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

This study compared the efficacy of alfaxalone and propofol to induce anesthesia in bitches undergoing an ovariohysterectomy or cesarean sections. 34 healthy and pyometra-affected females were induced with IV propofol administration, 35 healthy and pyometra-affected bitches were induced with the IV administration of alfaxalone. For the cesarean sections, females were induced with propofol (n=14) or alfaxalone (n=14). Maternal physiological parameters (heart rate, blood pressure, temperature) were recorded throughout surgeries; the viability and a modified Apgar score was recorded in the neonates at 5, 60 and 120 minutes after delivery. The use of propofol and alfaxalone did not show relevant differences over parameters assessed, when ovariohysterectomy was performed in healthy bitches or females with pyometra, as well as when cesarean sections were compared; only, a transient tachycardia appeared after alfaxalone administration. However, a higher percentage of bitches needed extra-doses of propofol. Neonatal mortality was similar between both groups, but when alfaxalone was used a higher neonatal viability was observed. Propofol and alfaxalone showed similar efficacy to perform the ovariohysterectomy in all bitches. Both protocols were optimal for cesarean sections, but alfaxalone was associated with a higher neonatal viability and a higher neonatal survival rate.

The expansion of Open World Video Games (OWVGs) has seen the emergence of multiple new fictional worlds. This type of video game is characterized by total immersion in a world built for the players entertainment. What videogames developers want when players enter an OWVG is that they could feel like if they were open a door to an entirely new world and leave the real world behind. These virtual worlds manifest as a complement, an alternative, or the successor to the physical universe, and in some way continue the philosophical tradition of possible worlds begun by Leibniz. Accustomed to ‘surviving’ in hostile environments, millions of people continued to improve their skills in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic while locked in their homes. Once the pandemic seems to start to be left behind, the paper analyzes the virtual worlds created by the video games and the relations between the pandemic and these fictional worlds.

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

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

A critical discussion on the computation of the dispersion diagram in periodic one-dimensional guiding structures is carried out. In particular, an analysis is presented of the pros and cons of combined methods that make use of full-wave simulations done with commercial software packages with further analytical post-processing based on simplifications brought by an equivalent circuit model of the structure. Some of the most common methods reported in the literature are reviewed and their advantanges and limitations highlighted. Our discussion is complemented with several selected numerical examples in order to discuss the most relevant aspects that a potential user of these methods should be aware of. Special attention is paid to the relevant role played by the high-order coupling between the two halves of a symmetric unit cell of the periodic structure.

Abstract: The concept of sustainability applied to sports activities means ensuring that the economic benefits brought about by their development are not obtained at the expense of causing ecological damage or interference in local cultural habits. A cable-ski is a nautical ski system whereby a motorboat is substituted by a cable traction system powered by an electric motor. The effect on the quality of the water in those places that can boast cable-ski facilities has been described in cold freshwater lakes. Objective: Our purpose was to study the evolution of water quality in a ten-year period after the installation of a cable-ski facility in a warm, salted, semi-stagnant pond. Material and Method: Review of the data gathered from the routine test carried out by the Laboratory of the Council of Alcúdia from 2010 to 2019 Results: The levels of dissolved oxygen have increased, being significantly higher in the period 2016 – 2019 than in that of 2010 – 2015. The turbidity of the water has also seen a reduction in the second period with respect to the first. Conclusion: It seems that cable-ski improves the quality of water even warm, high-conductivity, semi-stagnant conditions

Besides a diffuse research activity on drug discovery and biodiversity carried out in natural contexts, more recently investigations concerning endophytic fungi have started considering their occurrence in crops based on the major role that these microorganisms have been recognized to play in plant protection and growth promotion. Fruit growing is particularly involved in this new wave, by reason that the pluriannual crop cycle implies a likely higher impact of these symbiotic interactions. Aspects concerning occurrence and effects of endophytic fungi associated with citrus species are revised in the present paper.

Nearly Zero Energy Buildings (NZEBs) play a key role in the world energy transition and this is motivating the scientific community to develop innovative electrical and thermal systems, characterized by very high efficiency to specifically address the energy needs of modern buildings. Naturally, the integration on buildings of latest generation PV-systems helps to satisfy this need and, having in mind this objective, an innovative and highly efficient BIPV-system is presented and discussed in this paper. First, the proposed PV-system is purpose-built to be fully integrated into a variety of buildings and, preferably, into their rooftop. It is based on a certain number of innovative rotating and bifacial PV-modules which are specifically made to be installed “under-glass”, within a likewise custom-made transparent casing. Each of the aforementioned PV-module has the form of single row of bifacial PV-cells and is equipped with two special terminations; the PV-modules are then installed inside their transparent casing, side by side and suitably spaced from each other. Thanks to the aforementioned properties, the PV-modules can rotate around their central longitudinal axis, by using a very low-power, reliable and efficient mono-axial solar tracking system. Finally, by the aforementioned way, the proposed PV-system assumes – de facto - the form of a transparent BIPV-generator (PV-skylight), equipped with an innovative “under-glass” single axis solar tracking system. Once the proposed PV-generator is fully integrated into a building, it generates electricity and, additionally, helps to improve both the whole energy performances and the aesthetic appearance of the building. The electricity generation and illuminance performances of the proposed BIPV-generator are experimentally tested by using a low-power home-made prototype driven by different solar tracking logics and under different operating conditions; the most relevant results are summarized and extensively discussed.

(1) Background: Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) and Developmental Language Disorder (DLD) are neurodevelopmental disorders that affect various areas of chil-dren’s development, such as language. There is an emerging idea that ADHD is characterised by the presence of language difficulties, which could be explained by the high comorbidity between ADHD and DLD. The purpose of this study is to analyse the empirical evidence of language com-petence in children aged 6–17 years old, diagnosed with ADHD and/or DLD. (2) Method: Fifteen studies with experimental designs were identified from Scopus, PsycINFO and WoS databases, reporting on language skills in children diagnosed with ADHD and/or DLD. Studies relating ex-ecutive functioning to language skills in this target population were also included. (3) Results: The literature is heterogeneous and different components of language are also examined. Even though the results are contradictory they convincingly demonstrate that there are overlapping symptoms between ADHD and DLD, such as language skills and executive functions. (4) Conclusions: the differences in the samples limit the generalisability of the results. Therefore, this review highlights the importance of considering language skills when designing individualised interventions for the population with ADHD and DLD, both in comorbidity and in isolation.

Calcium (Ca2+) ions act as second messenger, regulating several cell functions. Mitochondria are critical organelles for the regulation of intracellular Ca2+. Mitochondrial calcium (mtCa2+) uptake is ensured by the presence in the inner mitochondrial membrane (IMM) of the mitochondrial calcium uniporter (MCU) complex, a macromolecular structure composed of pore-forming and regulatory subunits. MtCa2+ uptake plays a crucial role in the regulation of oxidative metabolism and cell death. Many evidences demonstrate that dysregulation of mtCa2+ homeostasis can have serious pathological outcomes. In this review, we briefly discuss the molecular structure and the function of the MCU complex and then we focus our attention on human diseases in which a dysfunction in mtCa2+ has been showed.

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

This study delves into the dynamics of relational energy (RE) within organizational context, examining some of its antecedents and decedents. Specifically, it investigates the influence of psychological capital (PsyCap) and humor on RE, and subsequently, the latter’s impact on job performance (JB) mediated by job engagement (JE). A research model based on structural equation modelling carried out with 481 employees in private service industries demonstrates several key relationships. It reveals that both PsyCap and affiliative humor positively affect RE, while aggressive humor exerts a negative influence. Furthermore, RE shows positive association with JE and JP, with JE serving as a mediator. To the authors’ knowledge, this is the first study to present an integrated model encompassing this exact combination of influencers and consequences of RE as well as to be investigated within Western Balkans cultural context. Therefore, it represents a novel approach. Additionally, the research addresses crucial questions regarding the existence and strategic significance of RE within organizational interactions. The findings offer valuable insights for organizations seeking to enhance employee engagement, performance, and wellbeing – even during health crises such as COVID-19 – by fostering RE. The study advances the understanding of RE in organizational settings and provides a foundation for future research in this domain.

