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En este trabajo se han preparado sistemas conteniendo el antibiótico cloranfenicol (CAP) y el polímero polivinilpirrolidona (PVP) para su aplicación tópica. Se han obtenido y caracterizado dispersiones sólidas por el método del cosolvente y fibras poliméricas del sistema fármaco-polímero empleando la técnica de hilado por soplado en solución (SBS). Se ha estudiado la existencia de interacciones entre CAP y PVP, tanto en disolución mediante espectroscopía UVVis y de fluorescencia, como en estado sólido mediante espectroscopía infrarroja (FTIR-ATR), difracción de rayos X (DRX) y calorimetría diferencial de barrido (DSC). A partir de las dispersiones sólidas en polvo y de las fibras poliméricas comprimidas en discos, se han estudiado las cinéticas de liberación del cloranfenicol y los datos experimentales se han ajustado a modelos matemáticos concretos. Una vez obtenidos los parámetros cinéticos ha sido posible determinar el mecanismo de liberación del fármaco. Se concluye que la presencia del polímero en las dispersiones sólidas y la presión aplicada al preparar los discos de fibras influyen en la liberación del principio activo, consiguiendo una liberación más controlada. Esto permitiría reducir la frecuencia adecuada para cambiar el apósito preparado con fibras y fármaco, disminuyendo así el riesgo de sobreinfección en la herida.

Polylactic acid (PLA) and cellulose acetate (CA) as biodegradable polymers are being highly exploited in the development of innovative materials across several industrial sectors. PLA and CA composite films with TiO2 nanoparticles (NPs) and beta-cyclodextrin grafted TiO2 NPs were prepared. Thermo- and photo-degradation studies were performed on PLA and CA films and noticed that higher amount of TiO2 induce greater color variations, structure modifications and weight losses. It has been observed 9.3 % and 5.1 % maximum weight loss for 5 % TiO2 CA and PLA matrices, respectively. beta CD-modified TiO2 NPs increased the photo-degradation of the plain polymers to a lesser extent than TiO2 NPs. Benzoic acid (BA) and sorbic acid (SA) were incorporated to beta CD-TiO2 NPs and the antibacterial activity of PLA and CA composite films was studied by inactivation of Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus. CA film filled with 5 % TiO2 NPs presented the highest antibacterial activity and achieved 71 % inhibition of E. coli and 88 % inhibition of S. aureus. CA composite films showed potential to be used as antimicrobial food packaging.

ESRETNET Study Group, The ERDC Study Group, The Associated Clinical Study Group., Inherited retinal diseases (IRDs), defined by dysfunction or progressive loss of photoreceptors, are disorders characterized by elevated heterogeneity, both at the clinical and genetic levels. Our main goal was to address the genetic landscape of IRD in the largest cohort of Spanish patients reported to date. A retrospective hospital-based cross-sectional study was carried out on 6089 IRD affected individuals (from 4403 unrelated families), referred for genetic testing from all the Spanish autonomous communities. Clinical, demographic and familiar data were collected from each patient, including family pedigree, age of appearance of visual symptoms, presence of any systemic findings and geographical origin. Genetic studies were performed to the 3951 families with available DNA using different molecular techniques. Overall, 53.2% (2100/3951) of the studied families were genetically characterized, and 1549 different likely causative variants in 142 genes were identified. The most common phenotype encountered is retinitis pigmentosa (RP) (55.6% of families, 2447/4403). The most recurrently mutated genes were PRPH2, ABCA4 and RS1 in autosomal dominant (AD), autosomal recessive (AR) and X-linked (XL) NON-RP cases, respectively; RHO, USH2A and RPGR in AD, AR and XL for non-syndromic RP; and USH2A and MYO7A in syndromic IRD. Pathogenic variants c.3386G > T (p.Arg1129Leu) in ABCA4 and c.2276G > T (p.Cys759Phe) in USH2A were the most frequent variants identified. Our study provides the general landscape for IRD in Spain, reporting the largest cohort ever presented. Our results have important implications for genetic diagnosis, counselling and new therapeutic strategies to both the Spanish population and other related populations., This work was supported by the Instituto de Salud Carlos III (ISCIII) of the Spanish Ministry of Health (FIS; PI16/00425 and PI19/00321), Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red Enfermedades Raras (CIBERER, 06/07/0036), IIS-FJD BioBank (PT13/0010/0012), Comunidad de Madrid (CAM, RAREGenomics Project, B2017/BMD-3721), European Regional Development Fund (FEDER), the Organización Nacional de Ciegos Españoles (ONCE), Fundación Ramón Areces, Fundación Conchita Rábago and the University Chair UAM-IIS-FJD of Genomic Medicine. Irene Perea-Romero is supported by a PhD fellowship from the predoctoral Program from ISCIII (FI17/00192). Ionut F. Iancu is supported by a grant from the Comunidad de Madrid (CAM, PEJ-2017-AI/BMD7256). Marta del Pozo-Valero is supported by a PhD grant from the Fundación Conchita Rábago. Berta Almoguera is supported by a Juan Rodes program from ISCIII (JR17/00020). Pablo Minguez is supported by a Miguel Servet program from ISCIII (CP16/00116). Marta Corton is supported by a Miguel Servet program from ISCIII (CPII17/00006).

