Optical properties and plasmons in moiré structures.

The discoveries of numerous exciting phenomena in twisted bilayer graphene (TBG) are stimulating significant investigations on moiré structures that possess a tunable moiré potential. Optical response can provide insights into the electronic structures and transport phenomena of non-twisted and twisted moiré structures. In this article, we review both experimental and theoretical studies of optical properties such as optical conductivity, dielectric function, non-linear optical response, and plasmons in moiré structures composed of graphene, hexagonal boron nitride (hBN), and/or transition metal dichalcogenides.

Modulation of Cell Response through the Covalent Binding of Fibronectin to Titanium Substrates.

Titanium (Ti-6Al-4V) substrates were functionalized through the covalent binding of fibronectin, and the effect of the existence of this extracellular matrix protein on the surface of the material was assessed by employing mesenchymal stem cell (MSC) cultures. The functionalization process comprised the usage of the activation vapor silanization (AVS) technique to deposit a thin film with a high surface density of amine groups on the material, followed by the covalent binding of fibronectin to the amine groups using the N-(3-dimethylaminopropyl)-N'-ethylcarbodiimide hydrochloride/N-hydroxysuccinimide (EDC/NHS) crosslinking chemistry. The biological effect of the fibronectin on murine MSCs was assessed in vitro.

The Gastrointestinal Tract Is Pinpointed as a Reservoir of , , and Genotypes Found in Blood and Intra-Abdominal Samples.

Background: spp., as part of the microbiota, can colonise the gastrointestinal tract. We hypothesised that genotyping spp.

Application of single cell force spectroscopy (SCFS) to the assessment of cell adhesion to peptide-decorated surfaces.

The adhesion forces of cells to peptide-coated functionalized materials were assessed through the Single Cell Force Spectroscopy (SCFS) technique in order to develop a methodology that allows the fast selection of peptide motifs that favor the interaction between cells and the biomaterial. Borosilicate glasses were functionalized using the activated vapor silanization process (AVS) and subsequently decorated with an RGD- containing peptide using the EDC/NHS crosslinking chemistry. It is shown that the RGD-coated glass induces larger attachment forces on mesenchymal stem cell cultures (MSCs), compared to the bare glass substrates.

Resistance to Degradation of Silk Fibroin Hydrogels Exposed to Neuroinflammatory Environments.

Central nervous system (CNS) diseases represent an extreme burden with significant social and economic costs. A common link in most brain pathologies is the appearance of inflammatory components that can jeopardize the stability of the implanted biomaterials and the effectiveness of therapies. Different silk fibroin scaffolds have been used in applications related to CNS disorders.

Breakthrough invasive fungal infection among patients with haematologic malignancies: A national, prospective, and multicentre study.

Objectives: We describe the current epidemiology, causes, and outcomes of breakthrough invasive fungal infections (BtIFI) in patients with haematologic malignancies.

Methods: BtIFI in patients with ≥ 7 days of prior antifungals were prospectively diagnosed (36 months across 13 Spanish hospitals) according to revised EORTC/MSG definitions.

Results: 121 episodes of BtIFI were documented, of which 41 (33.

Correction: Díaz-García et al. Genotyping of Blood Culture Isolates from Patients Admitted to 16 Hospitals in Madrid: Genotype Spreading during the COVID-19 Pandemic Driven by Fluconazole-Resistant . 2022, , 1228.

In the original publication [...

The Spider Silk Standardization Initiative (S3I): A powerful tool to harness biological variability and to systematize the characterization of major ampullate silk fibers spun by spiders from suburban Sydney, Australia.

The true stress-true strain curves of 11 Australian spider species from the Entelegynae lineage were tensile tested and classified based on the values of the alignment parameter, α*, in the framework of the Spider Silk Standardization Initiative (S3I). The application of the S3I methodology allowed the determination of the alignment parameter in all cases, and were found to range between α* = 0.03 and α* = 0.

First Report of - Keratitis.

Coelomycetous fungi are among the emerging causes of infections and have been involved in many kinds of infections, including keratitis and endophtalmitis. Here, we present the first case of keratitis caused by a coelomycetous fungus belonging to the family Cucurbitariaceae. In this case report, we describe the clinical presentation of a 56-year-old woman, a regular contact lens wearer, who was treated for pain in her right eye and fixed spot vision after an injury with plant debris.

Genotyping of Blood Culture Isolates from Patients Admitted to 16 Hospitals in Madrid: Genotype Spreading during the COVID-19 Pandemic Driven by Fluconazole-Resistant .

Background: Candidaemia and invasive candidiasis are typically hospital-acquired. Genotyping isolates from patients admitted to different hospitals may be helpful in tracking clones spreading across hospitals, especially those showing antifungal resistance.

