Green nanocomposites from Salvia-based waterborne polyurethane-urea dispersions reinforced with nanocellulose

Waterborne polyurethane-urea (WBPUU) dispersions, products having none or low contents of organic solvents, depending on the used synthesis process, can provide suitable environmentally-friendly strategies to prepare novel materials. Moreover, waterborne systems enable the incorporation of aqueous dispersible nanoentities and soluble additives, which provides a strategy to design versatile functional materials with tailored properties. Having demonstrated in previous work the bacteriostatic properties of a 3 wt% Salvia-based WBPUU against Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli and Pseudomonas aeruginosa, this work is focused in the preparation of Salvia-based WBPUU added with cellulose nanocrystals (CNC) tackling the preparation of functional green nanocomposite films with increased mechanical properties. Through this strategy, nanocomposites loaded with 1, 3 and 5 wt% of CNC were prepared, showing an effective CNC incorporation avoiding agglomerates. CNC addition is able to modulate soft and hard phase's segregation, inducing enhanced mechanical stiffness, together with improved deformability, while retarding thermomechanical instability to higher temperatures.Financial support from the University of the Basque Country (UPV/ EHU) (GIU18/216 Research Group), the Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness (MINECO) (MAT2016-76294-R). Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT, Portugal) for financial support by national funds FCT/MCTES to CIMO (UIDB/00690/2020). National funding by FCT- Foundation for Science and Technology, through the institutional scientific employment program-contract with I.P. Fernandes. We also wish to acknowledge the “Macrobehaviour-Mesostructure- Nanotechnology” SGIker units from the UPV/EHU, for their technical supporinfo:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

A Systematic Review on the Effects of L-theanine and Caffeine Combination on Human Mood and Cognition

Caffeine is one of the most widely ingested psychoactive drugs in the world. However, this central nervous system stimulant has raised concerns because of its inauspicious effects on health that come with its overconsumption. Recent scientific advancements have allowed for the theoretical regulation of these side effects through the combination of caffeine and Ltheanine, an amino acid that promotes relaxation and improves mental function. This minireview aims to extend current knowledge by synthesizing both beneficial and detrimental effects of the administration of the combination of caffeine and L-theanine to the human brain and cognition. Information was extensively reviewed, analyzed, and compiled from a sample of 50 works of literature published from 2014 to 2020 in the DLSU Library Databases, as well as referenced studies excluded from the given timeframe that contain highly relevant information that help structuralize the review. Dosage was found to be important in attaining benefits on mood and cognition such as suppressed anxiety and stress, positive mental state, neurochemically fostered changes in neurotransmitter systems, improved accuracy, improved semantic and recognition memory, and heightened mental alertness. On the other hand, Ltheanine was found to reduce arousal more than it regulates elevated emotions caused by caffeine while some literature found that induced cognitive effects were only independent for each substance. In summary, existing studies support the hypothesis that the combination benefits human mood and cognition. As such, future research may gear towards a build-up on knowledge and innovations on the topic

Intraspecific Variation in Pinus Pinaster PSII Photochemical Efficiency in Response to Winter Stress and Freezing Temperatures

As part of a program to select maritime pine (Pinus pinaster Ait.) genotypes for resistance to low winter temperatures, we examined variation in photosystem II activity by chlorophyll fluorescence. Populations and families within populations from contrasting climates were tested during two consecutive winters through two progeny trials, one located at a continental and xeric site and one at a mesic site with Atlantic influence. We also obtained the LT50, or the temperature that causes 50% damage, by controlled freezing and the subsequent analysis of chlorophyll fluorescence in needles and stems that were collected from populations at the continental trial site

Relationship Between Osteoporosis and Marginal Bone Loss in Osseointegrated Implants: A 2-Year Retrospective Study

Background: Fitting implants in osteoporotic patients has raditionally been controversial, and there is little scientific evidence relating osteoporosis to marginal bone loss (MBL). The aims of this study are as follows: 1) to evaluate the possibility of a correlation between osteoporosis, as measured by the mandibular cortical index (MCI), and MBL and 2) to assess how various systemic diseases, periodontitis, and placement of implants in regenerated bone are correlated with MBL and MCI. Methods: This retrospective study examines 212 implants inserted in 67 patients. To take a possible cluster failure into account, an implant for each patient was selected (n = 67 implants). MBL was assessed. Osteoporosis was evaluated using the MCI. Both MBL and MCI were assessed from panoramic radiographs. x2 test was performed (Haberman post hoc test). Significance was P <0.05. Results: When the total sample implant (N = 212) was evaluated, a significant association was found between the presence of osteoporosis and MCI (P <0.001) and between the presence of diabetes mellitus and MCI (P <0.01). Significant associations were also found between MBL and placement of implants in regenerated sites (P <0.001) and between MBL and a previous history of periodontitis (P <0.05). When the sample is evaluated only in selected implants (one per patient, n = 67), significant differences appear to relate only to the MBL with the placement of implants in regenerated bone sites (P <0.001). Conclusions: Osteoporosis (as evaluated by MCI) does not pose a risk for the development of greater MBL. Parameters adversely affecting the development of increased MBL are a previous history of periodontitis and especially the placement of implants at sites of bone regeneration

