Application of inorganic nanomaterials in cultural heritage conservation, risk of toxicity, and preventive measures

Nanotechnology has allowed for significant progress in architectural, artistic, archaeological, or museum heritage conservation for repairing and preventing damages produced by deterioration agents (weathering, contaminants, or biological actions). This review analyzes the current treatments using nanomaterials, including consolidants, biocides, hydrophobic protectives, mechanical resistance improvers, flame-retardants, and multifunctional nanocomposites. Unfortunately, nanomaterials can affect human and animal health, altering the environment. Right now, it is a priority to stop to analyze its advantages and disadvantages. Therefore, the aims are to raise awareness about the nanotoxicity risks during handling and the subsequent environmental exposure to all those directly or indirectly involved in conservation processes. It reports the human–body interaction mechanisms and provides guidelines for preventing or controlling its toxicity, mentioning the current toxicity research of main compounds and emphasizing the need to provide more information about morphological, structural, and specific features that ultimately contribute to understanding their toxicity. It provides information about the current documents of international organizations (European Commission, NIOSH, OECD, Countries Normative) about worker protection, isolation, laboratory ventilation control, and debris management. Furthermore, it reports the qualitative risk assessment methods, management strategies, dose control, and focus/receptor relationship, besides the latest trends of using nanomaterials in masks and gas emissions control devices, discussing their risk of toxicity

Peat-forming plants in the Maastrichtian coals of the Eastern Pyrenees

The Lower Maastrichtian of Fumanya and neighbouring localities of the Vallcebre syncline (Eastern Pyrenees, Catalonia) provide the first taphonomic evidence for the hypothesis that cheirolepidiacean conifers were significant precursors of Maastrichtian Pyrenean coal. Most Frenelopsis-rich lignite beds do not bear rootlet marks, suggesting that the original peat was detrital. Sedimentological and taphonomic evidence indicates deposition in the margins of a lagoon after the transport of the cheirolepidiacean remains by flotation. The same parautochtonous assemblage includes complete impressions Sabalites longirhachis leaves and large impressions of logs attributed to the same palm trees. Other parautochthonous or allochthonous plant megaremains include extremely rare cycadalean and monocot leaves and abundant minute angiosperm seeds. Rootlet marks associated with thin lignite beds occur at the top of some charophyte limestones. The charophyte association, dominated by in situ accumulation of Peckichara and Microchara gyrogonites, suggests that these limestones were deposited in shallow, freshwater lakes and that the corresponding peat mires were limnic rather than paralic in nature. The botanical affinity of plant remains associated with these root-bearing lignites is uncertain. Palynological analysis showed abundant bisaccates, with less abundant fern spores and freshwater algal oospores. Locally, the abundant rootlet marks were associated with large brush-like rooting structures attributed to Sabalites longirhachis palms. Our results show that, at the beginning of the Maasrichtian, cheirolepidiacean conifers were still significant peat-producing plants, although, unlike analogous Lower Cretaceous ones, they shared this role with rare angiosperms, such as palms

Influence of nanoscale defects on the improvement of photocatalytic activity of Ag/ZnO

