Frontal incomes play an important role in human behavioral regulation and can be a determinant of eating behavior. The aim of this study was to analyse the frontal incomes in obese patients with and without Binge Eating Disorder (BED), compared to normoweight (NW) subjects and to analyse the effect of sex and binge disorder on quality of life, with age and BMI as covariates. A total of 114 participants comprised three different groups (obese with BED, obese without BED and NW) completed the Frontal Assessment Battery (FAB) and Impact of Weight on Quality of Life (IWQOL-lite). The results showed that obese patients, with and without BED, have poorer frontal functioning than NW persons. Obese patients with BED have lower performance in frontal income than obese patients without BED. Male participants have a higher perception of quality of life in all dimensions, with women showing lower values in self-esteem and sex life. Obese with BED show greater weaknesses in physical function. These results suggest that low frontal incomes and worse quality of life characterize obese patients, more evident in obese patients with BED.

Diabetes is a prevalent global health issue associated with significant morbidity and mortality. Diabetic retinopathy (DR) is a well-known inflammatory, neurovascular complication of diabetes and a leading cause of preventable blindness in developed countries among working-age adults. However, the ocular surface components of diabetic eyes are also at risk of damage due to uncontrolled diabetes, which is often overlooked. Inflammatory changes in the corneas of diabetic patients indicate that inflammation plays a significant role in diabetic complications, much like in DR. The eye´s immune privilege restricts immune and inflammatory responses, and the cornea and retina have a complex network of innate immune cells that maintain immune homeostasis. Nevertheless, low-grade inflammation in diabetes contributes to immune dysregulation. This article aims to provide an overview and discussion of how diabetes affects the ocular immune system’s main components, immune-competent cells, and inflammatory mediators. By understanding these effects, potential interventions and treatments may be developed to improve the ocular health of diabetic patients.

A method based on ultra performance liquid chromatography with diode array detector (UPLC-DAD) was developed for quantitative analysis of five active compounds and chemical fingerprint analysis of Rosa rugosa. Ten batches of Rosa rugosa collected from different plantations in the Xinjiang region of China were used to establish the fingerprint. The feasibility and advantages of the used UPLC fingerprint were verified for its similarity evaluation by systematically comparing chromatograms with professional analytical software recommended by State Food and Drug Administration (SFDA) of China. In quantitative analysis, the five compounds showed good regression (R²=0.999 5) within the test ranges and the recovery of the method was in the range of 94.2–103.8%. The similarities of the fingerprints of 10 batches of the samples were more than 0.981. The developed UPLC fingerprint method is simple, reliable and validated for the quality control and identification of Rosa rugosa. Additionally, simultaneous quantification of five major bioactive ingredients in the Rosa rugosa samples was conducted to interpret the consistency of the quality test. The results indicated that the UPLC fingerprint as a characteristic distinguishing method combining similarity evaluation and quantification analysis, can be successfully used to assess the quality and to identify the authenticity of Rosa rugosa.

Penicillium digitatum is the major postharvest pathogen of citrus fruit under Mediterranean climate conditions. In the present work, we have addressed the study of the role of P. digitatum’s proteases in virulence following two complementary approaches. In a first approach, we have undertaken the functional characterization of the P. digitatum prtT gene, which codes for a transcription factor previously shown to regulate extracellular proteases in other filamentous fungi. Deletion of prtT caused a significant loss in secreted protease activity during in vitro growth assays. However, there was no effect on virulence. Gene expression of the two major secreted acid proteases was barely affected in the ΔprtT deletant during infection of citrus fruit. Hence, no conclusion could be drawn on the role of these secreted acidic proteases on the virulence of P. digitatum. In a second approach, we have studied the effect of different protease inhibitors and chelators in virulence. Co-inoculation of citrus fruit with P. digitatum conidia and a cocktail of protease inhibitors resulted in almost a complete absence of disease development. Analysis of individual inhibitors revealed that the metalloprotease inhibitor 1,10-phenanthroline was responsible for the observed effect. The application of metal ions reverted the protective effect caused by the metallopeptidase inhibitor. These results may set the basis for the development of new alternative treatments to combat this important postharvest pathogen.

The adoption of harmful postures due to a sedentary lifestyle, which involves long periods at work in offices, is a factor that exacerbates musculoskeletal risks. To examine these risks, there are numerous postures analysis methods, such as Rapid Upper Limb Assessment (RULA) and Rapid Office Strain Assessment (ROSA). RULA is a consolidated method to evaluate the exposure of individual workers to ergonomic risk factors associated with upper extremity musculoskeletal disorders. In turn, ROSA is a more recent method that quantifies exposure to risk factors in an office work environment. This research aims to identify whether there is harmony between these two methods, ROSA and RULA. Through applied research, from a qualitative perspective, the scientific procedures adopted were direct observation and ROSA and RULA postural assessment instruments. The study was conducted in the radiology service and focused on the outpatient reception workstation. Results indicated that further investigation must occur to make working conditions changes as soon as possible and that both methods are harmonic. As contributions of the analysis, we have discussed the working conditions and suggested improvements to reduce the risks of musculoskeletal morbidity symptoms. We recommend future studies aimed at measuring the levels of complementarity between these methods by quantitative approaches.

Roses are one of the most important floricultural crops, and their essential oils have long been used for cosmetics and aromatherapy. We investigated the volatile compound compositions of 12 flower-color mutant variants and their original cultivars. Twelve rose mutant genotypes were developed by treatment with 70 Gy of 60Co gamma irradiation of six commercial rose cultivars. Essential oils from the flowers of the 18 genotypes were analyzed by gas chromatography–mass spectrometry. Seventy-seven volatile compounds were detected, which were categorized into five classes: hydrocarbons, terpenoids, alcohols, esters, and others. Hydrocarbons, alcohols, and esters were major components in all rose flowers. The mutant genotypes CR-S8 and CR-S9 showed higher contents of hydrocarbons than the original cultivar. In addition, CR-S1, CR-S3, and CR-S4 mutant genotypes showed higher ester contents than their original cultivar. Nonacosane, 2-methylhexacosane, and 2-methyltricosane were major volatile compounds among all genotypes. Hierarchical cluster analysis of the rose genotypes gave four groups according to grouping among the 77 volatile compounds. These findings will be useful for the selection of rose genotypes with improved volatile compounds.

miRNA sponges allow the selective blockade of a complete family of associated miRNAs which induce posttranscriptional gene silencing in its target through binding to 3´UTR mRNA. MiRNA-365 and miRNA-145 are down-regulated in colorectal cancer (CRC), but not in health tissues. Based on this, we constructed two vectors by inserting miRNA sponge (one for miRNA-365 and other for miRNA-145), and used EGFP (enhanced green fluorescent protein) as a 3′ UTR reporter gene to analyse the ability of each sponge to catch its respective miRNA. qPCR results corroborated that the expression levels of both miRNAs were lower in CRC cell lines than in normal colon cell line. Flow cytometry analysis revealed a decrease of the EGFP expression levels in the cell lines transfected with both sponges, being higher on the normal cell line while CRC cell lines presented a minimal decline. Also, this decrease was inversely proportional to the levels of expression of both miRNAs obtained by qPCR. These results were corroborated by fluorescence microscopy, showing a similar decrease fluorescence. We propose a new vector system to carry in a specific way the expression of genes to CRC cells without affecting healthy cells, preventing damage to healthy tissues.

This manuscript employs a surface stress-driven nonlocal model to explore the combined effects of long-range interaction and surface energy on higher vibration modes of functionally graded nanobeams. The nanobeam theory, based on Bernoulli-Euler kinematics, incorporates surface effects such as surface elasticity, surface residual stresses, surface density, and rotary inertia. Hamilton's principle is applied to derive the governing equation with size-dependent considerations. The main outcomes of a parametric investigation, considering four different kinematic boundary conditions (Cantilever, Simply-Supported, Clamped-Pinned, and Doubly-Clamped) while varying the nonlocal parameter and material gradient index, are presented and discussed. Additionally, the normalized natural frequencies for the second, third, fourth and fifth modes of vibrations are provided and analyzed for each case under study. The results underscore the model's effectiveness in capturing surface energy effects on the overall dynamic behavior of functionally graded Bernoulli-Euler nanobeams, offering a cost-effective approach for designing and optimizing nano-scaled structures.

The acoustic environment in learning spaces significantly influences learning effectiveness and occupant well-being. Recent studies have shown that a series of architectural factors within physical learning environments can impact students' educational experiences. This research delves into the relationship between architectural characteristics and the perceived acoustic environment among 467 primary students in 19 learning spaces across 9 schools in Chile. The survey comprises a student questionnaire, a checklist evaluating space characteristics, and acoustic measurements of indoor noise levels during occupied conditions. Examined topics include Indoor Environmental Quality (IEQ) comfort perception, noise annoyance, hearing ability, and acoustic preference. Architectural characteristics considered encompass flexible and acoustic space design parameters. The results indicated that noise discomfort was a common issue, especially in traditional learning spaces without acoustic treatment. The type of learning space (traditional or flexible settings) has a greater impact on acoustic perception particularly concerning noise discomfort and acoustic preference. However, poorly acoustic spaces lacking absorbing materials or exhibiting lower spatial density (m2 per student) contribute to increased indoor noise levels affecting noise annoyance caused by children's talking inside. The study emphasizes the importance of considering both architectural design and acoustic conditioning for optimizing the acoustic experience in educational spaces.

Oral mucosa is a key player in the cancer patient and during cancer treatment. The increasing prevalence of cancer and cancer therapy associated side effects are behind the major role that oral mucosa plays in the oncological patient. Oral mucositis is a debilitating severe complication caused by early toxicity of chemo and/or radiotherapy that can restrict treatment outcome possibilities, even challenging patient’s survival. It has been referred to as the most feared cancer treatment complication. Predictive variables as to who and to what extent will be affected are still unclear. Additionally, oral mucositis is one of the sources of the increasing economic burden of cancer, not only for patients and their families but also for institutions and governments. All efforts should be implemented in the search for new approaches to minimize the apparently ineluctable outburst of oral mucositis along the cancer treatment. New perspectives derived from different approaches in explaining the interrelation between oral mucositis and oral microbiome or the similarities with genitourinary mucosa may help elucidate the biomolecular pathways and mechanisms behind oral mucosa cancer-therapy related toxicity and what is more important its management in order to minimize treatment side effects and to provide enhanced cancer support.

Plants are continually exposed to multiple stresses, which co-occur in nature and the net effects are frequently more non-additive (i.e., synergistic or antagonistic) suggesting ‘unique’ responses respect to that of the individual stress. Further, plant stress responses are not uniforms showing a high spatial and temporal variability among and along the different organs. In this respect, the present work investigated the morphological responses of different root types (seminal, seminal lateral, primary, primary lateral) of maize plants exposed to single (drought and heat) and combined stress (drought + heat). Data were evaluated by a specific root image analysis system (WinRHIZO) and analyzed by uni- and multi-variate statistical analysis. The results indicated that primary root and their laterals were the types more sensitive to the single and combined stresses while the seminal laterals specifically responded to the combined only. Further, antagonistic and synergistic effects were observed for the specific traits in the primary and their laterals and in the seminal lateral roots in response to the combined stress. These results suggested that maize root system modified specific root types and traits to face with different stressful environmental conditions highlighting that the adaptation strategy to the combined stress may be different from that of the individual ones. The knowledge of “unique or shared” responses of plant to multiple stress can be utilized to develop varieties with broad spectrum stress tolerance.

The ability of S. aureus to infect humans and cause a wide range of infections so efficiently is a consequence of the many variant virulence factors that it can produce. Superantigens (SAgs) make up a group of them and include staphylococcal enterotoxins (SE). The main objective of this study was to detect enterotoxin gene cluster (EGC) in S. aureus isolates that caused infections in Paraguayan children in the year 2017, through an observational and cross-sectional study. The detection of the EGC including the seg, sei, sem, sen, seo, and seu genes, was carried out by end-point PCR. 181 S. aureus isolates were collected, most of them caused skin and soft tissue infections (SSTI, n=140, 77%) and came from children under 6 years 50% (n=90). At least one SE gene was detected in 96% (174/181) of isolates and 24% (44/181) carried the entire EGC. An association between methicillin resistance and seg, sei, seo, and seu gene carriage (p ≤0.05) was observed. A high prevalence of EGC was detected in S. aureus isolates collected from infected children attending the main health care centers in Paraguay, its importance is due to the potential of these toxins to aggravate staphylococcal infections.

Zebrafish is a popular vertebrate model with limited knowledge of nutritional requirements and no established standard diets for scientific purposes. The aim of this study was to determine the inclusion range of lipids in semi-purified diets for zebrafish. Five isonitrogenous casein-gelatin based diets were formulated to contain 0.55%, 4.87%, 7.65%, 10.65%, and 13.94% of crude lipid (CL). Zebrafish (initial weight ± 232 mg) were distributed in 3 L aquaria in a recirculating water system in a completely randomized design (n=3). Fish were hand-fed twice daily to apparent satiety for 40 days. Weight gain, feed efficiency, and protein productive value of zebrafish increased signifi-cantly (P < 0.05) as CL increased up to 6.5, 8.3, and 8.6%, respectively, and decreased after this point. Survival of fish fed diets containing 0.55% CL was lower (P<0.05) than that of fish fed diets con-taining 4.87% to 13.94% CL. Body fat and adipocytes diameter of fish increased (P<0.05) increasing dietary CL levels. In conclusion, the ideal lipid level in semi-purified diets for zebrafish is between 6.5% and 8.6% of the diet.

