Magnetic-Assisted Control of Eggs and Embryos via Zona Pellucida-Linked Nanoparticles.

Eggs and embryo manipulation is an important biotechnological challenge to enable positioning, entrapment, and selection of reproductive cells to advance into a new era of nature-like assisted reproductive technologies. Oviductin (OVGP1) is an abundant protein in the oviduct that binds reversibly to the zona pellucida, an extracellular matrix that surrounds eggs and embryos. Here, the study reports a new method coupling OVGP1 to magnetic nanoparticles (NP) forming a complex (NPOv). NPOv specifically surrounds eggs and embryos in a reversible manner. Eggs/embryos bound to NPOv can be moved or retained when subjected to a magnetic force, and interestingly only mature-competent eggs are attracted. This procedure is compatible with normal development following gametes function, in vitro fertilization, embryo development and resulting in the birth of healthy offspring. The results provide in vitro proof-of-concept that eggs and embryos can be precisely guided in the absence of physical contact by the use of magnets.

Characterization and Comparison of WO3/WO3-MoO3 and TiO2/TiO2-ZnO Nanostructures for Photoelectrocatalytic Degradation of the Pesticide Imazalil.

Tungsten oxide (WO3) and zinc oxide (ZnO) are n-type semiconductors with numerous applications in photocatalysis. The objective of this study was to synthesize and characterize different types of nanostructures (WO3, WO3-Mo, TiO2, and TiO2-ZnO) for a comparison of hybrid and pure nanostructures to use them as a photoanodes for photoelectrocatalytic degradation of emerging contaminants. With the aim of comparing the properties of both samples, field emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM) and confocal laser-Raman spectroscopy were used to study the morphology, composition, and crystallinity, respectively. Electrochemical impedances, Mott-Schottky, and water splitting measurements were performed to compare the photoelectrochemical properties of photoanodes. Finally, the photoelectrocatalytic degradation of the pesticide Imazalil was carried out with the best optimized nanostructure (TiO2-ZnO).

Subdermal contraceptive implants and repeat teenage motherhood: Evidence from a major maternity hospital-based program in Uruguay.

Teenage fertility is a social problem because of its private and public costs in countries of different development levels. Reductions in adolescent birth rates do not necessarily follow drops in overall fertility due to the demographic transition model. This paper analyses the impact of a subdermal contraceptive program on repeat teenage motherhood. Using a regression discontinuity design, we find that the intervention reduced mothers' likelihood of having another child in the next 48 months by 10 percentage points. This reduction is not random, and we also identify small positive selection in subsequent births.

Immigrant assimilation in health care utilisation in Spain.

Abundant evidence has tracked the labour market and health assimilation of immigrants, including static analyses of differences in how foreign-born and native-born residents consume health care services. However, we know much less about how migrants' patterns of healthcare usage evolve with time of residence, especially in countries providing universal or quasi-universal coverage. We investigate this process in Spain by combining all the available waves of the local health survey, which allows us to separately identify period, cohort, and assimilation effects. We find robust evidence of migrant assimilation in health care use, specifically in visits to general practitioners and emergency care and among foreign-born women. The differential effects of ageing on health care use between foreign-born and native-born populations contributes to the convergence of utilisation patterns in most health services after 15 years in Spain. Substantial heterogeneity by the time of arrival and by region of origin both suggest that studies modelling future welfare state finances would benefit from a more thorough assessment of migration.

Low-Dose Gamma Radiation Sterilization for Decellularized Tracheal Grafts.

