Dioscorea remotiflora, a perennial climbing herbaceous plant wild and native to México, bears tubers of important ethnobotanical and nutritional value. However, the information for its production and use is precarious. The objective of this research was to characterize the adaptation habitats of D. remotiflora in order to determine its ecological descriptors and current distribution, as well as to model its potential distribution. A comprehensive database encompassing 481 geo-referenced accessions was assembled. Using the Agroclimatic Information System for México and Central America (SIAMEXCA), 42 environmental variables were formulated. The MaxEnt model within the Kuenm R-package was employed to predict the species distribution. The findings reveal a greater presence of D. remotiflora in harsh environments, characterized by arid to semi-arid conditions, poor soils, and hot climates with long dry periods. The plant's nutritional and medicinal attributes, combined with its ecological adaptability, suggest its viability within evolving regional cropping systems under the influence of climate change. Niche modeling revealed that seven key variables determine the geographical distribution of D. remotiflora: precipitation of the warmest quarter, precipitation of the driest month, minimum temperature of the coldest month, November-April solar radiation, annual mean relative humidity, annual moisture availability index, and May-October mean temperature. Favorable regions for D. remotiflora coincide with its current presence sites, while other suitable areas, such as the Yucatan Peninsula, Northeast region, and Gulf of México, offer potential expansion opportunities for the species distribution. The characterization obtained for D. remotiflora, together with the description of its edaphic and climatic adaptation habitats, will enable an efficient design of strategies for its use and conservation in the near future.

Dioscorea composita is a plant native to México and Central America with a high concentration of diosgenin precursors. Currently, México is one of the two most important countries producers of this yam; however, climate change is altering the environmental conditions of its natural habits, threatening its preservation and productivity. This is why this research was focused to characterize the eco-geography of D. composita and predict its potential geographic distribution under climate change scenarios in México-Central America. A collection of 408 geo-referenced accessions was used to determine its climatic adaptation, ecological descriptors, and the current and future potential geographic distribution, which was modeled with MaxEnt model through the Kuenm R-package. For future climate scenarios, an ensemble of the GCMs HadGEM-ES and CCSM4 was used. Results showed that D. composita adapts to warm humid and very humid agro-climates and that the most contributing variables for its presence are annual and seasonal moisture availability indices, seasonal photoperiod, annual thermal range, Bio14 and Bio11. The year 2050 RCP 4.5 climate scenario would contract the potential distribution of D. composita, whilst the 2050 RCP 8.5 scenario would expand it, indicating that this species could be a good crop option under this scenario of emissions.

The spatial and temporal changes in social vulnerability to natural hazards in Mexico are analyzed. To this end, using census data from 2000, 2010, and 2020 and a statistical method, different indices were computed, and with a GIS-based approach, patterns of social vulnerability are examined. In addition, a risk assessment test for severe weather (thunderstorms, hailstorms, and tornadoes) is made out. The results show different common social vulnerability driving factors in the three analyzed years, with root causes that have not been addressed since the beginning of the century. Likewise, a wider gap between Mexico's most and least vulnerable populations is identified. The changes in spatial patterns respond to different historical situations, such as migration, urbanization, and increased population. Also, poverty, ethnicity, and marginalization factors located in very particular regions in Mexico have remained relatively the same in the last few years. These situations have strongly influenced the spatial-temporal distribution of vulnerability in the country. The role of social vulnerability in the disaster risk to extreme events such as thunderstorms, hailstorms, and tornadoes in Mexico is fundamental to understanding changes in disaster distribution at the national level, and it is the first step to generating improvements in integrated risk management.

This paper presents the design and implementation of a remote supervision and control system for a gunpowder drum filling plant. The use of technologies such as SCADA (Ignition), IoT (Node-RED), ERP (Odoo) and digital twins (Factory I/O) to achieve remote monitoring and operation of the plant is described. The solution allows full control of the production process from any location through customized graphical interfaces. The challenges encountered in integrating multiple systems and platforms are discussed, along with the security measures implemented within the Azure cloud environment. The results demonstrate the effectiveness of 4.0 technologies in automating and digitizing critical industrial processes. This research will lay the groundwork for the adoption of these approaches in companies seeking greater efficiency, traceability and safety in their operations. The experience gained allows us to successfully face the digital transformation in modern manufacturing.

Histoplasmosis is a systemic mycosis of universal distribution, highly endemic in the Americas. It is caused by a dimorphic fungus Histoplasma capsulatum var. capsulatum. It affects both immunocompetent and immunocompromised individuals where progressive and disseminated forms are observed. A very important risk factor is HIV infection/AIDS, with a mortality rate of 20-40% in Latin America. The diagnosis of this mycosis is made by conventional and molecular methods or by antigen and antibody detection. This study evaluated the sensitivity and specificity of a commercial kit for the detection of Histoplasma antigen by an EIA (HC-Ag) technique in 50 patients with histoplasmosis associated with AIDS. In addition, its performance was compared with that of other diagnostic techniques routinely used in our laboratory. HC-Ag had a sensitivity (S) of 94%, specificity (E) 95.5%, positive predictive value (PPV) 94% and negative predictive value (NPV) 95.5%. The delay time of the results was 4 days, similar to that of antibody detection and n-PCR and much less than that of blood cultures. The combination of methods improved S and NPV: 100%; with similar values in E and PPV. The HC-Ag method demonstrated its usefulness in the diagnosis of progressive disseminated histoplasmosis and the combination of methods is a good option to increase sensitivity and decrease the time to reach the diagnosis of certainty. This allows improving the strategy in the management of the disease and decreasing its case-fatality rate.

Glioma tumors are one of the most devastating cancer types. Of the different glioma tumors, glioblastoma is the most advanced stage with the worst prognosis. Current therapies are still unable to provide an effective cure. Recent advantages in oncolytic immunotherapy have generated great expectations in the cancer therapy field. The use of oncolytic viruses (OV) in cancer treatment is one of those immune-therapeutic alternatives. OV have a double oncolytic action by both, directly destroying the cancer cells, sparing the patient’s life, and stimulating a tumor specific immune response to revert the ability of tumors to escape the control of the immune system. OV are one promising alternative to conventional therapies in glioma tumor treatment. Several clinical trials have proven the feasibility to use some viruses to specifically infect tumors eluding undesired toxic effects in the patient. Here we have revisited the literature in order to describe the main OV proposed so far as therapeutic alternatives to destroy glioma cells in vitro and trigger tumor destruction in vivo. Some clinical trials are exploring the use of this therapy as an alternative were other approaches provide limited hope.

The loads generated inside agricultural silos under static and dynamic conditions depend on the mechanical properties of the materials stored inside them. The silo calculation methodologies are based on these mechanical properties. Although it is known that moisture content greatly influences the values reached by these mechanical properties, just few studies have been conducted to determine them. The present work determines the angle of internal friction, the apparent cohesion, the dilatancy angle and the apparent specific weight of wheat when subjected to different moisture contents. Direct shear and oedometer assay devices were used. In addition, a climatic chamber was used to moisten the wheat samples used in this work. The moisture content applied to the samples ranged from 7.5% to 15.5%. From the different assays carried out it could be observed that the values of the angle of internal friction and apparent cohesion obtained from direct shear assays, as well as those related to the apparent specific weight obtained from oedometer assays were like those found in the literature. The apparent specific weight increased as moisture content increased, reaching a peak value at a moisture content of 13.4%, followed by a drop at a moisture content of 15.5%. The values here provided can be used in silo load calculations involving numerical methods.

Cryptococcosis is one of the most serious opportunistic diseases in patients living with HIV. For this reason, it is important to have early diagnosis and appropriate treatment. Objectives. The aim of the study was to know the evolution of patients diagnosed with cryptococcosis by detection of Cryptococcus antigen in serum by lateral flow (CrAg LFA) without nervous system involvement and with treatment in accordance with the results. Materials and Methods. A retrospective, longitudinal, analytical study was performed. Seventy patients with cryptococcosis initially diagnosed by serum CrAg LFA without meningeal involvement between January 2019 and April 2022 were analyzed for medical records. The treatment regimen was adapted to the results of blood culture, respiratory material or pulmonary tomography imaging. Results. Seventy patients were included, 13 had probable pulmonary cryptococcosis, 4 had proven pulmonary cryptococcosis, 3 had fungemia and 50 had pre-emptive therapy without microbiological or imaging findings compatible with cryptococcosis. Among the 50 patients with pre-emptive therapy, none had meningeal involvement or cryptococcosis recurrences to date. Conclusion. Pre-emptive therapy avoided progression to meningitis in patients with CrAg LFA-positive patients. Pre-emptive therapy with dose adjustment of fluconazole in patients with the mentioned characteristics was useful despite the use of lower doses than recommended.

Cogging torque is a pulsating, parasitic and undesired torque ripple intrinsic of the design of a permanent magnet synchronous generator (PMSG), which should be minimized due to its adverse effects: vibration and noise. In addition, as aerodynamic power is low during start-up at low wind speeds in small wind energy systems, the cogging torque must be as low as possible to achieve a low cut-in speed. A novel mitigation technique using compound pre-slotting, based on a combination of magnetic and non-magnetic materials, is investigated. The finite element technique is used to calculate the cogging torque of a real PMSG design for a small wind turbine, with and without using compound pre-slotting. The results show that cogging torque can be reduced by a factor of 48% with this technique, while avoiding the main drawback of the conventional pre-slotting technique: the reduction of induced voltage due to leakage flux between stator teeth. Furthermore, through a combination of pre-slotting and other cogging torque optimization techniques, 84%, cogging torque can be eliminated for a given design.

Background: The gold standard for the diagnosis of sleep bruxism (SB) and obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is Polysmnography (PSG). At the end of the apnea episodes there is frequently a final hy-permotor muscle activity that could act as a confusion factor in the diagnosis of SB with the elec-tromyography portable devices. The aim of this study was to compare the concordance on the number of episodes of SB in a population with OSA, between the diagnosis obtained by PSG, an-alyzed manually by a neurophysiologist and that obtained manually and automatically by a portable electromyography (EMG) and electrocardiography (EKG) device. Methods: Twenty-three subjects underwent one night of polysomnographic study with simulta-neous recording with the EMG-EKG device. The variables referring to the number of episodes and the SB index measured with both tools and analyzed in the manual and automatic modes were compared. Masticatory muscle activity was scored according to published criteria. The sample was segmented by severity of OSA according to AASM criteria. ANOVA, correlations, and the Bland–Altman plot were used to quantify the agreement between both methods. The concordance was calculated through the ICC. Results: The total events of SB per night in the PSG study were on average (8.17), lower than the one obtained with EMG-EKG manual analysis (14.13) and automatic (29.26). Both the SB PSG and Manual EMG-EKG episodes decrease from non-OSA (PSG = 16 ± 13,55, EMG-EKG = 16,83 ±11,58) to severe OSA (PSG = 3,14 ± 4,26, EMG-EKG = 9,86 ± 8,09). However, in the case of automatic EMG-EKG mode: the number of SB episodes in severe OSA doubled (41,23 ± 12,50) with respect to non OSA (24,50 ± 12,19). On average: the EMG-EKG device Automatic analysis measures 21.08 units more than PSG. The results with the manual EMG-EKG analysis improved. Conclusion: There is no concordance between the results obtained in the PSG neurophysiologic analysis and those obtained by means of the EMG-EKG device automatic and manual analysis for the diagnosis of SB in a population mostly with OSA. The OSA could act as a confusion factor in the diagnosis of SB with the electromyography portable devices, but further study is needed.

The COVID-19 pandemic may have increased interpersonal and intimate violence, harmful use of alcohol and other drugs (AOD), and mental health problems. The present study uses a valid path model to describe relationships between these conditions of young Mexicans during the second year of the pandemic. A sample of 7,420 young Mexicans ages 18 to 24—two-thirds of whom were women—completed the Life Events Checklist, the Alcohol, Smoking, and Substance Involvement Screening Test, the Major-Depressive-Episode Checklist, the Generalized Anxiety Scale, and the Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) Checklist. Young Mexicans reported higher rates of victimization and perpetration of interpersonal and intimate violence and mental health symptomatology than those noted pre-pandemic and in the first year of the pandemic. Harmful use of AOD rates were like those reported by adolescents before. Findings suggested asymmetric victimization and perpetration of intimate violence by gender (with women being at a higher risk than men, p≤.05). More men than women engaged in the harmful use of AOD (except for sedatives, which more women abuse). In contrast, more women than men were at risk of all mental health conditions. The path model indicates that being a victim of intimate violence predicts harmful use of tobacco, alcohol, cocaine, and sedatives, depression, anxiety, and specific PTSD symptoms (such as re-experimentation and avoidance symptoms). Being a victim of interpersonal violence resulted in severe PTSD symptoms (including avoidance, negative alterations in cognition-mood, and hyperarousal signs). Harmful use of sedatives predicted depressive symptoms. Men´s victimizing intimate violence model contrasted with that of women, which also included being the victim of interpersonal violence and severe PTSD symptoms. The high school youth model had three paths -victimizing-intimate violence, victimizing-interpersonal abuse, and sedative use, which predicted depression. The findings of this study could serve as the basis for future studies exploring mechanisms that predict violence patterns to develop the most cost-effective preventive programs and public policies and to address mental health conditions during community emergencies.

