This study analyzed the levels of mental workload and the presence of burnout on a sample of fashion retailing workers from Spain and its relationship with the actual Covid-19 pandemic by exploring Covid-19 pandemic predictors of burnout and mental workload. We established a prospective cross-sectional design. Participants (n = 360) answered an online survey including questions about sociodemographic data, perception of Covid-19, CarMen-Q questionnaire (workload), and MBI (burnout syndrome). We obtained data throughout October-November 2020. The results showed that participants exhibit deep concern about the Covid-19 pandemic and its influence at the work level. Although the mental workload was near the middle point of the scale, participants showed moderate to high burnout levels, revealing that the sample is at risk of experiencing higher burnout levels over time as the pandemic and associated economic crisis continue. The multidimensional regression analysis results indicated that environmental changes, work overload, somatic symptoms, insomnia, negative job expectations, and uncertainty constituted significant mental workload predictors. Insomnia, somatic symptoms, and negative job expectations constituted significant predictors for burnout. In conclusion, the uncertainty at work derived from the Covid-19 pandemic is harming the psychological wellbeing of fashion retailing workers in Spain.

As wind turbine power requirements have evolved from the order of kilowatts (kW) to the order of several megawatts (MW), wind turbine components have been subjected to more demanding and critical operating conditions. The wind turbine must cope with higher wind loads due to larger blade sizes, which are also time-varying and ultimately higher power levels. One of the challenges in the manufacture of high-power wind turbines lies in the gearbox and consists of achieving ever greater power density without compromising efficiency, i.e., greater load capacity with lower weight (and production cost) and reduced power losses. In this paper we will analyze the influence that certain design parameters have on the size and weight of the gearbox components and therefore of the gearbox itself. For this purpose, the theoretical model of the gearbox will be planned and the influence of calculation parameters on the gearbox design will be analyzed. The influence of material, modulus and tooth width on the size and weight of the gearbox will be observed. Critical stresses are also calculated. The goal is to prepare the theoretical basis for an optimization process that will result in a gearbox as compact as possible without compromising the service life of the components.

Abstract Women victims of abuse can suffer neuropsychological sequelae that affect memory and attention, as well psychopathological disorders such as depression. These consequences affect their daily life and physical and psychological health. Objective: To analyze sequelae that affect attention and memory, as well a possible association of these sequelae to depression. Method: A total of 68 women victims of gender-based violence participated in the study. The participants were between 15 and 62 years of age and resided in Spain at the time of data collection. The Luria DNA Battery (Neuropsychological Diagnosis of Adults) by Manga and Ramos (2000); and the Beck Depression Inventory were applied. Results: Women victims of gender-based violence suffer neuropsychological sequelae, presenting low short-term memory and attentional control; and score low on the Luria-DNA battery. Of these women, 60% suffer from some relevant type of depression, and there are significant differences according to their degree of memory. Through the HJ-Biplot, a direct relationship was found between memory and attentional control with the total score of the Luria battery. On the other hand, an inverse relationship was found between short-term memory and depression. Lastly, three well-differentiated gender clusters of women victims of gender-based violence were identified. Conclusions: A lower rate of depression is observed in women victims of abuse when they have a more intact short-term memory.

Many complex behaviours in biological systems emerge from large populations of interacting molecules or cells, generating functions that go beyond the capabilities of the individual parts. Such collective phenomena are of great interest to bioengineers due to their robustness and scalability. However, engineering emergent collective functions is difficult because they arise as a consequence of complex multi-level feedback, which often spans multiple length-scales. Here, we present a perspective on how some of these challenges could be overcome by using multi-agent modelling as a design framework within synthetic biology. Using case studies covering the construction of synthetic ecologies to biological computation and synthetic cellularity, we show how multi-agent modelling can capture the core features of complex multi-scale systems and provide novel insights into the underlying mechanisms which guide emergent functionalities across scales. The ability to unravel design rules underpinning these behaviours offers a means to take synthetic biology beyond single molecules or cells and towards the creation of systems with functions that can only emerge from collectives at multiple scales.

SARS-CoV-2 is a new coronavirus that has caused a worldwide pandemic. It produces severe acute respiratory disease (COVID-19), which is fatal in many cases, characterised by cytokine release syndrome (CRS). According to the World Health Organization (WHO), those who smoke are likely to be more vulnerable to infection. Here, in order to clarify the epidemiologic relationship between smoking and COVID-19, we present a systematic literature review until 28 April 2020 and a meta-analysis. It includes 18 recent COVID-19 clinical and epidemiological studies based on smoking patient status from 720 initial studies in China, USA, and Italy. The percentage of hospitalised current smokers was 7.7% (95%CI: 6.9-8.4) in China, 2.3% (95%CI: 1.7-2.9) in the USA and 7.6% (95%CI: 4.2-11.0) in Italy. These percentages were compared to the smoking prevalence of each country and statistically significant differences were found in them all (p <0.0001). By means of the meta-analysis, we offer epidemiological evidence showing that smokers were statistically less likely to be hospitalised (OR=0.18, 95%CI: 0.14-0.23, p<0.01). CRS and exacerbated inflammatory response are associated with aggravation of hospitalise patients. In this scenario, we hypothesise that nicotine, not smoking, could ameliorate the cytokine storm and severe related inflammatory response through the cholinergic-mediated anti-inflammatory pathway.

In 2020, the WHO established a road map for neglected tropical diseases 2021−2030 that aims to control and eradicate 20 diseases, including Leishmaniosis and Chagas disease. In addition, since 2015, the WHO has been developing a Global Action Plan on Antimicrobial Resistance. In this context, the achievement of innovative strategies as an alternative to replace conventional therapies is a first-order socio-sanitary priority, especially regarding endemic zoonoses in poor regions such as those caused by Trypanosoma cruzi and Leishmania spp infections. In this scenario, it is worth highlighting a group of natural peptide molecules (AMPs and CPPs) that are promising strategies for improving therapeutic efficacy against these neglected zoonoses, avoiding the development of toxicity and resistance of conventional treatments. This review presents the novelties of these peptide molecules and their ability to cross a whole system of cell membranes, as well as to stimulate the host immune defenses or even serve as a vector of molecules. The efforts of the biotechnological sector will make it possible to overcome the limitations of antimicrobial peptides through encapsulation and functionalization methods to obtain approval for these treatments to be used in clinical programs for the eradication of Leishmaniosis and Chagas disease.

The paper presents the observational, remote sensing and model simulation to analyze Southern Brazil Antarctic Ozone Hole influence (SBAOHI) events occurred between 2005 and 2014. To an-alyze it we use Total Ozone Column (TOC) data provide by Brewer Spectrophotometer (BS) and OMI (Ozone Monitoring Instrument) instrument satellite, besides the AURA/MLS (Microwave Limb Sounder) instrument satellite ozone profiles was utilized with DYBAL (Dynamical Barrier Localization) code in MIMOSA (Modélisation Isentrope du transport Mésoéchelle de l’Ozone Stratosphérique par Advection) model Potential Vorticity (PV) fields. TOC has 7.0 ± 2.9 DU re-ductions average in 62 events. October have more events (30.7%). Polar Tongue events are 19.3% of total, being in October more frequently observed (50% of cases), with medium intensity (58.2%) and in stratosphere medium levels (55.0%). Already Polar Filament events (80.7%) are more frequent in September (32.0%), medium intensity (42.0%) and in stratosphere medium lev-els (40.7%). ENSO index positive phase influenced 61.3% of events, having dominance in all in-tensity categories (minor 57.9%, medium 51.6%, major 58.3%), while the equilibrium dominate the QBO influence with 50% of total cases in positive phase and 50 % in negative phase.

Considering nutritional qualities of gofio (Gf) and aloe vera juice (AVJ), their combination is indicated as an easy and fast source of ingest of basic bio elements. As the texture of the final product must be accepted by customers, the influence of Gf concentration on the rheological behavior of Gf/AVJ suspensions was determined. Shear thinning index of AVJ maintains unaltered despite the presence of Gf particles, although the viscosity value increases as expected. Linear viscoelastic studies on Gf/AVJ confirmed this is a viscoelastic liquid that changes from chewy to creamy texture with Gf concentration increase.

Humification is a promising strategy to reduce the amount of animal waste generated in agriculture. This makes it possible to accumulate products with artificially obtained humic substances (HS) as analogues of natural HS, usually extracted from fossil sources (coal, peat). The review examines the main characteristics of various biological and physical-chemical methods (composting, anaerobic digestion, pyrolysis, hydrothermal carbonation, acid or alkaline hydrolysis, subcritical water ex-traction) used to form HS in animal waste humification products. A comparative analysis of the humification rates and yields of HS in these processes, the characteristics of artificial HS in products (humification index, polymerization index, degree of aromaticity, etc.) is carried out in connection with the use of certain methods of humification and types of animal waste. The main factors (ad-ditives, process conditions, waste pretreatment, etc.) that can increase the efficiency of humification and the properties of HS resources artificially obtained by various methods are highlighted. A generalizing analysis of the content of chemical elements in artificial HS obtained from various animal husbandry wastes in comparison with natural HS was carried out. Based on the results of the chemical composition analysis, the main trends and preferences regarding the most useful ap-plications of humification products as complex biomimetics are discussed.

The aim of this work was to describe the physiological limitations induced under drought conditions in young sweet orange trees, including the crop capability to recuperate its physiological status once re-watering, and after a water withholding. The trial was conducted during two consecutive months (July and August) in two-years old sweet orange trees. Three irrigation treatments were arranged: A full irrigation treatment; (FI); a low-frequency deficit-irrigation treatment (LFDI); and a sustained-deficit irrigation (SDI) treatment. The obtained results showed that for Stem values below -1.5 MPa, significant decreases in gas exchange rates, evidencing diffusive limitations to drought stress. Additionally, there was evidence of increased osmolyte synthesis, compatible as a defensive response to prevent oxidative damage. Likewise, the isohydric behaviour observed also resulted in significant decreases in gs even for moderate stress situations. In addition, it was observed that in the LFDI treatment, the stress levels reached caused a significant increase in the levels of Pro and MDA, which were not equal to those detected in FI during the recovery periods, which leads us to assume that potential values below -1.8 MPa would be causing significant oxidative damage with no capacity for subsequent recovery, and probably affecting the final yield.

Hopfield Neural Networks (HNNs) are recurrent neural networks used to implement associative memory. Their main feature is their ability to pattern recognition, optimization, or image segmentation. However, sometimes it is not easy to provide the users with good explanations about the results obtained with them due to mainly the large number of changes in the state of neurons (and their weights) produced during a problem of machine learning. There are currently limited techniques to visualize, verbalize, or abstract HNNs. This paper outlines how we can construct automatic video generation systems to explain their execution. This work constitutes a novel approach to get explainable artificial intelligence systems in general and HNNs in particular building on the theory of data-to-text systems and software visualization approaches. We present a complete methodology to build these kinds of systems. Software architecture is also designed, implemented, and tested. Technical details about the implementation are also detailed and explained. Finally, we apply our approach for creating a complete explainer video about the execution of HNNs on a small recognition problem.

One of the most important challenges in the Machine and Deep Learning areas today is to build good models using small datasets, because sometimes it is not possible to have large ones. Several techniques have been proposed in the literature to address this challenge. This paper aims at studying the different available Deep Learning techniques and performing a thorough experimentation to analyze which technique or combination thereof improves the performance and effectiveness of the models. A complete comparison with classical Machine Learning techniques was carried out, to contrast the results obtained using both techniques when working with small datasets. Thirteen algorithms were implemented and trained using three different small datasets (MNIST, Fashion MNIST, and CIFAR-10). Each experiment was evaluated using a well-established set of metrics (Accuracy, Precision, Recall, F1, and the Matthews correlation coefficient). The experimentation allowed concluding that it is possible to find a technique or combination of them to mitigate a lack of data, but this depends on the nature of the dataset, the amount of data, and the metrics used to evaluate them.

Concrete consumption greatly exceeds the use of any other material in engineering. This is due to its good properties as construction material and the availability of its components. Nevertheless, the present worldwide construction increase and the high-energy consumption for cement production means a high environmental impact. On the other hand, one of the main problem in iron and steel industry is waste generation and by-products that must be properly processed or reused to promote the environmental sustainability. One of these by-products are blast furnace slag. Cement substitution by slag strategy achieves two goals, raw materials consumption reduction and waste management. In the present work, four different concrete mixtures are evaluated. 25% cement is substituted by different blast furnace slag. Tests are made to evaluate the advantages and drawbacks of each mixture. Depending on the origin, characteristics and treatment of the slag, concrete properties change. Certain mixtures provide proper concrete properties. Stainless steel slag produces a fluent mortar that reduces the water consumption whit a slight mechanical strength loss. Mixture with electric arc slag furnace properties are better to the reference concrete (without slag) when slag is treated similarly to the cement.

