Super-Planckian far-field radiative heat transfer

We present here a theoretical analysis that demonstrates that the far-field radiative heat transfer between objects with dimensions smaller than the thermal wavelength can overcome the Planckian limit by orders of magnitude. To guide the search for super-Planckian far-field radiative heat transfer, we make use of the theory of fluctuational electrodynamics and derive a relation between the far-field radiative heat transfer and the directional absorption efficiency of the objects involved. Guided by this relation, and making use of state-of-the-art numerical simulations, we show that the far-field radiative heat transfer between highly anisotropic objects can largely overcome the black-body limit when some of their dimensions are smaller than the thermal wavelength. In particular, we illustrate this phenomenon in the case of suspended pads made of polar dielectrics like SiN or SiO2. These structures are widely used to measure the thermal transport through nanowires and low-dimensional systems and can be employed to test our predictions. Our work illustrates the dramatic failure of the classical theory to predict the far-field radiative heat transfer between micro- and nanodevicesWe acknowledge funding from the Spanish MINECO (FIS2015-64951-R, MAT2014-53432- C5-5-R, FIS2014-53488-P, FIS2017-84057-P), the Comunidad de Madrid (S2013/MIT-2740), the European Union Seventh Framework Programme (FP7-PEOPLE-2013-CIG- 630996, FP7-PEOPLE-2013-CIG-618229), and the European Research Council (ERC-2011-AdG-290981 and ERC-2016- STG-714870). V.F.-H. acknowledges support from “la Caixa” Foundation and J.C.C. thanks the DFG and SFB767 for sponsoring his stay at the University of Konstanz as Mercator Fello

Lattice scars: Surviving in an open discrete billiard

We study quantum systems on a discrete bounded lattice (lattice billiards). The statistical properties of their spectra show universal features related to the regular or chaotic character of their classical continuum counterparts. However, the decay dynamics of the open systems appear very different from the continuum case, their properties being dominated by the states in the band center. We identify a class of states ("lattice scars") that survive for infinite times in dissipative systems and that are degenerate at the center of the band. We provide analytical arguments for their existence in any bipartite lattice, and give a formula to determine their number. These states should be relevant to quantum transport in discrete systems, and we discuss how to observe them using photonic waveguides, cold atoms in optical lattices, and quantum circuits.Comment: 14 one-column pages, 6 figures. Watch appearance of scars during dynamical evolution on movies at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1sCbQmYfF-E and http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3XZw4zZjrG0. v2: title changed; more details on experimental implementations. Accepted for publication by New J. Phy

Exploring drug-receptor interaction kinetics: Lessons from a sigma-1 receptor transmembrane biosensor

An important field of study in pharmacology comprises the investigation of drug-target interaction kinetics. Thus, assessing both the lifetime of a drug on its receptor (i.e., drug-target residence time; Copeland, 2016) and the magnitude of drug-mediated receptor activation (i.e., drug efficacy) across the time are critical to understand in vivo pharmacological activity of small-molecule drugs. Of note, while classical in vitro methods view drug-receptor interaction in terms of equilibrium affinity, the residence time model considers the dynamics of receptor conformational rearrangements, which affect drug association and dissociation. Although, classical binding experiments can also address kinetics questions, they are tedious and very time consuming. Accordingly, monitoring drug-receptor interaction dynamics by means of receptor biosensors has become fundamental for understanding how drugs trigger receptor activity over the time. Precisely, in the last years, a number of Fluorescence Resonance Energy Transfer (FRET)-based assays have been developed to accurately display drug-receptor interaction in real time (Lohse et al., 2012). Indeed, one of the most outstanding methods consists of assessing intramolecular conformational rearrangements upon receptor challenge by monitoring intramolecular FRET changes (Vilardaga et al., 2009). Thus, a FRET-based receptor biosensor is built by fusing both donor and acceptor fluorophores to the receptor sequence (Vilardaga et al., 2009). Importantly, a general consensus has prompted to basically attach these molecules (i.e., cyan and yellow fluorescent proteins, CFP and YFP, respectively) intracellularly, this is, in the cytosolic side of the receptor's structure (Figure 1A). Accordingly, when the receptor is activated and a conformational rearrangement occurs the distance and/or orientation of the fluorophores within the receptor biosensor changes and it is possible to monitor FRET changes in real time, thus permitting to finely characterize receptor's activation. Needless to say, although precision is higher than that obtained in classical binding assays, the present biosensors cannot discern between receptors expressed at the cell surface or intracellularly, thus much effort is needed in order to exactly elucidate ligand-receptor kinetics constants

Senior citizens in Spanish advertising: tensions between research, planning and representation of the elderly in advertisements

El presente artículo analiza las continuidades y discontinuidades que se producen entre la investigación, la planificación de medios y la construcción de las representaciones sobre los mayores en la publicidad española. El estudio, centrado en los anuncios sobre envejecimiento, mayores y salud, se ha implementado desde una triangulación metodológica que incluye técnicas como el análisis del discurso, la encuesta y la revisión de literatura sobre segmentación publicitaria. Las conclusiones apuntan a una restricción de las representaciones puestas en juego en los anuncios respecto a la diversidad planteada por los profesionales y en la literatura científica. Se plantea el reto de superar las visiones excesivamente individualistas del mayor y de la gestión de su salud, al tiempo que emerge como alternativa la concepción de la salud como un espacio simbólico de conflicto y negociació

Development of a novel 1 receptor biosensor based on its heterodimerization with binding immunoglobulin protein in living cells

