Alberto Sols Biomedical Research Institute
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España entre 1808 y 1848. ¿Una semiperiferia colonial?
No full textEste texto trata la cuestión de la posición de España dentro de
las relaciones interimperiales en la primera mitad del siglo xix. A partir
del análisis de los conceptos de imperialismo/colonialismo informal y
de la historiografía, propone el análisis de este Estado nacional con colonias
como objeto del imperialismo informal británico y francés. Con
este objetivo, el artículo se organiza en cuatro partes: una primera conceptual
y teórica; una segunda que aduce un conjunto de razones por
las que no hay prácticamente aproximaciones a la historia de España
desde esa perspectiva; una tercera en la que se lleva a cabo una comparación
con la historiografía de la Europa mediterránea y Latinoamérica,
y una cuarta en la que se revisan sumariamente desde qué ámbitos
cabría abordar ese análisis historiográfico y sus limitacionesThis text deals with the question of Spain’s position within imperial
relations in the first half of the nineteenth century. Based on an analysis
of the concepts of informal imperialism/colonialism and based on historiography,
it suggests the convenience of analysing this national state with
colonies as an object of British and French imperialism. To achieve this
aim, the article is organised in four sections. The first one tackles the concepts
and theories of informal empire and colony. The second one suggests
why Spain has seldom been termed as an informal colony. The third
one makes a comparison with historiography on Mediterranean Europe
and Latin America. The final one analyses from which perspectives such
an approach might be productive and the limitation it could hav
Exploring the interplay of Ti-Sn co-doping in photoelectrochemical water splitting of hematite nanowires
No full textPhotoelectrochemical water splitting is a promising alternative for sustainable energy production, addressing the growing need for clean energy sources. Hematite is a potential semiconductor for this process due to its abundance, low cost, non-toxicity, and stability. However, bare-hematite-based photoelectrochemical cells face challenges such as low photocurrent density, requiring innovative strategies to improve efficiency. This study explores the combined effects of three key approaches: enhancing crystallinity through high-temperature annealing, increasing specific surface area via nanostructuring, and improving photoanode conductivity through heteroatom doping. Hematite nanowires were synthesized using a hydrothermal method, with Ti-doping introduced during hydrothermal synthesis and subsequent Sn co-doping during an 800 °C annealing process, which also improved crystallinity. The introduction of Ti dopant significantly increased the photocurrent density under simulated solar illumination from 0.03 mA·cm-2 to 0.63 mA·cm-2. Co-doping with Ti and Sn further enhanced performance to 1.27 mA·cm-2. The research explores how heteroatom doping influences the properties of hematite and examines its interaction with high-temperature annealing. These findings are significant for advancing the design of efficient nanostructures for energy conversion applicationsThis research was financially supported by the grants PID2022-141080OB-C22 and CNS2024-154729, funded by MCIN/AEI. Fernández-Alonso, F.J. acknowledges the Formación de Profesorado Universitario programme, ref. FPU22/04365. de Sousa, C. T. acknowledges the programme Atracción de Talento (CAM), ref. 2020-T1/IND-19889. Apolinário, A. acknowledges FCT- Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia DL57/ 2016 (Ref. DL 57/2016/CP1454/CT0017; https://doi.org/10.54499/DL57/2016/CP1454/CT0017) projects H2FlexiPEC’s (ref. 2022.07332.PTDC; (http://doi.org/10.54499/2022.07332.PTDC), 2024.00223.CERN; H2INNOVATE (NORTE-01-0145-FEDER-000076); Laboratório de Física para Materiais e Tecnologias Emergentes (LaPMET), Instituto de Física de Materiais Avançados, Nanotecnologia e Fotónica Universidade do Porto (IFIMUP)-UIDB/04968/2020 (https://doi.org/10.54499/UIDB/04968/2020); UIDP/ 04968/2020 (https://doi.org/10.54499/UIDP/04968/2020). This article is based upon work from COST Action NETPORE, CA20126, supported by COST (European Cooperation in Science and Technology
Adherence to the planetary health diet and healthy aging: A prospective analysis
No full textBackground and Aims: The Planetary Health Diet Index (PHDI) was designed to align environmental objectives with human health. This is the first study to assess the relationship between the PHDI and healthy aging, measured by intrinsic capacity (IC) and physical frailty. Methods: We analyzed data from 19,505 participants in the UK Biobank cohort. Dietary intake was assessed using two to five 24-h assessments, and the PHDI was constructed based on 15 food groups. IC was assessed according to the Integrated Care for Older People guidelines with a score between 0 and 10 points (higher score indicated higher IC); while frailty was assessed using Rockwood's frailty index (FI) and Fried's frailty phenotype (FP). Linear regression was used to examine the relationship between PHDI and IC, and logistic regression for associations with frailty. Results: After a median follow-up of 6.25 years, higher adherence to the PHDI was associated with greater IC: the mean difference (95 % CI) for the 3rd vs. 1st tertile of PHDI was 0.46 (0.05, 0.86). Higher adherence to the PHDI was associated with lower frailty risk: the odds ratios comparing extreme tertiles of PHDI were 0.80 (0.71, 0.90) for FI and 0.62 (0.43, 0.88) for FP. Fish & seafood was independently associated with higher IC and less frailty, while whole grains, fruits, vegetables, nuts & seeds and limiting added sugars & juices were linked to lower frailty risk.. Conclusions: In this cohort of British adults, greater adherence to the PHDI was associated with improved IC and lower frailty riskThis work was supported by the Instituto de Salud Carlos III, State Secretary of R + D + I and the European Regional Development Fund/European Social Fund (FIS grants, 22/1111, and 23/ 00079); Agencia Estatal de Investigación (CNS2022-135623); and Universidad Autónoma de Madrid (FPI contract to JMR
