Enhancement of human adipose-derived stem cell expansion and stability for clinical use

Co-culture techniques associating both dermal fibroblasts and epidermal keratinocytes have shown to have better clinical outcome than keratinocyte culture alone for the treatment of severe burns. Since fat grafting has been shown to improve scar remodelling, new techniques such as cell-therapy-assisted surgical reconstruction with isolated and expanded autologous adipose-derived stem cells (ASCs) would be of benefit to increase graft acceptation. Therefore, integrating ASCs into standardized procedures for cultured skin grafting could be of benefit for the patient if cell quality and quantity could be maintained. The purpose of this study was to evaluate ASC processing from adult tissue with simple isolation (without enzymatic steps), expansion (low density of 325-3,000 cells/cm2) and storage conditions to assure methods to enhance the cellular resistance when transferred back to the patient. Co-culture with cell-banked skin progenitor cells (FE002-SK2) showed an increase of 40-50% ASCs yield at high passages alongside with a better preservation of morphology, proper adipogenic and osteogenic differentiation and efficient biocompatibility with 3D collagen scaffolds. ASCs can be considered as a valuable additional cell source to be delivered in biological bandages to the patient in a need of tissue reconstruction such as burn patients.

Enhancement of R&D project management system

Stora Enso has research centres in Finland, Sweden and Germany. The research centres use PIMS as a research project invoicing and monitoring system. Possible reorganization and new financing model for R&D functions have been considered and the project management system should be developed to support the new operation model. The objective of this thesis is to find a model for R&D project management, and to present the project management system of Stora Enso, and to discuss if the current system could be developed to respond to the new needs or should it be replaced with another system. The theoretical part of the study describes challenges in R&D project management, and presents different project characteristics, and methods for managing R&D project portfolio. It is also described how the project management system can support project monitoring and controlling, and how inter-project learning can be enhanced. The empirical part of the study presents the current project management system of Stora Enso and how the system should be developed to support Stora Enso’s R&D functions better. In conclusion, it is stated that there is no relevant reason to replace PIMS with another system, because PIMS can be developed to support R&D project management better with a hybrid system. It is also suggested that the new financing model should not be implemented before more comprehensive analysis of its effects is conducted.

La defensa del comunal y de los usos colectivos, León (1800-1936): ¿una "economia moral"?

Peer-reviewed

Use of thin films obtained by plasma polymerization for grain protection and germination enhancement

In this work, preliminary results of the use of hydrophobic thin films obtained by plasma deposition to protect grains and seeds are presented: grains coated by the films did not present biological degradation when stored in a saturated water vapor environment, but had their germination accelerated in the presence of water. A model that explains the difference of behavior of the films when exposed to water in vapor form or in liquid form, based on the formation of microchannels within the film that lead to water uptake in seeds, is presented. The model was successfully tested using quartz crystal measurements, which showed that the microchannels within the films can favor the adsorption and permeation of water when the films are immersed in water.

Entrevista con Manuel Villegas sobre 'El error de Prometeo. Psico(pato)logía del desarrollo moral'

Entrevista con Manuel Villegas

La educación moral en la enseñanza obligatoria

Quien lea este libro, desde la introducción a las notas o quien conozca la trayectoria y ciertas publicaciones anteriores de su autor, sabrá que esta recensión ha sido escrita desde un lugar en el que la neutralidad y la imparcialidad resultan del todo improbables. La obra de Josep M.ª Puig objeto de la presente reseña tiene como referencia y marco de reflexión fundamentales los trabajos previos del GREM (Grup de Recerca en Educació Moral de la Universitat de Barcelona), equipo del que también forma parte el autor de esta reseña. Resulta asimismo que el autor de estas líneas hace más de veinte años que es amigo y colega del autor del libro. Y que, por si fuera poco, el autor del libro reconoce en su introducción una supuesta 'deuda especial' con el autor de la reseña. Con tales antecedentes, la credibilidad de esta recensión ha de quedar irremediablemente bajo mínimos. Por esta razón, voy a limitarme a señalar los defectos principales que a mi modo de ver tiene la obra.

Ètica per aixecar la Moral : Problemes ètics als serveis socials bàsics en temps de crisi

Els riscos ètics als serveis socials en temps de crisi es multipliquen i s’intensifiquen, però en essència no es tracta de riscos nous ni diferents dels que es podien produir en temps de bonança econòmica i social. No obstant, la cruesa del context dels serveis socials bàsics (freqüència de les situacions límit que s'han d'atendre, les qüestions internes i externes de la pràctica professional, el malestar i desencant dels professionals) pot suposar una oportunitat de visibilitat i prendre consciència d'aquests riscos ètics. A la vegada, l'anàlisi i l'abordatge d'aquest nou context des d'una perspectiva ètica pot suposar un antídot que permeti ressituar la pràctica professional (amb els seus límits, però també amb les seves possibilitats), millorar-ne la qualitat i la transparència, i, de retruc, trencar amb la dinàmica de cronificació de la insatisfacció i queixa professional. És a dir, la perspectiva ètica pot ajudar a aixecar la moral dels professionals. Així doncs, amb aquesta recerca pretenem assolir els següents objectius: Identificar els riscos ètics de la intervenció als serveis socials bàsics en relació als efectes i l'impacte de la crisi econòmica; analitzar els diferents riscos ètics identificats i efectuar propostes d'abordatge i minimització d'aquests riscos ètics