The aim of this review was to provide an update on the potential of cell therapies to restore or replace damaged and/or lost cells in retinal degenerative and optic nerve diseases, describing the available cell sources and the challenges involved in such treatments when these techniques are applied in real clinical practice. Sources include human fetal retinal stem cells, allogenic cadaveric human cells, adult hippocampal neural stem cells, human CNS stem cells, ciliary pigmented epithelial cells, limbal stem cells, retinal progenitor cells (RPCs), human pluripotent stem cells (PSCs) (including both human embryonic stem cells (ESCs) and human induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs)) and mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs). Of these, RPCs, PSCs and MSCs have already entered early-stage clinical trials since they can all differentiate into RPE, photoreceptors or ganglion cells, and have demonstrated safety, while showing some indicators of efficacy. Stem/progenitor cell therapies for retinal diseases still have some drawbacks, such as the inhibition of proliferation and/or differentiation in vitro (with the exception of RPE) and the limited long-term survival and functioning of grafts in vivo. Some other issues remain to be solved concerning the clinical translation of cell-based therapy, including (1) the ability to enrich for specific retinal subtypes; (2) cell survival; (3) cell delivery, which may need to incorporate a scaffold to induce correct cell polarization, which increases the size of the retinotomy in surgery and, therefore, the chance of severe complications; (4) the need to induce retinal detachment to perform the subretinal placement of the transplanted cell; and (5) the evaluation of the risk of tumor formation caused by the undifferentiated stem cells and prolific progenitor cells. Despite these challenges, stem/progenitor cells represent the most promising strategy for retinal and optic nerve disease treatment in the near future, and therapeutics assisted by gene techniques, neuroprotective compounds and artificial devices can be applied to fulfil clinical needs.

Personal Information Management Systems (PIMS) are acquiring a prominent role in the data economy by promoting services that help individuals to have more control over the processing of their personal data, in line with the European data protection law. One of the highlighted solutions in this area is Solid, a new protocol that is decentralizing the storage of data, through the usage of interoperable Web standards and semantic vocabularies, to empower its users to have more control over the processing of data by agents and applications. However, to fulfill this vision and gather widespread adoption, Solid needs to be aligned with the law governing the processing of personal data in Europe, the main piece of legislation being the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). To assist with this process, we analyze the current efforts to introduce a policy layer in the Solid ecosystem, in particular, related to the challenge of obtaining consent for processing personal data, focusing on the GDPR. Furthermore, we investigate if, in the context of using personal data for biomedical research, consent can be expressed in advance, discuss the conditions for valid consent and how it can be obtained in this decentralized setting, namely through the matching of privacy preferences, set by the user, with requests for data and whether this can signify informed consent. Finally, we discuss the technical challenges of an implementation that caters to the previously-identified legal requirements.

Few-layer graphene oxide (GO) has shown none or very weak cytotoxicity and anti-proliferative effects in a wide range of cell lines such as glyoma cells and human skin HaCaT cells, in concentrations up to 100 µg/mL However, multi-layer GO has been hardly explored in the biomedical field. Thus, multi-layer GO was examined here in human keratinocyte HaCaT cells treated with different concentrations ranging from 0.01 to 150 µg/mL during different periods of times (3, 12 and 24 hours). The results of this study showed a time-concentration dependence with two non-cytotoxic concentrations (0.01 and 0.05 µg/mL) and a median effective concentration value of 4.087 µg/mL at 24 hours of GO exposure. Contrary to what has been reported for few-layer GO, cell proliferation of the HaCaT cells in contact with the multi-layer GO at 0.01 μg/mL showed identical proliferative activity compared to an epidermal growth factor (1.6-fold greater than the control group) after 96 hours. The effects of the multi-layer GO on the expression of 13 genes (SOD1, CAT, MMP1, TGFB1, GPX1, FN1, HAS2, LAMB1, LUM, CDH1, COL4A1, FBN and VCAN) at the non-cytotoxic concentrations of GO in the HaCaT cells were analyzed after 24 hours. Thus, the lowest non-cytotoxic GO concentration was able to up-regulate the CAT, TGFB1, FN1 and CDH1 genes, which confirms the great potential of multi-layer GO in the biomedical field.

The global issues of overweight and sedentary lifestyles demand comprehensive responses from health systems, yet health education still needs to be more cohesive and less sporadic. This study focuses on primary school children as a specific target for instilling healthy habits, employing ac-tive learning strategies to address healthy diet and physical activity. Through Problem-Based Learning projects, the study engaged fourth-grade primary students in acquiring healthy habits. The study was carried out over four consecutive years at a school with two lines, allowing the employment of an opportunity sample and evaluating intervention and control groups by com-paring their corresponding scores. Control groups integrated a total of 54 students, while the in-tervention group included a total of 159 students. A pre-test and post-test questionnaire were used for data collection. Evaluation differential scores revealed statistically significant higher scores in the intervention groups: 3.62 points in control groups and 6,94 in intervention groups, particu-larly in attitudinal competences. These strategies not only facilitated the development of crucial skills such as information search, synthesis, representation, analysis, decision-making, teamwork, and intrapersonal awareness but also significantly broadened the knowledge acquired in aspects related to healthy habits. This approach proved effective in helping children comprehend the im-portance of healthy choices and encouraged integrating such habits into their daily lives.

Inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD) represent a growing public health concern due to increasing incidence worldwide. The current notion on the pathogenesis of IBD is that genetically susceptible individuals develop intolerance to dysregulated gut microflora (dysbiosis) and chronic inflammation develops as a result of environmental triggers. Among the environmental factors associated to IBD, diet plays an important role in modulating the gut microbiome, influencing epigenetic changes and, therefore, could be applied as a therapeutic tool to improve the disease course. Nevertheless, the current dietary recommendations for disease prevention and management are scarce and of weak evidence. This review summarizes the current knowledge on the complex interactions among diet, microbiome and epigenetics in IBD. Whereas over-abundance of calories and some macronutrients increases gut inflammation, several micronutrients have the potential to modulate it. Immunonutrition has emerged as a new concept putting forward the importance of vitamins such as vitamins A, C, E, D, folic acid and beta-carotene and trace elements such as zinc, selenium, manganese and iron. However, when assessed in clinical trials, specific micronutrients exerted a limited benefit. Beyond nutrients, anti-inflammatory dietary patterns as a complex intervention approach have become popular over the recent years. Hence, exclusive enteral nutrition in pediatric Crohn’s disease is the only nutritional intervention currently recommended as a first-line therapy. Other nutritional interventions or specific diets including the Specific Carbohydrate Diet, the low fermentable oligosaccharides, disaccharides, monosaccharides, and polyol diet and most recently the Mediterranean diet have shown strong anti-inflammatory properties and provide a promise for improving disease symptoms. Definitely, more work is required to evaluate the role of individual food compounds and complex nutritional interventions with potential to decrease inflammation as means for prevention and management of IBD.

Microbes do not live in isolation but in microbial communities. The relevance of microbial communities is increasing due to the awareness about their biotechnological influences in a huge number of environmental, health and industrial processes. Hence, being able to control and engineer the output of both natural and synthetic communities would be of great interest. However, most of the available methods and biotechnological applications (both in vivo and in silico) have been developed in the context of isolated microbes. In vivo microbial consortia development, i.e. to reproduce the community life conditions in the wet-lab, is extremely difficult and expensive requiring of computational approaches to advance knowledge about microbial communities, mainly with descriptive modelling, and further with engineering modelling. In this review we provide a detailed compilation of available examples of engineered microbial communities as a launch pad for an exhaustive and historical revision of those computational methods devoted so far toward the better understanding, and rational engineering of natural and synthetic microbial communities.

Human keratinocytes and melanoma can stick together to form clusters after eight days in co-culture. As in dynamic system concepts, one can consider cluster formation as the system attractor, cell seeding as the initial condition, and density change over time as a path within the basin of attraction. Herein, Cellular Automata, which is a class of Agent-Based Models, and Boolean Networks are discrete modeling methods used in population dynamics such that running the dynamics of cellular automata backward reveals an underlying network in terms of basin of attraction, also known as global dynamics. Thus, we hypothesize that one can estimate the local dynamic of an agent-based model from the basin of attraction of a boolean network. Here, we propose an approach to estimating these agent-based model rules, which consists of comparing the density states within each state transition and reaching a consensus among state transitions belonging to a basin of attraction of a boolean network. The objectives of this study are: (1) to infer a boolean network from the co-culture growth curve; (2) to estimate the rules of agent-based models; and (3) to implement spatial dynamics simulations. The binarization of the growth curve shows high population density after four days; the estimated agent-based model rules were compatible with cell proliferation and migration in agreement with literature, so we had to propose individual rules for survival and death. Spatial dynamics shows that (1) keratinocytes exhibit a higher density in neighborhoods where melanoma is present; (2) the chance of keratinocyte migration increases until the fourth day, then decreases, and the probability of survival increases substantially after four days; and (3) cells with low proliferation capacity die and free space for those with high ones. Our approach suggests that the attractor state of cell co-culture is induced mainly by an increase in keratinocyte migration and survival. Our approach has the potential to offer valuable clues about microenvironmental interactions or configurations that drive population dynamics.

Some biostimulants, including plant origin preparations, act similarly to plant hormones. Moreover, the supplementation of known and unknown rooting cofactors can stimulate rhizogenesis in cuttings. The aim of this research was to assess the response of difficult-to-root and long-rooting stem cuttings of the once-blooming old variety Rosa ‘Hurdal’ to preparations of plant origin. The hypothesis was that plant origin preparations could enhance rooting processes by inhibiting chlorophyll a/b degradation in leaves and postponing leaf senescence, simultaneously increasing the quality of cuttings. The one-bud stem cuttings were made in four phenological stages: (H1) flower buds closed, (H2) open flowers, (H3) just after petal fall, (H4) 7-14 days after petal shedding. They were treated with either standard commercial powder preparations containing 0.4% indolebutyric acid (IBA) or 0.2% naphthalene acetic acid (NAA) as well as with commercial plant origin preparations that this work will henceforth refer to as: Algae Extract, Organic Preparation, and Plant Extract. The cuttings were evaluated after 12 weeks of rooting them in two substrates: peat-perlite and peat-sand (v:v; 1:1). Mean root percentages for both substrates were noted after preparation from stage H1 (74.5 %), H2 (59.5 %), H3 (50.8 %) shoots. The H4 cuttings didn’t root at all and were not considered further. The means for all phenology stages together were the highest by the use of 0.6 % Algae Extract, 0.012 % and 0.02 % Organic Preparation, 0.2 % and 0.4 % Plant Extract. The lowest means were reported for the control cuttings as well as NAA and IBA treatment. Plant origin preparations encouraged growth parameters but did not unequivocally inhibit the decrease of chlorophyll content in the cuttings’ leaves. Rooting percentage depended on the quality of cuttings as well as chlorophyll a/b and soluble protein content in leaves in both rooting substrates.

Genetic diversity is inevitable in making any crop improvement program successful. DNA fingerprinting technology to assess the genetic relationship among the selected genotypes for identification and cataloging of different species and cultivars of roses is a promising tool for Rosa genomes. The inter-simple sequence repeats markers (ISSRs) were used to investigate the genetic diversity among twenty-one diverse Rosa genotypes belonging to two different species, Rosa hybrida and R. damascena, and three distinct groups of rose varieties, namely Hybrid Tea, Floribunda, and Damask roses. Twenty-four ISSR primers yielded a total of 280 scorable amplified fragments from 250-1800 bp in length, from which 244 were polymorphic, resulting in an average of 86.4% polymorphism. UPGMA cluster analysis based on Jaccard’s pairwise similarity coefficient values ranged from 0.264 to 0.818, clearly distinguished different species and genotypes, grouping them into three distinct clusters. The results confirmed a high degree of variation in the rose germplasm studied highlighting the potential of improvement in roses for the ornamental and perfume industry.

Outdoor lighting design is a multidisciplinary topic that involves, among other aspects, design, energy savings, protection of nocturnal biodiversity and profitability, all of which are important functional and regulatory requirements. However, they do not necessarily consider user needs, which make perception and emotional response difficult parameters in the lighting design process. The studies carried out on lighting and its impact on emotions have mainly been done indoors. The objective of this work is to propose a methodology to evaluate emotional response to the illuminated nocturnal urban space with the purpose of providing knowledge to create emotionally efficient luminous spaces that improve people's perception and well-being. The instrument used was the survey (online questionnaires), based on Kansei engineering, created to incorporate the emotional variable in product design. The research was carried out with participants from Peru, Spain, and Germany. The results collected the reaction of the participants to different types of night-time luminous spaces presented, which contributes to a better understanding of user needs and activities regarding the space. This knowledge is intended to help designers meet their expectations.

(1) Background: The prevalence of comorbid psychiatric disorders among the patients with mental disorders is higher than general population. The aim of this study was to estimate the prevalence of comorbid psychiatric disorders among a Mexican adolescent sample diagnosed with eating disorders; (2) Methods: Only Mexican adolescents diagnosed with eating disorders were included in the study. The diagnoses were using the DSM-5 criteria. Adolescents with ages between 12 to 17 years were included. The psychiatric comorbidities were evaluated using MINI-kid and QEWP-R. In addition, the z-score values calculated from BMI; (3) Results: The mean age was 14.08±1.7 years old. In our Mexican sample the diagnoses more frequently were bulimia nervosa (55.61%). We found that 89% of the Mexican adolescents with eating disorders had another psychiatric comorbidity. Major depressive disorder (52.40%) and suicide risk (40%) were the most prevalent comorbidity; (4) Conclusions: Our results showed that bulimia nervosa is the most frequently diagnoses in Mexican adolescent and the suicide and major depressive disorder are the principal comorbidities. This emphasizes the importance that clinicians take in-to consideration the presence of psychiatric comorbidities to achieve an integrative treatment for patients with ED.

