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[Abstract] Background: Foot health problems can affect quality of life and general health producing a source of discomfort and pain. Low levels of foot health-related quality of life (HRQoL) are present in patients with foot disabilities, such as hallux valgus, plantar fasciitis, or minor toe deformities. Objective: The objective was to analyze the foot health status in patients with and without foot problems in a rural population and its relationship with quality of life. Material and methods: A prospective case-control study was developed with a sample of 152 patients, 76 subjects with podiatric pathologies and 76 without, in a rural population. HRQoL was measured through the SF-36 Health Questionnaire in the Spanish version. Results: The case group had a mean age of 49.18 ± 14.96 and the control group 44.16 ± 11.79. Regarding the score of the lowest levels of quality of life related to foot problems, the case group compared to the controls showed: for physical function (79.86 ± 26.38 vs. 92.63 ± 11 0.17, p < 0.001); for the physical role (73.68 ± 41.00 vs. 88.48 ± 27.51, p < 0.0022); for body pain (45.81 ± 27.18 vs. 73.68 ± 41.00, p < 0.035); and for general health (60.36 ± 30.58 vs. 68.71 ± 18.52, p < 0.047). The differences between groups were analyzed using the Mann-Whitney U test, which showed statistical significance (P < 0.05). Conclusions: In the rural population, people with foot pathologies present a worse quality of life compared to those who do not present foot pathology, especially for the health domains: physical function, physical role, body pain and health general.

[Abstract] Background: The footwear assessment tool was designed to advise an appropriate footwear for each situation and patient. Footwear alterations structures can influence in musculoskeletal disorders, developing foot ulcers, increase the peak plantar pressure, bacterial growth, low back pain. Methods: To validate the study 101 subjects were recruited. The study was tested by two expert podiatrists using the tool for the assessment of footwear characteristics that is composed by five domains, fit, general features, general structure, motion control properties and cushioning system. Each domain analyzes different shoe items. Results: An excellent agreement between the test-retest. A suitable Cronbach’s α was suggested for the five domains of fit (α = 0.952), general features (α = 0.953), general structure (α = 0.947), motion control properties (α = 0.951), and cushioning system (α = 0.951). Test-retest reliability was excellent for all domains. There were no significant differences between any domain (p > 0.05). There was only statistically significant difference in the item forefoot height (p = 0.011). For all the domains items there were no statistically significant difference (p > 0.05). Conclusions: The tool for the assessment European footwear is a suitable repeatability and reliability footwear tool that can be used in Spanish language subjects.

Weed resistance to glyphosate has been a driving force behind the increased use of alternative herbicides in agriculture. Recently, dicamba-tolerant recombinant plants were introduced to the market, which may result in residues of this agrochemical contaminating environmental waters. Given that restrictions on the use of dicamba have consequently been established by regulatory agencies, it is therefore also desirable to conduct extensive controls on dicamba residues. Immunoassays are currently the most powerful bioanalytical technology for the rapid monitoring of chemical residues and contaminants. In the present study, a novel hapten was designed maintaining unaltered all the antigenic moieties of the target molecule, and this was used to generate high-affinity monoclonal antibodies against dicamba for the first time. Additionally, a collection of haptens with different linker composition or linker tethering site was synthesized and conjugated to proteins. Using these novel immunoreagents, a direct competitive enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay with a limit of detection for dicamba of 0.24 ng/mL was developed and validated. Analysis of water samples from different origins afforded recovery values between 90 % and 120 %, and coefficients of variation below 20 % were obtained. These results indicate that the developed immunochemical assay is suitable for the rapid determination of dicamba residues in environmental water samples., This work was supported by the Spanish Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad (RTI2018-096121 and AGL2015-64488) and co-financed by the European Regional Development Funds.

