DAU - Digital Archive of URL (Ramon Llull University)
Not a member yet
5388 research outputs found
Sort by
Transitioning beyond Academia: engagement and disengagement experiences of HASS PhD holders
Get PDFPhD holders are increasingly exploring careers beyond academia, yet, little is understood about their transition experiences, particularly in the Humanities, Arts, and Social Sciences (HASS) disciplines. While research suggests that these transitions are both challenging and satisfactory, there is limited knowledge about the specific engagement (e.g. feeling absorbed) and disengagement (e.g. experiencing detachment) experiences during these transitions, as well as the career factors influencing them. This study aimed to explore the engagement and disengagement experiences of 20 HASS PhD holders from Spain and Finland who transitioned beyond academia. Specifically, we examined how working conditions, personal values, and professional support interacted with these experiences. Interviews were conducted and analysed using an inductive-deductive content analysis approach. Our findings revealed two primary career trajectories: non-academic and hybrid careers. HASS PhD holders described low levels of engagement with academia, while a pronounced engagement was observed towards hybrid careers. Our results showed that work environment and personal values being relevant besides the well-known job stability and work-life balance factors among engagement experiences. Furthermore, results showed the interplay between diverse career factors, revealing misalignments between PhD careers and support mechanisms. Overall, the study underscores the complex interactions between working conditions, personal values, and professional support within engagement and disengagement experiences, highlighting the need for tailored support systems to facilitate sustainable research careers beyond academia.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio
Addressing sputum challenges in bronchiectasis: high-flow therapy as a game-changer for airway clearance care
Get PDFHigh flow therapy is a true game-changer in airway clearance care for bronchiectasis. By providing superior physiological support and integrating seamlessly with ACTs, it improves tolerability for patients and optimises clinical outcomes.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio
Three-pion Bose-Einstein correlations measured in proton-proton collisions
Get PDFA study on the Bose-Einstein correlations for triplets of same-sign pions is presented. The analysis is performed using proton-proton collisions at a centre-of-mass energy of
= 7 TeV, recorded by the LHCb experiment, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 1.0 fb−1. For the first time, the results are interpreted in the core-halo model. The parameters of the model are determined in regions of charged-particle multiplicity. This measurement provides insight into the nature of hadronisation in terms of coherence, being consistent with the presence of coherent emission of pions.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio
Silver-coated silicone stents as an approach to prevent bacterial colonization of central airways after tracheobronchial stenting
Get PDFRationale: Tracheobronchial stents are used to treat central airway obstruction but frequently develop bacterial colonization that can lead to infection.
Objectives: To identify the microorganisms responsible for stent colonization and to evaluate the in vitro ability of silver-coated silicone to reduce their growth.
Methods: Bacterial identification and quantification were performed on bronchial washings obtained prospectively from 30 patients before and at the first follow-up after stent placement. Bacterial viability on silver-coated silicone was determined for six clinical isolates and two collection-type strains by confocal microscopy and counts of bacterial colony-forming units.
Measurement and main results: The most frequently recovered pathogens were Pseudomonas aeruginosa (30%) and Staphylococcus aureus (23%). An increase in bacterial load of colonizing pathogens was observed at the first follow-up after stenting, with long-term persistence of the same bacterial genotype within those patients. Three P. aeruginosa and three S. aureus clinical isolates were selected to evaluate the effect of silver on bacterial colonization. Silver-coated silicone exhibited high bactericidal activity against all isolates tested, with bacterial death ranging from 88 to 96% for P. aeruginosa and from 77 to 88% for S. aureus.
Conclusion: Silver-coated silicone significantly reduced the viability of the most common pathogens that colonized tracheobronchial stents and may represent a promising option for preventing stent-related infections.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio
Observation of a New Charmed Baryon Decaying to Ξ_{c}^{+}π^{-}π^{+}
Get PDFThe Ξþ c π−πþ spectrum is investigated using proton-proton collisions at a center-of-mass energy of
13 TeV, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 5.4 fb−1, collected by the LHCb experiment during
2016–2018. Four states are observed with high significance, and their masses and widths are measured to be m½Ξcð2815Þþ ¼ 2816.65 0.03 0.03 0.23 MeV, Γ½Ξcð2815Þþ ¼ 2.07 0.08 0.12 MeV,
m½Ξcð2923Þþ ¼ 2922.8 0.3 0.5 0.2 MeV, Γ½Ξcð2923Þþ ¼ 5.30.91.4 MeV, m½Ξcð2970Þþ ¼
2968.6 0.5 0.5 0.2 MeV, Γ½Ξcð2970Þþ ¼ 31.7 1.7 1.9 MeV, m½Ξcð3080Þþ ¼ 3076.8
0.7 1.3 0.2 MeV, Γ½Ξcð3080Þþ ¼ 6.8 2.3 0.9 MeV, where the uncertainties are statistical,
systematic, and due to the limited precision on the Ξþ c mass, respectively. The Ξcð2923Þþ baryon is
observed for the first time, and is consistent with being the isospin partner of the previously observed
Ξcð2923Þ0 state. Most of the measured parameters are more precise than existing world averages.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio
Quantitative and qualitative comparison of mRNA loading techniques into extracellular vesicles