Actualmente, hay un gran interés en la industria alimentaria por dotar los films con los que se envasa la comida, de características que mejoren los servicios suministrados por los films convencionales. El objetivo es aumentar la estabilidad de los alimentos y reducir su pérdida. Una de las estrategias empleadas es el uso de la nanotecnología en la creación de envases activos, equipando a la matriz polimérica de nanopartículas que tienen actividad antimicrobiana, con el propósito de aumentar la calidad y seguridad del alimento que protegen. Las nanopartículas de TiO2 (NP) destacan entre las nanopartículas por su poder fotocatalítico con el que ejerce su actividad antimicrobiana. Este trabajo consiste en la derivatización de estas nanopartículas con β-ciclodextrina (βCD) y la inclusión del conservante alimentario ácido sórbico (SA) en su cavidad, para ser implementadas en una matriz polimérica hidrosoluble. En este caso se ha empleado el alcohol polivinílico (PVA) como matriz polimérica, con el propósito de crear films con una superficie activa y estudiar su actividad antimicrobiana en la bacteria Gram negativa Escherichia coli y en la bacteria Gram positiva Staphylococcus aureus. Tras este estudio, se concluye que los films que contienen nanopartículas de TiO2 tienen mayor actividad antimicrobiana que aquellos que no las contienen. Por el análisis estadístico se concluye que la presencia de ácido sórbico no parece suponer una mejora significativa. No obstante, en los ensayos en disolución se observa que el ácido sórbico libre tiene un gran poder antimicrobiano, probablemente, en el caso de los films el conservante queda atrapado en la matriz polimérica y por eso su acción antimicrobiana queda mermada. Nowadays, the food processing industry has a great interest in supplying food-packaging films with properties that provide better services than those provided by conventional films. The aim is to increase food stability and to reduce its waste. One of the main strategies applied is the use of nanotechnology in the creation of active packages, equipping the polymer matrix of nanoparticles that possess antimicrobial activity, with the purpose of increasing the quality and safety of the food they protect. Of all the nanoparticles, the nanoparticles of TiO2 (NP) standout due to their photocatalytic activity with which they exert their antimicrobial activity. This research project entails the derivatization of these nanoparticles with β-cyclodextrin (βCD) and the inclusion of food preservative, sorbic acid (SA), in its cavity, for its implementation in a hydrosoluble polymer matrix. In this case, polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) has been utilized as the polymer matrix, with the goal of creating films with an active surface and to study their antimicrobial activity in the Gram-negative bacteria Escherichia coli and in the Gram-positive bacteria Staphylococcus aureus. Followed this project, it is concluded that the films containing nanoparticles of TiO2 have a greater antimicrobial activity than those without nanoparticles. With the statistical analysis it is concluded that the presence of sorbic acid does not seem to significantly increase the antimicrobial activity. However, in the experiments in solution it was observed that the free sorbic acid has a prominent antimicrobial activity, probably, in the case of the films the preservative is trapped in the polymer matrix, depleting its antimicrobial activity.

Les metodologies àgils són cada vegada més populars en les empreses de desenvolupament de web i software. Per poder preparar l'alumnat de formació professional per aquestes metodologies emprades en el món laboral, és important incorporar-les al currículum. Metodologies actives com l'aprenentatge basat en projectes (ABP) han obtingut bons resultats però a vegades es veuen afectades per dinàmiques de grup o males implementacions. L'objectiu d'aquest treball és fer una proposta d'implementació de l'ABP en dos mòduls del cicle de grau superior de desenvolupament d'aplicacions web amb la metodologia àgil Scrum. Amb aquesta proposta connectem dos mòduls que es donen de forma independent quan són complementaris i intentem millorar l'adquisició d'aprenentatges per part de l'alumnat, a més d'enriquir les seves competències personals, socials i professionals.

