In the aim of designing and developing a novel saponin-based adjuvant system, we combined the QS21 saponin with low microgram amounts of the fully synthetic TLR4 agonist, E6020, in cholesterol-containing liposomes. The resulting adjuvant system, termed SPA14, appeared as a long-term stable and homogeneous suspension of mostly unilamellar and a few multilamellar vesicles, with an average hydrodynamic diameter of 93 nm, when formulated in citrate buffer at pH 6.0-6.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFTwo-dimensional halide perovskites are promising for advanced photonic, optoelectronic, and photovoltaic applications. However, their long-term stability is still a critical factor limiting their implementation into further commercial applications. Here, we present an environmental stability analysis of BA(MA)PbI (BA = CHN, MA = CHN) two-dimensional perovskites with the lowest quantum well thicknesses of = 1 and = 2, after 1 year of aging under ambient humidity, oxygen content, and light conditions.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFAims: Drug export through ABC proteins hinders cancer response to chemotherapy. Here, we have evaluated the relevance of MRP3 (ABCC3) in cholangiocarcinoma (CCA) as a potential target to overcome drug resistance.
Methods: Gene expression was analyzed in silico using the TCGA-CHOL database and experimentally (mRNA and protein) in resected CCA tumors.
An understanding of the mechanical behavior of polymeric materials is crucial for making advancements in the applications and efficiency of nanocomposites, and encompasses their service life, load resistance, and overall reliability. The present study focused on the prediction of the mechanical behavior of biopolymeric nanocomposites with nano-clays as the nanoadditives, using a new modeling and simulation method based on Comsol Multiphysics software 6.1.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: To evaluate the level of knowledge and risk perception regarding vector-borne diseases in the Spanish society and identify the risk factors associated with the level of understanding.
Methodology: An online survey was conducted between January and May 2021, targeting Spanish adults. The survey consisted of 11 questions assessing knowledge and risk perception related to vector-borne diseases.
The kinetic study of the gas-phase reactions of hydroxyl (OH) radicals and chlorine (Cl) atoms with CFCHFCFOCH (HFE-356mec3) and CHFCHFOCF (HFE-236ea1) was performed by the pulsed laser photolysis/laser-induced fluorescence technique and a relative method by using Fourier Transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy as detection technique. The temperature dependences of the OH-rate coefficients (k(T) in cms) between 263 and 353 K are well described by the following expressions: 9.93 × 10exp{-(988 ± 35)/T}for HFE-356mec3 and 4.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFAging induces cardiac remodeling, resulting in an increase in the risk of suffering heart diseases, including heart failure. Collagen deposition increases with age and, together with sarcomeric changes in cardiomyocytes, may lead to ventricular stiffness. Multiphoton (MP) microscopy is a useful technique to visualize and detect variations in cardiac structures in a label free fashion.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFGeneration and subsequently accessibility of secondary findings (SF) in diagnostic practice is a subject of debate around the world and particularly in Europe. The French FIND study has been set up to assess patient/parent expectations regarding SF from exome sequencing (ES) and to collect their real-life experience until 1 year after the delivery of results. 340 patients who had ES for undiagnosed developmental disorders were included in this multicenter mixed study (quantitative N = 340; qualitative N = 26).
View Article and Find Full Text PDFAm J Physiol Cell Physiol
July 2024
In contrast to other types of cancers, there is no available efficient pharmacological treatment to improve the outcomes of patients suffering from major primary liver cancers, i.e., hepatocellular carcinoma and cholangiocarcinoma.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFSputtering of silicon in a He magnetron discharge (MS) has been reported as a bottom-up procedure to obtain He-charged silicon films (i.e., He nanobubbles encapsulated in a silicon matrix).
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThe result of the multidisciplinary collaboration of researchers from different areas of knowledge to validate a solar radiation model is presented. The MAPsol is a 3D local-scale adaptive solar radiation model that allows us to estimate direct, diffuse, and reflected irradiance for clear sky conditions. The model includes the adaptation of the mesh to complex orography and albedo, and considers the shadows cast by the terrain and buildings.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThe liver plays a pivotal role in drug disposition owing to the expression of transporters accounting for the uptake at the sinusoidal membrane and the efflux across the basolateral and canalicular membranes of hepatocytes of many different compounds. Moreover, intracellular mechanisms of phases I and II biotransformation generate, in general, inactive compounds that are more polar and easier to eliminate into bile or refluxed back toward the blood for their elimination by the kidneys, which becomes crucial when the biliary route is hampered. The set of transporters expressed at a given time, i.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFIntroduction: The evaluation of integrated care programmes for older people is a challenge. We aim to share the early implementation results of the ProPCC programme in the North-Barcelona metropolitan area, in Catalonia, Spain.
