| 1. |
- Aparicio, Francisco, et al.
(författare)
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Incorporation of luminescent nanometric films in photonic crystals and devices for the development of photonic sensors
- 2010
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Konferensbidrag (refereegranskat)abstract
- Dye molecules embedded in different matrices in the form of thin films are the basis of specific materials used for laser cavities, optical filters, optical gas sensors, etc. In the present communication we discuss a new methodology based on the remote microwave plasma assisted deposition of dye containing thin films that circumvent the above mentioned problems. It permits a tailored synthesis of optically active nanometric thin films containing dye molecules which are active as fluorescence emitters (i.e., coloured and fluorescent films). The principle of this new procedure is the partial polymerization of dye molecules that are evaporated over a substrate while exposed to a remote microwave Ar plasma. As a result of this process a polymeric thin film is produced in one step where some dye molecules keep intact their optical activity (although eventually, their optical response can be slightly modified by matrix effects). This methodology has been recently used for the deposition of novel plasma nanocomposites containing non-aggregated laser dyes to maximize the fluorescent emission of the materials and for the fabrication of optical NO2 sensing nanocomposites. To illustrate the possibilities of the technique we present here results for different fluorescent dye molecules, as perylene dyes, and several xanthene and oxazine derivative cationic dyes which are typically used as gain media in tuneable laser dyes. The luminescent, optical and sensing properties of these dye containing nanocomposites will be presented. These active optical layers are being developed for the fabrication of photonic sensor devices, optical filters and photonic chips (PHODYE EU Project). This is due to the full compatibility of the synthetic methodology with the present integrated microelectronic and optoelectronic technology. The possibilities for the fabrication of photonic devices integrating these active optical layers will be demonstrated. Especial attention will be paid to recent results about the incorporation of the luminescent films in photonic crystals and about the conformal growth of luminescent planar defects within artificial opals.
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| 2. |
- Aparicio, Francisco J., et al.
(författare)
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Transparent Nanometric Organic Luminescent Films as UV-Active Components in Photonic Structures
- 2011
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Ingår i: Advanced Materials. - : Wiley. - 0935-9648 .- 1521-4095. ; 23:6, s. 761-765
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- A new kind of visible-blind organic thin-film material, consisting of a polymeric matrix with a high concentration of embedded 3-hydroxyflavone (3HF) dye molecules, that absorbs UV light and emits green light is presented. The thin films can be grown on sensitive substrates, including flexible polymers and paper. Their suitability as photonic active components in photonic devices is demonstrated.
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| 3. |
- Gallego, Ana, et al.
(författare)
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Study protocol for a three-arm randomized controlled trial investigating the effectiveness, cost-utility, and physiological effects of a fully self-guided digital Acceptance and Commitment Therapy for Spanish patients with fibromyalgia
- 2024
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Ingår i: Digital Health. - : Sage Publications. - 2055-2076. ; 10
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Objective: Fibromyalgia (FM) is a prevalent pain syndrome with significant healthcare and societal costs. The aim of the SMART-FM-SP study is to determine the effectiveness, cost-utility, and physiological effects in patients with FM of a digital intervention (STANZA (R)) currently marketed in the United States, which delivers smartphone-based, fully self-guided Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (Digital ACT) for treating FM-related symptoms.Methods: A single-site, parallel-group, superiority, randomized controlled trial (RCT) will be conducted, including a total of 360 adults diagnosed with FM. Individuals will be randomly allocated (1:1:1) to treatment as usual (TAU), to TAU plus 12 weeks of treatment with Digital ACT, or to TAU plus 12 weeks of treatment with digital symptom tracking (i.e. FibroST). Participants will be assessed at baseline, post-treatment, and 6-month follow-up. An intention-to-treat analysis using linear mixed models will be computed to analyze the effects of Digital ACT on functional impairment (primary outcome), as measured by the Fibromyalgia Impact Questionnaire Revised at 6 months from the inception of the treatment. Secondary outcomes include impression of change, symptoms of distress, pain catastrophising, quality of life, cost-utility, and selected biomarkers (cortisol and cortisone, immune-inflammatory markers, and FKBP5 gene polymorphisms). The role of ACT-related processes of change will be tested with path analyses.Conclusions: This study is the first RCT that tests Digital ACT for Spanish patients with FM. Results will be important not only for patients and clinicians, but also for policy makers by examining the cost-utility of the app in a public healthcare context.