An original family of multivalent vectors encompassing gemini and facial amphiphilicity, namely cationic Siamese twin surfactants, has been prepared fromthe disaccharide trehalose; molecular engineering lets us modulate the self-assembling properties and the topology of the nanocomplexes with plasmid DNA for efficient gene delivery in vitro and in vivo.

VAMP2 encodes the vesicular SNARE protein VAMP2 (also called synaptobrevin-2). Together with its partners syntaxin-1A and synaptosomal-associated protein 25 (SNAP25), VAMP2 mediates fusion of synaptic vesicles to release neurotransmitters. VAMP2 is essential for vesicular exocytosis and activity-dependent neurotransmitter release. Here, we report five heterozygous de novo mutations in VAMP2 in unrelated individuals presenting with a neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by axial hypotonia (which had been present since birth), intellectual disability, and autistic features. In total, we identified two single-amino-acid deletions and three non-synonymous variants affecting conserved residues within the C terminus of the VAMP2 SNARE motif. Affected individuals carrying de novo non-synonymous variants involving the C-terminal region presented a more severe phenotype with additional neurological features, including central visual impairment, hyperkinetic movement disorder, and epilepsy or electroencephalography abnormalities. Reconstituted fusion involving a lipid-mixing assay indicated impairment in vesicle fusion as one of the possible associated disease mechanisms. The genetic synaptopathy caused by VAMP2 de novo mutations highlights the key roles of this gene in human brain development and function.

BACKGROUND: Although previous studies have reported negative associations between exposure to air pollution and cognition, studies of the effects of prenatal and postnatal exposures in early childhood have been limited. OBJECTIVES: We sought to assess the role exposure to fine particulate matter ([Formula: see text]) during different prenatal and postnatal windows may play in children's cognitive development at school age. METHODS: Within the Brain Development and Air Pollution Ultrafine Particles in School Children (BREATHE) Project, we estimated residential [Formula: see text] exposures by land use regression for the prenatal period and first seven postnatal years of 2,221 children from Barcelona, Spain. The participants ([Formula: see text]) completed computerized tests assessing working memory, attentiveness, and conflict network during four visits in 2012–2013. We used linear mixed effects and distributed lag models to assess the period of exposure to [Formula: see text] in association with cognitive development. RESULTS: Inverse associations were identified between [Formula: see text] exposure during the fifth and sixth postnatal years and working memory, with boys showing much higher vulnerability. Regarding attention functions, exposure to higher [Formula: see text] levels during the prenatal period and from the fourth postnatal year were associated with a reduction in conflict network performance, though we found no association with attentiveness. The overall estimated cumulative effect of a [Formula: see text] increase in [Formula: see text] resulted in a reduction in the working memory [Formula: see text] score of [Formula: see text] [95% confidence interval (CI): [Formula: see text], [Formula: see text]] points and an increase in the conflict attentional network of 11.31 (95% CI: 6.05, 16.57) milliseconds, indicating a poorer performance. CONCLUSIONS: Early life exposure to [Formula: see text] was associated with a reduction in fundamental cognitive abilities, including working memory and conflict attentional network. https://doi.org/10.1289/EHP3169.