One of the main key aspects in ensuring that a transplant evolves correctly is the sterility of the medium. Decellularized tracheal transplantation involves implanting an organ that was originally in contact with the environment, thus not being sterile from the outset. While the decellularization protocol (through detergent exposition [2% sodium dodecyl sulfate], continuous stirring, and osmotic shocks) is conducted in line with aseptic measures, it does not provide sterilization. Therefore, one of the main challenges is ensuring sterility prior to in vivo implantation. Although there are established gamma radiation sterilization protocols for inorganic materials, there are no such measures for organic materials. Additionally, the protocols in place for inorganic materials cannot be applied to organic materials, as the established radiation dose (25 kGy) would completely destroy the implant. This paper studies the effect of an escalated radiation dose in a decellularized rabbit trachea. We maintained the dose range (kGy) and tested escalated doses until finding the minimal dose at which sterilization is achieved. After determining the dose, we studied effects of it on the organ, both histologically and biomechanically. We determined that while 0.5 kGy did not achieve sterility, doses of both 1 kGy and 2 kGy did, with 1 kGy, therefore, being the minimal dose necessary to achieve sterilization. Microscopic studies showed no relevant changes compared to non-sterilized organs. Axial biomechanical characteristics were not altered at all, and only a slight reduction in the force per unit of length that the organ can radially tolerate was observed. We can therefore conclude that 1 kGy achieves complete sterilization of decellularized rabbit trachea with a minimal, if any, effects on the organ.

Development and application of a composite circularity index.

Resource depletion and environmental pollution are increasingly a matter of concern for their adverse effects on ecosystems, human health, and the economy. Circular Economy (CE) practices can help us address these challenges. This paper proposes a composite circularity index (CI) to assess the level of implementation of CE practices. The main advantage of the proposed index is its ability to combine multiple indicators of circularity for different units operating in a given sector (given as inputs), using a 'Benefit of the Doubt' model. This new model is innovative in the manner it deals with ordinal scales and also by considering both relative and absolute performance indices. These indices are computed using mathematical programming tools, building on ideas from Data Envelopment Analysis models. Although the model can be applied to any sector, this work addresses the hotel industry in particular. The selection of indicators for this CI was based on seven blocks of the Circular Economy Action Plan and a literature review of circular practices. An application of the proposed index is performed by using data from Portuguese and Spanish hotels. The proposed CI allows the identification of the organizations with the best and worst performance in implementing the CE practices and clarifying the benchmarks they could follow to improve their level of circularity. Moreover, the index analysis also provides specific targets for improvement, indicating which circular practices should be improved for the lower performers to reach the implementation levels of the best performers.

Does robotization affect job quality? Evidence from European regional labor markets.

Whereas there are recent papers on the effect of robot adoption on employment and wages, there is no evidence on how robots affect non-monetary working conditions. We explore the impact of robot adoption on several domains of non-monetary working conditions in Europe over the period 1995-2005 combining information from the World Robotics Survey and the European Working Conditions Survey. In order to deal with the possible endogeneity of robot deployment, we employ an instrumental variables strategy, using the robot exposure by sector in other developed countries as an instrument. Our results indicate that robotization has a negative impact on the quality of work in the dimension of work intensity and no relevant impact on the domains of physical environment or skills and discretion.

From the circular economy to the sustainable development goals in the European Union: an empirical comparison.

The European Union (EU) is trying to accelerate the transition from the current linear economy to a circular economy (CE). In fact, the CE is considered a tool to attain sustainable development goals (SDGs). In this sense, this paper aims at analysing the interaction between the CE and SDGs in the context of the new 2030 Agenda and the European CE strategy; thus contributing to the scarce empirical literature that links the potential of the European CE strategy to the achievement of the SDGs set by the 2030 Agenda. Three specific research questions have been formulated. First, could the objectives defined in the 2030 Agenda be considered homogeneous, and could they uniquely measure the concept of sustainability? Second, are there significant correlations between the implementation of a CE in the EU and the SDGs? Finally, is the behaviour of the 28 countries that make up the EU homogeneous in terms of the results of the initiatives aimed at the implementation of a CE? From these questions, nine hypotheses are put forward concerning the possible relationships between a CE implementation and the fulfilment of SDGs in the EU. Using a correlation analysis, an exploratory factor analysis, and a cluster analysis, it has been demonstrated that (a) SDGs do not univocally measure the concept of sustainability; (b) there are significant relationships between CE and SDGs in the EU; (c) the behaviour of these European countries is not homogeneous.

Original Approach to Synthesize TiO2/ZnO Hybrid Nanosponges Used as Photoanodes for Photoelectrochemical Applications.

