Rapid Engineering of Three-Dimensional, Multicellular Tissues With Polymeric Scaffolds

A process has been developed for the rapid tissue engineering of multicellular-tissue-equivalent assemblies by the controlled enzymatic degradation of polymeric beads in a low-fluid-shear bioreactor. In this process, the porous polymeric beads serve as temporary scaffolds to support the assemblies of cells in a tissuelike 3D configuration during the critical initial growth phases of attachment of anchorage-dependent cells, aggregation of the cells, and formation of a 3D extracellular matrix. Once the cells are assembled into a 3D array and enmeshed in a structural supportive 3D extracellular matrix (ECM), the polymeric scaffolds can be degraded in the low-fluid-shear environment of the NASA-designed bioreactor. The natural 3D tissuelike assembly, devoid of any artificial support structure, is maintained in the low-shear bioreactor environment by the newly formed natural cellular/ECM. The elimination of the artificial scaffold allows normal tissue structure and function

Ambiente do Centro Cirúrgico e os elementos que o integram: implicações para os cuidados de enfermagem Ambiente del quirófano y sus elementos: implicaciones para la atención de enfermería Surgical Center environment and its elements: implications for nursing care

Pesquisa qualitativa que objetivou caracterizar os elementos que integram o ambiente do Centro Cirúrgico e analisar suas implicações para a dinâmica de cuidar e de cuidados de enfermagem. Ancorou-se nos princípios da Teoria Ambientalista. Participaram 12 enfermeiras do centro cirúrgico de um Hospital Universitário do Rio de Janeiro. Os dados foram produzidos pela técnica de criatividade e sensibilidade "Mapa-Falante", entrevista semi-estruturada e observação participante; e analisados por categorias temáticas. Os resultados apontam que o cuidado ocorre direta e indiretamente, em prol da plena restauração do cliente, incluindo o ambiente que o integra, de modo a manter-se harmônico e equilibrado. As intervenções da enfermeira são no sentido de manter o ambiente em condições favoráveis de modo a torná-lo promotor de cuidados.<br>Investigación cualitativa que objetivó caracterizar los elementos que integran el ambiente del quirófano y analizar sus implicaciones para la dinamica del cuidar y del cuidado de enfermería. Basada en los principios de la Teoría Ambientalista. Participaran 12 enfermeras del quirófano de un Hospital Universitario del Río de Janeiro. Los datos foran producidos por la técnica de creatividad y sensibilidad "Mapa-Hablante", entrevista semi estructurada y observación participante; y analizados por categorías temáticas. Los resultados apuntan que el cuidado ocurre directa e indirectamente, a favor de la plena restauración del cliente, incluyendo el ambiente que lo integra, de modo a mantenerse harmónico y equilibrado. Las intervenciones de la enfermera son en el sentido de mantener el ambiente en condiciones favorables de modo a tornalo promotor de los cuidados.<br>The purpose of this qualitative research was to characterize the elements that constitute the environment of the Surgical Center and to analyze its implications for dynamic of care and nursing care. Based on the Environmental Theory's principals. Participated twelve nurses from the Surgical Center of a College Hospital in Rio de Janeiro. Data were gathered through the creativity and sensitivity technique "Map-Speaker", semi-structered interviews and participant observation, and were analyzed by thematic categories. The results showed that care can happen directly and indirectly in favor of full client recovery, counting the environment that the integrate in purpose to maintain harmonic and balanced. The nurse interventions aim to maintain the environment in favorable conditions so that a higher standard of care can be promoted

Brazilian Flora 2020: Leveraging the power of a collaborative scientific network

International audienceThe shortage of reliable primary taxonomic data limits the description of biological taxa and the understanding of biodiversity patterns and processes, complicating biogeographical, ecological, and evolutionary studies. This deficit creates a significant taxonomic impediment to biodiversity research and conservation planning. The taxonomic impediment and the biodiversity crisis are widely recognized, highlighting the urgent need for reliable taxonomic data. Over the past decade, numerous countries worldwide have devoted considerable effort to Target 1 of the Global Strategy for Plant Conservation (GSPC), which called for the preparation of a working list of all known plant species by 2010 and an online world Flora by 2020. Brazil is a megadiverse country, home to more of the world's known plant species than any other country. Despite that, Flora Brasiliensis, concluded in 1906, was the last comprehensive treatment of the Brazilian flora. The lack of accurate estimates of the number of species of algae, fungi, and plants occurring in Brazil contributes to the prevailing taxonomic impediment and delays progress towards the GSPC targets. Over the past 12 years, a legion of taxonomists motivated to meet Target 1 of the GSPC, worked together to gather and integrate knowledge on the algal, plant, and fungal diversity of Brazil. Overall, a team of about 980 taxonomists joined efforts in a highly collaborative project that used cybertaxonomy to prepare an updated Flora of Brazil, showing the power of scientific collaboration to reach ambitious goals. This paper presents an overview of the Brazilian Flora 2020 and provides taxonomic and spatial updates on the algae, fungi, and plants found in one of the world's most biodiverse countries. We further identify collection gaps and summarize future goals that extend beyond 2020. Our results show that Brazil is home to 46,975 native species of algae, fungi, and plants, of which 19,669 are endemic to the country. The data compiled to date suggests that the Atlantic Rainforest might be the most diverse Brazilian domain for all plant groups except gymnosperms, which are most diverse in the Amazon. However, scientific knowledge of Brazilian diversity is still unequally distributed, with the Atlantic Rainforest and the Cerrado being the most intensively sampled and studied biomes in the country. In times of “scientific reductionism”, with botanical and mycological sciences suffering pervasive depreciation in recent decades, the first online Flora of Brazil 2020 significantly enhanced the quality and quantity of taxonomic data available for algae, fungi, and plants from Brazil. This project also made all the information freely available online, providing a firm foundation for future research and for the management, conservation, and sustainable use of the Brazilian funga and flora