New reference ranges for interpreting forced expiratory manoeuvres in infants and implications for clinical interpretation: a multicentre collaboration

The raised volume rapid thoracoabdominal compression (RVRTC) technique is commonly used to obtain full forced expiratory manoeuvres from infants, but reference equations derived from 'in-house' equipment have been shown to be inappropriate for current commercially available devices

Brain functional abnormality in schizo-affective disorder: an fMRI study.

Background.Schizo-affective disorder has not been studied to any significant extent using functional imaging. The aim of this study was to examine patterns of brain activation and deactivation in patients meeting strict diagnostic criteria for the disorder. METHOD: Thirty-two patients meeting research diagnostic criteria (RDC) for schizo-affective disorder (16 schizomanic and 16 schizodepressive) and 32 matched healthy controls underwent functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) during performance of the n-back task. Linear models were used to obtain maps of activations and deactivations in the groups. RESULTS: Controls showed activation in a network of frontal and other areas and also deactivation in the medial frontal cortex, the precuneus and the parietal cortex. Schizo-affective patients activated significantly less in prefrontal, parietal and temporal regions than the controls, and also showed failure of deactivation in the medial frontal cortex. When task performance was controlled for, the reduced activation in the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) and the failure of deactivation of the medial frontal cortex remained significant. CONCLUSIONS: Schizo-affective disorder shows a similar pattern of reduced frontal activation to schizophrenia. The disorder is also characterized by failure of deactivation suggestive of default mode network dysfunction

Stein's method on Wiener chaos

We combine Malliavin calculus with Stein's method, in order to derive explicit bounds in the Gaussian and Gamma approximations of random variables in a fixed Wiener chaos of a general Gaussian process. We also prove results concerning random variables admitting a possibly infinite Wiener chaotic decomposition. Our approach generalizes, refines and unifies the central and non-central limit theorems for multiple Wiener-It\^o integrals recently proved (in several papers, from 2005 to 2007) by Nourdin, Nualart, Ortiz-Latorre, Peccati and Tudor. We apply our techniques to prove Berry-Ess\'een bounds in the Breuer-Major CLT for subordinated functionals of fractional Brownian motion. By using the well-known Mehler's formula for Ornstein-Uhlenbeck semigroups, we also recover a technical result recently proved by Chatterjee, concerning the Gaussian approximation of functionals of finite-dimensional Gaussian vectors.Comment: 39 pages; Two sections added; To appear in PTR

Interactions of Bacillus Mojavensis and Fusarium Verticillioides With a Benzoxazolinone (Boa) and Its Transformation Product, Apo

En:Journal of Chemical Ecology (2007, vol. 33, n. 10, p. 1885-1897)The benzoxazolinones, specifically benzoxazolin-2(3H)-one (BOA), are important transformation products of the benzoxazinones that can serve as allelochemicals providing resistance to maize from pathogenic bacteria, fungi, and insects. However, maize pathogens such as Fusarium verticillioides are capable of detoxifying the benzoxazolinones to 2-aminophenol (AP), which is converted to the less toxic N-(2-hydroxyphenyl) malonamic acid (HPMA) and 2-acetamidophenol (HPAA). As biocontrol strategies that utilize a species of endophytic bacterium, Bacillus mojavensis, are considered efficacious as a control of this Fusarium species, the in vitro transformation and effects of BOA on growth of this bacterium was examined relative to its interaction with strains of F. verticillioides. The results showed that a red pigment was produced and accumulated only on BOA-amended media when wild type and the progeny of genetic crosses of F. verticillioides are cultured in the presence of the bacterium. The pigment was identified as 2-amino-3H-phenoxazin-3-one (APO), which is a stable product. The results indicate that the bacterium interacts with the fungus preventing the usual transformation of AP to the nontoxic HPMA, resulting in the accumulation of higher amounts of APO than when the fungus is cultured alone. APO is highly toxic to F. verticillioides and other organisms. Thus, an enhanced biocontrol is suggested by this in vitro study. =580 $aEn:Journal of Chemical Ecolog