Methods: We analysed the intervention with retrospective data from May 2018 to December 2021 by describing the cohort complexity and by showing its 6-months pre-post impact on time spent at home and resources used: primary care visits, emergency department visits, hospital admissions and hospital stay.
The lens proteome undergoes dramatic composition changes during development and maturation. A defective developmental process leads to congenital cataracts that account for about 30% of cases of childhood blindness. Gene mutations are associated with approximately 50% of early-onset forms of lens opacity, with the remainder being of unknown etiology.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFPurpose: Urgent seizures are a medical emergency for which new therapies are still needed. This study evaluated the use of intravenous brivaracetam (IV-BRV) in an emergency setting in clinical practice.
Methods: BRIV-IV was a retrospective, multicenter, observational study.
Temperature dependent X-ray photoemission spectroscopy (XPS) has been employed to examine the spin-crossover (SCO) transition in the nanocrystals of 3D Hoffman-like {Fe(pz)[Pt(CN)]}. Consistent with the existing literature, the temperature-dependent variations in the Fe 2p core-level spectrum provide unambiguous evidence of the spin-state transition in this SCO complex. One of the many possible reasons behind a lack of discernible temperature-driven shifts in the binding energies of both the N 1s core-level components could be the immunity of its HS electronic configuration to thermal fluctuations.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFAlthough pharmacological treatment is the best option for most patients with advanced hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), its success is very limited, partly due to reduced uptake and enhanced efflux of antitumor drugs. Here we have explored the usefulness of vectorizing drugs towards the organic anion transporting polypeptide 1B3 (OATP1B3) to enhance their efficacy against HCC cells. In silico studies (RNA-Seq data, 11 cohorts) and immunohistochemistry analyses revealed a marked interindividual variability, together with general downregulation but still expression of OATP1B3 in the plasma membrane of HCC cells.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFIntroduction: Patients with end-stage renal disease (ESRD) display defects in adaptive and innate immunity, increasing susceptibility to infection. () is a major cause of bacteraemia in this population and is associated with increased mortality. More information on the immune response to in these patients is needed to inform effective vaccine development.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFIn the present work, the effectiveness of four non-halogenated flame retardants (FR) (aluminium trihydroxide (ATH), magnesium hydroxide (MDH), Sepiolite (SEP) and a mix of metallic oxides and hydroxides (PAVAL)) in blends with recycled acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene (rABS) was studied in order to develop a more environmentally friendly flame-retardant composite alternative. The mechanical and thermo-mechanical properties of the obtained composites as well as their flame-retardant mechanism were evaluated by UL-94 and cone calorimetric tests. As expected, these particles modified the mechanical performance of the rABS, increasing its stiffness at the expense of reducing its toughness and impact behavior.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFTemperature dependent X-ray photoemission spectroscopy (XPS) has been employed to examine the Fe 2p and N 1s core levels of the studied Fe(II) spin crossover (SCO) complexes of interest, namely: Fe(phen)(NCS), [Fe(3-Fpy){Ni(CN)}], and [Fe(3-Fpy){Pt(CN)}]. The changes in the Fe 2p core-level spectra with temperature indicate spin state transitions in these SCO complexes, which are consistent with one's expectations and the existing literature. Additionally, the temperature dependence of the binding energy of the N 1s core-level provides further physical insights into the ligand-to-metal charge transfer phenomenon in these molecules.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: With the development of next generation sequencing technologies in France, exome sequencing (ES) has recently emerged as an opportunity to improve the diagnosis rate of patients presenting an intellectual disability (ID). To help French policy makers determine an adequate tariff for ES, we aimed to assess the unit cost per ES diagnostic test for ID from the preparation of the pre-analytical step until the report writing step and to identify its main cost drivers.
Methods: A micro-costing bottom-up approach was conducted for the year 2018 in a French setting as part of the DISSEQ study, a cost-effectiveness study funded by the Ministry of Health and performed in collaboration with the GAD (Génétique des Anomalies du Développement), a genetic team from the Dijon University Hospital, and a public sequencing platform, the Centre National de Recherche en Génomique Humaine (CNRGH).