Fascicular Topography of the Human Median Nerve for Neuroprosthetic Surgery

One of the most sought-after applications of neuroengineering is the communication between the arm and an artificial prosthetic device for the replacement of an amputated hand or the treatment of peripheral nerve injuries. For that, an electrode is placed around or inside the median nerve to serve as interface for recording and stimulation of nerve signals coming from the fascicles that innervate the muscles responsible for hand movements. Due to the lack of a standard procedure, the electrode implantation by the surgeon is strongly based on intuition, which may result in poor performance of the neuroprosthesis because of the suboptimal location of the neural interface. To provide morphological data that can aid the neuroprosthetic surgeon with this procedure, we investigated the fascicular topography of the human median nerve along the forearm and upper arm. We first performed a description of the fascicular content and branching patterns along the length of the arm. Next we built a 3D reconstruction of the median nerve so we could analyze the fascicle morphological features in relation to the arm level. Finally, we characterized the motor content of the median nerve fascicles in the upper arm. Collectively, these results indicate that fascicular organization occurs in a short segment distal to the epicondyles and remains unaltered until the muscular branches leave the main trunk. Based on our results, overall recommendations based on electrode type and implant location can be drawn to help and aid the neuroprosthetic procedure. Invasive interfaces would be more convenient for the upper arm and the most proximal third of the forearm. Epineural electrodes seem to be most suitable for the forearm segment after fascicles have been divided from the main trunk

Laser Fabrication of Polymer Ferroelectric Nanostructures for Nonvolatile Organic Memory Devices

8 pags.; 5 figs.© 2015 American Chemical Society. Polymer ferroelectric laser-induced periodic surface structures (LIPSS) have been prepared on ferroelectric thin films of a poly(vinylidene fluoride-trifluoroethylene) copolymer. Although this copolymer does not absorb light at the laser wavelength, LIPSS on the copolymer can be obtained by forming a bilayer with other light-absorbing polymers. The ferroelectric nature of the structured bilayer was proven by piezoresponse force microscopy measurements. Ferroelectric hysteresis was found on both the bilayer and the laser-structured bilayer. We show that it is possible to write ferroelectric information at the nanoscale. The laser-structured ferroelectric bilayer showed an increase in the information storage density of an order of magnitude, in comparison to the original bilayer.The authors gratefully acknowledge the financial support of the Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness (MINECO), through Contract Nos. MAT 2011-23455, MAT 2012- 33517, and CTQ 2013-43086-P. D.E.M. thanks CSIC for the tenure of JAE-Pre fellowship and Fondo Social Europeo (FSE) for cofinancing the JAE Program. A.R.R. and E.R. thank MINECO for the tenure of a FPI contract (BES-2013-062620) and a Ramón y Cajal contract (No. RYC-2011-08069), respectively.Peer Reviewe

Las asociaciones de ostrácodos en secuencias aluviales como indicadores de cambios ambientales holocenos (Bardenas Reales de Navarra, Cuenca del Ebro, NE Península Ibérica)

