Portland cement clinkers turned into garnets by spark plasma sintering

The feasibility of sintering Portland cement clinker powders by Spark Plasma Sintering (SPS) has been studied. Different SPSed compacts have been successfully obtained by this technique. The compacts have been characterized by means of X-Ray Diffraction, InfraRed spectroscopy, Scanning Electron Microscopy, Raman Microscopy and Vickers hardness. It is worth noting the finding that slight mineralogical variations in the starting compositions may induce dramatic changes, both in the final mineralogical composition and in the morphology, which can affect the properties of the SPSed compacts. Thus, we find that SPS allows artificial garnets to be obtained in the laboratory by applying pressures as low as 50 MPa, while they are materials that would require much higher pressures in natural environments (2-10 GPa). According to the Selsing model, it has been calculated that the material itself acts as a pressure amplifier at the micrometric level by a factor of 40-200 times. A new model describing the formation of garnets considering the emergence of two transitory eutectic liquids has been explained to justify this phenomenon. This result opens the door to looking for compositions for specific applications with high added value in the field (i.e. high hardness), mainly in the manufacturing of high-pressure (GPa) phases by applying relatively low pressures (MPa).The Authors acknowledge the financial support of the PID2020-119130 GB-I00 project funded by MCIN/AEI/10.13039/501100011033 and by CSIC under grant 201960E103. Thanks to the Official Laboratory for Testing of Construction Materials (LOEMCO, Getafe, Madrid, Spain) for free supply of the clinker sample

Treatment with tocilizumab or corticosteroids for COVID-19 patients with hyperinflammatory state: a multicentre cohort study (SAM-COVID-19)

Objectives: The objective of this study was to estimate the association between tocilizumab or corticosteroids and the risk of intubation or death in patients with coronavirus disease 19 (COVID-19) with a hyperinflammatory state according to clinical and laboratory parameters. Methods: A cohort study was performed in 60 Spanish hospitals including 778 patients with COVID-19 and clinical and laboratory data indicative of a hyperinflammatory state. Treatment was mainly with tocilizumab, an intermediate-high dose of corticosteroids (IHDC), a pulse dose of corticosteroids (PDC), combination therapy, or no treatment. Primary outcome was intubation or death; follow-up was 21 days. Propensity score-adjusted estimations using Cox regression (logistic regression if needed) were calculated. Propensity scores were used as confounders, matching variables and for the inverse probability of treatment weights (IPTWs). Results: In all, 88, 117, 78 and 151 patients treated with tocilizumab, IHDC, PDC, and combination therapy, respectively, were compared with 344 untreated patients. The primary endpoint occurred in 10 (11.4%), 27 (23.1%), 12 (15.4%), 40 (25.6%) and 69 (21.1%), respectively. The IPTW-based hazard ratios (odds ratio for combination therapy) for the primary endpoint were 0.32 (95%CI 0.22-0.47; p < 0.001) for tocilizumab, 0.82 (0.71-1.30; p 0.82) for IHDC, 0.61 (0.43-0.86; p 0.006) for PDC, and 1.17 (0.86-1.58; p 0.30) for combination therapy. Other applications of the propensity score provided similar results, but were not significant for PDC. Tocilizumab was also associated with lower hazard of death alone in IPTW analysis (0.07; 0.02-0.17; p < 0.001). Conclusions: Tocilizumab might be useful in COVID-19 patients with a hyperinflammatory state and should be prioritized for randomized trials in this situatio

Plitidepsin has a positive therapeutic index in adult patients with COVID-19 requiring hospitalization

