The influence of hafnium metal (Hf) and sulfate ions (SO₄^-2) on the acidic properties of SiO₂ mesopores synthesized by a non-hydrothermal method was studied using the following characterization techniques; TG-DTG, XRD, BET, SEM, TEM, EDS, FTIR, n-butylamine titration, FTIR-pyridine, and alcohol dehydration. The incorporation of 3.6% mol of Hf during the silicate synthesis step caused the characteristic structural arrangement of MCM-41 to collapse. However, an increase in the acid strength of the catalyst of up to 315 mV was observed, with Brönsted and Lewis-type acid sites being mostly present therein. Furthermore, the acidity of Hf- and (SO₄^-2) -modified SiO₂ in the dehydration of ethanol and methanol was evaluated, resulting in a selectivity towards ethylene and dimethyl ether, respectively. Acid solids have enormous potential to produce important compounds for the chemical industry using alternative routes other than petrochemical processes. They also represent a significant advance for biorefineries.

In this work, a modeling technique utilizing the P-Graph framework was used for a case 1 study involving biomass-based local energy production. In recent years, distributed energy systems 2 gained attention. These systems aim at satisfying energy supply demands, supporting the local 3 economy, decreasing transportation needs and dependence on imports, and in general obtaining a 4 more sustainable energy production process. Designing such systems is a challenge, for which novel 5 optimization approaches were developed to help decision-making. Previous work used the P-Graph 6 framework to optimize energy production in a small rural area, involving manure, intercrops, grass, 7 and corn silage as inputs, and fermenters. Biogas is produced in fermenters, and Combined Heat 8 and Power (CHP) plants provide heat and electricity. A more recent result introduced the concept of 9 operations with flexible inputs in the P-Graph framework. In this work, the concept of flexible inputs 10 was applied to model fermenters in the original case study. A new implementation of the original 11 decision problem was made both as a Mixed-Integer Linear Programming (MILP) model and as a 12 purely P-Graph model by using the flexible input technique. Both approaches provided the same 13 optimal solution, with a 31% larger profit than originally reported.

Before the Bronze age, when agricultural practices spread throughout the Iberian Peninsula, the diet of natives was based on hunting, fishing and gathering wild plants. On spite of modern agriculture, the popular gathering of wild species for medical use, feeding, craftwork, etc. for centuries, has left a deep knowledge on the use of many of those species. Of the 6.176 Angiosperms native to the Iberian Peninsula and the Balearic Islands, over 200 species were introduced into cultivation from the Neolithic outside the Iberian Peninsula. The name of 30 of the progenitors still popularly used as food, are listed in this paper, together with the name of the derived crops. Special attention is paid to five wild species, including their composition and pharmacological properties, collected as food from ancient times, that in response to their great demand, have been recently introduced into cultivation in Spain and are now harvested and commercialized as new crops.

Fiber-cement composites were prepared from cellulosic cotton residue (CCR) arise from sanding process (emerizing). The effect of different concentrations: 0.5% and 1%, and granulometry: thick (retained in a14 mesh sieve) and thin (retained in a 48 mesh sieve) of this residue were evaluated on tensile strength of cement slurries with seven (07) curing days. To characterize the CCR, TGA, FT-IR, SEM and XRD analysis were performed and the residue resistance in an alkaline environment was also evaluated. Splitting tensile strength test, known as Brazilian Test, was used to assess effects of the fibers on the mechanical behavior of cement matrix. Analyzing the results, the CCR proved to be resistant in an alkaline environment, meaning that it can withstand the alkaline environment of cement matrix. The results showed an improvement superior to 17% in tensile strength for 1% of CCR. Therefore, the CCR presents a great application potential in cement pastes used for oil well cementing that requires to increase its tensile strength, once a significant improvement was achieved with a low-residue employee.

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.

The objective of this study was to carry out the extraction and characterization of chitin and chitosan from the exoskeletons of the Farfantepenaeus californiensis species of shrimp, as well as its application in the formulation of polymeric films plasticized with glycerol used in the process of food packaging. The characterization of the extracted polymer was made by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), Scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and physicochemical analysis of chitin and chitosan, resulting in a theoretical performance of 29.33% and 16.46%, respectively. In terms of quality, it was determined that the extracted chitosan had a molecular weight of 1.10 x105 g/mol and a deacetylation degree of 80.23%, which classifies it as a low-molecular weight chitosan, suitable for food packaging. It was shown that the extracted chitosan is fit for the production of the films by using the casting method, presenting a tension resistance of 1 MPa. The Antibacterial analysis was carried out using Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) and Escherichia coli (E. coli), bacterial models commonly found in food. The results showed an effective inhibition capability of the polymeric materials. Overall, the results for both chitosan and the films indicate a high potential for application in the food packaging sector.

In recent years, the use of gamified systems in education has increased due to the growing empirical evidence of their usefulness in improving motivation and participation in learning processes. In order to take advantage of the opportunities for improvement in education presented by gamification, plus the decision to create gamified systems in higher education, this article investigates the willingness of student teachers to learn with gamified systems. The research method is quantitative with validated instruments to measure: 1) student perception of gamification; 2) player profile; and 3) screen time, with an n=569 student teachers from the fifteen regions of Chile. The results show that students prefer to learn with gamified systems than in a traditional way with a significant difference (Wilcoxon z= -18.86, p < 0.01). There are significant positive and negative relationships in correspondence with the Gamer Profile. However, as a finding, a negative relationship was found between the number of hours spent playing video games and the perception of learning through gamified systems. In conclusion, Chilean student teachers present a favorable disposition to teacher training with gamified systems. However, the disposition varies in relation to the number of hours spent playing video games.

Water stress is one of the main factors affecting the development of agricultural crops. An inno-vative alternative to improve tolerance to water stress is the application of biostimulants. In the present study, the efficacy and physiological and biochemical responses of different biostimulants were evaluated in beans under moderate and severe stress. The treatments consisted of three types of irrigation: FC100, without water stress, FC75, irrigation reduced by 25% (moderate water stress) and FC50, irrigation reduced by 50% (severe water stress). In the treatments with water deficit, foliar biostimulants were applied: zinc oxide nanoparticles plus chitosan, Codasil®, Osmoplant®, Stimplex® and salicylic acid. Foliar application of ZnO + chitosan nanoparticles benefited biomass accumulation and yield under moderate water stress (FC75) and Codasil® and Osmoplant® under severe water stress (FC50). Proline, free sugars and gas exchange were higher under the application of ZnO + chitosan nanoparticles under moderate water stress and under Codasil® and Osmoplant® under severe water stress. Depending on the severity of water stress, ZnO + chitosan nanoparticles, Codasil® and Osmoplant® are viable products to increase tolerance in green bean cv. Strike plants.

Anxiety, chronical stress and depression during pregnancy are considered to affect the offspring, presumably through placental dysregulation. We have studied the term placentae of pregnancies clinically monitored with the Beck’s Anxiety Inventory (BAI) and Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS). A cutoff threshold for BAI/EPDS of 10 classed patients into an Index group (>10, n=23) and a Control group (<10, n=23). Cortisol concentrations in hair (HCC) were periodically monitored throughout pregnancy and delivery. Expression differences of main glucocorticoid pathway genes: i.e. corticotropin-releasing hormone (CRH), 11β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase (HSD11B2), glucocorticoid receptor (NR3C1), as well as other key stress biomarkers (Arginine Vasopressin, AVP and O-GlcNAc transferase, OGT) were explored in medial placentae using real-time qPCR and western blotting. Moreover, gene expression changes were considered for their association with HCC, offspring, gender and birthweight. A significant dysregulation of gene expression for CRH, AVP and HSD11B2 genes was seen in the Index group, compared to controls, while OGT and NR3C1 expression remained similar between groups. Placental gene expression of the stress-modulating enzyme 11β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase (HSD11B2) was related to both hair cortisol levels (Rho= 0.54; p<0.01) and the sex of the newborn in pregnancies perceived as stressful (Index, p<0.05). Gene expression of CRH correlated with both AVP (Rho= 0.79; p<0.001) and HSD11B2 (Rho= 0.45; p<0.03), and also between AVP with both HSD11B2 (Rho= 0.6; p<0.005) and NR3C1 (Rho= 0.56; p<0.03) in the Control group but not in the Index group; suggesting a possible loss of interaction in the mechanisms of action of these genes under stress circumstances during pregnancy.

Current environmental conditions have prompted agri-food systems to explore new strategies for improving the production of crops in a sustainable manner. The use of omeprazole (OMP) and melatonin (MEL) have been proposed as innovative strategy for crop improvement when applied as biostimulants. However, although their role in the growth of several species has been studied, the results in photosynthetic efficiency parameters are still scarce. Therefore, the objec-tive of the present study was to evaluate the effect of foliar application of OMP and MEL on bi-omass, yield, SPAD values, leaf chlorophyll fluorescence (Fv/Fm), photochemical quenching (qP), Non-photochemical quenching (NPQ), quantum yield of photosystem II (PhiPSII) and elec-tron transport rate (ETR) in bean plants. Treatments were applied separately at doses of 1, 10, and 100 µM, plus a control without application. The results obtained indicate that OMP and MEL were able to increase biomass, yield, SPAD values, as well as photochemical quenching, fluores-cence, and PhiPSII coefficients. Finally, it is concluded that foliar application of OMP and MEL at a dose of 1 and 10 µM can increase photosynthetic efficiency and decrease photoinhibition, which is reflected in higher biomass accumulation and yield in green bean plants cv. Strike.

Low efficiency and excessive application of nitrogen (N) fertilizers is a frequent problem in agriculture that impacts the environment. Omeprazole (OMP) has been reported to promote N uptake and assimilation in tomato, basil, and corn. However, information about the effect of omeprazole on N assimilation, recovery and N use efficiency parameters for bean plants is limited. Therefore, the objective of the present study was to determine the effect of foliar application of OMP at 0, 1, 10 and 100 µM on nitrogen assimilation, growth, yield, nitrogen use efficiency parameters and recovery percentage in green bean plants. Green bean plants cv. Strike grown in pots were used. Biomass, yield, nitrate reductase activity, photosynthetic pigments concentration, soluble amino acids and protein concentration, total nitrogen concentration, nitrogen use efficiency parameters and nitrogen recovery were analyzed. The results obtained indicate that the application of OMP at 1 µM increased yield, biomass and promoted N assimilation through higher NR enzyme activity, higher amino acid concentration, higher N use efficiency coefficient and allowed a more efficient nitrogen recovery percentage.

The FTF (Fusarium Transcription Factor) gene family is composed of two members (FTF1 and FTF2) with high sequence homology. Both genes encode Zn(II)2Cys6 binuclear zinc finger transcription factors involved in the modulation of virulence in the F. oxysporum species complex (FOSC). While FTF1 is a multicopy gene exclusive of highly virulent strains of FOSC and is located in the accessory genome, FTF2 is a single copy gene, located in the core genome, and well conserved in all filamentous ascomycete fungi, except yeast. The involvement of FTF1 in the colonization of the vascular system and regulation of the expression of SIX effectors has been stablished. To address the role of FTF2 we generated and characterized null FTF2 mutants in a F. oxysporum f. sp. phaseoli weakly virulent strain and analyzed them together with the equivalent mutants formerly obtained in a highly virulent strain. The results obtained highlight a role for FTF2 as a negative regulator of the production of macroconidia and demonstrate that it is required for full virulence and positive regulation of SIX effectors. In addition, gene expression analyses provide compelling evidence that FTF2 is involved in the regulation of hydrophobins likely required for plant colonization.

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 air transport industry has experienced important transformations over the last decades, despite its continuous global trend of growth. After air transport liberalization process, the present market situation depicts a reduced number of large hub & spoke airlines and an important number of so-called low-cost carriers (LCC). One may wonder why airlines that were once thriving and profitable before liberalization have disappeared, some even recently amid an expansion in demand. To answer that question and others related to it, this paper proposes a management model focused on the airline business, putting in relation the main variables defining the business behavior of an airline. The lessons learned from the past, and the solutions gathered from the model related with, will provide a sound basis to address the new challenges for the next years to come, as it is the case of the new environmental regulations focused on the air transport decarbonization.