In the present work, TiO2/ZnO hybrid nanosponges have been synthesized for the first time. First, TiO2 nanosponges were obtained by anodization under hydrodynamic conditions in a glycerol/water/NH4F electrolyte. Next, in order to achieve the anatase phase of TiO2 and improve its photocatalytic behaviour, the samples were annealed at 450 °C for 1 h. Once the TiO2 nanosponges were synthesized, TiO2/ZnO hybrid nanosponges were obtained by electrodeposition of ZnO on TiO2 nanosponges using different temperatures, times, and concentrations of zinc nitrate (Zn(NO3)2). TiO2/ZnO hybrid nanosponges were used as photoanodes in photoelectrochemical water splitting tests. The results indicate that the photoelectrochemical response improves, in the studied range, by increasing the temperature and the Zn(NO3)2 concentration during the electrodeposition process, obtaining an increase in the photoelectrochemical response of 141% for the TiO2/ZnO hybrid nanosponges electrodeposited at 75 °C with 10 mM Zn(NO3)2 for 15 min. Furthermore, morphological, chemical, and structural characterization was performed by Field Emission Scanning Electron Microscopy (FE-SEM) with Energy Dispersive X-Ray spectroscopy (EDX), Raman Confocal Laser Spectroscopy, X-Ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy (XPS), and Grazing Incidence X-Ray Diffraction (GIXRD).

¿Es la vasculitis gangrenosa juvenil del escroto una enfermedad endémica de los países mediterráneos? Revisión de las publicaciones mundiales y descripción de un nuevo caso / Is juvenile gangrenous vasculitis of the scrotum a endemic disease in Mediterranean countries? Review of the world publications and description of a new case

Introcucción y objetivos: La vasculitis gangrenosa juvenil del escroto fue descrita porel dermatólogo gerundense Joaquín Piñol Aguadé en1973.Los objetivos de este artículo son realizar una revisiónde las publicaciones mundiales y aportar un caso clínico de esta enfermedad a caballo entre urológica y/odermatológica.Material y método: Se realiza una revisión sobrela vasculitis gangrenosa juvenil del escroto entre 1973y 2019 y se aporta un nuevo caso clínico. La identificación de artículos en Medline se llevó a cabo con érminos MeSH en inglés “juvenile gangrenous vasculitisscrotum” y en Google con “vasculitis gangrenosa juvenildel escroto”. En los artículos se ha estudiado 10 variables clínico-epidemiológicas: año, fuente, autores, nº decasos, edad, faringoamigdalitis previa, biopsia de lalesión, tratamiento, días hasta curación, ciudad y país.Los resultados de las variables se analizaron con estadísticas descriptivas. Se describe un nuevo caso clínico.Resultados: Hemos encontrado 26 referencias mundiales que correspondían a 24 publicaciones y 2 comunicaciones a congresos con un total de 29 pacientes. La edad media de los pacientes fue 23,6 años.Los tratamientos empleados fueron exéresis de la lesión(23%), cefalosporinas y/o corticoides i.v (15,3%), tetraciclinas, ciprofloxacino o amoxicilina-clavulánico orales(15,3%), cura local y corticoides orales (11,5%) y mupirocina o tetraciclinas tópicas (7,6%). La curación seprodujo en una media de 21 días. Las ciudades conmás casos aportados fueron Barcelona con 11 (37,9%)y Pontevedra con 2 (6,8%). Por países España aporta22 casos (75,8%) y Chile, Argentina, Portugal, Italia,Túnez, Turquía, Gran Bretaña los 7 casos restantes(24,1%).Conclusiones: La vasculitis gangrenosa juvenil delescroto es una entidad benigna de curso autolimitado.El proceso viene precedido de faringoamigdalitis encerca de la mitad de los pacientes. Los resultados del...(AU)

