Banco Santander y segmento joven: estrategia de Blended Marketing y percepción del cliente

El objetivo de mi trabajo es realizar un estudio en profundidad de la estrategia de banca joven que lleva a cabo la Entidad. Todo ello enfocado al área de marketing del segmento joven, esto es, cómo el Banco diseña un conjunto de acciones para conseguir los objetivos definidos en su plan de marketing y centrados en el colectivo de clientes de 18 a 31 años, ambos incluidos. La última parte de la investigación se centra en averiguar la opinión que tienen los estudiantes universitarios de Soria, colectivo que forma parte del target del Banco Santander, acerca de la entidad.Grado en Administración y Dirección de Empresa

Manejo no farmacológico de la epilepsia idiopática: estrategias empleadas en medicina humana y veterinaria

Traballo Fin de Grao en Veterinaria. Curso 2020-2021La epilepsia idiopática es la patología neurológica más frecuente en el perro. Aproximadamente un 30% de estos pacientes padecen una epilepsia refractaria, es decir, no se logran controlar mediante el tratamiento farmacológico convencional. Esto hace que, en los últimos años, la investigación en epilepsia se esté centrando en la búsqueda de estrategias de manejo no farmacológico. Todas ellas se empezaron a investigar a partir de la medicina humana, en la que el porcentaje de pacientes farmacorresistentes ronda también el 30%. Por lo tanto, analizar las alternativas empleadas en humanos puede dar una idea de cuáles serán las opciones terapéuticas para nuestros pacientes en un futuro. Las principales medidas no farmacológicas estudiadas en la especie humana son: la dieta (dieta cetogénica y sus modificaciones), la neuromodulación (estimulación nerviosa vagal, estimulación cerebral profunda, estimulación magnética transcraneal y terapia de neuroestimulación responsiva), la cirugía, la terapia con cannabidiol, la musicoterapia, el enfriamiento focal y la terapia de “neurofeedback”. Este trabajo de revisión recoge el mecanismo de acción, procedimiento, eficacia y efectos adversos de las diversas alternativas investigadas en medicina humana y, posteriormente, se analizan los principales estudios para la población canina en cada una de las diferentes estrategias. La dieta con triglicéridos de cadena media, la estimulación nerviosa vagal, la estimulación magnética transcraneal y la terapia con cannabidiol cuentan con estudios en perros que demuestran su eficacia. Finalmente, ya que no existen unas guías que aborden el tratamiento de los perros farmacorresistentes, se proponen en primer lugar, tomando como referencia los niveles de evidencia científica de los artículos, la dieta con triglicéridos de cadena media y la terapia con cannabidiol, seguidas de la estimulación magnética transcraneal y la estimulación nerviosa vagal. Mientras que, la musicoterapia, se considera una opción que podría llegar a utilizarse tras los estudios respectivos que confirmen su eficacia

Caracterización de bacteriófagos de Lactobacillus parabuchneri y su posible aplicación biotecnológica para la reducción de la presencia de histamina en quesos

