69 research outputs found
Highly conductive microporous carbon fibers by electrospinning of lignin/phosphoric acid/ethanol solutions
This contribution reports the preparation of electrospun lignin-based carbon fibers at different carbonization temperatures and the influence of heat treatments at temperatures ranging from 900 to 1600 ÂșC. The influence of the addition of phosphoric acid in the initial electrospinning solution on the structural ordering, electrical conductivity and porosity development of the final carbon fibers is studied in detail. Alcell lignin fibers were electrospun using a coaxial electrospinning device following the procedure previously reported by our research group. Electrospun H3PO4-lignin fibers were prepared in the same device by addition of phosphoric acid to the lignin solution using mass ratios of 0.1 and 0.3. The electrospun fibers were stabilized in air at 200 ÂșC, using a slow heating rate and carbonized under inert atmosphere at temperatures between 500 and 900 ÂșC. In addition, the fibers carbonized at 900 ÂșC were heat treated at temperatures between 1200 and 1600 ÂșC. The high temperature heat treatment removes most of the heteroatoms (O, P) for both carbon fibers. However, the surface area of the phosphorous containing carbon fibers is mostly preserved after the heat treatment, while a large porosity shrinkage is observed for the pure lignin-derived fibers. Thus, microporous carbon fibers with large electrical conductivity values have been obtained by heat treatment at 1600 ÂșC of P-containing electrospun carbon fibers.Universidad de MĂĄlaga. Campus de Excelencia Internacional AndalucĂa Tech
Biomass waste carbon materials for post-combustion CO2 capture
Low-carbon energy systems based on carbon capture and storage (CCS) have become of great interest due to the imperative necessity of mitigating the carbon footprint derived from the currently fossil fuels-based energy technologies. In this sense, post-combustion CO2 adsorption over porous solids results particularly attractive from several viewpoints. In a green context, the use of carbon-based materials as adsorbents would entail important economic and environmental profits, such as the valorization of different types of biomass and lignocellulosic waste.
In this work, six carbon materials were prepared from four types of low cost biomass residues. Electrospun carbon fibers, FCL, and a char, GCL, were obtained from AlcellÂź lignin. Two activated carbons, GAS and GAWBa, resulted from physical activation of olive stones and plywood waste, respectively. Finally, another activated carbon, GAL, and an activated carbon cloth, CAD, were synthesized by chemical activation of lignin and a denim cloth. These materials were evaluated as potential adsorbents for CO2 capture under post-combustion conditions by means of equilibrium and dynamic experiments (fixed-bed system). Moreover, the regeneration capacity of the samples was also studied. At 101.3 kPa, the samples displayed CO2 capacities between 2.0 and 3.1 mmol/g. Meaningfully, the uptake values, at typical CO2 pressures in post-combustion applications (c.a. 15 kPa), remain in the range of 0.7 to 1.2 mmol/g, which are comparable to those of other complex and appealing materials. Additionally, a thorough characterization of the porous structure of the different adsorbents provided new insights into the influence of the pore size distribution on the CO2 capture capacity. CO2 retention capacities correlate well with the narrow micropore volume derived from the CO2 adsorption data at 0 ÂșC, VDRCO2, at 101.3 kPa (Figure 2). In contrast, at 15 kPa, analysis of the cumulative pore volumes of the samples pointed out that only pores of sizes below 0.7 nm are relevant for adsorption. Under dynamic conditions, the studied materials also showed remarkable adsorptive behaviors. For instance, the lignin-derived carbon fiber (FCL) exhibited a capacity value higher than 1.3 mmol/g.Universidad de MĂĄlaga. Campus de Excelencia Internacional AndalucĂa Tech
Spatiotemporal progression of ubiquitin-proteasome system inhibition after status epilepticus suggests protective adaptation against hippocampal injury.
BACKGROUND: The ubiquitin-proteasome-system (UPS) is the major intracellular pathway leading to the degradation of unwanted and/or misfolded soluble proteins. This includes proteins regulating cellular survival, synaptic plasticity and neurotransmitter signaling; processes controlling excitability thresholds that are altered by epileptogenic insults. Dysfunction of the UPS has been reported to occur in a brain region- and cell-specific manner and contribute to disease progression in acute and chronic brain diseases. Prolonged seizures, status epilepticus, may alter UPS function but there has been no systematic attempt to map when and where this occurs in vivo or to determine the consequences of proteasome inhibition on seizure-induced brain injury.
