Design of a New 3D Gelatin—Alginate Scaffold Loaded with Cannabis sativa Oil

There is an increasing medical need for the development of new materials that could replace damaged organs, improve healing of critical wounds or provide the environment required for the formation of a new healthy tissue. The three-dimensional (3D) printing approach has emerged to overcome several of the major deficiencies of tissue engineering. The use of Cannabis sativa as a therapy for some diseases has spread throughout the world thanks to its benefits for patients. In this work, we developed a bioink made with gelatin and alginate that was able to be printed using an extrusion 3D bioprinter. The scaffolds obtained were lyophilized, characterized and the swelling was assessed. In addition, the scaffolds were loaded with Cannabis sativa oil extract. The presence of the extract provided antimicrobial and antioxidant activity to the 3D scaffolds. Altogether, our results suggest that the new biocompatible material printed with 3D technology and with the addition of Cannabis sativa oil could become an attractive alternative to common treatments of soft-tissue infections and wound repair.Pablo E. Antezana is grateful for his postdoctoral fellowship granted by the CONICET. The authors would like to acknowledge grants from the Universidad de Buenos Aires, UBACYT 20020150100056BA and PIDAE 2022 (Martín F. Desimone), which supported this work. Gorka Orive wishes to thank the Spanish Ministry of Economy, Industry and Competitiveness (PID2019-106094RB-I00/AEI/10.13039/501100011033) and to acknowledge technical assistance from the ICTS NANBIOSIS (Drug Formulation Unit, U10) at the University of the Basque Country. We also appreciate the support from the Basque Country Government (Grupos Consolidados, No ref: IT1448-22)

Collagen Hydrogels Loaded with Silver Nanoparticles and Cannabis Sativa Oil

Wounds represent a major healthcare problem especially in hospital-associated infections where multi-drug resistant strains are often involved. Nowadays, biomaterials with therapeutic molecules play an active role in wound healing and infection prevention. In this work, the development of collagen hydrogels loaded with silver nanoparticles and Cannabis sativa oil extract is described. The presence of the silver nanoparticles gives interesting feature to the biomaterial such as improved mechanical properties or resistance to collagenase degradation but most important is the long-lasting antimicrobial effect. Cannabis sativa oil, which is known for its anti-inflammatory and analgesic effects, possesses antioxidant activity and successfully improved the biocompatibility and also enhances the antimicrobial activity of the nanocomposite. Altogether, these results suggest that this novel nanocomposite biomaterial is a promising alternative to common treatments of wound infections and wound healing.Fil: Antezana, Pablo Edmundo. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Houssay. Instituto de Química y Metabolismo del Fármaco. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Farmacia y Bioquímica. Instituto de Química y Metabolismo del Fármaco; ArgentinaFil: Municoy, Sofia. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Houssay. Instituto de Química y Metabolismo del Fármaco. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Farmacia y Bioquímica. Instituto de Química y Metabolismo del Fármaco; ArgentinaFil: Pérez, Claudio Javier. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Mar del Plata. Instituto de Investigaciones en Ciencia y Tecnología de Materiales. Universidad Nacional de Mar del Plata. Facultad de Ingeniería. Instituto de Investigaciones en Ciencia y Tecnología de Materiales; ArgentinaFil: Desimone, Martín Federico. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Houssay. Instituto de Química y Metabolismo del Fármaco. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Farmacia y Bioquímica. Instituto de Química y Metabolismo del Fármaco; Argentin

Applied of actinobacteria consortia-based bioremediation to restore co-contaminated systems

Global industrialization and natural resources extraction have left cocktails of environmental pollutants. Thus, this work focuses on developing a defined actinobacteria consortium able to restore systems co-contaminated with pollutants occurring in Argentinian environments. In this context, five actinobacteria were tested in solid medium to evaluate antagonistic interactions and tolerance against lindane (LIN), Reactive Black B–V (RBV), phenanthrene (Ph) and Cr(VI). The strains showed absence of antagonism, and most of them tolerated the presence of individual pollutants and their mixtures, except Micromonospora sp. A10. Thus, a quadruple consortium constituted by Streptomyces sp. A5, M7, MC1, and Amycolatopsis tucumanensis DSM 45259T, was tested in liquid systems with individual contaminants. The best microbial growth was observed in the presence of RBV and the lowest on Cr(VI). Removals detected were 83.3%, 65.0% and 52.4% for Ph, RBV and LIN, respectively, with absence of Cr(VI) dissipation. Consequently, the consortium performance was tested against the organic mixture, and a microbial growth similar to the biotic control and a LIN removal increase (61.2%) were observed. Moreover, the four actinobacteria of the consortium survived the mixture bioremediation process. These results demonstrate the potential of the defined actinobacteria consortium as a tool to restore environments co-contaminated with organic pollutants.Fil: Antezana, Pablo Edmundo. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Tucumán. Planta Piloto de Procesos Industriales Microbiológicos; ArgentinaFil: Colin, Veronica Leticia. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Tucumán. Planta Piloto de Procesos Industriales Microbiológicos; ArgentinaFil: Bourguignon, Natalia. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Tucumán. Planta Piloto de Procesos Industriales Microbiológicos; ArgentinaFil: Benimeli, Claudia Susana. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Tucumán. Planta Piloto de Procesos Industriales Microbiológicos; Argentina. Universidad Nacional de Catamarca. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales; ArgentinaFil: Fuentes, María Soledad. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Tucumán. Planta Piloto de Procesos Industriales Microbiológicos; Argentin