We report on recent experimental results on β decay into self-conjugate (N=Z) nuclei with mass number 58≤A≤70. Super-allowed β decays from the Jπ=0+ ground state of a Z=N+2 parent nucleus are to the isobaric analogue state, through so-called Fermi transitions, and to Jπ=1+ states, by way of Gamow–Teller (GT) transitions. The operator of the latter decay is a generator of Wigner’s SU(4) algebra and as a consequence GT transitions obey selection rules associated with this symmetry. Since SU(4) is progressively broken with increasing A, mainly as a consequence of the spin–orbit interaction, this symmetry is not relevant for the nuclei considered here. We argue, however, that the pseudo-spin–orbit splitting can be small in nuclei with 58≤A≤70, in which case nuclear states exhibit an approximate pseudo-SU(4) symmetry. To test this conjecture, GT decay strength is calculated with use of a schematic Hamiltonian with pseudo-SU(4) symmetry. Some generic features of the GT β decay due to pseudo-SU(4) symmetry are pointed out. The experimentally observed GT strength indicates a restoration of pseudo-SU(4) symmetry for A=70.

This study investigates the structured spatial organization through a focus on streets, blocks and buildings, proposing them as fundamental components in conceptualizing cities as layered pal-impsests. Former Ottoman capital city, Bursa, serve as case study due to its rich evolutionary history and the potentiality of the urban heritage values/elements they demonstrate. Following the “Tanzimat” Era, a period marked by modernization and renewal, the urban fabric of Ottoman capital cities underwent significant reforms aimed at aligning them with the principles of mo-dernity. Maps dating back to the 19th century serve as the most illustrative sources for compre-hending the evolving character and layout of these cities. The foundational aspects of the charac-ter and appearance of the historic environment played crucial roles not only in shaping the mod-ern city but also in preserving and enhancing urban heritage areas by harmonizing them with contemporary urban conditions. Factors such as street age, street hierarchy, block typology, and the localization of historical landmarks are indispensable for grasping the developmental trajec-tory of these cities, offering insights that bridge spatial scales and span across historical eras. Employing a combination of qualitative and quantitative data, this research builds upon descrip-tive and analytical approaches to urban morphology. The methodology entails comprehensive morphological analysis, which involves assessing changes and persistence in the urban fabric of selected heritage site, both pre-existing and post-modernization, drawing from its historically scientific maps. The analysis focuses on abstracting key attributes such as type, configuration, size, and the relationship between the elements.

Background. It is unclear whether the use of clinical prediction rules is sufficient to rule out infective endocarditis (IE) in patients with Staphylococcus aureus bacteremia (SAB) without an echocardiogram evaluation, either transthoracic (TTE) and/or transesophageal (TEE). Our primary purpose was to test the usefulness of PREDICT, POSITIVE and VIRSTA scores to rule out IE without echocardiography. Our secondary purpose was to evaluate whether not performing an echocardiogram evaluation is associated with higher mortality. Methods. We conducted a unicentric retrospective cohort including all patients with a first SAB episode from January 2015 to December 2020. IE was defined according to modified Duke criteria. We predefined threshold cut-off points to consider that IE was ruled out by means of the mentioned scores. To assess 30-day mortality, we used a multivariable regression model considering performing an echocardiogram as covariate. Results. Out of 404 patients, IE was diagnosed in 50 (12.4%). Prevalence of IE within patients with negative PREDICT, POSITIVE and VIRSTA scores was: 3.6% (95% CI 0.1-6.9%), 4.9% (95% CI 2.2-7.7%), and 2.2% (95% CI 0.2-4.3%), respectively. Patients with negative VIRSTA and negative TTE had an IE prevalence of 0.9% (95% CI 0-2.8%). Performing an echocardiogram was independently associated with lower 30-day mortality (OR 0.24 95%CI 0.10-0.54, p=0.001). Conclusion. PREDICT and POSITIVE scores were not sufficient to rule out IE without TEE. In patients with negative VIRSTA score, it was doubtful if IE could be discarded with a negative TTE. Not performing an echocardiogram was associated with worse outcomes, which might be related to presence of occult IE. Further studies are needed to assess the usefulness of clinical prediction rules in avoiding echocardiographic evaluation in SAB patients.

This review paper presents a comprehensive synthesis of current knowledge on the contamination of water systems by polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). PAHs, organic contaminants characterized by two or more fused aromatic rings, are notably problematic due to their persistence, bioaccumulation, and significant health risks. The review commences with an examination of various sources of PAHs in aquatic environments, encompassing both anthropogenic activities, such as industrial discharges, urban runoff, and oil spills, and natural phenomena including volcanic eruptions and wildfires. Subsequently, the discussion shifts to the distribution patterns of PAHs within different aquatic ecosystems, with an analysis of factors that influence their transport. Considerable focus is placed on the entry mechanisms of PAHs into water systems and their interactions with diverse environmental matrices. Additionally, the ecotoxicological effects of PAHs on aquatic life are scrutinized, with particular emphasis on molecular, individual, and ecosystemic impacts. This includes an exploration of PAH bioaccumulation in aquatic organisms and their potential mutagenic and carcinogenic consequences. The review further addresses the challenges associated with detecting and quantifying PAHs in aquatic settings, reflecting on the advancements in analytical methodologies and the complexities introduced by their varied physicochemical properties. The paper concludes with a summary of existing regulatory frameworks and guidelines governing PAH contamination in water systems, underscoring the imperative for global collaboration in the monitoring and management of PAH pollution.

Solid-state batteries (SSBs) have emerged as a promising alternative to conventional lithium-ion batteries, with notable advantages in safety, energy density, and longevity, yet the environmental implications of their lifecycle, from manufacturing to disposal, remain a critical concern. This review paper examines the environmental impacts associated with the production, use, and end-of-life management of SSBs, starting with the extraction and processing of raw materials which highlights significant natural resource consumption, energy use, and emissions. A comparative analysis with traditional battery manufacturing underscores the environmental hazards of novel materials specific to SSBs. The review also assesses the operational environmental impact of SSBs by evaluating their energy efficiency and carbon footprint in comparison to conventional batteries, followed by an exploration of end-of-life challenges including disposal risks, regulatory frameworks, and the shortcomings of existing waste management practices. A significant focus is placed on recycling and reuse strategies, reviewing current methodologies like mechanical, pyrometallurgical, and hydrometallurgical processes, along with emerging technologies that aim to overcome recycling barriers, while also analyzing the economic and technological challenges of these processes. Additionally, real-world case studies are presented, serving as benchmarks for best practices and highlighting lessons learned in the field. In conclusion, the paper identifies research gaps and future directions for reducing the environmental footprint of SSBs, underscoring the need for interdisciplinary collaboration to advance sustainable SSB technologies and contribute to balancing technological advancements with environmental stewardship, thereby supporting the transition to a more sustainable energy future.

A via ferrata (from the German “klettersteig”, hereinafter VF) is a sports route located on forest and mountains vertical rock walls equipped with steps, chains, artificial dams, bridges and other fixed elements and which have a steel cable (safety cable) all the way along allowing users to secure their progress and avoid possible falls [1]. This article aims to analyse the state of the art of the VF sector in Spain, especially in terms of the regulations of obligatory compliance, in addition to defining the basic characteristics of the installations to ensure that these are safe for users, providing a previously non-existent summary of the most important recommendations regardless of the country where they are installed.

The present study explored whether exposure to complex childhood trauma (CCT) is reflected in the resting-state electroencephalography (EEG) temporal alpha power of complex trauma-exposed adolescents, given the association of temporal alpha with fear circuitry (learning and conditioning) in a sample of 25 adolescents and similar controls, ages 12-17 years. Both trauma and psychopathology were screened or assessed, and resting-state EEG was recorded, following a preregistered protocol for data collection. Temporal alpha power, corresponding to T5 and T6 electrode location (10-20 international system), was extracted from resting-state EEG in both eyes-open and eyes-closed conditions. We found that in the eyes-open condition, right, but not left, temporal alpha was significantly higher in adolescents exposed to CCT, relative to healthy controls, suggesting that childhood trauma exposure may have a measurable impact on alpha oscillatory patterns, specifically in the right temporal region. Our study highlights the importance of considering neural markers, such as temporal alpha power, in understanding the long-term consequences of CCT exposure in developmental samples, with possible important clinical implications in guiding neuroregulation interventions.

Parkinson’s disease is a neurodegenerative disorder characterized by oxidative stress and immune activation in the nigro-striatal pathway. Simvastatin regulates cholesterol metabolism and protects from atherosclerosis disease. Simvastatin or tween-80 was administered 7 days before sterotaxic intrastriatal administration of MPP+ (1-methyl-4-phenylpyridine) in rats. Fluorescent lipidic product formation, dopamine levels, and circling behavior were considered damage markers. Twenty-four h and six days after, the animal group lesioned with MPP+ showed significant damage in relation to the control group. Animals pretreated with simvastatin reduced significantly the MPP+-induced damage compared to MPP+ treated group. As apoptosis promotes neuroinflammation and neuronal degeneration in Parkinson’s disease, and since there is not currently a proteomic map of the Nigro striatum of rats, and assuming a high homology among the identified proteins in other rat tissues, we based the search for rat protein homologs related to the establishment of inflammation response. We demonstrate that most proteins related to inflammation are decreased in the simvastatin-treated rats. Furthermore, differential expression of antioxidant enzymes in striated tissue of rat brains was found in response to simvastatin. These results suggest that simvastatin could prevent striatal MPP+-induced damage and for the first time the molecular mechanisms involved in this protective effect.

Flare stacks are a key element in the safety of petrochemical and refinery industries; the correct operating conditions thereof must be ensured through a schedule for the periodic reviewing of all parts thereof. Advances in Non-Destructive Testing (NDT) in recent years and the application thereof to this field allow reliable, objective information to be obtained. This article describes and groups together the main applicable NDT techniques, analysing their advantages and disadvantages, updated with the new possibilities offered by unmanned aircraft or drones.

This paper is focused on typical rural settlements in the Stara Planina Mountain area in Serbia. They are distinguished by their authenticity, identity and character, and they have still not been destroyed by inappropriate development as is the case in some other mountain areas in Serbia, where the effects of urbanization, globalization and homogenization are obvious. Consequently, there is a need to prevent these effects in mountain areas where there is a threat of disbalance between development and the inherited natural and cultural values. The paper starts from several important concepts that relate contemporary approaches to cultural heritage preservation, place morphology and planning future development. The concept definitions from recent documents from related fields are used. These concepts are then applied to the area of Stara Planina Mountain and its rural settlements. The necessity for an integrative approach to planning this area with significant natural and anthropogenic potential is pointed out, including its integration into international programs of sustainable development.

Direct yaw moment control (DYC) is an effective way to alter the behaviour of electric cars with independent drives. Controlling the torque applied to each wheel can improve the handling performance of a vehicle making it safer andfaster on a race track. The state-of-the-art literature covers the comparison of various controllers (PID, LPV, LQR, SMC, etc.) using ISO manoeuvres. However, more advanced comparison on important characteristics of the controllers performance is missed, such as the robustness of the controllers under changes in the vehicle model, steering behaviour, use of the friction circle and, ultimately, lap time on a track. In this study, we have compared the controllers according to some of the aforementioned parameters on a modelled race car. Interestingly, best lap times are not provided by perfect neutral or close-to-neutral behaviour of the vehicle, but rather by allowing certain deviations from the target yaw rate. In addition, a modified PID controller showed that its performance is comparable to other more complex control techniques such as MPC.

Cellular agriculture is defined as the production of agricultural products from cell cultures rather than from whole plants or animals. With growing interest in cellular agriculture as a means to address the public health, environmental, and animal welfare challenges of animal agriculture, the concept of producing seafood from fish cell- and tissue-cultures is emerging as a means to address similar challenges with industrial aquaculture systems and marine capture. Cell-based seafood - as opposed to animal-based seafood - can combine developments in biomedical engineering with modern aquaculture techniques. Biomedical engineering developments such as closed-system bioreactor production of land animal cells create a basis for large scale production of marine animal cells. Aquaculture techniques such as genetic modification and closed system aquaculture have achieved marked gains in production that can pave the way for innovations in cell-based seafood production. Here, we present the current state of innovation relevant to the development of cell-based seafood across multiple species as well as specific opportunities and challenges that exist for advancing this science. The authors find that the physiological properties of fish cell- and tissue- culture may be uniquely suited to cultivation in vitro. These physiological properties, including hypoxia tolerance, high buffering capacity, and low-temperature growth conditions, make marine cell culture an attractive opportunity for scale production of cell-based seafood; perhaps even more so than mammalian and avian cell cultures for cell-based meats. This, coupled with the unique capabilities of crustacean tissue-friendly scaffolding such as chitosan, a common seafood waste product and mushroom derivative, presents great promise for cell-based seafood production via bioreactor cultivation. To become fully realized, cell-based seafood research will require more understanding of fish muscle culture and cultivation; more investigation into serum-free media formulations optimized for fish cell culture; and bioreactor designs tuned to the needs of fish cells for large scale production.

