On 11 March 2020, the COVID-19 emergency was declared and a large number of patients were admitted to the ICUs. Consequently, ICUs had to recruit nurses from other units as well as Nursing students without working experience in critical patients care. Since Critical nursing competence is crucial to avoid medical errors, the aim of this study was, to describe the level of safety and nursing competence in critical patient care of recruited nurses and students, during the COVID-19 pandemic in ICUs. A cross-sectional descriptive study of 66 participants using the validated competency assessment questionnaire for nurses in hospital care (COM-VA©) was performed. Our results showed that the level of safety perceived in critical patients care by the students on placement in ICUs and mentors scored higher than the rest of the participants. Interestingly, whereas the participant’s COM-VA© score indicated a level of competence good enough to work autonomously, the supervisor/mentor’s COM-VA© evaluation showed that only the group of students on placement obtained this level of competency. Altogether, we found that students on placement in ICU possesses a higher level of safety and COM-VA© scores than the rest of participants probably due to the close support of the mentor.

Background: Study to assess glucose levels of people with type 1 diabetes (T1D) overnight based on insulin type and timing. Methods: Real-world, retrospective study in T1D using multiple daily insulin injections. Contin-uous glucose monitoring and insulin injections data were collected for ten hours after dinner us-ing the Insulclock® connected cap. Meal events were identified using ROC detection methodology. The timing of rapid insulin, second injections, and the type of insulin analogs used were evaluat-ed. Results: Nocturnal profiles (n=775, 49 subjects) were analyzed. Higher glucose AUC over 180mg/dL was observed in delayed injections (number; %; mg/dL x h): -45-15min (n=136; 17.5%, 175.9 ±271.0); -15-0min (n= 231; 29.8%, 164.0 ±237.1); 0+45min (n= 408; 52.6%, 203.6 ±260.9), (p 0.049). The use of ultrarapid (FiAsp®) (URI) vs rapid insulin analogs (RI) was associated with less hypoglycemia events (7.1 vs 13.6%; p 0.005) and TBR70 (1.7 +6.9 vs 4.6 +13.9%; p 0.003). Us-ers of glargine U300 vs degludec had higher TIR (70.7 vs 58.5 %) (Adjusted R-squared: 0.22, p < 0.001). The use of a correction injection (n= 144, 18.6%) was associated with higher hypoglycemia events (18.1 vs 9.5%; p 0.003), TBR70 (5.5 +14.2 vs 3.0 +11.1%; p 0.003), glucose AUC over 180 mg/dL (226.1 +257.8 vs 178.0 +255.3 mg/dL x h; p 0.001), and lower TIR (56.0 +27.4 vs 62.7 +29.6 mg/dL x h; p 0.004). Conclusions: Dinner rapid insulin timing, insulin types and correction injections affect nocturnal glucose profile in T1D.

In this article, we propose a circuit to imitate the behavior of a Reward-Modulated Spike-Timing-Dependent Plasticity synapse. When two neurons in adjacent layers produce spikes, each spike modifies the thickness of the common synapse. As a result, the synapse’s ability to conduct impulses is controlled, leading to an unsupervised learning rule. By introducing a reward signal, reinforcement learning is enabled by redirecting the growth and shrinkage of synapses based on signal feedback from the environment. The proposed synapse manages the convolution of the emitted spike signals to promote either the strengthening or weakening of the synapse, which is represented as the resistance value of a memristor device. As memristors have a conductance range that may differ from the available current input range of typical CMOS neuron designs, the synapse circuit can be adjusted to regulate the spike’s amplitude current to comply with the neuron. The circuit described in this work allows for the implementation of fully interconnected layers of neuron analog circuits. This is achieved by having each synapse reconform the spike signal, thus removing the burden of providing enough power from the neurons to each memristor. The synapse circuit was tested using a CMOS analog neuron described in the literature. Additionally, the article provides insight into how to properly describe the hysteresis behavior of the memristor in Verilog-A code. The testing and learning capabilities of the synapse circuit are demonstrated in simulation using the Skywater-130nm process. The article’s main goal is to provide the basic building blocks for Deep Neural Neural Networks relying on spiking neurons and memristors as the basic processing elements to handle spike generation, propagation, and synaptic plasticity.

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

The use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) applications in a growing number of domains in the latest years has put into focus Ethical Legal and Societal Aspects (ELSA) of these technologies and the relevant challenges they pose. In this paper, we propose an ELSA Curriculum for Data Scientists aiming to raise awareness about ELSA challenges in their work, provide them with a common language with the relevant domain experts to cooperate to find appropriate solutions, and finally, incorporate ELSA in the data science workflow and not be seen as an impediment or a superfluous artifact, rather than an integral part of the Data Science Project Lifecycle. The proposed curriculum uses the CRISP-DM model as a backbone to define a vertical partition, expressed in modules corresponding to the CRISP-DM phases. The horizontal partition includes knowledge units belonging to three strands that run through the phases, namely Ethical and Societal, Legal, and Technical Rendering Knowledge Units (KUs). In addition to the detailed description of the aforementioned KUs, we also discuss the implementation, issues such as duration, form, and evaluation of participants, as well as the variance of the knowledge level and needs of the target audience.

Analog neuromorphic prototyping is crucial for creating spiking neuron models that use memristive devices as synapses to design integrated circuits that leverage on-chip parallel deep neural networks. These models mimic how biological neurons in the brain communicate through electrical potentials. Doing so enables more powerful and efficient functionality than traditional artificial neural networks that run on von Neumann computers or graphic processing unit-based platforms. This technology can accelerate deep learning processing, aiming to exploit the brain’s unique features of asynchronous and event-driven processing by leveraging neuromorphic hardware’s inherent parallelism and analog computation capabilities. Therefore, this paper presents the design and implementation of a leaky integrate and fire neuron prototype implemented with commercially available components on a PCB board. Simulations conducted in LTSpice agree well with the electrical test measurements. The results demonstrate that this design can be employed to interconnect many boards to build layers of physical spiking neurons, interconnected with spike-timing-dependent plasticity as the primary learning algorithm, contributing to the realization of experiments in the early stage of adopting neuromorphic computing.

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

Corneal ulcers are a common and potentially vision-threatening condition in horses that can be challenging to treat with conventional therapies alone. This case report describes the successful treatment of a non-healing corneal ulcer in a 28-year-old Hispano-Bretón mare using the secretome derived from adipose tissue-derived mesenchymal stem cells (ASCs). Despite initial treatment with antibiotics, anti-inflammatory drugs, and surgical debridement, the corneal ulcer failed to heal properly, exhibiting persistent epithelial defects and stromal complications. As an alternative regenerative approach, the ASC secretome, a rich source of trophic factors, cytokines, and extracellular vesicles, was topically administered to the affected eye. Remarkably, within one week of secretome treatment, the clinical signs of blepharospasm and epiphora resolved, and the corneal ulcer exhibited complete re-epithelialization, regained transparency, and reduced neovascularization. No recurrence was observed during the 1.5-year follow-up period. This case highlights the potential therapeutic benefits of ASCs secretome in promoting corneal wound healing and suggests its promise as a novel cell-free therapy for treating refractory corneal ulcers in horses.

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

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

Today, enterococci (mainly Enterococcus faecalis) are one of the main causes of infective endocarditis in the world, generally affecting an elderly and fragile population, with a high mortality rate. enterococci are intrinsically resistant to many commonly used antimicrobial agents. All enterococci exhibit decreased susceptibility to penicillin and ampicillin, as well as high-level resistance to most cephalosporins and all semi-synthetic penicillins, as the result of expression of low-affinity penicillin-binding proteins, that precludes an unacceptable number of therapeutic failures with monotherapy with these drugs. For years, the synergistic combination of penicillins and aminoglycosides was the cornerstone of treatment, but the emergence of strains with high resistance to aminoglycosides led to the search for new alternatives, such as dual beta-lactam therapy. The development of multi-drug resistant strains of Enterococcus faecium is a matter of considerable concern due to its probable spread to E. faecalis and have forced the search of new alternatives with the combination of daptomycin, fosfomycin or tigecycline. Some of them have scarce clinical experience and others are still under investigation and will be analyzed in this review. In addition, the need for prolonged treatment (6-8 weeks) to avoid relapses has led to the consideration of viable options such as outpatient parenteral therapies or long-acting administrations with the new lipoglycopeptides (dalbavancin or oritavancin), and sequential oral treatments, which will also be discussed.

