Background: Variations in several clopidogrel-pharmacogenes have been linked to clopidogrel response variability and clinical outcomes. We aimed to determine the frequency distribution of major polymorphisms on CYP2C19, PON1, ABCB1 and P2RY12 pharmacogenes in Puerto Ricans. Methods: This was a cross-sectional, population-based study of 200 unrelated “Guthrie” cards specimens from newborns registered in the Puerto Rican Newborn Screening program (PRNSP) between 2004 and 2014. Taqman® SNP assay techniques were used for genotyping. Results: Minor Allele Frequencies (MAF) were 46% for PON1 (rs662), 41% for ABCB1 (rs1045642), 14% for CYP2C19*17, 13% for CYP2C19*2, 12% for P2RY12-H2 and 0.3% for CYP2C19*4. No carriers of the CYP2C19*3 variants were detected. All alleles and genotype proportions were found to be in Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium (HWE). Overall, there were no significant differences between MAFs of these variants in Puerto Ricans and the general population (n=453) of the 1,000 Genome project, except for the Yoruba in Ibadan from Nigeria (YRI, West-African ancestry; p<0.05). As expected, the prevalence of these markers in Puerto Ricans most resembled those in the 181 subjects from reference populations of the Americas. Conclusions: These prevalence data provide a necessary groundwork for future clinical studies of clopidogrel pharmacogenetics in Caribbean Hispanics.

In recent years, online social media information has been subject of study in several data science fields due to its impact on users as a communication and expression channel. Data~gathered from online platforms such as Twitter has the potential to facilitate research over social phenomena based on sentiment analysis, which usually employs Natural Language Processing and Machine Learning techniques to interpret sentimental tendencies related to users opinions and make predictions about real events. Cyber attacks are not isolated from opinion subjectivity on online social networks. Various security attacks are performed by hacker activists motivated by reactions from polemic social events. In this paper, a methodology for tracking social data that can trigger cyber attacks is developed. Our main contribution lies in the monthly prediction of tweets with content related to security attacks and the incidents detected based on ℓ1 regularization.

In recent years, online social networks have received important consideration in spatial modelling fields given the critical information that can be extracted from them for events in real time; one of the most latent issues is that regarding various natural disasters such as earthquakes. Although it is possible to retrieve data from these social networks with embedded geographic information provided by GPS, in many cases this is not possible. An alternative solution is to reconstruct specific locations using probabilistic language models, more specifically those based on Name Entity Recognition (NER), which extracts names from a user’s description about an event occurring in a specific place (e.g., a collapsed building on a specific avenue). In this work, we present a methodology to use twitter as a social sensor system for disasters. The methodology scores NER locations with a kernel density estimation function for different subtopics originating from a natural disaster and that maps them into a geographic space is proposed. The proposed methodology is evaluated with tweets related to the 2017 earthquake in Mexico.

The construction industry has a notable negative impact on the environment; thus, the promotion of the use of timber structures is an alternative to mitigate its effects. The research develops an artificial intelligence-based decision approach in the calculation of timber structures focused on the enhancement of the sustainability of roof structures. Based on the optimization carried out through genetic algorithms and the framework established in Eurocode 5, a general set of equations has been proposed for a laminated timber roof structure. The tool, which determines the most suitable roof structure for each strength class of laminated timber, allows for the determination of the dimensions of beams and purlins and their respective separations in order to minimize wood consumption. The ultimate goal is to offer multiple solutions regarding strength classes and structural designs in order to foster informed sustainable choices that promote efficient use of resources in construction.

It has been widely described that chronic intake of fructose causes metabolic alterations which can be associated with brain function impairment. In this study, we evaluated the effects of fructose intake on the sleep-wake cycle, locomotion and neurochemical parameters in Wistar rats. The experimental group was fed with 10% fructose in drinking water for five weeks. After treatment, metabolic indicators were quantified in blood. Electroencephalographic recordings were used to evaluate the sleep architecture and the spectral power of frequency bands. Likewise, the locomotor activity and the concentrations of orexin A and monoamines were estimated. Our results show that fructose diet significantly increased the blood levels of glucose, cholesterol, and triglycerides. Fructose modified the sleep-wake cycle of rats increasing the waking duration and conversely decreasing the non-rapid eye movement sleep. Furthermore, these effects were accompanied by increases of the spectral power at different frequency bands. Chronic consumption of fructose caused a slight increase in the locomotor activity as well as an increase of orexin-A and dopamine levels in the hypothalamus and brainstem. Specifically, immunoreactivity for orexin-A was increased in the ventral tegmental area after the intake of fructose. Our study suggests that fructose induces metabolic changes and stimulates the activity of orexinergic and dopaminergic neurons which may be responsible for alterations of the sleep-wake cycle.

During the pandemic, assisted reproductive treatments suffered from major disruptions in their terms due to the restrictions imposed. The objective of this study is to evaluate the level of anxiety of women whose treatments were either suspended or delayed. Methods: Descriptive cross-sectional study conducted between April and May 2020. The State-Trait Anxiety Inventory was applied in a Spanish adapted version. The research also included social, personal, and work aspects which may be involved in the challenging situation. Results: A total of 115 patients participated in the study (73.7%). Women showed a mean in trait anxiety of 17.79 (SD = 8.80) and a mean in state anxiety of 19.95 (SD = 9.08). Neither the type of treatment nor the time of infertility are predictors of trait anxiety or state anxiety. More age pressure and more worry were associated with more trait and state anxiety (p&lt;0.001). The most common emotional reactions to discontinuation of fertility treatments were sadness and anxiety. Conclusions: Discontinuation of fertility treatments due to confinement restrictions had a negative impact on the mental health of women who were following a process of assisted reproduction treatment, increasing their levels of emotional distress and anxiety.

The possibilities and reach of social networks are increasing, the designs are becoming more diverse, and the ideas more visionary. Most recently, the former company “Facebook” announced the creation of a metaverse. With these technical possibilities, however, the danger of fraudsters is also growing. Using social bots, consumers are increasingly influenced on such platforms and business transactions are brought about through communication, i.e. conversational commerce. Minors or the elderly are particularly susceptible. This technical development is accompanied by a legal one: it is permitted by the Digital Services Directive and the Sale of Goods Directive to demand the provision of data as consideration for the sale of digital products. This raises legal problems at the level of the law of obligations and data protection law, whose regulations are intended to protect the aforementioned groups of individuals. This protection becomes even more important the more manipulative consumers are influenced by communicative bots. We show that there is a lack of knowledge about what objective data value can have in business transactions. Sufficient transparency of an objective data value can maintain legal protection, especially of vulnerable groups, and ensure the purpose of the laws.

Waste heat dissipated in the exhaust system in a combustion engine represents a major source of energy to be recovered and converted into useful work. A waste heat recovery system (WHRS) based on an Organic Rankine Cycle (ORC) is a promising approach, and has gained interest in the last few years in an automotive industry interested in reducing fuel consumption and exhaust emissions. Understanding the thermodynamic response of the boiler employed in an ORC plays an important role in steam cycle performance prediction and control system design. The aim of this study is therefore to present a methodology to study these devices by means of pattern recognition with infrared thermography. In addition, the experimental test bench and its operating conditions are described. The methodology proposed identifies the wall coordinates, traces paths, and tracks wall temperature along them in a way that can be exported for subsequent post-processing and analysis. As for the results, through the wall temperature paths on both sides (exhaust gas and working fluid) it was possible to quantitatively estimate the temperature evolution along the boiler and, in particular, the beginning and end of evaporation.

Objectives: To assess the short-term impact of a single global stretching session on plantar pressures and lumbar range of motion (RoM) over one week in sedentary university students. Design: A randomised controlled trial with two parallel groups. Participants: Sixty-four university students were randomly assigned to a stretching group or control group. The stretching group received a single session of global stretching and the control group remained seated for the same length of time as the stretching session. Main outcome measures: Lumbar RoM and plantar pressures were assessed before, immediately after, 48 hours after, and 7 days after intervention. Results: Group-by-time interaction was significant for lumbar lateral flexion (p = 0.044), right maximal pressure (p = 0.003), left maximal pressure (p = 0.008), right mean pressure (p = 0.025), left mean pressure (p = 0.002), and maximal pressure minus mean pressure in right foot (p = 0.007). The model with plantar pressures showed a significant difference for group-by-time interaction (p = 0.010).Conclusion: Global stretching seems to counteract the ill-effects of prolonged sitting up to seven days with respect to plantar pressure in standing without improving lumbar ROM

The electrical, mechanical and thermal conductivity of ethylene butene copolymer (EBC) composites with carbon fibers were studied. EBC/carbon-fiber composites can be utilized as an electro-mechanical material which is capable of changing it electric resistance with mechanical strain. Carbon fibers were introduced to EBC with different concentrations (5-25 wt%). The results showed that the addition of carbon fibers to EBC could increase the electric resistance up to 10 times. Increasing the load to 2.9 MPa could increase the electric resistance change by 4500% compared 25% fiber sample with pure EBC. It is also noted that the electric resistance of the EBC/CF composites underwent a dramatic increase with raising the strain, for example, the resistance change was around 13 times more at 15% strain in comparison to 5% of strain; The thermal conductivity tests showed that the addition of carbon fibers could increase the thermal conductivity by 40%, from 0.19 to 0.27 (Wm-1K-1). It was also observed that the addition of carbon fibers to EBC could increase the thermal conductivity.

Immune disorders, characterized by dysregulation at cellular and inflammatory levels, result from a complex interplay of genetics and environmental factors that lead to an abnormal immune response against autoantigens, triggering tissue damage. Recent research highlights reactive antibodies as key players in autoimmune diseases and graft rejection, but the complexity of their determination limits their use in clinic. Hence, we studied the specific binding profile of serological antibodies against a panel of cellular membranes in order to determine whether this antigenic panel could be used to diagnose specific immune disorders in humans. For this purpose, cell membrane microarrays of spleen, liver, and kidney tissues of monkey, rat, and human were developed, and human sera were analyzed, including healthy controls, patients with autoimmune disorders, and kidney transplant patients. A significant increase in antibody reactivity against specific monkey kidney and spleen membranes was observed in the serum of patients with lupus nephritis, while kidney transplant patients showed a significant enhancement against human tissues and Human embryonic kidney 293 cells. These results show the potential importance for clinical and basic research purposes of studying the presence of specific IgG against membrane antigens in the serum of patients as potential biomarkers of immune disorders.

Demography and behavior of Teinopodagrion oscillans was studied in a protected area from Andean region. Adult damselflies were individually marked, and using their recapture histories we estimated survival, longevity, sex ratio, and population size using Cormack-Jolly-Seber models. Furthermore, aspects of their behaviour were recorded. Survival, recapture, and lifespan were similar for both sexes and all age groups. Mature males were larger and the distance from the water was similar for all individuals. The most supported model was the time-dependent model for survival and recapture (Phi(t) p(t)). This suggests that weather variations affect in a significant way the demography of this population. Individuals exhibited high fidelity to their site perch, perching with open wings near to water on a variety of perch. Mature males make short flights from the perch to intercept conspecific and interspecific males and to hunt prey. Tandem position was formed on macrophytes and then the pair flight away. Oviposition lasted for 11.23 minutes on average, with the females ovipositing by abdomen submersion. Our results offer insights on demographic characteristics and behaviour of this species, providing crucial information for short and long term conservation decisions of the biodiversity in ecosystems of the Andean region.

Pygeum africanum bark has been shown to inhibit the production of pro-inflammatory prostaglandins in the prostate and reduce the production of leukotrienes and other 5-lipoxygenase (5-LO) metabolites. It has been suggested that inflammation plays an important role in the pathophysiology of benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH). In clinical trials, P. africanum improved the symptoms and objective measures of BPH. This in vitro study aimed to assess the anti-inflammatory potential of a proprietary Pygeum bark standardized extract (Prunera®) on cytokine release by lipopolysaccharide-simulated human peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs). PBMCs were obtained from four donors and a bead-based assay (ProcartaPlex™ panel) was used for the detection and quantitation of cytokines. Pygeum africanum bark standardized extract (PABE) showed the following effects: IL-2 was lowered in all donors in absence of a clear dose–response relationship; IL-4, IL-5, IL-6, IL-9, and IL-13 levels were decreased in most donors; IL-22 levels seemed to be suppressed only for donor 4 at lower and medium concentrations; and IL-27 and levels of TNF-α decreased at all PABE concentrations in all donors. The anti-inflammatory effect of PABE supports the potential use of this natural compound in the management of BPH and other conditions in which pro-inflammatory cytokines are involved in their underlying pathophysiological mechanisms.

The COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in an unprecedented acceleration in scientific production across multiple disciplines. The vast number of publications available makes it challenging for healthcare professionals and researchers to keep up with the current state of knowledge regarding COVID-19. This article presents covid19-help.org, a free expert-curated database designed to increase the availability of relevant original data related to COVID-19 treatment and prevention via immunization. To accelerate the process of identifying relevant original scientific publications and to simplify annotation of their content, the database uses our artificial intelligence in medical literature (AIM.lit) tool. The article provides an overview of the covid19-help.org database design, the criteria used to select publications, and the use of the AIM.lit tool. The database allows users to easily search and filter records, provides concise information on individual substances and their mechanisms of action, lists relevant original scientific publications with annotations, and offers links to external resources. The AIM.lit tool increases the speed of publication selection and extraction of basic relevant information, without compromising the validity of the data. The technology and experience gained from creating the covid19-help.org database and its tools could also be useful in other areas where scientific information organization is a challenge.