Las aminas biógenas (ABs) son compuestos orgánicos nitrogenados de bajo peso molecular con actividad biológica que se forman por la descarboxilación de aminoácidos (AAs) y están presentes de forma natural tanto en animales como en plantas, donde participan en una gran variedad de funciones fisiológicas. Sin embargo, debido a la acción microbiana, las ABs se pueden acumular en alimentos. La ingesta de alimentos con altas concentraciones de ABs puede provocar intoxicaciones, por ello existe un consenso generalizado para reducir la presencia de estos compuestos tóxicos en alimentos. Entre los alimentos en los que se encuentran concentraciones muy altas de ABs están los quesos, ya que constituyen una matriz ideal para la producción y acumulación de ABs. Las principales ABs en quesos son histamina, tiramina, putrescina, cadaverina y β- feniletilamina, siendo la histamina la que tiene mayor actividad biológica. Recientemente se ha identificado a Lactobacillus parabuchneri como el principal responsable de la acumulación de histamina en quesos. Esta especie pertenece al grupo de las bacterias del ácido láctico (BAL), que juegan un papel esencial en la elaboración de alimentos fermentados como el queso. Por lo que, para reducir la presencia de histamina en quesos hay que seguir estrategias que reduzcan la presencia de L. parabuchneri sin afectar a las BAL implicadas en la elaboración del queso. Una de las estrategias sugeridas recientemente es el uso de bacterió(fagos) que infecten específicamente a bacterias productoras de ABs. En este trabajo nos hemos planteado el aislamiento y caracterización de fagos de L. parabuchneri, como un primer paso para evaluar su potencial para reducir la presencia de L. parabuchneri en quesos y consecuentemente reducir la presencia de histamina en los mismos. En este trabajo, se llevó a cabo la búsqueda de fagos capaces de infectar a L. parabuchneri a partir de diferentes muestras de quesos. Además, se realizó el análisis bioinformático de varios genomas de L. parabuchneri en busca de profagos, realizando una caracterización de los mismos. A partir de las secuencias encontradas, se identificó un gen que codifica una endolisina fágica con potencial antimicrobiano, realizándose la clonación y sobrexpresión del mismo. Este trabajo abre la puerta a la investigación del potencial de los fagos, así como alguno de sus enzimas, para ser utilizados como herramientas biotecnológicas para la eliminación de cepas productoras de histamina y, en consecuencia, la acumulación de histamina en alimentos

La metafísica del amor. Relación entre Filosofía y Teología: una experiencia blondeliana

Maurice Blondel´s (1861-1949) philosophical reflection focuses on the fundamental of the person, not only as a subject worthy of love but as love itself. The unfitness of will requires acknowledging an “impossible need”, a desire for infinite, which turns into accepting the other through the literal practice of gratuity. However, is the Blondelian thinking clear on the boundaries between philosophy and theology? To make this question is to establish a methodological separation between these two fields. If such separation holds for Blondel and under my perspective, it cannot be epistemological. Thus, it is convenient to analyze the legitimacy of the theological resources to face the ontological issue. Blondel, from a phenomenological approach to the action phases and a reformulation the models of reason and truth, establishes a different relation between philosophy and theology and gives way to the unheard of concept of Christian philosophy.La reflexión filosófica de Maurice Blondel (1861-1949) lleva a pensar el fundamento del ser, no sólo como digno de ser amado sino como amor. La inadecuación de la voluntad implica el reconocimiento de una “necesidad imposible”, el deseo de Infinito, que se realiza en la eventual aceptación del otro mediante la literal práctica de la gratuidad. Pero ¿el pensamiento blondeliano es respetuoso de los límites que distinguen la filosofía de la teología? Hacerse esta pregunta significa dar por supuesta una separación metodológica entre estos dos saberes. Si bien la distinción se mantiene, para Blondel y, según mi modo de ver, no puede ser de carácter epistemológico. Por tanto, conviene examinar aquí la legitimidad del uso de los recursos teológicos para hacer frente a la pregunta ontológica. Blondel, recorriendo fenomenológicamente las etapas de la acción y reformulando los modelos de razón y verdad, comprende de un modo nuevo la relación entre filosofía y teología y posibilita una inédita filosofía cristiana.

La adaptación en la era intermediática: textos, pantallas e industria

La literatura ha suministrado tramas, temas y argumentos al cine desde sus orígenes. Ya hace tiempo que desde el mundo académico se habla de un nuevo paradigma en las relaciones entre medios, pues los constantes trasvases que experimentan las historias nos obligan a entender la adaptación como un concepto amplio que no se limita a las relaciones entre literatura y cine. Vivimos en un mundo plagado de relatos y éstos se consumen de muy variadas maneras. Estas nuevas pautas de consumo han provocado a su vez que los creadores de historias sean cada día más receptivos a la posibilidad de pensar una obra como algo traducible o, cuando menos, reconducible a diferentes plataformas y soportes. El fenómeno de la adaptación es hoy más que nunca un fenómeno intermediático que debe estudiarse atendiendo a las diferentes plataformas y universos de referencia que proveen contenidos, temas y argumentos al cine, medio que, a su vez, es el origen de productos que se desarrollan en otros formatos y medios. No podemos entender correctamente la actual industria del entretenimiento sin analizar atentamente estos constantes trasvases. Abstract:The literature has provided master plots to cinema from its origins. For many years we spoke about a new paradigm in the relationship between media. The usual exchanges between media compel us to understand adaptation as a broad concept not limited to the relationship between literature and film. We live in a world full of stories and these are consumed in many different ways. These new consumption patterns have changed the creators´ mind who are more receptive of thinking their works as something that could travel between different platforms and media. Adaptation is now more than ever an intermedial phenomenon that must be considered on different platforms and universes of reference. The exchanges between cinema, television, literature and videogames are made on a daily basis and we can´t understand the present entertainment industry without a close reading of this fac

