Biobased catalyst in biorefinery processes: Sulphonated hydrothermal carbon for glycerol esterification

Sulphonated hydrothermal carbon (SHTC), obtained from D-glucose by mild hydrothermal carbonisation and subsequent sulphonation with sulphuric acid, is able to catalyse the esterification of glycerol with dif- ferent carboxylic acids, namely, acetic, butyric and caprylic acids. Product selectivity can be tuned by sim- ply controlling the reaction conditions. On the one hand, SHTC provides one of the best selectivity towards 20 monoacetins described up to now without the need for an excess of glycerol. On the other hand, excellent selectivity towards triacylglycerides (TAG) can be obtained, beyond those described with other solid cata- lysts, including well-known sulphonic resins. Recovery of the catalyst showed partial deactivation of the solid. The formation of sulphonate esters on the surface, confirmed by solid state NMR, was the cause of this behaviour. Acid treatment of the used catalyst, with subsequent hydrolysis of the surface sulphonate 25 esters, allows SHTC to recover its activity. The higher selectivity towards mono- and triesters and its renewable origin makes SHTC an attractive catalyst in biorefinery processe

Collagen-laponite nanoclay hydrogels for tumor spheroid growth

The extracellular matrix (ECM) plays an important regulatory role in the development and progression of tumoral tissue. Its functions and properties are crucial in determining tumor cell behavior such as invasion, migration, and malignancy development. Our study explores the role of collagen type I in cancer development and spread using engineered tumor models like multicellular spheroids grown in collagen-based hydrogels to simulate early tumor formation. We employ microfluidic techniques to test the hypothesis that (i) adding Laponite nanoclay to collagen hydrogels modifies mechanical and rheological properties and (ii) changing the stiffness of the collagen microenvironment affects tumor spheroid growth. Our findings support our theories and suggest the use of ECM components and engineered tumor models in cancer research, offering a biocompatible and biomimetic method to tailor the mechanical properties of conventional collagen hydrogels

Evaluación combinada de los impactos ambientales, económicos y sociales de soluciones estructurales para la construcción de viviendas

Sustainable development in construction is based on three fundamental pillars: economic, environmental and social. This type of approach aims to identify the best possible solutions for sustainably developing structures by conducting a joint evaluation of the impact on those three pillars. The proposed methodology incorporates metadata on the Spanish construction sector. First, a discrete database is generated with 360 alternatives covering a range of common solutions in residential building. A Pareto algorithm is utilized to select the optimal choices and the wide range of solutions is reduced to the 5 % of the initial group. The project manager is therefore provided with an objective assessment of suitable structural alternatives including the overall joint economic, social, and environmental impact. The results obtained demonstrate the importance and utility of the proposed methodology for sustainable construction.El desarrollo sostenible aplicado a la construcción se basa en tres pilares fundamentales: económico, medioambiental y social. El objetivo principal es identificar las mejores soluciones en términos de desarrollo sostenible de alternativas estructurales a partir de la evaluación conjunta de los impactos en dichos pilares. La metodología propuesta incorpora metadatos con información del sector de la construcción en España. Primero se genera una base de datos discreta de 360 alternativas estructurales que cubren el rango de soluciones habituales en edificación residencial. La selección de alternativas óptimas se realiza mediante el algoritmo de Pareto. El abanico de soluciones se reduce al 5 % de las iniciales. Se aporta una valoración objetiva que orienta al proyectista en la selección de alternativas estructurales idóneas, visualizando de forma conjunta el impacto económico, social y ambiental. Los resultados obtenidos muestran la importancia y utilidad de la metodología propuesta en el campo de la construcción sostenible

A pilot study identifying a set of microRNAs as precise diagnostic biomarkers of acute kidney injury

In the last decade, Acute Kidney Injury (AKI) diagnosis and therapy have not notably improved probably due to delay in the diagnosis, among other issues. Precocity and accuracy should be critical parameters in novel AKI biomarker discovery. microRNAs are key regulators of cell responses to many stimuli and they can be secreted to the extracellular environment. Therefore, they can be detected in body fluids and are emerging as novel disease biomarkers. We aimed to identify and validate serum miRNAs useful for AKI diagnosis and management. Using qRT-PCR arrays in serum samples, we determined miRNAs differentially expressed between AKI patients and healthy controls. Statistical and target prediction analysis allowed us to identify a panel of 10 serum miRNAs. This set was further validated, by qRT-PCR, in two independent cohorts of patients with relevant morbi-mortality related to AKI: Intensive Care Units (ICU) and Cardiac Surgery (CS). Statistical correlations with patient clinical parameter were performed. Our results demonstrated that the 10 selected miRNAs (miR-101-3p, miR-127-3p, miR-210-3p, miR-126-3p, miR-26b-5p, miR-29a-3p, miR-146a-5p, miR-27a-3p, miR-93-3p and miR-10a-5p) were diagnostic biomarkers of AKI in ICU patients, exhibiting areas under the curve close to 1 in ROC analysis. Outstandingly, serum miRNAs estimated before CS predicted AKI development later on, thus becoming biomarkers to predict AKI predisposition. Moreover, after surgery, the expression of the miRNAs was modulated days before serum creatinine increased, demonstrating early diagnostic value. In summary, we have identified a set of serum miRNAs as AKI biomarkers useful in clinical practice, since they demonstrate early detection and high diagnostic value and they recognize patients at risk

Comparison of Maldi-Tof with gene sequencing in bacteria isolates from plants belonging to family Rhizobiaceae

Comunicaciones a congreso

Laponite as carrier for controlled in vitro delivery of dexamethasone in vitreous humor models

Laponite clay is able to retain dexamethasone by simple physisorption, presumably accomplished by hydrogen bonding formation and/or complexation with sodium counterions, as shown by solid state NMR. The physisorption can be somehow modulated by changing the solvent in the adsorption process. This simple system is able to deliver dexamethasone in a controlled manner to solutions used as models for vitreous humor. The proven biocompatibility of laponite as well as its transparency in the gel state, together with the simplicity of the preparation method, makes this system suitable for future in vivo tests of ophthalmic treatment.This study was supported by the Instituto de Salud Carlos III (project PI12/02285) and authors would like to acknowledge the financial support received from Diputación General de Aragón (E11 Group co-financed by the European Regional Development Funds).Peer Reviewe

Selección de forjados unidireccionales con criterios técnicos, económicos y sostenibles

This paper presents a method for finding the optimal floor slabs according to the requirements of the Spanish Building Code (CTE), the Spanish Structural Concrete Code (EHE-08) and good building practices. This method is applied to the case of one-way floor slabs with on-site cast ribs according with the characteristics and performance parameters usually offered by firms in the industry. The initial data and the variables involved in the process cover the technical viability, sustainability and monetary cost of slabs by incorporating specific ratios to assess the suitability of each solution. The method set out here may prove helpful to construction specialists who need to select optimal-cost floor slabs with the lowest environmental impacts.En este artículo se presenta un método para la búsqueda de forjados óptimos tomando en cuenta las exigencias del Código Técnico de la Edificación, CTE, de la Instrucción de Hormigón Estructural, EHE-08, y de la buena práctica constructiva. Esta metodología se aplica al caso de forjados unidireccionales con nervio hormigonado in situ de acuerdo a las características y prestaciones habituales que ofertan las empresas del sector. Los datos de partida y las variables implicadas en el proceso hacen referencia a la viabilidad técnica, sostenibilidad y coste económico de los forjados a través de la incorporación de ratios específicos que evalúan la idoneidad de cada solución. El método aquí expuesto pretende servir de ayuda para el profesional de la construcción que necesite seleccionar aquellos forjados de coste óptimo que proporcionen el menor impacto medioambiental

Clinical features and health-related quality of life in adult patients with mucopolysaccharidosis IVA: the Spanish experience