The present study provides molecular insight into the mechanisms underlying energy dissipation and lubrication of a smooth contact lubricated by an ionic liquid. We have performed normal and lateral force measurements with a surface forces apparatus and by colloidal probe atomic force microscopy on following model systems: 1-ethyl-3-methyl imidazolium bis-(trifluoro-methylsulfonyl)imide, in dry state and in equilibrium with ambient (humid) air; the surface was either bare mica or functionalized with a polymer brush. The velocity-dependence of the friction force reveals two different regimes of lubrication, boundary-film lubrication, with distinct characteristics for each model system, and fluid-film lubrication above a transition velocity V*. The underlying mechanisms of energy dissipation are evaluated with molecular models for stress-activated slip and flow, respectively. The stress-activated slip assumes that two boundary layers (composed of ions/water strongly adsorbed to the surface) slide pass each; the bond dynamics and the strength of the interaction at the slip plane dictate the change in friction -decreasing, increasing or remaining constant- with velocity in the boundary-film lubrication regime. Above a transition velocity V*, friction monotonically increases with velocity in the three model systems. Here, layers of ions slide past each (“flow”) under a shear stress and friction depends on a shear-activation volume that is significantly affected by confinement. The proposed friction model provides a molecular perspective of the lubrication of smooth contacts by ionic liquids and allows identifying the physical parameters that control friction.

Camelina (Camelina sativa L.) is an oilseed with potential for use as a raw material in second-generation biofuels. Camelina has a seed yield of up to 2380 kg ha^-1 and contains around 45% fatty acids. Selection of a suitable site is critical for production optimization. The objective of this study was to determine Chilean agro-climatic suitability for establishing camelina as a productive alternative. Climate and soil requirements and geographical restraints were evaluated for the species, considering the climatological characteristics of its regions of origin, as well as regions where camelina is successfully grown in the rest of the world. The variables considered include factors (maximum temperatures of the warmest month, water deficits, and degree days) and limitations (altitude, geomorphology, and current land use), which permitted the evaluation of the national territory for a certain level of suitability. It was determined that 1.3% of the national territory (960,664 ha) has some degree of suitability for camelina adoption. Between the Biobío and Los Lagos regions, 49.0% of land (471,203 ha) is in the category of without thermic restrictions, with mild water restrictions, and mild soil restrictions or without information, which can be used for camelina production. The Los Ríos region had 21.4% surface area (321,176 ha) with some level of suitability for camelina, the most suitable region to establish this crop in Chile.

Salvia ceratophylloides (Ard.) is an endemic, rare, threatened plant species recently rediscovered in very few individuals in two different sites of South Italy. The study of within-plant variation more than among-plant one is fundamental to understand the plant adaptation to the local conditions, especially in rare species, and consequently to preserve plant biodiversity. Here, we reported the variation of the morpho-ecophysiological and metabolic traits between the sessile and petiolate leaf of S. ceratophylloides plants in two different sites for understanding the adaptation strategies for surviving in these habitats. The S. ceratophylloides individuals exhibited different net photosynthetic rate, maximum quantum yield, light intensity for the saturation of the photosynthetic machinery, stomatal conductance, transpiration rate, leaf area, fractal dimension and some VOCs between the different leaf types. This within-plant morpho-physiological and metabolic variation was depended on the site. These results provide empirical evidence of sharply within-plant variation of the morpho-physiological traits and VOCs profiles in S. ceratophylloides which could be because of adaptation to the local conditions.

With the COVID-19 pandemic behind us, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved 55 new drugs in 2023, a figure consistent with the number authorized in the last five years (53 per year on average). Thus, 2023 is the second-best FDA harvest after 2018 (59 approvals) in all the series. Monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) continue to be the class of drugs with most approvals, with an exceptional 12, a number that makes it the most outstanding year for this class. As in 2022, five proteins/enzymes have been approved in 2023. However, no antibody–drug conjugate (ADC) has been released onto the market. With respect to TIDES (peptides and oligonucleotides), 2023 has proved a spectacular year, with a total of nine approvals, corresponding to five peptides and four oligonucleotides. Natural products continue to be the best source of inspiration for drug development, with 10 new products on the market. Three drugs in this year’s harvest are pegylated, which may indicate the return of pegylation as a method to increase the half-lives of drugs, after the withdrawal of peginesatide from the market in 2013. Following the trends of recent years, two bispecific drugs have been authorized in 2023. As in preceding years, fluorine and/or N-aromatic heterocycles are present in most of the drugs. Herein, the 55 new drugs approved by the FDA in 2023 are analyzed exclusively on the basis of their chemical structure. They are classified as the following: biologics (antibodies, proteins/enzymes); TIDES (peptide and oligonucleotides); combined drugs; pegylated drugs; natural products; nitrogen aromatic heterocycles; fluorine-containing molecules; and other small molecules.

Gonorrhea is a sexually transmitted disease with a high morbidity burden. Incidence of this disease is rising due to the increasing number of antibiotic-resistant strains. Neisseria gonorrhoeae has shown an extraordinary ability to develop resistance to all antimicrobials introduced for its treatment. In fact, it was recently classified as a “Priority 2” microorganism in the WHO Global Priority List of Antibiotic-Resistant Bacteria to Guide Research, Discovery and Development of New Antibiotics. Seeing as there is no gonococcal vaccine, control of the disease relies entirely on prevention, diagnosis and, especially, antibiotic treatment. Different health organizations worldwide have established treatment guidelines against gonorrhea, mostly consisting in dual therapy with a single oral or intramuscular dose. However, gonococci continue to develop resistances to all antibiotics introduced for treatment. In fact, the first strain of super-resistant N. gonorrhoeae was recently detected in the United Kingdom, which was resistant to ceftriaxone and azithromycin. This increasing detection of resistant gonococcal strains may lead to a situation where gonorrhea becomes untreatable. Seeing as drug resistance appears to be unstoppable, new treatment options are necessary in order to control the disease. Three approaches are currently being followed for the development of new therapies against drug-resistant gonococci: (1) novel combinations of already existing antibiotics, (2) development of new antibiotics and (3) development of alternative therapies which might slow down the appearance of resistances. N. gonorrhoeae is a public health threat due to the increasing number of antibiotic-resistant strains. Current treatment guidelines are already being challenged by this Superbug. This has lead the scientific community to develop new antibiotics and alternative therapies in order to control this disease.

The quality of yarn is essential in the control of the fabrics processes. There is some commercial equipment that measures the quality of yarn based on sensors, of different types, used for collecting data about some yarn characteristic parameters. The existing equipment, for the above-mentioned purpose, is characterized by its high size and cost, and for allowing the analysis of only few yarn quality parameters. Thus, this paper presents the development and results obtained with the design of a mechatronic prototype integrating a computer vision system that allows, among other parameters, the analysis and classification, in real time, of the hairs of the yarn using artificial intelligence techniques. The system also determines other characteristics inherent to the yarn quality analysis, such as: linear mass, diameter, volume, twist orientation, twist step, average mass deviation, coefficient of variation, hairiness coefficient, average hairiness deviation and standard hairiness deviation, as well as performs spectral analysis. A comparison of the obtained results with the designed system and a commercial equipment was performed validating the undertaken methodology.

Alveolar Rhabdomyosarcoma (ARMS), an invasive subtype of Rhabdomyosarcoma (RMS), is associated with chromosomal translocation events resulting in one of two oncogenic fusion genes PAX3-FOXO1 or PAX7-FOXO1. ARMS patients exhibit an overexpression of the pleiotropic cytokine Transforming growth factor beta (TGF-β). This overexpression of TGF-β1 causes an increased expression of a downstream transcription factor called SNAIL, which promotes Epithelial to Mesenchymal Transition (EMT). Overexpression of TGF-β also inhibits myogenic differentiation, making ARMS patients highly resistant to chemotherapy. In this review, we first describe different types of RMS and then focus on ARMS and the impact of TGF-β in this tumor type. We next highlight current chemotherapy strategies including a combination of FDA approved drugs vincristine, actinomycin D, and cyclophosphamide (VAC), Cabozantinib, Bortezomib, Vinorelbine, AZD 1775 and cisplatin. Lastly, we discuss chemotherapy agents that target the differentiation of tumor cells in ARMS which include all trans retinoic acid (ATRA) and 5-Azacytidine. Improving our understanding of the role of signaling pathways, such as TGF-β1, in the development of ARMS tumor cells differentiation will help inform more tailored drug administration in the future.

Peri-implantitis continues to be one of the major reasons for implant failures. We propose a new approach for incorporating MTA into Zirconia implant surfaces with Nd:YAG laser and investigate the biological response of peri-implant cells as well as the microbiological response. Discs of Zirconia stabilized with Yttria and Titanium were produced according 4 tested groups: Nd:YAG laser textured Zirconia coated with MTA (Zr MTA); Nd:YAG laser textured Zirconia (Zr Textured); Zirconia and Titanium discs (Zr and Ti ). Contact profilometry was used to evaluate surface roughness. Human osteoblasts, gingival fibroblasts and S. oralis were cultured on samples. Cell adhesion and morphology, cell viability, cell differentiation markers and bacterial growth were assessed. Zr Textured roughness was significantly higher compared to all other groups. Cellular adhesion was observed at 1 day in all samples in both cell lines. Osteoblasts viability was lower in Zr MTA group, unlike fibroblasts viability was shown to be higher in Zr MTA group compared to Zr Textured group at 3 and 7 days. Osteocalcin and IL-8 release by osteoblasts were higher in Zr MTA. Zr Textured showed higher IL-8 values released by fibroblasts. No differences in S. oralis CFUs were observed between groups. The results suggest that Zirconia implant surfaces coated with MTA seems to promote fibroblasts proliferation and osteoblasts differentiation, however does not appear to have antibacterial properties.

Oxidative stress has been implicated in cellular senescence and aging, as well as in the onset and progression of many diverse genetic and acquired diseases and conditions. The search for biomarkers of oxidative stress has become relevant to many biomedical fields using many different methods and approaches. Fluorescence methodology is advantageous because of its simplicity and high sensitivity. Fluorescent probes are frequently used to investigate the role of reactive oxygen species in oxidative stress in experimental or clinical settings, often involving the use of flow cytometry and related single-cell based technologies. To assess the specific role of reactive oxygen species in oxidative stress studies by cytometric methodologies, it is essential to detect and characterize these species accurately. However, the detection and quantitation of individual intracellular ROS is still a challenge, but different and complementary strategies may focus on other endpoints of oxidative stress. In this review we present and discuss briefly the limitations and perspectives of such approaches. Based on our results, we also provide recommendations for proper design of cytometric studies of oxidative stress in order to prevent or minimize experimental errors..

Tyrosinases (TYR) play an important role in oxidizing phenols and catechols, leading to the formation of catechols and ortho-quinones, respectively. In mammals, TYR catalyzes the conversion of L-Tyrosine to quinone, a pivotal step in melanogenesis, which generates melanin pigments responsible for protecting against UV radiation and oxidative stress. Given TYR's importance in melanin-related disorders and cosmetic applications, the inhibition of TYR has garnered attention for controlling melanin production. However, current inhibitors like hydroquinone, arbutin, and kojic acid (KA) have limitations in terms of side effects and effectiveness. A novel class of TYR inhibitors featuring arylpiperidine and arylpiperazine components has demonstrated potent inhibitory activity. This study presents a computational analysis of these inhibitors using molecular docking, molecular dynamics (MD) simulations, and the Linear Interaction Energy (LIE) method was used to estimate binding free energies. The arylpiperidine and arylpiperazine inhibitors exhibit remarkable stability within the TYR active site during simulations. The van der Waals interactions are notably sustained, indicating effective inhibition mechanisms. The results from LIE calculations closely align with experimental binding affinities. In summary, these results contribute to the understanding of TYR inhibition and underscore the potential of arylpiperidine and arylpiperazine derivatives as effective agents for modulating melanin production in both cosmetic and pharmaceutical applications. Overall, this study sheds light on the intricate interactions between inhibitors and TYR, opening avenues for the development of novel therapies and interventions.

Background: The importance of knowing the workload of family nurses lies essentially in the possibility of improving health outcomes, care processes and the nurse’s professional life. There is a lack of studies that fully describe nursing workload in primary care, particularly, in the context of family health nursing, and the ideal metrics to be used remains unknown, making it impossible to characterize and therefor provide the necessary insight to acknowledge the different contributions of several aspects that embodies the global workload of family nurses. The objective of this scoping review was to map the known evidence and characterize the instruments used to assess the workload of family nurses. Methods: Scoping review, according the Joanna Briggs Institute proposed methodology for scoping reviews, consisting of 3 research stages: 1) initial research in Medline and CINHAL; 2) extended search, using keywords and search terms, in the following databases: JBI, CINAHL Complete, MEDLINE, Cochrane and Scopus; 3) Search the reference list of the selected articles. No time limit was defined. Results: Fourteen studies referring to ten as-sessment instruments were included. Nine of them analyze workload as a dimension of a broader instrument, and two studies refer to an instrument that focuses exclusively on workload. Con-clusions: The diversity of professional competencies and contexts, the conceptual complexity of workload and the absence of an theoretical framework, makes it difficult to identify consensual instruments to assess the workload of family nurses. This study was registered in Open Science Framework® with the following registration (https://osf.io/3k6vr).

