Amidase-responsive controlled release of antitumoral drug into intracellular media using gluconamide-capped mesoporous silica nanoparticles

MCM-41 silica nanoparticles were used as inorganic scaffolding to prepare a nanoscopic-capped hybrid material S1, which was able to release an entrapped cargo in the presence of certain enzymes, whereas in the absence of enzymes, a zero release system was obtained. S1 was prepared by loading nanoparticles with Safranine O dye and was then capped with a gluconamide derivative. In the absence of enzymes, the release of the dye from the aqueous suspensions of S1 was inhibited as a result of the steric hindrance imposed by the bulky gluconamide derivative, the polymerized gluconamide layer and the formation of a dense hydrogen-bonded network around the pore outlets. Upon the addition of amidase and pronase enzymes, delivery of Safranine O dye was observed due to the enzymatic hydrolysis of the amide bond in the anchored gluconamide derivative. S1 nanoparticles were not toxic for cells, as demonstrated by cell viability assays using HeLa and MCF-7 cell lines, and were associated with lysosomes, as shown by confocal microscopy. Finally, the S1¿CPT material loaded with the cytotoxic drug camptothecin and capped with the gluconamide derivative was prepared. The HeLa cells treated with S1¿CPT underwent cell death as a result of material internalization, and of the subsequent cellular enzyme-mediated hydrolysis and aperture of the molecular gate, which induced the release of the camptothecin cargo.We thank the Spanish Government (Project MAT2009-14564-C04 and SAF2010-15512) and the Generalitat Valenciana (Project PROMETEO/2009/016and/2010/005) for support. I. C. thanks the Universitat Politecnica de Valencia for her fellowship. L. M. thanks the Generalitat Valenciana for her post-doctoral VALi+d contract. E. A. and C. T. also thank the CIBER-BBN for contracts. We thank Eva Maria Lafuente Villarreal and Alberto Hernandez Cano from the Confocal Microscopy service of CIPF and the Electronic Microscopy service of UPV for their technical support.Candel Busquets, I.; Aznar Gimeno, E.; Mondragón Martínez, L.; De La Torre Paredes, C.; Martínez Mañez, R.; Sancenón Galarza, F.; Marcos Martínez, MD.... (2012). Amidase-responsive controlled release of antitumoral drug into intracellular media using gluconamide-capped mesoporous silica nanoparticles. Nanoscale. 4(22):7237-7245. https://doi.org/10.1039/c2nr32062bS7237724542

Transitional Care for Patients with Congenital Colorectal Diseases: An EUPSA Network Office, ERNICA, and eUROGEN Joint Venture

Background: Transition of care (TOC; from childhood into adulthood) of patients with anorectal malformations (ARM) and Hirschsprung disease (HD) ensures continuation of care for these patients. The aim of this international study was to assess the current status of TOC and adult care (AC) programs for patients with ARM and HD. Methods: A survey was developed by members of EUPSA, ERN eUROGEN, and ERNICA, including patient representatives (ePAGs), comprising of four domains: general information, general questions about transition to adulthood, and disease-specific questions regarding TOC and AC programs. Recruitment of centres was done by the ERNs and EUPSA, using mailing lists and social media accounts. Only descriptive statistics were reported. Results: In total, 82 centres from 21 different countries entered the survey. Approximately half of them were ERN network members. Seventy-two centres (87.8%) had a self-reported area of expertise for both ARM and HD. Specific TOC programs were installed in 44% of the centres and AC programs in 31% of these centres. When comparing centres, wide variation was observed in the content of the programs. Conclusion: Despite the awareness of the importance of TOC and AC programs, these programs were installed in less than 50% of the participating centres. Various transition and AC programs were applied, with considerable heterogeneity in implementation, content and responsible caregivers involved. Sharing best practice examples and taking into account local and National Health Care Programs might lead to a better continuation of care in the future. Level of Evidence: III

Importancia de la educación en las farmacias comunitarias respecto al consumo responsable de alcohol

El consumo de alcohol es uno de los factores de riesgo prevenible más ampliamente reconocido que se asocia con un aumento de la morbi y mortalidad en la población. En los países mediterráneos se bebe alcohol desde tiempos remotos, obteniéndose a partir de la fermentación de frutos, y más rara vez mediante destilación. En España, en general se sigue el llamado “patrón de consumo mediterráneo” caracterizado por un consumo ligado a las relaciones sociales en compañía de amigos, familiares o conocidos y que se produce actualmente de forma mayoritaria a través del canal de hostelería y menos en el hogar. Se asume que se trata de un consumo responsable moderado, no concentrado en los fines de semana y no asociado a ingesta de grandes cantidades de alcohol en periodos limitados de tiempo. Por otro lado, existe evidencia acerca de la relación beneficiosa que existe entre un consumo moderado de alcohol y la salud

Boolean operations mediated by an ion-pair receptor of a multi-readout molecular logic gate

A heteroditopic BODIPY dye that performs all basic Boolean operations with a cation (K+) and an anion (F-) as inputs and absorption, transmission and fluorescence as outputs is described. The molecular logic gate can also act as a digital comparator between the inputs.This work was supported by the Spanish government (project MAT2012-38429-C04-02). RG thanks Spanish MEC for a pre-doctoral fellowship.Gotor Candel, RJ.; Costero, AM.; Gil Grau, S.; Parra, M.; Gaviña, P.; Rurack, K. (2013). Boolean operations mediated by an ion-pair receptor of a multi-readout molecular logic gate. Chemical Communications. 49(94):11056-11058. https://doi.org/10.1039/c3cc45377dS1105611058499

Le langage manipulateur

L’argumentation est au cœur des préoccupations de ceux qui ont pour vocation de « manipuler » la langue, que ce soit pour transmettre des informations et des savoirs, pour agir sur autrui et communiquer ou pour étudier la langue dans ses dimensions interlocutive, dialogique et pragmatique. À la croisée de différentes disciplines scientifiques ayant la langue comme composante transversale – l’analyse de discours, la linguistique textuelle, la didactique des langues, la communication, la pragmatique – l’argumentation est également soumise à une évolution exponentielle des outils et techniques de diffusion et de traitement des données qui rapprochent les locuteurs dans le temps et l’espace. Ce contexte de mondialisation et d’évolution technologique influe considérablement sur la forme, le contenu, la structure, l’impact et l’enjeu des discours argumentatifs. Cet ouvrage collectif réunit les contributions de chercheurs en linguistique, analyse de discours et didactique du français sur objectif spécifique et universitaire autour de la notion de manipulation, au sens premier et au sens dérivé du terme, que l’argumentation peut produire sur le langage. Il propose un double regard franco-espagnol en croisant les articles de collègues français et espagnols afin d’enrichir l’analyse de cette notion très actuelle