Antiwear performance of ionic liquid+graphene dispersions with anomalous viscosity-temperature behavior

New dispersions of few-layers graphene (G) in 1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium ([EMIM]) ionic liquids (ILs) with dicyanamide ([DCA]) or bis(trifluoromethylsulfonyl)imide ([TFSI]) anions have been obtained by mechanical mixing and sonication. IL+0.5 wt% G dispersions show constant viscosity values from 357K (for IL = [EMIM][DCA]) or from 385K (for IL = [EMIM][TFSI]) to 393K. IL + G dispersions with G > 0.5 wt% show linear viscosity increases with increasing temperature, from 306K (for [EMIM][DCA]+1 wt%G) and from 330K to 393K (for [EMIM][TFSI]+0.75 wt%G and [EMIM][TFSI]+1 wt%G). Addition of graphene improves the poor wear reducing performance of [EMIM][DCA], and prevents surface damage on steel when added to [EMIM][TFSI]. Graphene increases the load-carrying ability of ILs, forms a surface layer on the sliding path and retains wear debris, preventing the formation of large abrasive particles.Ministerio de Economía, Industria y Competitividad (MINECO, Spain), EU FEDER Program (Grant # MAT2017-85130-P) Este trabajo es resultado de la actividad desarrollada en el marco del Programa de Ayudas a Grupos de Excelencia de la Región de Murcia, de la Fundación Séneca, Agencia de Ciencia y Tecnología de la Región de Murcia (Grant # 19877/GERM/15) M.D. Avilés ha recibido una beca del MINECO (BES-2015-074836)

Protic ammonium bio-based ionic liquid crystal lubricants

Bis(2-hydroxyethyl) ammonium stearate (DES) protic ionic liquid crystal (PILC) has been added in 1 wt% and 2 wt% proportion to di-bis(2-hydroxyethyl) ammonium succinate (DSU) protic ionic liquid (PIL) to obtain (DSU+1%DES) and (DSU+2%DES) lubricant blends. The new blends are non-Newtonian fluids with liquid crystalline domains. Addition of (DES) PILC to (DSU) PIL reduces running-in friction coefficient in more than 70% and prevents surface damage, decreasing wear rate in more than one order of magnitude. Optical profilometry, optical and scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy dispersive (EDX) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) have been used to analyze surfaces after the tribological tests.This research was funded by Spanish Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación, Agencia Estatal de Investigación (AEI) , and the European Union FEDER Program (Grant # MAT2017–85130-P ). “Este trabajo es resultado de la actividad desarrollada en el marco del Programa de Ayudas a Grupos de Excelencia de la Región de Murcia, de la Fundación Seneca, Agencia de Ciencia y Tecnología de la Región de Murcia (Grant # 19877/GERM/15 )”

Rheological study of new dispersions of Carbon Nanotubes in the ionic liquid 1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium dicyanamide

Dispersions of three different types of carbon nanotubes in a 1 wt.% proportion in the low viscosity 1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium ([EMIM][DCA]) ionic liquid have been obtained. The neat ionic liquid presents Newtonian behavior, but the addition of carbon nanotubes increases the viscosity with respect to [EMIM][DCA] in the following order: Single-Walled Carbon Nanotubes (SWCNTs) > aligned Multi-Walled Carbon Nanotubes (aligned-MWCNTs) > Multi-Walled Carbon Nanotubes (MWCNTs), and the resulting fluids show non-Newtonian behavior. SWCNTs and MWCNTs dispersions present shear thinning with increasing shear rate, but a shear thickening effect for aligned-MWCNTs at intermediate shear rate values at room temperature has been observed. This effect disappears at 100 ºC. The thermal response of the viscosity of [EMIM][DCA] and the CNTs-IL dispersions can be fitted to the Arrhenius model. For[EMIM][DCA] and the dispersion with MWCNTs the viscous behavior prevails at low frequencies, with a cross point at a critical frequency value which decreases with increasing temperature. However, the dispersions of SWCNTs and aligned-MWCNTspresent storage modulus values higher than loss modulus in the whole range of frequency.The authors acknowledge the Ministerio de Economía, Industria y Competitividad (MINECO, Spain), the EU FEDER Program (Grants # MAT2014-55384-P and # MAT2017-85130-P), and Fundación Séneca - Agencia de Ciencia y Tecnología de la Región de Murcia “Ayuda a las Unidades y Grupos de Excelencia Científica de la Región de Murcia (Programa Séneca 2014)” (Grant # 19877/GERM/14), for financial support. M.D. Avilés acknowledges a research fellowship (Grant # BES-2015-074836) to MINECO

