14 ± 0.20) × 10$^{–4}$, (2.6 ± 0.5 to 6.9 ± 2.6) × 10$^{–4}$, and 0.08 ± 0.01 to 0.21 ± 0.01 respectively, while the SiF4/SO$_{2}$ and HF/SO$_{2}$ ratios were found fairly constant at (1.56 ± 0.25) × 10$^{–3}$ and 0.049 ± 0.001. We especially focused on the full growth/destruction cycle of the most voluminous lava dome of the period that took place between February and April 2019. A decrease of the HCl/SO$_{2}$ ratio was observed with the decrease of the extrusive activity. Furthermore, the short-term variability of BrO/SO$_{2}$ is measured for the first time at Popocatépetl volcano together with HCl/SO$_{2}$, revealing different behaviors with respect to the volcanic activity. More generally, providing such temporally resolved and near-real-time time series of both primary and secondary volcanic gaseous species is critical for the management of volcanic emergencies, as well as for the understanding of the volcanic degassing processes and their impact on the atmospheric chemistry

Utilidad del péptido natriurético tipo B en el diagnóstico de hipertrofia ventricular izquierda en el paciente hipertenso

Objetivo. Analizar la utilidad del péptido natriurético tipo B (PNB) en el diagnóstico de la hipertrofia ventricular izquierda en el paciente hipertenso. Material y métodos. Se estudió a 25 pacientes hipertensos atendidos en la Clínica Good Hope (Miraflores, Lima). Se realizó a todos ellos una medición de PNB plasmático y un ecocardiograma para determinar la masa ventricular izquierda ajustada para superficie corporal (MVIsc) mediante la fórmula de Penn. Resultados. No se encontró diferencia significativa entre los valores de PNB en pacientes con y sin hipertrofia ventricular izquierda (51,2 ± 28,2 frente a 51,9 ± 30,0 pg/mL, respectivamente; p = 0,96). Tampoco se halló una correlación significativa entre los valores de PNB y la MVIsc (r= –0,03; p = 0,988). El área bajo la curva ROC fue 0,484 (IC 95%, 0,215-0,753; p = 0,904). Conclusión. La determinación de PNB en plasma no fue útil para identificar la hipertrofia ventricular izquierda en el paciente hipertenso

Biphasic Role of Calcium in Mouse Sperm Capacitation Signaling Pathways

Mammalian sperm acquire fertilizing ability in the female tract in a process known as capacitation. At the molecular level, capacitation is associated with up-regulation of a cAMP-dependent pathway, changes in intracellular pH, intracellular Ca2+, and an increase in tyrosine phosphorylation. How these signaling systems interact during capacitation is not well understood. Results presented in this study indicate that Ca2+ ions have a biphasic role in the regulation of cAMP-dependent signaling. Media without added Ca2+ salts (nominal zero Ca2+) still contain micromolar concentrations of this ion. Sperm incubated in this medium did not undergo PKA activation or the increase in tyrosine phosphorylation suggesting that these phosphorylation pathways require Ca2+. However, chelation of the extracellular Ca2+ traces by EGTA induced both cAMP-dependent phosphorylation and the increase in tyrosine phosphorylation. The EGTA effect in nominal zero Ca2+ media was mimicked by two calmodulin antagonists, W7 and calmidazolium, and by the calcineurin inhibitor cyclosporine A. These results suggest that Ca2+ ions regulate sperm cAMP and tyrosine phosphorylation pathways in a biphasic manner and that some of its effects are mediated by calmodulin. Interestingly, contrary to wild-type mouse sperm, sperm from CatSper1 KO mice underwent PKA activation and an increase in tyrosine phosphorylation upon incubation in nominal zero Ca2+ media. Therefore, sperm lacking Catsper Ca2+ channels behave as wild-type sperm incubated in the presence of EGTA. This latter result suggests that Catsper transports the Ca2+ involved in the regulation of cAMP-dependent and tyrosine phosphorylation pathways required for sperm capacitation.Fil: Navarrete, Felipe A.. University of Massachusetts; Estados UnidosFil: García Vázquez, Francisco A.. University of Massachusetts; Estados Unidos. Universidad de Murcia; EspañaFil: Alvau, Antonio. University of Massachusetts; Estados UnidosFil: Escoffier, Jessica. University of Massachusetts; Estados UnidosFil: Krapf, Dario. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Rosario. Instituto de Biología Molecular y Celular de Rosario. Universidad Nacional de Rosario. Facultad de Ciencias Bioquímicas y Farmacéuticas. Instituto de Biología Molecular y Celular de Rosario; ArgentinaFil: Sánchez Cárdenas, Claudia. Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México; MéxicoFil: Salicioni, Ana M.. University of Massachusetts; Estados UnidosFil: Darszon, Alberto. Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México; MéxicoFil: Visconti, Pablo E.. University of Massachusetts; Estados Unido