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Compatibility and Physico-Chemical Stability of Six Intravenous Mixtures for Postoperative Multimodal Analgesia
Get PDFPurpose: To evaluate the physical-chemical compatibility of six drug combinations used in intravenous multimodal postoperative analgesia under differing storage conditions and different containers.
Methods: The analgesic mixtures studied were ternary and quaternary combinations of tramadol and ketamine with dexketoprofen or ketorolac, plus methadone in some mixtures, all diluted in saline solution. Physical compatibility, pH and concentration of drugs (ultra high performance liquid chromatography (UHPLC-DAD)) were determined 48 hours post-preparation (room temperature) and after 30 days (2°-8°C) for the mixtures in polyolefin bags, and after 14 days at room temperature for those mixtures in silicone and polyisoprene elastomers.
Results: No physical changes were observed, and pH remained stable throughout the study. For all five drugs in polyolefin bags the recovery percentage remained within the range 95– 105%. Regarding mixtures prepared in elastomers, the recovery percentage for tramadol and dexketoprofen stayed within the range 95– 105%, while for methadone it was less than 40%. A subsequent extraction with methanol demonstrated the methadone adsorption on the container walls, more pronounced in the silicone than in the polyisoprene reservoirs.
Conclusion: Analgesic mixtures of tramadol and ketamine with adjuvants (dexketoprofen or ketorolac, with or without methadone) showed physicochemical stability for 48 hours at room temperature and up to 30 days at 2°– 8°C in polyolefin bags. However, the combination of tramadol, dexketoprofen, and methadone was unstable in both tested elastomeric devices due to methadone adsorption, making it unsuitable for clinical use. These findings underscore the critical role of container material in drug stability.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio
Insights into the alkaline degradation of oxidized chondroitin sulfate: Implications in Schiff base formation for hydrogel fabrication
Get PDFChondroitin sulfate (CS) shows great promise for hydrogels and scaffolds in tissue engineering due to its biocompatibility and compressive strength. However, its chemical structure limits its use, necessitating modifications like oxidation to render CS with aldehyde groups (oxCS) and enabling hydrogel formation via Schiff base chemistry with amines. While an alkaline pH is essential for this crosslinking, high alkalinity affects the stability of oxCS. Despite extensive studies on CS, the extent of this in oxCS has not been thoroughly explored. This study examines oxCS degradation under alkaline conditions using spectrometric and spectroscopic techniques, suggesting possible pathways associated with decreased aldehyde functionality and reduced potential for Schiff base formation. At pH 10, aldehyde groups diminish by 50 % within 2 h, accompanied by enhanced chain scission compared to CS. These findings are applied as proof of concept in the development of two hydrogel families using 8-arm PEG-amines with varying pKa values, demonstrating the critical impact on oxCS stability and affecting the hydrogels' mechanical properties and performance. All in all, the present work provides essential insights into the design of glycosaminoglycan-based hydrogels and scaffolds. These findings advance the development of tailored biomaterials for tissue engineering, addressing the challenges posed by oxCS's stability under alkaline conditions.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio
No és cultura, és abús: anàlisi del model d'abordatge del matrimoni forçat a Catalunya
No full textAquest Treball Final de Grau té com a objectiu principal conèixer el fenomen dels matrimonis forçats a Catalunya i valorar l’adequació del Model d’Abordatge dels Matrimonis Forçats (2023). Per fer-ho, s’ha utilitzat una metodologia qualitativa interpretativa, mitjançant entrevistes i anàlisi de documents, polítiques i normatives. Els resultats obtinguts posen de manifest la influència de la religió i la pressió comunitària en la perpetuació d’aquesta pràctica. A més, es conclou que el model és efectiu en la detecció i prevenció dels matrimonis forçats, tot i que es proposen millores. Finalment, es destaca la importància de les polítiques públiques basades en els drets humans.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio
Research and learning through new architectural logics in light of contemporary challenges
Get PDFArchitecture is not an isolated area of knowledge, but one that adapts and responds to its context. This paper explores the Architectural Logics for Emergent Contexts (ALEC), a research line aimed at addressing global challenges such as climate change, technological disruptions, and social inequality
through interdisciplinary collaboration. By examining five sublines of investigations, the research group highlights innovative approaches and principles for reorienting architectural learning and practice in a rapidly changing world.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio
Win–Win More Sustainable Routes for Acetic Acid Synthesis
Get PDFCurrent efforts to decarbonize the chemical sector by using captured CO2 and electrolytic H2 typically lead to high production costs and environmental collateral damage. Hence, there is a clear need to look for alternative, more efficient synthesis routes that could pave the way for a fully sustainable chemical industry. Bearing this in mind, here, we evaluate the economic and environmental implications of two low technology readiness level (TRL) novel single-step synthesis routes for acetic acid production using CO2 as a raw material: gas-to-acid methane carboxylation and semiartificial photosynthesis. Using process simulation and life-cycle assessment, we determine that these pathways, under a specific set of assumptions, could outperform the business-as-usual methanol carbonylation process at their current development state in terms of global warming, human health, ecosystem quality, and resource scarcity impacts, showing no signs of burden shifting. Furthermore, these routes also result in lower production costs derived from the reduced energy requirement associated with a single synthesis step. Overall, our preliminary results of the low TRL technologies based on experimental data highlight the potential economic and environmental benefits of exploring alternative synthesis routes, which could help bridge the current fossil-based industrial landscape to a more sustainable future.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio
RE-DWELL: A transdiciplinary learning and research environment for affordable and sustainable housing
Get PDFThe urgent need for affordable and sustainable housing calls for a transdisciplinary approach that bridges knowledge across disciplines and sectors. While traditional approaches often address affordability and sustainability as separate challenges, these issues are deeply interconnected and require integrated solutions. Transdisciplinary research is essential when knowledge is uncertain, problems are disputed, and there are high stakes involved. It moves beyond disciplinary boundaries, integrating perspectives from multiple fields and nonacademic actors, emphasising collaboration to co-create knowledge. The RE-DWELL project addresses this need by training researchers in transdisciplinary methods to tackle the intertwined challenges of affordable and sustainable housing. To this end, the project has developed a dynamic learning environment designed to cultivate the competencies professionals require to address housing problems from a transdisciplinary perspective.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio
Safety of nanoparticle therapies during pregnancy: A systematic review and meta-analysis
Get PDFThe exclusion of pregnant women from clinical trials has led to insufficient safety data for many treatments, making it necessary to evaluate their potential benefits and risks during preclinical stages. Nanomedicines show potential for reduced toxicity but there is limited evidence about their safety for pregnant women and their fetuses. We conducted the first systematic review and meta-analysis of the effect of nanoparticles (NPs) on a key outcome of fetal toxicity (low birth weight) in murine models. In the meta-analysis of mouse models, negatively charged NPs tended to decrease birth weight (−69.8 mg, 95 % CI: −196 to 56.5), as did small (−191 mg, 95 % CI: −369 to −13.3) and plain inorganic nanosystems (−249 mg, 95 % CI: −535 to 37.4). In contrast, positively charged NPs resulted in increased birth weight (+29.3 mg, 95 % CI: 23.4 to 35.2). All findings were validated in studies with low heterogeneity and low risk of publication bias. Neither large NPs (+4.37 mg; 95 % CI: −45.3 to 54.0) nor polymer-coated NPs (+16.5 mg; 95 % CI: −44.7 to 77.6) had any clear association with birth weight. Similar results were observed in other models and experimental designs from articles not included in the meta-analysis, although no conclusions were drawn for other parameters due to high variability. Our findings pave the way for future research and the rational development of safer nanomedicines for use during pregnancy.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio
A practical guide to computational tools for engineering biocatalytic properties
Get PDFThe growing demand for efficient, selective, and stable enzymes has fueled advancements in computational enzyme engineering, a field that complements experimental methods to accelerate enzyme discovery. With a plethora of software and tools available, researchers from different disciplines often face challenges in selecting the most suitable method that meets their requirements and available starting data. This review categorizes the computational tools available for enzyme engineering based on their capacity to enhance the following specific biocatalytic properties of biotechnological interest: (i) protein–ligand affinity/selectivity, (ii) catalytic efficiency, (iii) thermostability, and (iv) solubility for recombinant enzyme production. By aligning tools with their respective scoring functions, we aim to guide researchers, particularly those new to computational methods, in selecting the appropriate software for the design of protein engineering campaigns. De novo enzyme design, involving the creation of novel proteins, is beyond this review’s scope. Instead, we focus on practical strategies for fine-tuning enzymatic performance within an established reference framework of natural proteins.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio
What If I Prefer Robot Journalists? Trust and Objectivity in the AI News Ecosystem
Get PDFThe use of artificial intelligence (AI) in journalism has transformed the sector, with media generating content automatically without journalists’ involvement, and various media companies implementing AI solutions. Some research suggests AI-authored articles are perceived as equally credible as human-written content, while others raise concerns about misinformation and trust erosion Most studies focus on journalists’ views, with audience attitudes explored mainly through quantitative methods, though there is no consensus regarding the acceptability of AI use by news organizations. We explore AI’s role in journalism through audience research, conducting five focus groups to understand public perceptions. The findings highlight concerns about AI-generated content, particularly potential errors, opacity, and coldness of the content. The information is perceived as somewhat less valuable, being viewed as more automated and requiring less human effort. These concerns coexist with a certain view of AI content as more objective, unbiased, and closer to the ideal of independence from political and economic pressures. Nevertheless, citizens with more AI knowledge question the neutrality of automated content, suspecting biases from corporate interests or journalists influencing the prompts.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio
Observation of the Very Rare Σ^{+}→pμ^{+}μ^{-} Decay
Get PDFThe first observation of the Σ^{+}→pμ^{+}μ^{-} decay is reported with high significance using proton-proton collision data, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 5.4 fb^{-1}, collected with the LHCb detector at a center-of-mass energy of 13 TeV. A yield of 237±16 Σ^{+}→pμ^{+}μ^{-} decays is obtained, where the uncertainty is statistical only. A branching fraction of (1.08±0.17)×10^{-8} is measured, where the uncertainty includes statistical and systematic sources. No evidence of resonant structures is found in the dimuon invariant-mass distribution. All results are compatible with standard model expectations. This represents the rarest decay of a baryon ever observed.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio