Estructura y morfología de las regiones degradadas del polietileno de ultra alto peso molecular en prótesis articulares

Se realiza el presente estudio en material de 3 prótesis articulares de rodilla para valorar las diferencias morfológicas y estructurales entre las zonas degradadas y no degradadas encontradas en el polietileno de ultra alto peso molecular (PEUAPM). Los implantes estudiados comprenden material degradado tras implante y retirada, material degradado sin implantar y material no degradado sin implantar. Mediante microscopía electrónica de barrido, se analiza la morfología de la zona degradada que explica la pérdida de transparencia del material en la llamada banda blanca. Mediante FTIR, se comprueba la degradación química de la zona de banda y se obtiene el índice de degradación del material, correlacionado con su cristalinidad. Mediante DSC y difractogramas de rayos X, se manifiesta en el material degradado la presencia de fase ortorrómbica pero también monoclínica, cuya cuantificación mediante rayos X abre un nuevo camino para investigar la relación entre degradación del material y fracaso del implante.Peer Reviewe

Efficient production of hybrid bio-nanomaterials by continuous microchannel emulsification: Dye-doped SiO2 and Au-PLGA nanoparticles

A novel microfluidic system was designed to produce in a continuous manner hybrid nanomaterials using the microchannel double w/o/w emulsification technique. Double w/o/w nanoemulsions were produced combining two inter-digital micromixers that afford working in continuous flow and with a high reproducibility and control on the reaction conditions. High throughput production of two hybrid nanomaterials, dye-doped SiO2 (4 mg/min) and Au-loaded poly(lactic-co-glycolic) acid (PLGA) (168 mg/min) nanoparticles, were achieved, showing the resulting nanomaterials excellent and reproducible optical properties and tunable loading. These hybrid nanomaterials could be potentially used in different biomedical applications. In addition, the microfluidic system designed for carrying out double emulsification enabled to decrease the particle size distribution of dye-doped SiO2 nanoparticles (NPs) up to 20 nm and to improve the Au NPs loading efficiency in Au-loaded PLGA hybrid nanoparticles. The excellent control achieved in the Au NPs loading allowed tuning the payload on demand. Finally, the microfluidic system designed in this work overpasses the productivity described in previously published batch-type reactors, while assuring the same properties of the resulting hybrid nanomaterials

El espacio construido, el banquete y la fiesta en durmartle galois

Durmart le Galois no es una novela artúrica convencional. Los caballeros de la Tabla Redonda son relegados a un segundo plano frente al protagonismo que cobra el héroe epónimo. Su estructura carece de una etapa de crisis personal o social del héroe, de forma que la aventura constituye un itinerario cuyas etapas se despliegan a través de una vasta geografía. Los castillos y ciudades se imponen sobre otros espacios salvajes, como el bosque, más frecuentes en otras obras caballerescas. La descripción de estos lugares construidos parte de los cánones establecidos por la tradición literaria, pero se aleja después y muestra un espacio amable, abierto a la sociabilidad y al entretenimiento. El ambiente festivo inunda la novela y encuentra su culminación en el banquete, con sus rituales y su protocolo. En torno a la mesa, los comensales intercambian conversaciones que marcarán el progreso de la intriga. Durmart le Galois is not a conventional Arthurian novel. The knights of the Round Table are pushed into the background, while relevance is given to the eponymous hero. Its structure lacks a stage of personal or social crisis of the hero, so, adventure covers an itinerary whose stages are displayed throughout a vast geography. Castles and cities replace other wild spaces, such as the forest, which are more frequent in other chivalric works. The description of these built-up spaces starts from the pre-established literary canons, but later it moves away from conventions, and it depicts a gentle space, which is open to sociability and entertainment. A merry atmosphere floods the novel, and it reaches its climax in the banquet, with its rituals and protocol. Around the table, guests exchange conversations, which will influence the unfolding of the plot

La sabiduría es la hija de la experiencia

Esta frase que se ha colocado de título, es de la autoría de Leonardo Da Vinci. Palabras que engloban una certeza y que mantienen su vigencia hasta el momento actual.El conocimiento y el desarrollo de la ciencia es un baluarte que todo investigador debe incorporar para su desarrollo científico técnico. Los resultados de cada investigación logran exponer avances de nuevas técnicas, procedimientos y terapéuticas que son útiles para combatir las enfermedades que azotan a la población mundial. Cada científico de la salud, tiene el deber de desarrollar y dar respuesta a las interrogantes que aún están presentes en la ciencia médica. Este siglo XXI, ha logrado avances en el conocimiento y la actuación más adecuada ante enfermedades que no se conocían o no se tenían suficientes criterios de causa-efecto y de tratamiento ante los mismos. Pero aún queda mucho por descubrir, desarrollar e implementar las conductas adecuadas ante estas afecciones

