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A pregnant woman rectally or vaginally colonized by group B Streptococcus can infect her newborn.Prospective, cross-sectional, analytical 24-month study in pregnant women. Women in labor with ≥ 36 weeks of gestation were included. Pregnancy was classified as normal or high-risk. Main risk factors of the pregnant women were analyzed. Rectal and vaginal samples were obtained, placed in Todd-Hewitt broth and subsequently inoculated in 5% sheep blood agar. Identification was carried out by biochemical tests and latex agglutination.3,347 pregnant women were included. Mean age was 25.6 ± 5.3 years, 95.5% received antenatal care; 2,213 (66%) had normal-risk pregnancies, and in 1,370 (41%), delivery was by cesarean section. Overall colonization was 4.3% (145/3,347), and it was higher in the 30-34 years age group (6.8%). Serotype I (58%) was the most common.The percentage of colonization in this population was low. A routine cervicovaginal and rectal culture program in pregnant women and the intrapartum antimicrobial prophylaxis program are controversial in our region.Una mujer embarazada colonizada por estreptococo del grupo B por vía rectal o vaginal puede infectar a su recién nacido.Estudio prospectivo, transversal y analítico, durante 24 meses, en embarazadas. Se incluyeron aquellas en trabajo de parto con ≥ 36 semanas de gestación. El embarazo se clasificó como normal o de alto riesgo. Se analizaron los principales factores de riesgo de las embarazadas. Se tomaron muestras rectales y vaginales, se colocaron en caldo Todd-Hewitt y posteriormente se inocularon en agar sangre de carnero al 5%. La identificación se realizó mediante pruebas bioquímicas y aglutinación con látex.Se incluyeron 3,347 embarazadas, edad media 25.6 ± 5.3 años, 95.5% con control prenatal; 2,213 (66%) embarazo de riesgo normal y 1,370 (41%) obtenidas por cesárea. La colonización global fue del 4.3% (145/3,347), siendo mayor en el grupo de edad de 30 a 34 años (6.8%). El serotipo I (58%) fue el más frecuente.El porcentaje de colonización en esta población fue bajo. Un programa sistemático de cultivo cervicovaginal y rectal en mujeres embarazadas y el programa de profilaxis antimicrobiana intraparto son controvertidos en nuestra región.

La investigación sobre la introducción de la perspectiva de género en la educación superior -específicamente en el ámbito de los grados de la Comunicación en España- es escasa, teniendo en cuenta el papel fundamental de los contenidos mediáticos en la promoción de estereotipos de género en la sociedad. Actualmente, la adopción de dicha perspectiva en la formación universitaria es una exigencia del Espacio Europeo de Educación Superior, de las políticas universitarias españolas y del marco legal del Estado español. El objetivo de este artículo es estudiar, a través de la técnica del análisis de contenido cuantitativo, la presencia y expresión de la perspectiva de género en las guías docentes de los grados de Comunicación Audiovisual, Periodismo y Publicidad de 6 universidades españolas. La muestra de la investigación la integraron 812 guías docentes de los cursos 2018-2019 y 2019-2020. Los resultados señalan que en 2 de cada 8 guías docentes se incluyen aspectos relacionados con la perspectiva de género y se concentran mayoritariamente en asignaturas especializadas en género por lo que su alcance no es transversal al plan docente de los grados analizados. Además, las mujeres están infrarrepresentadas como referentes en las bibliografías y en su mayoría son las profesoras quienes intentan corregir este sesgo. Se concluye que las guías docentes analizadas carecen de perspectiva de género. Se espera que los resultados de esta investigación contribuyan a la visibilización de la necesidad de incluirla de manera transversal en los planes docentes de los grados universitarios españoles.

The application of Life Cycle Assessment in the construction sector can be a very useful tool to reduce the environmental impact generated by the sector. In order to quantify the improvement in environmental terms with the use of artificial lightweight aggregates (LWA) manufactured with waste, in this work, we conducted a comparative evaluation of the life cycle of LWAs for a total of five different scenarios: LWAs obtained in a traditional way, i.e., using exclusively clay in their manufacture (Spanish blond clay, Portuguese red clay and Portuguese blond clay), and LWAs manufactured with four different wastes, with a partial substitution of 2.5% for each of the clays per waste (almond and hazelnut shells, sludge from the purification of paper money, cork dust and coffee grounds). The functional unit was set as the production of 1 kilo of lightweight aggregates and the CML 2000 methodology and the SimaPro software were used. The results obtained in this research allow us to conclude that the addition of organic wastes showed a slightly higher environmental performance than the conventional system, the ALAs manufactured with almond and hazelnut shells being the most environmentally friendly option, with reductions of more than 30% in some cases, followed by the LWAs manufactured with coffee grounds. On the other hand, the addition of paper sewage sludge and cork dust represents minimal environmental optimization.