The purpose of this study is to analyse the ways of visualization of hidden violence through a map of the city of violence called La Manada City, in its transformation from defensive to artistic strategies. For this analysis, firstly we propose the contextualization of the artwork and its authorship, and later, the research about the artistic and visual resources of the 257 items that make up the map and its guide street, in a sort of rustic hypertext of the emotions linked to the violence in the territory. The main findings of this study demonstrate the strength of the strategy used as a survival method in cases of bullying. As a conclusion, in spite of the therapeutic effects, this work cannot be understood as Art Therapy, but as combat art: it provides an understanding of the emotional city, of the disadvantaged groups that inhabit it, from the most local (as a transcript of the city of Seville) to global and universal effects on community life.

The growing concern about climate change and global warming has driven greater involvement of international organizations, countries, companies, and society in general in acting and ensur-ing the life of our planet and the sustainability of future generations. Sustainability and finance are two concepts that are intertwined through sustainable finance, serving as an instrument that guides financial resources towards achieving sustainable development. Sustainability allows companies to identify risks and opportunities, being responsible for measuring their social, envi-ronmental, and economic impact under a multi-stakeholder approach. One of the three main cri-teria of sustainability is corporate governance, and the main corporate governance body is the board of directors, where the composition of the board and its supervision and monitoring func-tions improve the ESG performance. A relevant aspect within the board of directors is the ade-quate balance of gender diversity on the board, becoming an aspect regulated by laws and cor-porate governance code. This article develops the main concepts related to sustainability, sus-tainable finance and corporate governance describing the current situation of these topics and their relationship, creating a conceptual framework that allows identifying topics necessary for further empirical research and the implication of regulation in the scope of ESG issues.

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

Around the World, the number of compound databases of natural products in the public domain is rising. This is in line with the increasing synergistic combination of natural product research and chemoinformatics. Towards this global endeavor, countries in Latin America are assembling, curating, and analyzing the contents and diversity of natural products available in their geographical regions. In this manuscript we collect and analyze the efforts that countries in Latin America have made so far to build natural product databases. We further encourage the scientific community in particular in Latin America, to continue their efforts to building quality natural product databases and, whenever possible, to make them publicly accessible. It is proposed that all compound collections could be assembled into a unified resource called LANaPD: Latin America Natural Products Database. Opportunities and challenges to build, distribute, and maintain LANaPD are also discussed

In this article, we have tried to answer the questions of how an entire city's fiction was created for the development of Japanese American internment camps and in which way contributions of sustainable crafts and even art could have interceded. To this aim, we have searched the literature and reviewed archives, primarily from the American West Coast. We have found that beyond adaptation to the circumstances, the visual representation of the city's settlement, founding, and daily activities, instead of typical panoptic or somber prisons’ imagery, are depicted in the selected images and that their use precisely fostered its sustainability. This leads us to deduce that a "city fiction" was necessary for such survival and endurance and that its artistic representation was primarily involved in the state's ideological apparatus. On the other hand, fissures subtly seethed the violence exerted in the camps by stealth and in a hidden fashion. We have concluded that artistic activity justified the city's fiction, together with other examples, highlighting the conditions of systemic violence and oppression for the inmates. In this framework, the artworks generated constitute a historical document of sustainability.

Recently, the conformable derivative and its properties have been introduced. In this paper, we propose and prove some new results on conformable Boundary Value Problems. First, we introduce a conformable version of classical Sturm´s separation, and comparison theorems. For a conformable Sturm-Liouville problem, Green's function is constructed, and its properties are also studied. In addition, we propose the applicability of the Green´s Function in solving conformable inhomogeneous linear differential equations with homogeneous boundary conditions, whose associated homogeneous boundary value problem has only trivial solution. Finally, we prove the generalized Hyers-Ulam stability of the conformable inhomogeneous boundary value problem.

In an era driven by technology and connectivity, where the sphere of learning goes beyond conventional classrooms, e-Service-Learning (e-SL) merges the possibilities of technology with the principles of experiential education in a powerful blend [1]. Service-learning (SL) is an educational proposal that has been cited by UNESCO [2] as an innovative educational tool through which to address the complex challenges of our society. The Sustainable Development Goals [3] provide a framework around which to structure the SL projects and thus develop the skills needed to act on the full range of goals. Embedding digital means open a debate on the intricate relationship between technology, education, and societal impact [4]. By analyzing two focus groups involving faculty, students and community partners, this contribution aims to explore the potential of combining SL and digital empowerment (DE). The focus group participants discussed the opportunities for innovation, the expected impact on them and the society at large, their needs and the pre-conditions needed to make SL and DE successful, and limitations. The results are presented according to the six principles of sustainability education in the university environment, highlighting the transformative potential of combining these principles within SL and DE.

The present research is embedded in the professional development and research line and in the needs of secondary education and first-year university teachers. We focussed on evidencing the importance of teachers’ professional training to include some specific adaptation and skills in intercultural dialogue and understanding -often called Intercultural Competence- because of its direct impact on the sustainable development of human beings, groups, and ecosystems. We investigated the role played by each of the main competencies linked to the following intercultural dimensions: Professional Identity, Ethics and Axiology, Methodology, and Inclusive Education. We used an integrated methodology and a cross-study of data, performed after the obtention of a three-cornered evaluation of results collected in focus groups, interviews, and questionnaires. We were able to show the impact of intercultural dialogue and understanding in the education for a sustainable development pattern. This is fundamental to set up a new ecology of forms, knowledge, attitudes, and educational meanings, further used to update teachers and students’ training in sustainable ecology and cultural diversity. Progress made in these complementary competencies -Professional Identity, Ethics and Axiology, Methodology- were appraised by teachers participating in the present study; the latter showing an increased interest and demand for the intercultural competence, after increasing their proficiency in the other complementary competencies.

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.

Streptococcus pneumoniae is an pathogenic and opportunistic Gram-positive bacteria that is the leading cause of community acquired respiratory diseases, varying from mild- to deathly- infections. Appearance of antibiotic resistant isolates has prompted the search for novel targets. One of the most promising approaches is the structure-based knowledge of possible targets in conjunction to rational design and docking of inhibitors of the chosen targets. A useful technique to help solving protein structures is to label them with a heavy atom, like selenium, that facilitates tracing of the some of the amino acid residues. We have chosen two pneumococcal DNA-binding proteins, namely the relaxase domain of MobM protein from plasmid pMV158, and the RelB-RelE antitoxin-toxin protein complex. Through the update of a previous protocol [1] that uses seleno-L-methionine, we could achieve 100% labelling of the proteins. Furthermore, the labelled proteins retained full activity as judged from relaxation of supercoiled plasmid DNA and from gel-retardation assays.

Flavonoids are widely recognized as natural polydrugs, given their anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, sedative and antineoplastic activities. Recently, different studies have shown that flavonoid have the potential to inhibit BET bromodomains. Previous reports suggest that flavonoids are putative inhibitors of the ZA channel due to their orientation and interactions with P86, V87, L92, L94 and N140. Herein, a comprehensive characterization of the binding mode of the biflavonoid amentoflavone and fisetin is discussed. To this end, both compounds were docked with BRD4 using four docking programs. Results were post-processed with protein-ligand interaction fingerprints. To gain further insights into the binding mode of the two natural products, docking results were further analyzed with molecular dynamics. Results showed that amentoflavone makes numerous contacts in the ZA channel, as previously described for flavonoids and kinase inhibitors. It was also found that amentoflavone can potentially make contacts with non-canonical residues for BET inhibition. Most of these contacts were not observed with fisetin. Based on these results, amentoflavone was tested for BRD4 inhibition, showing activity in the micromolar range. This work may serve as basis for scaffold optimization and further characterization of flavonoids as BET inhibitors.

Recently, many authors have been interested to introduce fuzzy implications over t-norms and t-conorms. In this paper, we introduce (S,N) and residuum fuzzy implication for Dubois t-norm and Hamacher's t-norm. Also, new concepts so-called (T,N) and residual fuzzy co-implication in dual Heyting Algebra are investigated. Some examples as well as application are discussed as well.

The digital twin (DT) research field is experiencing rapid expansion, yet the research in industrial practices in this area remains poorly understood. This paper aims to address this knowledge gap by sharing feedback and future requirements from the manufacturing industry. The methodology employed in this study involves an examination of a survey that received 99 responses and interviews with 14 experts from 10 prominent UK organisations, most of which are in the defence industry in the UK. The survey and interviews explored topics such as DT design, return on investment, drivers, inhibitors, and future directions for DT development in manufacturing. The study findings indicate that DTs should possess characteristics such as adaptability, scalability, interoperability, and the ability to support assets throughout their entire life cycle. On average, completed DT projects reach the break-even point in less than two years. The primary motivators behind DT development were identified to be autonomy, customer satisfaction, safety, awareness, optimisation, and sustainability. Meanwhile, the main obstacles include a lack of expertise, funding, and interoperability. The study concludes that the federation of twins and a paradigm shift in industrial thinking are essential components for the future of DT development.