In recent decades, there has been a rising demand for anti-aging interventions aimed at postponing or potentially reversing indicators of skin aging. The use of collagen-based nutraceutical supplements has gained popularity as they have shown promise in enhancing skin health and reducing signs of aging. The aim of this randomized, placebo-controlled, blinded study was to investigate the effects of 2.5 g COLLinstant® LMW, a novel cosmeceutical containing low molecular weight (≤ 1000 Da) collagen peptides, on skin aging and health. The trial was conducted in 80 healthy women aged 30 years and older. They received a daily oral dose of either the food supplement (n = 40) or placebo (n = 40) for six weeks. Skin assessment was performed based on validated objective methods, such as Visioface 1000D (skin wrinkling), cutometry (elasticity and fatigue) and corneometry (skin hydration) at baseline (T0), and at week 6 (T6). After 6 weeks, participants that received collagen had significant improvements in biometric skin wrinkle parameters from baseline, with a reduction in volume by 46%, in area by 44%, and in depth by 9%, along with a greater increase in skin moisturization (by 34%) than those in the placebo group (p &lt; 0.001). The food supplement did not significantly modify skin firmness or fatigue and had only slight beneficial effects on skin elasticity. The investigational product was well tolerated. The observed effects aligned closely with the subjective assessments reported by study participants. The study provides substantiated evidence supporting the efficacy of low molecular weight collagen peptides in restoring altered skin biometric parameters, as objectively assessed. Thus, regular supplementation with this nutraceutical may contribute to achieving smoother and more radiant skin.

This paper aims to establish a current relationship between pharmaceutical sciences and the development of perfumes and fragrances, which bring significant economic benefits and whose added value is among other professionals, the one made by professionals in Pharmacy. For this purpose, historical data are used as a starting point and galenic, chemical and botanical aspects are discussed in a transversal way. In this sense, it must be taken into account that in the case of Spanish pharmacy, it is closely linked to the knowledge and use of plants. Sources such as Web of Science (WOS) and databases such as Scopus, monographs and various web pages (where scientific-technical documents appear) have been used. The results and discussion are based on the selection of the 50 plant species most commonly used in high quality fragrances. Therefore, this publication should be considered as an approach to this subject based on an analysis of a representative sample of data. Some characteristics of perfumes (classification according to the concentration of essential oils and combination of plant extracts) are presented beforehand. They also briefly compile the traditional and modern ways in the treatment of these extracts. The main focus of this work is the botanical and chemical analysis of these described plants, pointing out their common name, correct botanical name, geographical place of origin, used part of the plant and main molecules. The 50 botanical species belong to 27 families of angiosperms and are represented in a large part of the phylogenetic tree of botanical systematics. The most significant families are aromatic: Rutaceae (16.7%), Lamiaceae (16.7%) and Apiaceae (6.5%). The most represented genus is Citrus (with seven species or hybrids). However, it should be noted that natural extracts of good quality natural fragrances may be supplemented with chemically synthesized molecules. Of the 50 botanical species selected, 84% of the extracts have their origin in Tropical Asia, the Middle East and the Mediterranean region. This figure generally coincides with the percentage of medicinal plants (or their extracts) admitted by the European Pharmacopoeia. All parts of a plant (depending on which one it is) can be a source of molecules for the elaboration of these products. The most commonly used parts to obtain extracts are flowers (34%) and leaves (30%), a biological circumstance that is explained in this work. On the opposite side are the resins (10%), rhizomes and roots (8%). In this work, 110 molecules have been found that are part of the essences of perfumes and fragrances, the most frequent are: linalool, limonene, 1,8-cineole, eugenol and derivatives, geraniol, vanillin and derivatives, β-cariophyllene, p-cmene and farnesene and derivatives (3.64%). However, in order to elaborate a quality perfume, many other molecules must be taken into account, according to the creative experience of the perfumer, which is subject to confidentiality and chemical analysis according to current legislation, which would avoid fraud, allergy and dermatitis problems.

Background. ADHD is a neurodevelopmental disorder that is accompanied by executive deficits. Objectives. To obtain evidence of the usefulness of the BRIEF-P and to analyse the possible ceiling and floor effect of its scores in the assessment of executive function in preschoolers with signs compatible with a possible diagnosis of ADHD. Methods. Seven articles were selected from 2538 potentially eligible articles from different databases. We included studies assessing samples of individuals with symptoms compatible with ADHD, with age range 2-6 years, published in English or Spanish, during the period 2012-2022. References published in: Science Direct, NCBI (PubMed), ProQuest Education Journals in the last decade. Risk of bias was assessed using the QUADAS-2 questionnaire. The main variables were: age and executive functioning. Conclusions. Executive deficits in early-life individuals with ADHD-compatible symptoms are more extensive than deficits in working memory. BRIEF-P is an instrument that facilitates obtaining a sensitive and discriminative executive profile. It should be used in combination with other neuropsychological performance tests, finding a floor effect in tests associated with warm executive functions and a ceiling effect in cold executive functions. This requires using a variety of tests to assess executive performance in preschoolers with symptoms compatible with ADHD and designing intervention proposals in line with them...

Polymers in highly confined geometries can display complex morphologies including ordered phases. A basic component of a theoretical analysis of their phase behavior in confined geometries is the knowledge of the number of possible single-chain conformations compatible with the geometrical restrictions and the established crystalline morphology. While the statistical properties of unrestricted self-avoiding random walks (SAWs) both on and off-lattice are very well known, the same is not true for SAWs in confined geometries. The purpose of this contribution is a) to enumerate the number of SAWs on the simple cubic (SC) and face-centered cubic (FCC) lattices under confinement for moderate SAW lengths, and b) to obtain an approximate expression for their behavior as a function of chain length, type of lattice, and degree of confinement. This information is an essential requirement for the understanding and prediction of entropy-driven phase transitions of model polymer chains under confinement. In addition, a simple geometric argument is presented that explains, to first order, the dependence of the number of restricted SAWs on the type of SAW origin.

A new mathematical model is presented to study the effects of macrophages on the bone fracture healing process. The model consists of a system of nonlinear ordinary differential equations that represents the interactions among classically and alternatively activated macrophages, mesenchymal stem cells, osteoblasts, and pro- and anti-inflammatory cytokines. A qualitative analysis of the model is performed to determine the equilibria and their corresponding stability properties. Numerical simulations are also presented to support the theoretical results and to monitor the evolution of a broken bone for different types of fractures under various medical interventions. The model can be used to guide clinical experiments and to explore possible medical treatments that accelerate the bone fracture healing process either by surgical interventions or drug administrations.

Interferometry is used in magnetic fusion devices to measure the line-1 averaged electron density. It is based on detecting changes in the refractive index of electromagnetic waves traveling through a plasma. The adequate frequency of these electromagnetic waves depends on several limitations. First the maximum expected peak electronic density must be lower than the cutoff density for that frequency. This means that the waves can still propagate through the plasma when the maximum density is reached. In this sense, IR interferometers operating in the infrared región are themost suitable. With such low wavelengths, mechanical vibrations become an important issue and a complementary interferometer to cancel these vibrations must be used. These arrangements are called two color interferometers. In this paper some measurements that were obtained from the TJ-II double color IR FPGA-based processing system that were never published before are shown and analyzed. The line-averaged electron density is computed in real time (100 μs).

Background: Parents of preterm infants face major mental health challenges in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU). Family-centered music therapy actively integrates and empowers parents in their infant’s care. With the aim to better understand and address parental needs separately from their babies’, a music therapy (MT) self-care group was implemented as part of clinical practice at the hospital Clínica de la Mujer in Bogotá, Colombia. Methods: The group is provided for both parents twice a week in the NICU. Music guided relaxations, breathing techniques, and self-expression are at the center of the MT group sessions. Parents complete a pre/post self-administered Numeric Rating Scale (NRS) including anxiety levels, stress levels, mood and motivation. Results: Parents highly value the MT self-care group at the NICU. On average there is a 37% improvement in anxiety levels, 28% in stress levels, and 12% in mood, restfulness and motivation. Being able to relax, to distract themselves from their worries and having time for themselves are amongst the most frequently mentioned benefits. Conclusions: Addressing parents’ needs separately form their babies’ treatment with culturally sensitive interventions aimed to improve parental mental health, is essential for continuing the development of family-centered music therapy interventions in the NICU.

Most crops are fertilized with high amounts of nitrogen, and have an alarmingly low utiliza-tion efficiency. For this reason, the coordination between the fertilizer contribution and the ni-trogen requirements of the crop is very important. Therefore, the objective of this study was to determine the nitrogen use efficiency, and create new NUE indices that can determine and calculate the final destination of the assimilated nitrogen, for the formation and development of green bean plant organs, fertilized with molybdenum nanofertilizer applied foliarly and combined with soil fertilization of ammonium nitrate. The plants were grown in a greenhouse covered with anti-aphid mesh and irrigated with nutrient solution. Three sources of foliar Molybdenum (Nano fertilizer, Molybdenum Chelate and Sodium Molybdate) were applied in four doses of 0, 5, 10 and 20 ppm Mo, complemented with edaphic fertilization of NH4NO3 (0, 3, 6 and 12 mM of N). As results, the NUE indices showed that with the application of the nanofertilizer, the total biomass production increased 41.65% more than with the application of the chelate, and 36.84% more than with the application of molybdate. Finally, it is con-cluded that the use of NUE indices is an important approach that evaluates the fate of nitro-gen and accurately estimates plant yield.

The isotopic and nuclear techniques discussed, namely: Fallout Radionuclide, Fingerprint, and Isotope Hydrology, are linked to the evaluation of soil and water degradation processes. A traditional literature review was conducted to gain the most comprehensive understanding of both the current state of the art and the subject matter, with the aim of proposing a hypothesis that integrates the synergistic convergence of these techniques in order to offer results that are more reliable. A case study is presented as a synthesis of the preceding discussion.

Polyphenols represent a group of secondary metabolites of plants which have been analyzed as potent regulators of multiple biological processes, including cell proliferation, apoptosis and autophagy, among others. These natural compounds exhibit beneficial effects and protection against inflammation, oxidative stress and related injuries including metabolic diseases, such as cardiovascular damage, obesity and diabetes and neurodegeneration. In the present review, we report the main biological effects in relationship to autophagy regulation in response to different dietary polyphenols and its impact on metabolic and neurodegenerative diseases

We studied the efficacy of mesenchymal stem cells (MSC), either alone or associated with dapsone (DAP) in the treatment of dermonecrotic wounds caused by Loxosceles laeta spider venom. Twenty-five male adult rabbits were distributed into five groups, of which four groups received an intradermal injection of 20 μg of L. laeta venom and only one received ultrapure water (negative control). After 4 hours, each group that received venom, was treated with MSC, DAP, MSC + DAP and Phosphate-buffered saline – PBS (positive control). Photographic records were made for analysis of the wound area evolution by morphometry. Twelve days after treatment, the skin samples around the lesion were removed for subsequent histological analysis. Concerning the rate of wound contraction, we observed that DAP showed the best percentage of contraction at day 3. In the treatments using MSCs, a negative value of wound contraction was observed for the isolated MSCs, as well as a lower contraction value for the association of the MSC + DAP when compared to PBS group. Histopathological analysis showed diminished tissue lesion and less intense inflammation in MSCs and DAP groups. This could indicated potential use of stem cells in regenerative therapies after loxoscelic accidents.

Amuyo Ponds (AP) are a group of three hydrothermal lagoons located at 3,700 m above sea level, in a pre-Andean setting at the Atacama Desert. Each pond shows a conspicuous green, red, or yellow coloration, and discharge waters rich in arsenic and boron into the Caritaya River (Camarones Basin, Arica and Parinacota Region, in northern Chile). Microorganisms at these ponds are subjected to harsh environmental conditions, and microbial composition and diversity in Amuyo Ponds sediments are unknown. Then, microbial life colonizing AP sediments was explored by metagenomics analyses. This approach showed a highly diverse microbial life dominated by members of the Bacterial Domain (nearly 800 bacterial genome sequences) and includes sequences associated to Archaea, Eukarya, and viruses. We also report putative functional capabilities related to virulence and defense genes, and biosynthesis of secondary metabolites. Thirteen bacterial and fourteen virus metagenome-assembled genomes were reconstructed and are here informed. This work expands our knowledge on the richness of microorganisms in AP and open further studies on the ecology and genomics of this striking Andean geosite.