Resumen: Introducción: Las terapias respiratorias no invasivas (TRNI) fueron ampliamente utilizadas en la primera ola de la pandemia de COVID-19, en escenarios distintos según los medios disponibles. El objetivo fue presentar la supervivencia a 90 días y los factores asociados a esta de los pacientes tratados con TRNI en un centro de tercer nivel sin Unidad de Cuidados Respiratorios Intermedios. Como objetivo secundario comparar los resultados obtenidos de las distintas terapias. Métodos: Estudio observacional de pacientes tratados con TRNI fuera de un ambiente de Cuidados Intensivos o Unidad de Cuidados Respiratorios Intermedios, diagnosticados de COVID-19 y con síndrome de distrés respiratorio agudo por criterios radiológicos y de ratio SpO2/FiO2. Se desarrolló un modelo multivariante de regresión logística para determinar las variables independientemente asociadas, y se compararon los resultados de la terapia de alto flujo con cánula nasal y la presión positiva continua en la vía aérea. Resultados: Se trataron 107 pacientes y sobrevivieron 85 (79,4%) a los 90 días. Antes de iniciar la TRNI el ratio medio de SpO2/FiO2 fue de 119,8 ± 59,4. Un mayor score de SOFA se asoció significativamente a la mortalidad (OR 2,09; IC95% 1,34 – 3,27), mientras que la autopronación fue un factor protector (OR 0,23; IC95% 0,06 – 0,91). La terapia de alto flujo con cánula nasal fue utilizada en 63 sujetos (58,9%), y la presión positiva continua en la vía aérea en 41 (38,3%). No se encontraron diferencias entre ellas. Conclusión: Aproximadamente cuatro de cada cinco pacientes tratados con TRNI sobrevivieron a los 90 días, y no se encontraron diferencias significativas entre la terapia de alto flujo con cánula nasal y la presión positiva continua en la vía aérea. Abstract: Introduction: Non-invasive respiratory therapies (NRT) were widely used in the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic in different settings, depending on availability. The objective of our study was to present 90-day survival and associated factors in patients treated with NRT in a tertiary hospital without an Intermediate Respiratory Care Unit. The secondary objective was to compare the outcomes of the different therapies. Methods: Observational study of patients treated with NRT outside of an intensive care or intermediate respiratory care unit setting, diagnosed with COVID-19 and acute respiratory distress syndrome by radiological criteria and SpO2/FiO2 ratio. A multivariate logistic regression model was developed to determine independently associated variables, and the outcomes of high flow nasal cannula and continuous positive airway pressure were compared. Results: In total, 107 patients were treated and 85 (79.4%) survived at 90 days. Before starting NRT, the mean SpO2/FiO2 ratio was 119.8 ± 59.4. A higher SOFA score was significantly associated with mortality (OR 2,09; 95% CI 1.34-3.27), while self-pronation was a protective factor (OR 0.23; 95% CI 0.06-0.91). High flow nasal cannula was used in 63 subjects (58.9%), and continuous positive airway pressure in 41 (38.3%), with no differences between them. Conclusion: Approximately 4 out of 5 patients treated with NRT survived to 90 days, and no significant differences were found between high flow nasal cannula and continuous positive airway pressure.

REIPI-SEIMC COVID-19 group and COVID@HULP group., [Background] The clinical presentation of COVID-19 in patients admitted to hospital is heterogeneous. We aimed to determine whether clinical phenotypes of patients with COVID-19 can be derived from clinical data, to assess the reproducibility of these phenotypes and correlation with prognosis, and to derive and validate a simplified probabilistic model for phenotype assignment. Phenotype identification was not primarily intended as a predictive tool for mortality., [Methods] In this study, we used data from two cohorts: the COVID-19@Spain cohort, a retrospective cohort including 4035 consecutive adult patients admitted to 127 hospitals in Spain with COVID-19 between Feb 2 and March 17, 2020, and the COVID-19@HULP cohort, including 2226 consecutive adult patients admitted to a teaching hospital in Madrid between Feb 25 and April 19, 2020. The COVID-19@Spain cohort was divided into a derivation cohort, comprising 2667 randomly selected patients, and an internal validation cohort, comprising the remaining 1368 patients. The COVID-19@HULP cohort was used as an external validation cohort. A probabilistic model for phenotype assignment was derived in the derivation cohort using multinomial logistic regression and validated in the internal validation cohort. The model was also applied to the external validation cohort. 30-day mortality and other prognostic variables were assessed in the derived phenotypes and in the phenotypes assigned by the probabilistic model., [Findings] Three distinct phenotypes were derived in the derivation cohort (n=2667)—phenotype A (516 [19%] patients), phenotype B (1955 [73%]) and phenotype C (196 [7%])—and reproduced in the internal validation cohort (n=1368)—phenotype A (233 [17%] patients), phenotype B (1019 [74%]), and phenotype C (116 [8%]). Patients with phenotype A were younger, were less frequently male, had mild viral symptoms, and had normal inflammatory parameters. Patients with phenotype B included more patients with obesity, lymphocytopenia, and moderately elevated inflammatory parameters. Patients with phenotype C included older patients with more comorbidities and even higher inflammatory parameters than phenotype B. We developed a simplified probabilistic model (validated in the internal validation cohort) for phenotype assignment, including 16 variables. In the derivation cohort, 30-day mortality rates were 2·5% (95% CI 1·4–4·3) for patients with phenotype A, 30·5% (28·5–32·6) for patients with phenotype B, and 60·7% (53·7–67·2) for patients with phenotype C (log-rank test p, [Interpretation] Patients admitted to hospital with COVID-19 can be classified into three phenotypes that correlate with mortality. We developed and validated a simplified tool for the probabilistic assignment of patients into phenotypes. These results might help to better classify patients for clinical management, but the pathophysiological mechanisms of the phenotypes must be investigated., [Funding] Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation, and Fundación SEIMC/GeSIDA., Funding: Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation, and Fundación SEIMC/GeSIDA.

Two new tetradentate oxovanadium(IV) and iron(II) Schiff base complexes have been prepared by the interaction of vanadyl(IV) and iron(III) acetylacetonate with the ligand obtained from the reaction of ethylenediamine and 5′-(N-methyl-N-phenylaminomethyl)-2′-hydroxyacetophenone in methanol. These complexes have been characterized by means of different spectroscopic techniques such as UV–visible, FT-IR, mass spectrometry, and elemental analysis. In addition, thermogravimetric (TG) and differential thermogavemetric analysis (DTG) have been utilized to investigate the thermal stability of these complexes. Results showed that both Schiff base complexes decompose in five consecutive stages, and a mechanism has been proposed for each stage of thermal decomposition. Thermogravimetric analysis has been carried out using four different heating rates of 5, 10, 15, and 20 °C min, and the kinetic parameters of these complexes have been calculated using the Kissinger method. Cyclic voltammetry has been employed to examine the electrochemical behavior of the two synthesized complexes in dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) at a glassy carbon electrode. Each of these complexes displayed one quasi-reversible single electron transfer peak near 0.255 V vs. saturated calomel electrode (SCE) for the V(V)–V(IV) couple and near −0.690 V vs. SCE for the Fe(III)–Fe(II) redox couples, respectively. Finally, the antioxidant activity of the newly prepared complexes has been investigated using the 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyle (DPPH) free radical scavenging assay. Results revealed that the oxovanadium Schiff base complex exhibits good antioxidant activity., Authors thank the Algerian Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research (MESRS) and the Director General for Sci- entific Research and Technological Development (DGRSDT) for financial support. Authors also extend their thanks and appreciation to the Emerging Materials Research Unit (URMES) of Ferhat ABBAS Setif-1 University for carrying out thermogravimetric analyses

This work presents a simplified method to evaluate building shaking due to arbitrary base excitations, and an example application to railway problems. The model requires minimal computational effort and can be applied to a wide range of footing shapes, thus making it attractive for scoping-type analysis. It uses the soil excitation spectrum at the building footing location as it’s input, and computes the building response at any arbitrary location within it’s 3D structure. To show an application of the model versatility, it is used to compute building response due to a variety of singular railway defects (e.g. switches/crossings). It is however suitable for more general applications including railway problems without defects. The approach is novel because current railway scoping models do not use soil-structure transfer functions combined with free-field response to estimate building vibration by railway defects. First the soil-structure interaction approach is outlined for both rigid and flexible footings. Then it is validated by comparing results against a comprehensive fully-coupled 3D FEM-BEM model. Finally, it is used to analyse the effect of a variety of variables related to railway defects on building response. Local track defects are shown to have a strong influence on building vibrations. Further, vibration levels close to the threshold of human comfort are found in buildings close to the railway line. Overall the new approach allows for the computation of building vibrations accounting for soil-structure interaction, floor amplification and the measured/computed free-field response due to railway traffic using minimal computational effort. Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness (Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad, España) BIA2016-75042-C2-1-R Spanish Ministry of Education, Culture and Sport, Spain (Ministerio de Educación, Cultura y Deporte, España) PRX18/00115