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| 4. |
- Jones, Benedict C, et al.
(författare)
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To which world regions does the valence-dominance model of social perception apply?
- 2021
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Ingår i: Nature Human Behaviour. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 2397-3374. ; 5:1, s. 159-169
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Over the past 10 years, Oosterhof and Todorov's valence-dominance model has emerged as the most prominent account of how people evaluate faces on social dimensions. In this model, two dimensions (valence and dominance) underpin social judgements of faces. Because this model has primarily been developed and tested in Western regions, it is unclear whether these findings apply to other regions. We addressed this question by replicating Oosterhof and Todorov's methodology across 11 world regions, 41 countries and 11,570 participants. When we used Oosterhof and Todorov's original analysis strategy, the valence-dominance model generalized across regions. When we used an alternative methodology to allow for correlated dimensions, we observed much less generalization. Collectively, these results suggest that, while the valence-dominance model generalizes very well across regions when dimensions are forced to be orthogonal, regional differences are revealed when we use different extraction methods and correlate and rotate the dimension reduction solution. PROTOCOL REGISTRATION: The stage 1 protocol for this Registered Report was accepted in principle on 5 November 2018. The protocol, as accepted by the journal, can be found at https://doi.org/10.6084/m9.figshare.7611443.v1 .
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| 5. |
- Moshontz, Hannah, et al.
(författare)
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The Psychological Science Accelerator: Advancing Psychology Through a Distributed Collaborative Network
- 2018
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Ingår i: Advances in Methods and Practices in Psychological Science. - : SAGE Publications. - 2515-2459 .- 2515-2467. ; 1:4, s. 501-515
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Concerns about the veracity of psychological research have been growing. Many findings in psychological science are based on studies with insufficient statistical power and nonrepresentative samples, or may otherwise be limited to specific, ungeneralizable settings or populations. Crowdsourced research, a type of large-scale collaboration in which one or more research projects are conducted across multiple lab sites, offers a pragmatic solution to these and other current methodological challenges. The Psychological Science Accelerator (PSA) is a distributed network of laboratories designed to enable and support crowdsourced research projects. These projects can focus on novel research questions or replicate prior research in large, diverse samples. The PSA’s mission is to accelerate the accumulation of reliable and generalizable evidence in psychological science. Here, we describe the background, structure, principles, procedures, benefits, and challenges of the PSA. In contrast to other crowdsourced research networks, the PSA is ongoing (as opposed to time limited), efficient (in that structures and principles are reused for different projects), decentralized, diverse (in both subjects and researchers), and inclusive (of proposals, contributions, and other relevant input from anyone inside or outside the network). The PSA and other approaches to crowdsourced psychological science will advance understanding of mental processes and behaviors by enabling rigorous research and systematic examination of its generalizability.
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| 6. |
- Olivar, Rut, et al.