The possibility of transforming a diatomite-rich waste from the brewing industry into synthetic zeolites has been investigated. After precalcination at 550 °C to eliminate the retained organic matter, the clean diatomite (Dt; with a Si/Al molar ratio of 17.4), was hydrothermally treated for 24 h with continuous stirring in a 3M NaOH solution at 80 °C. The results of mineralogical characterization by X-ray diffraction with Rietveld refinement have shown a crystallization of 55% of zeolite P, which was neoformed from the amorphous phase, opal-CT and quartz of the starting sample. The spectra obtained by Fourier Transform Infrared Spectrometry have corroborated such zeolitization. N2 adsorption–desorption isotherms have shown that the zeolitized material (Dt-Z) is mesoporous, with almost 60% more specific surface area than Dt (62.6 m2/g vs. 39.4 m2/g), greater microporosity and 40% smaller average pore size than Dt (71 Å vs. 118 Å). This study is a first approximation to know the potential of diatomite wastes as zeolite precursors, for which additional research including an aluminum source will be required.

Road construction is an activity that involves a large consumption of raw materials, with the consequent high environmental impact. For this reason, various research projects are being developed in which waste is used as a raw material for bituminous mixtures. This avoids the extraction of raw materials, reduces the environmental impact and reduces greenhouse gas emissions. In this research, the incorporation of ladle furnace slag as a filler for continuous grading bituminous mixtures was evaluated. Firstly, the ladle furnace slag was chemically and physically characterised and its suitability for use as a filler was determined in accordance with the regulations. Subsequently, bituminous mixtures were conformed with the slag and also with commercial fillers, calcareous and hornfels, in order to compare the results. Finally, the physical properties, Marshall stability and the effect of water were determined with the immersion–compression test on all families of samples. The results showed that the mixes conformed with ladle furnace slag had higher Marshall stability, less variation due to the effect of water and acceptable physical properties. Consequently, the suitability of utilisation of these slags in bituminous mixtures could be confirmed.

Investigations on the application of Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) to the construction sector have shown that the environmental impact of construction products can be significantly reduced. To achieve this, the use of best available techniques and eco-innovation in production plants must be promoted. In this way, the use of finite natural resources can be replaced by waste generated in other production processes, preferably available locally, stimulating the creation of more sustainable products. Conducting a comparative LCA study between the traditional ceramic brick manufacturing process and the ceramic brick manufacturing process incorporating ‘alperujo’ (waste generated in the virgin oil extraction process), is an inevitable step to achieve the integration of circularity and eco-innovation in the production system of traditional ceramic materials, through the CML(Centrum voor Milieukunde Leiden) and IPCC(The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change) methodology. The obtained results suggest that the environmental benefits in this practice are very limited, even taking into account the contribution of different amounts of this waste to the production of bricks.

Producción Científica, The organization of the corneal stoma is modified due to different factors, including pathology, surgery or external damage. Here the changes in the organization of the corneal collagen fibers during natural healing after chemical burn are investigated using second harmonic generation (SHG) imaging. Moreover, the structure tensor (ST) was used as an objective tool for morphological analyses at different time points after burn (up to 6 months). Unlike control corneas that showed a regular distribution, the collagen pattern at 1 month of burn presented a non-organized arrangement. SHG signal levels noticeably decreased and individual fibers were hardly visible. Over time, the healing process led to a progressive re-organization of the fibers that could be quantified through the ST. At 6 months, the stroma distribution reached values similar to those of control eyes and a dominant direction of the fibers re-appeared. The present results show that SHG microscopy imaging combined with the ST method is able to objectively monitor the temporal regeneration of the corneal organization after chemical burn. Future implementations of this approach into clinically adapted devices would help to diagnose and quantify corneal changes, not only due to chemical damages, but also as a result of disease or surgical procedures., © 2021 Optical Society of America. Users may use, reuse, and build upon the article, or use the article for text or data mining, so long as such uses are for non-commercial purposes and appropriate attribution is maintained. All other rights are reserved., Ministerio de Sanidad. Instituto de Salud Carlos III (PI15/01906), Fundación Séneca (19897/GERM/15)

La toma de posesión de los alcaldes exalta la primera legitimación pública del poder municipal mediante la puesta en escena de la de las sesiones constitutivas de los ayuntamientos. En España no existe una normativa general que reúna las reglas o recomendaciones protocolarias en las que los ayuntamientos puedan construir la base del ceremonial de estos actos oficiales.Bajo esta premisa, esta investigación realiza una aproximación sobre cuáles son las pautas de protocolo y ceremonial que se implementan las sesiones constitutivas de administraciones locales partiendo del estudio de caso de los reglamentos de protocolo de los ayuntamientos de más de 15.000 habitantes, según INE 2016.A partir de este análisis de contenido de las variables recogidas en estos reglamentos, se propone un modelo conceptual que podría marcar las bases del ceremonial en la toma de posesión consistorial para el futuro desarrollo de manuales, reglamentos o propuestas legislativas._______________________The inauguration of the mayors represents the first public legitimation of municipal power through the staging of the constitutive sessions of the town councils. In Spain, there is no general regulation that gathers the rules or protocol recommendations in which town councils can build the basis for the ceremonial of these official acts.Under this premise, this research carries out an approximation on which are the protocol and ceremonial guidelines that are implemented by the constitutive sessions of local administrations starting from the case study of the protocol regulations of the town councils of more than 15,000 inhabitants, according to INE 2016.Based on this analysis of the content of the variables included in these regulations, a conceptual model is proposed that could mark the bases of the ceremonial inauguration for the future development of manuals, regulations or legislative proposals