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

Inflammatory allergic and nonallergic respiratory pathologies often co-exist. The root cause is not clear. This paper demonstrates that it is ascribable to protons (H⁺) released into cells by exogenous and endogenous acids. The hypothesis of acids as the common cause stems from two considerations: a) it has long been known that exogenous acids present in air pollutants can induce the irritation of epithelial surfaces, particularly the airways, inflammation and bronchospasm; b) according to recent articles, endogenous acids, generated in cells by phospholipases, play a key role in the biochemical mechanisms of initiation and progression of allergic responses. Therefore, the intracellular acidification and consequent Ca²⁺ increase, induced by protons generated by either acid pollutants or endogenous phospholipases, may be the causal mechanism of the multimorbidity of these diseases, and environmental acidity may contribute to their spread.

36 years after the publication of the important article by Busa and Nuccitelli on the variability of intracellular pH (pH_i) and the interdependence of pH_i and intracellular Ca²⁺ concentration ([Ca²⁺]_i), little research has been carried out on pH_i and calcium signaling. Moreover, the results appear to be contradictory. Some authors claim that the increase in [Ca²⁺]_i is due to a reduction in pH_i, others that it is caused by an increase in pH_i. The reasons for these conflicting results have not yet been discussed and clarified in an exhaustive manner. Variations in pH_i have a significant impact on the increase in [Ca²⁺]_i and hence on some of the basic biochemical mechanisms of calcium signaling. This paper focuses on the possible triggering role of protons, highlighting the mechanisms potentially involved and the open issues that could be clarified by research.

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

Objective: To evaluate the physical and chemical stability of the antibiotic temocillin at the recommended dose for severe infections and contained in infusion bags or elastomeric devices at different temperatures for its use in Outpatient Parenteral Antimicrobial Therapy (OPAT) programs.Method: Solutions of temocillin 12 g/L diluted in 0.9% sodium chloride were stored at 4ºC ± 2ºC, 25°C ± 2°C, 32°C ± 2°C and 37°C ± 2°C for 72 h both in polypropylene infusion bags and in polyisoprene elastomeric pumps. Physical and chemical stability were evaluated at 12, 24, 30 48 and 72 h after manufacturing. The solutions were considered stable if color, clearness and pH remained unchanged and if the percentage of intact drug was ≥90%. Results: There were no observed changes in color or clarity in any of the refrigerated (4°C) samples or in the samples incubated at 25ºC and 32ºC. At 37ºC, an increase in intensity of yellow color was observed at 30, 48 and 72 h in both infusion bags and elastomeric pumps samples. All samples remained within the pH range 6.84–6.06. At 4ºC, 25ºC and 32°C ± 2°C, temocillin attained the stability criteria of ≥90% of the original concentration for the whole experiment in both devices. At 37ºC, temocillin was stable for 24 h but its concentration dropped below 90% from that time point both in the infusion bags and in the elastomeric pumps.Conclusions: According to the data provided in this stability study, temocillin administrated by continuous infusion would be an appropriate candidate for the treatment of patients that can be discharge to complete therapy in an OPAT program.

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

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

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is an autoimmune disease mainly characterized by joint inflammation. It presents extra-articular manifestations, with the lungs one of the affected areas. Among these, damage to the pulmonary interstitium (Interstitial Lung Disease -ILD) has been linked to proteins involved in the inflammatory process and related to extracellular matrix deposition and lung fibrosis establishment. Peptidyl arginine deiminase enzymes (PAD), which carry out protein citrullination, play a role in this context. A genetic association analysis was conducted on genes encoding two PAD isoforms, PAD2 and PAD4. This analysis also included ancestry informative markers and protein level determination in samples from patients with rheumatoid arthritis, RA-associated ILD, and clinically healthy controls. Significant single nucleotide variations (SNV) and a haplotype were identified as susceptibility factors for ILD-RA development. Elevated levels of PAD4 were found in ILD-RA cases, while PADI2 showed an association with RA susceptibility. This document presents the data obtained from the conducted research, which has been published.

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

Thoracic aortic calcium (TAC) appears to be a subclinical marker of cardiovascular disease (CVD) and to predict CV mortality. However, studies on TAC use tomographic scans obtained for coronary artery calcium (CAC) score, which does not include the aortic arch. This study evaluates TAC prevalence in aortic arch (AAC), ascending (ATAC) and descending thoracic aorta (DTAC) and verify whether they are associated with the same CV risk factors. Cross-sectional analysis, including 2,427 participants (mean age 55.6 ± 8.7; 54,1% women) of the ELSA-Brasil cohort. Nonenhanced ECG-gated tomographies were performed in 2015-2016. Multivariable logistic regression estimated the CV risk factors associated with calcium in each segment. Overall prevalence of ATAC, AAC and DTAC was, 23,1%, 62.1%, and 31.2%, respectively. About 90.4% of the individuals with TAC had AAC and only 19.5% had calcium in all segments. In the multivariable analysis, increasing age, lower levels of schooling, current smoking, higher body mass index, and hypertension remained associated with calcium in all segments. No sex or race/ethnicity differences were found in any aortic segment. Diabetes and Dyslipidemia were associated with ATAC and DTAC, but not with AAC, suggesting that AAC may reflect an overlap of mechanisms that impact vascular health, including atherosclerosis.

We argue that several potentials proposed recently for the analysis of the vibrational-rotational spectra of diatomic molecules and their thermodynamic properties exhibit a flaw. One can easily show that the parameters $D_e $ and $r_e$ in those potentials are not the dissociation energy and equilibrium bond length, respectively, as the proposers believe. We show how to overcome the mistake in a simple and quite general way.

Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb) the causative agent of human tuberculosis (TB) is one of the most successfully adapted-human pathogens. Human-to-human transmission occurs at high rates through aerosols containing bacteria, but the pathogen evolved prior to the establishment of crowded populations. Mtb has developed a particular strategy to ensure persistence in the host until an opportunity for transmission arise. It has refined its lifestyle to obviate the need for virulence factors such as capsules, flagella, pilli, or toxins to circumvent mucosal barriers. Instead, the pathogen uses host macrophages, where it establishes intracellular niches, for its migration into the lung parenchyma and other tissues and for the induction of long-lived latency in granulomas. Finally, at the end of the infection cycle Mtb induces necrotic cell death of macrophages to escape to extracellular milieu and instructs a strong inflammatory response required for progression from latency to disease and transmission. Common to all these events is ESAT-6, one of the major virulence factors secreted by the pathogen. This review highlights the recent advances in understanding the role of ESAT-6 in hijacking macrophage function to establish a successful infection and transmission and its use as a target for the development of diagnostic tools, and vaccines.

Supramolecular structures are of great interest due to their applicability in various scientific and industrial fields. These fields of scientific action include promising applications i biomedical areas, in sensing, and in conductive and electrical phases. The sensible definition of supramolecular molecules is being set by investigators, who, because of the different sensitivities of their methods and observational timescales, may have different views as to what constitute these supramolecular structures. Besides, diverse polymers can be found to offer unique avenues for multifunctional systems with properties in medicine industrial applications. Aspects of this review provide different conceptual strategies to address molecular design, properties, and potential applications of self-assembly materials and the use of metal coordination as a feasible and useful strategy for constructing complex supramolecular structures. In this order of appreciations and ideas order, it is that this review report involves classic topics such as hydrogels that range from their relationship with drug delivery systems, to metallo-supramolecular materials, through applications in ophthalmic systems, in applications that require adhesiveness and electrically conductive hydrogels. This review also addresses systems that are largely based on hydrogel chemistry and the enormous opportunities to design very specific structures for applications that demand enormous specificity.

Six bacterial strains with differing abilities to produce varying concentrations of Indole Acetic Acid were tested individually and in consortia for plant growth promoting and fitness related traits of Cicer arietinum. In all experiments the presence of the nitrogen fixer Mesorhizobium ciceri resulted in increased biomass production. In the absence of this strain, IAA Psedomonas putida and Bacillus megaterium hinder plant growth and fitness related traits. The application of mixes of the three strains always resulted in better plant performance when M. ciceri was present. Whereas P. putida has a noticeable plant growth-promoting effect B. megaterium resulted less effective. The low levels of IAA produced by the selected strains had a significantly greater positive effect on plant biomass accumulation, flower, pods and seed production as well as on total plant nitrogen and nitrogen concentration in seed than high IAA producer strains.

