Advanced hydrogels for treatment of diabetes

Diabetes mellitus is a chronic disease characterized by high levels of glucose in the blood, which leads to metabolic disorders with severe consequences. Today, there is no cure for diabetes. The current management for diabetes and derived medical conditions, such as hyperglycemia, cardiovascular diseases or diabetic foot ulcer, includes life style changes and hypoglycemia based therapy, which do not fully restore euglycemia or the functionality of damaged tissues in patients. This encourages scientists to work outside their boundaries to develop routes that can potentially tackle such metabolic disorders. In this regard, acellular and cellular approaches have represented an alternative for diabetics, although such treatments still face shortcomings related to limited effectiveness and immunogenicity. The advent of biomaterials has brought significant improvements for such approaches, and three-dimensional extracellular matrix analogous, such as hydrogels, have played a key role in this regard. Advanced hydrogels are being developed to monitor high blood glucose levels and release insulin, as well as serve as a therapeutic technology. Herein, the state of the art in advanced hydrogels for improving treatment of diabetes, from laboratory technology to commercial products approved by drug safety regulatory authorities, will be concisely summarized and discussed. [Abstract copyright: This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.

Improved in vitro angiogenic behavior on anodized titanium dioxide nanotubes

[Background] Neovascularization over dental implants is an imperative requisite to achieve successful osseointegration onto implanted materials. The aim of this study was to investigate the effects on in vitro angiogenesis of anodized 70 nm diameter TiO2 nanotubes (NTs) on Ti6Al4V alloy synthesized and disinfected by means of a novel, facile, antibacterial and cost-effective method using super oxidized water (SOW). We also evaluated the role of the surface roughness and chemical composition of materials of materials on angiogenesis.[Methods] The Ti6Al4V alloy and a commercially pure Ti were anodized using a solution constituted by SOW and fluoride as electrolyte. An acid-etched Ti6Al4V was evaluated to compare the effect of micro-surface roughness. Mirror-polished materials were used as control. Morphology, roughness, chemistry and wettability were assessed by field emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM), transmission electron microscopy, atomic force microscopy, energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX) and using a professional digital camera. Bovine coronary artery endothelial cells (BCAECs) were seeded over the experimental surfaces for several incubation times. Cellular adhesion, proliferation and monolayer formation were evaluated by means of SEM. BCAEC viability, actin stress fibers and vinculin cellular organization, as well as the angiogenic receptors vascular endothelial growth factor 2 (VEGFR2) and endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS) were measured using fluorescence microscopy.[Results] The anodization process significantly increased the roughness, wettability and thickness of the oxidized coating. EDX analysis demonstrated an increased oxygen (O) and decreased carbon (C) content on the NTs of both materials. Endothelial behavior was solidly supported and improved by the NTs (without significant differences between Ti and alloy), showing that endothelial viability, adhesion, proliferation, actin arrangement with vinculin expression and monolayer development were evidently stimulated on the nanostructured surface, also leading to increased activation of VEGFR2 and eNOS on Ti6Al4V-NTs compared to the control Ti6Al4V alloy. Although the rougher alloy promoted BCAECs viability and proliferation, filopodia formation was poor.[Conclusion] The in vitro results suggest that 70 nm diameter NTs manufactured by anodization and cleaned using SOW promotes in vitro endothelial activity, which may improve in vivo angiogenesis supporting a faster clinical osseointegration process.The authors wish to thank to the Program Number UABC-PTC-469 from PRODEP and Program Number 2058 of UABC for financial support. They are also grateful to CONACYT, Mexico, for scholarship 348737-114359.Peer reviewe

Local canopy disturbance as an explanation for long‐term increases in liana abundance

Environmental Biolog

Liquid methanol Monte Carlo simulations with a refined potential which includes polarizability, nonadditivity, and intramolecular relaxation

