Purification, Characterization and Photodegradation\ud studies of modified sepia melanin (Sepia officinalis).\ud Determination of Eumelanin content in fibers from\ud Alpaca (Vicugna pacos).

Currently melanins are still enigmatic bio-pigments bearing a structure as well as methods of determination not clearly fixed by the international scientific community. In many\ud respects melanins are unique among biopolymers. The other essential biopolymers, that is proteins, nucleic acids and carbohydrates are chemically well characterized and can be\ud determined using well established methodologies. On the other hand, we still do not have a method of accurately determination of melanin. Basically, the classes of mammalian melanins exist in two chemically distinct forms: the brown to black Eumelanin (Eu) and the yellow to reddish-brown Pheomelanin (Pheo). It is believed that melanin has a photoprotective role in animals. Although melanin has been postulated to act as a cellular antioxidant, little is known about the molecular mechanism of melanin photo-protection.\ud An oxidative insult can produce modifications in the physiochemical characteristics of melanin and compromise its photo protective function. Sepia melanin (Sepia officcinalis)represents 98 % of Eumelanin pigment, and is thus used as standard material for the analysis of melanic black. Commercial sepia melanin (very expensive) is purified according to an unknown procedure.\ud In our research, we carried out studies on the extraction and purification of sepia melanin by acid treatment using different concentrations of hydrochloric acid, under mechanic or ultrasonic agitation. This proved effective in producing a high degree purity sepia melanin then fully characterized by Elemental Analysis (EA), Ultraviolet-Visible (UV-VIS) and Infrared (IR) spectroscopy, Inductively Coupled Plasma-Mass Spectrometry (ICP-MS) for\ud metal ion analysis and quantitative studies of Eu polymers for chemical degradation to PTCA and PDCA by High Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC). A first modification of sepia melanin using hydrochloric acid afforded the hydrolysis of the sepia melanin while a second modification, obtained adding different salts, resulted in melanin in the salt form. Sepia melanin stability was studied by photodegradation measurements, UV-Vis\ud absorbance spectra of different melanin solutions were measured before and after ultraviolet exposure. The difference spectra reveal that following ultraviolet exposure, a photo-bleaching effect can be observed in this range. The irradiation with ultraviolet radiation induced significant photochemical alterations in the sepia melanin. The obtained results can be used to extrapolate melanin degradation rates in vivo conditions, including the potential limits of its protective effect in humans

Jurisdictional disputes within the construction industry

Work assignment disputes, known as jurisdictional disputes are common in the construction industry. They are not only costly but annoying as well, The construction industry has always been plagued with this type of dispute because each of its many craft unions regards certain types of work as a proprietary right. They jealously guard against any encroachment of their area of activity by other unions. Sometimes lines of demarcation between the various jurisdictions are not clear. Also, the development of new products and methods often brings with it clashes between unions each of whom claim exclusive right to the work assignment. This thesis presents the problem of determining the causes of jurisdictional disputes and strikes within the industry, together with an effective method of accommodation. Conclusions reached are that jurisdictional conflicts are the product of economic, psychological and political forces operative within the employment environment of the construction industry. Although the National Joint Board for Settlement of Jurisdictional Disputes meets the necessary criteria for a method of accommodation, it lacks the means of enforcing its awards. The most effective method of accommodation is to combine the injunctive and enforcement powers of the National Labor Relations Board with the arbitration and mediation process of the National Joint Board for Settlement of Jurisdictional Disputes

Unlearning Design: Creating a More Equitable and Ethical Design Culture

Design is a constantly evolving field that has long attracted creative minds from all backgrounds and ages. As design changes, so too does design education. One can take numerous pathways to learn design, possibly involving: higher education, bootcamp programs, on-the-job learning, and self-guided courses. However, despite significant growth in the design field, recent scandals involving design have called into question the ethics of the field, and by implication, the question of how ethics is (or is not) being taught to students. This research project explores systems in design that have led to this quandary of ethics in the field. The paper explores changes that the so-called Information Age has brought to design, from pedagogical shifts and growing diversity, to governmental influence and cultural manipulation. Through a process involving a survey of over 50 designers and a set of interviews with current practitioners, the paper analyzes how those currently working in design understand their field. Insights drawn from this information are used to identify archetypes, informed by potential pathways through design education, perceptions of design and ethics, and familiar and emerging disciplines of design. The purpose of this investigation is to better understand different pathways through design education, how such differences might shape a design learner’s perspective of the field in one way or another, and what effect it may have had on the design field’s relationship with ethics. Looking forward, I search for a system of ethical accountability designers can be held to, while still ensuring the field remains open and inviting to new curious minds