Enzymes are the most efficient catalysts known working in an aqueous environment near room temperature. The folding of individual polymer chains to functional single-chain nanoparticles (SCNPs) offers many opportunities for the development of artificial enzyme-mimic catalysts showing both high catalytic activity and specificity. In this review, we highlight recent results obtained in the use of SCNPs as bioinspired, highly-efficient nanoreactors (3–30 nm) for the synthesis of a variety of nanomaterials (inorganic nanoparticles, quantum dots, carbon nanodots), polymers and chemical compounds, as well as nanocontainers for CO₂ capture and release.

SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes theCOVID-19 disease, has been demonstrated to cause immune suppression in certain individuals. This can manifest as a reduced ability for the host's immune system to effectively control the infection. Studies have reported that patients with COVID-19 can exhibit a decline in white blood cell counts, including natural killer cells and T cells, which are integral components of the immune system's response to viral pathogens. These cells play critical roles in the immune response to viral infections, and their depletion can make it harder for the body to mount an effective defense against the virus. Additionally, the virus can also directly infect immune cells, further compromising their ability to function. Some individuals with severe COVID-19 pneumonia may develop a "cytokine storm," an overactive immune response that may result in tissue damage and organ malfunction. The underlying mechanisms of immune suppression in SARS-CoV-2 are not entirely comprehended at this time, and ongoing research is being conducted to gain a more comprehensive understanding. Research has shown that severe SARS-CoV-2 infection promotes the synthesis of IgG4 antibodies. In this work, we propose the hypothesis that the IgG4 antibody produced by B cells in response to infection by SARS-CoV2 generates immunological tolerance that prevents its elimination, and leads to persistence and chronic infection. In sum, we believe that this constitutes another immune evasion mechanism that bears striking similarities to that developed by cancer cells to evade immune surveillance.

Contemporary research has found that people with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) exhibit aberrant immunological function, with a shift toward increased cytokine production and unusual cell function. Microglia and astroglia were found to be significantly activated in immuno-cytochemical studies, and cytokine analysis revealed that the macrophage chemoattractant protein-1 (MCP-1), interleukin 6 (IL-6), tumor necrosis factor α (TNF-α), and transforming growth factor β-1 (TGFB-1), all generated in the neuroglia, constituted the most predominant cytokines in the brain. Taurine (2-aminoethanesulfonic acid) is a promising therapeutic molecule able to increase the activity of antioxidant enzymes and ATPase, which may be protective against aluminum-induced neurotoxicity. It can also stimulate neurogenesis, synaptogenesis, and reprogramming of proinflammatory M1 macrophage polarization by decreasing mitophagy (mitochondrial autophagy) and raising the expression of the markers of the anti-inflammatory and pro-healing M2 macrophages, such as macrophage mannose receptor (MMR, CD206) and IL-10, while lowering the expression of the M1 inflammatory factor genes. Taurine also induces autophagy, which is a mechanism that is impaired in microglia cells and is critically associated with the pathophysiology of the ASD. We hypothesize here that taurine could reprogram the metabolism of M1 macrophages that are overstimulated in the nervous system of people suffering from ASD, thereby decreasing the neuroinflammatory process, neuronal death, and improving cognitive functions. Therefore, we think that taurine can serve as an important lead for the development of novel drugs for the ASD treatment.

For the first time in history, we have witnessed the origin and development of a pandemic. To handle the accelerated accumulation of viral mutations and to comprehend the virus' evolutionary adaptation in humans, an unparalleled program of genetic sequencing and monitoring of SARS-CoV-2 variants has been undertaken. Several scientists have theorized that, with the Omicron surge producing a more contagious but less severe disease, the end of COVID-19 is near. However, by analyzing the behavior shown by this virus for 2 years, we have noted that pandemic viruses do not always show a decreased virulence. Instead, it appears there is an evolutionary equilibrium between transmissibility and virulence. We have termed this concept “intermittent virulence”. The present work analyzes the temporal and epidemiological behavior of SARS-CoV-2 and suggests that there is a high possibility that new virulent variants will arise in the near future, although it is improbable that SARS-CoV-2´s virulence will be the same as was seen during the pandemic phase.

Sustainability has been playing a major role on the world stage. As with everything in the be-ginning, it was aligned to purely environmental contexts, but with the passing of the years and the new way of producing, marketing, and consuming, this concept has encompassed other as-pects which are the way of producing products and services. In this article, to obtain information on the implementation of sustainable innovation, a search equation was formulated in the SCOPUS database, contemplating the period from 2018 to 2023 as a time interval, with a total of 62 articles. Once the search of the published articles was carried out, 7 categories were formed to classify the research topic of each of the publications with Bibliometrix software, according to the main ob-jective and methodology used in each one. In this sense, 44% of the articles published are related to open innovation, and 26% of the articles are focused on sustainable business models. At the end of the analysis of the implementation of innovation according to the articles consulted, it was possible to establish that sustainable innovation began an important work, in the mitigation of the adverse impacts.

Microglial cells are brain macrophages that support and protect the central nervous system enviroment. Aging induces alterations in microglial polarization, resulting in a shift towards a neurotoxic phenotype characterized by increased expression of pro-inflammatory markers. Dysregulation of microglial cells regulatory pathways and interactions with neurons contribute to chronic activation and neurodegeneration. A better understanding the involvement of microglia in neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer's and Parkinson's, is a critical topic to studying the role of inflammatory responses in disease progression. Furthermore, the metabolic changes in aged microglia, including downregulation of oxidative phosphorylation are discussed in this review. Understanding these mechanisms is crucial for developing better preventive and therapeutic strategies.

Avian mutations in vaccine strains obtained from embryonated eggs could impair vaccine effec-tiveness. We performed a systematic review and meta-analysis of the adjusted relative vaccine effectiveness (arVE) of seed cell-cultured influenza vaccines (ccIV) compared to egg-based influ-enza vaccines (eIV) in preventing laboratory-confirmed influenza related outcomes (IRO) or IRO by clinical codes, in subjects 18 and over. We completed the literature search in January 2021; ap-plied exclusion criteria, evaluated risk of bias of the evidence, and performed heterogeneity, pub-lication bias, qualitative, quantitative and sensitivity analyses. All estimates were computed us-ing a random approach. International Prospective Register of Systematic Reviews, CRD42021228290. We identified 12 publications that reported 26 adjusted arVE results. Five publications reported 13 laboratory confirmed arVE and seven reported 13 code-ascertained arVE. Nine publications with 22 results were at low risk of bias. Heterogeneity was explained by season and risk of bias. We found a significant 11% (8 to 14%) adjusted arVE favoring ccIV in preventing any IRO in the 2017-2018 influenza season. The arVE was 3% (-01 to 7%) in the 2018-2019 influenza season. We found moderate evidence of a significant advantage of the ccIV in preventing IRO, compared to eIV, in a well-matched A(H3N2) predominant season.

Background: Hypovitaminosis D is a public health problem due to its implications for various diseases. Vitamin D has numerous functions, such as modulating the metabolism of some cellular tissues, and is expressed through the VDR gene that may influence gene expression modulation, which plays an important role in vitamin D metabolism. Objective: To evaluate the effect of the genotypes of single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) BsmI of the vitamin D receptor (VDR) gene on VDR, SOD2, and CYP24A1 gene expression in individuals with low serum vitamin D levels. Methods: This was a cross-sectional analytical study. Individuals were invited to participate and, after signing the informed consent form, answered a structured questionnaire with identification data. Blood was collected for biochemical analysis, and vitamin D was measured by chemiluminescence; BsmI polymorphism was determined using real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assays with TaqMan allelic discrimination, and gene expression was conducted by qRT-PCR using QuantiFast SYBR® Green PCR Master Mix. Data were analyzed using the SPSS 20.0 software, and differences were considered significant at p&lt;0.05. Results: 98 individuals with vitamin D ≤20 ng/dL were evaluated, and the SNP BsmI of the VDR gene showed CYP24A1 overexpression and low SOD2 expression. Conclusion: SNP Bsm I of the VDR gene can modulate the expression of the genes evaluated without interfering with serum levels.

Coronaviruses are an extensive family of viruses that can cause disease in both animals and humans. The current classification of coronaviruses recognizes 39 species in 27 subgenera that belong to the family Coronaviridae. From those, at least seven coronaviruses are known to cause respiratory infections in humans. Four of these viruses can cause common cold-like symptoms, while others that infect animals can evolve and become infectious to humans. Three recent examples of this viral jumps include SARS CoV, MERS-CoV and SARS CoV-2 virus. They are responsible for causing severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS), Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS) and the most recently discovered coronavirus disease during 2019 (COVID-19).COVID-19, a respiratory disease caused by the SARS-CoV-2 virus, was declared a pandemic by the World Health Organization (WHO) on 11 March 2020. The rapid spread of the disease has taken the scientific and medical community by surprise. Latest figures from 14 April 2020 show more than 2 million people had been infected with the virus, causing more than 120,000 deaths in over 210 countries worldwide. The large amount of information we receive every day concerning this new disease is so abundant and dynamic that medical staff, health authorities, academics and the media are not able to keep up with this new pandemic. In order to offer a clear insight of the extensive literature available, we have conducted a comprehensive literature review of the SARS CoV-2 Virus and the Coronavirus Diseases 2019 (COVID-19).

Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is one of the leading causes of cancer-related death worldwide. It is commonly diagnosed in advanced stages and therapeutic interventions are typically constrained to systemic chemotherapy, which yields only modest clinical outcomes. In this review, we examine recent developments in targeted therapy tailored to address distinct molecular pathway alteration required for PDAC. Our review delineates the principal signaling pathways and molecular mechanisms implicated in the initiation and progression of PDAC. Subsequently, we provide an overview of prevailing guidelines, ongoing investigations, and prospective research trajectories related to targeted therapeutic interventions, drawing insights from randomized clinical trials and other pertinent studies. This review focus on a comprehensive examination of preclinical and clinical data substantiating the efficacy of these therapeutic modalities, emphasizing the potential of combinatorial regimens and novel therapies to enhance the quality of life for individuals afflicted with PDAC. Lastly, the review delves into the contemporary application and ongoing research endeavors concerning targeted therapy for PDAC. This synthesis serves to bridge the molecular elucidation of PDAC with its clinical implications, the evolution of innovative therapeutic strategies, and the changing landscape of treatment approaches.

Purpose: Young transgender and non-binary are exposed to situations of discrimination and have a greater risk of violence. The purpose of this study is to analyze which protective, violence and health and well-being factors have more influence on transgender and non-binary people compared to cisgender people. Method: The sample comprised 856 people between 14 and 25 years old. A survey including questions about sociodemographic information and protective, violence and health and well-being factors was designed ad hoc for this study. Results: The results show non-binary group received the least support from family and friends, higher risk of suffering cyberbullying and a higher feel isolated and unhappy. Non-binary and transgender have suffered more verbal attacks both inside and outside their school and physical attacks at school than cisgender young. Conclusions: These results are important and may contribute to promote public policies and clinical interventions to favor the integration of non-binary and transgender people in our society.

As a consequence of the increasing share of renewable energies and sector coupling technologies, new approaches are needed for the study, planning, and control of modern energy systems. Such new structures may add extra stress to the electric grid, as is the case with heat pumps and electrical vehicles. Therefore, the optimal performance of the system must be estimated considering the constraints imposed by the different sectors. In this research, a dispatch optimization method with an iterative grid constraint generation, decoupled from the linear unit commitment problem, is employed. From the considered scenarios, it was found that in a typical German neighborhood with 150 households, PV penetration of ∼5kWp per household can lead to curtailment of ∼60MWh per year due to line loading. Furthermore, the proposed method eliminates grid violations due to the addition of new sectors reducing the curtailment up to 60%. With the optimization of the heat pump operation, an increase of 7% of the self-consumption was achieved with similar results for the combination of battery systems and electrical vehicles. In conclusion, a safer and optimal operation of a complex energy system is fulfilled. Safer control strategies and more accurate plant sizing could be derived from this work.

The search for new food products that promote consumers health has always been of great interest. The dairy industry is perhaps the best example regarding the emergence of new products with claimed health benefits. Cheese whey (CW), the by-product resulting from cheese production, and second cheese whey (SCW), which is the by-product of whey cheese manufacture, have proven to be potential ingredients for the development of food products with improved nutritional characteristics and other functionalities. Nowadays, due to their nutritional quality, whey products have gained a prominent position among healthy food products. However, for long, CW and SCW were usually treated as waste or as animal feed. Due to their high organic content, these by-products can cause serious environmental problems if discarded without appropriate treatment. Small and medium size dairy companies do not have equipment and structure to process whey and second cheese whey. In these cases, generally, they are used for animal feed or discarded without an appropriate treatment, being the cause of several constraints. There are several studies regarding CW valorization and there is a wide range of whey products in the market. However, in the case of SCW remains a lack of studies regarding its nutritional and functional properties, as well as ways to reuse this by-product in order to create economic value and reduce environmental impacts associated to its disposal.

