Green synthesis of silver nanoparticles and its combination with Pyropia columbina (Rhodophyta) extracts for a cosmeceutical application

We report the green synthesis of silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) by using daisy petals (Bellis perennis), leek (Allium porrum) and garlic skin (Allium sativum) as reducing agents and water as solvent. AgNPs are obtained with high monodispersity, spherical shapes and size ranging from 5 to 35 nm and characterized by UV-Vis and TEM techniques. The obtained yields in AgNPs are in concordance with the total phenolic content of each plant. We also study the incorporation of AgNPs in combination with the red algae Pyropia columbina extracts (PCE) into cosmetic formulations and analyze their combined effect as photoprotective agents. Moreover, we carry out the inclusion of the PCE containing mycosporine-like amino acids (MAAs), which are strong UV-absorbing and antioxidant compounds, into β-cyclodextrin (βCD) and pNIPAM nanoparticles and analyze stability and release. The thermoresponsive polymer is grown by free radical polymerization using N-isopropylacrylamide (NIPAM) as the monomer, N,N′-methylenebisacrylamide (BIS) as the cross-linker, and 2,2′-azobis(2-methylpropionamidene) (V50) as the initiator, while βCD complex is prepared by heating in water. We evaluate the nanoparticle and βCD complex formation by UV-Vis and FT-IR, and NMR spectroscopies, respectively, and the nanoparticles’ morphology, including particle size, by TEM. The cosmetic formulations are subsequently subjected to accelerated stability tests and photoprotective analyses: a synergistic effect in the combination of AgNPs and PCE in photoprotection was found. It is not related to a UV screen effect but to the antioxidant activity, having potential against photoaging.Partial funding for open access charge: Universidad de Málag

New optical cell design for pollutant detection

A new and simple optical gas cell, developed to perform as the transducer for a methane fiber optic sensor, is presented. Its main advantage lies in the fact that, employing low-cost components and an easy alignment process, the path where the light beam is in contact with the pollutant becomes maximized to as much as four times the physical length of the optical cell. This increment in optical length is directly related to the optimization of the fiber optic sensor since low levels of methane concentration can be measured as stated by Beer-Lambert's law. One of the main advantages of this design lies in the simplicity of the optic cell, which makes it very interesting when one has to deal with the manufacturing process. The cell is mounted on a reflective configuration which improves the connection as only one optical fiber is employed. The main elements of the cell are an optical fiber, a mirror of high reflectivity and a converging lens arranged in an appropriate fashion to obtain the desired result. With this relatively reduced and low cost set of devices the insertion losses achieved are in the range of the 4-5 dB's

Wikipedia como herramienta de aprendizaje de las Ciencias de la Salud en el EEES

Memoria ID-016. Ayudas de la Universidad de Salamanca para la innovación docente, curso 2013-2014

Monitorización de una estructura civil mediante sensores fotónicos

Embedded sensors for monitoring civil structures were design, installed in a bridge crossing the Autovía del Cantábrico and compared with traditional measuring techniques

Disposición del alumnado al uso de herramientas de comunicación síncrona en la docencia universitaria

[EN] In recent years there have been numerous innovative educational initiatives that have proposed the use of synchronous communication tools to support university teaching. These proposals have proven their worth in specific application contexts such as: virtual tutoring, internationalization and mobility in masters and doctorates. However, their sometimes limited scope often makes it difficult to generalize results to other contexts and, thus, to pass from pilots to consolidated solutions. Within the framework of 2015 being declared as the International Year of Evaluation, this paper presents the results of a survey aimed to obtain the opinion of students regarding the use of synchronous communication tools for university teaching. The survey involved 436 students enrolled in subjects of various grade levels in degrees sucha as engineering, teaching, criminology and sports science, both in public and private universities. The results show a characterization of the interest, expectations and preferences of students with respect to the incorporation of computer communication tools as a mechanism to improve the learning process.[ES] En los últimos años han sido numerosas las iniciativas de innovación educativa que han propuesto el uso de las herramientas de comunicación síncrona como recurso tecnológico de soporte a la docencia universitaria. Dichas propuestas han demostrado sus beneficios en contextos de aplicación concretos como por ejemplo: la tutorización virtual o la internacionalización y movilidad en másteres y doctorados. Sin embargo, su alcance limitado dificulta a menudo la extrapolación de resultados a otros ámbitos docentes y, por tanto, la transformación de actividades que se pueden catalogar como piloto en soluciones de implantación consolidada. Con el trasfondo de la declaración del año 2015 como Año Internacional de la Evaluación, en este trabajo presentamos los resultados de un estudio dirigido a conocer la opinión del alumnado sobre el uso de herramientas de comunicación por Internet en la docencia universitaria. El estudio ha involucrado a 436 estudiantes matriculados en asignaturas de cursos diversos en titulaciones de ingeniería, magisterio, criminología y ciencias del deporte, en universidades públicas y privadas. Los resultados muestran una caracterización del interés, las expectativas y las preferencias de los alumnos con respecto a la incorporación de las herramientas informáticas de comunicación síncronas como mecanismo de apoyo y mejora del proceso de aprendizaje.Grimaldo, F.; López Iñesta, E.; Arnau, D.; Cobos Serrano, M.; Ferrís, R.; García Pineda, M.; Gutiérrez Soto, J.... (2015). Disposición del alumnado al uso de herramientas de comunicación síncrona en la docencia universitaria. En In-Red 2015 - CONGRESO NACIONAL DE INNOVACIÓN EDUCATIVA Y DE DOCENCIA EN RED. Editorial Universitat Politècnica de València. https://doi.org/10.4995/INRED2015.2015.1606OC

