Two types of monofilament polypropylene meshes of markedly different construction, configuration and pore size were compared and used to repair full-thickness muscle defects in the abdominal wall of 22 mongrel dogs to assess their biocompatibility with host tissues. The defects were repaired with Prolene (Ethicon) woven mesh (pore size = 164 x 96 microns) and with an experimental, extruded mesh called T mesh (pore size = 3 mm x 4 mm). On the 30th postoperative day, the animals were sacrificed, and the segments of the abdominal wall containing the implanted meshes were excised. Although the Prolene mesh had greater tensile strength before implantation, 30 days after implantation, the T mesh showed similar tensile strength to Prolene mesh. The collagen densitometry showed a significant increase of total and mature collagen type I deposition in the T mesh. This suggests that the increased mature collagen type I deposition significantly increases the tensile strength of the reinforced mesh tissue and that the larger pore in the T mesh contributed to this finding by allowing increasing fibber orientation within the pores as a result of in vivo tension.

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The offer of distance learning courses and blended learning has gained space in the academic scenario year after year. The method uses technology and the facilities provided by it become allies in the learning process. Factors such as time, place and age group are no longer an obstacle for those who want to improve the curriculum. In engineering courses, in particular, performance in common axis disciplines such as Calculus remains a major difficulty on the part of students. The study shows possible causes and association with students in both teaching modalities. It should be noted that the difficulty of entering a higher education institution, such as the entrance exam, becomes a water divider in terms of the educational basis obtained in secondary and elementary education.

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