Tailoring chitosan/collagen scaffolds for tissue engineering: Effect of composition and different crosslinking agents on scaffold properties.

Chitosan/collagen (Chit/Col) blends have demonstrated great potential for use in tissue engineering (TE) applications. However, there exists a lack of detailed study on the influence of important design parameters (i.e, component ratio or crosslinking methods) on the essential properties of the scaffolds (morphology, mechanical stiffness, swelling, degradation and cytotoxicity). This work entailed a systematic study of these essential properties of three Chit/Col compositions, covering a wide range of component ratios and using different crosslinking methods. Our results showed the possibility of tailoring these properties by changing component ratios, since different interactions occurred between Chit/Col: samples with Chit-enriched compositions showed a hydrogen-bonding type complex (HC), whereas a self-crosslinking phenomenon was induced in Col-enriched scaffolds. Additionally, material and biological properties of the resultant matrices were further adjusted and tuned by changing crosslinking conditions. In such way, we obtained a wide range of scaffolds whose properties were tailored to meet specific needs of TE applications.The authors are grateful to Dr. von Kobbe (Chimera Pharma of Bionostra Group) for the gift of MCF7 cells. The financial support of the Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación of Spain (FIS PS09/01513), and the FPI grant from UCM to A. Martínez are gratefully acknowledged.This is the author accepted manuscript. The final version is available from Elsevier via http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.carbpol.2015.06.08

Binary Decision Diagrams: from Tree Compaction to Sampling

Any Boolean function corresponds with a complete full binary decision tree. This tree can in turn be represented in a maximally compact form as a direct acyclic graph where common subtrees are factored and shared, keeping only one copy of each unique subtree. This yields the celebrated and widely used structure called reduced ordered binary decision diagram (ROBDD). We propose to revisit the classical compaction process to give a new way of enumerating ROBDDs of a given size without considering fully expanded trees and the compaction step. Our method also provides an unranking procedure for the set of ROBDDs. As a by-product we get a random uniform and exhaustive sampler for ROBDDs for a given number of variables and size

The costs of preventing and treating chagas disease in Colombia

Background: The objective of this study is to report the costs of Chagas disease in Colombia, in terms of vector disease control programmes and the costs of providing care to chronic Chagas disease patients with cardiomyopathy. Methods: Data were collected from Colombia in 2004. A retrospective review of costs for vector control programmes carried out in rural areas included 3,084 houses surveyed for infestation with triatomine bugs and 3,305 houses sprayed with insecticide. A total of 63 patient records from 3 different hospitals were selected for a retrospective review of resource use. Consensus methodology with local experts was used to estimate care seeking behaviour and to complement observed data on utilisation. Findings: The mean cost per house per entomological survey was $4.4 (in US$ of 2004), whereas the mean cost of spraying a house with insecticide was $27. The main cost driver of spraying was the price of the insecticide, which varied greatly. Treatment of a chronic Chagas disease patient costs between$46.4 and $7,981 per year in Colombia, depending on severity and the level of care used. Combining cost and utilisation estimates the expected cost of treatment per patient-year is$1,028, whereas lifetime costs averaged $11,619 per patient. Chronic Chagas disease patients have limited access to healthcare, with an estimated 22% of patients never seeking care. Conclusion: Chagas disease is a preventable condition that affects mostly poor populations living in rural areas. The mean costs of surveying houses for infestation and spraying infested houses were low in comparison to other studies and in line with treatment costs. Care seeking behaviour and the type of insurance affiliation seem to play a role in the facilities and type of care that patients use, thus raising concerns about equitable access to care. Preventing Chagas disease in Colombia would be cost-effective and could contribute to prevent inequalities in health and healthcare.Wellcome Trus

The key points for communication by material means during the Late Holocene in central-west Santa Cruz (Southern Patagonia, Argentina)