The present work proposes the manufacture of ceramic construction materials using raw materials which are only industrial wastes from different production processes (electric arc furnace steel slag, coal bottom ash, carbon fly ash, and oil-filtering diatomaceous-earth). From them, the SiO2-Al2O3-CaO equilibrium phase diagram has been used to formulate two materials compositions with the objective of obtaining ceramics whose chemical composition is located in the same area as a traditional clay-based material, but with two different technological behaviors: refractoriness due to calcium phase’s development and densification due to a greater melting capacity. The waste-based pieces have been sintered at three firing temperatures (1000 °C, 1050 °C, and 1100 °C) and the mineralogical composition has been quantified by Rietveld refinement-XRD in order to establish the agreement between the phases foreseen by the formulations in the diagrams and the mineralogical compositions actually developed after the sintering treatment. In addition, fired materials have been subjected to a complete microstructural characterization by means of SEM-EDX and the pore size distribution has been determined by means of mercury intrusion porosimetry and helium pycnometry. In general, all obtained materials display adequate technological properties for their use as building materials so this characterization has allowed to show the suitability of the ternary diagram SiO2-Al2O3-CaO for the design of ceramic compositions from industrial wastes. Therefore, extending the use of phase diagrams as a design tool is still little explored for waste-based ceramics, and those that have been mainly used for studying Mg-based phases can have an important contribution to a more sustainable construction sector.

Mining activity can release important amounts of toxic metals which are able to move through the soil, water and air, or even to reach the human food chain. Consequently, the environmental and health issue related to ore extraction has led to an increased awareness of the importance of recovering mining sites. In this study, samples taken from tailings located in the abandoned metallic mine named La Union (Mazarambroz, Spain) have been studied to sinter lightweight aggregates (LWAs). The fraction

Producción Científica, Corneal cross-linking (CXL) is a surgical procedure able to modify corneal biomechanics and stabilize keratoconus progression. Although it is known that CXL produces changes in corneal collagen distribution, these are still a topic of discussion. Here we quantitatively compare the corneal stroma architecture between two animal models four weeks after in vivo conventional CXL treatment, with second harmonic generation (SHG) imaging microscopy and the structure tensor (ST). The healing stage and the stroma recovery were also analyzed by means of histological sections. Results show that the CXL effects depend on the initial arrangement of the corneal collagen. While the treatment increases the order in corneas with a low level of initial organization, corneas presenting a fairly regular pattern are hardly affected. Histological samples showed active keratocytes in anterior and middle stroma, what means that the recovery is still in progress. The combination of SHG imaging and the ST is able to objectively discriminate the changes suffered by the collagen arrangement after the CXL treatment, whose effectiveness depends on the initial organization of the collagen fibers within the corneal stroma., Sociedad Española para la Investigación de las Diferencias Individuales (grant FIS2016-76163-R), Fundación Séneca (grant 19897/GERM/15)

Nidogen-2 is a basement membrane (BM) glycoprotein that could be a key to understanding why defects in BM regeneration occur after severe trauma to the cornea. We monitored the location and expression of nidogen-2 during corneal repair after alkali burn in rabbits. In rabbits that received both general and ocular topical anaesthesia, the central cornea of the left eye was burned by placing an 8-mm diameter filter paper soaked in 0.5 N NaOH for 60 s. Right corneas were used as controls. The eyes were evaluated at 2, 7, 15, and 30 days after burning and analysed by immunohistochemistry for nidogen-2 and α-smooth muscle actin, a myofibroblast marker. Nidogen-2 mRNA expression levels were determined by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction. In control corneas, nidogen-2-positive cells were in all epithelial layers, the endothelium, and the anterior and posterior stromal regions. At Day 2 after the alkali burn, the wound area epithelium and the peripheral epithelium were made up of only 1 to 2 cell layers, all of them nidogen-2 positive. At Day 7 in the wound area, the epithelium consisted of two cell layers, and the basally located cells were mostly nidogen-2 positive. The greatest change was observed at Day 30. At this time, the ulcer prevalence in the alkali-burned corneas was approximately 50% and the central epithelial defects remained. In unepithelialized corneas, frequent epithelial detachments were present, in which almost of the epithelial cells were nidogen-2 negative. The injured stroma was repopulated by activated stromal cells that synthesized nidogen-2. The nidogen-2 was retained in the newly secreted, but disordered, matrix produced mainly by the myofibroblasts localized in the stroma at 7, 15, and 30 days after burning. Thus, even though nidogen-2 was present, it was unable to contribute to the effective regeneration of the BM.

Cold in-place recycling with bitumen emulsion is a good environmental option for road conservation. The technique produces lower CO2 emissions because the product is manufactured and spread in the same location as the previous infrastructure, and its mixing with bitumen emulsion occurs at room temperature. Adding materials with cementitious characteristics gives the final mixture greater resistance and durability, and incorporating an industrial by-product such as ladle furnace slag (of which cementitious characteristics have been corroborated by various authors) enables the creation of sustainable, resistant pavement. This paper describes the incorporation of ladle furnace slag in reclaimed asphalt pavements (RAP) to execute in-place asphalt pavement recycling with bitumen emulsion. Various test groups of samples with increasing percentages of emulsion were created to study both the density of the mixtures obtained, and their dry and post-immersion compressive strength. To determine these characteristics, the physical and chemical properties of the ladle furnace slag and the reclaimed asphalt pavements were analyzed, as well as compatibility with the bitumen emulsion. The aforementioned tests define an optimal combination of RAP (90%), ladle furnace slag (10%), water (2.6%), and emulsion (3.3%), which demonstrated maximum values for compressive strength of the dry and post-immersion bituminous mixture. These tests therefore demonstrate the suitability of ladle furnace slag for cold in-place recycling with bitumen emulsion.

