Opening Advanced Laboratories to School Students: Our Model for Structuring Round‐Trip Activities from School to University and Back

Collaboration with universities may assist secondary schools faced with challenges of promoting state‐of‐the‐art chemistry and biosciences education. This paper outlines university‐based programs in Israel (Belmonte) and Italy (CusMiBio) that enhance learning experiences by allowing classes of pupils to interact with academics and perform hands‐on experiments in advanced scientific laboratories. These programs facilitate a symbiotic relationship between secondary schools and the university. This paper outlines a conceptual model for university‐based science interventions. We describe the programs at Belmonte and CusMiBio, and explain how each program implements group activities for hybrid science laboratories that aim to enhance learning. Teacher training is also described, along with activities essential for establishing a round‐trip experience‐ whereby learning activities continue to have an impact after completion of these special trips to the university laboratory.     

Assessment of wastewater reuse potential for irrigation in rural semi-arid areas: the case study of Punitaqui,Chile

Clean Technologies and Environmental Policy - Wastewater reuse in agriculture has been identified as an adaptive solution to climate change. This practice copes with two of the most limiting...     

Discourse Structure and Sentential Information Structure. An Initial Proposal

In this article we argue that discourse structure constrains the set ofpossible constituents in a discourse that can provide the relevantcontext for structuring information in a target sentence, whileinformation structure critically constrains discourse structureambiguity. For the speaker, the discourse structure provides a set of possible contexts for continuation while information structure assignment is independent of discourse structure. For the hearer, the information structure of a sentence together with discourse structure instructs dynamic semantics how rhematic information should be used to update the meaning representation of the discourse (Polanyi and van den Berg, 1996).     

Bovine milk composition parameters affecting the ethanol stability

The objective of the present work was to identify the compositional parameters of raw milk that affected ethanol stability at natural pH when natural milk conditions were not modified. Heat stability, measured as coagulation time (CT), was included in the analysis to verify relation to alcohol test. Statistical models were proposed for alcohol and heat (CT) stabilities. Milk samples of good hygienic quality from dairy farms were classified in two groups according to their alcohol stability. Unstable samples to ethanol (72%, v/v) presented lower values of pH, somatic cells count, casein and non-fat-solids relative to ethanol stable samples (ethanol at 78%, v/v or more); whereas freezing point, chloride, sodium and potassium concentrations were higher in the unstable group. Logistic regression and multiple regression were applied to modelling alcohol and heat stability behaviour respectively. Chloride, potassium, ionic calcium and somatic cell count were included in the alcohol regression model, whereas calcium, phosphorous, urea, pH and ionic calcium were part of CT model. Ionic calcium was the only measured variable that contributed to both models; however coagulation time was noted to be more sensitive to ionic calcium than alcohol. The relation between ionic strength and casein was found to contribute to the alcohol model but not to the CT model. However, the interaction calcium plus magnesium plus phosphorous and casein contributed only to CT model.     

New heparinizable modified poly(carbonate urethane) surfaces diminishing bacterial colonization

Percutaneous devices are extensively used in modern medicine therapies, even in long term applications. Complications from their use, related to bacterial colonization and/or to materials thrombogenicity, may result in a significant morbidity and mortality incidence. In this study, a novel polycarbonate-urethane (PCU), incorporating a tailor-made diamino-diamide-diol (PIME) showing the ability to bind heparin at physiological pH, was compared to commercial medical-grade PCUs (Carbothane and Bionate). Mechanical and thermal properties were evaluated by tensile tests, dynamic mechanical analysis and differential scanning calorimetry. The presence of a low amount of PIME chain extender in Bionate polyurethanes (Bionate-PIME) slightly affects the mechanical properties, remaining however comparable with the medical grade PCUs used for the fabrication of cardiovascular devices. To verify thereof heparin surface adsorbed in disfavouring bacterial colonization, heparinized Bionate-PIME was tested for bacterial adhesion, using Bionate and Carbothane as reference. In vitro bacterial interaction tests were performed with the strains mainly involved in the pathogenesis of device-related infections (S. epidermidis and S. aureus). MTT tests and SEM observations showed a decrease in colonization of the different strains on the heparinized Bionate-PIME surfaces, confirming that preadsorbed heparin plays a role in mediating the biomaterial surface/bacterial cells interactions.     

Molecular Pathogenesis and Treatment Perspectives for Hypereosinophilia and Hypereosinophilic Syndromes

Hypereosinophilia (HE) is a heterogeneous condition with a persistent elevated eosinophil count of >350/mm³, which is reported in various (inflammatory, allergic, infectious, or neoplastic) diseases with distinct pathophysiological pathways. HE may be associated with tissue or organ damage and, in this case, the disorder is classified as hypereosinophilic syndrome (HES). Different studies have allowed for the discovery of two major pathogenetic variants known as myeloid or lymphocytic HES. With the advent of molecular genetic analyses, such as T-cell receptor gene rearrangement assays and Next Generation Sequencing, it is possible to better characterize these syndromes and establish which patients will benefit from pharmacological targeted therapy. In this review, we highlight the molecular alterations that are involved in the pathogenesis of eosinophil disorders and revise possible therapeutic approaches, either implemented in clinical practice or currently under investigation in clinical trials.