Field-Pulse-Induced Annealing of 2D Colloidal Polycrystals

Funding: This work has been funded by the Ministry of Science and Innovation (Grants No. PID2019- 105343GB-I00 and PID2019-105195RA-I00) and the project EUR2021-122001. Acknowledgments: We thank Andrés González-Banciella and Alba Camino for initial experimentsTwo-dimensional colloidal crystals are of considerable fundamental and practical importance. However, their quality is often low due to the widespread presence of domain walls and defects. In this work, we explored the annealing process undergone by monolayers of superparamagnetic colloids adsorbed onto fluid interfaces in the presence of magnetic field pulses. These systems present the extraordinary peculiarity that both the extent and the character of interparticle interactions can be adjusted at will by simply varying the strength and orientation of the applied field so that the application of field pulses results in a sudden input of energy. Specifically, we have studied the effect of polycrystal size, pulse duration, slope and frequency on the efficiency of the annealing process and found that (i) this strategy is only effective when the polycrystal consists of less than approximately 10 domains; (ii) that the pulse duration should be of the order of magnitude of the time required for the outer particles to travel one diameter during the heating step; (iii) that the quality of larger polycrystals can be slightly improved by applying tilted pulses. The experimental results were corroborated by Brownian dynamics simulations.Depto. de Estructura de la Materia, Física Térmica y ElectrónicaFac. de Ciencias FísicasTRUEMinisterio de Ciencia e Innovación (MCIN)pu

Superparamagnetic colloids in viscous fluids

The influence of a magnetic field on the aggregation process of superparamagnetic colloids has been well known on short time for a few decades. However, the influence of important parameters, such as viscosity of the liquid, has received only little attention. Moreover, the equilibrium state reached after a long time is still challenging on some aspects. Indeed, recent experimental measurements show deviations from pure analytical models in extreme conditions. Furthermore, current simulations would require several years of computing time to reach equilibrium state under those conditions. In the present paper, we show how viscosity influences the characteristic time of the aggregation process, with experimental measurements in agreement with previous theories on transient behaviour. Afterwards, we performed numerical simulations on equivalent systems with lower viscosities. Below a critical value of viscosity, a transition to a new aggregation regime is observed and analysed. We noticed this result can be used to reduce the numerical simulation time from several orders of magnitude, without modifying the intrinsic physical behaviour of the particles. However, it also implies that, for high magnetic fields, granular gases could have a very different behaviour from colloidal liquids

SOX2 Expression and Transcriptional Activity Identifies a Subpopulation of Cancer Stem Cells in Sarcoma with Prognostic Implications

Stemness in sarcomas is coordinated by the expression of pluripotency factors, like SOX2, in cancer stem cells (CSC). The role of SOX2 in tumor initiation and progression has been well characterized in osteosarcoma. However, the pro-tumorigenic features of SOX2 have been scarcely investigated in other sarcoma subtypes. Here, we show that SOX2 depletion dramatically reduced the ability of undifferentiated pleomorphic sarcoma (UPS) cells to form tumorspheres and to initiate tumor growth. Conversely, SOX2 overexpression resulted in increased in vivo tumorigenicity. Moreover, using a reporter system (SORE6) which allows to monitor viable cells expressing SOX2 and/or OCT4, we found that SORE6+ cells were significantly more tumorigenic than the SORE6- subpopulation. In agreement with this findings, SOX2 expression in sarcoma patients was associated to tumor grade, differentiation, invasive potential and lower patient survival. Finally, we studied the effect of a panel of anti-tumor drugs on the SORE6+ cells of the UPS model and patient-derived chondrosarcoma lines. We found that the mithramycin analogue EC-8042 was the most efficient in reducing SORE6+ cells in vitro and in vivo. Overall, this study demonstrates that SOX2 is a pro-tumorigenic factor with prognostic potential in sarcoma. Moreover, SORE6 transcriptional activity is a bona fide CSC marker in sarcoma and constitutes an excellent biomarker for evaluating the efficacy of anti-tumor treatments on CSC subpopulations.This work was supported by the Agencia Estatal de Investigación (AEI) [MINECO/Fondo Europeo de Desarrollo Regional (FEDER) (SAF-2016-75286-R to R.R.), ISC III/FEDER (Miguel Servet Program CPII16/00049 to R.R., Sara Borrell Program CD16/00103 to S.T.M. and PI16/00280 and PI19/00560 to J.M.G-P) and Consorcio CIBERONC CB16/12/00390)] and the Plan de Ciencia Tecnología e Innovación del Principado de Asturias/FEDER (IDI/2018/155) to J.P.R and Predoctoral Fellowship Severo Ochoa (BP-17-108) to O.E.S

Effects of selenium addition on minimally processed leafy vegetables grown in a floating system