This study presents the advances in the field of ZnO/Ag catalysts from the synthesis of hierarchical ZnO nanowires (NWs) decorated with Ag nanoparticles, prepared by a facile solvothermal method at 120°C. It evaluates the photocatalytic efficiency from studying the time reaction of Ag/Zn concentration ratio and the presence of cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB) as an organic dispersant. X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, and analytical/high-resolution transmission electron microscopy results confirmed the presence of homogeneous cylindrical ZnO nanowires and quasi-spherical Ag crystals. ZnO NWs exhibited hexagonal wurtzite structure and cubic FCC symmetry in Ag nanoparticles (NPS). Two types of nanostructures, including homogeneous cylindrical ZnO NWs in the absence of Ag and simultaneous presence of ZnO NWs and Ag NPs, formed depending on experimental conditions. The photocatalytic activity was evaluated by studying methylene blue (MB) degradation time under UV light excitation. Diffuse reflectance UV–Vis spectrophotometry (UV–Vis DRS) allowed identifying the ZnO absorption band at ~393 nm. Crystal size varied depending on the reaction time and the addition of CTAB. Synthesis time increased bandgap values, getting better photocatalytic performance in samples synthesized in intermediate times (6 h), higher Ag+/Zn2+ molar ratio (0.2/1.0), and CTAB. According to HRTEM observations, the presence of silver nanocrystals with high content of defects (twinning, stacking faults) could play an essential role in the photocatalytic response. In this context, the specific synthesis conditions of Ag/ZnO might be more appropriate for their use in organic dyes degradation in water and the potential use in protective treatments against materials biodeterioration processes.This work has been supported by the Innovation and Education Ministry (ref. MAT2013-47460-C5-5-P and MAT2016-80875-C3-3-R), the Autonomous Region Program of Madrid (ref. S2018/NMT-4411 and S2013/MIT-2862), the Geomateriales 2 program (S2013/MIT_2914), the TOP Heritage (P2018/NMT-4372) of the Community of Madrid, the Innovation and Education Ministry (MAT201347460-C5-5-P) and the Ministry of Education, Science and Technological Development of Serbia (projects No. 172035 and 45020). Besides, we would like to thank the Master of “Materials Science” of Carlos III University (Spain) for providing financial and laboratory equipment support

Iron overload causes endolysosomal deficits modulated by NAADP-regulated 2-pore channels and RAB7A

Various neurodegenerative disorders are associated with increased brain iron content. Iron is known to cause oxidative stress, which concomitantly promotes cell death. Whereas endolysosomes are known to serve as intracellular iron storage organelles, the consequences of increased iron on endolysosomal functioning, and effects on cell viability upon modulation of endolysosomal iron release remain largely unknown. Here, we show that increasing intracellular iron causes endolysosomal alterations associated with impaired autophagic clearance of intracellular protein aggregates, increased cytosolic oxidative stress and increased cell death. These effects are subject to regulation by NAADP, a potent second messenger reported to target endolysosomal TPCNs (2-pore channels). Consistent with endolysosomal iron storage, cytosolic iron levels are modulated by NAADP, and increased cytosolic iron is detected when overexpressing active, but not inactive TPCNs, indicating that these channels can modulate endolysosomal iron release. Cell death triggered by altered intralysosomal iron handling is abrogated in the presence of an NAADP antagonist or when inhibiting RAB7A activity. Taken together, our results suggest that increased endolysosomal iron causes cell death associated with increased cytosolic oxidative stress as well as autophagic impairments, and these effects are subject to modulation by endolysosomal ion channel activity in a RAB7A-dependent manner. These data highlight alternative therapeutic strategies for neurodegenerative disorders associated with increased intracellular iron load

Functional Impact and Regulation of Alternative Splicing in Mouse Heart Development and Disease.

Alternative splicing (AS) plays a major role in the generation of transcript diversity. In the heart, roles have been described for some AS variants, but the global impact and regulation of AS patterns are poorly understood. Here, we studied the AS profiles in heart disease, their relationship with heart development, and the regulatory mechanisms controlling AS dynamics in the mouse heart. We found that AS profiles characterized the different groups and that AS and gene expression changes affected independent genes and biological functions. Moreover, AS changes, specifically in heart disease, were associated with potential protein-protein interaction changes. While developmental transitions were mainly driven by the upregulation of MBNL1, AS changes in disease were driven by a complex regulatory network, where PTBP1 played a central role. Indeed, PTBP1 over-expression was sufficient to induce cardiac hypertrophy and diastolic dysfunction, potentially by perturbing AS patterns.S

Incidencias de la IA en el Derecho del Trabajo Colombiano : propuestas transitorias en la equiparación de las cargas por un acceso a un mercado laboral competitivo