Extrusion-based additive manufacturing (AM) technologies (i.e., fused filament fabrication, FFF) mostly produce thermoplastic parts. However, producing metallic or ceramic parts by FFF is also a sintered-based AM process. FFF for metallic parts can be divided into five steps: (1) raw materials selection and feedstock mixture (including palletization), (2) filament production (extrusion), (3) production of AM components using the filament extrusion process, (4) debinding, and (5) sintering. These steps are interrelated, where the parameters interact with the other ones and have a key role in the integrity and quality of the final metallic parts. FFF can produce high-accuracy and complex metallic parts, potentially revolutionizing the manufacturing industry and taking AM components to a new level. In the FFF technology for metallic materials, material compatibility, production quality, and cost-effectiveness are the challenges to overcome to make it more competitive compared to other AM technologies, like the laser processes. This review provides a comprehensive overview of the recent developments in FFF for metallic materials, including the metals and binders used, the challenges faced, potential applications, and the impact of FFF on the manufacturing (prototyping and end parts), design freedom, customization, sustainability, supply chain, among others.

Background. The measurement of physical performance constitutes an indicator of physical functional capacity and allows the design of physical exercise programs adapted to the individual abilities and needs of older adults with and without frailty. Aim. To present a synthesis of knowledge on the effect of exercise programs on physical performance in older adults with and without frailty in the community. Method. A systematic review was carried out in accordance with the PRISMA-2020 criteria. The search for articles was made until May 4, 2023 in PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, Cochrane Library, SciELO and LILACS. The outcome variable was physical performance, measured through the SPPB (Short Physical Performance Battery). The mean difference (MD) was estimated to evaluate the effect. Results. We found 2,483 studies, of which 12 met the eligibility criteria for the systematic review and 9 for the meta-analysis. The effect of exercise on SPPB score was significantly higher in the exercise group compared to control in non-frail older adults with MD=0.51 [95% CI, 0.05 to 0.96, p&lt;0.05]. Likewise, in older adults with frailty, the effect of exercise on the global SPPB score was significantly higher in the exercise group compared to the control with an MD=0.66 [95% CI, 0.09 to 1.24, p&lt;0.05 ]. Conclusion. Our findings suggest that exercise programs are effective in increasing and/or maintaining physical performance in older adults with and without frailty, whose effect is more evident in older adults with frailty, probably due to the greater margin of recovery of intrinsic capacity.

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

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

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

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

Cities are complex systems requiring urban design models that balance order and disorder. Collective creativity initiatives engage citizens in these processes, empowering bottom-up approaches that prioritize people and social well-being within urban development. This paper investigates an 'Urban Laboratory' as a case study, examining the potential of collective creativity to address urban complexity. The successful and ongoing project 'El Campo de Cebada' in Madrid, Spain, demonstrates how a community transformed a vacant lot into a vibrant social hub. The phases of this study include case selection, data collection, data analysis, and presentation of the results. This study identifies key enabling factors, including agents, management, social dynamics, infrastructure, and actions. These insights offer a methodological framework for designing future collaborative, resilient, and inclusive urban spaces, addressing the complex needs of communities within our cities.

As companies increasingly undergo digital transformation, the role of talent management pro-cesses becomes pivotal in enhancing overall organizational performance. The research addresses the significance of talent management in corporate digital transformation, examining whether variations in the digitalization of these processes can be attributed to company size. A qualitative approach was employed, utilizing a questionnaire, collecting responses from 202 organizations across diverse sectors. Findings reveal disparities in digitalization throughout the talent man-agement process, with pronounced presence in the attracting, selecting, and rewarding phases, but diminishing in deployment and development, further declining in planning. A positive cor-relation between company size and adoption of specific digital platforms was observed. Larger enterprises exhibit greater utilization of digital platforms in talent deployment and development. Moreover, corporate communication tools are consistently utilized in the rewarding phase, irre-spective of company size. These findings offer practical insights for organizations to optimize their digitalization strategies based on their scale, thereby contributing to more effective and tailored digitalization endeavors. The uniqueness of this research lies in its exploration of the in-fluence of company size on the digitalization of talent management processes and its potential to explain variations across different stages of these processes.

Algorithmic systems used in healthcare contexts are primarily developed for the benefit of the public. It is therefore essential that these systems are trusted by the individuals for whose benefit they are deployed. Drawing inspiration from the principles embedded in the testing of the safety, efficacy and effectiveness of new medicinal products, concurrent design engineering and pro-fessional certification requirements, the authors propose, for the first time, a preliminary com-petency-based ‘Algorithmic Ethics’ Effectiveness Impact Assessment’ framework for developers of AI systems used in healthcare contexts. They concluded that this set of principles should en-compass the algorithmic systems ‘production lifecycle’, to guarantee the optimized use of the AI technologies, avoiding biases and discrimination while ensuring the best possible outcomes, simultaneously increasing decision-making capacity and the accuracy of the results. As AI is as good as those who program it and the system in which it operates, the robustness and trustworthiness of their ‘creators’ and ‘deployers’, should be fostered by a certification system guaranteeing the latter’s knowledge and understanding of ethical aspects as well as their com-petencies in integrating these aspects in trustworthy AI systems when used in healthcare con-texts.

Mexico is a well-known seismically active country, which is primarily affected by several tectonic plate interactions along the southern Pacific coastline and by active structures in the Gulf of Baja California. In this paper we investigate this seismicity in the context of a non-extensive statistical approach based on Tsallis entropy. The analysis is performed using data from the corrected Mexican seismic catalogue provided by the National Seismic Service, spanning a period from January 2000 to October 2023. The Gutenberg-Richter law fitting to the earthquake sub-catalogues for all six regions studied indicates magnitudes of completeness between 3.30 and 3.76. All six regions display values of the entropic index in the range 1.52≲q≲1.61, which are lower than the previously estimated range 1.54≲q≲1.70 using catalogue data from 1988 to 2010. The cause of this discrepancy is certainly due to the use of modern recording devices, which are sensitive enough to detect a larger number of low-magnitude events compared to older instrumentation.

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

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

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

Transcription is carried out in most eukaryotes by three multimeric complexes (RNA polymerases I, II and III). However, plants contain two additional RNA polymerases (IV and V), which have evolved from RNA polymerase II. RNA polymerases II, IV and V contain both common and specific subunits that may specialize some of their functions. In this study, we conducted a search for the genes that putatively code for the specific subunits of RNA polymerases IV and V, as well as the corresponding of RNA polymerase II in olive. Based on the homology with the genes of Arabidopsis thaliana, we identified 13 genes that putatively code for the specific subunits of polymerases IV and V, and 16 genes that code for the corresponding specific subunits of polymerase II in olive. The transcriptomic analysis by RNA-Seq revealed that the expression of the RNA polymerases IV and V genes was induced during the initial stages of fruit development. Given that RNA polymerases IV and V are involved in the transcription of long non-coding RNAs, we investigated their expression and observed relevant changes in the expression of this type of RNAs. Particularly, the expression of the intergenic and intronic long non-coding RNAs tended to increase in the early steps of fruit development, suggesting their potential role in this process. The positive correlation between the expression of RNA polymerases IV and V subunits and the expression of non-coding RNAs supports the hypothesis that RNA polymerases IV and V may play a role in fruit development throughout the synthesis of this type of RNAs.

Migratory movements are a political, social and public health issue on a global scale. Access to sexual and reproductive health services for irregular migrant women (IMW) is a public health issue. The aim of this study is to identify qualitative evidence on IMW's experiences of sexual and reproductive health care in emergency and primary care settings. Methods: meta-synthesis of qualitative studies. Synthesis includes assembling and categorising findings based on the simili-arty in meaning. The search was conducted between January 2010 and June 2022 using PubMed, WOS and CINAHL databases. Results: of 131 articles found in the initial search, only 9 articles met the criteria and were included in the review. Four main themes were established: (1) The need to focus emergency care on sexual and reproductive health, (2) Unsatisfactory clinical experiences, (3) Forced reproduction, (4) Alternating between formal and informal healthcare services. Con-clusions: IMW’s attitudes towards sexual and reproductive health are influenced by culture, ed-ucational level, fear, barriers and the attitude of healthcare providers. Healthcare institutions need to be aware of the IMW’s experiences to understand the specific difficulties they face. IMW call for socially and culturally sensitive health care, cultural mediators, improved communication and safe environments that ensure confidentiality.