Se estudian puntos claves en el espacio para la comunicación por medios materiales durante los últimos 2500 años en Patagonia meridional. Se caracterizan los sitios con mayor cantidad de motivos rupestres en la meseta del Strobel (Argentina) considerando cuatro ejes: emplazamientos seleccionados, intensidad de producción rupestre, variedad de información comunicada y lapsos temporales representados. Se busca comprender los criterios de selección de estos espacios y de las estrategias de circulación de información en este período. Se evalúa la importancia de estos sitios en una escala espacial amplia y se resalta su relevancia para comprender los circuitos de comunicación entre poblaciones humanas durante el Holoceno Tardío.Key points in space for communication by material means during the last 2500 years in southern Patagonia are studied. The sites with the greatest number of rock art motifs on the Strobel plateau (Argentina) are characterized in terms of four axes: the selected locations, the intensity of rock art production, the variety of information communicated, and the time periods represented. We seek to understand the criteria for the selection of these spaces and the strategies related to the circulation of information during this period of time. The importance of these sites in a wide spatial scale is evaluated, and their relevance for the understanding of the communication circuits among human populations during the Late Holocene is highlighted.Fil: Re, Anahi. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; Argentina. Secretaría de Cultura de la Nación. Dirección Nacional de Cultura y Museos. Instituto Nacional de Antropología y Pensamiento Latinoamericano; Argentina. Universidad de Buenos Aires; ArgentinaFil: Guichon, Francisco. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; Argentina. Comision Nacional de Actividades Espaciales. Conae Sede Buenos Aires; Argentina. Secretaría de Cultura de la Nación. Dirección Nacional de Cultura y Museos. Instituto Nacional de Antropología y Pensamiento Latinoamericano; ArgentinaFil: Espinosa, Mariana. Secretaría de Cultura de la Nación. Dirección Nacional de Cultura y Museos. Instituto Nacional de Antropología y Pensamiento Latinoamericano; ArgentinaFil: Martínez, Lara. Secretaría de Cultura de la Nación. Dirección Nacional de Cultura y Museos. Instituto Nacional de Antropología y Pensamiento Latinoamericano; Argentin

The combination of crop diversification and no tillage enhances key soil quality parameters related to soil functioning without compromising crop yields in a low-input rainfed almond orchard under semiarid Mediterranean conditions

Soils provide key ecosystem services and are crucial to combat climate change. Agriculture provides important ecosystem services but also causes negative environmental effects depending on agricultural management. In this regard, crop diversification is a promising sustainable land management strategy to combat soil erosion and degradation, mitigate climate change and ensure food security. Here, we assess the combined short-term effects of crop diversification and no tillage on several key soil physico-chemical parameters related to soil functioning as well as on crop yields in a rainfed almond (Prunus dulcis Mill.) orchard under semiarid Mediterranean conditions. Almond trees were inter-cropped with Capparis spinosa L. (caper) or Thymus hyemalis Lange (winter thyme) and compared with the almond monocrop system. The experimental design consisted of three plots in a randomized-block design, with three replicates for each crop management treatment (almond monocrop, almond inter-cropped with caper, and almond inter-cropped with winter thyme). Along with crop yields, the combined effects of crop diversification and no tillage on a range of soil quality and health indicators including soil physical (bulk density, aggregate stability, water retention and availability) and chemical (total and particulate organic carbon and nitrogen, ammonium and nitrate content, available macro- and micro-nutrients) properties were monitored in the topsoil and subsoil (at 0–10 and 10–30 cm depth, respectively) one and three years from establishment.EEA Delta del ParanáFil: Almagro, María. Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC). Centro de Edafología y Biología Aplicada del Segura; EspañaFil: Díaz-Pereira, Elvira. Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC). Centro de Edafología y Biología Aplicada del Segura; EspañaFil: Boix-Fayos, Carolina. Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC). Centro de Edafología y Biología Aplicada del Segura; EspañaFil: Zornoza, Raúl. Universidad Politécnica de Cartagena. Departamento de Ingeniería Agronómica; EspañaFil: Sánchez-Navarro, Virginia. Universidad Politécnica de Cartagena. Departamento de Ingeniería Agronómica; EspañaFil: Re, Paula. Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria (INTA). Estación Experimental Agropecuaria Delta del Paraná; ArgentinaFil: Re, Paula. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Agronomía; ArgentinaFil: Fernández, Cristina. Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC). Centro de Edafología y Biología Aplicada del Segura; EspañaFil: Martínez-Mena, María. Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC). Centro de Edafología y Biología Aplicada del Segura; Españ

The effect of maxillary protraction, with or without rapid palatal expansion, on airway dimensions: A systematic review and meta-analysis

