Electrospun scaffolds can imitate the hierarchical structures present in the extracellular matrix, representing one of the main concerns of modern tissue engineering. They are characterized in order to evaluate their capability to support cells or to provide guidelines for reproducibility. The issues with widely used methods for morphological characterization are discussed in order to provide insight into a desirable methodology for electrospun scaffold characterization. Reported methods include imaging and physical measurements. Characterization methods harbor inherent limitations and benefits, and these are discussed and presented in a comprehensive selection matrix to provide researchers with the adequate tools and insights required to characterize their electrospun scaffolds. It is shown that imaging methods present the most benefits, with drawbacks being limited to required costs and expertise. By making use of more appropriate characterization, researchers will avoid measurements that do not represent their scaffolds and perhaps might discover that they can extract more characteristics from their scaffold at no further cost.

Introduction A relationship between masticatory function and cognition has been reported. It is proposed that mastication changes the blood flow stimulating the perfusion/oxygenation of the brain. This literature review analysed the relation between mastication as a protective factor of the cognitive decline and the changes produced at brain level in adults associated with the brain blood flow. Materials and methods A systematic review was performed according to the ‘Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta‐Analyses’ (PRISMA) criteria in PubMed/MEDLINE, Web of Science, Scopus and Embase. Primary studies were included with no limit on the publication date, conducted on humans, and that established a relation between mastication, brain blood flow and cognitive functions in adult patients. Results Nine clinical descriptive studies were selected and qualitatively analysed. The collected data suggest the greatest brain areas activated during mastication were the frontotemporal cortex, the caudate nucleus and the thalamus, revealing a positive correlation between chewing intensity and perfusion of the principal trigeminal nucleus. The increase in cerebral blood flow was measured by a local vasodilator effect resulting in increased neuronal metabolism in the region linked to learning and memory. In addition, partially edentulous participants had a marked prefrontal deactivation when they chewed without a prosthesis and presented a decrease in masticatory activity. Conclusion Masticatory function may act as a protective factor in those patients with cognition impairment and neurodegenerative diseases, suggesting some mechanisms among which is the increase of cerebral blood flow.

Tendons are transition tissues that transfer the contractile forces generated by the muscles to the bones, allowing movement. The region where the tendon attaches to the bone is called bone-tendon junction or enthesis and may be classified as fibrous or fibrocartilaginous. This study aims to analyze the collagen fibers and the cells present in the bone-tendon junction using light microscopy and ultrastructural techniques as scanning electron microscopy and transmission electron microscopy. Forty male Wistar rats were used in the experiment, being 20 adult rats at 4 months-old and 20 elderly rats at 20 months-old. The hind limbs of the rats were removed, dissected and prepared to light microscopy, transmission electron microscopy and scanning electron microscopy. The aging process showed changes in the collagen fibrils, with a predominance of type III fibers in the elderly group, in addition to a decrease in the amount of the fibrocartilage cells, fewer and shorter cytoplasmic processes and a decreased synthetic capacity due to degradation of the organelles involved in synthesis.