El presente documento examinará los efectos de la inteligencia artificial (en adelante, IA) en el ámbito del derecho laboral y sus efectos en el mercado laboral. La IA ha experimentado un avance significativo en las últimas décadas, y su aplicación en el campo laboral no es la excepción. Con la capacidad de analizar grandes volúmenes de datos, automatizar tareas repetitivas y mejorar la toma de decisiones, la IA ha comenzado a transformar la forma en que se llevan a cabo las actividades del trabajo. Si bien la IA ha demostrado ser una herramienta valiosa para agilizar procesos y aumentar la eficiencia, también ha generado preocupaciones sobre la posible reducción de empleos tradicionales. Actualmente, se discuten ejemplos concretos de la implementación de la IA en el área financiera, en tareas administrativas al interior de las organizaciones, y diversas situaciones en las que los empleadores han optado por procesos de automatización. En el estudio concreto, se explorarán las diferentes opciones que poseen las personas cuyos empleos fueron reemplazados o están en vía de serlo. De igual manera, se estudiarán las causas que generan que los empleadores decidan buscar otras alternativas distintas al talento humano y, por último, se evaluarán alternativas viables en aras de que la IA sea un complemento de la fuerza laboral humana y no un reemplazo.This document will examine the effects of artificial intelligence (AI) in the field of labor law and its effects on the labour market. AI has experienced significant progress in recent decades, and its application in the workplace is no exception. With the ability to analyze large volumes of data, automate repetitive tasks, and improve decision-making, AI has begun to transform the way work activities are carried out. While AI has proven to be a valuable tool for streamlining processes and increasing efficiency, it has also raised concerns about the potential reduction of traditional jobs. Currently, specific examples of the implementation of AI in the financial area, in administrative tasks within organizations, and various situations in which employers have opted for automation processes are discussed. In the specific study, the different options available to people whose jobs were replaced or are in the process of being replaced will be explored. Likewise, the causes that make employers to decide to look for alternatives than human talent will be studied and, finally, viable alternatives will be evaluated so that AI is a complement to the human workforce and not a replacement.Abogado (a)Pregrad