Monte Carlo simulations of liquid methanol were performed using a refined ab initio derived potential which includes polarizability, nonadditivity, and intramolecular relaxation. The results present good agreement between the energetic and structural properties predicted by the model and those predicted by ab initio calculations of methanol clusters and experimental values of gas and condensed phases. The molecular level picture of methanol shows the existence of both rings and linear polymers in the methanol liquid phase

Ciudades inteligentes, eficientes y sostenibles

Una ciudad inteligente (CI) y sostenible trata de espacios basados en la eficiencia y el bienestar que utilizan la tecnología como una herramienta fundamental para mejorar las condiciones de vida de la ciudadanía. En este tipo de ciudades se establece una relación interactiva entre los ciudadanos. Los nuevos retos de la ciudad y las limitaciones, tanto de nuestro entorno, como de los recursos de todo tipo que necesita de forma continuada, en la mayoría de los casos provenientes de fuentes finitas (energéticos, infraestructuras, económicos, etc.), hace que la disposición de éstos, su utilización y empleo de la forma más eficiente posible sea una de las claves si se quiere conseguir niveles adecuados de sostenibilidad. Una CI es la visión holística de una ciudad que aplica las Tecnologías de la Información y Comunicación (TIC) para la mejora de la calidad de vida y la accesibilidad de sus habitantes y asegura un desarrollo sostenible económico, social y ambiental en mejora permanente. Esta línea de trabajo se presenta como un aporte en el camino hacia el desarrollo sostenible de una cuidad inteligente. En particular, se propone identificar, resolver y desarrollar prototipos de aplicaciones y servicios en tres ejes movilidad, sociedad y entorno.Eje: Agentes y Sistemas Inteligentes.Red de Universidades con Carreras en Informátic

EFFECT OF FEEDING DINNING ROOM AND KITCHEN WASTE ON GROWTH PERFORMANCE OF GROWING PIGS

This research used 41 growing backyard piglets (11.47 ± 1.2 kg BW) fed for 22 d and assigned at random to three treatment (T) groups, respectively (T1 to T3) with three repetitions. The proportion of commercial concentrate (CC) to kitchen waste (DW) was: T1, 100:0; T2, 50:50 and T3, 0:100. Diets contained: T1, 17.3, 13.6 and 16.3% CP and 3,321, 3,526 and 4,011 McCall/kg of ME, respectively. Weight gain, carcass characteristics, minerals and metabolites in blood serum were evaluated. The weight gain, slaughter weight, hot and cold carcass weight, hot and cold carcass yield, rib eye area and back fat thickness were not affected by DW (P> 0.05). The cuts of leg shoulder and rib were not affected by treatment (P> 0.05) for dry matter, ash and crude protein content. The increase in DW reduced ether extract content of leg and rib (P <0.05) but not in shoulder (P> 0.05). The concentration of Ca decreased with DW inclusion (P <0.05). No treatment effect was observed in blood metabolites (P> 0.05). It is concluded that feeding with DW the backyard growing pig do not affect growth performance or quality of meat

Memoria del II Coloquio de verano de investigación de la Escuela de Negocios de ITESO, 2023

La memoria recoge cinco de las ponencias presentadas en el Coloquio de investigación de verano de la Escuela de Negocios, 2023. Durante las presentaciones y el diálogo quisimos hacer énfasis en dos aspectos de nuestra labor universitaria: 1) el fortalecimiento de la Escuela de Negocios como instancia interdepartamental que comparte una misión común; 2) el modo como las tres funciones sustantivas (docencia, investigación y vinculación) se retroalimentan y sostienen mutuamente. Se presentan resúmenes extendidos de los siguientes trabajos: Diagnóstico de cultura organizacional por alumnos del PAP de Gestión del cambio, del talento humano y la efectividad organizacional; Modelo estratégico de sostenibilidad basado en el modelo de flujos descontados (DCF); Laboratorios móviles: impulsando la industria creativa-cultural en Jalisco; Nueva estrategia de comunicación como proceso formativo para empresarios y emprendedores; Economía Social y Solidaria como un elemento para el desarrollo de talleres del sector artesanal.ITESO, A.C