Introduction and Objectives:Juvenile gangrenous vasculitis of the scrotum was described by the Girona dermatologist Joaquín Piñol Aguadé in 1973. The objectives of this article are to review the worldpublications and provide a clinical case of this diseasebetween urological and/or dermatological.Material and methods: A review of juvenile gangrenous vasculitis of the scrotum between 1973 and 2019is carried out and a new clinical case is contributed.The identification of articles in Medline was carried outwith MeSH terms “juvenile gangrenous vasculitis scrotum” and in Google with “juvenile gangrenous vasculitisscrotum”. Ten clinical-epidemiological variables werestudied in the articles: year, source, authors, number ofcases, age, previous pharyngo-tonsillitis, biopsy of thelesion, treatment, days to healing, city and country. Theresults of the variables were analyzed with descriptivestatistics. A new clinical case is described.Results: We found 26 world references, 18 of themSpanish, corresponding to 24 publications and 2 conference papers with a total of 29 patients. The meanage of the patients was 23.6 years. The treatments usedwere exeresis of the lesion (23%), cephalosporins and/or corticoids i.v. (15.3%), tetracyclines, ciprofloxacin ororal amoxicillin-clavulanate (15.3%), local cure and oralcorticoids (11.5%) and mupirocin or topical tetracyclines(7.6%). Healing took place in an average of 21 days.The cities with the most cases reported were Barcelona with 11 (37.9%) and Pontevedra with 2 (6.8%). Bycountry, Spain contributed 22 cases (75.8%) and Chile,Argentina, Portugal, Italy, Tunisia, Turkey and Great Britain the remaining 7 cases (24.1%).Conclusions: Juvenile gangrenous vasculitis of thescrotum is a benign entity with a self-limiting course. Theprocess is preceded by pharyngo-tonsillitis in about half...(AU)

[Is juvenile gangrenous vasculitis of the scrotum an endemic disease of mediterranean countries? Review of global publications and description of a new case.] / ¿Es la vasculitis gangrenosa juvenil del escroto una enfermedad endémica de los países mediterráneos? Revisión de las publicaciones mundiales y descripción de un nuevo caso.

INTRODUCTION AND OBJECTIVES: Juvenile gangrenous vasculitis of the scrotum was described by the Girona dermatologist Joaquín Piñol Aguadéin 1973. The objectives of this article are to review the world publications and provide a clinical case of this disease between urological and/or dermatological. MATERIAL AND METHODS: A review of juvenile gangrenous vasculitis of the scrotum between 1973 and 2019 is carried out and a new clinical case is contributed. The identification of articles in Medline was carried outwith MeSH terms "juvenile gangrenous vasculitis scrotum" and in Google with "juvenile gangrenous vasculitisscrotum". Ten clinical-epidemiological variables were studied in the articles: year, source, authors, number of cases, age, previous pharyngo-tonsillitis, biopsy of the lesion, treatment, days to healing, city and country. The results of the variables were analyzed with descriptive statistics. A new clinical case is described. RESULTS: We found 26 world references, 18 of them Spanish, corresponding to 24 publications and 2 conference papers with a total of 29 patients. The meanage of the patients was 23.6 years. The treatments used were exeresis of the lesion (23%), cephalosporins and/or corticoids i.v. (15.3%), tetracyclines, ciprofloxacin or oral amoxicillin-clavulanate (15.3%), local cure and oral corticoids (11.5%) and mupirocin or topical tetracyclines (7.6%). Healing took place in an average of 21 days. The cities with the most cases reported were Barcelona with 11 (37.9%) and Pontevedra with 2 (6.8%). By country, Spain contributed 22 cases (75.8%) and Chile, Argentina, Portugal, Italy, Tunisia, Turkey and Great Britainthe remaining 7 cases (24.1%). CONCLUSIONS: Juvenile gangrenous vasculitis of the scrotum is a benign entity with a self-limiting course. The process is preceded by pharyngo-tonsillitis in about half of the patients. The results of the study confirm the endemic nature of the disease in Mediterranean countries, including Spain.

