On February 28th, 2023, Spanish Royal Decree 150/2023 as published, approving the plans for the management of the maritime space of the five Spanish marine demarcations. This Royal Decree Law inaugurates the Planning of the Maritime Space in Spain. Terrestrial Space Planning is very advanced, both in the legislation and in the instruments that are enabled to organize this space, from the national scale to the municipal scale, passing through the regional, provincial, and supra-municipal scales. Naturally, both Planning must converge and thus speak of an Integrated Space Planning. In some of the countries that we can take as global references, this convergence in the form of integration is taking place. On the other hand, and within the context of climate change, coastal cities will be the most affected, both by the potential rise in sea level and by the increasingly continuous and greater extreme events. Integrated Space Planning is postulated as the most effective tool to carry out adequate territorial and urban planning of our coastal cities, as well as to analyse the influence and possible corrective measures to apply against the effects produced by climate change.

Introduction: Colorectal cancer (CRC) is a disease of colon or rectum the part of digestive system. DNA methylation is a process of gene expression by recruiting protein which involve in gene repression, or inhibiting the binding of transcription factors to DNA. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) have been attracting major interest as potential biomarker in cancer. Hereditary nonpolyposis of colorecta cancer (HNPCC) is a type of genetic change (mutation) in a family. Our aims to do a systematic review on DNA methylation and miRNAs serve as candidate clinical biomarkers in HNPCC. Materials and methods: Electronic databases (Medline, PubMed and Scopus data bases). We searched to identify publication all over the world related colorectal cancer and miRNA. Selection was based on the design (CRC, invasive CRC, Colon or rectum, HNPCC, microRNA, circulating miRNA, non-coding RNA), 87 papers from PubMed and 15 papers from Scopus were selected all over the world. CRC, target antigens, methodologies used for detection and miRNA expression were identified and summarized. Results: A total of 96 articles were searched, 87 articles from scopus and 9 articles from PubMed. 20 duplicates removed and remain 76, 52 excluded after screened the titles and abstracts; and remain 24, 10 full texts articles were excluded with reason, and 14 identifications were included in the studies. Conclusion: The findings of this systematic review showed that DNA methylation and mircroRNA in HNCC patients as a genetic mutation or a promoter in colorectal cancer.

Ampelography, the botanical discipline dedicated to the identification and classification of grapevine cultivars, was grounded on the description of morphological characters and more recently is based on the application of DNA polymorphisms. New methods of image analysis may help to optimize morphological approaches in ampelography. The objective of this study was the classification of representative cultivars of Vitis vinifera conserved in the Spanish collection of IMIDRA according to seed shape. Thirty eight cultivars representing the diversity of this collection were analyzed. A consensus seed silhouette was defined for each cultivar representing the geometric figure that better adjusted to their seed shape. All the cultivars tested were classified in ten morphological groups, each corresponding to a new model. The models are geometric figures defined by equations and similarity to each model is evaluated by quantification of percent of the area shared by the two figures, the seed and the model (J index). The comparison of seed images with geometric models is a rapid and convenient method to classify cultivars. A large proportion of the collection may be classified according to the new models described and the method permits to find new models according to seed shape in other cultivars.

The accumulation of microorganisms, plants, algae, or small animals on wet surfaces that have a mechanical function causes biofouling, which can result in structural or other functional deficiencies. The maritime shipping industry must constantly manage biofouling to optimize operational performance, which is a common and long-lasting problem. It can occur in any metal structure in contact or submerged in ocean water, which represents additional costs in terms of repairs and maintenance. This study is focused on the production of antifouling coatings, made with nanoparticles of copper selenide (CuSe) modified with gum arabic, within a water-base acrylic polymeric matrix. During the curing of the acrylic resin, the CuSe NPs remain embedded in the resin but this does not prevent the release of ions. The coatings presented to release copper and selenium ions for up to 80 days, selenium was the element that was released the most. The adhesion of film coatings to metallic substrates showed good adhesion, scale 5B (ASTM D3359 standard). Antimicrobial activity tests show that the coatings have an inhibitory effect on Escherichia coli and Candida albicans. The effect being more noticeable when the coating is detached from the substrate and placed on a growing medium, than compared to the coating on a substrate. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) observations show that nanostructured CuSe coatings are made up of rod-shaped and spherical particles whose range ranges from 12 to 25 nm. The Energy Dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS) studies showed that the ratio of selenium nanoparticles is greater than that of copper and that their distribution is homogeneous

The quality assurance of malaria microscopy unit was established by National Malaria Control Program, Ministry of Health (MoH) in 2009 to respond to the internal malaria microscopy validation process, in microscopy training for malaria diagnosis in the country, monitoring and supervision, and other relevant activities regarding laboratory diagnosis of malaria in Timor-Leste is described. Trained laboratory technicians who are working in the relevant unit. There are two ways of malaria microscopy validation process such as onsite validation and monthly validation after received malaria blood smear from senior analyst at the municipality level. The aim of this work is to describe the quality assurance of malaria microscopy system in Timor-Leste. The management of quality assurance service support, the importance of quality assurance of malaria microscopy, the role of quality assurance of malaria microscopy, challenge and opportunities encountered by quality assurance microscopy unit, National Health Laboratory are highlighted. Key words: Quality assurance of malaria microscopy, system, Timor-Leste.

Contrast-Induced Acute Kidney Injury (CI-AKI) remains a frequent iatrogenic condition since radiological procedures using intra-vascular iodinated contrast media (CM) are being widely administered for diagnostic and therapeutic purposes. Despite the improvement of the medical healthcare system worldwide, CI-AKI is still associated with direct short-term and indirect long-term outcomes including increased morbidity and mortality, specially, in patients under-lying pre-existing renal function impairment, cardiovascular disease or diabetes that could rap-idly progress into Chronic Kidney Disease. Although the RIFLE (Risk, Injury, Failure, Loss, End-Stage Kidney Disease), AKIN (Acute Kidney Injury Network) and KDIGO (Kidney Disease Improving Global Outcomes) clinical criteria and recommendation guidelines are based on tra-ditional “gold standard” biomarkers known as serum creatinine, glomerular filtration rate and urinary output, new reliable serum and urinary biomarkers are still needed for an effective uni-fied diagnostic strategy for AKI. Starting from previous and recent publications on the benefits and limitations of validated biomarkers responding to kidney injury, glomerular filtration and inflammation among others, this review unravels the role of new emerging biomarkers used alone or in combination, as reliable tools for early diagnosis and prognosis of CI-AKI, taking into account patients and procedures-risk factors towards a new clinical perspective.

This paper presents the development of a new system designed to measure the local temperature field in adiabatic shear band. Transient temperature field are simultaneously recorded by an array of 32 InSb infrared (IR) detectors and a streak camera working in visible-near infrared (VIS-NIR). Observations in IR offer a low temperature detection limit (350°C) but they are highly sensitive to uncertainty in the emissivity. Observations in VIS-NIR allow for measurement only at high temperatures (750°C) but they are less affected by uncertainty on emissivity and present a higher temperature sensitivity. By performing simultaneous measurements, it is possible to obtain data on a large temperature range with an improved accuracy at high temperature. The different sources of errors caused by uncertainty in the emissivity, spatial and temporal resolution of the detectors has been analyzed and an estimation of the total measurement uncertainty of the system is given.

Background: A decline in the prevalence of Helicobacter pylori infection has been claimed to increase the probability of developing atopic diseases. Aims: To evaluate the prevalence of atopic disorders in a pediatric population according to seropositivity against H. pylori. Methods: Children referred to the local Pediatric Hospital were investigated to identify risk factors, especially H. pylori infection, associated with atopic disorders. A questionnaire, including demographics, house size, history of breastfeeding, residence, school or daycare center attendance, exposure to animals, and a diagnosis of atopy, was filled out by a trained pediatrician according to parents’ answers. A blood sample was collected from each participant. Results: Seroprevalence of H. pylori infection was 11.7% among 492 children (240 females); 32 of them had a diagnosis of asthma and 12 of allergy. No one child showed both conditions. Statistically significant differences in H. pylori seropositivity were not detected between children with or without atopy (8.4 vs. 12.6; p=0.233). Although atopic disorders were more frequent in children exposed to traditional risk factors none showed to be significant after adjusting for all covariates. Conclusions: H. pylori infection, serologically assessed, was not significantly associated with a reduced risk of atopic diseases in children.

Background. In the central-eastern region of the Mediterranean island of Sardinia more than two decades ago, a mountain area was identified where the population displays exceptional longevity, especially among men (the longevity Blue Zone, LBZ). This community was thoroughly investigated seeking to understand the underlying factors of this phenomenon. In the present study, 11 genetic markers previously associated with longevity in several long-lived populations were analyzed. Methods. APOE (rs429358 and rs7412), APOE promoter (rs449647, rs769446, and rs405509), ACE1 (rs1799752), IL6 ‒174G/C (rs1800795), TNFα ‒308G/A (rs1800629), FOXO3A (rs2802292), KLOTHO (rs9536314) and G6PD (c.563C→T) were investigated. PCR-based genotyping was performed following genomic DNA extraction from 150 nonagenarians living in the LBZ and 150 controls from a nearby area. Results. No significant deviation of the frequency of the analyzed markers was detected between the two groups except a weak association with the –174G>C gene variant of the IL-6 gene (p=0.040), a major modulator of the inflammatory response. Conclusions. The findings of this study do not support a significant association of known genetic variants on survival in the population of the Sardinian LBZ. Other genetic or epigenetic traits might play a role not yet identified.

Education on Innovation and Entrepreneurship (I&E) has increased in the last two decades, specially, through MOOCs. Lately, these reusable online alternatives have tended to be revalorized by HEIs into blended learning activities, posing new challenges for instructors, specially, on how to bridge prior knowledge with in-class activities. Adopting a discursive approach to knowledge, our proposal aims to meet this challenge by identifying student’s ‘representations’, i.e., patterned constructions on disciplinary knowledge. Representations can be found across different cohorts and thus further complemented by instructors. To test this assumption and build our proposal, we analysed student’s representations in two observations. We mapped students’ representations over key I&E definitions (e.g., ‘start-up’) and, to know how prior knowledge may be complemented by instructors, we identified students’ alignment with expert disciplinary knowledge. Firstly, we found that the two cohorts tended to express representations by turning attention to several dimensions, e.g., referring to different types of features or finalities associated with concepts. Secondly, the disciplinary alignment description revealed that students tended to focus on the same components present in experts’ definitions, but with a greater level of generality. Our results have been packaged into a proposal that aims to help instructors scale their blended activities.

In 2020, the early Covid-19 lockdown and social distancing induced the abrupt migration of traditionally presential learning activities to online domains. This “new normal” environment affected management not only of training courses, but also educational events whose main added value consisted in providing students with an interactive experience onsite, as it is the case of inter-institutional summer schools. The following research corresponds to a case study in which our organization, a French university, had to reformulate, in less than three months, one of its traditional summer schools while trying to keep the original goals. We aimed at identifying the impact of four managerial decisions by analyzing, through qualitative and quantitative surveys, students’ perception of gained or lost value regarding four topics: a) online teaching, b) pre-recorded busines cases providers, c) online social events, and d) technical solutions. With an emphasis in both didactics (i.e., knowledge) and pedagogics (i.e., learning experience), the analysis of perceived value allowed as to learn about students’ assessment position, which revealed two main issues at stake: belonging, in relation to students’ identity and academic background, and performing, related to students’ expectations.

Background and Objectives: Chronic pain is a prevalent condition that is frequently complicated by mood and anxiety disorders. Purpose of the present article is to identify differences in the management of patients with chronic pain and anxiety/mood disorders depending on the physiotherapists’ gender. Materials and Methods: An ad-hoc questionnaire was developed and sent to 327 physiotherapists by e-mail. The two groups identified by gender were compared by unpaired sample t tests for continuous variables and χ2 tests for qualitative ones. A binary logistic regression was then performed with factors resulted statistically significant at univariate analyses as independent variables and gender as dependent one. Results: Female physiotherapists exhibited a higher level of confidence than male physiotherapists in administering continued physiotherapy for patients affected by Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD) (p=0.01), as well as for individuals who had previously engaged with a mental health professional (p=0.01). Furthermore, female physiotherapists believed that pharmacotherapy was less associated with motor side effects (p<0.01) and more frequently recognized the importance of a training to identify affective disorders (p=0.01) and the need of more education in mental health (p=0.01). The binary logistic regression model confirmed that female professionals were less likely to work as freelance (p=0.015) and were more confident in the prosecution of physiotherapy by patients with GAD (p=0.05). Conclusions: Female physiotherapists compared to male ones seem to be more comfortable with patients affected by mental conditions and to be more aware of the need of training on mental health. Further studies are needed to confirm the results of the present study.

In this article, we first present and discuss eighteenth-century descriptions of minerals that contributed decisively to the development of crystallography. Remarkably, these old crystallographic descriptions included morphologies with symmetries incompatible with an internal periodic order of atoms, which, however, have been recognised to be characteristics of quasicrystals. Moreover, we also review a number of studies of minerals with aperiodic crystal structures, including recently reported natural quasicrystals of extra-terrestrial origin. Finally, we discuss the current investigations addressing the search for new quasicrystalline minerals in nature.