Aim The use of maxillary protraction appliances (MPAs) and Facemask (FM), with or without a rapid maxillary expansion (RME), have become a routine orthopaedic treatment procedure for the treatment of Class III in growing individuals; several authors have suggested that maxillary protraction could have a positive impact on airway dimensions. The purpose of this systematic review and meta- analysis was to assess the efficacy of maxillary protraction appliances (MPAs), with or without a rapid maxillary expansion (RME), on airway dimensions in children in mixed or early permanent dentition. Methods An electronic search was performed on PubMed, Medline, Scopus, The Cochrane Library, EMBASE and the System for Information on Grey Literature in Europe until November 30th, 2019. The Newcastle-Ottawa (NOS) scale was used to assess the studies’ quality. Review Manager 5.3 (provided by the Cochrane Collaboration) was used to synthesize the effects on airway dimensions. Results After full text assessment, 8 studies were included in the qualitative and quantitative synthesis. NOS scores ranged 6 to 9 indicating high quality. The effects of two therapeutic protocols were compared, treatment with MPAs only (113 subjects treated - 65 controls) and the treatment with MPAs + RME (137 subjects treated-87 controls). The MPAs only treatment group displayed a significantly increase in nasopharyngeal airway dimension at PNS-AD1 (random: mean difference, 1.39 mm, 95% CI, 0.32 mm, 2.47 mm, p= 0.01) and at PNS-AD2 (random: mean difference, 1.70 mm, 95% CI, 1.14 mm, 2.26 mm, p= 0.00001). No statistically significant changes were found post treatment in MPAs + RME treatment groups at PNS-AD1 (P= 0.15), PNS-AD2 (P= 0.17), McNamara’s upper pharynx (MPAs + RME P= 0.05, MPAs P= 0.99) and McNamara lower pharynx (MPAs + RME P= 0.25, MPAs P= 0.40). Conclusion MPAs only treatment can increase the pharyngeal thickness after treatment both at PNS-A1 and PNS-AD2. MPA+ RME had no effect on sagittal widths compared with controls, but the effect on the transverse dimension could not be assessed

Fomento del auto-aprendizaje y la adquisición de competencias transversales a través de video-tutoriales

En la asignatura de Informática Aplicada a la Traducción deben adquirirse las competencias de manejo de herramientas colaborativas, tareas de documentación y búsqueda de información entre otras. Para contribuir a la adquisición de estas competencias, así como para fomentar el auto-aprendizaje, hemos desarrollado una experiencia en la que, en base al uso de herramientas colaborativas, los alumnos diseñan, comparten y evalúan vídeo-tutoriales sobre algunas cuestiones teóricas o prácticas de la asignatura propuestas por los profesores. A través de los comentarios que estos vídeos reciben, tanto de los profesores como de sus propios compañeros, los alumnos pueden saber cuáles son los tutoriales que mejor les servirán para estudiar y desarrollar el trabajo exigido en la asignatura.In the subject named Computer studies applied to translation and interpretation, students have to acquire competences such as usage of collaborative tools, documentation and search of information tasks. With the aim of contribute to the acquisition of those competences as well as to promote the self-learning, we have developed an experience where, based on the use of collaborative tools where the students generate, share and evaluate video-tutorials on some theoretical or practical issues proposed by teachers. Through the comments sent by teachers and other students on these videos, the students can know which of them are more useful to study and develop the different tasks of the subject.Este trabajo ha sido parcialmente financiado por el 'Programa de Ayuda a los Grupos de Excelencia de la Fundación Séneca 04552/GERM/06'

