Experimental approach towards the water contact angle value on the biomaterial alloy Ti6Al4V

In the biomedical field, water contact angle is a useful gauge to follow how a biomaterial surface would interact with the surrounding water-like physiological environment. Ti6Al4V alloy is widely used in orthopedic applications. Nevertheless, the values of its water contact angle reported in the literature show a large dispersion, from 40° up 80°. However, in addition to the expected dependence of the surface wettability on preliminary treatments, the values of the water contact angle on the pristine Ti6Al4V alloy suffers from an important variability and lack of reproducibility.The present research pays attention to this difficulty and proposes a simple experimental procedure to ensure adequate contact angle reproducibility. Controlled passivation growth in mild underwater conditions of freshly polished disks, followed by ultrasonic washing, avoiding the rubbing of the surface, gives average water contact angles of 80° with very low standard deviations also among samples from the same batch

Actores del acoso escolar

El presente artículo pretende dar cuenta del estado del arte sobre el Acoso Escolar, que es una de las formas de violencia que más afecta la función social y educadora de la escuela.El Acoso Escolar es, en esencia, violencia o maltrato deliberado de uno o más estudiantes sobre otro estudiante, que se realiza de forma sistemática y persistente y crea un desequilibrio de poder que permite identificar claramente las condiciones de agresor y víctima.Los agresores generalmente buscan el reconocimiento de los demás ya sea por admiración o miedo frente a su actuación. La víctima, se siente menospreciada y vulnerable ante los demás. Los observadores pueden desempeñar papeles activos negativos, proactivos o neutros.El Acoso Escolar puede presentarse de diferentes maneras, entre las que se destacan las modalidades física, verbal,  relacional y psicológica. Todas ellas producen efectos negativos de distinta intensidad sobre la víctima.El Acoso Escolar se presenta en diferentes espacios cuya diferenciación es relevante para comprender sus modalidades y también las responsabilidades para su prevención y control. Tales espacios pueden ser intra-escolares, externos al colegio e inclusive las redes sociales.  Con el fin de prevenir el Acoso Escolar es necesario identificar las causas, modalidades y lugares y realizar acciones en la escuela, la familia y el contexto.El Acoso Escolar tiene consecuencias dañinas sobre los agresores, las víctimas, los observadores, las instituciones y  la sociedad en general, lo cual llama a atenderlo con especial prioridad.

Actores del acoso escolar

El presente artículo pretende dar cuenta del estado del arte sobre el Acoso Escolar, que es una de las formas de violencia que más afecta la función social y educadora de la escuela.El Acoso Escolar es, en esencia, violencia o maltrato deliberado de uno o más estudiantes sobre otro estudiante, que se realiza de forma sistemática y persistente y crea un desequilibrio de poder que permite identificar claramente las condiciones de agresor y víctima.Los agresores generalmente buscan el reconocimiento de los demás ya sea por admiración o miedo frente a su actuación. La víctima, se siente menospreciada y vulnerable ante los demás. Los observadores pueden desempeñar papeles activos negativos, proactivos o neutros.El Acoso Escolar puede presentarse de diferentes maneras, entre las que se destacan las modalidades física, verbal,  relacional y psicológica. Todas ellas producen efectos negativos de distinta intensidad sobre la víctima.El Acoso Escolar se presenta en diferentes espacios cuya diferenciación es relevante para comprender sus modalidades y también las responsabilidades para su prevención y control. Tales espacios pueden ser intra-escolares, externos al colegio e inclusive las redes sociales.  Con el fin de prevenir el Acoso Escolar es necesario identificar las causas, modalidades y lugares y realizar acciones en la escuela, la familia y el contexto.El Acoso Escolar tiene consecuencias dañinas sobre los agresores, las víctimas, los observadores, las instituciones y  la sociedad en general, lo cual llama a atenderlo con especial prioridad.