Replication Study Of Polymorphisms Associated With Response To Methotrexate In Patients With Rheumatoid Arthritis

About 70 genetic studies have already addressed the need of biomarkers to predict the response of patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) to methotrexate (MTX) treatment. However, no genetic biomarker has yet been sufficiently validated. Here, we aimed to replicate a selection of 25 SNPs in the largest collection of patients up to date, which consisted of 915 patients treated with MTX. The change in disease activity (measured as.DAS28) from baseline was considered the primary outcome. In addition, response according to widely used criteria (EULAR) was taken as secondary outcome. We considered consistency between outcomes, P values accounting for the number of SNPs, and independence from potential confounders for interpretation of the results. Only the rs1801394 SNP in MTRR fulfilled the high association standards. Its minor allele was associated with less improvement than the major allele according to.DAS28 (p = 0.0016), and EULAR response (p = 0.004), with independence of sex, age, baseline DAS28, smoking, seropositivity, concomitant corticosteroid use or previous treatments. In addition, previous evidence suggests the association of this SNP with response to MTX in another autoimmune disease, juvenile idiopathic arthritis, and with high intracellular folate levels, which could contribute to poor response

Single nucleotide variations in ZBTB46 are associated with post-thrombolytic parenchymal haematoma

Haemorrhagic transformation is a complication of recombinant tissue-plasminogen activator treatment. The most severe form, parenchymal haematoma, can result in neurological deterioration, disability, and death. Our objective was to identify single nucleotide variations associated with a risk of parenchymal haematoma following thrombolytic therapy in patients with acute ischaemic stroke. A fixed-effect genome-wide meta-analysis was performed combining two-stage genome-wide association studies (n = 1904). The discovery stage (three cohorts) comprised 1324 ischaemic stroke individuals, 5.4% of whom had a parenchymal haematoma. Genetic variants yielding a P-value < 0.05 1 x 10(-5) were analysed in the validation stage (six cohorts), formed by 580 ischaemic stroke patients with 12.1% haemorrhagic events. All participants received recombinant tissue-plasminogen activator; cases were parenchymal haematoma type 1 or 2 as defined by the European Cooperative Acute Stroke Study (ECASS) criteria. Genome-wide significant findings (P < 5 x 10(-8)) were characterized by in silica functional annotation, gene expression, and DNA regulatory elements. We analysed 7 989 272 single nucleotide polymorphisms and identified a genome-wide association locus on chromosome 20 in the discovery cohort; functional annotation indicated that the ZBTB46 gene was driving the association for chromosome 20. The top single nucleotide polymorphism was rs76484331 in the ZBTB46 gene [P = 2.49 x 10(-8); odds ratio (OR): 11.21; 95% confidence interval (CI): 4.82-26.55]. In the replication cohort (n = 580), the rs76484331 polymorphism was associated with parenchymal haematoma (P = 0.01), and the overall association after meta-analysis increased (P = 1.61 x 10(-8), OR: 5.84; 95% CI: 3.16-10.76). ZBTB46 codes the zinc finger and BTB domain-containing protein 46 that acts as a transcription factor. In silica studies indicated that ZBTB46 is expressed in brain tissue by neurons and endothelial cells. Moreover, rs76484331 interacts with the promoter sites located at 20q13. In conclusion, we identified single nucleotide variants in the ZBTB46 gene associated with a higher risk of parenchymal haematoma following recombinant tissue-plasminogen activator treatment.Peer reviewe