In this work, the modification of ethylene-co-vinyl alcohol (EVOH) copolymer with a coumarin derivative, 7- (hydroxyethoxy)-4-methyl coumarin (HEOMC), has been performed through the incorporation of different reactive groups, p-nitrophenyl chloroformate, succinic anhydride and phthalic anhydride as different linkers between coumarin and EVOH with the aim to obtain photo-responsive materials with improved protein absorption resistance. After purification, the modification degree was calculated by nuclear magnetic resonance and ultraviolet- visible spectroscopy. The thermal properties revealed the crystallinity loss and higher maximum degradation temperatures when EVOH is modified with coumarin derivative. Copolymers were successfully photocrosslinked through the photo-responsive behavior of coumarin moieties. The micro-hardness test shown an increase of the mechanical performance due to the coumarin presence. The water contact angle measurements revealed that while coumarin-modified EVOH copolymers present a higher hydrophilic behavior than EVOH, the photo-dimerization process mainly leads to slightly deviations on the surface wettability of neat EVOH. Finally, the absorption of bovine serum albumin onto the surface of the coumarin-modified materials revealed enhanced antifouling properties, particularly after the photo-crosslinked process. Therefore, the introduction of coumarin through different chain extenders leads to functional materials with tunable photo-responsive performance and protein absorption resistance., Authors thank Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation (Projects MAT2016-78437-R MAT2017-88123-P), the Agencia Estatal de Investigación (AEI, Spain) and Fondo Europeo de Desarrollo Regional (FEDER, EU). M.P.A. and L.P. acknowledge the Juan de la Cierva (FJCI- 2014-20630) and Ramon y Cajal (RYC-2014-15595) contracts from the MINECO, respectively. A.C. also acknowledges his FPU fellowship FPU18/01776.

A Nickel Schiff base complex, insoluble in water, was synthesized and used as modifier. A Nickel Schiff base modified carbon paste electrode MCPE was build. The electrodes were characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy dispersive X-Ray spectroscopy (EDXS), cyclic voltammetry and chronoamperometry. The modifier is elctroactive, a well defined redox couple of Ni/Ni in alkaline medium was made in evidence. It presents a quasi-reversible system with electron transfer coefficient (0.38) and electron transfer rate of 4.5 s. The electrogenerated Ni species on the surface of the electrode act as an excellent catalyst toward thiosulfate oxidation reaction with a chemical rate constant K equal to 23,6 Ms. The different techniques involved in this study qualify our modified electrode as sensitive, reliable and very stable for thiosulfate analysis., We gratefully aknowledge the ‘‘Direction Ge´ne´rale de Recherche (DGR)” for the financial support. The authors would like also to thank Professor Ali Ourari, from Faculte´ de Technologie, Universite´ Ferhat Abbas-Se´ tif-1, Laboratoire d’Electrochimie, d’Inge´nierie Mole´culaire et de Catalyse Redox (LEIMCR), Se´ tif 19000, Algeria, for his help.

The mechanisms underlying diabetic encephalopathy are only partially understood. This chapter tries to address the mechanisms of diabetes-induced cell and tissue damage in the brain, and discusses whether docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) could attenuate the degenerative changes observed in the diabetic brain. DHA is involved in brain and retina physiological functions, aging, and neurological and behavioral illnesses. There are a large number of bioactive metabolites of DHA, namely, maresins, protectins, resolvins, electrophilic oxo-derivatives, epoxides, neuroprostanes, neuroketals, and different DHA conjugates. Among them stands out Neuroprotectin D1 (NPD1), the first identified stereoselective bioactive product of DHA, NDP1 exerts neuroprotection in models of experimental diabetes. Overall, NPD1 promotes brain cell survival via the induction of antiapoptotic and neuroprotective gene expression programs that suppress neurotoxicity. Thus NPD1 elicits potent cell-protective, antiinflammatory, prosurvival, and repair signaling. Recent research has put forward the neuroprotective effects of docosanoids and the recently introduced elovanoids (DHA-elongated 32- or 34-carbon fatty acids by the action of elongation of very long chain fatty acids-4—ELOVL4). Sin financiación No data JCR 2019 No data SJR 2019 No data IDR 2019 UEV