Characterization of potential therapeutic targets in Leishmania infantum

Leishmaniasis is a parasitic disease caused by various species of Leishmania, which affects millions of people worldwide. Current treatments for leishmaniasis often present adverse effects and may not be effective against every Leishmania strain or form of the disease. Therefore, it is essential to explore new therapeutic approaches to combat the parasite. In this study, we focused on the PeBoW complex proteins homologous in Leishmania, which is involved in ribosomal biogenesis and plays a critical role in cancer development in mammalian cells. Recently, a homologue of the oncogene PES1 was found in Leishmania major, which plays a crucial role in parasite infectivity. Given this, we analyzed the possibility of using other PeBoW complex partner genes in Leishmania as therapeutic targets for leishmaniasis treatment. Specifically, our investigation aimed to characterize the partner WDR12 homologous in Leishmania infantum (LmjWDR12) as new therapeutic approach

A simple approach to obtain hybrid Au-loaded polymeric nanoparticles with a tunable metal load

A new strategy to nanoengineer multi-functional polymer-metal hybrid nanostructures is reported. By using this protocol the hurdles of most of the current developments concerning covalent and non-covalent attachment of polymers to preformed inorganic nanoparticles (NPs) are overcome. The strategy is based on the in situ reduction of metal precursors using the polymeric nanoparticle as a nanoreactor. Gold nanoparticles and poly(dl-lactic-co-glycolic acid), PLGA, are located in the core and shell, respectively. This novel technique enables the production of PLGA NPs smaller than 200 nm that bear either a single encapsulated Au NP or several smaller NPs with tunable sizes and a 100% loading efficiency. In situ reduction of Au ions inside the polymeric NPs was achieved on demand by using heat to activate the reductive effect of citrate ions. In addition, we show that the loading of the resulting Au NPs inside the PLGA NPs is highly dependent on the surfactant used. Electron microscopy, laser irradiation, UV-Vis and fluorescence spectroscopy characterization techniques confirm the location of Au nanoparticles. These promising results indicate that these hybrid nanomaterials could be used in theranostic applications or as contrast agents in dark-field imaging and computed tomography

Interferon alfa subtypes and levels of type I interferons in the liver and peripheral mononuclear cells in patients with chronic hepatitis C and controls

Viral infections stimulate the transcription of interferon type I, which includes IFN-alfa (IFN-alpha) (13 subtypes) and IFN-beta (a single substance). Hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection is remarkable by its ability to evade host antiviral defenses; however, there is little information as to whether endogenous IFN is activated or not in this disease. Additionally, despite the fact that the various IFN-alpha subtypes may differ in biological activity, there are no data concerning the IFN-alpha subtypes specifically expressed in normal and diseased liver tissue. Thus, we have analyzed the IFN-alpha subtypes and the mRNA levels of type I IFNs in samples of normal liver tissue and in liver from patients with chronic hepatitis C. Similar studies were performed in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) from patients and controls. After amplification and cloning of IFN-alpha cDNA, we observed that 98 of the 100 clones from normal liver tissue corresponded to the IFN-alpha5 subtype. However, in livers with chronic hepatitis C and in PBMC from controls and patients, a variety of subtypes, in addition to IFN-alpha5, were detected, suggesting a participation of infiltrating leukocytes in the production of IFN-alpha in livers with chronic hepatitis C. As compared with controls, patients with chronic hepatitis C showed a significant increase in IFN-beta mRNA in both the liver and PBMC, while IFN-alpha mRNA was significantly increased in PBMC but markedly reduced in liver tissue. In conclusion, IFN-alpha5 is the sole IFN-alpha subtype expressed in normal liver tissue. The hepatic levels of IFN-alpha are reduced in chronic hepatitis C, an event that may favor viral persistence

Sequential localization of a complex electron fluid

Complex and correlated quantum systems with promise for new functionality often involve entwined electronic degrees of freedom. In such materials, highly unusual properties emerge and could be the result of electron localization. Here, a cubic heavy fermion metal governed by spins and orbitals is chosen as a model system for this physics. Its properties are found to originate from surprisingly simple low-energy behavior, with two distinct localization transitions driven by a single degree of freedom at a time. This result is unexpected, but we are able to understand it by advancing the notion of sequential destruction of an SU(4) spin-orbital-coupled Kondo entanglement. Our results implicate electron localization as a unified framework for strongly correlated materials and suggest ways to exploit multiple degrees of freedom for quantum engineering.Comment: 21 pages, 4 figures (preprint format