The Interdisciplinary Method of Musical Literacy, Education and Artistic Awareness (MILMESA) is developed and applied essentially in higher education (artistic, cultural and teacher training courses), promoting effective endogenous (interarts) and exogenous interconnection (artistic and other non-artistic areas) of an inter and pluridisciplinary matrix, as well as assuming itself as a privileged vehicle of relationship and extension to the community in the frame of the making of artistic-cultural and pedagogical-didactic events in the European, Luso-Brazilian, Luso-African and Hispanic American territories. It was created, tested and evaluated in five consecutive quadrennia (2002–2023), being regularly adapted, adapted and added according to the observed realities, evolving into the deepening of new concepts and models of intervention in these domains (e.g., Expressive and Proximal Didactics). Using the Ethnographic Method and the Case Study, and having the source of data collection as Document Analysis of written and iconographic or visual sources (n = 1386) and Participant Observation, this study aimed to describe and analyse the application and evolution of MILMESA in terms of education and extension to the community. It was concluded that there was a need to promote, with greater regularity and scope, greater technological interaction via digital platforms and social networks, within the framework of the participation of external specialists (e-DEP) and the very experience of MILMESA’s experiences and initiatives, giving it a more meaningful and participatory range.

The COVID-19 pandemic has caused detrimental impacts on different population groups throughout the world. This study aimed to explore the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic’s mandatory lockdown protocols on activities and mental health conditions of community-dwelling older people in Jakarta, Indonesia. A qualitative design using one-on-one in-depth interviews was employed to collect data from the participants (n=24) who were recruited using the snowball sampling technique. Data analysis was guided by a qualitative data analysis framework. The findings showed that before the COVID-19 outbreak participants engaged in different kinds of regular individual and social activities. However, the COVID-19 outbreak and its mandatory lockdown protocols significantly influenced both their activities and social life, which led to social disconnection and financial difficulties for them. COVID-19 outbreak, mandatory lockdown protocols, and disruption of individual and social activities of the participants also caused mental health challenges to them, including feelings of loneliness, loss, sadness, stress, and anger. The findings suggest that there is a need for intervention programs addressing the socio-economic and mental health impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on older populations to help them cope with these challenges. Future studies involving large-scale older populations to comprehensively understand COVID-19 impacts on them are recommended.

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

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

Sea-level rise is a problem increasingly affecting coastal areas worldwide. The existence of Free and Open-Source Models to estimate the sea-level impact can contribute to better coastal man-agement. This study aims to develop and to validate two different models to predict the sea-level rise impact supported by Google Earth Engine (GEE) – a cloud-based platform for planetary-scale environmental data analysis. The first model is a Bathtub Model based on the uncertainty of projections of the Sea-level Rise Impact Module of TerrSet - Geospatial Monitoring and Modeling System software. The validation process performed in the Rio Grande do Sul coastal plain (S Brazil) resulted in correlations from 0.75 to 1.00. The second model uses Bruun Rule formula implemented in GEE and is capable to determine the coastline retreat of a profile through the creation of a simple vector line from topo-bathymetric data. The model shows a very high cor-relation (0.97) with a classical Bruun Rule study performed in Aveiro coast (NW Portugal). The GEE platform seems to be an important tool for coastal management. The models developed have been openly shared, enabling the continuous improvement of the code by the scientific commu-nity.

Sea-level rise is a problem increasingly affecting coastal areas worldwide. The existence 15 of Free and Open-Source Models to estimate the sea-level impact can contribute to better coastal 16 management. This study aims to develop and to validate two different models to predict the 17 sea-level rise impact supported by Google Earth Engine (GEE) – a cloud-based platform for plan-18 etary-scale environmental data analysis. The first model is a Bathtub Model based on the uncer-19 tainty of projections of the Sea-level Rise Impact Module of TerrSet - Geospatial Monitoring and 20 Modeling System software. The validation process performed in the Rio Grande do Sul coastal 21 plain (S Brazil) resulted in correlations from 0.75 to 1.00. The second model uses Bruun Rule for-22 mula implemented in GEE and is capable to determine the coastline retreat of a profile through the 23 creation of a simple vector line from topo-bathymetric data. The model shows a very high correla-24 tion (0.97) with a classical Bruun Rule study performed in Aveiro coast (NW Portugal). The GEE 25 platform seems to be an important tool for coastal management. The models developed have been 26 openly shared, enabling the continuous improvement of the code by the scientific community.

We overview the main equations of the Rayleigh-Ritz variational method and discuss their connection with the problem of simultaneous diagonalization of two Hermitian matrices.

We discuss in detail a well known method for obtaining the frequencies of the normal modes of coupled harmonic oscillators that is based on the simultaneous diagonalization of two symmetric matrices. We apply it to some simple illustrative examples recently chosen for the presentation of an alternative approach based on a set of constants of the motion. We show that the traditional method is simpler, even in the case of equal frequencies. We also discuss a problem that commonly appears in elementary courses on quantum mechanics that also requires the diagonalization of two symmetric matrices.

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

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

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

Current antibiograms cannot discern the particular effect of a specific antibiotic when the bacteria are incubated with a mixture of antibiotics. To prove that this task is achievable, Escherichia coli strains were treated with ciprofloxacin for 45 min, immobilized on a slide and stained with SYBR Gold. In susceptible strains, the nucleoid relative surface started to decrease near the MIC, being progressively condensed as dose increased. The shrinkage level correlated with the DNA fragmentation degree. Ciprofloxacin-resistant bacilli showed no change. Additionally, E. coli strains were incubated with ampicillin for 45 min and processed similarly. The ampicillin-susceptible strain revealed intercellular DNA fragments that increased with dose, unlike the resistant strain. Co-incubation with both antibiotics revealed that ampicillin did not modify the nucleoid condensation effect of ciprofloxacin, whereas the quinolone partially decreased the background of DNA fragments induced by ampicillin. Sixty clinical isolates, with different combinations of susceptibility-resistance to each antibiotic, were co-incubated with the EUCAST breakpoints of susceptibility of ciprofloxacin and ampicillin. The morphological assay correctly categorized all the strains for each antibiotic in 60 min, demonstrating the feasible independent evaluation of a mixture of quinolone and beta-lactam. The rapid phenotypic assay may shorten the incubation times and necessary microbial mass currently required for evaluation.

Despite the efforts made to stop the tuberculosis (TB) epidemic, it still remains one of the leading causes of death from an infectious disease. Previous work in the group uncovered a new family of amides which showed promising activities against Mycobacterium tuberculosis. A closer look at the literature showed that these compounds are structurally related to the DNB family of DprE1 inhibitors, so, we decided to study a wide range of substituted amides and determine their activity, focusing on unexplored structures related to the dinitrobenzamides (DNB) found in the literature. To synthesize our library of compounds we started from 3,5-dinitrobenzoic acid to form the nitroaromatic core that is characteristic of the DNB’s, to which we then added linear or cyclic amine moieties. Additionally, the impact of terminal aromatic moieties was also assessed for some derivatives, via an ether, ester, or amide bond. In order to obtain the desired derivatives, multiple synthetic approaches were used, mainly focused on nucleophilic addition/elimination reactions, SN2 reactions and Mitsunobu reactions. The activity was impacted mainly by two structural features, the addition of an aromatic moiety as a terminal group and the type of the linker. The most interesting compounds exhibited activities comparable to isoniazid and DNB1. Computational studies were also performed aimed at understanding their possible interactions with DprE1. The most active compounds are a good starting point for further development, and we plan to study an extended family of compounds based in those structures.

This work assesses sea-level rise using three different models created on Free and Open-Source Software for Geographic Information System (FOSS4GIS). Based on regional projections of Special Report on Climate Change and Oceans and Cryosphere (SROCC) of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), the models were applied to a case of study on Rio Grande do Sul coast – Brazil under different sea-level rise scenarios by the end of this century. The End Point Rate for QGIS (EPR4Q), calculates a shoreline projection using End Point Rate method. The Uncertainty Bathtub Model (uBTM), analyses the sea-level rise impact by the uncertainty of sea-level projec-tions and vertical error of the Digital Elevation/Terrain Model (DEM/DTM). The Bruun Rule for Google Earth Engine Model (BRGM) predicts the shoreline position with sea-level rise, using topographic and bathymetric data from Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAV) and Coastal Modelling System (SMC – Brazil), respectively. The results indicated a maximum shoreline retreat for 2100 of -502 m and -1727 m using EPR4Q and BRGM, correspondingly. The uBTM using the land-use of Mapbiomas showed a maximum of 44.57 km2 of urban area impacted by the sea-level flood. This research highlights the possibility of performing coastal management analysis in GIS environ-ment using non-commercial software.