Adequate public spaces and urban green areas are key criteria for urban development and infrastructure implementation of healthy cities. Latterly, there has been an increasing number of research methods using artificial intelligence (AI) to monitor, quantify, and control the state of these spaces with an aim towards pioneering research in Urban Studies. However, in informal areas, open-data access tends to lack adequate and updated information, making it difficult to use AI methods. Hence, we propose a methodology for restricted open data collection and preparation for future use in machine learning or spatial data science models for similar areas. To that extent, we examine two peripheral and low-income neighborhoods in Quito, Ecuador, La Bota and Toctiuco, to analyze their public spaces, urban green areas, points of interest, and road networks, and how they address healthy cities criteria. We develop an original methodological approach that combines an index of proximity, accessibility, quantity, and quality of these spaces with geospatial and network analysis techniques. Results indicate that the connectivity and structure of these spaces are centralized and nodal, representing exclusion and segregation. This work provides insights on potential healthy spaces, and information to urban planners and policymakers in decision-making for healthy urban infrastructure.

Propolis is a bee product widely used as a dietary supplement and included in sweets or baby foods due to its well-known antioxidant and nutritional properties that are directly correlated with its phenolic composition. For this reason, this study analysed the total contents of flavones and flavonols, flavanones and dihydroflavonols, and the antioxidant capacity by using the methods of ABTS and linoleic acid/β-carotene in 99 samples of propolis from Spain and Chile. A rapid method was developed for quantifying these parameters in raw propolis using near infrared (NIR) spectroscopy with an optical fibre probe of remote reflectance applied directly to the ground up sample. The models developed allow the determination of the total of flavones and flavonols (0-183 mg rutin/ g propolis), of the total of flavanones and dihydroflavonols (9-109 mg pinocembrin/ g propolis extract), and the antioxidant capacity by the ABTS method (0-3212 nmolesTrolox/ mg of propolis) and of linoleic acid/β-carotene (22-86% inhibition). The NIR spectroscopy models were applied in external validation to different samples of the calibration group, which led to the conclusion that the methods developed provide significantly identical data to the initial chemical data of reference.

Hyperspectral images are an important tool to assess ecosystem biodiversity both on terrestrial and benthic habitats. To obtain more precise analysis of biodiversity indicators that agree with indicators obtained using field data, analysis of spectral diversity calculated from images have to be validated with field based diversity estimates. The plant species richness is one of the most important indicators of biodiversity. This indicator can be measured in hyperspectral images considering the Spectral Variation Hypothesis (SVH) which states that the spectral heterogeneity is related to spatial heterogeneity and thus to species richness. The goal of this research is to capture spectral heterogeneity from hyperspectral images for a terrestrial neo tropical forest site using Vector Quantization (VQ) method and then use the result for prediction of plant species richness. The results are compared with that of Hierarchical Agglomerative Clustering (HAC). The validation of the process index is done calculating the Pearson correlation coefficient between the Shannon entropy from actual field data and the Shannon entropy computed in the images. Terrestrial dry forest and marine coastal hyperspectral images with different resolutions have been used for spectral diversity feature validation.

Three-phase motors are commonly adopted in several industrial contexts and their failures can result in costly downtime causing undesired service outages; this way, motor diagnostics is an issue that assumes great importance. To prevent their failures and timely face the considered service outages, a non-invasive method to identify electrical and mechanical faults in three-phase asynchronous electric motors is proposed in the paper. In particular, a measurement strategy along with a machine learning algorithm based on Artificial Neural Network is exploited to properly classify failures. In particular, digitized current samples of each motor phase are first processed by means of FFT and PSD in order to estimate the associated spectrum. Suitable features (in terms of frequency and amplitude of the spectral components) are then singled out to either train or feed a neural network acting as a classifier. The method is preliminary validated on a set of 28 electric motors, and its performance is compared with common state-of-art machine learning techniques. The obtained results show that the proposed methodology is able to reach accuracy levels greater than 98\% in identifying anomalous conditions of three-phase asynchronous motors.

Diaminomaleonitrile (DAMN) is an electron-rich ligand which is commonly used in the synthesis of purines, amides and Schiff base ligands. In the last case lies the interest in this molecule, given its symmetry and apparent facility to form various ligands and complexes of interest in fields such as organic solar cells and catalysis among others. Nevertheless, its bisubstitution with aldehydes displays certain difficulty due to the double conjugated presence of the nitrile group (C≡N) in its structure, which significantly affect its coordination behavior by modulating the chemical reactivity of its amines. In addition to presenting a practical resume of guidelines for the preparation of different bisubstituted compounds from DAMN, this paper reviews the possibility of attaining a precise characterization by simple spectroscopic techniques. We provide an additional discussion for one of these techniques (commonly reported but often overlooked), given its potential to provide both the symmetry and E/Z configuration of the product. We hope the comprehensive evidence discussed and shown in this review will be helpful to further develop and understand the products derived of this interesting molecule in their broad applications.

The need to develop novel lightweight materials and their manufacturing processes is sets out to meet the new aerospace, automotive and construction requirements. Within this context, this research work is proposed to develop a novel thermoplastic composite material with high mechanical properties. These composites will be based on thermoplastic matrixes made from polyamide and 35% short glass fiber filled-polyamide reinforced with different types of fabrics. As reinforcement, glass fiber fabrics will be used as the base. They will be treated with different processes, both chemical and physical, to promote adherence to the matrix. Textile overmoulding technology was selected for manufacturing these composites. This technology was primarily developed to manufacture aesthetic lined components and has achieved a great implantation. Once these new composites are manufactured, they will be submitted to different tests to evaluate their behavior regarding adhesion, impact strength and stiffness. It is expected an improvement on stiffness and impact absorption.

The critical changes in physical appearance during adolescence can considerably influence the self-appraisal of body image. The purpose of this study is to analyze body self-image gender differences in Mediterranean adolescents, and his relationships to the anthropometric characteristics of this population in different phases of the adolescence. Participants were 809 Mediterranean teenagers (396 females) aged 11 to 17. A relative low prevalence of dissatisfaction with body image was observed among healthy urban Mediterranean adolescents (boys 17.3%; girls 22.7%). Girls showed statistically significantly higher mean BSQ scores than boys (M = 61.7, SD = 26.6 versus M = 56.3, SD = 27.1; p < 0.001). Girls in the late adolescence were more often classified as being dissatisfied (31%) in comparison to those in the early adolescent group (19.1%; p < 0.05). There was a good correlation of BSQ scores with all the anthropometric variables in males but not in females.

There exists a great potential for application in soil mechanics with the use of mechanistic models such as the finite element model, and other non-local models, such as the peridynamic model, since the soil mass can be modelled as a group of particles that interact with each other. In this work, we determine the bearing capacity of deep foundations where stresses are transmitted to deep deposits, which generally present better characteristics in terms of compressibility and shear strength. One of the main elements are driven piles, which must be previously designed, made and tested before their final use. In this work, a comparison with different methods is presented. The finite element method and the peridynamic model are used. Because the effect of consolidation was not taken into account, in these examples, the assumption is made that the structures are cemented in inert soil. Likewise, it is assumed that the water table has no influence on the simulations. Failure envelopes were observed where bonds between particles present high gradients of deformation and fracture. Bearing capacities were estimated and compared with those obtained from the Terzaghi and Meyerhof methods.

Total edentulism is the loss of all teeth for any cause by a multifactorial process that involves biological and patient-related factors. Studies on edentulism and risk factors in Mexico are limited, and the epidemiological surveillance data is scarce and controversial since official governmental reports are not statistically representative of the country. We estimate the distribution for edentulism according to sociodemographic and socioeconomic variables in adults from a low-income state in 2003 and its progress in Mexico. We analyzed data from the National Performance Evaluation Survey in Oaxaca, Mexico, and the annual reports of the Epidemiological Surveillance System of Oral Pathologies in 2009-2019 using X². Oaxacan patients older than 75 y.o (17.9%, p<0.05), those with lower schooling (11.2%), and diabetes (14.5%) presented the highest percentage of edentulism. We do not observe differences in edentulism between sex or residence (p>0.05). From 2009 to 2019, country data reports the lowest rate of edentulism in adults over 20 y.o (0.32%; 95% CI 0.18%-0.48%) and the most affected population over 79 y.o. (7.29%; 95% CI 5.2%-9.30%). As it is a cumulative phenomenon, it is necessary to establish better surveillance, prevention, and treatment programs to improve the oral health of older thus reducing edentulism.

