Fundacion Agencia Aragonesa para la Investigacion y el Desarrollo

The scalable and sustainable production of high-quality, solution-processable graphene materials remains a central challenge in nanomaterial research. This study investigates the reduction of graphene oxide (GO) in aqueous dispersions using low-power microwave (MW) irradiation and conventional thermal reflux, comparing four common chemical reductants, ascorbic acid, glucose, hydrazine, and sodium borohydride, alongside a reductant-free route. MW irradiation at 200 W induces rapid deoxygenation and enhancement of sp 2 -domain signatures within seconds, whereas reflux requires extended heating to achieve comparable effects. XPS and Raman analyses reveal that MW treatment promotes a more uniform reduction across reductants and leads to significantly larger apparent crystallite sizes (L a ) than reflux. Importantly, although chemical reductants remain active under MW conditions, their influence on structural reorganization and electrical performance is considerably diminished, demonstrating that MW field itself governs defect elimination and sp 2 -domain enrichment under these mild aqueous conditions. The reductant-free MW route yields the highest conductivity (88.4 S/m for 150 nm films) and the largest sp 2 -domains among all samples. Combined spectroscopic, electrical, and electronic microscopy evidence supports a mechanism in which MW irradiation selectively removes highly defective, oxygen-rich, and sp 3 -hybridized regions rather than reconstructing the graphene lattice, thereby enriching the remaining framework in extended sp 2 networks. Overall, these results position mild MW irradiation as a rapid, and scalable strategy for producing structurally enhanced, water-dispersible rGO dispersions suitable for solution-processed graphene films.

Magnetic hyperthermia therapy (MHT) is a promising cancer treatment that has demonstrated efficacy in phase I and II clinical trials for glioblastoma and prostate cancer. MHT relies on heat generated by magnetic nanoparticles (MNPs) when exposed to alternating magnetic fields (AMFs). The heat output depends not only on the intrinsic properties of MNPs but also on extrinsic factors such as the extracellular and intracellular environments. Aggregation of MNPs under certain conditions can significantly reduce therapeutic efficiency. To overcome this limitation, we present a strategy to enhance MHT by modulating MNP-cell interactions. We functionalized dimercaptosuccinic acid (DMSA)-coated MNPs with the 92R antibody (DMSA-MNPs@92R), which selectively binds to the low-internalization chemokine receptor CCR9, overexpressed in certain tumors. Exposure of CCR9+ MOLT-4 cells to DMSA-MNPs@92R under AMFs resulted in enhanced tumor cell death. Our approach enables spatially controlled binding, maintaining MNPs in a less-aggregated state and at an optimal distance from the cell membrane to maximize heat generation. Mechanistic analysis confirmed that cytotoxicity is driven by localized hyperthermia at the subcellular level rather than a macroscopic temperature increase. These findings underscore the potential of controlled MNPs-cell interactions to improve in vitro MHT performance and open an interesting avenue for enhancing therapeutic efficacy.

This perspective addresses the challenges of wild boar (Sus scrofa) population control in two different scenarios: reactive management to control disease epidemics and proactive management of wild boar populations at larger geographic scales. Intense, preferably silent wild boar culling can significantly contribute to local outbreak control. Larger wild boar free buffer zones might work in front-like disease expansion settings or to protect pig farming hotspots. However, long-term proactive management based only on hunting, predation and diseases cannot compensate the population growth favoured by increasing forest surface and favourable crops and disappearing competition by livestock. Addressing these drivers would imply profound agricultural and environmental policy changes which often are beyond the reach of wildlife managers and animal health authorities.

Fucosylation is a ubiquitous glycosylation event that shapes cellular communication and immunity. Catalyzed by fucosyltransferases (FUTs), this reaction encompasses diverse substrates, mechanisms, and biologic consequences. In this Review, we explore the structural and functional landscape of FUTs primarily from higher eukaryotes, with focus on the mechanistic determinants of regioselectivity, donor/acceptor coordination, and domain modularity. We highlight advances in structural biology, modeling, and enzyme engineering that clarify how FUTs decode glycan topology and specificity. Phylogenetic and structural analyses reveal two major clades of human FUTs that differ in GDP-Fuc recognition and conformational flexibility, providing a molecular rationale for their mechanistic divergence. Drawing from mammalian FUT studies, we propose a conceptual framework in which distinct family members exploit strategies including donor-induced conformational changes, exosite interactions, or local peptide cues to achieve specificity and catalytic efficiency. We also examine their roles in physiology, inflammation, immune regulation, and cancer, and summarize current FUT inhibitors and enzyme-based therapeutic strategies.