: The cytotoxic effect of four extracts obtained from the wild plant and two from a culture of Ag-eratina pichinchensis calluses on cell lines: prostate carcinoma, cervical cancer, hepatocellular car-cinoma, human hepatoma, lung cancer and cellular keratinocytes was evaluated; the extracts were obtained with ethyl acetate and methanol, leaves and stems were used from the wild plant. The results of the cytotoxic evaluation showed that only the ethyl acetate extract obtained from the callus culture showed an effect on the cervical cancer cell line (HeLa) with an IC50 of 94.79 ± 2.0 µg/mL. The purification of this extract allowed obtaining a benzofuran type compound as the main product, which was identified as 2,3-dihydrobenzofuran. The cytotoxic evaluation of this compound showed an important effect against the HeLa cell line with an IC50 of 23.86 ± 2. .5µg/mL. These results contribute to the development of alternatives for the production of com-pounds for the treatment of cancer.

Background: Objectives. The objective of this study was to compare the efficacy of direct current stimulation (DCS) applied at the transcranial, suboccipital and spinal level on experimental sensory modalities and pain outcome measures in healthy subjects. The hypothesis of this study was that systematic analysis of the efficacy of DCS on modulating evoked thermal and mechanical pain modalities and mechanisms such as endogenous pain modulation in healthy individuals would reveal sensitive outcome measures help develop this technique for the control of chronic pain. Materials and Methods. Database searches were conducted up to December 2019 for randomized controlled trials that performed sham-controlled DCS of experimental sensory modalities and pain outcomes following transcranial, suboccipital and spinal locations in healthy participants. Standardized mean differences with 95% confidence intervals were calculated for sensory modalities, including random-effect metanalysis. Results: Thirty-one studies were included for analysis (647 participants). A significant decrease in pain intensity for active vs sham transcranial stimulation was identified for pain intensity (n=158; SMD=0.79; 95% CI=0.56 to 1.02), a significant increase in heat pain threshold (n=222; SMD=1.16; 95% CI=0.95 to 1.37), and a significant increase in cold pain threshold (n = 155; SMD = 0.77, 95% CI 0.53 to 1.01). No significant modulation of pressure pain threshold was identified with DCS and only a limited number of studies focused on experimental pain modulation following neuromodulation at the suboccipital or spinal level. Conclusions: These results show significant transcranial DCS neuromodulation of pain intensity and on thermal pain modalities. Future studies should focus on endogenous pain and sensory modality modulation with sham-controlled DCS applied at transcranial, suboccipital and spinal locations.

We argue that a very large class of quantum pure states of isolated macroscopic bodies have sharply peaked energy distributions, with their width relative to the average scaling between $\sim N^{-1}$ and $\sim N^{-1/2}$, with $N \gg 1$, the number of atoms conforming the body. Those states are dense superpositions of energy eigenstates within arbitrary finite or infinite energy intervals that decay sufficiently fast. The sharpness of the energy distribution implies that closed systems in those states are {\it microcanonical} in the sense that only energy eigenstates very near to the mean energy contribute to their thermodynamic evolution. Since thermodynamics accurately describes processes of macroscopic bodies and requires that closed systems have constant energy, our claim is that these pure states are typical of macroscopic systems. The main assumption beneath the energy sharpness is that the isolated body can reach thermal equilibrium if left unaltered. We argue that such a self-sharpness of the energy in macroscopic bodies indicates that the First Law of Thermodynamics is statistical in character.

Based on the foundations of thermodynamics and the equilibrium conditions for the coexistence of two phases in a magnetic Ising-like system, we show, first, that there is a critical point where the isothermal susceptibility diverges and the specific heat may remain finite, and second, that near the critical point the entropy of the system, and therefore all free energies, do obey scaling. Although we limit ourselves to such a system, we elaborate about the possibilities of finding universality, as well as the precise values of the critical exponents using thermodynamics only.

Manufacturing corporations has the acceptance of the Outsourcing Process (OP) to improve industrial activities as well as to archive the revenue objectives, and with this, Risk Analysis (RA) tools are constantly used to assure expected results. Failure Mode and Effect Analysis (FMEA) is one of preferred RA tools, moreover, it is proven that FMEA adds uncertainty because of the human participation at the RA, afterward it is demonstrated that Pythagorean Fuzzy Dimensional Analysis – FMEA – Value Stream Mapping (PFDA-FMEA-VSM) method removes the uncertainty in RA, likewise it aids to the stakeholders for decision making, giving more advantages improving the use of the resources on the project. This document exhibits a real case scenario in a manufacturing firm applying PFDA-FMEA-VSM method adapted for manufacturing OP. The application of PFDA-FMEA-VSM shows solid RA results, removing the human intervention uncertainty added to the risk ranking, gives advantages to the stakeholders for visualize the main risks in detailed diagram, as well as make easier to take better decisions on where to apply resources and mitigate risks during OP.

Porcine epidemic diarrhea virus (PEDV) has affected the pork industry worldwide and during outbreaks the mortality of piglets has reached 100%. Lipid nanocarriers are commonly used in the development of immunostimulatory particles due to their biocompatibility and slow-release delivery properties. In this study, we developed a lipid nanoparticle (LNP) complex based on glycyrrhizinic acid (GA) and tested its efficacy as an adjuvant in mice immunized with the recombinant N-terminal domain (NTD) of porcine epidemic diarrhea virus (PEDV) spike (S) protein (rNTD-S). The dispersion stability analysis (Z-potential–27.6 mV) confirmed the size and charge stability of the LNP-GA, demonstrating that the particles were homogeneously dispersed and strongly anionic, that favors nanoparticles binding with the rNTD-S protein, which showed a slightly positive charge (2.11 mV) by in silico analysis. TEM image of LNP-GA revealed nanostructures with a spherical-bilayer lipid vesicle (⁓100 nm). The immunogenicity of the LNP-GA-rNTD-S complex induced an efficient humoral response 14 days after the first immunization (P < 0.05) as well as an influence on the cellular immune response by decreasing serum TNF-α and IL-1β concentrations, which was associated with an anti-inflammatory effect.

Samples of mortar mixtures were prepared substituting the cement Portland (CPC-30R) by 0 (standard), 10 and 15% of fly ash and the structural evolution and compressive strength at 3, 7, 14 and 28 days were determined. The results for standard mortar samples showed the mineralogi-cal species portlandite, calcite, ettringite, iron oxide, silicon oxide and sillimanite. Magnetite was identified in the mixtures of mortars with portland cement substitution by 10% and 15% fly ash. The peaks corresponding to the portlandite, and ettringite showed an increase in their intensities with increasing curing time attributed to the consolidation of mineral species. The SEM tech-nique results showed that the mortar samples without fly ash addition contained mainly port-landite and ettringite while the samples with cement substitution by 10 and 15% of fly ash at 28 days further contained particles of fly ash coated with portlandite and ettringite, particles with a smooth surface and particles of fly ash with signs of attack on its surface. An increase inc was observed when the age of the mortar and the substitution of Portland cement by fly ash were increased from 3 to 28 days and from 0 to 15% respectively. The maximum value of c was reg-istered for the mortar sample with Portland cement substitution by 15% fly ash at 28 days of curing with 17.38 Mpa.

The increasing regulatory pressure to monitor and reduce GHG emissions and air pollutants requires cost-effective methods for their surveillance. The most common technique used for scientific investigations on gas concentration monitoring in barns are accurate but expensive and with a complex maintenance. This research study analysed the potential use of a low-cost portable measurement devices for the measurement of ammonia (NH3) and carbon dioxide (CO2) concentrations in an open dairy barn. A comparison between gas concentrations acquired at different heights from the floor by using portable devices and those acquired by a photoacoustic infrared multigas spectroscope (i.e., reference measurement) in the same sampling locations was carried out to determine the precision of the low-cost portable devices. The performance of low-cost portable devices was statistically analysed by the application of the one-way analysis of variance, correlation analysis and regression analysis. The results showed a significant difference between gas concentration values at various heights from the floor for both NH3 and CO2. The correlations between concentrations acquired by the low-cost portable device and the INNOVA were statistically significant (r=0.83; P<0.001) for gas concentrations monitored at 0.4 m from the floor. Compared with the reference measurement device, the low-cost devices were effective in the monitoring of NH3 concentrations at 0.40 m from the floor though it underestimated them in the barn at increasing of the height from the floor, whereas the device was not adequate for CO2 concentrations. In detail, the relative measurement error of the low-cost devices compared to INNOVA was reduced close to the floor during NH3 concentration measurements. Within these limitations, this device could be useful for monitoring NH3 concentration in the barn and to assess variation in NH3 concentrations mainly related to the animal occupied zone. Further efforts are needed in this field of research to identify low-cost device that could simplify emission estimation from open dairy barns.

Decoherence with recurrences appear in the dynamics of the one-body density matrix of an $F = 1$ spinor Bose-Einstein condensate, initially prepared in coherent states, in the presence of an external uniform magnetic field and within the single mode approximation. The phenomenon emerges as a many-body effect of the interplay of the quadratic Zeeman effect, that breaks the rotational symmetry, and the spin-spin interactions. By performing full quantum diagonalizations very accurate time evolution of large condensates are analyzed, leading to heuristic analytic expressions for the time dependence of the density matrix, in the weak and strong interacting regimes. We are able to find accurate analytical expressions for both the decoherence and the recurrence times, in terms of the number of atoms and strength parameters, that show remarkable differences depending on the strength of the spin-spin interactions. We discuss the nature of these limits in the light of the thermodynamic limit.

This article seeks to strengthen efforts in technological developments based on the classification of PET plastic that positively impacts sustainable development and contributes to suitable solutions in collection centers in Mexico. Three experiment designs and machine learning tools for data processing were developed. For the experimentation, three factors were considered: the bottle's size, the amount of liquids inside the bottle, and the label on the bottle. The first experiment was to identify the distance of the sensor from post-consumer PET bottles. The second experiment was to determine the detection ability of the sensor with different levels of liquids inside the bottles, and the third was to determine the detection ability on the bottle labels. A digital lux meter on a microcontroller was developed to monitor illuminance on post-consumer PET plastic when it contains liquid as it passes through a conveyor belt for processing at an average rate of three bottles per second. With the implemented methodology, liquids were satisfactorily detected inside the transparent PET bottles when they had beverages between 25% and 100% of their capacity. Finally, this paper highlights that it is possible to implement an affordable design to identify bottles with liquids for collection centers.

In the present study, Electrocoagulated Metal Hydroxide Sludge (EMHS) was analyzed as adsorbent material to remove both fluoride ion (F-) and arsenic V (As(V)) from aqueous effluents. This material was generated during an electrocoagulation process using Aluminum anode. It was characterized by using specific surface areas and the surface morphology was studied by scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Adsorbent fixed-beds are generally studied to remove different class of contaminants. EMHS was evaluated using a continuous flow rate column test with an experimental design. The effect of initial concentration of F- (2.5–10 mg L⁻¹) and the Empty Bed Contact Time (EBCT (0.4–0.8 min)) was studied following a central composite design methodology. The experimented parameters had a significant influence on saturation time, breakthrough volume, and breakthrough time. A response surface analysis was a tool for analyzing the adsorption study, showing interactions that are complicated to identify by others methods. The results, here reported, revealed that EMHS is an efficient and promising adsorbent material in order to remove F- and As(V) from water contaminated by these pollutants.

This article addresses the emergence of a niche for sustainable agricultural production in the province of García Rovira, Colombia. It examines the intervention of the Colombian planning regime, which implements agendas for sustainable territorial development. However, these agendas are not adequately aligned with provincial realities, resulting in a productive decline. From a multi-level perspective, a niche of production linked to the landscape is identified, highlighting sustainable practices and innovation. The study seeks to understand how planning influences the emergence of such niches and what factors boost their transition to sustainability. Through a mixed methodology, growing sectors are highlighted, and the profiles of the producers involved are outlined. The main conclusion is that the planned intervention is inefficient, as the niche of sustainable production emerges without its clear influence. Therefore, it is proposed to re-evaluate planning using alternative analysis frameworks to detect emerging productive dynamics, serving as a basis for future plans.

