The Bacterial Mucosal Immunotherapy MV130 Protects Against SARS-CoV-2 Infection and Improves COVID-19 Vaccines Immunogenicity

COVID-19-specific vaccines are efficient prophylactic weapons against SARS-CoV-2 virus. However, boosting innate responses may represent an innovative way to immediately fight future emerging viral infections or boost vaccines. MV130 is a mucosal immunotherapy, based on a mixture of whole heat-inactivated bacteria, that has shown clinical efficacy against recurrent viral respiratory infections. Herein, we show that the prophylactic intranasal administration of this immunotherapy confers heterologous protection against SARS-CoV-2 infection in susceptible K18-hACE2 mice. Furthermore, in C57BL/6 mice, prophylactic administration of MV130 improves the immunogenicity of two different COVID-19 vaccine formulations targeting the SARS-CoV-2 spike (S) protein, inoculated either intramuscularly or intranasally. Independently of the vaccine candidate and vaccination route used, intranasal prophylaxis with MV130 boosted S-specific responses, including CD8+-T cell activation and the production of S-specific mucosal IgA antibodies. Therefore, the bacterial mucosal immunotherapy MV130 protects against SARS-CoV-2 infection and improves COVID-19 vaccines immunogenicity.CF was supported by AECC Foundation (INVES192DELF) and is currently funded by the Miguel Servet program (ID: CP20/00106) (ISCIII). IH-M receives the support of a fellowship from la Caixa Foundation (ID 100010434, fellowship code: LCF/BQ/IN17/11620074) and from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation program under the Marie Skłodowska-Curie grant agreement no. 713673. AJ-C is a postgraduate fellow of the City Council of Madrid at the Residencia de Estudiantes (2020–2021). GD is supported by an European Molecular Biology Organization (EMBO) Long-term fellowship (ALTF 379-2019). This project has received funding from the European Union's Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under the Marie Skłodowska-Curie grant agreement No. Project number 892965. OL and JA-C acknowledge Comunidad de Madrid (Tec4Bio-CM, S2018/NMT-4443, FEDER). Work in OL laboratory was funded by CNIO with the support of the projects Y2018/BIO4747 and P2018/NMT4443 from Comunidad de Madrid and co-funded by the European Social Fund and the European Regional Development Fund. The CNIO is supported by the Instituto de Salud Carlos III (ISCIII). Work at CNB and CISA is funded by the Spanish Health Ministry, Instituto de Salud Carlos III (ISCIII), Fondo COVID-19 grant COV20/00151, and Fondo Supera COVID-19 (Crue Universidades-Banco Santander) (to JG-A). Work in the DS laboratory is funded by the CNIC; by the European Research Council (ERC-2016-Consolidator Grant 725091); by Agencia Estatal de Investigación (PID2019-108157RB); by Comunidad de Madrid (B2017/BMD-3733 Immunothercan-CM); by Fondo Solidario Juntos (Banco Santander); by a research agreement with Inmunotek S.L.; and by Fundació La Marató de TV3 (201723). The CNIC is supported by the Instituto de Salud Carlos III (ISCIII), the MICINN, and the Pro CNIC Foundation.Peer reviewe

Global disparities in surgeons’ workloads, academic engagement and rest periods: the on-calL shIft fOr geNEral SurgeonS (LIONESS) study

: The workload of general surgeons is multifaceted, encompassing not only surgical procedures but also a myriad of other responsibilities. From April to May 2023, we conducted a CHERRIES-compliant internet-based survey analyzing clinical practice, academic engagement, and post-on-call rest. The questionnaire featured six sections with 35 questions. Statistical analysis used Chi-square tests, ANOVA, and logistic regression (SPSS® v. 28). The survey received a total of 1.046 responses (65.4%). Over 78.0% of responders came from Europe, 65.1% came from a general surgery unit; 92.8% of European and 87.5% of North American respondents were involved in research, compared to 71.7% in Africa. Europe led in publishing research studies (6.6 ± 8.6 yearly). Teaching involvement was high in North America (100%) and Africa (91.7%). Surgeons reported an average of 6.7 ± 4.9 on-call shifts per month, with European and North American surgeons experiencing 6.5 ± 4.9 and 7.8 ± 4.1 on-calls monthly, respectively. African surgeons had the highest on-call frequency (8.7 ± 6.1). Post-on-call, only 35.1% of respondents received a day off. Europeans were most likely (40%) to have a day off, while African surgeons were least likely (6.7%). On the adjusted multivariable analysis HDI (Human Development Index) (aOR 1.993) hospital capacity > 400 beds (aOR 2.423), working in a specialty surgery unit (aOR 2.087), and making the on-call in-house (aOR 5.446), significantly predicted the likelihood of having a day off after an on-call shift. Our study revealed critical insights into the disparities in workload, access to research, and professional opportunities for surgeons across different continents, underscored by the HDI

