Fluorescent probes and nanostructured materials for the detection of environmental toxins and catalysts development

La tesis trata sobre la síntesis y utilización de materiales modificados, para el reconocimiento de distintas sustancias por fluorescencia o para el desarrollo de catalizadores de reacciones orgánicas de interés. En la primera parte de la tesis se desarrollaron sensores de sustancias tóxicas como mercurio (II) y plomo (II), midiendo en muestras de pescado y disolución respectivamente. Por otro lado, se perfeccionó un sensor para la detección de TATP en fase gas, explosivo sin uso militar utilizado en ataques terroristas. Además, y en complemento a lo anterior, se trabajó con sensores para detectar toxinas alimentarias como la cereulida, o moléculas de interés biológico/toxicológico como el monóxido de carbono. En una segunda parte, se modificaron una serie de materiales con partículas metálicas de oro o paladio para la catálisis de reacciones orgánicas de importancia en la industria; presentando ventajas como ser reciclables, alto rendimiento de reacción y gran selectividad en los productos.The topic of the thesis was the synthesis and modification of materials, for the detection of different substances by fluorescence or to the development of new catalysts for organic reactions. Several probes were developed for the detection of toxic substances such as mercury (II) or lead (II), measuring their presence in fish samples or in solution, respectively. In addition, Silica-Based materials were modified in order to the detect TATP in vapour phase, an explosive with no military use and employed in terrorist attacks. Furthermore, other probes were synthesized and tested for other analytes, such as food toxins (cereulide) or molecules with biological/toxicological interest, such as carbon monoxide. In the second part of the thesis, polymeric materials were modified with gold or palladium metallic particles and employed for the catalysis of organic reactions with industrial importance, presenting several advantages over traditional catalyst

Surface Coating by Gold Nanoparticles on Functional Polymers: On-Demand Portable Catalysts for Suzuki Reactions

We have developed new functionalized polymers capable of being easily coated by gold nanoparticles, uniformly distributed on the surface of the polymers, by simply adding a gold(III) solution in water to the polymers. The polymer-supported gold nanoparticle material was used as an efficient portable and reusable catalyst for Suzuki reactions in mixed organic−aqueous solvents.Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad, Spain, and Fondo Europeo de Desarrollo Regional (FEDER) (Projects CTQ2015-71353-R and MAT2014-54137-R), Junta de Castilla y León, Consejería de Educación y Cultura y Fondo Social Europeo (Projects BU051U16 and BU061U16), and the European Commission, Seventh Framework Programme (Project SNIFFER FP7-SEC- 2012-312411

Al mensajero matara. La suplantación del autor por el mediador y tres textos bíblicos

La tendencia del traductor a intervenir en la transmisión de su original viene de antiguo y, desde la Roma republicana hasta la agonía, al menos, del Antiguo Régimen, gozó de los parabienes de la cultura establecida, centrada la traducción como estaba, en la transmisión de la cultura literaria según los principios de la apropiación cultural como sujeto de derecho natural. La traducción se veía como transubstanciación, como reformulación, como emulación artística y/o retórica. Con el Romanticismo, esa tendencia a la coautoría se vio substancialmente refrenada pero no por ello resultará extinguida. En el polo positivo veremos que la naturaleza lingüística, referencial y cultural de la propia traducción hace inevitables ciertas intervenciones, independientemente del tipo de texto de texto de que se trate, si bien de manera decreciente desde los persuasivos a los informativos. En el polo negativo, incidiremos en los traductores imbuidos de una misión: los apparatchicki que inoculan al tiempo que intuban por la vía de trasvase cultural que es la traducción. Esta introducción primero histórica y posteriormente metodológica se verá complementada con la exposición, el análisis y la discusión de las versiones de tres extractos del libro más traducido y retraducido del mundo: la Biblia. Desde el punto de vista de la tipología textual tenemos tres: ‘informativo’ (el Prólogo al Evangelio de Juan), ‘expresivo’ (el Cantar de los Cantares) y ‘persuasivo’ o, como prefería llamarlo Nida, ‘imperativo’ (el Padrenuestro). Partimos básicamente de la versión latina Vulgata como texto original y contemplamos distintas lenguas occidentales, en diversos momentos históricos, como textos meta. Palabras clave: historia de la traducción; metodología traductológica; traducción cultural; substitución; coautoría.The tendency of the translator to participate in the transmission of his original is an ancient one and, from Republican Rome until, at least, the agony of the Ancien Régime, perfectly adapted to the established cultural model ,since translation was centered upon the transmission of literary culture according to the principles of cultural appropriation as a subject of natural law. Translation was seen as as transubstantiation, as reformulation, as artistic and/ or rhetorical emulation. With Romanticism, this tendency to co-authorship was substantially checked, though not abolished. In the positive pole, the linguistic, referential and cultural nature of translation proper makes a certain degree of intervention unavoidable, regardless of text-type, through increasingly less so from the persuasive to the informative texts. In the negative pole, we have to single out the translators imbued with a mission: the apparatchiki who inoculate while they intubate via the cultural catheter of translation. This historical and methodological introduction will be complemented by the exposition, analysis and discussion of the versions of three extracts from the most translated and retranslated book in the world: the Bible. From the point of view of text-typology, we have three: ‘informative’ (the Prologue to Saint John’s Gospel), ‘expressive’ (The Song of Songs) and ‘persuasive’ or, as Nida would have it, ‘imperative’ (The Lord’s Prayer). We basically rely upon the Latin Vulgate as the source text and several Western European languages, at different historical periods, as target texts. Keywords: history of translation; translationmethodology; cultural translation; substitution; co-authorship

Assessment of allostasis and of the allostatic load as a control tool of the training

[EN] The training aimed to participate successfully in competitions of high performance is a constant internal struggle..

