Vulnerability of Coastal Areas Due to Infrastructure: The Case of Valencia Port (Spain)

[EN] The vulnerability of coastal areas is related to the existence and functionality of infrastructure. Ports have had increased activity in the last few decades due to growing needs of the market. At the same time, there have been huge changes in maritime traffic, and some ports are specialized in container traffic. The port in Valencia developed notably in the last expansions, in the 1980s and in the recent northern expansion. Valencia¿s port specializes in container traffic, and has become a Mediterranean leader and the metropolitan area is an important logistics center. Ports can create coastal erosion by altering wave patterns. The environmental effects of the port of Valencia were analyzed. The Spanish Mediterranean coastline as well as morpho-dynamic units were monitored. The solid transport capacity to the north and south of the Valencia port was estimated, and the effects of other infrastructure on sedimentary sources of beaches were also studied. The port of Valencia¿s barrier effect is responsible for the situation at the beaches to the north and south. This effect is total and impedes net sediment transport, predominantly to the south along the stretch of coastline. However, the port is not the only factor responsible for this situation, and the lack of continental sediments must also be considered. In addition, climate change has an influence on the behavior of the coastline. The vulnerability of the coast has increased due to changes in coastal morphology, variations in littoral transport rates, and coastal erosion. To promote sustainable port management, some correction measures, such as sand bypassing, dune rehabilitation, and dune vegetation, are proposed.Esteban Chapapría, V.; Serra Peris, JC. (2021). Vulnerability of Coastal Areas Due to Infrastructure: The Case of Valencia Port (Spain). Land. 10(12):1-15. https://doi.org/10.3390/land10121344115101

The Efficacy and Patient Satisfaction with a Mini-Scleral Lens after penetrating Keratoplasty

Background: To analyse the efficacy and patient satisfaction of fitting a mini-scleral lens (SL) after keratoplasty surgery in patients unsatisfied with their visual outcomes. Material and Methods: A retrospective chart review of 22 consecutive patients was performed between 2018 and 2019. Demographic data, indications for keratoplasty, ocular parameters, and visual results were evaluated. In addition, subjective visual quality (SVQ) and comfort, complications, daily wear time, and the reason for discontinuing SL wear during the 6-month follow-up were analysed. Results: Twenty-two eyes of 22 patients (6 females and 16 males; mean age 48.82 ± 17.19 years) were assessed. Keratoconus was the main indication for keratoplasty (9 eyes, 40.9%), followed by corneal opacities (5 eyes), and Fuchs endothelial dystrophy (4 eyes). High refractive anisometropia was found in 14 eyes (63.6%) and 6 eyes presented significant irregular astigmatism. LogMAR visual acuity improved significantly with SL when compared with the best spectacle-correction (mean, 0.12 ± 0.12 vs 0.52 ± 0.33, respectively; p < 0.01). Six patients discontinued SL wear (27.3%). Among the other 16 patients, the mean daily wear time was 11.47 ± 1.52 h; of these, 14 (87.5%) were successfully fitted and enjoyed favourable SVQ and comfort. No significant complications were found during the follow-up period. Conclusions: Mini-scleral lenses may be a safe and effective alternative for treating complicated eyes after keratoplasty; they may provide optimal visual rehabilitation and/or restore binocular vision with significant efficacy and patient satisfaction