LPA3 receptors were expressed in TREx HEK 293 cells, and their signaling and phosphorylation were studied. The agonist, lysophosphatidic acid (LPA), increased intracellular calcium and ERK phosphorylation through pertussis toxin-insensitive processes. Phorbol myristate acetate, but not LPA, desensitizes LPA3-mediated calcium signaling. The agonists and the phorbol ester-induced LPA3 internalization. Pitstop 2 (clathrin heavy chain inhibitor) markedly reduced LPA-induced receptor internalization; in contrast, phorbol ester-induced internalization was only delayed. LPA induced rapid β-arrestin-LPA3 receptor association. The agonist and the phorbol ester induced marked LPA3 receptor phosphorylation, and phosphorylation sites were detected using mass spectrometry. Phosphorylated residues were detected in the intracellular loop 3 (S221, T224, S225, and S229) and in the carboxyl terminus (S321, S325, S331, T333, S335, Y337, and S343). Interestingly, phosphorylation sites are within sequences predicted to constitute β-arrestin binding sites. These data provide insight into LPA3 receptor signaling and regulation.

Lysophosphatidic acid (LPA) type 3 (LPA3) receptor mutants were generated in which the sites detected phosphorylated were substituted by non-phosphorylatable amino acids. Substitutions were made in the intracellular loop 3 (IL3 mutant), the carboxyl terminus (Ctail), and both domains (IL3/Ctail). The wild-type (WT) receptor and the mutants were expressed in T-REx HEK293 cells, and the consequences of the substitutions were analyzed employing different functional parameters. Agonist- and LPA-mediated receptor phosphorylation was diminished in the IL3 and Ctail mutants and essentially abolished in the IL3/Ctail mutant, indicating that the main sites were substituted and distributed in both domains. The WT and mutant receptors increased intracellular calcium and ERK 1/2 phosphorylation in response to LPA and PMA. An increase in baseline ERK phosphorylation was detected in the IL3/Ctail mutant. LPA and PMA-induced receptor interaction with β-arrestin 2 and LPA3 internalization were severely diminished in the mutants. Mutant-expressing cells also exhibit increased baseline proliferation and response to different stimuli, which were inhibited by the antagonist Ki16425, suggesting a role of LPA receptors in this process. Migration in response to different attractants was markedly increased in the Ctail mutant, which the Ki16425 antagonist also attenuated.

There is a growing body of research exploring Complementary and Alternative Medicine (CAM) for the overall population; however, few studies have examined the effectiveness and applications of CAM practices in the paediatric population. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), parent's prevalence using CAM in their dependents is estimated to be as high as 80%. This literature review identified broad, heterogeneous, and inconclusive evidence regarding CAM applications and effectiveness caused mainly by variances in sociodemographic factors and national healthcare systems differences. Additionally, a lack of consensus and polarised positions among mainstream professionals regarding the CAM mechanism of action, applications, and effectiveness were identified. This narrative review shows debatable results for most CAM therapies and their applications. However, some evidence suggests that acupuncture, Yoga, Tai Chi, and massage might benefit users' physical and mental health. Additionally, meditation's available evidence indicates that it might be only helpful in the enhancement of mental health, whereas Reiki only displays an effect on patients' perceptions of comfort. Lastly, herbal medicine was observed to have non-specific evidence to support its claim, given the diverse nature and complexity of herbal compounds and procedures. This comprehensive narrative review might offer health professionals a reference to guide their health practices towards a personalised approach, taking into account the patient's values and beliefs, both important aspects of integrated, evidence-based practice, aiming to improve the quality of the offered health services and patients' satisfaction.

This review focuses on the role of small extracellular vesicles in the pathophysiological mechanisms of retinal degenerative diseases. Many of these mechanisms are related or modulated by the oxidative burden of the retinal cells. It has been recently demonstrated that cellular communication in the retina involves extracellular vesicles and that their rate of release and cargo features might be affected by the cellular environment and in some instances also mediated by autophagy. The fate of these vesicles is diverse, and could end up in the circulation and be used as markers, or target neighbour cells modulating gene and protein expression and eventually also angiogenesis. Neovascularization in the retina promotes vision loss in diseases such as diabetic retinopathy and age-related macular degeneration. The importance of micro RNAs, either as small extracellular vesicles’ cargo or free circulating, on the regulation of retinal angiogenesis is also discussed.

Objective: To assess the functionality of the affected upper limb in children diagnosed with hemiplegia aged between 4 and 8 years after applying low-intensity modified constraint-induced movement therapy(mCIMT). Methods: Prospective case series study. A mCIMT protocol was applied for five weeks, with two hours of containment per day. The study variables were: quality of movement of the upper limb, spontaneous use, participation of the affected upper limb in activities of daily living, dynamic joint position, grasp-release action, grasp strength, supination and extension elbow movements. Four measurements were performed, using the QUEST scale, the SHUEE Evaluation, a hand dynamometer and a goniometer. Results: The sample was composed of 8 children with moderate manual ability. Statistically significant differences were detected in all the studied variables (p<0.05). The greatest increase occurred in spontaneous use from assessment 1-4 (p = 0.01), reaching 88.87% active participation in bimanual tasks. The quality of movement of the upper limb obtained a significant value due to the increase in dissociated movements and grasp (p = 0.01). Conclusion: A low dose (50 hours) of mCIMT increased the functionality of children diagnosed with congenital hemiplegia between 4 and 8 years of age with moderate manual ability.

Corn silage (Zea mays L.) is the most widely used energy resource in the diets of dairy cattle around the world; it stands out for its higher biomass yields, good palatability, homogeneous quality at harvest and ease of silage due to its higher soluble sugar content. It was carried out a search of studies related to dry matter yield (ton ha-1), population density (plant density ha-1), dry matter (DM), crude protein (CP), neutral detergent fiber (NDF), non-fibrous carbohydrates (NFC), organic matter (OM), DM digestibility (DMD) and neutral detergent fiber digestibility (NDFD) and milk production per hectare (kg of milk ha-1) that was determined using MILK2006®. It was carried out a cluster analysis (CL, PROC CLUSTER) obtaining six groups of corn silage: CL1: "Starch", which included DMD, DFDN, TDN1xDM, Mega calories per kg of DM and kg of milk/ton/DM; CL2: "Fats" which included TDN1xMS, Mcal/kg/DM and kg of milk/ton/DM; CL3: "Dry Matter", conformed only by DFDN; CL4: "Plant Density" including Yield of DM ha-1 and Milk Production ha-1; CL5: "Neutral Detergent Fiber" and CL6: "Raw Protein". It is concluded that CL1 was characterized by a higher DMD, DFND, CNF and starch that allow a higher TNDx1DM and an energy concentration (Mcal/kg/DM) that shows a higher milk production (kg of milk/ton/DM ha-1). The characteristics of CL2 with higher EE, allow a higher TNDx1DM and an energy concentration (Mcal/kg/DM) with a higher milk production (kg of milk/ton/DM ha-1).

ABSTRACT: This paper provides an overview of the complex relationship between culture, gender, and business. It highlights the importance of understanding how these factors intersect and influence various aspects of the business world, including organizational practices, leadership styles, workplace dynamics, and economic outcomes. It also explores how cultural factors shape gender roles, expectations, and opportunities within the business context. Additionally, it discusses the implications of cultural influences on women's participation, advancement, and overall experiences in the business world. Understanding the interplay between culture, gender, and business is essential for fostering inclusive and diverse workplaces. Organizations that embrace cultural diversity and gender equality tend to exhibit greater creativity, innovation, and adaptability. They also benefit from increased employee satisfaction, improved decision-making processes, and enhanced financial performance. The work also examined how the values, beliefs, socialization, and team spirit of some distinct ethnic groups such as Japanese, Chinese, Jews, Igbo, and Indians have helped in the economic growth of not the groups alone but the countries where they reside. By examining these dynamics and cultures, scholars, practitioners, and policymakers can gain insights to develop effective strategies that promote gender equality, cultural sensitivity, and inclusive practices in the business world, ultimately leading to more equitable and prosperous societies.

Neurodegeneration with brain iron accumulation (NBIA) is a group of rare neurogenetic dis-orders frequently associated with iron accumulation in the basal nuclei of the brain. Among NBIA subtypes, β -propeller protein-associated neurodegeneration (BPAN) is associated with mutations in the autophagy gene WDR45. The aim of this study was to demonstrate autophagic defects and secondary pathological con-sequences in cellular models derived from two patient harboring WDR45 mutations. Both protein and mRNA expression levels of WDR45 were decreased in patient-derived fibro-blasts. In addition, the increase of LC3B upon treatments with autophagy inducers or inhibitors was lower in mutant cells compared to control cells, suggesting decreased autophagosome formation and impaired autophagic flux. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) analysis showed mitochondrial vacuolization associated with accumulation of lipofuscin-like aggregates containing undegraded material. Autophagy dysregulation was also associated with iron ac-cumulation and lipid peroxidation. In addition, mutant fibroblasts showed altered mitochon-drial bioenergetics. Antioxidants such as pantothenate, vitamin E and α-lipoic prevented lipid peroxidation and iron accumulation. However, antioxidants were not able to correct the ex-pression levels of WDR45 neither the autophagy defect nor cell bioenergetics. Our study demonstrated that WDR45 mutations in BPAN cellular models impaired autophagy, iron metabolism and cell bioenergetics. Antioxidant partially improved cell physiopathology, however autophagy and cell bioenergetics remained affected.

3D bioprinting, like 3D printing, is a process that builds structures by depositing material layer by layer. In the specific case of bioprinting, these layers are composed of a biocompatible material together with living cells, allowing the creation of three-dimensional structures that recreate functional tissues and organs. Bioprinting cell-laden structures is complicated by the high rate of cell damage and stress that occurs during the process, caused by the high pressures and stresses to which they are subjected. To minimise damage during the process, it is important to study and optimise certain bioprinting conditions beforehand and to analyse how they affect the cells by means of computational simulations. In this review, both quantitative and qualitative data are collected to improve the nozzle geometry through computational simulation studies. Optimal ranges for nozzle diameter (0.2-1mm) and length (8-10mm; 300-900μm) have been defined, and recommendations for improving nozzle performance during bioprinting, such as the provision of an inner angle of 20-30°, an inner EDTA coating and a shear stress of less than 10kPa, have been gathered. Finally, based on the data collected, a design of experiments is proposed to obtain an optimal bioprinting configuration for a particular bioink.

Healthcare workers (HCW) have been the professional category most exposed to SARS-CoV-2. The pandemic’s impact on HCW was analyzed in terms of COVID-19-related temporary disability (TD) between February 15 2020 and May 1 2021. TDs in HCW for COVID-19 infection or quarantine were described. TD quarantine/infection ratios and TDs per 100,000 affiliated HCW were compared with the cumulative incidence (CI) of COVID-19 cases notified to the National Network of Epidemiological Surveillance. TDs rates by economic activity and occupation were computed. A total of 429,127 TDs were recorded, 36,6% for infection. Three-quarters (76%) were women. The median TD quarantine/infection ratio was 2.5 (Interquartile range [IQR] 1.5-3.9). TDs rates in HCW were always above the CI except for the last two months of the fourth wave. Hospital activities accounted for 84% of TDs and showed the highest TD rate for infection (8,279/100,000). The highest TDs rates were registered among Nursing assistants, Nursing professionals and Physicians: 7,426, 6,925 and 5,508/100,000, respectively. The results demonstrate the high impact of COVID-19 on HCW in Spain and it’s inequalities. They also confirm that TDs represent a complementary source of information for epidemiological and public health surveillance and could provide an early warning of new emerging infections.

Magnetic nanoparticles based on iron oxides (MNPs-Fe) with magnetite or maghemite phases have been widely employed in bio-applications. Thus, they have been used as contrast agents in magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and oncological treatments through different therapies. Besides, due to the vast health problem of multidrug-resistant bacterial infections, several studies have proposed MNPs-Fe as photothermal agents (PTAs) within antibacterial photothermal therapy (PTT). This work presents a quick and easy green synthesis (GS) to obtain MNPs-Fe using orange peel extract from orange waste from local commerce, which presents an environmentally friendly approach compared to traditional methods such as coprecipitation. The GS can be irradiated with microwaves to reduce the synthesis time drastically. We evaluated the weight yield of the GS and the physical-chemical and magnetic features of the synthesized MNPs-Fe. Besides their cytotoxicity in animal cell line ATCC RAW 264.7, their antibacterial activity against Staphylococcus Aureus (S. Aureus) and Escherichia Coli (E. Coli) was assessed. We found that the MNPs-Fe synthesized using the GS, with 50% v/v of NH4OH and 50% v/v of orange peel extract (50GS-MNPs-Fe) had an excellent weight yield, negligible cytotoxicity for concentrations of MNPs-Fe below 250 µg·mL-1 in 24 hours, and 8 days. In the MNPs-Fe surface, we identified a coating of organic molecules (~ 25 nm) such as terpenes, aldehydes, etc. MNPs-Fe inhibited S. Aureus and 2.54 log10 (CFU) of E. Coli under red LED light irradiation (630 nm, 65.5 mW·cm-2, 30 min). Likewise, they exhibited a superparamagnetic (SPM) behavior for temperatures above 60 K, with a size of 49.3±9.6 nm and saturation magnetization (Ms) of 72.83 and 44.16 emu·g-1 at 60 and 300 K, respectively. Therefore, 50GS-MNPs-Fe are excellent candidates as broad-spectrum PTAs in antibacterial PTT, magnetic hyperthermia (MH), or MRI.

