Ana Vallés-Lluch

Fibronectin is an important extracellular matrix glycoprotein that plays a key role in regulating cell behavior, including cell adhesion, migration, and proliferation. For this reason, preconditioning of biomaterials with fibronectin is commonly used to enhance cellular responses. Nevertheless, protein‐material interactions constitute a complex physicochemical phenomenon that strongly depends on the characteristics of the supporting substrate. In this work, fibronectin adsorption was studied on different polyester‐based supports widely used in biomedical applications (polylactic acid ‐PLA‐, poly (ε‐caprolactone) ‐PCL‐, a 1:1 blend of PLA and PCL ‐PLAPCL‐, and poly (lactic‐co‐glycolic acid) ‐PLGA‐). This direct comparison among commonly used biodegradable polyesters under identical adsorption and characterization conditions provides a coherent framework for assessing substrate‐dependent differences in fibronectin adsorption. Qualitative and quantitative analyses were performed after immersing the samples in fibronectin solutions at two concentrations (5 and 20 μg/mL). According to the results, fibronectin adopts a globular conformation upon adsorption onto the polymer surfaces. A higher affinity was observed for PLA and PLGA, where a greater amount of adsorbed fibronectin was detected. This behavior correlates with the hydrophilicity of the materials, as determined by surface tension measurements. Furthermore, materials conditioned with 20 μg/mL fibronectin exhibited a higher amount of adsorbed protein compared to those conditioned with 5 μg/mL.

This paper presents the development of dielectric materials with tailored dielectric properties (electric permittivity and loss tangent) at Gigahertz frequencies for their use in low-cost millimeter-wave flexible Direct Ink Write (DIW) printed antennas. The materials can be created to exhibit specific mechanical properties (liquid, semi-solids, temperature-sensitivity, ink adhesion, flexibility, or stretchability) to cover different application needs. Electromagnetic performance of microstrip antennas manufactured through DIW technique on two crafted custom semi-solid materials will be presented for millimeter-wave applications. The antennas exhibit remarkable characteristics for 6G systems, particularly in terms of cost-effectiveness, owing to the low-cost fabrication process employed.

Wearable devices are envisioned to transmit a large amount of information from/to the surround of the human body. Concretely, wearable devices in the mmWave band around 60 GHz are gaining much attention due to the high data rate offered and small size of antennas. However, it is not an easy task to design and measure wearable antennas in the 60 GHz due to the lack of precise phantoms in such frequency band, especially considering more than one tissue layer. This work presents a microstrip small flexible wearable antenna that has been designed and tested in a realistic environment considering a three-layer phantom centered in the 60 GHz band. The multilayer phantom is based on polymers that can absorb different complex liquids. Measurements in the anechoic chamber showed that even with the power absorption imposed by the human body tissues, efficiency is still well above 30%.

Information about the paper titled "HOW TO KNOW THE AWARENESS OF SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT GOALS AMONG STUDENTS? A REVISION OF QUESTIONNAIRE SURVEYS" at IATED Digital Library

Information about the paper titled "EMPLOYERS’ PERCEPTION OF THE SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT GOALS IN HIGHER TECHNICAL EDUCATION: A REVISION" at IATED Digital Library

Hyaluronan-based hydrogels are among the most promising neural tissue engineering materials because of their biocompatibility and the immunomodulation capabilities of their degradation byproducts. Despite these features, the problems related to their handling and mechanical properties have not yet been solved. In the present work it is proposed to address these drawbacks through the development of nanohybrid materials in which different nanometric phases (carbon nanotubes, mesoporous silica nanoparticles) are embedded in a crosslinked hyaluronan matrix. These nanohybrid matrices were next processed in the shape of cylindrical conduits aimed at promoting and improving neural stem cell differentiation and regeneration in neural tracts. These constructs could be of use specifically for peripheral nerve regeneration. Results of the study show that the inclusion of the different phases improved physico-chemical features of the gel such as its relative electrical permittivity, water intake and elastic modulus, giving hints on how the nanometric phase interacts with hyaluronan in the composite as well as for their potential in combined therapeutic approaches. Regarding the in vitro biological behavior of the hybrid tubular scaffolds, an improved early cell adhesion and survival of Schwann cells in their lumen was found, as compared to conduits made of pure hyaluronan gels. Furthermore, the differentiation and survival of neural precursors was not compromised, despite alleged safety concerns.