After brings about a brief review of the theoretical explanations and researches on the reasons for being a victim, this article is organized into two sections. The first presents a comparative analysis of the data for 1999 and 2016 in terms of perceptions, profiles and most significant sociodemographic and socioeconomic variables. The second one shows an explanatory analysis based on a multivariate logistical regression model using as an independent variable lifestyle of the population and socioeconomic variables, and as dependent variables individual’s susceptibility to becoming a victim of certain crimes. The results points towards an explanatory model of victimization in which sociodemographic variables play an increasingly less important role while variables related to lifestyle and subjective perceptions make a significant contribution to greater understanding of the nature of being the victim of a crime.

This study aims to identify the model that best approximates the credit spread that should be fixed on debt instruments issued by both public and private companies, considering the particularities of the Mexican market. Five models were analyzed: Merton's [1], those proposed by Denzler et al., the one presented in this paper, which includes the conformable derivatives, taking as a reference the change of variable made by Morales-Bañuelos et al., and the Corporate Default Risk Model (DRSK) for Publics Firms of Bloomberg [4]. The required financial information was obtained from the Bloomberg platform, from which the probabilities of default, credit spreads, and credit ratings for each company in the sample under the model (DRSK) were extracted directly. Likewise, the program developed by Moody's K.M.V. was used to obtain the EDF (Expected Default Frequencies). It was concluded that the Modified Merton model approximates to a greater extent the credit spreads that fix on a prime rate on the loans granted to the Mexican non-financial companies.

Optic nerve disorders encompass a wide spectrum of conditions characterized by the loss of retinal ganglion cells (RGCs) and subsequent degeneration of the optic nerve. The etiology of these disorders can vary significantly, but emerging research highlights the crucial role of oxidative stress, an imbalance in the redox status characterized by an excess of reactive oxygen species (ROS), in driving cell death through apoptosis, autophagy, and inflammation. This review provides an overview of ROS-related processes underlying four extensively studied optic nerve diseases: glaucoma, Leber's hereditary optic neuropathy (LHON), anterior ischemic optic neuropathy (AION), and optic neuritis (ON). Furthermore, we present preclinical findings on antioxidants, with the objective of evaluating the potential therapeutic benefits of targeting oxidative stress in the treatment of optic neuropathies.

In this study, we analyze the perspectives of Early Childhood Educators, working in various teaching sectors, on Inclusion in Preschool Education, following the publication of Decree-Law No. 54/2018, of July 6th, at a time when Learning and Inclusion Support Measures are being extended to all children, and when the SARS-CoV-19 (COVID-19) pandemic prevails in Portugal and worldwide. Based on a mixed-methodological approach and the application of a questionnaire survey to 250 Early Childhood Educators, we reflect on the implementation of the legal framework, the involvement of the Multidisciplinary Learning and Inclusion Support Team (EMAEI), teacher training, pedagogical/collaborative work, and support mobilized for Preschool Education children. The results obtained indicate quality and effectiveness in the pedagogical plan and collaborative work between teachers and specialist technicians, although higher education in the field of Inclusive Education does not seem to provide professionals with the necessary and in-depth knowledge on the subject. They also indicate that, alongside dissatisfaction with the insufficient support provided to Preschool Education children, the relevant Diploma is not fully applied, with doubts still remaining about its application.

This paper presents the validation of the End Point Rate (EPR) tool for QGIS (EPR4Q), a tool built-in QGIS Graphical Modeler to calculate the shoreline change by End Point Rate method. The EPR4Q tries to fill the gap of user-friendly and free open-source tool for shoreline analysis in Geographic Information System environment, since the most used software - Digital Shoreline Analysis System (DSAS) - although is a free extension, is suited for commercial software. Besides, the best free open-source option to calculate EPR called Analyzing Moving Boundaries Using R (AMBUR), since it is a robust and powerful tool, the complexity and heavy processes can restrict the accessibility and simple usage. The validation methodology consists of applying the EPR4Q, DSAS, and AMBUR on different examples of shorelines found in nature, extracted from the U.S. Geological Survey Open-File. The obtained results of each tool were compared with Pearson correlation coefficient. The validation results indicate that the EPR4Q tool created acquired high correlation values with DSAS and AMBUR, reaching a coefficient of 0.98 to 1.00 on linear, extensive, and non-extensive shorelines, guarantying that the EPR4Q tool is ready to be freely used by the academic, scientific, engineering, and coastal managers communities worldwide.

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

The analysis of curated genomic, metagenomic, and proteomic data are of paramount importance in the fields of biology, medicine, education, and bioinformatics. Although this type of data is usually hosted in raw form in free international repositories, its access requires plenty of computing, storage, and processing capacities for the domestic user. The purpose of the study is to offer a comprehensive set of genomic and proteomic reference data, in an accessible and easy-to-use form to the scientific community. A representative type material set of genomes, proteomes and metagenomes were directly downloaded from the site: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/assembly/ and from Genome Taxonomy Database, associated with the major groups of Bacteria, Archaea, Virus, and Fungi. Sketched databases were subsequently created and stored on handy raw reduced representations, by using Mash software. Our dataset contains near to 100 GB of space disk reduced to 585.78 MB and represents 87,476 genomics/proteomic records from eight informative contexts, which have been prefiltered to make them accessible, usable, and user-friendly with computational resources. Potential uses of this dataset include but are not limited to, microbial species delimitation, estimation of genomic distances, genomic novelties, paired comparisons between proteomes, genomes, and metagenomes.

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

This article provides an overview of multi-fidelity modeling trends. Fidelity in modeling refers to the level of detail and accuracy provided by a predictive model or simulation. Generally, models with higher fidelity deliver more precise results but demand greater computational resources. Multi-fidelity models integrate high-fidelity and low-fidelity models to obtain fast yet accurate predictions. Their growing popularity is due to their ability to approximate high-fidelity models with high accuracy and low computational cost. This work classifies publications in multi-fidelity modeling based on various factors, including application, surrogate selection, fidelity difference, fidelity combination method, field of application, and year of publication. The study also examines the techniques used to combine fidelities, focusing on multi-fidelity surrogate models. To accurately evaluate the advantages of utilizing multi-fidelity models, it is necessary to report the achieved time savings. This paper includes guidelines for authors to present their multi-fidelity-related savings in a standard, succinct, yet thorough way to guide future users. According to a select group of publications that provided sufficient information, multi-fidelity models achieved savings of up to 90% while maintaining the desired level of accuracy. However, the savings achieved through multi-fidelity models depend highly on the problem.

This article analyses from a post-Marxist view, particularly, an ecological and gender-oriented perspective, the perception and attitudes of the Mexican people by gender, political affiliation and income level towards such current environmental issues as global warming, water shortage, water pollution and the influence of economic growth on the environment, among others. It highlights the influence of political ideology on the environment and of gender awareness on conservation and a more positive attitude towards ecological issues, despite women having usually been excluded from the administrative and decision-making arenas. A new theoretical model is proposed related to the Responsibility Footprints, a new concept more critical than the neoliberal Corporate Social Responsibility. The data for this study come from the 2012 International Social Survey Program. The results analysed brought to light some relevant questions for designing public policies that will greatly bolster initiatives to prompt better female professional involvement in the conservation of natural resources.

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

Atopic dermatitis (AD) is a protease-modulated chronic disorder with heterogenous clinical manifestations which may lead to an imprecise diagnosis. So far, there are no diagnostic protease tests for AD. We explored the gingival crevicular fluid (GCF) protease profile of periodontally-healthy individuals with moderate/severe AD compared to healthy controls. An exploratory case-control study was conducted. Matching AD patients (n=6) and controls (n=6) were enrolled at the International Center for Clinical Studies, Santiago, Chile. Complete dermatological and periodontal evaluations (involving the collection of GCF samples) were made. The levels of 35 proteases were analyzed using a human protease antibody array. The GCF levels of zinc-binding ADAM8, ADAM9, MMP8 and Neprilysin/CD10, aspartyl-binding Cathepsin E, and serin-binding Protein convertase9 and uPA/Urokinase proteases were lower in moderate/severe AD patients compared to controls (p<0.05). No inter-group differences in the levels of the other 28 proteases were found. MMP8, Cathepsin E and ADAM9 were the biomarkers with the highest sensitivity and specificity regarding the detection of AD (p < 0.05). The area under receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve for MMP-8+ADAMP-9 was 0.90. In conclusion, differences in the protease profile between AD and control patients associated with MMP8, Cathepsin E and ADAM9. MMP8, ADAM9 and Cathepsin E may be useful as combined diagnostic and therapeutic biomarkers of moderate/severe AD.

