Heterogeneity Effects in Plutonium Contaminated Soil

In 1960 at the McGuire Air Force Base, New Egypt, New Jersey a helium tank ruptured causing a fire to ignite a nearby nuclear tipped Boeing Michigan Aeronautical Research Center (BOMARC) missile. During the fire the weapons grade plutonium (Pu- 239, Pu-240, and Pu-241) ignited and was released into the surrounding area, due to both firefighting efforts, where high pressure water was used to put out the fire, as well as smoke that deposited plutonium as oxidized particles in the surrounding area (Cicotte, 2007). This study investigates the heterogeneity of the distributed plutonium contamination in the McGuire Air Force Base BOMARC missile site soil based upon direct measurements of Am-241, a decay product of Pu-241. The heterogeneity of soil samples taken from the BOMARC missile site was quantified using a conjugate counting method with gamma spectroscopy analysis. Plutonium was shown to be heterogeneously distributed in the BOMARC missile site soil. The physical properties of the heterogeneously distributed plutonium contamination evaluated in this research likely consist of individual particles of plutonium metal alloys. The fate of these particles in the environment as they continuously are exposed to weathering and other physical factors is unknown

Regenerative Medicine: A New Paradigm in Bone Regeneration

Bone defects are the cause of functional disability and the restoration of skeletal function remains an important challenge on orthopedics, neurosurgery and oral and maxillofacial surgery. Because of the limitations of the currently used techniques for the reconstruction of bone defects and the difficulties for the implementation of new therapeutic strategies, a new paradigm in the field of reconstructive surgery has arisen, leading to tissue engineering and regenerative medicine. Mesenchymal stem cells (MSC) have emerged as a promising alternative for the treatment of bone lesions. It was postulated that the therapeutic action was the result of proliferation and differentiation of MSCs, replacing injured tissue. However, recent studies have shown that MSCs secrete a number of trophic factors that have a strong effect during repair and tissue regeneration. This represents a shift from a paradigm centered on MSC proliferation and differentiation to a new paradigm in which the MSCs exert their beneficial effect by the secretion of paracrine factors that induce endogenous repair mechanisms. This chapter will bring together basic and clinical aspects, focused on novel findings on MSC paracrine effect and the development of new therapeutic strategies based on growth factors, cytokines and signaling molecules involved in bone regeneration

Cystatin S: Molecular biology and sympathetic innervation

The ratsubmandibular glands (SMG) are innervated by both the sympathetic and the parasympathetic branches of the autonomic nervous system which, in turn, regulate the secretory functions of the glands. Parasympathetic innervation of rat SMG is present at birth, whereas sympathetic nerve fibers reach the glands by postnatal day 5. Isoproterenol (IPR), a β-adrenoceptor agonist, induces hypertrophic and hyperplastic enlargements of rat salivary glands, and induces the expression of a number of genes, including cystatin S, a member of family 2 of the cysteine proteinase inhibitor superfamily. Cystatin S gene expression is tissue- and cell type-specific, occurs transiently during development, and is not observed in adult animals. Sympathetic denervation of adult SMG, achieved by removing the superior cervical ganglion, reduces the induction of the cystatin S gene by a single injection of IPR. In addition, recent data indicate that the β-receptors present early in the developing SMG are functional and are capable of responding to IPR by increasing the expression of the cystatin S gene, even when sympathetic nerve fibers have not reached the gland. The level of IPR-induced cystatin S mRNA remains constant until day 8, at which time a dramatic induction of cystatin S mRNA is observed. This statistically significant increase in cystatin S mRNA at day 8 was diminished, but not completely suppressed, upon sympathectomy of one day old animals. These data indicate that an intact sympathetic innervation is not requisite for induction of cystatin S gene expression by IPR in developing SMG. However, sympathetic innervation is required for the full IPR response of the cystatin S gene in these glands. Collectively, these experiments suggest that factor(s) derived from the sympathetic nervous system participate in IPR-induced expression of the cystatin S gene in the rat SMG.Biomedical Reviews 1998; 9: 33-46

Proliferación y diferenciación osteogénica de células madre mesenquimales en hidrogeles de plasma sanguíneo humano