Get PDFExtracellular vesicles (EVs) are increasingly recognized as natural therapeutic delivery systems (DDS). A critical challenge in realizing this potential is the loading of nucleic acids, particularly mRNA, a high molecular weight and very sensitive biomolecule, for which the loading efficiency into EVs is often low. Despite the growing interest in EV-based delivery platforms, relatively few studies have reported efficient loading techniques, and inconsistent or misleading information in the literature hinders progress towards the development of reliable loading of mRNA into EV-based systems. Addressing this gap systematically and quantitatively is crucial for the clinical translation of EVs as DDS. In this study, we compared five different exogenous mRNA loading methods (incubation, sonication, freeze-thaw, electroporation and extrusion) and evaluated their loading efficiencies, as well as their biophysical, biochemical, and functional properties. Here, using direct stochastic optical reconstruction microscopy (dSTORM), as an efficient and reliable characterization approach to assess mRNA loading efficiency into EVs we visualized single EVs and single mRNA molecules and to estimate the percentage of loaded EVs as well as the amount of mRNA molecules loaded per EV. Interestingly, all five strategies demonstrated a high yield of EVs associated with mRNA, with up to 70 % of EVs successfully containing or in contact with mRNA, with minimal disruption to the intrinsic properties of EVs. Although some discrepancies between loading efficiencies, functionality and amount of mRNA molecules per EV, freeze-thaw proved to be the most effective in terms of loading efficiency and amount of mRNA associated molecules per EV. Overall, mRNA incorporation using these exogenous methods remained inefficient and presented significant challenges for large-scale implementation due to substantial mRNA loss. Despite this limitation, the high proportion of successfully loaded or mRNA associated EVs, particularly with freeze-thaw and electroporation, provides, for the first time, a promising foundation for the advancing of mRNA loading on EV-based therapeutic applications.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio
Application of direct injection LC–MS/MS for pharmaceutical monitoring in wastewater and reclaimed water from the 14 wastewater treatment plants in Costa Brava (Catalonia, Spain)
Get PDFIn response to increasing global water scarcity, reclaimed water, which is treated wastewater intended for reuse, has become a sustainable alternative for various applications. However, the presence of pharmaceutical residues that persist through conventional treatment processes raises concerns for environmental and human health. In this study, a direct injection liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry (DI-LC–MS/MS) method was developed and applied to quantify 75 pharmaceutical compounds in secondary and tertiary effluents from 14 wastewater treatment plants in Costa Brava, Catalonia. Among the compounds analyzed, metformin, tramadol, and azithromycin were the most abundant, with median concentrations above 1000 ng L−1. The method demonstrated acceptable sensitivity, recovery, and matrix effect values for most analytes. Comparison of concentrations in secondary and tertiary effluents showed that tertiary treatment significantly improved removal for only 13 out of 31 evaluated compounds. These findings underscore the limitations of current wastewater treatment technologies and highlight the need for improved strategies to ensure the safety of water reuse.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio
Test of Lepton Flavor Universality with Bs0 →φℓ+ℓ- Decays
No full textLepton flavor universality in rare b → s transitions is tested for the first time using B0
s meson decays. The measurements are performed using pp collision data collected by the LHCb experiment between 2011 and 2018, corresponding to a total integrated luminosity of 9 fb−1. Branching fraction ratios between the B0s → ϕeþe− and B0s → ϕμþμ− decays are measured in three regions of dilepton mass squared, q2, with 0.1 < q2 < 1.1, 1.1 < q2 < 6.0, and 15 < q2 < 19 GeV2=c4. The results agree with the standard model expectation of lepton flavor universality.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio
The european project "Deuteronoise" - characterization of maritime noise in different european basins and its impact on ecological relevant deuterostome invertebrates
Get PDFDeuteroNoise is an European project founded by JPI Oceans intergovernmental platform. The project aims to characterize the noise pollution caused by maritime traffic in selected sites of the North Adriatic Sea, Lagoon of Venice, North Sea, Black Sea, and Barcelona shore, and to investigate its impact on behavior, nervous system and sensory organs, immune system, and resilience in marine invertebrates deuterostomes. These animals are closely related to vertebrates and can be easier studied in laboratory and on-site. A behavioral, morphological and genetic survey will be conducted on sampled animals living in polluted vs non-polluted areas. Moreover, animals will be exposed to noise in laboratory-controlled conditions. The noise level will be measured on-site and simulated in the laboratory using experimental layouts specifically designed for the project. In this work, these layouts will be described (equipment used and protocols) and the results of the first measurements will be reported. Comparative studies will allow us also to highlight levels and characteristics of noise pollution in the different basins, to predict noise pollution and to infer the best practices to reach the Good Environment Status of European basins.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio
First Observation of the Charmless Baryonic Decay B+ → Λ ¯ p p ¯ p
Get PDFA search for the charmless baryonic decay B+→Λ¯pp¯p is performed using proton-proton collision data recorded by the LHCb experiment, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 5.4 fb-1. The branching fraction for this decay is measured for the first time relative to that of the topologically similar decay B+→J/ψK+, with J/ψ→Λ¯pK-. The branching fraction is measured to be B(B+→Λ¯pp¯p)=(2.15±0.35±0.12±0.28)×10-7, where the first uncertainty is statistical, the second is systematic, and the third arises from the uncertainty in the normalization channel branching fraction. The CP asymmetry is measured to be ACP=(5.4±15.6±2.4)%, where the uncertainties are statistical and systematic. The background-subtracted invariant-mass distributions of Λ¯p and p¯p pairs exhibit pronounced enhancements at both kinematic thresholds, in contrast to a uniform phase-space distribution.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio