Universidad de Concepción (UdeC), is a traditional Chilean private university, the work of the Penquista community, one of the most traditional and prestigious in its country, considered complex due to its extensive research in the various areas of knowledge. Founded on May 14, 1919, it is the third oldest university in Chile, and one of the 25 universities belonging to the Council of Rectors of Chilean Universities.Its headquarters are located in the city of Concepción, and also has two other campuses in Chillán and Los Ángeles. In a citizen survey carried out in 2012, it was chosen as the symbol that most identifies Penquists.It was the first University created in the center-south zone of the country, besides being the 1st to be constituted as a private law corporation and belong to the Cruz del Sur University Network; it also belongs to the G9 University Network. The University of Concepción also had a pioneering role in the reform movement of Chilean universities that took place at the end of the 1960s. It was the first Chilean university that approved the University Reform in that period (1968), giving greater participation to students in university management. The origins of the MIR (Chile) is also found amid the student movement at the University of Concepción in that period.The main promoter of the foundation of the university was Chilean educator and lawyer Enrique Molina Garmendia, who sought to create the 1st secular university in Chile. As part of its educational line, the University of Concepción devotes a large part of its budget to academic research. It has in its facilities the most complete museum of Chilean art in the country, several sports centers and a network of 11 libraries, the main one occupying an area of 10,000 m2 (110,000 sq ft) with a total of 100,000 volumes.By 2012, the total number of graduates of this house of studies amounted to 57,000. It also teaches 23,700 students, 2,166 of them graduate programs; 72% of its professors have doctorates or master's degrees and its infrastructure, with 243,556 m2 (2,621,610 sq ft) built, is one of the largest in Chile.It is currently accredited by the National Accreditation Commission (CNA-Chile) for the maximum period of seven years, from November 2016 to November 2023. Figure in the third position within the Chilean universities according to the webometric classification of the CSIC (July 2017) and in the third position according to the AméricaEconomía 2017 ranking as well as national and international rankings. Within the Chilean universities, it is also among the 11 that figure in the QS 2017 world university ranking, among the 10 that appear in the Times Higher Education 2017 ranking, and among the 25 that appear in the ranking of Scimago Institution Rankings (SIR) 2017, with the 3rd position nationally and 572th worldwide.Its Concepción campus was declared a National Heritage in 2016 by the Council of National Monuments of Chile; what makes it the 1st and only University in Chile to have this recognition due to the design and architectural style of its environment that has been implemented in its buildings and campus-level environment since its foundation; the proclamation grants the university special protection and conservation of the campus and its space by the state; therefore, any intervention to the same has to be reported to the Council of Monuments, while any damage and type of vandalism that jeopardizes the integrity and security of the campus will be seriously penalized according to the law that regulates and covers the National Monuments, as well as the prompt construction of the 1st and only Bío Bío Technological Science Park (PACYT) in all of Chile located in the Bío-Bío Region, near the campus of the Universidad de Concepción; which at the same time will be in charge of the administration, organization, and projection of new ideas with a view to the future of it together with the Government of Chile; this initiative is going to be projected as a productive space of the future and a relevant pole of the development of the country, the place where all the creative potential will be housed, knowledge and innovations of high impact will be generated.
Objective This study evaluated the surface characteristics and adhesive performance of a nanofluorapatite-based glass-ceramic (IPS e.max Ceram) and an oxyapatite-based glass-ceramic (IPS Style) subjected to different hydrofluoric acid (HF) etching protocols. Methods Eighty ceramic discs were etched with 4.5% HF for 0, 20, 60, or 120 s. Surface free energy was determined from water and diiodomethane contact angles using the Owens–Wendt method. Surface roughness and microstructure were analyzed by confocal laser scanning microscopy and scanning electron microscopy, respectively. Tensile bond strength was evaluated using 90 bonded ceramic pairs after 60 days of water storage. Results HF etching did not significantly affect surface free energy in either ceramic (p > 0.05). Conversely, surface roughness increased significantly with etching time, an effect that was more prominent in IPS Style than in IPS e.max Ceram. Microscopic analysis revealed progressive dissolution of the glassy matrix and increased crystal exposure, particularly in the oxyapatite-based ceramic. Tensile bond strength was significantly influenced by ceramic type (p = 0.0019) and etching time (p < 0.001). IPS e.max Ceram exhibited higher bond strength at 20 and 60 s, whereas both ceramics achieved comparable values after 120 s. Conclusion HF etching for 120 s produced the highest tensile bond-strength values for both ceramics among the etching times evaluated. The different responses observed between materials appear to be governed by their microstructural characteristics, supporting the use of material-specific conditioning protocols.