Introduction: The use of mesenchymal stem cells in clinical practice has increased considerably in the last decade because they play a supporting role in the processes of tissue repair and regeneration, becoming the main tool of cell therapy for the treatment of diseases functionally affecting bone and cartilage tissue.Objective: To evaluate in vitro the proliferative and osteogenic differentiation ability of mesenchymal stem cells derived from human adipose tissue in a blood plasma hydrogel.Materials and methods: Mesenchymal stem cells were obtained from human adipose tissue explants and characterized by flow cytometry. Their multipotentiality was demonstrated by their ability to differentiate to adipogenic and osteogenic lineages. Cell proliferation and osteogenic differentiation ability of the cells cultured in blood plasma hydrogels were also evaluated.Results: Mesenchymal stem cells derived from human adipose tissue growing in human blood plasma hydrogels showed a pattern of proliferation similar to that of the cells cultured in monolayer and also maintained their ability to differentiate to osteogenic lineage.Conclusions: Human blood plasma hydrogels are a suitable support for proliferation and osteogenic differentiation of mesenchymal stem cells derived from human adipose tissue and provides a substrate that is autologous, biocompatible, reabsorbable, easy to use, potentially injectable and economic, which could be used as a successful strategy for the management and clinical application of cell therapy in regenerative medicine.Introducción. La utilización de las células madre mesenquimales en la práctica clínica ha aumentado considerablemente en la última década, ya que juegan un papel favorable en los procesos de reparación y regeneración tisular, siendo la principal herramienta de la terapia celular para el tratamiento de enfermedades que afectan funcionalmente el tejido óseo y cartilaginoso.Objetivo. Evaluar la proliferación y capacidad de diferenciación osteogénica in vitro de células madre mesenquimales derivadas de tejido adiposo humano en un hidrogel de plasma sanguíneo.Materiales y métodos. Se obtuvieron células madre mesenquimales a partir de explantes de tejido adiposo humano y se caracterizaron por citometría de flujo; se buscó demostrar su multipotencialidad por su capacidad de diferenciación osteogénica y adipogénica. Se evaluó la proliferación celular y la capacidad de diferenciación osteogénica de las células cultivadas en hidrogeles de plasma sanguíneo.Resultados. Las células madre mesenquimales derivadas de tejido adiposo cultivadas en el hidrogel de plasma sanguíneo humano mostraron un patrón de proliferación muy similar al de las células cultivadas en monocapa y, además, mantuvieron su capacidad de diferenciación hacia el linaje osteogénico.Conclusiones. El hidrogel de plasma sanguíneo humano es un soporte adecuado para que las células madre mesenquimales derivadas de tejido adiposo humano proliferen y se diferencien hacia el linaje osteogénico y constituye un vehículo adecuado para su administración en regeneración del tejido óseo

Caracterización de las prácticas docentes del área de matemáticas durante la emergencia sanitaria provocada por la Covid - 19 en el municipio del Socorro Santander

La emergencia sanitaria provocada por la Covid - 19 forzó a las instituciones, los directivos y los docentes a cuestionarse sobre las metodologías de enseñanza y sobre los procesos evaluativos que se han trabajado desde hace muchos años. El presente trabajo se trata de una investigación cualitativa, con un componente de corte descriptivo, en el cual participaron 40 docentes del municipio del Socorro Santander de los cuales 6 fueron del área de matemáticas, estos docentes dieron respuesta a una encuesta la cual buscaba identificar las metodologías y recursos usadas durante el confinamiento, 5 docentes del área de matemáticas dieron respuesta a una entrevista en la cual se identifican claramente las oportunidades, debilidades, fortalezas y amenazas generadas debido a la pandemia frente a la práctica educativa que han desarrollado, entre los resultados se destaca que los docentes utilizan como principal recurso las guías didácticas lo que conlleva a que su rol como docente sea el de asesorar el proceso de aprendizaje, de esta manera mediante las actividades de clase los docentes evalúan siendo esta de carácter formativa. Dentro de las conclusiones se destaca el poco conocimiento acerca de las herramientas tecnológicas por parte de los docentes, la falta de capacitaciones y falta de recursos de los estudiantes y de sus familias.Universidad Libre Seccional Socorro - Facultad de ciencias de la educaciónThe health emergency caused by Covid - 19 forced institutions, managers, and teachers to question the teaching methodologies and the evaluation processes that have been used for many years. The present work is a qualitative research, with a descriptive component, in which 40 teachers from the Socorro Santander municipality participated, of which 6 were from the area of mathematics, these teachers responded to a survey which sought to identify the methodologies and resources used during confinement, 5 teachers from the area of mathematics responded to an interview in which the opportunities, weaknesses, strengths and threats generated due to the pandemic are clearly identified in the face of the educational practice they have developed, among the results It is highlighted that teachers use the teaching guides as their main resource, which means that their role as a teacher is to advise the learning process, in this way, through class activities, teachers evaluate this being of a formative nature. Among the conclusions, the little knowledge about technological tools by the teachers, the lack of training and the lack of resources of the students and their families stands out