Background: The aim of the present work is the elaboration of a systematic review of existing research on physical fitness, self-efficacy for physical exercise, and quality of life in adulthood. Method: Using the PRISMA statement guidelines, and based on the findings in 396 articles, the final sample was composed of 31 articles, which were reviewed to show whether self-efficacy has previously been studied as a mediator in the relationship between physical fitness and quality of life in adulthood. Results: The results indicate that little research exists in relation to healthy, populations with the majority being people with pathology. Physical fitness should be considered as a fundamental aspect in determining the functional capacity of the person. Conclusions: We discuss the need to investigate the mediation of self-efficacy in relation to the value of physical activity on quality of life and well-being in the healthy adult population in adult life.

In this paper we study a bilinear optimal control problem related to a 2D parabolic-elliptic chemo-repulsion system consider a nonlinear chemical signal production term. We prove the existence of global optimal solutions with bilinear control, and applying a result on the existence of Lagrange multipliers in Banach spaces, we derive an optimality system for a local optimal solution.

This article presents a forecast model that uses a hybrid architecture of recurrent neural networks (RNN) with surface neural networks (ANN), based on historical records of exported active energy (EAE) and weather data. Two types of models were developed: the first type includes six models that use EAE records and weather variables as inputs, while the second type includes eight models that use only weather variables. Different metrics were applied to assess the performance of these models, and the best model of each type was selected. Finally, a comparison of the performance between the selected models of both types is presented, and they are validated with real data provided by a solar plant, achieving acceptable levels of accuracy. The selected model of the first type has an RMSE of 0.19, MSE of 0.03, MAE of 0.09, a correlation coefficient of 0.96, and a determination coefficient of 0.93. The other selected model of the second type showed lower precision in the metrics (RMSE = 0.24, MSE = 0.06, MAE = 0.10, Corr. Coef. = 0.95, and Det. Coef. = 0.90). Both models demonstrated good performance and acceptable accuracy in forecasting the weekly photovoltaic energy production of the solar plant.

The aim of this study is to analyse the names given to streets, monuments, spots of interest, et cetera in a street guide of an imaginary city called The Manada, whose map is constructed as a painting. For this analysis, we start from the 257 entries of the Street Guide, select their possible antecedents in literature and contextualize this street guide with respect to these antecedents. Our methodology is focused on two specific aspects of the Street guide: (1) to detect the semantic fields that emerge (with a methodology inverse to the creative one, that is, asking ourselves what key questions would result in the names of the streets) and (2) to detect the literary devices that are put into practice in the names of the places on the map, in order to determine how the relationship with the viewer-reader is established from a connotative level. The main findings of this study demonstrate that this is a unique piece, a new format both pictorial and literary, and that it has transcendence in the theme it deals with: the concealment of systemic violence. Comments about feminism, apotropaic devices and surrealism end our text.

The education system has become even more complex following the global pandemic, which saw face-to-face teaching transition to virtual teaching. To cope with this abrupt transition, it is essential that teachers had a sufficient level of digital teaching competence. This article aims to increase awareness of teachers' self-perception of their digital teaching competences in the educational field. Specifically, this study explores Spanish secondary school teachers’ knowledge and use of different ICT tools by evaluating their competence based on different areas proposed by The National Institute of Technology and Professional Development (Instituto Nacional de Tecnologías Educativas y de Formación del Profesorado, INTEF), Madrid, Spain. From the results of the questionnaires, we have determined that teachers consider themselves to have an upper intermediate level of digital teaching competence, although there are still shortcomings that need to be addressed in order to improve this level of competence, and its true integration in the teaching–learning process.

A non-negligible fraction of quasars are red at optical wavelengths, indicating (in the vast majority of cases) that the accretion disc is obscured by a column of dust which extinguishes the shorter-wavelength blue emission. In this paper we summarise recent work by our group, where we find fundamental differences in the radio properties of SDSS optically selected red quasars. We also present new analyses, using a consistent colour-selected quasar parent sample matched to four radio surveys (FIRST, VLA Stripe 82, VLA COSMOS 3 GHz and LoTSS DR1) across a frequency range 150 MHz-3 GHz and four orders of magnitude in radio flux. We show this enhancement is driven by systems with small-scale radio emission (∼kpc) and peaks around the radio-quiet threshold (defined as the ratio of 1.4 GHz luminosity to 6μm luminosity) across the four radio samples. Exploring the potential mechanisms behind this enhancement, we rule out star-formation and propose either small-scale jets or dusty winds interacting with the interstellar medium; this will be tested in detail using new multi-band uGMRT data. Overall our results cannot be explained with a simple viewing angle hypothesis, and so may point towards red quasars representing a key phase in the evolution of galaxies.

Objective: This study aimed to explore potential interventions or preventive measures to reduce the incidence of falls among the elderly in the Madinah region, and to provide recommendations for healthcare professionals, policymakers, and community stakeholders to enhance fall prevention strategies and improve the overall well-being of the elderly population in this area. Methods: The study adopted a cross-sectional study design, and was carried out in the Madinah region using convenient physical assignment among of Saudi and non-Saudi local residents aged 65 years and over. Questionnaire surveys were circulated and demographic characteristics were collected, including participants’ fall experience and health status data over the past year, in order to assess the incidence of falls among the elderly population. This design allows for the collection of data at a single point in time, aiming to evaluate the prevalence, risk factors, and consequences of falls among the target population. Results: A total of 189 participants were recruited to the study, and the data indicated that the prevalence of falls among those aged 65 years and older in the past year was 41.5%. We found that 73% of the participants had experienced falls and post-fall injuries within the past 12 months. There were minimal differences in terms of physical handicapped cases found between those with and without a fall history. Logistic regression analysis revealed a significant link between fall experience and maximum bite force. Conclusion: There is a high prevalence of falls in the elderly population in the Madinah region. Our study reveals that 50.79% of our elderly participants had experienced more than one fall during the preceding year. Some preventable risk factors were identified in an analysis of their daily routines. The impacts of these risk factors have potential consequences for their healthy lives.

The aim is to evaluate a program for direct oral anticoagulants (DOACs) management in nonvalvular atrial fibrillation (NVAF) patients, according to patient profiles, appropriateness of dosing, patterns of crossover, effectiveness and safety. This is an observational and longitudinal retrospective study in a cohort of patients attended in daily clinical practice in a single regional hospital in Spain with a systematic follow-up plan for up to 3 years for patients initiating dabigatran, rivaroxaban or apixaban between JAN/2012-DEC/2016. We analyzed 490 episodes of treatment (apixaban 2.5 mg: 9.4%, apixaban 5 mg: 21.4%, dabigatran 75 mg: 0.6%, dabigatran 110 mg: 12,4%, dabigatran 150 mg: 19.8%, rivaroxaban 15 mg: 17.8% and rivaroxaban 20 mg: 18.6%) in 445 patients. 13.6% of patients on dabigatran, 9.7% on rivaroxaban, and 3.9% on apixaban, switched to other DOACs or changed dosing. Apixaban was the most frequent DOAC switched to. The most frequent reasons for switching were toxicity (23.8%), bleeding (21.4%) and renal deterioration (16.7%). Inappropriateness of dose was found in 23.8% of episodes. Patients taking apixaban 2.5 mg were older, had higher CHA2DS2VASc score and lower creatinine clearance. Patients taking dabigatran 150 mg and rivaroxaban 20 mg were younger, had lower CHA2DS2VASc and higher creatinine clearance. Rates of stroke/transient ischemic attack (TIA) were 1.64/0.54 events/100 patients-years, while rates of major, clinically relevant non-major (CRNM) bleeding and intracranial bleeding where 2.4, 5, and 0.5 events/100 patients-years. Gastrointestinal and genitourinary bleeding were the most common type of bleeding events (BE). On multivariable analysis, prior stroke (RR: 4.2; CI: 1.5-11.8; p=0.006) and age (RR: 1.2; CI: 1.1-1.4; p=0.006) were independent predictors of stroke/TIA. Concurrent platelet inhibitors (RR: 7.1; CI: 2.3-21.8; p=0.001), male gender (RR: 2.1; CI: 1.2-3.7; p=0.0012) and age (RR: 1.1; CI: 1.02-1.13; p=0.005) were independent predictors of BE. This study complements the scant data available on the use of DOACs in NVAF patients in Spain, confirming a good safety and effectiveness profile

In this work we discuss the insights from activity landscape, docking and molecular dynamics towards the understanding of the structure-activity relationships of dual inhibitors of major epigenetic targets: lysine metiltransferase (G9a) and DNA metiltranferase 1 (DNMT1). The study was based on a novel data set of 50 published compounds with reported experimental activity for both targets. The activity landscape analysis revealed the presence of activity cliffs, e.g., pairs of compounds with high structure similarity but large activity difference. Activity cliffs were further rationalized at the molecular level by means of molecular docking and dynamics simulations that led to the identification of interactions with key residues involved in the dual activity or selectivity with the epigenetic targets.