Fluorescent organic compounds are of great interest due to their wide range of applications based on their ability to absorb and emit light at longer wavelengths. Some important applications include optoelectronics, fluorescence imaging, tissue and in vivo imaging, and the detection of heavy metal ions. Therefore, the design and development of new compounds with photophysical properties remain challenging in the field of materials chemistry and molecular spectroscopy. In this work, a new series of 7-(2-oxopyrrolidin-1-yl)julolidine-1-one derivatives was synthesized to establish a structure-photophysical property relationship. The derivatives were obtained via an intramolecular cyclization reaction of a tetrahydroquinoline derivative using Eaton's reagent as the cyclizing agent. The compounds primarily exhibited a it-it* transition, and theoretical calculations using TD-DFT confirmed that this transition has a marked intramolecular charge-transfer character. In general, all the compounds showed pronounced solvatochromism, particularly in ethanol. Finally, the fluorescence quantum yields were high in dichloromethane (0.6-0.78). These results reveal the importance of the nature of the substituents in modulating the intensity of the absorption transitions.
The incorporation of probiotic dairy and non-dairy foods is often limited by the loss of bioactivity caused by stresses to which microorganisms are subjected during processing, storage, and digestion. This frequently results in probiotic counts below the minimum level required to exert their probiotic function (10⁷ CFU/g) at the time of consumption. Maintaining cell viability remains a challenge for probiotic food manufacturers. The omics technologies have enabled the identification of stress response pathways in microorganisms; however, their application to the design of reproducible and scalable processes remains limited. This review integrates microbial stress physiology with bioprocesses and food matrix engineering to support the design of robust probiotic products. Biological mechanisms underlying increased tolerance to environmental stresses are analyzed and preadaptation strategies based on sublethal exposure to heat, acid and bile, ultrasound, pulsed electric fields, and high-pressure processing are discussed. Encapsulation systems are considered protective structures that reduce stress during food processing, storage, and digestion. To enhance the bioactivity of probiotics, a robustness-by-design approach is proposed. This begins with selecting the probiotic strain and the food. After selecting the probiotic strain, it is subjected to sublethal stress treatments to induce adaptive responses. The conditioned probiotic is incorporated into the food. The proposed scheme integrates survival kinetics and biomarkers to support process design. Biosafety aspects associated with sublethal stress are considered critical for the development of stable and safe probiotic foods on an industrial scale.
BACKGROUND:Stigma negatively affects the well-being of individuals with severe mental disorders (SMD). However, its specific impact on romantic and sexual intimacy remains fragmented in the literature. This study aimed to identify which aspects of intimate life are affected by stigma and the factors mediating this relationship. METHODS:A systematic review following PRISMA-P guidelines was conducted using Scopus, Web of Science, PubMed, EBSCOhost, VHL, and SciELO without date restrictions. Due to high methodological heterogeneity among the 26 included studies, a narrative synthesis was utilized to integrate findings. RESULTS:Findings involving participants with Schizophrenia Spectrum, Bipolar, and Major Depressive Disorders reveal distinct stigma mechanisms. Medication side effects (e.g., sexual dysfunction, weight gain) act as catalysts for internalized stigma, transforming physical symptoms into barriers for romantic desirability. Gender norms exacerbate exclusion: women face intense scrutiny regarding parenting capacity and are vulnerable to intimate partner violence to avoid isolation, while men perceive functional impairment as a failure of masculine identity. Additionally, professional silence regarding sexuality reinforces the 'asexual' stereotype, leaving relational needs unsupported. CONCLUSION:The results underscore that stigma permeates the intimate lives of individuals with SMD through biological, social, and professional pathways. Clinical practice must urgently integrate sexual health assessments and relational support into routine care. Future interventions should focus on reducing professional bias and supporting the sexual and reproductive rights of this population.
Co-cultivation has emerged as an effective strategy to mimic natural microbial interactions and modulate extracellular enzyme production. In this study, interactions between the white-rot fungus Bjerkandera adusta and the brown-rot fungus Gloeophyllum trabeum were investigated with respect to growth and production of lignocellulolytic enzymes in solid and liquid cultures. Growth assays on solid medium revealed mixed mycelial growth without pigment formation at the interface zone, indicating partial compatibility between species. Co-cultivation led to pronounced changes in the enzyme activities compared to monocultures. Oxidative enzyme activities were strongly stimulated, with peroxidase activities increasing 2-3-fold relative to B. adusta monoculture, despite the absence of peroxidase in G. trabeum. Conversely, cellulolytic and hemicellulolytic activities were significantly reduced under co-culture conditions compared to G. trabeum monoculture. Zymogram analysis and ion-exchange chromatography confirmed that peroxidase production was restricted to B. adusta and the co-culture. The enzyme cocktail obtained from co-culture exhibited superior performance in Remazol Brilliant Blue R decolorization (∼ 90