In the whole world, including Mexico, the rising prevalence of diabetes poses significant challenges to healthcare systems, with a notable impact on hospital admissions even being an ambulatory care sensitive condition, that means, hospital admissions are avoidable. Traditional healthcare methodologies have been instrumental in managing diabetes and preventing complications, yet they often face limitations such as merging, cleansing, and outlier analysis of health data to identify and address diseases effectively. This paper aims to address this gap by conducting a comprehensive comparison of the methodologies used in healthcare and data science for this purpose. This work uses hospital diabetes discharge records from 2010 to 2023, a total of 36,665,793 records, which belong to medical units of the Ministry of Health of Mexico. In this work, we seek to provide the arguments why as a data scientist it is mandatory to learn the field of knowledge of the problem and its implications if this is not done, and therefore to disclose insights that can help in policy decisions and reduce the burden of avoidable hospitalizations. The approach is mainly based on the standardization or adjust rates by sex and age groups. This study provides the foundations for a new way of data scientist must deal with health data.

Wood is poised to become a material of choice for future construction. When appropriately managed, it is a renewable material with unique mechanical properties. Beyond its inherent sustainability, the use of wood has a crucial role in addressing climate change concerns due a significantly lower energy consumption and emissions during manufacturing and transportation, while simultaneously acting as a carbon sink. Thus, there has been a growing demand for hardwoods for structural applications, including Castanea sativa Mill., the focal point of this investigation. Albeit in a limited capacity, Eurocode 5-2 offers friction coefficients for softwoods, but it falls short for hardwoods which it is a gap to bridge with this research. These coefficients play a critical role in numerical simulations involving friction, enabling the optimization of joints and, by extension, the overall structural integrity. Test samples were evaluated at 18% moisture content, which is typical of Service Class 2, for various orientations of timber-to-timber and timber-to-steel friction. Considering previous friction coefficients at 12% moisture content, the linear variation was evaluated at an intermediate value of 15%. The results provide an experimental database for numerical simulations and highlight the influence of moisture content on the coefficients, which increase linearly along moisture percentages.

The use of different sources to energize a load is convenient in many applications, particularly those where two or more renewable energy sources are employed as: energy harvesting, hybrid vehicles, and off-grid systems. In these cases, a multi-input converter able to admit sources with different characteristics and, if necessary, select the output power of each source. Several topologies of multi-input converters have been proposed to this aim, however, most of them are based on multi-stage designs, which decreases efficiency and increases control complexity, particularly when more than two sources are used. In this work, a three-input step-up converter easy to control in open loop condition is analyzed. A designed procedure is described, and experimental results are presented for a 1 kW power converter. The implemented converter results in a higher voltage gain, less storage element keeping high efficiency compared to similar topologies. Using the procedure here proposed, this converter that was initially proposed for photovoltaic applications is enabled to be used in medium and high-power applications, for example when renewable energy sources are used.

High efficacy LED lamps combined with adaptive lighting control and greenhouse integrated photovoltaics (PV) could enable the concept of year-round cultivation and become a feasible option even in the harsh climate of the Nordic countries. Meteorological satellite data of this region was analyzed in a parametric study to evaluate the potential of these technologies. The generated maps showed monthly average temperatures fluctuating from -20°C to 20°C throughout the year. The natural photoperiod and light intensity also changed drastically, resulting in monthly average daily light integral (DLI) levels ranging from 45-50 mol·m-2·d-1 in summer and contrasting with 0-5 mol·m-2·d-1 during winter. To compensate, growth room cultivation independent from outdoor conditions could be used in winter. Depending on the efficacy of the lamps, the electricity required for sole-source lighting at 300 µmol·m-2·s-1 for 16 hours would be between 1.4 and 2.4 kWh·m-2·d-1. Greenhouses with supplementary lighting could help start the cultivation earlier in spring and extend it further into autumn. The energy required for lighting highly depends on several factors such as the natural light transmittance, the light threshold settings and the lighting control protocol, resulting in electric demands between 0.6 and 2.4 kWh·m-2·d-1. Integrating PV on the roof or wall structures of the greenhouse could offset some of this electricity, with specific energy yields ranging from 400 to 1120 kWh·kWp-2·yr-1 depending on the region and system design.

Drawing on contextualization literature, this paper seeks to evaluate the impact of contextual theology from a Latin American perspective. Bevans' (2002) Praxis Model of contextual theology sets the conceptual framework used to evaluate the evangelical response to the sociopolitical crisis in Nicaragua. The case study provides an example of how Bevans’ Praxis Model can be applied by looking at the manner with which the evangelical and the catholic church have responded to the sociopolitical upheaval in Nicaragua. The literature on contextualization highlights how theologizing is inextricably tied to culture, that contextual theology is necessary to effectively communicate the truth of the Gospel in varying cultural contexts, and that the issues of syncretism and the plurality of theologies can be effectively addressed.

The effects of octadecylamide of alginic acid (amidated alginate) and tetrahydrolipstatin on serum and hepatic cholesterol, and the faecal output of fat and sterols were compared in rats. Amidated alginate is a sorbent of lipids, tetrahydrolipstatin is inhibitor of pancreatic lipase. Rats were fed diets containing cholesterol and palm fat at 10 and 70 g/kg, respectively. Palm fat was provided by coconut meal. Amidated alginate at 40 g/kg diet significantly decreased serum total cholesterol, LDL and hepatic cholesterol, hepatic lipids, and increased faecal output of fat and coprostanol. Tetrahydrolipstatin at 300 mg/kg diet significantly decreased LDL cholesterol, hepatic lipids and increased faecal output of fat. The intake of feed was not significantly influenced, however the weight gains in rats fed amidated alginate was lower than in rats of the control group. Both amidated alginate and tetrahydrolipstatin modified fatty acid profile in excreta lipids. Concentrations of saturated fatty acids were decreased and that of unsaturated fatty acids were increased. Despite different mode of action, amidated alginate and tetrahydrolipstatin were equally efficient in the removing dietary fat from the body.

Conventional academic debate on sustainability and transformation has begun to be disputed by researchers, policymakers and other stakeholders from the private sector. The complexity of linking sustainability with transformation necessitates the development of new ways of understanding and explaining actors, processes, issues, structures, and outcomes related to transformation to sustainability (T2S). A persistent problem in understanding and managing the T2S is the implied notion of a monolithic transformation to achieve sustainability. This notion underestimates the diversity of actors as well as the historical contexts of transformations. At the same time, achieving T2S is highly dependent on technical solutions as well as policies that can stir needed behavioural change, whereas these technical solutions and policies are not always socially acceptable or politically implementable. Therefore, achieving T2S also calls for evaluating normative foundations of policies and actions needed to advance T2S. This article argues that T2S is composed of different phases, each of which having a different set of actors, resources and audience. This article explains how collective decision can be achieved through multiple levels and types of negotiations that occur in an orchestrated manner. To understand this, this article introduces a theoretical model as an analytical framework to structure how T2S unfolds. This model uses insights from negotiation studies to focus on the actors’ perspectives on T2S. It proposes the division of the transformation process into phases – entry point, learning, sequencing, disrupting and fortifying. Using the Germany’s energy transition (Energiewende), each of these phases is analysed to determine the “quality” of cooperation that can help fulfil the tasks required to master the so-called “cognitive games” of T2S (ripeness game, power game, bargaining game, policy game, scaling game). Moreover, insights are presented to explain how the designated milestone can be achieved that indicates the advancing to the next phase and eventually entrench the transformation process. The lessons and findings resulting from the analysis of the phases of T2S suggest that there is also the need to revisit underlying assumptions on negotiations, sustainability and transformation.

Cancer remains as a worldwide cause of death. Investigational research efforts have included the administration of tumors-derived extracts to healthy animals. Having previously demonstrated that administration of non-transmissible, human cancers-derived homogenates induced malignant tumors in mice; we examined here the consequences of administering 50 or 100 µg of protein of crude homogenates from samples of mammary carcinoma, pancreatic adenocarcinoma, and melanoma. The protocol conceived six inoculations per week during three months. Concurrent control group received homogenates of healthy donor skin cosmetic surgery fragments. Mammary carcinoma homogenate administration did not provoke animals’ deterioration or mortality. Multiple foci of lung adenocarcinomas with broad expression of malignity histomarkers, coexisting with small cell-like carcinomas were found. Disseminated cells, positive to classic epithelial markers were detected in lymphoid nodes. Pancreas tumor and melanoma homogenates administrations severely deteriorated animals’ health. Pancreas tumor induced lung poorly-differentiated adenocarcinomas, as a remarkable pancreatic islets hyperplasia. Melanoma affected lungs with atypical adenomatous hyperplasia and solid pseudopapillary adenocarcinoma. Giant atypical hepatocytes with variegated nuclei were also observed. Kidney parenchyma exhibited dispersed foci of neoplastic cells within a desmoplastic matrix. A noticeable nuclear overlapping with hyperchromatic nuclei, mitotic figures, and prominent nuclear atypia was identified in epidermal cells. None of these changes were ever detected in any mouse of the control groups. This study confirms and extends our hypothesis that tumor homogenates contain and may act as a vector for “malignancy drivers”, which ultimately implement a carcinogenesis process in otherwise healthy mice.

With the onset of the COVID19 pandemic, information technology has played a critical role in healthcare. A broad spectrum of information technology tools and applications played an essential role to create awareness of the COVID19 vaccination drive and its health benefits. We use the COVID-19 Global Beliefs, Behaviors, and Norms Survey for analysis of prevalence and factors associated with vaccination drives among men and women aged 20-80 years in 60 countries worldwide. Our analysis of the global survey offers a unique perspective about the role of information technology associated with vaccination drives involving social norms and human behavior among 437,236 respondents. The international survey was organized using a pre-registered randomized experiment demonstrating the role of technology in reaching out to people based in diverse communities and evaluating their beliefs, behavior, and social norms. The study shows that vaccine acceptance can vary due to descriptive norms. Our analysis shows 65.06% of people all over the globe are willing to get vaccinated and a large proportion of the population thinks that the COVID19 pandemic is a viable threat to the community and preventive measures need to be taken including vaccination drives.

The main purpose of this work is to contribute to understanding the mechanism of oxidation of the polymeric components of common disposable masks used during the COVID-19 pandemic to offer the chemical basis to predict their long-term behaviour under typical environmental conditions. Artificial ageing of representative mask layers under isothermal conditions (110℃) or accelerated photoageing showed that all the PP-made components underwent a fast oxidation process, following the typical hydrocarbon oxidation mechanism. In particular, yellowing and the melting temperature drop are early indicators of their diffusion-limited oxidation. Morphology changes also induced a loss of mechanical properties, observable as embrittlement of the fabric fibres. Results were validated through preliminary outdoor ageing of masks, which allows us to predict they will suffer fast and extensive oxidation only in the case of contemporary exposure to sunlight and relatively high environmental temperature, leading to their extensive breakdown in the form of microfiber fragments, i.e., microplastics.

A project-based module on Sustainable Development Goal number 5, Gender Equality, was im-plemented on 5 different groups of Business English students consisting of a total number of 62 students in higher education. The main purpose of this project was to raise awareness of this goal by means of a flipped method in which students were required to carry out some research on specific areas of the aforementioned goal and work in teams to elaborate oral presentations. Once their findings were shared in class, students were expected to answer a written questionnaire of open-ended questions which were part of a qualitative analysis. Results of this survey showed that not only 90% of the students gained in depth knowledge of this goal, but also 85% had built a positive attitude to take initiative and 80% were optimistic about future gender equality. Finally, 70% of students suggested further social action to curb the problem of gender discrimination. On the whole, the flipped classroom method of learning combined with project-based group work have proven to be an effective way to raise awareness of this goal, create a more positive attitude, in-crease their willingness to take action as well as widening their English lexical resources.

Marker-assisted selection (MAS) and genomic selection (GS) have been used to select individuals with desirable traits. MAS used a few markers associated with a specific trait to select individuals with desirable traits, which are determined after a Genome-wide association studies (GWAS). On the contrary, GS uses a large number of markers distributed across the genome to predict the genomic breeding values for a further selection of the individuals. In general, MAS has shown a high prediction accuracy but is not suitable for traits that are controlled for multiple genes, and has another constraint, it is required the phenotypic data; on the contrary, GS has not shown the highest prediction accuracy as MAS but it takes into account the effect of multiple genes controlling a target trait and it can be used without phenotypic data. Including GWAS-selected markers in GS can enhance the reduced prediction accuracy that GS shows in comparison with MAS. Thus, the objective of this study was to compare the prediction accuracy of MAS, and some models of genomic prediction (gBLUP, gBLUP including GWAs-selected markers, and some Bayesian models such as Bayes A, Bayes B, Bayes LASSO and Bayesian Ridge Regression) with GWAS-selected markers incorporated in gBLUP in order to confirm if the incorporation of GWAS in GS increases the prediction accuracy of GS. As a model for this study, it was used data from Sorghum which has shown population structure, to evaluate if the incorporation of GWAs-selected markers into GS improves prediciton accuracy. It was used a sample of 6000 SNPs out of the 265.487 reported in the study conducted by Morris et al (2013), and also it was considered some parameters that affect the efficiency of the selection such as the size of the training population, the heritability, and the number of QTNs. The GWAS-selected SNPs were identified after using the model BLINK. The results showed that the incorporation of GWAS-selected markers enhanced the performance of the genomic selection with similar prediction accuracy as MAS, the number of QTNs and size of the training population affected the accuracy, with higher accuracy with a bigger size of the training population and with a lower number of QTNs, but it seems that the heritability does not have any impact in the model where GWAS-selected SNPs were included in gBLUP.