INTRODUCCIÓN Y OBJETIVOS: La vasculitis gangrenosa juvenil del escroto fue descrita por el dermatólogo gerundense Joaquín Piñol Aguadé en1973. Los objetivos de este artículo son realizar una revisión de las publicaciones mundiales y aportar un caso clínico de esta enfermedad a caballo entre urológica y/o dermatológica.MATERIAL Y MÉTODOS: Se realiza una revisión sobre la vasculitis gangrenosa juvenil del escroto entre 1973 y 2019 y se aporta un nuevo caso clínico. La identificación de artículos en Medline se llevó a cabo con términos MeSH en inglés "juvenile gangrenous vasculitis scrotum" y en Google con "vasculitis gangrenosa juvenil del escroto". En los artículos se ha estudiado 10 variables clínico-epidemiológicas: año, fuente, autores, nº decasos, edad, faringoamigdalitis previa, biopsia de la lesión, tratamiento, días hasta curación, ciudad y país. Los resultados de las variables se analizaron con estadísticas descriptivas. Se describe un nuevo caso clínico.RESULTADOS: Hemos encontrado 26 referencias mundiales que correspondían a 24 publicaciones y 2 comunicaciones a congresos con un total de 29 pacientes. La edad media de los pacientes fue 23,6 años. Los tratamientos empleados fueron exéresis de la lesión (23%), cefalosporinas y/o corticoides i.v (15,3%), tetraciclinas, ciprofloxacino o amoxicilina-clavulánico orales (15,3%), cura local y corticoides orales (11,5%) y mupirocinao tetraciclinas tópicas (7,6%). La curación se produjo en una media de 21 días. Las ciudades con más casos aportados fueron Barcelona con 11 (37,9%) y Pontevedra con 2 (6,8%). Por países España aporta 22 casos (75,8%) y Chile, Argentina, Portugal, Italia, Túnez, Turquía, Gran Bretaña los 7 casos restantes (24,1%).CONCLUSIONES: La vasculitis gangrenosa juvenil del escroto es una entidad benigna de curso autolimitado. El proceso viene precedido de faringoamigdalitis en cerca de la mitad de los pacientes. Los resultados del trabajo confirman el carácter endémico de la enfermedad en los países mediterráneos entre los que destaca España.

The Role of Institutional Engagement at the Macro Level in Pushing the Circular Economy in Spain and Its Regions.

Currently, the European Union is promoting the circular economy, a change that involves moving the foundations of actual economies toward the most sustainable production and consumption periods, in which the reuse of resources predominates, mainly through recycling, reuse, and reduction, among other strategies. This study, through the application of institutional theory, analyzes the role that institutional pressure has in the diffusion and adoption of the circular economy from the state to the regions inside through coercive, normative, and mimetic pressures. A matrix of institutional positioning was developed that analyzes the number and diversity of circular economy initiatives. The results show that coercive pressure followed by mimetic pressure are the most relevant in explaining the development of the circular economy in Spain in relation to the closest other European countries in Southern Europe, while there is low normative pressure. The results obtained provide relevant information on how to accelerate the development of the circular economy throughout the European Union through the adequate exercise of different types of institutional pressure.

Prevalence of resistance associated substitutions and efficacy of baseline resistance-guided chronic hepatitis C treatment in Spain from the GEHEP-004 cohort.

Treatment guidelines differ in their recommendation to determine baseline resistance associated substitutions (RAS) before starting a first-line treatment with direct-acting antivirals (DAAs). Here we analyze the efficacy of DAA treatment with baseline RAS information. We conducted a prospective study involving 23 centers collaborating in the GEHEP-004 DAA resistance cohort. Baseline NS5A and NS3 RASs were studied by Sanger sequencing. After issuing a comprehensive resistance report, the treating physician decided the therapy, duration and ribavirin use. Sustained virological response (SVR12) data are available in 275 patients. Baseline NS5A RAS prevalence was between 4.3% and 26.8% according to genotype, and NS3 RASs prevalence (GT1a) was 6.3%. Overall, SVR12 was 97.8%. Amongst HCV-GT1a patients, 75.0% had >800,000 IU/ml and most of those that started grazoprevir/elbasvir were treated for 12 weeks. In genotype 3, NS5A Y93H was detected in 9 patients. 42.8% of the HCV-GT3 patients that started sofosbuvir/velpatasvir included ribavirin, although only 14.7% carried Y93H. The efficacy of baseline resistance-guided treatment in our cohort has been high across the most prevalent HCV genotypes in Spain. The duration of the grazoprevir/elbasvir treatment adhered mostly to AASLD/IDSA recommendations. In cirrhotic patients infected with GT-3 there has been a high use of ribavirin.

