The current technology of air‐filtration materials for protection against highly toxic chemicals, that is, chemical‐warfare agents, is mainly based on the broad and effective adsorptive properties of ...hydrophobic activated carbons. However, adsorption does not prevent these materials from behaving as secondary emitters once they are contaminated. Thus, the development of efficient self‐cleaning filters is of high interest. Herein, we report how we can take advantage of the improved phosphotriesterase catalytic activity of lithium alkoxide doped zirconium(IV) metal–organic framework (MOF) materials to develop advanced self‐detoxifying adsorbents of chemical‐warfare agents containing hydrolysable PF, PO, and CCl bonds. Moreover, we also show that it is possible to integrate these materials onto textiles, thereby combining air‐permeation properties of the textiles with the self‐detoxifying properties of the MOF material.
The silk of human kindness: Insertion of lithium alkoxides in zirconium metal–organic frameworks (MOF) which are then deposited on silk fibers gives rise to protective fabrics capable of self‐detoxifying chemical‐warfare agents. The fabrics combine the air‐permeation properties of the textiles with the highly active phosphotriesterase catalytic activity of the MOF for the hydrolysis of PF, PO, and CCl bonds.
Recent advances in technology have brought major breakthroughs in data collection, enabling a large amount of data to be gathered over time and thus generating time series. Mining this data has ...become an important task for researchers and practitioners in the past few years, including the detection of outliers or anomalies that may represent errors or events of interest. This review aims to provide a structured and comprehensive state-of-the-art on unsupervised outlier detection techniques in the context of time series. To this end, a taxonomy is presented based on the main aspects that characterize an outlier detection technique.
Observational studies are based on systematic observation, understood as an organized recording and quantification of behavior in its natural context. Applied to the specific area of sports, ...observational studies present advantages when comparing studies based on other designs, such as the flexibility for adapting to different contexts and the possibility of using non-standardized instruments as well as a high degree of development in specific software and data analysis. Although the importance and usefulness of sports-related observational studies have been widely shown, there is no checklist to report these studies. Consequently, authors do not have a guide to follow in order to include all of the important elements in an observational study in sports areas, and reviewers do not have a reference tool for assessing this type of work. To resolve these issues, this article aims to develop a checklist to measure the quality of sports-related observational studies based on a content validity study. The participants were 22 judges with at least 3 years of experience in observational studies, sports areas, and methodology. They evaluated a list of 60 items systematically selected and classified into 12 dimensions. They were asked to score four aspects of each item on 5-point Likert scales to measure the following dimensions: representativeness, relevance, utility, and feasibility. The judges also had an open-format section for comments. The Osterlind index was calculated for each item and for each of the four aspects. Items were considered appropriate when obtaining a score of at least 0.5 in the four assessed aspects. After considering these inclusion criteria and all of the open-format comments, the resultant checklist consisted of 54 items grouped into the same initial 12 dimensions. Finally, we highlight the strengths of this work. We also present its main limitation: the need to apply the resultant checklist to obtain data and, thus, increase quality indicators of its psychometric properties. For this reason, as relevant actions for further development, we encourage expert readers to use it and provide feedback; we plan to apply it to different sport areas.
In the assessment of health organizations, results-based indicators are mainly used, with no consideration of internal work dynamics. This type of assessment forfeits much of the rich, useful ...information needed to make decisions on improving the organization. In order to address this, a rigorous procedure based on mixed methods is laid out here on gathering, analyzing, and interpreting data associated with the implementation process.
A 55-year-old doctor was selected at random from among the staff who volunteered to be interviewed at the emergency department at a public hospital located in southern Spain for an interview. Qualitative data obtained from the in-depth interview (indirect observation) were progressively systematized (liquefied and quantitized) based on a theoretical framework until a code matrix was obtained, without losing or distorting any information. Afterwards, data quality was controlled using Cohen's kappa (
) coefficient. A quantitative polar coordinate analysis was then carried out using the free software HOISAN (v. 1.6.3.3) to obtain robust results, vectorizing the relationships between codes and specifying whenever such relationships were statistically significant (and if they resulted in behavior activation or inhibition). Finally, a supplementary quantitative and qualitative assessment was carried out.
The proposed method was applied to the needs assessment of teams in order to evaluate that work climate in the hospital's emergency department Health Services of a hospital. Data quality control yielded an adequate result (
= 0.82). Significant activation and inhibition of behaviors occurred, both prospectively and retrospectively. For instance,
and
showed a significant activation (vector length = 3.43,
< 0.01) both prospectively (
= 0.48) and retrospectively (
= 3.4).An adequate method to obtain detailed information about group dynamics in a work environment is presented, based on an in-depth interview. Practical applications for implementations to improve the functioning of organizations are presented.