Effect of Hydrogen Pressure on the Fretting Behavior of Rubber Materials

Safety and reliability are the major challenges to face for the development and acceptance of hydrogen technology. It is therefore crucial to deeply study material compatibility, in particular for tribological components that are directly in contact with hydrogen. Some of the most critical parts are sealing materials that need increased safety requirements. In this study, the fretting behavior of several elastomer materials were evaluated against 316L stainless steel in an air and hydrogen environment up to 10 MPa. Several grades of cross-linked hydrogenated acrylonitrile butadiene (HNBR), acrylonitrile butadiene (NBR) and ethylene propylene diene monomer rubbers (EPDM) were investigated. Furthermore, aging experiments were conducted for 7 days under static conditions in 100 MPa of hydrogen followed by rapid gas decompression. Fretting tests revealed that the wear of these compounds is significantly affected by the hydrogen environment compared to air, especially with NBR grades. After the aging experiment, the friction response of the HNBR grades is characterized by increased adhesion due to elastic deformation, leading to partial slip

Nanomechanical study of polycarbonate/boehmite nanoparticles/epoxy ternary composite and their interphases

Thermoplastic modified thermosets are of great interest especially due to their improved fracture toughness. Comparable enhancements have been achieved by adding different nanofillers including inorganic particles such as nanosized boehmite. Here, we present a nanomechanical study of two composite systems, the first comprising a polycarbonate (PC) layer in contact with epoxy resin (EP) and the second consisting of a PC layer containing boehmite nanoparticles (BNP) which is also in contact with an EP layer. The interaction between PC and EP monomer is tested by in situ Fourier transformed infrared (FT‐IR) analysis, from which a reaction induced phase separation of the PC phase is inferred. Both systems are explored by atomic force microscopy (AFM) force spectroscopy. AFM force‐distance curves (FDC) show no alteration of the mechanical properties of EP at the interface to PC. However, when a PC phase loaded with BNP is put in contact with an epoxy system during curing, a considerable mechanical improvement exceeding the rule of mixture was detected. The trend of BNP to agglomerate preferentially around EP dominated regions and the stiffening effect of BNP on EP shown by spatial resolved measurements of Young's modulus, suggest the effective presence of BNP within the EP phase.DFG, 232311024, FOR 2021: Wirkprinzipien nanoskaliger Matrixadditive für den Faserverbundleichtba

Carrier Fibers for the Safe Dosage of Nanoparticles in Nanocomposites: Nanomechanical and Thermomechanical Study on Polycarbonate/Boehmite Electrospun Fibers Embedded in Epoxy Resin

The reinforcing effect of boehmite nanoparticles (BNP) in epoxy resins for fiber composite lightweight construction is related to the formation of a soft but bound interphase between filler and polymer. The interphase is able to dissipate crack propagation energy and consequently increases the fracture toughness of the epoxy resin. Usually, the nanoparticles are dispersed in the resin and then mixed with the hardener to form an applicable mixture to impregnate the fibers. If one wishes to locally increase the fracture toughness at particularly stressed positions of the fiber-reinforced polymer composites (FRPC), this could be done by spraying nanoparticles from a suspension. However, this would entail high costs for removing the nanoparticles from the ambient air. We propose that a fiber fleece containing bound nanoparticles be inserted at exposed locations. For the present proof-of-concept study, an electrospun polycarbonate nonwoven and taurine modified BNP are proposed. After fabrication of suitable PC/EP/BNP composites, the thermomechanical properties were tested by dynamic mechanical analysis (DMA). Comparatively, the local nanomechanical properties such as stiffness and elastic modulus were determined by atomic force microscopy (AFM). An additional investigation of the distribution of the nanoparticles in the epoxy matrix, which is a prerequisite for an effective nanocomposite, is carried out by scanning electron microscopy in transmission mode (TSEM). From the results it can be concluded that the concept of carrier fibers for nanoparticles is viable.DFG, 232311024, FOR 2021: Wirkprinzipien nanoskaliger Matrixadditive für den Faserverbundleichtba

Carrier Fibers for the Safe Dosage of Nanoparticles in Nanocomposites: Nanomechanical and Thermomechanical Study on Polycarbonate/Boehmite Electrospun Fibers Embedded in Epoxy Resin