The combined effects of the thermal processing (i.e., sterilisation treatment) and the prior frozen storage time (3 or 6 months at –18 ºC) on the quality loss in canned Atlantic horse mackerel (Trachurus trachurus) were determined. Thus, the sterilisation step led to a remarkable (p&lt;0.05) formation in canned fish muscle of fluorescent compounds, free fatty acids (FFAs) and trimethylamine and to an increase of the L* and b* colour parameters; meantime, a decrease (p&lt;0.05) of the total ω3 FA/total ω6 FA ratio and the a* colour value were detected. The prior frozen storage period led to an increased (p&lt;0.05) lipid oxidation (peroxide, thiobarbituric acid reactive substance and fluorescent compound formation) and hydrolysis (FFA formation) development and to increased L* and b* colour values in the corresponding canned samples; additionally, a lower (p&lt;0.05) polyene index and phospholipid content were observed in canned fish previously subjected to frozen storage. In most indices, physico-chemical changes related to quality loss were found higher if the previous storage period was increased. According to the marked effects of the sterilisation step and the prior frozen storage period, optimisation of such processing conditions is recommended to maximise the quality of canned horse mackerel.

In the southeastern coast of Brazil, the bays of Ilha Grande and Sepetiba are linked by the Ilha Grande Channel, where remarkably vigorous currents have been consistently observed. The sheer intensity of these currents defies a simple explanation through tidal forcing alone, prompting researchers to delve into potential influences such as basin resonance and the baroclinic effect. This study aims to elucidate the role of remote meteorological effects within this complex hydrodynamic system. A numerical approach with a coastal model nested within an ocean model was employed, enabling an in-depth examination of the intricate interplay between meteorological and tidal forcings. The study revealed a significant finding: the lag in signal propagation plays a pivotal role in determining how these signals impact the dynamics of the bays. The astronomical signal exhibits a minimal lag along the coast (1 minute), and leads to water level differences between the sea and the coastline, resulting in the generation of tidal currents at the bay entrances. On the other hand, the remote meteorological signal, with a stronger signal lag along the coast (4.92 hours), leads to the creation of water level difference between the bay’s entrances, inducing significant fluxes along the narrow Ilha Grande Channel.

Synthesis of nickel oxide nanoparticles (NiO NPs) is a low cost and ecofriendly route that brings great benefits over chemical and physical methods of synthesis. Our approach consisted of using aqueous extracts from treated waste of Manihot Esculenta (Cassava) as reducing, stabilizing and capping agents for the synthesis of NiO NPs. The results proved this approach might be a viable alternative. Extracts were mixed during 30 minutes with Ni(NO3)2.6H2O leading to NPs formation. NiO NPs were characterized through FTIR, XRD, TEM and Raman spectroscopy. NiO NPs showed different shapes and sizes around 5-10 nm in agreement with the particle size calculated by XRD Scherrer equation.

Esterases are hydrolases that catalyze the hydrolysis of esters into the corresponding acids and alcohols. The development of fluorescent probes for detecting esterases is of great importance due to their wide spectrum of biological and industrial applications. These probes can provide a rapid and sensitive method for detecting the presence and activity of esterases in various samples, including biological fluids, food products, and environmental samples. Fluorescent probes can also be used for monitoring the effects of drugs and environmental toxins on esterase activity, as well as to study the functions and mechanisms of these enzymes in several biological systems. Additionally, fluorescent probes can be designed to selectively target specific types of esterases, such as those found in pathogenic bacteria or cancer cells. In this review, we summarize the recent fluorescent probes described for the visualization of cell viability and some applications for in vivo imaging. On the other hand, Positron Emission Tomography (PET) is a nuclear-based molecular imaging modality of great value to study the activity of enzymes in vivo. We provide some examples of PET probes for imaging acetylcholinesterases and butyrylcholinesterases in brain, which are valuable tools for diagnosing dementia and monitoring the effects of anticholinergic drugs on the central nervous system.

Previous research has already examined the relationship between Future Anxiety, a construct recently introduced in Italy, and mental health in young adults, although possible mediating variables in this relationship have so far never been investigated. The present study attempts to fill this gap by exploring the incidence of Future Anxiety on psychological distress in a group of 302 young Italian adults (18 - 30 years; M = 21.9; SD = 2.6), presenting and evaluating the simultaneous mediating effect of Intolerance of Uncertainty and Non-Pathological Worry.Findings highlighted how Future Anxiety had a positive and significant direct effect on Stress and Depression, but not on Anxiety. In the three serial mediation models proposed, Intolerance of Uncertainty and Non-Pathological Worry mediated the relationship between Future Anxiety and mental health outcomes. The results also confirmed the hypothesized serial mediation effect by highlighting how young adults with greater Future Anxiety experienced more Intolerance of Uncertainty, which positively affected Non-Pathological Worry levels and, in turn, exacerbated psychological distress. Finally, results indicated that female participants experienced more Stress, Anxiety, and Depression in relation to Future Anxiety compared to males. Starting from the review of main references on this subject, the results discussed provide new insights for understanding youth psychological distress. Finally, practical implications for the design of supportive interventions for this study’s target group are proposed.

In this article, we investigate two types of double dispersion equations in two dierent dimensions. Double dispersion equation were derived to describe long nonlinear wave evolution in a thin hyperelastic rod. Conservation laws are obtained for these equations by the application of the multiplier method. Finally, travelling waves and line travelling waves are respectively considered for these two equations.

Background/Objectives: Vitamin B12 deficiency can cause variable symptoms, which may be irreversible if not diagnosed and treated in a timely manner. We aimed to develop a widely accepted expert consensus to guide the practice of diagnosing and treating B12 deficiency. Methods: We conducted a scoping review of the literature published in PubMed since January 2003. Data were used to design a two-round Delphi survey to study the level of consensus among 42 experts. Results: The panelists agreed on the need for educational and organizational changes in the current medical practices for diagnosing and treating B12 deficiency. Recognition of clinical symptoms should receive the highest priority in establishing the diagnosis. There is agreement that the serum B12 concentration is useful as a screening marker, whereas methylmalonic acid or homocysteine can support the diagnosis. Patient lifestyle, disease history and medications can provide clues to the cause of B12 deficiency. Regardless of the cause of the deficiency, initial treatment with parenteral B12 was regarded as the first choice for patients with acute and severe manifestations of B12 deficiency. The use of high-dose oral B12 at different frequencies may be considered for long-term treatment. Prophylactic B12 supplementation should be considered for specific high-risk groups. Conclusions: There is a consensus that clinical symptoms need to receive more attention in establishing a diagnosis. B12 laboratory markers can support the diagnosis. The severity of clinical symptoms, the causes of B12 deficiency and the treatment goals govern decisions regarding the route and dose of B12 therapy.

In addition to their importance in statistical thermodynamics, probabilistic entropy measurements are crucial for understanding and analyzing complex systems, with diverse applications in time series and one-dimensional profiles. However, extending these methods to two- and three-dimensional data still requires further development. In this study, we present a new method to classify spatiotemporal processes based on entropy measurements. To test and validate the method, we selected four classes of similar processes related to the evolution of random patterns: dynamic colored noises ((i)~white and (ii)~red); (iii)~weak turbulence from reaction-diffusion; (iv)~hydrodynamic fully developed turbulence, and (v)~plasma turbulence from MHD. Considering seven possible ways to measure entropy from a matrix, we present the method as a parameter space composed of the two best separating measures of the five selected classes. The results highlight better combined performance of Shannon Permutation Entropy ($S^p_H$) and a new approach based on Tsallis Spectral Permutation Entropy ($S^s_q$). Notably, our observations reveal the segregation of reaction terms in this $S^p_H \times S^s_q$ space, a result that identifies specific sectors for each class of dynamic process, and can be used to train machine learning models for automatic classification of complex spatiotemporal patterns.

This paper questions the potential shift of reproduction towards assisted reproductive technologies due to benefits provided by genetic manipulation of embryos. In order to examine the viability of such a shift and its implications from a regulatory perspective, we relied on two panels of experts from Israel and Spain, using the Delphi method and a series of in-depth interviews. We anticipate, at a first stage, a continuous-steady growth in the use of IVF, supplemented by preimplantation genetic diagnosis and the introduction of CRISPR/Cas. At a second stage, attracting a growing share of fertile people would require developments in genomics. While it is unclear whether these developments will fully materialize, they could be replaced by technoscientific imaginaries generating perceived benefits. We conclude that the regulation of reproductive genetics is becoming more critical and complex. The aim should be to ensure good practices and equity, while providing more information to the public. A broad and inclusive societal debate may overcome the difficulty of drawing a clear line between medical uses and non-medical uses of genetic selection and engineering and may contribute to finding the right balance between allowing autonomous decisions of patients and protecting the public interest.

The COVID-19 outbreaks have caused universities all across the globe to close their campuses and forced them to initiate online teaching. This article reviews the pedagogical foundations for developing effective distance education practices, starting from the assumption that promoting autonomous thinking is an essential element to guarantee full citizenship in a democracy and for moral decision making in situations of rapid change, which has become a pressing need in the context of a pandemic. In addition, the main obstacles related to this new context are identified, and solutions are proposed according to the existing bibliography in learning sciences.

In recent years, advances in science, technology, and the way in which we view our world have led to anincreasingly broad use of the term “intelligence”. As we learn more about biological systems, we find more and more examples of complex and precise adaptive behavior in animals and plants. Similarly, as we build more complex computational systems, we recognize the emergence of highly sophisticated structures capable of solving increasingly complex problems. These behaviors show characteristics in common with the sort of complex behaviors and learning capabilities we find in humans, and therefore it is common to see them referred to as “intelligent”. These analogies are problematic as the term "intelligence" is inextricably associated with human-like capabilities. While these issues have been discussed by leading researchers of AI and renowned psychologists and biologists highlighting the commonalities and differences between AI and biological intelligence, there have been few rigorous attempts to create an interdisciplinary approach to the modern problem of intelligence. This article proposes a comparative framework to discuss what we call “purposeful behavior”, a characteristic shared by systems capable of gathering and processing information from their surroundings and modifying their actions in order to fulfill a series of implicit or explicit goals. Our aim is twofold: on the one hand, the term purposeful behavior allows us to describe the behavior of these systems without using the term "intelligence", avoiding the comparison with human capabilities. On the other hand, we hope that our framework encourages interdisciplinary discussion to help advance our understanding of the relationships among different systems and their capabilities.

The approach to the personal experience and previous ideas about Physical Education of future Primary Education teachers is a starting point of great interest for the teaching of the subject of Didactics of Physical Education. The study aims to investigate these prior beliefs and to verify to what extent this initial perception changes after taking the course on “Didactics of Physical Education”. A concurrent mixed-methods study was conducted, which included two data collection procedures: (1) a pre-experimental design with a single group featuring pre-test and post-test; (2) the analysis of students' autobiographical accounts of their school experience with physical education. The participants were students enrolled in the Bachelor’s degree program in Primary Education at the University of Santiago de Compostela (USC) who undertook the course last year. The results obtained reveal that after taking the subject of Didactics of Physical Education, students give greater value to more positive concepts of learning, socializing, participating, and playing, among others. Similarly, in the post-test, the assessment of concepts such as competitiveness and physical fatigue diminished. In their autobiographical memories, students associate good memories with relationships with classmates and the playful and socializing nature of the subject; and among the bad memories, they highlight the content related to physical performance, competitiveness, and lack of attention to the diversity of students and their individual characteristics.

The purpose of this article is to analyze, in a three-stage research, the relationships between environmental expenses, the improvements achieved in 5 environmental variables analyzed and efficiency, from an economic and operational perspective. The stages of this research are analyzing the sustainability reports to determine the level of information, analyzing the economic and operational efficiency, and analyzing the alignment with the environmental priorities of the Eco Ports-ESPO (European Sea Ports Organization). The results reveal that (1) the type of traffic does not condition environmental actions; (2) environmental performance (improvements) depends on environmental expenditures; (3) environmental spending and efficiency in port operations are correlated; and (4) environmental spending and port economic efficiency are correlated.

Objective: To carry out a bibliometric analysis study of systematic reviews and meta-analyses in dentistry, divided into different thematic areas. Material and method: A search was conducted in the Science Citation Index-Expanded on the core collection of Web of Science, they were selected from the area of Dentistry and Oral Surgery and Medicine categories, the data was downloaded on April 20, 2022 and The 100 most cited articles from each of the thematic areas were selected. Results: An increase in this type of articles was observed in the last decade in the areas of pediatric and medical dentistry and oral pathology. The thematic area that received the most citations was periodontics. The two authors with the most citations are Zwahlen, Marcel and Pjetursson, Bjarni Eluar. The countries that receive the most citations are European, along with the USA and China. The topics that are most published in this type of article deal with Cancer with 50 publications, caries treatment with 25 and fluoridation with 1. The entities that finance this type of articles the most are private companies (26.76%). Conclusions: Together with an exponential increase in the number of publications in dentistry, there has been an increase in the number of publications in systematic reviews. The areas publishing the most articles and having the most citations are Periodontics and Implantology, despite the fact that the most studied topic is cancer.