In regenerative dentistry, stem cell-based therapy often requires a scaffold to deliver cells and/or growth factors to the injured site. Graphene oxide (GO) and silk fibroin (SF) are promising ...biomaterials for tissue engineering as they are both non toxic and promote cell proliferation. On the other hand, periodontal ligament stem cells (PDLSCs) are mesenchymal stem cells readily accessible with a promising use in cell therapy. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of composite films of GO, SF and GO combined with fibroin in the mesenchymal phenotype, viability, adhesion and proliferation rate of PDLSCs. PDLSCs obtained from healthy extracted teeth were cultured on GO, SF or combination of GO and SF films up to 10 days. Adhesion level of PDSCs on the different biomaterials were evaluated after 12 h of culture, whereas proliferation rate of cells was assessed using the MTT assay. Level of apoptosis was determined using Annexin-V and 7-AAD and mesenchymal markers expression of PDLSCs were analyzed by flow cytometry. At day 7 of culture, MTT experiments showed a high rate of proliferation of PDLSCs growing on GO films compared to the other tested biomaterials, although it was slightly lower than in plastic (control). However PDLSCs growing in fibroin or GO plus fibroin films showed a discrete proliferation. Importantly, at day 10 of culture it was observed a significant increase in PDLSCs proliferation rate in GO films compared to plastic (
P
< 0.05), as well as in GO plus fibroin compared to fibroin alone (
P
< 0.001). Flow cytometry analysis showed that culture of PDLSCs in fibroin, GO or GO plus fibroin films did not significantly alter the level of expression of the mesenchymal markers CD73, CD90 or CD105 up to 168 h, being the cell viability in GO even better than obtained in plastic. Our findings suggest that the combination of human dental stem cells/fibroin/GO based-bioengineered constructs have strong potential for their therapeutic use in regenerative dentistry.
Aim
To evaluate in a laboratory setting the effects of Endosequence BC Sealer HiFlow (Brasseler USA, Savannah, GA, USA), a novel calcium silicate‐based sealer developed for use in warm canal filling ...techniques, on human periodontal ligament stem cells (hPDLSCs).
Methodology
Eluates of EndoSequence BC Sealer HiFlow (BCHiF) (Brasseler USA), EndoSequence BC Sealer (BCS) (Brasseler USA) and AH Plus (AHP) (Dentsply DeTrey GmbH, Konstanz, Germany) were placed in contact with hPDLSCs. The characterization of the chemical elements of the root canal sealers was assessed using scanning electron microscopy and energy‐dispersive X‐ray analysis (SEM‐EDX). Inductively coupled plasma‐mass spectrometry (ICP‐MS) was used to determine the ion release of the sealers. MTT assay and wound healing techniques were used to determine cell viability and migration, respectively. Cell morphology and cell attachment were assessed using a direct contact technique of hPDLSCs onto the surface of the sealers and analysed by SEM. The bioactivity potential was carried out with the Alizarin Red and qPCR testing methods. The statistical differences were evaluated using one‐way anova and Tukey’s test (P < 0.05).
Results
ICP‐MS and EDX revealed significantly more zirconium in BCHiF than BCS (P < 0.05), whereas BCS had slightly higher levels of Ca2+ than BCHiF (P < 0.05). The cell viability assay revealed no relevant differences between BCS and BCHiF when compared with the control group (P > 0.05). Both BCS and BCHiF had similar rates of cell migration to the control group at 24 and 48 h. Cell morphology and adhesion capacity were also similar for BCS and BCHiF groups, whilst the AHP group was associated with reduced adhesion capacity. The Alizarin Red assay revealed a significant difference between the BCS and the control group (P < 0.001), as well as for the BCHiF group (P < 0.001). Finally, BCS and BCHiF promoted overexpression of osteo/cementogenic genes.
Conclusions
In general, EndoSequence BC Sealer HiFlow possesses suitable biological properties to be safely used as a root canal filling material and promote increased expression of oste/cementogenic genes by hPDLSCs.