Maternal Transmission Ratio Distortion in two Iberian pig varieties

[EN] Transmission ratio distortion (TRD) is defined as the allele transmission deviation from the heterozygous parent to the offspring from the expected Mendelian genotypic frequencies. Although TRD can be a confounding factor in genetic mapping studies, this phenomenon remains mostly unknown in pigs, particularly in traditional breeds (i.e., the Iberian pig). We aimed to describe the maternal TRD prevalence and its genomic distribution in two Iberian varieties. Genotypes from a total of 247 families (dam and offspring) of Entrepelado (n = 129) and Retinto (n = 118) Iberian varieties were analyzed. The offspring were sired by both ungenotyped purebred Retinto and Entrepelado Iberian boars, regardless of the dam variety used. After quality control, 16,246 single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in the Entrepelado variety and 9744 SNPs in the Retinto variety were analyzed. Maternal TRD was evaluated by a likelihood ratio test under SNP-by-SNP, adapting a previous model solved by Bayesian inference. Results provided 68 maternal TRD loci (TRDLs) in the Entrepelado variety and 24 in the Retinto variety (q < 0.05), with mostly negative TRD values, increasing the transmission of the minor allele. In addition, both varieties shared ten common TRDLs. No strong evidence of biological effects was found in genes with TRDLs. However, some biological processes could be affected by TRDLs, such as embryogenesis at different levels and lipid metabolism. These findings could provide useful insight into the genetic mechanisms to improve the swine industry, particularly in traditional breeds.The Spanish Government funded this research, grants number CGL2016-80155-R, and IDI-20170304Vazquez-Gomez, M.; Martín De Hijas-Villalba, M.; Varona, L.; Ibáñez-Escriche, N.; Rosas, JP.; Negro, S.; Noguera, JL.... (2020). 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Mammalian Genome, 9(10), 812-815. doi:10.1007/s003359900872Huang, L. O., Infante-Rivard, C., & Labbe, A. (2016). Analysis of Case-Parent Trios Using a Loglinear Model with Adjustment for Transmission Ratio Distortion. Frontiers in Genetics, 7. doi:10.3389/fgene.2016.00155Lopez-Bote, C. (1998). Sustained Utilization of the Iberian Pig Breed. Meat Science, 49, S17-S27. doi:10.1016/s0309-1740(98)00072-2Ibáñez-Escriche, N., Varona, L., Magallón, E., & Noguera, J. L. (2014). Crossbreeding effects on pig growth and carcass traits from two Iberian strains. Animal, 8(10), 1569-1576. doi:10.1017/s1751731114001712Esteve-Codina, A., Kofler, R., Himmelbauer, H., Ferretti, L., Vivancos, A. P., Groenen, M. A. M., … Pérez-Enciso, M. (2011). Partial short-read sequencing of a highly inbred Iberian pig and genomics inference thereof. Heredity, 107(3), 256-264. doi:10.1038/hdy.2011.13Vázquez-Gómez, M., García-Contreras, C., Astiz, S., Torres-Rovira, L., Fernández-Moya, E., Olivares, Á., … Isabel, B. (2020). Piglet birthweight and sex affect growth performance and fatty acid composition in fatty pigs. Animal Production Science, 60(4), 573. doi:10.1071/an18254Laval, G., Iannuccelli, N., Legault, C., Milan, D., Groenen, M. A., Giuffra, E., … Ollivier, L. (2000). Genetic diversity of eleven European pig breeds. Genetics Selection Evolution, 32(2), 187. doi:10.1186/1297-9686-32-2-187Fabuel, E., Barragán, C., Silió, L., Rodríguez, M. C., & Toro, M. A. (2004). Analysis of genetic diversity and conservation priorities in Iberian pigs based on microsatellite markers. Heredity, 93(1), 104-113. doi:10.1038/sj.hdy.6800488Alonso, I., Ibáñez-Escriche, N., Noguera, J. L., Casellas, J., Martín de Hijas-Villalba, M., Gracia-Santana, M. J., & Varona, L. (2020). Genomic differentiation among varieties of Iberian pig. Spanish Journal of Agricultural Research, 18(1), e0401. doi:10.5424/sjar/2020181-15411Ibáñez-Escriche, N., Magallón, E., Gonzalez, E., Tejeda, J. F., & Noguera, J. L. (2016). Genetic parameters and crossbreeding effects of fat deposition and fatty acid profiles in Iberian pig lines1. Journal of Animal Science, 94(1), 28-37. doi:10.2527/jas.2015-9433Pena, R. N., Noguera, J. L., García-Santana, M. J., González, E., Tejeda, J. F., Ros-Freixedes, R., & Ibáñez-Escriche, N. (2019). Five genomic regions have a major impact on fat composition in Iberian pigs. Scientific Reports, 9(1). doi:10.1038/s41598-019-38622-7Noguera, J. L., Ibáñez-Escriche, N., Casellas, J., Rosas, J. P., & Varona, L. (2019). Genetic parameters and direct, maternal and heterosis effects on litter size in a diallel cross among three commercial varieties of Iberian pig. Animal, 13(12), 2765-2772. doi:10.1017/s1751731119001125Casellas, J., Ibáñez-Escriche, N., Varona, L., Rosas, J. P., & Noguera, J. L. (2019). Inbreeding depression load for litter size in Entrepelado and Retinto Iberian pig varieties1. Journal of Animal Science, 97(5), 1979-1986. doi:10.1093/jas/skz084Weinberg, C. 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Are minor alleles more likely to be risk alleles? BMC Medical Genomics, 11(1). doi:10.1186/s12920-018-0322-5Balick, D. J., Do, R., Cassa, C. A., Reich, D., & Sunyaev, S. R. (2015). Dominance of Deleterious Alleles Controls the Response to a Population Bottleneck. PLOS Genetics, 11(8), e1005436. doi:10.1371/journal.pgen.1005436Plough, L. V., & Hedgecock, D. (2011). Quantitative Trait Locus Analysis of Stage-Specific Inbreeding Depression in the Pacific Oyster Crassostrea gigas. Genetics, 189(4), 1473-1486. doi:10.1534/genetics.111.131854Xu, S. (2008). Quantitative Trait Locus Mapping Can Benefit From Segregation Distortion. Genetics, 180(4), 2201-2208. doi:10.1534/genetics.108.090688Id-Lahoucine, S., Cánovas, A., Jaton, C., Miglior, F., Fonseca, P. A. S., Sargolzaei, M., … Casellas, J. (2019). Implementation of Bayesian methods to identify SNP and haplotype regions with transmission ratio distortion across the whole genome: TRDscan v.1.0. 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New nanomaterials for applications in conservation and restoration of stony materials: A review