Abiotic stress in plants is an increasingly common problem in agriculture, and thus, studies on plant treatments with specific certain compounds that may help to mitigate these effects have increased in recent years Melatonin (MET) application and its role in mitigating the negative effects of abiotic stress in plants have become important in the last few years. MET, a derivative of tryptophan, is an important plant-related response molecule involved in the growth, development, and reproduction of plants, and the induction of different stress factors. In addition, MET plays a protective role against different abiotic stresses such as salinity, high/low temperature, high light, waterlogging, nutrient deficiency and stress combination by regulating both the enzymatic and non-enzymatic antioxidant defense systems. Also, MET interacts with many signaling molecules, among these, reactive oxygen species (ROS) and nitric oxide (NO), and participates in a wide variety of physiological reactions. It is well known that NO produces S-nitrosylation and NO2-Tyr of important antioxidant-related proteins, being this an important mechanism for maintaining the antioxidant capacity of the AsA/GSH cycle under nitro-oxidative conditions, being extensively reviewed here under different abiotic stress conditions. Lastly, in this review, we show the coordination between NO and MET as a long-range signaling molecule, regulating many responses in plants, including plant growth and abiotic stress tolerance. Despite all the knowledge acquired over the years, there is still more to know about how MET and NO act on tolerance to abiotic stresses.

Gliomas are solid tumors of the Central Nervous System (CNS) that originated from different glial cells. The World Health Organization (WHO) classified these tumors into four groups (I-IV) with increasing malignancy. Glioblastoma (GBM) is the most common and aggressive type of brain tumor classified as a grade IV. GBM are resistant to conventional therapies with poor prognosis after diagnosis even when the Stupp protocol that combines surgery and radiochemotherapy is applied. Nowadays, few novel therapeutic strategies have been used to improve GBM treatment, looking for higher efficiency and lower side effects, but with relatively modest results. The circadian timing system temporally organizes the physiology and behavior of most organisms and daily regulates several cellular processes in organs, tissues, and even in individual cells, including tumor cells. The potentiality of the function of the circadian clock on cancer cells modulation as a new target for novel treatments with a chronobiological basis offers a different challenge that needs to be considered in further detail. The present review will discuss state of the art regarding GBM biology, the role of the circadian clock in tumor progression, and new chrono-chemotherapeutic strategies applied for GBM treatment.

1) Background: It has been more than a decade since the concern about addictive use of the Internet and mobile phones was first expressed and its possible inclusion into the lists of mental disorders has been a popular topic of discussion recently, thus it seems to be a fitting moment to investigate the evolution of this issue over time. The aim of the present study was to analyze the evolution of the perception of problematic Internet and smartphone use in young people over the period 2006–2017; 2) Methods: To this end, a questionnaire on Internet use habits and the CERI and CERM questionnaires on negative consequences of Internet and smartphone use were administered to a sample of 792 university students and compared with data from former studies over the period 2006–2017; 3) Results: The perception of problematic Internet and mobile phone use has increased over the last decade, social networks are considered responsible for this increase, and females are the ones perceived to be more affected than males. The degree to which participants agree with the statement “I am addicted to the Internet” can be used as a screening item for problematic use.

The deterioration and destruction of the environment is becoming more and more considerable and greater efforts are needed to stop it. To accomplish this feat, all members of society must identify with environmental problems, with collective environmental action being one of the most relevant means of doing so. From this perspective, the analysis of the psychosocial factors that lead to participation in environmental collective action emerges as a priority objective in the research agenda. Thus, the aim of this study is to examine the role of "environmental identity" as conceptualized by Clayton, as a central axis for explaining environmental collective action. The inclusion of the latter in the theoretical framework of the SIMCA model gives rise to the model that we have called EIMECA. Two studies were conducted, and the results reveal that environmental identity, a variety of negative affects, as well as group efficacy accompanied by hope for a simultaneous additive effect, are critical when it comes to predicting environmental collective action.

This paper has two objectives: the first, to analyze the mediating effect of teacher empowerment between innovation culture and innovation capacity, and between inclusive leadership and innovation capacity; the second, to analyze the moderating effects of the school context on the innovation capacity. Data were collected in a representative sample of secondary schools in Valencia, Spain. The research model adopted is structural equation modeling, using the partial least squares (PLS) technique. The model has confirmed that teacher empowerment mediates between innovation culture and innovation capacity and between inclusive leadership and the innovation capacity. It is found that the educational context does not moderate the relationships in the proposed analysis model. This paper emphasizes the role of teacher empowerment in educational innovation and extends the knowledge of culture and leadership in the school organization.

Centropomus undecimalis (common snook, sergeant fish or robalo) and Centropomus parallelus (fat snook, smallscale fat snook, little snook or chucumite) have tropical and subtropical wide distribution from southern Florida (Gulf of Mexico) to southern Brazil (Rio Grande do Sul) waters, and due the value of their flesh, these species have been explored with predatory fishing, generating a deficiency for their conservation. Adequate conservation of this species depends on population genetic parameters. Thus, in this study, we used microsatellite markers to investigate the genetic variability and the genetic characterization of C. undecimalis and C. parallelus populations, identifying if the citations species are geographically connected, using 10 loci of microsatellites, bringing strategies of management, sustainability, and conservation for species citations, and providing genetic subsidies needed to be used in breeding programs for snooks. Microsatellite molecular genetic markers were efficient in the study of the genetic variability of the samples of C. parallelus and C. undecimalis, resulting in data on the genetic structuring of these populations, thus aiding in their management and conservation. The data presented may provide subsidies for future use in programs aimed at animal breeding of sea bass, establishing tools for use in fish farming. In addition, despite being two species that are not on the endangered list, we can observe that there are genetic differences between the studied populations of the same species.

Obesity is a worldwide epidemic; hence it is crucial to understand how it can be effectively prevented/treated. Thus, obesity should be tackled considering that it is a multifactorial condition. This work examines a wide range of factors and attempts to understand which contribute most to variability in overweight/obesity. Eighty-four subjects with overweight/obesity were recruited. Dietary baseline information was obtained by analyzing three 24-hour recalls. Resting metabolic rate was measured using indirect calorimetry, physical activity through accelerometry, cardiometabolic parameters were determined in blood samples and body composition by anthropometry and bioimpedance. Factor analysis of principal components (PCA) was carried out (SPSS v22.0). Large interindividual variability was observed in dietetic, biochemical, and physical activity measurements (coefficient of variation ≥30%), but body composition was homogeneous. Volunteers had an unbalanced diet and low physical activity. PCA reduced the 26 analyzed variables into 7 factors, accounting for 81,5% of total data variability. The main factor was the ‘‘caloric and lipid factor’’ related to diet, responsible for 25.9% of total variability, followed by ‘‘adiposity factor’’ (16,9%) and ‘‘cardiometabolic risk factor’’ (13,2%). Diet seems to be the factor that contributes the most to data variability in people with overweight/obesity, especially the intake of lipids, energy and proteins.

Eating disorders (EDs) refer to a group of diseases characterized by a strong tendency toward chronicity, often involving distortions in body image distortion and other related symptoms The prevalence of EDs has increased in recent years, specifically in athletic populations. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to analyse risky eating attitudes in a sample of 1102 subjects from Se-ville (Spain): 142 women and 960 men aged between 15-25 years old. An online survey, designed using Google Forms, consisted of three questionnaires (EAT-26, SCOFF, and BITE), were com-pleted individually and anonymously. With regards to the cut-off points, the percentage of posi-tive cases with significant scores was 11.43% for EAT-26, 31.22% for SCOFF and 4.36% for BITE. The study found that the probability of testing positive for EDs is significantly higher in women than in men (p < 0.001). Specifically, the risk attitude for EDs in female athletes measured by the EAT-26 test is three times higher than in male athletes, while the risk attitude measured by the SCOFF test is twice as high in females. Risk attitude for EDs in athletes measured by the BITE test is 8 times higher in females than in males. This study’s findings confirm several important as-sumptions made at the outset of the research. There is indeed a higher risk of EDs in athlete populations. Moreover, all three tests therefore show a higher frequency of possible events of EDs in women, with very similar percentages of difference between sexes. The tests also confirm the role played by the coaches in the prevention of EDs in sports and their capacity to reduce ab-normal food-related behaviours. Thus, the future inclusion of these tests in the screening of athletes is highly recommended.

The inclusion of scientific journals in prestigious indexers is often associated with higher citation rates; journals included in such indexers are significantly more acknowledged than those that are not included in them. This phenomenon refers to the Matthew effect on journal citations, according to which, journals in exclusive rankings tend to be increasingly cited. This paper shows the opposite: that the inclusion of journals in local indexers ruled by inclusive logic reduces the Matthew effect on journal citations, since it enables them to be equally exposed. Thus, we based our arguments on the comparison of 68 Brazilian journals before and after they were indexed in the Scientific Periodicals Electronic Library (Spell), which ranks journals in the Brazilian management field based on local citations. Citation impact indicators and iGini (a new individual inequality analysis measure) were used to show that the inclusion of journals in Spell has increased their impact factor and decreased their citation inequality rates. In addition, the results indicated that the effect between ranking and inequality has declined after journals were included in Spell; this outcome indicates that the database has reduced the Matthew effect on journal citations.

In order to reach the theoretical efficiency limits of lead-based metal halide perovskite solar cells, the voltage should be enhanced because it suffers from nonradiative recombination. Perovskite materials contain intrinsic defects that can act as Shockley-Read-Hall recombination centers. Several experimental and computational studies have characterized such defect states within the band gap. We give a systematic overview of compositional engineering by distinguishing the different defect reducing mechanisms. Doping effects are divided into influences on: (1) Crystallization; (2) Lattice properties. Incorporation of dopant influences the lattice properties by: (a) Lattice strain relaxation; (b) Chemical bonding enhancement; (c) Band gap tuning. The intrinsic lattice strain in undoped perovskite was shown to induce vacancy formation. The incorporation of smaller ions, such as Cl, F and Cd, increases the energy for vacancy formation. Zn doping is reported to induce strain relaxation but also to enhance the chemical bonding. The combination of computational studies using (DFT) calculations quantifying and qualifying the defect reducing propensities of different dopants with experimental studies is essential for deeper understanding and unraveling insights, such as the dynamics of iodine vacancies and the photochemistry of the iodine interstitials, and can eventually lead to a more rational approach in the search for optimal photovoltaic materials.

Although floods, as well as other natural disasters, can be considered relevant causes of intra-generational inequalities, the frequent catastrophes and the resulting damages to territory reflect the generalized indifference about inter-generational justice. Societal concerns, such as land protection, typically involve the administrative system performing proactive policies in the perspective of inter-generational solidarity, but subsidiarity has made more and more independent the local communities. As a consequence, the attention toward the long run effects – typically concerning the territorial system, as a whole, at the geographical scale – has been dispersed, and the proactive policies coming from the central government has became more ineffective. Regarding the case of the flood happened in 2009 in the Fiumedinisi-Capo Peloro hydraulic basin, in the northeastern part of Sicily, Italy, we propose an economic valuation – carried out by performing the method of the imputed preferences – in order to compare the expenses incurred by the public authorities responsible for protecting the territory to the costs of the rehabilitation of the damaged areas. Some considerations about the economic significance of the proactive policies for the arrangement of territory are addressed according to the role played by the social discount rate in the inter-temporal economic calculation.

The pandemic has accentuated the power that influencers have to influence their followers. Various scientific approaches highlight the lack of moral and ethical responsibility of these creators when disseminating content under highly sensitive tags such as health. This article presents a correlational statistical study of 443 Instagram accounts with more than one million followers belonging to health-related categories. This study aims to describe the content of these profiles and their authors and to determine whether they promote health as accounts that disseminate health-related content, identifying predictive factors of their content topics. In addition, it aims to portray their followers and establish correlations between the gender of the self-described health influencers, the characteristics of their audience and the messages that these prescribers share. Health promotion is not the predominant narrative among these influencers, who tend to promote beauty and normative bodies over health matters. A correlation is observed between posting health content, the gender of the influencers and the average age of their audiences. The study concludes with a discussion on the role of public media education and the improvement of ethical protocols on social networks to limit the impact of misleading and false content on sensitive topics, increasing the influence of real health prescribers.

Active ageing is defined as the process of optimizing opportunities for physical, social and mental health to enable older people to take an active part in society without discrimination and to enjoy an independent and good quality of life. The World Health Organization assumed this as a process for increasing and maintaining an individual’s participation in activities to enhance his/her quality of life. In this survey, the authors addressed the following question: “Is assistive technology (AT) for mobility contributing to enhancement of lifelong capacity and performance?”. From June 2015 until February 2016, 96 community dwelling adults, AT users for mobility (powered wheelchairs, manual wheelchairs, lower limb prostheses, walkers, crutches and canes), aged 45-97, mean 67.02 +/- 14.24 years old, 56.3% female, were interviewed using the Psychosocial Impact of Assistive Devices Scale (P-PIADS), the Activities and Participation Profile related to Mobility (APPM) and demographics, clinical and questions about AT use and training. The participants’ profiles revealed moderate limitation and restrictions in participation, measured by the APPM (2.03). Most participants showed positive impact of AT; average scores obtained from the P-PIADS subscales were: Self-esteem 0.62, Competency 1.11 and Adaptability 1.10. P-PIADS total was 0.96, with the powered wheelchair users scoring the highest (1.53) and the walker users scoring the lowest (0.73). All subscales and P-PIADS total were positively correlated with the activities and participation profile. There was no relation between age and the psychosocial impact of AT or activities and participation profile. These results encourage the authors to follow these participants up for a lifelong intervention. To accomplish that aim, currently, the protocol is implemented at the AT prescribing centers in Coimbra, Portugal in order to assess the impact of AT on participation in society, one of the domains of the Active Ageing Index, a new analytical tool to help policy makers in developing policies for active and healthy ageing.