Coumarin and poly-ε-(caprolactone) diol (PCL)-based polyurethanes (PUs), were reinforced with modified silica nanoparticles (mSiNPs), in which a novel coumarin molecule was synthetized. The behavior as photo-responsive coatings of these materials was studied. The silica nanoparticles (SiNPs) modification was analyzed by infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) and UV spectroscopy. The yield of photo-crosslinking in nanocomposites loaded with mSiNPs was studied by UV–vis spectroscopy, which showed higher conversion degree than nanocomposites with unmodified SiNPs and non-reinforced PUs. The dispersion of mSiNPs on segregated microdomains was observed by transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The presence of coumarin grafted on the SiNPs surface (mSiNPs) leads to an improvement on the thermal stability of PU matrix. Meanwhile, they were able to maintain the mechanical performance before and after the irradiation process mainly due to the improved nanofiller-matrix interaction. Contact angle measurements were also assayed to study the hydrophobicity changes on the surface of modified nanocomposites. The observed phase segregation was associated with the mechanical and thermal properties of the materials and the photo-crosslinking of coumarin moieties bring to the final material high responsiveness to be employed as photo-switchable coatings., Authors thank Spanish Ministry of Economy, Industry and Competitiveness, MINEICO (MAT2013-48059-C2-1-R) and Regional Government of Madrid (S2013/MIT-2862). M.P.A. and L.P. acknowledge the Juan de la Cierva (FJCI-2014-20630) and Ramon y Cajal (RYC- 2014-15595) contracts from the MINEICO, respectively. Authors specially thank Dr. Emilio Rayón and Prof. Juan López Martínez (Universitat Politècnica de València, Spain) for TEM analysis

Yerba mate (Ilex paraguariensis) residue (YM) was used as starting material for the production of mate extract nanoparticles through an organic solvent free process. The TGA and FTIR analysis revealed the loss of hemicellulose structures that lead to lignocellulosic based mate nanoparticles (mateNP). Mate extract nanoparticles were added to plasticized PLA matrices with acetyl(tributyl citrate) (ATBC) by melt blending approach. Flexible and optically transparent bionanocomposite films were obtained. The combination of ATBC and mate extract mainly increased the material crystallinity. Mate extract nanoparticles protect the polymer matrix from thermal degradation suggesting that mateNP conserve the well-known antioxidant properties of YM, as it was verified by the determination of the total polyphenols content (TPC = 41 ± 1 mg of gallic acid/g YM). ATBC improved the processability and increased the flexibility up to 80% in ternary PLA-ATBC-mateNP. The ternary PLA-ATBC-mateNP bionanocomposites presented some UV light blocking effect. In addition, all bionanocomposite films displayed appropriate disintegration in compost in around 1 month suggesting their potential applications as biodegradable films., The Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness (MINECO, MAT2013-48059-C2-1-R), Regional Government of Madrid (S2013/ MIT-2862) and Spanish National Research Council (CSIC, I-LINK1149) are acknowledged for the financial support. M.P.A. and L.P. acknowledge for Juan de la Cierva (FJCI-2014-20630) and Ramon y Cajal (RYC- 2014-15595) contracts from the MINECO, respectively. Authors thank to Ercros S.A. for providing PLA pellets.

Enzymatic polymerization has a large potential as an environmentally friendly synthetic process. Lipase is a renewable catalyst with high catalytic activity from which it is possible to develop a versatile method for the production of sustainable polyurethanes. In this work oligomeric PCL-diol was synthesized using biocatalysis with immobilized Yarrowia lipolytica lipase (YLL) and diethyleneglycol as initiator. Then, two different linear polyurethanes were prepared. One was obtained directly from the previous synthesized PCL-diol and hexamethylene diisocyanate, named PU, and the other one has been obtained by incorporating L-lysine amino acid as end group (lys-PU). PU and lys-PU disintegration under composting conditions was evaluated. The influence of the presence of L-lysine on the disintegration performance of PU was studied by evaluating the disintegration degree, monitoring the weight loss. Structural and morphological changes were followed by Fourier transformed infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and by scanning electron microscopy (SEM)., Authors thank Spanish Ministry of Economy, Industry and Competitiveness, MINEICO, ( and MAT2013-48059-C2-1-R MAT2017-88123-P) cofinanced with FEDER funds, Regional Government of Madrid (S2013/MIT-2862) and Consejo Nacional de Ciencia y Tecnología (CONACYT, Grant 153922) for the financial support. M.P. Arrieta and L. Peponi acknowledge the Juan de la Cierva (FJCI-2014-20630) and Ramon y Cajal (RYC-2014-15595) contracts from the MINECO, respectively. Authors also acknowledge Prof. Juan López Martínez (Universitat Politécnica de Valencia, Spain) for his assistance with colorimetric measurements.