The reinforcing effect of boehmite nanoparticles (BNP) in epoxy resins for fiber composite lightweight construction is related to the formation of a soft but bound interphase between filler and polymer. The interphase is able to dissipate crack propagation energy and consequently increases the fracture toughness of the epoxy resin. Usually, the nanoparticles are dispersed in the resin and then mixed with the hardener to form an applicable mixture to impregnate the fibers. If one wishes to locally increase the fracture toughness at particularly stressed positions of the fiber-reinforced polymer composites (FRPC), this could be done by spraying nanoparticles from a suspension. However, this would entail high costs for removing the nanoparticles from the ambient air. We propose that a fiber fleece containing bound nanoparticles be inserted at exposed locations. For the present proof-of-concept study, an electrospun polycarbonate nonwoven and taurine modified BNP are proposed. After fabrication of suitable PC/EP/BNP composites, the thermomechanical properties were tested by dynamic mechanical analysis (DMA). Comparatively, the local nanomechanical properties such as stiffness and elastic modulus were determined by atomic force microscopy (AFM). An additional investigation of the distribution of the nanoparticles in the epoxy matrix, which is a prerequisite for an effective nanocomposite, is carried out by scanning electron microscopy in transmission mode (TSEM). From the results it can be concluded that the concept of carrier fibers for nanoparticles is viable

Circular economy in Latin America and the Caribbean: Drivers, opportunities, barriers and strategies

This study assesses for the first time the drivers, opportunities, barriers, and strategies for the transition to a circular economy in Latin America and the Caribbean through a comprehensive systematic review of the current academic literature. A total of 247 articles have been analysed through the lens of the PESTLE framework (Political, Economic, Social, Technological, Legal, and Environmental), coupled with the consideration of the most recognised circular economy strategies (narrowing, slowing, closing, and regenerating) and solutions (the ten R's strategies: refuse, rethink, reduce, reuse, repair, refurbish, remanufacture, repurpose, recycle, and recover). Key drivers identified in the literature include governmental policy shifts in the region towards circular and sustainable practices. These practices have focused on leveraging the abundance and diversity of natural resources and the region's climatic conditions that favour the development of bio-industries, renewable energies, and innovative sustainable materials, reflecting a clear adaptation of circular economy strategies to the specific needs and resources of Latin America and the Caribbean. Similarly, the technological and regulatory progress in pollution prevention and control, although still slow, has driven the implementation of circular economy strategies, making the role of new circular technologies fundamental for the region's sustainability. Barriers mentioned in the articles include limited governmental incentives, inadequate infrastructure for waste management, and the high costs associated with transitioning to circular economy practices, compounded by a lack of general public awareness and engagement. Regarding the circular economy strategies, the reviewed studies predominantly focus on recycling (“closing”) due to the immediate waste management needs of the region, with less emphasis on resource efficiency (“narrowing” and “slowing”) and minimal adoption of regenerative practices due to higher initial investment demands. Recycling and, to a lesser extent, recovery dominate the ten R's strategies discussed in the literature, indicating still a focus on end-of-life approaches in the region, while strategies like reduce, reuse, and repurpose are gaining representation; however, research on repair, refuse, remanufacture, and refurbishment should be the focus of future investigations. Finally, this article provides guidelines and recommendations for future research to facilitate the deployment and management of a sustainable circular economy in the region

Educational platforms adapted to university teaching II: Mentimeter or Kahoot!?