Perspectivas clínicas del manejo de la hemorragia en el paciente tratado con anticoagulante oral: estudio DECOVER

Objetivo. Evaluar el grado de acuerdo entre hematólogos y urgenciólogos respecto a las mejores prácticas para el manejo de hemorragias y la reversión de la anticoagulación oral. Método. Estudio Delphi multicéntrico español con médicos expertos en anticoagulación y manejo de hemorragias. Se realizaron dos rondas de preguntas entre abril y septiembre de 2015. Se obtenía consenso cuando el 75% o más de los panelistas puntuaban en el mismo tercil. Resultados. Se encuestó a 15 hematólogos y 17 urgenciólogos de 14 comunidades autónomas. La hemodiálisis y la administración de concentrados de complejo protrombínico (CCP) activado fueron tratamientos consensuados para antagonizar una hemorragia relevante/mayor en pacientes tratados con dabigatrán. Para rivaroxabán y apixabán solo se consideró el CCP. El panel no valoró ningún CCP como eficaz y seguro a la vez. Los tiempos de tromboplastina parcial activado, trombina, ecarina y de trombina diluido se indicaron para pacientes tratados con dabigatrán y la actividad anti-Xa específica para los tratados con rivaroxabán y apixabán cuando presentan una hemorragia. Disponer de un antídoto específico para el tratamiento de los anticoagulantes orales de acción directa (ACOD) sería útil en caso de hemorragia grave (97%) y supondría un cambio sustancial en el algoritmo de tratamiento actual (97%). Conclusiones. Los resultados estuvieron en general alineados con las guías de práctica clínica, pero mostraron que existen áreas de mejora en la unificación de criterios sobre el manejo de los pacientes con hemorragias, y destacan la necesidad de disponer de antídotos específicos para ACOD

Cancer-Associated Thrombosis : Beyond Clinical Practice Guidelines-A Multidisciplinary (SEMI-SEOM-SETH) Expert Consensus

Altres ajuts: This work has been performed with an unrestricted grant from Aspen, Leo-Pharma, Laboratorios Farmacéuticos Rovi, and Sanofi.Despite the growing interest and improved knowledge about venous thromboembolism in cancer patients in the last years, there are still many unsolved issues. Due to the limitations of the available literature, evidence-based clinical practice guidelines are not able to give solid recommendations for challenging scenarios often present in the setting of cancer-associated thrombosis (CAT). A multidisciplinary expert panel from three scientific societies-Spanish Society of Internal Medicine (SEMI), Spanish Society of Medical Oncology (SEOM), and Spanish Society Thrombosis and Haemostasis (SETH)-agreed on 12 controversial questions regarding prevention and management of CAT, which were thoroughly reviewed to provide further guidance. The suggestions presented herein may facilitate clinical decisions in specific complex circumstances, until these can be made leaning on reliable scientific evidence

A novel nonsense variant in TPM4 caused dominant macrothrombocytopenia, mild bleeding tendency and disrupted cytoskeleton remodeling