This work discusses the relationship between foreign direct investment (FDI) and pollution in Spain using an autoregressive distributed lag regression model (ARDL) from 1961 to 2018. The authors apply the theoretical context of pollution haven/halo and conclude that FDI in Spain does not contribute to the transfer of green technologies for cleaner production, despite being included within the European environmental regulatory framework. The authors also verify the adequacy of the environmental Kuznets curve (EKC) and the Load Capacity Curve hypothesis (LCC) in the Spanish environmental context and find that income per capita has a positive effect on environmental sustainability and quality. In this sense, the further development of an efficient renewable energy infrastructure could efficiently drive to a better standards all pollution indexes in Spain, including nuclear energy production, contributing the emissions neutrality aimed by the EU by 2050.

Proteins and DNA exhibit key physical chemical properties that make them advantageous for building nanostructures with outstanding features. Both DNA and protein nanotechnology have growth notably and proved to be fertile disciplines. The combination of both types of nanotechnologies is helpful to overcome the individual weaknesses and limitations of each one, paving the way for the continuing diversification of the structural nanotechnologies. Recent studies have implemented a synergistic combination of both biomolecules to assemble unique and sophisticate protein-DNA nanostructures. These hybrid nanostructures are highly programmable and display remarkable features that create new opportunities to build in the nanoscale. This review focuses on the strategies deployed to create hybrid protein-DNA nanostructures. Here, we will discuss strategies such as polymerization, spatial directing and organizing, coating, rigidizing or folding DNA into particular shapes or moving parts. The enrichment of structural DNA nanotechnology by incorporating protein nanotechnology has been clearly demonstrated and still shows a large potential to create useful and advanced materials with cell-like properties or dynamic systems. It can be expected that structural protein-DNA nanotechnology will open new avenues in the fabrication of nano-assemblies with unique functional applications and enrich the toolbox of bionanotechnology.

This compendium presents new mathematical techniques for modeling Point Absorbers. A combined frequency-time domain framework is developed. It is used to simulate the energy generated by the wave farms. With Matlab and Fortran as a base, this leads to obtain physical variables of primary importance, namely position, velocity and power to energy net balance relationships of absorption. Integration of different degrees of freedom with heave as main executable leads in turn to a single buoy motion focus. Acquisition of the needed hydrodynamic coefficients is provided through application of potential field solvers with Boundary Element Methodology background. Initially, this Wave-to-motion model is validated by comparison with previous experimental results for a floating cone cylinder shape (Buldra-FO3). A single, generic, vertical floating cylinder is contemplated then, that responds to the action of the passing regular waves excitation. Later, two equally sized vertical floating cylinders aligned with the incident wave direction are modeled for a variable distance between the bodies. For both unidirectional regular and irregular waves as an input in deep water, we approximate the convolutive radiation force function term through the Prony method. By changing the spatial disposition of the axisymmetric buoys, using for instance triangular or rectangular shaped arrays of three and four bodies respectively, the study delves into motion characteristics for regular waves. The results highlight efficient layouts for maximizing the energy production whilst providing important insights into their performance, revealing displacement amplification- and capture width-ratios, while deriving in possible interpretations of scenarios related to the known park effect. These terms are encompassed by the novelty of a new conceptual Post-Processing methodology in the field, which leads to obtain an optimal distance for the separated bodies with effective energy absorption in a regular wave regime. The main objective is to generate a tendency within the hydrodynamic field of study, which is the Wave to motion perspective. More generally, this computational excursion envisions and depicts potential fields of study, which will surely enhance new connections and link this renewable energy form. Therefore, this research delves first into the historical and technical background on Ocean Wave Energy. Next, it is in the section regarding Materials and Methods, where boundaries and related equations are introduced step by step, together with latter mentioned case scenarios, and their corresponding configuration parameters. A separate section frames then the scope of results, while finally, there is an ensuing discussion and conclusions for evaluation assessment.

This thesis completion works it out to deepen into diverse modeling techniques for Point Absorbers. A combined frequency-time domain model is conceived, designed and developed in Matlab with Fortran as a base, leading to obtain physical variables of primary importance, namely position, velocity and power to energy net balance relationships of absorption. Integration of different degrees of freedom with heave as main executable leads in turn to a single buoy motion focus. Acquisition of the needed hydrodynamic coefficients is provided through application of NEMOH \& BEMIO solvers due to the Boundary Element Methodology. Initially, this Wave-to-motion model is validated by comparison with previous experimental results for a floating cone cylinder shape (Buldra-FO3). A single, generic, vertical floating cylinder is contemplated then, that responds to the action of the passing regular waves excitation. Later, two equally sized vertical floating cylinders aligned with the incident wave direction are modeled for a variable distance between the bodies. For both unidirectional regular and irregular waves as an input in deep water, we approximate the convolutive radiation force function term through the Prony method. By changing the spatial disposition of the axisymmetric buoys, using for instance triangular or rectangular shaped arrays of three and four bodies respectively, the study delves into motion characteristics for regular waves. The results highlight efficient layouts for maximizing the energy production whilst providing important insights into their performance, revealing displacement amplification- and capture width-ratios, while deriving in possible interpretations of scenarios related to the the known park effect. These terms are encompassed by the novelty of a new conceptual Post-Processing methodology in the field, which leads to obtain an optimal distance for the separated bodies with effective energy absorption in a regular wave regime. In conclusion, this computational excursion envisions and proposes potential fields of study, which will surely enhance new connections and link this renewable energy form.

This article presents a review of resources for batteries with a specific focus on sustainability aspects related to raw materials, electrode and electrolyte chemistries suitable for the automobile industry. We emphasize the importance of prioritizing sustainability in battery technology evolution, which is expected to shift towards earth-abundant materials. One notable advancement in this direction is the utilization of glass solid-state electrolytes, known for their high ionic conductivity, low electronic conductivity, and high dielectric constant. However, our review suggests that further research should explore synthesis methods to modify anisotropic properties, enhancing the performance of solid-state electrolytes, particularly in facilitating the flow of ions.

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.

The aim of this cross-sectional study was to assess the influence of the maturity status on speed, explosive power and change of direction (COD) in 13-year-old football players. Ninety-eight male players (age: 13.1 ± 1.0 y) were divided into late, average, and early maturation groups. Physical fitness testing included the following variables: 10 and 30-meter sprint time and maximum speed in the 20-30 m segment of the 30-meter sprint test, the T-test time, countermovement jump height and horizontal distance in the triple jump. The data showed a significant effect of maturity status on performance in three parameters: in maximum speed in the 20-30 m section (p = 0,024), however, the only significant differences were found between the early-maturation group and average-maturation group (p = 0.033); in the COD (p = 0.024), where significant differences were confirmed between the late-maturation group and the average-maturation group (p = 0.033); in the unilateral triple jump distance of the dominant and non-dominant (p = 0,007 and p = 0.001, respectively) lower limb. For both limbs, significant differences between the late-maturation group and average maturation group (p = 0.005 and p = 0.013, respectively) as well as the late-maturation group and early-maturation group (p = 0.007 and p = 0.045, respectively) were proved. These results indicate that maximal speed, COD speed and unilateral lower limb reactive strength are moderated by biological age in football players aged 13 years.

Taxes on the consumption of certain products have played a key role in public revenue analysis in European countries. This work aims to assess the differences in tax planning on new non-combustion products across some European territories. Through theoretical analysis, the paper has three distinct aspects. Firstly, we show the taxpayer profile in different countries. Secondly, the study analyzes the risks for the health system and the individual. Thirdly, the design of the land tax is based on previous experience and planning in Europe. This paper concludes with a case study for different countries: 1) Spain “vapers” and “smokers”, where the analysis is based on micro-data from the European Health Interview Survey 2020. 2) Sweden with the analysis of snus, shows it as a practice to reach economic savings while decreasing economic costs thanks to the nudging of consumers towards better products. The results show taxation and, specially, land taxation, should consider differences in planning in the case of new products, such as the non-combustion products, given the user per capita income and the potential lower health risks involved.

Over the last 20 years, begomoviruses have emerged as devastating pathogens, limiting the production of different crops worldwide. Weather conditions increase vector populations, with negative effects on crop production. In this work we evaluated the relationship between the in-cidence of begomovirus and climatic conditions before and during the crop cycle. Soybean and bean fields from the northwest (NW) of Argentina were monitored for 14 years and classified as moderate (≤50%) and severe (> 50%) according to the relative incidence. Two hundred bio-meteorological variables were constructed, summarizing meteorological data in 10-day peri-ods from June to March of each crop year. The studied variables included temperature, precipi-tation, relative humidity, wind (speed and direction), pressure, cloudiness and visibility. For bean, high maximum winter temperatures, low spring humidity and precipitation 10 days before planting correlated with severe incidence. In soybeans, high late winter and pre-planting tem-peratures, and low spring precipitations were found to be good predictors of high incidence of begomovirus presence. The results suggest that temperature and pre-sowing precipitations can be used to predict incidence status [predictive accuracy: 82% (bean) and 75% (soybean)]. Thus, these variables can be incorporated in early warning systems for crop management deci-sion-making to reduce the virus impact on bean and soybean crops.

NMR spin relaxation times have been an instrumental tool in deciphering the local en-vironment of ionic species, the various interactions they engender and the effect of these interactions on their dynamics in conducting media. Of particular importance has been their application in studying the wide range of electrolytes for energy storage, on which this chapter is based. Here we highlight some of the research carried out on electrolytes in recent years using NMR relaxometry techniques. Specifically, studies on liquid electro-lytes, such as ionic liquids and organic solvent; on semi-solid-state electrolytes, such as ionogels and polymer gels, and solid electrolytes such as glasses, glass ceramics and polymers. Although this chapter focuses on a small selection of materials, we believe they demonstrate the breadth of application and the invaluable nature of NMR relaxometry.

Breast cancer (BC) is a heterogeneous disease representing a substantial economic burden. In order to develop policies that successfully decrease this burden, the factors affecting costs need to be fully understood. Evidence suggests that early detection in Stage I has a lower cost than late detection. We aim to provide conservative estimates of BC's stage-wise medical costs from German healthcare and the payer's perspective. To this end, we conducted a literature review of articles evaluating stage-wise costs of BC in Germany through PubMed, Web of Science, and Econ Lit databases supplemented by Google Scholar. We developed a decision tree model to estimate BC related medical costs in Germany using available treatment and cost information. The review generated seven studies; none estimated the stage-wise costs of BC. The studies were classified into two groups: (1) case scenarios (five studies) and two studies based on administrative data. The first sickness funds data study (Gruber, Stock, et al. 2012) used 1999 information to approach BC attributable cost; their results suggest a range between €3,929 and €11,787 depending on age. The second study (Kreis, Plöthner, et al. 2020) used 2011-2014 data and suggested an initial phase incremental cost of €21,499, an intermediate phase cost of €2,620, and a terminal phase cost of €34,513 per incident case. Our decision tree model based BC stage-wise cost estimates were €21,523 for Stage I, €25,679 for Stage II, €30,156 for Stage III, €42,086 for Stage IV. Alternatively, the modeled cost estimates are €20,284 for the initial phase of care, €851 for the intermediate phase of care, and €34,963 for the terminal phase of care. Our estimates for phases of care are consistent with recent German estimates provided by Kreis and Plöthner et al. Furthermore, the data collected by sickness funds are collected primarily for reimbursement purposes, where the German ICD-10 classification system defines a cancer diagnosis. As a result, claims data lack the clinical information necessary to understand stage-wise BC costs. Our model-based estimates fill the gap and inform future economic evaluations of BC interventions.

Celiac disease (CD) is a genetically conditioned autoimmune process that appears in susceptible people. It can affect people of any age, and slightly predominates in females. It has a fairly homogenous global distribution, with an average prevalence of 1-2%, the frequency having increased in recent decades. The only effective treatment is a strict and permanent gluten-free diet (GFD), although the level of compliance with it is poor, at about 50% of cases. To monitor the effectiveness of the GFD, several procedures involving various approaches are employed: a) periodic interviews by nutritionists; b) clinical follow-up; c) serological controls of specific antibodies; d) endoscopies with collection of duodenal biopsies; e) structured questionnaires; f) determination of gluten peptides derived from gluten in feces and/or urine. All of these procedures are useful when applied, alone or in combination, depending on the cases. Some patients will only need to consult to their doctors, while others will require a multidisciplinary approach to assess their compliance with the GFD. In children, normalization of duodenal mucosa was achieved in 95% of cases within 2 years, while it is more delayed in adults, whose mucosa take longer to heal completely.

Rett syndrome (RTT) is a rare disease and one of the most abundant causes for intellectual disa-bilities in females. Single mutations in the gene coding for methyl-CpG-binding protein 2 (MECP2), are responsible for the disease. MeCP2 regulates gene expression as a transcriptional regulator as well as through epigenetic imprinting and chromatin condensation. Consequently, numerous biological pathways on multiple levels are influenced however, the exact molecular pathways from genotype to phenotype are currently not fully elucidated. Treatment of RTT is purely symptomatic where no curative options for RTT have yet to reach the clinic. The paucity of this is mainly due to an incomplete understanding of the underlying pathophysiology of the dis-order with no clinically useful common disease drivers, biomarkers or therapeutic targets being identified. With the premise of identifying universal and robust disease drivers and therapeutic targets, here we interrogated a range of RTT transcriptomic studies spanning different species, models and MECP2 mutations. A meta-analysis using RNA sequencing data from brains of RTT mouse models human post-mortem brain tissue and patient-derived induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSC) neurons was performed using Weighted Gene Correlation Network Analysis (WGC-NA). This study identified a module of genes common to all datasets with the following ten hub genes driving the expression ATRX, ADCY7, ADCY9, SOD1, CACNA1A, PLCG1, CCT5, RPS9, BDNF and MECP2. Here we discuss the potential benefits of these genes as therapeutic targets.