METHOD: To determine whether seizures lead to an impairment of the UPS, we used a mouse model of status epilepticus whereby seizures are triggered by an intra-amygdala injection of kainic acid. Status epilepticus in this model causes cell death in selected brain areas, in particular the ipsilateral CA3 subfield of the hippocampus, and the development of epilepsy after a short latent period. To monitor seizure-induced dysfunction of the UPS we used a UPS inhibition reporter mouse expressing the ubiquitin fusion degradation substrate ubiquitin(G76V)-green fluorescent protein. Treatment with the specific proteasome inhibitor epoxomicin was used to establish the impact of proteasome inhibition on seizure-induced pathology.
RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS: Our studies show that status epilepticus induced by intra-amygdala kainic acid causes select spatio-temporal UPS inhibition which is most evident in damage-resistant regions of the hippocampus, including CA1 pyramidal and dentate granule neurons then appears later in astrocytes. In support of this exerting a beneficial effect, injection of mice with the proteasome inhibitor epoxomicin protected the normally vulnerable hippocampal CA3 subfield from seizure-induced neuronal death in the model. These studies reveal brain region- and cell-specific UPS impairment occurs after seizures and suggest UPS inhibition can protect against seizure-induced brain damage. Identifying networks or pathways regulated through the proteasome after seizures may yield novel target genes for the treatment of seizure-induced cell death and possibly epilepsy
Enteric Budesonide in Transplant and Native IgA Nephropathy: Real-World Clinical Practice
Budesonide; Transplant; NephropathyBudesonida; Trasplante; NefropatĂaBudesonida; Trasplantament; Nefropati
Relapse, cognitive reserve, and their relationship with cognition in first episode schizophrenia: a 3-year follow-up study
Schizophrenia is frequently characterized by the presence of multiple relapses. Cognitive impairments are core features of schizophrenia. Cognitive reserve (CR) is the ability of the brain to compensate for damage caused by pathologies such as psychotic illness. As cognition is related to CR, the study of the relationship between relapse, cognition and CR may broaden our understanding of the course of the disease. We aimed to determine whether relapse was associated with cognitive impairment, controlling for the effects of CR. Ninety-nine patients with a remitted first episode of schizophrenia or schizophreniform disorder were administered a set of neuropsychological tests to assess premorbid IQ, attention, processing speed, working memory, verbal and visual memory, executive functions and social cognition. They were followed up for 3 years (n=53) or until they relapsed (n=46). Personal and familial CR was estimated from a principal component analysis of the premorbid information gathered. Linear mixed-effects models were applied to analyse the effect of time and relapse on cognitive function, with CR as covariate. Patients who relapsed and had higher personal CR showed less deterioration in attention, whereas those with higher CR (personal and familial CR) who did not relapse showed better performance in processing speed and visual memory. Taken together, CR seems to ameliorate the negative effects of relapse on attention performance and shows a positive effect on processing speed and visual memory in those patients who did not relapse. Our results add evidence for the protective effect of CR over the course of the illness
How does neighbourhood socio-economic status affect the interrelationships between functioning dimensions in first episode of psychosis? A network analysis approach
The links between psychosis and socio-economic disadvantage have been widely studied. No previous study has analysed the interrelationships and mutual influences between functioning dimensions in first episode of psychosis (FEP) according to their neighbourhood household income, using a multidimensional and transdiagnostic perspective. 170 patients and 129 controls, participants in an observational study (AGES-CM), comprised the study sample. The WHO Disability Assessment Schedule (WHODAS 2.0) was used to assess functioning, whereas participants' postcodes were used to obtain the average household income for each neighbourhood, collected by the Spanish National Statistics Institute (INE). Network analyses were conducted with the aim of defining the interrelationships between the different dimensions of functioning according to the neighbourhood household income. Our results show that lower neighbourhood socioeconomic level is associated with lower functioning in patients with FEP. Moreover, our findings suggest that âhousehold responsibilitiesâ plays a central role in the disability of patients who live in low-income neighbourhoods, whereas âdealing with strangersâ is the most important node in the network of patients who live in high-income neighbourhoods. These results could help to personalize treatments, by allowing the identification of potential functioning areas to be prioritized in the treatment of FEP according to the patient's neighbourhood characteristic
A protective personal factor against disability and dependence in the elderly: an ordinal regression analysis with nine geographically-defined samples from Spain
Background
Sense of Coherence (SOC) is defined as a tendency to perceive life experiences as comprehensible, manageable and meaningful. The construct is split in three major domains: Comprehensibility, Manageability, and Meaningfulness. SOC has been associated with successful coping strategies in the face of illness and traumatic events and is a predictor of self-reported and objective health in a variety of contexts. In the present study we aim to evaluate the association of SOC with disability and dependence in Spanish elders.