In this work, the effect of the addition of different amount of nanosized hydroxyapatite (nHA) on the shape memory behavior of blends based on poly (lactic acid) (PLA) and poly (ε-caprolactone) (PCL) has been studied. In particular PLA/PCL blend with 70 wt % PLA has been reinforced with 0.5, 1 and 3 wt % nHA. Moreover, the relationship between the morphology and the final properties of the nanocomposites has been investigated by field emission scanning electron microscopy, confocal Raman spectroscopy and atomic force microscopy. In particular, PeakForce has been used to study quantitative nanomechanical properties of the multifunctional materials leading to conclusion that nHA increase the phase separation between PLA and PCL as well as act as reinforcements for the PCL-rich phase of the nanocomposites. Furthermore, excellent thermally-activated shape memory response has been obtained for all the nanocomposites at 55 °C. Finally, the disintegration under composting conditions at laboratory scale level was studied in order to confirm the biodegradable character of these nanocomposites. Indeed, these materials are able to be used for biomedical issues as well as for packaging applications where both thermally-activated shape memory effect and biodegradability are requested., Authors thank the Spanish Ministry of Economy, Industry and Competitiveness, MINEICO, (MAT2017-88123-P) and the Regional Government of Madrid (S2013/MIT-2862) for the economic support. M.P.A. and L.P. acknowledge the “Juan de la Cierva” (FJCI-2014- 20630) and “Ramon y Cajal” (RYC-2014-15595) contracts from the MINEICO, respectively. The authors also thanks CSIC for the I-Link project (I-Link1149)

In this work the thermally-activated shape memory response of biodegradable nanocomposites based on PLA/PCL blend reinforced with different type of cellulose nanocrystals has been reported, and compared with those of the neat matrix, at the same transition temperature of 55 °C and at the same different deformations, 50%, 100% and 150%. In particular, cellulose nanocrystals have been synthesized and then functionalized by “grafting from” reaction by ring opening polymerization of both PLLA and PCL using the –OH groups onto the cellulose nanocrystals surface as initiators for the reaction. The morphology, thermal and mechanical analysis have been performed in order to obtain the parameters for the thermo-mechanical shape memory cycles. Moreover, the addition of the CNC-based nanofillers on the compatibility of PLA-PCL blends in 70:30 proportion has been evaluated. All the biodegradable nanocomposite formulations showed excellent shape memory response, similar to those of the neat matrix, with strain recovery ratio and strain fixity ratio higher than 80% and 90%, respectively. This fact indicates that in this case, the shape memory response of the nanocomposites is mainly controlled by the response of the neat blend and they are slightly influenced by the increase of compatibility between the components of the blend. In addition, all nanocomposite films were fully disintegrated under composting conditions confirming their biodegradable nature, obtaining that the presence of CNC-based nanofillers speeds up the disintegration rate of the nanocomposites in comparison with the pure matrix., Authors thank the Spanish Ministry of Economy, Industry and Competitiveness (MINEICO) (MAT2017-88123-P), POLYMAGIC: (PCIN-2017-036) cofinanced with FEDER funds and the Regional Government of Madrid (S2013/MIT-2862). M.P.A. and L.P. acknowledge the “Juan de la Cierva” (FJCI-2014-20630) and “Ramon y Cajal” (RYC-2014-15595) contracts from the MINEICO, respectively. The authors also thank CSIC for the I-Link project (ILink1149). JMR is a FRS-FNRS research associate