BACKGROUND: In recent years the consumption ofminimally processed leafy vegetables has been increasing. At the same time food quality and its effects on human health have become crucial issues. Since selenium (Se) is an important microelement due to its ability to defend human organisms against free radicals, we investigated the effects of Se on chicory and lettuce production, and assessed the feasibility of a floating system as a method of producing Se-enriched vegetables. RESULTS: The addition of 0.5 and 1.0mg Se L−1 to the nutrient solution resulted in an increase in the selenium concentration in the leaves, which had a positive effect on the plant yield. Selenium was generally effective in decreasing the production of ethylene and phenylalanine ammonia lyase (PAL) activity, even though a seasonal effect seemed to be present, consequently improving the quality of leafy vegetables and the shelf life in both species. The amount of Se accumulated in plants grown in the nutrient solution containing 0.5 mgSe kg−1 could provide the rational Se intake for human nutrition in accordance with the recommended dietary allowance (RDA) guidelines. CONCLUSIONS: The addition of Se in a nutrient solution can be a useful system for providing enriched leafy vegetables. The floating system can be used to modulate the availability of Se in nutrient solutions and to grow vegetables with the optimal Se content for human healt

Reframing the link between metabolism and NLRP3 inflammasome: therapeutic opportunities

Inflammasomes are multiprotein signaling platforms in the cytosol that senses exogenous and endogenous danger signals and respond with the maturation and secretion of IL-1β and IL-18 and pyroptosis to induce inflammation and protect the host. The inflammasome best studied is the Nucleotide-binding oligomerization domain, leucine-rich repeat-containing family pyrin domain containing 3 (NLRP3) inflammasome. It is activated in a two-step process: the priming and the activation, leading to sensor NLRP3 oligomerization and recruitment of both adaptor ASC and executioner pro-caspase 1, which is activated by cleavage. Moreover, NLRP3 inflammasome activation is regulated by posttranslational modifications, including ubiquitination/deubiquitination, phosphorylation/dephosphorylation, acetylation/deacetylation, SUMOylation and nitrosylation, and interaction with NLPR3 protein binding partners. Moreover, the connection between it and metabolism is receiving increasing attention in this field. In this review, we present the structure, functions, activation, and regulation of NLRP3, with special emphasis on regulation by mitochondrial dysfunction-mtROS production and metabolic signals, i.e., metabolites as well as enzymes. By understanding the regulation of NLRP3 inflammasome activation, specific inhibitors can be rationally designed for the treatment and prevention of various immune- or metabolic-based diseases. Lastly, we review current NLRP3 inflammasome inhibitors and their mechanism of action

Guia para a construção de espaços culturais inclusivos

A criação de espaços culturais e artísticos inclusivos requer uma revisão da forma como estes são concebidos, desenhados e organizados com o objetivo de dar as boasvindas a toda a gente e garantir o acesso e participação igualitários aos serviços, atividades e conteúdos que oferecem. Desta maneira, museus, centros culturais e artísticos ou espaços de exposições contribuem para a promoção do direito a aceder e participar na vida cultural e artística, tal como expresso em várias convenções internacionais, incluindo a Declaração Universal dos Direitos Humanos.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Physical Activity Patterns of the Spanish Population Are Mostly Determined by Sex and Age: Findings in the ANIBES Study

Background Representative data for the Spanish population regarding physical activity (PA) behaviors are scarce and seldom comparable due to methodological inconsistencies. Aim Our objectives were to describe the PA behavior by means of the standardized self-reported International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ) and to know the proportion of the Spanish population meeting and not meeting international PA recommendations. Material and Methods PA was assessed using the IPAQ in a representative sample of 2285 individuals (males, 50.4%) aged 9–75 years and living in municipalities of at least 2,000 inhabitants. Data were analyzed according to: age groups 9–12, 13–17, 18–64, and 65–75 years; sex; geographical distribution; locality size and educational levels. Results Mean total PA was 868.8±660.9 min/wk, mean vigorous PA 146.4±254.1 min/wk, and mean moderate PA 398.1±408.0 min/wk, showing significant differences between sexes (p<0.05). Children performed higher moderate-vigorous PA than adolescents and seniors (p<0.05), and adults than adolescents and seniors (p<0.05). Compared to recommendations, 36.2%of adults performed <150 min/week of moderate PA, 65.4% <75 min/week of vigorous PA and 27.0%did not perform any PA at all, presenting significant differences between sexes (p<0.05). A total of 55.4%of children and adolescents performed less than 420 min/week of MVPA, being higher in the later (62.6%) than in the former (48.4%). Highest non-compliance was observed in adolescent females (86.5%). Conclusion Sex and age are the main influencing factors on PA in the Spanish population. Males engage in more vigorous and light PA overall, whereas females perform more moderate PA. PA behavior differs between age groups and no clear lineal increase with age could be observed. Twenty-seven percent of adults and 55.4% of children and adolescents do not meet international PA recommendations. Identified target groups should be addressed to increase PA in the Spanish populationCoca-Cola Iberia through Spanish Nutrition Foundation (FEN)Coca-Cola Iberi