Neurotrophins play a principal role in neuronal survival and differentiation during development, but also in the maintenance of appropriate adult neuronal circuits and phenotypes. In the oculomotor system, we have demonstrated that neurotrophins are key regulators of developing and adult neuronal properties, but with peculiarities depending on each neurotrophin. For instance, the administration of NGF, BDNF or NT-3 protects neonatal extraocular motoneurons from cell death after axotomy, but only NGF and BDNF prevent the downregulation in ChAT. In the adult, in vivo recordings of axotomized extraocular motoneurons have demonstrated that the delivery of NGF, BDNF or NT-3 recovers different components of the firing discharge activity of these cells, with some particularities in the case of NGF. All neurotrophins have also synaptotrophic activity, although to different degrees. Accordingly, neurotrophins can restore the axotomy-induced alterations acting selectively on different properties of the motoneuron. In this review we summarize these evidences and discuss them in the context of other motor systems.

In the present study the synthesis of gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) loaded with methotrexate (MTX) has been carried out in order to obtain controlled size and monodispersed nanocarriers, around 20nm. Characterization study shows metallic AuNPs with MTX polydispersed on the surface. MTX is linked by a replacement of citrate by the MTX carboxyl group. The drug release profiles showed faster MTX release when it is conjugated, which leads to the best control of plasma concentration. Also, the enhanced release observed at pH 5 could take advantage of the pH gradients that exist in tumor microenvironments to achieve high local drug concentrations. AuNPs-MTX conjugates were tested by flow cytometry against lung (A-549) and colon (HTC-116) cancer cell lines. Results for A-549 showed a lighter dose-response effect than for colon cancer ones. This could be related to the presence of folate receptors in line HTC-116 on the contrary than line A-549, supporting the specific uptake of folate-conjugated AuNPs-MTX by folate receptor positive tumor cells. Conjugates exhibited considerably higher cytotoxic effects compared with the effects of equal doses of free MTX. Anexin V-PI test sustain as cell death mechanism apoptosis, which is normally disabled in cancer cells.

Modeling the reaction time required for the removal of chemical oxygen demand (COD) from wastewater is important because can be an indicator of harmful pollutants that may pose risks to human health.. Here, we evaluate the use of an inverse artificial neural network (ANNi) to optimize the removal of COD from aqueous herbicide solutions using sonophotocatalysis as the treatment process.. This algorithm takes the operating conditions as input and estimates the optimal reaction time to reach the required effluent COD. This model was validated by comparison with both experimental measurements and simulated analysis, resulting in low error (0.5%), high Pearson correlation (R2 = 0.9956), and short computing time (less than one minute). The results for the proposed methodology (ANNi-GAs) were efficient and attractive in a reasonable way providing a satisfactory picture of the relationships between the optimal input parameters. Such parameters control the degradation process of herbicides online and can be used to predict the behavior of COD removal, thus taking actions to reduce the impact of aqueous treatment with alazine and gesaprim herbicides on aquatic, soil biota, and human health. Therefore, this technique constitutes a promising framework for predicting the environmental impact of herbicides within a tolerable degree of error.

Batteries are called to be part of the electricity grid by providing ancillary services. Area regulation services seem to provide substantial revenues and profit. But Li-ion batteries are still too expensive to enter widely into this market. On the other hand, electric vehicle batteries are considered inappropriate for traction purposes when they reached a state of health of 80%. The reuse of these batteries offers affordable batteries for second life stationary applications. This study analyzes how batteries may provide services to a gas turbine cogeneration power plant and how long these batteries may last under different loads.

Based on the elasticity theory, this paper deals with the static analysis of a cracked double beam system in presence of a Winkler medium. The double-beam system is also supposed to be constrained at both ends by elastically flexible springs, with transverse and rotational stiffness. Using a variational formulation, the static governing equations are derived and solved by using analytical and numerical approaches. In the first approach, the closed-form solutions for the displacements functions are obtained based on the Euler-Bernoulli beam theory. In the second approach, the Cell-Discretization Method (CDM) is performed, according to which the two beams are reduced to a set of rigid bars linked together by means of elastic constraints, where the bending stiffness of the bars is concentrated. The resulting stiffness matrix is easily deduced, and the governing equations of the static problem can be immediately solved. A comparative analysis is performed in order to verify the accuracy and validity of the proposed method. This study focuses on the effect of various parameters including the crack depth and position, boundary conditions, elastic medium and slenderness. The validity of the proposed analysis is confirmed by comparing the present results with those obtained from the other approach. In particular, the results obtained by closed-form solution and Cell-discretization method (CDM) are compared by Finite element method (FEM). Accuracy of the results has been evaluated by making comparisons with the results in literature and reported in bibliography. It is demonstrated that the proposed algorithm provides a simple and powerful tool in dealing with the static analysis of a double-beam system. Finally, some concluding remarks are made.

Increased norepinephrine (NE) release from the sympathetic nerves during pregnancy in women or animal models, as occurs during stress, modifies the fetal environment and increases flow of NE to the fetus, programing the progeny and affecting its cardiovascular and metabolic function in adulthood. In the present work, gestating rats were exposed to stress during gestation and the female progeny was analyzed for heart and metabolic function. Pregnant Sprague–Dawley rats were exposed to cold stress (4 °C/3 h/day); rats’ female progeny were euthanized at 4, 20 and 60 days old and their hearts evaluated to determine the β-adrenergic receptor (βAR) mRNA, abundance and affinity to agonists and NE concentration. The in vivo response to glucose overload and the arterial pressure response to isoproterenol (ISO, 125 µg/kg weight/day/10 days) were monitored. Results: At 20 and 60 days old, stressed female progeny presented an increase in ventricular weight and no changes in the cardiac NE as compared with their age-matched controls. The β1AR mRNA in control rats decreased between 4 and 20 days of age, but stressed rats maintained 50% higher levels of mRNA as compared with their age-matched controls. This difference was also found in the protein abundance of β1AR. No differences were found at 60 days old. The β2AR mRNA levels were higher than in controls at both 4 and 20 days old, but not expressed in the amount of protein. An increase in the ratio of β1/β2 receptors was found at 20 days old but not at 60 days old. The displacement of 3H-dihydroalprenolol (DHA) from a membrane fraction with propranolol (β antagonist) showed decreased affinity (at 60 days old) but no changes in the βAR number. In vivo exposure to ISO induced a β-adrenergic overload and provoked death in 40% of stressed females by day 3 of ISO treatment. Regarding metabolic function, we found that stressed rats presented insulin resistance when adults. These data suggest permanent changes to the heart’s adrenergic response and metabolic function after rat progeny were stressed in the uterus.

The study proposes planning independent children's mobility through geoinformation technologies for listening to children. This research assumes that children’s values and expectations must be considered in city planning. A bibliographic review identifies 15 indicators which make spaces safe and attractive for children to circulate and play. Thematic maps of the indicators are prepared, integrated by Multicriteria Analysis by Weights of Evidence, according to the hierarchical importance of each variable. The definition of weights considers the opinion of children and technicians. Consultation with children is carried out by Mapping Volunteers (VGI), Consultation on Hierarchy, Geodesign of Ideas for the area and Artistic Workshop. In the technical study, the query applies the Delphi method. It uses the VGI – Volunteered Geographic Information – web-based platform, where children record places of topophilia and topophobia, while technicians map the presence of 15 indicators. The set of information is made available on a web-based platform of SDI – Spatial Data Infrastructure, in which there are resources for a Geodesign workshop when ideas for the area are elaborated through negotiation and co-creation. The product is a transformation design for the area through urban design and parameterisation of uses.

The broad bean plant contains L-DOPA, a compound that is essential for patients with Parkin-son’s disease. However, little has been reported on other broad bean compounds that have bene-ficial effects on health. The objective was to evaluate plants of four Mexican broad bean varieties to determine the content and yield of total phenolic compounds (TPC), total flavonoids (TF), and L-DOPA, as well as to analyze the flavonoid profile and antioxidant (AA) and anti-inflammatory (AANTI) activity in vitro. Broad bean seeds were sown in the field and plants were harvested 20 days after emergence. The analyses were performed with visible UV spectrophotometry and HPLC. The variety José María produced the highest yield of TPC (9.30 g m-2), TF (8.08 g m-2) and L-DOPA (5.64 g m-2) per unit of area. The highest yields per plant were obtained with the Rojita variety: TPC (0.25 g plant-1), TF (0.21 g plant-1) and L-DOPA (0.17 g plant-1). This variety also had the highest antioxidant (CI50= 87.68 µg mL-¹) and anti-inflammatory (CI50= 74.40 mg mL-1) activi-ty, which was attributed to the L-DOPA compounds and to rutin and isoorientins, respectively. The flavonoid profile revealed the presence of rutin and isoorientins, which had not been previ-ously detected in the broad bean plant.

Considering the current energy environment, both efficient and environmentally friendly solutions have to be developed for building construction. Bio-based building materials offer new perspectives through their insulating and natural humidity regulation capacities. Nevertheless, these materials are as complex as they are promising and grey areas still remain regarding their behavior. Their water sorption and desorption curves recorded in experimental work demonstrate a hysteresis phenomenon and, although plausible hypotheses have been formulated in the literature, there is currently no consensus on its causes. Furthermore, it is important to emphasize that no reference considers the hydrophilic nature of the resource. Yet this is a specificity of raw material coming from the plant world. In this context, this paper explores the microstructure and chemical composition of plant aggregates to propose a new explanation for the hysteresis. It is based on recent work demonstrating the existence of differentiated hydrogen bonds between the water sorption and desorption phase in cellulose. Obviously, hysteresis also has an origin at the molecular scale. Lastly, the hypothesis put forward here is supported by the swelling of bio-based materials that has been observed at high relative humidity and this study aims to identify a link between the mechanical (swelling/shrinking) of bio-based materials and their hygroscopic behavior. This leads to a better understanding of the hydro-mechanical coupling of these materials.

Nurses experience significant stress and emotional exhaustion, leading to burnout and fatigue. This study assessed how the nurses’ mood and fatigue evolves during their shifts, and the lagged and accumulated factors that influence these phenomena. A two-level design with repeated measures was applied to a sample of 113 nurses, performing an ecological momentary assessment of different parameters and multilevel longitudinal two-level modelling of the data. Accordingly, mood appeared to be explained by effort, by the negative lagged effect of reward and by accumulated effort, each following a quadratic trend, and it was influenced by previously executing a direct care task. By contrast, fatigue was explained by the current and lagged effect of effort, by the lagged effect of reward and by accumulated effort, again following quadratic trends. Fatigue was also associated with direct care, and the prior effect of documentation and communication tasks. Mood was also explained by problem-focused and emotion-focused coping strategies, indicative of negative mood, and by support-seeking and refusal coping strategies. Hence, mood and fatigue do not depend on a single factor like workload but rather, on the evolution and distribution of tasks, as well as on the stress during a shift and how it is handled.

Petroselinum crispum (Mill.) Fuss (Apiaceae), popularly known as parsley, is a ubiquitous aromatic herb used for culinary and medicinal purposes worldwide. Besides the richness in nutrients, sev-eral bioactive secondary metabolites, especially the flavone apigenin and its glycosides, have been described in the species. Parsley has already been shown to have several health-promoting activi-ties, such as antithrombotic, antihypertensive, and hypolipidemic. The multiple studies conducted in animal models so far suggest the species is a potential source of cardioprotective agents. This review provides up to date information and perspectives on the potential of parsley and its bioac-tive compounds for the development of nutraceutical products and drugs for the promotion of cardiovascular health. It includes not only a discussion on reported bioactivities, but also the knowledge of supplements and food additives developed as innovative parsley-based products.

This work describes practical immunization of European sea bass (Dicentrarchus labrax) juveniles against viral nervous necrosis virus (VNNV), a betanodavirus causing worldwide mortalities in many fish species. Protection was obtained with the so called spinycterin vehicles consisting in irreversibly DNA-damaged DNA-repair-less E.coli displaying at their surface a downsized antigen. In this work we, i) maximized bacterial expression levels by downsizing the C protein to a fragment (frgC91-220) containing most of its antigenicity, ii) developed an scalable autoinduction bacterial media based in soy-bean increasing membrane display and reproducibility, iii) enriched surface expression by screening different anchors from several prokaryotic origins (anchor+frgC91-220), iv) preserved frgC91-220 antigenicity by inactivating bacteria by irreversible DNA-damage by means of Ciprofloxacin, and v) increased safety using a repair-less E.coli strain as spinycterin chassis. These second generation of spinycterins protected fish against VNNV challenge with partial (Nmistic+frgC91-220) or 100 % (YBEL+frgC91-220 ) protection, in contrast to those fish immunized with frgC91-220 spinycterins. The proposed spinycterin platform has high levels of environmental safety and cost effectiveness, thus providing potential for small fish vaccines for sustainable aquaculture.

