Polímeros hiperramificados fluorescentes: síntesis, propiedades y aplicaciones como sensores

Tesis doctoral inédita leída en la Universidad Autónomade Madrid, Facultad de Ciencias, Departamento de Química Física Aplicada. Fecha de lectura: 12-12-2014El trabajo presentado en los Capítulos anteriores de esta Memoria se puede resumir en los siguientes puntos: I. Se han sintetizado, de manera sencilla y con altos rendimientos, una serie de cromóforos de bajo peso molecular y polímeros hiperramificados fluorescentes derivados de dansilo, naftalimida y acridina. II. Se ha realizado la caracterización química y fotofísica de todas las sondas sintetizadas, en un amplio rango de disolventes, no encontrándose diferencias entre el comportamiento de los cromóforos de bajo peso molecular y sus homólogos hiperramificados. III. El estudio fotofísico reveló que las sondas derivadas de dansilo y naftalimida presentan un elevado solvatocromismo positivo y una alta sensibilidad a los cambios de polaridad en su entorno. IV. Las sondas derivadas de naftalimida y acridina han resultado ser sensibles a la presencia de especies del tipo An+ (cationes metálicos divalentes y protones) en disolución, con concentraciones umbral de 80 ppb. V. Las sondas derivadas de dansilo fueron de utilidad para el seguimiento in situ y en tiempo real de reacciones de polimerización radical fotoiniciadas de monómeros metacrílicos, proporcionando información sobre la rigidez del medio y la cinética de reacción. VI. Se han preparado sensores fluorescentes incluyendo los cromóforos y los HBPs funcionalizados en filmes poliméricos mediante dopaje y anclaje químico. VII. Los HBPs fluorescentes no se extrajeron de los filmes poliméricos a medio y largo plazo, no así las sondas monocromofóricas, siendo el anclaje químico, en este caso, una alternativa al dopaje. VIII. Los filmes sensores han permitido, dependiendo del cromóforo utilizado: a. Estimar coeficientes de difusión por fluorescencia. b. Determinar la presencia de cationes metálicos en disolución. c. Detectar vapores ácidos. IX. Se han modificado superficialmente nanopartículas de sílice con las sondas monocromofóricas sintetizadas. Estas nanopartículas han resultado ser sensibles a la polaridad del medio y a la presencia de cationes metálicos divalentes en disolución. X. Se han sintetizado y caracterizado nanogeles fluorescentes que han permitido estudiar in situ y en tiempo real cómo las cinéticas de polimerización de resinas metacrílicas se ven afectadas localmente por la presencia del nanogel

The use of Video games and gamification as innovative teaching material for learning social sciences in Higher Education

La siguiente investigación tiene como propósito analizar en qué medida los videojuegos y las herramientas de gamificación -Quizizz y Socrative- desarrolladas son estrategias de aprendizaje que facilitan el proceso educativo, promoviendo, el desempeño, participación y motivación de los estudiantes en los estudios universitarios. El objetivo propuesto es analizar la efectividad de la aplicación de los videojuegos y la gamificación para mejorar los conocimientos y habilidades de los estudiantes en la asignatura de Ciencias Sociales y su Didáctica. Mediante una metodología cuantitativa con un diseño cuasi-experimental, se realizó una encuesta con una muestra compuesta por 116 participantes que cursan el Grado en Educación Primaria en una universidad privada española. Para el análisis de datos se ha utilizado el programa GraphPad Prism 5 y se muestra la media aritmética con la desviación estándar de los valores recogidos antes y después del uso de las herramientas mencionadas anteriormente. Los alumnos valoraron positivamente la inclusión de este tipo de estrategias de gamificación en la asignatura, por lo que se puede considerar que la aplicación de la gamificación y los videojuegos favorece el desarrollo de una formación inicial de los futuros profesores de Educación Primaria más adaptados a la realidad actual.The purpose of the following research is to analyze to what extent the video games and the gamification tools -Quizizz and Socrative- developed are learning strategies that facilitate the educational process, promoting the performance, participation, and motivation of students in university studies. The proposed objective is to analyse the effectiveness of the application of video games and gamification to improve the knowledge and skills of students in the subject of Social Sciences and its Didactics. Using a quantitative methodology with a quasi-experimental design, a survey was carried out with a sample composed of 116 participants who are studying the Degree in Primary Education at a private Spanish university. For the data analysis, the GraphPad Prism 5 program has been used and the arithmetic mean is shown with the standard deviation of the values collected before and after the use of the tools mentioned above. The students positively valued the inclusion of this type of gamification strategies in the subject, so it can be considered that the application of gamification and video games favors the development of an initial training of future Primary Education teachers more adapted to the current reality