8 pags., 6 figs., PURPOSE. Photoactivated cornea collagen cross-linking (CXL) increases corneal stiffness by initiating formation of covalent bonds between stromal proteins. Because CXL depends on diffusion to distribute the photoinitiator, a gradient of CXL efficiency with depth is expected that may affect the degree of stromal collagen organization. We used second harmonic generation (SHG) microscopy to investigate the differences in stromal collagen organization in rabbit eyes after corneal CXL in vivo as a function of depth and time after surgery. METHODS. Rabbit corneas were treated in vivo with either riboflavin/UV radiation (UVX) or Rose Bengal/green light (RGX) and evaluated 1 and 2 months after CXL. Collagen fibers were imaged with a custom-built SHG scanning microscope through the central cornea (350 μm depth, 225 × 225 μm en face images). The order coefficient (OC), a metric for collagen organization, and total SHG signal were computed for each depth and compared between treatments. RESULTS. OC values of CXL-treated corneas were larger than untreated corneas by 27% and 20% after 1 month and 38% and 33% after 2 months for the RGX and UVX, respectively. RGX OC values were larger than UVX OC values by 3% and 5% at 1 and 2 months. The SHG signal was higher in CXL corneas than untreated corneas, both at 1 and 2 months after surgery, by 18% and 26% and 1% and 10% for RGX and UVX, respectively. CONCLUSIONS. Increased OC corresponded with increased collagen fiber organization in CXL corneas. Changes in collagen organization parallel reported temporal changes in cornea stiffness after CXL and also, surprisingly, are detected deeper in the stroma than the regions stiffened by collagen cross-links., Supported by the European Research Council Advanced Grant ERC-2011-AdG Ref. 294099, Spanish Government Grants FIS2014-56643 and FIS2017-84753-R, H2020 Research and Innovation Action H2020-ICT-2017 Ref. 779960.

In this study, diatomaceous earth residues from two industrial processes, refining of vegetable oils and brewing, have been used as raw materials for brick making. The aim has been to substitute part of the clay traditionally used for the manufacturing of bricks, between 3 and 10 wt.%, with the aforementioned residues, so obtaining ceramic pieces at three firing temperatures: 850, 950 and 1050 °C. The studied properties were compared with those of conventional materials (100% clay), and the results show that these alternative raw materials can be considered technological “nutrients” whose addition improves the behaviour of the materials in the drying process. The incorporation of these materials also increases the open porosity of the fired pieces and reduces the bulk density by up to 10%. The increase in porosity is greater in materials that incorporate diatomites from oil filtration, reaching the maximum value (37 vol.%). These results are confirmed from the microstructure observed by SEM. With regard to mechanical properties, increasing the content of both residues generally decreases the bending strength to values exceeding 10 MPa, thus resulting admissible for use in construction. Moreover, the energy release from the residues during the firing stage is greater than the energy demand required for drying, while the thermal conductivity values of the final materials decreases with the amount of residue, which confers thermal insulating properties to the ceramic pieces and thus can reduce the energy consumption of buildings.

This research focused on the obtainment of sustainable lightweight aggregates (LWAs) for agronomic application. The cleaner production is based on saving matter through the valorization of waste available in industry as a substitute of clays into the formulation of the lightweight aggregates (LWAs). Three different types of clays (white, black, and red) and alternative raw materials were blended. Cattle bone flour ash (CBA) and a fertilizer glass (FG) were used to introduce K and P into the mixture in amounts suitable for fertilizer application, and a sewage sludge from a brewery wastewater treatment plant was used as pore forming agent. For the production of the LWAs, we mixed different percentage of waste in two different clay mixtures, which were thermally treated at 1000 &deg, C for 1 h. Technological parameters such as loose bulk and oven dry density, total porosity, water absorption capacity, pH, and electrical conductivity were determined to evaluate the potential use of LWAs as a growing media. Moreover, scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and mercury intrusion porosimetry (MIP) techniques were used, and leaching tests were performed to complete the samples&rsquo, characterization. The results indicated the potential for manufacturing high-quality LWAs for the agronomic field by using energy-saving and matter-processing involving low temperatures with respect to the conventional process.

Small ruminant lentiviruses (SRLVs) belong to the genusLentivirusin the Retroviridae family. There are five genotypes (A, B, C, D, and E), where genotypes A and B have a global distribution and genotypes C, D, and E are limited to Europe. The presence of SRLV has been confirmed in Mexico, with genotype B detected in the central region of the country. We examined the presence of SRLVs and genotype prevalence in 1014 sheep and 1383 goats from 12 Mexican states. Using a commercial competitive ELISA (cELISA) test, we detected SRLV antibodies in 107 sheep (10.55%) and 466 goats (33.69%). We used an endpoint PCR to amplify the LTR region on seropositive animals. A total of 50 sheep and 75 goats tested positive via PCR. Positive amplicons from 11 sheep and 17 goats from ten Mexican States were cloned and sequenced. With the LTR sequence data obtained in this study, a phylogenetic analysis was performed; we also constructed a phylogenetic tree using the obtained sequences and GenBank’s available sequences. All studied sequences were associated with genotype B, specifically with the FESC-752 isolate previously identified in Mexico. Highly conserved transcription factor binding sites were observed in analyzed alignments, such as AML (vis), AP-4, and TATA box. However, we identified nucleotide differences at site AP-1 that suggest function loss. Our study found that ovine and caprine genotype B SRLVs are widely distributed in Mexico; a highly conserved LTR region among the sequences evaluated in this study was also found.

