Editorial:Ionotropic Glutamate Receptors Trafficking in Health and Disease

The knowledge about the properties and importance of ionotropic glutamate receptor trafficking is ever increasing. Importantly, the pace of the progress has been accelerated in recent years. Here, our contributors provide a) reviews on specific topics that present an up-to-date overview of the field, as well as b) original articles with the relevant new findings

Theory of mind in two generation of deaf children

Recoge una comparación entre teoría de la mente centrándose en sujetos sordos de dos generaciones: aquellos que no utilizaban tecnologías audioprotésicas y los que sí.Universidad de Málaga. Campus de Excelencia Internacional Andalucía Tech

γ-Al2O3 as acid catalyst for dehydration of glucose to 5-hydroxymethylfurfural

Currently, the search and development of sustainable feedstocks for chemicals derived from petrol have gained worldwide attraction because of the instability of the price of crude oil, the reduction of fossil oil reserves, and the environmental concerns associated to the greenhouse effect caused by CO2 emissions, being biomass one of the world’s most important renewable carbon sources. The major component of plant-derived biomass are carbohydrates, being of great importance to develop efficient and green approaches to their valorization by conversion into high value-added products. Thus, glucose can be transformed by dehydration into 5-hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF), which is a versatile and key intermediate for the production of a wide variety of biobased chemicals and it is attracting much attention in biofuels and chemical industry. Different catalytic systems have been evaluated for HMF production from C6 carbohydrates as glucose, mostly based on heterogeneous catalysis as alternative to the use of liquid mineral acids. On the other hand, the high surface area, large pore size and thermal and hydrothermal stabilities of some mesoporous solids make them suitable for many catalytic processes. In the present work, the dehydration of glucose to HMF has been evaluated by using different mesoporous γ-Al2O3 with acid, neutral or basic character, in a biphasic water–MIBK solvent system to avoid the HMF degradation and its possible reaction with the intermediates from glucose to give soluble polymers and humins or acetalization with glucose. Different experimental parameters, such as reaction temperature and time, as well as the addition of inorganic salts have been studied in order to reach the maximum HMF yield.Universidad de Málaga. Campus de Excelencia Internacional Andalucía Tech. Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness (CTQ2012-38204-C04-02 project), Junta de Andalucía (RNM-1565) and FEDER fund