Assessment of allostasis and of the allostatic load as a control tool of the training

La Alostasis se define como la estabilidad como consecuencia del cambio (McEween (2006). En el deporte existen varios elementos que dificultan la expresión maximal de acciones técnicas y tácticas debidas a desequilibrios funcionales o emocionales. El conocer estos elementos desequilibradores y las herramientas para adecuar sus respuestas es una de las principales lineas de investigación en las ciencias del deporte

Desarrollo de materiales de construcción con cemento de bajo pH, compatibles con la barrera de ingeniería de un almacenamiento geológico profundo de residuos radiactivos de alta actividad

Tesis doctoral inédita leída en la Universidad Autónoma de Madrid. Facultad de Ciencias. Fecha de lectura: 15-11-201

Colloidal Nanosilica Treatments for Sealing Cracks in Mortar

Presence of microcracks in concrete can diminish the service life of a structure. The injection of materials for filling the crack is proposed for facing this problem. The traditional materials used for sealing cracks present some drawbacks, such as the difficulties of inorganic materials for flowing to all the depth of the crack and the lack of compatibility with the cementitious matrix in the case of organic materials. In this work, the injection of colloidal nanosilica dispersed in water is proposed for filling microcracks in mortars. The effect of the injection procedure on the sealing performance of the colloidal nanosilica has been assessed. The ability of colloidal nanosilica for penetrating through the crack and its posterior gelification-solidification inside the crack after a curing period have been confirmed. The microscopic analysis of a cross-section of the crack indicates that the sealing ability of the nanosilica seems to be not only due to the filling of the crack but also to chemical interactions with the cementitious phases of the surrounding crack sides

Crypto-asset regulation in the current international and European framework

Artículo de revistaThe growth of crypto-assets in recent years, their potential use as a means of exchange or saving, and their possible risks to financial stability, arising, among other things, from their interconnections with the banking sector, have drawn the attention of national and international authorities. In terms of the regulation of these assets, of note at the European level is the European Union’s proposal for a regulation on markets in crypto-assets, which establishes a regulatory framework for all those crypto-assets that currently lie outside the scope of the European Union’s existing regulation on financial services. As regards their treatment in the banking sector, in December 2022 the Basel Committee on Banking Supervision published the global standard on the prudential treatment of banks’exposures to crypto-assets. In this article we review the main characteristics of these two regulatory developments, which are essential for the future of the crypto-asset ecosystem’s relationship with the traditional financial world

¿Apoyan los entrenadores la motivación de sus deportistas? Diferencias en la percepción del comportamiento

El objetivo de este trabajo era valorar la influencia de la percepción de apoyo a las necesidades psicológicas básicas (NPB) sobre la motivación intrínseca, disfrute, aburrimiento e intención de persistencia en el contexto deportivo de base, y como podía incidir la diferencia entre lo que los entrenadores creían proporcionar y lo que los deportistas percibían, en relación a dicho apoyo. Para ello, se llevaron a cabo 2 estudios diferentes. En el estudio 1 participaron 985 deportistas (M = 14,34; DT = 2,52) y se realizó un análisis de regresión, en el que se demostró la importancia de las percepciones de apoyo a las NPB sobre las variables analizadas. En función de estos resultados, se llevó a cabo el estudio 2, en el que participaron 91 entrenadores (M = 32,41; DT = 6,51) y 432 deportistas (M = 13,44; DT = 2,92), realizándose un análisis de diferencias entre grupos de entrenadores creados en función de la percepción de apoyo proporcionado y el apoyo percibido por los deportistas. Los resultados demostraron diferencias en la motivación intrínseca, aburrimiento e intención de persistencia entre los deportistas cuyos entrenadores creían proporcionar más apoyo a las NPB que el percibido por los atletas, respecto a aquellos cuyos entrenadores consideraban realizar un apoyo similar o inferior al percibido. Por tanto, los resultados hallados tienen implicaciones relevantes para explicar la adherencia deportiva en etapas de formación y en la consideración de los antecedentes motivacionales en el contexto deportivo.The aim of this study was focused on assessing the influence of perception of support for basic psychological needs (BPN) on variables such as intrinsic motivation, enjoyment, boredom, and intention to persist in the training sport context; and how this can affect the difference between what is provided and what coaches believe athletes perceive in relation to such support. To achieve this aim, two different studies were conducted. In the 1st study, 985 athletes participated (M = 14.34; SD = 2.52), and a regression analysis was performed, where the results showed the importance of perception of support for BPN in the variables analyzed. Regarding the outcomes found in the former section, the 2nd study was carried out, where 91 coaches (M = 32.41; SD = 6.51) and 432 athletes (M = 13.44; SD = 2.92) were involved, and an analysis of differences was conducted after the creation of groups of coaches formed with respect to the support given and the support perceived by athletes. The results show differences in intrinsic motivation, boredom and intention to persist between athletes whose coaches were believed to give more support for BPN than perceived by athletes, with respect to participants whose coaches were considered to give support similar to or lower than the perceived. Therefore, the outcomes found have relevant implications to explain sport adherence in training stages, as well as the consideration of motivational background in a sport context.O principal objectivo do presente estudo foi avaliar a influência da percepção de apoio às necessidades psicológicas básicas (NPB) em variáveis como a motivação intrínseca, divertimento, aborrecimento e intenção para persistir no treino desportivo, e como isso pode afectar as diferenças entre o que fornecem e o que pensam os treinadores que os atletas percepcionam no que concerne a esse apoio. Para alcançar este objectivo, foram desenvolvidos dois trabalhos. No primeiro estudo participaram 985 atletas (M = 14.34; DP = 2.52), e foi realizada uma análise de regressão sendo que os resultados demonstraram a importância da percepção de apoio às NPB nas variáveis analisadas. Tendo em conta os resultados obtidos no estudo anterior, o segundo estudo foi levado a cabo com a participação de 91 treinadores (M = 32.41; DP = 6.51) e 432 atletas (M = 13.44; DP = 2.92), e uma análise de diferenças efectuada após a criação de grupos de treinadores formados com base no critério de apoio prestado e o apoio percebido pelos atletas. Os resultados revelam diferenças na motivação intrínseca, aborrecimento e intenção de persistir entre atletas cujos treinadores acreditavam fornecer mais apoio pa as as NPB que o percepcionado pelos atletas, relativamente aos participantes cujos treinadores consideravam fornecer igual ou inferior apoio ao percepcionado. Contudo, os resultados obtidos apresentam implicações relevantes na explicação da adesão às etapas do treino desportivo, bem como relativamente à consideração de antecedentes motivacionais no contexto desportivo

The NER-related gene GTF2H5 predicts survival in high-grade serous ovarian cancer patients

Gayarre, Javier et al[Objective] We aimed to evaluate the prognostic and predictive value of the nucleotide excision repair-related gene GTF2H5, which is localized at the 6q24.2-26 deletion previously reported by our group to predict longer survival of high-grade serous ovarian cancer patients.[Methods] In order to test if protein levels of GTF2H5 are associated with patients' outcome, we performed GTF2H5 immunohistochemical staining in 139 high-grade serous ovarian carcinomas included in tissue microarrays. Upon stratification of cases into high- and low-GTF2H5 staining categories (> and ≤ median staining, respectively) Kaplan-Meier and logrank test were used to estimate patients’ survival and assess statistical differences. We also evaluated the association of GTF2H5 with survival at the transcriptional level by using the on-line Kaplan-Meier plotter tool, which includes gene expression and survival data of 855 high-grade serous ovarian cancer patients from 13 different datasets. Finally, we determined whether stable short hairpin RNA-mediated GTF2H5 downregulation modulates cisplatin sensitivity in the SKOV3 and COV504 cell lines by using cytotoxicity assays.[Results] Low expression of GTF2H5 was associated with longer 5-year survival of patients at the protein (hazard ratio [HR], 0.52; 95% CI, 0.29 to 0.93; p=0.024) and transcriptional level (HR, 0.80; 95% CI, 0.65 to 0.97; p=0.023) in high-grade serous ovarian cancer patients. We confirmed the association with 5-year overall survival (HR, 0.55; 95% CI, 0.38 to 0.78; p=0.0007) and also found an association with progression-free survival (HR, 0.72; 95% CI, 0.54 to 0.96; p=0.026) in a homogenous group of 388 high-stage (stages III-IV using the International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics staging system), optimally debulked high-grade serous ovarian cancer patients. GTF2H5- silencing induced a decrease of the half maximal inhibitory concentration upon cisplatin treatment in GTF2H5-silenced ovarian cancer cells.[Conclusion] Low levels of GTF2H5 are associated with enhanced prognosis in high-grade serous ovarian cancer patients and may contribute to cisplatin sensitization.This study was financially supported by the Fondo de Investigación Sanitaria (FIS), Instituto de Salud Carlos III (grant PI12/01319) and by FEDER funds (2014-2020 Program). MJG is recipient of a research contract from the Instituto de Salud Carlos III of the Ministerio Español de Sanidad y Consumo (Miguel Servet tipo II Program, CPII 13/00047). JG has a contract from CIBERER and MMK was a holder of a La Caixa international PhD fellowship. LPA and JP are recipients of financial support from Red Temática de Investigación Cooperativa en Cáncer (RTICC) (grants RD12/0036/0028 and RD12/0036/0064, respectively). Gayarre, Javier et al.Peer Reviewe