Producción Científica, Purpose: Evaluate the corneal damage and wound healing in an animal model with Bowman’s layer after UVA+UVB radiation and epioff Cross-Linking (CXL). Methods: Adult Brown Classic chickens were randomly divided into three groups. The UVA+UVB group (20 eyes) was exposed to three doses of radiation (4.60 J/cm2) . The CXL group (12 eyes), was de-epithelialized and irradiated with UVA light (5.4 J/cm2) for 30 minutes. The contralateral eyes were used as a control (12 eyes). The animals have clinically follow-up, the epithelial closure was measured by fluorescein stain and corneal thickness by pachymetry. Keratocytes loss, subsequent cell repopulation, and healing events were analyzed after euthanasia at 24 hours, 15 and 30 days post-radiation on hematoxylin-eosin-stained sections. Cell death was detected by TUNEL assay, proliferation by BrdU (bromodeoxyuridine) immunofluorescence, and myofibroblasts differentiation by (αSMA) immunohistochemistry. Results: Re-epithelialization was at 5 ± 2.3 days in CXL and at day 2 ± 0.9 days in UVA+UVB. Pachymetry was higher after UVA+UVB than CXL (p

Producción Científica, The extracellular matrix (ECM) confers transparency to the cornea because of the precise organization of collagen fibrils and a wide variety of proteoglycans. We monitored the corneal wound healing process after alkali burns in rabbits. We analyzed the location and expression of collagens and proteoglycans, the clinical impact, and the recovery of optical transparency. After the animals received both general and ocular topical anesthesia, the central cornea of the left eye was burned by placing an 8-mm diameter filter paper soaked in 0.5 N NaOH for 60 s. The eyes were evaluated under a surgical microscope at 1, 3, and 6 months after burning. At each time point, the clinical conditions of the burned and control corneas were observed. The arrangement of collagen fibers in the corneal stroma was visualized by Picrosirius-red staining, Gomori's silver impregnation and transmission electronic microscopy. Corneal light transmittance was also measured. Myofibroblasts presence was analyzed by immunohistochemistry. mRNA expression levels of collagen types I and III, lumican, decorin, keratocan and alpha-smooth muscle actin were determined by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction. One month after alkali burn, the ECM was disorganized and filled with lacunae containing different types of cells and collagen type III fibers in the wound area. Corneal opacities were present with attendant loss of light transmittance. Collagen and proteoglycan mRNA expression levels were up-regulated. After three months, wound healing progress was indicated by reduced corneal opacity, increased light transmittance, reorganization of collagen fibers and only collagen type I expression levels were at control levels. After six months, the wound area ECM morphology was similar to controls, but transmittance values remained low, denoting incomplete restoration of the stromal architecture. This multidisciplinary study of the stromal wound healing process revealed changes in corneal transmittance, collagen organization, myofibroblasts presence and ECM composition at 1, 3, and 6 months after alkali burning. Documenting wound resolution during the six-month period provided reliable information that can be used to test new therapies., Instituto de Salud Carlos III (Health Research Fund PI15/01906 ), Ministerio de Economía, Industria y Competitividad ( project BFU2016-75360-R), Junta de Castilla y León (Project VA114P17)

Aim To compare the histological, morphological and the biophysical measurements between hen and quail corneas, in order to determine which of them were better suited for use as an animal model for research into corneal refractive surgery. Material and methods A study was performed using the biophysical measurements of the cornea (curvature, thickness, refraction, and axial length) of 20 animals (10 hens and 10 quails). The corneas were then prepared for histological analysis under microscopy light. Results The analysis showed that both groups have the same number of corneal layers as the human cornea and with an evident Bowman's layer. The thickness of the hen cornea and axial length of the eye, 225.3 ± 18.4 μm and 12.8 ± 0.25 mm, respectively, were larger than that of the quail ( p p p 2 , was about half that in the quail stroma ( p Conclusions Because of the large size of the hen cornea, the stromal thickness and proportional similarity of the corneal layers with human cornea, the hen maybe better than the quail as an alternative species suitable for use in studies of corneal refractive surgery.

The marble industry generates enormous amounts of waste every year, whose incorrect management can lead to environmental problems. The Circular Economy model can provide an effective solution to this issue, an aspect that has been addressed in this research. The suitability of a marble sludge generated in the ornamental rock industry of Andalusia (Spain) has been assessed as raw material in ceramic bricks. Mixtures containing a clayey base and 0, 2.5, 5, 7.5, and 10 wt% of marble powder have been shaped into 60 × 30 × 10-mm3 prismatic specimens and sintered at 950 °C in a muffle. The main technological properties of the bricks related to color, shrinkage, porosity, water absorption, suction, and compressive strength have been determined. The addition of marble sludge has fostered the development of a lighter color, together with a significant increase of the open porosity. This aspect has implied, on the one hand, higher water absorption and suction results and, on the other hand, a decrease of the density and the mechanical strength. The correlations obtained after applying Shapiro-Wilk normality tests and r Pearson coefficients endorse the clear relationship between the addition of marble powder and the abovementioned effects on the technological properties of the sintered bricks. All the measured properties fully meet the brick standardized requirements, which would indicate that the recycling of marble wastes could be a promising alternative to obtain eco-friendly lightweight ceramic materials.