Milk has been extensively used as a vehicle for fortification with nutrients. Fortification of liquid milk with one or more micronutrients is mandatory in several countries; Latin America is the region where fortification is most widespread. Vitamin D and vitamin A are commonly indicated in mandatory norms. A few countries in Latin America have milk fortification programs that are specifically targeted to children. The global average intake of milk in adults has been estimated at 135 mL/day with intake being highest in Central Latin America, Europe, and Southern sub-Saharan Africa. Fortification of milk with vitamin D to prevent rickets in children has been one of the greatest achievements in public health. Impact evaluations of targeted fortified milk programs have been conducted in Chile, Mexico, and Costa Rica; all showing a significant decrease in the prevalence of anemia in children consuming iron fortified milks. The assessment of the impact of milk fortification programs on other micronutrients is far less common. Periodic evaluations of mandatory fortification programs and the assessment of their impact on other micronutrients are future challenges.

25 years after the declaration of a Global Emergency by the World Health Organization, tuberculosis (TB) remains a major enemy to the humankind. During this period, much progress has been done to better understand its natural history, revealing its huge complexity, which highlighted the need for implementing systems immunology approaches. Recent advances focused in understanding the role of macrophage subtypes and dendritic cells role, the importance of cytokine balance, and the antigenic repertoire. Identification of early irruption of polymorphonuclear neutrophils and extracellular growth of the bacilli seem to be the most disruptive factors to understand the evolution towards active TB. Their inclusion in future models will provide new tools for the better understanding of the tuberculosis.

This paper presents an overview of the current state of research on Roman, Late Antique and medieval agriculture in the Iberian Peninsula through the study of archaeobotanical samples (seeds and fruits) collected on a large number of rural and urban sites spread throughout Iberia's geography. It includes published and unpublished data. The plant taxa of economic interest are grouped into various categories: cereals, cereal chaff, legumes, domesticated fruits, oil/fibre plants, condiments and spices, and wild species. According to the data, naked wheats and hulled barley are the dominant cereal species throughout the Iberian Peninsula. There are, nonetheless, particularities like the prevalence of hulled wheats (mainly emmer and spelt) in the North-west. Cultivated fruits also show a great diversity, and new species such as Morus nigra or Prunus armeniaca appear for the first time in the archaeobotanical record. There are also novelties regarding herbs and spices., The contributions of L. Peña-Chocarro and G. Pérez Jordà are within the framework of the project FRUITFUL: La introducción y el desarrollo de la arboricultura en la Península Ibérica (HAR2015-64953-P) funded by the Spanish Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad and coordinated by L. Peña-Chocarro. G. Pérez Jordà's participation is carried out within the post-doctoral contract IJCI-2015-25082 funded by the Spanish Ministerio de Economía, Industria y Competitividad. Natàlia Alonso's participation is within the framework of projects SGR2014-273 and HAR2016-78277-R: Prácticas agroalimentarias, asentamientos y espacios domésticos. Relaciones y evolución en los llanos sur-pirenáicos (III-I milenios ANE), funded by Ministerio de Economía, Industria y Competitividad (SGR2014-273 and HAR2016-78277-R) and coordinated by N. Alonso. J.P. Tereso was supported by a Post-doc grant (SFRH/BPD/88250/2012) from Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologi

Faculty of Civil and Industrial Engineering; Rome; Italy; 10 September 2017 through 13 September 2017 This work presents a scoping model to predict ground-borne railway vibration levels within buildings considering soil-structure interaction (SSI). It can predict the response of arbitrarily complex buildings in a fraction of the time typically required to analyse a complex SSI problem, and thus provides a practical tool to rapidly analyse the vibration response of numerous structures near railway lines. The tool is designed for use in cases where the ground-borne vibration is known, and thus can be used as model input. Therefore in practice, for the case of a new line, the ground motion can be computed numerically, or alternatively, for the case of new buildings to be constructed near an existing line, it can be recorded directly (e.g. using accelerometers) and used as model input. To achieve these large reductions in computational time, the model discretises the ground-borne vibration in the free field into a frequency range corresponding to the modes that characterize the dynamic building response. After the ground-borne response spectra that corresponds with the incident wave field is estimated, structural vibration levels are computed using modal superposition, thus avoiding intensive soil-structure interaction computations. The model is validated using a SSI problem and by comparing results against a more complex finite element-boundary element model. Finally, the new scoping model is then used to analyse structural-borne vibration. The results show that the scoping model provides a powerful tool for use during the early design stages of a railway system when a large number of structures require analysis. Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad. BIA2013-43085-P