Actores del acoso escolar

El presente artículo pretende dar cuenta del estado del arte sobre el Acoso Escolar, que es una de las formas de violencia que más afecta la función social y educadora de la escuela.El Acoso Escolar es, en esencia, violencia o maltrato deliberado de uno o más estudiantes sobre otro estudiante, que se realiza de forma sistemática y persistente y crea un desequilibrio de poder que permite identificar claramente las condiciones de agresor y víctima.Los agresores generalmente buscan el reconocimiento de los demás ya sea por admiración o miedo frente a su actuación. La víctima, se siente menospreciada y vulnerable ante los demás. Los observadores pueden desempeñar papeles activos negativos, proactivos o neutros.El Acoso Escolar puede presentarse de diferentes maneras, entre las que se destacan las modalidades física, verbal,  relacional y psicológica. Todas ellas producen efectos negativos de distinta intensidad sobre la víctima.El Acoso Escolar se presenta en diferentes espacios cuya diferenciación es relevante para comprender sus modalidades y también las responsabilidades para su prevención y control. Tales espacios pueden ser intra-escolares, externos al colegio e inclusive las redes sociales.  Con el fin de prevenir el Acoso Escolar es necesario identificar las causas, modalidades y lugares y realizar acciones en la escuela, la familia y el contexto.El Acoso Escolar tiene consecuencias dañinas sobre los agresores, las víctimas, los observadores, las instituciones y  la sociedad en general, lo cual llama a atenderlo con especial prioridad.

Biomarkers in ocular chronic graft versus host disease: tear cytokine- and chemokine-based predictive model.

Producción CientíficaPurpose: To develop a tear molecule level-based predictive model based on a panel of tear cytokines and their correlation with clinical features in ocular chronic graft versus host disease (cGVHD). Methods: Twenty-two ocular cGVHD patients and 21 healthy subjects were evaluated in a controlled environmental research laboratory (CERLab). Clinical parameters were recorded, and tears were collected. Levels of 15 molecules (epidermal growth factor [EGF], IL receptor antagonist [IL-1Ra], IL-1β, IL-2, IL-6, IL-8/CXCL8, IL-10, IL-12p70, IL-17A, interferon inducible protein [IP]-10/CXCL10, IFN-γ, VEGF, TNF-α, eotaxin 1, and regulated on activation normal T cell expressed and secreted [RANTES]) were measured by multiplex-bead assay and correlated with clinical parameters. Logistic regression was used to develop a predictive model. Leave-one-out cross-validation was applied. Classification capacity was evaluated in a cohort of individuals with dry eye (DE) of other etiologies different from GVHD. Results: Epidermal growth factor and IP-10/CXCL10 levels were significantly decreased in ocular cGVHD, positively correlating with tear production and stability and negatively correlating with symptoms, hyperemia, and vital staining. Interleukin-1Ra, IL-8/CXCL8, and IL-10 were significantly increased in ocular cGVHD, and the first two correlated positively with symptoms, hyperemia, and ocular surface integrity while negatively correlating with tear production and stability. Predictive models were generated, and the best panel was based on IL-8/CXCL8 and IP-10/CXCL10 tear levels along with age and sex, with an area under the receiving operating curve of 0.9004, sensitivity of 86.36%, and specificity of 95.24%. Conclusions: A predictive model based on tear levels of IL-8/CXCL8 and IP-10/CXCL10 resulted in optimal sensitivity and specificity. These results add further knowledge to the search for potential biomarkers in this devastating ocular inflammatory disease.Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness, Madrid, Spain, SAF-2010 15631 (AES)