Superconducting properties and their enhancement in ReBa2Cu3O7-delta (RE = Y and Gd) films prepared by pulsed laser deposition

Due to font problem on the tilte field the titlte of the thesis is corrected here. The title of the thesis is: Superconducting properties and their enhancement in ReBa₂Cu₃O₇-delta (RE = Y and Gd) films prepared by pulsed laser deposition

A Communication Middleware Quality Enhancement with Qt Framework

In this thesis, a Peer-to-Peer communication middleware for mobile environment is developed using the Qt framework and the Qt Mobility extension. The Peer-to-Peer middleware – called as PeerHood – is for service sharing in network neighborhood. In addition, the PeerHood enables service connectivity and device monitoring functionalities. The concept of the PeerHood is already available in native C++ implementation on Linux platform using services from the platform. In this work, the PeerHood concept is remade to be based on use of the Qt framework. The objective of the new solution is to increase PeerHood quality with using functionalities from the Qt framework and the Qt Mobility extension. Furthermore, by using the Qt framework, the PeerHood middleware can be implemented to be portable cross-platform middleware. The quality of the new PeerHood implementation is evaluated with defined quality factors and compared with the existing PeerHood. Reliability, CPU usage, memory usage and static code analysis metrics are used in evaluation. The new PeerHood is shown to be more reliable and flexible that the existing one.

Hume, liberty and the object of moral evaluation

Hume's project concerning the conflict between liberty and necessity is ";reconciliatory";. But what is the nature of Hume's project? Does he solve a problem in metaphysics only? And when Hume says that the dispute between the doctrines of liberty and necessity is merely verbal, does he mean that there is no genuine metaphysical dispute between the doctrines? In the present essay I argue for: (1) there is room for liberty in Hume's philosophy, and not only because the position is pro forma compatibilist, even though this has importance for the recognition that Hume's main concern when discussing the matter is with practice; (2) the position does not involve a ";subjectivization"; of every form of necessity: it is not compatibilist because it creates a space for the claim that the operations of the will are non-problematically necessary through a weakning of the notion of necessity as it applies to external objects; (3) Hume holds that the ordinary phenomena of mental causation do not preempt the atribuition of moral responsibility, which combines perfectly with his identification of the object of moral evaluation: the whole of the character of a person, in relation to which there is, nonetheless, liberty. I intend to support my assertions by a close reading of what Hume states in section 8 of the first Enquiry.

Sobre a natureza da teoria moral de Hume

Este artigo discute duas variedades de interpretação para a teoria moral de Hume. De um lado, ela é representada como uma forma de subjetivismo e, de outro, como uma forma de realismo. Ao final, é proposto que esta filosofia pode ser melhor descrita como uma forma de intersubjetivismo.

Considerações sobre o fundamento moral da propriedade

Para Hugo Grotius a propriedade era originalmente coletiva, e os homens tinham, de comum acordo, decidido dividi-la, o que havia feito nascer a propriedade privada. Como a propriedade privada devia ser garantida pelo governo, ela só podia ser uma emanação deste. O problema dessa análise, para John Locke, era que ela era perfeitamente compatível com o absolutismo, pois um monarca podia garantir essa propriedade. Como Locke funda a propriedade sobre a lei natural, sua teoria da prioridade refuta, ao mesmo tempo, as teorias de Sir Robert Filmer e de Grotius e Samuel Pufendorf. A teoria da propriedade de Locke garante, por fim, a liberdade dos indivíduos.

Uma filosofia moral negativa?

Este artigo apresenta a filosofia moral de Adorno baseado no seu esboço na Dialética do Esclarecimento, a partir de duas hipóteses principais: a importância do fundo mimético e animal na adaptação do ser humano, definido primeiramente como um ser sofredor e fraco; a importância da denegação desse fundo na edificação das normas ideológicas nazistas e nas práticas de tortura. Adorno reivindica uma moral ligada não à obrigação de obedecer às normas sociais, mas à aceitação dessa dimensão animal e sofredora (zoè) do ser humano e à solicitude em relação a ela.

Falácia naturalista e naturalismo moral: do é ao deve mediante o quero

O objetivo deste texto é discutir alguns argumentos contra a aceitação da falácia naturalista. Pretende-se mostrar aspectos que parecem corretos na argumentação dos que recusam aquela falácia, e, a despeito de seus acertos, demonstrar que estão fundamentalmente errados. O eixo para este desfecho é a reformulação da falácia em termos da recusa da implicação entre o ser e o querer. Espera-se, assim, tornar mais claras as relações - e a ausência delas - entre verdade e moral, bem como abrir espaço para a defesa de um naturalismo moral não comprometido com a existência de fatos morais. Este texto está dividido em cinco partes. Na primeira, apresenta-se a falácia naturalista de acordo com Moore; na segunda, distingue-se essa entre as formulações de Moore e de Hume; na terceira, apresentam-se objeções à interdição da passagem do "é" ao "deve" e se formulam respostas a essas objeções; na quarta, reapresenta-se o problema da interdição entre "é" e "deve" e se focaliza uma solução alternativa a ele mediante o querer; e, finalmente, na quinta parte, elaboram-se algumas conclusões acerca do naturalismo e do realismo na moral.