Purpose: To compare the clinical and histological outcomes after intrastromal corneal ring segment (ICRS) implantation with and without plasma rich in growth factors (PRGF) in an experimental animal model. Materials and Methods: First, the toxicity of PRGF was tested in hen’s keratocyte cultures. Then, an animal model with 18 hens was randomly divided into 2 groups. In the first group, one ICRS was implanted in each eye (ICRS group). In the second group, the ICRS was firstly immersed 30 min in PRGF-Endoret solution, then implanted and, finally, PRGF-Endoret was inoculated into the channel (PRGF-ICRS group). Animals of each group were also separated into 3 groups regarding the time they were sacrificed, and corneal tissue was fixed for histological analysis at 2, 7 and 30 days. Cell death was detected by terminal uridine nick end labelling (TUNEL) assay. Proliferation was labelled by 5-bromo-2-deoxyuridine (BrdU) incorporation and myofibroblast differentiation by alpha-smooth muscle actin (αSMA) immunodetection. Clinical examination, analyzing epithelial wound closure, deposits and stromal haze, was carried out at the different study times. Results: No toxic effect was observed by PRGF in hen stromal cell cultures. Clinically, in PRGF-ICRS corneas at 7 days, there were more deposits with higher intensity than in ICRS group. Histologically, at day 2 there was less epithelial damage over the segment in the PRGF-ICRS group, corneal oedema around the segment disappeared earlier and, at day 7, there was also double the number of cells around the segment than in the ICRS group displaying different morphologies. The number of TUNEL-positive cells was statistically higher in the PRGF-ICRS group at 7 and 30 days, and the number of BrdU-positive cells was statistically higher at all analyzed times. However, there were no differences in the number of αSMA-positive cells at 30 days between both groups. Conclusions: The ICRS immersion in PRGF-Endoret prior and after to its corneal implantation, in an experimental animal model, enhances clinical deposits and histological cell turnover without increasing myofibroblast differentiation reducing stromal wound-healing time after surgery.

The construction industry is responsible for 40&ndash, 45% of primary energy consumption in Europe. Therefore, it is essential to find new materials with a lower environmental impact to achieve sustainable buildings. The objective of this study was to carry out the life cycle analysis (LCA) to evaluate the environmental impacts of baked clay bricks incorporating organic waste. The scope of this comparative study of LCA covers cradle to gate and involves the extraction of clay and organic waste from the brick, transport, crushing, modelling, drying and cooking. Local sustainability within a circular economy strategy is used as a laboratory test. The energy used during the cooking process of the bricks modified with organic waste, the gas emission concentrate and the emission factors are quantified experimentally in the laboratory. Potential environmental impacts are analysed and compared using the ReCiPe midpoint LCA method using SimaPro 8.0.5.13. These results achieved from this method are compared with those obtained with a second method&mdash, Impact 2002+ v2.12. The results of LCA show that the incorporation of organic waste in bricks is favourable from an environmental point of view and is a promising alternative approach in terms of environmental impacts, as it leads to a decrease of 15&ndash, 20% in all the impact categories studied. Therefore, the suitability of the use of organic additives in clay bricks was confirmed, as this addition was shown to improve their efficiency and sustainability, thus reducing the environmental impact.

A 70:30 black-white clay mixture (C) has been blended with different proportions of three wastes: bagasse from beer production (BG), a flux sludge used in galvanization (FS) and fly ash enriched to 60% with K 2 O from a biomass plant (FA). A complete characterization of the raw materials was performed. Mixtures of C and FA for 15, 17.5 and 20 wt% of K 2 O were blended with water, shaped into prismatic specimens, oven-dried, muffle-sintered at 1000–1200 °C, and finally crushed into lightweight aggregates (LWAs). The amounts of FA corresponding to K 2 O = 20% for a temperature, T, of 1000 °C (LWA variety C20K-1000) yielded the best technological properties: oven-dry density of 1.22 g/cm 3 , water absorption of 39.8% and open porosity of 48.6%. Therefore, other specimens containing BG and FS were sintered according to the same protocol considering K 2 O = 20% and T = 1000 °C. White aggregates were also obtained at 1000 °C (C-1000 variety) from C-mixture (without FS, FA and BG). The addition of BG (5,7 and 10 wt%) did not mean any improvement with respect to C20K-1000, and in the case of FS (25–40%), the development of red color was fostered, which could be interesting for gardening or ornamental purposes. A leaching test conducted on the aggregate with 40 wt% FS showed that the concentration of heavy metals was below the permitted environmental thresholds. Although the leachable Zn concentration of the aggregate (205 ppm) was reduced by 85% with respect to the original residue, it is still high enough for crops that demand this metal. The outcome of this investigation proves the usefulness of recycling agricultural and industrial wastes to obtain high quality LWAs for agriculture or gardening.