Latinoamérica: arquitectura en tiempos de globalización

Los primeros debates conocidos sobre la arquitectura latinoamericana, iniciados a partir del modelo de los Seminarios de Arquitectura Latinoamérica (SAL) pusieron en evaluación la arquitectura moderna de nuestro continente frente a los modelos canónicos de desarrollo de los años ochenta, pero dado que los tiempos han cambiado, hoy pareciera necesario un nuevo replanteo. Si bien los aportes de Cristian Fernández Cox o Enrique Browne, por nombrar algunos de los teóricos referentes de aquellos tiempos, son imborrables y completamente trasladables al contexto actual, el debate hoy también debería pasar por nuevos canales de análisis, ya que, los tiempos han cambiado, y el avance de la globalización no es inminente, es una realidad. Las expectativas del nuevo milenio han sido muy diversas y heterogéneas, pero difícilmente alguien haya podido predestinar el avance de un modelo económico inédito, poniendo en crisis el paradigma de los estado-nación. Frente a esta realidad, campos como la antropología, buscan analizar como esto repercute en los modos de vida de las personas (Abélès, 2012), e incluso, el mismo García Canclini ha escrito como la sociedad latinoamericana, a través de los Estados, debe empezar a hacerle frente a esta realidad, que, según otros autores, como Joseba Gabilondo, encuentra comparativas con otras periodizaciones de la historia de la humanidad. Y ante ello, nos preguntamos cuál es el rol de la arquitectura latinoamericana en este contexto. A través de una interpretación propia de como la globalización afecta a nuestras sociedades, este trabajo intentará proponer medios de relación con dicho zeitgest en el marco arquitectónico.Facultad de Arquitectura y Urbanism

Usefulness of Ultrasound Imaging in Detecting Psoriatic Arthritis of Fingers and Toes in Patients with Psoriasis

Background. Given that clinical evaluation may underestimate the joint damage and that early treatment can slow down psoriatic arthritis (PsA) progression, screening psoriasis patients with imaging tools that can depict early PsA changes would entail clear benefits. Objective. To compare the ability of X-ray and ultrasound (US) examination in detecting morphological abnormalities consistent with early PsA in patients with psoriasis, using rheumatological evaluation as the gold standard for diagnosis. Methods. Patients with chronic plaque psoriasis and no previous PsA diagnosis attending our outpatient dermatology clinic and reporting finger/toe joint and/or tendon pain underwent X-ray and US evaluation; they were subsequently referred to a rheumatologist for clinical examination and review of imaging findings. Results. Abnormal US and/or X-ray findings involving at least one finger and/or toe (joints and/or tendons) were seen in 36/52 patients: 11 had one or more X-ray abnormalities, including erosion, joint space narrowing, new bone formation, periarticular soft tissue swelling, and periarticular osteoporosis; 36 had suspicious changes on US. Conclusion. US proved valuable in detecting joint and/or tendon abnormalities in the fingers and toes of patients with suspicious changes. The dermatologist should consider US to obtain an accurate assessment of suspicious findings

Poly-L-lactic acid beta-tricalcium phosphate screws: a preliminary in vivo biocompatibility study.

The aim of this study is to assess the biocompatibility of two types of Poly-L-lactic acid (PLLA) screws (with either hydroxiapatite (HA) or β-tricalcium phosphate (β-TCP)) implanted in the left femur of four sheep euthanized at 42, 50, 57 and 84 days after surgery. Titanium screws were also implanted for comparison purposes. No signs of inflammation were seen in the 240 specimens. A rating of "+/-"for macrophages and "-"for neutrophils was assigned to all specimens. All specimens were assigned a rating which ranged from "+/-" to "+++" for fibroblasts and osteoblasts. The presence of macrophages, neutrophils and fibroblasts/osteoblasts was not statistically different for the four implantation periods. PLLA implants with β-TCP have a biocompatibility comparable to PLLA implants with HA

Neonatal EEG graded for severity of background abnormalities in hypoxic-ischaemic encephalopathy

This report describes a set of neonatal electroencephalogram (EEG) recordings graded according to the severity of abnormalities in the background pattern. The dataset consists of 169 hours of multichannel EEG from 53 neonates recorded in a neonatal intensive care unit. All neonates received a diagnosis of hypoxic-ischaemic encephalopathy (HIE), the most common cause of brain injury in full term infants. For each neonate, multiple 1-hour epochs of good quality EEG were selected and then graded for background abnormalities. The grading system assesses EEG attributes such as amplitude and frequency, continuity, sleep--wake cycling, symmetry and synchrony, and abnormal waveforms. Background severity was then categorised into 4 grades: normal or mildly abnormal EEG, moderately abnormal EEG, severely abnormal EEG, and inactive EEG. The data can be used as a reference set of multi-channel EEG for neonates with HIE, for EEG training purposes, or for developing and evaluating automated grading algorithms