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

This paper examines the learning experience of an inter-faculty higher education course conducted in an expanded remote format, using digital space as facilitator. The study focuses on the implementation of personalized education, a pedagogical approach that emphasizes the diversification of resources, strategies, and actions to empower learners in assigning personal value and meaning to their learning journey. By presenting an action research project, this study highlights the pivotal role of personalized education in guiding the course design. To foster an engaging learning environment, the course incorporated open activities and leveraged tools and platforms of the social web. Through these means, the participants, forming a community of practice, were able to collaboratively generate knowledge before, during, and after synchronous sessions. Furthermore, the participants effectively disseminated this knowledge through networks and engaged in discussions with external stakeholders. The study underscores how personalized education facilitates situated and meaningful learning by fostering expanded, flexible, and distributed experiences. These experiences revolve around a transmedia narrative that seamlessly integrates digital culture into learning opportunities and processes, effectively naturalizing its presence. The results highlight the value of personalized education approaches in adapting to the complexities of the digital age and establishing meaningful learning experiences for students.

This study investigates the valorization potential of yellowfin tuna tails for the production of high-value commercial products. Muscle and skins were firstly mechanically separated by using a specifically designed device. The muscle was then used as a nitrogen source for the growth of the proteolytic enzymes-producer Bacillus subtilis, whereas the skins were employed for gelatin extrac-tion. The proteases from Bacillus subtilis were partially purified and used to produce antioxidant peptides from gelatin obtained. The gelatin obtained formed a gel upon cooling, with gelling and melting temperatures at 16 ºC and 22 ºC, respectively, and Bloom Strength of ≈ 160. RSM was used to determine the optimal hydrolysis conditions to obtain the highest antioxidant activity (35.96%, measured as DPPH radical scavenging activity), which were 50°C / 6.5 IU of enzyme. The findings emphasize the importance of an integrated approach to maximize the value of tuna by-products, promoting sustainability in the frame of circular bioeconomy. Overall, these results contribute to the efficient utilization of tuna by-products, waste reduction, and enhance economic viability of the tuna industry.

Cantharidin, a toxic monoterpene secreted by blister beetles, has long been used in traditional Chinese and modern medicine for its unique properties. However, despite its widespread use, its effects on fish have not been studied in depth. The aim of this study was to evaluate the potential therapeutic applications of cantharidin in fish by examining its antioxidant, hemoagglutinating, hemolytic and cytotoxic activities at different concentrations (0, 0.625, 1.25, 2.5, 5 and 10 μg mL-1) in three different cell lines. In addition, the study explored the bactericidal and bacteriostatic properties of cantharidin against various fish pathogenic bacteria. The results revealed that there were no significant differences in antioxidant, hemagglutinating or hemolytic activities between the different concentrations of cantharidin tested. However, the study found that cantharidin exhibited dose- and time-dependent cytotoxicity in sea bream (Sparus aurata) erythrocytes and in SAF-1, PLHC-1 and Hela cell lines, resulting in morphological changes indicative of apoptosis. Interestingly, the highest dose of cantharidin tested demonstrated potent bactericidal activity against four marine fish opportunistic bacteria, including Vibrio harveyi, V. anguillarum, Photobacterium damselae and Tenacibaculum maritimum, but no statistically significant changes in bacteriostatic activity were observed against any of the bacteria tested. Overall, these results provide valuable information on the potential therapeutic applications of cantharidin in fish aquaculture. Further research is needed to fully understand the mechanisms of action and to explore possible preventive uses of cantharidin in fish.

Taking into account Bar-On’s postulations about social-emotional intelligence, the aim of the current work is to find out the differences in the five dimensions of this intelligence between children that practice organized sport and those children that do not practice it at elementary school level, to show that an increasing in the number of hours per day performing this activity causes differences in some of these dimensions. Hence, a sample of 940 children from elementary schools, ranging in age from 6 to 12 years old, attending different schools from the Autonomous Community of Extremadura (Spain), was used. Results showed that children who practiced organized sport had better coping abilities for stress, adaptability, and mood states, and that they are more emotionally intelligent than those who did not. Moreover, children who practiced for fewer hours daily (up to 2 hours) had better stress coping than those who practiced more. To conclude, it is important to promote the sport federative practice in elementary education, in order to ensure that children learn to better regulate and manage their emotions, without increasing it to an excessive number of hours per day, which may generate greater stress that might be difficult to control.

The cultivation of pea pods spans across various regions and climates with a global production of around 20 million tons. The pea peel wastes, which make up 30–40% of the total weight of the peas, are freely available in large quantities. The biomass used was characterized via ultimate, proximate, and structural analysis obtaining a 20,2 %w of cellulose and 17,4 %w of hemicellulose which via valorization processes can be transformed into platform chemicals. Hydrothermal valorization presents itself as a clean form of treatment of said wastes, ranging from 120 – 180 ºC (LHW) to 180 to 260 ºC (HTC). The use of LHW can lead to the production of sugars (up to 70%w yield) and levulinic acid (4 %w yield) while the use of HTC leads to Formic acid (40 %w) and levulinic acid (4 %w yield). The use of LHW for longer times favors the production of HMF and Furfural. The use of homogeneous catalysts (H2SO4, CH3COOH, KOH and NaHCO3) was implemented and their selectivity described. Solid fractions of LHW and HTC were characterized via FTIR and elemental analysis and the change in their structure described as they shift from biomass to biochar. Optimal conditions for each platform chemical were reported for best utilization of the peapod waste.

Background: The febrile patient from tropical areas, in which emerging arboviruses are endemic, represent a diagnostic challenge and potential co-infections with other pathogens (i.e bacteria or parasites) are usually overlooked. Objectives: We present a case of an elderly woman diagnosed with dengue, chikungunya and Leptospira interrogans co-infection. Study Design: Case report. Results: An 87-year old woman from Colombia complained of upper abdominal pain, arthralgia, myalgia, hyporexia, malaise and intermittent fever accompanied with progressive jaundice. She had a medical history of chronic heart failure (Stage C, NYHA III), without documented cardiac murmurs, right bundle branch block, non-valvular atrial fibrillation, hypertension, and chronic venous disease. Her cardiac and pulmonary status quickly deteriorated after 24 hours of her admission without electrocardiographic changes and she required ventilatory and vasopressor support. In the next hours the patient evolved to pulseless electrical activity and then she died. Dengue IgM, NS1 ELISA, MAT for Leptospira interrogans and RT-PCR for chikungunya, were positive. Discussion: This case illustrates a multiple co-infection in a febrile patient from a tropical area of Latin America that evolved to death.

Recent simulation studies have revealed a wealth of distinct crystal polymorphs encountered in the self-organization of polymer systems driven by entropy or free energy. The present analysis, based on the concept of self-avoiding random walks on crystal lattices, is useful to calculate upper bounds for the entropy difference of the crystals that are formed during polymer crystallization and thus provide predictions on polymorph thermodynamic stability. Here, we compare two pairs of crystals sharing the same coordination number, ncoord: hexagonal close packed (HCP) and face centered cubic (FCC), both having ncoord = 12 and the same packing density, and the less dense hexagonal (HEX) and body centered cubic (BCC) lattices, with ncoord = 8. In both cases, once a critical step length is reached, one of the crystals shows a higher number of SAWs compatible with the crystal. We explain the observed trends in terms of the bending and torsion angles corresponding to the different chain geometry as imposed by the geometric constraints of the crystal lattice.

In this paper we present a successful implementation of the Hindmarsh–Rose model within a SC environment. The merits of the proposed approach are design simplicity, due to stochastic computing, and the ease of implementation. Simulation results showed that the approximation achieved is equivalent to introducing a noise source into the original model. A study for the level of noise introduced, according to the number of bits in the stochastic sequence, has been performed. Additionally, we demonstrate that such an approach, even though it is noisy, it reproduces the behaviour of biological systems, which are intrinsically noisy. It is also demonstrated that a speedup of x2 compared to biological systems is easily achievable, with a very small number of gates, thus paving the road for the in silico implementation of large neuron networks.

Cyanobacterial macrocolonies known as Llayta are found at Andean wetlands and consumed since pre-Columbian times in South America. Macrocolonies of filamentous cyanobacteria are niches for colonization by other microorganisms; however, the microbiome of edible Llayta has not been explored. Based on a culture-independent approach, we report the presence, identification and metagenomic genome reconstruction of Cyanocohniella sp. LLY associated to Llayta trichomes. The assembled genome of strain LLY is now available for further inquiries, and may be instrumental for taxonomic advances on this genus. All known members of the Cyanocohniella genus have been isolated from salty European habitats. A biogeographic gap for the Cyanocohniella genus is partially filled by the existence of strain LLY at Andes Mountains wetlands in South America as a new habitat. This is the first genome available for members of this genus. Genes involved in primary and secondary metabolism are described providing new insights on the putative metabolic capabilities of Cyanocohniella sp. LLY. The reconstructed genome of strain LLY is now available and instrumental for further inquiries and taxonomic advances on the genus Cyanocohniella.

Cyanobacteria biomasses are sources of secondary metabolites and nutritious ingredients such as vitamins, essential amino acids, and unsaturated fatty acids. Biochemical composition, presence of cyanotoxins and contaminants are major concerns to be addressed on such edible biomasses. Macrocolonies of a filamentous diazotrophic Nostoc species known as Llayta are found at Andean wetlands and consumed since pre-Columbian times in South America. Its biochemical composition has been previously conducted to assess their nutritious quality and cyanotoxicity. Macrocolonies of filamentous cyanobacteria are niches for colonization by diverse microorganisms; however, the Llayta microcolonies cyanosphere is unknown. Based on a culture-independent approach, we report the identification of members of the resilient microflora associated with Llayta trichomes after Gentamicin treatments. We have also reconstructed the genomes of the Llayta macrocolony-forming Nostoc sp. cyanobacterium (6,781,030 bp; GC content of 41.2%) and the genomes of five dominant bacteria genera (Mesorhizobium, Microvirga, Paracoccus, Aquimonas, and Blastomonas). The detection of genes and genes clusters involved in primary and secondary metabolism is described. Our results provide new insights on the metabolic capabilities and biotechnological potential of the Andean Nostoc cyanobacterium, and the ecological role and adaptive strategies of microorganisms living under extreme environmental conditions at the Andean wetlands.

Road Safety Education (RSE) is widely known as a reliable determinant of future results for what concerns health and welfare, and as an undisputable factor which contributes to the social behavior of individuals and to their mid and long-term road safety outcomes. However, its development has been relatively scarce in most countries, fact which has contributed to letting matters as delicate as traffic crashes produced by road misbehaviors continue to be a prevalent problem, thus affecting the health of the community. Objective: The aim of this study was to describe the relationship between demographic and RSE-related variables and the self-reported road risky behavior of Spanish students. Methods: For this cross-sectional study, a representative sample of 4,062 (51.5 males and 48.5% females) participants attending primary (47.5%), secondary (40.7%) and high school (11.7%) was gathered through a national survey on RSE and road behaviors. Results: A set of significant associations between demographic factors, RSE variables and self-reported road behaviors was found. Furthermore, the SEM modelling allowed us to establish that age, observed misbehaviors, attitudes towards road safety and risk perception keep a direct link with the road risky behavior of children and young people. The knowledge of traffic rules was not a significant predictor of road behavior. Conclusions: The results of this study show that, together with demographic factors such as age, RSE-related variables have an effect on the road behavior of children and young people. They also suggest the need of strengthening actions to be implemented in road safety (Road Safety Education), into scholar and community levels.

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 genetic heterogeneity of autism has stymied the search for causes and cures. Whole-genomic studies on large numbers of families have helped identify combinations of inherited and de novo signal. In the present work, we re-analyze DNA microarrays using a novel strategy that takes prior knowledge of genetic relationships into account and that was designed to boost signal important to our understanding of the molecular basis of autism. Our strategy was designed to identify significant genomic variation within a priori defined biological concepts and improves signal detection while lessening the severity of multiple test correction seen in standard analysis of genome-wide association data. Upon application of our approach using 3,244 biological concepts, we detected genomic variation in 68 biological concepts with significant association to autism in comparison to family-based controls. These concepts clustered naturally into a total of 19 classes, principally including cell adhesion, cancer, and immune response. The top-ranking concepts contained high percentages of genes already suspected to play roles in autism or in a related neurological disorder. In addition, many of the sets associated with autism at the DNA level also proved to be predictive of changes in gene expression within a separate population of autistic cases, suggesting that the signature of genomic variation may also be detectable in blood-based transcriptional profiles. This cross-validation with gene expression data from individuals with autism coupled with the enrichment within autism-related neurological disorders supported the possibility that the mutations play important roles in the onset of autism and should be given priority for further study. Our work provides new leads into the genetic underpinnings of autism and highlights the importance of reanalysis of genomic studies of complex disease using prior knowledge of genetic organization.