Levantamientos y seguimientos topo-batimétricos en ingeniería de costas

[ES] Se describen los métodos de ejecución de trabajos topográficos y batimétricos de seguimiento de playas, esenciales para la comprensión y control de los procesos litorales. Se plantea el problema de la medición de profundidades y de otras variables descriptivas de la fenomenología oceánica y las fuentes de error dependiendo de las técnicas y métodos empleados. Se comparan los errores de medida típicos de los sistemas de medición de profundidades habituales señalando los niveles de error que cabe esperar según sea el procedimiento utilizado.Esteban Chapapría, V.; Aguilar Herrando, J.; Serra Peris, J.; Medina Folgado, JR. (1995). Levantamientos y seguimientos topo-batimétricos en ingeniería de costas. Ingeniería del Agua. 2(1 Extraordinario):181-200. https://doi.org/10.4995/ia.1995.2670SWORD18120021 ExtraordinarioBritish Ports Association. (1987). An evaluation of echo-sounders for Hydrographic surveying in ports. Londres.Butler, M.J.A. (1.990). Cartografía de recursos marinos: un manual de introducción. FAO.Gable, C.G. & Wanetick, J.R. (1.984). Survey techniques used to measure nearshore profiles. ASCE. Proc. Coastal Engineering 1.984, Vol.II, pp 1879-1895.Gallardo, J., Fuente, E. & Fernández, A. (1.992). Batimetría mediante sensores remotos (I y II. Topografía y Cartografía. n° 50 y 52. pp 17-26, pp 68-75. Colegio Oficial de Ingenieros Técnicos en Topografía. Madrid.Granboulan, J. & Chaumet-Lagrange, M. (1991). Data collection and processing. Terra et Acqua No 46. IADC. Septiembre 1.991.Gravens, M.B. (1992). User's Guide to the Shoreline Modelling System (SMS). Technical Report CERC-92-7, US Army Corps of Engineers Waterways Experiment Station, Vicksburg, MS.Herbich, J. B. (Ed.). (1992). Handbook of Dredging Engineering. Mc Graw - Hill, Inc. U.S.A.The Institution of Civil Engineers (ICE) and The Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS). (1984). Guidelines for the preparation of hydrographic surveys for dredging.Kraus, N. & Smith, J.M. (1994). Supertank Laboratory Data Collection Prpoject. Technical Report CERC-94-3, US Army Corps of Engineers, Waterways Experiment Station, Vicksburg, MSLaboratorio de Puertos y Costas, Universidad Politécnica de Valencia. (1994). Estudio de la Dinámica Litoral y Seguimiento de la playa de "El Saler" (Valencia). Convenio de Investigación. En ejecución.Lee, G. & Birkemeier, W.A. (1993). Beach and Nearshore Survey Data: 1.985 - 1.991 CERC Field Research Facility. Technical Report CERC-93-3, US Army Corps of Engineers, Waterways Experiment Station, Vicksburg, MS.MacPhee, S.B., Dow, A.J., Anderson, N.M. & Reid, D.B. (1981). Aerial hydrography laser bathymetry and air photo techniques for obtaining inshore hydrography. The Hydrographic Journal, n° 22, October 1981. NE London Polytechnic. London.Milne, P.H. (1980). Underwater engineering survey. E & F.N. Spon Ltd. Londres, 1.980.Serra, J., Aguilar, J., Esteban, V. & Medina, J.R. (1994). La cuantificación del error de las batimetrías en el seguimiento de playas. Ingeniería del Agua. Vol. 1, n° 3, pp 7 - 18.Shore Protection Manual (1984). Coastal Engineering Research Center, Dept. of the Navy, Waterways Experiment Station, Vickburg, MS.Stauble, D., García, A. Kraus, N. Grosskopf, W. & Bass, G. (1993). Beach Nourishment Project Response and Desing Evaluation: Ocean City, Maryland. Technical Report CERC-93-13, US Army Corps of Engineers, Waterways Experiment Station, Vicksburg, M

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Optimization of Innovative Three-Dimensionally-Structured Hybrid Vesicles to Improve the Cutaneous Delivery of Clotrimazole for the Treatment of Topical Candidiasis

New three-dimensionally-structured hybrid phospholipid vesicles, able to load clotrimazole in a high amount (10 mg/mL), were obtained for the first time in this work by significantly reducing the amount of water (≤10%), which was replaced with a mixture of glycerol and ethanol (≈90%). A pre-formulation study was carried out to evaluate the effect of both the composition of the hydrating medium and the concentration of the phospholipid on the physico-chemical properties of hybrid vesicles. Four different three-dimensionally-structured hybrid vesicles were selected as ideal systems for the topical application of clotrimazole. An extensive physico-chemical characterization performed using transmission electron microscopy (TEM), cryogenic transmission electron microscopy (cryo-TEM), 31P-NMR, and small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS) displayed the formation of small, multi-, and unilamellar vesicles very close to each other, and was capable of forming a three-dimensional network, which stabilized the dispersion. Additionally, the dilution of the dispersion with water reduced the interactions between vesicles, leading to the formation of single unilamellar vesicles. The evaluation of the in vitro percutaneous delivery of clotrimazole showed an improved drug deposition in the skin strata provided by the three-dimensionally-structured vesicles with respect to the commercial cream (Canesten®) used as a reference. Hybrid vesicles were highly biocompatible and showed a significant antifungal activity in vitro, greater than the commercial cream Canesten®. The antimycotic efficacy of formulations was confirmed by the reduced proliferation of the yeast cells at the site of infection in vivo. In light of these results, clotrimazole-loaded, three-dimensionally-structured hybrid vesicles appear to be one of the most innovative and promising formulations for the treatment of candidiasis infections