Referencias Ros Velasco, J., Hernández Yáñez, L., Yousef Sandoval, L., González Pascual, C., Fragio Gistau, A., Zaragoza Bernal, J. M., Köwitz García, J., Cifuentes Matanza, A., Cervigón Rückauer, C., Manero Iglesias, J. B., Torregroza Lara, E. J., Jiménez Alcázar, J. F., Seguró Mendlewicz, M., Barros García, B., Esteban Nebot, V., García Villar, C., Sánchez San José, I., Jiménez Avedaño, D., Fernández Zavagno, J. P., Eljaiek Rodríguez, A. M., Hernández Albarracín, J. D., Moya Arriagada, I., Márquez Romero, M. Á., Garzón Costumero, X., Kalil el Aazzaoui, O., de Todo Orellana, R., Gómez Aliendres, K. A. y Mínguez Vicente, L. (2023). Plataformas educativas adaptadas a la enseñanza universitaria: ¿Mentimeter o Kahoot!?. Docta Complutense. Ros Velasco, J., Yousef Sandoval, L., González Pascual, C. y Köwitz García, J. (2024a). Preferencias del profesorado y el alumnado universitario en el uso de Mentimeter y Kahoot! Resultados de un estudio empírico comparativo. En Estrategias para la Transferencia de Conocimiento y la Innovación Educativa: Usos y aplicaciones de tecnologías innovadoras en la docencia (pp. 31-64). Dykinson. Ros Velasco, J., Yousef Sandoval, L., González Pascual, C. y Köwitz García, J. (2024b, en prensa). Seguridad e inclusividad en las apps Mentimeter y Kahoot! Comunicación & Métodos. Ros Velasco, J., Yousef Sandoval, L., González Pascual, C. y Köwitz García, J. (2024c, en prensa). Preferencias del profesorado y el alumnado en el uso de Mentimeter y Kahoot! Resultados de un estudio empírico en la enseñanza universitaria. En Innovación, investigación y transferencias ante la era de las Inteligencias Artificiales. Libro de resúmenes del congreso Internacional Nodos del Conocimiento 2023. Egregius Editorial.Memoria final del proyecto "Plataformas educativas adaptadas a la enseñanza universitaria II: ¿Mentimeter o Kahoot!?" (Nº 70), que es la continuación del proyecto "Plataformas educativas adaptadas a la enseñanza universitaria: ¿Mentimeter o Kahoot!?" (Nº 82, 2022-2023, https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.14352/87378). En esta secuela 1) seguimos recabando datos a través de la realización de experimentos con las apps Mentimeter y Kahoot! y 2) ejecutamos el plan de presentación/difusión de los resultados del proyecto Nº 82.Final report of the project "Educational platforms adapted to university teaching II: Mentimeter or Kahoot!?" (No. 70), which is the continuation of the project "Educational platforms adapted to university teaching: Mentimeter or Kahoot!?" (No. 82, 2022-2023, https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.14352/87378). In this sequel, we 1) continue collecting data by carrying out experiments with the Mentimeter and Kahoot! apps, and 2) execute the dissemination plan for the results of project No. 82.Vicerrectorado de Calidad, Proyectos de Innovación 2022-2024 Innova-Docencia UCMEuropean Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under the Marie Skłodowska-Curie grant agreement No 847635Depto. de Filosofía y SociedadFac. de FilosofíaFALSEsubmittedAPC financiada por la UC

II Congreso internacional en educación física, recreación, deporte y actividad física. “Innovación y tendencias” - Memorias

El II Congreso Internacional de Educación Física, Recreación, Deporte y Actividad Física: “Innovación y Tendencias“ y el II Encuentro de Egresados del Departamento de Cultura Física de la Universidad de Córdoba se realizó en la ciudad de Montería, capital del Departamento de Córdoba, Colombia, como iniciativa del Grupo de Investigación en Ciencias de la Actividad Fisica y la Salud –GICAFS- del Departamento de Cultura Física, perteneciente a la Facultad de Educación y Ciencias Humanas de la Universidad de Córdoba, como muestra hacia la comunidad académica y la sociedad en general de la responsabilidad ética, social y profesional, para aportar a la construcción de tejido social, atendiendo a las recomendaciones del plan decenal del deporte, la Educación Física, la Recreación y la Actividad Física 2009-2019 (COLDEPORTES, 2009).Edición 201

2do Workshop Internacional de Investigación formativa en ciencias para afrontar tiempos de cambio

La presente propuesta de investigación formativa en el contexto de la didáctica de las ciencias naturales, matemáticas y tecnología, tiene el objetivo de convertirse en una estrategia didáctica que desarrollará las capacidades científicas y entrará en tensión con las competencias exigidas por el Ministerio de Educación Nacional (MEN) para la presentación de la prueba saber 11, esta misma profundizará en la búsqueda de respuestas frente al desinterés evidente por el estudio de las ciencias en estudiantes cursando ciclo V de instituciones educativas distritales. Para ello realizaremos una prueba piloto con estudiantes del ciclo V del colegio Japón IED, más específicamente con la participación de aquellos alumnos que cuenten con capacidades y aptitudes científicas para conformar y ser parte del semillero “EduQVersa Junior” del mismo colegio. Lo anterior con el fin de obtener resultados cualitativos y cuantitativos para posteriormente organizar una feria científica, ésta misma pretenderá potencializar el interés y asombro en el estudio de las ciencias por medio de proyectos basados con la metodología STEAM, para ulteriormente ser expuesto el día del campo científico, el Workshop, entre otros eventos de difusión de índole local, nacional e internacional. Con los anteriores objetivos se espera fomentar procesos investigativos iniciales en el campo de las ciencias y buscarán incentivar en general en los estudiantes de ciclo V un mayor interés y continuidad en la formación de su educación superior en el estudio de esta área, siendo una apuesta de focalización que se entrecruza con el componente académico y la consolidación del proyecto de