Alberto Sols Biomedical Research Institute
Biblos-e Archivo. Repositorio Institucional de la UAMNot a member yet
65432 research outputs found
Sort by
Revisiting the role of seed size for the synthesis of highly uniform sub-10 nm length gold nanorods
No full textDespite the advances achieved in the past decade in the seed-mediated synthesis of colloidal single-crystal gold nanorods (Au NRs), the seed size role in the Au NR formation is not fully understood. Moreover, although the anisotropic growth of single-crystal seeds typically occurs at sizes between 4 and 6 nm, synthesizing high-quality Au NRs with sub-10 nm lengths remains challenging. We investigated herein the effect of seed dimensions on the silver-assisted seed-mediated growth of single-crystal Au NRs with lengths below 10 nm in the presence of hexadecyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB). A strong relationship was found between the seed dimensions and the yield of Au NR formation, where 3.1 nm seeds displayed an optimal anisotropic grow behavior. This effect could be related to the different abilities of CTAB micelles to passivate gold seeds with distinct dimensions, as suggested by molecular dynamic experiments. Compared with the 1-2 nm seeds traditionally used in the Au NR synthesis, the enhanced ability of 3.1 nm seeds to evolve anisotropically facilitates the growth of high-quality Au NRs with sub-10 nm lengths in an unprecedented manner. An optimal concentration of silver was also critical for the efficient evolution of 3.1 nm seeds into sub-10 nm Au NRs. Moreover, the synthesized small Au NRs were used as anisotropic seeds to fabricate sub-10 nm diameter Au NRs with tunable aspect ratios and core-shell electrocatalysts. The insight gained on the role of seed size enabled us to develop an advanced reproducible and scalable route for the synthesis of Au NRs with sub-10 nm lengthsThe authors would like to acknowledge the sad passing of our mentor, colleague, and friend, Helmut Coelfen, on the 28th of November 2023, whose contributions to this work were invaluable. G.G.-R. and B.N. thank the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation. G.G.-R. thanks the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) (GO 3526/1-1) for financial support. P.L. acknowledges Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovacion (MICIN) for financial support under a Juan de la Ciervafellowship (FJC2019-041329), the use of the Mare-Nostrum supercomputer, and the technical support provided by Barcelona Supercomputing Center from the Spanish Network of Supercomputing (Grants QHS-2023-2-0028). O.P.-R. acknowledges the computer resources and technical assistance provided by the Centro de Supercomputación y Visualización de Madrid (CeSViMa-UPM)
Cell proliferation and Notch signaling coordinate the formation of epithelial folds in the Drosophila leg
No full textThe formation of complex three-dimensional organs during development requires precise coordination between patterning networks and mechanical forces. In particular, tissue folding is a crucial process that relies on a combination of local and tissue-wide mechanical forces. Here, we investigate the contribution of cell proliferation to epithelial morphogenesis using the Drosophila leg tarsal folds as a model. We reveal that tissue-wide compression forces generated by cell proliferation, in coordination with the Notch signaling pathway, are essential for the formation of epithelial folds in precise locations along the proximo-distal axis of the leg. As cell numbers increase, compressive stresses arise, promoting the folding of the epithelium and reinforcing the apical constriction of invaginating cells. Additionally, the Notch target dysfusion plays a key function specifying the location of the folds, through the apical accumulation of F-actin and the apico-basal shortening of invaginating cells. These findings provide new insights into the intricate mechanisms involved in epithelial morphogenesis, highlighting the crucial role of tissue-wide forces in shaping a three-dimensional organ in a reproducible mannerThis research was funded by the Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovacio\u0301n/Agencia Estatal de Investigacio\u0301n (PGC2018-095144-B-I00, PID2021-127114NB-100 to C.E., and PID2022-140421NB-I00 and PDC2022-133147-I00 to D.G.M.) and the European Regional Development Fund (\u2018A way of making Europe\u2019). Open access funding provided by the Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Cientificas. Deposited in PMC for immediate releas
Experimental evidence of d-glutamate racemase activity in the uncultivated bacterium Candidatus Saccharimonas aalborgensis