En este trabajo se estudian las asociaciones de ostrácodos identificadas en tres unidades aluviales preservadas en Bardenas Reales de Navarra (Cuenca del Ebro, NE Península Ibérica), para reconstruir la evolución paleoambiental de esta área durante el Holoceno final. Las especies de ostrácodos más comunes en las muestras estudiadas son Ilyocypris bradyi Sars y Paralimnocythere aff. psammophila (Flössner), acompañadas por Pseudocandona albicans (Brady). Las variaciones en su abundancia relativa a lo largo de dichas unidades aluviales permiten caracterizar cambios internos en el ambiente de depósito. Así, la unidad depositada entre 4763±87 y 2848±55 años cal. BP presenta como especie más abundante a I. bradyi, lo que indica la existencia de pequeños arroyos o riachuelos con agua corriente que se desarrollaron probablemente en llanuras de inundación fluviales. Sin embargo, de 2848±55 a 836±65 años cal. BP Paralimnocythere aff. psammophila es la especie dominante, representando el establecimiento de un medio acuático efímero y de aguas estancadas, posiblemente relacionado con condiciones climáticas más áridas (Anomalía Climática Medieval). Finalmente, la asociación de ostrácodos identificada en el Reciente (191±97 a 127±82 años cal. BP) está constituida principalmente por I. bradyi, que indicaría la presencia de nuevo de aguas corrientes. Esta última asociación parece estar vinculada a la influencia de condiciones climáticas húmedas y frías (Pequeña Edad del Hielo) durante el Reciente en esta área. Por lo tanto, la evolución paleoambiental para el Holoceno final de Bardenas Reales de Navarra, identificada a partir de las asociaciones de ostrácodos, muestra una buena correlación con los cambios climáticos rápidos holocenos deducidos en otros registros continentales del NE de la Península Ibérica. In this paper, the ostracod assemblages identified in three alluvial units preserved in Bardenas Reales de Navarra (Ebro Basin, NE Iberian Peninsula) have been studied, with the aim of reconstructing the palaeoenvironmental evolution of this area during the late Holocene. The most common ostracod species in the studied samples are Ilyocypris bradyi Sars and Paralimnocythere aff. psammophila (Flössner), accompanied by Pseudocandona albicans (Brady). Variations in their relative abundance along these alluvial units allow us to characterize internal changes in the depositional environment. Thus, the unit deposited between 4763±87 and 2848±55 years cal. BP is dominated by I. bradyi, indicating the presence of small streams with running water developed probably in fluvial flood plains. Nevertheless, from 2848±55 to 836±65 years cal. BP Paralimnocythere aff. psammophila is the dominant species, representing the establishment of an ephemeral and stagnant aquatic environment, mainly related with more arid climatic conditions (Medieval Warm Period). Finally, the ostracod assemblage identified in Recent times (191±97 to 127±82 years cal. BP) is mainly dominated by I. bradyi, which indicates the presence of running waters. This later assemblage probably defines the influence of cold and wet climatic phase (Little Ice Age) during Recent times in this area. The palaeoenvironmental evolution identified from the late Holocene according to ostracod assemblages in Bardenas Reales de Navarra shows good correlation with rapid climatic changes deduced from other continental records of the NE Iberian Peninsula

Working the interdisciplinary integration: Assesing a bridge activity between two subjects of Environmental Sciences Degree

[EN] This paper describes how an interdicisciplinar group of teachers implements a bridge-activity between two subjects in 2nd course of Environmental Sciences degree. The main goal is to develop both generic and specific competencies related to interdisciplinary work. Students evaluate if these innovation proposals are adequate to develop these skills and what impact produces in their own learning. As main conclusion, to note that coordination between teachers to interconnect subjects within degrees is a very appropriate intervention to provide students with a comprehensive education and skills, they value these activities very positively.[ES] El presente trabajo describe cómo un grupo interdicisciplinar de docentes implanta una actividad puente entre dos asignaturas del 2º curso de grado de Ciencias Ambientales, con el objetivo de desarrollar competencias tanto genéricas como específicas relacionadas con la interdiciplinariedad. Los alumnos evalúan si estas propuestas de innovación docente son adecuadas para desarrollar dichas competencias y qué impacto producen en su propio aprendizaje. Como conclusión principal, destacar que la coordinación entre docentes y el trabajo para interconectar asignaturas dentro de los grados es un ámbito de intervención muy oportuno para dotar a los estudiantes de una formación en competencias e integral, ya que ellos valoran este tipo de actividades muy positivamente.Sandín Vázquez, M.; Lazo Vitoria, X.; Giménez Baldazo, M.; Rodríguez Martínez, M. (2016). Trabajando la integración interdisciplinar: Evaluación de una actividad puente entre dos asignaturas del Grado en Ciencias Ambientales. REDU. Revista de Docencia Universitaria. 14(1):245-260. doi:10.4995/redu.2016.5907.SWORD24526014

Arsenite sorption and co-precipitation with calcite

Sorption of As(III) by calcite was investigated as a function of As(III) concentration, time and pH. The sorption isotherm, i.e. the log As(III) vs. log [As(OH)3 degrees / Assat] plot is S-shaped and has been modelled on an extended version of the surface precipitation model. At low concentrations, As(OH)3 degrees is adsorbed by complexation to surface Ca surface sites, as previously described by the X-ray standing wave technique. The inflexion point of the isotherm, where As(OH)3 degrees is limited by the amount of surface sites (ST), yields 6 sites nm-2 in good agreement with crystallographic data. Beyond this value, the amount of sorbed arsenic increases linearly with solution concentration, up to the saturation of arsenic with respect to the precipitation of CaHAsO3(s). The solid solutions formed in this concentration range were examined by X-ray and neutron diffraction. The doped calcite lattice parameters increase with arsenic content while c/a ratio remains constant. Our results made on bulk calcite on the atomic displacement of As atoms along [0001] direction extend those published by Cheng et al., (1999) on calcite surface. This study provides a molecular-level explanation for why As(III) is trapped by calcite in industrial treatments.Comment: 9 page