Social stigmatization in the school field generated by a psychological diagnosis

La presente investigación surge de la pregunta por la estigmatización social en el ámbito escolar, generada por un diagnóstico psicológico. El contexto educativo es escenario de diversas dinámicas que influyen en el proceso de desarrollo de los estudiantes, allí se viven etapas de transición como el paso de primaria a bachillerato, en un período de la vida en el cual el adolescente está en plena construcción de su identidad. Es una etapa de adaptación al entorno, siendo éste un período de vulnerabilidad que puede ser afectado significativamente cuando además, el estudiante lleva consigo un diagnóstico psicológico que puede generar estigmatización social. Esta investigación se llevó a cabo a partir de un rastreo teórico y un estudio de caso único, en el cual se le realizó una entrevista a un estudiante con un diagnóstico psicológico establecido, otra a su madre, una a un docente y finalmente a dos psicólogos de la institución educativa. Se lograron identificar las categorías de diagnóstico, sujeto escolar e identidad en relación a la estigmatización; y a partir de un trabajo riguroso de rastreo y análisis, se concluyó que tener un diagnóstico psicológico sí está altamente relacionado con la estigmatización social y la rotulación por parte de otras personas, lo cual tiene implicaciones importantes en el desarrollo psicosocial de la persona estigmatizada, generando repercusiones negativas como baja autoestima, inseguridad, depresión, aislamiento, agresividad, estrés, temor social, timidez, sensación de incapacidad, entre otras afectaciones que pueden surgir a partir de procesos de estigmatización.This research arises from the question of social stigmatization in the school fieldgenerated by a psychological diagnosis. The educational context is the scene of variousdynamics that influence the process of student development, there are stages oftransition such as the transition from elementary to high school, in a period of life inwhich the adolescent is in full construction of his identity. It is a stage of adaptation to theenvironment, this being a period of vulnerability that can be significantly affected whenthe students also carries with them a psychological diagnosis that can generate socialstigma. This research was conducted on the basis of a theoretical trace and a uniquecase study, in which an interview was conducted with a student with an establisheddiagnosis, another to its mother, a teacher and two psychologists of the educationalinstitution. It was possible to identify the categories of diagnosis, school subject andidentity in relation to stigmatization, and from rigorous work of tracking and analysis, itwas concluded that having a psychological diagnosis is highly related to social stigmaand labeling by other people, which has important implications for the psychosocialdevelopment of the stigmatized person, generating negative repercussions such aslow self-esteem, insecurity, depression, isolation, aggressiveness, stress, social fear,shyness, feeling incapacity, among other impacts that can arise from stigmatizationprocesses.

Diagnostic Accuracy of Adrenal Iodine-131 6-Beta-Iodomethyl-19-Norcholesterol Scintigraphy for the Subtyping of Primary Aldosteronism

Adrenalectomia; Aldosteronisme primariAdrenalectomy; Primary aldosteronismAdrenalectomia; Aldosteronismo primarioPurpose: To evaluate the diagnostic accuracy of the 131I-6β-iodomethyl-19-norcholesterol (NP-59) adrenal scintigraphy for the subtyping diagnosis of primary aldosteronism (PA), considering as gold standard for the diagnosis of unilateral PA (UPA), either the results of the adrenal venous sampling (AVS) or the outcome after adrenalectomy. Methods: A retrospective multicenter study was performed on PA patients from 14 Spanish tertiary hospitals who underwent NP-59 scintigraphy with an available subtyping diagnosis. Patients were classified as UPA if biochemical cure was achieved after adrenalectomy or/and if an AVS lateralization index > 4 with ACTH stimulation or >2 without ACTH stimulation was observed. Patients were classified as having bilateral PA (BPA) if the AVS lateralization index was ≤4 with ACTH or ≤2 without ACTH stimulation or if there was evidence of bilateral adrenal nodules >1 cm in each adrenal gland detected by CT/MRI. Results: A total of 86 patients with PA were included (70.9% (n = 61) with UPA and 29.1% (n = 25) with BPA). Based on the NP-59 scintigraphy results, 16 patients showed normal suppressed adrenal gland uptake, and in the other 70 cases, PA was considered unilateral in 49 patients (70%) and bilateral in 21 (30%). Based on 59-scintigraphy results, 10.4% of the patients with unilateral uptake had BPA, and 27.3% of the cases with bilateral uptake had UPA. The AUC of the ROC curve of the NP-59 scintigraphy for PA subtyping was 0.812 [0.707–0.916]. Based on the results of the CT/MRI and NP-59 scintigraphy, only 6.7% of the patients with unilateral uptake had BPA, and 24% of the cases with bilateral uptake had UPA. The AUC of the ROC curve of the model combining CT/MRI and 59-scintigraphy results for subtyping PA was 0.869 [0.782–0.957]. Conclusion: The results of NP-59 scintigraphy in association with the information provided by the CT/MRI may be useful for PA subtyping. However, their diagnostic accuracy is only moderate. Therefore, it should be considered a second-line diagnostic tool when AVS is not an option

Clinical and Molecular Inflammatory Response in Sjögren Syndrome–Associated Dry Eye Patients Under Desiccating Stress

