Efectivitat d’una intervenció infermera amb acupuntura envers la salut general percebuda i els símptomes psicosomàtics de l’estrès

Màster en Lideratge i Gestió d'Infermeria, Universitat de Barcelona. Escola Universitària d'Infermeria, curs: 2014-2015, Director: Carme Planas CampmanyL’ús de les teràpies naturals és una realitat creixent. En aquest treball s’han unit l’acupuntura com a teràpia amb el benestar infermer. Objectiu: Avaluar l’efectivitat d’una Intervenció Infermera amb acupuntura envers la salut general percebuda i els símptomes psicosomàtics associats a l’estrès, de l’equip Infermer de l’Hospital Comarcal de l’Alt Penedès en el període 2015-2016. Àmbit d’estudi: L’estudi es realitzarà a l’Hospital Comarcal de l’Alt Penedès, hospital general bàsic, de la Xarxa hospitalària d’Utilització Pública. Metodologia: Estudi quasi experimental pretest-postest de tipus grup control no equivalent. Implicacions per la pràctica: Aquest estudi ajudarà a millorar la percepció de la salut general i els símptomes psicosomàtics de l’estrès de les infermeres, aconseguint augmentar el seu grau de benestar. Alhora que disminuiran les no menys importants, conseqüències sobre l’organització

Present and future of in vitro immunotoxicology in drug development.

The realization, that the immune system can be the target of many chemicals including environmental contaminants and drugs with potentially adverse effects on the host's health, has raised serious concerns within the public and the regulatory agencies. At present, assessment of immunotoxic effects relies on different animal models and several assays have been proposed to characterize immunosuppression and sensitization. The use of whole animals, however, presents many secondary issues, such as expense, ethical concerns, and eventual relevance to risk assessment for humans. Furthermore, due to the new policy on chemicals (REACH), in the European Union, in vitro methods will play a major role in the near future. In addition, there is still a lack of human cell-based immunotoxicity assays for predicting the toxicity of xenobiotics toward the immune system in a simple, fast, economical, and reliable way. Hypersensitivity and immunosuppression, for which animal models have been developed and validated, are considered the primary focus for developing in vitro methods in immunotoxicology. Nevertheless, in vitro assays, as well as in vivo models, to detect immunostimulation and autoimmunity are also needed. Even if no validated alternative in vitro tests to assess immunotoxicity exist, in the last decade, much progress has been made toward these assays. Such models can be, at least, used for the pre-screening and hazard identification of unintended immunosuppression and contact hypersensitivity of direct immunotoxicants. Following a brief introduction to immunotoxicology and to in vivo models use to assess immunotoxicity, this manuscript will review the state-of-the-art in the field of in vitro immunotoxicity

Programació del reg basat en una variable derivada de la variació del diàmetre del tronc i el potencial matricial del sòl en Platanus hispanica: estudi de l'efecte de la restricció del volum

Treball final de carreraEl projecte te com a objectiu principal la programació automàtica del reg basat en mesures en planta i en sol. Un segon objectiu es comparar l’efecte de la restricció del volum del sol en el desenvolupament de Platanus hispanica plantats en contenidor versus arbres plantats en el sol. La programació del reg s’ha dut a terme combinant diferents llindars de la variable derivada del diàmetre del tronc anomenada màxima contracció diària de tronc (MCD) i el potencial matricial del sol. Paral•lelament s’han mesurat diferents paràmetres fisiològics i morfològics com son el potencial hídric de les fulles, l’àrea i el pes específic foliar, cobertura de la capçada i creixement en alçada i diàmetre. L’experiment ha estat realitzat durant el període de marc a novembre de 2006 i per avaluar correctament els objectius, s’han plantejat quatre tractaments diferenciats, tres repeticions per tractament i 6 arbres per repetició. Cadascun dels tractaments esta diferenciat per uns llindars de potencial mínim en el sol i de màxima contracció diària del tronc (MCD). El reg s’ha gestionat de manera automàtica un 41,10% dels dies i els arbres plantats en el sol son els que han rebut major quantitat d’aigua. Els resultats ens han donat informació per a que, en propers estudis es disminueix el nivell del potencial matricial del sol a partir del qual comenci a intervenir la MCD, i que el llindar de MCD sigui diferent en tres períodes fenològics. Per als tractaments que han rebut les mateixes consignes de reg, els arbres plantats en el sol, han evidenciat un desenvolupament vegetatiu superior que els plantats en contenidor

Estudi de la superfície d'absorció a l'intestí prim de pollastre al llarg del desenvolupament

Tesi de Llicenciatura per a la obtenció del Grau de Farmàcia. Facultat de Farmàcia. Universitat de Barcelona. Director: Ruth Ferrer i Roig. 1994