Estudio mediante Radioinmunoanálisis (RIA) y análisis inmunorradiométrico (IRMA) del equilibrio de la reacción antígeno-anticuerpo de algunas sustancias

It has been studied the binding to their specific antibodies, of the following substances: insulin and dehydroepiandrosterone sulphate (DHEAs) by means of solid-state RIA, osteocalcin and c-terminal fraction parathormone (PTHc) by means of RIA of the corresponding solutions, and neuronal specific enolase (NSE), tiroglobuline (Tg) and the tumoral marker CA549 by means of IRMA. It has been assayed a theoretical model to explain, in a general way, the antigen-antibody reactions, as well as to evaluate the influence on the binding of several factors: temperature, kind of antibody, kind of reaction (in solid state or in solution), antigen features. The obtained results at the steady-state did not allowed and adequate fit of a model with binding sites identical and independents. However, a good fit was obtained with the Hill’s equation. The studied reactions presented a low value of entalpy, according to the nature of the antigen-antibody binding.Se ha estudiado el equilibrio de la unión, a sus anticuerpos específicos, de las siguientes sustancias: Insulina y dehidroepiandrosterona sulfato (DHEAs), mediante RIA en fase sólida, osteocalcina y fracción c-terminal de la parathormona (PTHc), mediante RIA en disolución y enolasa específica neuronal (NSE), tiroglobulina (Tg) y el marcador tumoral CA549, mediante IRMA. Se pretende determinar un modelo que explique, de manera general, dichas reacciones antígeno-anticuerpo, así como establecer la influencia de algunos factores: temperatura, clase de anticuerpo, reacción en fase sólida o en disolución, características del antígeno,... sobre esta unión. Los resultados obtenidos en el estudio del equilibrio no se ajustan al modelo de sitios idénticos e independientes, sin embargo, proporcionan un excelente ajuste a la ecuación de Hill. Las reacciones estudiadas presentan un valor bajo de la entalpía de reacción concordante con la naturaleza de la unión antígeno-anticuerpo

Curcumin or quercetin loaded nutriosomes as oral adjuvants for malaria infections

Artemisinin, curcumin or quercetin, alone or in combination, were loaded in nutriosomes, special phospholipid vesicles enriched with Nutriose FM06®, a soluble dextrin with prebiotic activity, that makes these vesicles suitable for oral delivery. The resulting nutriosomes were sized between 93 and 146 nm, homogeneously dispersed, and had slightly negative zeta potential (around -8 mV). To improve their shelf life and storability over time, vesicle dispersions were freeze-dried and stored at 25 °C. Results confirmed that their main physico-chemical characteristics remained unchanged over a period of 12 months. Additionally, their size and polydispersity index did not undergo any significant variation after dilution with solutions at different pHs (1.2 and 7.0) and high ionic strength, mimicking the harsh conditions of the stomach and intestine. An in vitro study disclosed the delayed release of curcumin and quercetin from nutriosomes (∼53% at 48 h) while artemisinin was quickly released (∼100% at 48 h). Cytotoxicity assays using human colon adenocarcinoma cells (Caco-2) and human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) proved the high biocompatibility of the prepared formulations. Finally, in vitro antimalarial activity tests, assessed against the 3D7 strain of Plasmodium falciparum, confirmed the effectiveness of nutriosomes in the delivery of curcumin and quercetin, which can be used as adjuvants in the antimalaria treatment. The efficacy of artemisinin was also confirmed but not improved. Overall results proved the possible use of these formulations as an accompanying treatment of malaria infections.Copyright © 2023. Published by Elsevier B.V

Formulation of liposomes loading lentisk oil to ameliorate topical delivery, attenuate oxidative stress damage and improve cell migration in scratch assay

