Search

Luminescent nano-thermometry is a fast-developing technique with great potential for in vivo sensing, diagnosis, and therapy. Unfortunately, it presents serious limitations. The luminescence generated by nanothermometers, from which thermal readout is obtained, is strongly distorted by the attenuation induced by tissues. Such distortions lead to low signal levels and entangle absolute and reliable thermal monitoring of internal organs. Overcoming both limitations requires the use of high-brightness luminescent nanothermometers and adopting more complex approaches for temperature estimation. In this work, it is demonstrated how superbright Ag2S nanothermometers can provide in vivo, reliable, and absolute thermal reading of the liver during laser-induced hyperthermia. For that, a new procedure is designed in which thermal readout is obtained from the combination of in vivo transient thermometry measurements and in silico simulations. The synergy between in vivo and in silico measurements has made it possible to assess relevant numbers such as the efficiency of hyperthermia processes, the total heat energy deposited in the liver, and the relative contribution of Ag2S nanoparticles to liver heating. This work provides a new way for absolute thermal sensing of internal organs with potential application not only to hyperthermia processes but also to advanced diagnosis and therapy., This work was supported by the Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness under projects MAT2016-75362-C3-1-R, MAT2017-83111R, and MAT2017-85617-R, by the Instituto de Salud Carlos III (PI16/00812), by the Comunidad Autonoma de Madrid (B2017/BMD-3867 RENIM-CM), and cofinanced by the European Structural and investment fund. Additional funding was provided by the European Union's Horizon 2020 FET Open programme (Grant Agreement No. 801305, NanoTBTech), the Fundacion para la Investigacion Biomedica del Hospital Universitario Ramon y Cajal project IMP18_38 (2018/0265), and also by COST action CA17140. Y.S. acknowledges a scholarship from the China Scholarship Council (No. 201806870023). I.Z.G. thanks UCM-Santander for a predoctoral contract (CT63/19-CT64/19). D.O. and I.R. acknowledge financial support from the Community of Madrid under Contract No. PEJD-2017-PRE/IND-3663, and from the Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation through the Ramon y Cajal grant RYC2018-025253-I, Research Networks grant RED2018-102626-T and the PID2019-106211RB-I00 grant as well as the Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness through the grants MAT2017-85617-R, MAT2017-88148R and the "Severo Ochoa" Program for Centers of Excellence in R&D (SEV-2016-0686). D.O. and I.R. also acknowledge support from the "NoCanTher" project, which has received funding from the European Union's Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under Grant Agreement No. 685795. E.X. is grateful for a Juan de la Cierva Formacion scholarship (FJC2018-036734-I).

Justificación y objetivos. El estilo de vida sedentaria y la falta de actividad física habitual son unos de los mayores problemas de salud pública en la actualidad. La adolescencia es considerada una etapa decisiva para que las personas se conviertan en practicantes de actividad física o la abandonen por completo. El autoconcepto físico, el disfrute y la percepción de éxito en la Educación Física han sido variables influyentes en los niveles de actividad física habitual de los adolescentes según numerosos estudios revisados en la literatura científica. El principal objetivo de nuestro estudio ha sido analizar las posibles relaciones existentes entre dichas variables y los niveles de actividad física habitual en una muestra de adolescentes de la Región de Murcia. Material y método. Un total de 583 adolescentes (272 varones y 312 mujeres) de 14-18 años pertenecientes a la Región de Murcia participaron en este estudio transversal relacional ex post facto donde se determinó la actividad física habitual mediante el International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ). El autoconcepto físico fue medido por el Physical Self-concept Questionnaire (PSQ). El disfrute en la actividad física se midió por el Physical Activity Enjoyment Scale (PACES) y la percepción de éxito en la educación física se determinó mediante el Perception of Success Questionnaire (POSQ). Resultados. Los análisis estadísticos realizados mostraron que: a) la actividad física intensa y moderada es mayor en hombres que en mujeres; b) los varones tienen mayores niveles de autoconfianza y autopercepción de fuerza física que las mujeres; c) no existen diferencias significativas entre los valores de autoconcepto físico entre ambos sexos; d) los varones muestran valores más altos de orientación al ego y a la tarea que las mujeres; e) los niveles de disfrute en la actividad física son más elevados en los varones; f) el nivel de disfrute en la actividad física genera un incremento de los niveles de actividad física habitual tanto en varones como en mujeres; g) unos valores altos en los niveles de competencia percibida