Infliximab microencapsulation: an innovative approach for intra-articular administration of biologics in the management of rheumatoid arthritis in vitro evaluation

Open Access This article is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License, which permits use, sharing, adaptation, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, as long as you give appropriate credit to the original author(s) and the source, provide a link to the Creative Commons licence, and indicate if changes were made. The images or other third party material in this article are included in the article's Creative Commons licence, unless indicated otherwise in a credit line to the material. If material is not included in the article's Creative Commons licence and your intended use is not permitted by statutory regulation or exceeds the permitted use, you will need to obtain permission directly from the copyright holder. To view a copy of this licence, visit http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/.Microencapsulation of the therapeutical monoclonal antibody infliximab (INF) was investigated as an innovative approach to improve its stability and to achieve formulations with convenient features for intra-articular administration. Ultrasonic atomization (UA), a novel alternative to microencapsulate labile drugs, was compared with the conventional emulsion/evaporation method (Em/Ev) using biodegradable polymers, specifically Polyactive® 1000PEOT70PBT30 [poly(ethylene-oxide-terephthalate)/poly(butylene-terephthalate); PEOT-PBT] and its polymeric blends with poly-(D, L-lactide-co-glycolide) (PLGA) RG502 and RG503 (PEOT-PBT:PLGA; 65:35). Six different formulations of spherical core–shell microcapsules were successfully developed and characterized. The UA method achieved a significantly higher encapsulation efficiency (69.7–80.25%) than Em/Ev (17.3–23.0%). Mean particle size, strongly determined by the microencapsulation method and to a lesser extent by polymeric composition, ranged from 26.6 to 49.9 µm for UA and 1.5–2.1 µm for Em/Ev. All formulations demonstrated sustained INF release in vitro for up to 24 days, with release rates modulated by polymeric composition and microencapsulation technique. Both methods preserved INF biological activity, with microencapsulated INF showing higher efficacy than commercial formulations at comparable doses regarding bioactive tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α) neutralization according to WEHI-13VAR bioassay. Microparticles’ biocompatibility and extensive internalization by THP-1-derived macrophages was demonstrated. Furthermore, high in vitro anti-inflammatory activity was achieved after treatment of THP-1 cells with INF-loaded microcapsules, significatively reducing in vitro production of TNF-α and interleucine-6 (Il-6).Open Access funding provided thanks to the CRUE-CSIC agreement with Springer Nature. Iván Lamela-Gómez received funding from the “Axudas á etapa predoutoral da Xunta de Galicia, cofinanciadas polo programa operativo FSE Galicia 2014–2020” predoctoral grant program. Consellería de Cultura, Educación e ordenación universitaria, Xunta de Galicia, Spain. This research was partially funded by Consellería de Cultura, Educación e ordenación universitaria, Xunta de Galicia, Spain. Axudas para a consolidación e estructuración de unidades de investigación competitivas Modalidad A: Grupos de Referencia Competitiva (ED341C 2017/13). This research was also partially funded by the Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia (FCT), Portugal (UID/DTP/04138/2019 and UIDB/04138/2020 to iMed.ULisboa), and principal investigator grants CEECIND/03143/2017 (L. M. Gonçalves).info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Infliximab microencapsulation: an innovative approach for intra-articular administration of biologics in the management of rheumatoid arthritis-in vitro evaluation

