Identification of the mechanism that confers superhydrophobicity on 316L stainless steel.

This study develops a rapid method to confer superhydrophobicity on 316L stainless steel surfaces with an amphiphilic reagent such as dodecanoic acid. The highest contact angle (approaching 173°) was obtained after forming hierarchical structures with a non-aqueous electrolyte by an electrolytic process. Our goal was to induce superhydrophobicity directly on 316L stainless steel substrates and to establish which molecules cause the effect. The superhydrophobic behaviour is analysed by contact angle measurements, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), IR spectroscopy and atomic force microscopy (AFM). The growth mechanism is analysed using FE-SEM, TOF-SIMS and XPS in order to determine the molecules involved in the reaction and the growth. The TOF-SIMS analysis revealed that the Ni2 + ions react with lauric acid to create an ester on the stainless steel surface

Surface electromyography applications

The electrophysiological techniques (neurography and needle electromyography) allow us an approach to the knowledge of the neuromuscular function. Electromyography obtains the electrical activity from the muscle in rest or in contraction (maximum and static voluntary contraction) In its clinical application, electromyography helps to the diagnosis and follow-up of a process of neuromuscular type. On the other hand, kinesiological or surface electromyography (SEMG) allows the study of the muscular activity in dynamics, which we can apply to the biomechanical movement analysis, gait analysis, studies of muscular fatigue, sport performance| and applications in work medicine and ergonomics. SEMG brings advantages like the fact that is a bloodless test, of being able to analyze varying muscles at the same time, in motion and in actions of non limited duration. The processed one brings us parameters of amplitude and frequencies, which we will use for descriptive and comparative studies. As a balancing entry, it does not allow us to study deep musculature, and some aspects of definition are lost in the obtained outlines

Copper-Catalyzed Dehydrogenative Amidation of Light Alkanes

The functionalization of C-H bonds in light alkanes, particularly to form C-N bonds, remains a challenge. We report the dehydrogenative coupling of amides with C1–C4 hydrocarbons to form N-alkyl amide products with tBuOOtBu as oxidant, and a copper complex of a phenanthroline-type ligand as catalyst. The reactions occurred in good yields in benzene or supercritical carbon dioxide as solvents. This strategy allowed for the determination of the relative reactivity of these alkane C-H bonds toward this amination process and showed, in contrast to prior work with larger alkanes, that the reactivity correlated with bond dissociation energies.Support for this work was provided by the MINECO (CTQ2017-82893-C2-1-R), Junta de Andalucía (P18-RT-1536) and PO FEDER 2014–2020 (UHU-1260216). Work at UCB was supported by the Director, Office of Science, of the US Department of Energy under contract no. DE-AC02- 05CH11231. M.A.F. thanks MINECO for a Juan de la Cierva Incorporación fellowship. Funding for open access charges is given by Universidad de Huelva/ CBUA

Feeding broiler chickens with grape seed and skin meals to enhance α-and γ-tocopherol content and meat oxidative stability

Grape seeds (GS) and grape skins (GK) are natural sources of polyphenols with featured antioxidant capacity. An experiment was conducted to investigate the effect of these polyphenol sources in diets formulated to contain the same total extractable grape polyphenol content on growth performance, protein and extractable polyphenol digestibility, plasma and meat α-and γ-tocopherol and thigh meat oxidation in broiler chickens. Five experimental diets were formulated: control, control + vitamin E (200 mg/kg), 30 g/kg GS diet, 110 g/kg GK diet, GS + GK diet (a mixture of 24.4 g/kg GS and 13.1 g/kg GK designed to simulate a reconstituted grape pomace). Feeding chickens with 110 g/kg GK reduced (p < 0.001) daily weight gain, worsened (p < 0.001) feed conver-sion ratio, increased (p <0.001) non-extractable polyphenol content in the ileum and in the excreta and decreased (p < 0.05) ileal protein digestibility. Regardless of the grape polyphenol source used, the inclusion of grape byproducts in the diets led to an increase of total extractable polyphenol con-tents in the ileum (p < 0.01) and the excreta (p < 0.001), which resulted (p < 0.001) in a decrease of extractable polyphenol digestibilities. Alpha-and gamma-tocopherol concentrations increased (p < 0.001) in plasma and in seven-day stored meat in birds fed the diet combining GS and GK with respect to the control group. As it happened with the vitamin E supplementation, feeding the combination of GS and GK also reduced (p < 0.001) the concentration of the lipid peroxidation marker (malondialdehyde) in the stored meat of chicken