Análisis de las cesáreas en Uruguay por tipo de centro hospitalario / An analysis of caesarean sections in Uruguay by type of hospital

Objetivo: Analizar comparativamente la incidencia de las cesáreas en los subsistemas de salud de Uruguay y en relación con los estándares de la Organización Mundial de la Salud (OMS) considerando las características médico-obstétricas de los partos, en especial la clasificación de Robson. Método: Se emplean 190.847 nacimientos registrados en el Sistema Informático Perinatal de Uruguay entre 2009 y 2014 por tipo de subsector sanitario. Mediante modelos logit se analiza la probabilidad de cesárea considerando la clasificación de Robson, otros factores de riesgo y las características de las madres. Se comparan las tasas de cesárea predichas por los distintos subsectores sanitarios para una población común. Asimismo, se contraponen las tasas de cesáreas observadas en cada subsistema con las que, hipotéticamente, se encontrarían si los hospitales siguiesen las pautas de la muestra de hospitales de referencia de la OMS. Resultados: El subsector privado, en términos generales, presenta una incidencia de cesáreas mucho más elevada que el público, incluso después de considerar las características médico-obstétricas de los nacimientos. Las tasas de cesáreas en Uruguay están más de un 75% por encima del valor que cabría esperar de acuerdo con el modelo de la OMS. Conclusiones: La incidencia de cesáreas en Uruguay es muy alta respecto a los estándares definidos por la OMS, en especial en el subsector privado. Este hecho no se explica por las características clínicas de los nacimientos.

Objective: To analyse on a comparative basis the incidence of caesarean sections among the different health care systems in Uruguay and with respect to the World Health Organization's (WHO) standards, taking into account the medical-obstetric characteristics of the births, particularly, the Robson classification. Methods: We examine 190,847 births registered by the Perinatal Information System in Uruguay between 2009 and 2014 by type of health care system. Using logit models, we analyse the probability of caesarean section taking into account the Robson classification, other risk factors and the mothers' characteristics. We compared the caesarean rates predicted by the different subsystems for a common population. Furthermore, we contrast the caesarean rates observed in each subsystem with the rates that resulted if the Uruguayan hospitals followed the guidelines of the sample of WHO reference hospitals. Results: Private health systems in Uruguay exhibit a much higher incidence of caesarean sections than public ones, even after considering the medical-obstetric characteristics of the births. Caesarean rates are more than 75% higher than those observed if the WHO standards are applied. Conclusions: Uruguay has a very high incidence of caesarean sections with respect to WHO standards, particularly, in the private sector. This fact is unrelated to the clinical characteristics of the births.

Análisis de las cesáreas en Uruguay por tipo de centro hospitalario / An analysis of caesarean sections in Uruguay by type of hospital

Objetivo: Analizar comparativamente la incidencia de las cesáreas en los subsistemas de salud de Uruguay y en relación con los estándares de la Organización Mundial de la Salud (OMS) considerando las características médico-obstétricas de los partos, en especial la clasificación de Robson. Método: Se emplean 190.847 nacimientos registrados en el Sistema Informático Perinatal de Uruguay entre 2009 y 2014 por tipo de subsector sanitario. Mediante modeloslogitse analiza la probabilidad de cesárea considerando la clasificación de Robson, otros factores de riesgo y las características de las madres. Se comparan las tasas de cesárea predichas por los distintos subsectores sanitarios para una población común. Asimismo, se contraponen las tasas de cesáreas observadas en cada subsistema con las que, hipotéticamente, se encontrarían si los hospitales siguiesen las pautas de la muestra de hospitales de referencia de la OMS. Resultados: El subsector privado, en términos generales, presenta una incidencia de cesáreas mucho más elevada que el público, incluso después de considerar las características médico-obstétricas de los nacimientos. Las tasas de cesáreas en Uruguay están más de un 75% por encima del valor que cabría esperar de acuerdo con el modelo de la OMS. Conclusiones: La incidencia de cesáreas en Uruguay es muy alta respecto a los estándares definidos por la OMS, en especial en el subsector privado. Este hecho no se explica por las características clínicas de los nacimientos