Understanding and controlling reproductive cycles and gonadal maturation in cultivated species are crucial in aquaculture. The sea urchin Paracentrotus lividus, known for its edible gonads, requires careful maturation control for both reproduction and commercialization. This study explores the impact of temperature, photoperiod, and diet on gonadal development to enhance year-round aquaculture practices. Using two independent cultivation systems, we manipulated environmental conditions to mimic different seasons. Sea urchins were exposed to natural or manipulated temperature and photoperiod conditions and fed either natural (Ulva spp.) or formulated diets. The gonadosomatic index (GI) and histological analysis assessed gonadal development. Results revealed a clear correlation between environmental conditions, diet, and gonadal maturation. Manipulated conditions accelerated maturation, with sea urchins showing advanced stages compared to natural conditions. Furthermore, sea urchins fed formulated diets exhibited higher GI values, indicating enhanced maturation. Histological analysis confirmed accelerated maturation, particularly in females. The study underscores the feasibility of controlling gonadal maturation through environmental manipulation and diet, enabling year-round marketable gonad production. Providing formulated diets rich in polyunsaturated fatty acids, notably docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), enhances commercial value. These findings optimize aquaculture practices for P. lividus, highlighting its adaptability to yield-maximizing production strategies. Understanding and controlling reproductive cycles and gonadal maturation in cultivated species are crucial in aquaculture. The sea urchin Paracentrotus lividus, known for its edible gonads, requires careful maturation control for both reproduction and commercialization. This study explores the impact of temperature, photoperiod, and diet on gonadal development to enhance year-round aquaculture practices. Using two independent cultivation systems, we manipulated environmental conditions to mimic different seasons. Sea urchins were exposed to natural or manipulated temperature and photoperiod conditions and fed either natural (Ulva spp.) or formulated diets. The gonadosomatic index (GI) and histological analysis assessed gonadal development. Results revealed a clear correlation between environmental conditions, diet, and gonadal maturation. Manipulated conditions accelerated maturation, with sea urchins showing advanced stages compared to natural conditions. Furthermore, sea urchins fed formulated diets exhibited higher GI values, indicating enhanced maturation. Histological analysis confirmed accelerated maturation, particularly in females. The study underscores the feasibility of controlling gonadal maturation through environmental manipulation and diet, enabling year-round marketable gonad production. Providing formulated diets rich in polyunsaturated fatty acids, notably docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), enhances commercial value. These findings optimize aquaculture practices for P. lividus, highlighting its adaptability to yield-maximizing production strategies.

Business Intelligence, defined by [1] as "the ability to understand the interrelations of the facts that are presented in such a way that it can guide the action towards achieving a desired goal", has been used since 1958 for the transformation of data into information, and of information into knowledge, to be used when making decisions in a business environment. But, what would happen if we took the same principles of business intelligence and applied them to the academic environment? The answer would be the creation of Academic Analytics, a term defined by [2] as the process of evaluating and analyzing organizational information from university systems for reporting and making decisions, whose characteristics allow it to be used more and more in institutions, since the information they accumulate about their students and teachers gathers data such as academic performance, student success, persistence, and retention [5]. Academic Analytics enables an analysis of data that is very important for making decisions in the educational institutional environment, aggregating valuable information in the academic research activity and providing easy to use business intelligence tools. This article shows a proposal for creating an information system based on Academic Analytics, using ASP.Net technology and trusting storage in the database engine Microsoft SQL Server, designing a model that is supported by Academic Analytics for the collection and analysis of data from the information systems of educational institutions. The idea that was conceived proposes a system that is capable of displaying statistics on the historical data of students and teachers taken over academic periods, without having direct access to institutional databases, with the purpose of gathering the information that the director, the teacher, and finally the student need for making decisions. The model was validated with information taken from students and teachers during the last five years, and the export format of the data was pdf, csv, and xls files. The findings allow us to state that it is extremely important to analyze the data that is in the information systems of the educational institutions for making decisions. After the validation of the model, it was established that it is a must for students to know the reports of their academic performance in order to carry out a process of self-evaluation, as well as for teachers to be able to see the results of the data obtained in order to carry out processes of self-evaluation, and adaptation of content and dynamics in the classrooms, and finally for the head of the program to make decisions.

Our hypothesis that controlled ozone applications interfere into the redox balance of the biological organism (first published in 1998 with a preclinical trial on protecting the liver from CCl4 intoxication), has been verified over the last 2 decades in reactive oxygen species (ROS)-induced mitochondrial pathologies, such as rheumatoid arthritis, osteoarthritis, aging processes, diabetes-2 and in prevention of intoxications. Low-dose ozone acts as a redox bioregulator: The restoration of the disturbed redox balance is comprehensible in a number of preclinical and clinical studies by a remarkable increase of the antioxidant repair markers, here mainly shown as glutathione increase and a reduction in oxidative stress markers, mainly malondialdehyde. The mechanism of action is shown, relevant data are displayed, evaluated and comprehensively discussed: The repair side of the equilibrium increases by 21% up to 140% compared to the non-ozone treated groups and depending on the indication; the stress markers are simultaneously reduced, the redox system regains its balance.

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic caused by the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) challenges include understanding what triggered SARS-CoV-2 emergence, how this RNA virus is evolving or how the genomic variability may impact the primary structure of proteins that are targets for vaccine. We analyzed 19471 SARS-CoV-2 genomes and 199,984 spike glycoprotein sequences available at the GISAID database from all over the world and 3335 genomes of other Coronoviridae family members available at Genbank, collecting SARS-CoV-2 high-quality genomes and distinct Coronoviridae family genomes. Here, we identify a SARS-CoV-2 emerging cluster containing 13 closely related genomes isolated from bat and pangolin that showed evidence of recombination, which may have contributed to the emergence of SARS-CoV-2. The analyzed SARS-CoV-2 genomes presented 9632 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) corresponding to a variant density of 0.3 over the genome, and a clear geographic distribution. SNPs are unevenly distributed throughout the genome and hotspots for mutations were found for the spike gene and ORF 1ab. We describe a set of predicted spike protein epitopes whose variability is negligible. All predicted epitopes for the structural E, M and N proteins are highly conserved. This result favors the continuous efficacy of the available vaccines.

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

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

Background: While it is established that intravenous catheter placement duration is strongly linked to the risk of catheter colonization and bloodstream infections, there are still substantial knowledge gaps concerning the varying durations of PICC placement that lead to either infection or colonization by common pathogens, particularly MDR pathogens. The present study aims to compare the dwell time required for MDR pathogens to colonize with the time required to cause Central Line-Associated Bloodstream Infections (CLABSIs) in critically ill patients with PICCs and compares it with non-MDR pathogens, shedding light on the significance of preventive procedures to control MDR infections in clinical settings. Methods: Data from critically ill patients with PICCs admitted consecutively to «Metropolitan» Hospital in Athens, Greece, from May 2017 to May 2020 were retrospectively analysed. Results: In this study, 86 hospitalized patients, consisting of 56 (65.1%) males and 30 (34.9%) females, with a mean age of 55.67±21.1 years (range 16-91 years), presented with both CLABSIs and colonization following PICC placements. Specifically, 42 (48.8%) of them presented with CLABSIs, while 44 (51.2%) presented with colonization. Among the total participants, an MDR pathogen was isolated from 26 (30.2%) PICCs, while other pathogens were isolated from 60 (69.8%). The mean duration of catheter dwell time for all participants was 20.94±14.22 days (range 3-72 days). When analysed separately for each group, the dwell time for PICCs with CLABSIs was 25.73±16.19 days and 16.36±10.28 days for those with colonization (T test, p=0.002). Additionally, the mean dwell time for PICCs infected by non-MDROs was 22.48±15.64 days whereas for PICCs with MDROs, it was 17.38±9.5 days (T test, p=0.005). In PICCs with CLABSIs, the mean indwelling time for MDR pathogens was 21.50±12.31 days, while for non-MDROs, it was 27.73±16.98 days (T test, p=0.417). In PICCs with colonization, the mean dwell time for MDR pathogens was 15.55±7.73 days, while for non-MDROs, it was 16.92±11.85 days (T test, p=0.124). Among PICCs with MDR pathogens (n=26), the mean duration in CLABSIs events (n=18) was 21.5±12.31 days and in colonization events 15.55±7.73 days, (n=8) (T test, p=0.146). Conclusions: The present study reveals that colonization of PICCs exhibited a shorter dwell time compared to those with CLABSIs. Moreover, PICCs infected by MDROs had a shorter mean dwell time than those with non-MDROs. These findings underscore the importance of considering infection status and microbial resistance patterns when evaluating PICC dwell times.