producirá aumentos en los niveles de actividad física habitual tanto en varones como en mujeres; h) valores altos de atractivo físico, autoconcepto físico y fuerza física se relacionan de manera positiva con los niveles de actividad física en varones, sin embargo no se aprecian relaciones significativas con las mujeres; i) la orientación en la percepción de éxito no se relaciona con los niveles de actividad física en varones, sin embargo una alta orientación a la tarea en mujeres se relaciona con un aumento en los niveles de actividad física. Conclusiones. Los resultados de nuestra investigación nos muestran que los hombres tienen niveles más altos de actividad física moderada e intensa que las mujeres. Los niveles de disfrute y de orientación al ego son significativamente más altos en varones que en mujeres. No encontramos diferencias significativas entre los niveles de autoconcepto físico global entre varones y mujeres. El disfrute y la percepción de éxito son variables predictoras del nivel de actividad física habitual en los adolescentes. Nuestra investigación apoya un modelo unidireccional en la relación entre el autoconcepto físico y los niveles de actividad física, afirmando que los sujetos con mayor nivel de actividad física puntuaron más alto en la escala PSQ de autoconcepto físico porque los ítems de esta escala están planteados con alusión directa a la actividad física y el deporte. Esta conclusión constata que en futuras investigaciones será necesaria una escala neutra de autoconcepto para poder relacionarlo con la actividad física de una manera más eficaz., Justification and objectives. Sedentary lifestyle and the lack of regular physical activity are two of the greatest problems of public health nowadays. On the other hand, adolescence is considered a decisive period for people to become in regular practitioners of physical activity or to drop it out. Physical self-concept, enjoyment, and perception of success in Physical Education have proved to be influential variables in the level of regular physical activity of adolescents, according to most of the studies published in the scientific literature. The main objective of the present study is to analyze the relationship between those variables and the level of regular physical activity in a sample of adolescents of the Region of Murcia. Methods. A total of 583 adolescents (272 men and 312 women) aged 14-18 years from the Region of Murcia participated in this cross-sectional and relational ex post facto study, where the regular physical activity was determined through the International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ). The physical self-concept was measured through the Physical Self-concept Questionnaire (PSQ). The enjoyment in the physical activity was measured through the Physical Activity Enjoyment Scale (PACES), and the perception of success in the Physical Education was determined through the Perception of Success Questionnaire (POSQ). Results. Data analysis showed that: a) vigorous and moderate physical activity is higher in men than in women; b) men have higher levels of self-confidence and self-perception than women; c) regarding the level of physical self-concept, there are no significant differences between both sexes; d) men show higher levels in ego and task orientation than women; e) enjoyment levels in the physical activity are higher in males; f) the enjoyment level in the physical activity produces an increase of the levels of regular physical activity in both men and women; g) high levels in perceived competence values should produce an increase in the levels of regular physical activity in both males and females; h) high levels of physical attractiveness, physical self-concept and strength are positively related to the levels of physical activity in males; however this correlation is not so clear in females; i) there is no correlation between the orientation in the perception of success and the levels of physical activity in males, however a high task orientation in women is related to an increase in the levels of physical activity. Conclusions. The results of our studies show that males have high levels of vigorous and moderate physical activity than females. Enjoyment levels and ego orientation levels are significantly higher in males than in females. We don’t find significant differences between women and men regarding the levels of global physical self-concept. Enjoyment and perception and success are predictor variables of the regular physical activity levels in adolescents. Our research support a unidirectional model in the relationship between the physical self-concept and the levels of physical activity, stating that individuals with higher levels of physical activity received higher score on the PSQ because the items of this questionnaire are formulated with direct allusion to the physical activity and sports. This conclusion reveals that in futures researches a neutral scale of self-concept should be necessary, which should allow to relate in a more efficient way the self-concept with the physical activity.