As use of composite materials increases, the search for suitable automated processes gains relevance to guarantee production quality by ensuring uniformity of the process, minimizing the amount of generated scrap and reducing time and energy consumption. Limitations on production by traditional means such as hand lay-up, vacuum bagging and in-autoclave methods, tend not to be as efficient when the size and shape complexity of the part being produced increases, motivating the search for alternative processes such as the Automated Tape Laying (ATL). This work aims to describe the process of modelling and simulating a composite ATL with in situ consolidation by characterizing the machine elements, using the finite differences method in conjunction with energy balances, in order to create a digital twin of the process for further control design. The modelling approach implemented is able to follow the process dynamics when changes to the heating element are imposed as well as to predict the composite material temperature response, making it suitable to work as a digital twin of a production process using an ATL machine.

The Apennine sector formed by Sannio and Irpinia is one of the most important seismic districts in Italy, representing a good case of study due to the plenty of recorded earthquakes that have therein occurred from Roman times up to nowadays. We have merged the historical record and the new satellite techniques that allow a precise determination of ground movements, and then derived physical dimensions like strain rate. In this way, we have verified that in Irpinia the hazard of new strong shocks forty years after one of the strongest known seismic events in the district is still high. This aspect must be considered very important from many points of view, particularly for Civil Protection plans, as well as civil engineering and urban planning development.

Ammonia can be considered a relevant compound in the future energy sector, playing a significant role as an energy carrier, storage, or carbon-free fuel. However, the production of this molecule has a high energy demand, and the use of natural gas, which is not free of controversy due to the accidental leakage into the atmosphere produced during extraction and the fact that it is a non-renewable source, contributes to increasing greenhouse gas emissions. Reducing the process’s energy demand and carbon footprint will be essential to making ammonia a clear alternative for a carbon-free economy. Given the vast experience in ammonia production and handling, this gas seems to be the logical step forward in the evolution of the energy sector. However, the current uncertainty in the global market requires cautiousness in decision-making. Several factors may impact economic growth and human welfare, thus needing a careful assessment before taking any transcendental decisions that could affect worldwide energy prices and raw material availability.

Fires in houses are inevitable and they cause loss of life and major repair costs for the damage structure and contents. There is a clear need to prevent its ignition and spread to adjacent areas. This article presents the steps taken, namely: contacts, data collection, tests, analysis and conclusions regarding the accident resulting from the outbreak and spread of a fire, on December 25, 2020, in a traditional Portuguese house in Arganil, Portugal. The owners and the court requested to carry out an expert opinion by a person with specialized technical-scientific knowledge, which led to this work as an expert. the work consists of carrying out observations and data analysis. Then, the observed and analysed data were laboratory tested in order to consistently identify characteristics that lead to the ignition and propagation of the fire. This work identified construction problems, materials used and heat sources that are responsible for the accident. The conclusions may be used to avoid future incidents or accidents with houses of same construction type.

. Background: regular exercise elicits adaptive changes from several organs and physiological processes, including erythrocyte properties. Methods: in a group of 79 subjects (62 men and 17 women; mean age 31.37 +/- 10.19 years) who trained several times a week as they practiced amateur sports, we evaluated the elongation index, marker of erythrocyte deformability, the red blood cell distribution width (RDW), indicator of erythrocyte anisocytosis, hematocrit, hemoglobin and the main erythrocyte indices (MCV, MCH, MCHC) in basal conditions. Results: in comparison with a group of healthy not trained volunteers, the values of the elongation index, and not the RDW, are increased and this datum is accompanied by an increase of MCV and MCHC, likely related to an increased presence of circulating young erythrocytes in trained subjects. We also divided the same group according to the median of the VO2max, observing that the subgroup above the median shows both an increase in the elongation index values and a decrease in MCH and MCHC. Conclusions: in trained subjects there is no correlation between the values of elongation index and the RDW, while of particular interest and of a certain complexity seem the interrelations among elongation index, RDW and the main erythrocyte indices.

Water scarcity is a worldwide concern, considering that water is a limited resource and essential for life. In Brazil, approximately 30% of its population lives in one of the areas that most suffer from lack of water, the semi-arid region covering about 20% of the country's territorial extension. The lack of water, mainly in the northeast of the country, has been a problem for years, where people who live in this territory have been suffering for months from the lack of water and the poor distribution of the resource, which increases the degree of inequality between the regions of the country. The research aims to show the effect of the hydrological cycle on the quality of vegetation and how such processing can end up affecting people's lives and the environment. The municipality of Floresta is within the scope of sub-basin 73, the territory is part of the municipalities benefited from the PISF- São Francisco River integration project works, and the study has raised discussion on the part of the scientific community regarding the effectiveness of the population project and the possible risks caused to the environment. This study carried out a temporal analysis, 1961-2021, to investigate water availability and how the hydrological system can affect society, raising the degree of its importance for a better quality of life and consequently reducing hydric inequalities. It was also evaluated how climate changes can interfere with these environmental changes and the quality of life at the local scale. The hydrological model system used to assess water availability was the Pernambuco Hydrological Response Units SUPer-System. In addition, this system helped to understand the changes that occurred in the studied sub-basin. Yet was used UAV-Unmanned Aerial Vehicles to view relationship between lives in house and environment conditions. The study can obtain accurate and necessary information to understand the dynamics of the hydrological system and the possible changes of social hydric inequalities. Thus, it is concluded that climate change will have different impacts on small scales and lives conditions due to different characteristic's environment. It is very important to carry out studies on a detailed scale to provide better public policies for mitigating the effects of climate change on people's lives.

Concrete production requires a significant amount of natural resources, with aggregates comprising between 55% and 80% of the total volume. However, over-exploitation of natural aggregates has led to the exploration of alternative materials for use in concrete production. In this study, crushed hazelnut shells were investigated as a partial replacement for fine aggregate, addressing the problem of natural resource depletion and offering a second use for this important agricultural waste product available in Chile. Hazelnut shells were incorporated in percentages of 2.5%, 5%, and 10% by weight of sand for water-cement ratios of 0.4 and 0.5. The compressive strengths at 7 and 28 days and bending tensile strengths at 28 days were determined, alongside physical properties such as workability, temperature, air content, fresh density, and hardened density of the concrete. Our findings show that replacing 2.5% of the fine aggregate with hazelnut shells led to higher compressive strength at 28 days, exceeding the strength of the standard specimens by 9.5%, whereas replacing 5% of the fine aggregate led to the highest bending tensile strength, exceeding the resistance of the standard specimens by 3.5%. Moreover, the 0.4 w/c ratio consistently led to better results for both compressive and bending tensile resistances, with fewer and lower reductions in mechanical resistances compared to the standard mixture. Our results suggest that concrete mixes with hazelnut shells as a replacement for fine aggregate at a percentage of up to 2.5% can be used in constructive systems with compression strengths lower than 17 MPa, and mixtures with up to 10% hazelnut shell replacement can be used in structures with tensile bending stress requirements lower than 6 MPa. Overall, the use of hazelnut shells as a partial replacement for fine aggregate in concrete production presents an environmentally-friendly and cost-effective solution for the construction industry.

Recent deep learning frameworks draw a strong research interest in the application of ego-motion estimation as they demonstrate a superior result compared to geometric approaches. However, due to the lack of multimodal datasets, most of these studies primarily focused on a single sensor-based estimation. To overcome this challenge, we collect a unique multimodal dataset named LboroAV2, using multiple sensors including camera, Light Detecting And Ranging (LiDAR), ultrasound, e-compass and rotary encoder. We also propose an end-to-end deep learning architecture for fusion of RGB images and LiDAR laser scan data for odometry application. The proposed method contains a convolutional encoder, a compressed representation and a recurrent neural network. Besides feature extraction and outlier rejection, the convolutional encoder produces a compressed representation which is used to visualise the network's learning process and to pass useful sequential information. The recurrent neural network uses this compressed sequential data to learn the relation between consecutive time steps. We use the LboroAV2 and KITTI VO datasets to experiment and evaluate our results. In addition to visualising the network's learning process, our approach gives superior results compared to other similar methods. The code for the proposed architecture is released in GitHub and accessible publicly.

Background. Helicobacter pylori infection has long been suspected to increase the risk of thyroid diseases but evidence from literature is conflicting. In a cohort of patients from Northern Sardinia, Italy, who underwent upper endoscopy, we investigated the association between current and long-lasting Helicobacter pylori infection and thyroid disease, both autoimmune and non-autoimmune, by adjusting for potential confounds. Methods. By using multivariable logistic regression we analyzed a cohort of 8490 adults aged 6–93 years: 730 were diagnosed with autoimmune thyroid disease (AITD) and 448 with nonautoimmune thyroid diseases. Results. We found a significant association between H. pylori long-lasting infection and AITD independently of age, sex, body mass index, smoke, hypertension and dyslipidemia (OR 1.42; 95%CI 1.20‒1.66) while the opposite was found regarding current infection (OR 0.75; 95%CI 0.63‒0.89). Current infection was not significantly associated to non-autoimmune thyroiditis. Conclusions. H. pylori infection is an independent risk factor for AITD in the population of Northern Sardinia, therefore it is advisable to eradicate the pathogen in subjects at risk of AITD.

The Golgi apparatus (GA) dysfunctions in Parkinson’s Disease (PD), neurodevelopmental disorders (NDDs), cancer, and organelle structural biology (OSB) can provide insights into therapeutic targets, gene therapy, and drug design. Primary defects and fragmentation within the GA are implicated in a wide range of neurodegenerative diseases. GA defects typically result in mislocation of proteins, accumulation of undegraded proteins, and impaired glycosylation of proteins. Inhibition of vesicular trafficking by α-synuclein (aSyn) may affect the dopamine-producing neurons and neuromodulators. GA regulates apoptosis during pathological mechanisms of neurological diseases and could provide new avenues in treatments through translation research. PD patients bearing the hereditary E46K disease mutation manifest the clinical picture of parkinsonism. How do we provide high resolution nanoimages of the GA during disease to capture dysfunction? Could we visualize the aSyn traffic jam between vesicles in the organelles ER and GA? OSB is emerging as a field as more technology advances and is more accessible. Structural studies of the GA will advance the field of neurological disease forward with an in depth understanding of dysfunction, fragmentation, and defects. Discoveries of the GA in PD, NDDs, and cancer would break new ground and provide translational medicine data of these diseases. Future research could be visualizing high angle annular dark field-STEM (HAADF-STEM) tomograms, cryogenic electron tomography (cryo-ET), multiplex correlative light and electron microscopy (cryo-CLEM), nanobody-assisted tissue immunostaining for volumetric EM (NATIVE) and using soft X-ray tomography (SXT) and computational reconstruction of the GA.

Modern life implies a constant exposure of living organisms to electromagnetic fields generated by human made technology. The question of whether or not electromagnetic fields in the non-ionizing frequency range can affect cellular functions, increasing the risk of cancer or another pathologies is currently a subject of interest for scientific community of several disciplines of physics, biology, chemistry and medicine. The first part of this short review presents briefly the possible mechanism of interaction of electromagnetic fields in cellular level based in theoretical models and experimental results. The second part refers to experimental observations published by several authors about the potential cytotoxic and genotoxic effects of electromagnetic fields. Results of researches are no yet conclusive enough to accept or reject the genotoxic, carcinogenic or cytotoxic potential of these fields. Up to date the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) has classified the X, gamma and ultraviolet radiation as carcinogenic and the fields generated by radio frequencies as possibly carcinogenic.

Steel fibers (SF) and polyolefin (PF) are widely used for shotcrete, especially in tunnelling. Both SF and PF and have shown to meet the standards in order to reduce or substitute the conventional steel mesh as reinforcement of concrete showing mechanical and productive advantages. This study sought the analysis and assessment of the mechanical properties of fiber reinforced shotcrete, comparing in-situ with laboratory results. This was performed with low and high fiber dosages of SF and PF as well as a combination of them (hybrid mixtures). A total of seven mixtures, two of steel, two of polyolefins, two hybrids and a control mixture were manufactured at laboratory and in situ. By performing tests according to EN 14651 and slabs according to EN 14488-5, it was possible to characterize the residual flexural strengths (fRj), and energy absorption capacity (E25mm) in slabs. In addition, a fracture surface analysis was performed, and the orientation factor was obtained. This allowed the authors to quantify the loss of residual strength on site and correlate it with the fiber content and positioning. Moreover, some relationships between beam and slab tests were found, allowing to correlate the most relevant type of tests in the field of fiber reinforced concrete.

The Rho guanine nucleotide exchange factor (RGNEF) protein encoded by the ARHGEF28 gene has been implicated in the neurodegenerative disease amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). Biochemical and pathological studies have shown that RGNEF is a component of the hallmark neuronal cytoplasmic inclusions in ALS-affected neurons. Additionally, a heterozygous mutation in ARHGEF28 has been identified in a number of familial ALS (fALS) cases that may give rise to one of two truncated variants of the protein. Little is known about the normal biological function of RGNEF or how it contributes to ALS pathogenesis. To further explore RGNEF biology we have established and characterized a yeast model and characterized RGNEF expression in several mammalian cell lines. We demonstrate that RGNEF is toxic when overexpressed and forms inclusions. We also found that the fALS-associated mutation in ARGHEF28 gives rise to an inclusion-forming and toxic protein. Additionally, through unbiased screening using the split-ubiquitin system, we have identified RGNEF interacting proteins, including two ALS-associated proteins. Functional characterization of other RGNEF interactors identified in our screen suggest that RGNEF functions as a microtubule regulator. Our findings indicate that RGNEF misfolding and toxicity may cause impairment of the microtubule network and contribute to ALS pathogenesis.