The range of interactions between Cladosporium, an ubiquitous fungal genus, and insects, a class including about 60% of the animal species, is extremely diverse. The broad case history of antagonism and mutualism connecting Cladosporium and insects is reviewed in this paper based on the examination of the available literature. Certain strains establish direct interactions with pest or beneficial insects, or indirectly influence them through their endophytic development in plants. Entomopathogenicity is often connected to the production of toxic secondary metabolites, although there is a case where these compounds have been reported to favor pollinators attraction, suggesting an important role in angiosperm reproduction. Other relationships include mycophagy, which on the other hand may reflect an ecological advantage for these extremely adaptable fungi using insects as carriers for spreading in the environment. Several Cladosporium species colonize insect structures, such as galleries of ambrosia beetles, leaf-rolls of attelabid weevils and galls formed by cecidomyid midges, playing a still uncertain symbiotic role. Finally, the occurrence of Cladosporium in the gut of several insect species has intriguing implications in pest management, also considering that some strains have proven to be able to degrade insecticides. These interactions especially deserve further investigation to understand the impact of these fungi on pest control measures and strategies to preserve beneficial insects.

Bayesian model calibration techniques are commonly employed in the characterization of nonlinear dynamic systems, as they provide a conceptual and effective framework to deal with model uncertainties, experimental errors and procedure assumptions. This understanding has resulted in the need to introduce a model discrepancy term to account for the differences between model-based predictions and real observations. Indeed, the goal of this work is to enhance model-driven Structural Health Monitoring procedures by incorporating the posterior uncertainty linked to updated model discrepancy, and thus make relevant considerations for its use in the Structural Health Monitoring. Specifically, the Bayesian inference has been applied to the calibration of nonlinear hysteretic systems to both provide: (i) most probable values (MPV) of the parameters following the calibration, and; (ii) estimates of the model discrepancy posterior distribution. The effect of the model discrepancy in the calibration is first illustrated recurring to a single degree of freedom Bouc-Wen type oscillator, and then applied for calibrating a reference nonlinear Bouc-Wen model, deriving from real data acquired on a monitored masonry building.

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

Peanut (Arachis hypogaea) contains allergenic proteins, which make it harmful to the sensitised population. The presence of peanut in foods must be indicated on label, to prevent accidental consumption by allergic population. In this work, we use chloroplast markers for specifically detection of peanut by real-time PCR, in order to increase the assay sensitivity. Binary mixtures of raw and processed peanut flour in wheat were performed at concentrations ranging from 100000 to 0.1 mg/kg. DNA isolation from peanut, mixtures and other legumes was carried out following three protocols for obtaining genomic and chloroplast-enrich DNA. Quantity and quality of DNA was evaluated, obtaining better results for protocol 2. Specificity and sensitivity of the method has been assayed with specific primers for three chloroplast markers (mat k, rpl16 and trnH-psbA) and Ara h 6 peanut allergen-coding region was selected as nuclear low-copy target and TaqMan probes. Efficiency and linear correlation of calibration curves were within the adequate ranges. Mat k chloroplast marker yielded the most sensitive and efficient detection for peanut. Moreover, detection of mat K in binary mixtures of processed samples was possible up to 10 mg/kg even after boiling, and autoclave 121°C 15 min, with acceptable efficiency and linear correlation. Applicability of the method has been assayed in several commercial food products.

In this paper we formally define the hierarchical clustering network problem (HCNP) as the problem to find a good hierarchical partition of a network. This new problem focuses on the dynamic process of the clustering rather than on the final picture of the clustering process. To address it, we introduce a new hierarchical clustering algorithm in networks, based on a new shortest path betweenness measure. To calculate it, the communication between each pair of nodes is weighed by the importance of the nodes that establish this communication. The weights or importance associated to each pair of nodes are calculated as the Shapley value of a game, named as the linear modularity game. This new measure, (the node-game shortest path betweenness measure), is used to obtain a hierarchical partition of the network by eliminating the link with the highest value. To evaluate the performance of our algorithm, we introduce several criteria that allow us to compare different dendrograms of a network from two point of view: modularity and homogeneity. Finally, we propose a faster algorithm based on a simplification of the node-game shortest path betweenness measure, whose order is quadratic on sparse networks. This fast version is competitive from a computational point of view with other hierarchical fast algorithms, and, in general, it provides better results.

The aim of the research was getting to know the risk of dependency on physical exercising in individual sportspeople and the relationship with body dissatisfaction and motivation. 225 triathletes, swimmers, cyclists and athletes- with ages going from 18 to 63 years old took part in the research, of which 145 were men (M = 35.57 ±10.46 years) and 80 women (M = 32.83 ±10.31 years). The EDS-R was used to study the dependency on exercising, BSQ to study body dissatisfaction, BREQ-3 to know the motivation of participants and BIAQ to analyse conducts of avoidance to body image. The obtained results show that 8.5% of the subjects had risk of dependency on exercising and that 18.2% tend to have corporal dissatisfaction, without meaningful differences in the kind of sport they practiced. However, there were important differences concerning the dependency on physical exercise (15% vs 4.8%) and body dissatisfaction (31.1% vs 11%) in relation to sex, being the higher percentage referring to women. The introjected regulation and the conduct of food restriction were the predictor variables of the dependency on exercising and corporal dissatisfaction.

Allergen immunotherapy (AIT) with aeroallergens is the only disease modifying treatment for patients with different allergic conditions. Despite the effectiveness of AIT has been evidenced in both randomized controlled trials and real word studies, it remains underused in less than 10% of subjects with allergic rhinitis (AR) and/or asthma (A). We aimed to determine the current eligibility for house dust mite (HDM) AIT by means of a Precision Allergy Molecular Diagnosis (PAMD@) model in a selected cohort of youngsters with different allergic phenotypes according to the available evidence. A complex response to both HDM and storage mite allergens was depicted regardless of the subjects´ basal atopic condition. No solely specific IgE binding responses to Der p 1, Der p 2 and/or Der p 23 were found in the studied cohort. Despite patients with A and atopic dermatitis showed significantly higher serum titers to 6 mite allergens than subjects with AR, no specific molecular profile could be regarded as disease specific. Given the increasing complexity of specific IgE responses to the local prevailing aeroallergens, the identification and presence of such molecules are needed in commercially available AIT in the era of precision medicine.

Tug-of-war (TOW) is an internationally played activity including professional and amateur athletes and defined as early (4000 years ago as a rope less version) in the artwork on Egyptian tomb engravings and is played as per the rules laid out by TWIF, which has 73 member countries and administrative headquarters in the USA. Typically, two teams of “pullers” participate and apply enormous contra directional forces on the pulling rope. Originally, two types of competition are used: knockout and points. This narrative review describes the scientific state of the art about of TOW. For the best of the author’s knowledge no previous information has been published. Anthropometric parameters are near 83.6, lean body mass 69.4, and body fat 16. The VO2MAX is 55.8 ml/kg/min. Relative strength, the dynamic leg power was 4659.8 N. Endurance TOW elicits minimal muscle damage. The injured strains and sprains comprised over half of all injuries: back (42%), shoulder–upper limb (23%) and knee (17%). Pulling movement in TOW contests can be divided into three phases: namely "Drop", "Hold" and "Drive" phase. The maximal pulling forces was 1041.6 ± 123.9 N. The percentage of dynamic pulling force in static maximal pulling force was 75.5 ± 14.4% and the dynamic ranged from 106.4 to 182.5%. There are two gripping styles, indoor and outdoor. The friction characteristics between surface and shoe in TOW is important to determine a suitable shoe for indoor TOW. Waist Belt might be a useful piece of equipment for TOW sport. The EMG technique in Tow described a high activity of dorsal muscle during the pulling. The factor of force vanishing was the coordination among athletes. The force vanishing percentage goes from 8.82±5.59 for 2 contenders to 19.74±2.22 for 8 athletes, 6.4 % in the sum of 2 pullers. However, in the drop phase, for female elite TOW team, only the 0.5 % of them pulling force was wasted. Future studies are need in order to understand better this historical sport activity.

