Collagen-functionalised electrospun polymer fibers for bioengineering applications

Polymer electrospun fibers are gaining increasing importance in nanobiotechnology, due to their intrinsic three-dimensional topography and biochemical flexibility. Here we present an in-depth study of protein functionalisation for polymethylmethacrylate fibers. We compare different coating approaches for type I collagen, including physisorption and covalent binding methods relying on functional linkers. The biofunctionalised fibers are investigated by scanning electron and confocal laser scanning microscopy, wettability measurements, Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy, and protein quantification assays. We demonstrate that the largest amount of proteins adsorbed on fibers does not determine the best performance in terms of cell attachment and proliferation in vitro, which is instead related to the type of linking and the relevant role played by adsorption of serum biomolecules on the three-dimensional nanostructures. This study is relevant for designing and engineering novel biomaterials and scaffold architectures based on electrospun nanofibers

Sexuality, gender, religion and interculturality in Spanish television civilising and cultural news stories

Introducción. En esta investigación se analizan distintas noticias sobre sexualidad, género, religión e interculturalidad en televisiones españolas. Metodología. Se realiza un análisis del discurso de las distintas identidades enmarcadas en las mencionadas categorías. A continuación, en distintos grupos discusión se analizan las interpretaciones que hacen las audiencias de dichas noticias. Finalmente, a su vez, analizamos mediante el método Delphi la opinión de distintos expertos sobre estas mismas noticias. Resultados y Discusión. Gracias al análisis del discurso se desvelan las representaciones y los estereotipos mediáticos que las audiencias y expertos identifican fácilmente. Conclusiones. Hay que señalar que tanto las audiencias como los expertos fueron muy críticos con las piezas sometidas a su interpretación, y percibieron claramente las insuficiencias y los estereotipos utilizados. Sin embargo, sobre todo las audiencias de mayor edad, a la hora de abordar dichos temas en general suelen tener los mismos prejuicios que denuncian en los informativos.Introduction. This paper analyzes several Spanish TV news about sexuality, gender, religion and interculturality to explore how these news are interpreted by audiences and experts. Methodology. We have used three complementary methods. First, we have conducted a critical discourse analysis (CDA) of different sexual, religious and intercultural identities portrayed by the TV news. We have also analyzed how audiences interpret these news through focus groups. Finally, we have used a delphi method to analyze the interpretation of TV experts. Results and Discussion. The CDA illustrated common stereotypes identified by audiences and experts. Conclusions. Audiences and experts were very critical with TV news and perceived the limitations and stereotypes portrayed. However, older audiences used the same stereotypes demonstrated in the focus groups. In general, this study shows that when receivers interpret sensitive issues, they trend to accept or reject media discourses, letting little space for the negotiation of meanings

Personalized mechanical ventilation guided by ultrasound in patients with acute respiratory distress syndrome (PEGASUS): study protocol for an international randomized clinical trial

background acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) is a frequent cause of hypoxemic respiratory failure with a mortality rate of approximately 30%. Identifying ARDS subphenotypes based on "focal" or "non-focal" lung morphology has the potential to better target mechanical ventilation strategies of individual patients. however, classifying morphology through chest radiography or computed tomography is either inaccurate or impractical. Lung ultrasound (LUS) is a non-invasive bedside tool that can accurately distinguish "focal" from "non-focal" lung morphology. We hypothesize that LUS-guided personalized mechanical ventilation in ARDS patients leads to a reduction in 90-day mortality compared to conventional mechanical ventilation. methods the personalized mechanical ventilation guided by ultrasound in patients with acute respiratory distress syndrome (PEGASUS) study is an investigator-initiated, international, randomized clinical trial (RCT) that plans to enroll 538 invasively ventilated adult intensive care unit (ICU) patients with moderate to severe ARDS. eligible patients will receive a LUS exam to classify lung morphology as "focal" or "non-focal". thereafter, patients will be randomized within 12 h after ARDS diagnosis to receive standard care or personalized ventilation where the ventilation strategy is adjusted to the morphology subphenotype, i.e., higher positive end-expiratory pressure (PEEP) and recruitment maneuvers for "non-focal" ARDS and lower PEEP and prone positioning for "focal" ARDS. the primary endpoint is all-cause mortality at day 90. secondary outcomes are mortality at day 28, ventilator-free days at day 28, ICU length of stay, ICU mortality, hospital length of stay, hospital mortality, and number of complications (ventilator-associated pneumonia, pneumothorax, and need for rescue therapy). after a pilot phase of 80 patients, the correct interpretation of LUS images and correct application of the intervention within the safe limits of mechanical ventilation will be evaluated. discussion PEGASUS is the first RCT that compares LUS-guided personalized mechanical ventilation with conventional ventilation in invasively ventilated patients with moderate and severe ARDS. If this study demonstrates that personalized ventilation guided by LUS can improve the outcomes of ARDS patients, it has the potential to shift the existing one-size-fits-all ventilation strategy towards a more individualized approach. trial registration the PEGASUS trial was registered before the inclusion of the first patient, https://clinicaltrials.gov/ (ID: NCT05492344)

