Assessing the Effect of Surface Coating on the Stability, Degradation, Toxicity and Cell Endocytosis/Exocytosis of Upconverting Nanoparticles.

Lanthanide-doped up-converting nanoparticles (UCNPs) have emerged as promising biomedical tools in recent years. Most research efforts were devoted to the synthesis of inorganic cores with the optimal physicochemical properties. However, the careful design of UCNPs with the adequate surface coating to optimize their biological performance still remains a significant challenge. Here, we propose the functionalization of UCNPs with four distinct types of surface coatings, which were compared in terms of the provided colloidal stability and resistance to degradation in different biological-relevant media, including commonly avoided analysis in acidic lysosomal-mimicking fluids. Moreover, the influence of the type of particle surface coating on cell cytotoxicity and endocytosis/exocytosis was also evaluated. The obtained results demonstrated that the functionalization of UCNPs with poly(isobutylene-alt-maleic anhydride) grafted with dodecylamine (PMA-g-dodecyl) constitutes an outstanding strategy for their subsequent biomedical application, whereas poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) coating, although suitable for colloidal stability purposes, hinders extensive cell internalization. Conversely, surface coating with small ligand were found not to be suitable, leading to large degradation degrees of UCNPs. The analysis of particle' behavior in different biological media and in vitro conditions here performed pretends to help researchers to improve the design and implementation of UCNPs as theranostic nanotools.

The pregnancy research on inflammation, nutrition, & city environment: systematic analyses study (PRINCESA) cohort, 2009-2015.

The Pregnancy Research on Inflammation, Nutrition, & City Environment: Systematic Analyses Study (PRINCESA) cohort was set up to evaluate associations between air pollution and birth outcomes among pregnant persons in Mexico City. Specifically, the study was designed to improve air pollution exposure assessment and elucidate biological mechanisms underlying associations between maternal exposures and adverse pregnancy outcomes. Pregnant persons (all women) (N = 935) between ages 18-45 who lived and/or worked in metropolitan Mexico City, Mexico, from 2009 to 2015 and liveborn singleton infants (N = 815) of participants who completed follow-up were enrolled in the cohort. We followed participants monthly from enrollment to delivery and the following categories of data were obtained: demographic, medical and obstetric history, geo-referenced data, repeated measures on daily activity patterns, reported food intake, anthropometric, clinical and obstetric data, 20 serum and 20 cervicovaginal cytokines, and lower reproductive tract infection. Repeated ultrasound measures of fetal parameters and infant birth data are also included in the study's database. In addition, PRINCESA investigators calculated air pollution exposure measures for six pollutants measured by the Mexico City Atmospheric Monitoring System (SIMAT). These estimates utilize participants' addresses to account for spatial variation in exposure (nearest monitor, inverse distance weighting, and kriging) and are available daily during pregnancy for participants. To date, associations between environmental and nutritional impacts on maternal and child health outcomes have been evaluated. PRINCESA has a comprehensive database of maternal and infant data and biological samples and offers collaboration opportunities to study associations between environmental and other factors, including nutrition and pregnancy outcomes.

The moderating role of sociodemographic and work-related variables in burnout and mental health levels of Mexican medical residents.

OBJECTIVE: To explore the moderating effects of sociodemographic and work-related variables on levels of burnout and mental health among medical residents. METHOD: A cross-sectional online survey was administered at the beginning of the second wave of COVID-19 at different public teaching hospitals where medical residents practiced in Mexico City. A total of 201 medical residents of different years completed the survey. RESULTS: Different univariate inferential analyses on the level of burnout and mental health indices showed significant differences between sex, marital status, previous reports of physical illness or psychological conditions, and residency ranking. However, the effect sizes of those differences were of low to medium size. A predictive path analysis revealed that the three stages of burnout (emotional exhaustion, depersonalization, and achievement dissatisfaction) negatively affect psychological wellbeing and positively affect psychological distress. Finally, even though sociodemographic variables showed some significant variation, the effect sizes were small and did not moderate the direct effect of burnout on mental health indices. CONCLUSIONS: Medical residents deling with every day medical situations, will be exposed to stressors that might increase the probability to experience emotional exhaustion. This would negatively affect levels of wellbeing and positively affect distress, despite their sociodemographic characteristics.

Combined Therapeutics for Atherosclerosis Treatment Using Polymeric Nanovectors.

Atherosclerosis is an underlying risk factor in cardiovascular diseases (CVDs). The combination of drugs with microRNAs (miRNA) inside a single nanocarrier has emerged as a promising anti-atherosclerosis strategy to achieve the exploitation of their complementary mechanisms of action to achieve synergistic therapeutic effects while avoiding some of the drawbacks associated with current systemic statin therapies. We report the development of nanometer-sized polymeric PLGA nanoparticles (NPs) capable of simultaneously encapsulating and delivering miRNA-124a and the statin atorvastatin (ATOR). The polymeric NPs were functionalized with an antibody able to bind to the vascular adhesion molecule-1 (VCAM1) overexpressed in the inflamed arterial endothelium. The dual-loaded NPs were non-toxic to cells in a large range of concentrations, successfully attached overexpressed VCAM receptors and released the cargoes in a sustainable manner inside cells. The combination of both ATOR and miRNA drastically reduced the levels of proinflammatory cytokines such as IL-6 and TNF-α and of reactive oxygen species (ROS) in LPS-activated macrophages and vessel endothelial cells. In addition, dual-loaded NPs precluded the accumulation of low-density lipoproteins (LdL) inside macrophages as well as morphology changes to a greater extent than in single-loaded NPs. The reported findings validate the present NPs as suitable delivery vectors capable of simultaneously targeting inflamed cells in atherosclerosis and providing an efficient approach to combination nanomedicines.

[An e-learning educational strategy for skills development on the prevention, diagnosis and treatment on influenza A H1N1]. / Estrategia educativa en línea durante el brote de influenza A H1N1.

OBJECTIVE: To determine the clinical competence with influenza A H1N1 after an e-learning educational strategy based on the influenza A H1N1 clinical practice guideline. METHODS: An observational analytical study which included 860 students who responded to the assessment instrument (consistency of 0.89) at the beginning and end of phases IV to VII of the e-learning mode course about the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of influenza A H1N1. Nonparametric statistics were used. RESULTS: We included 25% of students admitted to phases IV to VII of the course. There was no statistical difference between the groups at the beginning evaluation. The 94.76% of the students were in the lower ranks. After the educational intervention 54.64% of students were located at intermediate or higher values. Critics to previous actions of colleagues and commitment of iatrogenic events were indicators that did not show an increase. A raise in the initial score was shown in 646 students, 122 declined and 88 remained unchanged. CONCLUSIONS: An e-learning strategy seems to develop adequate skills for the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of influenza A H1N1.