Peripheral nerve injuries (PNI) can have several etiologies, such as trauma and iatrogenic interventions that can lead to the loss of structure and/or function impairment. These changes can cause a partial or complete loss of motor and sensory functions, physical disability, and neuropathic pain, what in turn can affect the quality of life. For those reasons, PNI is a major public health concern. This review aims to revisit the concepts associated with the PNI. First, the anatomy of the peripheral nerve is detailed to explain the different types of injury. Then, some of the available therapeutic strategies are explained, including surgical methods, pharmacological therapies, and the use of cell-based therapies alone or in combination with biomaterials in the form of tube guides. Nevertheless, even with the various available treatments, it is difficult to achieve a perfect outcome with complete functional recovery. This review aims to explain the urge for new approaches and to understand the methods to evaluate nerve regeneration in a One Health perspective. In vitro models followed by in vivo models are very important to be able to translate the achievements to human medicine.

Objective: A study was made of the salivary levels of adenosine deaminase (ADA), ferritin (FRR) and total proteins in healthy individuals and in patients with oral potentially malignant disorders (OPMD), assessing the potential role of saliva as a diagnostic tool. Methods: A total of 91 subjects participated in the study, divided into two groups: 59 patients with OPMD (oral leukoplakia or oral lichen planus )and 32 healthy controls with measurements being made of salivary ADA, ferritin (FRR) and total proteins (TP). Results: There were no significant differences in salivary ADA between the OPMD group and the controls (p=0.934), though the levels of both FRR and TP were significantly higher in the OPMD group (p=0.001). Patients with oral lichen planus showed significant differences in terms of FRR (p=0.009) and TP (p=0.003). Conclusions: The promising findings of this study suggest a potential role for FRR and TP in the salivary diagnosis of OPMD. In addition, saliva appears to be a reliable tool offering an interesting alternative for the screening of large populations.

In recent times, using image-based deep learning techniques has been very useful for classifying fruits. However, mango is a particular challenge because its shelf life is directly related to the degree of maturity at the time of harvest, which is determined mainly through the visual assessment of the operators when sorting them, doing it incorrectly, coupled with the blows and compressions exposed during storage and transport, trigger the deterioration in their quality, hence the importance of this operation. In this sense, the purpose of this study focuses on designing a computational model based on Deep Learning that uses a convolutional neural network (CNN) parameterized to select mangoes according to their color tone based on their maturity stage. A dataset was established from 201 labeled images, then a CNN architecture was built, obtaining a model on which 3 criteria were evaluated: the number of convolution and grouping layers, the resolution of the input images and the number of training epochs required. As a result, an input image resolution of 32 x 32 pixels was achieved, the process included a convolution layer followed by pooling that fed another layer that processed the results and ended in an output layer with 2 neurons under the One Hot Encoding representation. The model required 20 epochs to perfect its training, achieving 96.04 % accuracy in mango image selection. This study supports the potential of CNNs in quality analysis through mango color selection, even in uncertainty scenarios.

This work investigates into the enhancement of iris recognition systems through a two-module approach focusing on low level image preprocessing techniques and advanced feature extraction. The first module is dedicated to the preprocessing of iris images, leveraging the Canny algorithm for edge detection followed by the circle-based Hough transform for precise iris extraction. This process, integral to our methodology, ensures the quality and consistency necessary for the subsequent Binary Statistical Image Features (BSIF) analysis. The second module employs the BSIF technique, incorporating domain-specific filters trained on iris-specific data, for robust biometric identification. By combining these advanced image preprocessing techniques, the proposed method addresses key challenges in iris recognition, such as occlusions, varying pigmentation, and textural diversity. Experimental results on the Human-inspired Domain-specific Binarized Image Features (HDBIF) Dataset composed of 1892 iris images demonstrate the effectiveness of the developped approach, with potential future improvements including adaptive algorithms and machine learning integrations for enhanced performance in diverse and unpredictable real-world applications. The novel contributions of this paper lie in the provision of a reproducible research framework, making the iris-domain-specific BSIF filters, training patches, testing database, and source codes publicly available for further application and study.

Contrary to the long-held belief that the effects of vaccines are specific for the disease they were created; compelling evidence has demonstrated that vaccines can exert positive or deleterious non-specific effects (NSEs). In this review, we compiled research reports from the last 40 years, showing that live vaccines induce positive NSEs, whereas non-live vaccines induce several negative NSEs, including increased female mortality associated with enhanced susceptibility to other infectious diseases, especially in developing countries. These negative NSEs are determined by the vaccination sequence, the antigen concentration in vaccines, the type of vaccine used (live vs. non-live), and also by repeated vaccination. We do not recommend stopping using non-live vaccines, as they have demonstrated to protect against their target disease, so the suggestion is that their detrimental NSEs can be minimized simply by changing the current vaccination sequence. High IgG4 antibody levels generated in response to repeated inoculation with mRNA COVID-19 vaccines could be associated with a higher mortality rate from unrelated diseases and infections by suppressing the immune system. Since most COVID-19 vaccinated countries are reporting high percentages of excess mortality not directly attributable to deaths from such disease, the NSEs of mRNA vaccines on overall mortality should be studied in depth.

Due to the health crisis caused by SARS-CoV-2, the creation of a new vaccine platform based on mRNA was implemented. Globally, around 13.32 billion COVID-19 vaccine doses of diverse platforms have been given, and up to this date, 69.7% of the total population received at least one injection of a COVID-19 vaccine. Although these vaccines prevent hospitalization and severe forms of the disease, increasing evidence has shown they do not produce sterilizing immunity, allowing people to suffer frequent re-infections. Recent research has also raised concerns that mRNA vaccines could induce immune tolerance, which, added to that caused by the virus itself, could complicate the clinical course of a COVID-19 infection. Furthermore, recent investigations have found high IgG4 levels in people who were administered two or more injections of mRNA vaccines. It has been suggested that an increase in IgG4 levels could have a protecting role by preventing immune over-activation, similar to that occurring during successful allergen-specific immunotherapy by inhibiting IgE-induced effects. Altogether, evidence suggests that the reported increase in the IgG4 levels detected after repeated vaccination with the mRNA vaccines is not a protective mechanism; rather, it may be a part of the immune tolerance mechanism to the spike protein that could promote unopposed SARS-CoV2 infection and replication by suppressing natural antiviral responses. IgG4-induced suppression of the immune system due to repeated vaccination can also cause autoimmune diseases, promotes cancer growth, and autoimmune myocarditis in susceptible individuals.

This study evaluates various safety aspects of standardized impacts that cyclists may suffer while wearing a bicycle helmet, by combining a partially validated finite element model of the cranio-cervical region and a newly developed bicycle helmet model. Under EN 1078 standardized impact conditions, the results of simulated impact tests show that the helmet can absorb 40% to 50 % of the total impact energy at impact velocities above 4 m/s. Further, based on a relationship between Head Injury Criterion and the risk of injury from field data, the results of the simulations suggest that minor injuries may occur at impact velocities of 10 km/h, serious injuries at 15 km/h, and severe injuries at 20 km/h. Fatal injuries will likely occur at impact velocities of 30 km/h and higher.

Artificial intelligence methods may help in unveliling information hidden in high-dimensional oncological data. Flow cytometry studies of haematological malignancies provide quantitative data with the potential to be used for the construction of response biomarkers. Many computational methods from the bioinformatics toolbox can be applied to these data but have not been exploited in their full potential in leukaemias, specifically for the case of childhood B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia. In this paper we analysed flow cytometry data obtained on diagnosis from 54 paediatric B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia patients from two local institutions. We constructed classifiers based on the Fisher’s Ratio to quantify differences in expression levels of immunophenotypical markers between patients with relapsing and non-relapsing disease. The distribution of the marker CD38 was found and validated to have a strong discriminating power between both patient cohorts, thus providing a classifier.

Objective: To evaluate the use of CDK4/6 inhibitors as a risk factor for medication-related osteonecrosis of the jaw (MRONJ) in a cohort of patients with metastatic breast cancer treated with denosumab. Methods: multicentre, retrospective, observational study. All patients with breast cancer treated with denosumab (January 2011-December 2022) were included. The relationship between CDK4/6 inhibitors and MRONJ was analysed. Results: 243 patients were included, ninety-five (44.2%) used a CDK4/6 inhibitor. There were 21 patients with MRONJ. In patients treated with denosumab without CDK4/6 inhibitors the incidence of MRONJ and mean time to the occurrence of MRONJ was 6.6% (8/120) and 16.8 months (SD 7.8) respectively. In patients treated with denosumab and CDK4/6 inhibitor 13.7% (13/95) and 15.4 month (SD 8.7) respectively. The difference in the incidence was not significant (p=0.085). Conclusion: it suggest that the incidence of MRONJ in patients with metastatic breast cancer treated with denosumab was higher and the onset of MRONJ occurred earlier in the presence of CDK4/6 inhibitors. Although the difference was not significant, given that the use of this combination is very common in routine clinical practice, it would be advisable to carry out larger prospective studies to clarify the risk of this association.

Primary systemic treatment (PST) downsizes the tumor and improves pathological response. The aim of this study is to analyze the feasibility and tolerance of primary concurrent radio-chemotherapy (PCRT) in breast cancer patients. Patients with localized TN/HER2+ tumors were enrolled in this prospective study. Radiation is delivered concomitantly during the first 3 weeks of chemotherapy, and it is based on a 15 fractions scheme (40.5Gy/2.7Gy per fraction to whole breast and nodal levels I-IV. Chemotherapy is based on Pertuzumab-Trastuzumab-Paclitaxel followed by anthracyclines in HER2+ and CBDCA-Paclitaxel followed by anthracyclines in TN breast cancers patients. 58 patients were enrolled, 25 patients (43%) were TN and 33 patients HER2+ (57%). With a median follow-up of 24.2 months, 56 patients completed PCRT and surgery. A total of 35 patients (87.5%) achieved &gt;90% loss of invasive carcinoma cell in the surgical specimen. The 70.8% and the 53.1% of patients with TN and HER-2+ subtype respectively achieved complete pathological response (pCR). This is the first study of concurrent neoadjuvant treatment in breast cancer in which three strategies are applied simultaneously: fractionation of RT in 15 sessions, adjustment of CT to tumor phenotype and local planning by PET. The pCR rates are encouraging.

Puerto Rico's geographic and climatic conditions render it highly susceptible to natural disasters, particularly hurricanes. The devastation caused by Hurricane Maria in 2017 highlighted the fragility of the island's centralized energy infrastructure, which led to prolonged power outages and severe disruptions in essential services. This review explores the potential of biomass energy to enhance resilience in post-disaster scenarios, focusing on Puerto Rico as a case study. Biomass energy, derived from organic materials like agricultural residues, woody biomass, and municipal solid waste, offers a renewable and locally sourced power solution that can be rapidly deployed. Key biomass conversion technologies, including direct combustion, gasification, anaerobic digestion, and pyrolysis, are examined for their applicability and benefits in emergency energy provision. The implementation of biomass-powered microgrids in Puerto Rico, such as those by Casa Pueblo and Arensis, demonstrates the feasibility and effectiveness of decentralized energy systems in disaster recovery. These microgrids provide reliable power to critical infrastructure, reduce dependence on fossil fuels, and support waste management efforts. The review also discusses ongoing research and development in advanced biomass technologies, such as second-generation biofuels, algae-based biomass, and biomass-to-hydrogen conversion, which can further enhance energy efficiency and sustainability. Additionally, the economic, environmental, and social impacts of biomass energy are evaluated, highlighting its role in job creation, waste reduction, emission control, and community resilience. Policy recommendations include streamlining permitting processes, enhancing financial incentives, developing feedstock supply chains, and incorporating biomass into disaster recovery plans. The findings suggest that integrating biomass energy into Puerto Rico’s energy strategy can significantly improve its capacity to respond to and recover from natural disasters, promoting long-term sustainability and resilience.

This paper presents a methodology to evaluate (1) to what extent students of a higher degree in the field of education acquire sustainability competencies, and (2) to determine whether the subjects that develop the ESD achieve their learning objectives. The methodology is applied to a case study. The instruments used are the sustainability survey and the sustainability presence map developed by the EDINSOST project. The survey consists of 18 questions, and has been answered by 104 first-year students and 86 fourth-year students belonging to the Bachelor Degree in Primary Education Teaching at the University of Sevilla. The Mann-Whitney U test has been used to compare the results of the two groups, and Cohen's D has been used to measure the effect size. Students only obtain significant improvements, with 95% confidence, in three questions (Q4, Q5 and Q6), all concerning critical thinking and creativity. An improvement is also detected in question Q11, with a confidence of 90%. However, no subject in the curriculum develops the learning outcomes concerning questions Q4, Q5 and Q6, and only one subject develops the learning outcomes regarding question Q11. On the other hand, up to five subjects declare development of the learning outcomes regarding questions in which there is no improvement in student learning. These results suggest that the subjects are failing to reach their ESD learning objectives, and that the students are either trained in sustainability outside the university or the subject learning guides do not reflect the work done by the students throughout their studies

Flow field based methods are becoming increasingly popular for the analysis of interfacial shear rheology data. Such methods take properly into account the subphase drag by solving the Navier-Stokes equations for the bulk phases flows, together with the Boussinesq-Scriven boundary condition at the fluid-fluid interface, and the probe equation of motion. Such methods have been successfully implemented at the double wall-ring (DWR), the magnetic rod (MR), and the bicone interfacial shear rheometers. However, a study of the errors introduced directly by the numerical processing is still lacking. Here we report on a study of the errors introduced exclusively by the numerical procedure corresponding to the bicone geometry at an air-water interface. In our study we directly input a preset the value of the complex interfacial viscosity and we numerically obtain the corresponding flow field and the complex amplitude ratio for the probe motion. Then we use the standard iterative procedure to obtain the calculated complex viscosity value. A detailed comparison of the set and calculated complex viscosity values is made upon changing different parameters such as real and imaginary parts of the complex interfacial viscosity and frequency. The observed discrepancies yield a detailed landscape of the numerically introduced errors.