Methods
A total of 377 participants aged 75 years or over from nine locations across Spain participated in the study (Mean age: 80.9 years; 65.3% women). SOC levels were considered independent variables in two ordinal logistic models on disability and dependence, respectively. Disability was established with the World health Organization-Disability Assessment Schedule 2.0 (36-item version), while dependence was measured with the Extended Katz Index on personal and instrumental activities of daily living. The models included personal (sex, age, social contacts, availability of an intimate confidant), environmental (municipality size, access to social resources) and health-related covariates (morbidity).
Results
High Meaningfulness was a strong protective factor against both disability (Odds Ratio [OR]â=â0.50; 95% Confidence Interval [CI]â=â0.29â0.87) and dependence (ORâ=â0.33; 95% CIâ=â0.19â0.58) while moderate and high Comprehensibility was protective for disability (ORâ=â0.40; 95% CIâ=â0.22â0.70 and ORâ=â0.39; 95%CIâ=â0.21â0.74), but not for dependence. Easy access to social and health resources was also highly protective against both disability and dependence.
Conclusions
Our results are consistent with the view that high levels of SOC are protective against disability and dependence in the elderly. Elderly individuals with limited access to social and health resources and with low SOC may be a group at risk for dependence and disability in Spain.This project was partially funded by a research contract in support of the project âEpidemiological Study of Dementia in Spainâ signed by the Pfizer Foundation and Carlos III Institute of HealthS
The interplay between functioning problems and symptoms in first episode of psychosis: an approach from network analysis
The relationship between psychotic symptoms and global measures of functioning has been widely studied. No previous study has assessed so far the interplay between specific clinical symptoms and particular areas of functioning in first-episode psychosis (FEP) using network analysis methods. A total of 191 patients with FEP (age 24.45 ± 6.28 years, 64.9% male) participating in an observational and longitudinal study (AGES-CM) comprised the study sample. Functioning problems were assessed with the WHO Disability Assessment Schedule (WHODAS), whereas the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS) was used to assess symptom severity. Network analysis were conducted with the aim of analysing the patterns of relationships between the different dimensions of functioning and PANSS symptoms and factors at baseline. According to our results, the most important nodes were âconceptual disorganizationâ, âemotional withdrawalâ, âlack of spontaneity and flow of conversationâ, âdelusionsâ, âunusual thought contentâ, âdealing with strangersâ and âpoor rapportâ. Our findings suggest that these symptoms and functioning dimensions should be prioritized in the clinical assessment and management of patients with FEP. These areas may also become targets of future early intervention strategies, so as to improve quality of life in this populationThis work was supported by the Madrid Regional Government (R&D
activities in Biomedicine (grant number S2017/BMD-3740 - AGES-CM
2-CM)) and Structural Funds of the European Union. Ana Izquierdoâs
work is supported by the PFIS predoctoral program (FI17/00138) from
the Instituto de Salud Carlos III (Spain) and co-funded by the European
Union (ERDF/ESF, "A way to make Europeâ/ âInvesting in your futureâ)
and The Biomedical Research Foundation of La Princesa University Hospital.
Angela IbÂŽaËnez thanks the support of CIBERSAM and of the Spanish
Ministry of Science, Innovation and Universities. Instituto de Salud
Carlos III (PI16/00834 and PI19/01295) co-financed by ERDF Funds
from the European Commission. Covadonga M. DĂaz-Caneja holds a
Juan RodÂŽes Grant from Instituto de Salud Carlos III (JR19/00024). Celso
Arango was supported by the Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation.
Instituto de Salud Carlos III (SAM16PE07CP1, PI16/02012, PI19/
024), co-financed by ERDF Funds from the European Commission, âA
way of making Europeâ, CIBERSAM. Madrid Regional Government
(B2017/BMD-3740 AGES-CM-2), European Union Structural Funds.