A novel method to prepare BC nanocomposites reinforced with reduced graphene oxide (RGO) is reported. A simple hydrazine treatment is shown to in-situ reduce the graphene oxide (GO) incorporated to BC films while increasing their conductivity. Raman spectroscopy was used to confirm the presence of graphene and assess the effect of the hydrazine treatment on its structure. XRD tests revealed no changes on BC structure. We hypothesize that this treatment removes the hydroxyl and epoxy groups present on the reduced graphene and increases the content of nonoxygenated carbon. These changes account for the increase in conductivity of the BC-based films, which behaved as an insulating material before the hydrazine treatment and reach an average conductivity value of 12 S/m after such a treatment., The authors would like to thank the Peruvian Council of Science and Technology (Concytec-FONDECYT) and the Vice-Rectorate for Research of the Pontificia Universidad Catolica del Peru (VRI-PUCP) for financial support. RC would like to thank the Peruvian Coun-cil of Science and Technology (Concytec-FONDECYT) for financial support

Plastics are the most demanding materials for the food packaging industry due to economical and practical reasons such as their low cost, lightness, easy to handle in integrated production lines, and their higher resistance than other materials. Besides containment and information, the packaging should protect foodstuffs from not only contamination but also the loss of food quality. Despite the many advantages, their inherent permeability is perhaps the foremost drawback that could lead to the loss of some food components and, also, to the transference of gases or moisture from the surrounding to the food. Thus, the barrier properties and the wettability are of fundamental importance for food contact materials. Nanotechnology offers innovative solutions to improve the polymer performance. The addition of nanoparticles allows tuning the polymer barrier properties through a relatively simple approach. This chapter aims to explain the role of nanoparticles on the polymer permeation and diffusion processes focusing on food safety and environmental concerns.

Polymer materials, in their early days, were mostly studied for use as static structural parts. However, in the last decades, advanced multifunctional polymers able to interact with the external conditions have attracted more and more attention. At the same time, in recent years, the increase in life expectancy has led to a growing demand for both new materials and new technologies. Moreover, due to the outstanding properties of natural materials, scientists try to imitate and to follow the principles that nature has developed over millions of years in order to design new bio-inspired materials. To this regard, one of the most inspiring properties is the capability of the material to change specific properties upon the application of an external stimulus, obtaining shape memory materials. In this chapter the attention will be focused on different shape memory polymeric materials, in particular on the stimuli-responsive materials in smart packaging, on the principles of shape memory polymer-based materials, on self-healing polymers, and on hydrogels.

New amphiphilic block copolymers with antimicrobial properties were obtained by atom transfer radical polymerization (ATRP) and copper catalyzed cycloaddition following two approaches, a simultaneous strategy or a two-step synthesis, which were proven to be very effective methods. These copolymers were subsequently quaternized using two alkyl chains, methyl and butyl, to amplify their antimicrobial properties and to investigate the effect of alkyl length. Antimicrobial experiments in solution were performed with three types of bacteria, two gram-positive and one gram-negative, and a fungus. Those copolymers quaternized with methyl iodide showed better selectivities on gram-positive bacteria, Staphylococcus aureus and Staphylococcus epidermidis, against red blood cells, demonstrating the importance of the quaternizing agent chosen. Once the solution studies were performed, we prepared poly(butyl methacrylate) latex particles functionalized with the antimicrobial copolymers by emulsion polymerization of butyl methacrylate using such copolymers as surfactants. The characterization by various techniques served to test their effectiveness as surfactants. Finally, films were prepared from these emulsions, and their antimicrobial activity was studied against the gram-positive bacteria. The results indicate that the antimicrobial efficiency of the films depends not only on the copolymer activity but also on other factors such as the surface segregation of the antimicrobial agent to the interface., AcknowledgmentsThis work was financially supported by the MINECO (ProjectMAT2013-47902-C2-1-R). M. Álvarez-Paino and A. Muñoz-Bonillaalso acknowledge MINECO financial support for their FPI Grant andRamón y Cajal Contract, respectively. R. Tejero thanks CSIC for hisJAE-Predoctoral grant