Hallazgos oftalmológicos en niños adoptados del este de Europa

Los niños adoptados de Europa del este presentan más alteraciones del neurodesarrollo que la población pediátrica general. Por ello, el trabajo que presentamos ha pretendido lograr un mejor conocimiento de sus alteraciones a nivel oftalmológico, tanto orgánicas como funcionales.La tesis se basa en 4 proyectos, cuya hipótesis común es que cualquier alteración del ambiente perinatal, como la producida por el consumo de alcohol durante la gestación, induce tanto cambios estructurales en las capas de la retina como alteraciones del desarrollo cognitivo visual. Los cambios morfológicos objetivables en las capas de la retina, así como las alteraciones a nivel cognitivo visual, se correlacionan con los rasgos físicos característicos de los niños con trastornos dentro del espectro alcohólico fetal.Es ampliamente conocida la fragilidad del entorno fetal y las graves consecuencias sobre el desarrollo del feto de cualquier perturbación del mismo. Cualquier alteración del desarrollo fetal puede tener consecuencias de por vida. Especialmente vulnerable es el sistema nervioso central (SNC) y, como parte del mismo, el sistema visual. Por lo tanto, la exploración oftalmológica puede ejercer de alarma, tanto a nivel orgánico como funcional, de cualquier alteración del neurodesarrollo.Los niños adoptados internacionalmente han de enfrentarse a una serie de riesgos potenciales para un mal neurodesarrollo. Uno de los principales riesgos son las gestaciones y partos no controlados médicamente, que conllevan una mayor exposición prenatal a tóxicos y déficits nutricionales, así como una mayor tasa de infecciones de transmisión vertical o anoxia perinatal. Por otro lado, también han de sobrellevar todos las consecuencias derivadas de las institucionalizaciones, como déficits nutricionales y afectivos, pobres cuidados médicos, malos tratos, cambios frecuentes de institución, etc. Cada región de origen tiene unos riesgos característicos. En el caso de los países de Europa del este los dos principales riesgos son los derivados de institucionalizaciones largas, pues el 85% de los niños de esta procedencia son adoptados con más de 18 meses, y la exposición prenatal a tóxicos, especialmente a alcohol. A nivel oftalmológico, se han descrito hasta un 78% de alteraciones oculares en este grupo poblacional, como estrabismo, defectos refractivos, pobre estereopsia, alteraciones de fondo de ojo, etc. Hay pocos trabajos que estudian las habilidades cognitivas visuales en niños adoptados del este de Europa. En niños con trastornos del espectro alcohólico fetal, patología muy prevalente entre los adoptados de esta procedencia, se han descrito alteraciones visoperceptivas y de la función ejecutiva así como del control oculomotor. Hemos estudiado más de 100 niños adoptados del este de Europa, a los que se sometió a una exploración oftalmológica completa y, según el proyecto, se les realizó una tomografía de coherencia óptica (OCT), con un Cirrus HD-OCT, para la valoración de la estructura retiniana o se estudiaron distintos aspectos de la función visual como la visopercepción o el control oculomotor. La visopercepción se exploró mediante la realización de una batería de test visoperceptivos: TVPS-3, TVAS y subtest de memoria facial del test TOMAL. Para la valoración del control oculomotor se utilizó un dispositivo (Device for an Integral Visual Examination) que incluye una pantalla junto a un eyetracker y permite estudiar la estabilidad de la fijación y los movimientos sacádicos, entre otros aspectos de la función visual. Debido a la alta sospecha del importante papel del alcohol como responsable de las alteraciones encontradas, realizamos también un proyecto comparando los efectos de la exposición prenatal a alcohol, tabaco y otras drogas de abuso sobre la estructura retiniana, utilizando OCT. El protocolo de estudio se diseñó siguiendo las directrices de la declaración de Helsinki y fue aprobado por el Comité ético de investigaciones clínicas de Aragón. Todos los sujetos, a través de sus representantes legales, además de por sí mismos a partir de los 12 años de edad, firmaron un consentimiento informado. Encontramos diferencias estadísticamente significativas en los resultados de todos los proyectos realizados. Los niños con antecedentes prenatales de exposición a alcohol, y drogas de abuso presentaron una reducción significativa del grosor de la capa de fibras nerviosas de la retina (CFNR) y la capa de células ganglionares (CCG) respecto al grupo control. Lo mismo se observó en el grupo de adoptados del este de Europa, donde los resultados de la OCT se correlacionaban positivamente con los rasgos físicos característicos de trastornos del espectro alcohólico fetal (TEAF). Los niños adoptados del este de Europa también mostraron alteraciones en sus habilidades visoperceptivas y estabilidad de la fijación, con diferencias estadísticamente significativas respecto al grupo control. En ambos casos la correlación con los rasgos antropométricos definitorios de TEAF fue positiva, obteniendo peores resultados los niños con rasgos centinela para TEAF. Como conclusión, los niños adoptados de países del este de Europa presentan alteraciones oftalmológicas tanto a nivel orgánico como cognitivo visual. Estructuralmente, presentan una disminución del espesor de las capas de la retina medido mediante OCT. Del mismo modo, estas alteraciones estructurales son objetivables en niños con antecedentes de exposición prenatal a tóxicos como alcohol, tabaco y drogas de abuso. A nivel funcional, los adoptados del este de Europa presentan déficits en sus habilidades visoperceptivas así como en su estabilidad de fijación visual. Todas las alteraciones descritas, tanto a nivel anatómico como funcional, se correlacionan con los rasgos físicos característicos de niños con trastornos dentro del espectro alcohólico fetal. Por ello, el alcohol se postula como uno de los agentes etiológicos principales de los hallazgos encontrados.<br /

Silver nanoparticle-cellulose composite for thin-film microextraction of Cd and Pb as dithiocarbamate derivatives followed by inductively-coupled plasma mass spectrometry determination

