Modification of the mechanical properties of core-shell liquid gallium nanoparticles by thermal oxidation at low temperature

Gallium nanoparticles (Ga NPs) are attracting increasing attention because of their appealing physical-chemical properties. In particular, their mechanical properties play a key role in the implementation of these core-shell structures on certain applications, such as soft and stretchable electronics. Thus, efforts are being addressed to modulate them mainly by chemical means. In contrast, this study investigates how the mechanical properties of the outer gallium thin oxide shell change when its thickness is increased through a thermal oxidation strategy. Specifically, as-deposited Ga NPs, as well as those subjected to thermal oxidation at 300 °C for three different times, are studied by performing single-particle indentations by atomic force microscopy over a wide range of NP radius. This analysis helps to confirm that the Reissner's thin-shell model for small deformations within the elastic regime is obeyed. From these data, the dependence of the shell stiffness and the Young's modulus of the gallium oxide on the thermal treatment is obtained. It is found that the shell stiffness increases with the annealing time, even by a factor of 50 under prolonged thermal oxidation, while the gallium oxide Young's modulus, close to 30 GPa, does not change significantlyThis research was supported by Spanish MINECO (Grants No. MAT2017-85089-C2-1R, CTQ2017-84309-C2-2-R, PID2019-106339GB-I00, PID2020-113142RB-C21) and the TRANSNANOAVANSENS program (Grant No.S2018/NMT-4349) from the Comunidad de Madrid and Junta de Andalucía (Research group INNANOMAT, ref. TEP-946). Co-funding from UE was also acknowledged. A.R.C. acknowledges Ramón y Cajal program (under Contract No. RYC-2015-18047). S.C.G and M.d.l.M. acknowledge Juan de la Cierva en Formación programmes (references FJC2019-041616-I and IJCI-2017-31507, respectively). F.J.P. was thankful for financial support by A.E. Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (under Grant No. CSIC-2019AEP150). TEM measurements were carried out at DME-SC-ICyT-UCA/ICTS-ELECM

Breast cancer biomarker detection through the photoluminescence of epitaxial monolayer MoS2 fakes

The following article appeared in Scientific Reports 10 (2020): 16039 and may be found at https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-020-73029-9In this work we report on the characterization and biological functionalization of 2D MoS2 fakes, epitaxially grown on sapphire, to develop an optical biosensor for the breast cancer biomarker miRNA21. The MoS2 fakes were modifed with a thiolated DNA probe complementary to the target biomarker. Based on the photoluminescence of MoS2, the hybridization events were analyzed for the target (miRNA21c) and the control non-complementary sequence (miRNA21nc). A specifc redshift was observed for the hybridization with miRNA21c, but not for the control, demonstrating the biomarker recognition via PL. The homogeneity of these MoS2 platforms was verifed with microscopic maps. The detailed spectroscopic analysis of the spectra reveals changes in the trion to excitation ratio, being the redshift after the hybridization ascribed to both peaks. The results demonstrate the benefts of optical biosensors based on MoS2 monolayer for future commercial devicesThe research is supported by the MINECO (CTQ2017-84309-C2-2-R, CTQ2017-84309-C2-1-R, ELECTROBIONET, RED2018-102412-T) and Comunidad de Madrid (TRANSNANOAVANSENS, P2018/NMT4349) projects. ARC acknowledges Ramón y Cajal program (under contract number RYC-2015-18047

Proper assignation of reactivation in a COVID-19 recurrence initially interpreted as a reinfection

A 77-year-old-male (Case R) who had had a previous diagnosis of mild COVID-19 episode, was hospitalized 35 days later. On Day 23 post-admission, he developed a second COVID-19 episode, now severe, and finally died. Initially, Case R COVID-19 recurrence was interpreted as a reinfection due to the exposure to a SARS-CoV-2 RT-PCR-positive room-mate. However, whole-genome-sequencing indicated that case R recurrence corresponded to a reactivation of the strain involved in his first episode. Case R reactivation had major consequences, leading to a more severe episode, and causing a subsequent transmission to another two hospitalized patients, one of them with fatal outcome.Peer reviewe

The evolution of the ventilatory ratio is a prognostic factor in mechanically ventilated COVID-19 ARDS patients