Performance of ‘Valencia’ sweet orange grafted in different rootstocks, Colombia Tropical Lowland. 2001-2013

‘Valencia’ sweet orange is widely cultivated in Colombian tropical lowlands, with low yields and a lack of technology. As a result, nine rootstocks commonly used in tropical zones: ‘C-35’, ‘Carrizo’, ‘Swingle’ citrumelo or CPB 4475, ‘Cleopatra’, ‘Sunki ´ English’, ‘Volkamer’, ‘Webberi’ and ‘Yuma’ were evaluated. The plants were established in 2001 and were evaluated for vegetative growth, fruit yield and quality for 10 years (2004-2013). The obtained results indicated that ‘Sunki × English’ and ‘Volkamer’ were the best rootstocks for fruit yield and the worst was ‘Yuma’. Furthermore, all of the rootstocks, except ‘Yuma’, stabilized their height in the last year. In terms of volume, ‘Amblycarpa’ and ‘Cleopatra’ were the bigger plants and ‘Yuma’ was the smallest. In addition, for yield efficiency, ‘Yuma’ had the best rootstocks, followed by ‘Sunki × English’. All of the rootstocks showed a similar fruit quality, except for ‘Sunki × English’, which obtained the highest total soluble solids/total titratable acids ratio

Prefactibilidad para crear una empresa prestadora de servicios para eventos en la ciudad de Bogotá, que integre servicios de decoración donde predomina el uso de materiales reciclables y ecológicos.

Actualmente las empresas que prestan servicios de decoración para fiestas y eventos sociales en la ciudad de Bogotá, utilizan diferentes clases de materiales que no contribuyen con el medio ambiente entre ellos está el plástico y el icopor, estos son materiales inorgánicos que tienen una alta durabilidad, pueden tardar entre 100 y 1000 años para degradarse, además la fabricación de estos materiales produce sustancias tóxicas que destruyen la capa de ozono. Las empresas que realizan este tipo de actividad no son conscientes del daño que le ocasionan al medio ambiente con el uso de este tipo de materiales, su propósito común es vender y ofrecer diversidad de productos que en algunas ocasiones atenta contra la salud de las personas

SICAA : sistema de información para la autoevaluación con fines de acreditación para programas académicos

El objetivo de este trabajo de grado es apoyar los procesos de autoevaluación con fines de acredi-tación mediante un sistema de información que les permita mantener a nivel institucional la in-formación importante de los profesores, programas académicos y en general de la Universidad, y así evitar la redundancia de información y duplicidad de trabajo. El resultado de este proyecto fue un diseño global que sirve para cualquier programa académico que quiera mantener la informa-ción completa y actualizada para participar en procesos de evaluación o acreditación (ej. CNA o ABET) y el desarrollo de los componentes priorizados que se relacionan con la producción inte-lectual de los profesoresThe objective of this work is to support the self-assessment processes for accreditation purposes through an information system that allows maintaining the important information of the profes-sors, academic programs and the basic information of the university requested by the evaluators, and thus avoiding redundancy of information and unnecessary work. The result of this project was a global design that can be implemented by any academic program that wants to keep the in-formation complete and updated to participate in self-assessment or accreditation processes (eg CNA or ABET) and the development of prioritized components related to the intellectual produc-tion of professorsIngeniero (a) de SistemasPregrad

Prefactibilidad para crear una empresa prestadora de servicios para eventos en la ciudad de Bogotá, que integre servicios de decoración donde predomina el uso de materiales reciclables y ecológicos.

Actualmente las empresas que prestan servicios de decoración para fiestas y eventos sociales en la ciudad de Bogotá, utilizan diferentes clases de materiales que no contribuyen con el medio ambiente entre ellos está el plástico y el icopor, estos son materiales inorgánicos que tienen una alta durabilidad, pueden tardar entre 100 y 1000 años para degradarse, además la fabricación de estos materiales produce sustancias tóxicas que destruyen la capa de ozono. Las empresas que realizan este tipo de actividad no son conscientes del daño que le ocasionan al medio ambiente con el uso de este tipo de materiales, su propósito común es vender y ofrecer diversidad de productos que en algunas ocasiones atenta contra la salud de las personas