No full textThe Candidate Phyla Radiation (CPR) encompasses widespread uncultivated bacteria with reduced genomes and limited metabolic capacities. Most CPR bacteria lack the minimal set of enzymes required for peptidoglycan (PG) synthesis, leaving it unclear how these bacteria produce this essential envelope component. In this study, we analysed the distribution of d-amino acid racemases that produce the universal PG components d-glutamate (d-Glu) or d-alanine (d-Ala). We also examined moonlighting enzymes that synthesize d-Glu or d-Ala. Unlike other phyla in the domain Bacteria, CPR bacteria do not exhibit these moonlighting activities and have, at most, one gene encoding either a Glu or Ala racemase. One of these ‘orphan’ racemases is a predicted Glu racemase (MurICPR) from the CPR bacterium Candidatus Saccharimonas aalborgenesis. The expression of MurICPR restores the growth of a Salmonella d-Glu auxotroph lacking its endogenous racemase and results in the substitution of l-Ala by serine as the first residue in a fraction of the PG stem peptides. In vitro, MurICPR exclusively racemizes Glu as a substrate. Therefore, Ca. Saccharimonas aalborgensis may couple Glu racemization to serine and d-Glu incorporation into the stem peptide. Our findings provide the first insights into the synthesis of PG by an uncultivated environmental bacterium and illustrate how to experimentally test enzymatic activities from CPR bacteria related to PG metabolismWe are thankful to Thierry Touzé (Université Paris-Saclay, Gif-sur-Yvette, France) for the UDP-NAM-l-Ala reagent; Michael Hensel (University of Osnabrück, Germany) for the p5763 plasmid and, Manuel Lombardía (CNB-CSIC, Proteomics) and Henar González (CNB-CSIC) for technical assistance. This study was supported by grant PID2020-112971GB-I00 funded by the Spanish Ministry of Science, Innovation and Universities MCIN/AEI/10.13039/501100011033. We acknowledge support of the publication fee by the CSIC Open Access Publication Support Initiative through its Unit of Information Resources for Research (URICI
How are regions using european funds to promote the circular economy? Shedding light on factors explaining the pathway
No full textPurpose: This study aims to examine the geographical spread of the EU-funded circular economy projects in the European Union. Design/methodology/approach: The authors use a novel database of research and development projects funded by the European Regional Development Fund related to the circular economy to estimate a fractional response model on data for 231 European regions. Findings: First, the authors detect a geographical pattern in the share of circular economy funds. Second, the authors find that institutional quality, employment, human capital and income may drive the concentration of circular economy research and development funds. Third, the authors find overall differences between technology projects and circular economy projects, suggesting that addressing the circular economy at the subnational level is complex. Social implications: This work can be helpful to disseminate Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). In particular, the authors pay special emphasis on SDGs numbers 11 (Sustainable Cities and Communities) and 13 (Climate Action). Originality/value: The findings confirm the existence of a geographical spread of the circular economy, which may be useful to move toward regional sustainable development in the European UnionBarbero and Rodríguez-Crespo thank financial support received from Grant Proyecto PID2022-138212NA-I00 funded by MICIU/AEI/10.13039/501100011033 and by ERDF, EU. Rodríguez-Crespo also thanks financial support from the research project “Digital Transition and Innovation in the Labor Market and Mature Sectors. Taking Advantage of AI and Platform Economy (DILATO)”, with reference TED2021-129600A-I00 funded by MCIN/AEI/10.13039/501100011033 and by European Union NextGenerationEU/PRT
Do our beliefs about emotions have an impact on our well-being?: an exploratory study
Get PDFTrabajo Fin de Grado en Psicología. Curso académico 2024-2025
Modalidad D. Proyecto de investigaciónEste estudio exploratorio ha pretendido analizar las relaciones entre las creencias de controlabilidad y usabilidad que tienen las personas sobre las emociones, las dificultades percibidas en su regulación emocional y sus niveles de malestar general. Se recogieron datos de una muestra de 109 participantes de entre 18 y 79 años, utilizando las versiones en castellano del Cuestionario de Creencias Emocionales (EBQ), la Escala de Dificultades en la Regulación Emocional (DERS) y la Escala de Depresión, Ansiedad y Estrés (DASS). Se observó que existen diferencias de género y de edad en las creencias sobre las emociones. Sin embargo, a diferencia de estudios previos, no se encontraron correlaciones fuertes entre estas creencias y las otras dos variables analizadas, lo que no significa que no existan realmenteThis exploratory study aimed to analyze the relationships between individuals’ beliefs about the controllability and usefulness of emotions, their perceived difficulties in emotion regulation, and their levels of general distress. Data were collected from a sample of 109 participants aged between 18 and 79, using the Spanish versions of the Emotion Beliefs Questionnaire (EBQ), the Difficulties in Emotion Regulation Scale (DERS), and the Depression Anxiety Stress Scales (DASS). Gender and age differences were observed in beliefs about emotions. However, unlike in previous studies, no strong correlations were found between these beliefs and the other two variables analyzed, though this does not necessarily mean such relationships do not exis