Evergrowing phenotypes in deciduous trees have only been described in three unrelated species: peach, hazelnut and pomegranate. These genotypes are a useful tool for forward genetics approaches aimed at understanding the processes that regulate seasonal growth and dormancy. Research in evergrowing peach lead to the identification of the DORMANCY ASSOCIATED MADS BOX transcription factors (DAMs) as regulators of dormancy in stone and pome fruits. In this work we present the breeding and preliminary characterization of an evergrowing (evg) sweet cherry genotype. This individual was obtained from in vitro embryo rescue of self-fertilization seeds, of a local self-compatible landrace. Unlike wild type sweet cherry, evg sweet cherry does not set buds in autumn and continues to grow throughout the winter. In contrast to evergrowing peach, no major structural deletion was observed in the tandemly arranged PavDAMs genes. However, specific expression profiles of these genes were observed in the evg sweet cherry. The specific polymorphisms previously observed in the PavDAMs of the parental cultivar, and the high level of inbreeding depression resulting from self-fertilization, suggest that the expression of homozygous recessive alleles might be the cause of the evergrowing phenotype. Ongoing work to fully characterize the underlying molecular mechanism regulating evg sweet cherry phenotype is discussed, highlighting its importance and utility as a research and breeding tool.

IntroductionThe bioengineering of solid tissues and organs to mitigate the organ donor shortage has become a critical area of research in tissue engineering and regenerative medicine, where establishing a functional vascular network is crucial, particularly for complex organs such as the lung, kidney, and liver. This requires the isolation and characterization of various vascular cell types. In this quest, pigs have emerged as the preferred experimental animal model in this field, highlighting the importance of procuring and characterizing porcine vascular cells to create organs with functional vasculature for transplant. However, species-unique differences present challenges. Although some of the processes for isolating, expanding, and characterizing porcine vascular cells have been published, these are less established than those for human cells, requiring in our view and experience, additional research. Furthermore, no reliable and comprehensive models currently exist for testing vascular cell interactions in co-culture in vitro.MethodsIn this study, we developed effective methods to isolate and further characterize distinct porcine vascular cell types from various sources. We also introduced a straightforward and practical three-dimensional model for testing vascular cell co-culture, organization and function in vitro.Results and discussionThis proof-of-concept study demonstrates the potential of our co-culture strategy, employing a decellularized liver extracellular matrix disc scaffold microenvironment to assess cell interactions and vascular potential on a small scale in vitro.

Abstract Fossils of the Order Hyracoidea are very scarce in the Spanish fossil record. The first hyracoid remains described in Spain were a lower incisor and an astragalus from the type area of the Vallesian (Can Llobateres, Sabadell, Barcelona), published in 1981 by the pioneering Neogene mammal researcher Miguel Crusafont, founder in 1969 of the Instituto Paleontológico Provincial in Sabadell (currently the Institut Català de Paleontologia Miquel Crusafont). After that, a quite complete hyracoid maxilla from the Vallesian of La Cantera (Teruel) was published in 1986, but since then only a few scarce remains from the upper Turolian of Las Casiones (Villaba Baja, Teruel) and Casablanca M (Castellón), and more abundant material from the Vallesian site of La Roma 2 (Alfambra, Teruel) – only preliminarily described – had been identified. The fairly preserved maxillae and mandibles from La Roma 2, with almost the complete dental series (both upper and lower ones), are described in this contribution. The fossils, some of them documented here for the first time, are attributed to Pliohyrax graecus.

The fabrication of a nanohybrid photocatalyst that combines α-Fe2O3 nanoparticles with graphitic carbon nitride (g-C3N4) is reported. The ensuing direct Z-scheme heterojunction greatly boosts the photocatalytic activity of the α-Fe2O3/g-C3N4 nanohybrids. This results in organic dye degradation rates more than two times higher than its individual components, promoted by the efficient charge separation and transfer of the Z-scheme heterojunction mechanism of the nanohybrid photocatalyst. In addition, recyclability tests show an outstanding stability of the nanohybrids spanning five consecutive dye degradation experiments, during which the degradation rate is slightly improved. The origin of the improved photocatalytic performance of the nanohybrid lies in the intimate interaction between α-Fe2O3 and g-C3N4 afforded by the two-step fabrication process, which enables the direct and controlled growth of α-Fe2O3 nanoparticles on g-C3N4. A first ultrasound impregnation step promotes the effective anchoring of stable Fe species via Fe-N and C-N/C-O bonding, while a second microwave phase conversion step induces the subsequent growth of α-Fe2O3 nanoparticles on the g-C3N4 sheets. Careful control of the FeCl3 precursor concentration up to a threshold value of 0.25 M during impregnation enables complete control over their size and phase. This approach clearly highlights the benefits of microwave reactor systems in the fabrication of hematite-based Z-scheme photocatalytic, overcoming the limitations of conventional thermal treatment technology.