The Philippines is both a biodiversity hotspot and a megadiverse country. The country also has experienced one of the highest rates of deforestation in Southeast Asia and is among the first countries to introduce a massive reforestation program to address the country’s rapid biodiversity and forest loss. Drawing upon an empirical study from the Leyte island and other relevant case studies from the Philippines, in this chapter, we demonstrate that recovering secondary forests following shifting cultivation, locally known as kaingin have the high potentials for biodiversity and carbon co-benefits. Based on our empirical study, we also found that secondary forest regrowing after kaingin use can potentially be used as a cost-effective reforestation measure with multiple benefits to people and the environment in upland areas of the Philippines. We also discuss measures that are essential for such programs to be successful.

In this article we introduce an extension of the Akash distribution. We use the slash 1 methodology to make the kurtosis of the Akash distribution more flexible. We study the general 2 density of this new distribution, some properties, moments, coefficients of asymmetry and kurtosis. 3 Statistical inference is performed using the methods of moments and maximum likelihood via the 4 EM algorithm. A simulation study is carried out to observe the behavior of the maximum likelihood 5 estimator. An application to a real data set with high kurtosis is considered, where it is shown that 6 the new distribution fits better than other extensions of the Akash distribution.

Background: Military pilots show high visuo-spatial skills. Previous studies demonstrate that they are better in mental rotating a target, in taking different perspectives, in estimating distances, in travel planning and in topographic memory. Here, we compared navigational cognitive styles between military pilots and people without flight experience. Pilots were expected to be more survey users than non-pilots, showing higher navigational strategies. Method: 106 jet military pilots of Italian Air Force and 92 non-pilots were enrolled in order to investigate group differences in navigational styles. Participants were asked to perform a reduced version of the Spatial Cognitive Style Test – SCST, consisting of six tasks that allow to distinguish individuals in landmark (people orient themselves by using a figurative memory for environmental objects), route (people use an egocentric representation of the space) and survey (people have a map-like representation of the space) users. Results: In line with our hypothesis, military pilots mainly adopt a survey style, whereas non-pilots mainly adopt the route style. In addition, pilots outperformed non pilots in both the 3D-Rotation task and Map Description Task. Conclusion: Military flight expertise influences some aspects of the spatial ability, leading to enhance human navigation. Although, it must be considered that they are a population whose navigational skills were already high at the time of selection at the academy before formal training began.

The objective of this research article is to determine if social and cultural capital are factors that cause inequalities in the level of knowledge in civic and citizenship education, between Latin American and European countries. To achieve this purpose, information from the National Study of Civic and Citizen Education -ICCS-, of the International Association for the Evaluation of Educational Achievement -IEA-, of the year 2016, is used. Methodologically speaking, the Educational Production Function -EPF- is estimated and subsequently, the Oaxaca-Blinder decomposition technique is applied to quantify the differences in civic and citizenship education and see how much they are explained by the characteristics of the student and their family. the school, the social and cultural capital. As a main result, educational inequalities were found in favor of European countries, and are due to a greater extent to differences in school resources, between Latin American and European countries, followed by differences in social and cultural capital, therefore, it is the European students who make the best use of and benefit from the differences in school endowments and in social and cultural capital.

The objective of this study was to evaluate the pain and inflammatory response in soft tissues using healing and prosthetic abutments of different diameters and lengths. Methods: The study population was rehabilitated with Astra tech EV single implants (Dentsply Sirona, Atlantis, Dentsply Sirona S.A., Barcelona, Spain), 4.2 and 4.8 millimetres in diameter in upper and lower maxilla and loaded with custom abutments digitally designed with the software of the company Dentsply Sirona (Atlantis WebOrder, Dentsply Sirona S.A., Barcelona, Spain), version 4.6.5, with a larger diameter than the healing abutment, to account for biomarkers through ELISA. Results: Rehabilitations in mandible and with healing abutments below 4.29 millimetres and rehabilitators below 2.18 millimetres elicited higher pain and inflammatory responses, and in turn higher interleukin 1β values. Conclusions: Greater inflammation was evident in cases in which healing abutments with reduced diameter were used in relation to the same subsequent rehabilitation with prosthetic abutments of larger diameter.

Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is a common endocrinopathy of reproductive-aged women characterized by hyperandrogenism, oligo-anovulation and insulin resistance closely linked with preferential abdominal fat accumulation. As an ancestral primate trait, PCOS was likely further selected in humans when scarcity of food in hunter-gatherers of the late Pleistocene additionally programmed for enhanced fat storage to meet the metabolic demands of reproduction in later life. As an evolutional model for PCOS, healthy normal-weight women with hyperandrogenic PCOS have subcutaneous (SC) abdominal adipose stem cells that favor fat storage through exaggerated lipid accumulation during development to adipocytes in vitro. In turn, fat storage is counterbalanced by reduced insulin sensitivity and preferential accumulation of highly-lipolytic intra-abdominal fat in vivo. This metabolic adaptation in PCOS balances energy storage with glucose availability and fatty acid oxidation for optimal energy use during reproduction; its accompanying oligo-anovulation allowed PCOS women from antiquity sufficient time and strength for childrearing of fewer offspring with a greater likelihood of childhood survival. Heritable PCOS characteristics are now affected by today’s contemporary environment through epigenetic events that predispose to lipotoxicity with excess weight gain and pregnancy complications, calling for an emphasis on preventive healthcare to optimize the long-term, endocrine-metabolic health of PCOS women in today’s obesogenic environment.

Montes de María is the best-preserved tropical dry forest fragment in the Colombian Caribbean, making it an ideal location for studying the impacts of human disturbance on local ecosystems. This study analyzed the ecological structure of diurnal butterflies in both forested and disturbed areas using 16 circular plots to identify relationships between alpha and beta diversity, and the geographic distance between disturbed areas and native forests, using a range of metrics, including range-abundance and rarefaction curves, nonlinear models, and the Bray–Curtis dissimilarity index. Results revealed three distinct species assemblages associated with forest, intermediate disturbed areas (IDA), and disturbed areas (DA). Nonlinear models show that IDA are more diverse than forest and DA. However, forests have more beta diversity among plots than IDA and DA. Indicator species for each butterfly assemblage were also identified. Thus, although new butterfly species assemblages emerge from a new human land-scape, it is clear that species that only occur within dry forest fragments are lost when forest fragments disappear. Overall, these findings have important implications for conservation efforts and understanding how human disturbance affects biodiversity in tropical ecosystems.

(1) Background: The diphtheria toxoid antigen is a major component in pediatric and booster combination vaccines and is known to raise a protective humoral immune response upon vaccination. Although antibodies are considered critical for diphtheria protection, little is known about the antigenic determinants that maintain humoral immunity. (2) Methods: One hundred twelve 15-mer peptides covering the entire sequence of DTx protein were prepared by Spot-synthesis. Membrane-bound peptides immunoreactivity with sera from mice immunized with triple DTP vaccine allowed mapping of continuous B-cell epitopes, topological studies, MAPs synthesis, and ELISA development. (3) Results: Twenty epitopes were identified, being 2 in the signal peptide, 5 in the CD, 7 in the HBFT domain, and 5 in the RBD. Two 17-mer (CB/Tx-2/12 and CB/DTx-4-13) derived bi-epitope peptides linked by a Gly-Gly spacer were chemically synthesized. The peptides were used as antigens to coat ELISA plates and assayed with human (huVS) and mice vaccined sera (miVS) for in vitro diagnosis of diphtheria. The assay proved to be highly sensitive (99.96%) and specific (100%) either for huVS and miVS and when compared with a commercial ELISA test, demonstrate high performance. (4) Conclusions: Our work displayed the complete picture of the linear B cell IgG response epitope of the DTx responsible for the protective effect and demonstrated the specificity and eligibility to enter phase IIB studies of some epitopes to develop new and fast diagnostic assays.

Thermal variations affect tri-trophic interactions involving plants, herbivores, and parasitoids, causing a mismatch between their phenological cycles. In the current environmental context of climate change, climatic factors can undergo profound and sudden changes, such as sudden hot or cold snaps. Here we show that episodes of short but sustained low temperatures have increased, mainly in the month of May, in the last two decades. We subjected galls induced by Asian chestnut gall wasp (ACGW) Dryocosmus kuriphilus to cold stress to assess if and how the pest and its parasitoids were affected. Over the course of two years seasonal parasitism, parasitism rates, the relative abundance of each parasitoid species, and mortality of ACGW were calculated. We found that the cold treatment affected both pest and parasitoids, resulting in a reduction in emerging ACGWs and differing ratios of species within the parasitoid community. The striking example was the change in the relative frequency of three species of Eupelmus spp. and of Mesopolobus tibialis, which doubled in thermally-stressed galls in all chestnut fields. The thermal effects on the development of the host and the direct effects of cold temperatures on the surface of galls (i.e., humidity or hardness of the galls) warrant further research in this direction.

Currently, there is no effective antiviral therapy recommended for the new coronavirus disease 2019 pneumonia (COVID-19). The purpose of this pilot study was to evaluate the safety of Ozonized Saline Solution (O₃SS) used as a complementary therapy in adult patients COVID-19. Twenty-five adult patients who were hospitalized with mild to severe COVID-19 symptoms, who met the inclusion criteria and were being treated from April 18^rd to April 26th, 2020, at the Viamed Virgen De La Paloma Hospital, Madrid, Spain were included in this study. Patients were allocated to receive standard care (SC) that included 200-400 mg hydroxychloroquine twice daily for 5-7 days plus Tocilizumab 400 mg twice daily for 5 days, low molecular weight heparin (LMWH) and 40 mg-60 mg metil-prednisone plus O₃SS, 200 mL, 3-5 µg/mL daily for 10 days. No control group was included, data were compared to clinical trials in this subject. Primary outcomes of treatment with O₃SS were an improvement of clinical symptoms and a reduction in mortality. Secondary end points evaluated included participant clinical status, laboratory examinations, and duration of viral shedding. None of the patients treated with SC + O₃SS died. Improvements in symptoms such as dyspnea, weakness, and reduction in body temperature were observed and corresponded with an improvement of laboratory finding including D-dimer, fibrinogen, LDH, and CRP. No side effects from the O₃SS treatment were observed. Conclusions: COVID-19 patients with mild to severe symptoms who received intravenous O₃SS as a complementary therapy demonstrated no side effects. This preliminary data will be served as base for a future study of the efficacy of this therapy.

Natural products (NPs) are a rich source of structurally novel molecules, and the chemical space they encompass is far from being fully explored. Over history, NPs have represented a significant source of bioactive molecules and have served as a source of inspiration for developing many drugs on the market. On the other hand, computer-aided drug design (CADD) has contributed to drug discovery research, mitigating costs and time. In this sense, compound databases represent a fundamental element for the CADD. This work reviews the progress toward developing compound databases of natural origin, particularly databases developed in Latin America, and their practical applications in the drug discovery area. We also survey the computational methods, emphasizing chemoinformatic approaches to profile natural product databases.

(1) Background: Several chronic respiratory diseases could be a risk factor for acquiring SARS-CoV-2 infection: among them, Primary Ciliary Dyskinesia (PCD) is a rare (about 1:10.000) inherited ciliopathy (MIM 242650) characterized by recurrent upper and lower respiratory tract infections due to a dysfunctioning of the respiratory cilia; We aimed to investigate if some polymorphisms of the TAS2R38 bitter taste receptor correlate with an increased prevalence of SARS-CoV-2 infection and severity of symptoms in a cohort of PCD subjects; (2) Methods: Patients answered several questions about possible SARS-CoV-2 infection, experienced symptoms and vaccinations; in case of infection, they also filled out a SNOT-22 and ARTIQ questionnaires; (3) Results: Forty PCD adult patients (mean age 36.6 ± 16.7 years, 23 females) participated to the study, out of which 30 % had tested positive for COVID-19 during the last four years; most of them reported a mildly symptomatic disease. We found no differences in age or sex, but a statistic significant difference (p=0.03) was observed in body mass index (BMI), that was higher in the COVID-acquired group (23.2 ± 3.3 vs 20.1 ± 4.1 kg/m2). Genotyping for TAS2R38 polymorphisms showed a prevalence of 28.6% PAV/PAV, 48.6% PAV/AVI and 22.8% AVI/AVI individuals in our cohort. In contrast to our hypothesis, we did not observe a protective role of PAV allele towards SARS-CoV-2 infection; (4) Conclusions: Our findings suggest that subjects with PCD may not be at increased risk of severe outcomes from COVID-19 and the TAS2R38 bitter taste receptor genotype type does not affect SARS-CoV-2 infection.