The automation of welding processes requires the use of automated systems and equipment, in many cases industrial robotic systems, to carry out welding processes that previously required human intervention. Automation in the industry offers numerous advantages, such as increased efficiency and productivity, cost reduction, improved product quality, increased flexibility and safety, and greater adaptability of companies to market changes. The field of welding automation is currently undergoing a period of profound changes due to a combination of technological, regulatory, and economic factors worldwide. Nowadays, the most relevant aspect of the welding industry is to meet customer requirements by satisfying their needs. To achieve this, the automation of the welding process through sensors and control algorithms ensures the quality of the parts and prevents errors such as porosity, unfused areas, deformations, excessive heat, etc. This paper proposes an intelligent and adaptive system based on the measurement of welding joints using laser scanning and the subsequent analysis of the obtained point cloud to adapt the welding trajectories.

Gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) triggers alterations in the maternal gut microbiome. Alongside metabolic shifts, microbial products may impact clinical factors and influence pregnancy outcomes. Here, we performed two separate analyses to integrate the maternal microbiome-metabolomic differences from a subset of the “Choosing Healthy Options in Carbohydrate Energy” (CHOICE) study. Women diagnosed with GDM were randomized to a diet higher in complex carbohydrates (CHOICE, n=18, 60% complex carbohydrate/25% fat/15% protein) or a conventional GDM diet (CONV, n=16, 40% carbohydrate/45% fat/15% protein). All meals were provided, diets were eucaloric, and fiber content was similar. CHOICE diet was associated with increases in TMAO, lysophosphotidylcholines, indoxyl sulfate, and several triglyceride (TG) species, while CONV diet was associated with higher plasma hippuric acid, aspartic acid, betaine, glutamic acid, indole propionic acid, and indoleacetic acid, suggesting that differences in lipid metabolism and tryptophan utilization pathways are linked to specific maternal diets. We also identified two latent metabolic groups not associated with either diet treatment: one metabolome associated with higher fasting glucose, and the other associated with higher fasting TGs after 7 weeks on either diet. Our study underscores the importance of utilizing dietary approaches to optimize maternal-fetal health outcomes in GDM treatment.

Recently, coastal swamps have been acknowledged for their capability to alleviate shorelines and defend coastal communities. Mangroves play a prominent role in obstructing water currents in riverbanks, shorelines, and coastal areas. Mangrove roots have the significant contribution to the resiliency of the vegetation structure. Yet, mangrove model has lately been called into question by lab experimental evidence. In this paper, the flow characteristics past root models are reviewed. coastal swamps are among the most fruitful and carbon‐rich ecosystems on the planet. Long‐term carbon putting away in coastal wetlands happens mostly below ground as soil organic matter. Mangrove servs as a carbon sink, impacts wetland ecosystem configuration, purpose, and firmness. To expect and ease the properties of climate change, there is a necessity to advance considerate of environmental controls on wetland. The impact of four soil formation factors are reviewed. Across the shorelines, soil organic matter was highest in mangrove forests and it was lower areas.

In this work a new method is proposed to tackle down the multiple objective optimization problem of the calculation of cation distribution in spinels structure, through the difference of intensity ratios between experimental and calculated intensities of cation sensitive Bragg planes, by introducing a new factor, Rabs, in Bertaut method. This factor is introduced as the sum of absolute R factors, and it is minimized by varying cation distribution. To test this method aluminate manganese spinel where synthesized though modified Pechini method and characterized though XRD. The results show to be in agreement with literature for the aluminum inversion in tetrahedral sites, which is near to the reported value of 10%. Also, it was noticed that the manganese atoms are present in octahedral sites with a mixed valence state of +2 and +3. Which might be an indicator that oxygen vacancies are present in the structure, so the vacancies value of oxygen is proposed considering the total charge of cations and thus proposing the value of 3.678 mol per formula unit of the spinel, thus having the next stoichiometry considering normalized Al and Mn, MnAl2O3.678. Finally, the last cation distribution proposed was [Mn0.867^(+2) Al0.129^(+3) ][Mn0.034^(+2) Mn0.098^(+3) Al1.871^(+3) ] O3.678 with a Rabs factor value of 0.6466, which considers the cation distribution and oxygen vacancies.

Begomoviruses, which belong to the Geminiviridae family, are intracellular parasites transmitted by whiteflies to dicotyledonous plants, significantly damaging agronomically relevant crops. These nucleus-replicating DNA viruses need to move intracellularly from the nucleus to the cytoplasm and then, like other plant viruses, spread systemically throughout the plant to cause dis-ease. The transport proteins of begomoviruses play a crucial role in recruiting host components for the movement of viral DNA within and between cells while exhibiting functions that suppress the host's immune defense. Pioneering studies on species of the Begomovirus genus have identified specific viral transport proteins involved in intracellular transport, cell-to-cell movement, and systemic spread. Recent research has primarily focused on viral movement proteins and their interaction with the cellular host transport machinery, significantly expanding our understanding of viral infection pathways. This review focuses on three main aspects: (i) the role of viral transport proteins, specifically movement proteins (MPs) and nuclear shuttle proteins (NSPs), (ii) their ability to recruit host factors for intra- and intercellular viral movement, and (iii) suppress antiviral immunity, with a particular emphasis on bipartite begomoviral movement proteins.

Maternal obesity is increasingly prevalent and is associated with elevated morbidity and mortality rates in both mothers and children. As the interface between the mother and fetus, the placenta has mediates the impact of the maternal environment on fetal development. Most of the literature data on the effects of maternal obesity on placental functions do not exclude potential confounding factors like metabolic diseases (e.g. gestational diabetes). Moreover, it is now clear that the placental response to maternal environment depends on the fetal sex. In this context, we reviewed how maternal obesity (in the absence of gestational diabetes) affects the human placenta in terms of (i) endocrine function, (ii) morphological characteristics, (iii) nutrient exchanges and metabolism, (iv) inflammatory/immune status, (v) oxidative stress, and (vi) transcriptome, with a focus on fetal sex specificities. A better understanding of sex-specific placental responses to maternal obesity is crucial for improving pregnancy outcomes and the health of mothers and children.

Pomegranate extract (PG-E) has been reported to exert a protective effect in skin due to its antioxidant activity. Ingredients rich in phenolic compounds are unstable in extract solutions and, therefore, the use of a suitable nanosystem to encapsulate this type of extract could be necessary in different biotechnological applications. Thus, we investigated the capacity of Brassica oleracea L. (cauliflower) inflorescence vesicles (CI-vesicles) to encapsulate PG-E and determined the stability and the antioxidant capacity of the system over time. In addition, the protective effect against UV radiation and heavy metals in HaCaT cells was also tested. The CI-vesicles had an entrapment efficiency around 50% and accelerated stability tests did not show significant changes in the parameters tested. The results for the HaCaT cells show the non-cytotoxicity of the CI-vesicles containing PG-E and their protection against heavy metals (lead acetate and mercuric chloride) and UV-B radiation through a reduction of oxidative stress. The reduction of the percentage of deleted mtDNA (mtDNA4977, “common deletion”) in UV-treated HaCaT cells due to the presence of CI-vesicles containing PG-E indicates the mechanism of protection. Therefore, the effects of CI-vesicles loaded with PG-E against oxidative stress support their utilization as natural cosmeceuticals to protect skin health against external damage from environmental pollution and UV radiation.

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.

The positional cloning of single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) of the neutrophil cytosolic factor 1 (Ncf1) gene, advocating that a low oxidative burst drives autoimmune disease, demands an understanding of the underlying molecular causes. A cellular target could be T cells, which have been shown to be regulated by reactive oxygen species (ROS). However, the pathways by which ROS mediate T cell signaling remain unclear. The adaptor molecule linker for activation of T cells (LAT) is essential for coupling T cell receptor-mediated antigen recognition to downstream responses, and it contains several cysteine residues that have previously been suggested to be involved in redox regulation. To address the possibility that ROS regulate T cell-dependent inflammation through LAT, we established a mouse strain with cysteine-to-serine mutations at positions 120 and 172 (LATSS). We found that redox regulation of LAT through C120 and C172 mediate its localization and phosphorylation. LATSS mice had reduced numbers of double-positive thymocytes and naïve peripheral T cells. Importantly, redox insensitivity of LAT enhanced T cell-dependent autoimmune inflammation in collagen-induced arthritis (CIA), a mouse model of rheumatoid arthritis (RA). This effect was reversed on an NCF1-mutated (NCF1m1j), ROS-deficient, background. Overall, our data shows that LAT is redox-regulated, acts to repress T cell activation, and is targeted by ROS induced by NCF1 in antigen-presenting cells (APCs).

Gelatin fibers have a specific surface and high porosity, which is why their use in medicine and the food industry is being researched. This article explores the potential of centrifugal spinning to produce gelatin fibers. Gelatin for fiber preparation is obtained from a non-traditional source of collagen (chicken by-products) using a unique enzymatic process. The fiber quality is compared with those prepared from traditional collagen tissues (porcine, bovine). The results show that fibers crosslinked with glutaraldehyde vapor preserve their structure even in contact with water. Using a cross-linker controls swelling ability and solubility while maintaining the fiber structure. On the contrary, uncross-linked gelatin fibers are water soluble due to a high surface-to-volume ratio, facilitating water penetration and dissolution. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) provided a clearer picture of the morphology of gelatin fibers obtained by centrifugal spinning. Differences in the amount of bonding depending on the raw material used and the presence of cross-linker were analyzed using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). The overall results showed that chicken gelatin is a suitable alternative to gelatins from traditional sources.

Background: White matter hyperintensities (WMH), of presumed vascular origin, are visible and quantifiable neuroradiological markers of brain parenchymal change. These changes may range from damage secondary to inflammation and other neurological conditions, through to healthy ageing. Fully automatic WMH quantification methods are promising, but still, traditional semi-automatic methods seem to be preferred in clinical research. We systematically reviewed the literature for fully automatic methods developed in the last five years, to assess what are considered state-of-the-art techniques, as well as trends in the analysis of WMH of presumed vascular origin. Method: We registered the systematic review protocol with the International Prospective Register of Systematic Reviews (PROSPERO), registration number - CRD42019132200. We conducted the search for fully automatic methods developed from 2015 to July 2020 on Medline, Science direct, IEE Explore, and Web of Science. We assessed risk of bias and applicability of the studies using QUADAS 2. Results: The search yielded 2327 papers after removing 104 duplicates. After screening titles, abstracts and full text, 37 were selected for detailed analysis. Of these, 16 proposed a supervised segmentation method, 10 proposed an unsupervised segmentation method, and 11 proposed a deep learning segmentation method. Average DSC values ranged from 0.538 to 0.91, being the highest value obtained from an unsupervised segmentation method. Only four studies validated their method in longitudinal samples, and eight performed an additional validation using clinical parameters. Only 8/37 studies made available their method in public repositories. Conclusions: We found no evidence that favours deep learning methods over the more established k-NN, linear regression and unsupervised methods in this task. Data and code availability, bias in study design and ground truth generation influence the wider validation and applicability of these methods in clinical research.

Background: In PE, the methodology used to develop coeducation must consider the tastes and preferences of students. The purpose of this work was to analyze how teachers work with different aspects of PE classes and how their work is perceived by students. Methods: The sample was formed by 176 teachers and 1,136 secondary school students. The research design was descriptive. The Questionnaire of Coeducational Aspects in Physical Education for teachers and the Questionnaire of Perception of Equality and Discrimination in Physical Education for Students. Results: The different statistical analyses showed significant differences in how male and female teachers assigned responsibility to the students and their control of motor activity space. In regards to the students, significant differences were found between boys and girls in their opinions of how their teachers apply the same rules to all the students. Conclusions: No differences exist between male and female teachers in regards to their utilization neither of materials and sexist language or in their evaluation and feedback given to the students. In regards to the students, girls perceive to a greater extent than their male counterparts that the activities in PE classes promote equality in the improvement of their capacities.

A major challenge for the dissemination, replication, and reuse of epidemiological forecasting studies during COVID-19 pandemics is the lack of clear guidelines and platforms to exchange models in a Findable, Accessible, Interoperable, and Reusable (FAIR) manner, facilitating reproducibility of research outcomes. During the beginning of pandemics, models were developed in diverse tools that were not interoperable, opaque without traceability and semantics, and scattered across various platforms - making them hard to locate, infer and reuse. In this work, we demonstrate that implementing the standards developed by the systems biology community to encode and share COVID-19 epidemiological models can serve as a roadmap to implement models as a tool in medical informatics, in general. As a proof-of-concept, we encoded and shared 24 epidemiological models using the standard format for model exchange in systems biology, annotated them with cross-references to data resources, packed up all associated files in COMBINE archives for easy sharing, and finally, disseminated the models through BioModels repository to significantly enhance their reproducibility and repurposing potential. We recommend the use of systems biology standards to encode and share models of epidemic and pandemic forecasts to improve their findability, accessibility, interoperability, reusability, and reproducibility.