4D Printing: The Development of Responsive Materials Using 3D-Printing Technology

Additive manufacturing, widely known as 3D printing, has revolutionized the production of biomaterials. While conventional 3D-printed structures are perceived as static, 4D printing introduces the ability to fabricate materials capable of self-transforming their configuration or function over time in response to external stimuli such as temperature, light, or electric field. This transformative technology has garnered significant attention in the field of biomedical engineering due to its potential to address limitations associated with traditional therapies. Here, we delve into an in-depth review of 4D-printing systems, exploring their diverse biomedical applications and meticulously evaluating their advantages and disadvantages. We emphasize the novelty of this review paper by highlighting the latest advancements and emerging trends in 4D-printing technology, particularly in the context of biomedical applications.The authors would like to acknowledge grants from the Universidad de Buenos Aires, UBACYT 20020150100056BA and PIDAE 2022 (Martín F. Desimone), and from CONICET PIP 0826 (Martín F. Desimone), and PIBAA 28720210100962CO (Sofia Municoy), which supported this work

Pictures to remember. Generational memories about the recent past in Chile

Tras la emisión de series ficcionales transmitidas en televisión abierta el 2013, año de la conmemoración de los 40 años del golpe de Estado en Chile, realizamos entrevistas en profundidad y grupos focales para construir los repertorios iconográficos sobre la dictadura de tres generaciones adultas de telespectadores con experiencias de vida distintas: los que vivieron el golpe de Estado, los que crecieron en dictadura y los que crecieron en democracia.After the broadcasting of fiction series on open television in 2013, the year of commemoration of the 40 years of the coup in Chile, we conducted in-depth interviews and focus groups to build the iconographic repertoires about the dictatorship of three adult generations of viewers with different life experiences: those who experienced the coup d’etat, those who grew up in dictatorship and those who grew up in democrac

[Effectiveness of short educational intervention in patients with insomnia in primary care].

OBJETIVE: To evaluate the effectiveness of providing an educational intervention in primary care (PC) alongside a pharmacological treatment for insomnia. DESIGN: Single blinded non randomised clinical trial. LOCATION: Two urban primary health centers in Gijón (Asturias, Spain). PARTICIPANTS: Patients who consulted for insomnia between July 2012-January 2013 and met the inclusion criteria (n=50) were assigned systematically to the control group (CG) or intervention group (IG). All patients initiated treatment with lorazepam 1mg in the evenings and had four weekly 15 min visits plus a follow-up visit after another month. INTERVENTIONS: The IG received training for control of stimuli, sleep hygiene and respiration and relaxation techniques in the four visits. The CG had only non invasive measures taken. MEASUREMENTS: Considering as cured those who reached a Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index PSQI <6 or a 50% reduction from baseline level. It was also analyzed the change in the PSQI from baseline to final visit and to follow-up visit, and voluntary interruption of lorazepam. Analysis by Bayesian inference. RESULTS: Twelve out of recoveries after intervention against one out of 24 among control group. Mean change in PSQI to final visit and follow-up visit was: -4.7 (95%CrI:-5.9 to -3.5) and -6,3 (95%ICred: -7.5 to -5.1) in IG; -1.8 (95%ICred: -3 to -0.5) and -1.7 (95%ICred: -2.9 to -0.4) in CG. Interruption of lorazepan: in 4 controls (16,7%) and 9 (34,6%) in IG. Twenty nine patients in GI and 17 in GC completed the trial. Per protocol analysis showed similar results. CONCLUSIONS: The educational intervention in PC improves sleep quality and reduces the need of treatment with benzodiacepines

Efecto de la variación en la cantidad de nitrógeno ligado a la fibra en piensos de cerdos sobre las características del purín resultantante y su potencial de NH3, Biogas y CH4: resusltados preliminares