Soft 3D printing of thermoplastic polyurethane: Preliminary study

Thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) is a highly elastic linear polymer composed of soft segments, usually flexible polyester or polyethers. It is widely used in 3D printing technologies using FFF (Fused Filament Fabrication), SLS (Selective Laser Sintering) or inkjet printing. Among these options, FFF is the most common. However, stiffness and hardness values of 3D printed TPU in filament form are higher that it would be desirable for some applications, which require softer materials. Therefore, it was seen necessary to find a new methodology for 3D printing soft TPU. In this way, the present study seeks to be first research study which focuses on the possibility of 3D printing TPU using DIW (Direct Ink Writing) technology with UV light. Firstly, the optimal 3D printing and curing parameters to print soft TPU are determined and then two different TPU formulations are 3D printed. It was concluded that the 3D printing of this TPU is challenging due to several points: (1) the viscosity of the TPU; (2) their main issue is their sticky behavior; and (3) shrinkage which takes place after the thermal treatment and for some applications, it might be problem. Despite that ,TPU appears to be a promising material to be used in different industrial applications.Peer ReviewedPostprint (author's final draft

Absolute and Relative Reliability of the Assessment of the Muscle Mechanical Properties of Pelvic Floor Muscles in Women with and without Urinary Incontinence

An analysis of the muscle mechanical properties (MMPs) of the pelvic floor muscles (PFMs) is relevant for understanding the physiopathology of urinary incontinence (UI). However, there is no objective and reliable methodology currently available for quantifying the MMPs of PFMs. Thus, the objective was to determine the intra-rater and inter-rater reliability of the MMPs of PFM assessment with a hand-held tonometer device, called the MyotonPRO, in young women with and without UI. Sociodemographic and pelvic floor questionnaires, plus MMPs of PFMs were assessed in 38 nulliparous women with UI and 40 matched healthy women by two trained physiotherapists on two different occasions, 48–72 h apart. Good to excellent absolute reliability was found for tone, stiffness, and decrement of both intra- and inter-rater analyses in both study groups (Intraclass Correlation Coefficient ranged from 0.75 to 0.92), with a trend of lower values for relaxation and creep. The standard error of measurement (SEM) did not achieve 10% of the mean values for any MMPs. The minimum detectable change (MDC) values were also provided for clinical applications. In conclusion, the relative reliability of tone, stiffness, and the assessment of the decrement of PFMs with MyotonPRO is good to excellent for UI and healthy women. The SEM and MDC values were acceptable for their application in clinical settings

Diseño de un sistema de información de apoyo al control de costos para una empresa de transporte de carga

105 p.El servicio de transporte de carga terrestre se está convirtiendo en un sector de mayor relevancia de la economía chilena. El papel que juegan los costos es fundamental, ya que minimizándolos las empresas pueden obtener ventajas competitivas, mejorar sus niveles de rentabilidad y productividad. Para la empresa Patricio Negrete Ltda. surge la necesidad de implementar sistemas de gestión que permitan controlar los costos. La presente memoria tiene por objetivo desarrollar un sistema de información de apoyo al control de costos, el cual se basará en determinar y establecer estándares para los distintos elementos de costo, que tengan por objetivo ser una herramienta de control. Los resultados que se obtengan permitirán mejorar el proceso de toma de decisiones de la empresa, a su vez proveerá a la compañía de la información necesaria para el control y mejor funcionamiento administrativo en el proceso de prestación de servicio de dicha empresa de transporte

New Structured Materials in the Study of the Mechanobiological Processes Related to the Heart Failure