In personalized healthcare, an ecosystem for the manipulation of reliable and safe private data should be orchestrated. This paper describes a first approach for the generation of fake electrocardiograms (ECGs) based on Generative Adversarial Networks (GANs) with the objective of anonymizing users’ information for privacy issues. This is intended to create valuable data that can be used both, in educational and research areas, while avoiding the risk of a sensitive data leakage. As GANs are mainly exploited on images and video frames, we are proposing general raw data processing after transformation into an image, so it can be managed through a GAN, then decoded back to the original data domain. The feasibility of our transformation and processing hypothesis is primarily demonstrated. Next, from the proposed procedure, main drawbacks for each step in the procedure are addressed for the particular case of ECGs. Hence, a novel research pathway on health data anonymization using GANs is opened and further straightforward developments are expected.

One of the tools for optimal crop production is regular monitoring and assessment of crops. During the growing season of fruit trees, the bloom period has increased photosynthetic rates that correlate with the fruiting process. This paper presents the development of an image processing algorithm to detect peach blossoms on trees. Images of an experimental peach orchard were acquired from the Parma Research and Extension Center of the University of Idaho using an off-the-shelf unmanned aerial system (UAS), equipped with a multispectral camera (Near-infrared, Green, Blue). The orchard has different stone fruit varieties and different plant training system. Individual tree images (high-resolution) and arrays of trees images (low-resolution) were acquired to evaluate the detection capability. The image processing algorithm was based on different vegetation indices. Initial results showed that the image processing algorithm could detect peach blossoms and demonstrate good potential as a monitoring tool for orchard management.

Precision agriculture is a farm management technology that involves sensing and then responding to the observed variability in the field. Remote sensing is one of the tools of precision agriculture. The emergence of small unmanned aerial vehicles (sUAV) have paved the way to accessible remote sensing tools for farmers. This paper describes the comparison of two popular off-the-shelf sUAVs: 3DR Iris and DJI Phantom 2. Both units are equipped with a camera gimbal attached with a GoPro camera. The comparison of the two sUAV involves a hovering test and a rectilinear motion test. In the hovering test, the sUAV was allowed to hover over a known object and images were taken every second for two minutes. The position of the object in the images was measured and this was used to assess the stability of the sUAV while hovering. In the rectilinear test, the sUAV was allowed to follow a straight path and images of a lined track were acquired. The lines on the images were then measured on how accurate the sUAV followed the path. Results showed that both sUAV performed well in both the hovering test and the rectilinear motion test. This demonstrates that both sUAVs can be used for agricultural monitoring.

After the arrival of a new airborne virus to the world, science is aiming to develop solutions to withstand the spread and contagion of the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus. The most severe among the adopted measures is to remain in home isolation for a significant number of hours per day, in order to avoid the spreading of the infection in an uncontrolled way through public spaces. Recent literature showed that the major route of transmission is via aerosols produced especially in poorly ventilated inner spaces. With regard to contagion rates, accumulated incidence or number of hospitalizations due to COVID-19, Spain has reached very high levels, therefore this article develops a quantitative and qualitative analysis of the requirements established in Spain with respect to the European framework in reference to ventilation parameters indoors. For this, a case study has been analyzed, representing a common residence in current Spanish residential developments. Results show that the criteria established in the applicable regulations are not sufficient to ensure health as well as to avoid contagion by aerosols indoors.

With the aim of profitable conversion of carbon dioxide (CO2) in an efficient, economical and sustainable manner, we developed a CuBr/ionic liquid (1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium acetate) catalytic system which could efficiently catalyze the three-component reactions of propargylic alcohols, 2-aminoethanols, and CO2 to produce 2-oxazolidinones and α-hydroxy ketones. Remarkably, this catalytic system employed lower metal loading (0.0125-0.5 mol%) but exhibited the highest turnover number (2960) ever reported, demonstrating its excellent activity and sustainability. Moreover, our catalytic system could efficiently work under 1 atm of CO2 pressure and recycle among the metal-catalyzed systems.

Due to the success of artificial intelligence (AI) applications in the medical field over the past decade, concerns about the explainability of these systems have increased. The reliability requirements of black-box led algorithms for making decisions affecting patients pose a challenge even beyond their accuracy. Recent advances in AI increasingly underscore the need to incorporate explainability into these systems. While most traditional AI methods and expert systems are inherently interpretable, recent literature has focused primarily on explainability techniques for more complex models such as deep learning. This scoping review analyzes the existing literature on explainability and interpretability of AI methods in the medical and clinical field, providing an overview of past and current research trends, and limitations that might impede the development of Explainable Artificial Intelligence (XAI) in medicine, challenges, and possible research directions. In addition, this review discusses possible alternatives for leveraging medical knowledge to improve interpretability in clinical settings, while taking into account the needs of users.

In recent years, numerous approaches have been developed to comprehend the molecular altera-tions underlying thyroid cancer (TC) oncogenesis and explore novel therapeutic strategies for TC. It is now well established that the neurokinin-1 receptor (NK-1R) is overexpressed in cancer cells and that NK-1R is essential for viability of cancer cells. The binding of substance P (SP) to NK-1R in neoplastic cells plays a pivotal role in cancer progression by promoting neoplastic cell growth, protecting tumour cells from apoptosis, triggering invasion and metastasis through enhanced migration of cancer cells, and stimulating endothelial cell proliferation for tumour angiogenesis. Remarkably, all types of human TC (papillary, follicular, medullary, anaplastic), as well as met-astatic lesions, exhibit overexpression of SP and NK-1R compared to the normal thyroid gland. TC cells synthesize and release SP, which exerts its multiple functions through autocrine, para-crine, intracrine, and neuroendocrine processes, including the regulation of tumour burden. Con-sequently, the secretion of SP from TC results in increased SP levels in plasma, which are signifi-cantly higher in TC patients compared to controls. Additionally, NK-1R antagonists have demonstrated a dose-dependent antitumour action. They impair cancer cell proliferation on one side and induce apoptosis of tumour cells on the other side. Furthermore, it has been demonstrat-ed that NK-1R antagonists inhibit neoplastic cell migration, thereby impairing both invasiveness and metastatic abilities, as well as angiogenesis. Given the consistent overexpression of NK-1R in all types of TC, targeting this receptor represents a promising therapeutic approach for TC. Therefore, NK-1R antagonists, such as the drug aprepitant, may represent novel drugs for TC treatment.

Among the different ways to reduce the secondary effects of antineoplastic drugs in cancer treatment, the use of nanoparticles has demonstrated good results due to the protection of the drug and the possibility of releasing compounds to a specific therapeutic target. The α-isoform of folate receptor (FR) is overexpressed on a significant number of human cancers; therefore, folate-targeted crosslinked nanoparticles based on BSA and alginate mixtures and loaded with paclitaxel (PTX) have been prepared to maximizing the proven antineoplastic activity of the drug against solid tumors. Nanometric-range sized particles (169 ± 28nm - 296 ± 57nm), with negative Z-potential values (between -0.12 ± 0.04 and -94.1± 0.4), were synthesized. The loaded PTX (2.63±0.19 - 3.56 ±0.13 µg PTX/mg Np) was sustainably released along 23 and 27h. Three cell lines (MCF-7, MDA-MB-231 and HeLa) were selected to test the efficacy of the folate-targeted PTX-loaded BSA/ALG nanocarriers. The presence of FR on cell membrane led to a significant larger uptake of BSA/ALG-Fol nanoparticles regarding to the equivalent nanoparticles without folic acid on its surface. The cell viability results demonstrated a cytocompatibility of unloaded nanoparticle-Fol and a gradual decrease in cell viability after treatment with PTX-loaded nanoparticles-Fol due to the sustainable PTX release.

Within the framework of theoretical developments in so-called participatory culture and the context of funds of identity, incorporated within what is known as the funds of knowledge approach, an innovative teaching methodology is implemented that allows students to actively participate in knowledge construction. The project translates into a proposal for educational contextualization and personalization based on the students’ funds of identity, that is, those resources (people, artifacts, places, activities, institutions) they consider to be most relevant and significant to define themselves. Once these have been identified through identity artifacts, such as collages or self-drawings, students link some of these funds of identity to curricular content of the subject and produce a video that shows the results of this academic work. The final product is shared on a YouTube channel containing the videos of all of the students in the class. The phases of the project are described and illustrated. We argue that the proposed teaching and learning project, which is cross-disciplinary in nature, allows for principles such as educational contextualization, funds of identity, and participatory culture to be incorporated into what we call here the funds of identity 2.0 approach, putting it into educational practice.

Sleep disorders are a frequent problem in pediatrics. The prevalence is variable (from 15 to 50%) although the majority of papers coincide in that 1 every 3 kids can experiment some kind of sleep disorder. Underlying medical problems usually manifest by difficulty to fall asleep or stay asleep. The diagnosis and resolution of the medical problems with the specific treatment should be the prime concern, before starting with the treatment of the sleep behavioral problem

Studies on the prevalence of Autism Spectrum Disorders show a gender disproportion. In the last years, there has been an increasing interest in the search for an explanation. There are two main lines of research; the first one looks for sex-related biological reasons that justifies the low prevalence of ASD in women (some protective factor related to hormones or immune system among others), and the second line of studies is related to the possible biases introduced in the diagnostic tools or procedures. In this article, a review of the latter line of research is made. Theoretical analysis following two objectives: a) Analysis of possible biases in diagnostic tools and b) Other non-biological explanations for gender differences in the prevalence of ASD. The literature analyzed provides contradictory results although it evidences the possible bias both in the construction of the diagnostic tools and in the assessment and determination of their standards. It is necessary to develop specific or complementary tools and diagnostic procedures differentiated by gender in order to control for this bias.

Labyrinth seals are commonly used in turbomachinery in order to control leakage flows. Flutter is one of the most dangerous potential issues for them, leading to High Cycle Fatigue (HCF) life considerations or even mechanical failure. This phenomenon depends on the interaction between aerodynamics and structural dynamics; mainly due to the very high uncertainties regarding the details of the fluid flow through the component, it is very hard to predict accurately. In 2014, as part of the E-Break research project funded by the European Union (EU), an experimental campaign regarding the flutter behaviour of labyrinth seals was conducted at Centro de Tecnologias Aeronauticas (CTA). During this campaign, three realistic seals were tested at different rotational speeds, and the pressure ratio where the flutter onset appeared was determined. The test was reproduced using a linearized uncoupled structural-fluid methodology of analysis based on Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) simulations, with results only in moderate agreement with experimental data. A procedure to adjust the CFD simulations to the steady flow measurements was developed. Once this method was applied, the matching between flutter predictions and the measured data improved, but still some discrepancies could be found. Finally, a set of simulations to retain the influence of the external cavities was run, what further improved the agreement with testing data.

Higher salt (sodium) intake has been associated with a higher blood pressure (BP). The association degree may be influenced by factors such as age, origin and dietary components. This study aimed to evaluate the 24-hours urinary sodium (Na) and potassium (K) excretion in normotensive and hypertensive Dominicans adults and estimate their salt intake. 163 volunteers (18-45, 46-80 years) participated in a cross-sectional study. 24-hours Na and K urinary excretion were measured using an ion selective electrode technique. Na and K urinary excretion (99.4±46.5 and 35.0±17.5 mmol/24h) did not correlated with BP, except in the normotensive group in which K correlated with SBP (0.249, p=0.019). Na and K excretion were similar for normo- and hypertensive subjects. Na-to-K molar ratio (3.1±1.3) was higher in younger subjects (p=0.040). Na-to-K ratio was associated with DBP in the total group (r=0.153, p=0.052), in the hypertensive group (r=0.395, p<0.001) and in the older group with SBP (0.350, p=0.002) and DBP (0.373, p<0.001). In the older group, Na-to-K ratio and DBP correlated after controlling for subjects with hypertension controlled by treatment (r=0.236, p=0.041). The Na-to-K ratio correlated, when salt intake was over 5g/d (52.2%), with SBP (rho=0.219, p=0.044) and DBP (rho=0.259, p=0.017). Determinants of BP were age-dependent and in younger subjects were: sex (SBP, beta: 14.02±2.87, p<0.001) and body mass index (BMI) (beta:-12.07±3.72, p=0.001, beta:9.44±2.87, p=0.001, for SBP and DBP, respectively) and, in the olders, the Na-to-K ratio, for SBP (beta:6.7±2.4, p=0.005) and DBP (beta:3.8±1.1, p<0.001). The mean Na and salt intakes (2.3 and 5.8 g/d) were slightly higher and K intake lower (1.4 g/d) than WHO recommendations.