Methods: We characterized clusters by studying isolates (, = 1041; , = 354, and , = 125) from blood cultures (53.

Relating spidroin motif prevalence and periodicity to the mechanical properties of major ampullate spider silks.

Spider dragline fibers exhibit incredible mechanical properties, outperforming many synthetic polymers in toughness assays, and possess desirable properties for medical and other human applications. These qualities make dragline fibers popular subjects for biomimetics research. The enormous diversity of spiders presents both an opportunity for the development of new bioinspired materials and a challenge for the identification of fundamental design principles, as the mechanical properties of dragline fibers show both intraspecific and interspecific variations.

Multicentre validation of a modified EUCAST MIC testing method and development of associated epidemiologic cut-off (ECOFF) values for rezafungin.

Objectives: Rezafungin EUCAST MIC testing has been associated with notable inter-laboratory variation, which prevented ECOFF setting for C. albicans. We assessed in vitro susceptibility and reproducibility for a modified EUCAST methodology and established associated wild-type upper limits (WT-ULs).

Blood and intra-abdominal Candida spp. from a multicentre study conducted in Madrid using EUCAST: emergence of fluconazole resistance in Candida parapsilosis, low echinocandin resistance and absence of Candida auris.

Objectives: We prospectively monitored the epidemiology and antifungal susceptibility of Candida spp. from blood cultures and intra-abdominal samples in patients admitted to hospitals in the Madrid area.

Methods: Between 2019 and 2021, we prospectively collected incident isolates [one per species, patient and compartment (blood cultures versus intra-abdominal samples)] from patients admitted to any of 16 hospitals located in Madrid.

Evidence of Fluconazole-Resistant Candida parapsilosis Genotypes Spreading across Hospitals Located in Madrid, Spain and Harboring the Y132F ERG11p Substitution.

We have been monitoring the antifungal resistance in Candida parapsilosis isolates collected from inpatients at Madrid metropolitan area hospitals for the last 3 years. The study aimed to elucidate the presence of fluconazole-resistant C. parapsilosis genotypes in Madrid.

Postischemic Neuroprotection of Aminoethoxydiphenyl Borate Associates Shortening of Peri-Infarct Depolarizations.

Brain stroke is a highly prevalent pathology and a main cause of disability among older adults. If not promptly treated with recanalization therapies, primary and secondary mechanisms of injury contribute to an increase in the lesion, enhancing neurological deficits. Targeting excitotoxicity and oxidative stress are very promising approaches, but only a few compounds have reached the clinic with relatively good positive outcomes.

Decellularization of porcine esophageal tissue at three diameters and the bioscaffold modification with EETs-ECM gel.

Damaged complex modular organs repair is a current clinical challenge in which one of the primary goals is to keep their biological response. An interesting case of study it is the porcine esophagus since it is a tubular muscular tissue selected as raw material for tissue engineering. The design of esophageal constructs can draw on properties of the processed homologous extracellular matrix (ECM).

Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on the Clinical Profile of Candidemia and the Incidence of Fungemia Due to Fluconazole-Resistant .

Severely ill COVID-19 patients are at high risk of nosocomial infections. The aim of the study was to describe the characteristics of candidemia during the pre-pandemic period (January 2019−February 2020) compared to the pandemic period (March 2020−September 2021). Antifungal susceptibilities were assessed using the EUCAST E.

Incidence of Candidemia Is Higher in COVID-19 versus Non-COVID-19 Patients, but Not Driven by Intrahospital Transmission.

There is scarce information on the actual incidence of candidemia in COVID-19 patients. In addition, comparative studies of candidemia episodes in COVID-19 and non-COVID-19 patients are heterogeneous. Here, we assessed the real incidence, epidemiology, and etiology of candidemia in COVID-19 patients, and compared them with those without COVID-19 (2020 vs.

Expression of spidroin proteins in the silk glands of golden orb-weaver spiders.

The expression of spidroins in the major ampullate, minor ampullate, flagelliform, and tubuliform silk glands of Trichonephila clavipes spiders was analyzed using proteomics analysis techniques. Spidroin peptides were identified and assigned to different gene products based on sequence concurrence when compared with the whole genome of the spider. It was found that only a relatively low proportion of the spidroin genes are expressed as proteins in any of the studied glands.

Cognitive maps in the wild: revealing the use of metric information in black howler monkey route navigation.

When navigating, wild animals rely on internal representations of the external world - called 'cognitive maps' - to take movement decisions. Generally, flexible navigation is hypothesized to be supported by sophisticated spatial skills (i.e.