Objective: To analyse on a comparative basis the incidence of caesarean sections among the different health care systems in Uruguay and with respect to the World Health Organization's (WHO) standards, taking into account the medical-obstetric characteristics of the births, particularly, the Robson classification. Methods: We examine 190,847 births registered by the Perinatal Information System in Uruguay between 2009 and 2014 by type of health care system. Usinglogitmodels, we analyse the probability of caesarean section taking into account the Robson classification, other risk factors and the mothers’ characteristics. We compared the caesarean rates predicted by the different subsystems for a common population. Furthermore, we contrast the caesarean rates observed in each subsystem with the rates that resulted if the Uruguayan hospitals followed the guidelines of the sample of WHO reference hospitals. Results: Private health systems in Uruguay exhibit a much higher incidence of caesarean sections than public ones, even after considering the medical-obstetric characteristics of the births. Caesarean rates are more than 75% higher than those observed if the WHO standards are applied. Conclusions: Uruguay has a very high incidence of caesarean sections with respect to WHO standards, particularly, in the private sector. This fact is unrelated to the clinical characteristics of the births

TiO2 Nanostructures for Photoelectrocatalytic Degradation of Acetaminophen.

Advanced oxidation processes driven by renewable energy sources are gaining attention in degrading organic pollutants in waste waters in an efficient and sustainable way. The present work is focused on a study of TiO2 nanotubes as photocatalysts for photoelectrocatalytic (PEC) degradation of acetaminophen (AMP) at different pH (3, 7, and 9). In particular, different TiO2 photocatalysts were synthetized by stirring the electrode at different Reynolds numbers (Res) during electrochemical anodization. The morphology of the photocatalysts and their crystalline structure were evaluated by field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM) and Raman confocal laser microscopy (RCLM). These analyses revealed that anatase TiO2 nanotubes were obtained after anodization. In addition, photocurrent densities versus potential curves were performed in order to characterize the electrochemical properties of the photocatalysts. These results showed that increasing the Re during anodization led to an enhancement in the obtained photocurrents, since under hydrodynamic conditions part of the initiation layer formed over the tubes was removed. PEC degradation of acetaminophen was followed by ultraviolet-visible absorbance measurements and chemical oxygen demand tests. As drug mineralization was the most important issue, total organic carbon measurements were also carried out. The statistical significance analysis established that acetaminophen PEC degradation improved as hydrodynamic conditions linearly increased in the studied range (Re from 0 to 600). Additionally, acetaminophen conversion had a quadratic behavior with respect to the reaction pH, where the maximum conversion value was reached at pH 3. However, in this case, the diversity of the byproducts increased due to a different PEC degradation mechanism.

Tissue-specific decellularized endometrial substratum mimicking different physiological conditions influences in vitro embryo development in a rabbit model.

In the last decades, the decellularization (DC) of organs has become an established technique in the field of regenerative medicine to yield complex and vascularized bioscaffolds. Furthermore, it has been demonstrated in vitro that these decellularized scaffolds retain their native tissue-specificity. This is also the case when this tissue-specific extracellular matrix (ECM) is solubilized and used as hydrogels or coatings to create a biomimetic environment. In this study we investigated if this specificity not only remains when applied to distinct tissues but even more, that these differences can be distinguished within the same tissue at different stages of proliferation. To address this question, a sensitive in vitro animal model was used: rabbit embryos at the third day of development were cultured on coatings made from acellular endometrium that was non-proliferating (non-synchronous, NS) and proliferating (synchronous with the embryo, S) and their development was compared. For this, we obtained whole NS and S rabbit uteri and subjected them to an adapted decellularization protocol. The acellular endometrium was carefully separated by microdissection and converted into a pre-gel solution to be used as hydrogels and coatings for in vitro assays. First, the characteristics of these NS and S hydrogels were investigated by proteomic analysis, electron microscopy and gelling kinetics. When used as substrata for day 3 embryos culture, it became apparent that only the acellular ECM from synchronous endometrial coating achieved similar results to the gold standard culture protocols and conditions, possibly because of the slow release of growth factors present in the synchronous/proliferating endometrium. STATEMENT OF SIGNIFICANCE: It has been shown by in vitro culture of stem cells, progenitor cells and primary culture cells that decellularized tissues retain their specific functions and biochemical and structural compositions. The present work demonstrates that using a mild SDS and perfusion based decellularization (DC) protocol not only effectively decellularize whole rabbit uteri, adding to the growing field of reproductive tissue engineering, but more importantly that the differences in the proliferating endometrium are translated after DC. This implies that DC not only retains the interspecificity of tissues but also the intraspecificity of a developing hormonally stimulated tissue. For the first time, we demonstrate that the coating from decellularized synchronous endometrium acts as a biological support for in vitro embryo development, achieving comparable results with the current gold standard that only uses serum-containing media.