El saber es el núcleo central de la vida universitaria, entendiendo por saber: “conocimientoprofundo en una ciencia que se adquiere mediante el estudio y el hacer”, en el caso de las cienciasmédicas ...es el conocimiento de los distintos aspectos de la vida, de los procesos de salud y enfermedad.Este conocimiento surge de aplicar el método científico para obtener principios y leyes queexplican y permiten comprender el fenómeno observado. Este análisis indefectiblemente estáinfluenciado por el momento histórico de la ciencia y como señala Ortega y Gasset “…Si no fuera tanbarroca la imagen deberíamos representar las generaciones no horizontalmente sino en vertical…, unosobre los hombros de los otros…, nos llevaría a percatarnos que el pasado no se ha ido sin más ni más,de que no estamos en el aire sino sobre sus hombros…”
Cloud computing environments allow customers to dynamically scale their applications. The key problem is how to lease the right amount of resources, on a pay-as-you-go basis. Application ...re-dimensioning can be implemented effortlessly, adapting the resources assigned to the application to the incoming user demand. However, the identification of the right amount of resources to lease in order to meet the required Service Level Agreement, while keeping the overall cost low, is not an easy task. Many techniques have been proposed for automating application scaling. We propose a classification of these techniques into five main categories: static threshold-based rules, control theory, reinforcement learning, queuing theory and time series analysis. Then we use this classification to carry out a literature review of proposals for auto-scaling in the cloud.
The invariants of the velocity gradient tensor,
$R$
and
$Q$
, and their enstrophy and strain components are studied in the logarithmic layer of an incompressible turbulent channel flow. The ...velocities are filtered in the three spatial directions and the results are analysed at different scales. We show that the
$R$
–
$Q$
plane does not capture the changes undergone by the flow as the filter width increases, and that the enstrophy/enstrophy-production and strain/strain-production planes represent better choices. We also show that the conditional mean trajectories may differ significantly from the instantaneous behaviour of the flow since they are the result of an averaging process where the mean is 3–5 times smaller than the corresponding standard deviation. The orbital periods in the
$R$
–
$Q$
plane are shown to be independent of the intensity of the events, and of the same order of magnitude as those in the enstrophy/enstrophy-production and strain/strain-production planes. Our final goal is to test whether the dynamics of the flow is self-similar in the inertial range, and the answer turns out to be that it is not. The mean shear is found to be responsible for the absence of self-similarity and progressively controls the dynamics of the eddies observed as the filter width increases. However, a self-similar behaviour emerges when the calculations are repeated for the fluctuating velocity gradient tensor. Finally, the turbulent cascade in terms of vortex stretching is considered by computing the alignment of the vorticity at a given scale with the strain at a different one. These results generally support a non-negligible role of the phenomenological energy-cascade model formulated in terms of vortex stretching.
Aims
To investigate the cytotoxicity and bioactivity of several pulpotomy materials: Biodentine (Septodont, Saint‐Maur‐des‐Fosses, France) MTA (Angelus, Londrina, PR, Brazil), Theracal LC (Bisco ...Inc., Schamburg, IL, USA) and IRM (Dentsply DeTrey GmbH, Konstanz, Germany), after contact with stem cells isolated from human exfoliated primary teeth (SHEDs).
Methodology
SHEDs were cultured in the presence of the eluates of various pulpotomy materials for 24, 48 and 72 h. Cell viability was determined by mitochondrial dehydrogenase enzymatic (MTT) assay. Apoptosis and changes in cell phenotype were evaluated by flow cytometry. Also, an in vitro scratch wound‐healing assay was used to determine their effects on cell migration. To assess cell morphology and attachment to the different pulpotomy materials, SHEDs were directly seeded onto the material surfaces and analysed by scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Finally, the deposition of a calcified matrix in presence of these materials was verified by Alizarin Red staining. Statistical analysis was performed with analysis of variance and Bonferroni or Tukey post‐test (α = 0.05).
Results
Cell viability in the presence of Biodentine eluates was significantly higher to that obtained using complete medium alone (control; P < 0.01) and was also significantly higher than using MTA Angelus from 48 h of incubation (P < 0.01). However, Theracal LC and IRM were associated with low rates of cell viability (P < 0.001). Similar results were obtained in an apoptosis assay. In addition, SHEDs maintained their mesenchymal phenotype in all conditions although their capacity to migrate was higher in the presence of Biodentine. SEM studies revealed a suitable proliferation rate, cell spreading and attachment, especially when using Biodentine and MTA Angelus discs. Finally, Biodentine eluates significantly induced calcified matrix deposition from 7 days of culture (P < 0.01).
Conclusions
Biodentine exhibited better cytocompatibility and bioactivity than MTA Angelus, Theracal LC and IRM.
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