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

The purpose of this longitudinal study was to determine the effects of a rowing training program on physical fitness and body composition in female breast cancer survivors (56.78 ± 6.38 years). Over six months, the participants (n=40) performed two training sessions per week for an average of 75 minutes, combining resistance and muscle strength exercises with rowing. To evaluate the impact of the program, physical fitness tests and anthropometric measurements were carried out before and after the training protocol. The results show statistically significant improvements in measures such as weight (-1.84 kg), BMI (-0.7 kg/m2), hip (-3.24 cm) and waist circumference (-2.45 cm). In addition, variables associated with physical fitness also improved including leg strength (3.04 cm), dominant handgrip strength (4.24 kgf), non-dominant handgrip strength (3.49 kgf), aerobic endurance (78.35 m) and muscle flexibility (3.96 cm). We can therefore conclude that a rowing-based exercise program is an effective strategy to improve physical fitness in this type of population, yielding improvements in both anthropometric measurements and basic physical capacity variables, essential factors for better health and quality of life.

The present work shows a novel physical-mathematical model to estimate the average corrosion resistance index from the crystallographic texture in API 5L steels. The crystallographic texture of the studied steels was measured by means of the X-ray diffraction technique. The model, based on the symmetric spherical surface harmonics for a BCC structure, is capable of describing the anisotropy surface of anodic dissolution resistance of the crystal and establishing a straightforward relationship between crystallographic texture, surface roughness, and metal corrosion behavior. The predictions of the average corrosion resistance index made from the crystallographic texture were in good agreement with those obtained from potentiodynamic polarization curves for the investigated steels. This agreement validates the capacity of this model and opens the possibility of applying it as a novel criterion for the material selection and design stages in order to combat metal corrosion problems.

The best form of prevention against human infection through bacteria, viruses and other parasites is ozone disinfection of wastewater and drinking water as a highly effective, well-known method. As a therapeutic measure, various preclinical studies showed promising results, which are being revisited and reconsidered in times of pandemics and led to interesting results in recent clinical trials and reports, as presented by the example of protective measures against covid-19 in particularly vulnerable clinical personnel. In patients with rheumatoid arthritis, repeated ozone treatments have led to new findings in the "immunomodulation" through ozone. The more effective immune response is discussed as the response of innate immune memory and opens interesting aspects for complementary treatment of autoimmune diseases.

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

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

This paper presents a new methodology that provides the analysis of surface texture changes in areas adjacent to the volcano and its impact product of volcanic activity. To do this, algorithms from digital image processing such as the co-occurrence matrix and the wavelet transform are used. These methods are working on images taken by the Landsat satellite platform sensor 5 TM and Landsat 7 ETM + sensor, and implemented with the purpose of evaluating superficial changes that can warn of surface movements of the volcano. The results were evaluated by similarity metrics for grayscale images, and validated in two different scenarios that have the same type of eruption, but differ, essentially, in climate and vegetation. Finally, the proposed algorithm is presented, setting the parameters and constraints for implementation and use.

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

Sarcopenia is an age-related condition that involves a progressive decline in muscle mass and function, leading to increased risks of falls, frailty, and mortality. Although the exact mechanisms are not fully understood, aging-related processes like inflammation, oxidative stress, reduced mitochondrial capacity, and cell apoptosis contribute to this decline. Disruption of the circadian system with age may initiate these pathways in skeletal muscle, preceding the onset of sarcopenia. At present, there is no pharmacological treatment for sarcopenia, only resistance exercise and proper nutrition may delay its onset. Melatonin, derived from tryptophan, emerges as an exceptional candidate for treating sarcopenia due to its chronobiotic, antioxidant, and anti-inflammatory properties. Its impact on mitochondria, organelle where it is synthesized and crucial in aging skeletal muscle, further highlights its potential. In this review, we discuss the influence of clock genes in muscular aging, with special reference to peripheral clock genes in the skeletal muscle, as well as their relationship with melatonin, which is proposed as a potential therapy against sarcopenia.

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

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

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

Background: Post-acute sequelae of SARS-CoV-2 infection (PASC) is a complicated disease that affects millions of people all over the world. Previous studies have shown that PASC impacts 10% of SARS-CoV-2 infected patients of which 50-70% are hospitalized. It has also been shown that 10-12% of those vaccinated against COVID-19 were affected with PASC and its complications. The severity and the later development of PASC symptoms is positively associated with the early intensity of the infection. Results: The generated health complications caused by PASC involve a vast variety of organ systems. Patients affected by PASC have been diagnosed with neuropsychiatric and neurological symptoms. Cardiovascular system also has been involved and several diseases such as myocarditis, pericarditis, and coronary artery diseases were reported. Chronic hematological problems such as thrombotic endothelialitis and hypercoagulability were described as a condition that could increase the risk of clotting disorders and coagulopathy in PASC patients. Chest pain, breathlessness, and cough in PASC patients were associated with respiratory system in long COVID-19 causing respiratory distress syndrome. The observed immune complications were notable, involving several diseases. Renal system also was impacted and result in raising the risk of diseases such as thrombotic issues, fibrosis, and sepsis. Endocrine gland malfunction can lead to diabetes, thyroiditis, and male infertility. Symptoms such as diarrhea, nausea, loss of appetite and taste were also among reported observations due to several gastrointestinal disorders. Skin abnormalities might be an indication of infection and long-term implications such as persistent cutaneous complaints were linked to PASC. Conclusions: Long COVID is a multidimensional syndrome with considerable public health implications, affecting several physiological systems and demanding thorough medical therapy as well as more study to address its underlying causes and long-term effects.

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

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

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

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

The main purpose of the study was to study the effects of a specific rowing ergometer training program on the athletic performance of young adolescents (n=56; 11.73 ± 1.4 years old) com-pared to a workout based on general strength training. Eight-week training program was im-plemented, with four sessions per week and two-hours per session. Sample was divided in two groups: a control group (CG) that performed circuit training with exercises aimed at building general strength and an experimental group (EG) who focused on specifically training on a rowing ergometer (rowing machine). The data obtained in a rowing meter test over the compe-tition distance were analyzed to obtain the average power attained (W) at the beginning of the training, at the middle (4 weeks), at the end of the training (8 weeks) and one year after the ex-perimentation. The results show that, although both forms of training improve the average W obtained in both categories, the EG subjects (+29.94W) obtained better averages in all phases of the study compared to the CG (+5.88W). Furthermore, this increase was greater in male rowers (+ 34.06W) than in female rowers (+24.54W). These results reveal that a specific rower rowing ergometer training program has a significant effect than a general strength program and these effects can even be observed a year after the intervention.

Although it may seem paradoxical, primary care and mental health professionals develop prejudices and discriminatory attitudes towards people with mental health problems in a very similar way to the rest of the population. The main objective of this project was to design, implement and evaluate two awareness interventions respectively tailored to reduce stigma and discrimination beliefs and attitudes towards persons with a mental health diagnosis among primary care (PC) and mental health (MH) professionals. These interventions were developed by Obertament, the Catalan alliance against stigma and discrimination in mental health. The TLC3 (Targeted, Local, Credible, Continuous Contact) methodology was adapted to the Catalan PC and MH professional contexts. Activists with lived experience of mental health diagnosis carried out awareness-raising interventions in PC and MH health centres. The efficacy of these interventions was evaluated using two prospective double-blind cluster-wait-list-randomized-controlled trial experimental designs. Stigmatizing beliefs and behaviours were measured with the Opening Minds Stigma Scale for Health Care Providers in primary care centres and with the Beliefs and Attitudes towards Mental Health Service users’ rights in mental health centres. Positive reductions in both PC and MH professionals’ stigmatising beliefs and attitudes were found in the 1-month follow-up, although a ‘rebound effect’ at the 3-month follow up was also detected. This emphasizes the importance of the continuity of the presence of anti-stigma activities and messages. Attrition rates where high, which can hamper the reliability of the results. Further follow-up studies should enquiry effects of long-term interventions aimed at reducing stigmatising beliefs and attitudes among primary care and mental health professionals.