[An analysis of caesarean sections in Uruguay by type of hospital]. / Análisis de las cesáreas en Uruguay por tipo de centro hospitalario.

OBJECTIVE: To analyse on a comparative basis the incidence of caesarean sections among the different health care systems in Uruguay and with respect to the World Health Organization's (WHO) standards, taking into account the medical-obstetric characteristics of the births, particularly, the Robson classification. METHODS: We examine 190,847 births registered by the Perinatal Information System in Uruguay between 2009 and 2014 by type of health care system. Using logit models, we analyse the probability of caesarean section taking into account the Robson classification, other risk factors and the mothers' characteristics. We compared the caesarean rates predicted by the different subsystems for a common population. Furthermore, we contrast the caesarean rates observed in each subsystem with the rates that resulted if the Uruguayan hospitals followed the guidelines of the sample of WHO reference hospitals. RESULTS: Private health systems in Uruguay exhibit a much higher incidence of caesarean sections than public ones, even after considering the medical-obstetric characteristics of the births. Caesarean rates are more than 75% higher than those observed if the WHO standards are applied. CONCLUSIONS: Uruguay has a very high incidence of caesarean sections with respect to WHO standards, particularly, in the private sector. This fact is unrelated to the clinical characteristics of the births.

The impact of the legalisation of abortion on birth outcomes in Uruguay.

This study investigates the short-term impact on the quantity and quality of births of an abortion reform in Uruguay that legalised termination of pregnancy until the 12th week of pregnancy in the short run. We employ a differences-in-differences approach, comprehensive administrative records of births, and a novel identification strategy based on the planned or unplanned nature of pregnancies that came to term. Our results suggest that this policy change has led to an 8% decline in the number of births from unplanned pregnancies, driven by the group of mothers aged between 20 and 34 years old who have secondary education. This decline has triggered an increase in the average quality of births in terms of more intensive prenatal control care and a lower probability of births among single mothers. Furthermore, we document a positive selection process of births because of the reform, as adequate prenatal control care and Apgar scores rose among the affected demographic group.

Post-extraction mesio-distal gap reduction assessment by confocal laser scanning microscopy - a clinical 3-month follow-up study.

AIM: The aim of this 3-month follow-up study is to quantify the reduction in the mesio-distal gap dimension (MDGD) that occurs after tooth extraction through image analysis of three-dimensional images obtained with the confocal laser scanning microscopy (CLSM) technique. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Following tooth extraction, impressions of 79 patients 1 month and 72 patients 3 months after tooth extraction were obtained. Cast models were processed by CLSM, and MDGD changes between time points were measured. RESULTS: The mean mesio-distal gap reduction 1 month after tooth extraction was 343.4 µm and 3 months after tooth extraction was 672.3 µm. The daily mean gap reduction rate during the first term (between baseline and 1 month post-extraction measurements) was 10.3 µm/day and during the second term (between 1 and 3 months) was 5.4 µm/day. CONCLUSIONS: The mesio-distal gap reduction is higher during the first month following the extraction and continues in time, but to a lesser extent. When the inter-dental contacts were absent, the mesio-distal gap reduction is lower. When a molar tooth is extracted or the distal tooth to the edentulous space does not occlude with an antagonist, the mesio-distal gap reduction is larger. The consideration of mesio-distal gap dimension changes can help improve dental treatment planning.