The post-yield fracture of a ductile polymer film: Notch quality, essential work of fracture, crack tip opening displacement, and J-integral

Double edge notched tension (DENT) specimens of a polyethylene terephthalate (PET) film were tested in an universal testing machine, measuring the displacements and the ligament lengths with a digital image correlation (DIC) system. With these data the essential work of fracture (EWF), crack tip opening displacement (CTOD), and the J-integral fracture methods were compared. The specimens were tested in mode I under plane stress conditions, verifying that the crack always propagated through a fully yielded ligament. It has been proved that we, the specific essential work of fracture was the specific energy just up to crack initiation and has the same value that J-integral at crack initiation, Jo. The relationship of these parameters with the CTOD was also shown. The influence of the notch quality on the fracture behaviour when the specimens were sharpened by two different methods, femtosecond laser ablation or by razor blade sliding, has also been analysed in detaiPeer ReviewedPostprint (author's final draft

El pecador en el jardín de la salud: La contribución de la medicina a la configuración del modelo antropológico medieval y el carácter filosófico de su sentido

The recient historiography has carried a change of perspectives about the sense of the Medieval Philosophy and its complex configuration. In the same horizon where only the thelogy ruled like the unique true and view about the man and the world, other disciplines blame for defense their relevance in the building of the medieval cosmology. In present case we’ll be able to searchnhowbn the Medicine supported a special relationship with the philosophy in the process of its definition like the “pagan” reformulation for the Medieval escatology and like a new anthropological model

Effect of filler content, size, aspect ratio and morphology on thermal, morphological and permeability properties of porous talc filled—Polypropylene obtained through MEAUS process

Several commercial grades of talc were selected to develop polypropylene based microporous membranes through MEAUS process (melt extrusion—annealing—uniaxial strain). Talc commercial grades differed in particle size, aspect ratio, and crystalline morphology. Different filler percentages were added to polypropylene (1, 5, 10 wt.%) Parameters such as draw ratio during extrusion, annealing temperature strain rate, and strain extension were kept as constant to analyze the effect of the talc characteristics and content of the obtained membranes. Small particle size and high aspect ratio tend to provide membranes with small pore size, high porous area, and high Gurley permeability valuesPostprint (published version

Decision analysis: vector optimization theory

First published in Revista de la Real Academia de Ciencias Exactas, Físicas y Naturales in 93, 4, 1999, published by the Real Academia de Ciencias Exactas, Físicas y Naturales

Problems with basing insect ethics on individuals’ welfare

In their target article, Mikhalevich & Powell (M&P) argue that we should extend moral protection to arthropods. In this commentary, we show that there are some unforeseen obstacles to applying the sort of individualistic welfare-based ethics that M&P have in mind to certain arthropods, namely, insects. These obstacles have to do with the fact that there are often many more individuals involved in our dealings with insects than our ethical theories anticipate, and also with the fact that, in some sense, some insects count as more than an individual and, in another sense, they sometimes count as less than an individual

Death is common, so is understanding it: the concept of death in other species

Comparative thanatologists study the responses to the dead and the dying in nonhuman animals. Despite the wide variety of thanatological behaviours that have been documented in several different species, comparative thanatologists assume that the concept of death is very difficult to acquire and will be a rare cognitive feat once we move past the human species. In this paper, we argue that this assumption is based on two forms of anthropocentrism: an intellectual anthropocentrism, which leads to an over-intellectualisation of the CoD, and an emotional anthropocentrism, which yields an excessive focus on grief as a reaction to death. Contrary to what these two forms of anthropocentrism suggest, we argue that the CoD requires relatively little cognitive complexity and that it can emerge independently from mourning behaviour. Moreover, if we turn towards the natural world, we can see that the minimal cognitive requirements for a CoD are in fact met by many nonhuman species and there are multiple learning pathways and opportunities for animals in the wild to develop a CoD. This allows us to conclude that the CoD will be relatively easy to acquire and, so, we can expect it to be fairly common in nature

Trichuris trichiura egg extract proteome reveals potential diagnostic targets and immunomodulators

The proteomic analysis was performed at the proteomics facility of SCSIE, University of Valencia (Burjassot, Spain) that belongs to ProteoRed, PRB2-ISCIII, Madrid, Spain. We also thank Dr. Tatiana Corey, Dr. Amy Beierschmitt and Dr. Pompei Bolfa for their support during sample collection.Embryonated eggs are the infectious developmental stage of Trichuris trichiura and are the primary stimulus for the immune system of the definitive host. The intestinal-dwelling T. trichiura affects an estimated 465 million people worldwide with an estimated global burden of disease of 640 000 DALYs (Disability Adjusted Life Years). In Latin America and the Caribbean, trichuriasis is the most prevalent soil transmitted helminthiasis in the region (12.3%; 95% CI). The adverse health consequences impair childhood school performance and reduce school attendance resulting in lower future wage-earning capacity. The accumulation of the long-term effects translates into poverty promoting sequelae and a cycle of impoverishment. Each infective T. trichiura egg carries the antigens needed to face the immune system with a wide variety of proteins present in the shell, larvae's surface, and the accompanying fluid that contains their excretions/secretions. We used a proteomic approach with tandem mass spectrometry to investigate the proteome of soluble non-embryonated egg extracts of T. trichiura obtained from naturally infected African green monkeys (Chlorocebus sabaeus). A total of 231 proteins were identified, 168 of them with known molecular functions. The proteome revealed common proteins families which are known to play roles in energy and metabolism; the cytoskeleton, muscle and motility; proteolysis; signaling; the stress response and detoxification; transcription and translation; and lipid binding and transport. In addition to the study of the T. trichiura non-embryonated egg proteome, the antigenic profile of the T. trichiura non-embryonated egg and female soluble proteins against serum antibodies from C. sabaeus naturally infected with trichuriasis was investigated. We used an immunoproteomic approach by Western blot and tandem mass spectrometry from the corresponding SDS-PAGE gels. Vitellogenin N and VWD and DUF1943 domain containing protein, poly-cysteine and histidine tailed protein isoform 2, heat shock protein 70, glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase, actin, and enolase, were among the potential immunoactive proteins. To our knowledge, this is the first study on the T. trichiura non-embryonated egg proteome as a novel source of information on potential targets for immunodiagnostics and immunomodulators from a neglected tropical disease. This initial list of T. trichiura non-embryonated egg proteins (proteome and antigenic profile) can be used in future research on the immunobiology and pathogenesis of human trichuriasis and the treatment of human intestinal immune-related diseases.Generalitat Valenciana GVPROMETEO16/15