DNA accumulation on single-anode microelectrode structures and its application in active microarray layout design

Javier Vázquez,JoséLuis Sánchez-Rojás 한국물리학회 2009 Current Applied Physics Vol.9 No.3

The present work investigates, using simulation computer tools and fluorescence microscopy experimental assays, the local distribution of short single-stranded oligonucleotide fragments accumulated on a single microelectrode after the switching of an external dc electrical stimulus for some seconds (up to 75 s). It contributes to fill the existing gap in active microelectronic DNA arrays, where due to the large number of microelectrodes contained in the devices, no or little attention has been given to the final coverage of the individual electrodes by the DNA probes transported onto them, and how it is influenced by the device geometry and other variables like the current magnitude and the transport time. All these parameters play a fundamental role in both the accumulation rate of DNA strands on a polarized electrode and the degree of symmetry of their final distribution, which is convenient to know prior to any active microarray layout design in order to optimize the device performance. The present work investigates, using simulation computer tools and fluorescence microscopy experimental assays, the local distribution of short single-stranded oligonucleotide fragments accumulated on a single microelectrode after the switching of an external dc electrical stimulus for some seconds (up to 75 s). It contributes to fill the existing gap in active microelectronic DNA arrays, where due to the large number of microelectrodes contained in the devices, no or little attention has been given to the final coverage of the individual electrodes by the DNA probes transported onto them, and how it is influenced by the device geometry and other variables like the current magnitude and the transport time. All these parameters play a fundamental role in both the accumulation rate of DNA strands on a polarized electrode and the degree of symmetry of their final distribution, which is convenient to know prior to any active microarray layout design in order to optimize the device performance.

Manufacturing design to improve the attainment of functional ingredients from Aloysia citriodora leaves by advanced microwave technology

Francisco Javier Leyva-Jiménez,Jesús Lozano-Sánchez,Isabel Borrás-Linares,David Arráez-Román,Antonio Segura-Carretero 한국공업화학회 2019 Journal of Industrial and Engineering Chemistry Vol.79 No.-

A manufacturing design and control of bioactive ingredients from Aloysia citriodora was performedapplying microwave-assisted extraction (MAE). Thus, a Response Surface Methodology based on CentralComposite Design 23 model was performed to monitor the matrix behavior. The factors were extractiontime, percentage of solvent and temperature. The chosen responses were extraction yield andphytochemicals recovery. The design allowed tofind the optimal conditions for each response and tovalidate them in order to attain high quality ingredients. These results pointed out that MAE is a noveltechnique which could be used to improve the new functional ingredient development.

Successful Treatment with Rituximab and Immunoadsorption for an Auto-Antibody Induced Bile Salt Export Pump Deficiency in a Liver Transplanted Patient

Jesús Quintero,Javier Juamperez,Emmanuel Gonzales,Ecaterina Julio,Maria Mercadal-Hally,Mauricette Collado-Hilly,Ana Marín-Sánchez,Ramon Charco 대한소아소화기영양학회 2020 Pediatric gastroenterology, hepatology & nutrition Vol.23 No.2

We present an 8 years old girl who was diagnosed at 6 months of age of Progressive Familial Intrahepatic Cholestasis type 2. Although liver transplantation (LT) was classically considered curative for these patients, cholestasis recurrence with normal gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase (GGT), mediated by anti-bile salt export pump (BSEP) antibodies after LT (auto-antibody Induced BSEP Deficiency, AIBD) has been recently reported. Our patient underwent LT at 14 months. During her evolution, patient presented three episodes of acute rejection. Seven years after the LT, the patient presented pruritus with cholestasis and elevation of liver enzymes with persistent normal GGT. Liver biopsy showed intrahepatic cholestasis and giant-cell transformation with very low BSEP activity. Auto-antibodies against BSEP were detected therefore an AIBD was diagnosed. She was treated with Rituximab and immunoadsorption with resolution of the AIBD. As a complication of the treatment she developed a pneumocystis infection successfully treated with corticoids, cotrimoxazol and anidulafungin.

Prevalence, Severity, and Treatment of Recurrent Wheezing During the First Year of Life: A Cross-Sectional Study of 12,405 Latin American Infants

Javier Mallol,Dirceu Solé,Luis Garcia-Marcos,Nelson Rosario,Viviana Aguirre,Herberto Chong,Marilyn Urrutia-Pereira,Gabriela Szulman,Jurg Niederbacher,Erika Arruda-Chavez,Eliana Toledo,Lillian Sánchez 대한천식알레르기학회 2016 Allergy, Asthma & Immunology Research Vol.8 No.1