Estudi de l'activitat muscular durant el relevé en primera i sisena posició

Fonaments: Conèixer les diferències existents en l'activació muscular durant el relevé. Participants i mètode: Divuit ballarines de ballet clàssic (14-32 anys). Es practica anàlisi cinètica i cinemàtica. S'analitza el grau de flexió plantar aconseguit i la participació de diversos músculs. Es comparen (test de Wilcoxon) els resultats obtinguts en executar el gest en sisena posició (en parallel) respecte de la primera (en déhors) i en primera posició correcta respecte de la primera posició amb pronació del peu. Resultats: El rang de flexió plantar aconseguit és millor en sisena posició que en primera, i millor en primera correcta que en primera pronada. El múscul bessó intern (BI) presenta més activitat en primera posició; l'abductor del dit gros (ADG), en paral·lel o sisena posició, i els peroneals i bessó extern (BE), en pronació del peu en primera posició. El peroneal lateral (PL) presenta diferències durant el relevé (en posició estàtica inicial i en fase ascendent) i l'ADG durant la pujada al relevé. El BI presenta una activació més precoç i d'inici més lent que el BE en la flexió plantar del relevé. Discussió: L'activitat de l'ADG en primera posició tradueix dèficit d'estabilitat de l'arc intern i del primer radi i, per tant, un major risc de lesió. El relevé en sisena posició permet millor grau de flexió plantar que en primera. La pronació del peu ­secundària en mala tècnica­ produeix menor flexió plantar. L'ADG treballa més en parallel que en déhors, tot evitant la rotació externa del maluc. Les diferències del PL es relacionen amb la presència de pronació del peu: treballa més en pronació

Changes in the relationships between aerobic capacity and hematological variables after a diet and exercise intervention.

Relación entre los cambios de las variable hematolóicas y la capacidad aeróbic

Assessment of the environmental acceptability of potential artificial reef materials using two ecotoxicity tests: Luminescent bacteria and sea urchin embryogenesis

Ecotoxicological analysis of construction products is a relatively unexplored area at international level. Aquatic toxicity tests on construction products has been recommended recently for freshwater environment. However, the biological effects of alternative materials on marine ecosystem are still not considered. In this study, the main aim was to assess the environmental impact of alternative mortars proposed as artificial reefs (ARs) materials. The ARs specimens were developed by 3D printing, based on cement and geopolymer mortars using recycled sands of glass and seashells. For this purpose, a leaching test and two different toxicity bioassays, luminosity reduction of marine bacteria Vibrio fischeri (Microtox®) and the success of embryo-larval development of sea-urchin Paracentrotus lividus, were conducted. From the leaching results it should be noted that the mobility of all trace elements considered in both, raw materials and mortars, meet the inert landfill limits, except As, Mo, Se or Sb in the leachates geopolymer mortars. However, the results obtained from the both bioassays show low environmental acceptability for those mortars containing shell sand, probably due to the degradation of the organic matter adhered to the shells. On the other hand, cement mortars obtain better results than geopolymer mortars, regardless of the aggregate used, showing certain consistency with the leaching behaviour, since they present the lowest mobility of trace chemical elements. Therefore, the results supporting the environmental acceptability of its potential use as alternative materials in the production of ARs.10 página