Plitidepsin is a marine-derived cyclic-peptide that inhibits SARS-CoV-2 replication at low nanomolar concentrations by the targeting of host protein eEF1A (eukaryotic translation-elongation-factor-1A). We evaluated a model of intervention with plitidepsin in hospitalized COVID-19 adult patients where three doses were assessed (1.5, 2 and 2.5 mg/day for 3 days, as a 90-minute intravenous infusion) in 45 patients (15 per dose-cohort). Treatment was well tolerated, with only two Grade 3 treatment-related adverse events observed (hypersensitivity and diarrhea). The discharge rates by Days 8 and 15 were 56.8% and 81.8%, respectively, with data sustaining dose-effect. A mean 4.2 log10 viral load reduction was attained by Day 15. Improvement in inflammation markers was also noted in a seemingly dose-dependent manner. These results suggest that plitidepsin impacts the outcome of patients with COVID-19.This study has been funded by Pharmamar, S.A. (Madrid, Spain). This work was supported by grants from the Government of Spain (PIE_INTRAMURAL_ LINEA 1 - 202020E079; PIE_INTRAMURAL_CSIC-202020E043). The research of CBIG consortium (constituted by IRTA-CReSA, BSC, & IrsiCaixa) is supported by Grifols pharmaceutical. We also acknowledge the crowdfunding initiative #Yomecorono (https://www.yomecorono.com). N.I.U. has non-restrictive funding from PharmaMar to study the antiviral effect of Plitidepsin. N.J.K. was funded by grants from the National Institutes of Health (P50AI150476, U19AI135990, U19AI135972, R01AI143292, R01AI120694, and P01AI063302); by the Excellence in Research Award (ERA) from the Laboratory for Genomics Research (LGR), a collaboration between UCSF, UCB, and GSK (#133122P); by the Roddenberry Foundation, and gifts from QCRG philanthropic donors. This work was supported by the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) under Cooperative Agreement #HR0011-19-2-0020. The views, opinions, and/or findings contained in this material are those of the authors and should not be interpreted as representing the official views or policies of the Department of Defense or the U.S. Government. This research was partly funded by CRIP (Center for Research for Influenza Pathogenesis), a NIAID supported Center of Excellence for Influenza Research and Surveillance (CEIRS, contract # HHSN272201400008C), by DARPA grant HR0011-19-2-0020, by supplements to NIAID grants U19AI142733, U19AI135972 and DoD grant W81XWH-20-1-0270, and by the generous support of the JPB Foundation, the Open Philanthropy Project (research grant 2020-215611 (5384)), and anonymous donors to AG-S. S.Y. received funding from a Swiss National Foundation (SNF) Early Postdoc Mobility fellowship (P2GEP3_184202).N

Preclinical and randomized phase I studies of plitidepsin in adults hospitalized with COVID-19

Plitidepsin, a marine-derived cyclic-peptide, inhibits SARS-CoV-2 replication at nanomolar concentrations by targeting the host protein eukaryotic translation elongation factor 1A. Here, we show that plitidepsin distributes preferentially to lung over plasma, with similar potency against across several SARS-CoV-2 variants in preclinical studies. Simultaneously, in this randomized, parallel, open-label, proof-of-concept study (NCT04382066) conducted in 10 Spanish hospitals between May and November 2020, 46 adult hospitalized patients with confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infection received either 1.5 mg (n = 15), 2.0 mg (n = 16), or 2.5 mg (n = 15) plitidepsin once daily for 3 d. The primary objective was safety; viral load kinetics, mortality, need for increased respiratory support, and dose selection were secondary end points. One patient withdrew consent before starting procedures; 45 initiated treatment; one withdrew because of hypersensitivity. Two Grade 3 treatment-related adverse events were observed (hypersensitivity and diarrhea). Treatment-related adverse events affecting more than 5% of patients were nausea (42.2%), vomiting (15.6%), and diarrhea (6.7%). Mean viral load reductions from baseline were 1.35, 2.35, 3.25, and 3.85 log10 at days 4, 7, 15, and 31. Nonmechanical invasive ventilation was required in 8 of 44 evaluable patients (16.0%); six patients required intensive care support (13.6%), and three patients (6.7%) died (COVID-19-related). Plitidepsin has a favorable safety profile in patients with COVID-19.This work was supported by grants from the Government of Spain (PIE_INTRAMURAL_ LINEA 1 - 202020E079; PIE_INTRAMURAL_CSIC-202020E043). The research of CBIG consortium (constituted by IRTA-CReSA, BSC, & IrsiCaixa) is supported by Grifols pharmaceutical. We also acknowledge the crowdfunding initiative #Yomecorono (https://www.yomecorono.com). N Izquierdo-Useros has nonrestrictive funding from PharmaMar to study the antiviral effect of Plitidepsin. NJ Krogan was funded by grants from the National Institutes of Health (P50AI150476, U19AI135990, U19AI135972, R01AI143292, R01AI120694, and P01AI063302); by the Excellence in Research Award (ERA) from the Laboratory for Genomics Research (LGR), a collaboration between the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF), University of California, Berkley (UCB), and GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) (#133122P); by the Roddenberry Foundation, and gifts from QCRG philanthropic donors. This work was supported by the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) under Cooperative Agreement #HR0011-19-2-0020. The views, opinions, and/or findings contained in this material are those of the authors and should not be interpreted as representing the official views or policies of the Department of Defense or the U.S. Government. This research was partly funded by Center for Research for Influenza Pathogenesis and Transmission (CRIPT), a National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) supported Center of Excellence for Influenza Research and Response (CEIRS, contract # 75N93021C00014), by DARPA grant HR0011-19-2-0020, by supplements to NIAID grants U19AI142733, U19AI135972, and DoD grant W81XWH-20-1-0270, and by the generous support of the JPB Foundation, the Open Philanthropy Project (research grant 2020-215611 (5384)), and anonymous donors to A García-Sastre. S Yildiz received funding from a Swiss National Foundation Early Postdoc Mobility fellowship (P2GEP3_184202).Peer reviewe

