Modelling drug delivery mechanisms for microencapsulated substances applied on textile substracts

Mathematical drug release modelling of biodegradable polymeric systems by microencapsulation technology in textiles has not progressed much yet, because it is generally too complex. The release of a therapeutic agent from a formulation applied to the skin surface and its transport to the systemic circulation has a multistep process. The transdermal drug released is a feasible administration route for powerful, low-molecular weight therapeutic agents, which has to be accurate in their control of drug distribution. Moreover, many drugs are difficult to handle because they must be delivered slowly over a prolonged period to have a beneficial effect. In the present work, several examples of practical applications of mathematical models, developed through experimental drug release data, are given. For those involved in the design and development of biodegradable drug delivery systems, it will be useful to choose the generic mathematical model for several specific drug release problems. This transport model is based on the appropriate solution to Fick's second law of diffusion and can be used to explain drug release kinetics into this complex biological membrane (skin). Microspheres containing active principles were prepared using a solvent evaporation procedure with poly(vinyl alcohol) as surfactant in the external aqueous phase. Several biodegradable microspheres of biocompatible polymers, taken as delivery systems for active agent, have been studied. Polymers were PLGA (Poly(lactide-co-glycolide)) and PCL (poly(e-caprolactone)). The active compounds chosen were cosmetics and drugs, such as gallic acid, caffeine and ibuprofen. The microspheres obtained were characterized by the measure of encapsulation efficiency. The surface morphology and chemical structure of the micro particles were investigated using scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR). Nanosizer was used for particle size distribution. The application of the microspheres in the fabrics was carried out using Pad-Dry technique, since it is a simple and efficient technology and its working conditions are harmless to the system. The drug release system was analyzed, through samples of the treated fibre (cotton, polyamide, acrylic and polyester) in order to study the drug delivery behaviour in different media, deionized water and physiological saline (T=37ºC). The skin penetration profile by in vitro technique for different active principles was determined using pigskin. The release experiments are performed resorting to the Franz Diffusion cells apparatus (Lara-Spiral, Courtenon, France) consisting of two thermostatic chambers, the upper donor and the lower receptor chamber, divided by a skin biopsy. The main objective of this study is to create smart textiles which allow a controlled drug release for any active compound/substance. Such objective will allow the control of the textiles drug release in such a way that the active compound is released in the right quantity, at the right time and at the right place. The present study has shown that the main objective has been successfully achieved. According to that, microencapsulation applied on fabrics can be considered as a good controlled release system. As a result, the project reached to a general kinetic model using smart textiles as a mass transport system through the skin

Modelling drug delivery mechanisms for microencapsulated substances applied on textile substracts

Mathematical drug release modelling of biodegradable polymeric systems by microencapsulation technology in textiles has not progressed much yet, because it is generally too complex. The release of a therapeutic agent from a formulation applied to the skin surface and its transport to the systemic circulation has a multistep process. The transdermal drug released is a feasible administration route for powerful, low-molecular weight therapeutic agents, which has to be accurate in their control of drug distribution. Moreover, many drugs are difficult to handle because they must be delivered slowly over a prolonged period to have a beneficial effect. In the present work, several examples of practical applications of mathematical models, developed through experimental drug release data, are given. For those involved in the design and development of biodegradable drug delivery systems, it will be useful to choose the generic mathematical model for several specific drug release problems. This transport model is based on the appropriate solution to Fick's second law of diffusion and can be used to explain drug release kinetics into this complex biological membrane (skin). Microspheres containing active principles were prepared using a solvent evaporation procedure with poly(vinyl alcohol) as surfactant in the external aqueous phase. Several biodegradable microspheres of biocompatible polymers, taken as delivery systems for active agent, have been studied. Polymers were PLGA (Poly(lactide-co-glycolide)) and PCL (poly(e-caprolactone)). The active compounds chosen were cosmetics and drugs, such as gallic acid, caffeine and ibuprofen. The microspheres obtained were characterized by the measure of encapsulation efficiency. The surface morphology and chemical structure of the micro particles were investigated using scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR). Nanosizer was used for particle size distribution. The application of the microspheres in the fabrics was carried out using Pad-Dry technique, since it is a simple and efficient technology and its working conditions are harmless to the system. The drug release system was analyzed, through samples of the treated fibre (cotton, polyamide, acrylic and polyester) in order to study the drug delivery behaviour in different media, deionized water and physiological saline (T=37ºC). The skin penetration profile by in vitro technique for different active principles was determined using pigskin. The release experiments are performed resorting to the Franz Diffusion cells apparatus (Lara-Spiral, Courtenon, France) consisting of two thermostatic chambers, the upper donor and the lower receptor chamber, divided by a skin biopsy. The main objective of this study is to create smart textiles which allow a controlled drug release for any active compound/substance. Such objective will allow the control of the textiles drug release in such a way that the active compound is released in the right quantity, at the right time and at the right place. The present study has shown that the main objective has been successfully achieved. According to that, microencapsulation applied on fabrics can be considered as a good controlled release system. As a result, the project reached to a general kinetic model using smart textiles as a mass transport system through the skin.Postprint (published version

I Jornadas Nacionales sobre escuela y altas capacidades

Intercambio de experiencias de las I Jornadas sobre escuela y altas capacidades de la Universidad de Barcelon