This study investigated the effects of flamenco dance on mood and subjective well-being in older women. In a broader context, the question was raised about how participation in dance activities could influence the emotional well-being of this demographic group. Thirty-four older women, aged between 62 and 79 years, with a mean age of 70.11 years (SD = 5.13), voluntarily participated in the study after providing informed consent. All of them were enrolled in a 12-week flamenco dance workshop conducted by the Autoestima Flamenca Association, with one two-hour session per week. Mood measurements (sadness, anxiety, anger, and joy) were taken biweekly before and after each session, and subjective well-being assessments were conducted before and after the intervention. The results revealed significant improvements in the overall mood of the participants, as well as an increase in their subjective well-being. These improvements were observed at both the individual and group levels. In conclusion, participation in flamenco dance demonstrated a positive impact on the mood and subjective well-being of older women. These findings support the idea that physical and artistic activities, such as flamenco dance, can play an important role in promoting emotional well-being in this age group.

The paper focuses on the application of a multilevel, integrative and territorial approach to the protection of cultural heritage through planning instruments in Serbia. It points out the problems of the sectoral approach and discusses international recommendations that can be integrated into the planning methodology. The case study is the area of Djerdap National Park, which has an already established international and national importance. The research suggests that the cultural heritage in the area, with the exception of the Roman limes, is still recognized at the level of individual localities. The study emphasizes the importance of aligning all levels of governance to safeguard the whole spatial entity rather than focusing solely on its particular areas. The interna-tional and national importance of the planning area contributes to the strengthening of awareness of heritage and its institutional protection. However, the vitality of the area, which is key to its sustainable development, comes from the local level. Planning documents contribute to the inte-gration of local values and local communities into development programs and projects.

Thermostatically controlled loads have great potential to make a significant contribution to improving energy efficiency in the building sector, which is responsible for 40% of greenhouse gas emissions in the EU. This, in addition to the environmental damage, represents a huge expense in the electricity bill. Therefore, it is very important to train engineers on how to design energy management systems for TCLs. With this goal in mind, it would be very useful to have a simulation-based educational tool (SBET) to understand thermostatically controlled loads, their characteristics and possibilities in energy efficiency. In addition, it would be very useful if this tool could be introduced in engineering curricula to help students to be better trained and enter the labor market with more opportunities. Based on the shortcomings detected, this work develops a SBET specifically designed to teach about TCLs (SBET-TCLs), both about their intrinsic characteristics and their better management. To verify the developed SBET-TCL, it has been tested in a real scenario: A survey was carried out among the students of the subject 'Alternative Energy Sources' of the degrees of Industrial Engineering. The results show that the use of SBET-TCL has very positive effects on the learning process.

This study addresses the influence of working conditions on Work-Related Quality of Life (WRQOL) among Spanish healthcare professionals. The research seeks to elucidate the mediating roles of job engagement and burnout, and the moderating effects of resilience and self-efficacy, in this relationship. Methods: The study included 374 healthcare workers from Spain, encompassing physicians, nurses, and nursing assistants. It employed a methodological approach using validated instruments to assess psychosocial risks, work-life quality, job engagement, burnout, and resilience. Data were gathered through self-reported questionnaires. Results: Key findings indicate a negative association between working conditions and WRQOL. Job engagement and burnout significantly mediated this relationship, accounting for 19% to 33% of the variance in WRQOL. Notably, lack of support emerged as a strong negative factor for work-related quality of life. Additionally, resilience moderated the relationship between lack of support and burnout. Conclusions: The study concludes that improving working conditions could increase WRQOL. Interventions aimed at enhancing engagement and addressing burnout may be effective. The moderating role of resilience suggests that strategies to enhance resilience could also be beneficial. These findings hold significant implications for policy formulation and human resources planning in healthcare, emphasizing the need for enhanced workplace support and the development of resilience among health workers.

Sensing and responding to changes in NaCl concentration in hypersaline environments is vital for cell survival. We have identified and characterized key components of the high-osmolarity glycerol (HOG) signal transduction pathway, which is crucial in sensing hypersaline conditions in the extremely halotolerant black yeast Hortaea werneckii and in the obligate halophilic fungus Wallemia ichthyophaga. Both organisms were isolated from solar salterns, their predominating ecological niche. The identified components included homologous proteins of both branches involved in sensing high osmolarity (SHO1 and SLN1) and the homologues of mitogen-activated protein kinase module (MAPKKK Ste11, MAPKK Pbs2, and MAPK Hog1). Functional complementation of the identified gene products in S. cerevisiae mutant strains revealed some of their functions. Structural protein analysis demonstrated important structural differences in the HOG pathway components between halotolerant/halophilic fungi isolated from solar salterns, salt-sensitive S. cerevisiae, the extremely salt-tolerant H. werneckii, and halophilic W. ichthyophaga. Known and novel gene targets of MAP kinase Hog1 were uncovered particularly in halotolerant H. werneckii. Molecular studies of many salt-responsive proteins confirm unique and novel mechanisms of adaptation to changes in salt concentration.

The current management of colorectal cancer liver metastasis (CRCLM) patients involves a multidisciplinary approach with surgical resection remaining the primary curative option. The advances in liver surgery have improved outcomes, enabling more patients to undergo surgery successfully. In addition, the development of imaging software has improved the preoperative planning and patient selection for surgery and other interventions. Systemic therapies, such as targeted therapies and immunotherapies have enhanced the chances of complete resection. Targeted agents in combination with chemotherapy, have shown efficacy in downstaging tumors and increasing resectability.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: The use of biomass for cooking carries significant health implications and can lead to adverse environmental issues such as deforestation, greenhouse gas emissions, and erosion. Despite these concerns, there is a lack of information about the nature and extent of cooking emissions in many developing countries. To address this gap, a study was conducted to assess cooking emission levels and their associated health effects among households in Dodoma City, Tanzania. METHODS: A descriptive cross-sectional design was conducted, involving 285 households in the peri-urban area of Dodoma City, Tanzania. A combination of questionnaires, observational checklists, and sampling devices (Aeroqual series 500 for Carbon Monoxide and Temptop PMD 351 for Particulate Matters) were employed for data collection, adhering to established protocols. Additionally, lung function tests were conducted with consent from the primary household cooks. Collected data were entered into an Excel spreadsheet and analyzed using STATA 17 software. FINDINGS: Out of 285 participants, 74.7% predominantly use charcoal for cooking, with 68.4% having outdoor kitchen setups. Significant differences in pollutant concentrations were observed across various fuel types (P=0.0001), with firewood emitting higher levels of particulate matter and carbon monoxide. Carbon monoxide concentrations during cooking were 6 times higher for firewood, 5 times higher for charcoal-gas, and 3 times higher for charcoal compared to WHO daily average limits. Additionally, a positive correlation between pollutant concentrations was noted (P-value = 0.0000). Lung problems 17.8% followed by eye irritation 15.7% were mentioned by those who claimed to know the health effects associated with cooking emissions. In addition, the spirometry test indicated that the majority of the participants had % predicted >80 while only 19% had % predicted below 50. CONCLUSION: Charcoal and firewood remain the primary cooking fuels in the study area despite their significant negative impacts. Our findings highlight a lack of awareness among community members regarding the health effects of biomass cooking emissions and insufficient guidance on constructing healthy kitchens. To address this, enforcing building standards, raising health awareness, and ensuring affordable access to modern fuels are crucial steps. These measures are essential for promoting healthier cooking practices and mitigating the adverse effects on households.

This paper develops a chemical model for a closed constant volume combustion of gaseous mixtures of methane and hydrogen. Since the combustion is strongly depending on temperature, pressure and fuel composition, they were chosen the actual corresponding thermodynamic systems using this kind of combustion, respectively the spark ignition reciprocating engines in order to evaluate the combustion parameters and exhaust flue gases composition. The actual cycles impose extra restrictive operational conditions through the engine volumetric compression ratio, the geometry of combustion volume, the mode to prepare the mixture of methane and hydrogen, the cooling system and the delivered power. The chemical model avoided the unknown influences in order to explain accurately the influence of hydrogen upon the constant volume combustion and flue gases composition. The model adopted simplifying hypotheses, respectively isentropic compression and expansion processes, closed constant volume combustion developed by two successive steps obeying to the energy and mass conservation laws and, flue gases exhaust described also by two steps, i.e. an isentropic expansion through the flow section of exhaust valves followed by a constant pressure stagnation (this succession is corresponding in fact to a throttling direct process). The chemical model supposed the homogeneous mixtures of gases with variable heat capacities function of temperatures, the Mendeleev - Clapeyron ideal gas state equation and, the variable chemical equilibrium constants for chosen chemical reactions. It was assumed that the flue gases chemistry is prevailing during the isentropic expansion and flue gases exhaust and has mainly a thermal ground. The chemical model allowed evaluation of flue gasses composition and of noxious emissions.

This study offers an analysis of existing research on sustainability and its link to accounting and management control in the port sector. The existing studies do not provide a comprehensive discussion of management accounting and control tools in this context, despite recognizing the relevance of the issue. The Scoping Review was used as a methodological basis, with reference to the framework of Arksey and O’Malley [1], with the aim of mapping the literature on the role of ac-counting and management control, as well as their relationship with the Triple Bottom Line associated with the various levels of sustainability in this sector. The results point to a diversity of tools used essentially in developed countries, where the interest in efficiency, sustainability and strategic alignment stands out.

Background: The CoBaTrICE initiative standardized intensive care training throughout Europe. Pericardiocentesis, an important yet infrequent operation, poses unique training challenges often unmet by conventional methods. This study evaluates the efficacy of virtual reality (VR) simulations and 3D-printed mannequins in pericardiocentesis training, both crafted from scratch using highly affordable materials and free software. Methods: Thirty-five final-year medical students participated in this prospective, quasi-experimental study. Initially, students underwent VR simulation training, followed by training using 3D-printed self-made mannequins. Learning outcomes were assessed using the Objective and Structured Clinical Examination (OSCE) questionnaire. Heart rate variability (HRV) analysis was employed to monitor stress responses, while the NASA Task Load Index (NASA-TLX) was used to gauge self-perceived difficulty. Results: Although the mannequin model induced more stress reactions, it excelled in tasks requiring fine motor skills, such as correct placement and asepsis maintenance. In contrast, lower NASA-TLX scores indicated that the VR model imposed less mental demand and effort, reflecting a reduced cognitive load. Conclusion: Both VR simulations and 3D-printed mannequins effectively taught pericardiocentesis skills, each offering distinct advantages. Mannequins enhanced fine motor skills, whereas VR reduced cognitive load and increased engagement. The combination of both approaches could maximize training outcomes, particularly in resource-constrained environments, thus broadening access to advanced simulation education.

The prognosis of cancer patients has greatly improved in the last years, owing to the development of novel chemotherapeutic agents. However, this progress comes with an increasing occurrence of cardiovascular adverse reactions. A serious side effect is arterial hypertension, which is the most frequent comorbidity encountered in cancer patients, influencing the outcomes in cancer survivors. Even though secondary hypertension related to specific chemotherapeutic agents, such as vascular endothelial growth factor inhibitors, is usually mild and reversible, in rare instances it can be severe, leading to discontinuation of chemotherapy. In addition, hypertension per se has been studied as a potential risk factor for cancer development. The relationship is even more complex than previously thought, as concerning evidence recently highlighted the potential oncogenic effects of antihypertensive drugs, such as thiazide diuretics predisposing to skin cancer. As a result, under the light of the similar risk factors and overlapping pathophysiological mechanisms between hypertension and cancer, a promising concept of onco-hypertension has emerged, aiming to improve the understanding of the complicated interplay between these two pathologies and maintain a balance between the efficacy and risks of both antihypertensive drugs and chemotherapy agents.

Understanding that organizational communication is crucial for the consistent functioning of any establishment, this research assesses its influence on work-life balance, organizational climate, and job satisfaction among Portuguese firefighters, a rarely studied group. Effective organizational communication is identified as a potential pathway for nurturing a favorable work setting and bolstering employee contentment, essential elements of work-life balance. Data compiled from a group of 102 firefighters, using a sociodemographic questionnaire, the Work Social Climate Scale, and Portuguese versions of the ICA Communication Audit Survey Instrument and the Labor Satisfaction Questionnaire S20/23, unveil multiple significant correlations among various dimensions of the ICA, the Work Social Climate Scale, and communication metrics. Explicitly, correlations were discerned between received and sent communications and aspects of implication, support, and cohesion. Links were also evident between desired communications and the control dimension. Positive and statistically significant relationships were further observed between received and sent communications, all five satisfaction dimensions, necessary outgoing communications and the physical environment, and required outgoing communications and benefits, highlighting the pivotal role of adept communication in augmenting work-life balance, organizational climate, and job satisfaction among firefighters.