Purpose: This study aimed to determine the prevalence and severity of recurrent wheezing (RW) defined as ≥3 episodes of wheezing, risk factors, and treatments prescribed during the first year of life in Latin American infants. Methods: In this international, cross-sectional, and community-based study, parents of 12,405 infants from 11 centers in 6 South American countries (Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Peru, and Uruguay) completed a questionnaire about wheezing and associated risk/protective factors, asthma medications, and the frequency of and indications for the prescription of antibiotics and paracetamol during the first year of life. Results: The prevalence of RW was 16.6% (95% CI 16.0-17.3); of the 12,405 infants, 72.7% (95% CI 70.7-74.6) visited the Emergency Department for wheezing, and 29.7% (27.7-31.7) was admitted. Regarding treatment, 49.1% of RW infants received inhaled corticosteroids, 55.7% oral corticosteroids, 26.3% antileukotrienes, 22.9% antibiotics ≥4 times mainly for common colds, wheezing, and pharyngitis, and 57.5% paracetamol ≥4 times. Tobacco smoking during pregnancy, household income per month <1,000 USD, history of parental asthma, male gender, and nursery school attendance were significant risk factors for higher prevalence and severity of RW, whereas breast-feeding for at least 3 months was a significant protective factor. Pneumonia and admissions for pneumonia were significantly higher in infants with RW as compared to the whole sample (3.5-fold and 3.7-fold, respectively). Conclusions: RW affects 1.6 out of 10 infants during the first year of life, with a high prevalence of severe episodes, frequent visits to the Emergency Department, and frequent admissions for wheezing. Besides the elevated prescription of asthma medications, there is an excessive use of antibiotics and paracetamol in infants with RW and also in the whole sample, which is mainly related to common colds.

Experimental and numerical study on the detection of fatigue failure in hydraulic turbines

Xavier Sánchez-Botello,Adolfo de la Torre,Rafel Roig,Esteve Jou,Oscar de la Torre,Javier Ayneto,Xavier Escaler 대한기계학회 2023 JOURNAL OF MECHANICAL SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY Vol.37 No.10

Detecting fatigue cracks in hydraulic turbine runners is costly, as it requires stopping the unit, emptying it of water and accessing the runner for inspection. Thus, an alternative way based on monitoring the changes of the structural modal response induced by the formation and growth of a crack was investigated. To do so, the crack propagation induced by a resonance was numerically predicted and experimentally machined on a disk-like structure that resembles a Kaplan turbine runner. The analysis of the results shows how the different stages of the fatigue crack growth can be monitored based on the change of the natural frequencies and mode shapes of several specific modes. Based on the obtained results, a structural health monitoring system is being designed to monitor the turbine runner modes of vibration without the need to stop and inspect the unit.

Role of crystallinity on the thermal and viscous behaviour of polyethylene glycol-in-silicone oil (o/o) phase change emulsions

Clara Delgado-Sánchez,Pedro Partal,María José Martín-Alfonso,Francisco Javier Navarro 한국공업화학회 2021 Journal of Industrial and Engineering Chemistry Vol.103 No.-

Stable polyethylene glycol-in-silicone oil phase change emulsions were successfully prepared with aselected silicone surfactant. These oil-in-oil (o/o) emulsions have been scarcely examined up, despitethe highly remarkable properties of both phases for energy recovery applications and cosmetic/pharmaceuticalcompositions. The objective of the present work was to study the effect of composition (surfactantand disperse phase concentrations) and the post-processing conditions (further agitation at theprocessing temperature for 24 h) on the final features of the emulsion. For this purpose, optical morphology,thermo-physical and the rheological behaviour of the emulsions and binary blends of their compoundswere measured and analysed. Special attention has been paid to structural changes andcrystallinity modifications of the emulsion disperse phase. The observed miscibility of the silicone surfactantand silicone chains with the disperse phase reduces its crystallinity degree and modifies in the crystallizationmechanism of the polyethylene glycol, from heterogeneous to homogeneous nucleation. Interestingly, the change in the disperse phase crystallinity remarkably modifies final thermal and rheologicalproperties of the emulsion.

Association between Heart Failure and Clinical Prognosis in Patients with Acute Ischemic Stroke: A Retrospective Cohort Study

Jose Luis Lozano Villanueva,Javier Francisco Torres Zafra,Fabián Cortés Muñoz,Fernán del Cristo Mendoza Beltrán,Jenny Carolina Sánchez Casas,Luis Alfonso Barragán Pedraza 대한신경과학회 2021 Journal of Clinical Neurology Vol.17 No.2

Background and Purpose Ischemic stroke is a common cause of death worldwide. In clinical practice it is observed that many individuals who have experienced an ischemic stroke also suffer from simultaneous comorbidities such as heart failure, which could be directly associated with a worse clinical prognosis. Therefore, this study analyzed outcomes in terms of the severity of the event, inhospital mortality, duration of hospital stay, and inhospital recurrence of the episode, in order to determine the implications resulting from the presentation of both pathologies. Methods This was a retrospective-cohort, hospital-based study. Results The study included 110 subjects with heart failure (exposed) and 109 subjects without heart failure (nonexposed). The incidence of inhospital mortality was 27.27% in exposed patients and 9.17% in nonexposed patients (p<0.001), and the presence of heart failure increased the risk of death by 92% (p=0.027). According to scores on the National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale, the median severity was worse in exposed than nonexposed patients (16.1 vs. 9.2, p=0.001). The median hospital stay was 9 days in subjects with heart failure and 7 days in nonexposed patients (p=0.011). The rate of inhospital stroke did not differ significantly between exposed and nonexposed patients (1.82% vs. 0.92%, p=0.566). Conclusions Individuals with heart failure who suffer from an acute ischemic stroke show worse clinical outcomes in terms of mortality, event severity, and duration of hospital stay.