Intelligent systems are increasingly present in various areas of society, gaining special relevance in healthcare environments. In this work, grounded on previous developments proposed by the authors, the evolution and improvement of a novel intelligent system focused on the diagnosis of obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is addressed. To do this, starting from two packages of information of a heterogeneous nature, and deploying a set of Machine Learning classification algorithms, focused each of them on different levels of the apnea-hypopnea index (AHI), as well as a set of cascaded expert systems, it is possible to obtain a series of risk metric pairs (Statistical Risk, Symbolic Risk) for each AHI level, understood as a warning forecast associated with the early detection of the pathology. The risk indicators of each pair are subsequently aggregated by means of a symbolic inference system, whose knowledge base was determined using the automatic rule generation approach proposed by Wang and Mendel. At the output of each inference system, a risk indicator is obtained for each AHI level, the Apnea Risk, whose interpretation makes it possible to discriminate between patients who could suffer OSA and those who do not, as well as to generate the appropriate recommendations. For the initial tests of the system, the design and development of a specific software artifact was carried out using data from 4,400 patients from the Álvaro Cunqueiro Hospital in Vigo, obtaining when applied to the test set AUC values within the range 0.74–0.88, which invites optimism and points to the benefits expected from the architecture of the proposed intelligent system.

Background: COVID-19 made its debut as a pandemic in 2020; since then, more than 607 million cases and at least 6.5 million deaths have been reported worldwide. While the burden of disease has been described, the long-term effects or chronic sequelae are still being described. Objective: To describe the findings of a current systematic review of the long-term effects related to post-COVID-19 sequelae. Design: A systematic review was carried out in which cohort studies, case series, clinical case reports were included, and the PubMed, Scielo, SCOPUS and Web of Science databases were ex-tracted. Information published 2020 to June 1, 2022, was sought. Results: We reviewed 300 manuscripts during the first step of the literature review process. Then 260 abstracts were analyzed. In the end, we included 32 manuscripts: 9 for pulmonary, 6 for cardiac, 2 for renal, 9 for neurological and psychiatric, and 8 for cutaneous sequelae. Conclusion: Studies show that the most common sequelae are those linked to the lungs, followed by skin, cutaneous and psychiatric alterations. Women report a higher incidence of the sequelae, as well as those with comorbidities and severer COVID-19 history. The COVID-19 pandemic has not only caused death and disease since its apparition but has also sickened millions of people around the globe who potentially suffer from serious illnesses that will continue to add to the list of health problems and further burden healthcare systems around the world.

The aim of this article is to analyze the evidence against the effectiveness of intervention programs based on the participation of parents of children with autism. To obtain the data, a systematic search was carried out in four databases (ProQuest-PsychArticles, ProQuest-ERIC, ProQuest-PubMed, and Scopus). These documents were refined under the inclusion/exclusion criteria and a total of 51 empirical studies were selected. They were classified, first, according to the function of the intervention objective and, later, by the methodology applied (19 studies based on comprehensive interventions, 11 focused on the nuclear symptoms of ASD, 12 focused on the promotion of positive parenting and 9 interactions focused on children play). Once all the documents have been analyzed, the evidence indicates scientific efficacy in most studies, mainly in those based on child development and the application of behavioral analysis principles. Also, the positive influence of parent participation in such programs was demonstrated.

Core chlorophytes possess glycerol-3-phosphate dehydrogenases (GPDs) with an unusual bidomain structure, consisting of a glycerol-3-phosphate phosphatase (GPP) domain fused to canonical GPD domains. These plastid-localized enzymes have been implicated in stress responses, being required for the synthesis of glycerol under high salinity and triacylglycerols under nutrient deprivation. However, their regulation under varying environmental conditions is poorly understood. C. reinhardtii transgenic strains expressing constitutively bidomain GPD2 did not accumulate glycerol or triacylglycerols in the absence of any environmental stress. Although, the glycerol contents of both wild type and transgenic strains increased significantly upon exposure to high salinity. Cycloheximide, an inhibitor of cytoplasmic protein synthesis, abolished this response in the wild type. In contrast, GPD2 transgenic strains were still capable of glycerol accumulation when cultured in medium containing cycloheximide and NaCl. Thus, pre-existing GPD2 protein appears to become activated for glycerol synthesis upon salt stress. Interestingly, staurosporine, a non-specific inhibitor of protein kinases, prevented this post-translational GPD2 protein activation. Structural modeling analyses suggested that substantial conformational rearrangements, possibly triggered by high salinity, may characterize an active GPD2 GPP domain. Understanding this mechanism(s) may provide insights into the rapid acclimation responses of microalgae to osmotic/salinity stress.

This study aims to develop a clinical trial to test the efficacy of a Mindfulness Based Stress Re-duction (MBSR) and Self Compassion (SC) Program on self-reported values of anxiety, depres-sion, and stress in parents of children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) in primary school, in order to assess their integration into the framework of community intervention programs in Spain. Methods: A brief 8-week training program using Mindfulness based intervention (MBSR) and self-compassion (SC) has been applied to ten parents from the Valencian ASD parents’. Partici-pants were assigned to two groups, both groups received the same treatment but at two different measurement moments. Depression, Anxiety, Stress, Satisfaction with Life and Mindful Atten-tion Awareness measurements were assessed, in all participants, in three testing moments. Results: Analysis of Variance results suggested that MBSR and SC training reduces stress and anxiety and increases Mindful Attention Awareness. No significant changes were found in Life Satisfaction measurements. Conclusions: The small number of participants prevents us from generalising the results found. More MBSR and SC clinical trials are needed in parents of ASD with results on anxiety, depression and stress in order to demonstrate the relevance of the inclusion of these programmes in community-based early intervention services.

Adult neural stem and progenitor cells (NSPCs) contribute to learning, memory, maintenance of homeostasis, energy metabolism and many other essential processes. They are highly heterogeneous populations that require input from a regionally distinct microenvironment including a mix of neurons, oligodendrocytes, astrocytes, ependymal cells, NG2+ glia, vasculature, cerebrospinal fluid (CSF), and others. The diversity of NSPCs is present in all three major parts of the CNS, i.e., the brain, spinal cord, and retina. Intrinsic and extrinsic signals, e.g., neurotrophic and growth factors, master transcription factors, and mechanical properties of the extracellular matrix (ECM), collectively regulate activities and characteristics of NSPCs: quiescence/survival, proliferation, migration, differentiation, and integration. This review discusses the heterogeneous NSPC populations in the normal physiology and highlights their potentials and roles in injured/diseased states for regenerative medicine.

Metabolic pathways provide key information to achieve a better understanding of life and all its processes; this is useful information for the improvement of medicine, agronomy, pharmacy, and other similar areas. The main analysis tool used to study these pathways is based on the idea of pathway comparison, using graph data structures. Metabolic pathway comparison has been defined as a computationally complex task \cite{ay2011submap,abaka2013campways}. In previous work from 2017, two different approaches that simplify the problem of comparing pathways represented as graphs were introduced. The first algorithm consists of the transformation of a two-dimensional graph structure, representing a metabolic pathway, to a one-dimensional structure and thus aligning the corresponding data using a reduced 1 dimension string. The second algorithm consists of performing a paired analysis between reactions in pathways and thus eliminating all similarities, finally, showing these differences to the user. The suggestion is to use the information provided by these algorithms as a previous analysis to a deeper, more expensive, comparison tool use. Here we provide an extension of this work with more data and deeper analysis. These methods have shown to be an effective way to treat the problem of metabolic pathway comparison as listed in the discussion and results section. Our results show evidence of a quick, simple and effective way to resolve the described problem.

In this paper, a system of searching for optimal paths is developed and concreted on a FPGA. It is based on a memristive emulator, used as a delay element, by configuring the test graph as a memristor network. A parallel algorithm is applied to reduce computing time and increase efficiency. The operation of the algorithm in Matlab is checked beforehand and then exported to two different Intel FPGAs: a DE0-Nano board and an Arria 10 GX 220 FPGA. In both cases reliable results are obtained quickly and conveniently, even for the case of a 300x300 nodes maze.

The objective of this study was to evaluate the glycemic index and the satiety response of three Mexican kinds of honey. The values of fructose ranged from 272.40-395.10 g/kg, while the glucose value ringed 232.20-355.50 g/kg. The ratio F/G of sample honey was 1.45, 1.00, and 1.17 for Highland, Multifloral, and Avocado honey, respectively. Twenty-six participants completed this study, which was previously approved by the ethics committee of the Facultad de Salud Pública y Nutrición (CE 2/2018-19). Highland and Avocado honey is classified as medium-GI (69.204.07 and 66.365.74, respectively), while Multifloral honey is classified as high-GI (74.245.98). The Highland honey presented the best satiety response. The difference in IG values and the effect of the satiety response of Highland honey could be explained by the different fractions of carbohydrates in samples and other components such as phytochemicals.

Currently, there are different types of technology for the production of electricity that use various energy sources, this causes the establishment of generation centers that provide from a small amount to tens of megawatts of electrical energy. These centers are built to supply electricity to nearby loads through networks integrated into a large electrical system or in isolation with their electrical system. The technological evolution, the different energy sources, and the generation centers close to the consumers entail what has been called a distributed generation (DG), the DG carries with it aspects that need to be analyzed. In this paper, the impact of wind generation on the medium voltage energy distribution network is studied, it was determined that the addition to the distribution network of power by wind turbines less than the transmission center does not produce an impact on the network. Simulated results obtained using SIMULINK and DIgSILENT are presented and discussed.

The cause and prevention of recurrent aphthous stomatitis (also called aphthous ulcers or canker sores) are still unknown. This may be due in part to ignorance of the risk factors present in susceptible people. In this systematic review (PROSPERO record #CRD42019122214), we show that most of the risk factors for the disease are single nucleotide genetic polymorphisms in genes related to the functioning of immune system (TLR4, MMP9, E-selectin, IL-1 beta and TNF-alpha). Single nucleotide genetic polymorphisms do not constitute a modifiable risk. This indicates that, at least in part, susceptibility to recurrent aphthous stomatitis is hereditary, and that these factors cannot be modified.

The unpredictable increase in electrical demand affects the quality of theenergy throughout the network. A solution to the problem is the increase of distributedgeneration units which burn fossil fuels.While this is an immediate solution to theproblem the ecosystem gets affected by the emission of CO2.A promising solutionis the integration of Distributed Renewable Energy Sources (DRES) to the conventionalelectrical system, thus, introducing the concept of smart microgrids (SMG) that requirea safe, reliable and technically planned two-way communication system. This documentpresents a heuristic based on planning capable of providing a bidirectional communicationnear optimal route map, following the structure of an hybrid Fiber-Wireless (FiWi) with thepurpose of obtaining information of electrical parameters that help us to manage the useof energy by integrating conventional electrical system to SMG. A FiWi network is basedon the integration of wireless access and optical networks. This integration increases thecoverage and reliability at a lower cost. The optimization model is based on clusteringtechniques, through the construction of balanced conglomerates. The method is used forthe development of the clusters along with the Nearest-Neighbor Spanning Tree Algorithm(N-NST). Additionally, Optimal Delay Balancing (ODB) model will be used to minimizethe end to end delay of each grouping. In addition, the heuristic observes real designparameters such as: capacity and coverage. Using the Dijkstra algorithm, the routes arebuilt following the minimum shorter path. Therefore, this paper presents a heuristic able to plan the deployment of smart meters (SMs) through a tree-like hierarchical topology for theintegration of SMG at the lowest cost.

In the main prickly pear (Opuntia ficus-indica) producing region in the State of Mexico, fruit production (tunas) occupies the largest cultivated area with 15,800 ha, while 900 ha are cultivated for fresh consumption (“nopal” or “nopalitos”). Two composite samples consisting of prickly pear cactus cladodes (n=6) and another of nopal vegetable (n=6) showing virus-like symptoms were collected. Both sample sets were subjected to high-throughput sequencing (HTS) to identify the viruses and viroids present. The HTS results were verified using RT-PCR and Sanger sequencing. Subsequently, 86 nopal samples (nopal vegetable, prickly pear cactus, xoconostle and wild) were analyzed via RT-PCR with specific primers for the viruses and viroids previously detected via HTS. Three viruses were discovered [Opuntia virus 2 (OV2), cactus carlavirus 1 (CCV-1), and Opuntia potexvirus A (OPV-A)], along with a previously reported viroid [Opuntia viroid 1 (OPVd-1)]. Additionally, two new viroid species were identified, provisionally named Mexican opuntia viroid (genus Pospiviroid) and Opuntia viroid 2 (OVd-2). Phylogenetic analysis, pairwise identity comparison, and conserved structural elements analysis confirmed the classification of these two viroids as new species within the Pospiviroidae family. This is the first report of a pospiviroid and two apscaviroids infecting prickly pear in the world. Overall, this study enhances our understanding of the virome associated with nopal in Mexico.

