Antibacterial Activity Assessment of Chitosan/Alginate Lavender Essential Oil Membranes for Biomedical Applications.

The demand for natural products in the treatment of dermatological pathologies has boosted the use of bioactive substances such as lavender essential oil (LEO), which stands out for its anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties and its antimicrobial potential. Biopolymers such as chitosan (CHT) and alginate (ALG) are biodegradable and biocompatible and have proven their viability in biomedical applications such as skin regeneration. The inhibitory effect of LEO on the growth of skin-related bacterial species Staphylococcus aureus, Staphylococcus epidermidis, Pseudomonas aeruginosa and the fungus Candida albicans was studied by incorporating 1% v/v LEO encapsulated in CHT, ALG, and CHT/ALG membranes. Despite the verification of the antimicrobial effect of all type of membranes, no synergistic effect was observed following the addition of LEO. S. aureus and P. aeruginosa showed the most growth on the different substrates and C. albicans demonstrated the highest inhibition. This is a first approach using microorganisms isolated from clinical samples or skin microbiota. Further investigation would be advisable using more clinical strains for each microorganism to validate their biomedical applicability.

Assessment of the Properties of Giant Reed Particleboards Agglomerated with Gypsum Plaster and Starch.

This paper analyzes the properties of composite particleboards made from a mix of giant reed with gypsum plaster and starch as binders. Experimental boards were manufactured with a 10:2 weight ratio of giant reed/gypsum plaster particles and different amounts of starch. Giant reed particles used were ≤0.25 mm. The mix was pressed at a temperature of 110 °C with a pressure of 2.6 MPa for 1, 2, and 3 h. The results showed that the boards manufactured with longer times in the press and with 10 wt.% starch achieved the best physical and mechanical properties, obtaining a modulus of rupture (MOR) of 17.5 N/mm2, a modulus of elasticity (MOE) of 3196 N/mm2, and an internal bounding strength (IB) of 0.62 N/mm2. Thickness swelling (TS) at 24 h of the panels was reduced from 36.16% to 28.37% when 10 wt.% starch was added. These results showed that giant reed-gypsum-starch particleboards can be manufactured with physical and mechanical properties that comply with European standards for use in building construction.

Assessment of Public Special Education Teachers Training Needs on Evidence-Based Practice for Students with Autism Spectrum Disorders in Spain.

Over decades, the concern for the quality of psychoeducational practices for students with autism spectrum disorders has led to study to what extent are evidence-based educational methods disseminated among teachers. The purpose of this cross-sectional study, taking as reference Hsiao and Sorensen's previous research, was to identify through a survey to what extent social-communication evidence-based practices for these students were provided in teacher education and in-service training programs, in a sample of 108 special education teachers from Spain, and to compare these results with Hsiao and Sorensen's. Overall, more than 70% of the teachers reported that evidence-based practices in their teacher education programs (87.6%) and in-service training programs (73.6%) were never taught or mentioned incidentally. Finally, a higher percentage of addressing on each practice (i.e., mentioned and discussed or mentioned and taught through direct instruction) is shown in the sample of American teachers compared to the Spaniards, in both training paths.

Assessment of the Physical, Mechanical and Acoustic Properties of Arundo donax L. Biomass in Low Pressure and Temperature Particleboards.

Traditionally, plant fibres have been used as a raw material for manufacturing construction materials; however, in the last century, they have been replaced by new mineral and synthetic materials with manufacturing processes that consume a large amount of energy. The objective of this study was to determine the mechanical, physical and acoustic properties of panels made from giant reed residues. The article focuses on evaluating the acoustic absorption of the boards for use in buildings. The materials used were reed particles and urea-formaldehyde was used as an adhesive. The panels were produced with three particle sizes and the influence that this parameter had on the properties of the board was evaluated. To determine the absorption coefficient, samples were tested at frequencies ranging from 50 to 6300 Hz. The results showed that the boards had a medium absorption coefficient for the low and high frequency range, with significant differences depending on the particle size. The boards with 2-4 mm particles could be classified as Class D sound absorbers, while boards with particle sizes of 0.25-1 mm showed the greatest sound transmission loss. Unlike the acoustic properties, the smaller the particle size used, the better the mechanical properties of the boards. The results showed that this may be an appropriate sound insulation material for commercial use.

Cost Effective Use of a Thiosulfinate-Enriched Allium sativum Extract in Combination with Chemotherapy in Colon Cancer.

In this work, we sought to investigate the effects of a thiosulfinate-enriched garlic extract, co-administered with 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) or oxaliplatin chemotherapy, on the viability of colon cancer cells (Caco-2 and HT-29). We also addressed the economic feasibility of a new combined treatment of this thiosulfinate-enriched garlic extract, with oxaliplatin that could reduce the dosage and costs of a monotherapy. The thiosulfinate-enriched garlic extract not only enhanced the impact of 5-FU and oxaliplatin (500 µM) in decreasing Caco-2 and HT-29 viability, but also showed a higher effect than standard 5-FU and oxaliplatin chemotherapy as anti-cancer agents. These results provided evidences for the combination of lyophilized garlic extract and 5-FU or oxaliplatin as a novel chemotherapy regimen in colon cancer cells that may also reduce the clinical therapy costs.

pH-Sensitive surfactants from lysine: assessment of their cytotoxicity and environmental behavior.

The toxicity and environmental behavior of new pH-sensitive surfactants from lysine are presented. Three different chemical structures are studied: surfactants with one amino acid and one alkyl chain, surfactants with two amino acids on the polar head and one alkyl chain, and gemini surfactants. The pH sensitivity of these compounds can be tuned by modifying their chemical structures. Cytotoxicity has been evaluated using erythrocytes and fibroblast cells. The toxic effects against these cells depend on the hydrophobicity of the molecules as well as their cationic charge density. The effect of hydrophobicity and cationic charge density on toxicity is different for each type of cells. For erythrocytes, the toxicity increases as hydrophobicity and charge density increases. Nevertheless, for fibroblasts cationic charge density affects cytotoxicity in the opposite way: the higher charge density, the lower the toxicity. The effect of the pH on hemolysis has been evaluated in detail. The aquatic toxicity was established using Daphnia magna . All surfactants yielded EC(50) values considerably higher than that reported for cationic surfactants based on quaternary ammonium groups. Finally, their biodegradability was evaluated using the CO(2) headspace test (ISO 14593). These lysine derivatives showed high levels of biodegradation under aerobic conditions and can be classified as "readily biodegradable compounds".