La composición del purín varía en función de la dieta, los procesos fisiológicos y bioquímicos en el animal y el manejo, entre otros. La composición del purín es determinante en las emisiones de metano (CH 4 ) y amoniaco (NH 3 ) (Moset y col., 2012) y condiciona su aptitud para ser usado como fertilizante o como sustrato para la producción de biogás. Las materias primas comúnmente utilizadas en la fabricación de piensos poseen valores variables de nitrógeno ligado a fibra (N- FND) y determinadas combinaciones de ingredientes modifican de manera considerable la concentración de N-FND en los piensos. La ingesta de diferentes cantidades de N-FND puede dar lugar a cambios en la composición del purín y en su potencial de producción de NH 3 ,CH 4 y biogás. El objetivo del presente estudio fue evaluar los efectos de la modificación de la calidad del nitrógeno (N) en piensos de cebo en cerdos y sus implicancias en la producción de NH 3, CH 4 y biogás a partir del purín. Este ensayo es parte del proyecto GasPorc (AGL2011-30023-C03) que evalúa la relación que existe entre la composición de la dieta, características del purín y su potencial de producción de gases y valor fertilizante

4D Printing : The Development of Responsive Materials Using 3D-Printing Technology

Additive manufacturing, widely known as 3D printing, has revolutionized the production of biomaterials. While conventional 3D-printed structures are perceived as static, 4D printing introduces the ability to fabricate materials capable of self-transforming their configuration or function over time in response to external stimuli such as temperature, light, or electric field. This transformative technology has garnered significant attention in the field of biomedical engineering due to its potential to address limitations associated with traditional therapies. Here, we delve into an in-depth review of 4D-printing systems, exploring their diverse biomedical applications and meticulously evaluating their advantages and disadvantages. We emphasize the novelty of this review paper by highlighting the latest advancements and emerging trends in 4D-printing technology, particularly in the context of biomedical applications

Risk of Dengue Incidence in Children and Adolescents in Zulia, Venezuela, using a Negative Binomial Generalized Linear Mixed Model

Introduction: Dengue is the most important arboviral disease. Its incidence has increased 30-fold over the last 50 years, causing global concerns. Studies have showed children to be the most vulnerable. Methods: Observational study using dengue cases from Zulia state, Venezuela, modelling through a Negative Binomial Generalized Linear Mixed Model (GLMM) accounting for heterogeneity in the variance via a hierarchical Bayesian framework, was done. We assessed risk factors such as age and sex. The Bayesian framework enabled the estimation of Relative Risk (RR) and a Binomial regression was run using the WinBUGS software. Results: During 2002-2008, there were 49,330 cases of dengue in Zulia state, Venezuela. Most of them (18.71%) in 2007. The model revealed that children aged from 5 to 14 y-old had 1.59-higher risk (95%CI 1.41-1.79) compared with those aged from 0-4 y-old. Those aged 25-44 years old and ≥45, have significantly less RR than the baseline category, RR 0.5228 (95%CI 0.46-0.59) and 0.3069 (95%CI 0.27-0.34). Conclusions: The findings confirmed that groups most at risk were children aged 5 to 14 years. Modelling and predicting dengue epidemiology are still a need in multiple countries, especially those at risk of newer epidemics, as is the case of Zulia and Venezuela

Risk of Dengue Incidence in Children and Adolescents in Zulia, Venezuela, using a Negative Binomial Generalized Linear Mixed Model

Introduction: Dengue is the most important arboviral disease. Its incidence has increased 30-fold over the last 50 years, causing global concerns. Studies have showed children to be the most vulnerable. Methods: Observational study using dengue cases from Zulia state, Venezuela, modelling through a Negative Binomial Generalized Linear Mixed Model (GLMM) accounting for heterogeneity in the variance via a hierarchical Bayesian framework, was done. We assessed risk factors such as age and sex. The Bayesian framework enabled the estimation of Relative Risk (RR) and a Binomial regression was run using the WinBUGS software. Results: During 2002-2008, there were 49,330 cases of dengue in Zulia state, Venezuela. Most of them (18.71%) in 2007. The model revealed that children aged from 5 to 14 y-old had 1.59-higher risk (95%CI 1.41-1.79) compared with those aged from 0-4 y-old. Those aged 25-44 years old and ≥45, have significantly less RR than the baseline category, RR 0.5228 (95%CI 0.46-0.59) and 0.3069 (95%CI 0.27-0.34). Conclusions: The findings confirmed that groups most at risk were children aged 5 to 14 years. Modelling and predicting dengue epidemiology are still a need in multiple countries, especially those at risk of newer epidemics, as is the case of Zulia and Venezuela