Wireless cellular communication technology has developed into a very resourceful commodity worldwide. Today, people of all races can hardly live without means of voice and data cellular communication technology. Imprecise propagation loss estimation leads to high power waste, high co-channel interference and poor service quality in cellular communication system networks. This paper proposes a realistic adaptive fine-tuning method for distinctive propagation loss estimation over a microcellular communication radio links based on signal power measurements from Long Term Evolution radio broadband networks, taking non-line of sight (NLOS) and line of sight (LOS) environments into consideration. The methodology is verified by measurements taken in non-line of sight and line of sight signal propagation scenarios. The results showed that the estimated propagation losses using the proposed realistic adaptive tuning models were more accurate than the existing Cost -231 modelling estimation approach.

The literature on contract farming and climate change in Zimbabwe has blind spots in relation to the study of contract farming as a climate change response. While the literature on contract farming and climate change abounds, such literature is lacking when it comes to the exploration of how contract farming can facilitate climate change coping and adaptation strategies by smallholder farmers. This paper fills this gap. It draws on in-depth interviews with 10 contracted and 10 non-contract farmers who were engaged through face-to-face in-depth interviews in the Chipinge South Constituency. It found that contract farming does not only boost productivity, but it also enables farmers to positively respond to the ravages of climate change, and therefore, it should be supported and encouraged. Future research should explore more viable and sustainable way through which the state, instead of private sector actors, should be at the centre of contract farming.

Wireless cellular communication technology has developed into a very resourceful commodity worldwide. Today, people of all races can hardly live without means of voice and data cellular communication technology. Imprecise propagation loss estimation leads to high power waste, high co-channel interference and poor service quality in cellular communication system networks. This paper proposes a realistic adaptive fine-tuning method for distinctive propagation loss estimation over a microcellular communication radio links based on signal power measurements from Long Term Evolution radio broadband networks, taking non-line of sight (NLOS) and line of sight (LOS) environments into consideration. The methodology is verified by measurements taken in non-line of sight and line of sight signal propagation scenarios. The results showed that the estimated propagation losses using the proposed realistic adaptive tuning models were more accurate than the existing Cost -231 modelling estimation approach

Somatic cell nuclear transfer (SCNT) is a reproductive biotechnology with great potential in the reproduction of different species of zootechnical interest, including sheep. This study aimed to carry out a bibliometric analysis of scientific papers published on the application of SCNT in sheep reproduction in the period 1997-2023. The search involved the Science Citation Index Expanded and Social Sciences Citation Index databases of the Main Collection of Web of Sciences with different descriptors. A total of 124 scientific papers were analyzed for different bibliometric indicators using VOSviewer software. Since 2001, the number of SCNT-related documents published concerning sheep reproduction increased and has fluctuated in ensuing years. The main authors, research groups, institutions, countries, documents and journals with the highest number of publications related to SCNT in sheep reproduction were identified, as well as the topics that address the research papers according to the terms: somatic cell, embryo, oocyte, gene expression, SCNT, and sheep.

I present an experimental paradigm to explore the interpersonal dynamics generating a collective mind. I hypothesized that collective organization is based on dual interpersonal modes: (1) symmetrical and (2) anti‑symmetrical. I specified the geometric topology of these modes by detecting the spatiotemporal patterns that embed cooperative agents in a three‑dimensional matrix. I found that the symmetrical mode is executed automatically and without guidance. Conversely, the anti‑symmetrical mode required explicit direction and recruited attention for execution. I demonstrate that self‑other mirror‑symmetry stabilized group dynamics, enabled fast and efficient symmetrical imitation that optimized information transmission, whereas anti‑symmetrical imitation was comparatively slow, inefficient, and unstable. I determined that the anti‑symmetrical mode spontaneously transitioned to the symmetrical mode under perturbations. Crucially, this renormalization mechanism never transitioned from symmetrical to anti‑symmetrical. These self-organizing dynamics speak to interpersonal symmetry‑breaking. In the present work, spontaneous group choice mandated that agents synchronize cooperative cycles in symmetrical space under internal or external perturbations. I provide examples to illustrate that this self-regulating pullback attractor manifests in invertebrates and vertebrates alike. I conclude by suggesting that inter‑agent symmetry provides the social stability manifold through which attention-driven interactions enable intrapersonal and interpersonal change.

Through the refinement of approaches to applying visual augmentation to virtual environments, the possibilities of utilising this process in robotics continues to be explored. However these endeavours have only yielded a collaborative relationship between the two technologies, where the augmented reality (AR) component is separate from the robot functionality. Regarding telepresence robots, research has shown that their perceived usefulness wanes in comparison to that of video conferencing tools as they do not offer a level of immersion and modified visual experience to justify their use. Therefore this paper contributes a novel virtually augmented robot (VAR) model that embeds AR functionality into telepresence, through the use of augmentation and facial recognition sub-models and algorithms. Experimental results show that using pulse width modulation (PWM), duty cycles, digital signals and accelerometer angles provides an approach for stabilising robot motion and the transference of human to robot head movement. The results also show the benefit of having a robot model with intrinsic AR functionality, as it offers a greater level of immersion and visual control of an environment.

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.

The rhythmical nature of the cardiovascular system constantly generates dynamic mechanical forces. At the center of this system is the heart which must detect these changes and adjust its performance accordingly. Mechano-electric feedback provides a rapid mechanism for detecting even subtle changes in the mechanical environment and transducing these signals into electrical responses which can adjust a variety of cardiac parameters such as heart rate and contractility. However, pathological conditions can disrupt this intricate mechanosensory system and manifest as potentially life-threatening cardiac arrhythmias. Mechanosensitive ion channels are thought to be the main proponents of mechano-electric feedback as they provide a rapid response to mechanical stimulation and can directly affect cardiac electrical activity. Here we demonstrate that the mechanosensitive ion channel Piezo1 is expressed in zebrafish cardiomyocytes. Furthermore, chemically prolonging Piezo1 activation in zebrafish results in cardiac arrhythmias indicating that this ion channel plays an important role in mechano-electric feedback. This also raises the possibility that Piezo1 gain of function mutations could be linked to heritable cardiac arrhythmias such as atrial fibrillation in humans.

Background: The aim of this study was to examine cervical multifidus muscle morphology and its impact on postural balance in patients with post-stroke. Methods: This is a pilot study. A convenience sample of 24 volunteers of 67 ±8.5 years (12 with hemiparesis due to post-stroke, 12 healthy) was recruited for this study. The outcomes measured were the thickness of the multifidus muscle using ultrasonography, Modified Functional Reach Test (MFRT), Timed Up and Go (TUG) test and Berg Balance scale (BBS). Results: No significant differences in the ultrasound values between stroke patients' paretic and non-paretic sides were found. Similarly, there were no significant differences between the non-paretic side of stroke patients and the non-paretic side of the control group, (all, p>0.05). Additionally, no significant correlations between the ultrasonographic variables of the multifidus muscles and the main outcome measures were identified. Conclusions: In conclusion, our study did not find significant differences in cervical multifidus muscle morphology between healthy individuals and post-stroke patients in relation to postural balance.

(1) Objectives. Patients with heart failure (HF) who experience hospitalizations for worsening HF (HFH) are at high risk of subsequent events. We aimed to evaluate the impact of an outpatient care management program that includes a clinician-to-clinician e-consultation using an integrated electronic medical record in a healthcare area with a widely dispersed population on delay time in care, hospital admissions, and mortality in a high-risk group of patients with HF and previous episodes of HFH. (2) Methods. We selected 6,444 HF patients who visited the cardiology service at least once between 2010 and 2021. Of these, 4,851 were attended in e-consult, and 2,008 in one-time in-person consultations. In 2,230 HF patients, there was documentation of a previous episode of HFH. Using an interrupted time series regression model, we analysed the impact of incorporating e-consult into the health care model in the group of patients with HFH and evaluated the elapsed time to cardiology care, heart failure (HF), cardiovascular (CV), and all-cause hospital admissions and mortality, calculating the incidence relative risk (iRR). (3) Results. In the group of patients with previous HF hospitalizations, the introduction of e-consult substantially decreased waiting times to cardiology care. The time elapsed to care after e-consult implementation was significantly reduced compared with the previous in-person period (8.6 [8.7] vs 55.4 [79.9] days, p<0.001). In that group of patients, after e-consult implantation, hospital admissions for HF were reduced (iRR [CI95%]: 0,837 [0,840-0,833]), 0,900 [0,862-0,949] for CV and 0,699 [0,678-0,726] for all-cause hospitalizations. There was also lower mortality (iRR [CI95%]: 0.715 [0.657-0.798] due to HF, 0,737 [0.764-0.706] for CV and 0,687 [0.652-0,718] for all-cause). The improved outcomes after e-consultation implementation were significantly higher in the group of patients with previous HFH and were independent of the patient’s clinical characteristics managed during the in-person or e-consultation periods. (4) Conclusions. In HF patients with previous HFH, an outpatient care program that includes an e-consult significantly reduced waiting times to cardiology care and was safe, with a lower rate of hospital admissions and mortality in the first year.

The automobile industry is undergoing technological advancement, which includes breakthroughs such as hybrid cars, electric vehicles (EVs), and self-driving capabilities. However, despite these advances, issues remain, notably in recall management efficiency, security and risk of fraud. To solve these difficulties, the idea of Industry 4.0 has been adopted, which uses technologies such as sensors, IOT’s, and machine learning. Even this technology still has loopholes in the area of security which has been exploited negatively over time. In other to mitigate these loopholes we introduce Blockchain technology as a viable alternative, providing a safe and transparent environment. This study investigates and proposed the use of blockchain to create an enhanced Vehicle Tracking System (VTS) intended at enhancing recall management and reducing fraud in the automobile sector. The proposed solution was discussed in detail and a mock smart contract was also written, which was deployed on the Ethereum Virtual Machine (EVM).

Background: Cardiomyopathy is commonly observed disease that may occurs due to mutations in either susceptible genes or modifier gene. People with broad age group are affected either attributable to spontaneous or inherited mutations of these genes. Various gene mutations are reported so far but only few of them were studied in detail. Methods: In the current study, we evaluated epidemiological variables like age, sex, familial status, parental consanguinity. We also described specific clinical symptoms associated with the cardiomyopathy condition in Indian population. Results: Our studies on mutation screening of phospholamban gene revealed two transitions (4880 C/T, 4887 T/G) in 5’ flanking region which might cause inherited dilated cardiomyopathy with refractory congestive heart failure are We further deliberated the gene polymorphism of renin angiotensin system gene angiotensin-1-converting enzyme as an associated marker/ modifier in cardiomyopathy patients and their family members. Conclusions: Information on epidemiological, clinical statistics, phospholamban gene mutation analysis and angiotensin-1-converting enzyme gene polymorphism is essential to guide the successful execution for future therapies and benefits us to identify those patients at risk for faster disease progression, congestive heart failure, and arrhythmia.

As the world’s population age, Cognitive Frailty (CF) is becoming one of the most serious health problems and elucidating its biological mechanisms along with prevention and treatments becomes increasingly important also considering the associated health costs. This pilot study aims to investigate the potential cognitive and neuropsychological effects of a 5-week treatment with a therapy based on the regenerative properties of ozone (O3) in a cohort of patients stratified according to CF. We also study the potential effects of O3 on blood-based biomarkers indicative of specific biological systems that may be altered in CF. Seventy-five older persons have been recruited and randomly assigned to receive the active treatment (150cc of oxygen-O2-O3 mixture at the concentration of 30ug of O3 per cc of O2) or O2, or the placebo (air) for 5 weeks. The primary endpoint is a change in the scores of clinical scales from baseline (T0) to weeks 3 (T3), 9 (T9), 15 (T15) after treatment. The secondary endpoint is a change in biomarkers levels resulting from transcriptomics, proteomics and metabolomic patterns at the same times. This study will evaluate whether an intervention with the O2-O3 therapy could have potential cognitive, neuropsychological and biological effects on CF.