En diversas situaciones y ante públicos bien diferentes, he comprobado personalmente que la sola mención de la palabra que da título a este escrito –“optimismo”– suscita reacciones contrapuestas. Para la mayoría genera interés, curiosidad y atracción. Quizá sea por la carga semántica que lo emparenta con estados universalmente deseados, como la alegría, el bienestar, la satisfacción y la felicidad. O quizá por percibir un cierto déficit de esos bienes en nuestra sociedad, a pesar de gozar de comodidades inéditas en la historia de la familia humana. Como contrapunto, al hablar de optimismo otras personas dejan aflorar de manera inmediata una mueca de escepticismo e incluso de desasosiego. Abominan del facilismo y superficialidad de cierta literatura a la que se ha catalogado como de ‘autoayuda’, al tiempo que se otorga una fuerte connotación negativa a esa denominación por considerar que sus respuestas pecan de simplonas cuando no de erradas. Desde hace algún tiempo me viene intrigando esta disparidad. Si bien resulta fácil constatar que la mayor parte de las personas prefieren amigos optimistas a pesimistas, la actitud pesimista goza aún de notable reputación, especialmente entre los intelectuales. De alguna forma, el pesimismo se asocia con espíritu crítico, agudeza mental, mirada penetrante y acceso a buena información. En tanto que el optimismo se percibe como un signo de inmadurez y debilidad, que sólo cabe en mentes ingenuas, irreflexivas e ignorantes. Así lo retrata Voltaire en Cándido (1759), relato en que ridiculiza el optimismo del ‘mejor de los mundos posibles’ de Leibniz. Más tarde lo encontraremos encarnado de manera desaforada en el personaje infantil de Pollyanna, hasta el punto de que en inglés se usa ese nombre para referirse a un optimista redomado. Pero ha sido probablemente Freud quien más ha contribuido en época reciente a una visión negativa del optimismo a través de su categorización de la religión como una ilusión optimista. Todo esto me ha llevado a interesarme por el fenómeno del optimismo e indagar qué certezas nos puede aportar hoy la ciencia para tratar de comprenderlo mejor. Veremos que la investigación científica a veces avala las creencias populares, pero que en otras ocasiones parece contradecir los dictados del sentido común. En cualquier caso, siempre va mucho más allá de las propuestas reduccionistas de los escritos de autoayuda.

Engineering of multifunctional drug nanocarriers combining stability and good release properties remains a great challenge. In this work, natural polymers kappa-carrageenan (kappa-CAR) and chitosan (CS) were deposited onto olive oil nanoemulsion droplets (NE) via layer-by-layer (LbL) self-assembly to study the release mechanisms of the anti-inflammatory diflunisal (DF) as a lipophilic drug model. The nano-systems were characterized by dynamic light scattering (DLS), zeta potential (zeta-potential) measurements, transmission electron microscopy (TEM), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray energy dispersive spectroscopy (XEDS) and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) to confirm the NE-coating with polymer layers. In addition, kinetic release studies of DF were developed by the dialysis diffusion bag technique. Mathematical models were applied to investigate the release mechanisms. The results showed that stable and suitably sized nanocapsules (similar to 300 nm) were formed. Also, the consecutive adsorption of polyelectrolytes by charge reversal was evidenced. More interestingly, the drug release mechanism varied depending on the number of layers deposited. The nanosized systems containing up to two layers showed anomalous transport and first order kinetics. Formulations with three and four layers exhibited Case II transport releasing diflunisal with zero order kinetics.

A few studies have found associations between the exposure to traffic-related air pollution at school and/or home and cognitive development. The impact on cognitive development of the exposure to air pollutants during commuting has not been explored. We aimed to assess the role of the exposure to traffic-related air pollutants during walking commute to school on cognitive development of children. We performed a longitudinal study of children (n = 1,234, aged 7-10 y) from 39 schools in Barcelona (Catalonia, Spain) who commuted by foot to school. Children were tested four times during a 12-month follow-up to characterize their developmental trajectories of working memory (d' of the three-back numbers test) and inattentiveness (hit reaction time standard error of the Attention Network Test). Average particulate matter =2.5 µm (PM(2.5)), Black Carbon (BC) and NO(2) concentrations were estimated using Land Use Regression for the shortest walking route to school. Differences in cognitive growth were evaluated by linear mixed effects models with age-by-pollutant interaction terms. Exposure to PM(2.5) and BC from the commutes by foot was associated with a reduction in the growth of working memory (an interquartile range increase in PM(2.5) and BC concentrations decreased the annual growth of working memory by 5.4 (95% CI [-10.2, -0.6]) and 4.6 (95% CI [-9.0, -0.1]) points, respectively). The findings for NO(2) were not conclusive and none of the pollutants were associated with inattentiveness. Efforts should be made to implement pedestrian school pathways through low traffic streets in order to increase security and minimize children's exposure to air pollutants.

BACKGROUND: Although air pollution's short-term effects are well understood to be marked and preventable, its acute neuropsychological effects have, to our knowledge, not yet been studied. We aim to examine the association between daily variation in traffic-related air pollution and attention. METHODS: We conducted a follow-up study from January 2012 to March 2013 in 2,687 school children from 265 classrooms in 39 schools in Barcelona (Catalonia, Spain). We assessed four domains of children's attention processes every 3 months over four repeated visits providing a total of 10,002 computerized tests on 177 different days using the child Attention Network test (ANT). Ambient daily levels of nitrogen dioxide (NO2) and elemental carbon (EC) in particulate matter