In recent times, nanomaterials have been applied in the construction and maintenance of the worldÅLs cultural heritage with the aim of improving the consolidation and protection treatments of damaged stone. These nanomaterials include important advantages that could solve many problems found in the traditional interventions. The present paper aims to carry out a review of the state of art on the application of nanotechnology to the conservation and restoration of the stony cultural heritage. We highlight the different types of nanoparticles currently used to produce conservation treatments with enhanced material properties and novel functionalities

Induction of the calcineurin variant CnAβ1 after myocardial infarction reduces post-infarction ventricular remodelling by promoting infarct vascularization

AIMS: Ventricular remodelling following myocardial infarction progressively leads to loss of contractile capacity and heart failure. Although calcineurin promotes maladaptive cardiac hypertrophy, we recently showed that the calcineurin splicing variant, CnAβ1, has beneficial effects on the infarcted heart. However, whether this variant limits necrosis or improves remodelling is still unknown, precluding translation to the clinical arena. Here, we explored the effects and therapeutic potential of CnAβ1 overexpression post-infarction. METHODS AND RESULTS: Double transgenic mice with inducible cardiomyocyte-specific overexpression of CnAβ1 underwent left coronary artery ligation followed by reperfusion. Echocardiographic analysis showed depressed cardiac function in all infarcted mice 3 days post-infarction. Induction of CnAβ1 overexpression 1 week after infarction improved function and reduced ventricular dilatation. CnAβ1-overexpressing mice showed shorter, thicker scars, and reduced infarct expansion, accompanied by reduced myocardial remodelling. CnAβ1 induced vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) expression in cardiomyocytes, which resulted in increased infarct vascularization. This paracrine angiogenic effect of CnAβ1 was mediated by activation of the Akt/mammalian target of rapamycin pathway and VEGF. CONCLUSIONS: Our results indicate that CnAβ1 exerts beneficial effects on the infarcted heart by promoting infarct vascularization and preventing infarct expansion. These findings emphasize the translational potential of CnAβ1 for gene-based therapies.European Union [ERG-239158, CardioNeT-ITN-289600]; Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation [BFU2009-10016, SAF2012-31451]; Regional Government of Madrid [2010-BMD-2321]; Fondo de Investigaciones Sanitarias [RD12/0042/0066]; Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness; Pro-CNIC FoundationS

TBL Through Music to Foster Students’ Lexical Competence

The topic of this qualitative action research was to evidence how Task Based Learning (TBL) through music could foster students’ lexical competence in a multi grade school based on “Escuela Nueva”. The population of the research was a primary school of a public institution that had difficulties in their lexical competence. The goal of this research was to explore the impact that Task Based Learning through music had on students’ lexical competence in an environment of “Escuela Nueva”. The instruments to gather the data were field notes, videotape recordings, pictures, and questionnaires. Findings of this study evidenced that this type of musical tasks can foster lexical competence and engage students to participate actively in class. Likewise, results showed that students were able to relate and recognize words, thanks to the implementation of musical activities as well as the fact that practicing vocabulary with songs can become a good strategy to develop students’ higher level of comprehension