Historically, Physalis physalis massive stranding events have been infrequent and poorly documented. However, their occurrence can have significant impacts on human health and the stability of coastal ecosystems. In this study we analyze the largest P. physalis stranding event historically recorded affected Cuba’s northwestern coast in December 2022. We counted all colonies during the massive event along ~ 3 km coast, within a 5 m stripe. Density, dimorphic form (left/right-handed), and colony size were quantified using 0.25 m2 quadrat placed every 50 m, 10 m from shoreline. Eighty-five people were stung, with 38 having strong allergic reactions, resulting in a health risk. Over ten thousand colonies were recorded, with the highest mean colony density (29.3 per m2) ever reported. The massive stranding coincided with the lowest Arctic Oscillation index (-2.59) in the past 11 years during December, likely linked to climate change. This led to the emergence of northeasterly winds reaching speeds of up to 24 km/h. Wind direction and speed, coupled with the dominance of left-handed colonies (71.4%), suggest the Sargasso Sea as the possible source of the bloom. The high prevalence of juvenile P. physalis colonies (68 %) likely aligns with the autumn breeding season in the northern hemisphere. The potential causes of P. physalis blooms are still poorly understood. Systematic monitoring of the distribution and abundance of this species should be a research priority considering the potential risk to human health and that the blooms could become more frequent and affect other areas in the Atlantic, given climate change and increasing eutrophication of the oceans.

The understanding of the issues that affect the training of information professionals requires reflection on the impact of Digital Information and Communication Technologies in the current working world, characterized by the rupture of the notion of space / time and the crossing of jurisdictions and professional boundaries, where dilemmas pedagogies to qualify these professionals considering future perspectives. It was based on the assumption that "studies of graduates" are subsidies for the evaluation of the educational system in face of the demands of in the labor market, helping in the progression of the researches in information, education and work. The objective was to map the results obtained in the studies of graduates promoted in the postgraduate and undergraduate courses in Information Science and Librarianship to verify if the demands pointed out in the surveys with graduates are in line with the studies of Education and Training, the orientations of the National Curricular Guidelines (DCN) and the regulatory actions of the Federal Library Board (CFB). The sample consisted of 45 studies published in CI journals on their associated areas, in the Brazilian context, from 2000 to 2018, of which only 10 articles related to the Library Sciences were considered for the qualitative analysis of this initial phase. to enable a comparative analysis between the proposals of the DCN, the critical analysis of the academic area of ​​CI in the studies on education and professional formation (pedagogical projects and curricula) and the orientations of the class councils. The results were categorized according to the reflection of the graduates about their education, the experience of education, vision about professional practice and the labor market; and followed the structure of the DCN axes: profile; skills and abilities; curricular contents, internships and complementary activities; course structure and institutional evaluation. Prevalence of studies on the identification of graduates (gender, age group, employment and work place) was predominant; few focused on salary aspects; and there were no questions about cultural habits or perceptions about changes in the world of work. Results on issues related to job placement and employability have indicated the need to expand the range of possibilities that go beyond traditional information units and the importance of internships for understanding new virtual work spaces. The dimension of the academic formation was evaluated questioning the compatibility of the disciplines with the demands of the labor market and the satisfaction of the graduates with the course and profession, being indicated as more important contents for the professional life the more technical disciplines and that characterize the course of Librarianship, complemented by those related to management; and with less relevance to the language subjects; marketing; statistic; information and information technology, as opposed to the flexibility proposed by the DCN, adopted after 2002. It is concluded that the process has been guided by isolated initiatives, and that the collective debate involving university and the professional world lacks actions for the construction of dialogue, which may result in the definition of pedagogical and curricular projects suited to the demands of graduates in their regions of origin and demands of the world of work.

Many approaches have been developed over time to counter the bioavailability limitations of poorly soluble drugs. With advances in nanotechnology in recent decades, science and industry have been approaching this issue through the formulation of drugs as nanocrystals, which consist of pure drugs and a minimum of surface active agents required for stabilization. They are carrier-free submicron colloidal drug delivery systems with a mean particle size in the nanometer range, typically between 10 and 800 nm. By reducing particle size to nanoscale, the particle surface area available for the molecule dissolution in the direction of dissolution medium is increased, and thus bioavailability is enhanced. This approach has proven successful, as demonstrated by the number of such drug products on the market. R&D and industry have offered many technological solutions to reduce the particle size to nanoscale, and also devised solutions for the handling of particle of nanodimensions, such as methods to accurately measure nanoparticle size and techniques to prevent physicochemical and stability related problems, such as aggregation. The present work provides an overview of the more recent achievements in improving the bioavailability of poorly soluble drugs according to their administration route, and describes the methods developed to overcome physicochemical and stability related problems.

The genome of the Bacillus thuringiensis BM311.1 strain was sequenced and assembled in 359 contigs containing a total of 6,390,221 bp. The plasmidic ORF of a putative cry gene from this strain was identified as a potential novel Cry protein of 1138 amino acid residues with a 98% identity respect to Cry7Aa1 protein and a predicted molecular mass of 129.4 kDa. The primary structure of this Cry7Aa2 protein, which revealed the presence of eight conserved blocks and the classical structure of three domains, differed in 28 amino acid residues from that of Cry7Aa1. The cry7Aa2 gene was amplified by PCR and then expressed in the acrystalliferous strain BMB171. SDS-PAGE analysis confirmed the predicted molecular mass for the Cry7Aa2 protein and revealed that, after in vitro trypsin incubation, it was degraded to a toxin of 62 kDa. However, when treated with digestive fluids from Leptinotarsa decemlineata larvae two proteinase-resistant fragments of 60 and 65 kDa were produced. Spore and crystal mixture produced by the wild-type BM311.1 strain against L. decemlineata neonate larvae resulted in a LC₅₀ (18.8 μg/ml), which was statistically equal to the estimated LC₅₀ (20.8 μg/mL) for the recombinant BMB17-Cry7Aa2 strain. In addition, when this novel toxin was activated in vitro with commercial trypsin, the LC₅₀ value was reduced 4 times approximately (LC₅₀ = 4.9 μg/mL). The advantages of Cry7Aa2 protoxin compared to Cry7Aa1 protoxin when used in the control of insect pests are discussed.

Gender has been a rarely addressed aspect in digital game-based learning (DGBL). Likewise, mixed results have been presented regarding the effects according to gender and the conditions that generate these effects. The present work studies the effects of a drill-and-practice mathe-matical game on primary students. The study focused on an analysis by gender, measuring learning performance, and motivation in the practice activity. Also, two instructional mechanics were considered regarding the question answering, a multiple-try (MTF) and a single-try (STF) condition, to search for possible differences. A total of 81 students from 4 courses and 2 schools participated in the experiment. The study's main findings were that: (a) the girls outperformed boys in terms of students' learning gains, (b) girls presented lower levels of competence and autonomy than boys, (c) in the MTF, girls presented lower levels of autonomy but no differences in competence contrasted to boys, (d) in the STF, girls presented lower levels of competence but no differences in autonomy against boys, and (e) no differences existed in interest, effort and value among gender overall o per instructional condition. This study enhances the knowledge of gender differences under diverse instructional settings, in particular providing insights into possible differences by gender when varying the number of attempts provided to students.

The protection and regulation of international trade of Australia’s native species is legislated by its Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act of 1999. In response to overwhelming evidence that the Act is ineffective at protecting biodiversity, the Australian Government is currently reforming its environmental laws. One problematic component of the Act is in cases where threatened species interact with multiple regulatory and management frameworks, such as commercially fished marine species that are traded as seafood. Here, we analyzed international seafood trade data and found that Australia exports four threatened fish species listed under the Act and additional species acknowledged as globally threatened. In light of our analysis, we have three recommendations for Australia’s new environmental legislation: 1) apply the same precautions to commercially harvested species as to other threatened species; 2) review the status of all threatened species annually; and 3) assess species listed on global conservation conventions. These recommendations will help ensure that Australia’s marine biodiversity is protected, despite its commercial value.

Background: The interruption of the activity of the population-based organized colorectal cancer (CRC) screening programs due to the COVID pandemic may have affected their results in terms of detection of preneoplastic lesions and CRC. We evaluated the impact of the COVID pandemic on the delays, participation, adherence to colonoscopies, lesions detected, and CRC stage at di-agnosis in a CRC screening program. Methods: We analyzed all the invitations between January 1, 2019, and December 31, 2021. We defined the pandemic period as the period after March 12, 2020. We calculated the delay intervals (successive and all rounds), the rates of participation, adherence to colonoscopy after a positive fecal immunochemical test (FIT), and the diagnostic yield of colonoscopy, specifically CRC and colorectal neoplasia (CRC and/or adenoma), as well as CRC stage at diagnosis. Results: In the period analyzed, 976,187 invitations were sent (61.0% pandemic), 439,687 FIT were returned (62.4% pandemic) and 23,092 colonoscopies were performed (59.1% pandemic). Colon-oscopies were normal in 7,378 subjects (32.4%) and a CRC was detected in 916 subjects (4.0%). In successive rounds, the delay increased significantly seven months during the pandemic period (p<0.001). In all the invitations, the delay from the invitation to the colonoscopy increased sig-nificantly by 8 days (p<0.001). Once adjusted for the confounding variables, participation in the screening program increased significantly (OR=1.1; 95% CI=1.09-1.11), with no changes in the adherence to colonoscopy (OR=0.9; 95% CI=0.8-1.0). We found no differences in the diagnostic yield of colonoscopy in terms of CRC (OR=0.90; 95% CI=0.78-1.02) or colorectal neoplasia (OR=0.98; 95% CI=0.92-1.03) detection. Finally, we found no differences in CRC stage at diagnosis (p=0.2). Conclusions: Although the interruption of the CRC screening program due to the COVID pan-demic increased the delays, it did not reduce participation, adherence to colonoscopy, or the di-agnostic yield of colonoscopy.

To date, the impact of COVID-19 vaccination on formerly menstruating women remains unknown. For this reason, a retrospective observational cross-sectional study was conducted (N= 548) using an online survey. General characteristics, medical history, and adverse events following COVID-19 vaccination were recorded. In comparison with the first dose, significantly higher percentages of respondents experienced menstrual-related disturbances (dose 1: 38.5% vs. dose 2: 44.8%; McNemar=9.15; mid P-value=0.002), as well as the simultaneous occurrence of two or more of these symptoms (dose 1: 11.2% vs. dose 2: 15.3%; McNemar=13.53; mid P-value=0.044) after receiving the second one. Among them, those related with the length and flow stand out, being of long-term nature in about 17-20% of cases. Interindividual factors influencing this unexpected event after receiving the dose 1 may include weight (AOR 1.02, CI 95% 1.01–1.03, P&lt;.001), perimenopause (AOR 2.28, CI 95% 1.37–3.77, P=.001), pre-existing diagnoses of non-autoimmune rheumatic/articular conditions (AOR 0.31, CI 95% 0.10–1.00, P=0.05), hormonal contraceptive use (AOR 0.25, CI 95% 0.07-0.82, P=0.02), suffering from other vaccine side effects − such as arm pain (AOR 0.61, CI 95% 0.39–0.95, P=0.03), headache (AOR 0.53, CI 95% 0.35 – 0.80, P=.003), swollen glands (AOR 0.29, CI 95% 0.15 – 0.60, P=.001) and nauseas (AOR 0.35, CI 95% 0.14 – 0.86, P=0.02) – and the number of previous pregnancies (AOR 2.70, CI 95% 1.54 – 4.76, P=.001). Formerly menstruating women may experience long-term menstrual-related disturbances following COVID-19 vaccination.

Glial cell line-derived neurotrophic factor GDNF is among the strongest dopamine neuron function and survival promoting factors known. Due to this reason, it has clinical relevance in dopamine disorders such as Parkinson’s disease and Schizophrenia. In the striatum, GDNF is exclusively expressed in interneurons which make up only about 0.6% of striatal cells. Despite clinical significance, histological analysis of striatal GDNF system arborization and relevance to incoming dopamine axons, which bear its receptor RET, has remained enigmatic. This is mainly due to the lack of antibodies able to visualize GDNF and RET positive cellular processes; here we overcome this problem by using knock-in marker alleles. We find that GDNF neurons chemoattract RET+ axons at least 7 times longer in distance than medium spiny neurons (MSNs), which make up 95% of striatal neurons. Furthermore, we provide evidence that tyrosine hydroxylase, the rate limiting enzyme in dopamine synthesis, is enriched towards GDNF neurons in the dopamine axons. Finally, we find that GDNF neuron arborizations occupy approximately twelve times less striatal volume than 135 times more abundant MSNs. Collectively, our results improve our understanding of how endogenous GDNF affects striatal dopamine system function.

Temporomandibular joint disorders (TMD) are characterized by their multifactorial etiology and pathogenesis. A 3-year prospective study was conducted in a Portuguese TMD department to study the prevalence of different TMD signs and symptoms and their association with risk factors and comorbidities. Five hundred ninety-five patients were included using an online database: EUROTMJ. Most patients were female (80.50 %), with a mean age of 38.20±15.73 years. The main complaints were temporomandibular joint (TMJ) clicking (13.26%), pain (12.49%), and masticatory muscle tension (12.15%). The main clinical findings were myalgia (74%), TMJ clicking (60-62%) and arthralgia (31-36%). Risk factors such as clenching (60%) and bruxism (30%) were positively associated with TMJ pain and myalgia. Orthodontic treatment (20%) and wisdom tooth removal (19%) were positively associated with TMJ clicking, while jaw trauma (6%) tracheal intubation (4%) and orthognathic surgery (1%) were positively associated with TMJ crepitus, limited man-dibular range of motion and TMJ pain, respectively. 42.88% of TMD patients had other associated chronic diseases, most of them were mental behavioral or neurodevelopmental disorders (33.76%), namely, anxiety (20%) and depression (13%). The authors also observed a positively association of mental disorders with the degree of TMJ pain and myalgia. Online database seems to be a relevant scientific instrument for healthcare providers who treat TMD. The authors expect that EUROTMJ database can serve as a milestone for other TMD departments.