European Union Seventh Framework Program under grant agreements
FP7-4-HEALTH-2009-2.2.1-2-241909 (Project EU-GEI), FP7- HEALTH-
2013-2.2.1-2-603196 (Project PSYSCAN) and FP7- HEALTH-2013-
2.2.1-2-602478 (Project METSY); and European Union H2020 Program
under the Innovative Medicines Initiative 2 Joint Undertaking
(grant agreement No 115916, Project PRISM, and grant agreement No
777394, Project AIMS-2-TRIALS), FundaciÂŽon Familia Alonso, FundaciÂŽon
Alicia Koplowitz and FundaciÂŽon Mutua MadrileËn
The burden of mental disorders, substance use disorders and self-harm among young people in Europe, 1990-2019 : Findings from the Global Burden of Disease Study 2019
Background Mental health is a public health issue for European young people, with great heterogeneity in resource allocation. Representative population-based studies are needed. The Global Burden of Disease (GBD) Study 2019 provides internationally comparable information on trends in the health status of populations and changes in the leading causes of disease burden over time. Methods Prevalence, incidence, Years Lived with Disability (YLDs) and Years of Life Lost (YLLs) from mental disorders (MDs), substance use disorders (SUDs) and self-harm were estimated for young people aged 10-24 years in 31 European countries. Rates per 100,000 population, percentage changes in 1990-2019, 95% Uncertainty Intervals (UIs), and correlations with Sociodemographic Index (SDI), were estimated. Findings In 2019, rates per 100,000 population were 16,983 (95% UI 12,823 - 21,630) for MDs, 3,891 (3,020 4,905) for SUDs, and 89.1 (63.8 - 123.1) for self-harm. In terms of disability, anxiety contributed to 647.3 (432 -912.3) YLDs, while in terms of premature death, self-harm contributed to 319.6 (248.9-412.8) YLLs, per 100,000 population. Over the 30 years studied, YLDs increased in eating disorders (14.9%;9.4-20.1) and drug use disorders (16.9%;8.9-26.3), and decreased in idiopathic developmental intellectual disability (-29.1%;23.8-38.5). YLLs decreased in self-harm (-27.9%;38.3-18.7). Variations were found by sex, age-group and country. The burden of SUDs and self-harm was higher in countries with lower SDI, MDs were associated with SUDs. Interpretation Mental health conditions represent an important burden among young people living in Europe. National policies should strengthen mental health, with a specific focus on young people. Funding The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation Copyright (C) 2022 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Ltd. This is an open access article under the CC BY license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/)Peer reviewe
RICORS2040 : The need for collaborative research in chronic kidney disease
Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is a silent and poorly known killer. The current concept of CKD is relatively young and uptake by the public, physicians and health authorities is not widespread. Physicians still confuse CKD with chronic kidney insufficiency or failure. For the wider public and health authorities, CKD evokes kidney replacement therapy (KRT). In Spain, the prevalence of KRT is 0.13%. Thus health authorities may consider CKD a non-issue: very few persons eventually need KRT and, for those in whom kidneys fail, the problem is 'solved' by dialysis or kidney transplantation. However, KRT is the tip of the iceberg in the burden of CKD. The main burden of CKD is accelerated ageing and premature death. The cut-off points for kidney function and kidney damage indexes that define CKD also mark an increased risk for all-cause premature death. CKD is the most prevalent risk factor for lethal coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) and the factor that most increases the risk of death in COVID-19, after old age. Men and women undergoing KRT still have an annual mortality that is 10- to 100-fold higher than similar-age peers, and life expectancy is shortened by ~40 years for young persons on dialysis and by 15 years for young persons with a functioning kidney graft. CKD is expected to become the fifth greatest global cause of death by 2040 and the second greatest cause of death in Spain before the end of the century, a time when one in four Spaniards will have CKD. However, by 2022, CKD will become the only top-15 global predicted cause of death that is not supported by a dedicated well-funded Centres for Biomedical Research (CIBER) network structure in Spain. Realizing the underestimation of the CKD burden of disease by health authorities, the Decade of the Kidney initiative for 2020-2030 was launched by the American Association of Kidney Patients and the European Kidney Health Alliance. Leading Spanish kidney researchers grouped in the kidney collaborative research network Red de Investigación Renal have now applied for the Redes de Investigación Cooperativa Orientadas a Resultados en Salud (RICORS) call for collaborative research in Spain with the support of the Spanish Society of Nephrology, Federación Nacional de Asociaciones para la Lucha Contra las Enfermedades del Riñón and ONT: RICORS2040 aims to prevent the dire predictions for the global 2040 burden of CKD from becoming true
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