[Background]: Rare inherited thrombocytopenias are caused by alterations in genes involved in megakaryopoiesis, thrombopoiesis and/or platelet release. Diagnosis is challenging due to poor specificity of platelet laboratory assays, large numbers of culprit genes, and difficult assessment of the pathogenicity of novel variants. [Objectives]: To characterize the clinical and laboratory phenotype, and identifying the underlying molecular alteration, in a pedigree with thrombocytopenia of uncertain etiology. [Patients/Methods]: Index case was enrolled in our Spanish multicentric project of inherited platelet disorders due to lifelong thrombocytopenia and bleeding. Bleeding score was recorded by ISTH‐BAT. Laboratory phenotyping consisted of blood cells count, blood film, platelet aggregation and flow cytometric analysis. Genotyping was made by whole‐exome sequencing (WES). Cytoskeleton proteins were analyzed in resting/spreading platelets by immunofluorescence and immunoblotting. [Results]: Five family members displayed lifelong mild thrombocytopenia with a high number of enlarged platelets in blood film, and mild bleeding tendency. Patient's platelets showed normal aggregation and granule secretion response to several agonists. WES revealed a novel nonsense variant (c.322C>T; p.Gln108*) in TPM4 (NM_003290.3), the gene encoding for tropomyosin‐4 (TPM4). This variant led to impairment of platelet spreading capacity after stimulation with TRAP‐6 and CRP, delocalization of TPM4 in activated platelets, and significantly reduced TPM4 levels in platelet lysates. Moreover, the index case displayed up‐regulation of TPM2 and TPM3 mRNA levels. [Conclusions]: This study identifies a novel TPM4 nonsense variant segregating with macrothrombocytopenia and impaired platelet cytoskeletal remodeling and spreading. These findings support the relevant role of TPM4 in thrombopoiesis and further expand our knowledge of TPM4‐related thrombocytopenia.This work was partially supported by grants from Instituto de Salud Carlos III (ISCIII) and Feder (PI17/01966, PI20/00926), Gerencia Regional de Salud (GRS2061A/19, GRS2135/A/2020, GRS2314/A/2021), Fundación Mutua Madrileña (FMM, AP172142019) and Sociedad Española de Trombosis y Hemostasia (SETHFETH; Premio López Borrasca 2019 and Ayuda a Grupos de Trabajo en Patología Hemorrágica 2020 and 2021).Peer reviewe

La crisis de la COVID-19: impacto en los hogares de familias gitanas

The aim of this study is to analyse the impact that COVID-19 has had on the Roma population in Spain, showing results of a telephone interview on a sample of 592 Roma households in the more restrictive phase of lockdown (phase 0 of the de-escalation period to gradually lift confinement). This study has been developed by means of an alliance in which researchers from the public universities of Alicante and Navarre and the Health Institute Carlos III have participated, as well as several Roma associations. The results reflect the significant impact that the pandemic has caused in households that were already affected by social exclusion and inequality. Thus, a worsening of self-perception of health and a high rate of anxiety or depression problems were detected, the impact of which goes beyond health and affects all dimensions of social inclusion. In education, half of the households refer to minors having difficulties continuing their studies from home. A similar percentage have had their jobs affected and have seen a significant reduction in income. In addition to the aforementioned problems, perceived discrimination is also added.El objetivo de este estudio es analizar el impacto que ha tenido el COVID-19 en la población gitana en España, mostrando los resultados de una entrevista telefónica a una muestra de 592 hogares gitanos en la fase más restrictiva del confinamiento (fase 0 del período de desescalada para levantar gradualmente el confinamiento). Este estudio se ha desarrollado mediante una colaboración en la que han participado investigadores de las universidades públicas de Alicante y Navarra y del Instituto de Salud Carlos III, así como varias asociaciones gitanas. Los resultados reflejan el impacto significativo que la pandemia ha causado en hogares que ya estaban afectados por la exclusión social y la desigualdad. Así, se detectó un empeoramiento de la autopercepción de la salud y una alta tasa de problemas de ansiedad o depresión, cuyo impacto va más allá de la salud y afecta a todas las dimensiones de la inclusión social. En educación, la mitad de los hogares se refieren a menores con dificultades para continuar sus estudios desde casa. Un porcentaje similar ha visto afectados sus trabajos y ha visto una reducción significativa en los ingresos. Además de los problemas antes mencionados, también se suma la discriminación percibida