The current study aimed to examine the relationship between demographic variables within the family context and parenting behaviors among adolescent mothers (including affection, responsiveness, encouragement, and teaching). These factors were correlated with communication, problem-solving abilities, and personal-social development in typically developing infants. The study included a sample of 79 Chilean adolescent mother-child dyads with children aged 10 to 24 months. Communication, problem-solving, and personal-social development were assessed using the Ages and Stages Questionnaire-3, along with a demographic information questionnaire. Parenting behaviors (affection, responsiveness, encouragement, and teaching) were observed using the Spanish version of Parenting Interactions with Children: Checklist of Observations Linked to Outcomes. The findings indicated that employed mothers and those who had not dropped out of school had children with better problem-solving skills. Additionally, children residing with their fathers and female children exhibited superior performance in communication, problem-solving, and personal-social development. Maternal responsiveness was associated with communication and problem-solving, while maternal encouragement was linked to improved problem-solving skills. Maternal teaching was connected to communication, problem-solving, and personal-social development. The study emphasized the significance of parenting and sociodemographic factors among adolescent mothers in influencing their children's development.

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.

Interactive Planning Support Systems (PSS) implemented on a maptable are deemed suitable to support participatory planning processes. Through their interactive nature and user-friendly interface they are supposed to facilitate exchange of knowledge between stakeholders, consensus building among them, group learning processes, and thereby strengthen participation. We analyze in this systematic review, based on 16 case studies using interactive PSS, how such PSS have contributed to the goal of strengthening stakeholder participation. Results show that tools and applications have become more sophisticated in recent years and the goals of the studies changed from collaboratively designing interventions to observing and understanding how the application of such tools contributes to improved plan outcomes and group based learning. However, many case studies lack a proper framework and operationalization for investigating the impacts of the tools and applications on participation. Consequently, impacts on participation are assessed rather incidentally based on implicit assumptions and often no distinction is made between the different aspects of participation. In conclusion, further theoretical studies conceptualizing impacts of interactive PSS on participation are needed as well as empirical studies testing these impacts in real world case contexts with various groups of stakeholders.

Ruminal microorganisms play a pivotal role in cattle nutrition. The discovery of the main microbes responsible for enhancing the gain of weight in beef cattle might be used in therapeutic approaches to increase animal performance and cause less environmental damages. Here, we examined differences in bacterial and fungal composition of rumen samples of Braford heifers raised in a natural grassland from Pampa Biome in Brazil. We aimed to detect microbial patterns in the rumen that could be correlated with the gain of weight. 16S and ITS1 genes were amplified from ruminal samples and sequenced to identify the closest microbial relatives within the microbial communities. A predictive model based on microbes responsible for the gain of weight was build and further tested using the entire dataset. The model detected a set of microorganisms associated with animals in the high gain of weight group, including the bacterial taxa RFN20, Prevotella, Anaeroplasma and RF16 and the fungal taxa Aureobasidium, Cryptococcus, Sarocladium, Pleosporales and Tremellales. Most of these organisms have been correlated to the production of substances that improve the ruminal digestion process. These findings provide new insights about cattle nutrition and suggest the use of these microbes to improve beef cattle breeding.

This article presents a unique set of voltage and current data from a public building and acquired using a hybrid measurement solution that combines Python and Grafana. The transversal purpose consists of contributing to the community with a vision of the quality of the supply more oriented to the monitoring of the state of the network, providing a more realistic vision, which allows a better understanding, and the adoption of the best decisions to achieve the efficient energy management and thus optimize the operation and maintenance of power systems. The work focuses on higher order statistical estimators that, combined with exploratory data analysis techniques, improve the characterization of the shape of the stress signal. These techniques and data, together with the acquisition and monitoring system, present a unique combination in the line of low-cost measurement solutions. It also incorporates the underlying benefit of the contribution to industrial benchmarking. The paper also includes a computational comparison between Python and LabVIEW to elicit the performance of the measurement solution.

Mental health could worsen in children and adolescents with autism spectrum disorder during the Covid19 pandemic. In addition, their parents could be more at risk for an increase in anxiety and depression symptomatology. This study aims to understand the adaptation and the psychosocial well-being in a sample of 16 males aged 10-21 years old with Asperger syndrome after the quarantine for Covid19 when they return to school and partially to their activities in September 2020, The approach adopted is multi-informant with a battery of questionnaires on psychological health and adaptation given by a secure online web data Qualtrics both to adolescents and also to their parents. Paralleling matched peers with typically development were assessed adopting the same methodology. The results evidenced several difficulties in Asperger’s psychological health, especially in anxiety and socialization. Also adaptation is put in crisis, even if they reported a good comprehension and adoption of the behaviors anti-Covid19. Parents of children with Asperger reported similar psychological difficulties and general health than those of the group of children typically developing. Some clinical indications could be discussed for psychologists who follow children and adolescents with Asperger.

The conversion of native habitats into anthropogenic ones compromises the original composition and configuration of the landscapes, influencing ecological dynamics and affecting biodiversity. Increasingly, landscape ecology has shown that these effects can only be understood if accessed at adequate spatial scales, as the scale which landscape structure is evaluated influences species responses. Here, we investigated how three variables of landscape composition (proportion of forest, coffee crop and pasture) and two of configuration (number of fragments and mean nearest neighbor distance) interfere in the richness and composition of medium and large-sized mammals considering a multiscale approach. We recorded medium and large-sized mammal species in 13 landscapes with predominantly matrices of coffee and pasture in Minas Gerais, Brazil. Then, we built distance-based linear models to identify the scale of effect of each landscape variable for both response variables considering eight scales (from 250 m to 2000 m). Finally, we verified the influence of the landscape on the richness and composition of mammals, considering the landscape variables in their respective scales of effect. We found 67% of the probable species occurring in the region. The scales of effect varied among landscape variables probably due to the different variables affect different aspects of organisms' ecological requirements. The proportion of pasture in the landscape explained the variation in species richness, while the proportion of forest explained the variation in species composition. In addition, the proportion of pasture in the landscape had a positive influence on species richness, indicating that this matrix may favor the presence of generalist species of habitat and/or this result is due to the higher concentration of species in the fragments immersed in this matrix. These results suggest that considering different responses to biodiversity is important to understand different aspects of the landscape's influence on biodiversity. In addition, the composition of the landscape is fundamental for the perpetuation of species and, therefore, both forest cover and types of matrices in the landscape must be considered to improve species conservation strategies. Finally, generalizing a spatial scale can lead to misinterpretations about the influence of the landscape on biodiversity.

The petrographic and petrophysical characteristics of three varieties of ignimbrites used in the architectural heritage of Arequipa (southwest Peru) are analyzed. The modal classification QAFP and TAS diagram discriminate their dacitic nature. Mercury injection porometry revealed very high porosity: 46.5% for white and beige ignimbrites and 35.5% for the pink variety. Ignimbrites contain intrusions of vulcanodetrital fragments and vacuoles that influence their predominantly non-linear mechanical behavior. Results of water absorption by capillarity (C) and ultrasound pulse velocity (UPV) demonstrated a slight anisotropy for the beige variety and near isotropy for white and pink ignimbrites, which justify the randomness of the application of the ashlars in the masonry and in the selection of the faces to carve. Surfaces with hollows in the white and beige ignimbrites are the result of the erosion of the acicular pumice that fills the vacuoles.

The increase in arrivals of new forest pests highlights the need for effective phytosanitary legislation and measures. This paper introduces legislation targeted at prevention and management of potential introductions of forest pests and pathogens. A summary is given on plant health regulations on a global and regional level with detailed information on the situation in the European Union (EU). The current and new European legislation is discussed and a particular focus is given on eradication and contingency plans for Fusarium circinatum.

Acid proteins capable of nucleating Ca2+ and displaying aggregation capacity play key roles in the formation of calcium carbonate biominerals. EF-hands are among the largest Ca2+-binding motif in proteins. Gad m 1, an Atlantic cod β-parvalbumin isoform, is a monomeric EF-hand protein that acts as a Ca2+ buffer in fish muscle and is able to form amyloids under acidic conditions. Since nucleating Ca2+ protein have a propensity to form extended β-strand structures, we wondered whether amyloid assemblies of a protein containing refolded EF-hand motifs were able to influence the in vitro calcium carbonate crystallization. Here we have used the Gad m 1 chain as model to generate monomeric and amyloid assemblies and analyze their effect on in vitro calcite formation. We found that only amyloid assemblies alter calcite morphology.

Artificial Intelligence (AI) models are expected to have a great impact in the manufacturing industry, optimizing time and resource cost by enabling applications such as predictive maintenance (PM) of production machines. A necessary condition for this is the availability of high quality data collected as close as possible to the process in question. With the advent of 5G equipped multi sensor platforms (MSPs), high sampling rate data can be collected and transmitted for processing in real time. This poses a data security challenge, since this data may give valuable insight into confidential business information of companies. Federated learning (FL) enables the training of AI models with data from multiple sources without it leaving the shop floor, by utilizing distributed computing resources available on premise. This paper introduces an architecture of FL based on data collected from 5G MSPs for enabling PM in industrial environments and discusses its potential benefits and challenges.

Many buildings built before the energy performance regulations are in a situation of thermal discomfort and energy inefficiency. The creation of intelligent environments advances towards new opportunities, based on real-time monitoring and on the development of sensors and technologies. Furthermore, the standards for building automation and electronic systems enable interoperability and interconnection between control devices and systems. The application of soft computing has significantly improved the energy efficiency, however, requires prior assessment to design the automation functions. Temperature, humidity, air quality, occupancy and energy consumption are the most common measured parameters, but the relationship with other operational variables such as occupancy or some building states remains as a research challenge. This article presents a methodology to develop the automatization of an existing large public building. The methodology consists of three stages: 1. Assessment and diagnosis to set appropriate actions using EN ISO 52120-1. 2. EN 50090 for open communication networks, and EN ISO 52120-1 to assign the technical building management. 3. System control deploying of low-cost and low-consumption input and output devices. It has been proved that it is possible to effectively automate an obsolete building with a low cost, open source system that can be easily applied in other buildings.

In this paper we deal with the resolution of a fuzzy multiobjective programming problem using the level sets optimization. We compare it to other optimization strategies studied until now and we propose an algorithm to identify possible Pareto efficient optimal solutions.

This article has two objectives. Firstly, we will use the vector variational-like inequalities problems to achieve local approximate (weakly) efficient solutions of Vector Optimization Problem within the novel field of the Hadamard manifolds. Previously, we will introduce the concepts of generalized approximate geodesic convex functions and illustrate them with examples. We will see the minimum requirements under which critical points, solutions of Stampacchia and Minty weak variational-like inequalities and local approximate weakly efficient solutions can be identified, extending previous results from the literature for linear Euclidean spaces. Secondly, we will show an economical application, using again solutions of the variational problems to identify with Stackelberg equilibrium points on Hadamard manifolds and under geodesic convexity assumptions.

2017 was an excellent year in terms of new drugs (chemical entities and biologics) approved by the FDA, with a total of forty-six. In turn, one of the highlights was the number of peptides (six) included in this list. Here, the six peptides are analysed in terms of chemical structure, synthetic strategy used for their production, source, biological target, and mode of action.

Almond is worldwide consumed and renowned as a valuable healthy food. In spite of this, it is also a potent source of allergenic proteins able to trigger several mild to life-threatening immunoreactions. Food processing proved to alter biochemical characteristics of proteins, thus affecting the respective allergenicity. In this paper we investigated the effect of autoclaving, preceded or not by a hydration step, on the biochemical and immunological properties of almond proteins. Any variation in the stability and immunoreactivity of almond proteins extracted from the treated materials, were evaluated by total protein quantification, ELISA assay and protein profiling by electrophoresis-based separation (SDS-PAGE). The autoclaving alone was found to weakly affect almond proteins stability, despite what observed for the combination of hydration and autoclaving, which resulted in a loss of approximately 70% of total protein content compared to untreated sample, and in a final negligible immunoreactivity, as well. The final SDS-PAGE protein pattern recorded for almonds hydrated and autoclaved disclosed significant changes. In addition, the same samples were further submitted to in vitro simulated gastro-duodenal (GI) digestion to evaluate potential changes induced by these processing on allergens digestibility. Digestion products were identified by HPLC-HRMS/MS analysis followed by software-based data mining, and complementary information were provided by analyzing the proteolytic fragments lower that 6 kDa in size. The autoclave based treatment was found not to alter the allergens digestibility, whereas an increased susceptibility to proteolytic action of digestive enzymes was observed in almonds subjected to the combination of prehydration and autoclaving. Finally, the residual immunoreactivity of the GI resistant peptides was investigated in-silico by bioinformatic tools, confirming that by following both approaches, no epitopes survived the almond digestion, thus demonstrating the potential effectiveness of these treatments to reduce almond allergenicity.