The σ1 receptor (S1R) is a ligand-regulated non-opioid intracellular receptor involved in several pathological conditions. The development of S1R-based drugs as therapeutic agents is a challenge due to the lack of simple functional assays to identify and classify S1R ligands. We have developed a novel nanoluciferase binary technology (NanoBiT) assay based on the ability of S1R to heteromerize with the binding immunoglobulin protein (BiP) in living cells. The S1R-BiP heterodimerization biosensor allows for rapid and accurate identification of S1R ligands by monitoring the dynamics of association-dissociation of S1R and BiP. Acute treatment of cells with the S1R agonist PRE-084 produced rapid and transient dissociation of the S1R-BiP heterodimer, which was blocked by haloperidol. The effect of PRE-084 was enhanced by calcium depletion, leading to a higher reduction in heterodimerization even in the presence of haloperidol. Prolonged incubation of cells with S1R antagonists (haloperidol, NE-100, BD-1047, and PD-144418) increased the formation of S1R-BiP heteromers, while agonists (PRE-084, 4-IBP, and pentazocine) did not alter heterodimerization under the same experimental conditions. The newly developed S1R-BiP biosensor is a simple and effective tool for exploring S1R pharmacology in an easy cellular setting. This biosensor is suitable for high-throughput applications and a valuable resource in the researcher's toolkit

Sars-cov-2 seroprevalence in household domestic ferrets (Mustela putorius furo)

Animal infections with SARS-CoV-2 have been reported in different countries and several animal species have been proven to be susceptible to infection with SARS-CoV-2 both naturally and by experimental infection. Moreover, infections under natural conditions in more than 20 mink farms have been reported where humans could have been the source of infection for minks. However, little information is available about the susceptibility of pet animals under natural conditions and currently there is no SARS-CoV-2 epidemiological assessment occurrence in household ferrets. In this study, the presence of SARS-CoV-2 antibodies was evaluated in serum samples obtained from 127 household ferrets (Mustela putorius furo) in the Province of Valencia (Spain). Two ferrets tested positive to SARS-CoV-2 (1.57%) by in-house enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay based on receptor binding domain (RBD) of Spike antigen. Furthermore, anti- RBD SARS-CoV-2 antibodies persisted at detectable levels in a seropositive SARS-CoV-2 domestic ferret beyond 129 days since the first time antibodies were detected. This study reports for the first time the evidence of household pet ferrets exposure to SARS-CoV-2 in Spain to date

Effects of Albumin Treatment on Systemic and Portal Hemodynamics and Systemic Inflammation in Patients With Decompensated Cirrhosis

BACKGROUND & AIMS: We investigated the effect of albumin treatment (20% solution) on hypoalbuminemia, cardiocirculatory dysfunction, portal hypertension, and systemic inflammation in patients with decompensated cirrhosis with and without bacterial infections. METHODS: We performed a prospective study to assess the effects of long-term (12 weeks) treatment with low doses (1 g/kg body weight every 2 weeks) and high doses (1.5 g/kg every week) of albumin on serum albumin, plasma renin, cardiocirculatory function, portal pressure, and plasma levels of cytokines, collecting data from 18 patients without bacterial infections (the Pilot-PRECIOSA study). We also assessed the effect of short-term (1 week) treatment with antibiotics alone vs the combination of albumin plus antibiotics (1.5 g/kg on day 1 and 1 g/kg on day 3) on plasma levels of cytokines in biobanked samples from 78 patients with bacterial infections included in a randomized controlled trial (INFECIR-2 study). RESULTS: Circulatory dysfunction and systemic inflammation were extremely unstable in many patients included in the Pilot-PRECIOSA study; these patients had intense and reversible peaks in plasma levels of renin and interleukin 6. Long-term high-dose albumin, but not low-dose albumin, was associated with normalization of serum level of albumin, improved stability of the circulation and left ventricular function, and reduced plasma levels of cytokines (interleukin 6, granulocyte colony-stimulating factor, interleukin 1 receptor antagonist, and vascular endothelial growth factor) without significant changes in portal pressure. The immune-modulatory effects of albumin observed in the Pilot-PRECIOSA study were confirmed in the INFECIR-2 study. In this study, patients given albumin had significant reductions in plasma levels of cytokines. CONCLUSIONS: In an analysis of data from 2 trials (Pilot-PRECIOSA study and INFECIR-2 study), we found that albumin treatment reduced systemic inflammation and cardiocirculatory dysfunction in patients with decompensated cirrhosis. These effects might be responsible for the beneficial effects of albumin therapy on outcomes of patients with decompensated cirrhosis. ClinicalTrials.gov, Numbers: NCT00968695 and NCT03451292

Plataforma online de investigación y prácticas docentes para alumnos de Comunicación Audiovisual, Publicidad y Relaciones Públicas, e Historia del Arte

El proyecto busca la creación de una plataforma online en la que los alumnos de los grados y máster de Comunicación Audiovisual, Publicidad y Relaciones Publicas, e Historia del Arte puedan presentar y divulgar los resultados de los trabajos y prácticas docentes elaboradas en el aula. Igualmente, se pretende construir un espacio en el que se puedan difundir sus primeras aproximaciones al mundo de la investigación (Trabajos de Fin de Grado y de Fin de Máster, TFG, TFM) y al laboral (entrevistas a profesionales de los diferentes sectores implicados, reseñas de eventos profesionales, exposiciones, etc.). La plataforma digital se plantea como necesario complemento al Campus Virtual en el que los alumnos vienen desarrollando algunas de las prácticas, ampliando sus posibilidades y difusión. A través de la plataforma aquellos alumnos que lo deseen podrán difundir los trabajos realizados e inicialmente planteados a través de esta intranet, facilitando su conocimiento y difusión, con las implicaciones positivas que esto tiene tanto en el ámbito académico/investigador como laboral