One of the main families of antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) derived from the skin secretions of Hylidae frogs are dermaseptins. Among them, dermaseptin S4 (DS4) is characterized by its broad spectrum of activity against bacteria, protozoa and fungi. This study determined the physicochemical properties of the native peptide DS4(1-28) and its derivatives [DS4(1-28)a and DS4(1-26)a] isolated from the skin of the frog Phyllomedusa sauvagii and examined their antimicrobial properties against two marine pathogenic bacteria (Vibrio harveyi and V. anguillarum). The results indicate that DS4(1-26)a has high bacteriicdal activity against the tested strains and low hemolytic activity (&gt; 30 % lysis at the highest tested concentration of 100 µg mL-1) compared to the other two peptides. In addition, all three peptides affected the membrane and cell wall integrity of both pathogenic bacteria, causing leakage of cellular contents, with DS4(1-26)a having the most severe impact. These properties were corroborated by tansmission electron microscopy and by the variation of cations in their binding sites due to the effect of AMPs. These results suggest that DS4 and its derivatives, particularly the truncated and amidated peptide DS4(1-26)a, could potentially be effective in the treatment of infections caused by these marine pathogenic bacteria. Future experiments are required to validate the use of DS4 in vivo in the prevention of fish bacterial diseases.

This paper focuses on establishing boundedness properties and Parseval-Goldstein type relations for the generalized Mehler-Fock transform initially introduced by B. L. J. Braaksma and B. M. Meulenbeld (Compositio Math.,{18}(3):235-287, 1967. Also, we derive an inversion formula for this transform over Lebesgue spaces.

Objectives: In this retrospective observational study, it is intended to establish how the implementation of the use of antimicrobial optimization programs at the hospital and ICU level in a Sincelejo Sucre Clinic has significantly impacted the improvement of the rational use of antibiotics1, due to the alarming situation of increasing antibiotic resistance. Materials and methods: The methodology used was to analyze the Excel database of the Clinic, in such a way that it would allow comparing the pre-PROA and post-PROA data of 4 antibiotics, ceftriaxone3, ciprofloxacin4, meropenem5 and vancomycin6, measured in Daily Dose. defined. Results: According to the DDD values obtained for the 4 antibiotics, a reduction in DDD was identified in the post-Proa period. On the other hand, considering the DDD reported by the WHO for each of the antibiotics, significant differences were verified compared to the DDD obtained in the clinic in the hospitalization and ICU services. Conclusions: In conclusion, in the clinic there was evidence of a reduction in DDD in the post-ASP2 period compared to the pre-PROA period, both in hospitalization and in the ICU, as well as a slight to large effect with Cohen's D.

Salivarian trypanosomes are extracellular parasites affecting humans, livestock and game animals. Trypanosoma brucei rhodesiense and Trypanosoma brucei gambiense are human infective sub-species of T. brucei causing Human African Trypanosomosis (HAT - sleeping sickness). The related T. b. brucei parasite lacks the resistance to survive in human serum, and only inflicts animal infections. Animal Trypanosomosis (AT) is not restricted to Africa, but is present on all continents. T. congolense and T. vivax are the most widespread pathogenic trypanosomes in sub-Sahara Africa. Trough mechanical transmission, T. vivax has however been introduced into South America. T. evansi is a unique animal trypanosome that is found in vast territories around the world and can cause atypical Human Trypanosomosis (aHT). All salivarian trypanosomes are well adapted to survival inside the host’s immune system. This is not a hostile environment for these parasite, but this is the place where they thrive. Here we provide an overview of the latest insights into the host-parasite interaction and the unique survival strategies allowing trypanosomes to outsmart the immune system. In addition, we review new developments in treatment and diagnosis as well the issues that have hampered the development of field-applicable anti-trypanosome vaccines for the implementation of sustainable disease control.

The dawn of quasispecies theory revolutionized our understanding of viral evolution and pathogenesis. This theory conceptualises viruses as dynamic populations of closely related but genetically diverse variants that constantly mutate and adapt to environmental pressures. Quasispecies dynamics govern key aspects of virus-host interactions, such as adaptive evolution, immune evasion, drug resistance, and host tropism. In this article, we discuss the fundamental role of quasispecies theory in elucidating viral fitness landscapes, shaping antiviral strategies, and predicting viral emergence and evolution. We provide a concise overview of the original quasispecies model and its latest advancements, which enable the study of the connection between viral dynamics and the significant genetic diversity exhibited by viruses. We then point out some key features of virus dynamics that need to be incorporated into quasispecies theory. We continue with examples of convergence between theory and real viruses by discussing theoretical results supported by RNA virus data and vice versa. Next, we discuss the need to extend the concept of sequence space beyond the classical hypercube towards more complex, multidimensional connected sequence spaces that we have called ultracubes. Finally, we highlight the necessity of developing multi-scale models to understand how viral evolutionary dynamics within a host can affect epidemiological patterns. We also examine the limitations of quasispecies theory in predicting virus evolution and emergence.

Due to the increased use of memristors, and its many applications, the use of emulators has grown in parallel to avoid some of the difficulties presented by real devices such as variability and reliability. In this paper, we present a memristive emulator designed using a Switched Capacitor (SC), this is, an analog component/ block and a control part or block implemented using stochastic computing (SCo) and therefore fully digital. Our design is thus a mixed signal circuit. Memristor equations are implemented using stochastic computing to generate the control signals necessary to work with the controllable resistor implemented as switched capacitor.

Electroencephalograms (EEGs) of children with reading disorder (RD) are characterized by higher power and coherence in slow frequencies (delta and theta bands) and lower power and coherence in the alpha band compared to EEGs of typically developed children. Neurofeedback (NFB) is useful for treating learning disorders by reinforcing the reduction of the theta/alpha ratio. This efficacy is supported by EEG power normalization and cognitive-behavioral improvement. To further explore brain changes in isolated areas, this study aimed to explore the effects of this NFB protocol on functional connectivity (coherence) in children with RD. Twenty children with RD and an abnormally high theta/alpha ratio underwent 30 sessions of NFB. After treatment, 90% of par-ticipants learned to decrease their theta/alpha ratio, and on average, children increased their reading accuracy and comprehension scores. Interhemispheric coherence diminished in the delta, theta and beta bands, mainly between frontopolar regions. Intrahemispheric coherence decreased in delta, theta and beta bands and increased in alpha band. The reduction in theta coherence be-tween the left frontal area and other regions of the left hemisphere had particular relevance for reading. These results suggest that this NFB treatment could positively impact reading-related functions in the brain networks of children with RD.

As a part of our ongoing effort in the search for promising antileishmanial agents based on the thiochroman scaffold, we prepared a series of substituted 2H-thiochromenes. Thirty-three compounds were evaluated against intracellular amastigotes forms of L. (V) panamensis. Twelve compounds were active with EC₅₀ values lower than 40 μM, and among those three compounds displayed the highest antileishmanial activity with EC₅₀ values below 10 uM. Cytotoxicity was determined against human U-937 macrophages; thus, compounds having electrophilic alkenes (α,β-unsaturated carbonyl, or nitriles) displayed the highest antileishmanial activity but also moderate to high cytotoxicities. Based on SAR analysis, compounds 8d and 10, which differ only in the hydroxy group at C4, were selected as the most promising compounds in this library because good antiparasitic activity and Selectivity Index.

Various environmental, food security and population health problems seem to be related to intensive agriculture production worldwide. This type of food production system impacted the loss of biodiversity and natural habitats; high usage rates of agrochemicals and natural resources had affected soil composition, human health, and nutritional plant quality in rural areas. Intercropping agroecological systems that respect agrobiodiversity could significantly benefit ecosystems, human health, and food security by modifying the nutritional profile and the content of some health-promoting bioactive compounds of the species cultivated in this system. Research on intercropping strategies focuses on the benefits they can offer to ecosystems and less on nutrient plant composition, leaving information scattered when this theme should be more studied due to the critical impact it could provide for human nutrition. Therefore, this review aims to collect viable details on the investigation status of nutrients and bioactive compounds profile in intercropping systems by verifying different regions of the world with unique mixed crops using plant species, along with the criteria for combining them, as well as the nutrients and bioactive compounds analyzed to show what intercropping systems can contribute to food availability and quality.

Dental pulp tissue engineering (TE) quests to regenerate dentin/pulp complex by combining a suitable supporting matrix, stem cells, and biochemical stimuli. Such procedures foresee a matrix that can be easily introduced into the root canal system (RCS) and tightly adhere to dentin walls to assure the dentin surface's proper colonization with progenitor cells capable of restoring the dentin/pulp complex. Herein was investigated an injectable self-setting hyaluronic acid-based (HA) hydrogel system, formed by aldehyde-modified (a-HA) with hydrazide-modified (ADH), enriched with platelet lysate (PL), for endodontic regeneration. The hydrogels' working (wT) and setting (sT) times, the adhesion to the dentine walls, the hydrogel's microstructure, and the delivery of human Dental Pulp Cells (DPCs) were studied in vitro. Hydrogels incorporating PL showed a suitable wT and sT and a porous microstructure. The tensile tests showed that the breaking point occurs after 4.13 mm deformation. While in the indentation test after 1.3 mm deformation. Both breaking points occur in the hydrogel extension. The HA/PL hydrogels exhibited supportive properties and promoted cell migration toward dentin surfaces in vitro. Overall, these results support using PL-laden HA injectable hydrogels (HA/PL) as a biomaterial for DPCs encapsulation, thereby displaying great clinical potential towards endodontic regenerative therapies.

The technique of optical interferometry has many applications in various fields of knowledge, including astronomy, optical metrology, biology, and chemistry. The visible interference pattern of a conventional single mode fiber (SMF-28) tapered and core-offset structured in-line Mach-Zehnder interferometer has been demonstrated. The white source is generated by an LED, with a wavelength range of 400 nm to 650 nm emission. We analyze the performance of the interference emission with a waist length of 1.8 mm to 6 mm and with a waist diameter of 10 µm to 60 µm for the tapered structure. The achieved visibility is V=0.14 with an FSR of 23 nm. The core-offset structure interferometer is analyzed with different displacements in x and y axis and with a separation length L of 2.5 cm, 4.0 cm and 5.0 cm between two core joints. The output interference emission has a visibility of V= 0.3, V=0.27 and V=0.34 with an FSR of 23 nm, 17 nm and 8 nm, respectively. The sensitivity obtained from the temperature sensor is of 3.53 a.u./°C, with R2 of 0.99769. The proposed MZIs are low cost and can be used for implementation of sensing system in the field as the industry and medical applications.

Learning disorders (LD) are diagnosed in children whose academic skills of reading, writing or mathematics are impaired and lagged according to their age, schooling and intelligence. Children with LD experience substantial working memory (WM) deficits, even more pronounced if more than one of the academic skills is affected. We compared the task-related EEG power spectral density of children with LD (n= 23), with a control group of children with good academic achievement (n= 22), during the performance of a WM task. sLoreta was used to estimate the current distribution at the sources, and 18 brain regions of interests (ROIs) were chosen with an extended version of the eigenvector centrality mapping technique. In this way, we lessen some drawbacks of the traditional EEG at the sensor space by an analysis at the brain sources level over data-driven selected ROIs. Results: The LD group showed fewer correct responses at the WM task, an overall slower EEG with more theta activity in all ROIs, less upper-alpha power at posterior areas, and less high-frequency beta activity in frontal areas. We explain these EEG patterns in LD children as indices of an inefficient neural resource management related with a delay in the neural development.