The construction industry is responsible for 40 to 45% of primary energy consumption in Europe alone. Therefore, it is essential to find new materials with a lower environmental impact in order to attain sustainable housing. This study aims to determine and compare the environmental impact of two clay samples forming a basis for the manufacture of traditional brick, a standard material in building construction; traditional red clay brick and a brick based on clay mixed with a biological ingredient. The samples of fired clay were manufactured at the laboratory scale, the results being valid exclusively as indicators for the extrapolation of the analysis to other studies. The results of the environmental impact of these formulations have been examined through an evaluation of life-cycle analysis (LCA), observing that the incorporation of biological pore forming agents led to a decrease of around 15 to 20% of all impact categories studied. Thus, the suitability of using biological-based additives in clay bricks was confirmed both for their constructive characteristics (lighter material) and increased energy efficiency (better thermal insulation) considering the environmental point of view.

Lightweight aggregate bloating process has been studied by a simple experiment using an archetypal clay to know the actual amount of gas involved in expansion. Considering the relationship between gas loss (LOI) and volumetric changes over time, three main stages are identified: 1) a preheating stage of massive gas loss (close to 80% of the total) with hardly any volumetric change; 2) a very brief transition stage, in which sintering (shrinkage) and closed (micro)porosity formation begin, accompanied by a sudden gas loss (close to 100% of the total); 3) the bloating stage itself, in which an appropriate viscosity is reached, allowing the available residual gas (

The properties of ceramic materials are intimately related to a variety of factors, among them shaping procedure and sintering time. These factors condition, the microstructure and properties of the materials developed. Our study has formed materials from clays commonly used in the area of Bailén (Jaén) and wet pomace proceeding from the extraction of olive oil. The materials were shaped through extrusion. In this study, raw materials have been characterized and studied interesting properties of sintered materials, such as compressive strength, water absorption, open porosity or bulk density. The study concluded that the addition of wet pomace from olive oil industry into traditional brick entails a saving of raw materials and reducing the environmental impact generated by their manufacture. The best results are obtained for the samples with waste content of 3 wt %.

The industrial activities are responsible for the production of large amounts of solid wastes, which, so far, have found scarce reuse alternative. Clay-based materials show a natural forgiveness towards the incorporation of a wide variety of wastes. This study reported the changes in technological properties of clay-based mixture normally used in the production of bricks, due to the additions of a spent diatomite earth (SDE) discarded by the beer filtration process in the brewing industry. Samples containing 0-10 wt % SDE were extruded and sintered in air in an electric furnace (950 °C, for 3 h). SDE thanks to their organic substances content, during their combustion, act as pore forming agent and providing an energy support in the brick firing process. Also, the waste, because of its high silica content can act as a silica carrier. The results obtained showed that SDE, added in a percentage of 3 wt % to a brick formulation, had better influence with respect to control bricks containing only clay, improves the mechanical properties (compressive strength around 45 MPa) with a bulk density reduction of about of 2%. However, the incorporation of waste in percentage of 7 and 10 wt % had a negative effect due to increased porosity fundamentally open pores generated in the clay body by the combustion of SDE waste, leading to water suction, water absorption and compressive strength values that do not fall within the range specified by bricks UNE standards. Therefore, SDE can thus advantageously used in lower amounts (3 wt %) as silica carrier and in lower proportion as pore agent in clay bricks, with the potential to reduce fuel and natural ceramic raw material consumption, as well as, landfill costs.

The current environmental problems that threaten our society can only be mitigated with a radical change in the paradigm of production and consumption. Recycling waste is a key element in this. This work has focused on the valorization of a widely spread agricultural waste: the so-called ‘alperujo’ (olive pomace). For the first time, olive pomace (OP) has been used as a component in the manufacture of lightweight aggregates (LWAs). Mixtures with 0, 1.25, 2.5, 5 and 10 wt% OP have been prepared from three different clays. The research results show that the addition of OP in low proportions (mainly 2.5%) is more positive to achieve aggregate bloating, pore formation and a lighter structure. The high calorific value of OP also helps to reduce the firing temperature significantly, which would result in energy savings. In the same way, bloating would be favored with the increase of the time and the temperature, especially with this last one. The materials obtained have excellent properties. In addition, the study of leachate in the most expanded aggregate shows that the concentration of heavy metals is very low, representing no danger to the environment. According to these findings, the recycling of olive pomace can be an excellent alternative in the manufacture of LWAs.

Los Reglamentos Municipales de Protocolo y Ceremonial son las herramientas que establecen las pautas a seguir en la celebracion de los actos publicos oficiales en las entidades locales en Espana. El presente estudio se acerca a la realidad de la situacion actual en el conjunto del pais para conocer el grado de implementacion y la estructura de los mismos con el fin de establecer un mapa conceptual para el desarrollo de un modelo comun de reglamento. Para ello, se ha realizado un analisis descriptivo de las variables de todos los reglamentos de protocolo y ceremonial de los ayuntamientos con menos de 15.000 habitantes.