Simultaneous fabrication of multiple tablets within seconds using tomographic volumetric 3D printing

3D printing is driving a shift in patient care away from a generalised model and towards personalised treatments. To complement fast-paced clinical environments, 3D printing technologies must provide sufficiently high throughputs for them to be feasibly implemented. Volumetric printing is an emerging 3D printing technology that affords such speeds, being capable of producing entire objects within seconds. In this study, for the first time, rotatory volumetric printing was used to simultaneously produce two torus- or cylinder-shaped paracetamol-loaded Printlets (3D printed tablets). Six resin formulations comprising paracetamol as the model drug, poly(ethylene glycol) diacrylate (PEGDA) 575 or 700 as photoreactive monomers, water and PEG 300 as non-reactive diluents, and lithium phenyl-2,4,6-trimethylbenzoylphosphinate (LAP) as the photoinitiator were investigated. Two printlets were successfully printed in 12 to 32 s and exhibited sustained drug release profiles. These results support the use of rotary volumetric printing for efficient and effective manufacturing of various personalised medicines at the same time. With the speed and precision it affords, rotatory volumetric printing has the potential to become one of the most promising alternative manufacturing technologies in the pharmaceutical industry

La implicació de la secció d´Expressió Gràfica a l´Enginyeria al voltant de la sostenibilitat i el compromís social

Amb la present comunicació volem fer palès el fet que seccions departamentals de caràcter eminentment transversal com la nostra, poden jugar un paper clau alhora que integrador en temes com el de la present jornada. Cal tenir en compte que la nostra secció té encarregades assignatures de caràcter integrador com ara Instal•lacions i Construcció Industrial, Oficina Tècnica i Disseny Gràfic Avançat, mitjançant les que els nostres estudiants adquireixen tot els coneixements tècnics i teòrics, alhora que aprenen mitjançant casos o exemples. És amb aquesta última part, amb la que l’alumnat més gaudeix i treballa, prenent i entenent decisions de disseny, triant d’entre les millors tècniques disponibles (MTDs) per a la realització d’una instal•lació, projecte o mecanisme. A més, i en aquesta mateixa línia integradora, cada any oferim força projectes finals de carrera (PFCs) cada vegada més sensibilitzats amb l’eficiència energètica, el respecte al medi ambient i el compromís social. Finalitzem el present text amb alguns exemples de treballs fets per l’alumnat

X-chromosome tiling path array detection of copy number variants in patients with chromosome X-linked mental retardation

Contiene 3 ficheros adicionales con información suplementaria.-- et al.[Background] Aproximately 5–10% of cases of mental retardation in males are due to copy number variations (CNV) on the X chromosome. Novel technologies, such as array comparative genomic hybridization (aCGH), may help to uncover cryptic rearrangements in X-linked mental retardation (XLMR) patients. We have constructed an X-chromosome tiling path array using bacterial artificial chromosomes (BACs) and validated it using samples with cytogenetically defined copy number changes. We have studied 54 patients with idiopathic mental retardation and 20 controls subjects.[Results] Known genomic aberrations were reliably detected on the array and eight novel submicroscopic imbalances, likely causative for the mental retardation (MR) phenotype, were detected. Putatively pathogenic rearrangements included three deletions and five duplications (ranging between 82 kb to one Mb), all but two affecting genes previously known to be responsible for XLMR. Additionally, we describe different CNV regions with significant different frequencies in XLMR and control subjects (44% vs. 20%).[Conclusion] This tiling path array of the human X chromosome has proven successful for the detection and characterization of known rearrangements and novel CNVs in XLMR patients.The authors thank the "Genoma España" and Genome Canada joint R+D+I projects in human health, plants and aquiculture; the former "Departament d'Universitats i Societat de la Informació" (DURSI) and the "Departament de Salut", from the Catalan Autonomous Government (2005SGR00008 - Generalitat de Catalunya); the Instituto de Salud Carlos III (PI041126, CIBER-ESP), the EU's Sixth Framework Programme [FP6-2005-LIFESCIHEALTH-7; ANEUPLOIDY No. 037627] and Fundación Areces (U-2006-FARECES-O).Peer reviewe