Estudio de la citotoxicidad de cerámicas biomórficas de SiC recubiertas con vidrio bioactivo

La necesidad de desarrollar nuevos implantes basados en materiales bioactivos que sean capaces de soportar grandes cargas mecánicas ha llevado a la producción de sustratos metálicos recubiertos con cerámicas bioactivas. Recientemente se ha propuesto un dispositivo alternativo que consiste en un sustrato de carburo de silicio (SiC) biomórfico recubierto con vidrio bioactivo, mediante la técnica de Depósito por Láser Pulsado (PLD), y que dispone de la resistencia mecánica adecuada, además de gran ligereza y una porosidad intrínseca muy favorable de cara a la implantación. En este trabajo se presenta un estudio interdisciplinar de este nuevo material centrado en la morfología y porosidad de sustratos de SiC provenientes de diferentes maderas, la bioactividad de los recubrimientos producidos por PLD y en la evaluación in vitro con células de osteosarcoma MG-63 con la que se ha determinado la citotoxicidad de estos materiales y se ha estudiado la influencia de los mismos en la adhesión y la proliferación celular.In the past years there was a need to develop new tough bioactive materials capable to resist high loads when implanted in the body, that led to the production of bioactive coatings on metallic substrates. A new approach, which consists of biomorphic silicon carbide (SiC) coated with bioactive glass by Pulsed Laser Deposition (PLD), was recently presented. This new material joins the high mechanical strength, lightness and porosity of biomorphic SiC and the bioactive properties of PLD glass films. In this work, a multiple evaluation of this new material is presented starting from the biomorphic SiC morphology and porosity, following with the bioactivity in simulated body fluid of the coatings, and ending with a deep in vitro study with MG-63 cells. The citotoxicity of the SiC coated and uncoated and the cell proliferation and attachment were studied

Extensive studies on biomorphic SiC ceramics properties for medical applications

Biomorphic silicon carbide ceramics are light, tough and high-strength materials with interesting biomedical applications. The fabrication method of the biomorphic SiC is based in the infiltration of molten-Si in carbon preforms with open porosity. The final product is a biostructure formed by a tangle of SiC fibers. This innovative process allows the fabrication of complex shapes and the tailoring of SiC ceramics with optimised properties and controllable microstructures that will match the biomechanical requirements of the natural host tissue. An interdisciplinary approach of the biomorphic SiC fabricated from beech, sapelly and eucalyptus is presented. Their mechanical properties, microstructure and chemical composition were evaluated. The biocompatible behaviour of these materials has been tested in vitro

Advertising and irreversible opinion spreading in complex social networks

Irreversible opinion spreading phenomena are studied on small-world and scale-free networks by means of the magnetic Eden model, a nonequilibrium kinetic model for the growth of binary mixtures in contact with a thermal bath. In this model, the opinion of an individual is affected by those of their acquaintances, but opinion changes (analogous to spin flips in an Ising-like model) are not allowed. We focus on the influence of advertising, which is represented by external magnetic fields. The interplay and competition between temperature and fields lead to order-disorder transitions, which are found to also depend on the link density and the topology of the complex network substrate. The effects of advertising campaigns with variable duration, as well as the best cost-effective strategies to achieve consensus within different scenarios, are also discussed.Comment: 20 pages, 11 figures. To appear in IJMP

FeCo Nanowire-Strontium Ferrite Powder Composites for Permanent Magnets with High-Energy Products

Due to the issues associated with rare-earth elements, there arises a strong need for magnets with properties between those of ferrites and rare-earth magnets that could substitute the latter in selected applications. Here, we produce a high remanent magnetization composite bonded magnet by mixing FeCo nanowire powders with hexaferrite particles. In the first step, metallic nanowires with diameters between 30 and 100 nm and length of at least 2 {\mu}m are fabricated by electrodeposition. The oriented as-synthesized nanowires show remanence ratios above 0.76 and coercivities above 199 kA/m and resist core oxidation up to 300 {\deg}C due to the existence of a > 8 nm thin oxide passivating shell. In the second step, a composite powder is fabricated by mixing the nanowires with hexaferrite particles. After the optimal nanowire diameter and composite composition are selected, a bonded magnet is produced. The resulting magnet presents a 20% increase in remanence and an enhancement of the energy product of 48% with respect to a pure hexaferrite (strontium ferrite) magnet. These results put nanowire-ferrite composites at the forefront as candidate materials for alternative magnets for substitution of rare earths in applications that operate with moderate magnet performance

Grafting Snake Melon [Cucumis melo L. subsp. melo Var. flexuosus (L.) Naudin] in Organic Farming: Effects on Agronomic Performance; Resistance to Pathogens; Sugar, Acid, and VOC Profiles; and Consumer Acceptance

The performance of snake melon [Cucumis melo var. flexuosus (L.)] in organic farming was studied under high biotic and salt stress conditions. Soilborne diseases (mainly caused by Macrophomina phaseolina and Neocosmospora falciformis), combined with virus incidence [Watermelon mosaic virus (WMV), Zucchini yellow mosaic virus (ZYMV), and Tomato leaf curl New Delhi virus (ToLCNDV)] and Podosphaera xanthii attacks, reduced yield by more than 50%. Snake melon susceptibility to M. phaseolina and Monosporascus cannonballus was proved in pathogenicity tests, while it showed some degree of resistance to Neocosmospora keratoplastica and N. falciformis. On the contrary, salt stress had a minor impact, although a synergic effect was detected: yield losses caused by biotic stress increased dramatically when combined with salt stress. Under biotic stress, grafting onto the melon F1Pat81 and wild Cucumis rootstocks consistently reduced plant mortality in different agroecological conditions, with a better performance compared to classic Cucurbita commercial hybrids. Yield was even improved under saline conditions in grafted plants. A negative effect was detected, though, on consumer acceptability, especially with the use of Cucurbita rootstocks. Cucumis F1Pat81 rootstock minimized this side effect, which was probably related to changes in the profile of sugars, acids, and volatiles. Grafting affected sugars and organic acid contents, with this effect being more accentuated with the use of Cucurbita rootstocks than with Cucumis. In fact, the latter had a higher impact on the volatile organic compound profile than on sugar and acid profile, which may have resulted in a lower effect on consumer perception. The use of Cucumis rootstocks seems to be a strategy to enable organic farming production of snake melon targeted to high-quality markets in order to promote the cultivation of this neglected crop.