Background: Mucopolysaccharidosis (MPS) IVA or Morquio A syndrome is a progressive and disabling disease characterized by a deficiency of the enzyme N-acetylgalactosamine-6-sulphate sulphatase. Its clinical presentation is very heterogeneous and poorly understood in adults. The aim of this study was to describe the clinical manifestations of MPS IVA in adult patients in Spain and to assess their health-related quality of life (HRQoL). Results: Thirty-three patients from nine reference centres participated in the study. The median age was 32 (interquartile range [IQR]: 20.5–40.5) years. The phenotype was classical in 54.5% of patients, intermediate in 33.3% of patients, and non-classical in 12.1% of patients. The most common clinical manifestation was bone dysplasia, with a median height of 118 (IQR: 106–136) cm. Other frequent clinical manifestations were hearing loss (75.7%), ligamentous laxity (72.7%), odontoid dysplasia (69.7%), limb deformities that required orthopaedic aids (mainly hip dysplasia and genu valgus) (63.6%), and corneal clouding (60.6%). In addition, 36.0% of patients had obstructive sleep apnoea/hypopnoea syndrome and 33.3% needed non-invasive ventilation. Cervical surgery and varisation osteotomy were the most common surgical interventions (36.4% each). Almost 80% of patients had mobility problems and 36.4% used a wheelchair at all times. Furthermore, 87.9% needed help with self-care, 33.3% were fully dependent, and 78.8% had some degree of pain. HRQoL according to the health assessment questionnaire was 1.43 (IQR: 1.03–2.00) in patients with the non-classical phenotype, but 2.5 (IQR: 1.68–3.00) in those with the classical phenotype. Seven patients were initiated on enzyme replacement therapy (ERT), but two of them were lost to follow-up. Lung function improved in four patients and slightly worsened in one patient. The distance achieved in the six-minute walk test increased in the four patients who could perform it. HRQoL was better in patients treated with elosulfase alfa, with a median (IQR) of 1.75 (1.25–2.34) versus 2.25 (1.62–3.00) in patients not treated with ERT. Conclusions: The study provides real-world data on patients with MPS IVA. Limited mobility, difficulties with self-care, dependence, and pain were common, together with poor HRQoL. The severity and heterogeneity of clinical manifestations require the combined efforts of multidisciplinary teams

Analysis and evaluation of groundwater protection alternatives during waste extraction operations (acid tars) in a lagoon in Arganda del Rey (Madrid)

[Resumen:] La Comunidad de Madrid está llevando a cabo la restauración integral de una antigua gravera contaminada con residuos peligrosos, mayoritariamente sulfonatos de petróleo (alquitranes ácidos), procedentes del tratamiento de aceites industriales usados. Parte de dichos vertidos, realizados en las décadas de los años 1970 y 1980, se depositaron en una laguna originada por la explotación de áridos por debajo del nivel piezométrico del acuífero, conformando una balsa con 50000 m3 de residuos peligrosos. La diversa ubicación, naturaleza y estado de los residuos requiere diferentes soluciones para su extracción y tratamiento, por lo que el proyecto de restauración consta de varias fases. Los residuos depositados producen un efecto de confinamiento en el acuífero, dado que la cota del fondo de los residuos es inferior al nivel piezométrico. Con estos condicionantes es crítico establecer un procedimiento de protección de las aguas subterráneas a la hora de acometer la próxima fase, consistente en la extracción de los residuos situados por debajo del nivel piezométrico. En este artículo se describe el proceso que se ha llevado a cabo para seleccionar la mejor alternativa desde el punto de vista hidrogeológico, considerando todos los datos disponibles obtenidos en las fases previas del proyecto. Una vez planteadas y caracterizadas todas las alternativas posibles se ha seleccionado de forma argumentada y razonada como mejor alternativa la realización de una barrera impermeabilizante perimetral a la balsa y empotrada en una capa de arcillas de 2 m de espesor situada en el subsuelo de la balsa.[Abstract:] The Community of Madrid is carrying out the integral restoration of an old gravel pit contaminated with hazardous waste, mostly petroleum sulphonates (acid tars), from the treatment of used industrial oil. Part of these discharges, from the 1970s and 1980s, were deposited in a lagoon generated by the exploitation of aggregates below the piezometric level of the aquifer, forming a raft with 50,000 m3 of hazardous waste. The different locations, nature and conditions of the waste require different solutions for its extraction and treatment, so the restoration project consists of several phases. The deposited waste produces an effect of confinement in the aquifer, since the bottom level of the waste is lower than the piezometric level. With these conditions, it is critical to establish a procedure for the protection of the groundwater when executing the next phase, consisting of the extraction of waste located below the piezometric level. This article describes the process that has been carried out to select the best alternative from a hydrogeological point of view, considering all the available data obtained in the previous phases of the project. Once all the possible alternatives had been considered and characterized in a reasoned way, we chose the construction of a perimeter barrier around the raft embedded in a clay layer of 2 m thick located in the base of the raft as the best option