En qué sentido puede ser llamada trágica la filosofía de Pascal. La frase: "L'homme passe infinement l'homme".

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Hydroxyapatite-filled osteoinductive and piezoelectric nanofibers for bone tissue engineering

In this study entitled “Hydroxyapatite-filled osteoinductive and piezoelectric nanofibers for bone tissue engineering”, we describe the development of novel hydroxyapatite (HAp)-filled osteoinductive piezoelectric poly(vinylidene fluoride-cotetrafluoroethylene) (PVDF-TrFE) electrospun nanofibers as a potential strategy for supporting bone repair in delayed-union and non-union osteoporotic-related fractures, for which current clinical techniques have proven to be largely inadequate and scaffold-based tissue engineering approaches hold significant promise. While the piezoelectric properties of native bone tissue have been extensively discussed in the literature, including their key role in preserving tissue homeostasis and promoting tissue repair, they have been widely neglected in the design of scaffolds for bone tissue engineering (BTE) applications. Piezoelectric scaffolds can be used not only for mimicking the native piezoelectric features of bone but also to provide a platform for applying electrical or mechanical stimuli to damaged tissue, contributing to an accelerated regeneration process. The nanofibrous scaffolds generated in this study were capable of replicating the main electrical, structural and compositional properties of bone extracellular matrix (ECM). To the best of our knowledge, this was the first time that the combination of HAp with the piezoelectric polymer PVDF-TrFE was found to induce key shifts in the chemical structure of the polymer and promote ß phase nucleation, not only enhancing the piezoelectric features of the constructs but also improving their surface properties, including their ability to support mineralization in vitro. The HAp nanoparticles also provided meaningful bone-like biological cues (osteoinduction), enhancing the osteogenic differentiation of seeded human mesenchymal stem/stromal cells (hMSCs), which was confirmed by an increased ALP activity, cellderived calcium deposition and expression of important osteogenic gene markers. Overall, our findings highlight, for the first time, the potential of combining PVDFTrFE and HAp for developing electroactive and osteoinductive nanofibrous constructs with improved piezoelectric properties, surface features and osteogenic potential capable of improving bone tissue regeneration.Peer ReviewedPostprint (published version

DDD

Conté: 1. Arquitectura -- 2. Arquitectura (v.2) -- 3. Arquitectura-Láminas -- 4. Historia de la pintura y escultura en todas las épocas ... / J. Fontanals del Castillo -- 5. La Ornamentación / F. Cajal y Pueyo -- 6. Historia del traje...armas, joyas, muebles, cerámica, aperos de labranza de pueblos antiguos y modernos (v.1) / F. Hottenroth -- 7. Historia del traje ... (v.2) / F. Hottenroth -- 8. Historia del mueble, tejido, bordado y tapiz / por Francisco Miquel y Badía. Metalistería, cerámica, vidrios / por Antonio García LlansóSegons Palau, diversos vol. de l'ed. original de 1886-1897 van ser reimpresos (vol. 2-3, en aquest cas)Reimpressions: 1901La versió digital forma part del projecte: Biblioteca Digital d'Història de l'Art Hispànic (UAB

Expanding the muscle imaging spectrum in dysferlinopathy: description of an outlier population from the classical MRI pattern

© 2023 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V. This is an open access article under the CC BY-NC-ND license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/)Dysferlinopathy is a muscle disease characterized by a variable clinical presentation and is caused by mutations in the DYSF gene. The Jain Clinical Outcome Study for Dysferlinopathy (COS) followed the largest cohort of patients (n=187) with genetically confirmed dysferlinopathy throughout a three-year natural history study, in which the patients underwent muscle function tests and muscle magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). We previously described the pattern of muscle pathology in this population and established a series of imaging criteria for diagnosis. In this paper, we describe the muscle imaging and clinical features of a subgroup of COS participants whose muscle imaging results did not completely meet the diagnostic criteria. We reviewed 184 T1-weighted (T1w) muscle MRI scans obtained at the baseline visit of the COS study, of which 106 were pelvic and lower limb only and 78 were whole-body scans. We identified 116 of the 184 patients (63%) who did not meet at least one of the established imaging criteria. The highest number found of unmet criteria was four per patient. We identified 24 patients (13%) who did not meet three or more of the nine established criteria and considered them as “outliers”. The most common unmet criterion (27.3% of cases) was the adductor magnus being equally or more affected than the adductor longus. We compared the genetic, demographic, clinical and muscle function data of the outlier patients with those who met the established criteria and observed that the outlier patients had an age of disease onset that was significantly older than the whole group (29.3 vs 20.5 years, p=0.0001). This study expands the phenotypic muscle imaging spectrum of patients with dysferlinopathy and can help to guide the diagnostic process in patients with limb girdle weakness of unknown origin.The Jain Foundation provided an estimated $4 million USD to fund the COS study.Peer reviewe

WALTER KAUFMANN: Tragedia y Filosofía.

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WALTER KAUFMANN: Tragedia y Filosofía.