Mass Media Influence Spreading in Social Networks with Community Structure

We study an extension of Axelrod's model for social influence, in which cultural drift is represented as random perturbations, while mass media are introduced by means of an external field. In this scenario, we investigate how the modular structure of social networks affects the propagation of mass media messages across the society. The community structure of social networks is represented by coupled random networks, in which two random graphs are connected by intercommunity links. Considering inhomogeneous mass media fields, we study the conditions for successful message spreading and find a novel phase diagram in the multidimensional parameter space. These findings show that social modularity effects are of paramount importance in order to design successful, cost-effective advertising campaigns.Comment: 21 pages, 9 figures. To appear in JSTA

Relationship between the Sensory-Determined Astringency and the Flavanolic Composition of Red Wines

[EN] The relationship between the proanthocyanidin profile and the perceived astringency was assessed in 13 commercial Tempranillo red wines. The concentration and compositional information were obtained by liquid chromatography with diode array detection coupled to electrospray ionization mass spectrometry after acid-catalyzed depolymerization of wine proanthocyanidins in the presence of excess phloroglucinol. Statistical analysis of the results showed significant correlations between sensory and chemical determinations. Astringency was more affected by the subunit composition than by the total concentration or the average degree of polymerization of wine proanthocyanidins. Higher proportions of epicatechin (EC) subunits in extension positions and gallocatechin (GC) subunits in terminal positions were shown to increase astringency. On the contrary, the amount of epigallocatechin (EGC) in both extension and terminal positions was negatively correlated with the perceived astringency

Ideal cardiovascular health and inflammation in European adolescents: The HELENA study

Background and aims Inflammation plays a key role in atherosclerosis and this process seems to appear in childhood. The ideal cardiovascular health index (ICHI) has been inversely related to atherosclerotic plaque in adults. However, evidence regarding inflammation and ICHI in adolescents is scarce. The aim is to assess the association between ICHI and inflammation in European adolescents. Methods and results As many as 543 adolescents (251 boys and 292 girls) from the Healthy Lifestyle in Europe by Nutrition in Adolescence (HELENA) study, a cross-sectional multi-center study including 9 European countries, were measured. C-reactive protein (CRP), complement factors C3 and C4, leptin and white blood cell counts were used to compute an inflammatory score. Multilevel linear models and multilevel logistic regression were used to assess the association between ICHI and inflammation controlling by covariates. Higher ICHI was associated with a lower inflammatory score, as well as with several individual components, both in boys and girls (p < 0.01). In addition, adolescents with at least 4 ideal components of the ICHI had significantly lower inflammatory score and lower levels of the study biomarkers, except CRP. Finally, the multilevel logistic regression showed that for every unit increase in the ICHI, the probability of having an inflammatory profile decreased by 28.1% in girls. Conclusion Results from this study suggest that a better ICHI is associated with a lower inflammatory profile already in adolescence. Improving these health behaviors, and health factors included in the ICHI, could play an important role in CVD prevention

Influence of the Temperature and the Genotype of the HSP90AA1 Gene over Sperm Chromatin Stability in Manchega Rams

The present study addresses the effect of heat stress on males' reproduction ability. For that, we have evaluated the sperm DNA fragmentation (DFI) by SCSA of ejaculates incubated at 37°C during 0, 24 and 48 hours after its collection, as a way to mimic the temperature circumstances to which spermatozoa will be subject to in the ewe uterus. The effects of temperature and temperature-humidity index (THI) from day 60 prior collection to the date of semen collection on DFI were examined. To better understand the causes determining the sensitivity of spermatozoa to heat, this study was conducted in 60 males with alternative genotypes for the SNP G/C−660 of the HSP90AA1 promoter, which encode for the Hsp90α protein. The Hsp90α protein predominates in the brain and testis, and its role in spermatogenesis has been described in several species. Ridge regression analyses showed that days 29 to 35 and 7 to 14 before sperm collection (bsc) were the most critical regarding the effect of heat stress over DFI values. Mixed model analyses revealed that DFI increases over a threshold of 30°C for maximum temperature and 22 for THI at days 29 to 35 and 7 to 14 bsc only in animals carrying the GG−660 genotype. The period 29–35 bsc coincide with the meiosis I process for which the effect of the Hsp90α has been described in mice. The period 7–14 bsc may correspond with later stages of the meiosis II and early stages of epididymal maturation in which the replacement of histones by protamines occurs. Because of GG−660 genotype has been associated to lower levels of HSP90AA1 expression, suboptimal amounts of HSP90AA1 mRNA in GG−660 animals under heat stress conditions make spermatozoa DNA more susceptible to be fragmented. Thus, selecting against the GG−660 genotype could decrease the DNA fragmentation and spermatozoa thermal susceptibility in the heat season, and its putative subsequent fertility gainsPublishe