Background: Amyloid beta peptides (Aβ) have been identified as the main pathogenic agents in Alzheimer’s disease (AD). Soluble Aβ oligomers, rather than monomer or insoluble amyloid fibrils, show membrane-binding capacity to red blood cells (RBCs) and trigger several morphological and functional alterations in RBCs that can result in impaired oxygen transport and delivery. Since bioactive lipids have been recently proposed as potent protective agents against Aβ toxicity, we investigated the role of sphingosine-1-phosphate (S1P) in signaling pathways involved in the mechanism underlying ATP release in Aβ-treated RBCs. Methods: In RBCs following different treatments, ATP, 2,3 DPG, cAMP levels, and caspase 3 activity were determined by spectrophotometric and immunoassay. Results: S1P rescued the inhibition of ATP release from RBCs triggered by Aβ through a mechanism involving caspase-3 and restoring 2,3 DPG and cAMP levels within the cell. Conclusions: These findings reveal the molecular basis of S1P protection against Aβ in RBCs and suggest new therapeutic avenues in AD.

Objective: To describe the proportion of patients undergoing major abdominal surgery who develop postoperative hypothermia, and the variables associated with its occurrence. Material and Methods: We conducted a prospective cohort study in a tertiary care referral hospital in Mexico City to describe the incidence of perioperative hypothermia and factors associated with postoperative hypothermia. A repeated measures ANOVA model was used to compare preoperative, intraoperative, and postoperative temperatures. Potential variables associated with hypothermia were evaluated with a logistic regression analysis. Results: A total of 110 patients were included in the analysis. Of them, 61% (n=67) were women. The mean age was 56.7 years (SD: 16.3, range: 75). The most frequently involved organ on which surgery was performed was kidney or urinary tract (21.8%), followed by large bowel (14.5%) and exploratory laparotomy (14.5%). The incidence of postoperative hypothermia in patients undergoing major abdominal surgery was 57.3%, while preoperative and intraoperative hypothermia occurred in 55.5% and 79.1%, respectively. Age over 60 years was the only variable associated with postoperative hypothermia after multivariable adjustment for sex, age, and time surgery (OR=18.4, 95% CI:3.79-89.6, p<0.0001). Conclusion: Increasing age was the only variable associated with postoperative hypothermia in patients undergoing major abdominal surgery.

A large diversity of epigenetic factors, such as microRNAs and histones modifications, are known to be capable of regulating gene expression without altering DNA sequence itself. In particular, miR-1 is considered the first essential microRNA in cardiac development. In this study, miR-1 potential role in early cardiac chamber differentiation is analyzed through specific signaling pathways. For this, we performed in chick embryos functional experiments by means of miR-1 microinjections into the posterior cardiac precursors -of both primitive endocardial tubes- committed to sinoatrial region fates. Subsequently, embryos were subjected to whole mount in situ hybridization, immunohistochemistry and RT-qPCR analysis. As a relevant nov-elty, our results revealed that miR-1 increases Tbx5, Gata4 and AMHC1, while this microRNA diminishes Mef2c expression, during early differentiation of cardiac sinoatrial region. Further-more, we observed in this developmental context that miR-1 upregulates CRABPII and RARß, and downregulates CRABPI, which are three crucial factors in retinoic acid signaling pathway. Interestingly, we also noticed that miR-1 directly interacts with HDAC4 and Calmodulin, as well as with Erk2/MAPK1, which are three key factors actively involved in Mef2c regulation. Our study shows, for the first time, a key role of miR-1 as an epigenetic regulator in early differenti-ation of cardiac sinoatrial region through orchestrating opposite actions between retinoic acid and Mef2c, fundamental to properly assign cardiac cells to their respective heart chambers. A better understanding of those molecular mechanisms modulated by miR-1 will definitely help in fields applied to therapy and cardiac regeneration and repair.

(1) Background: Psychological well-being (PWB) and female sexual health are two important areas for women’s quality of life and research, and they are closely related. The aim of this study was to conduct a systematic review of the existing literature to explore the association between PWB and sexual health in women. (2) Methods: This review was carried out following PRISMA. The inclusion criteria were studies with samples of adult women, that evaluated and associated sexual functioning and mental health. Scientific articles were identified on Web of Science, Scopus, EBSCO (PsycInfo, PsycArticles, and Psicodoc), ProQuest, and PubMed. The search was limited to years between 2010 and 2023. (3) Results: 14 selected articles were analyzed, in which population samples and variables related to mental and sexual health were examined. 42.9% of the studies included clinical samples, 71.4% focused on anxiety and depression as main mental health variables, and 50% examined female sexual functioning as a sexual health variable. (4) Conclusions: This review provides more up-to-date information about valuable insights into the possible determinants of female sexual health. The association between PWB and female sexual health has been demonstrated.

Body Expression (BE) has been defined in the past decades as a discipline within Physical Education (PE) with very particular characteristics and a strong emotional component. In this study, a programme of this discipline was applied to university Physical Activity and Sports Sciences (PASS) students from six consecutive academic years: three prior to and three during the pandemic. A pre-post design was used to determine how the BE programme affected the university students' self-concept (SC). To do so, a questionnaire with a multidimensional approach to this construct was administered, whose dimensions were closely related to the BE programme's characteristics. The results revealed significant improvements in the final SC, compared to the initial SC. Men reported lower SC values than women before the programme implementation, but higher at the end. Therefore, the change was larger in men, so the programme may have had an equalising effect between groups. It was also verified that the pandemic had particularly affected women.

We generate numerically on a lattice an ensemble of stationary metrics, with spherical symmetry, which have Einstein action S_E « ħ. This is obtained through a Metropolis algorithm with weight exp(-β²S_E²) and β » ħ^-1. The squared action in the exponential allows to circumvene the problem of the non-positivity of S_E. The discretized metrics obtained exhibit a spontaneous polarization in regions of positive and negative scalar curvature. We compare this ensemble with a class of continuous metrics previously found, which satisfy the condition S_E=0 exactly, or in certain cases even the stronger condition R(x)=0 for any x. All these gravitational field configurations are of considerable interest in quantum gravity, because they represent possible vacuum fluctuations and are markedly different from Wheeler's ''spacetime foam''.

The goal of this study is both to determine the opinion that professors and students at the University of (details removed for peer review) have of active methodologies and to describe the perception and opinion of the modes of organization, methodological focuses, and evaluation systems that define the teaching-learning process. On surveying the professors and the students in their classes, we found significant differences in 32 of the 92 variables in common. The content of these results shows that professors and students are believe they are making progress toward a learning-centered model, that implementation of active methodologies implies new functions in their teaching practice.

Contemporary cities are facing many challenges, from social and economic issues to the new risks related to the impacts of climate change. Focusing on energy consumptions, and the related GHG emissions, cities are considered not only the main global contributors but also the areas most exposed to risks, because of their density of population and economic activities. Implementing urban planning strategies with the purpose of increasing energy efficiency and resilience overall are, for all these reasons, considered a top priority. This paper investigates the innovative contents about energy-efficient and energy-resilient urban planning solutions that have started to be implemented in the cities of the Emilia-Romagna region. Two kinds of planning instruments are therefore analyzed: the voluntary Sustainable Energy and Climate Action Plans (SECAPs) and the mandatory General Urban Plans (GUPs), recently approved in several cities of Emilia-Romagna. A comparative analysis of three cities in the Emilia-Romagna region, Bologna, Modena and Ravenna, is proposed on the strategies of their newly local city plans and SECAPs with focus on energy management and planning. The aim is to assess whether the new structure of local city plans and the influence of SECAPs could be useful in implementing such urban energy resiliency solutions.

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

The newly discovered coronavirus (COVID-19) has disrupted traditional methods of conducting research, particularly qualitative research. However, there remains a number of methods by which qualitative data can still be collected. These include the use of digital voice, video, and text-based tools, online surveys, and content analysis. Text-based sources can help to overcome the limitations of time and space, and also can be cost-effective. This chapter draws from data collected from 12 participants across Zimbabwe and demonstrates how these tools can be used to generate data or to sample data that is already available to satisfy research questions and meet research objectives. It recommends researchers to experiment with new ways of collecting qualitative data while also observing safety protocols and ethical considerations.

The analyses of the socio-economic consequences of the 2000s land redistribution in Zimbabwe have always been biased towards the analyses of the ‘production’ and ‘redistributive’ aspects while other equally important features such as ‘social cohesion’, ‘cooperation’, ‘protection’, and ‘accumulation’ amongst beneficiaries are neglected. Using the Sangwe farm in Chiredzi as a case study, this article departs from the conventional use of the political economy, sustainable livelihoods, human rights-based and neo-patrimonial approaches. It experiments with the transformative social policy approach positing that this approach includes the features which are ignored in dominant analyses. Using both quantitative and qualitative data in an exploratory research design, the article shows that viewed from this social policy perspective, the 2000s land reform was not a mere resounding success nor was it a complete disaster. The programme actually produced mixed results. There is therefore, the need to deploy eclectic approaches in the analysis of its consequences.

(1) Background: Trichosporon species have emerged as important opportunistic fungal pathogens, with Trichosporon asahii being the leading and most frequent cause of invasive disease. (2) Methods: We performed a global review focused on invasive trichosporonosis in neonates and pediatric patients with malignancies or hematologic disorders. We reviewed case reports and case series of trichosporonosis due to T. asahii published since 1994, year of the revised taxonomic classification. (3) Results: Twenty-four cases of invasive trichosporonosis were identified in neonates with presence of central venous catheter and use of broad-spectrum antibiotics recognized as main predisposing factors. Thirty-two cases were identified in children with malignancies or hematologic disorders, predominantly with severe neutropenia. Trichosporon asahii was isolated from blood in 24/32 (75%) pediatric cases. Cutaneous involvement was frequently observed in invasive trichosporonosis. Micafungin was the most commonly used prophylactic agent (9/22; 41%). Ten patients receiving prophylactic echinocandins were identified with breakthrough infections. Favorable outcome was reported in 12/16 (75%) pediatric patients receiving targeted monotherapy with voriconazole or combined with liposomal amphotericin B. Overall mortality in neonates and children with malignancy was 67% and 60%, respectively. (4) Conclusions: Voriconazole is advocated for the treatment of invasive trichosporonosis given the intrinsic resistance to echinocandins and poor susceptibility to polyenes.

The emergence of Non-Ionizing Radiation (NIR) has stimulated the growth and advancement of technological civilization. NIR is ubiquitous; it has helped improve all fields and even deepened democratic processes through the transfer of data and electronic transmission of results etc. A breathtaking part of NIR is its recent application in the treatment of adverse health effects through radiofrequency ablation, phototherapy, etc. as summarized in Table 1. The benefits of NIR are enormous, however, technological civilization has not come without a cost; some of the adverse health effects associated with NIR include skin cancers, sleep disorders, photo-aging, etc. as summarized in Table 2. Therefore, with the rapid and sporadic increase in the sources of NIR from Natural and Artificial sources including fossil fuel burning, Starlink technology, mobile phones, mobile base antennas, etc., background radiation is expected to rise beyond the exposure limit leading to health illnesses. Intrinsically, there is a dare need to marry concerns that evolve with this growth. Hence, this review article aims to congregate the health hazards associated with NIR and the state-of-the-art applications of NIR in medicine and the health sector in Nigeria being a developing country. Part of our recommendations is that the government at all levels should set up enforcement agencies and policies to drive strict adherence to NIR as provided by ICNIRP; frequent-periodic assessments of background radiation in public places should be carried out due to the increasing sources. In addition, further research is needed to ascertain the health hazard from emerging sources of NIR like Starlink technology and to substantiate findings of non-thermal effects.

Analysis of immediate effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on SMEs in Rwanda aims to assess and quantify the economic and financial impacts of the pandemic during the lockdown and presents options adopted by SMEs to reopen their business opera-tions. It also seeks to recommend options for sustainable and resilient economic recovery from the scars of COVID-19. This analysis used data collected from nearly 220 SMEs located across the country and applied an Exploratory Data Analysis (EDA) and multivariate linear regression models to measure the pandemic effects. The study revealed that firms downsized employment by 36.4 per cent, but data depict significant deviation within SMEs by their size. The COVID-19 pandemic has had a greater magni-tude of negative effects on sales levels among small businesses. Tax amounts were reduced amidst the crisis however, data do not show any significant variations among SMEs. Additionally, SMEs owners applied various coping mechanisms during re-opening. The study used firm-level data, providing detailed and reliable effects of the shocks on business performance. This analysis recommends establishing the medium-term financing and technical support for SMEs to ensure steady and sustainable recovery from pandemic effects as well as strengthening their resilience to any other socio-economics shocks.