In this paper, we compare the performance between systems of ordinary and (Caputo) fractional differential equations depicting the susceptible-exposed-infectious-recovered (SEIR) models of diseases. In order to understand the origins of both approaches as mean-field approximations of integer and fractional stochastic processes, we introduce the fractional differential equations as approximations of some type of fractional nonlinear birth--death processes. Then, we examine validity of the two approaches against empirical courses of epidemics; we fit both of them to case counts of three measles epidemics that occurred during the pre-vaccination era in three different locations. While FDEs appear more flexible in fitting empirical data, our ODEs offered better fits to two out of three data sets. Important differences in transient dynamics between these modeling approaches are discussed.

In a previous paper, the authors dealt with the current showstoppers for morphing systems and with the reasons that have inhibited their commercial applicability. In this work, the authors ex-press a critical vision of the current status of the proposed architectures and the needs that should be accomplished to make them viable for installation onboard of commercial aircraft. The distinc-tion is essential because military and civil issues and necessities are very different, and both the solutions and difficulties to be overcome are widely diverse. Yet, still remaining in the civil seg-ment, there can be other differences, depending on the size of the aircraft, from large jets to com-muters or general aviation, in turn classifiable in tourism, acrobatic, ultralight and so on, each with their own peculiarities. Therefore, the paper wants to try to trace a common technology de-nominator, if possible, and envisage a future perspective of actual applications.

The present work provides continuity with studies where currently the industrial market is characterized by a highly variable demand in terms of quantities and flexibility of manufacturing or mass customization, which translates into a more demanding production context in terms of the continuous changes required to the production systems, the effect of which results in an increase in the fatigue subjected to the machines that make up the production systems. On the other hand, current production systems tend to use highly communicative and sensorized cyber-physical systems; these characteristics can be used to integrate them into decision-assisted systems in order to improve the availability of the industrial plant. The assisted system developed focuses on collecting and taking advantage of historical knowledge of industrial plant failures and breakdowns. By ideally integrating the Reliability Centered Maintenance (RCM) methodology and Case-Based Reasoning (CBR) algorithms implemented in a Java application, it is possible to design maintenance plans adjusted to a real and changing operational context of any industrial plant. As a result, faster and more accurate decisions are made, as they are based on data. This article focuses on improving certain aspects of the developed assisted system by adding more value to it by incorporating Fuzzy Logic (FL) techniques. The aim is to improve the way of entering information about risk factors and their relative importance, by incorporating natural language, instead of a numerical score, resulting in increased precision in the calculation of the Risk Priority Number (RPN) of the new cases incorporated into the assisted system.

The purpose of this article is to disclose the architectural proportions and nature of the Korean national treasure in Seokguram Grotto, Gyeongju. The authors compare its features with those of other ancient hypogeal or ashlar constructions and intend to rediscover its relevant hidden configuration and latent structural properties to show its uniqueness. The methods employed in the research belong initially to architectural design and composition to advance at a later stage, into the nuances of stone masonry, lighting effects or cohesive construction. In this discussion and thorough analysis, different philosophical and scientific subtleties come afloat. The results demonstrate a significant potential capable to be applied in part to recent architectural developments like Tadao Ando’s Buddha Hill in Hokkaido (2017) and the authors’ own project for a Buddhist monument.

With this article we would like to clarify the often-disregarded fact by virtue of which the European Missionaries in Asia acted as catalysts of a kind of nuanced acculturation named Accommodatio (adaptation). To a great extent they became harbingers of Culture and Science more than Faith itself to the dismay of many, including the Roman Church. Such cultural and scientific transference was actually two-pronged, for simultaneously they presented in Europe unique findings related to Language, e.g. the Chinese Characters (considered to be the sole natural language), Geography, Cosmology and even Governance. We would try to prove that such procedure contributed positively to the modern scientific notions of sustainability and to provide the kind of accoutrements that model the modern world as we know it.

Olympic Games have a huge impact on the cities where they are held, both during the actual celebration of the event and before and after it. This study presents a new approach based on spatial analysis, GIS, and data coming from Location Based Social Networks to model the spatiotemporal dimension of impacts associated with the Rio 2016 Olympic Games. Geolocalized data from Twitter are used to analyze the activity pattern of users from two different viewpoints. The first monitors the activity of Twitter users during the event -the arrival of visitors, where they came from, and the use resident and tourist made of different areas of the city. The second assesses the spatiotemporal use of the city by Twitter users before the event, compared to the use during and after the event. The results not only reveal which spaces were the most used while the Games were being held but also changes in the urban dynamics after the Games. Both approaches can be used to assess the impacts of mega-events and to improve the management and allocation of urban resources such as transport and public services infrastructure.

Angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) is an important player of the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system (RAAS) in regulating the conversion of angiotensin II into angiotensin (1-7). While expressed on the surface of human cells, such as lung, heart, kidney, neurons, and endothelial cells (EC), ACE2 is the entry receptor for SARS-CoV-2. Here, we would like to highlight that ACE2 is predominant on the EC membrane. Many of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) symptoms have been associated with the large recruitment of immune cells, directly affecting EC. Additionally, cytokines, hypoxia, and complement activation can trigger the activation of EC leading to the coagulation cascade. The EC dysfunction plus the inflammation due to SARS-CoV-2 infection may lead to abnormal coagulation, actively participating in thrombo-inflammatory processes resulting in vasculopathy and indicating poor prognosis in patients with COVID-19. Considering the intrinsic relationship between EC and the pathophysiology of SARS-CoV-2, EC-associated therapies such as anticoagulants, fibrinolytic drugs, immunomodulators, and molecular therapies have been proposed. In this review, we will discuss the role of EC in the lung inflammation and edema, in the disseminate coagulation process, ACE2 positive cancer patients, and current and future EC-associated therapies to treat COVID-19.

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

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

Modern imaging strategies are paramount to studying living systems such as cells, bacteria, and fungi and their response to pathogens, toxicants, and nanomaterials as modulated by exposure and environmental factors. The need to understand the processes and mechanisms of damage, healing and cell survivability of living systems continues to motivate the development of alternative imaging strategies. Of particular interest is the use of label-free techniques that minimize interference of biological processes by foreign marking substances and reduce intense light exposure and potential photo-toxicity effects. This review focus on the potential synergic capabilities of atomic force microscopy (AFM) as a well-developed and robust imaging strategy with demonstrated applications to unravel intimate details in biomedical applications, with the label-free, fast, and enduring Holotomographic Microscopy (HT) strategy. We first review the operating principles that form the basis for the complementary details provided by these techniques regarding the surface and internal information provided by HT and AFM is essential and complimentary for the development of several biomedical areas studying the interaction mechanisms of nanomaterials with living organisms. First, AFM can provide superb resolution on surface morphology and biomechanical characterization. Second, the quantitative phase capabilities of HT enable superb modeling and quantification of the volume, surface area, protein content, and mass density of the main components of cells and microorganisms, including morphology of cells in microbiological systems. These capabilities result from directly quantifying refractive index changes without requiring fluorescent markers or chemicals. As such, HT is ideally suited for long-term monitoring of living organisms in conditions close to their natural settings. We present a case-based review of the principal uses of both techniques and their essential contributions to nanomedicine and nanotoxicology, emphasizing cancer and infectious disease control. The synergic impact of the sequential use of these complementary strategies provides a clear drive for adopting these techniques as interdependent fundamental tools.

LSUs (RESPONSE TO LOW SULFUR) are plant-specific proteins of unknown function that were initially identified during transcriptomic studies of the sulfur deficiency response in Arabidopsis. Recent functional studies have shown that LSUs are important hubs of protein interaction networks with potential roles in plant stress responses. In particular, LSU proteins have been reported to interact with members of the brassinosteroid, jasmonate signaling, and ethylene biosynthetic pathways, suggesting that LSUs may be involved in response to plant stress through modulation of phytohormones. Furthermore, in silico analysis of the promoter regions of LSU genes in Arabidopsis has revealed the presence of cis-regulatory elements that are potentially responsive to phytohormones such as ABA, auxin, and jasmonic acid, suggesting crosstalk between LSU proteins and phytohormones. In this review, we summarize current knowledge about the LSU gene family in plants and its potential role in phytohormone responses.