EFFECTS OF BLANCHING ON GRAPES (VITIS VINIFERA) AND CHANGES DURING STORAGE IN SYRUP

This paper studies the effects of conventional and microwave blanching on grapes that are being processed for storage in syrup. An analysis was made of the blanching effects on macro- and micronutrients, as well as on color and mechanical properties. To test the effectiveness of these blanching treatments, enzymatic residual activity was measured for polyphenol oxidase, peroxidase and pectinmethylesterase. Both blanching treatments reduced enzyme activity in the grapes, especially polyphenol oxidase (99%). Blanching treatments also caused significant decrease in tartaric acid (TA) also as in color and mechanical changes, more marked in conventional-treated samples. As for the effect of storage, microwave treatment supposed a greater stability of TA and total phenols than conventional one, also as a greater antioxidant activity of grapes. From this point of view, microwave treatment of samples immersed in water can be proposed as a good alternative to conventional heating in boiling water for grapes blanching. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.The authors thank the Ministerio de Educacion y Ciencia, the Fondo Europeo de Desarrollo Regional and the Conselleria de Educacion y Ciencia for the financial support given throughout the Projects (AGL 2005-05994 and GV04A-394 AGL 2005-05994). The translation of this paper was funded by the Universidad Politecnica de Valencia, Spain.Carranza Concha, J.; Camacho Vidal, MM.; Martínez Navarrete, N. (2012). EFFECTS OF BLANCHING ON GRAPES (VITIS VINIFERA) AND CHANGES DURING STORAGE IN SYRUP. Journal of Food Processing and Preservation. 36(1):11-20. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1745-4549.2011.00546.xS112036

Effect of thermal treatment and storage on bioactive compounds, organic acids and antioxidant activity of baobab fruit (Adansonia digitata) pulp from Malawi

Bioactive compounds of baobab (Adansonia digitata) pulp from Malawi were investigated. The effect of thermal treatment and storage on selected quality attributes of the juice was also evaluated. Organic compounds were analysed by HPLC; total phenol content (TPC) and total antioxidant activity (FRAP, ABTS and DPPH) were measured by spectrophotometry. Malawi baobab pulp contains high levels of procyanidin B2 (533 ± 22.6 mg/100 g FW), vitamin C (AA + DHA) (466 ± 2.5 mg/100 g FW), gallic acid (68.5 ± 12.4 mg/100 g FW) and (−)-epicatechin (43.0 ± 3.0 mg/100 g FW) and showed a maximum TPC of 1.89 × 103 ± 1.61 mg GAE/100 g FW. The maximum antioxidant activity was 2.81 × 103 ± 92.8 mg TEAC/100 g FW for FRAP, 1.52 × 103 ± 17.1 mg TEAC/100 g FW for ABTS and 50.9 ± 0.43% DPPH for DPPH. Thermal pasteurisation (72 °C, 15 s) retained vitamin C which further showed extended half-life under refrigeration temperature (6 °C). Procyanidin B2, (−)-epicatechin, TPC and antioxidant activity fluctuated during storage. Antioxidant activity was significantly correlated (p ≤ 0.05) with bioactive compounds and TPC

Pelagic Sargassum as an emerging vector of high rate carbonate sediment import to tropical Atlantic coastlines

This is the author accepted manuscript. The final version is available from Elsevier via the DOI in this recordSince 2011, pelagic Sargassum has inundated Caribbean, West African, and northern Brazilian shorelines in increasing volumes. These events are linked to the emergence of a major new Sargassum bloom region in the Atlantic Ocean, and annual high-volume Sargassum beachings are seemingly becoming an established norm. Resultant socio-economic and ecological implications are widespread and potentially serious, but an important question that has so far received no attention is whether these Sargassum inundations might represent a new source of carbonate sediment in affected coastal areas. This sediment derives from calcareous epiphyte communities that colonise Sargassum (e.g., bryozoans, serpulid worms, and red algae), and if volumetrically significant, may help to counteract aspects of Sargassum beachings thought to reduce sediment supply and decrease coastal stability. Here we determine the carbonate contents of Sargassum from coastal waters of the Mexican Caribbean. Integrating these with volumetric data on beached Sargassum, we then estimate total epiphytic carbonate import during 2018 at 11 sites along a 60 km section of the Quintana Roo coast, Mexico. Based on measured mean carbonate content of Sargassum (2.09% wet weight; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.83–2.32), and estimates of annual beached Sargassum (7.0 × 103 kg drained weight·m−1 of shoreline; 95% CI: 6.9–7.2), our findings indicate that Sargassum beachings in the Mexican Caribbean contributed an average of 179 kg CaCO3·m−1 of shoreline (95% CI: 173–185) in 2018: close to our upper estimate of seagrass epiphyte contributions (210 kg·m−1). Although quantitative data on Sargassum beachings from other locations are sparse, numerous media reports suggest the scale of these events is comparable for many exposed tropical Caribbean and Atlantic shorelines. This represents the first documentation of pelagic Sargassum as a major vector of coastal sediment import, the significance of which has likely only arisen since the onset of large-scale inundations in 2011.Royal SocietyLeverhulme Trus