Oil and gas pipeline vandalism is a recurrent problem in oil rich zones of Nigeria and its West African neighbors and remains a challenge for multinationals to set ahead control measures to avert possible damages to operations both in infrastructure and business profit margins. In this paper, an integrative systems model comprising of a machine intelligence technique called Hierarchical Temporal Memory (HTM) and a sequence learning neural network called the Online-Sequential Extreme Learning Machine (OS-ELM) is proposed for monitoring and prediction of pipeline pressure data. The system models the continual prediction of pipeline oil/gas pressure signals useful for secure monitoring and control to avert acts of vandalism in oil and gas installations. The HTM uses a spatial pooler operated in temporal aggregated fashion and is defined as HTM-SP. The OS-ELM technique uses an explicit hierarchical training scheme so that the best cost estimates may be found after a stipulated number of trial runs. We study the performance of three OS-ELM neural activations: the sigmoid (sig), sinusoidal (sin) and radial basis function (rbf) activations. The results indicate improvement factors of 1.297, 1.297 and 1.300 of the HTM-SP over the OS-ELM sigmoid, sinusoidal and radial basis activations respectively.

Over recent years, the swine industry has witnessed the withdrawal of antibiotics and continuous regulation of zinc and copper oxides in the early-life nutrition of piglets. Due to this development, alternative ingredients or additives from plant sources have been tremendously explored. Therefore, this study's objective was to evaluate the effect of dietary supplementation with tannins on weaned piglets’ growth performance, serum antioxidant capacity, and immune status using a meta-analysis approach. With only the inclusion of non-challenged weaned piglets, a total of 16 studies with parameters of interest were deemed eligible after a two-step screening process following a comprehensive literature search in the scientific databases of Web of Science, Scopus, ScienceDirect, PubMed, and Google Scholar. Two main categories of data, including the study’s characteristics and response variables (growth performance, serum antioxidant, and immune indices), were extracted. Applying the random-effects models, Hedges’ g effect size of supplementation with tannins was calculated using the R software to determine the standardized mean difference (SMD) at a 95% confidence interval. Sub-group analysis and meta-regression further explored heterogeneity (PSMD 0.05, I2 50%, n ≥10). Supplementation with tannin reduced average daily gain (p = 0.20) and feed conversion ratio (p 0.01); however, it increased average daily feed intake (p = 0.07) and final body weight (p 0.01). Meta-regression models indicated that tannin dosage and supplementation duration were directly associated with tannins' effectiveness on productive performance. In the serum, the concentration of glutathione peroxidase, superoxide dismutase, and total antioxidant capacity were elevated (p 0.01) in response to tannins supplementation, while malondialdehydes was reduced (p 0.01). Likewise, decreased immunoglobin A (p = 0.47) and increased immunoglobin M and G levels (p 0.01) were detected. In conclusion, dietary supplementation with tannins, particularly with chestnut and grape seed proanthocyanidins, increases the productivity of weaned piglets. At the same time, it is a possible nutritional strategy to mitigate oxidative stress and stimulate gut health. Thus, supplementing chestnut and grape seed proanthocyanidin tannins in the early phase of swine production could be used to alleviate the incidence of diarrhea.

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.

Tanzania like any other developing countries is depending on uncertain rainfall for their subsistence and commercial agriculture. In this paper the start and end of rains for Mbeya Meteorological Station in Tanzania Mainland was analyzed and critically examined. Data were kindly given by Tanzania Meteorological Agency (TMA) during face to face Statistics in Applied Climatology (fSIAC) workshop which was held at Sokoine University of Agriculture (SUA) the year 2013 prior to online Course on Statistics in Applied climatology (eSIAC). In this study data were analyzed using Instat (for windows version 3.3.7) package developed by the Statistical Services Centre of the University of Reading. The analysis showed that much of rains start early December all the way to May. There is also 50 percent chance of having below and above the mean for both total annual rainfall and number of rains, in other word one in two years the total rains are below means likewise the number of rain days.

Background: Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a persistent neurodevelopment disorder frequently co-occurring with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) and behavior-related disorders. While behavioral therapy is the first-line option to manage ASD core symptoms, pharmacological therapy is sometimes needed to treat acute problems, such as agitation and aggressive behaviors. Recent guidelines recommend neuroleptics to reduce psychomotor agitation in people with ASD. However, since children with ASD are often drug-resistant, alternative treatments are often justified. Reports from literature showed that intra-venous valproate (IV-VPA) can be effective in reducing agitation in psychiatric patients, with lower frequency of adverse events compared to convention-al treatments. However, since findings are occasionally inconsistent, IV-VPA is not an approved option in clinical psychiatry. We aim at improving the knowledge on the IV-VPA treatment option in emergency psychiatry in the pediatric age. Methods: We report the case of a 11-year-old boy suffering from a complex neurodevelopmental condition, who experienced a psychotic episode with severe aggressive and disruptive behaviors, successfully treated with IV-VPA. Besides, we conducted an up-dated literature review on this topic. Conclusion: In our case, first-line therapies proved to be ineffective. On the contrary, IV-VPA led to a safe and prompt clinical success, in line with other reports. Based on our literature review, IV-VPA can be highly effective and can reduce the risk of adverse events that frequently occur with the use of high-dose standard medications in emergency psychiatry.

Small business sector around the world is regarded as a catalyst of employment for the largest number of people. To reduce massive unemployment and inequality in the country, the Government of South Africa introduced various initiatives to stimulate and support small businesses, the Expanded Public Works Programme (EPWP) is one of such initiatives. The enterprise development approach, is one of the delivery mechanisms of the EPWP, which seeks to transfer income to poor households in the short to medium-term. This study critically assess the impact and effectiveness of training and support interventions provided to small businesses through the EPWP. The study employs a quantitative research method and due to the size, availability and ease of access to the participants, the entire population of twenty (20) small businesses supported by the EPWP in Pretoria Region was sampled. A questionnaire-based survey was conducted. The study demonstrates that the training intervention provided through the EPWP is making positive impact and achieving its intended goals of enhancing business management skills to participants. It also reveals an interesting outcome that the majority of the participants are women. The study also identified some weaknesses in the programme which leads to the recommendation that long-term support mechanisms are essential to ensure sustainability of emerging enterprises.

In recent years, many studies have highlighted the consistent finding of amoxicillin in waters destined for wastewater treatment plants, in addition to superficial waters of rivers and lakes in both Europe and North America. In this paper, the amoxicillin degradation pathway was investigated by simulating the chlorination process normally used in a wastewater treatment plant to reduce similar emerging pollutants at three different pH values. The structures of 16 isolated degradation byproducts (DPs), one of which was isolated for the first time, were separated on a C-18 column via a gradient HPLC method. Then, combining mass spectrometry (MALDI-MS/TOF) and nuclear magnetic resonance, we compared commercial standards and justified a proposed formation mechanism beginning from the parent drug. Microbial growth inhibition bioassays with Escherichia coli, Klebsiella pneumoniae, and Staphylococcus aureus were performed to determine the potential loss of antibacterial activity in isolated degradation byproducts. An increase of antibacterial activity in the DPs was observed compared to the parent compound.

This study assesses the impact and sustainability of community development initiatives in Awgbu, Anambra State, spanning from 2015 to 2023. Using qualitative research methods, including interviews with key informants from the Awgbu community and government personnel. The observatory method is also applied which helped the researcher to see activities executed in the community. The research investigates the specific contributions of the Awgbu community to the overall development of Anambra State, how the community has benefitted from state government initiatives, and the extent to which the community responds to government requests and initiatives. The study also explores challenges in the relationship between the state government and Awgbu in terms of community development initiatives and offers recommendations for enhancing this relationship. The findings reveal that the Awgbu community has made significant contributions to the development of Anambra State, particularly in areas such as security, education, and infrastructure. The community has actively responded to government calls, participating in initiatives like the Choose Your Project Initiative (CYPI) and vigilante groups, thus fostering a positive and mutually beneficial relationship with the state government. However, challenges such as leadership crises and communication gaps exist, hindering the community's progress. Recommendations include improving community leadership, enhancing communication, and promoting peace to ensure sustainable community development. This research contributes to a deeper understanding of the dynamics between communities and government in achieving sustainable development and highlights the importance of collaborative efforts for positive outcomes. The findings have managerial and policy implications for both local communities and governments seeking to enhance community development initiatives and foster mutually beneficial relationships.

The Upper Hunter Valley is a major coal mining area containing approximately 40% of the currently identified total coal reserves in New South Wales (NSW), Australia. Due to the ongoing increase of mining activities, PM10 (air-borne particle with an aerodynamic diameter less than 10 micrometres) pollution has become a major air quality concern in local communities. This paper summarises the spatial and temporal variability modes of PM10 pollution in the region, based on long-term multi-site monitoring data and the application of the rotated principal component analysis (RPCA) and wavelet analysis techniques. RPCA identified two distinct air quality clusters/subregions in the valley, one in the west/northwest, the other in the southeast. Wavelet analysis revealed the annual cycle to be most persistent temporal mode of PM10 variability in both subregions, with intermittent signals observed at time scales of around 120, 30~90 and under 30 days. How these variation modes are related to the effects of local PM10 emissions and the influence of meteorology at different time scales deserves further attention in future work. The findings will be used in air quality reporting and forecasting in NSW. The methodology and results can also be useful for air quality research in similar regions elsewhere.

This study investigated the trends of registered Death and Birth in Nigeria using Generalized Linear Models. Annual data on Death and Birth was collected from National Population Commission for the period of 2004 to 2017. The Natural increase calculated revealed a positive trend in the natural increase in Nigeria from 2004 to 2017. Evidence from summary statistics revealed some level of over dispersion (variance > mean). This study explored Poisson Regression Models and Negative Binomial Regression Models using two links (identity and log). The results revealed a positive increase in registration of birth and death rates in Nigeria and among the competing the models, Negative Binomial regression model with identity link emerged as the best model for modeling birth and death rates registration in Nigeria. Data on numbers of deaths and causes of death are essential if countries are to determine priorities, formulate and monitor policies for public health care as well as other government policies that may be based on such data

Background: Mucormycosis is a worldwide angio-invasive fungal infection that is associated with high morbidity and mortality. A few European studies have focused on the epidemiology. Methodology: A retrospective longitudinal descriptive study was performed with inpatients diagnosed with mucormycosis (ICD-9-CM, code 117.7, cases 1997-2015; and ICD-10, code B46, cases 2016-2018; along with length of hospital stay) in Spanish public hospitals between 1 January 1997 and 31 December 2018. Data were obtained from the Minimum Basic Data Set (CMBD in Spanish). Principal findings: A total of 962 patients were recorded; 665 were men. The mean age (±SD) was 55±18.8 years. The annual incidence rate increased from 0.74 to 1.24 cases per million person-years. The lethality rate was 31.3%. Renal failure (41.6%) and hematological malignancy (36.3%) were the main factors involved. Conclusions: Mucormycosis is a rare infectious disease in Spain, but it has had a significantly increased incidence in the last two decades. Being an adult male and having diabetes, neoplasm or renal failure are the main factors associated. High mortality is usually associated mainly with hematological malignancy and renal failure. CMBD studies could be an efficient tool for assessing changes in the epidemiology of mucormycosis.

The scratch test consists in pushing a tool across the surface of a material at a given penetration depth or applied load. It has several applications in Science and Engineering including strength testing, damage and quality control of thin films and coatings. Despite numerous attempts in scientific literature, the application of scratch test to characterizations of fracture properties remains a heavily controversial topic. Therefore, this investigation arises as an experimental study in order to assess the fracture toughness using scratch test. A study on the effect of cryogenic treatment, performed after tempering, on fracture toughness, via scratch test experiments, of different tool steels has been made. A laboratory investigation on AISI D2, AISI M2 and X105CrCoMo18 steel confirms the possibility of increasing the fracture toughness by carrying out the cryogenic treatment after the usual heat treatment

This study assesses the impact of incorporating an adaptive learning mechanism into an agent-based model (ABMS) simulating behavior on a university campus during the course of a pandemic outbreak, with a particular case on the COVID-19 pandemic. The aim is to reduce overcrowding and infections on campus through the use of Reinforcement Learning (RL). Our findings indicate that RL is a viable approach for effectively representing agents’ behavior within this context. The results reveal specific temporal patterns of overcrowding violations. While our study successfully mitigated campus crowding, it had limited influence on altering the course of the epidemic. This highlights the necessity for comprehensive epidemic control strategies that consider the role of individual decision-making influenced by adaptive learning, along with the implementation of targeted interventions. This research significantly contributes to our understanding of adaptive learning within complex systems and offers valuable insights for shaping future public health policies in similar community settings. Future research directions encompass exploring various parameter settings and updating representations of the disease’s natural history.