Financiado para publicación en acceso aberto: Universidade de Vigo/CISUGPreconcentration of Cd and Pb at ultratrace level in waters following filtration through silver nanoparticles-cellulose composites used for thin-film microextraction was performed. The new procedure was based on the formation of pyrrolidine dithiocarbamate (APDC) derivatives, which showed a large affinity toward the AgNPs. For this purpose, cellulose filters modified with AgNPs were prepared in situ upon reduction of silver ions by sodium tetrahydroborate. The effect of several experimental parameters such as the kind of derivatization agent and its concentration, sample pH, desorption conditions and volume of filtered sample was assessed. Cd and Pb were quantitated in the eluates by inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry (ICP-MS). Filters were characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) in backscattering electron mode and combined with energy dispersive X-ray spectrometry, showing the presence of Ag and S in the cellulose filter. The repeatability expressed as relative standard deviation (RSD,%) was 1.4% for Cd and 5.8% for Pb. Methodological detection limits were 0.6 and 8.5 ng/L for Cd and Pb, respectively. The method was applied to several environmental waters.Agencia Estatal de Investigación | Ref. RTI2018-093697-B-I0

Turn–on fluorescent sensor for the detection of periodate anion following photochemical synthesis of nitrogen and sulphur co–doped carbon dots from vegetables

In this work, a novel one–step ‘bottom–up’ synthetic approach is described for obtaining highly fluorescent nitrogen (N) and sulphur (S) co–doped carbon dots (CDs) following photochemical oxidation of carbohydrates naturally occurring in vegetables. N and S co–doping allows more active sites in the CDs surface resulting in an enhancement of their luminescent properties. Among the 18 vegetables studied as green precursors of CDs, those rich in proteins and glucosinolates (natural S–linked glucosides), such as cruciferous vegetables (Brassicaceae family), i.e. broccoli, cauliflower and Romanesco, facilitate an efficient N and S co–doping of the CDs during the photochemical reaction without the need for further post–synthetic treatments. A comprehensive characterization of CDs obtained from broccoli was performed by transmission electron microscopy, elemental analysis, X–ray fluorescence (total reflection), UV–Vis absorption and Fourier transform–infrared spectroscopy. Quantum yields and fluorescence up–conversion properties were also investigated. Monodisperse CDs (∼8 nm average size) with up–conversion fluorescence properties and a quantum yield (QY) of 22% are obtained. More importantly, a dramatic increase in the CDs fluorescence (turn–on) is observed when the highly oxidant periodate anion (IO4−) is added to the reaction medium, which allowed us to construct a sensitive and selective fluorescent assay for the detection of periodate anion in wastewater samples. The detection limit was 19 μM IO4− and the repeatability expressed as the relative standard deviation was 3.2% (N = 5)Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad | Ref. CTQ2015–68146–

Fluorescent poly(vinylpyrrolidone)-supported copper nanoclusters in miniaturized analytical systems for iodine sensing

Poly(vinylpyrrolidone)-supported copper nanoclusters (CuNCs) are employed in the present work as luminescent probes for iodide determination in water samples. The method involves the combination of two miniaturized analytical systems, namely nanoparticle-enhanced liquid-phase microextraction and microvolume fluorospectrometry. The proposed method is based on the in situ generation of iodine and trapping of the evolved volatile into a CuNCs-containing aqueous microdrop, thus leading to fluorescence quenching. The fluorescence quenching mechanism for iodine sensing can be presumably ascribed to a ‘sphere of action’ static quenching model. Instrumental conditions, as well as a number of experimental parameters affecting extractant phase composition, iodine generation conditions and mass transfer of the volatile, have been evaluated. An outstanding enrichment factor of ca. 1100 was achieved under optimal conditions, yielding limits of detection and quantification of 1.0 ng/mL and 3.4 ng/mL, respectively. The repeatability, expressed as relative standard deviation, was found to be 7.4% (N = 7). The method was validated against a certified reference material and successfully applied to the analysis of different water samples. Furthermore, paper-based analytical devices containing CuNCs have been evaluated for the non-instrumental sensing of iodine generated in situ, showing promise as an inexpensive and portable alternative for iodide determination.Agencia Estatal de Investigación | Ref. RTI2018-093697-B-I00Xunta de Galici