Pistacia lentiscus L. is a sclerophyllous shrub capable of growing under harsh climatic conditions especially in the Mediterranean Basin. Different products can be obtained from this plant, such as essential oil, mastic gum or even fixed oil. The last is well known for its flavor which is mainly exploited in the food industry. Additionally, it has been traditionally used in the treatment of skin diseases, but, at the moment, any suitable formulation for skin delivery has been formulated and its biological effects was not deeply confirmed. Given that, in the present study, the lentisk oil has been formulated in liposomes at different concentrations (10, 20, 30 mg/ml) and their physicochemical, technological and main biological properties have been evaluated. Vesicles were prepared by using natural soy lecithin and a green and organic solvent free method, thus obtaining spherical, small (~ 118 nm), homogeneously dispersed (0.27) and highly negatively charged (~ -62 mV) vesicles. The used amount of oil loaded in liposomes (10, 20, 30 mg/ml) modulated the penetration ability of vesicles in the skin, favoring the deposition of the payload in the deeper strata. The loading in the vesicles potentiated the ability of oil to counteract the damaging effects caused by hydrogen peroxide in keratinocytes and fibroblasts and facilitate their migration in a cell monolayer lesion. Overall findings suggested that the incorporation of lentisk oil in liposomes made from soy lecithin can be an alternative and natural approach to exploit it in pharmaceutical ad cosmetical applications and manufacturing natural products suitable for the treatment of skin lesions

Co-Loading of Ascorbic Acid and Tocopherol in Eudragit-Nutriosomes to Counteract Intestinal Oxidative Stress

The present study aimed at developing a new vesicular formulation capable of promoting the protective effect of ascorbic acid and tocopherol against intestinal oxidative stress damage, and their efficacy in intestinal wound healing upon oral administration. A pH-dependent copolymer (Eudragit® L100), a water-soluble prebiotic fibre (Nutriose® FM06), a phospholipid mixture (Lipoid S75), and two natural antioxidants (ascorbic acid and tocopherol) were combined to fabricate eudragit-nutriosomes by a simple, solvent-free procedure. The vesicles were spherical and oligolamellar, with some multicompartment structures in Eudragit-nutriosomes, small in size (~100 nm), with highly negative zeta potential. The effect of Eudragit® and Nutriose® on the stability on storage and in simulated gastrointestinal fluids were confirmed by the Turbiscan® technology and in vitro studies, respectively. Eudragit-nutriosomes exhibited a protective effect against H2O2-induced oxidative stress, and a proliferative effect in Caco-2 cells, as they provided the closure of the scratched area after 96 h of incubation. Keywords: Eudragit, Nutriose, phospholipid vesicles, antioxidant, intestinal wound healin

Enzyme replacement therapy for the treatment of Hunter disease: A systematic review with narrative synthesis and meta-analysis

Background: In the last 10 years enzyme replacement therapy (ERT) has become an alternative for the treatment of patients with Hunter disease (HD). Nevertheless, the information regarding efficacy and safety is scarce and mainly based on the pivotal trials. This scarcity is especially evident for adults and severe forms of HD. Methods: A systematic review of publications in the electronic databases PUBMED, EMBASE and Cochrane Central was undertaken. Clinical trials and observational studies were included. The data about efficacy and security were retrieved and analysed with Review Manager version 5.3. Results: 677 records were found, 559 remaining after the removal of duplicates. By title and abstract review, 427 were excluded. Full reading of the rest was made (122 publications) and 42 were finally included. It was not possible to perform meta-analysis of all the endpoints due to high heterogeneity in the reporting and measuring of variables in each publication. Eight clinical trials were included, 6 with high risk of bias. The quality of the other studies was low in 12%, average in 68% and good in 21%. Main findings were: a reduction in the elimination of glycosaminoglycans (GAG) in urine in all the studies (26/26), decrease in liver and spleen size (18/18), increase of 52.59 m (95% CI, 36, 42-68.76, p < .001) in the 6-min walk test (TM6M), increase in forced vital capacity (FVC) of 9.59% (95% CI 4.77-14.51, p < .001), reduction of the left ventricular mass index of 3.57% (95% CI 1.2-5.93) and reduction in mortality (OR) of 0.44 (0.27-0.71). Discussion: The data suggests a clear and consistent effect of ERT in HD reducing the accumulation of GAGs in the body, demonstrated by the reduction of its urinary excretion, as well as by the reduction of its deposits (spleen, liver and heart). Likewise, there is an improvement in physical and respiratory function. In addition, a reduction in mortality has been observed. Lack of studies, small size of the samples, and methodological deficiencies are the main limitations to establish definite conclusions. Conclusions: The data suggests that ERT is effective and safe in the treatment of HD. There is a need to evaluate patient-centred outcomes and the impact on quality of life