Efectes calòrics induïts per pressió en sals inorgàniques

En aquest moment la majoria de sistemes de refrigeració funcionen per cicles de refrigeració per compressió de gasos. Els gasos que s'utilitzen són substàncies tòxiques o que participen en l'efecte hivernacle en el cas que es produeixen fuites o es realitza una mala gestió dels residus. Aquesta situació ha motivat la recerca de noves tècniques o materials per tal de millorar el panorama actual. Durant les últimes dècades s'ha fet un pas important en l'estudi de materials que mantenint-se a la fase sòlida aporten efectes calòrics, tot i que els resultats encara no es poden equiparar als refrigerants actuals per compressió de gasos. En l'estat sòlid s'esperen efectes calòrics gegants, per aplicació d'un camp extern, al voltant de transicions de fase de primer ordre amb una gran calor latent associada. En aquest projecte s'estudiaran els efectes calòrics induïts per l'aplicació de pressió hidrostàtica (efectes barocalòrics o BCE).Objectius de Desenvolupament Sostenible::13 - Acció per al Clim

Un canvi entonatiu en les interrogatives dels joves menorquins

Treballs Finals de Grau de Lingüística. Facultat de Filologia. Universitat de Barcelona, Curs: 2015-2016, Tutor: Xavier Laborda Gil. Director: Ana Mª Fernández PlanasLa sociolingüística variacionista, inaugurada per William Labov (1972), és la que considera que “el canvi lingüístic és inherent a les llengües”. Per això, amb aquest estudi pretenem contribuir als estudis de variació dins d’un àmbit encara poc explorat: el canvi entonatiu en curs. Aquest treball és una continuació d’una publicació recent (Mascaró i Roseano, 2015), en què van veure que existia un canvi entonatiu en curs a l’illa de Menorca. Per tant, consisteix en analitzar quatre tipus d’oracions interrogatives (interrogatives absolutes neutres, confirmatòries, eco i de reintroducció) de parlants masculins i femenins de Ferreries (Menorca), que pertanyen a tres generacions diferents (adolescents, joves i adults). Els principals objectius són demostrar que s’està produint un canvi entonatiu i confirmar la igualtat prosòdica del poble veí, que és Ciutadella. Els resultats s’obtenen de 47 informants a partir d’un corpus de 1692 frases de diferents tipus pragmàtic analitzades fonèticament i fonològicament amb PRAAT i etiquetades a partir de les darreres propostes Cat_ToBI (Prieto et al., 2009, 2015), on s’observa que, efectivament, hi ha un canvi entonatiu en curs, impulsat per les parlants femenines més joves. Paraules clau: estudi sociolingüístic, prosòdia, canvi entonatiu, modalitat interrogativa, Cat_ToBI.The variationist sociolinguistics, first aimed by William Labov (1972), is the one which considers that “the linguistic change is inherent to the languages”. This is the reason why, through this study, we try to contribute to the studies on the variation in field for the moment unexplored: the intonational change in course. This paper is a continuation of a recent publication (Mascaró and Roseano, 2015), in which it was observed that there is an intonational change in course in Menorca. Therefore, it consists on analyzing four different types of interrogative sentences (neutral yes/no questions, confirmatory questions, echo questions and reintroduction questions), in male and female speakers from Ferreries (Menorca), who, moreover, belong to three different generations (teenagers, young people and adults). The main goal of the study is to prove that an intonation change is taking place at the moment and to reinforce the same prosody with its bordering town, Ciutadella. The results are obtained from 47 informants from a corpus with 1692 sentences with different pragmatic meaning. Those were analyzed phonetically and phonologically through PRAAT, and they were classified with the last proposal Cat_ToBI (Prieto et al., 2009, 2015), where it is observed that there is indeed an intonational change in course, motivated by the youngest female speakers. Keywords: sociolinguistic approach, prosody, intonational change, interrogatives, Cat_ToBI

Muntatge de ganxo de remolc per a turismes en una línia de fabricació d'automòbils

Aquest projecte estudia les implicacions que suposaria muntar completament el ganxo de remolc a la línia de muntatge d’automòbils. D’aquesta manera els cotxes, a petició dels clients, podrien sortir de fàbrica directament amb el ganxo ja col·locat i a punt per a funcionar sense necessitat d’anar al taller a posteriori que és com funciona actualment. Amb aquesta nova implantació l’empresa oferiria un nou servei al client estalviant-li diners i mals de cap. I a més a més, l’empresa podria augmentar els seus guanys

Disease Risk Analysis in European polecat reintroduction: improving conservation outcomes

PòsterJun

La ocupación prehistórica y romana de la cavidad M35 del Baix Pallars (Pallars Sobirà, Lleida)

Se presentan los materiales recuperados en una cavidad del Prepirineo leridano que pertenecen a dos horizontes cronológicos distintos: uno del Neolítico Final-Calcolítico y el otro romano. Se analizan las diferentes hipótesis sobre el hábitat rupestre bajoim- perial y se encuadra el conjunto en su época histórica

Individual-based population genomics reveal different drivers of adaptation in sympatric fish

Connectivity and local adaptation are two contrasting evolutionary forces highly influencing population structure. To evaluate the impact of early-life traits and environmental conditions on genetic structuring and adaptation, we studied two sympatric fish species in the Western Mediterranean Sea: Symphodus tinca and S. ocellatus. We followed an individual-based approach and measured early-life history traits from otolith readings, gathered information on environmental variables and obtained genome-wide markers from genotyping-by-sequencing (GBS). The two species presented contrasting population structure across the same geographic gradient, with high and significant population differentiation in S. ocellatus, mostly determined by oceanographic fronts, and low differentiation and no front effect in S. tinca. Despite their different levels of genetic differentiation, we identified in both species candidate regions for local adaptation by combining outlier analysis with environmental and phenotypic association analyses. Most candidate loci were associated to temperature and productivity in S. ocellatus and to temperature and turbulence in S. tinca suggesting that different drivers may determine genomic diversity and differentiation in each species. Globally, our study highlights that individual-based approach combining genomic, environmental and phenotypic information is key to identify signals of selection and the processes mediating them