Detection of gases and organic vapors by cellulose-based sensors

The growing interest in the development of cost-effective, straightforward, and rapid analytical systems has found cellulose-based materials, including cellulose derivatives, cellulose-based gels, nanocellulosic materials, and the corresponding (nano)cellulose-based composites, to be valuable platforms for sensor development. The present work presents recent advances in the development of cellulose-based sensors for the determination of volatile analytes and derivatives of analytical relevance. In particular, strategies described in the literature for the fabrication and modification of cellulose-based substrates with responsive materials are summarized. In addition, selected contributions reported in the field of paper-based volatile sensors are discussed, with a particular emphasis on quick response (QR) code paper-based platforms, intelligent films for food freshness monitoring, and sensor arrays for volatile discrimination purposes. Furthermore, analytical strategies devised for the determination of ionic species by in situ generation of volatile derivatives in both paper-based analytical devices (PADs) and microfluidic PADs will also be described.Universidade de Vigo/CISUGAgencia Estatal de Investigación | Ref. RTI2018-093697-B-I0

Geométrica explosión Estudios de lengua y literatura en homenaje a René Lenarduzzi

L\u2019articolo presenta l'analisi di due traduzioni in lingua spagnola di \u201cLe avventure di Pinocchio\u201d pubblicate dalla casa editrice di Saturnino Calleja a Madrid: \u201cAventuras de Pinocho: historia de un mu\uf1eco de madera\u201d di 1925, con illustrazioni di Carlo Chiostri; e \u201cAventuras de Pinocho: primeras andanzas del famoso mu\uf1eco de madera\u201d di 1941, con illustrazioni di Pitti Bartolozzi. In primo luogo, si tratta la questione della traduzione della letteratura per ragazzi; in secondo luogo, si spiega l\u2019importante attivit\ue0 di divulgazione culturale sviluppata da Saturnino Calleja e la sua casa editrice; infine si analizzano le differenze trovate in entrambe le traduzioni

Influence of DNA-Polymorphisms in Selected Circadian Clock Genes on Clock Gene Expression in Subjects from the General Population and Their Association with Sleep Duration

Background and Objectives: Circadian rhythms have an important implication in numerous physiological and metabolic processes, including the sleep/wake cycle. Inter-individual differences in factors associated with circadian system may be due to gene differences in gene expression. Although several studies have analyzed the association between DNA polymorphisms and circadian variables, the influence on gene expression has been poorly analyzed. Our goal was to analyze the association of genetic variations in the clock genes and the gene expression level. Materials and Methods: We carried out a cross-sectional study of 102 adults (50.9% women). RNA and DNA were isolated from blood and single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs), and the main circadian clock genes were determined. Gene expression of CLOCK, PER1, and VRK2 genes was measured by Reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). The association between the DNA-SNPs and gene expression was analyzed at the gene level. In addition, a polygenic risk score (PRS), including all the significant SNPs related to gene expression, was created for each gene. Multivariable model analysis was performed. Results: Sex-specific differences were detected in PER1 expression, with these being higher in women (p = 0.034). No significant differences were detected in clock genes expression and lifestyle variables. We observed a significant association between the ARNTL-rs7924734, ARNTL-rs10832027, VRK2- rs2678902 SNPs, and CLOCK gene expression; the PER3-rs228642 and PER3-rs10127838 were related to PER1 expression, and the ARNTL-rs10832027, ARNTL-rs11022778, and MNTR1B-rs10830963 were associated with VRK2 gene expression (p < 0.05). The specific PRS created was significantly associated with each of the gene expressions analyzed (p < 0.001). Finally, sleep duration was associated with PER3-rs238666 (p = 0.008) and CLOCK-rs4580704 (p = 0.023). Conclusion: We detected significant associations between DNA-SNPs in the clock genes and their gene expression level in leukocytes and observed some differences in gene expression per sex. Moreover, we reported for the first time an association between clock gene polymorphisms and CLOCK, PER1, and VRK2 gene expression. These findings need further investigation