Telmisartan is neuroprotective in a hiPSC-derived spinal microtissue model for C9orf72 ALS via inhibition of neuroinflammation
No full textAmyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a fatal neurodegenerative disease characterized by progressive motor neuron (MN) loss. The most common genetic cause, a hexanucleotide repeat expansion in C9orf72 (C9-ALS), disrupts microglial function, contributing to neuroinflammation, a key disease driver. To investigate this, we developed a three-dimensional spinal microtissue (SM) model incorporating human induced pluripotent stem cell (hiPSC)-derived MNs, astrocytes, and microglia. Screening 190 Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-approved compounds, we identified sartans—angiotensin II receptor I blockers (ARBs)—as potent inhibitors of neuroinflammation. Telmisartan, a highly brain-penetrant ARB, significantly reduced the levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines interleukin (IL)-6 and IL-8 and rescued MN loss in C9-ALS SMs. Our findings suggest that C9-ALS microglia drive MN toxicity and that telmisartan can effectively mitigate inflammation and preserve MN viability. This work lays the groundwork for modeling disease-related neuroinflammation and points to telmisartan as a therapeutic candidate worth further exploration for treating C9-ALSWe are grateful to the members of the Studer lab for helpful discussions and support of this study. We thank the MSKCC Gene Editing and Screening Core for their help in designing and executing the high-throughput screen (HTS). Furthermore, we thank Drs. Mary Baylies, Li Gan, and Shuibing Chen for insightful discussions. Moreover, we acknowledge BioRender.com for providing the tools to create illustrations used in this publication. We also thank Dr. Ryan Walsh for generating the GPI:H2B-Td-tomato-tagged ESCs. Additionally, we acknowledge the use of ALS patient-derived iPSC lines from the Answer ALS project, led by Cedars-Sinai Medical. We extend our deepest gratitude to the patients, their families, and the healthy control donors for their invaluable contributions to this research. The work was funded by grant AL200169 - W81XWH2110140 from the Department of Defense and a Project ALS award to L.S. Additional support was provided by grants from the National Institutes of Health (R21NS116545, R01MH135403, core grant P30CA08748), and the JPB foundation/Freedom together Foundation to L.S. B.S. was supported by The Dompé Rita Levi Montalcini Fellowship, B.F.V. was supported by the Motor Neurone Disease Association (MND Association; project grant Talbot/Apr22/889-791) and a Boehringer Ingelheim Fonds travel fellowship, L.W. by Charles Revson fellowship, and E.G. by Rubicon fellowship (2020/30766/ZONMW
Deciphering interfacial interactions in a dual-functional mof@cof composite for organic pollutant removal from water
No full textMOF@COF composites have emerged as a promising class of engineered materials with unique functionalities, combining the high porosity and tunability of metal–organic frameworks (MOFs) with the chemical and mechanical stability of covalent-organic frameworks (COFs). While their advantageous properties are well-recognized, their structural intricacies and the nature of the interfacial interactions remain insufficiently explored. In this study, an Fe-MOF@COF composite is presented, exhibiting dual functionalities for the efficient removal of organic pollutants from water. The enhanced performance is attributed to the unique properties of the MOF–COF interface, where synergistic interactions between the two porous materials play a critical role. Advanced synchrotron techniques were employed to probe interfacial interactions at the atomic and molecular levels. These findings underscore the potential of Fe-MOF@COF composites as highly effective materials for water remediation, providing deeper insights into their structural behavior and interfacial propertiesThis work was supported by the grants PID2021-123839OB-I00, PID2022-138908NB-C31, RYC2018-024328-I and CNS2022-135261 funded by MICIU/AEI/10.13039/501100011033, and the NextGenerationEU/PRTR. A. E. P.-P. and F. Z. acknowledge thefinancial support from the Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation, through the “María de Maeztu” Programme for Units of Excellence in R&D (CEX2018-000805-M & CEX2023-001316-M). C. M. acknowledges the financial support of the Madrid Government under the Multiannual Agreement with Universidad Aut´onoma de Madrid in the context of the V PRICIT (SI1/PJI/2019-00505). I. C.-V. acknowledges FPI-UAM 2021 fellowship UAM. C. C. B. and T. D. B. thank the Leverhulme Trust for a Research Project Grant (RPG-2020-005) and the Royal Society for a research grant (RSG\R1\180395). F. Z. acknowl-edges the support from the “(MAD2D-CM)-UAM” project funded by Comunidad de Madrid, by the Recovery, Transformation and Resilience Plan, and by NextGenerationEU from the European Union and wish to thank Comunidad de Madrid for the financial support to the CMOFs4water-CM Project (TEC-2024/ECO-332) through the R&D activities programme “Tecnolog´ıas2024”. The authors want to thank Diamond Light Source for beamtime (proposal CY34797-1), and I15-1 staff for their assistance, as well as for beamtime (proposal SP35948-1), and B18 staff for their assistanc