Este artigo apresenta o processo de implementação da Hiperautomação no setor público brasileiro, especialmente no âmbito da Procuradoria Geral do Estado de Pernambuco. Devido à atual economia competitiva, a demanda por soluções inteligentes e confiáveis está aumentando. Para atender a essa necessidade, tecnologias inovadoras que abordem a complexidade inerente à transformação digital são desejáveis. Assim, as organizações públicas têm buscado aplicar a automação de processos para atender às necessidades dos cidadãos por um serviço mais eficiente e eficaz. No entanto, podemos observar que a automação pura e direta é apenas parte do processo de transformação. Algumas das razões que explicam a necessidade de ir além da automação de processos e alcançar a hiperautomação é a abundância de dados de várias fontes e tipos. Tudo deve estar dentro dos padrões legais, ressaltando que toda tecnologia deve estar alinhada com transparência e auditabilidade para ser incorporada com segurança. Para a experimentação, foi utilizado o método de pesquisa-ação com a aplicação da Hiperautomação, visando aumentar a arrecadação e a economia do Estado na Procuradoria Geral do Estado de Pernambuco.

The Upper Hunter Valley is a major coal mining area in New South Wales (NSW), Australia. Due to the ongoing increase of mining activities, PM10 (air-borne particle with an aerodynamic diameter less than 10 micrometres) pollution has become a major air quality concern in local communities. The early part of this study identified two air quality subregions in the valley. This paper aims to provide a holistic summarisation of the relationships between elevated PM10 pollution in two subregions and the local- and synoptic-scale meteorological conditions for spring and summer, when PM10 pollution is relatively high. A catalogue of twelve synoptic types and a set of six local meteorological patterns have been quantitatively derived and linked to each other using the self-organising map (SOM) technique. The complex meteorology-air pollution relationships have been visualised/interpretated on the SOM planes for two representative locations. It was found that the influence of local meteorological patterns differed significantly for mean PM10 levels vs the occurrence of elevated pollution events and between air quality subregions. In contrast, synoptic types showed generally similar relationships with mean vs elevated PM10 pollution in the valley. Two local meteorological patterns, the hot-dry-northwesterly wind conditions and the hot-dry-calm conditions, were found most PM10 pollution conducive in the valley when combined with a set of synoptic counterparts. These synoptic types are featured with the influence of eastward migrating continental high pressure system and westerly troughs, or a ridge extending northwest towards coastal northern NSW or southern Queensland from the Tasman Sea. The method and results can be used in air quality research for other locations of NSW, or similar regions elsewhere.

Pressure ulcers carry a significant risk in clinical practice and require effective preventive measures. This paper proposes a practical and interpretable approach to estimate the risk levels of pressure ulcers using decision tree models. In order to address the common problem of imbalanced learning in nursing classification datasets, various oversampling configurations are analyzed to improve data quality prior to modeling. The decision trees built are based on three easily identifiable and clinically relevant pressure ulcer risk indicators: mobility, activity and skin moisture. Their analysis allows nursing professionals to predict the risk levels of pressure ulcer and make informed decisions about patient care. Additionally, this research introduces a novel tabular visualization method to enhance the usability of the decision trees in clinical practice. The approach proposed aims to support nursing professionals in making timely decisions regarding the appropriate preventive interventions according to the risk levels of pressure ulcers, thus improving patient outcomes and healthcare costs. The usefulness and effectiveness of the models presented make them a valuable resource for nursing care in the prevention of pressure ulcers.

In this work, the nearest neighbor distances and Voronoi cell features of the Cu-Ag deposits were analyzed and fitted with Lognormal, Weibull, and Gamma distributions. The nearest neighbor distance distributions of the samples were compared with those of complete spatially random points, showing spatial inhomogenity due to the nucleation exclusion effect. The radial distribution function was calculated, showing both influences from the grain size and the nucleation exclusion effect. Voronoi cells were generated based on the shape of the grains. The size, occupancy, and coordination of the Voronoi cells were examined and fitted. The results show that despite the Cu-Ag deposits seem to be governed by instantaneous nucleation mode, the spatial distribution of the nuclei is more impacted by the nucleation exclusion effect than the Cu-only samples. This behavior is also justified by the grain size distribution generated with Voronoi cell size and occupancy distributions.

The aim of this work is to explain the behaviour of the multiresistance percentage of Pseudomona aeruginosa in some countries of Europe through a multivariate statistical analysis and machine learning validation, using data from the European Antimicrobial Resistance Surveillance System, the World Health Organization and the World Bank. First, we will use a descriptive analysis and a principal components analysis. Then, we use a k-means clustering to determine the countries and regions that are most affected by the antibiotic resistance. Second, we expand the database by adding some socioeconomic, governance and antibiotic-consumption variables. We then run a data panel regression analysis to determine some functions that relates the multiresistance percentage with those new variables. Finally, we use machine learning techniques to validate a pooling panel data case, using XGBoost and random forest algorithms. The results of the data panel analysis indicate that the most important variables for the multiresistance percentage are corruption control and the rule of law. Similar results are found with the machine learning validation analysis, where the human development index is an additional important variable for the multiresistance percentage.

This study explores the innovative use of CO2 laser technology in frenuloplasty, a significant shift from traditional methods like scalpel surgery or electrocautery, towards a minimally invasive approach. The research involved 15 patients aged 25 to 50, undergoing frenuloplasty with a CO2 laser system equipped with a 7-inch defocused handpiece, set at 20Hz and 0.3W. This method diverges from conventional laser techniques, focusing on controlled laser passes combined with manual traction to elongate the fibrous tissue of the frenulum. The results demonstrated that the CO2 laser technique allowed for a precise and progressive modification of the frenulum, significantly reducing the risks of hemorrhage and secondary in-tention fibrosis. The healing process was notably expedited, with patients reporting satisfactory outcomes within a two-week period. Statistically significant improvements were observed in pa-tient-reported outcomes, as evidenced by the increases in the Short Form Health Survey (SF-12) scores, with the mean Physical Component Summary (PCS) score rising from 32.5 to 47.5 and the mean Mental Component Summary (MCS) score from 39.3 to 52.3 (p < 0.001 for both). The study concludes that CO2 laser frenuloplasty is an effective and safe technique, offering sub-stantial benefits in terms of reduced healing time and enhanced patient satisfaction. The signifi-cant improvements in SF-12 scores underscore the positive impact on patient quality of life, ad-vocating for the broader application of this technique in clinical practice. Further research is warranted to explore its potential in a wider clinical context.

Pediatric psychology action in the pediatric clinical-surgical high complexity unit has become increasingly necessary. It allows for the possibility of integrating complex pediatric clinical-surgical operations by reducing painful effects on the emotional world of children and adolescents. The pediatric psychologist in a pediatric unit continuously oversees children and adolescents (C/A) throughout the entire therapeutic process, extending activity to parents and healthcare personnel. In ill children and adolescents, physical pain and psychological suffering follow, with minimal temporary variations, the same clinical path with continuous changes which put a strain on the ability of children, adolescents, parents and healthcare staff to cope with stress.

Hydrogen has a leading role in accomplishing a net zero green-house gas emission future. Today’s challenge is producing green hydrogen to cover the fuel demand of transportation and industry, to gain independence from fossil fuels. This review’s goal is to demonstrate critically the existing methods of biomass treatment and assess their ability to scale up. Biomass is an excellent hydrogen carrier and biomass-derived processes are the main target for hydrogen production as it is an innovative pathway to green hydrogen production. Comparing the existing processes, thermochemical treatment is found to be far more evolved than biological or electrochemical treatment especially with regard to scaling prospects.

Abstract: Cancer cells are originated by normal cells and with those share the need to be fed. Metabolic reprogramming in cancer cells is not yet fully understood although there is a vast literature suggesting that huge amounts of both energy and substrates are require for synthesis of components of new neoplastic cells so that any macronutrient may be efficiently utilized. Recently, in vitro data show that EAA supplementation promoted colon cancer cells apoptosis by enhanced autophagy. Therefore, in this study we tested in vivo the effects of matched macronutrients standard laboratory diet (control) versus EAA rich modified diet (EAArmd) in mice injected with colon cancer cells. Results of the first set of 12 animals, 6 controls and 6 EAArmd-fed, showed that controls mice develop cancer volume cancers 5 times larger and heavier than EAArmd-fed. If confirmed, these results would open new scenarios for the cancer integrate therapies.

: This study explores the perceptions of Chinese learners in Spain regarding the use of social networks for informal Spanish language learning. The objective is to identify the challenges and benefits of using social networks to address the real needs of students in learning Spanish. A qualitative phenomenological approach was adopted, focusing on participants’ perceptions before and after using social networks. Eight Chinese students were selected for the study. The study was conducted in Valencia and Barcelona, Spain, from 1 September 2023 to 20 March 2024, and three commonly used social media networks were compared. The results indicate positive perceptions towards social media as a tool for learning Spanish, highlighting its usefulness in improving language skills and enhancing cultural awareness. Additionally, Xiaohongshu and Bilibili emerged as the most popular platforms for Spanish language learning among Chinese students. This study concludes that social media effectively meets the authentic needs of Chinese students learning Spanish in Spain, enhancing both language skills and cultural adaptation. This multifaceted approach reflects the complexity of learning Spanish in the digital age, combining personal passion, professional aspirations, and cultural adaptation needs.

The COVID-19 pandemic resulted in government restrictions that altered the lifestyle of people worldwide. Studying the impact of these restrictions on exercise behaviors will improve our understanding of environmental factors that influence individuals’ PA. We conducted a retrospective analysis using an index of government pandemic stringency developed by Oxford and a wearable device for runners to compare strictness of lockdowns and exercise habits, using digitally-logged PA data from more than 7,000 runners on a global scale. Additionally, time-of-day of PA globally and levels of PA in 14 countries are compared between the pre-pandemic year of 2019 and the first pandemic year of 2020. We found that during the pandemic the time-of-day that people exercised experienced a major shift, with significantly more activities logged during standard working hours on workdays (p<0.001) and fewer during the same time frame on weekends (p<0.001). Of the countries examined, Italy and Spain had among the most strict lockdowns and suffered the largest decreases in activity counts, whereas France experienced a minimal decrease in activity counts despite enacting a similarly strict lockdown. This study suggests that there are several factors affecting PA, including government policy, workplace policy, and cultural norms.

Silybum marianum is a therapeutic plant belonging to the family Asteraceae. It contains silymarin, as its principal component, and has been reported to demonstrate hepatoprotective activity. The study was aimed to investigate the phytochemical constituents, synthesis of nanoparticles, antioxidant activity and antimicrobial effects of the leaf extract. Extracts were synthesized from AgNO3 and characterized via FT-IR, U.V and XRD. The antioxidant activity was determined using DPPH, H2O2 and β-carotene assays. Similarly, all extracts expressed significant DPPH inhibition (IC50) of 5.1, 5.0, 4.7, 2.3, 4.3 and 1.1 (ug/mL), H2O2 of 1.3, 2.2, 4.7, 5.6, 4.0 and 1.0 (ug/mL) from the methanol/water extract, nanoparticles, n-Hexane, ETOAC, n-Butanol and Ascorbic acid (standard) respectively. The extract exerted scavenging activity on β-carotene with a significant IC50 inhibition of 1.5, 0.8, 5.2, 0.8, 2.7, 4.8 at 0 hour and 1.5, 0.8, 5.2, 0.8, 2.7 and 4.8 (ug/mL) after 2 hours water bath incubation at 50°C in the order of the extracts above. Additionally, nanoparticles and plant extracts significantly (p<0.0001) inhibited the growth of bacteria with mean zone of inhibition ranging 7-13 mm and 4-11 mm. This study demonstrated that extracts from different solvents of S. marianum possess significant antioxidant activity, as well as antimicrobial effects which are all concentration dependent. Thus, the result suggests that methanolic/water leaf extract of S. marianum could serve as a potential source of antioxidants and can be explored as a therapeutic agent in free radical induced diseases.

Clusterin (CLU) protein is involved in various pathophysiological processes including carcinogenesis and tumor progression. In recent years, the role of the secretory isoform has been demonstrated in tumor cells, where it inhibits apoptosis and favors the acquisition of resistance to conventional treatments used to treat cancer. To determine the possible therapeutic potential of inhibiting this protein, numerous studies have been carried out in this field. In this paper, we show the existing knowledge on the inhibition of this protein in different types of cancer and discuss the importance it could have in the development of new therapies directed against this pathology.

In the last four years, the evolution and adoption of blockchain and, more generally, distributed ledger systems have shown the affirmation of many concepts and models with significant differences in system governance and suitable applications. This work aims to update the critical analysis of blockchain technologies carried out by our previous contribution to this journal, extending the focus to distributed ledger components and systems. Starting from the topical concept of decentralization, we introduce concepts and building blocks currently adopted in the available systems centering on their functional aspects and impact on possible applications. We present some conceptual framing tools helpful in the application context, and we will propose the concept of process authenticity, which we will discuss through two use cases: blockchain document dematerialization and e-voting.