Antitumor activities of metal oxide nanoparticles

Nanoparticles have received much attention recently due to their use in cancer therapy. Studies have shown that different metal oxide nanoparticles induce cytotoxicity in cancer cells, but not in normal cells. In some cases, such anticancer activity has been demonstrated to hold for the nanoparticle alone or in combination with different therapies, such as photocatalytic therapy or some anticancer drugs. Zinc oxide nanoparticles have been shown to have this activity alone or when loaded with an anticancer drug, such as doxorubicin. Other nanoparticles that show cytotoxic effects on cancer cells include cobalt oxide, iron oxide and copper oxide. The antitumor mechanism could work through the generation of reactive oxygen species or apoptosis and necrosis, among other possibilities. Here, we review the most significant antitumor results obtained with different metal oxide nanoparticles

Alternative Methods to Animal Testing for the Safety Evaluation of Cosmetic Ingredients: An Overview

The safety of cosmetics sold in Europe is based on the safety evaluation of each individual ingredient conducted by those responsible for putting the product on the market. However, those substances for which some concern exists with respect to human health (e.g., colorants, preservatives, UV-filters, nanomaterials) are evaluated at the European Commission level by a scientific committee, currently called the Scientific Committee on Consumer Safety (SCCS). According to the Cosmetics Regulation (European Commission, 2009), it is prohibited in the European Union (EU) to market cosmetic products and ingredients that have been tested on animals. However, the results of studies performed before the ban continue to be accepted. In the current study, we evaluated the use of in vitro methods in the dossiers submitted to the SCCS in the period between 2013 and 2016 based on the published reports issued by the scientific committee, which provides a scientific opinion on these dossiers. The results of this evaluation were compared with those of an evaluation conducted four years previously. We found that, despite a slight increase in the number of studies performed in vitro, the majority of studies submitted to the SCCS is still done principally in vivo and correspond to studies performed before the ban

Nanocarriers for Delivery of Antioxidants on the Skin

Skin is protected from the harmful effects of free radicals by the presence of an endogenous antioxidant system. However, when exposed to ultraviolet (UV) radiation, there is an imbalance between pro-oxidants and antioxidants, leading to oxidative stress and photoaging of the skin. It has been described that free radicals and other reactive species can cause severe damage to cells and cell components of the skin, which results in skin aging and cancer. To prevent these actions on skin, the use of topical antioxidant supplementation is a strategy used in the cosmetics industry and these antioxidants act on quenching free radicals. There are many studies that demonstrated the antioxidant activity of many phytochemicals or bioactive compounds by free radical scavenging. However, many bioactive substances are unstable when exposed to light or lose activity during storage. The potential sensitivity of these substances to light exposure is of importance in cosmetic formulations applied to skin because photo-degradation might occur, reducing their activity. One strategy to reduce this effect on the skin is the preparation of different types of nanomaterials that allow the encapsulation of the antioxidant substances. Another problem related to some antioxidants is their inefficient percutaneous penetration, which limits the amount of the active ingredient able to reach the site of action in viable epidermis and dermis. In this sense, the encapsulation in polymeric nanoparticles could enhance the permeation of these substances. Nanocarriers offers several advantages over conventional passive delivery, such as increased surface area, higher solubility, improved stability, controlled release, reduced skin irritancy, and protection from degradation. The different nanocarrier systems used in cosmetics include nanolipid delivery systems such as solid lipid nanoparticles (SLN) and nanostructured lipid carriers (NLC), nanoemulsions (NEs), nanoparticles (NP) suspension, and polymer NPs, among others. In this review, we present the different types of nanomaterials use

Influencia de la tipología edificatoria y la morfología urbana en la demanda energética de la vivienda plurifamiliar en Barcelona