Nitrite photo-assisted catalytic reduction in water: mechanism and kinetic study
No full textNO2, a toxic and potentially carcinogenic nitrogen compound, poses serious risks to water quality and human health. Although several physicochemical treatments have been developed, many convert NO2 into NH4+rather than N2(g), limiting their environmental effectiveness. This study investigates the catalytic photo-reduction of NO2using C2O4 2 as a reducing agent and Fe3+as a homogeneous catalyst under UV irradiation. The mechanism, intermediate species, and reaction kinetics were investigated by varying the concentration of the reactants and iron species. Complete NO2 conversion was achieved within 60 min under optimized conditions, with negligible NH4+generation and transient detection of NOX gases only in the early reaction stages. Reaction mechanism follows a dual pathway, with contribution of NO2 disproportionation reactions which generate NO, NO2 and NO3. NO and NO2 can further react with H2O producing HNO2 and HNO3. On the other hand, the photo-assisted catalytic decomposition of C2O4 2 yields CO2 • radicals, which are responsible for the sequential NO2 reduction to NO•and N2O, ultimately achieving N2 (g). Kinetic analysis showed that NO3 and NO2 reduction follow an apparent pseudo-first order kinetic model, with higher apparent rate constants at lower initial NO2concentration. In contrast, C2O4 2 consumption follows a zero-order kinetic model. These findings provide mechanistic and kinetic insights into the selective photo-assisted reduction of NO2, contributing to the development of advanced water treatment strategies targeting nitrogenous contaminantsAuthors thank the Spanish AEI for funding received through Grant PID2022-139063OB-I00 and PID2022-139810OA-I00 funded by MCIN/ AEI/10.13039/501100011033 and, as appropriate, by “ERDF A way of making Europe”, by the “European Union” or by the “European Union NextGenerationEU/PRTR”. A. L. Garcia-Costa thanks Comunidad de Madrid for the Cesar Nombela grant 2023-T1/ECO-2906
The strong-field control of IBr photodissociation re-visited
No full textThe photodissociation of IBr is a paradigm for a process that can be controlled by a strong, nonresonant
electric field, known as the non-resonant dynamic stark effect (NRDSE). As shown by
B. J. Sussman et al., Science, 2006, 314, 278, a carefully timed intense infra-red pulse can enhance or
reduce the flux into the different dissociation channels. This was supported by quantum dynamics
simulations using a 3-state model of IBr, but these were unable to reproduce the experimental timescales.
In this paper, we revisit this pump-control scenario using quantum dynamics simulations
including all 36-states of IBr in a coupled manifold, with potentials and couplings depending on the
applied field strength, i.e. including the light-molecule interaction to all orders. The results reproduce
the features of the experimental control, with a better fit to the time-scale than previous simulations.
The mechanism by which the control operates is then found be a combination of excited-state
excitation and modulation of the avoided crossing on the dissociation pathwayThis work was initially funded by a grant from the EPSRC EP/ G014124/1. CSS would like to acknowledge the Ministry of
Science and Innovation (MICINN, Spain) for the funded grant PID2021-122549NB-C22. GAW and CSS both acknowledge the
EPSRC for funding under the COSMOS programme grant EP/ X026973/
Driving biofilms to finite time extinction by antibiotic cocktails
No full textHospital acquired infections are often caused by biofilms growing on medical devices and implants. Biofilms are bacterial aggregates attached to wet surfaces that are glued together by a self-produced polymeric matrix. Devising protocols and therapies able to eradicate biofilms in medical environments is essential to prevent chronic infections, implant removal and sepsis. We present a simple model of combined antibiotic action which leads to extinction of a biofilm system in finite time. Slow death rates growing like powers , 0 < < 1, are key to achieve extinction. The model combines a nonlocal nonlinear transport equation with a quasi-stationary reactiondiffusion system, all set in a domain whose boundary moves with time. Estimates of extinction times suggest therapies based on administering large enough doses for a long enough time, or periodically for shorter times, validated by numerical simulations and theoretical results. Furthermore, we devise bang-bang and optimal control strategies based on Bucy-Kalman filters to achieve biofilm extinction in a given time through adequate antibiotic dosage. Interestingly, lower dosages with and abrupt final increase seem to sufficeThis research has been partially supported by the FEDER/Ministerio de Ciencia, Innovacióny Universidades-Agencia Estatal de Investigación Grants No. PID2020-112796RB-C21 and PID2024-155528OB-C2