The present work reports an experimental thermodynamic study of two nitrogen heterocyclic organic compounds, fenclorim and clopyralid, that have been used as herbicides. The sublimation vapor pressures of fenclorim (4,6-dichloro-2-phenylpyrimidine) and of clopyralid (3,6-dichloro-2-pyridinecarboxylic acid) were measured, at different temperatures, using a Knudsen mass-loss effusion technique. The vapor pressures of both crystalline and liquid (including supercooled liquid) phases of fenclorim were also determined using a static method based on capacitance diaphragm manometers. The experimental results enabled accurate determination of the standard molar enthalpies, entropies and Gibbs energies of sublimation for both compounds and of vaporization for fenclorim, allowing a phase diagram representation of the (p,T) results, in the neighborhood of the triple point of this compound. The temperatures and molar enthalpies of fusion of the two compounds studied were determined using differential scanning calorimetry. The standard isobaric molar heat capacities of the two crystalline compounds were determined at 298.15 K, using drop calorimetry. The gas phase thermodynamic properties of the two compounds were estimated through ab initio calculations, at the G3(MP2)//B3LYP level, and their thermodynamic stability was evaluated in the gaseous and crystalline phases, considering the calculated values of the standard Gibbs energies of formation, at 298.15 K.

Current smartphones incorporate different types of sensors that allow us to know our spatial position, they give us information about pressure, speed, acceleration, time, acoustic level, and other different physical magnitudes. These smartphones measure each component of the magnetic field, bearing in mind that any current perpendicular to a magnetic field produces a small potential difference, transversal to the said current, being this voltage easily measurable by Hall sensors. With the implementation of three Hall sensors, and an appropriate app, we can measure the three components of the magnetic field vector, and with this we can obtain information and deduce properties of the physical systems considered. In this paper we are exploring the use of smartphones in a physics laboratory for freshman students. To do this, we have measured, using Hall sensors, the magnetic field created by a linear quadrature, and we have obtained, first of all, its dependence on the distance between the quadrupole and the magnetic sensor. The second purpose of this work is to show that the laboratory is a powerful tool that increases the significant learning of freshman students through advanced technological tools.

We believe that a natural focus of the Physics Education Research community is on understanding and improving student learning in our physics courses. For this purpose, we are introducing smartphones in the physics laboratory. Current smartphones measure each component of the magnetic field, bearing in mind that any current perpendicular to a magnetic field produces a small potential difference, transversal to the said current, being this voltage easily measurable by Hall sensors. In this work, we have considered the magnetic field created by a linear quadrupole and we have studied its dependence on distance. Using an experimental procedure that is simple we have measured the magnetic field using the Hall sensor that most smartphones have, together with the corresponding app. The purpose of this work is to show that the laboratory is a powerful tool that increases significant learning under three conditions: 1) the practice must not be too sophisticated; 2) students must handle objects in the lab; and 3) the practice must be scientifically accurate, including the adjustments by minimum squares, and the following and necessary error calculation.

A cross-sectional study was conducted to gain insight into the epidemiology of canine ehrlichiosis and rickettsiosis in northern Portugal. Specific IgG antibodies to Ehrlichia canis were analysed using a commercial indirect ELISA test, and antibodies to Rickettsia conorii using a commercial IFAT. A total of 113 dogs from two different shelters were sampled, and seroprevalence values of 0.9% (95% confidence [CI]: 0.2–4.8%) for E. canis and 9.7 (95% CI: 5.5–16.6%) for R. conorii were found. Univariable models investigated risk factors for seropositivity. The odds ratios (OR) of R. conorii seropositivity were higher for female dogs (OR = 2.32; 95% CI: 1.58–3.39) and for dogs belonging to Shelter 2 (OR = 3.0; 95% CI: 2.28–3.95). Seropositive dogs for co-infection (E. canis + R. conorii) were more frequently observed in females (OR = 2.4; CI 95%: 1.66–3.47) and in Shelter 2 (OR = 2.72; 95% CI: 1.97–3.76). These findings show that shelter dogs in northern Portugal are exposed to E. canis and R. conorii, which can affect both canines and humans. It is imperative to adopt a One Health approach to educate the public about the hazards of canine zoonoses and develop legislation and procedures to control their spread and preserve public health.

As Chronic Non-Communicable Diseases (CNCD) increase, preventive approaches become more crucial. In this review, Calorie Restriction (CR) effects on human beings were evaluated, comparing benefits and risks of different CR diets: classic CR vs ketosis-inducing diets, including Intermittent Fasting (IF), Classic Ketogenic Diet (CKD), Fasting Mimicking Diet (FMD), Very-Low-Calorie Ketogenic Diet (VLCKD) and Spanish Ketogenic Mediterranean Diet (SKMD). Special emphasis on Insulin Resistance (IR) was placed, as it mediates Metabolic Syndrome (MS), a risk factor for CNCD, and predicts MS diagnosis. CR is the most robust intervention known to increase lifespan and health span, with high evidence and known biochemical mechanisms. CR improves cardiometabolic risk parameters, boosts exercise insulin sensitivity response, and there may be benefits of implementing moderate CR on healthy young and middle-aged individuals. However, there is insufficient evidence to support long-term CR. CKD is effective for weight and MS management, and may have additional benefits such as prevention of muscle loss and appetite control. SKMD has extreme significance benefits for all the metabolic parameters studied. Studies show inconsistent benefits of IF compared to classic CR. More studies are required to study biochemical parameters, reinforce evidence, identify risks, and seek effective and safe nutritional CR approaches.

Multicompartment compliance aids (MCAs) are devices with each discrete section denoting a single dosing occasion. The purpose of an MCA is to maximize patient adherence and thereby optimize the treatment benefits. These devices are widely employed throughout western Europe and UK and use appears to be rapidly increasing (2) although the RPS as moved away from these devices as a means to improve adherence. We analysed MCAs from various pharmacies over a wide geographic area in England and North Wales. We concluded that most MCA users are elderly patients. Also, most of the patients suffer of combined cardiovascular disease. However, a significant proportion of patients falls in the mental/ neurological disease category. Additionally, most of the externals added to MCAs are inhalers and painkillers. Moreover, SDIs are more frequent in female patients and these SDI are mainly related with mental health medication, cardiovascular disease medication and neurological medication. In conclusion, a directive for dispensing of MCAs in pharmacies by pharmacists through an enhanced service should be elaborated having in consideration PIMs, SDIs, drug stability and use of externals and MCA design and brand.

Common bean has received attention as a model plant for legume studies, but little information is available about the morphology of its pods and the relation of this morphology to loss of seed dispersal and/or the pod string, which are key agronomic traits of legume domestication. Dehiscence is related to pod morphology and the anatomy of pod tissues because of the weakening of the dorsal and ventral dehiscence zones and the tensions of the pod walls. These tensions are produced by the differential mechanical properties of lignified and non-lignified tissues and changes in turgor associated with fruit maturation. In this research, we histologically studied the dehiscence zone of the ventral and dorsal sutures of the pod in two contrasting genotypes for dehiscence and string, by comparing different histochemical methods with autofluorescence. We found that the secondary cell wall modifications of the ventral suture of the pod were clearly different between the dehiscence-susceptible and stringy PHA1037 and the dehiscence-resistant and stringless PHA0595 genotypes. The susceptible genotype had cells of bundle caps arranged in a more easily breakable bowtie knot shape. The resistant genotype had a larger vascular bundle area and fibre cap cells (FCCs), and due to their thickness, the external valve margin cells were significantly stronger than those from PHA1037. Our findings suggest that the FCC area, and the cell arrangement in the bundle cap, might be a partial structure involved in the pod dehiscence of common bean. The autofluorescence pattern at the ventral suture allowed us to quickly identify the dehiscent phenotype and gain a better understanding of cell wall tissue modifications that took place along the bean's evolution, which had an impact on crop improvement. We report a simple autofluorescence protocol to reliably identify secondary cell wall organization and its relationship to dehiscence and string in common bean.

Small ruminant lentivirus (SRLV) are infected and transmitted among ovine and caprine species. This disease is a severe problem for small ruminant production, not only for animals’ wellbeing but also for the herd’s efficiency. The main aim of this research was to quantify the seroprevalence and associated risk factors for SRLV infection in the north region of Portugal. Collected samples from a total of 150 herds, of which 129 (86.0%; 95% CI: 80.67% - 91.33%) had at least one seropositive animal. Out of 2607 individual blood samples, 1074 (41.2%) were positive for SRLV. The risk factors associated with SRLV infection were: specie (caprine), age (&gt; 2 years old), herd size (&gt; 100 animals), production system (intensive), production aptitude (milk), type of activity (professional), participation in livestock competitions (yes), buy replacement young ewe (yes) and rearing (natural). This knowledge empowers the implementation of effective preventive measures. Overall, biosecurity measures should be promoted and implemented to aim reducing viral transmission, with the main goal of reducing the prevalence of this disease. Completely, we understand that government authorities should promote and audit voluntary control and eradication programs in small ruminant herds in the region studied.

Quantitative research on positive aspects of work-life integration and the well-being of families with children with disabilities is scarce, especially in the national context. The aim of this study was to examine the contributions of some personal and environmental resources in explaining work-to-family (WFF) and family-to-work (FWF) facilitation and mental health of parents of children with disabilities residing in Croatia. The mediational role of WFF and FWF in the relationship between the resources and mental health was tested, while controlling for some general socio-demographic variables. A total of 571 employed parents of a child/children with disabilities completed an online self-assessment questionnaire. The results showed higher WFF (19%) was predicted by higher levels of social support at work, a higher level of education, posttraumatic growth (PTG) of personal strength, and recovery management. Higher FWF (46%) was predicted by higher levels of social support in the family, PTG of personal strength, the emotional regulation strategy of reorienting to planning, optimism, a lower age, the male gender, a greater number of children, and a higher level of education. A higher level of mental health (47%) was predicted directly by higher levels of optimism, recovery management, FWF, emotional regulation strategies of positive refocusing and planning, and a greater number of children, and indirectly by all the predictors of FWF, through a higher level of FWF (but not WFF).

Cereals and their derivatives are the basis of human nutrition. However, cereals also contribute to the dietary exposure to toxic metals that may pose a risk. Strengthening food security and nutrition information is a high priority challenge for the Cape Verde Government. The toxic metals content (Cr, Ni, Sr, Al, Cd, Pb) has been determined in 126 samples of cereals and derivatives (rice, corn gofio, corn flour, wheat flour, corn, wheat) consumed in Cape Verde. Wheat flour samples stand out for registering the highest Sr (1.60 mg/kg), Ni (0.25 mg/kg) and Cr (0.13 mg/kg). The results show relevant Al levels (1.17 – 13.4 mg/kg) with its highest levels in corn gofio. The mean Pb average content in the cereals is 0.03 – 0.08 mg/kg with the highest level observed in corn gofio. The Al and Pb levels are lower in cereals without husks. A consumption of 100 g/day of corn gofio provide an intake of 1.34 mg Al/day (13.7% of the tolerable weekly intake established at 1 mg/kg bw/week) and 8 µg Pb/day (20% of the BMDL set at 0.63 µg/kg bw/day for nephrotoxic effects). The minimization of the dietary exposure of the Cape Verdean population to toxic metals is through the importation of higher quality cereals.

Abstract: (1) Background: Surgery is the best curative option for Gastric Cancer (GC). However, morbimortality associated with surgery still a significant problem. Thus, it is essential to determine the preoperative surgical risk, to optimize outcomes in higher risk patients. (2) Methods: Patients who underwent curative gastrectomy between January 2010 and December 2013 were included, obtaining a sample of 131 patients, and the acuity of the scales understudy was evaluated. The predictive power of the scales was evaluated through calibration and discrimination. (3) Results and Conclusions: Regarding mortality, the scales demonstrated good calibration, with POSSUM and P-POSSUM obtaining the best O:E ratio. The scales presented good discrimination, with POSSUM showing the best result. Considering morbidity, the scales showed good calibration and discrimination. POSSUM and P-POSSUM seem to have potential in predicting morbidity and mortality when applied to the studied population, but there is a need for further studies in this area.