Producción CientíficaTo evaluate the response of the lacrimal function unit in Sjogren syndrome (SS)-associated dry eye patients exposed to 2 simulated daily life environ-mental conditions. Fourteen female SS dry eye patients were exposed for 2 hours to a controlled normal condition (23 C, 45% relative humidity, and air flow 0.10 m/s) and a controlled adverse condition that simulates desic- cating stress (23 C, 5% relative humidity, and air flow 0.10 m/s). The following dry eye tests were performed before and after the exposure: tear osmolarity, phenol red thread test, conjunctival hyperemia, fluorescein tear break-up time, corneal fluorescein staining, conjunctival lissamine green staining, and Schirmer test. Levels of 16 molecules were analyzed in tears by multiplex immu- nobead analysis.Junta de Castilla y León (programa de apoyo a proyectos de investigación – Ref. VA174U14

p73 deficiency results in impaired self renewal and premature neuronal differentiation of mouse neural progenitors independently of p53

[EN] The question of how neural progenitor cells maintain its self-renewal throughout life is a fundamental problem in cell biology with implications in cancer, aging and neurodegenerative diseases. In this work, we have analyzed the p73 function in embryonic neural progenitor cell biology using the neurosphere (NS)-assay and showed that p73-loss has a significant role in the maintenance of neurosphere-forming cells in the embryonic brain. A comparative study of NS from Trp73-/-, p53KO, p53KO;Trp73-/- and their wild-type counterparts demonstrated that p73 deficiency results in two independent, but related, phenotypes: a smaller NS size (related to the proliferation and survival of the neural-progenitors) and a decreased capacity to form NS (self-renewal). The former seems to be the result of p53 compensatory activity, whereas the latter is p53 independent. We also demonstrate that p73 deficiency increases the population of neuronal progenitors ready to differentiate into neurons at the expense of depleting the pool of undifferentiated neurosphere-forming cells. Analysis of the neurogenic niches demonstrated that p73-loss depletes the number of neural-progenitor cells, rendering deficient niches in the adult mice. Altogether, our study identifies TP73 as a positive regulator of self-renewal with a role in the maintenance of the neurogenic capacity. Thus, proposing p73 as an important player in the development of neurodegenerative diseases and a potential therapeutic targetSILGC is beneficiary of a predoctoral fellowship from Consejo de Educación de la Junta de Castilla y León and RFA from Spanish Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación. This work was supported by Grants SAF2009-07897 from Spanish Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovacion (to MCM), Grant from Cajas de Ahorro de Castilla y León (to MCM), and Grants LE030A07 (to MMM) and LE015A10-2 (to MCM) from the Junta de Castilla y Leó

Evidence on port-locking with heparin versus saline in patients with cancer not receiving chemotherapy: A randomized clinical trial

Objective: To assess the safety and efficacy of port-locking with heparin every 2 months vs. every 4 months and vs. saline solution every 2 months in patients with cancer not receiving active chemotherapy. The hypothesis stated that locking with heparin at four-month intervals and saline at two-month intervals would not increment > 10% of port obstructions. Methods: Multicentre, phase IV parallel, post-test control group study took place at the two chemotherapy units of oncology hospitals. Included patients with cancer with ports that completed the chemotherapy treatment but still having port maintenance care or blood samples taken up to four months. A sample of 126 patients with cancer in three arms was needed to detect a maximum difference of 10% for bioequivalence on the locking methods. Consecutive cases non-probabilistic sampling and randomized to one of the three groups; group A: received heparin 60 IU/mL every two months (control) vs. group B heparin every four months and vs. saline every two months in group C. Primary variables were the type of locking regimen, port obstruction, and absence of blood return, port-related infection, or venous thrombosis during the study period. Clinical and sociodemographic variables were also collected. Results: A total of 143 patients were randomly assigned; group A, 47 patients with heparin every 2 months, group B, 51 patients with heparin 4 months, and group C, 45 patients with saline every 2 months. All participants presented an adequate blood return and no obstructions, until the month of the 10th, when one participant in the group A receiving was withdrawn due to an absence of blood flow ( P 1/4 0.587). Conclusions: Port locks with heparin every 4 months or saline every 2 months did not show differences in safety maintenance, infection, or thrombosis compared to heparin every 2 months