La violencia de género es un problema global pero con realidades más cruentas en ciertas regiones y países. Este es el caso de México en el que mueren 7 mujeres cada día. Ante este escenario y como respuesta a la incapacidad gubernamental para resolver esta violación constante a los derechos humanos de las mujeres en los últimos años se han realizado diferentes acciones de lucha política para erradicar esta violencia. En algunos casos dinamizadas por las instituciones gubernamentales y mayoritariamente desde la sociedad civil organizada. Partiendo de la concepción de que Internet y las redes sociales son herramientas fundamentales del activismo y de la lucha feminista del siglo XXI, este estudio tiene como objetivo, desde una perspectiva crítica, analizar el uso y valoración que hacen de Facebook las asociaciones que luchan contra la violencia de género en México. A través de una metodología cuantitativa hemos obtenido un mapa descriptivo de las páginas activas de Facebook sobre esta temática. Con la parte cualitativa, realizando entrevistas en profundidad a asociaciones de activistas que usan la red social, hemos identificado las dinámicas de apropiación y usos de la plataforma. Nuestros resultados indican que las entidades usan Facebook de una forma poco crítica pero consiguen tener impacto contra la lucha de género ya que se convierte en una plataforma que crea una noción de sororidad y es percibida como asequible y cercana donde las mujeres se sienten seguras para denunciar casos de violencia. A violência de gênero é um problema global, mas com realidades mais sangrentas em certas regiões e países. Este é o caso do México em que morrem 7 mulheres por dia. Frente a este cenário e como resposta à incapacidade governamental para resolver esta violação constante aos direitos humanos das mulheres, nos últimos anos foram realizadas diferentes ações de luta política para erradicar esta violência. Em alguns casos dinamizados pelas instituições governamentais e majoritariamente pela sociedade civil organizada. Partindo da concepção de a que Internet e as redes sociais são ferramentas fundamentais do ativismo e da luta feminista, desde o século XXI, este estudo tem como objetivo, a partir de uma perspectiva crítica, analisar o uso e o valor que fazem do Facebook as associações que lutam contra a violência de gênero no México. Através de uma metodologia quantitativa obtivemos um mapa descritivo das páginas ativas do Facebook sobre esta temática. Com a parte qualitativa, realizando entrevistas com profundidade com associações de ativistas que usam a rede social, identificamos as dinâmicas de apropriação e usos da plataforma. Nossos resultados indicam que as entidades usam Facebook de uma forma pouco crítica mas conseguem ter impacto contra a luta de gênero já que se converte em uma plataforma que cria uma noção de sororidade e é percebida como acessível e próxima onde as mulheres se sentem seguras para denunciar casos de violência. Gender violence is a global problem but with more worrying realities in certain regions and countries. This is the case of Mexico where 7 women die every day. Given this scenario and in response to the government's inability to resolve this constant violation of women's human rights, in recent years different political actions have been carried out to eradicate this violence. In some cases, these are energized by governmental institutions but to a large extent these actions are carried out by organized civil society. Starting from the conception that the Internet and social networks are fundamental tools for the activism in the 21st century, as well as for feminism, this study aims, from a critical perspective, to analyze the use and appreciation of Facebook by the organizations that fight to eradicate gender violence in Mexico. Through a quantitative methodology we have obtained a descriptive map of the active pages of Facebook on this subject. With the qualitative part, conducting in-depth interviews with activist associations that use the social network, we have identified the dynamics of appropriation and use of the platform. Our results indicate that the entities use Facebook in an uncritical way but they manage to have an impact against gender violence since it becomes a platform that creates a notion of sorority and is perceived as a friendly platform where women feel safe to denounce cases of violence.

Producción Científica, Purpose: To study corneal wound healing after two cross-linking techniques using either rose bengal and green light (RGX) or the conventional treatment using riboflavin and UVA radiation (UVX). Methods: Corneas of New Zealand rabbits were monolaterally treated with UVX (21 eyes) or RGX (25 eyes). Treatments involved corneal de-epithelialization (8-mm diameter), soaking with photosensitizer (0.1% riboflavin in 20% dextran for 30 minutes for UVX; 0.1% rose bengal for 2 minutes for RGX), and light irradiation (370 nm, 3 mW/cm2, 30 minutes for UVX; 532 nm, 0.25 W/cm2, 7 minutes for RGX). Contralateral eyes were used as controls. Clinical follow-up included fluorescein staining, haze measurement, and pachymetry. Healing events analyzed after euthanasia at 2, 30, and 60 days included cell death (TUNEL assay), cell proliferation (BrdU [bromodeoxyuridine] immunofluorescence), and differentiation to myofibroblasts (α-SMA [alpha smooth muscle actin] immunohistochemistry). Results: Re-epithelialization and pachymetries were similar after RGX and UVX. The haze from day 1 to 15 was greater after UVX. Cell death was deeper after UVX, being localized in the anterior and middle stroma, and was superficial (anterior third) after RGX. Cell proliferation appeared after 2 days and was localized in the middle and posterior stroma in the UVX group but was superficial in the RGX group. After 60 days the number of stromal cells had not returned to the control number in either group. Conclusions: The deeper and longer-lasting cell damage caused by UVX compared to RGX may underlie the slower cell repopulation after UVX and other differences in healing. Shallower damage and a shorter treatment time suggest that RGX may be appropriate for stiffening thin corneas., Consejo Europeo de Investigación (grant ERC-2011-AdC-294099), Gobierno de España (grants FIS2011-25637-R, FIS2014- 56643-R and FIS2017-84753-R)

10 pags., 12 figs. Open Access funded by Creative Commons Atribution Licence 4.0, To evaluate corneal wound healing after treatment with a new collagen crosslinking protocol using rose bengal dye and green light (RGX).