Onion skin waste (OSW), the primary non-edible byproduct from onion processing, offers a renewable source of bioactive compounds. This study aims to valorize OSW through subcritical water extraction (SWE), aligning with circular economy and biorefinery principles. SWE was carried out at 145 °C, 50 bar and 50 min in a discontinuous reactor, producing a phenolic-rich extract (32 ± 3 mg/g), dominated by protocatechuic acid (20 ± 3 mg/g), quercetin-4´-O-glucoside (7.5 ± 0.2 mg/g), and quercetin (3.2 ± 0.6 mg/g). Additionally, it contains sugars (207 ± 20 mg sucrose-Eq/g), proteins (22.8 ± 1.6 mg BSA-Eq/g) and free amino acids (20.4 ± 1.2 mg arginine-Eq/g). Its phenolic richness determines its scavenging activity against ●NO and O2●- radicals, and its α-glucosidase and aldose-reductase inhibition without affecting α-amylase. Notably, the extract demonstrates significant α-glucosidase inhibition (IC50 = 76 ± 4 µg/mL), surpassing acarbose (IC50 = 129.5 ± 1.0 µg/mL), in both pure enzyme and cell culture tests without showing cytotoxicity on AGS, HepG2 and Caco-2 human cell lines. The extract’s bioactivity and nutritional content make it suitable for developing antioxidant and antidiabetic nutraceutical/food components, highlighting the SWE potential for OSW valorization without using organic solvents.

The body of evidence available in paediatrics population is limited for making clinical decisions regarding pharmacotherapy optimization of tacrolimus. The objective of this study was to estimate the frequency of CYP3A5 genetic polymorphisms and their relationship with tacrolimus requirements in paediatric population. This was a longitudinal cohort study, with two-year follow-up of 77 patients under 18 who had liver transplant over the period 2009-2012 at the Paediatric Hospital J. P Garrahan. Tacrolimus levels from day 5 to 2-year post-transplant were obtained from hospital records of routine therapeutic drug monitoring. The genotyping of CYP3A5 (CYP3A5*1/*3 or *3/*3) were performed in liver biopsies of both the donor and the recipient. Recipients frequency of CYP3A5 *1 expression was 37.1% and 32.2% for Donors. Patient who received an organ expresser showed lower Co/dose especially after 90 days post-surgery. The role of each polymorphism is different according to days after transplantation proceeds and it must be taken into account to optimize the benefits of TAC therapy during the post-transplant induction and maintenance phase.

(1) Background: Obesity and its comorbidities can cause burdens and limitations. Bariatric surgery (BS) is indicated as a safe procedure to reduce body mass and improve present comorbidities. Yet, several complications were reported, like vitamin D [25(OH)D] deficiency. We evaluated if 25(OH)D serum levels relate to clinical characteristics, symptoms, or habits in women after their BS and whether the vitamin D receptor (VDR) gene's TaqI and FokI polymorphisms affected 25(OH)D levels and the total body bone mineral density (TBBMD). (2) Methods: This cohort cross-sectional comparative analytical prospective study consisted of 27 women, 61.6 ± 5.0 years, submitted to BS one year prior at a public reference hospital, DF-Brazil. All participants were asked to follow the physical and dietary activity recommendations and received vitamin D3 supplements. Their anthropometric, biochemical, and immunological measurements and blood samples were obtained. (3) Results: 73.3% of participants had low 25(OH)D levels, and their levels correlated positively with TBBMD and negatively with systolic pressure. VDR TaqI did not affect 25(OH)D levels, whereas VDR FokI's allele f presence correlated to a median rise in 25(OH)D levels. Neither polymorphism correlated to TBBMD. (4) Conclusions: 25(OH)D levels were positively correlated with TBBMD, negatively with systolic blood pressure, and were higher in those with the VDR FokI allele f.

By virtue of the knowledge of the beneficial effect of the warm and dry storage, for the growth of the chincuya seed embryo, defined as morphological dormancy. The effect of the same type of storage was studied for the seed viability and germination by soaking gibberellic acid. Also, fatty acids and their kinetics were identified during the warm and dry storage. The following treatments were evaluated: storage time (0, 3, 6, 9 and 12 months), seed soaking in gibberellic acid at 350 mg L-1, and for the control, imbibition in distilled water, both for 72 h. The seed viability was evaluated through the stain test with tetrazolium chloride. The embedded seeds were germinated on absorbent paper towels and incubated at different temperatures of 30 ° C during the day and 25 ° C at night and 12 hours of photoperiod. The lipid profile was developed by gas chromatography. Seeds were held at constant temperature of 25 ± 3 ° C, in darkness, during the storage time. Results demon-strated that the high initial viability was maintained until the ninth month, when it decreases and is statisti-cally different from the other treatments. The smaller germination percentage (26.1 %) was observed in the freshly harvested seeds and, the higher one corresponded to the six months (65.6 %), with these differences being statistically significant. Regarding the identified fatty acids and their average content, it was found that 33.41 % corresponded to palmitic acid, 7.72 % to stearic acid; the arachidic acid with 1.30 %, making a total of saturated fatty acids of 42.44 %. The detected unsaturated fatty acids were: palmitoleic acid 1.52 %, oleic acid 43.37 % and linoleic acid 7.24 %, in total, 52.15 %. No significative changes were observed in the fatty acids content that are the largest part of the total seed reserves; although the higher concentrations matched with the longest germination (three months), with an average of 92.84 % total fatty acids. Specified regressions indi-cated with statistical robustness that palmitoleic and palmitic acids increased while the oleic acid decreased during the dry storage. The arachidic acid showed a slightly downward trend. Also, the concentrations of fat-ty acids were significatively different between unstored and unincubated seeds (intact) and unstored and in-cubated, but without germinating seeds (dormant), in the latter, the total fatty acids content was significantly lower. Given that the application of gibberellic acid and warm dry storage favored germination, as well as the change in fatty acid content during warm dry storage, added to the results already reported on morphological changes and embryonic growth as an effect of the same type of storage, it is established that Annona purpurea seeds present morphophysiological dormancy, also this is the first identification report of arachidic and pal-mitoleic acids in chincuya seeds and the higher germination percentage reported (65.6 %).

In the present article, the application of an artificial neural network (ANN) model is studied, whose function is the development of plastic instability maps of a medium carbon microalloyed steel during the hot forging process. And, secondly, we proceed to create another neural network capable of providing the recrystallized grain size in the steady state phase resulting from the deformation by hot forging, thus creating a methodology that can be applied to different types of processes and materials. In order to achieve this objective, we start from the experimental data of a medium carbon microalloy steel, obtained by hot compression tests, for strain rates that vary between 10-4 and 3 s-1 and in a range of temperatures between 900 oC and 1150 oC. These experimental data will be used to train the neural network that is intended to be created in this work. Once trained, it will be verified if the results of the test correspond to the experimental data and the fluency curves will be obtained. Finally, the processing maps will be developed applying the Dynamic Materials Model (DMM), according to which the safe domains to forge the material and the plastic instability domains are delineated, to be avoided during the forging process. The maps obtained by means of RNA will be compared with the experimental ones and it will be possible to verify that the optimal regions of forging in the maps obtained by RNA coincide with those obtained by means of experimental data. In addition, a study of the influence of the microstructure on the behavior of steel during hot forming will be carried out, since the experimental tests are carried out at austenitizing temperature, so the microstructure is different in each test.

Among the sensors necessary to equip vehicles with an autonomous driving system, there is a tacit agreement that cameras and some type of radar would be essential. The ability of radar to spatially locate objects (pedestrians, other vehicles, street furniture and traffic signs) makes it the most economical complement to the cameras in the visible spectrum, in order to give the correct depth to scenes. From the echoes obtained by the radar, some data fusion algorithm will try to locate each object in its correct place within the space surrounding the vehicle. In any case, the usefulness of the radar will be determined by several performance parameters, such as its aver-age error in distance, the maximum errors and the number of echoes per second it can provide. In this work we have tested experimentally the AWR1843 MIMO radar from Texas Instruments to measure those parameters.

Due to the increasing importance of mangroves in climate change mitigation projects, more accurate and cost-effective aboveground biomass (AGB) monitoring methods are required. However, field measurement of AGB may be a challenge because of its remote location and the difficulty to walk in these areas. This study is based on the Livelihoods Fund’ Oceanium project of 10,000 hectare mangrove plantations monitoring. In a first step, the possibility of replacing traditional field measurements of sample plots in a young mangrove plantation by a semiautomatic processing of UAV-based photogrammetric point clouds was assessed. In a second step, Sentinel-1 radar and Sentinel-2 optical imagery were used as auxiliary information to estimate AGB and its variance for the entire study area under a model-assisted framework. AGB was measured using UAV imagery in a total of 95 sample plots. UAV plot data was used in combination with non-parametric Support Vector Regression (SVR) models for the estimation of the study area AGB using model-assisted estimators. Purely UAV-based AGB estimates and their associated standard error (SE) were compared with model-assisted estimates using (1) Sentinel-1, (2) Sentinel-2 and (3) a combination of Sentinel-1 and Sentinel-2 data as auxiliary information. The validation of the UAV-based individual tree height and crown diameter measurements showed a root mean square error (RMSE) of 0.21 m and 0.32 m respectively. Relative efficiency of the three model-assisted scenarios ranged between 1.61 and 2.15. Although all SVR models improved the efficiency of the monitoring over UAV-based estimates, the best results were achieved when a combination of Sentinel-1 and Sentinel-2 data was used. Results indicated that the methodology used in this research can provide accurate and cost-effective estimates of AGB in mangrove young plantations.

This research examines the effects of the implementation of an educational programme of mindfulness training using Virtual Reality (VR) with students in adapted vocational training. The aim of this programme is to instruct and strengthen attention and self-regulation skills in relation to the learning process, with the objective of reducing anxiety and impulsivity in students, contributing to promoting sustainability in education, as well as reducing inequalities. The development and implementation of this project was carried out in IES Teguise in Lanzarote (Spain) with 11 students with intellectual disabilities who used the Virtual Reality Mindfulness application called TRIPP for three months. The use of Virtual Reality offers immersive experiences, while mindfulness enables concentration, which directly contributes to higher academic performance. After the implementation of the programme, it is observed that the use of this emerging technology provides students with a sense of calm and well-being, which translates into improvements in their academic grades, promoting equal and quality education in line with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

Advancements in Machine Learning techniques, availability of more data-sets, and increased computing power have enabled a significant growth in a number research areas. Predicting, detecting and classifying complex events in earth systems which by nature are difficult to model is one of such areas. In this work, we investigate the application of different machine learning techniques for detecting and identifying extreme rainfall events in a sub-catchment within Pangani River Basin, found in Northern Tanzania. Identification and prediction of extreme rainfall event is a preliminary crucial task towards success in predicting rainfall-induced river floods. To identify a rain condition in the selected sub-catchment, we use data from five weather stations which have been labeled for the whole sub-catchment. In order to assess which Machine Learning technique suits better for rainfall identification, we apply five different algorithms in a historical dataset for the period of 1979 to 2014. We evaluate the performance of the models in terms of precision and recall, reporting Random Forest and XGBoost as the ones with best overall performance. However, since the class distribution is imbalanced, the generic Multi-layer Perceptron performs best when identifying the heavy rainfall events, which are eventually the main cause of rainfall-induced river floods in the Pangani River Basin

The development of compartmentalized neuron culture systems has been invaluable in the study of neuroinvasive viruses, including the alpha herpesviruses Herpes Simplex Virus 1 (HSV-1) and Pseudorabies Virus (PRV). This chapter provides updated protocols for assembling and culturing rodent embryonic superior cervical ganglion (SCG) and dorsal root ganglion (DRG) neurons in Campenot trichamber cultures. In addition, we provide several illustrative examples of the types of experiments that are enabled by Campenot cultures: 1. Using fluorescence microscopy to investigate axonal outgrowth/extension through the chambers, and alpha herpesvirus infection, intracellular trafficking, and cell-cell spread via axons. 2. Using correlative fluorescence microscopy and cryo electron tomography to investigate the ultrastructure of virus particles trafficking in axons.

Cutaneous leishmaniasis (CL) is a neglected tropical disease, which causes severe skin lesions. Due to the lack of effective vaccines, and toxicity or reduced effectiveness of available drugs in addition to complex and prolonged treatments, there is an urgent need to develop alternatives for the treatment for CL with different mechanisms of action. In our effort to search for new promising hits against Leishmania parasites we prepared 18 acyl hydrazone derivatives of thiochroman-4-ones. Compounds were evaluated for their in vitro antileishmanial activity against the intracellular amastigote form of Leishmania panamensis and cytotoxic activity against human monocytes (U-937 ATCC CRL-1593.2). Our results show that derivatization of the thiochroman-4-ones with acyl hydrazones significantly enhances the antileishmanial activity. Among the compounds tested semicarbazone and thiosemicarbazone derivatives of thioflavanone 19 and 20 displayed the highest antileishmanial activities, with EC₅₀ values of 5.4 and 5.1 µM and low cytotoxicities (100.2 and 50.1 µM respectively), resulting in higher indexes of selectivity (IS).