The protein TRPM8, a non-selective, calcium (Ca2+) permeable ion channel is implicated in several pathological conditions, including neuropathic pain states. In our previous research endeavors, we have identified β–lactam derivatives with high hydrophobic character that exhibit potent and selective TRPM8 antagonist activity. This work describes the synthesis of novel derivatives featuring C-terminal amides and diversely substituted N’-terminal monobenzyl groups, in an attempt to increase the total polar surface area (TPSA) in this family of compounds. The primary goal was to assess the influence of these substituents on the inhibition of menthol-induced cellular Ca2+ entry, thereby establishing critical structure-activity relationships. While the substitution of the tert-butyl ester by isobutyl amide moieties improved the antagonist activity, none of the N’-monobencyl derivatives, regardless of the substituent on the phenyl ring, achieved the activity of the model dibenzyl compound. The antagonist potency of the most effective compounds was subsequently verified using Patch-Clamp electrophysiology experiments. Furthermore, we evaluated the selectivity of one of these compounds against other members of the TRP ion channel family and some receptors connected to peripheral pain pathways. This compound demonstrated specificity for TRPM8 channels. To better comprehend the potential mode of interaction, we conducted docking experiments to uncover plausible binding sites on the functionally active tetrameric protein, which come upon four main poses by the pore zone, differents from those described for other known antagonists. Finally, in vivo experiments, involving a couple of selected compounds, revealed significant antinociceptive activity within a mice model of cold allodynia induced by oxaliplatin.

As a model for economic and ecological systems, replicator dynamics represents a basic form of agent competition for finite resources. Here, we investigate the effects of stochastic resetting in this kind of processes. Random reset events abruptly lead individual resources to a small value from which dynamics must start anew. Numerical results show that resource distribution over the population of competing agents develops highly nonuniform profiles, exhibiting clustering and fluctuations with anomalous dependence on the population size. This non-standard statistical behavior jeopardizes an analytical treatment based on mean-field assumptions. We propose alternative simplified analytical approaches which provide a stylized description of entropy evolution for the clustered distribution of resources and explain the unusually slow decrease of fluctuations.

This study seeks to measure the degree of agglomeration of educational quality in Colombia, based on the non-socialization of the population that exhibits low educational quality, with the population that exhibits high educational quality, and thus determine how such agglomeration affects the phenomenon of academic segregation. To this end, we perform a spatial analysis of the educational quality in Colombia and of variables that may influence to the phenomenon of educational agglomeration. The level of agglomeration in educational quality in Colombia is demonstrated by the calculation of the Moran’s Index, in which a result of 0.62 was obtained. High educational quality is concentrated in the Andean region, while low educational quality is agglomerated in the periphery of the country, in areas such as the Pacific region. A spatial regression model was carried out to measure the dependence of municipalities on their neighbors, and to determine the main socio-economic factors affecting the phenomenon of educational agglomeration in Colombia, finding that living conditions, unsatisfied basic needs and fiscal transparency have all an impact on the educational quality of the municipalities. It is also found that the number of homicides in the municipalities does not seem to have a significant relationship with education.

Cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) represent the leading cause of global mortality with 1,7 million deaths a year. One of the alternative systems to drug therapy to minimize the risk of CVDs is represented by alpha-linolenic acid (ALA), an essential fatty acid of the Omega-3 series, known for its cholesterol-lowering effect. The main purpose of this review is to analyze the effects of ALA and investigate the relevant n-6/n-3 ratio in order to maintain functionally beneficial effects. Concerning the lipid-lowering preventive effects, ALA may favorably affect the values of LDL-C and triglycerides in either adult and pediatric populations and it has a positive and protective effect against hypertension, suggesting that ALA is an useful diet-related antihypertensive compound. According to the 2009 EFSA statement, dietary ALA may contribute to reducing the risk of CVDs, thanks to anti-hypertensive, anti-atherosclerotic and cardio-protective effects.

Inflammatory bowel diseases, comprising Crohn’s disease (CD) and ulcerative colitis (UC), are chronic, relapsing and remitting immune-mediated inflammatory diseases affecting the gastrointestinal tract. Ustekinumab (UST) is a monoclonal antibody blocking the p40 subunit of the anti-interleukin (IL) 12/23. Pivotal trials (CERTIFI and UNITI-IM for CD, UNIFI for UC) established the efficacy of UST for the induction and maintenance of remission in both CD and UC, with the most favorable results in naïve patients to biologics. In recent years, a wealth of ‘real-world’ data has emerged supporting positive clinical, endoscopic, and histological outcomes in patients treated with UST, as well as reassuring safety data. More recently, the results of the first head-to-head trials of UST and tumor necrosis factor (TNF) antagonists have been reported. Moreover, a number of studies exploring the role of UST in specific clinical settings, such as perianal CD, postoperative complications and recurrence, extraintestinal manifestations, chronic antibiotic-refractory pouchitis, and pregnancy, have been reported. This review explores results reported to date on UST, including those from pivotal trials, real-world data, and emerging studies regarding therapeutic drug monitoring and immunogenicity. The safety profile of UST was also reviewed.

Marine finfish landings in Cuba have decreased during the last 30 years. However, in Cuba's most productive fishing region, certain species, including rays, herrings, and snappers, have increased landings over the past decade. Despite these anomalies, no comprehensive analysis of the interactions between multispecies landing dynamics, environmental factors, and fishing effort has been carried out. This study estimates the dynamics of multispecies finfish landings between 1981 and 2017 on the southeastern coast of Cuba. Dynamic factor analyses (DFA) were performed to identify common landing trends across multiple species and their relationship with fishing effort and environmental variables. During the period analyzed, finfish landings and fishing effort decreased by 46% and over 80%, respectively. Despite concerns about overfishing, landings per unit of effort (LPUE) increased by 2.8 times, suggesting the decline in landings was closely linked to decreasing fishing effort and Atlantic Multidecadal Oscillation cycles, with delays of 2 and 3 years. The study highlights the changing relationship between landings and fishing effort, suggesting that LPUE may not accurately reflect true stock abundance. The findings of this study will assist in integrating the dynamics of finfish species, ecosystem status, and management actions for Cuba’s most productive fishing zone.

Hospital bed shortage is a worldwide concern. Beds unavailability has caused elective surgery cancellations, at our hospital peaking in spring 2016 at over 50%. This is often due to difficult patient step-down from intensive care (ICU) and high-dependency units (HDU). In our general/digestive surgery service admitting approximately 1000 patients yearly, ward rounds were run on a consultant firm basis. We report a quality improvement (ISRCTN13976096) introducing in our service a structured daily multi-disciplinary board round framework (SAFER Surgery R2G) adapted from the “SAFER patient flow bundle” and the "Red to Green days” approaches to enhance flow, comparing the previous year to 2017, when our framework was applied for 12 months.We used a Plan-Do-Study-Act (PDSA) methodology. Our intervention consisted in 1) systematic communication of the key care plan after the afternoon ward rounds to the nurse in charge; 2) 30’ 10AM Monday-to-Friday multidisciplinary board rounds, attended daily by the senior-team and weekly by hospital and site managers, revising the key care plan aiming at safe, early discharges, assessing the appropriateness of each inpatient day and tackling any cause of delay. We measured patient flow by average length of stay (LOS), ICU/HDU step-downs and operation cancellations count, monitoring safety through early 30-day readmissions. Compliance was assessed by board round attendance and staff satisfaction rate surveys.After 12 months (PDSA 2, N=1032), LOS significantly decreased from 7.2(±8.9) to 6.3(±7.4) days (p=0.003); ICU/HDU bed step-down flow increased by 9.3% from 345 to 375 (p=0.197), surgery cancellations dropped from 38 to 15 (p=0.100). 30-day re-admissions increased from 0.9% (N=9) to 1.3% (N=14)(p=0.390). Average cross-specialty attendance was 80%. Satisfaction rates were >75%, regarding enhanced teamwork and faster decisions.The SAFER Surgery R2G framework has shown an increase in patient flow in the context of an enhanced multidisciplinary approach, requiring senior staff commitment to remain sustainable.

Material and methods. The trial was carried out over two years in Southern Italy. Two grapevine rootstocks, 110R and SO4, were compared to evaluate the water extraction ability from the soil and the effect on the yield and quality of the Cardinal grapevine table cultivar. Therefore, a new approach to plant water consumption based on sap flow was adopted. Results. The earlier and faster water refilling of the xylem in Cardinal onto 110R (C/110R) appears responsible for the earlier evolution of the phenological phases than Cardinal onto SO4 (C/SO4). The maximum length of the principal shoot was reached in Cardinal/110R compared to C/SO4, while a higher number of lateral shoots with lower internode has changed canopy architecture and light distribution in C/SO4. The 110R used more water compared to SO4; it was possible to quantify the real transpired flux of the plant per day: sap flow was 12.3 L.plant-1.d-1 and 11.7 L.plant-1d-1 in C/110R in the first and second year, respectively, while it was 14% lower in alternative graft combination. Conclusions. However, C/SO4 was able to sustain leaf water status and physiological mecha-nisms, although with lesser performance than C/110R, but that did not cause negative effects on production parameters.

Landscape changes based on spectral responses allow showing plant cover changes through diversity, composition, and ecological connectivity. The spatial and temporal vegetation dynamics of the Bijagual Massif from 1986 to 2021 were analyzed as a measure of ecological integrity, conservation, and territory. The covers identified were high open forest (Hof), dense grassland of non-wooded mainland (Dgnm), a mosaic of pastures and crops (Mpc), lagoons (Lag), and bare and degraded lands (Bdl). The Bijagual Massif has 8,574.1 ha. In 1986, Dgnm occupied 42.6% of the total area, followed by Mpc (32.8%) and Hof (24.5%); by 2000, Mpc and Hof increased (43.7 and 28.1%, respectively), while Dgnm decreased (28%); by 2021, Dgnm was restricted to the northeastern zone and continued to decrease (25.2%), Mpc occupied 52.9%, Hof 21.7% and Bdl 0.1%. Of the three fractions of the connectivity probability index, only dPCintra and dPCflux contribute to ecological connectivity. Hof and Dgnm show patches with biota habitat quality and availability. Between 1986 and 2021, Dgnm lost 1,489 ha (41%) and Hof 239.5 ha (11%). Mpc replaced various covers (1,722.2 ha; 38%) in 2021. Bijagual has a valuable biodiversity potential limited by Mpc. Territorial planning and sustainable agroecological and ecotourism proposals are required due to the context of the ecosystems.

This research article presents the integration of participatory modeling and system dynamics as a novel methodology for the consolidation of social dynamic models for the subsequent evaluation and prioritization of green projects in Colombian post-conflict communities. In the first instance, through participatory work carried out along with the community, it was possible to identify, evaluate and systematize citizen factors in relation to the problems and needs of the region. Second, based on the results obtained, to calibrate a simulation model based on system dynamics that facilitates decision making with regard to the evaluation of green projects. The proposed methodology leads to the conclusion that, with the participation of the community and with a model based on the dynamics of variables such as supply and demand for natural resources of water and land, it is possible to warn decision makers about the variables that can lead to the maximization of investments and thus prioritize and select the most appropriate environmental, social or economic initiatives, that certainly meet the needs or expectations of the involved community. In the future, the model could be used to facilitate the management, administration and control of water and land resources by creating alerts called reserve margins.

Wearable Biosensor Technology (WBT) has emerged as a transformative tool in the educational system over the past decade. This systematic review encompasses a comprehensive analysis of WBT utilization in educational settings over a 10-year span (2012-2022), highlighting both the evolution of this field and its integration to address challenges in education by integrating technology to solve specific educational challenges, such as enhancing student engagement, monitoring stress and cognitive load, improving learning experiences, and providing real-time feedback for both students and educators. By exploring these aspects, the review sheds light on the potential implications of WBT for the future of learning. A rigorous and systematic search of major academic databases, including Google Scholar and Scopus, was conducted in accordance with PRISMA guidelines. Relevant studies were selected based on predefined inclusion and exclusion criteria. The articles selected were assessed for methodological quality and bias using established tools. The process of data extraction and synthesis followed a structured framework. Key findings include the shift from theoretical exploration to practical implementation with the EEG being the predominant measurement, aiming to explore mental states, physiological constructs, and teaching effectiveness. Wearable biosensors are significantly impacting the educational field, serving as an important resource for educators and a tool for students. Their application has the potential to transform and optimize academic practices through sensors that capture biometric data, enabling the implementation of metrics and models to understand the development and performance of students and professors in an academic environment, as well as to gain insights into the learning process.