Arsenic is highly toxic, affecting millions of people in many regions of the world. That is why developing economic and efficient technologies is imperative to eliminate it. Sorption techniques are attractive as efficient and inexpensive sorbents can be used. Chitosan is an abundant, naturally occurring, biodegradable, low-cost biopolymer that can be combined with metal oxide to enhance its removability. This work aimed to synthesize a new chitosan-magnetite-based sorbent for arsenic removal. The synthesized sorbent does not present pores, and by FT-IR, functional groups of the chitosan and the presence of As(V) in the sorbent treated with arsenic were identified. The synthesized magnetite was characterized by XRD spectroscopy. Application of the Composite Central Design model showed that 0.22 g of the sorbent at pH 6.0 could remove 27.6% of As(V). Kinetic data, fitted with the pseudo-first and second-order models, indicated an ion exchange sorption and activation energy of 28.1-31.4 kJ mol-1. The isotherms were fitted with the Langmuir model, indicating a favourable monolayer adsorption with high affinity. The sorption energy, calculated by Dubinin-Radushkevich, 9.60-8.80 kJ mol-1, confirms a sorption mechanism mediated by ion exchange. The thermodynamic parameters of the process were ΔG°(-21.7/-19.7 kJ mol-1), ΔH°(16.7 kJ mol-1) and ΔS°(123.3 J mol-1 K-1).

The energy sector plays an important role in Mexico’s development trajectory. Mexico makes an interesting case study, because it shows how difficult it is to reduce fossil energy dependence despite geographic and climatic conditions that favour renewable energy deployment and use. Resolving path dependencies and the related carbon lock-in are key to Mexico’s sustainable energy transition. This case study aims to identify and discuss how carbon lock-in affects Mexico’s sustainable energy transition. Mexico’s carbon lock-in involves oil and oil-run power plants that are costly to build but relatively inexpensive to operate. This case study identifies potential entry points for transitioning towards sustainable energy in Mexico – resources that can promote the use of clean energy despite carbon lock-in. For example, focusing on electrification – particularly of the carbon-intensive sectors – can help Mexico transit towards sustainable energy despite institutional constraints. Complementing this case study is a teaching guide with recommendations for using Mexico’s energy transition in courses on sustainability. It introduces a “learning activation framework” to identify emerging opportunities that can advance sustainable energy transitions in different cases of carbon lock-in. Finally, the framework also gives students a chance to help dismantle or cope with carbon lock-ins.

Indonesia is an interesting case study for students of sustainable development and sustainable energy due to its ability to connect the multiple “worlds” it has become part of. Indonesia is an important bridge to Muslim countries, the voice of the Global South in the G20 and a main pillar of the 134-country-strong G77. Indonesia’s development trajectory is also key to the achievement of the Paris Climate Agreement as well as of the 2030 Agenda. Students can learn from how Indo-nesia address contradictions that would have been unsurmountable for other countries. Indone-sia’s energy transition offers helpful lessons, because of its aspiration to become a developed country by 2045. This goal is only possible when a country is able to effectively address barriers and caveats to sustainable energy. It is interesting how Indonesia focuses on silver linings and come up with pragmatic solutions to energy-related issues. This is followed by the “teaching guide,” which provides recommendations how the lessons from Indonesia can be embedded into a learning experience. The “learning activation approach” is introduced, which encourages stu-dents to systematically reflect on the complexity of selected contexts and understand this com-plexity by looking at the technical issues and processes that allow decision-making.

The widespread integration and growing dependence among currency, stock and commodity markets make these markets often very vulnerable to shocks and at risk of collapse at the same time. As a result, these trends threaten the sustainability of the entire financial system. In this study, we explore the spillovers and nonlinear dependences between the seven major foreign ex-change rates, crude oil and gold prices, a global stock price index, and oil and stock implied volatility indices as proxy variables for global risk factors by em-ploying directional spillover network approach. We also use multi-scale de-composition method and nonlinear causality test between these variables to capture multi-level relationships at short and long horizons. Major findings are summarized as follows. First, from the multi-scale decomposition analysis, we identify that Granger causality test results and the direction and strength of return spillovers change with the level of decomposition. Second, the results of nonlinear causality tests show variation in both the significance and direction of Granger causality relationships between the decomposed currency and other series at different timescales, especially for the decomposed oil, gold, and OVX series. Third, the measured directional spillover indices identify the EUR as the largest contributor of connectedness to the other series. The central role of the EUR is a net transmitter of connectedness to gold, oil, the GBP, JPY, and CHF.

Due to their contribution to human health, the production of healthy snacks has garnered the attention of both the scientific community and the food industry. This study was conducted to determine the suitability of frying and baking processing methods for producing green banana chips using two varieties: Barraganete and Dominico. The aim was to identify a treatment geared towards producing healthy snacks. Initially, the physicochemical properties of the raw materials were analyzed, revealing significant differences in starch, fat, fiber, and protein content. Subsequently, the bananas were processed into baked and fried chips. Multivariate statistical techniques such as ANCOVA, MANOVA, and post-hoc tests were applied to examine the influence of initial characteristics and detect variations attributable to the cooking method. The main findings showed that the initial protein level had a significant covariate effect on the final content in the chips. The Dominico variety generally proved more suitable for making baked chips, retaining higher percentages of protein, starch, fiber, and lower fat content than Barraganete. Baked chips showed significantly lower sodium and fat values than fried ones when differentiated by processing method. The "Dominico + Baked" treatment emerged as the superior alternative, with favourable levels of protein, starch, and low sodium and fat, positioning it as the most suitable for producing a healthy snack.

(1) Background: The influence of the menstrual cycle on physical fitness in athletes is controversial in the scientific literature. There is a marked fluctuation of sex hormones at three key points of the menstrual cycle, where estrogen and progesterone vary significantly. Hormonal contraception induces hormonal levels different from the natural menstrual cycle, requiring specific study in relation to physical fitness. (2) Method: Women aged 18 to 40 years with regular natural menstrual cycles and women using hormonal contraception were recruited, creating two study groups. All participants needed to be athletes classified as level II-III according to the classification by McKay et al (2021), based on training volume/physical activity metrics, among other variables. To assess their physical fitness, Cardiorespiratory Fitness (measured by VO2max), high-speed strength, hand grip strength, and flexibility were evaluated. Blood samples were taken to determine the menstrual cycle phase through analysis of sex hormone levels. Additionally, urine tests for ovulation detection were performed for the natural menstrual cycle group. Neurosensory stimulation tests were incorporated to measure sensory threshold and pain threshold in each phase. Body composition in each phase and its relationship with the other variables were also taken into account. (3) Results: Athletes in the natural cycling group showed differences in VO2max (mL·kg-1·min-1) (phase I =41.75 vs phase II =43,85 and (p=0.004) and phase I vs phase III=43,25 mL·kg-1·min-1 (p =0.043)), as well as in body weight (phase I = 63.23 vs. phase III = 62.48 kg; p=0.006), first pain threshold (phase I = 1.34 vs. phase II = 1.69 (p=0.027) and phase III = 1.59 mA (p=0.011)), and sensitive threshold (phase I = 0.64 vs. phase II = 0.76 mA (p=0.017)). The pain threshold was found to be an important covariate in relation to VO2max, explaining 31.9% of the variance in phase I (p=0.006). These findings were not observed between the two phases of contraceptive cycling. (4) Conclusion: The natural menstrual cycle will cause significant changes in the physical fitness of athletes. The use of hormonal contraception is not innocuous. Women with natural cycles show a decrease in cardiorespiratory fitness in phases II and III, which is a factor to be considered in relation to training level and workload.

Biochar is a carbonaceous material derived from the thermochemical conversion of biomass under oxygen-lean conditions. Its properties render it many applications in agriculture, environmental remediation, and catalysis. Commonly produced by pyrolysis under a nitrogen atmosphere, the biochar composition is influenced mainly by residence time, heating rate, and process temperature. The existing literature primarily assesses biochar properties, such as ultimate, proximate, calorific, porosity, and combustibility, generated under various thermo-conversion conditions. However, there is a notable lack of sufficient investigation and attention given to the practical application of biochar. This article seeks to bridge that gap by enhancing the comprehension of the necessary experimental assessment for specific biochar applications and proposing process optimization methods using Multi-Criteria Decision Analysis (MCDA). By delving into these aspects, the study offers a concise overview of biochar production and presents a comprehensive panorama based on articles and patents. Additionally, the research explores the physicochemical characterization techniques associated with biochar and its various applications in conjunction with MCDA. This comprehensive approach aims to uncover valuable insights that could further advance the practical and sustainable utilization of biochar in a wide range of fields.

The market for autonomous vehicles (AV) is expected to experience significant growth over the coming decades and to revolutionize the future of transportation and mobility. The AV is a vehicle that is capable of perceiving its environment and perform driving tasks safely and efficiently with little or no human intervention and is anticipated to eventually replace conventional vehicles. Self-driving vehicles employ various sensors to sense and perceive their surroundings and, also rely on advances in 5G communication technology to achieve this objective. Sensors are fundamental to the perception of surroundings and the development of sensor technologies associated with AVs has advanced at a significant pace in recent years. Despite remarkable advancements, sensors can still fail to operate as required, due to for example, hardware defects, noise and environment conditions. Hence, it is not desirable to rely on a single sensor for any autonomous driving task. The practical approaches shown in recent research is to incorporate multiple, complementary sensors to overcome the shortcomings of individual sensors operating independently. This article reviews the technical performance and capabilities of sensors applicable to autonomous vehicles, mainly focusing on vision cameras, LiDAR and Radar sensors. The review also considers the compatibility of sensors with various software systems enabling the multi-sensor fusion approach for obstacle detection. This review article concludes by highlighting some of the challenges and possible future research directions.

The Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) is bringing evolution with remote monitoring, intelligent analytics, and control of industrial processes. A reference architecture provides the general layout information for the flexible integration of IIoT systems; however, as the industrial world is currently in its initial stage of adopting the full-stack development solutions with IIoT, some challenges need to be addressed. To cope with the rising challenges and provide the blueprint guidelines to develop and implement IIoT in real-time, researchers around the globe have proposed IIoT architectures based on different architectural layers and emerging technologies. In this paper, we first review and compare some widely accepted IIoT reference architectures and present a state-of-the-art review of conceptual and experimental IIoT architectures in literature. We highlight scalability, interoperability, security, privacy, reliability, and low latency as the main IIoT architectural requirements and compare how the current architectures address these challenges. We also highlight the role of emerging technologies in current IIoT architectures to address these requirements and present the literature gap for future research work to address the challenges.

Background: breastfeeding is the optimal nourishment for infants and recommends that children commence breastfeeding within the first hour of birth and be exclusively breastfed for the initial 6 months of life. Our objective was to determine which factors related to mothers could influence the degree of exclusive breastfeeding during hospitalization, as well as to assess breastfeeding mothers' attitudes towards breastfeeding. Methods: A multicenter cross-sectional study was undertaken in the healthcare area of Santiago de Compostela, Spain. The reduced Iowa Infant Feeding Attitude Scale (IIFAS-s) was employed to gauge maternal attitudes toward feeding their baby. Results: 64 women were studied. The overall score of IIFAS-s (mean ± standard deviation) was 36.95 ± 5.17. No use of pacifier by the newborn was associated with a positive attitude for breastfeeding. Having previous children (ORa=6,40; IC95% 1,26 – 32,51) and previous experience with breastfeeding (ORa=6,70; IC95% 1,31 – 34,27) increase the likelihood of exclusive breastfeeding during admission. Conclusions: It is important to identify the factors that contribute to increasing the probability that mothers choose exclusive breastfeeding. We must guide our training efforts to these factors.

Astragalus is a very interesting plant genus well-known for content of flavonoids, triterpenes and polysaccharides. Its secondary metabolites are described as biologically active compounds showing a number of activities, like immunomodulating, antibacterial, antiviral and hepatoprotective. This inspired us to analyze the Bulgarian endemic A. aitosensis (Ivanisch.) to obtain deeper information about its phenolic components. We used extensive chromatographic separation of A. aitosensis extract to obtain seven phenolic compounds (1–7), which were identified using combined LC-MS and NMR spectral studies. The 1D and 2D NMR analysis and HR-MS allowed us to resolve the structures of known compounds 5–7 as isorhamnetin-3-O-robinobioside, isorhamnetin-3-O-(2,6-di-O-α-rhamno-pyranosyl-β-galactopyranoside), and alangiflavoside, respectively, and further comparison of these spectral data with available literature helped us with structural analysis of newly described flavonoid glycosides 1–4. These were described in plant source for the first time.

Electric vehicles (EVs) play a significant role in reducing carbon emissions. In the US, EVs are mostly owned by multi-vehicle households, and their usage is primarily studied in the context of vehicle miles traveled. This study takes a unique approach by analyzing EV usage through the lens of vehicle choice (between EVs and internal combustion engine vehicles) within multi-vehicle households. A two-step machine-learning framework (clustering and decision trees) is proposed. The framework determines the preferred trip category for EV use and captures the effects of household attributes, driver attributes, built-environment factors, and gas prices on EV use in multi-vehicle households. Results indicate that discretionary trips (accumulated local effect = 0.037) are mostly preferred for EV use. EV preference is more pronounced among households with fewer workers (<2) and lower income levels. These findings are valuable for policymakers and auto manufacturers in targeting specific market segments and promoting EV adoption.

The RMA11 water quality model, which has been previously calibrated and validated, was coupled with the RMA10 3D hydrodynamic model to evaluate sanitation scenarios in Buenaventura Bay. The bay receives direct discharge of untreated wastewater from 500,000 people through 695 outlets along the coast. Five different effluent reduction scenarios were proposed and compared based on fecal coliform concentration as an indicator. The areas where values exceed the standard for primary contact were also used to evaluate the scenarios. The model results indicate poor water quality in the bay and how that the situation will become even more severe if immediate action is not taken. The proposed reduction in discharges in stages will have temporarily more severe effects than the current situation, but these will end when the treatment plant becomes operational. However, even with the plant in operation, complete sanitation of the bay cannot be achieved, and further measures must be considered.