Background: Mortality due to COVID-19 is high, especially in patients requiring mechanical ventilation. The purpose of the study is to investigate associations between mortality and variables measured during the first three days of mechanical ventilation in patients with COVID-19 intubated at ICU admission. Methods: Multicenter, observational, cohort study includes consecutive patients with COVID-19 admitted to 44 Spanish ICUs between February 25 and July 31, 2020, who required intubation at ICU admission and mechanical ventilation for more than three days. We collected demographic and clinical data prior to admission; information about clinical evolution at days 1 and 3 of mechanical ventilation; and outcomes. Results: Of the 2,095 patients with COVID-19 admitted to the ICU, 1,118 (53.3%) were intubated at day 1 and remained under mechanical ventilation at day three. From days 1 to 3, PaO2/FiO2 increased from 115.6 [80.0-171.2] to 180.0 [135.4-227.9] mmHg and the ventilatory ratio from 1.73 [1.33-2.25] to 1.96 [1.61-2.40]. In-hospital mortality was 38.7%. A higher increase between ICU admission and day 3 in the ventilatory ratio (OR 1.04 [CI 1.01-1.07], p = 0.030) and creatinine levels (OR 1.05 [CI 1.01-1.09], p = 0.005) and a lower increase in platelet counts (OR 0.96 [CI 0.93-1.00], p = 0.037) were independently associated with a higher risk of death. No association between mortality and the PaO2/FiO2 variation was observed (OR 0.99 [CI 0.95 to 1.02], p = 0.47). Conclusions: Higher ventilatory ratio and its increase at day 3 is associated with mortality in patients with COVID-19 receiving mechanical ventilation at ICU admission. No association was found in the PaO2/FiO2 variation

Famílies botàniques de plantes medicinals

Facultat de Farmàcia, Universitat de Barcelona. Ensenyament: Grau de Farmàcia, Assignatura: Botànica Farmacèutica, Curs: 2013-2014, Coordinadors: Joan Simon, Cèsar Blanché i Maria Bosch.Els materials que aquí es presenten són els recull de 175 treballs d’una família botànica d’interès medicinal realitzats de manera individual. Els treballs han estat realitzat per la totalitat dels estudiants dels grups M-2 i M-3 de l’assignatura Botànica Farmacèutica durant els mesos d’abril i maig del curs 2013-14. Tots els treballs s’han dut a terme a través de la plataforma de GoogleDocs i han estat tutoritzats pel professor de l’assignatura i revisats i finalment co-avaluats entre els propis estudiants. L’objectiu principal de l’activitat ha estat fomentar l’aprenentatge autònom i col·laboratiu en Botànica farmacèutica

Nuevos avances en plataformas plasmónicas de nanopartículas de galio y sus aplicaciones

Tesis Doctoral inédita leída en la Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Facultad de Ciencias, Departamento de Física Aplicada. Fecha de lectura:14-12-2018Esta tesis tiene embargado el acceso al texto completo hasta el 14-06-202

The production systems in the Final Upper Palaeolithic Lithic Assemblages: the case of Asup level from Molí del Salt site (Vimbodí i Poblet, Tarragona)

In this paper we present the results of core analysis of Asup level from Molí del Salt site (Vimbodí i Poblet, Tarragona/Spain), dated to ca. 11 ka 14C BP (c. 12700-13000 years cal BP). This analysis was carried out from the methodological proposals raised by various authors as Guilbaud (1995) and Vaquero (1997). With this study, we try to define the operative field to better understand the variability of knapping strategies and the possible continuity relations among them used by the populations who occupied the site during the Final Upper Palaeolithic. This technological variability has been corroborated. In general, the cores present facial hierarchy and the extractions are long and narrow. Thus, there is a significant presence of blade knapping. In addition, we have differentiated six types of siliceous raw materials.En este trabajo se presentan los resultados obtenidos del análisis de los núcleos del nivel Asup del Molí del Salt (Vimbodí i Poblet, Tarragona/España) datado en torno a los 11 ka 14C BP (c. 1270013000 años cal BP). Este análisis se ha llevado a cabo a partir de las propuestas metodológicas planteadas por diversos autores como Guilbaud (1995) y Vaquero (1997). Con este estudio se pretende definir el campo operativo con el objetivo de reflejar la variabilidad en las estrategias de talla y las posibles relaciones de continuidad entre ellas que utilizaron los pobladores que ocuparon el yacimiento durante el Paleolítico superior final. Esta variabilidad tecnológica se ha podido corroborar. En general, los núcleos presentan jerarquización facial, los levantamientos son alargados y estrechos y, por tanto, hay una presencia significativa de la talla laminar. Además, se han diferenciado seis tipos de materias primas silíceas utilizados para la talla