https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.12008/26173 Incluye artículos, objetos de conferencias, seminarios y jornadas, reportes técnicos, comunicaciones y otros Tue, 07 Jul 2026 18:33:04 GMT 2026-07-07T18:33:04Z https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.12008/55730 Título: Echinococcus granulosus antigen B acts as an LPS-scavenging lipoprotein in vitro, preventing TLR4-mediated activation of dendritic cells Autor: Lagos Magallanes, S.; Beasley Lomazzi, A.; Zamarreño, F.; Carrión, F.; Fló, M.; Dutto, J.; Julve, J.; Costabel, M.; Maccioni, M.; Folle, A.M.; Ferreira, A.M. Resumen: Echinococcus granulosus sensu lato antigen B (EgAgB) is a major parasite lipoprotein, produced by the hydatid and released at the host-parasite interface. Accumulating evidence supports that EgAgB may exert immunomodulatory effects on myeloid cells; however, the underlying molecular mechanisms remain poorly understood. We examined the impact of native EgAgB (nEgAgB) and recombinant EgAgB8/1 (rEgAgB) in lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced activation of bone marrow-derived dendritic cells (BMDC) to help elucidate these mechanisms. Both immunoaffinity-purified nEgAgB or rEgAgB induced modest BMDC activation, indicated by the production of IL-6, IL-12p40, and nitric oxide, but not IFN-β. This activation was primarily attributed to LPS traces in EgAgB preparations since it was nearly abolished by a specific TLR4 inhibitor and in Tlr4−/− BMDC, while EgAgB binding to BMDC was TLR4 independent. Notably, both nEgAgB and rEgAgB inhibited LPS-induced cytokine and nitric oxide production and disrupted TLR4 dimerization and endocytosis. Competitive binding assays showed that EgAgB and human high-density lipoprotein (hHDL) similarly inhibited LPS binding to macrophages and BMDC; however, EgAgB more effectively suppressed LPS-induced cytokine secretion. Contrastingly, EgAgB did not modulate BMDC responses to lipoteichoic acid, unlike hHDL. Using a lipoprotein capture and an ELISA-like assay, we demonstrated a higher potential of EgAgB to bind LPS than hHDL. Additionally, docking analyzes suggest the presence of a defined LPS-binding interface in EgAgB8/1 subunit. Overall, these findings reveal a novel binding property of EgAgB, which enables it to act as an extracellular LPS scavenger, interfering with TLR4-mediated LPS recognition and downstream proinflammatory responses in myeloid cells. Thu, 01 Jan 2026 00:00:00 GMT https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.12008/55730 2026-01-01T00:00:00Z https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.12008/55702 Título: Computational study of carbon-doped TiO2(B) nanomaterials for improved dye-sensitized solar cells Autor: Heffner, Herman; Marchetti, Jorge M.; Faccio, Ricardo; López-Corral, Ignacio Resumen: Surface doping has emerged as a promising approach to enhance the reactivity and optoelectronic properties of titanium dioxide (TiO2) and other inorganic oxide semiconductors. This strategy has significant potential to improve the efficiency and long-term stability of dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs). The present study employs density functional theory (DFT) calculations to investigate, for the first time, the adsorption behavior of the organometallic N719 dye on pristine and carbondoped ultrathin TiO2(B) films. Initially, the interaction between the N719 dye and the pristine TiO2(B) (100) surface is examined, considering various molecular orientations and anchoring configurations. The adsorption energies and the resultant changes in the semiconductor’s electronic structure are determined. Subsequently, the impact of carbon doping on the preferential adsorption configurations is analyzed. The results reveal that the adsorption of the N719 dye is energetically favorable on both the pristine and C-doped TiO2(B) (100) surfaces. Notably, all adsorption-related properties are significantly enhanced after carbon doping, with the adsorption energy increasing by up to 300% compared to the undoped surface. This substantial increase in adsorption performance is critical for achieving highly efficient and long-lasting DSSCs. Thu, 01 Jan 2026 00:00:00 GMT https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.12008/55702 2026-01-01T00:00:00Z https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.12008/55689 Título: Molecular insights into soy protein–lupin flour meat analogues through FTIR spectrochemical analysis Autor: Kadam, Aayushi; Rodriguez Elhordoy, Matías; Vazquez, Daniel; Medrano, Alejandra; Gough, Kathleen M.; Koksel, Filiz Resumen: Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy and spectrochemical imaging were used to investigate the structural and compositional changes in extruded high-moisture meat analogues (HMMAs) produced from soy protein isolate and lupin flour (LF) blends. Extrusion induced shifts in the amide I band (~1637 cm−1 in raw blends to ~1650 cm−1 in HMMAs), indicating protein denaturation and structural rearrangement associated with fibrous structure formation. Changes in carbohydrate- and lipidassociated bands further reflected extrusion-driven molecular reorganization. FTIR spectrochemical analysis revealed distinct HMMA regions, including aligned protein-rich domains and lipid−starch-rich domains appearing as polygonal grids. Increasing the LF content from 15 to 45% progressively increased lipid- and carbohydrate-associated spectral features (i.e., areas of the fatty acid ester peak at 1744 cm−1 and the carbohydrate peak around 1060 cm−1) relative to proteins. These insights advance the understanding of structure−function relationships in HMMAs and highlight the value of FTIR spectrochemical imaging for optimizing texture and the effective design of meat analogues. Thu, 01 Jan 2026 00:00:00 GMT https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.12008/55689 2026-01-01T00:00:00Z https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.12008/55554 Título: Rate –limiting steps of the oxygen reduction reaction in REBa2Cu3O6+ẟ (RE = La, Nd, Sm, Gd and Y) layered perovskites as IT-SOFC cathodes Autor: Grassi, J.; Montenegro-Hernandez, A.; Serquis, A.C.; Basbus, J.F.; Suescun, L Resumen: The classical high-temperature superconductor YBa2Cu3O6+δ (YBCO) with an oxygen-vacant triple perovskite structure has been proposed as a potential cathode for Intermediate Temperature Solid Oxide Fuel Cells (ITSOFCs), and REBa2Cu3O6+ẟ (RE = La, Nd, Sm, Gd and Y) triple perovskites synthesized by a self-combustion method were evaluated. The total substitution of Y by lanthanide ions (RE3+) proved to modify relevant bulk and surface properties, thus changing performance under operating conditions, i.e., the incorporation–diffusion mechanism by oxygen vacancies and oxide anion transport. Electrochemical Impedance Spectroscopy (EIS) under different oxygen partial pressure (pO2) and temperature (T) conditions allowed elucidating a co-limited oxygen incorporation/diffusion mechanism as Oxygen-Reduction Reaction (ORR) limiting steps. Ionic radii (ri) variation from Y3+ to La3+ impacts the kinetics of the two steps, thereby modifying the overall cathode performance. The results provide evidence of the complex relationship between crystallography, point defect concentration, chemical composition and electrochemical properties in REBCO cathodes. Data suggest that the Cu–O bond distance in cuprates may be critical for shifting the rate-limiting step and improving ORR activity. Overall, this research advances the comprehension of ORR kinetics in cobalt-free materials with layered diffusion. Thu, 01 Jan 2026 00:00:00 GMT https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.12008/55554 2026-01-01T00:00:00Z