(författare)
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The alpha(7)beta(0) Isoform of the Complement Regulator C4b-Binding Protein Induces a Semimature, Anti-Inflammatory State in Dendritic Cells
- 2013
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Ingår i: Journal of Immunology. - : The American Association of Immunologists. - 1550-6606 .- 0022-1767. ; 190:6, s. 2857-2872
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The classical pathway complement regulator C4b-binding protein (C4BP) is composed of two polypeptides (alpha- and beta-chains), which form three plasma oligomers with different subunit compositions (alpha(7)beta(1), alpha(7)beta(0), and alpha(6)beta(1)). We show in this article that the C4BP alpha(7)beta(0) isoform (hereafter called C4BP[beta(-)] [C4BP lacking the beta-chain]), overexpressed under acute-phase conditions, induces a semimature, tolerogenic state on human monocyte-derived dendritic cells (DCs) activated by a proinflammatory stimulus. C4BP isoforms containing beta-chain (alpha(7)beta(1) and alpha(6)beta(1); C4BP[beta(+)]) neither interfered with the normal maturation of DCs nor competed with C4BP(beta(-)) activity on these cells. Immature DCs (iDCs) treated with C4BP(beta(-)) retained high endocytic activity, but, upon LPS treatment, they did not upregulate surface expression of CD83, CD80, and CD86. Transcriptional profiling of these semimature DCs revealed that treatment with C4BP(beta(-)) prevented the induction of IDO and BIC-1, whereas TGF-beta 1 expression was maintained to the level of iDCs. C4BP(beta(-))-treated DCs were also unable to release proinflammatory Th1 cytokines (IL-12, TNF-alpha, IFN-gamma, IL-6, IL-8) and, conversely, increased IL-10 secretion. They prevented surface CCR7 overexpression and, accordingly, displayed reduced chemotaxis, being morphologically indistinguishable from iDCs. Moreover, C4BP(beta(-))-treated DCs failed to enhance allogeneic T cell proliferation, impairing IFN-gamma production in these cells and, conversely, promoting CD4(+)CD127(low/neg) CD25(high)Foxp3(+) T cells. Deletion mutant analysis revealed that the complement control protein-6 domain of the alpha-chain is necessary for the tolerogenic activity of C4BP(beta(-)). Our data demonstrate a novel anti-inflammatory and immunomodulatory function of the complement regulator C4BP, suggesting a relevant role of the acute-phase C4BP(beta(-)) isoform in a number of pathophysiological conditions and potential applications in autoimmunity and transplantation. The Journal of Immunology, 2013, 190: 2857-2872.
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| 7. |
- Olivar, Rut, et al.
(författare)
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The complement inhibitor factor H generates an anti-inflammatory and tolerogenic state in monocyte-derived dendritic cells
- 2016
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Ingår i: Journal of Immunology. - : The American Association of Immunologists. - 0022-1767 .- 1550-6606. ; 196:10, s. 4274-4290
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The activation of the complement system is a key initiating step in the protective innate immune-inflammatory response against injury, although it may also cause harm if left unchecked. The structurally related soluble complement inhibitors C4b-binding protein (C4BP) and factor H (FH) exert a tight regulation of the classical/lectin and alternative pathways of complement activation, respectively, attenuating the activity of the C3/C5 convertases and, consequently, avoiding serious damage to host tissues. We recently reported that the acute-phase C4BP isoform C4BP lacking the β-chain plays a pivotal role in the modulation of the adaptive immune responses. In this study, we demonstrate that FH acts in the early stages of monocyte to dendritic cell (DC) differentiation and is able to promote a distinctive tolerogenic and anti-inflammatory profile on monocyte-derived DCs (MoDCs) challenged by a proinflammatory stimulus. Accordingly, FH-treated and LPS-matured MoDCs are characterized by altered cytoarchitecture, resembling immature MoDCs, lower expression of the maturation marker CD83 and the costimulatory molecules CD40, CD80, and CD86, decreased production of key proinflammatory Th1-cytokines (IL-12, TNF-α, IFN-γ, IL-6, and IL-8), and preferential production of immunomodulatory mediators (IL-10 and TGF-β). Moreover, FH-treated MoDCs show low Ag uptake and, when challenged with LPS, display reduced CCR7 expression and chemotactic migration, impaired CD4+ T cell alloproliferation, inhibition of IFN-γ secretion by the allostimulated T cells, and, conversely, induction of CD4+CD127low/negativeCD25highFoxp3+ regulatory T cells. Thus, this novel noncanonical role of FH as an immunological brake able to directly affect the function of MoDCs in an inflammatory environment may exhibit therapeutic potential in hypersensitivity, transplantation, and autoimmunity.
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