Anthropogenic lead pollution is an environmental problem that threatens the quality of soils and waters and endangers living organisms in numerous surface and subsurface habitats. Lead coprecipitation on mineral surfaces through dissolution-recrystallization processes has long term effects on lead bioavailability. Gypsum and calcite are among the most abundant and reactive rock forming minerals present in numerous geological settings. In this work, we study the interaction of slightly acidic (pHi = 5.5) Pb-bearing aqueous solutions ([Pb]i = 1 mM and 10 mM) with crystals of gypsum and /or calcite under atmospheric conditions. This interaction results in a reduction of the concentration of lead in the liquid phase due to the precipitation of newly formed Pb-bearing solid phases. The extent of this Pb removal mainly depends on the nature of the primary mineral phase involved in the interaction. Thus, when gypsum is the only solid phase initially present in the system the Pb-bearing liquid-gypsum interaction results in Pb removals in the 98-99.8 % range, regardless of [Pb]i. In contrast, when the interaction takes place with calcite, Pb removal strongly depends on [Pb]i. It reaches 99% when [Pb]i = 1 mM while it is much more modest (⁓13%) when [Pb]i = 10 mM. Interestingly, Pb-removal is maximized for both [Pb]i (99.9 % for solutions with [Pb]i = 10 mM and 99.7% for solutions with [Pb]i = 1 mM) when Pb-polluted solutions simultaneously interact with gypsum and calcite crystals. Despite the large Pb removals found in most of the cases studied, the final Pb concentration ([Pb]f) in the liquid phase always is well above the maximum permitted in drinking water (0.1 ppm), with the minimum ([Pb]f = 0.7 ppm) being obtained for solutions with [Pb]i =1 mM after their interaction with mixtures of gypsum and calcite crystals. This result suggests that integrating the use of mixtures of gypsum-calcite crystals might help to develop more efficient strategies for in-situ decontaminating Pb-polluted waters through mineral coprecipitation processes.

Abstract: The purpose of this review is to summarize recent knowledge on the main processes that occur during wound healing, including the responses of various cell types and the molecular mechanisms involved. Particular attention is also dedicated to new therapies often involved in the resolution of wounds, whether acute or chronic. Awareness of these dynamics is important for the various professional figures who are confronted with these kinds of problem daily. However, the study of the healing mechanisms has yet to be defined in detail, in fact there are alterations of variously coordinated events which lead to a delayed resolution or, as in the case of keloids, to pathological states consisting in the excessive formation of scars with consequences yet to be seen. to define. Therefore, it is necessary to know the most feasible approaches and the most effective therapies.

Apoptosis, necroptosis, and autophagy are cellular mechanisms by which cells are programmed to die under a wide range of physiological and developmental stimuli. A multitude of protein mediators of programmed cell death have been identified and apoptosis, necroptosis, and autophagy signals have been found to utilize common pathways elucidating the proteins involved. This narrative review focuses on caspase-dependent and caspase-independent programmed cell death systems. Included studies of caspase-dependent programmed cell death include extrinsic pathway apoptotic mechanisms including phosphatidylserine (PS), FAS (APO-1/CD95), Tumor Necrosis Factor (TNF) Receptor type 1 (TNF-R1) and TNF-Related Apoptosis-Inducing Ligand (TRAIL) and intrinsic or mitochondrial pathway such as Cytochrome C, the Bcl-2 family of proteins and Smac/Diablo. The Bcl-2 family has apoptotic mediators Bcl-2-associated X protein (Bax) and Bcl-2 homologous antagonist/killer (Bak), Bcl-2-Interacting Protein BIM (Bim), Bcl-2 agonist of cell death (Bad), Bid, Bcl-2 adenovirus E1B 19kDa-interacting protein 1 NIP3 (Bnip3), BMF, HRK, Noxa and PUMA and anti-apoptotic proteins such as Bcl-2 itself, Mcl-1, Bcl-w, A1, and Bcl-XL. Moreover, caspase-independent programmed cell death pathways include the mitochondrial pathway with the protein mediators Apoptosis Inducing Factor (AIF), and Endonuclease G, the pathways Necroptosis, and Autophagy. Understanding programmed cell death from those reported in this review could shed substantial light on the processes of biological homeostasis. In addition, identifying specific proteins involved in these processes is mandatory to identify molecular biomarkers as well as therapeutic targets. This knowledge could provide the ability to modulate the programmed cell death response and could lead to new therapeutic interventions in a wide range of diseases.

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

The “NWCSAF High Resolution Winds (NWC/GEO-HRW)” software is developed by the EUMETSAT’s “Satellite Application Facility on support to Nowcasting and very short range forecasting (NWCSAF)”, inside its stand-alone software package for calculation of meteorological products with geostationary satellite data (NWC/GEO). The whole NWC/GEO software package can be obtained after registration at the NWCSAF Helpdesk, www.nwcsaf.org. It is easy to get, install and use. The code is easy to read and fully documented. And in the NWCSAF Helpdesk, users find support and help for its use. “NWCSAF High Resolution Winds” provides a detailed calculation of Atmospheric Motion Vectors (AMVs) and Trajectories, locally and in near real time, using as input NWP model data and geostationary satellite image data. The latest version of the software, v2018, is able to process MSG, Himawari-8/9, GOES-N and GOES-R satellite series images, so that AMVs and Trajectories can be calculated all throughout the planet Earth with the same algorithm and quality. In the “2014 and 2018 AMV Intercomparison Studies”, “NWCSAF High Resolution Winds” has shown to be one of the two best AMV algorithms for both MSG and Himawari-8/9 satellites. And the “Coordination Group for Meteorological Satellites (CGMS)” has recognized in its “2012 Meeting Report”: 1. “NWCSAF High Resolution Winds” fulfills the requirements to be a portable stand-alone AMV calculation software due to its easy installation and usability. 2. It has been successfully adapted by some CGMS members and serves as an important tool for development. It is modular, well documented, and well suited as stand-alone AMV software. 3. Although alternatives exist as portable stand-alone AMV calculation software, they are not as advanced in terms of documentation and do not have an existing Helpdesk. Considering this, a full description and validation of the “NWCSAF/High Resolution Winds” is shown here for the first time in a peer-reviewed paper. The procedure to obtain the software for operational meteorology and research is also explained.

The ankle is a complex joint with a high injury incidence. Rehabilitation Robotics applied to the ankle is a very active research field. We present cable-driven reconfigurable robot kinematics and statics. We studied how the tendons pull mid-foot bones around the talocrural and subtalar axes. Likewise, we propose a hybrid serial-parallel mechanism analogous to the ankle. Then, using screw theory, we synthesized a cable-driven robot with the human ankle in the closed-loop kinematics. We incorporate a draw-wire sensor to measure the axes’ pose and compute the product of exponentials. We reconfigure the cables to balance the tension and pressure forces using the axis projection on the base and platform planes. Likewise, we also computed the workspace to show that the reconfigurable design fits several sizes. The data used is from anthropometry and statistics. Finally, we validated the robot’s statics with MuJoCo for various cable length groups corresponding to the axes’ range of motion. We suggested a platform adjusting system and an alignment method. The design is lightweight, and the cable-driven robot has advantages over rigid parallel robots, such as Stewart platforms. We will use compliant actuators.

Neurodevelopmental disorders arise from genetic and/or from environmental factors and are characterized by different degrees of intellectual disability. The mechanisms that govern important processes sustaining learning and memory, which are severely affected in intellectual disability, have classically been thought to be exclusively under neuronal control. However, this vision has recently evolved into a more integrative conception, in which astroglia, rather than just acting as metabolic supply and structural anchoring for neurons, interact at distinct levels modulating neuronal communication and possibly also cognitive processes. Recently, genetic tools have made it possible to specifically manipulate astrocyte activity unraveling novel functions that involve astrocytes in memory function in the healthy brain. However, astrocyte manipulation has also underscored potential mechanisms by which dysfunctional astrocytes could contribute to memory deficits in several neurodevelopmental disorders revealing new pathogenic mechanisms in intellectual disability. Here, we review the current knowledge about astrocyte dysfunction that might contribute to learning and memory impairment in neurodevelopmental disorders, with special focus on Fragile X syndrome and Down syndrome.

Greenhouses are instrumental in the advancement of regions globally. The geometric arrangement of these structures plays a pivotal role in governing sunlight distribution, facilitating ventilation, and managing condensation. The roof's shape significantly affects energy efficiency and the accumulation of condensation water, which, when dripping onto crops, can induce diseases and diminish production. This study introduces a Matlab program designed for defining and analyzing greenhouse roof geometry, adaptable to both single-span and multi-span structures. Various roof shapes are examined, determining angles along their length to facilitate condensation droplet runoff. Furthermore, the greenhouse's energy efficiency is evaluated by analyzing diverse roof models, accounting for surface area and internal air volume. The results aim to aid in selecting the optimal greenhouse type based on climate and latitude. This study offers a valuable decision-making tool for the planning and design of agricultural structures, providing insights to enhance overall sustainability and performance in diverse environmental contexts.