Toward osteogenic differentiation of marrow stromal cells and in vitro production of mineralized extracellular matrix onto natural scaffolds

Uncorrected proofTissue engineering has emerged as a new interdisciplinary field for the repair of various tissues, restoring their functions by using scaffolds, cells, and/or bioactive factors. A temporary scaffold acts as an extracellular matrix analog to culture cells and guide the development of new tissue. In this chapter, we discuss the preparation of naturally derived scaffolds of polysaccharide origin, the osteogenic differentiation of mesenchymal stem cells cultured on biomimetic calcium phosphate coatings, and the delivery of biomolecules associated with extracellular matrix mineralization

Infant exposure of perfluorinated compounds: Levels in breast milk and commercial baby food

In this study, an analytical method to determine six previous termperfluorinatednext term compounds (PFCs) based on alkaline digestion and solid phase extraction (SPE) followed by liquid chromatography-quadrupole-linear ion trap mass spectrometry (LC-QqLIT-MS) was validated for the analysis of human breast milk, milk previous terminfantnext term formulas and cereals baby food. The average recoveries of the different matrices were in general higher than 70% with a relative standard deviation (RSD) lower than 21% and method limits of detection (MLOD) ranging from 1.2 to 362 ng/L for the different compounds and matrices. The method was applied to investigate the occurrence of PFCs in 20 samples of human breast milk, and 5 samples of previous terminfantnext term formulas and cereal baby food (3 brands of commercial milk previous terminfantnext term formulas and 2 brands of cereals baby food). Breast milk samples were collected in 2008 from donors living in Barcelona city (Spain) on the 40 days postpartum. Perfluorooctanesulfonate (PFOS) and perfluoro-7-methyloctanoic acid (i,p-PFNA) were predominant being present in the 95% of breast milk samples. Perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) was quantified in 8 of the 20 breast milk samples at concentrations in the range of 21–907 ng/L. Commercial formulas and food were purchased also in 2009 from a retail store. The six PFCs were detected in all brands of milk previous terminfantnext term formulas and cereals baby food analyzed, being perfluorodecanoic acid (PFDA), PFOS, PFOA and i,p-PFNA the compounds detected in higher concentrations (up to 1289 ng/kg). PFCs presence can be associated to possible migration from packaging and containers during production processes. Finally, based on estimated body weight and newborn intake, PFOS and PFOA daily intakes and risk indexes (RI) were estimated for the firsts 6 month of life. We found that ingestion rates of PFOS and PFOA, with exception of one breast milk sample did not exceed the tolerable daily intake (TDI) recommended by the EFSA. However, more research is needed in order to assess possible risk associated to PFCs contamination during early stages of life.Project MMAMRM-010/PC08/3-04 and by the Food Safety Platform Programme of the Conselleria de Sanitat of the Generalitat Valenciana (Projects. No. PLAT2008-A-004 and PLAT2009-A-013).Peer reviewe

Hexabromocyclododecane in Human Breast Milk: Levels and Enantiomeric Patterns

8 pages, 3 figures.-- Printed version published Mar 15, 2009.Samples of human breast milk (n = 33) from A Coruña (NW of Spain) collected in 2006 and 2007 were analyzed for HBCD diastereoisomers and enantiomers. HBCD was detected in 30 out of 33 human milk samples, at concentration levels ranging between 3 and 188 ng/g lw, with a median value of 27 ng/g lw, showing higher levels than those published for other countries. Diastereoisomeric pattern shows the predominance of the γ-isomer, with low contribution of the α-isomer and the β-isomer being below the limit of quantification. However, in six samples, there is a dominance of the α-isomer versus the γ-isomer. For the first time, HBCD enantiomeric analysis was carried out in human breast milk samples, showing a selective enantiomeric enrichment in human body. As regards α-HBCD, an enrichment of (−)-enantiomer was observed. However, in the case of γ-HBCD, no clear preference for one or the other enantiomer was found. Finally, and based on the calculated HBCD concentrations in human breast milk from Spain, the daily ingestion rate of HBCD was estimated. The nursing infant dietary intake for HBCD was set at 175 ng (kg of body weight)−1 day−1.This research project was funded by the European Union under the "Contaminants in food and feed: inexpensive detection for control of exposure" project (CONffIDENCE, Project 211326). P.G. acknowledges a grant from Department d’Innovació, Universitats i Empresa (2008FI_B 00755).Peer reviewe

Good practice regarding smoking cessation management in Spain: Challenges and opportunities for primary care physicians and nurses

INTRODUCTION: We analyze the activities carried out by primary care (PC) physicians and nurses with respect to smoking cessation and evaluate their self-reported training, knowledge, and behavior. METHODS: A cross-sectional study was conducted including 1514 PC physicians and nurses from June 2016 to March 2017, in Spain. The main variable was Good Practice (GP) in attention to smokers. To identify associated factors, a multilevel logistic regression model was used adjusted for sex, age, type of center, contract, years of employment, tobacco consumption, and self-reported training/knowledge. RESULTS: Of the 792 physicians and 722 nurses, 48.6% referred to GP in smoking cessation management. The finding related to: being a non-smoker (OR=1.8; 95% CI: 1.2-2.5) or ex-smoker (OR=1.4; 95% CI: 1.02-2.1), having a good level of knowledge (OR=1.8; 95% CI: 1.3-2.4) and training (OR=2.4; 95% CI: 1.8-3.2), and, to a lesser extent, being female (OR=1.3; 95% CI: 1.03-1.7), and work experience >10 years (OR=1.4; 95% CI: 1.03-1.9). The main GP barriers were: lack of time (45.5%), organizational problems (48.4%), and 35.4% lack of training. CONCLUSIONS: The GP of PC physicians and nurses regarding smoking cessation management is related to being non-smokers or ex-smokers, and having sufficient training and knowledge. Lack of time and organizational problems were considered to be the main barriers. The promotion of training activities in the Spanish National Health Service with the support of scientific societies is required