Luminescent nano‐thermometry is a fast‐developing technique with great potential for in vivo sensing, diagnosis, and therapy. Unfortunately, it presents serious limitations. The luminescence generated by nanothermometers, from which thermal readout is obtained, is strongly distorted by the attenuation induced by tissues. Such distortions lead to low signal levels and entangle absolute and reliable thermal monitoring of internal organs. Overcoming both limitations requires the use of high‐brightness luminescent nanothermometers and adopting more complex approaches for temperature estimation. In this work, it is demonstrated how superbright Ag2S nanothermometers can provide in vivo, reliable, and absolute thermal reading of the liver during laser‐induced hyperthermia. For that, a new procedure is designed in which thermal readout is obtained from the combination of in vivo transient thermometry measurements and in silico simulations. The synergy between in vivo and in silico measurements has made it possible to assess relevant numbers such as the efficiency of hyperthermia processes, the total heat energy deposited in the liver, and the relative contribution of Ag2S nanoparticles to liver heating. This work provides a new way for absolute thermal sensing of internal organs with potential application not only to hyperthermia processes but also to advanced diagnosis and therapy.

12 p.-5 fig., Optical probes operating in the second near-infrared window (NIR-II, 1,000-1,700 nm), where tissues are highly transparent, have expanded the applicability of fluorescence in the biomedical field. NIR-II fluorescence enables deep-tissue imaging with micrometric resolution in animal models, but is limited by the low brightness of NIR-II probes, which prevents imaging at low excitation intensities and fluorophore concentrations. Here, we present a new generation of probes (Ag2S superdots) derived from chemically synthesized Ag2S dots, on which a protective shell is grown by femtosecond laser irradiation. This shell reduces the structural defects, causing an 80-fold enhancement of the quantum yield. PEGylated Ag2S superdots enable deep-tissue in vivo imaging at low excitation intensities (, Authors thank Dr A. Benayas (CICECO, U. Aveiro, Portugal), Prof G. Lifante and Prof J. García Sole (UAM) for helpful discussions. This work has been founded by Ministerio de Economı́a y Competitividad-MINECO (MAT2017-83111R and MAT2016-75362-C3-1-R) and the Comunidad de Madrid (B2017/BMD-3867 RENIM-CM) co-financed by European Structural and Investment Fund. D.M.-G. thanks UCM-Santander for a predoctoral contract (CT17/17-CT18/17). We thank the staff at the ICTS-National Centre for Electron Microscopy at the UCM for the help in the electron microscopy studies and C.M. at the beamline BL22-CLAESS of the Spanish synchrotron ALBA for his help in the XANES experiments. We also thank J.G.I at the Ultrafast Laser Laboratory at UCM for his help and fruitful discussion. Y.S. acknowledges the support from the China Scholarship Council (CSC File No. 201806870023). Additional funding was provided by the European Commission Horizon 2020 project NanoTBTech, the Fundación para la Investigación Biomédica del Hospital Universitario Ramón y Cajal project IMP18_38 (2018/0265). Ajoy K. Kar and Mark D. Mackenzie acknowledge support from the UK Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (Project CHAMP, EP/M015130/1). C. Jacinto thanks the financial support of the Brazilian agencies: CNPq (Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico) through the grants: Projeto Universal Nr. 431736/2018-9 and Scholarship in Research Productivity 1C under the Nr. 304967/20181; FINEP (Financiadora de Estudos e Projetos) through the grants INFRAPESQ-11 and INFRAPESQ-12; FAPEAL (Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de Alagoas) grant Nr. 1209/2016. H. D. A. Santos was supported by a graduate studentship from CNPq and by a sandwich doctoral program (PDSE-CAPES) developed at Universidad Autonoma de Madrid, Spain, Project Nr. 88881/2016-01.