Boldine, a major aporphine alkaloid found in Chilean boldo tree, is a potent antioxidant. Oxidative stress plays a detrimental role in the pathogenesis of kidney damage in Renovascular hypertension (RVH). The activation of the Renin-Angiotensin System (RAS) is crucial in the development and progression of hypertensive renal damage and TGF-β is closely associated with the activation of RAS. In the present study, we assessed the effect of boldine on the progression of kidney disease using the 2K1C hypertension model and identifying mediators in the RAS such as TGF-β, that could be modulated by this alkaloid. Toward this hypothesis, rats (n=5/group) were treated with boldine (50mg/kg/day, gavage) for 6 weeks after 2K1C surgery (pressure≥180mmHg). Kidney function was evaluated by measuring of proteinuria/creatininuria ratio (U prot/U Crea), oxidative stress (OS) by measuring thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS). The evolution of systolic blood pressure (SBP) was followed weekly. α-SMA and Col III were used as markers of kidney damage; ED-1 and Osteopontin (OPN) as markers of inflammation. We also explored the effect in RAS mediators, such as ACE-1 and TGF-β. Boldine treatment reduced UProt/UCrea ratio, plasma TBARS and slightly reduced SBP in 2K1C hypertensive rats, producing no effect in control animals. In 2K1C rats treated with boldine the levels of α-SMA, Col III, ED-1 and OPN were lower when compared to 2K1C rats. Boldine prevented the increase in ACE-1 and TGF-β in 2K1C rats, suggesting that boldine reduces kidney damage. These results suggest that boldine could potentially be used as a nutraceutic.

This paper analyzes the relationship between corporate social responsibility (CSR) and social impact within the oil industry in an emerging market (Peru). Following the emerging literature on the social impact field, and using the case study methodology, the findings show that the expected positive relationship is diverse depending on several factors. Specifically, the results reveal that companies must focus on community and environmental responsibility, together with stakeholders' involvement to achieve social impact. However, when companies are weak in any of the previous factors, then the social impact is only partially accepted or even withdrawn.

Soil moisture can be an important indicator of climate change in humid and semi-arid areas. This indicator can more efficiently propose different public policies related to climate change than just using precipitation and temperature data. Given the above, the objective of this study is to evaluate changes in soil moisture in the state of Pernambuco during the period 1961-2021, using the System of Hydrological Response Units for Pernambuco. In this study, five river basins in the state of Pernambuco that represent the different climatic conditions of the state will be chosen. The results show that in the coastal region, there is a tendency towards more saturated soils, and in the semi-arid region, there is a tendency towards drier soils. With these results, it is possible to conclude that public policy decisions for the economy, environment, and society must consider this vital water balance variable.

Abstract: Nordic exercises aim to improve physical abilities and prevent injuries; However, it is not clear in what type of sports modalities to use it, so this study arises from the interest of ana-lyzing its effect in different sports modalities. Objective: To analyze Nordic exercises effects on the lower limbs, and their relationship with the explosive and absolute strength inherent to demands of different sports modalities (football, athletics, basketball, sport climbing, cycling and taekwondo). Method: quasi-experimental research, identifying 122 athletes (18±3 years old) from: football (n=24), athletics/speed (n=20), sport climbing (n=20), basketball (n=24), taekwondo (n=14) and cycling (n=20); classified into a control group CG (n=57) and an experimental group EG (n=65). Results: dominant absolute strength of the initial (12.4±0.51) and final (14.5±0.98) EG, in greater proportion in basketball (P= < 0.05); explosive strength of the initial (42.4±1.2) and final (45.8±1.5) EG, with a significant difference in all modalities between before and after (p≤0.05), except in cy-cling and taekwondo; no major changes were found in the GC. Conclusion: Nordic exercises are recommended as part of training to improve levels of explosive strength with emphasis on the modalities of football, basketball, athletics/speed and sport climbing, being applicable to increase absolute strength in basketball.

A study is reported on the electrochemical alloying-dealloying properties of Mg₂Sn intermetallic compounds. ¹¹⁹Sn Mössbauer spectra of β-Sn powder, thermally alloyed cubic-Mg₂Sn and an intermediate MgSn nominal composition are used as references. The discharge of a Mg/micro-Sn half-cell led to significant changes in spectra line shape that are explained by a multiphase mechanism involving the coexistence of c-Mg₂Sn, distorted Mg_2-δSn and Mg-doped β-Sn. Capacities and capacity retention were improved by using nanoparticulate tin electrodes. This material reduces significantly the diffusion lengths for magnesium and contains surface SnO and SnO₂, which are partially electroactive. The half-cell potentials were suitable to be combined versus MgMn₂O₄ cathodes. Energy density and cycling properties of the resulting full Mg-ion cells are also scrutinized.

Antioxidants are molecules that neutralize free radicals. In general, the reaction mechanisms of antioxidants are well known. The main reaction mechanisms of antioxidants are electron transfer (ET), proton transfer (PT), H atom transfer (HAT) and radical adduction (RAF). The study of these mechanisms is helpful to understand how antioxidants control high free radical levels on the cell. There are many studies focused on determine the main mechanism of an antioxidant to neutralize a wide spectrum of radicals, mainly reactive oxygen species (ROS) type radicals. Most of these antioxidants are polyphenols type compounds. Some esters, amides and metal-antioxidants have shown antioxidant activity. There are few experimental and theoretical studies about the antioxidant reaction mechanism of the aforementioned compounds. In this work, we shown the reaction mechanism proposed of an amide and its metal-antioxidant counterpart. We show how the presence of the metal increase the electron transfer on polar media and the H transfer in non-polar media. Even though, esters and amides are non-polar compound, the scavenger activity is good for the metal-antioxidant compound in no-polar media

Neck lymphangiomas are rare, benign congenital malformations that predominate in childhood. Most present before the age of two. There are no risk factors related to sex, ethnic origin or predominance on either side, and they can occur in any anatomical location, although the most frequent is in the head and neck. The clinical presentation depends on its location. The most frequent symptom is the existence of a painless mass that grows slowly. Available therapeutic tools include surgery, systemic treatment, and injection of sclerosing agents.

The mosaic disease in maize is caused by Sugarcane mosaic virus (SCMV), a member of the Potyviridae family. The best strategy to cope with viral infections is the use of disease-resistant maize lines. To better understand the resistance response to SCMV, we analyzed differentially expressed genes among a resistant line (CI-RL1), a susceptible line (B73), and the F1 progeny from a cross between both lines using RNA-Seq data. We also analyzed transcript expression pattern clustering to allocate previously reported resistance candidate genes. GO enrichment analysis of biological processes highlighted a strong regulation in ROS detoxification in both the susceptible and resistant lines. The enrichment of cellular components led to the identification of an integral component of the plasma membrane in the RL line. Transcript expression patterns provide evidence of the importance of host translation in virus response, showing the diverse and complex behavior of eIF4E homologs and the presence of eleven eEF1α factors in maize. In addition, we identified two genes putatively implied in long-distance movement: ZmPiezo and ZmPVIP1. Finally, we propose an ABC transporter to be associated with viral resistance.

In birds, unlike mammals, there is no complete separation between the thoracic and abdominal cavities. Instead, they have the coelomic cavity where most main organs are found. Therefore, an adequate knowledge of the anatomy of the coelomic cavity is of great importance for veterinarians, biologists and the scientific community. This study aimed to evaluate the coelomic cavity anatomy in the Atlantic puffins (Fratercula Arctica) using anatomical sections and computed tomography images.

Adhesion systems are very important in robots for infrastructure inspection (especially in vertical walls). They present the challenge of optimizing the ratio vacuum/power consumption in battery-powered robots. In this paper a CFD (Computer Fluid Dynamics) modelling and optimization process of a robot adhesion system is carried out to determine the best performing configuration in terms of vacuum and power consumption. Analytical and numerical models were developed to predict the behaviour of the system for different configurations. The models were validated, using test rig measurements, by calibrating an arbitrary defined inlet height that simulates the leakage flow. Then, different geometric parameters were varied to determine the best performing configuration based on the vacuum/power consumption ratio value. The model presented in the paper was capable of predicting the behaviour of the system for different configurations, with a margin of error of 15% for the vacuum prediction and a 25% for the motor power calculation. Finally, the model was used to optimize parameters of the system, like the number of blades of the impeller. The adhesion system was conceived for the modular autonomous climbing legged robot ROMERIN.

In recent years, the role of non-coding RNAs (ncRNAs) in regulating cell physiology has begun to be better understood. Recent discoveries in viral molecular biology have revealed that such cellular functions are disturbed during viral infections mainly due to host cell ncRNAs, cellular factors, and virus-derived ncRNAs. Apart from the interplay between those molecules, other interactions derive from the specific folding of RNA virus genomes. These fulfill canonical regulation functions such as replication, translation, and viral packaging. In some cases, folds serve as precursors of small viral RNAs whose biogenesis is not yet clearly understood. Since ncRNAs and RNA viral genomes modulate complex molecular and cellular processes in viral infections, a new taxonomy is being proposed here overarching three main categories, considering the current information about ncRNA interactions in some well-known viral infections. The first category shows examples of host ncRNAs associated with the trigger of the immune response under viral infections. The second category describes interactions between the virus and host ncRNAs. The last category shows how the shape of the RNA viral genome is essential in processing RNAs derived from viruses. Finally, we introduce evidence of how these three categories can also work as a framework in order to organize known interactions of ncRNAs and cellular factors under DENV infection. This new taxonomy of interactions provides a comprehensive framework for organizing the ncRNA regulatory roles in the context of viral interactions and an RNA world.

An aneurysm is a vascular malformation, it can be classified according to its location (cerebral, aortic); and according its shape (saccular, fusiform, and mycotic). The study of blood flow interaction with the aneurysms has gained attention from physicists an engineers in recent years. Shear stresses, oscillatory shear index (OSI), gradient oscillatory number (GON), and residence time had been used as potential variables to describe the hemodynamics as well as the origin and evolution of aneurysm. However, the causes of aneurysms and the hemodynamics conditions that promote the growth of these structures are still under debate. The present work presents numerical simulation on three aneurysms: 2 aortic and 1 cerebral. The results shows that the blood rheology is not relevant for aortic aneurysms, however, for cerebral aneurysm could play a relevant role in the hemodynamics. The turbulence models evaluated show equivalent results in both cases. Lastly, a simulation considering the fluid-structure interaction (FSI) shows that this phenomenon is the dominant factor for aneurysms simulation.

The escalating environmental challenges that stem from urban residential waste in densely populated areas have become increasingly prominent in recent times. As a result, the waste management sector has experienced significant growth nationwide. However, due to the predominantly manual nature of these processes, their effectiveness falls short of meeting the current demand. Addressing these issues requires process enhancement. In this context, Industry 4.0, particularly the concept of Digital Twins, emerges as a potential avenue for refining processes. To tackle both current and future industry challenges, it is imperative to create a comprehensive methodology capable of generating effective solutions within the waste management sector. This paper provides an explanation of digital twins, outlines the methodological framework comprising an architectural structure and layered model, and details a series of sequential methodical stages for implementing digital twins based on the specific scope determined by the end-user. A noteworthy aspect is the transformative potential of digital twins in enhancing efficiency and precision within waste management practices. By providing a virtual real-time representation of the waste management system, digital twins empower simulations and experimentation to fine-tune processes. Furthermore, they facilitate informed decision-making by offering a detailed visualization of the complete system, simplifying the identification of challenges and opportunities for improvement. that this article derives from the presentation titled "Digital Twin application methodology for the improvement of production and service systems. Application to waste management processes" at the "Sustainable Smart Cities and Territories International Conference" held in the city of Manizales, Colombia, from 21st to 23rd June 2023.

Llayta is a dietary supplement used by rural communities in Perú and northern Chile since pre-Columbian days. Llayta is the biomass of colonies of a Nostoc cyanobacterium grown in wetlands of the Andean highlands, harvested, sun-dried and sold as an ingredient for human consumption. The biomass has a substantial content of essential amino acids (58% of total amino acids) and polyunsaturated fatty acids (33% total fatty acids). This ancestral practice is being loss and the causes were investigated by an ethnographic approach to register the social representations of Llayta, to document how this Andean feeding practice is perceived and how much the community knows about Llayta. Only 37% of the participants (mostly adults) have had a direct experience with Llayta; other participants (mostly children) did not have any knowledge about it. These social responses reflect anthropological and cultural tensions associated to lack of knowledge on Andean algae, sites where to find Llayta, where it is commercialized, how it is cooked and on its nutritional benefits. The loss of this ancestral feeding practice, mostly on northern Chile, is probably associated to cultural changes, migration of the rural communities, and a very limited access to the available information. We propose that Llayta consumption can be revitalized by developing appropriate educational strategies and investigating potential new food derivatives based on the biomass from the isolated Llayta cyanobacterium.

The Self-determination theory and The Vallerand's Hierarchical Model has been studied with different types of social factors that can bring different consequences. The purpose of this work was if responsibility and social climate could predict the social and prosocial behaviors and vio-lence. For this, 429 students (M = 11.46, SD = 1.92) participated in this study answering a ques-tionnaire with five variables: school climate, responsibility, motivation, satisfaction of psycholog-ical needs, prosocial and antisocial behaviors and violence. The main results saw that the most part of variables were correlated positive and directly except with antisocial behaviors and vio-lence. On the other hand, prediction model (X2 = 584.145 (98); RMSEA = 0.104 [90% CI = 0.096, 0.112]; TLI = 0.849; CFI = 0.894) showed that responsibility and school climate can predict psy-chological basic needs and these needs, can improve the autonomous motivation and finally have positive consequences improving prosocial behaviors and reducing antisocial behaviors and vio-lence. In conclusion, school climate and responsibility can improve positive consequences to the classroom, specifically, prosocial behaviors and reducing violence and antisocial behaviors.

The first diastereoselective synthesis of (–)-1-epi-lentiginosine stars from a common chiral trans-epoxyamide derived from 2-pyridincarbaldehyde is reported. This methodology involves a sequential oxirane ring opening and intramolecular 5-exo-tet cyclization of tosylate tras-epoxyalcohol to afford a diastereomeric mixture of indolizinium salts in a one-pot fashion, followed by regio- and diastereospecific pyridinium ring reduction.

Anaerobic digestion is a biological process that transforms high-strength organic effluents into biogas with multiple benefits. However, concurrent with organics' biological transformation, a liquid phase with a high solid content is also derived from this process. Valorizing this fraction is not an easy task if an agronomic application cannot be considered as a suitable option. The thermal valorization of this fraction allows for energy extraction, but also gives rise to additional capital investment and increases the energy demand of the global process. In addition, the thermal treatment of digestate has to deal with a mineralized material. The changes in organic matter due to anaerobic stabilization were studied in the present manuscript, by evaluating the thermal behavior of samples, activation energy and organic transformation using FTIR spectroscopy. Digested samples of a mixture composed of manure and glycerin (5% v/v) were studied. The stabilization caused a dramatic decrease in aliphatic compounds, greatly increasing the mineral content of the sample. Thermal valorization of digestates must consider the lower energy content and more complex structure of these materials, with higher content of lignin and protein-type compounds.

Background: PD1 and its ligand PD-L1 are related to the prognosis in many solid tumors, whether its role in oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) remains unclear. Methods: Retrospective monocentric study including all patients with OSCC diagnosed and treated between 01/2020 and 05/2022. PD-L1 expression was assessed by combined positive score (CPS), considering CPS > or equal to 1 as positive (1-20 “low expression”, and ≥20 “high”). Descriptive analysis of patient cohort and tumors was performed, including tumor size, stage, lymph node involvement, recur-rence and survival. Results: 65 patients (65 tumors) were analyzed. 66.15% of tumors were ad-vanced stages (III-IV), of them, 97.67% PD-L1+ versus 71.42% within early stages (I-II). T4 tumors expressed PD-L1 in 100% of cases, compared with 54’54% in T1 tumors. 50.79 % of tumors showed lymph node involvement (pN+), 100% of them showing PD-L1+. Prevalence of pN+ was 59.38% for PD-L1 high expression versus 40.63% for low expression. Patients' follow-up ranged from 2 to 34.5 months. No significant difference was seen between overall survival (OS) and PD-L1 +/- (CPS ≥1 vs CPS <1) neither PD-L1 high (CPS ≥20) vs low CPS <20) (p 0.97 and 0.64, re-spectively). Conclusions: The method used to measure (laboratory test with Dako 22C3 an-ti-PD-L1 primary antibody) PD-L1 was reliable and accurate, with a correlation coefficient be-tween the PD-L1 expression in the biopsy and surgical piece of 0.83 (p 0.0001). CPS≥1 was ob-served in large tumors (p<0.001), and was correlated with of lymph node metastases (p<0.004). Further analysis of PD-L1 expression and its relevance in tumor biology and prognosis is needed.

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.

The incorporation of plastic matrix composite materials into structural elements of the aeronautical industry requires contour machining and drilling processes along with metallic materials prior to final assembly operations. These operations are usually performed using conventional techniques, but they present problems derived from the nature of each material that avoid implementing One Shot Drilling strategies that work separately. In this work, the study focuses on the evaluation of the feasibility of Abrasive Waterjet Machining (AWJM) as a substitute for conventional drilling for stacks formed of Carbon Fiber Reinforced Plastic (CFRP) and aluminum alloy UNS A97050 through the study of the influence of abrasive mass flow rate, traverse feed rate and water pressure in straight cuts and drills. For the evaluation of the straight cuts, Stereoscopic Optical Microscopy (SOM) and Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) techniques are used inspection techniques have been used. In addition, the kerf taper through the proposal of a new method and the surface quality in different cutting regions have been evaluated. For the study of holes, the macrogeometric deviations of roundness, cylindricity and straightness have been evaluated. Thus, this experimental procedure reveals the conditions that minimize deviations, defects, and damage in straight cuts and holes obtained by AWJM.

Nowadays, mindfulness-based interventions (MBI) have experimented a remarkable development of studies among childhood and adolescent interventions. For this reason, dispositional mindfulness (DM) measures for children and adolescents have been developed to determine the effectiveness of MBI at this age stage. However, little is known about how key elements of DM (f. e., cognitive de/fusion or experiential avoidance that both conform psychological inflexibility) are involved in the mechanisms of the children and adolescents’ mental health outcomes. This research examined the mediating effect of cognitive fusion between DM and anxiety and other negative emotional states in a sample of 318 Spanish primary-school students (aged between 8 and 16 years, M=11.24, SD=2.19, 50.8% males). Participants completed the AFQ-Y, which is a measure of psychological inflexibility that encompasses cognitive defusion and experiential avoidance; CAMM (DM for children and adolescents), PANAS-N (positive and negative affect measure for children, the Spanish version of PANASC), and STAIC (an anxiety measure for children). The study accomplished ethical standards. As MBI relevant literature has suggested, cognitive defusion was a significant mediator between DM and symptoms of both negative emotions and anxiety in children and adolescents. However, experiential avoidance did not show any significant mediating relationship. Probably, it is needed improvement of the assessment of experiential avoidance. MBI programs for children and adolescents may include more activities for reducing the effects of the cognitive defusion on their emotional distress.

Introduction: studies in the last two decades have found declining snake populations in both temperate and tropical sites, including informal reports from Drake Bay, Costa Rica. Objective: to investigate if reports of decreasing snake populations in Drake Bay had a real basis, and if environmental factors, particularly temperature, rain and light, have played a role in that decrease. Methods: we worked at Drake Bay from 2012 through 2017 and made over 4000 h of transect counts. Using head flashlights we surveyed a transect covered by lowland tropical rainforest at an altitude of 12–38 m above sea level, near the Agujas River, mostly at 1930–2200 hours. We counted all the snakes that we could see along the transect. Results: snake counts increase from August to September and then decline rapidly. The May snakes/rainfall peaks coincide, but the second snake peak occurs one month before the rain peak; we counted more snakes in dry nights, with the exception of Imantodes cenchoa which was equally common despite rain conditions. We saw less Leptodeira septentrionalis on bright nights, but all other species were unaffected. Along the six years, the number of species with each diet type remained relatively constant, but the number of individuals declined sharply for those that feed on amphibians and reptiles. We report Rhadinella godmani, a highland species, at 12–38 m of altitude. Conclusion: night field counts of snakes in Drake Bay, Costa Rica, show a strong decline from 2012 through 2017.

The impact of systemic vascular resistance (SVR) in hypertrophic (HCM) and amyloid cardio-myopathies has been seldom investigated. We studied pressure-strain loop derived myocardial work (MW) indices and SVR in patients with either sarcomere HCM or wild type transthyretin cardiac amyloidosis (ATTR), presented with heart failure and preserved left ventricular ejection fraction (HFpEF) at the outpatient cardiology units at Messina and Catania University Hospitals (Italy). Patients were in sinus rhythm and needed to have good transthoracic ultrasound imaging quality to undergo transthoracic strain-echocardiography. Other than conventional parameters, SVR and GWI (global work index) were measured. Based on cross-tabulation (a way to assess the ventricular-arterial coupling), the patients were then classified in 4 classes according to the cut-off values suggested by previous studies of 1,440 dyne/s/cm-5 for SVR (Stefadouros et al., 1973) and 1576 mm Hg% for GWI (Olsen et al., 2022). Sixty patients, 30 in each group, aged 61±16 years, 78% males, were studied. HCM were younger than ATTR patients and in a better clinical status (23% HCM vs 77% ATTR were NYHA class 3, p<0.001). Overall, 51 patients (85%) showed high SVR, of whom 21 were HCM (70%) and 30 ATTR (100%) (p<0.005). Both, SVR and GWI were impaired (the poorest class C) in 43% HCM patients (with greater left ventricular concentric hypertrophy) vs 93% of ATTR patients (in advanced NYHA class) (p<0.001). In conclusion, assessing SVR and GWI in HFpEF patients with HCM or ATTR can help clinicians to interpret the pathophysiological and clinical features of such complex diseases.

Biogenic-Silver nanoparticles emerge as new nanosilver platfmorm that allow to obtain silver nanoparticles via “green chemistry”. In our study we obtained biogenic-Silver nanoparticles from Iris tuberosa leaves extract. Nanoparticles were characterized by UV-vis spectroscopy, dinnamical light scattering technique and Transmission electron microscope, showing spheric and irregular nanoparticles with 5 to 50 nm in diameter. Antioxidant and antimicrobial properties were evaluated against typical microbial contaminants found in cosmetic products, showing high antioxidant and antimicrobial properties. We formulated a natural moisturizing cream with biogenic-silver nanoparticles to evaluate the preservative efficiency trought challenge test, confirming that our nanoparticles are a promising alternative to use as cosmetic preservative.

Background: Brain oxidative lipid damage and inflammation are common in neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s disease (AD). Paraoxonase-1 and 3 (PON1 and PON3) protein expression have been described in tissues with no PON1 and PON3 gene expression. In the present study, we aimed to examine differences in PON1 and PON3 protein expression in the brain of a mouse model of AD. Methods: We used peroxidase-based and fluorescence-based immunohistochemistry in 5 brain regions (olfactory bulb, forebrain, posterior midbrain, hindbrain and cerebellum) of transgenic (Tg2576) mice with the Swedish mutation (KM670/671NL) responsible for a familial form of AD and corresponding wild-type mice. Results: We found intense PON1 and PON3 positive staining in star-shaped cells surrounding Aβ plaques in all Tg2576 mouse brain regions studied. Although we could not co-localize PON1 and PON3 with astrocytes, brain star-shaped cells, we found some co-localization of PON3 with microglia. Conclusions: These results suggest that 1) PON1 and PON3 cross the blood-brain barrier in discoidal HDLs and are transferred to specific brain cell types, and 2) PON1 and PON3 play an important role in preventing oxidative stress and lipid peroxidation in particular cell types, likely astrocytes and microglia, in AD pathology, and potentially in other neurodegenerative diseases

The aim of this study was to evaluate the emulsification properties of garlic water-soluble compounds (GWSC) after heat treatment (10 min at 95 °C) or pH adjustments (2.5, 3.5 and 7.8). After the various treatments, the extracts were used as such or filtrated (0.45 µm) and 10% soybean oil-in-water emulsions were prepared using low (0.48%) or high (6.55% wt/wt) extract concentrations. Whereas at low GWSC concentration, both heating or acidifying resulted in the formation of bigger oil droplet sizes (i.e. from d32=0.36 µm using unmodified extract, to d32=7–22 µm µm at pH 2.5 with or without extract filtration), the effects were opposite at the highest GWSC concentration. In the latter, heat treatment clearly reduced the droplet size as observed from the micrographs as well as the degree of creaming, though the occurrence of depletion and/or bridging flocculation was still strong. The acidification of the extract at this high GWSC concentration, significantly reduced the droplet size as observed from the micrographs but a strong flocculation was observed. Removal of protein aggregates, and possibly also saponin micelles from the extract, resulted in an obvious increase in emulsion droplet size. This research brings valuable insights on the study and utilisation of novel natural food emulsifiers from plant sources.

Carotenoid and carotenoid esters profiles of peel, pulp and whole fruit tissues of astringent persimmon (Diospyrus kaki Thunb., var. Rojo Brillante) have been characterized in detail and quantified for the first time. Carotenoids were determined by HPLC-PDA-MS/MS (APCI+), using a reverse phase C30 column. A total of 38 carotenoids were identified and quantified, corresponding to 21 free carotenoids (13 xanthophylls and 8 hydrocarbon carotenes) and a total of 17 carotenoid esters. The qualitative profiles are very similar among tissues, differing only in the carotenoids concentration. The most important identified free xanthophylls were (all-E)-β-cryptoxanthin, (all-E)-antheraxanthin, (all-E)-lutein, (all-E)-zeaxanthin and (all-E)-violaxanthin . Hydrocarbon carotenoids found were (all-E)-β-carotene, (all-E)-α-carotene, (9Z)-β-carotene, (13Z)-β-carotene, (9Z)-α-carotene, and lycopene. The most abundant carotenoid esters were (all-E)-lutein-3-O-palmitate, (all-E)-zeaxanthin myristate, (all-E)-zeaxanthin palmitate and (all-E)-cryptoxanthin laurate. Processing by high pressures produced no regular effect on persimmon carotenoids and pasteurization affected negatively the content of all carotenoids from all studied persimmon tissues. This work will contribute to the development of scientific research about the bioaccessibity and bioavailabity of each individual free or esterified persimmon carotenoids in order to a better understanding of the carotenoid compounds impact in human health.

The primary aim of this study is to investigate the relationship of the Mediterranean diet (MD) with metabolic syndrome (MetS) and its components in Caucasian subjects between 35 and 74 years. The secondary aim is to analyze sex differences. Methods: A cross‑sectional trial. This study utilized data from the EVA, MARK, and EVIDENT studies, a total of 3417 subjects with a mean age of 60.14±9.14 years (57% men). MetS was defined based on the Joint Scientific Statement National Cholesterol Education Program III. Waist circumference, blood pressure, fasting plasma glucose, and lipid profile were measured. Adherence to the MD was assessed with the 14-item Mediterranean Diet Adherence Screener (MEDAS) questionnaire used in the PREDIMED study. Good adherence was considered when the MD value was higher than the median value. Results: The mean value of the MEDAS questionnaire was 5.83±2.04; (Men 5.66±2.06 and women 6.04±1.99; p&lt;0.001). Adherence to the MD was observed by 38.6% (34.3% men and 40.3% women; p&lt;0.001). MetS was observed in 41.6% (39.0% men and 45.2%women p&lt;0.001). In the multiple regression analysis after adjusting for possible confounders, the mean MD value showed a negative association with the number of MetS components per subject (β=-0.336), and with the different components of MetS: Systolic blood pressure (β=-0.011), Diastolic blood pressure (β=-0.029), glycemia (β=-0.009), Triglycerides (β=-0.004), Waist circumference (β=-0.026), except with the HDL-cholesterol value which showed a positive association (β=0.021); (p&lt;0.001 in all cases). The adjusted logistic regression models showed that an increase in MDA decreases the probability of MetS (OR =0.56) and its components: blood pressure ≥130/85 mmHg (OR = 0.63), fasting plasma glucose ≥100 mg/dL (OR = 0.62); triglycerides ≥150 mg/dL (OR = 0.65); waist circumference ≥88 cm in women and ≥102 cm in men (OR = 0.74), and increases high-density lipoprotein cholesterol &lt;40 mg/dL in men or &lt;50 mg/dL in women (OR = 1.70); (p&lt;0.001 in all cases). The results by sex were similar, both in multiple regression and logistic regression. Conclusion: The results of this study suggest that a greater adherence to the Mediterranean diet decreases the probability of presenting Mets globally and by sex.

The different vegetable oils used in canned fish as filling medium have a preserving effect and contribute to the palatability of the product. In this study, the colour of European eels and the filling medium (sunflower oil, olive oil or spicy olive oil) was measured at different steps of the canning process. The sensorial characteristics of canned eels packed in the different oils were also evaluated. Colour scores (CieLab values) were higher in canned eels packed in sunflower and spicy olive oil than in canned eels packed in olive oil. The changes in colour parameters depended on the type of oil, the stage of the process and the storage time. Colour changes in canned eels packed in olive oil were highest during the sterilization process. Spicy olive oil was the filling medium in which the colour change was greatest, probably due to the migration of some of the spice components into the oil. Organoleptic properties were directly related to the type of oil used as the filling medium. The canned eels packed in sunflower oil were those awarded the highest scores in consumer tests, although the preferences varied depending on the age and gender of the consumers.

Pinus patula is one of the most planted wood conifer species worldwide; however, no foliar nutrient standards exist for this species up to date. The objective of the present study was to generate and verify two sets of foliar nutrient standards for nearly ten-year-old P. patula trees: critical nutrient concentrations and DRIS norms. Nutrients studied were N, P, K, Ca, Mg, Fe, Cu, Zn, Mn, and B. The reference standards were verified experimentally by installing two fertilization trials; one of them located in Huayacocotla, state of Veracruz and the other one in Aquixtla, state of Puebla, Mexico. Nutrient status of each fertilization trial was correctly predicted by critical nutrient values and DRIS as well. Both standards were able to detect the secondary growth-limiting nutrient deficiency in the Huayacocotla trial, where the primary limitation for growth was scarcity of solar radiation within tree crowns. The limiting nutrient in both experimental trials was K.

Asthma is a significant public health concern. This study identified the provinces with the highest morbidity and mortality rates due to asthma among the working-age population (15-69 years) in the Republic of Ecuador. The secondary objective was to explain the possible differences attribut-able to occupational exposure. This nationwide ecological and exploratory study was conducted in 24 provinces between 2016 and 2019. Government databases were used as sources of infor-mation. Standardized rates were calculated for codes the J45 and J46. The hospitalization mor-bidity rate for asthma decreased from 6.51 to 5.76 cases per 100,000 working-age population, and the mortality rate has consistently been low and stable from 0.14 to 0.15 deaths per 100,000 working-age population. Geographic differences between the provinces were evident. The risk of hospitalization and death due to asthma was higher in the Pacific coast (five provinces) and the Andean region (two provinces). The high rates observed in provinces with greater agricultural and industrial development could be the main determinants of national heterogeneity and could act as occupational risk factors. The contribution of occupational hazards in each province should be examined in depth through ad hoc studies. These findings provide valuable information for creating public policies aimed at promoting and safeguarding the respiratory health of the popu-lation, particularly that of workers.

The fermentation of syngas is an attractive technology that can be integrated with gasification of lignocellulosic biomass. The coupling of these two technologies allows for treating a great variety of raw materials. Lignin usually hinders microbial fermentations; thus, the thermal decomposition of the whole material into small molecules allows for the production of fuels and other types of molecules using syngas as substrate, a process performed at mild conditions. Syngas contains mainly hydrogen, carbon monoxide and carbon dioxide in varying proportions. These gases have a low volumetric energy density, resulting more interesting its conversion into higher energy density molecules. Syngas can be transformed by microorganisms, thus avoiding the use of expensive catalysts, which may be subject to poisoning. However, the fermentation is not free of suffering from inhibitory problems. The presence of trace components in syngas may cause a decrease in fermentation yields or cause a complete cessation of bacteria growth. The presence of tar and hydrogen cyanide are just examples of this fermentation's challenges. Syngas cleaning impairs significant restrictions in technology deployment. The technology may seem promising, but it is still far from large-scale application due to several aspects that still need to find a practical solution.

The world’s human population is reaching record longevities. Consequently, our societies are experiencing the impacts of prolonged longevity, such as increased retirement age. A major hypothesised influence on ageing patterns is resource limitation, formalised under calorie restriction theory. This theory predicts extended organismal longevity due to reduced calorie intake without malnutrition. However, several challenges face current calorie restriction (CR) research and, although several attempts have been made to overcome these challenges, there is still a lack of holistic understanding of how CR shapes organismal vitality. Here, we conduct a literature review of 222 CR peer-reviewed publications to summarise the state-of-the-art in the field. We use this summary to highlight challenges of CR research in our understanding of its impacts on longevity. Our review demonstrates that experimental research in this field is biased towards short-lived species (98.2% of studies examine species with <5 years of mean life expectancy) and lacks realism in key areas, such as stochastic environments or interactions with other environmental drivers such as temperature. We argue that only by considering a range of short- and long-lived species and by taking more realistic approaches can the impacts of CR on longevity be examined and validated in natural settings. We conclude by proposing experimental designs and study species that will allow the discipline to gain a much-needed understanding of how restricting caloric intake affects long-lived species in realistic settings. Through incorporating more experimental realism, we anticipate crucial insights that will ultimately shape the myriad of socio-bio-economic impacts of senescence in humans and other species across the Tree of Life.

Metabolic-associated fatty liver disease (MASLD) is not only associated with traditional cardiovascular risk factors such as T2DM and obesity, but it is also an independent risk factor for the development of cardiovascular disease. MASLD has been shown to be independently related to endothelial dysfunction and atherosclerosis. MASLD is characterized by a chronic proinflammatory response that, in turn, may induce a prothrombotic state. Several mechanisms such as endothelial and platelet dysfunction, changes in the coagulation cascade, decreased fibrinolytic activity can contribute to induce the prothrombotic state. Platelets are players and addresses of metabolic dysregulation; obesity and insulin resistance are related to platelet hyperactivation. Furthermore, platelets can exert a direct effect on liver cells, particularly through the release of mediators from granules. Growing data in literature support the use of antiplatelet agent as a treatment for MASLD. The use of antiplatelets drugs seems to have potential clinical implication for the prevention of HCC patients with MASLD, since platelets contribute to fibrosis progression and cancer development. This review aims to summarize the main data on the role of platelets in the pathogenesis of MAFLD and its main complications such as cardiovascular events and the development of liver fibrosis. Furthermore, we will examine the role of antiplatelet therapy not only in the prevention and treatment of cardiovascular events but also as a possible anti-fibrotic and anti-tumor agent.

A substantial body of phenomenological and theoretical work over the last few years strengthens the possibility that the vacuum energy density (VED) of the universe is dynamical, and in particular that it adopts the `running vacuum model' (RVM) form, in which the VED evolves mildly as $\delta \rho_{\rm vac}(H)\sim \nu_{\rm eff} m_{\rm Pl}^2{\cal O}\left(H^2\right)$, where $H$ is the Hubble rate and $\nu_{\rm eff}$ is a (small) free parameter. This dynamical scenario is grounded on recent studies of quantum field theory (QFT) in curved spacetime and also on string theory. It turns out that what we call the `cosmological constant', $\Lambda$, is no longer a rigid parameter but the nearly sustained value of $8\pi G(H)\rho_{\rm vac}(H)$ around (any) given epoch $H(t)$, where $G(H)$ is the gravitational coupling, which can also be very mildly running (logarithmically). Of particular interest is the possibility suggested in past works that such a running may help to cure the cosmological tensions afflicting the $\Lambda$CDM. In the current study, we reanalyze it in full and we find it becomes further buttressed. Using the modern cosmological data, namely a compilation of the latest SNIa+BAO+$H(z)$+LSS+CMB observations, we probe to which extent the RVM provides a quality fit better than the concordance $\Lambda$CDM model, paying particular emphasis on its impact on the $\sigma_8$ and $H_0$ tensions. We utilize the Einstein-Boltzmann system solver \texttt{CLASS} and the Monte Carlo sampler \texttt{MontePython} for the statistical analysis, as well as the statistical DIC criterion to compare the running vacuum against the rigid vacuum ($\nu_{\rm eff} = 0$). On fundamental grounds, $\nu_{\rm eff}$ receives contributions from all the quantized matter fields in FLRW spacetime. We show that with a tiny amount of vacuum dynamics ($|\nu_{\rm eff}|\ll 1$) the global fit can improve significantly with respect to the $\CC$CDM and the mentioned tensions may subside to inconspicuous levels.

Background and objectives Osteoporotic vertebral compression fractures, particularly prevalent among the aging population, constitute a pressing global healthcare challenge. They often are unnoticed until severe pain and disability manifest, making them an underdiagnosed and undertreated condition. Patients who suffer from these fractures not only endure excruciating pain but also face diminished quality of life, impaired mobility, and the risk of respiratory compromise due to altered spinal alignment. The economic repercussions of vertebral compression fractures are substantial. Hospitalization costs, rehabilitation expenses, long-term care, and indirect costs related to lost productivity significantly burden healthcare systems and society at large , offering a promising avenue for enhancing patient outcomes and relieving the healthcare and societal financial strain posed by vertebral compression fractures. Kyphoplasty, a minimally invasive surgical technique, offers rapid pain relief, vertebral height restoration and improved function. Recognizing the importance of early intervention, this manuscript highlights the potential of kyphoplasty in mitigating both clinical and economic consequences. By addressing these fractures more effectively, kyphoplasty may potentially reduce long-term healthcare expenses and indirect costs. Material and Methods 66 randomized patients were divided into 2 treatment groups (kyphoplasty using single balloon and double balloon), analyzing radiographic and clinical parameters during 12 months of follow-up. Results Patients treated with double balloon obtained greater anterior and posterior vertebral height after reduction and a better local vertebral angle. Both groups of patients obtained clinical improvement after treatment (VAS and ODI), with no differences between the groups. Conclusion Patients treated with double balloon kyphoplasty had better radiographic results. This revision manuscript delves into the critical dimensions of these fractures, encompassing demographics, clinical consequences, challenges in diagnosis and management, and their profound economic impact. This manuscript serves to introduce an improved kyphoplasty technique to guide to the multifaceted nature of osteoporotic vertebral compression fractures and their management.

During fertilization, the fusion of the spermatozoa with the oocytes causes the release of calcium from the oocyte endoplasmatic reticulum. This, in turn, triggers a series of calcium ion (Ca2+) oscillations, a process known as oocyte activation. The sperm-specific factor responsible for oocyte activation is phospholipase C zeta (PLCζ). Men undergoing intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) with their spermatozoa lacking PLCζ are incapable of generating Ca2+oscillation, leading to fertilization failure. The immunofluorescence assay is the most used technique to assess the expression and localization of PLCζ and to diagnose patients with reduced/absent ability to activate the oocytes. In these patients, the use of assisted oocyte activation (AOA) technique can help to yield successful ICSI results and shorten the time of pregnancy. However, the production of a stable PLCζ recombinant protein represents a new powerful therapeutic approach to treating individuals with this condition. We aim to conduct a systematic review focusing on the expression, level, and localization of PLCζ, discussing the novel genetic mutation associated with its impairment. In addition, we highlight the benefits of AOA, looking at new and less invasive methods to diagnose and treat cases with PLCζ dysfunction ability.