Fabric material was coated with Viruferrin™ and tested for its inactivating properties against the pandemic severe acute respiratory syndrome 2 (SARS-CoV-2) and influenza A viruses. A statistically significant (p<0.0001) decrease in the number of infectious virus particles exposed to Viruferrin-treated fabric when compared with the cotton control for both SARS-CoV-2 and influenza A viruses was observed. For both SARS-CoV-2 and influenza A, Viruferrin-treated fabrics experienced a > 99% virus reduction without saliva after five minutes of contact when compared to the positive control at time point 0. Furthermore, the reusability of the Viruferrin treated fabric was demonstrated by stability for up to 10 washes. The level of anti-viral (SARS-CoV-2) activity remained constant from 5 to 10 washes and demonstrated a significant difference (p<0.0001) from the unwashed untreated material. Applications for this treated fabric are far-reaching, and as a biological face covering offers not only a unique 2-way protection but also is unlikely to cause onward touch transmission.

Over recent years, nanocarriers have played an ever-increasing role in clinical and biomedical applications owing to their unique physicochemical properties and surface functionalities. Lately, much effort has been directed towards the development of smart, stimuli-responsive nanocarriers that are capable of releasing their cargos in response to specific stimulus. These intelligent-responsive nanocarriers can be further surface-functionalized so as to achieve active tumor targeting in a sequential manner, which can be simply modulated by the stimuli. By applying this methodological approach, these intelligent-responsive nanocarriers can be directed to different target-specific organs, tissues or cells, and exhibit on-demand controlled drug release that may enhance therapeutic effectiveness and reduce systemic toxicity. Light, an external stimulus, is one of the most promising triggers for use in nanomedicine to stimulate on-demand drug release from nanocarriers. Light-triggered drug release can be achieved by light irradiation at different wavelengths, either in UV, visible or even NIR region, depending on the photophysical properties of the photo-responsive molecule embedded in the nanocarrier system, the structural characteristics and material composition of the nanocarrier system. In this review, we highlighted the emerging functional role of light in nanocarriers, with emphasis on light-responsive liposomes and dual-targeted stimuli-responsive liposomes. Moreover, we provided the up-to-date phototriggered targeting strategies and mechanisms of light-triggered drug release from liposomes and NIR-responsive nanocarriers. Lastly, we addressed the current challenges, advances, and future perspectives for the deployment of light-responsive liposomes in targeted drug delivery and therapy.

The wave energy converter (WEC) technology constantly develops new designs and models. To encourage its development within the energy sector, research is required to improve current designs and create durable and effective devices. However, it is also crucial to investigate the suitability of a WEC to a site-specific sea condition as this can impact its optimal power absorption and constructability. This study evaluates and compares the efficiency of a heaving buoy with varied geometries in one of the most energetic places along the Mexican coast. A statistical analysis of the wave climate on the coast of Ensenada during the last 42 years is performed to define the conditions to which the device is subjected. The location of the WEC in shallow waters is chosen using a computational model which solves the modified mild slope equation in its elliptic shape. The heaving buoy floater is studied using three distinct geometries: a semi-sphere, a cylinder, and a proposed rounded semi-rectangle. The hydrodynamic response of the three geometries is then analysed in the frequency and time domain using ANSYS AQWA. The hydrodynamic study involves the assessment of the floating body dynamics, exerted forces, the power absorbed as well as the suitability of the proposed power take-off (PTO) system. Findings reveal that the proposed geometry absorbs the most energy, with an annual power of 135.11 MW, and that the transmission PTO design is appropriate for this type of technology.

Mitigation of Anthropogenic CO2 emissions possess a major global challenge for modern societies. Herein catalytic solutions are meant to play a key role. Among the different catalysts for CO2 conversion Cu supported on molybdenum carbide is receiving increasing attention. Hence, in the present communication we show the activity, selectivity and stability of fresh-prepared -Mo2C catalysts and compare the results with those of Cu/Mo2C, Cs/Mo2C and Cu/Cs/Mo2C in CO2 hydrogenation reactions. The results showed that all the catalysts were active and the main reaction product was methanol. The results showed that copper-cesium and molybdenum effectively interact and that cesium promoted the formation of metallic Mo. While, the incorporation of copper is positive to improve the activity and selectivity to methanol, the presence of Mo0 phase was detrimental for the conversion and selectivity. Moreover, the catalysts promoted by cesium underwent redox surface transformations during the reaction that diminished their catalytic performance. The molybdenum phase in Cu/Mo2C changes during reaction leading to metallic molybdenum and tuning the catalytic activity.

Grapevine Trunk Diseases (GTDs) are caused by a wide variety of phytopathogenic fungal species that compromise grapevine productivity and wine quality. Each year they lead to major economic losses. Most GTD treatments currently available on the market are chemical-based and environ-mentally harmful. Given that one of the goals proposed by the European Green Deal is to develop sustainable agriculture which does not harm the environment, reduces pesticide use, and pro-motes rural area economies, an alternative to those treatments may be the use of elicitors such as oligosaccharides from fungal organisms. Indeed, many studies have confirmed that oligosaccha-rides play important roles in activating plants' innate immunity. Mannans are one possible type of such oligosaccharides. The present work analysed Vitis vinifera L. (cv. Tempranillo and cv. Airén) leaves and grapes to evaluate their physiological and molecular response to GTDs and how this response might be conditioned using different concentrations of mannans as elicitors. It was found that mannan addition to diseased vines was more positive for the leaves than for the grapes. In general, mannans increased the expression levels of chalcone synthase (CHS1, CHS3), phenylalanine ammonia lyase (PAL), superoxide dismutase (SOD), and polyphenol oxidase (PPO) in healthy leaves of both varieties. In diseased leaves, CHS3 and PAL decreased in both varieties, while CHS1 and PPO increased in Tempranillo but not in Airén. In the grapes, the expression pat-terns of the genes studied varied greatly due to the development of the disease. The mannan treatment seemed to reduce the oxidative stress caused by GTDs, although this response depend-ed on the variety and on the plant's phytosanitary status.

Tree nuts show nutritional properties and human health benefits. However, they contain allergenic proteins, which make them harmful to the sensitised population. The presence of tree nuts on food labelling is mandatory and, consequently, the development of suitable analytical methodologies to detect nuts in processed foods is advisable. Real-time PCR allowed a specific and accurate amplification of allergen sequences. Some food processing methods could induce structural and/or conformational changes in proteins by altering their allergenic capacity, as well as produce the fragmentation and/or degradation of genomic DNA. In this work, we analysed by means of Real-time PCR, the influence of pressure and thermal processing through Instant Controlled Pressure Drop (DIC) on the detectability of hazelnut,pistachio and cashew allergens have been tested. The detection of targets in hazelnut, pistachio and cashew (Cor a 9, Pis v 1 and Ana o 1, respectively) is affected by the treatment, in different extent depending on the tree nut. Results are compared to those previously obtained by our group in the analysis of different treatments on the amplificability of the same targets. Reduction in amplificability is similar to that reported for some autoclave conditions. Our assays might allow detecting up to 1000 mg/kg of hazelnut, pistachio and cashew flours after being submitted to DIC treatment in food matrices.

Clinical training in medical schools in Spain is performed by rotations in university hospitals. During these internships, students are expected to acquire and master basic procedural skills. However, the assessment tools available rarely check whether these skills are completely acquired by the students. We have used an e-portfolio to determine the optimal number of times the students need to repeat a procedure to be able to perform it independently. The results were compared with the actual performance during the internships. An e-portfolio collected qualitative information about the internships. Quantitative information was also requested about the number of times each clinical skill was performed. Later, a survey asked these students and their teachers the optimal number of times each skill should be repeated before it could be considered fully acquired. The questionnaire was answered by 98.6% of the students and 70.3% of their teachers. Out of the 21 clinical skills and procedures selected, both students and their tutors agreed in a similar optimal value in 16 of them; only in five of them, teachers thought that students needed a greater number of times than that selected by the students. When these optimal values were compared with the actual values recorded in the portfolio during the internships, it was found that about half of the clinical skills were carried out less frequently than expected, thus providing an important feedback about the internships. Quantitative information collected in portfolios reveals a moderate mismatch between students and tutors perceptions of their training needs.