Background. Candida bloodstream infections (CBSIs) have decreased among pediatric populations in the United States, but remain an important cause of morbidity and mortality. Species distributions and susceptibility patterns of CBSI isolates diverge widely between children and adults. Awareness of these patterns can inform clinical decision-making for empiric or pre-emptive therapy of children at risk for candidemia. Methods. CBSIs occurring from 2006-2016 among patients in a large children’s hospital were analyzed for age specific trends in incidence rate, risk factors for breakthrough-CBSI and death, as well as underlying conditions. Candida species distributions and susceptibility patterns were evaluated in addition to antifungal agent use. Results. The overall incidence rate of CBSI among this complex patient population was 1.97/1,000 patient-days. About half of CBSI episodes occurred in immunocompetent children and 14% in Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) patients. Antifungal resistance was minimal: 96.7% of isolates were fluconazole-, 99% were micafungin-, and all were amphotericin susceptible. Liposomal amphotericin was the most commonly prescribed antifungal agent including for NICU patients. Overall CBSI-associated mortality was 13.7%; there were no deaths associated with CBSI among NICU patients after 2011. Conclusions. Pediatric CBSI characteristics differ substantially from those in adults. Improved management of underlying diseases and antimicrobial stewardship may further decrease morbidity and mortality from CBSI while continuing to maintain low resistance rates among Candida isolates.

This study reviews how policy and agricultural laws relate to Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) 2 and 12, sustainability and rural development, in Ecuador. Policy aligns itself with goals 2 in terms of increased productivity and income (target 2,3) to interna-tional markets (targets 2b y 2c), rural infrastructure, research, agricultural extension and technological development (target 2a), agrobiodiversity and traditional knowledge (target 25). It is related with SDG 12 to sustainable production and consumption targets 12.1, 12.2 and 12a). Laws highlight public procurement, research, seeds, and efficient resource management through sustainable practices. It is concluded that policy is aligned with SDGs 2 and 12 but is necessary to establish others that surpass the emphasis on produc-tivity towards export markets that leave AFC production and achieve a transition to sus-tainable production and consumption. The study of laws indicates that it is necessary to strengthen local governance for food sovereignty, including the peasant sectors within the framework of existing laws with participation in spaces of debate and formulation of ac-tions.

Monocarboxylate transporter 8 (MCT8) and organic anion-transporting polypeptide 1C1 (OATP1C1) are thyroid hormones (TH) transmembrane transporters relevant for the availability of TH in neural cells, crucial for their proper development and function. Mutations in MCT8 or OATP1C1 result in severe disorders with dramatic movement disability related to alterations in basal ganglia motor circuits. Mapping the expression of MCT8/OATP1C1 in those circuits is necessary to explain their involvement in motor control. We studied the distribution of both transporters in the neuronal subpopulations that configure the direct and indirect basal ganglia motor circuits using immunohistochemistry and double/multiple labeling immunofluorescence for TH transporters and neuronal biomarkers. We found their expression in the medium-sized spiny neurons of the striatum (the receptor neurons of the corticostriatal pathway), and in various types of its local microcircuitry interneurons, including the cholinergic. We also demonstrate the presence of both transporters in projection neurons of intrinsic and output nuclei of the basal ganglia, motor thalamus and nucleus basalis of Meynert, suggesting an important role of MCT8/OATP1C1 for modulating the motor system. Our findings suggest that a lack of function of these transporters in the basal ganglia circuits would significantly impact motor system modulation, leading to clinically severe movement impairment.

The Axillary Seabream Pagellus acarne is of economic importance for recreational and commercial fisheries in the Atlantic and the Mediterranean, but a decline in total landings has been observed and raised some concern. Although biological information on the species has been provided for the Atlantic and Mediterranean, in the Portuguese continental slope data is restricted to the southern part of the country, which points to the relevance of the present work. A total of 520 individuals, between 7.8 cm and 39.9 cm TL, were monthly collected from September 2020 to August 2022 from commercial landings of fishing vessels operating off mainland Portugal, and used to study age and growth, the reproductive strategy and the annual sexual cycle. Age varied between 0 years (7.8 cm TL) and 15 years (34.2 cm TL) and the von Bertalanffy growth parameters were estimated from whole-otolith readings (L∞ = 35.2 cm, k = 0.133 yr–1 and t 0 = –2.78 yr). Pagellus acarne proved to be a protandric hermaphrodite species with males prevailing until 28.0 cm TL and females between 28.0 cm and 34.0 cm TL with a brief sex change phase. Females presented asynchronous oocyte development with a batch spawning pattern. The spawning season occurred from April to October with a spawning peak between June and August aas shown by histological analysis of the gonads and high levels of GSI during the period.

In this work we offer a broad overview of the combination of digital communication, education and society and show the link between learning with digital and awakening to the future. We trace the effects of digital communication acquired during postgraduate training at the Universidade Aberta of Portugal by professionals from African Portuguese-speaking countries. From a methodological point of view, the study identifies former postgraduate students at the Universidade Aberta (Public University of Higher Education) over the last five years who were given a comprehensive questionnaire aimed at finding out how the training they underwent contributed to gauging their current levels of application of digital communication in their current profession. We found that digital communication in learning and its diversification acts as a lever for personal and professional development following the acquisition of academic knowledge.

Abstract: Bariatric surgery is increasingly used in women of childbearing age due to the rising prevalence of obesity and the effectiveness and availability of this treatment. Pregnancy in women with previous bariatric surgery deserves special attention. Weight loss induced by surgery re-duces the risks that obesity poses for pregnancy. But on the other hand, decreased intake and malabsorption may increase the risk of malnutrition and micronutrient deficiency and negatively affect maternal and foetal health. The aim of this narrative review is to provide an updated anal-ysis on the impact of different bariatric surgery techniques on minerals and micronutrients status nutritional status during pregnancy and the possible effect on maternal-foetal health.

This study explores the complexities involved in the extraction and purification of catechins, prominent bioactive compounds found in plant extracts and tea. It addresses challenges arising from the intricate molecular structure of catechins and their inherent variability across botanical sources. Despite these obstacles, catechins present significant potential, particularly in healthcare. Their potent antioxidant properties have been extensively investigated and associated with numerous health benefits, positioning them as promising therapeutic agents for combating chronic diseases. Furthermore, catechins have diverse applications across various industries, including food and beverage, cosmetics, agriculture, and materials science. This abstract emphasizes the importance of continued research and innovation in catechin extraction and utilization, which hold promise for advancing human health and technological progress across multiple domains.

Background: Irish dance is growing in popularity, evolving to a more athletic and demanding dance style. Aims: To conduct a systematic review, previously registered with PROSPERO, to identify prevalence, incidence, and injury pattern among Irish dancers and analyse associated risk factors. Methods: Six online databases, plus two dance-specific science publications were searched systematically. Studies were included if the pattern of injuries among Irish dancers were evaluated or the factors associated with injury were analysed, published in English or Portuguese, in peer-reviewed scientific journals. Four reviewers assessed the quality and level of evidence using the Downs and Black criteria and a modified Oxford Centre of Evidence-Based Medicine 2009 model, respectively. Results: Eleven articles were included, 8 level 3c (cross-sectional) and 3 level 3b (prospective). Mean DB percentage score was 63% ± 7,2%. Prevalence ranged from 72,2% to 92,6%, affecting mostly the foot/ankle complex. Only 2 articles reported incidence, which ranged from 3,4–10,6 injuries/1000 hours danced depending on injury definition. Psychological factors, elite level, and insufficient/poor sleep were associated with musculoskeletal injury. Conclusions: Injury prevalence and incidence is high in Irish dancers, with the foot and ankle more affected. Due to heterogeneity in injury definitions, methods, and populations, along with the need for improvement in studies quality, recommendations were made for future research.

Diabetes and its complications are a global health burden, necessitating novel therapeutic approaches. Natural products and derivatives are gaining attention as potential agents for managing diabetes due to their diverse constituents and pharmacological activities. Algae, in particular, offer promising bioactive compounds with antidiabetic properties. This review provides an overview of natural products derived from algae in diabetes management, including advancements and future prospects. It highlights the significance of natural products in diabetes, explores algae's diversity, bioactive compounds, and mechanisms of action. The challenges, limitations, and strategies for optimizing algae-based interventions are discussed, alongside future research directions. Algae's multifaceted pharmacological activities and chemical constituents make them attractive for developing novel antidiabetic therapeutics. Further research and optimization of algae-based interventions have the potential to address the global burden of diabetes and improve patient outcomes.

While the field of personality neuroscience has extensively focused on humans and, in a few cases, primates and rodents, a wide range of research on fish personality has emerged in the last decades. This research is focused mainly on the ecological and evolutionary causes of individual differences, but also aimed less extensively at proximal mechanisms (e.g., neurochemistry or genetics). We argue that, if consistent and intentional work is made to solve some of the meta-theoretical issues of personality research both on fish and mammals, fish personality research can lead to important advances in personality neuroscience as a whole. The five dimensions of personality in fish (shyness-boldness, exploration-avoidance, activity, aggressiveness, and sociability) need to be translated into models that explicitly recognize the impacts of personality in psychopathology, synergizing research on fish as model organisms in experimental psychopathology, personality neuroscience, and ecological-ethological approaches to the evolutionary underpinnings of personality to produce a powerful framework to understand individual differences.

The use of probiotics in reproductive-related dysbiosis is an area of continuous progress due to the growing interest from clinicians and patients suffering recurrent reproductive microbiota disorders. An imbalance in the natural colonization sites related to reproductive health: vaginal, cervicovaginal, endometrial and also pregnancy-related altered microbiota could play decisive role in reproductive outcomes. Oral and vaginal administrations are in continuous discussion regarding the clinical effect pursued, but probiotics as oral supplement therapy is the route administration better studied. To complement and summarise with qualitative and quantitative information of vaginal probiotics clinical studies, the main objective of this work was to retrieve the standardised protocols commonly used and their microbiota modulation capacities. The studies selected were related to treat bacterial vaginosis (BV) as the most commonly disorder, few studies on vulvovaginal candidiasis (VVC) and also administration to stabilise microbiota before in vitro fertilisation (IVF). Probiotic doses administered were similar to oral probiotics protocols, ranging from ≥ 107 CFU/day to 2.5 x 1010 CFU/day, and variable regarding posology duration from 1 day to 12 weeks, being 1 week commonly applied. Moderate modulation was achieved regarding the relative abundance decrease of abnormal microbiota, coinciding with parallel increase in Lactobacillus species.

The research reported on this paper was aimed at improving the overall efficiency of a PDO certified artisanal cheese production process. Being a PDO certified foodstuff by the EU, it is considered to have properties and qualities determined by the geographical environment in which is made, with its production taking place in a specific and determined geographical location, in this case the Serra da Estrela region. In that sense, the authors conducted a mapping according to a systemic perspective of the processes involved in the context of manufacturing and distribution of certified Serra da Estrela cheese. Numerous methods were used throughout the process, such as a systemic design analysis, and techniques derived from ethnographic methods, which led to the collection of data in the field and consequently provided the immersion of the researcher in genuine work situations. Critical points were identified and emphasized in the systemic map with the purpose of encouraging initiatives to address and overcome the gaps and inefficiencies detected. The systemic design analysis triggered the development of design work. Observations following an ethnographic approach identified ergonomic risks in cheese making during the process of cutting excess chips, fostering the emergence of musculoskeletal disorders at the wrist. A tool that fits best to the task at hand was developed. A prototype of the new tool enabled collecting feedback from use in the work context, in order to inform product development. The domains of agricultural production and microbiology, considering the specific microorganisms developed trough the ripening process of the cheese, turned out to be aspects of high importance for the issue under focus, contributing to a broader understanding of the ripening process and its risks, simultaneously improving the efficiency and success of cheese production. If it were not for the systemic analysis, which served as a link between the boundaries of distinct domains such as the risk of microorganism contamination, ergonomics, energy efficiency, legislation and regulation policies, transportation challenges and economic viability, approached throughout the research. Simultaneously creating bridges between them, the various problems might not have been detected in the first place, as they are usually addressed in specialized disciplines, predetermined by the restrictions of each specific area of knowledge. As a consequence of the development of this research, which was based on an analysis that sought to establish possible connections between various disciplines and tried to constantly maintain a holistic perspective, making new connections and observing the issues from a new angle, apart from the already established methodologies. All this allowed to lay out the seeds for the development of a plan to tackle the critical points identified by the systemic analysis reported in this paper.

Megalin (LRP2) is a rapidly recycling multiligand endocytic receptor, primarily expressed in polarized epithelial cells. Despite megalin could promote tumor growth and invasiveness through several mechanisms, it has been understudied in the field of molecular oncology so far. The present study aimed to evaluate the impact of megalin expression in oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) on disease progression. Megalin expression was evaluated immunohistochemically in 63 OSCC specimens. Data obtained were retrospectively compared with patients’ clinicopathological features and survival. The proportion of megalin-expressing cells in primary OSCC tissue was significantly associated with metastatic spreading to lymph nodes, vascular invasion and lower overall survival rate. Results obtained by the study suggest that megalin can be considered as a novel molecule involved in OSCC pathogenesis, but also useful as a potential biomarker for cancer progression.