Phosphoregulation of the oncogenic protein regulator of cytokinesis 1 (PRC1) by the atypical CDK16/CCNY complex

Sara Hernández-Ortega,Abril Sánchez-Botet,Eva Quandt,Núria Masip,Laura Gasa,Gaetano Verde,Javier Jiménez,Rebecca S. Levin,Florentine U. Rutaganira,Alma L. Burlingame,Don Wolfgeher,Mariana P. C. Ribeir 생화학분자생물학회 2019 Experimental and molecular medicine Vol.51 No.-

CDK16 (also known as PCTAIRE1 or PCTK1) is an atypical member of the cyclin-dependent kinase (CDK) family that forms an active complex with cyclin Y (CCNY). Although both proteins have been recently implicated in cancer pathogenesis, it is still unclear how the CDK16/CCNY complex exerts its biological activity. To understand the CDK16/ CCNY network, we used complementary proteomic approaches to identify potential substrates of this complex. We identified several candidates implicating the CDK16/CCNY complex in cytoskeletal dynamics, and we focused on the microtubule-associated protein regulator of cytokinesis (PRC1), an essential protein for cell division that organizes antiparallel microtubules and whose deregulation may drive genomic instability in cancer. Using analog-sensitive (AS) CDK16 generated by CRISPR-Cas9 mutagenesis in 293T cells, we found that specific inhibition of CDK16 induces PRC1 dephosphorylation at Thr481 and delocalization to the nucleus during interphase. The observation that CDK16 inhibition and PRC1 downregulation exhibit epistatic effects on cell viability confirms that these proteins can act through a single pathway. In conclusion, we identified PRC1 as the first substrate of the CDK16/CCNY complex and demonstrated that the proliferative function of CDK16 is mediated by PRC1 phosphorylation. As CDK16 is emerging as a critical node in cancer, our study reveals novel potential therapeutic targets.

Cocoa: a functional food that decreases insulin resistance and oxidative damage in young adults with class II obesity

José Arnold González-Garrido,José Rubén García-Sánchez,Carlos Javier López-Victorio,Adelma Escobar-Ramírez,Ivonne María Olivares-Corichi 한국영양학회 2023 Nutrition Research and Practice Vol.17 No.2

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: Cocoa consumption is associated with health benefits due to its high content of polyphenols. However, the effects of short-term cocoa consumption remain unclear. We aimed to determine the effects generated by cocoa consumption (for 7 days) in young adults in normoweight and class II obesity. SUBJECTS/METHODS: Before-and-after study was carried out in normoweight (NW) (n = 15) and class II obesity (CIIO) (n = 15) young adults. The NW and CIIO participants consumed 25 and 39 g of cocoa, respectively, per day for 7 days. The effect of cocoa consumption was evaluated on the lipid profile, insulin resistance (IR), and inflammation. Oxidative damage was also examined by assessing the biomarkers of oxidative damage in plasma. In addition, recombinant human insulin was incubated with blood obtained from the participants, and the molecular damage to the hormone was analyzed. RESULTS: Cocoa consumption resulted in decreased low-density lipoprotein-cholesterol in both groups (P = 0.04), while the total cholesterol, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, and triglycerides were maintained at the recommended levels. Initially, IR was detected in the CIIO group (homeostasis model assessment [HOMA] = 4.78 ± 0.4), which is associated with molecular damage to insulin. Interestingly, intervention with cocoa resulted in improved IR (HOMA = 3.14 ± 0.31) (P = 0.0018) as well as molecular damage to insulin. Finally, cocoa consumption significant decreased the arginase activity (P = 0.0249) in the CIIO group; this is a critical enzymatic activity in the inflammatory process associated with obesity. CONCLUSIONS: The short-term consumption of cocoa improves the lipid profile, exerts antiinflammatory effects, and protects against oxidative damage. Results of this study indicate that cocoa consumption can potentially improve IR and restore a healthy redox status.

Monitoring in a reinforced concrete structure for storing low and intermediate level radioactive waste. Lessons learnt after 25 years

Rebolledo Nuria,Torres Julio,Chinchón-Payá Servando,Sánchez Javier,de Gregorio Sylvia,Ordóñez Manuel,López Inmaculada 한국원자력학회 2023 Nuclear Engineering and Technology Vol.55 No.4

Where concrete structures are designed to have a service life of over 100 years, their performance must be monitored, for the prediction models available are fraught with uncertainties that need to be elim- inated. The present study was conducted to meet that need by monitoring a pilot structure for low and intermediate radioactive waste storage. Long-term operation of the sensors was observed to be adequate to determine the value of the parameters that characterise structural durability, such as corrosion current density. The parameters analysed were correlated to calculate their reciprocal impact: where applied in conjunction with artificial intelligence tools, temperature, for instance, was found suitable for finding activation energy and expansion coefficients and detecting outliers. The results showed the pilot structure to perform satisfactorily.