A chromatic nanoswitcher for thermal monitoring of cell metabolism
Get PDFAccurate sensing of intracellular temperature is crucial for understanding and monitoring cell metabolism, serving as an initial step toward diagnosing conditions such as mitochondria-related diseases. However, thermal monitoring of cell metabolism is challenging due to the minimal temperature variations caused by intracellular metabolic activity (typically ≈1 °C) and by the risk of crosstalk in intracellular sensors. A novel type of intracellular thermal sensor is presented, based on silica nanocapsules filled with a thermo-responsive fluorescent medium. This medium undergoes a reversible phase transition from solid to liquid at temperatures ≈37 °C, inducing a chromatic switch that facilitates remote thermal sensing. The chromatic switchers exhibit a thermal sensitivity of ≈13% °C⁻¹ at 37 °C, one of the highest reported for intracellular thermal sensing. Notably, the thermal response is unaffected by external factors such as pH, ionic strength, and viscosity. Moreover, it is confirmed that the response of the sensors is not affected by the cellular activity, underscoring their reliability for cytoplasmic temperature measurements. The potential of these sensors is demonstrated by measuring intracellular heating during the metabolic switch from mitochondrial to glycolytic activity, showcasing their potential for real-time, precise thermal monitoring (<1 °C) of cell metabolismThis work was supported by grants PID2021-127983OB-C21, PID2021-127983OB-C22, PID2022-141293OB-I00, TED2021-129937B–I00, CNS2022-135495, PID2023-151078OB-I00, and PID2023-146775OB-I00 (INCLINA) funded by Spanish Ministry of Science and Universities MICIU/AEI/10.13039/501100011033 and by ERDF – “A way of making Europe”. This work has been supported by Comunidad de Madrid (S2022/BMD-7403 RENIM-CM). The ICN2 is supported by the Severo Ochoa Centres of Excellence program, Grant CEX2021-001214-S, funded by MICIU/AEI/10.13039.501100011033. UAB thanks the support from Generalitat de Catalunya (2021 SGR 00064 project). Authors acknowledge the use of instrumentation as well as the technical advice provided by the Joint Electron Microscopy Center at ALBA (JEMCA) and funding from Grant IU16-014206 (METCAM-FIB) to ICN2 funded by the European Union through the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF), with the support of the Ministry of Research and Universities, Generalitat de Catalunya. L.F. was supported by grant PID2022-136738OB-I00 funded by MICIU/AEI/10.13039/501100011033 and by a grant of Fundación Ramón Areces. S.C. was supported by grant PID2020-114054RA-I00 and CNS2023-143646 funded by MICIU/AEI/10.13039/501100011033and European Union Next Generation EU/PRTR. F.Z. acknowledges the scholarship from the China Scholarship Council (No. 202108440235). J.R.O. thanks the Generalitat de Catalunya (AGAUR) for his predoctoral FI fellowship. M.P.O. acknowledges the financial support from MICINN for an FPU (FPU20/03166). Á.A. is grateful for his Juan de la Cierva Fellowship Grant FJC2021-047006-I funded by MCIN/AEI/10.13039/501100011033and by the “European Union Next Generation EU/PRTR”. J.H. is a Serra Húnter Fellow. B.S.A. is supported by an FPU predoctoral grant (FPU2022/00218
Graphene oxide membranes with amine intercalation for dye recovery from textile effluents
No full textThe textile industry generates significant amounts of wastewater, with dyes and salts as primary contaminants. One method to valorize this wastewater is by separating dyes, enabling the reuse of both dye and water. This study focuses on developing graphene oxide (GO) membranes modified with various amines and solvent media to achieve selective separation. Among the membrane tested, those prepared using 1,3-diaminopropane exhibited excellent performance, achieving high dye rejection (>97 %) and low salt rejection (32 %) while maintaining good permeability. These findings highlighting the potential of GO membranes for improving dye recovery and reuseThe authors greatly appreciate financial support from Spanish AEI through the projects RTI2018-098431-B-I00 (MCIU/AEI/FEDER, UE) and PID2021-122248OB-I00 (MCIN/AEI/10.13039/501100011033/ FEDER, UE); and the Comunidad de Madrid for Manuel Fernández- Márquez (PEJ-2018-AI/IND-11505; PEJ-2018PR-AI/IND-20881) and Raul Pla (PEJ-2020-AI/IND-18302) financial support. Authors would like to thanks to Anton Paar Instruments for lending part of the equipment SurPass 3, needed to measure the Z potential of the membrane
