Publications by authors named "Maria Colella"

In recent times, circular economy initiatives in addition to the need for sustainable biomaterials have brought about several attempts at the eco-friendly, eco-sustainable and cost-effective production of asphalt pavements. It is an increasingly common practice in the asphalt industry to improve road pavement performance using additives to enhance the physico-chemical properties of bitumen, which performs the role of the binder in the asphalt mix. This paper evaluated the potential of a bio-based additive derived from olive leaf residue as a modifier and antioxidant agent for bitumen.

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This work investigates the relationship between the structure and physicochemical properties of three different starches in starch/polyvinyl alcohol aqueous solutions. For this purpose, accurate nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) analyses were performed to determine the role that the starch structure plays in the formation of binder solutions. Moreover, a dynamic shear rheometer (DSR) was used to investigate the mechanical properties of the solutions and correlate them with the structure of each starch.

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Article Synopsis
  • The food industry is increasingly researching vegetable fats and oils for their mechanical properties and lipid composition to promote healthier products.
  • This study examines how manipulating the distribution of fatty acids in cocoa butter affects its chemical-physical features and potential as an alternative to other fats like palm oil.
  • Experimental methods used include DSC, rheological testing, PXRD, and NMR spectroscopy to analyze thermal properties, mechanical features, solid-state phases, and fatty acid composition, highlighting the effectiveness of NMR over traditional methods.
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(1) Background: Extrapleural solitary fibrous tumors (ESFTs) are rare oncological entities occurring in the head and neck, and even more so in the salivary glands. The clinical presentation and histologic features are usually unspecific, resulting in frequent misclassification. As an unusual tumor, ESTFs have an unpredictable clinical behavior.

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Cannabis sativa is a herbaceous multiple-use species commonly employed to produce fiber, oil, and medicine. It is now becoming popular for the high nutritional properties of its seed oil and for the pharmacological activity of its cannabinoid fraction in inflorescences. The present study aims to apply nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy to provide useful qualitative and quantitative information on the chemical composition of seed and flower Cannabis extracts obtained by ultra-sound-assisted extraction, and to evaluate NMR as an alternative to the official procedure for the quantification of cannabinoids.

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Glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) is characterized by poor prognosis despite an aggressive therapeutic strategy. In recent years, many advances have been achieved in the field of glioblastoma biology. Here we try to summarize the main clinical and biological factors impacting clinical prognostication and therapy of GBM patients.

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Background: Sporotrichosis is one of the most common subcutaneous mycoses in Venezuela. It is a granulomatous chronic infection with cutaneous or subcutaneous tissue lesions. Regional lymphatic involvement may be present; extracutaneous disease is rare.

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Background: Fever of unknown origin (FUO) can be defined as a body temperature higher than 38.3°C on several occasions over more than 3 weeks, the diagnosis of which remains uncertain after 1 week of evaluation. Acute disseminated encephalomyelitis (ADEM) is an inflammatory demyelinating disease of the central nervous system with a wide range of clinical manifestations.

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Type 2 diabetes and acute coronary syndromes are widely interconnected. Individuals with type 2 diabetes are more likely than non-diabetic subjects to experience silent or manifest episodes of myocardial ischemia as the first presentation of coronary artery disease. Insulin resistance, inflammation, microvascular disease and a tendency to thrombosis are common in these patients.

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Histoplasmosis, a granulomatous disease caused by Histoplasma capsulatum, is endemic in Venezuela. We conducted the current study to appraise retrospectively the demographic data, clinical features, diagnostic methods, and treatment of patients with histoplasmosis from January 2000 to December 2005. We reviewed the medical records of outpatient cases with a diagnosis of histoplasmosis and considered clinical samples processed at our laboratory.

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A prospective study of the clinical and epidemiological aspects of Candida spp. sepsis was performed to assess the frequency, etiology, and risk factors in the neonatology service of the Pediatrics Hospital "Dr. Elías Toro" (2002-2003).

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Tinea nigra is a superficial mycotic infection produced by Hortaea werneckii, formerly known as Phaeoannelomyces werneckii, formerly known as Exophiala werneckii, and Stenella araguata, the latter autochthonous in Venezuela, it was first described and named as Cladosporium castellanii in 1973. The present report describes 12 cases in the period of 1972-2002, diagnosed at the Medical Mycology Section at the Tropical Institute of the Universidad Central de Venezuela, in Caracas. This mycosis is more prevalent among young people, with fair skin, from 3 to 28 years of age, who visited beaches and in whom the lesions are more evident.

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Over the past decades there has been a significant increase in fungal infections caused by Candida species, and continues to be common in immunocompromised individuals infected with the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). Although Candida albicans remains the fungal species most frequently isolated as an opportunistic oral pathogen, other non-albicans are often identified in this cohort of patients, including C. dubliniensis.

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