AML is a highly aggressive and heterogeneous form of hematological cancer. Proteomics-based stratification of patients into more refined subgroups may contribute to a more precise characterization of the patient-derived AML cells. Here, we reanalyzed liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) generated proteomic and phosphoproteomic data from 26 chemoresistant/relapse (RELAPSE) and 15 relapse-free (REL_FREE) AML patients. We considered not only the RELAPSE and REL_FREE characteristics but also integrated the French-American-British (FAB) classification, along with considering the presence of nucleophosmin 1 (NPM1) mutation and cytogenetically normal AML. We found a significant number of differentially enriched proteins (911) and phosphoproteins (257) between the various FAB subtypes in RELAPSE patients. Patients with the myeloblastic M1/M2 subtype showed higher levels of RNA processing-related routes and lower levels of signaling related to terms like translation and degranulation, when compared to the M4/M5 subtype. Moreover, we found that high abundance of proteins associated to mitochondrial translation and oxidative phosphorylation, particularly observed in the RELAPSE M4/M5 NPM1 mutated subgroup, distinguishes relapsing from non-relapsing AML patient cells with the FAB subtype M4/M5. Thus, the discovery of subtype-specific biomarkers through proteomic profiling may complement the existing classification system for AML and potentially aid in selecting personalized treatment strategies for individual patients.

Sphingolipids are lipids derived from an 18-carbons unsaturated amino alcohol, the sphingosine. Ceramide, sphingomyelins, sphingosine-1-phosphates, gangliosides and globosides, are part of this group of lipids that participate in important cellular roles such as structural part of plasmatic and organelle membranes maintaining their function and integrity, cell signaling response, cell growth, cell cycle, cell death, inflammation, cell migration and differentiation, autophagy, angiogenesis, immune system. The metabolism of these lipids involves a broad and complex network of reactions that convert one lipid into others through different specialized enzymes. Impairment of sphingolipids metabolism has been associated with several disorders, from several lysosomal storage diseases, known as sphingolipidoses, to polygenic diseases such as diabetes and Parkinson and Alzheimer diseases. Sphingolipids are mainly located in central nervous system, and their abundance and distribution depend on brain development state and cell type. Although several studies have expanded the knowledge about sphingolipids function both in health and disease, it is still necessary to continue their study to understand the cellular implications of novel sphingolipids. These studies will also contribute to the diagnosis and treatment of diseases in which these molecules are part of their pathophysiology. In this review, we summarize the main sphingolipid characteristics and current knowledge about the synthesis, catabolism, regulatory pathways, participation in action potential and ionic channels, among other relevant functions.

The escalating frequency and severity of global wildfires necessitate an in-depth understanding and monitoring of wildfire smoke impacts, specifically its contribution to fine particulate matter (PM2.5). We propose a data-fusion method to study wildfire contribution to PM2.5 using satellite-derived smoke plume indicators and PM2.5 monitoring data. Our study incorporates two types of monitoring data, the high-quality but sparse Air Quality System (AQS) stations and the abundant but less accurate PurpleAir (PA) sensors that are gaining popularity among citizen scientists. We propose a multi-resolution spatiotemporal model specified in the spectral domain to calibrate the PA sensors against accurate AQS measurements, and leverage the two networks to estimate wildfire contribution to PM2.5 in California in 2020 and 2021. A Bayesian approach is taken to incorporate all uncertainties and our prior intuition that the dependence between networks, as well as the accuracy of PA network, vary by frequency. We find that 1% to 3% increase in PM2.5 concentration due to wildfire smoke, and that leveraging PA sensors improves accuracy.

An increasing amount of electric energy is consumed by computers as they progress in function and capabilities. All of it is dissipated in heat during the computing and communicating operations and we reached the point that further developments are hindered by the unbearable amount of heat produced. In this paper we briefly review the fundamental limits in energy dissipation, as imposed by the laws of physics, with specific reference to computing and memory storage activities.

Polymers and their processing by engineering production technologies (injection, moulding or additive manufacturing) are being increasingly used. An explosive atmosphere can be created by the powder form of these polymer materials, and introduction of preventive safeguards to control safety is required for their use. Determination of the fire parameters of powder samples of Polyamide PA12, Polypropylene, and ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene (UHMW Polyethylene) is the subject of the current article. The results showed? that one of the samples used was not flammable and thus safe for use in terms of explosiveness. Two samples were flammable and explosive. The lower explosive limit was 30 g.m-3 (Polyamide PA12) and 60 g.m-3 (UHMW Polyethylene). The maximum explosion pressure of the samples was 6.47 (UHMW Polyethylene) and 6.76 bar (Polyamide PA 12). The explosion constant Kst of the samples was 116.6 bar.m.s-1 (Polyamide PA 12) and 97.1 bar.m.s-1 (UHMW Polyethylene). Therefore, when using polymers in production technologies, it is necessary to know their fire parameters, and to design effective explosion prevention measures for flammable and explosive polymers.

Ferulic acid has numerous beneficial effects for human health, which are frequently attributed to its antioxidant behavior. In this report many of them are reviewed and 185 new ferulic acid derivatives are computationally designed, using the CADMA-Chem protocol. For the later, the chemical space was sampled and evaluated. To that purpose selection and elimination scores were used, which are built from a set of descriptors accounting for ADME properties, toxicity, and synthetic accessibility. After the first screening, 12 derivatives were selected and further investigated. Their potential role as antioxidants was predicted from reactivity indexes, directed related with the formal hydrogen atom transfer and the single electron transfer mechanisms. The best performing molecules were identified by comparisons with the parent molecule and two references: Trolox and alpha-tocopherol. Their potential as polygenic neuroprotectors was investigated through the interactions with enzymes directed related with the etiologies of Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s diseases. They are acetylcholinesterase, catechol-O-methyltransferase, and monoamine oxidase B. Based on the obtained results, the most promising candidates (FA-26, FA-118, and FA-138) are proposed as multifunctional antioxidants with potential neuroprotective effects. The findings derived from this investigation are encouraging and might promote further investigations on these molecules.

The complex interplay between dietary factors, inflammation, and macrophage polarization is pivotal in the pathogenesis and progression of chronic liver diseases (CLDs). Omega-3 fatty acids (FAs) have been attracted attention due to their potential to modulate inflammation and exert protective effects in various pathological conditions. This review explores the emerging role of omega-3 FAs and their specialized pro-resolving mediators (SPMs) in the context of macrophage polarization, with a focus on chronic liver diseases. Omega-3, eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) have promising effects in mitigating inflammation and enhancing the resolution of inflammatory responses. They influence the M1/M2 macrophage phenotype balance, promoting a shift towards the M2 anti-inflammatory phenotype. SPMs, such as resolvins (Rvs), protectins (PDs), and maresins (MaRs), have emerged as potent regulators of inflammation and macrophage polarization. They show anti-inflammatory and pro-resolving properties. These mediators modulate the expression of cytokines, facilitate the phagocytosis of apoptotic cells, and promote tissue repair. MaR1, in particular, has demonstrated significant hepatoprotective effects by promoting M2 macrophage polarization, reducing oxidative stress, and inhibiting key inflammatory pathways such as NF-κB. In the context of CLD, such as nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) and cirrhosis, omega-3 and their SPMs have shown promise in attenuating liver injury, promoting tissue regeneration, and modulating macrophage phenotypes. However, the mechanisms underlying their effects and their interactions with other cell types within the liver microenvironment require further investigation. Understanding the intricate relationship among SPM and macrophage polarization holds unlimited potential for the development of novel therapeutic strategies for chronic liver diseases.

The astacin protease Meprin β represents an emerging target for drug development due to its potential involvement in disorders such as acute and chronic kidney injury and fibrosis. Here, we elaborate on the structural basis of inhibition by a specific Meprin β inhibitor. Our analysis of the crystal structure suggests different binding modes of the inhibitor to the active site. This flexibility is caused, at least in part, by movement of the C-terminal region of the protease domain (CTD). The CTD movement narrows the active site cleft upon inhibitor binding. Compared with other astacin proteases, among those the highly homologous isoenzyme Meprin α, differences in the subsites account for the unique selectivity of the inhibitor. Although the inhibitor shows substantial flexibility in the orientation within the active site, the structural data as well as binding analyses including molecular dynamics simulations support a contribution of electrostatic interactions, presumably by arginine residues, to binding and specificity. Collectively, the results presented here and previously support an induced fit and substantial movement of the CTD upon ligand binding and, possibly, during catalysis. To the best of our knowledge, we here present the first structure of a Meprin β holoenzyme containing a zinc ion and a specific inhibitor bound to the active site. The structural data will guide rational drug design and the discovery of highly potent Meprin inhibitors.

The global warming our generation is experiencing is just one of the great environmental crises of the Anthropocene, a geological period that began with the use of fossil fuels and that, in merely one century and a few decades of industrial activity, has altered ecosystemic processes that sustain human health and well-being. Beyond the loss of the “intrinsic value of nature”, changes in the magnitude and direction of biogeochemical cycles and increases in temperature are phenomena that not only accompany the loss of habitats and species but impair resilience by ultimately generating greater and more complex numbers and types of exposures that constitute a danger to human health. In this study, we attempted to offer some notes about the margin, understood as that space with the greatest inequity and therefore the fastest growth of risk: the collision area where deprivation marks the social determinants of health and where the greatest interaction with causes of disease occur.

This thesis completion works it out to deepen into diverse modeling techniques for Point Absorbers. A combined frequency-time domain model is conceived, designed and developed in Matlab with FoRtran as a base., leading to obtain physical variables of primary importance, namely position, velocity and power to Energy net balance relationships of absorption. Integration of different degrees of freedom with heave as main executable leads in turn to a single buoy motion focus. Acquisition of the needed hydrodynamic coefficients is provided though application of NEMOH & BEMIO solvers due to the Boundary Element Methodology. Initially, this Wave-to-motion model is validated through comparison with previous experimental results for a floating cone cylinder shape (Buldra-FO3). A single, generic, vertical floating cylinder is contemplated then, that responds to the action of the passing regular waves excitation. Later, two equally sized vertical floating cylinders aligned with the incident wave direction are modeled for a variable distance between the bodies. For both unidirectional regular and irregular waves as an input in deep water, we approximate the convolutive radiation force function term through the Prony method. By changing the spatial disposition of the axisymmetric buoys, using for instance triangular or rectangular shaped arrays of three and four bodies respectively, the study delves into motion characteristics for regular waves. The results highlight efficient layouts for maximizing the energy production whilst providing important insights into their performance, revealing displacement amplification- and capture width-ratios, while deriving in possible interpretations of scenarios related to the the known park effect. These terms are encompassed by the novelty of a new conceptual Post-Processing methodology in the field, which leads to obtain an optimal distance for the separated bodies with effective energy absorption in a regular wave regime. In conclusion, this computational excursion envisions and proposes potentials fields of study, which will surely enhance new connections and link this renewable energy form.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, the circulation of non–SARS-CoV-2 respiratory viruses changed throughout the world. This study aimed to analyze the effect of respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), metapneumovirus (MPV), rhinovirus (RV), and parainfluenza (PIV)-3 single infection, dual co-infection, and viral load on cytokine and chemokine expression in 300 Mexican patients with ARIs negative for SARS-CoV-2. Molecular detection and viral load were performed by RT-qPCR. Cytokine and chemokine expression was determined in samples positive for single RSV, MPV, RV, or PIV-3 infection, and in the most frequent dual co-infections, by a cytokine panel using a magnetic-bead-based multiplex immunoassay. Of the patients positive for viral infection, 91.7% had a single infection and 8.3% had dual co-infections. In this study, RSV was the respiratory virus with the highest prevalence, and the most common dual co-infection was RV+RSV. On the other hand, RV infections had the highest viral loads compared to the other viruses detected. FGF basic, MIP-1α IL-8, IP-10, MCP-1, IFN-γ, and RANTES showed differential expression between single infections and dual co-infections compared to healthy patients. We report, for the first time, the circulation of non-SARS-CoV-2 viruses in the south of Mexico and the cytokine and chemokine profiles associated with these viruses.

Meteorological drought indicators are commonly used for agricultural drought contingency planning in Ethiopia. Agricultural droughts arise due to soil moisture deficits. While these deficits may be caused by meteorological droughts, the timing and duration of agricultural droughts need not coincide with the onset of meteorological droughts due to soil moisture buffering. Similarly, agricultural droughts can persist even after the cessation of meteorological droughts due to delayed hydrologic processes. Understanding the relationship between meteorological and agricultural droughts is therefore crucial. An evaluation framework was developed to compare meteorological and agricultural droughts using a suite of exploratory and confirmatory tools. Receiver operator characteristics (ROC) was used to understand the covariation of meteorological and agricultural droughts. Comparisons were carried out between SPI-2, SPEI-2 and Palmer Z-index to assess intra-seasonal droughts and between SPI-6, SPEI-6 and PDSI for full-season evaluations. SPI was seen to correlate well with selected agricultural drought indicators but did not explain all the variability noted in agricultural droughts. The relationships between meteorological and agricultural droughts exhibited spatial variability which varied across indicators. SPI is better suited to predict non-agricultural drought states more so than agricultural drought states. Differences between agricultural and meteorological droughts must be accounted for better drought-preparedness planning.