Intervención en crisis
No full textEl periodo de crisis es un momento de gran vulnerabilidad, en el que cualquier intervención tiene una gran influencia, tanto positiva, como negativa. La mayor parte de las personas disponen de recursos internos para hacer frente a una crisis; sin embargo, en situaciones de estrés extremo, algunas pueden sentirse desbordadas e incapaces de enfrentarse a ello. A lo largo de este cuadernillo seguiremos un enfoque en el que la crisis se entiende como un proceso y no como una enfermedad. Es decir, se concibe al sujeto como una persona funcionalmente adaptada que tiene reacciones normales ante un suceso anormal. En este cuadernillo se comienza definiendo el concepto de crisis, los tipos y los procedimientos para intervenir y posteriormente se centra en la crisis por la pérdida de un ser querido y en las dificultades que pueden surgir al intervenir en esta situació
Supplementation with Standardized Green/Black or White Tea Extracts Attenuates Hypertension and Ischemia-Reperfusion-Induced Myocardial Damage in Mice Infused with Angiotensin II
No full textArterial hypertension has a high prevalence in the population and is considered both a cardiovascular disease and an important risk factor for the development of other cardiovascular diseases. Tea consumption shows antihypertensive effects due to its composition in terms of bioactive substances such as flavan-3-ols and xanthines. The aim of this study was to assess the possible beneficial effects of two tea extracts, one of white tea (ADM® White Tea; WTE) and another one composed of a mixture of black tea and green tea (ADM® Tea Complex; CTE), on the cardiovascular alterations induced by angiotensin II (AngII) infusion in mice. For this purpose, four groups of C57BL/6J male mice were used: (1) mice fed on a standard diet for 8 weeks and infused with saline for the last 4 weeks (controls); (2) mice fed on a standard diet for 8 weeks and infused with AngII for the last 4 weeks (AngII); (3) mice fed on a standard diet supplemented with 1.6% WTE and infused with AngII for the last 4 weeks (AngII + WTE); (4) mice fed on a standard diet supplemented with 1.6% TC and infused with AngII for the last 4 weeks (AngII + CTE). Both tea extracts exerted anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects in arterial tissue and reduced AngII-induced endothelial dysfunction in aorta segments. Moreover, supplementation with WTE or CTE reduced the Ang-II-induced overexpression of AT1R and increased AngII-induced downregulation of AT2R in arterial tissue. However, only supplementation with CTE significantly increased the circulating levels of angiotensin 1-7 and reduced systolic blood pressure. In the heart, supplementation with both tea extracts attenuated AngII-induced cardiac hypertrophy and reduced ischemia-reperfusion-induced oxidative stress and apoptosis in myocardial tissue. In conclusion, supplementation with WTE or CTE attenuates AngII-induced cardiovascular damage through their anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and antiapoptotic effects. In addition, supplementation with CTE also exerts antihypertensive effects, and so it may constitute an avenue through which to support cardiovascular healthThis work has been funded by the company ADM Wild/Biopolis. Community of Madrid funded the contract of Mario de la Fuente Muñoz (PEJ-2020-AI/BMD-19155) through the Youth Employment Progra
Correlation among repeated sprint ability, vertical force-velocity profile, and 30-15 IFT performance in elite youth basketball players
No full textBasketball is a high intensity intermittent sport. The aim is to analyze the relationship between the vertical force-velocity profile (FV-v profile) and performance in the 30-15 intermittent fitness test (30-15 IFT), with the repeated sprint ability (RSA), both linear and with changes of direction (COD). 42 basketball players, 32 males (n1=32) and 10 females (n2=10) were evaluated. Measurements of the FV-v profile, the 30-15IFT test, the modified Running-Bassed Anaerobic Sprint Test (RASTm) and the modified Illinois Test with 4 intermittent repetitions were performed, also analyzing the countermovement jump loss (CMJloss) in the latter two. Significant relationships were found between imbalance in the FV-v profile and CMJloss in the modified Illinois test both in the whole sample (r = 0.49, p < 0.001), and in the men´s subgroup (r = 0.67, p < 0.001), although not in women (r = 0.13, p = 0.71). In addition, there was a significant relationship between the velocity achieved in the 30-15 IFT (VIFT) and the fatigue index (FI) in the RASTm (r =-0.33, p < 0.05). Optimization of the FV-v profile has a positive influence on CMJloss in RSA with COD. Specific endurance exerts a small influence on RSA without CO