The methanation of CO2 is of great interest in power-to-gas systems and contributes to the mitigation of climate change through carbon dioxide capture and the subsequent production of high value-added products. This study investigated CO2 methanation with three Ni catalysts supported on Al2O3 and ZrO2, which were simulated using a mathematical model of a packed bed reactor designed based on their chemical kinetics reported in the literature. The simulated reactive system was fed with syngas obtained from residual coffee pulp, obtained after solvent phytochemical extraction process, under several gasification conditions. The results reflect a high incidence of catalyst support, preparation method, and syngas composition on CO2 conversion and CH4 selectivity. For all the syngas compositions, Ni/ZrO2 catalysts show the best values for CO2 conversion and CH4 selectivity for Ni/Al2O3 catalyst.

The aim of this work is to compare two softwares (MAUD and TOPAS) based on the Rietveld algorithm and to test the concept of tolerance factor using the dissolution at high temperature of yttrium into BaTiO₃. In general, both softwares give up different values of the crystalline parameters however the trends are similar in most cases but the analysis of the strain and crystallite size in the BaTiO₃ crystals suggests that, in this particular case, MAUD offered results more consistent with the expected behavior. Using the crystalline parameters calculated by Rietveld, the tolerance factor values were obtained and these data suggest even better stability in the crystalline structure than that expected using theoretical parameters. Tolerance factor concept also indicates that Ti⁴⁺ should be preferred.

The in vitro production and cryopreservation of mammalian embryos generate reactive oxygen species (ROS) due to conditions of the system that can overcome their antioxidant protection. Resveratrol is an antioxidant used in in vitro systems improving blastocyst rates, but its effect on antioxidant enzymes such as glutathione (GSH) in embryos produced by in vitro fertilization (IVF) after vitrification has not been reported. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of resveratrol in the in vitro maturation medium (IVM) of sheep oocytes (Ovis aries) on the levels of ROS and GSH in embryos produced by IVF subjected to vitrification. Resveratrol was added at 0µM, 0.25µM, 0.5µM and 1µM during oocyte in vitro maturation (IVM). Matured oocytes were fertilized with thawed ram sperm. Embryos were cultured in sequential media until blastocysts, then were vitrified for 24 h and after heating they were stained with DCFH-DA (2',7'-dichlorodihydrofluorescein diacetate) to determine the presence of ROS and with Cell Tracker Blue® for the presence of GSH. The quantitative values of ROS and GSH were obtained through the Image J image processor. The results showed that resveratrol increases GSH and decreases ROS production (p<0.05). It is concluded that its use in sheep oocytes during IVM has a beneficial effect on embryos produced by IVF subjected to vitrification, protecting them from oxidative damage by promoting the synthesis of antioxidants.

An advanced, cost-effective and portable DNA biosensor capable of detecting multiple bacteria simultaneously have been developed. The biosensor consists of a fast and inexpensive potentiostat that controls the applied potential to a screen-printed electrochemical array platform functionalized with MoS2 flakes and bacteria DNA probes, and monitors the current response obtained by the use of à la carte thionine functionalized carbon nanodots (Ty-CDs) as electrochemical indicator of the hybridization event. The design of the potentiostat prioritizes achieving an optimal signal-to-noise ratio and incorporates a user-friendly interface compatible with various devices such as computers, mobile phones and tablets. The device is compact, lightweight, and manufactured at a low cost. The key components of the potentiostat include a data acquisition board capable of analyzing multiple samples simultaneously and a controller board. The results obtained confirm the ability of the developed device to successfully detect specific bacteria DNA sequences, demonstrating the reliability and performance of the developed multiplexing portable biosensor with better sensibility than using a traditional, more complex and laboratory oriented potentiostat.

Intensive care unit discharge is an important transition which impacts on patient wellbeing. Nurses can play an essential role in this scenario, potentiating patient empowerment. A systematic review was conducted using the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses: the PRISMA Statement. Embase, PubMed/MEDLINE, CINAHL, and Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL) databases were evaluated in May 2021. Two independent reviewers analyzed the studies, extracted the data, and assessed the quality of evidence. Quality of the studies included was assessed using the Cochrane risk-of-bias tool. Of the 273 articles initially identified, eight randomized controlled trials reported nursing interventions mainly focused on patients’ ICU discharge preparation through information and education. The creation of ICU Nurse-Led and nurses’ involvement in critical care multidisciplinary teams also aimed to support patients during ICU discharge. This systematic review provides an update on clinical practice aimed at improving the patient experience during ICU discharge. The main nursing interventions were based on information and education, as well as the development of new nursing roles. Understanding transitional needs and patient empowerment are key to making the transition easier.

A number of research projects and a rich literature have dealt with the theme of abandoned medieval villages in Sardinia since the end of the 60s of the last century. Some more or less precise catalogues and reviews of villages in limited territories have been published. Only recently, however, this subject is being addressed in an interdisciplinary manner, combining traditional historical research with the results of archaeological surveys and excavation campaigns, geo-archaeology, toponymy, paleoclimatology. This allows us to have a picture of the landscape and human settlement evolution with its historical changes, conditioned not only by institutional superstructures but also by human and natural traumatic events. Particular attention will be given to the sudden changes that occurred between the thirteenth and fourteenth centuries. To carry out this survey, it is possible to use some very powerful IT tools which, through the aggregation, organization, correlation and management of information, allow the geo-localization of abandoned villages as proven by the documentary evidence. Thus, on this documentation, existing and acquired in the future, is founded the construction of the related information system. The most easy and suitable tools for this purpose are the CMSs (Content Management Systems) which, in association with GIS (Geographic Information Systems) engines, allow spatial and contextual analysis of the settlements, as they were inserted in their territory. This type of tools aggregates different peculiarities of the object of study, supporting a multidisciplinary reading on the argument. The computerized tools, integrated as a system, offer the possibility to implement it, feeding it and correcting it continuously, basing on new acquisitions. In this study, we will examine a historical areal, for which we have a sufficient number of sources available: Sarrabus, Colostrai and Quirra, adding to the geographical visual information, the temporal visual evolution.

This research assesses the changes in the total water storage (TWS) during the twentieth century and their future projections in the Nile River Basin (NRB) via TWSA (TWS anomalies) records from GRACE (Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment), GRACE-FO (Follow-On), data-driven-reanalysis TWSA and land surface model (LSM), in association with precipitation, temperature records, and standard drought indicators. The analytical approach incorporates the development of 100+ yearlong TWSA records using a probabilistic conditional distribution fitting approach by the GAMLSS (Generalized Additive Model for Location, Scale, and Shape) model. The drought and flooding severity, duration, magnitude, frequencies, and recurrence were assessed during the studied period. The results showed, 1- The NRB between 2002 to 2020 has transited to substantial wetter conditions. 2- The TWSA reanalysis records between 1901 to 2002 revealed that the NRB had experienced a positive increase in TWS during the wet and dry seasons. 3- The projected TWSA between 2021 to 2050 indicated slight positive changes in TWSA during the rainy seasons. The analysis of drought and flooding frequencies between 1901 to 2050 indicated the NRB has ~64 dry-years compared to ~86 wet-years. The 100+ yearlong TWSA records assured that the NRB transited to wetter conditions relative to few dry spells. These TWSA trajectories call for further water resources planning in the region especially during flood seasons. This research contributes to the ongoing efforts to improve the TWSA assessment and its associated dynamics for transboundary river basins. It also demonstrates how an extended TWSA record provides unique insights for water resources management in the NRB and similar regions.

Background and Objectives: The techniques directed to the cranial field in osteopathy are the most questioned due to the lack of scientific evidence. In osteopathic practice, manual palpation is essential and, therefore, measuring reliability is fundamental. The objective of study is to assess the reliability and validity of osteopathic treatment depending on experience. Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional study of reliability and validity was conducted. For measurements, a strain gauge was placed on the sphenobasilar synchondrosis of the skull base, and three maneuvers (lateral compression, anteroposterior compression and compression maneuver of the mastoids) were repeated 25 times each by osteopaths with different time of experience (5-10 years, 1-5 years, <1 year). Measurement averages were computed for each of the three maneuvers to verify the average effect of each group in comparison to that of the Gold Standard (GS) (>10 years of experience). Data were analyzed to check for inter- and intra-observer reliability using intra-class correlation coefficients (ICC). Results: Reliability and validity in 5-10 experience of observer 1 and observer 2 in the tree maneuvers was excellent (p<0.001) against GS. Poor or enough reproducibility and concordance were observed in osteopaths with less experience. Conclusion: Experience of osteopaths determines the efficacy of cranial maneuvers in osteopathic treatment for patients’ rehabilitation.

The problem of identifying functional regions in an urban setting has been approached in literature using two general methodologies: top-down, encoding expert knowledge on urban planning and design (e.g. into patterns) and using that knowledge for identification, and bottom-up, relying on crowdsourcing and Volunteered Geographic Information (VGI) to train learning models, using techniques such as Latent Dirichlet Allocation (LDA) topic modeling. Both approaches have their advantages but also face important limitations, with knowledge-based approaches being criticized for scalability and transferability issues and data-driven approaches for lacking interpretability and depending heavily on data quality. To mitigate these disadvantages, we propose a novel framework that fuses data and knowledge in three different ways: functional regions identified from individual approaches are evaluated against each other, knowledge from patterns is used to adjust learning model results and topic models are used to adjust pattern-based results. The proposed methodologies are demonstrated through the use case of identifying shopping-related functional regions in the Los Angeles metropolitan area. Results show that the combination of results from knowledge-based and data-driven techniques can help uncover discrepancies between the two different approaches and smoothen inaccuracies caused by the limitations of each approach.

Triple negative breast cancer (TNBC) has a negative expression of estrogen receptors (ER), progesterone receptors (PR), or human epidermal growth factor receptors (HER2). The survival rate for TNBC is generally worse than other breast cancer subtypes. TNBC treatment has made significant advances, but certain limitations remain. Treatment for TNBC can be challenging since the disease has various subtypes. Individualized therapy is recommended rather than generalized therapy, given the genetic variations among these TNBC subtypes. A precise and effective treatment for TNBC requires identifying prognostic markers. Depending on the type and stage of TNBC, patients are treated with various therapeutic interventions. A variety of treatment options are available, such as chemotherapy, immunotherapy, radiotherapy, and surgery. Chemotherapy is the most common of these options. TNBC is generally treated with systemic chemotherapy using drugs such as anthracyclines and taxanes in the neoadjuvant or adjuvant settings. Developing resistance to anticancer drugs and off target toxicity are the primary hindrances to chemotherapeutic solutions for cancer. It is imperative that researchers, clinicians, and pharmaceutical companies work together to develop effective treatment options for TNBC. Several studies have suggested nanotechnology as a potential solution to the problem of suboptimal TNBC treatment.

Cetacean Morbillivirus, the most relevant pathogen impacting the health and conservation of cetaceans worldwide, has shown in recent years an increased tendency to cross “interspecies barriers”, thereby giving rise to disease and mortality outbreaks in free-ranging dolphins and whales. The present article deals with the evolutionary “trajectories” of this viral pathogen, likely originating from Rinderpest Virus, along with its “journey” from land to sea (and viceversa), mimicking that of cetaceans' terrestrial ancestors.

Contemporary diagnostic practice in psychiatry relies on the tick-box approach of diagnostic manuals. In light of the obvious limitations of diagnostic systems, narrative formulations, whether in the form of biological, psychodynamic or behavioural cognitive ones, have been proposed. Their approach, which can be caricatured as one of drawing arrows, enriches our clinical tools and practice but in their explicitly theoretical orientation, as well as expanding the field of discovery, they also constrain it. In two previous papers I summarized the resulting limitations, with specific reference to the patient’s experience and proposed further enriching clinical perspicacity by attending to images and parataxis. The specific intent of attending to the patient’s experiences through a process that explicitly eschews narrativization, but allows clinical phenomena to “hang loose”, is to facilitate a process of clinical discovery and healing through practices of co-production between patient and clinician. In the present paper, I expand the range of phenomena that may assist in this co-production through adding attention to dreams to that of images and parataxis. In particular, I turn to the work of the Italian novelist Guido Morselli. Morselli agrues that the self is created through bundling experiences together through acts of “will” in order to establish our personal narrative. In doing so, however, the “will” forbids access to phenomena that do not fit the dominant narrative. Experience is therefore impoverished. Dream consciousness is a type of consciousness not harnessed by the constraints of narrativity. It allows a slipping of the narrative vigilance which bundles phenomena together to create a coherent narrative and thus offers a richer menu of potential experiences, including “bizarre” images that can serve to challenge our usual self-narrative and offer a new perspective on ourselves.