Abstract: This work is part of the interest of solving the problems of water contamination with last generation pollutants, for which a novel and in an aqueous medium FeBTC material incorporated with magnetite nanoparticles was proposed. That material was synthesized by in situ solvothermal method, the Fe3O4 nanoparticles were added during the Fe-BTC MOF synthesis and used in the drug’s adsorption. The materials were characterized by XRD, FTIR and Raman spectroscopy, and N2-physisorption at 77 K. Fe3O4-FeBTC material showed a maximum adsorption capacity of 357.1 mg g−1 for diclofenac sodium, 70.9 mg g−1 for naproxen sodium, and 122.9 mg g−1 for Ibuprofen. A pseudo-second-order kinetic model can describe the adsorption process, and the thermodynamic study revealed that the adsorption of the three drugs was a feasible, spontaneous, and exothermic process. The incorporation of magnetite nanoparticles in the FeBTC considerably increased the adsorption capacity of pristine FeBTC. Also, hybridization of the FeBTC with magnetite nanoparticles reinforced the most vulnerable part of the MOF, increasing its thermal and aqueous media stability. The electrostatic interaction, H-bonding, and interactions in the open-metal sites played a vital role in drug adsorption. The competition of sites in the multicomponent mixture's adsorption showed selective adsorption at diclofenac sodium and naproxen sodium.

Misuse and poor handling of chemical pesticides in agriculture is hazardous to the health of farmers, consumers and the environment. We studied the pest and disease management practices and the type of pesticides used in four root, tuber and banana (RTB) crops in Burundi and Rwanda through in-depth interviews with a total of 811 smallholder farmers. No chemical pesticides were used in banana in either Rwanda and Burundi, whereas the use of insecticides and fungicides in potato is quite frequent. Nearly all insecticides and about one third of the fungicides used are moderately hazardous. Personal protective equipment is used by less than a half of the interviewed farmers in both countries. Reported cases of death due to self- or accidental poisoning among humans and domestic animals in the previous 12 months were substantial in both countries. Training of farmers and agrochemical retailers in safe use of pesticide and handling, and use of integrated pest management approaches to reduce pest and disease damage is recommended.

Mammalian fertilization initiates the reprogramming of oocytes and sperm, leading to the formation of a totipotent zygote. The zygotic genome remains transcriptionally silent throughout this intricate process, undergoing the maternal-to-zygotic transition (MZT) and subsequent zygotic genome activation (ZGA). Histone modifications are pivotal in shaping cellular identity and gene expression in many mammals. Recent advances in chromatin analysis enable a detailed exploration of histone modifications during ZGA. This review delves into conserved and unique regulatory strategies, providing essential insights into the dynamic changes in histone modifications and their variants during ZGA in mammals. The objective is to explore recent advancements in leading mechanisms related to histone modifications governing this embryonic development phase in depth. These considerations will be useful for informing future therapeutic approaches that target epigenetic regulation in diverse biological contexts, ranging from regenerative medicine to cancer research. It will also contribute to the extensive areas of evolutionary and developmental biology and possibly lay the foundation for future research and discussion on this seminal topic.

Fifty bull calves of the Continental × British crossbred (147.0 ± 1.67 kg body weight, BW) were used in a completely randomized design to investigate the effect varying levels and duration of calcium propionate (CaPr) supplementation on the growth performance, body fat reserves, serum metabolites, and hemogram of high-risk newly received stocker calves. These calves were individually housed and fed a received-diet for 56 d. The calves received the following treatments: 1) No CaPr (CTL), 2) 20 g CaPr/calf/d, 3) 40 g CaPr/calf/d, 4) 60 g CaPr/calf/d, and 5) 80 g CaPr/calf/d, during 14, 28, 42 and 56 d the after arrival. The supplementation with 20 g CaPr from 28 to 56 d after arrival increases average daily gain (ADG) and BW (p &lt; 0.05), and DMI is not affected (p &gt; 0.05). This is reflected at 28 d with increases (p &lt; 0.05) in ADG:DMI ratio and longissimus muscle area (LMA), and at 56 d in back fat thickness (BFT) y fat thickness at the rump (FTR). Also, with 20 g, blood urea nitrogen decreased (p &lt; 0.05); and increases were observed in the activity of gamma glutamyltransferase, monocytes (quadratic trend, p &lt; 0.07) and granulocytes% (quadratic effect, p &lt; 0.03). However, as the level of CaPr increased during the first 14 d after arrival, daily water intake, creatinine, total cholesterol, mean corpuscular hemoglobin concentration (linear effect, p &lt; 0.05), globulin, calcium and mean corpuscular volume (linear trend, p = 0.08) increased, while alkaline phosphatase (linear trend, p = 0.07) and lymphocytes (linear effect, p = 0.05) decreased. Finally, the different levels of CaPr supplementation did not produce any significant effects or differences (p &gt; 0.05), in the remaining serum metabolites and hemogram (p &gt; 0.05). Ultimately, the inclusion of 20 g CaPr/calf/d in the diet for 28 d in newly received stocker calves increases ADG, ADG:DMI ratio and LMA. If extended to 42 or 56 d, the increases in ADG persist, but there is also a rise in body fat reserves (BFT and FTR) at the expense of a reduction in ADG:DMI ratio. Furthermore, the different supplementation levels did not impact the reference range for most serum metabolites or the health of stocker calves.

Ethiopian agriculture is not only affected by precipitation declines (meteorological droughts) but also soil dryness caused by temperature increases and associated long-term hydrological changes. Meteorological drought indicators (e.g., SPI), do not fully capture the water deficits in agricultural systems (i.e., agricultural droughts). An Ethiopia-wide assessment of meteorological and agricultural drought trends was carried out to characterize century-scale (1902 – 2016) changes in droughts. SPI and SPEI calculated using two-month accumulation and the Palmer Z-index were used for assessing intra-season drought trends. SPI and SPEI at six-month accumulations and PDSI were used to define full season droughts. Detrended variance corrected Mann-Kendall test was used for trend analysis during Bega (dry), Belg (short-rainy) and Meher (long-rainy) seasons. The SPEI-2 and PDSI were most aggressive in characterizing intra-season and seasonal-drought trends. There is on average 1% - 6% annual increase in dryness with the lower estimate based on precipitation declines and the upper end accounting for seasonal soil moisture dynamics. The area between 37.5° E – 42.5° E denotes a climate hot-spot. Precipitation declines in Belg along the Ethiopia-South-Sudan/Sudan border during Belg and along Eretria-Ethiopia border during Meher have the potential to exacerbate transboundary water conflicts and further threaten the food security of the region.

Mexico has a great diversity of cacti, however, many of their fruits have not been studied in greater depth. Several bioactive compounds available in cacti juices extract have demonstrated nutraceutical properties. Two cactus species are interesting for their biologically active pigments, which are chico (Pachycereus weberi (J. M.Coult.) Backeb)) and jiotilla (Escontria chiotilla (Weber) Rose)). Hence, the goal of this work was to evaluate the bioactive entities, i.e., betalains, total phenolic, vitamin C, antioxidant activity, and mineral content in the extract of the above-mentioned P. weberi and E. chiotilla. Then, clarified extracts were evaluated for their antioxidant activity and cytotoxicity (cancer cell lines) potentialities. Based on the obtained results, Chico fruit extract was found to be a good source of vitamin C (27.19±1.95 mg L-Ascorbic acid/100g fresh sample). Moreover, chico extract resulted in a high concentration of micronutrients, i.e., potassium (517.75±16.78 mg/100 g) and zinc (2.46±0.65 mg/100 g). On the other hand, Jiotilla has a high content of biologically active pigment, i.e., betaxanthins (4.17±0.35 mg/g dry sample). The antioxidant activities of clarified extracts of chico and jiotilla were 80.01±5.10 and 280.88±7.62 (DPPH method), respectively. From the cytotoxicity perspective against cancer cell lines, i.e., CaCo-2, MCF-7, HepG2, and PC-3, the clarified extracts of chico showed cytotoxicity in CaCo-2 (49.7±0.01) and MCF-7 (45.56±0.05). Normal fibroblast cell line (NIH/3T3) was used as a control for comparison purposes. While, jiotilla extract had cytotoxicity against HepG2 (47.31±0.03) and PC-3 (53.65±0.04). These results demonstrated that Chico and jiotilla are good resources of biologically active constituents with nutraceuticals potentialities.

With an increasing demand for quality of care and lower costs, hospitals are looking for industry-based methods to improve efficiency in their processes. This study aims to reduce waste in a public hospital in Mexico by improving the medical supply process for the operating room. To this end, a lean healthcare (LH) implementation following the DMAIC approach (Define-Measure-Analyze-Improve-Control) is carried out. We analyze the value stream of the supply process, including main surgical procedures and their related medical supplies, and identify different causes of inefficiency, which are evaluated and controlled through different tools, including a value stream map, Kanban, and the 5S program. As a result, five types of waste were reduced. Over-processing requests were reduced by 15.3%, defective identification numbers were reduced by 46.5%, redundant processing was improved by 94.8%, near 2.8% of the unnecessary inventory was reduced, and transportation waste was reduced by up to 16.7%. Finally, the lead-time for the main supplies was reduced by 33 days. This work demonstrates that LH and DMAIC are effective in reducing waste and are highly conducive to improving sustainability in healthcare processes. Moreover, it provides practical insights for practitioners regarding the implementation of LH in public hospitals in developing countries.

Twenty-four extensively-reared Iberian pigs were used to study the influence of fattening period length (30, 60 or 90 days) on the fatty acid profiles of intramuscular and subcutaneous fat and the relationships between both profiles. Regarding fatty acid (FA) percentage, PUFA was greater in backfat and MUFA was greater in intramuscular fat (IMF), regardless fattening period length. The longer fattening period increased MUFA content in backfat (which had a more marked change in oleic acid) and decreased PUFA content in backfat and IMF, but it did not affect SFA content. Within the 3-layers subcutaneous backfat, SFA content was greater in the inner layer, MUFA was greater in the outer layer and PUFA was greater in both of these layers. The few differences in FA composition between both adipose tissues suggest that the changes due to the feeding regime are slow and, therefore, although the length of the fattening phase was increased, the fatty acid profile did not change substantially. The strong relationship between the FA profiles of IMF and backfat might be used to predict one profile from the other one when this latter was more readily available for sampling or analytical reasons.

Air pollution includes particle-bound Polycyclic Aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) which eventually reach the placenta triggering adverse perinatal outcomes by long-term exposure. Late-ly, air pollution has increased over the Metropolitan Area of Medellin-Colombia (MAMC) but its effects on pregnancy are still unknown. In this research, we made a real-time analysis of airborne total PAHs using a photoelectric sensor for residential places influenced by industrial and traffic sources contrasting southern and northern MAMC during the second peak of the bimodal ten-dency for PM2.5 emissions in this region. Additionally, we analyzed individual PAHs by GC/MS coupled to pressurized hot water extraction methodology. Data was applied in an Inhalation In-take Model to assess pregnancy exposure. The average concentration of PAHs over southern MAMC was three times higher than over northern MAMC where the abortion rate has been 1.4 times higher presented in database. Previous research found that PAHs act as an Endo-crine-Disrupting Chemical (EDC) during pregnancy and even heavy congeners could reside in umbilical cord blood. Finally, the annual series of abortion rates in the MAMC showed a signifi-cant correlation with the annual average levels of PM2.5 which are associate to PAHs. Although this significant correlation does not imply causality, our results suggest an important connection between both variables. This latter finding opens a gap in deeply understanding how regions with high PAHs-convergence influences abortion rates in MAMC.

The main objective of the study is to analyse time trends in excessive body weight (obesity, overweight) of Czech adolescents between 2002 and 2018 with regard to the socioeconomic status (SES) of adolescents’ families and to find SES-mediated correlates of adolescents’ obesity. A nationally representative sample of 29,879 adolescents (49.6% of them boys) aged 10.5-16.5 years was drawn from the Health Behaviour in School-aged Children cross-sectional, self-reported questionnaire surveys conducted in 2002, 2006, 2010, 2014, and 2018 in the Czech Republic. Across the quadrennial surveys from 2002 to 2018, we observed a clear increase in the prevalence of excessive body weight (overweight/obesity) in all SES categories of adolescents, which was most striking (p < 0.05) in adolescents with low SES (boys: +5.2/+7.5 percent points (p.p.); girls +6.3/+2.4 p.p.). When all the survey cycles were compared, the highest prevalence of overweight/obesity was evident in the low-SES adolescents in 2018, both in girls (14.9%/5.1%) and boys (20.4%/12.0%). The lower odds of obesity were significantly (p < 0.05) associated with regular vigorous physical activity, participation in organized sport. An unreasonable increase in the prevalence of obesity in adolescents with low SES suggests that national health-related and sports programmes have the least impact on children from low-SES families.

Over the years, chitosan has been the subject of numerous studies and has gained significant popularity as a biomaterial due to its various characteristics, including biocompatibility, biodegradability, and bioactivity. In this work, chitosan fibres surface was modified with ursolic acid to improve their antibacterial properties by wet impregnation method. Five specimens of chitosan fibres were immersed in ursolic acid (UA) solution for varying immersion times of 1, 2, 4, 6, and 8 hours. Characterization was carried out by means of FTIR, SEM, UV-Vis spectroscopy; the results indicated an ongoing chemical reaction between chitosan and ursolic acid resulting in changes to the chemical structure. After 2 hours, the absorbance ratio remained constant; suggesting that the reaction had reached completion and the chemical structure of the sample remained stable. Antibacterial tests were performed on the resulting chitosan fibres against two bacterial strains. The fibres without ursolic acid did not exhibit any noteworthy antibacterial activity against either strain. However, the chitosan fibres modified with ursolic acid showed significant and almost strong antibacterial activity against the Gram-positive strain, S. aureus. These results suggest that chitosan fibres modified with ursolic acid could have potential applications as antibacterial materials, particularly against Gram-positive bacteria.