COVID-19 Crisis: Impact on Households of the Roma Community

The aim of this study is to analyse the impact that COVID-19 has had on the Roma population, showing results of a telephone interview on a sample of 592 Roma households in phase 0 of confinement. This study has been developed by means of an alliance in which researchers from the public universities of Alicante and Navarre and the Health Institute Carlos III have participated, as well as several Roma associations. The results reflect the significant impact that the pandemic has caused in households that were already affected by social exclusion and inequality. This impact goes beyond health and affects all dimensions of social inclusion, from employment to education, including income, meeting basic needs and discrimination

Two novel variants of the ABCG5 gene cause xanthelasmas and macrothrombocytopenia: a brief review of hematologic abnormalities of sitosterolemia

[EN] Background: Sitosterolemia (STSL) is a recessive inherited disorder caused by pathogenic variants in the ABCG5 and ABCG8 genes. Increased levels of plasma plant sterols (PSs) usually result in xanthomas and premature coronary atherosclerosis, although hematologic abnormalities may occasionally be present. This clinical picture is unfamiliar to many physicians, and patients may be at high risk of misdiagnosis. Objectives: To report two novel ABCG5 variants causing STSL in a Spanish patient, and review the clinical and mutational landscape of STSL. Patient/Methods: A 46-year-old female was referred to us with lifelong macrothrombocytopenia. She showed familial hypercholesterolemia-related xanthomas. Molecular analysis was performed with high-throughput sequencing. Plasma PS levels were evaluated with gas–liquid chromatography. The STSL landscape was reviewed with respect to specific online databases and all reports published since 1974. Results: A blood smear revealed giant platelets and stomatocytes. Novel compound heterozygous variants were detected in exons 7 (c.914C>G) and 13 (c.1890delT) of ABCG5. The patient showed an increased plasma level of sitosterol. These findings support the diagnosis of STSL. In our review, we identified only 25 unrelated STLS patients who presented with hematologic abnormalities including macrothrombocytopenia

Key Genes of the Immune System and Predisposition to Acquired Hemophilia A: Evidence from a Spanish Cohort of 49 Patients Using Next-Generation Sequencing

Acquired hemophilia A (AHA) is a rare bleeding disorder caused by the presence of autoantibodies against factor VIII (FVIII). As with other autoimmune diseases, its etiology is complex and its genetic basis is unknown. The aim of this study was to identify the immunogenetic background that predisposes individuals to AHA. HLA and KIR gene clusters, as well as KLRK1, were sequenced using next-generation sequencing in 49 AHA patients. Associations between candidate genes involved in innate and adaptive immune responses and AHA were addressed by comparing the alleles, genotypes, haplotypes, and gene frequencies in the AHA cohort with those in the donors' samples or Spanish population cohort. Two genes of the HLA cluster, as well as rs1049174 in KLRK1, which tags the natural killer (NK) cytotoxic activity haplotype, were found to be linked to AHA. Specifically, A*03:01 (p = 0.024; odds ratio (OR) = 0.26[0.06-0.85]) and DRB1*13:03 (p = 6.8 x 103, OR = 7.56[1.64-51.40]), as well as rs1049174 (p = 0.012), were significantly associated with AHA. In addition, two AHA patients were found to carry one copy each of the low-frequency allele DQB1*03:09 (nallele = 2, 2.04%), which was completely absent in the donors. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first time that the involvement of these specific alleles in the predisposition to AHA has been proposed. Further molecular and functional studies will be needed to unravel their specific contributions. We believe our findings expand the current knowledge on the genetic factors involved in susceptibility to AHA, which will contribute to improving the diagnosis and prognosis of AHA patients