This study investigates the spatial signatures of seasonal snow in Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) observations at different spatial scales and for different physiographic regions. Sentinel-1 C-band (SAR) backscattering coefficients (BSC) were analyzed in the Swiss Alps (SA), in high elevation forest and grasslands in Grand Mesa (GM), Colorado, and in North Dakota (ND) croplands. GM BSC exhibit 10dB sensitivity to wetness at small scales (~100 m) over homogeneous grassland. Sensitivity decreases to 5 dB in the presence of trees, and it is demonstrated that VH BSC sensitivity enables wet snow mapping below the tree-line. Area-variance scaling relationships show minima at ~100 m and 150-250 m respectively in barren and grasslands in SA and GM, increasing up to 1 km and longer in GM forests and ND agricultural fields. The spatial organization of BSC (as described by 1D-directional BSC wavelength spectra) exhibits multi-scaling behavior in the 100 -1,000 m range with a break at (180-360 m) that is also present in UAVSAR L-band measurements in GM. Spectral slopes in GM forested areas steepen during accumulation and flatten in the melting season with mirror behavior for grasslands reflecting changes in scattering mechanisms with snow depth and wetness, and vegetation mass and structure. Overall, this study reveals persistent patterns of SAR scattering variability spatially organized by land-cover, topography and regional winds with large inter-annual variability tied to precipitation. This dynamic scaling behavior emerges as an integral physical expression of snowpack variability that can be used to model sub-km scales and for downscaling applications.

Digital transformation can become a complex process when workers have insufficient skills, which makes training in the digital field essential. Herein, we intended to relate digital literacy perceived by workers with their training needs for the Portuguese public sector context. Additionally, based in the Human capital theory, we also investigate which professional/demographic characteristics increase training propensity in digital fields. Through an online questionnaire, a dataset with information on 573 workers was obtained. Data analysis was made by using a probabilistic regression model and additional statistical techniques. The results revealed that workers with higher levels of education and higher professional skills have higher probability of participating in training in the digital field. On average, workers reveal low levels of digital knowledge and low participation in training in the digital fields, but the majority present a willingness to participate in future training sessions, especially in the fields of Dataset management, Cybersecurity and Communication systems. This study provides information on training in the digital field of workers in the public sector, which is essential for public organizations to better prepare for digital transformation. Additionally, it contributes to a very recent literature on digital learning, and it can be extended to other contexts.

A simple protocol for preparation of O-acylated enol form - (R/S)-ethyl-2-acetoxy-4-phenyl-4H-chromene-3-carboxylate 5 was presented. The compound was characterized by 1H-, 13C-and DEPT135 NMR spectra, including {1H,1H} COSY, {1H,13C} HSQC, {1H,13C} HMBC and 2D-NOESY spectra. The preferred regioselectivity for O-acylation of 3,4-dihydrocoumarin 5 in the presence of substituent in 4-th position in the chroman ring and accounting the steric hindrance of the ester group in 3-th place was confirmed.

The many strains of Cannabis spp. are associated with many effects on users and contain many different potentially psychoactive metabolites, but the links between metabolite profiles and user effects are unclear. Here we take a statistical approach to linking cause (i.e. metabolites) to effects in Cannabis spp. through the prism of strains, using quantitative data for metabolite composition and user effects. We find that species (indica vs. sativa) explains <2% of the variability in metabolite profiles, while strain explains 1/3 of variability, indicating species is nonindicative of metabolite composition, while strain is approximately indicative. Using random forests we generate a table of potential metabolite-effect links. We also find that effect-weighted metabolite composition can effectively be described in terms of four values representing the concentrations of pairs or triplets of particular compounds.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of an Athletic Performance Program, performed in addition to teams’ regular training routines, on match performance variables in professional football players. Twenty-nine professional football players (age=27.21±4.95 years; body mass=79.56±5.21 kg) of the Spanish First Division (LaLiga) underwent a 10-week training program focused on the development of mobility, stability, strength, and multidirectional running skills. The APP included 5 indoor sessions per week and on-field micro-dosing stimulus in addition to regular training practices. Match performance variables obtained with GPS devices during official matches and jump performance were measured before and after the APP. The APP increased peak running speed (31.1±1.4 vs 32.1±1.0 km/h, P < 0.001, d=1.88), the number of sprints (0.14±0.03 vs 0.16±0.03 sprint/min, P< 0.001, d=1.44) and the sprint distance (6.45±1.43 vs 8.35±1.22 m/min P< 0.001, d=2.49) during the matches. The intervention also increased countermovement jump height (34.1±2.7vs 35.8±2.5 cm, P< 0.001, d=2.20). The APP was effective to improve intense actions during competitive match play in professional football players. Strength and conditioning coaches may consider the use of multicomponent physical training programs included in the usual training week to enhance players’ match running at high intensity.

Introduction and objectives: a close association between metabolic syndrome among subjects with erectile dysfunction has been addressed, since mechanisms underlying metabolic syndrome compromise the blood flow to the penis in numerous ways. This study aims to analyze the relationship between erectile dysfunction and metabolic syndrome in a group of Mexican patients, to study the influence of other morbidity factors on erectile dysfunction, and to define the specific metabolic syndrome components most associated with erectile dysfunction severity. Methods: a descriptive and cross-sectional study was completed in a group of 86 adult Mexican patients with previous diagnosis of erectile dysfunction. Participants were classified as with or without metabolic syndrome. Erectile dysfunction severity, alcohol or tobacco consumption, and depressive behavior were identified through validated questionnaires and compared between both groups, as well as anthropometric, biochemical, and clinical parameters. Results: anthropometric measures, laboratory values, clinical characteristics and the Beck Depression Inventory score were significantly different among both groups. Additionally, more patients affected by severe and moderate erectile dysfunction were identified in the group with metabolic syndrome. Among the metabolic syndrome components, HbA1c >5.7% and fasting glucose >110 mg/dl were significantly associated to the development of erectile dysfunction (p = 0.004 and 0.04, respectively). Conclusions: metabolic syndrome components aggravate erectile dysfunction, particularly the lack of glycemic control manifested by Hb1Ac >5.7% and/or fasting glucose >110 mg/dL. The inclusion of fasting glucose and HbA1c as a complementary biochemical screening among patients with erectile dysfunction should be assessed.

Bone is a dynamic tissue with the capacity of repair and regeneration in specific conditions. Nevertheless, due to the increased incidence of bone disorders, the need of bone grafts has been growing over the past decades and the development of an ideal bone graft with optimal properties remains a clinical challenge. This review addresses the bone properties (morphology, composition and their repair and regeneration capacity) and puts the main focus on the potential strategies for developing bone repair and regeneration materials. It describes the requirements for designing a suitable scaffold material, types of materials (polymers, ceramics and composites) and techniques to obtain the porous structures (additive manufacturing techniques/robocasting or derived from marine skeletons) for bone tissue engineering applications. The main objective of this review is to gather the knowledge on the materials and methods for the production of scaffolds for bone tissue engineering and highlighting the potential of natural porous structures such as marine skeletons as promising alternative bone graft substitute materials without any further mineralogical changes, or after partial or total transformation into calcium phosphate. The suitability of the marine-derived porous bone graft substitutes for the intended applications will be also discussed.

Numerous studies on evaporative cooling systems have been conducted globally, but there is a scarcity of investigations in eastern Africa. The few studies undertaken in this region have primarily focused on their application in food storage and preservation, rather than for building purpose. The goal of this study is to review the most recent advancements in evaporative cooling technology, which would be relevant in eastern Ethiopia and could provide adequate cooling, give adequate thermal comfort, use less energy, and minimize environmental effect in hot and dry areas. There aren't many studies on evaporative cooling systems for building applications in Eastern Africa as a whole, thus this review has taken into account studies conducted in regions with climates similar to eastern Ethiopia. This study covers the classification, operation, and performance of evaporative cooling systems in hot and dry climate. Evaporative cooling systems work well in hot and dry climates, as revealed by this review study.

The image performance of acoustic and ultrasound sensors depends on several fundamental parameters such as depth of focus or spatial resolution. There are currently two different type of acoustic diffractive lenses: those which form a diffraction-limited spot with a shallow depth of focus (zone plates) and lenses which form an extended focus (quasi-Bessel beams). In this paper, we investigate a pupil-masked Soret zone plate which allows the tunability of a normalized angular spectrum. It is shown that the depth of focus and the spatial resolution can be modified, without changing the lens structure, by choosing the size of the amplitude pupil mask. This effect is based on the transformation of spherically converging waves into quasi-conical waves, due to the apodization of the central part of the zone plate. The theoretical analysis is verified with both numerical simulations and experimental measurements. A Soret zone plate immersed in water with D/2F=2.5 and F=4.5$\lambda$, changes its depth of focus from 2.84$\lambda$ to 5.9$\lambda$ and the spatial resolution increases from 0.81$\lambda$ to 0.64$\lambda$ at a frequency of 250 kHz, by modifying the pupil mask dimensions of the Soret zone plate.

During the last years, the increasing evidence of dietary antioxidant compounds and reducing chronic diseases and the relationship between diet and health have promoted an important innovation on the baked product sector, aiming at healthier formulations. This study aims to develop a tool based on mathematical models to predict baked goods total antioxidant capacity (TAC). The high variability of antioxidant properties of flours based on the aspects related to type of grains, varieties, proximal composition and processing, among others, makes very difficult to innovate on food product development without specific analysis. Using Total phenol content (TP), Oxygen radical absorbance capacity (ORAC) and Ferric reducing antioxidant power assay (FRAP) as proxies of antioxidant capacity. Three Bayesian-type models are proposed based on a double exponential parameterised curve that reflects the initial decrease and subsequent increase as a consequence of the observed processes of degradation and generation, respectively, of the antioxidant compounds. Once the values of the main parameters of each curve have been determined, support vector machines (SVR) with exponential kernel were used to predict, based on the temperature and duration of baking as well as the values of proteins and fibers of each native grain, the values of TAC during the baking time.

The disruption in healthcare attention to people with alcohol dependence, along with psychological decompensation consequence of lockdown derived from COVID-19 pandemic, could have a negative impact on people who suffers from alcohol abuse disorder. Retrospective observational study of 9,966 men aged ˃16 years registered as having diagnosis of alcohol abuse disorder in the electronic medical records (EMR) of the Aragon Regional Health Service (Spain). Of those who were not infected during the study period (9,576), clinical (Glutamate-oxaloacetate -GOT-, Glutamate pyruvate -GPT-, creatinine, glomerular filtration, systolic blood pressure -SBP-, diastolic blood pressure -DBP-, total cholesterol, LDL, HDL, triglycerides, and body mass index -BMI-), pharmacological (dose per inhabitant per day -DHD- of drugs used in addictive disorders, benzodiazepines and antidepressants) and health resource use variables (primary and specialized care) were considered. Student´s T-test for matched samples was performed. After carrying out the Levene´s test, the Student´s T-test was used to analyze the changes in clinical variables between alcohol abuse disorder patients with and without COVID-19. Only creatinine and LDL show a significant but clinically irrelevant changes just after and 6 months after the end of strict lockdown. The total number of DHDs for all drugs included in the study (except for Benzodiazepines), decreased. In the same way, the use of health services by these patients also decreased. The impact of COVID-19 among this group of patients has been moderate. The reorganization of health and social services after the declaration of the state of alarm in our country, made possible the maintenance of care for this vulnerable patients.

The abnormal assembly of α-synuclein (α-Syn) is an initial step in the formation of Lewy bodies in the brain, which finally causes the neuronal death, being considered as a pathological hallmark in Parkinson’s disease (PD). Certain food bioactives or their metabolites at very low concentrations can trespass the blood brain barrier (BBB) that might, thereafter, act simultaneously. The aim of this work was to evaluate the inhibitory and destabilising capacities on α-Syn kinetics and the neuroprotective effects of three well-known bioactive compounds able to cross the BBB and present in foods; melatonin (MEL), protocatechuic acid (PCA) and hydroxytyrosol (HT), and their combinations. For this purpose, different in vitro techniques (Thioflavin T (ThT), Transmission Electronic Microscopy (TEM), electrophoresis and MTT assay) were used. All tested compounds and their combinations were able to abolish the toxicity induced by α-Syn. In addition, the combination of PCA (100 µM) +HT (100 µM) showed the highest inhibitory effect against α-Syn fibril formation and destabilises α-Syn fibrils (88 and 62%, respectively). This is the first time that MEL, PCA and HT prove a joint effect against α-Syn aggregation and toxicity when they are tested together.

Heterogeneous systems of limited capacity have general applications in manufacturing, but also for logistic or service systems, due to the differences in server or workstation performance or work assignment, in close relationship with system flexibility, where saturation and blocking are ordinary situations of systems with high demand and limited capacity, so accurate loss quantification is essential for performance evaluation. Multi-class systems of limited capacity have been studied much less than parallel homogeneous systems (Erlang models). In this context, accurate models for parallel heterogeneous ordered-entry systems are developed: without any prior queue, M/Mi/c/c, and with a k capacity queue M/Mi/c/c+k. These new matrix models give an exact state formulation, and their accuracy is verified through discrete event simulation and comparison with literature results. Also, the effect of queue capacity is studied in relationship with the pattern of service rates. Next, the heterogeneous recirculating system model is also developed with good approximation results. Finally, the proposed models are applied to evaluate systems with non-exponential service times, through a new hybrid methodology by combining the Markovian model and the Monte Carlo Method (MCM) for normal or lognormal service times that also yield useful good approximations to the simulated system.