The Mar Menor is a Spanish coastal lagoon of great ecological and economic interest. The agricultural and tourist activities developed in the surroundings of the lagoon, together with the modifications in its channels of connection with the Mediterranean Sea, have notably affected the quality of its waters, which is altering the natural balance of the ecosystem. In this work, an analysis of the density of phytoplankton present in the lagoon between the months of May to December 2017 has been carried out. There, it has been a notable increase in the density of organisms in post-summer samplings, following the recording of higher temperatures, and the presence of Chlorophyceae, Cyanophyceae, Chrysophyceae and nanoplanktonic Cryptophyceae stands out. The data collected indicate a significant increase in the eutrophication process of the lagoon that requires the development of management plans to reduce agricultural discharges and promote the recovery of the lagoon and its native species.

MicroRNAs are small non-coding RNAs that are implicated in several physiological processes such as cell development, proliferation, differentiation, apoptosis, immune response and angiogenesis. In the last couple of decades, several studies on miRNA profiling in OSCC have tried to associate miRNAs with clinical characteristics such as relapse, metastasis, and survival, however, the results have been found to vary considerably, sometimes even being contradictory. The main objective of our study was to analyse and verify miRNA expression in oral squamous cell carcinoma in a Spanish population. Second, we attempted to associate the identified deregulated miRNAs with molecular pathways. 8 Oral Squamous Cell Carcinoma patients and 8 healthy control samples were analysed by a microarray Affymetrix® miRNA 4.1 array plate and validated with 8 more cases using RT-qPCR. Deregulated miRNAs were studied using Diana Tools miRPath 3.0 to associate miRNA targets with molecular pathways. Microarray analysis identified 80 deregulated miRNAs (35 over-expressed and 45 under-expressed). Only miR-497-5p and miR-4417 maintained its deregulated expression after validation with qPCR. Among the molecular pathways in which deregulated miRNAs could be implicated, the most statistically significant pathway was ‘proteoglycans in cancer’. No relationship was found between miR-497-5p or miR-4417 expression and clinical or pathological parameters except of nodular affectation (high miR-4417 expression in patients with nodular affectation, p = 0.035) and radiotherapy (diminished miR-497-5p expression in patients who needed radiotherapy, p = 0.05). We have verified the altered expression of miR-497-5p and miR-4417 in Oral Squamous Cell Carcinoma samples and related the deregulated miRNAs with the ‘proteoglycans in cancer’ pathway.

The emergence of the COVID-19 pandemics prompted a fast development of novel diagnostic methods of the etiologic virus SARS-CoV-2. Methods based on CRISPR-Cas systems have been particularly promising because they can achieve a similar sensitivity and specificity to the golden standard RT-qPCR, especially when coupled to an isothermal pre-amplification step. Furthermore, they have also solved inherent limitations of RT-qPCR that impede its decentralized use and deployment in the field, such as the need for expensive equipment, high cost per reaction, and delivery of results in hours, among others. In this review, we evaluate publicly available methods to detect SARS-CoV-2 that are based on CRISPR-Cas and isothermal amplification. We critically analyze the steps required to obtain a successful result from clinical samples and pinpoint key experimental conditions and parameters that could be optimized or modified to improve clinical and analytical outputs. The COVID outbreak has propelled intensive research in a short time, which is paving the way to develop effective and very promising CRISPR-Cas systems for the precise detection of SARS-CoV-2. This review could also serve as an introductory guide to new labs delving into this technology.

The research presents the inter-comparison of atmospheric variables measured by 9 automatic meteorological stations. This set of data was compared with the measurements of other meteorological stations in order to standardize the values that must be adjusted when taken to different areas. The data of a set of a total of 9 GMX500, which measures conventional meteorological variables, and 10 WS100 sensors, which measures precipitation parameters. The automatic stations were set up at the Huancayo Observatory (Geophysical Institute of Peru) for a period of 5 months. The data set of GMX500 were evaluated comparing with the average of the 9 sensors and the WS100 was compared with a optical disdrometer Parsivel2. The temperature, pressure, relative humidity, wind speed, rainfall rate, and drop size distribution was evaluated. A pair of GMX500 sensors presented high data dispersion, it was found found that the errors came from a bad configuration; once this problem was solved, good agreement was archived, with low RMSE and high correlation. I was found that the WS100 sensors overestimate the precipitation with a percent bias close to 100% and the differences increase with the greater intensity of rain. The DSD retrieved by WS100 have unrealistic behavior with higher concentrations in diameters of 1 mm and 5 mm, in addition to a flattened curve.

Arctic feedbacks will accelerate climate change and could jeopardise mitigation efforts. The permafrost carbon feedback releases carbon to the atmosphere from thawing permafrost and the sea ice albedo feedback increases solar absorption in the Arctic Ocean. A constant positive albedo feedback and zero permafrost feedback have been used in nearly all climate policy studies to date, while observations and models show that the permafrost feedback is significant and that both feedbacks are nonlinear. Using novel dynamic emulators in the integrated assessment model PAGE-ICE, we investigate nonlinear interactions of the two feedbacks with the climate and economy under a range of climate scenarios consistent with the Paris Agreement. The permafrost feedback interacts with the land and ocean carbon uptake processes, and the albedo feedback evolves through a sequence of nonlinear transitions associated with the loss of Arctic sea ice in different months of the year. The US’s withdrawal from the current national pledges could increase the total discounted economic impact of the two Arctic feedbacks until 2300 by $25 trillion, reaching nearly $120 trillion, while meeting the 1.5 °C and 2 °C targets will reduce the impact by an order of magnitude.

Background: Adolescence is a developmental stage when there is a high risk of engaging in non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI). There is recent interest in the study of thwarted belongingness and perceived burdensome as variables associated with the frequency of NSSI in adolescents. Meaning in life (MIL) could be negatively associated with thwarted belongingness and perceived burdensome. To date, no studies have analyzed whether thwarted belongingness and perceived burdensomeness could be associated with the frequency of NSSI in adolescents. On the other hand, no studies have analyzed the buffering role of MIL in the association between thwarted belongingness and perceived burdensomeness and the frequency of NSSI. Aims: a) to test whether thwarted belongingness and perceived burdensomeness are associated with NSSI frequency; b) to test whether MIL moderates the association between thwarted belongingness and NSSI frequency; and c) to test whether MIL moderates the association between perceived burdensomeness and NSSI frequency. Method: The sample consisted of N = 1531 participants between 12 and 18 years old from Spain. The participants filled out the Inventory of Statements about Self-Injury, Purpose-In-Life Test-Adolescents Version, and Interpersonal Needs Questionnaire. Moderation analysis were performed. Results: Thwarted belongingness and perceived burdensomeness were positively associated with the frequency of NSSI in Spanish adolescents. MIL was a moderating variable between thwarted belongingness and the frequency of NSSI, and between perceived burdensomeness and the frequency of NSSI. Conclusion: Thwarted belongingness and perceived burdensomeness could be a risk factor for NSSI and MIL could be a protective factor against NSSI, and adding these variables to current descriptive theories of NSSI in adolescents would allow us to improve the assessment and treatment protocols for adolescents with NSSI.

The goal of classroom English instruction is to educate students on how to use the English language effectively for communication in any scenario. It is identified by presenting various teaching tactics and speaking activities to encourage students to participate more actively in conversations. The study intended to identify the problems in the speaking performance of Grade 8 Jade in Tagum City National High School. The study was conducted using a quantitative non-experimental descriptive survey method. Results revealed that the problems in speaking performance have garnered a mean of 3.20 (moderate) as descriptive equivalent and it was found out that the prevailing speaking problem is anxiety with a mean of 3.84, interpreted as high. Thus, an intervention program is designed to address the problems in the speaking performance of the respondents. This program is divided into two: Overcoming Speaking Anxiety Seminar-Workshop and Speaking Enhancement Activities.

The major stress-inducible Hsp70 (HSPA1A) is overexpressed in the cytosol of many highly aggressive tumor cells including glioblastoma multiforme and presented on their plasma membrane. Depending on its intracellular or membrane localization, Hsp70 either promotes tumor growth or serves as a target for NK cells. The kinetics of the membrane Hsp70 (mHsp70) density on human glioma cells (U87) was studied after different irradiation doses to define the optimal therapeutic window for Hsp70-targeting NK cells. To maintain the cells in the exponential growth phase during a cultivation period of 7 days different initial cell counts were seeded. Although cytosolic Hsp70 levels remained unchanged on days 4 and 7 after a sublethal irradiation with 2 Gy, 4 Gy and 6 Gy, a dose of 2 Gy resulted in an upregulated mHsp70 density in U87 cells which peaks on day 4 and starts to decline on day 7. Higher radiation doses (4 Gy, 6 Gy) resulted in an earlier and more rapid onset of the mHsp70 expression on days 2 and 1, respectively, followed by a decline on day 5. Membrane Hsp70 levels are higher in G2/M than in G1, however, an irradiation-induced cell cycle arrest on days 4 and 7, was not associated with an increase in the mHsp70 density. Extracellular Hsp70 concentrations increased significantly compared to sham (0 Gy) irradiated cells on days 4 and 7 but not on day 1. Functionally, elevated mHsp70 densities were associated with a significantly better lysis by Hsp70-targeting NK cells. In summary, the kinetics of changes in the mHsp70 density upon irradiation on tumor cells is time- and dose-dependent.

The continuous casting tundish is non-isothermal due to heat losses and temperature variation from the inlet stream generating relevant convection forces. This condition is commonly avoided through qualitative fluid dynamic analysis only. This work searches to establish the conditions for which non-isothermal simulations are mandatory or for which isothermal simulations are enough to accurately describe the fluid dynamics inside the tundish by quantifying the buoyant and inertial forces. The mathematical model, simulated by CFD software, considers the Navier-Stokes equations, the realizable k- model for solving the turbulence, and the Lagrangian discrete face to track the inclusion trajectories. The results show that temperature does not significantly impact the volume fraction percentages or the mean residence time results, nevertheless, bigger velocity magnitudes under non-isothermal conditions than in isothermal conditions and noticeable changes in the fluid dynamics between isothermal and non-isothermal cases in all the zones where buoyancy force dominates over inertial forces were observed. Because of the results, it is concluded that isothermal simulations can accurately describe the flow behavior in tundishes when the flow control devices control the fluid dynamic, but the simulation without control devices or with a weak fluid dynamic dependence on the control devices requires non-isothermal simulations.

The licensing of Talimogene Laherparepvec (T-Vec) represented a landmark moment for oncolytic virotherapy, since it provided unequivocal evidence for the long-touted potential of genetically modified replicating viruses as anti-cancer agents. Whilst T-Vec is promising as a locally delivered virotherapy, especially in combination with Immune-checkpoint inhibitors, the quest continues for a virus capable of specific tumour cell killing via systemic administration. One candidate is oncolytic Adenovirus; it’s double stranded DNA genome is easily manipulated and a wide range of strategies and technologies have been employed to empower the vector with improved pharmacokinetics and tumour targeting ability. As well characterised clinical and experimental agents we have detailed knowledge of Adenoviruses mechanisms of pathogenicity, supported by detailed virological studies and in vivo interactions. In this review we highlight the strides made in the engineering of bespoke adenoviral vectors to specifically infect, replicate within, and destroy tumour cells. We discuss how mutations in genes regulating adenoviral replication after cell entry can be used to restrict replication to the tumour, and summarise how detailed knowledge of viral capsid interactions enable rational modification to eliminate native tropisms, and simultaneously promote active uptake by cancerous tissues. We argue that these designer-viruses, exploiting the viruses natural mechanisms and regulated at every level of replication, represent the ideal platforms for local overexpression of therapeutic transgenes such as immunomodulatory agents. Where T-Vec has paved the way, Ad based vectors now follow. The era of designer oncolytic virotherapies looks decidedly as though it will soon become a reality.

This paper presents the mathematical modeling for designing a 10[kW] DC-AC inverter system from 48 [V] DC to 120 V ACrms, considering its non-linear operation, allowing to obtain a detailed simulation to assess the proposed fuzzy PI control (with anti-windup action) and its optimal operation. The performance assessment of the converter was carried out with the discrete treatment of the voltage and current signals using spectral analysis, filtering considerations, and evaluation of limit cycle technique to determine the system's stability. The main results showed that THD at the filter output (transformer and capacitor) was around 0.0322% and 0.0632% at nominal load in open loop and closed loop, respectively. The inverter system presented more sensitivity in the current signal with a ripple at 120 [Hz] of 2.02% and at 5000 [Hz] of 10.62% (at nominal load). However, when the system operates in a closed loop, the current ripple at 120 [Hz] is 2.38% and at 5000 [Hz] is 10.62%.

Abstract: In this paper we describe how the administration of drone brood homoge-nate (DBH) influenced intestinal secretion of IgA, MUC-2, morphometric parameters, peripheral blood values, and expression of cytokines. A total of 12 pigs were divided into three groups, two experimental, first fed with 100 mg DBH.kg-1 (E1), second with 200 mg DBH.kg-1 (E2) of body weight, and a control (C) group without DBH in the di-et. Animals didn't show significant changes in average weight gains and feed conver-sion among evaluated groups. Feeding a diet containing 200 mg DBH.kg-1 of body weight in the E2 group produced an increase (p < 0.05) in the red cell distribution width, the percentage of metabolic activity of blood phagocytes in the peripheral blood, as well as splenic cell subpopulations CD4+ and CD21+. The villi height and their cutting surface were increased in the E2 group (p < 0.01), together with a gradual decrease in the concentration of MUC-2 and sIgA (p < 0.001). Upregulation of IL-8 (p < 0.0001), IL-10 (p < 0.05), and IL-18 (p < 0.001) was found mainly in E2 group. Results suggest, that supplementation of DBH in the feed of pigs formed optimal intestinal homeostasis.drone