Cardiovascular diseases are the number one of death globally. According to the World Health organization 17.7 million people died from cardiovascular diseases in 2015, representing 31% of all global deaths.  In these diseases the cardiac homeostasis is disrupted by a non-appropriate myocardium remodelling. The cardiac extracellular matrix (ECM) provides not only the biochemical environment but also a natural scaffold surrounding and connecting cardiac cells and distributing mechanical forces throughout the organ. Thus, the properties of the ECM are essential for the maintenance of the functional myocardium. Alterations in cardiac ECM structure associated with heart failure influence cell-matrix and cell-cell adhesions modifying cell shape and mechanotransduction.The need to understand the cardiac ECM remodelling mechanisms that allow us to identify new therapeutic targets lead us to create biomimetic scaffolds which emulate the structure, topography, mechanics and chemical composition of ECM.Here, we present the development of modulable materials for the manufacturing, by using photopolymerizable materials, of structured hydrogels with myocardium properties of stiffness and elastic modulus in physiological and pathological conditions

Asymmetries of the Muscle Mechanical Properties of the Pelvic Floor in Nulliparous and Multiparous Women, and Men: A Cross-Sectional Study

This study aimed to identify if the muscle mechanical properties (MMPs) of both sides of pelvic floor muscles (PFMs) are symmetrical in different populations of both sexes. Between-sides comparisons of MMPs of PFMs, assessed with manual myotonometry, were performed in three groups, with 31 subjects each, composed of healthy nulliparous women (without any type of delivery or pregnancy), multiparous women (with at least two vaginal deliveries), and healthy adult men. Intra-group correlations between MMPs and age, body mass index (BMI), or clinical state of pelvic floor were also obtained. The nulliparous women and the men showed no between-sides differences in any MMP of PFMs. However, the multiparous women showed that the right side displayed less frequency (−0.65 Hz, 95% CI = −1.01, −0.20) and decrement (0.5, 95% CI = 0.11, 0.01), and more relaxation (1.00 ms, 95% CI = 0.47, 1.54) and creep (0.07 De, 95% CI = 0.03, 0.11), than the left side. Further, MMPs were related to age, sex, and BMI, also depending on the population, with the multiparous women being the only group with some between-sides asymmetries, which in this case were positive and of fair intensity for the left side of the PFMs, between BMI, and frequency and stiffness (rho Spearman coefficient: 0.365 and 0.366, respectively). The symmetry of MMPs of the PFMs could depend on the subject’s condition. Multiparous women show a higher tendency to asymmetries than nulliparous women and men, which should be considered in research and clinical settings

The future of isosorbide as a fundamental constituent for polycarbonates and polyurethanes

Isosorbide is a biobased compound which could become in the near future an advantageous competitor of petroleum-derived components in the synthesis of polymers of different nature. When the reactivity of isosorbide is not enough, it can be successfully transformed into secondary building blocks, such as isosorbide bis(methyl carbonate), which provides extra functionalities for polymerization reactions with diols or diamines. The present review summarizes the possibilities for isosorbide as a green raw material to be used in the synthesis of polycarbonates and polyurethanes to obtain products of similar or enhanced properties to the commercial equivalents.This paper is a part of the research carried out within the VIPRISCAR project which has received funding from the Bio-Based Industries Joint Undertaking (JU) under the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under grant agreement No 790440. The JU receives support from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme and the Bio-Based Industries Consortium

New Structured Materials in the Study of the Mechanobiological Processes Related to the Heart Failure

Cardiovascular diseases are the number one of death globally. According to the World Health organization 17.7 million people died from cardiovascular diseases in 2015, representing 31% of all global deaths. In these diseases the cardiac homeostasis is disrupted by a non-appropriate myocardium remodelling. The cardiac extracellular matrix (ECM) provides not only the biochemical environment but also a natural scaffold surrounding and connecting cardiac cells and distributing mechanical forces throughout the organ. Thus, the properties of the ECM are essential for the maintenance of the functional myocardium. Alterations in cardiac ECM structure associated with heart failure influence cell-matrix and cell-cell adhesions modifying cell shape and mechanotransduction. The need to understand the cardiac ECM remodelling mechanisms that allow us to identify new therapeutic targets lead us to create biomimetic scaffolds which emulate the structure, topography, mechanics and chemical composition of ECM. Here, we present the development of modulable materials for the manufacturing, by using photopolymerizable materials, of structured hydrogels with myocardium properties of stiffness and elastic modulus in physiological and pathological conditions

Brain health in diverse settings : How age, demographics and cognition shape brain function

Peer reviewe