Memristors were proposed in the early ’70s of the XXth century by Leon Chua as a new electrical element linking the charge and the flux. Since that first introduction, these devices have positioned themselves to be considered as possibly fundamental for the new generations of electronic devices. It has to be mentioned that actual memristors have only been recognized to exist as physical elements. In this paper, we apply a modeling framework to generate a model describing experimental measurements performed on a ReRAM. We show how to apply the Dynamic Route Map technique in the general case to obtain an approximation to the differential equation that determines the behaviour of the device.

Chemotherapy is a standard therapeutic option for triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC); however, its effectiveness is often compromised by drug-related toxicity and resistance development. Herein, we aimed to evaluate whether an improved antineoplastic effect could be achieved in vitro and in vivo in TNBC by combining dovitinib, a multi-kinase inhibitor, with calcitriol, a natural anti-cancer hormone. In vitro, cell proliferation and cell-cycle distribution were studied by sulforhodamine B-assays and flow cytometry. In vivo, dovitinib/calcitriol effects on tumor growth, angiogenesis and endothelium activation were evaluated in xenografted mice by caliper measures, Itgb3-immunohistochemistry and 99mTc-RGD2-tumor uptake. The drug combination elicited a synergistically improved antiproliferative effect in TNBC-derived cells, which allowed a 7-fold dovitinib dose-reduction. Mechanistically, the co-treatment induced cell death and accumulation in S and G2/M phases, while inhibited tumor growth to a greater extent than each compound alone. Tumor uptake of 99mTc-RGD2 was reduced by dovitinib, suggesting angiogenesis inhibition, which was corroborated by decreased endothelial cell growth and tumor vessel density. In summary, calcitriol synergized dovitinib anticancer effects in vitro and in vivo, allowing for a significant dose-reduction of dovitinib, while maintaining its antiproliferative potency. Our results suggest the beneficial convergence of independent antitumor mechanisms of dovitinib and calcitriol to inhibit TNBC-tumor growth.

Learning disorders (LD) are diagnosed in children impaired in the academic skills of reading, writing and/or mathematics. Children with LD usually show a slower resting-state electroencephalogram (EEG), with EEG patterns corresponding to a neurodevelopmental lag. LD-children also show a consistent cognitive impairment in working memory (WM), including an abnormal task-related EEG with an overall slower EEG activity of more delta and theta power, and less gamma activity in posterior sites; task-related EEG patterns considered indices of an inefficient neural resource management. Neurofeedback (NFB) treatments aimed at normalizing the resting-state EEG of LD-children have shown improvements in cognitive-behavioral indices and diminished EEG abnormalities. Given the typical findings of a WM impairment in LD-children; we aimed to explore the effects of a NFB treatment in the WM of children with LD, by analyzing the WM-related EEG power-spectrum. We recruited 18 children with LD (8-10 years old). They performed a Sternberg-type WM-task synchronized with an EEG of 19 leads (10-20 system) twice in pre-post treatment conditions. They went through either 30 sessions of a NFB treatment (NFB-group, n= 10); or through 30 sessions of a placebo-sham treatment (Sham-group, n= 8). We analyzed the before-after treatment group differences for the behavioral performance and the WM-related power-spectrum. The NFB group showed faster response times in the WM-task post-treatment. They also showed an increased gamma power at posterior sites and a decreased beta power. We explain these findings in terms of NFB improving the maintenance of memory representations coupled with a reduction of anxiety.

Placing the needle inside the epidural space for locoregional anesthesia is a challenging procedure, which even today is left to the expertise of the operator. Recently, we have demonstrated that the use of optically sensorized needles significantly improve the effectiveness of such procedure. Here we propose an optimized configuration, where the optical fiber strain sensor is directly integrated inside the epidural catheter. The new design allows to solve the biocompatibility issues and increases the versatility of the former configuration. Through an in vivo study carried out on a porcine model we confirm the reliability of our approach, which also opens the way to catheter monitoring during its insertion inside biological spaces.

Conceptual distance refers to the degree of proximity between two concepts within a conceptualization. It is closely linked with semantic similarity and relationship, but its computation relies entirely on the context of the given concepts. The DIS-C algorithm, which requires using search algorithms such as Breadth First Search, represents an advance in computing the semantic similarity/relation regardless of the type of knowledge structure and semantic relationships. The shortest path algorithm facilitates the determination of the semantic closeness between two indirectly connected concepts in an ontology by propagating local distances. This process is implemented for each concept pair to establish the most effective and efficient paths to connect these concepts. The algorithm identifies the shortest path between the concepts, allowing for the inference of the most relevant relationships between them. This approach contributes to developing a comprehensive understanding of the ontology and enhances the accuracy and precision of the semantic representation of the concepts. However, one of the critical issues is associated with the computational complexity due to the nature of the algorithm, which is errorn3. This paper studies alternatives to accelerate the DIS-C based on approximation and optimized algorithms, focusing on Dijkstra, pruned Dijkstra, and Sketched-based algorithms to compute conceptual distance. Based on the experiments, we discovered that the bottleneck can be avoided using the proposed 2-hop coverages, bringing DIS-C almost linearity.

As Solar Photovoltaics in buildings reaches maturity, grid integration and economic yield are topics of greater interest. The traditional design of photovoltaic installations has considered the optimal orientation of photovoltaic modules to be that which yields the maximum annual energy production. The influence of the consumption patterns and the hourly-variable electricity prices implies that this traditional optimal design might not be the most profitable. Using a full-year dataset for a residential installation, alternative installations using canopies and modules attached to the façades are simulated. Simulating the energy balances for different annual consumptions, it is found that the canopy and façade installations offer better self-consumption of the PV produced energy, reflected in a 9% higher self-consumption degree using modules on façades and a 5% using canopies. The economic evaluation under the new electricity tariffs in Spain shows a better profit for PV self-consumption, reducing by more than 2 years the time of return on investment. The analysis of different alternatives for an industrial PV has allowed us to identify several benefits for these orientations, such as an increase in annual energy production of up to 59% over the optimal-producing orientation, that are confirmed after several months of operation.

Port state control inspections implemented under the Paris Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) have become known as one of the best instruments for maritime administrations in European Union (EU) Member States to ensure that the ships docked in their ports comply with all maritime safety requirements. This paper focuses on the analysis of all inspections made between 2013 and 2018 in the top ten EU ports incorporated in the Paris MoU (17,880 inspections). The methodology consists of a multivariate statistical information system (STATIS) analysis using the inspected ship’s characteristics as explanatory variables. The variables used describe both the inspected ships (classification society, flag, age and gross tonnage) and the inspection (type of inspection and number of deficiencies), yielding a dataset with more than 600,000 elements in the data matrix. The most important results are that the classifications obtained match the performance lists published annually by the Paris MoU and the classification societies. Therefore, the approach is a potentially valid classification method and would then be useful to maritime authorities as an additional indicator of a ship’s risk profile to decide inspection priorities and as a tool to measure the evolution in the risk profile of flag over time.

Substrate integrated waveguides reduce the losses and increase the quality factor of resonators in communication filters when compared with traditional planar technologies, while maintaining their low cost and low profile characteristics. Empty substrate integrated waveguides go one step further, removing the dielectric of the substrate. One of these transmission lines is the empty substrate integrated coaxial line (ESICL), which adds the advantage of being a two conductor structure. Thus, it propagates a TEM mode, which reduces the dispersion and the bandwith limitation of other one conductor empty substrate integrated waveguides. Continuous profile filters, at the cost of being long structures, are very easy to manufacture and design (usually no optimization is needed), and they are highly insensitive to manufacturing tolerances. In this work a simple continuous profile filter, with a stop band response, is designed for the first time in the novel ESICL technology. The influence of the design parameters on the insertion losses and fractional bandwidth is discussed. A prototype has been successfully manufactured and measured. A sensitivity analysis shows the high tolerance of the proposed stop band filter to manufacturing errors.

: Background: Vaccination against COVID-19 has been the main strategy used by most countries to limit the spread of the virus. However, vaccine uptake has been low in Africa, leading to the implementation of several interventions in order to improve vaccine coverage. This study was conducted due to the lack of information about COVID-19 vaccine coverage and the factors associated with vaccine hesitancy. Methods: This cross-sectional study was carried out in Kinshasa city using multi-stage random sampling. A total of 2160 households were included in the study. The data were analyzed using Stata 15 software. The means and standard deviations were calculated for normally distributed continuous variables, while proportions with their 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were calculated for categorical variables. Pearson’s chi-square test or Fisher’s exact test was used to test the associations between dependent variables and each independent variable. Logistic regression was used to identify the factors associated with hesitancy receiving the COVID-19 vaccination. Results: The majority of respondents were aged between 25 and 34 and 35 and 49 (28.9%). During this study, 15% (95% CI [13.25–17.9]) of respondents had received at least one dose of the COVID-19 vaccine. Among the reasons given for refusing to be vaccinated, most respondents cited concerns about the vaccine being unsafe or causing adverse reactions (45%). Among the reasons given for accepting the vaccine, 26% thought that the vaccine prevented superinfection. The factors associated with hesitancy toward the COVID-19 vaccine were female gender, an age of less than 35 years, and living in non-slum households. Conclusions: Despite the interventions implemented across the country, the reluctance to be vaccinated remains a problem; this could lead to poor health outcomes, especially among the elderly and those with pre-existing conditions. It is important to step up awareness-raising campaigns in the community in order to increase the uptake of vaccination.

Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA) is nowadays one of the respiratory pathologies with a higher in-cidence globally in developed countries. This situation led to an increase in the demand for medical appointments and diagnostic studies related to that condition, especially those based on poly-somnographies and cardiorespiratory polygraphies. These studies are limited in resources, causing long waiting lists with the subsequent impact on the patients’ health. Furthermore, it is necessary to mention that OSA’s symptomatology is not very specific, and it is typically present in the general population (excessive sleepiness, snore, etc.). In this regard, this paper proposes a novel intelligent clinical decision support system for the diagnosis of OSA which could be used to help medical teams, both in primary care settings and in units specialized in respiratory pathologies. The aim of the proposed system is to help discriminate the patients suspected of suffering from the pathology from those who are not. To this end, two types of information sets of heterogeneous nature are consid-ered. The first one encompasses objective data, related to the patient's health profile with infor-mation usually available in electronic health records. The second type comprises subjective data, referred to the symptomatology reported by the patient in a previous interview. To process the first group of information, a Machine Learning classification algorithm is used, Bagged Trees in this case. For processing the second information set, related with the symptomatology of the patient, a col-lection of expert systems based on fuzzy inferential systems arranged in cascade are employed. As a result, the system is able to determine two risk indicators related to the patient's risk of suffering from OSA: the Statistical Risk and the Symbolic Risk respectively. Subsequently, by interpreting both risk indicators mentioned it will be possible to determine the severity of the patients’ health, proposing a preliminary evaluation on their condition. For the initial tests of the system, a software artifact has been built using a dataset with 4,978 selected patients, suspected of suffering from OSA, from the Álvaro Cunqueiro Hospital in Vigo. The results obtained are promising, demonstrating the potential usefulness of this type of tools in medical diagnosis. Once the system has been validated with new data from clinical environments, it is considered as possible to obtain a relevant improvement in the quality of the healthcare services, and a reduction in the associated costs.

Agaricus blazei Murrill or Himematsutake is an edible and medicinal mushroom. Agaricus blazei Murrill's fruiting body extracts have anticancer properties, although the mechanism is unknown. Basic or organic solvents, which are hazardous for human health, are generally used to prepare Agaricus blazei Murrill's extracts. Inhibition of immune checkpoint molecules and Axl receptor is an effective therapy in cancer. This study assessed whether subcritical water extracts of the Agaricus blazei Murrill's fruiting body or mycelium affect the expression of Axl and immune checkpoint molecules in lung cancer cells. We used A549 cells and mouse bone marrow-derived dendritic cells in the experiments. We prepared subcritical water extracts from the Agaricus blazei Murrill's fruiting body or mycelium. The subcritical water extracts from the Agaricus blazei Murrill's fruiting body or mycelium significantly inhibited the expression of immune checkpoint molecules and Axl compared to saline-treated cells. Also, the hot water extract, subcritical water extract, and the hot water extraction residue subcritical water extract from the Agaricus blazei Murrill's mycelium significantly enhanced the expression of maturation markers in dendritic cells. These observations suggest that the subcritical water extract from Agaricus blazei Murrill's mycelium is a promising therapeutic tool for stimulating the immune response in cancer.