Collagen-functionalised electrospun polymer fibers for bioengineering applications

Polymer electrospun fibers are gaining increasing importance in nanobiotechnology, due to their intrinsic three-dimensional topography and biochemical flexibility. Here we present an in-depth study of protein functionalisation for polymethylmethacrylate fibers. We compare different coating approaches for type I collagen, including physisorption and covalent binding methods relying on functional linkers. The biofunctionalised fibers are investigated by scanning electron and confocal laser scanning microscopy, wettability measurements, Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy, and protein quantification assays. We demonstrate that the largest amount of proteins adsorbed on fibers does not determine the best performance in terms of cell attachment and proliferation in vitro, which is instead related to the type of linking and the relevant role played by adsorption of serum biomolecules on the three-dimensional nanostructures. This study is relevant for designing and engineering novel biomaterials and scaffold architectures based on electrospun nanofibers

Sexualidad, género, religión e interculturalidad en los relatos informativos civilizatorios y culturales de las televisiones españolas

Introduction. This paper analyzes several Spanish TV news about sexuality, gender, religion and interculturality to explore how these news are interpreted by audiences and experts. Methodology. We have used three complementary methods. First, we have conducted a critical discourse analysis (CDA) of different sexual, religious and intercultural identities portrayed by the TV news. We have also analyzed how audiences interpret these news through focus groups. Finally, we have used a delphi method to analyze the interpretation of TV experts. Results and Discussion. The CDA illustrated common stereotypes identified by audiences and experts. Conclusions. Audiences and experts were very critical with TV news and perceived the limitations and stereotypes portrayed. However, older audiences used the same stereotypes demonstrated in the focus groups. In general, this study shows that when receivers interpret sensitive issues, they trend to accept or reject media discourses, letting little space for the negotiation of meanings.Introducción. En esta investigación se analizan distintas noticias sobre sexualidad, género, religión e interculturalidad en televisiones españolas. Metodología. Se realiza un análisis del discurso de las distintas identidades enmarcadas en las mencionadas categorías. A continuación, en distintos grupos discusión se analizan las interpretaciones que hacen las audiencias de dichas noticias. Finalmente, a su vez, analizamos mediante el método Delphi la opinión de distintos expertos sobre estas mismas noticias. Resultados y Discusión. Gracias al análisis del discurso se desvelan las representaciones y los estereotipos mediáticos que las audiencias y expertos identifican fácilmente. Conclusiones. Hay que señalar que tanto las audiencias como los expertos fueron muy críticos con las piezas sometidas a su interpretación, y percibieron claramente las insuficiencias y los estereotipos utilizados. Sin embargo, sobre todo las audiencias de mayor edad, a la hora de abordar dichos temas en general suelen tener los mismos prejuicios que denuncian en los informativos

Sexuality, gender, religion and interculturality in news stories on civilisations and cultures broadcast by Spanish television

Introduction. This paper analyzes several Spanish TV news about sexuality, gender, religion and interculturality to explore how these news are interpreted by audiences and experts. Methodology. We have used three complementary methods. First, we have conducted a critical discourse analysis (CDA) of different sexual, religious and intercultural identities portrayed by the TV news. We have also analyzed how audiences interpret these news through focus groups. Finally, we have used a delphi method to analyze the interpretation of TV experts. Results and Discussion. The CDA illustrated common stereotypes identified by audiences and experts. Conclusions. Audiences and experts were very critical with TV news and perceived the limitations and stereotypes portrayed. However, older audiences used the same stereotypes demonstrated in the focus groups. In general, this study shows that when receivers interpret sensitive issues, they trend to accept or reject media discourses, letting little space for the negotiation of meanings.Introducción. En esta investigación se analizan distintas noticias sobre sexualidad, género, religión e interculturalidad en televisiones españolas. Metodología. Se realiza un análisis del discurso de las distintas identidades enmarcadas en las mencionadas categorías. A continuación, en distintos grupos discusión se analizan las interpretaciones que hacen las audiencias de dichas noticias. Finalmente, a su vez, analizamos mediante el método Delphi la opinión de distintos expertos sobre estas mismas noticias. Resultados y Discusión. Gracias al análisis del discurso se desvelan las representaciones y los estereotipos mediáticos que las audiencias y expertos identifican fácilmente. Conclusiones. Hay que señalar que tanto las audiencias como los expertos fueron muy críticos con las piezas sometidas a su interpretación, y percibieron claramente las insuficiencias y los estereotipos utilizados. Sin embargo, sobre todo las audiencias de mayor edad, a la hora de abordar dichos temas en general suelen tener los mismos prejuicios que denuncian en los informativos.Este artículo es producto del proyecto de Investigación titulado “Análisis de los relatos audiovisuales sobre civilizaciones y culturas. Representaciones e interpretaciones de los relatos informativos de la televisión” referencia CSO2011-23786, financiado por el Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación de España