The present article proposes a complete framework for Supply Chain Strategy (SCS) analysis that is adapted to the specific characteristics of the agrifood chain, thereby facilitating management of the former. As a specific case of analysis, the horticultural supply chain, originating in Spain and ending with the European consumer, is analyzed, taking as a reference the marketing companies at origin (mainly social economy companies, i.e.; cooperatives). In addition, a survey of marketing companies is conducted to possibly determine which explicit cooperative growth strategies may include horizontal and vertical collaboration relationships with other members of the chain. The aim is to analyze with whom the cooperative collaborates within the supply chain and the key points of such collaboration. A model analyzing the influence of collaboration on company performance is also considered. The results reveal that, in recent years, aspects related to quality and health have been surpassed and replaced by the concept of sustainability within a framework of collaboration with customers. In any case, it becomes evident that there is a need to expand collaboration within the chain by incorporating the supplier of the supplier, with the aim of making the chain more profitable.

The availability of current land cover and land use (LCLU) information for monitoring the status of land resources has considerable value in ensuring sustainable land use planning. Similarly, the need to provide updated information on the extent of LCLU change in West Africa has become apparent, given the increasing demand for land resources driven by the rapid population growth in the sub-region. SERVIR West Africa, a regional consortium jointly supported by USAID and NASA to foster the use of geospatial and earth observation data and science for decision-making on critical environmental and food security challenges, in collaboration with the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), is building technical capacity in the sub-region to develop and implement harmonized regional land cover classification system for LULC change monitoring in West Africa, based on the Land Cover Meta Language (LCML-ISO 19144-2). This article focuses on the process, potential opportunities, outputs of this collaboration, exemplary use cases, and recommendations for the next steps.

Agriculture in Morocco has been extensive until the middle of the 20th century due to the distribution of rainfall and the availability of water. In the middle of the last century hydraulic works were built that allowed the transition to intensive agriculture by the increase of irrigated areas, allowing that in the territories where there is water for irrigation and the climate allows it, the crops adapt to the demands of the market. The objective of the study is to assess by satellite images the land cover between 1985 and 2020, analyzing the changes in cultivation areas, as well as the changes in desert, sub-desert and forest areas of the Oum Er Rbia hydrological basin in Morocco. Landsat satellite images have been used since 1984 by the US government (Aerospace and Geological Agencies). A series of vegetation indices (NDVI, RVI, TNDVI and EVI) have been used; among which TNDVI (Transformed Normalized Vegetation Index) stands out for its better accuracy, which has allowed us to distinguish vegetation in cultivated and forest areas, as well as arid zones. In addition, the study has compared the use of two methodologies to calculate changes in the coverage of the Earth’s surface, has used local image processing from the Sentinel Application Platform tool and has also used the Google Earth Engine tool. The latter being the most optimal, although at the moment it has great limitations. In both methodologies and in the different indices it has been possible to observe during these 35 years as the cultivated area has increased (related to the availability of water by the construction of reservoirs and canals), how plant cover has improved in forest areas, and a range of variations in arid areas.

When a low-salience stimulus of any type of sensory modality—auditory, visual, tactile—shortly precedes an unexpected startle-like stimulus, such as the acoustic startle reflex, the startle motor reaction becomes less pronounced or is even abolished. This phenomenon is known as prepulse inhibition (PPI), and it provides operational measures of information processing by filtering out irrelevant stimuli. Because PPI implies plasticity of a reflex and is related to automatic or attentional processes, depending on the interstimulus intervals, this behavioral paradigm might be considered a potential marker of short- and long-term plasticity. Assessment of PPI is directly related to the examination of neural sensorimotor gating mechanisms, which are plastic adaptive operations for preventing overstimulation and help the brain focus on a specific stimulus among other distracters. Despite their obvious importance in normal brain activity, little is known about the intimate physiology, circuitry, and neurochemistry of sensorimotor gating mechanisms. In this work, we extensively review the current literature focusing on studies that used state-of-the-art techniques to interrogate the neuroanatomy, connectomics, neurotransmitter-receptor functions, and sex-derived differences in the PPI process, and how we can harness it as biological marker in neurological and psychiatric pathology.

Recent COVID-19 outbreak has come into prominence the pathogenetic mechanisms underlying the Biology and Biochemistry of viral infections. COVID-19 illness is brought about by infection with the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 [1,2], an enveloped positive single stranded RNA virus (ssRNA+). From a lipidomics viewpoint, there is a variety of mechanisms involving virus infection that encompass virus entry, disturbance of host cell lipid metabolism, and the role played by diverse lipids in regard to the infection effectiveness. All these aspects have currently been tackled separately as independent issues and focusing on the function of proteins. Here we review the role of cholesterol and other lipids in in ssRNA+ and SARS-COV-2 infection.

In various models of chronic kidney disease, the amount and localization of Cx43 in the nephron is known to increase, but the intracellular pathways that regulate these changes have not been identified. Therefore, we proposed that: "In the model of renal damage induced by infusion of angiotensin II (AngII), a RhoA/ROCK-dependent pathway, is activated and regulates the abundance of renal Cx43”. In rats, we evaluated: 1) the time-point where the renal damage induced by AngII is no longer reversible; and 2) the involvement of a RhoA/ROCK-dependent pathway and its relationship with the amount of Cx43 in this irreversible stage. Systolic blood pressure (SBP) and renal function (urinary protein/urinary creatinine: Uprot/UCrea) were evaluated as systemic and organ outcomes, respectively. In kidney tissue, we also evaluated: 1) oxidative stress (amount of thiobarbituric acid reactive species), 2) inflammation (immunoperoxidase detection of the inflammatory markers ED-1 and IL-1β), 3) fibrosis (immune detection of type III collagen; Col III) and 4) activity of RhoA/ROCK (amount of phosphorylated MYPT1; p-MYPT1). The ratio Uprot/UCrea, SBP, oxidative stress, inflammation, amount of Cx43 and p-MYPT1 remained high 2 weeks after suspending AngII treatment in rats treated for 4 weeks with AngII. These responses were not observed in rats treated with AngII for less than 4 weeks, in which all measurements returned spontaneously close to the control values after suspending AngII treatment. Rats treated with AngII for 6 weeks and co-treated for the last 4 weeks with Fasudil, an inhibitor of ROCK, showed high SBP but did not present renal damage or increased amount of renal Cx43. Therefore, renal damage induced by AngII correlates with the activation of RhoA/ROCK and the increase in Cx43 amounts and can be prevented by inhibitors of this pathway.

Cable-supported façades represent a novel approach in the design and technology of double skin façades (DSF). This type of systems not only offer flexibility in terms of exterior finishes, but also regulates the access of solar radiation, thereby transforming the appearance of the building in response to varying daylight conditions. However, the structural performance of these façades under wind, impact and seismic loads remains an active area of research. The study is a groundbreaking work that experimentally evaluates the wind and seismic behaviour of these type of façades. The methodology used for the evaluation of flexible masonry facades includes laboratory tests analysing the individual capacity of the connections and materials of the system under standardized and non-standardized procedures. A full-scale experimental sub-assembly specimen of a representative module of the façade is also subjected to uniformly distributed pressures of wind load tests as well as hard body and soft body impact tests. The setup considered the border conditions, tension loads, and actual materials. Furthermore, the earthquake assessment includes tests of full-scale specimens subjected to these demands. Research findings allowed the refinement and redesign of the system's components granting the validation of the DSF used as a case study.

Iberian ham, a traditional Spanish meat product, is renowned for its unique nutritional and sensory attributes, garnering widespread appreciation both domestically and internationally [1]. It is one of the most outstanding Spanish gastronomic treasures, with very special nutritional and sensory properties that make it highly appreciated throughout the world [2]. Recent trends indicate a notable surge in its consumption, a pattern projected to persist [3]. For an enhanced online shopping experience, understanding the specific characteristics and requirements of various consumer segments is crucial. This study aims to scrutinize national Iberian ham consumption patterns and, through survey methodologies, discern the preferences and needs of online consumers purchasing whole Iberian hams. The subsequent cluster analysis will empower suppliers with insights to pinpoint business prospects and craft segment-specific online marketing strategies.

The high sensitivity of chiroptical responses to conformational changes and supramolecular interactions has prompted an increasing interest in the development of chiroptical applications. However, prediction and understanding the chiroptical responses of the necessary large systems may not be affordable for calculations at high levels of theory. In order to facilitate the development of chiroptical applications, methodologies capable of evaluating the chiroptical responses of large systems are necessary. Exciton chirality method has been extensively used for the interaction between two independent chromophores through the Davydov model. For systems presenting C2 or D2 symmetry one can get to the same results by applying the selection rules. In the present article, analysis of the selection rules for systems with symmetries Cn and Dn with n = 3 and 4 is used to uncover the origin of their chiroptical responses. We hope that the use of the chiroptical symmetry analysis (CSA) for systems presenting the symmetries explored herein as well as for systems presenting higher symmetries will serve as a useful tool for the development of chiroptical applications.

One of the current challenges in Higher Education is the development of students’ emotional competencies, and consequently, how these competencies can be trained. Moreover, this must be addressed within the UN framework of inclusive, equitable, quality education (United Nations Agenda 2030) (SDG 4). To address this challenge, the present study set the following objectives: (1) to analyze pre-service teachers’ level of interest in EI and their perceived level of general EI knowledge, (2) to examine their self-perception of certain variables of emotional knowledge, according to their degree program and year of studies, (3) to analyze the relationship between these emotional knowledge variables and perceived emotional intelligence (EI); and (4) to study the predictive capacity of the study variables on future teachers' emotional knowledge variables. The study sample contained a total of 434 university students from three degree programs at two universities in Spain, of which 82.70% were women, and the mean age was 20.91 years. Two instruments were used: an ad hoc questionnaire, which assessed perceived emotional knowledge according to three variables (General knowledge of EI, where level of training in EI is considered; Intrapersonal knowledge of EI; and Theoretical-practical knowledge related to teaching), and the Trait Meta-Mood Scale (TMMS-24), which assesses metaknowledge of emotional states across three variables (Attention, Clarity, and Repair). Results of the study suggest that there are differences in perceived EI knowledge according to students' year of studies and according to their degree, and indicate that students present high interest, while their perceived level of knowledge is low. In addition, emotional clarity is the EI variable that was identified as being important in the emotional knowledge of future teachers. This study shows evidence of the importance of social-emotional competencies in initial teacher training.

Local Productive Systems (hereinafter LPS) based on agro-food industries constitute alternative models of development in peripheral rural areas that are subject to internal and external dynamics and processes. The main objective of the research is to investigate the processes and their consequences on four SPLs based on the Iberian Pig Transformation Industry (hereinafter LPS-IPTI) in SW Spain: Fregenal de la Sierra, Higuera la Real, Cumbres Mayores and Jabugo. Using secondary data, a comparison is made between 2002 and 2020 to establish the changes, causes and consequences on the LPS-IPTI studied. The results obtained indicate (1) business and territorial concentration of LPS-IPTI; (2) productive and territorial specialisation in standardised products and quality products; (3) simplification of industrial processes; (4) loss of employment, especially female; (5) external control of companies in the sector which, accordingly, results in the loss of prominence of local actors in favour of foreign companies, reduced social capital and the progressive loss of ownership of the LPS.

Wind is one of the factors that has a great influence on suspended matter in lakes, especially in shallow lagoons. In order to know how wind affects the water in Albufera of Valencia, a shallow coastal lagoon, the measured variables of turbidity and transparency have been correlated with the estimates by processing Sentinel-2 satellite images with the Sen2Cor processor. Data from four years of study show that most of them are light to gentle easterly breezes and moderate to fresh westerly breezes. The results obtained show significant correlations between the measured variables and those obtained from the satellite images for total suspended matter and water transparency and with the average daily wind speed. There is no significant correlation between wind and chlorophyll a. Moderate to fresh breezes resuspend the fine sediment reaching concentration values from 100 to 300 mg L-1 according to satellite data. However, it is necessary to obtain field data for the values of moderate and fresh winds, as for now there are no experimental data to verify the validity of the satellite estimates.

The aims of this paper are twofold. First, it is shown, for the first time, which types of nonsmooth functions are characterized by all vector critical points as being efficient or weakly efficient solutions of vector optimization problems in constrained and unconstrained scenarios on Hadamard manifolds. This implies the need to extend different concepts, such as the Karush--Kuhn--Tucker vector critical points and generalized invexity functions, to Hadamard manifolds. The relationships between these quantities are clarified through a great number of explanatory examples. Second, we present an economic application proving that Nash's critical and equilibrium points coincide in the case of invex payoff functions.

Self-perceived health is an important indicator of occupational health. This research explores the relationship between poor self-perceived health and exposure to psychosocial risk factors, taking into account potential socio-demographic, occupational and employment determinants. Using data from the First Survey of Occupational Safety and Health Conditions covering 1049 salaried workers in Guayaquil, Ecuador descriptive and stratified binary logistic regression analyses (Odds Ratios with corresponding 95% confidence intervals) were carried out. No significant relationship was found between exposure to psychosocial risk factors and the probability of presenting poor self-perceived health by socio-demographic, occupational and employment characteristics. Occupational exposure factors to psychosocial risks are predictors of self-perceived ill health and are related to the variables analyzed; the most frequently expressed factors among the respondents were Cognitive Demands (DGOG) and Job Insecurity (IL). The results have implications in terms of designing effective workplace interventions pursuant of ensuring the health and wellbeing of employee.