Microencapsulation of the therapeutical monoclonal antibody infliximab (INF) was investigated as an innovative approach to improve its stability and to achieve formulations with convenient features for intra-articular administration. Ultrasonic atomization (UA), a novel alternative to microencapsulate labile drugs, was compared with the conventional emulsion/evaporation method (Em/Ev) using biodegradable polymers, specifically Polyactive® 1000PEOT70PBT30 [poly(ethylene-oxide-terephthalate)/poly(butylene-terephthalate); PEOT-PBT] and its polymeric blends with poly-(D, L-lactide-co-glycolide) (PLGA) RG502 and RG503 (PEOT-PBT:PLGA; 65:35). Six different formulations of spherical core-shell microcapsules were successfully developed and characterized. The UA method achieved a significantly higher encapsulation efficiency (69.7-80.25%) than Em/Ev (17.3-23.0%). Mean particle size, strongly determined by the microencapsulation method and to a lesser extent by polymeric composition, ranged from 26.6 to 49.9 µm for UA and 1.5-2.1 µm for Em/Ev. All formulations demonstrated sustained INF release in vitro for up to 24 days, with release rates modulated by polymeric composition and microencapsulation technique. Both methods preserved INF biological activity, with microencapsulated INF showing higher efficacy than commercial formulations at comparable doses regarding bioactive tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α) neutralization according to WEHI-13VAR bioassay. Microparticles' biocompatibility and extensive internalization by THP-1-derived macrophages was demonstrated. Furthermore, high in vitro anti-inflammatory activity was achieved after treatment of THP-1 cells with INF-loaded microcapsules, significatively reducing in vitro production of TNF-α and interleucine-6 (Il-6)Open Access funding provided thanks to the CRUE-CSIC agreement with Springer Nature. Iván Lamela-Gómez received funding from the “Axudas á etapa predoutoral da Xunta de Galicia, cofinanciadas polo programa operativo FSE Galicia 2014–2020” predoctoral grant program. Consellería de Cultura, Educación e ordenación universitaria, Xunta de Galicia, Spain. This research was partially funded by Consellería de Cultura, Educación e ordenación universitaria, Xunta de Galicia, Spain. Axudas para a consolidación e estructuración de unidades de investigación competitivas Modalidad A: Grupos de Referencia Competitiva (ED341C 2017/13). This research was also partially funded by the Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia (FCT), Portugal (UID/DTP/04138/2019 and UIDB/04138/2020 to iMed.ULisboa), and principal investigator grants CEECIND/03143/2017 (L. M. Gonçalves)S

Model for glucagon secretion by pancreatic α-cells

Glucagon hormone is synthesized and released by pancreatic α-cells, one of the islet-cell types. This hormone, along with insulin, maintains blood glucose levels within the physiological range. Glucose stimulates glucagon release at low concentrations (hypoglycemia). However, the mechanisms involved in this secretion are still not completely clear. Here, using experimental calcium time series obtained in mouse pancreatic islets at low and high glucose conditions, we propose a glucagon secretion model for α-cells. Our model takes into account that the resupply of releasable granules is not only controlled by cytoplasmic Ca²+, as in other neuroendocrine and endocrine cells, but also by the level of extracellular glucose. We found that, although calcium oscillations are highly variable, the average secretion rates predicted by the model fall into the range of values reported in the literature, for both stimulated and non-stimulated conditions. For low glucose levels, the model predicts that there would be a well-controlled number of releasable granules refilled slowly from a large reserve pool, probably to ensure a secretion rate that could last for several minutes. Studying the α-cell response to the addition of insulin at low glucose, we observe that the presence of insulin reduces glucagon release by decreasing the islet Ca²+ level. This observation is in line with previous work reporting that Ca²+ dynamics, mainly frequency, is altered by insulin. Thus, the present results emphasize the main role played by Ca²+ and glucose in the control of glucagon secretion by α-cells. Our modeling approach also shows that calcium oscillations potentiate glucagon secretion as compared to constant levels of this cellular messenger. Altogether, the model sheds new light on the subcellular mechanisms involved in α-cell exocytosis, and provides a quantitative predictive tool for studying glucagon secretion modulators in physiological and pathological conditions.This work was supported by i-MATH Future Platform, Project Number C3-0136 (www.i-math.org), Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación, Spanish Government, Project BFU2010-21773 (www.micinn.es), CONACyT-Mexico, PhD scholarship number 67287 (www.conacyt.mx), ESF FUNCDYN Programme, Exchange Grants EX/2337 and EX/3617 (www.esf.org), and Fonds National de la Recherche Médicale, grant 3.4636.04 (www2.frs.fnrs.be). The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript

Development, Characterization, and In Vitro Evaluation of Resveratrol-Loaded Poly-(ε-caprolactone) Microcapsules Prepared by Ultrasonic Atomization for Intra-Articular Administration

Intra-articular administration of drugs to the joint in the treatment of joint disease has the potential to minimize the systemic bioavailability and the usual side-effects associated with oral drug administration. In this work, a drug delivery system is proposed to achieve an anti-inflammatory local effect using resveratrol (RSV). This study aims to develop microcapsules made of poly-(ε-caprolactone) (PCL) by ultrasonic atomization to preserve the antioxidant activity of RSV, to prevent its degradation and to suppress the inflammatory response in activated RAW 264.7 macrophages. An experimental design was performed to build a mathematical model that could estimate the effect of nozzle power and polymer concentration on particle size and encapsulation efficiency. RSV-loaded microcapsules showed adequate morphology, particle size, and loading efficiency properties. RSV formulations exhibited negligible cytotoxicity and an efficient amelioration of inflammatory responses, in terms of Nitric Oxide (NO), ROS (Reactive Oxygen Species), and lipid peroxidation in macrophages. Thus, RSV-loaded microcapsules merit consideration as a drug delivery system suitable for intra-articular administration in inflammatory disorders affecting the jointAcknowledgments: I.L.-G. is grateful to “Programa de axudas á etapa predoutoral da Xunta de Galicia (cofinanciadas por FSE Galicia 2014-2020), Consellería de Cultura, Educación e Ordenación Universitaria” program for doctoral fellowshipS

Betaine increases net portal absorption of volatile fatty acids in Iberian pigs

[EN] Betaine is an osmolyte with the potential to increase volatile fatty acids (VFAs) production and hence improve intestinal health.The present study investigated how betaine affects portal and arterial concentrations and net portal absorption (NPA) of VFA in growing Iberian pigs. Eight 30 kg BW Iberian growing barrows with indwelling catheters in portal vein, ileal vein and carotid artery were randomly assigned to a control diet or a diet supplemented with 0.5% betaine. Para-aminohippuric acid was infused into the ileal vein as a marker to determine portal blood flow using the dilution method. Blood samples were simultaneously taken from the carotid artery and portal vein at −60, 60, 120, 180, 240, 300 and 360 min after feeding 1 200 g of the diet. The NPA of VFA (acetate, propionate, butyrate, valerate, isobutyrate and caproate) was determined by multiplying the porto-arterial plasma concentration differences by portal plasma flow. Betaine increased NPA of acetate (1.44 fold; P < 0.001) and total VFA (0.55 fold; P < 0.001) while decreased NPA of propionate (−0.38 fold; P < 0.05) and valerate (−1.46 fold; P < 0.05) compared with control pigs. Estimated heat production potentially derived from NPA of VFA accounted for 0.20–0.27 of metabolizable energy for maintenance. Acetate and propionate accounted for most of the total VFA estimated heat production (0.83–0.89). Regarding bacterial communities, betaine apparently did not change the DNA abundance of fecal total bacteria, Lactobacillus, Bifidobacterium, Enterobacteriaceae, Bacteroides and the Clostridium clusters I, IV and XIV. In conclusion, betaine increased portal appearance and NPA of VFA, contributing to cover maintenance energy requirementsSIThis research was supported by grant AGL2016-80231-R from Ministerio de Economía, Industria y Competitividad, Spain. M. Gómez-García was supported by grant LE131-18 from Junta de Castilla y León co-financed by the European Social Fun