Treball Final MBArch - Màster Universitari en Estudis Avançats en Arquitectura-Barcelona: Arquitectura, Energia i Medi AmbientLa inquietud mundial frente a la eficiencia energética en la edificación se ha acentuado debido al panorama que se advierte en el futuro de clara tendencia al aumento de población en zonas urbanas, obligando a fortalecer el comportamiento energético del sector residencial existente y con ello reducir la demanda energética. En un contexto en que el entorno urbano es el principal consumidor de energía, el presente trabajo final de master apunta a visibilizar y comprender la influencia de la trama urbana en el comportamiento y demanda energética de ciertas tipologías edificatorias plurifamiliares representativas, tomando como caso de estudio la ciudad de Barcelona. En primer lugar, se desarrolla un marco conceptual mediante la definición de conceptos y factores que se consideran determinantes para comprender la temática principal, como también los objetivos de la investigación. En segundo lugar, se desarrolla un estudio comparativo de cuatro tipologías edificatorias reales insertas en dos morfologías urbanas, por medio de la simulación digital de cada una de ellas contemplando el entorno urbano real y luego sin él, en determinados periodos de tiempo. Cabe destacar que las tipologías escogidas comparten características comunes de orientación, consignas de demanda y uso interno. Los resultados obtenidos, se analizan desde el punto de vista de la demanda energética de calefacción y refrigeración, como también de la transferencia de calor a través del cerramiento, valorando la incidencia del entorno urbano en cada uno de los casos. Finalmente, los resultados de este estudio indican que el comportamiento térmico provocado por la morfología urbana en las distintas tipologías es variable, siendo significativo en algunas de ellas. La mayor incidencia térmica se observó en las tipologías dentro de morfologías entre medianeras, no obstante, también se determinan otros factores influyentes en el desempeño térmico para todas las tipologías, como el tipo edificatorio y variables geThe growing concern for energy efficiency in buildings has been accentuated due to the future outlook of a clear trend of population growth in urban areas, forcing the strengthening of the energy performance of the existing residential sector and thus reducing energy demand. In a context in which the urban environment is the main energy consumer, this master's thesis aims to make visible and understand the influence of the urban fabric on the behavior and energy demand of certain representative multifamily building typologies, taking the city of Barcelona as a case study. First, a conceptual framework is developed by defining the concepts and factors that are considered decisive for understanding the main theme, as well as the research objectives. Secondly, a comparative study of four real building typologies inserted in two urban morphologies is developed, by means of the digital simulation of each one of them contemplating the real context and then without it, in certain periods of time. It should be noted that the chosen typologies share common characteristics of orientation, demand and internal use. The results obtained are analyzed from the point of view of heating and cooling energy demand, as well as heat transfer through the envelope, assessing the impact of the urban context in each of the cases. In addition, and based on the previous study, the thesis proposes to analyze in greater depth the interior thermal behavior of one of the typologies through the variation of its envelope, by means of three scenarios of theoretical changes. Finally, the results of this study indicate that the thermal behavior caused by urban morphology in the different typologies was significant in some of them. Thus, the greatest thermal incidence was found in the typologies within the morphologies between party walls; however, the most influential factor for all the typologies located in an urban environment was the type of building

Protection against oxidative damage in human erythrocytes and preliminary photosafety assessment of Punica granatum seed oil nanoemulsions entrapping polyphenol-rich ethyl acetate fraction

AbstractThe main purpose of the present study is to evaluate the ability of nanoemulsion entrapping pomegranate peel polyphenol-rich ethyl acetate fraction (EAF) prepared from pomegranate seed oil and medium chain triglyceride to protect human erythrocyte membrane from oxidative damage and to assess preliminary in vitro photosafety. In order to evaluate the phototoxic effect of nanoemulsions, human red blood cells (RBCs) are used as a biological model and the rate of haemolysis and photohaemolysis (5Jcm−2 UVA) is assessed in vitro. The level of protection against oxidative damage caused by the peroxyl radical generator AAPH in human RBCs as well as its effects on bilayer membrane characteristics such as fluidity, protein profile and RBCs morphology are determined. EAF-loaded nanoemulsions do not promote haemolysis or photohaemolysis. Anisotropy measurements show that nanoemulsions significantly retrain the increase in membrane fluidity caused by AAPH. SDS-PAGE analysis reveals that AAPH induced degradation of membrane proteins, but that nanoemulsions reduce the extension of degradation. Scanning electron microscopy examinations corroborate the interaction between AAPH, nanoemulsions and the RBC membrane bilayer. Our work demonstrates that Punica granatum nanoemulsions are photosafe and protect RBCs against oxidative damage and possible disturbance of the lipid bilayer of biomembranes. Moreover it suggests that these nanoemulsions could be promising new topical products to reduce the effects of sunlight on skin

Melanogenesis and hypopigmentation: the case of vitiligo

Melanocytes are highly specialized dendritic cells that synthesize and store melanin in subcellular organelles called melanosomes, before transfer to keratinocytes. Melanin is a complex pigment that provides colour and photoprotection to the skin, hair and eyes. The process of synthesis of melanin is called melanogenesis and is regulated by various mechanisms and factors such as genetic, environmental and endocrine factors. The knowledge of the pigmentation process is important to understand hypopigmentation disorders such as vitiligo and also to design adequate treatments. In the present work, we review the signalling pathways involved in vitiligo. Finally, current therapies and treatments including topical, oral and phototherapies are discussed and described, emphasizing future therapies based on different pigmentation mechanisms