PANDEMIC: how to save the World through Genetic Engineering

Este proyecto se ha presentado a la XII Edición del ICERI el 11-13 de noviembre de 2019 celebrado en Sevilla siendo aceptado y publicado en el Conference Proceedings ISBN: 978-84-09-14755-7, DP. LEGAL: V-2804-2019Proyecto de Innovación llevado a cabo en la UCM, grado de Biología para el aprendizaje de técnicas de ingeniería genética. Se ha dividido a los alumnos en equipos y se realizado una gamificación de la asignatura basado en el juego de mesa de Pandemic. Brevemente, cada equipo se enfrenta a una enfermedad desconocida y en cada tema adquiere las competencias necesarias para caracterizar al patógeno, conocer su genoma y acabar obteniendo una vacuna contra el agente.This is an Innovation project based on Pandemic game for students of 2nd Grade of Biology Sciences. They learn the Genetic engineering techniques by joining a game in which they get points in each topic and they learn how to recognize the pathogen, how to isolate the DNA and how to get a vaccine.Depto. de Dibujo y GrabadoFac. de Bellas ArtesFALSEUCMsubmitte

Conocimiento del Medio como elemento de integración de la Comunidad Educativa

Resumen basado en el de la publicación.Se incluye fichero de anexos con las aportaciones de los docentes implicados.Teniendo en cuenta los objetivos, los contenidos, la metodología en cuanto a tareas a realizar y la evaluación del mismo, se pretende que el alumnado participante tenga ideas novedosas y originales, que las trabaje y que obtenga un resultado (el conocimiento de su municipio y de sus compañeros) para tener una visión más amplia y profunda del entorno o medio que lo rodea. Para recabar la información necesaria, se utilizarán documentos diversos (encuestas, cuestionarios, entrevistas, visitas, debates, charlas, exposiciones orales, fotografías, …), incidiendo en la concienciación sobre el medio ambiente natural y social (costumbres y tradiciones), aspectos de ciudadanía, respeto a los hábitos de una población concreta, medios de subsistencia, … Este proceso se llevará a cabo durante algunas sesiones del curso con el profesorado coordinador y participante y también estará supervisado por el mismo. Además, hará falta que el alumno trabaje en su horario no lectivo para recopilar esta información que se pondrá en común en el centro educativo entre todo el alumnado. Se creará una guía sobre los aspectos más importantes de las localidades y pedanías rurales donde residen nuestros alumnos. Así, la creatividad, autonomía e iniciativa propia de los alumnos/as estará muy presente en este caso práctico.Consejería de Educación, Cultura y Deportes de Castilla-La ManchaCastilla La ManchaES