Sin resume

Classification efficiency of the B-IBI comparing water body size classes in Chesapeake Bay

The Benthic Index of Biotic Integrity (B-IBI) was developed and is currently employed for environmental assessment in Chesapeake Bay. The index consists of a variety of benthic community metrics (e.g. abundance, biomass, diversity, stress tolerance groups, etc.) scored by thresholds applied to seven benthic community habitats (tidal freshwater, oligohaline, low mesohaline, high mesohaline mud, high mesohaline sand, polyhaline mud, and polyhaline sand) This index was verified as being a sensitive and robust tool for summarizing the status of benthic communities. In our study we tested the classification efficiency of the index using new benthic data by characterizing each sample a priori as degraded or undegraded using criteria of sediment contaminant levels, bioassays and bottom dissolved oxygen levels. A primary objective of our study was to test the classification efficiency of the B-IBI in small water bodies connected to larger water bodies of the mainstems of the large rivers of Chesapeake Bay, as well as the efficiency of the index over time (1990 through 2009). The B-IBI was affected by the size of the water body, e.g., index accuracy was higher for water bodies in small watersheds in lower salinity habitats, whereas large water bodies of the mainstem of rivers were better classified by the B-IBI in habitats with higher salinities. Across the seven benthic habitat types overall correct classification was moderate to low and lower for correctly classifying undegraded sites. In general the index metrics showed some deficiencies that suggest improvements could be made by recalibrating existing metric thresholds or selecting new suitable metrics.This work is part of Chesapeake Bay Program at Old Dominion University. The senior author is grateful for the predoctoral grant awarded by the University of Alicante that financed this internship at Old Dominion University and for the intern's acceptance by this host institution

Polyaniline coated core-shell polyacrylates: Control of film formation and coating application for corrosion protection

Aqueous polymer colloidal nanoparticles, composed by poly(methyl metacrylate), butyl acrylate, and acrylic acid, as “core” (P(MMA/BA/AA)); and polyaniline (PAni) doped with dodecylbenzenesulfonic acid (DBSA), as “shell”, were prepared. The complete synthesis consisted of two-steps. In the first step P(MMA/BA/AA) particles were obtained in a semi-continuous process by free radical emulsion polymerization, followed by a second step where the chemical oxidative polymerization of aniline monomers upper the “core” surfaces occurred. Transmission electron microscopy images (TEM) and dinamic light scattering (DLS) confirmed the obtaining of spherical nanoparticles, which are stable for further free solid film preparation and coatings for metal protection. The free films were characterized by FTIR, Raman, UV–vis, X-Ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), thermogravimetry (TGA), optical and scanning electron microscopy (SEM), static contact angle, mechanical properties and water absorption. The metal protection was evaluated after check the adhesion properties and the impedance parameters. The presence of a low concentration of PAni-DBSA (3¿wt. %) on the acrylic polymer altered the hydrophilicity and the water uptake properties of the coatings without affecting the capability of obtaining passive layers for the protection of phosphatized carbon steel surface against corrosion, even after almost 20 days of immersion in NaCl aggressive solutions.Peer ReviewedPostprint (author's final draft

Polyaniline coated core-shell polyacrylates: Control of film formation and coating application for corrosion protection

Aqueous polymer colloidal nanoparticles, composed by poly(methyl metacrylate), butyl acrylate, and acrylic acid, as “core” (P(MMA/BA/AA)); and polyaniline (PAni) doped with dodecylbenzenesulfonic acid (DBSA), as “shell”, were prepared. The complete synthesis consisted of two-steps. In the first step P(MMA/BA/AA) particles were obtained in a semi-continuous process by free radical emulsion polymerization, followed by a second step where the chemical oxidative polymerization of aniline monomers upper the “core” surfaces occurred. Transmission electron microscopy images (TEM) and dinamic light scattering (DLS) confirmed the obtaining of spherical nanoparticles, which are stable for further free solid film preparation and coatings for metal protection. The free films were characterized by FTIR, Raman, UV–vis, X-Ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), thermogravimetry (TGA), optical and scanning electron microscopy (SEM), static contact angle, mechanical properties and water absorption. The metal protection was evaluated after check the adhesion properties and the impedance parameters. The presence of a low concentration of PAni-DBSA (3¿wt. %) on the acrylic polymer altered the hydrophilicity and the water uptake properties of the coatings without affecting the capability of obtaining passive layers for the protection of phosphatized carbon steel surface against corrosion, even after almost 20 days of immersion in NaCl aggressive solutions.Peer Reviewe

Ecological status assessment in the lower Eo estuary (Spain). The challenge of habitat heterogeneity integration: A benthic perspective

The implementation of the European Water Framework Directive (WFD) requires evaluation of the ecological status (ES) of benthic communities in coastal and transitional water systems, and the intercalibration of assessment methodologies therefore becomes a research challenge. Our aim was to test the suitability of applying the M-AMBI index to assess the status of the Eo estuary (northern coast of Spain). Our results showed that M-AMBI was influenced by the natural variability of benthic communities, and presented an apparent dependence on habitat characteristics. Consequently, the definition of homogeneous areas in transitional water systems should be based on the salinity gradient combined with other factors. To achieve an accurate ES assessment, habitat-specific reference conditions should then be defined prior to the application of M-AMBI; this necessitates dividing an estuary into several sections, which may be classified as different ESs. From this perspective, a novel approach to integrate habitat heterogeneity in a global ES assessment was tested.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/B6V6N-4SM20CS-6/1/35a7d1fd7d4b951a83981c8d14a6f16