Gender-based violence is considered a serious social and public health problem. Overcoming this situation implies a process that results in the favorable biopsychosocial rehabilitation, the resilient of women. The objective of this study was to analyze the tools, resources and personal and psychosocial mechanisms used by women survivors of gender-based violence. The design was an interpretative phenomenology. It carried out with 22 women who have overcome gender-based violence. Data was collected through personal interviews and narration. The results were grouped into four themes: "Process of violence", "Social resources for coping and overcoming GBV", "Personal tools for coping and overcoming GBV", and "Feelings identified, from the abuse stage to the survival stage". Several studies concluded that overcoming abuse is influenced by the women social network, and it can be the action of these people determining their survival to gender violence. Despite the recognized usefulness of these available resources, it would be desirable to strengthen them in order to be able to drive more women toward survival, assuming a strengthening of coping and overcoming, without forgetting the importance of other support mechanisms such as their family and group therapies.

The tradeoff between the design phase and the experimental setup is crucial to satisfy the accuracy requirement of Large Deployable Reflectors. Manufacturing errors and tolerances change the RMS of the reflecting surface and require careful calibration of the tie rod system to be able to fit into the initial design specifications. To give a possible solution to this problem, here two calibration methods, respectively for rigid and flexible ring truss support, are described. Starting from the acquired experimental data on the net nodal coordinates, the initial problem of satisfying the static equilibrium at the measured configuration is described. Then, two constrained optimization problems, for rigid and flexible ring truss support, are defined to meet RMS accuracy of the reflecting surface modifying the tie lengths. Finally, a case study to demonstrate the validity of the proposed methods is presented.

In recent years, increasing attention has been paid to individuals organizing themselves and managing food systems in an ‘alternative’ and more sustainable way. Such emerging food initiatives are most commonly known as ‘Alternative Food Networks’ (AFNs). However, there is an ongoing debate concerning the extent to which AFNs facilitate social, economic and environmental change. There are criticisms of the overall sustainability promise of AFNs related to sufficiency of impact, possible counter effects and relevance of impacts. Because often empirical studies only focus on specific sustainability issues or AFNs, it has been difficult to develop more robust theories about the relations between diverse AFNs arrangements and sustainability. Thus, the aim of this paper is to contribute towards reducing this knowledge gap through a systematic literature review on AFNs in relation to sustainability. We summarize main methodological approaches, types of AFNs studied and sustainability dimensions addressed in literature to date. Findings serve as reference to propose opportunities for future research regarding sustainability in AFNs.

In Secondary Education, the focus of History teaching must be on the development of global citizenship. The present research was a study contextualized in the Fiesta de la Historia Youth Congress in Seville (Spain). A documentary analysis with a descriptive and interpretive design was made of 63 projects of inquiry that pupils carried out. The main objectives were to assess the incidence of the proposal in terms of participation, and to determine whether the pupils' projects followed a logic of inquiry about socially relevant problems which favours the construction of global citizenship. The results point to a low incidence of schools participating in this initiative. The projects of inquiry analysed present for the most part themes related to the historical and social heritage of the locality. The proposals are approached as problems of a specific discipline, and are worked on through a method based on a pseudoscientific research process. The findings indicate the need to continue implementing initiatives based on school inquiry that allow the teaching of History to be articulated around relevant social problems, with the objective being to develop citizenship skills.

Objectives: To evaluate the relationship between the type of conization, the volume and dimensions of the cone, with the persistence/recurrence of CIN 2-3, presence of affected margins and post-cone HR-HPV positivity. Methods: 227 women treated with LLETZ and histologically confirmed CIN2-3 were evaluated between 1996 and 2006 and followed up until June 2016. Age, type of resection according to IFCPC 2011, volume, cone dimensions, margins were studied. of resection, post-cone high-risk human papillomavirus (HR-HPV) status and viral load. Determinants of HR-HPV positivity were estimated using unconditional logistic regression and time to recurrence was assessed using Kaplan-Meier curves. Results: Persistent/recurrent CIN2-3 was found in 12 cases (5.2%), type 1 conization was performed in 81 patients, with 5 recurrences (6.1%), type 2 in 101 patients, with 6 recurrences (5 .9%) and type 3 resection in 45 women, with 1 recurrence (2.2%). Volume and dimensions were not associated with recurrence. The Log-Rank Test did not show a significant difference between the 3 treatments (p= 0.18). The free margins in type 1 were 37%, in type 2 resection 61% and in type 3 71% (p=0.001). Resection type 1 had 15% HR-HPV post positive cone, type 2 reached 16% and type 3 had 9%, this difference being non-significant (p=0.58). The incidence of recurrence at 36 months in type 1 resection was 0.08%, in type 2 treatment it was 0.04% and in type 3 resection it was 0.0%. Conclusions : Type 3 resection had a higher proportion of free margins and lower post-cone HR-HPV positivity, with a lower incidence of persistence/recurrence.

This study aimed to analyze the responsiveness of the 5STS test among stroke patients and to estimate the MCIDs for different severity levels of community ambulation and stages of recovery. The 5STS and comparator instruments [gait speed and Functional Ambulatory Category (FAC)] were evaluated at baseline. These measures were repeated at 4 (Stage 1) and 8 weeks (Stage 2), together with the Global Rating of Change (GROC). The MCIDs were calculated with two anchor-based methods using the GROC as the external criterion. Responsiveness to change for the 5STS was estimated analyzing the correlation with changes in the two comparator instruments and their capacity to discriminate improvement. For the 5STS test, while the MCIDs of the limited community ambulators were similar in the two stages (around 3 s), those of the household ambulators decreased from 1.9 s to 0.72 s. Spearman's rho coefficients showed an acceptable correlation between changes in 5STS and changes for both the FAC and gait speed changes in both stages of recovery. Our study revealed that the 5STS is responsive to functional changes in patients with stroke and that their degree of severity and stage of recovery influence the MCID values of the 5STS.

Artificial intelligence (AI) is revolutionizing approaches in plant disease management and phy-topathological research. This review analyzes current applications and future directions of AI in addressing evolving agricultural challenges. Plant diseases annually cause 10-16% yield losses in major crops, prompting urgent innovations. Artificial intelligence (AI) shows aptitude for auto-mated disease detection and diagnosis utilizing image recognition techniques, with reported accuracies exceeding 95% and surpassing human visual assessment. Forecasting models inte-grating weather, soil, and crop data enable preemptive interventions by predicting spa-tial-temporal outbreak risks weeks in advance at 81-95% precision, minimizing pesticide usage. Precision agriculture powered by AI optimizes data-driven, tailored crop protection strategies boosting resilience. Real-time monitoring leveraging AI discerns pre-symptomatic anomalies from plant and environmental data for early alerts. These applications highlight AI's proficiency in il-luminating opaque disease patterns within increasingly complex agricultural data. Machine learning techniques overcome human cognitive constraints by discovering multivariate correla-tions unnoticed before. AI is poised to transform in-field decision making around disease pre-vention and precision management. Overall, AI constitutes a strategic innovation pathway to strengthen ecological plant health management amidst climate change, globalization, and agri-cultural intensification pressures. With prudent and ethical implementation, AI-enabled tools promise to enable next-generation phytopathology, enhancing crop resilience worldwide.Artificial Intelligence, Phytopathology, Emerging Disease, Climate Change, Control diseases.

RNA editing involves the insertion, deletion or substitution of single nucleotides within a RNA molecule, without altering the DNA sequence. Adenosine to inosine (A-to-I) editing consists of an RNA modification where single adenosines along the RNA sequence are converted into inosines. Such a biochemical transformation is catalyzed by enzymes belonging to the family of adenosine deaminases acting on RNA (ADARs) and occurs either co- or post-transcriptionally. Initially, the A-to-I RNA editing phenomenon was discovered and studied in messenger RNAs (mRNAs), where it can influence RNA splicing and cause the recoding of codon sequences. The employment of more powerful, high-throughput detection methods has recently revealed that A-to-I editing widely occurs in non-coding RNAs, including microRNAs (miRNAs). MiRNAs are a class of small regulatory non-coding RNAs (ncRNAs) acting as translation inhibitors, known to exert relevant roles in controlling cell cycle, proliferation, and cancer development. Indeed, a growing number of recent researches have evidenced the importance of miRNA editing in cancer biology by exploiting various detection and validation methods. Herein, we briefly overview early and currently available A-to-I miRNA editing detection and validation methods and discuss the significance of A-to-I miRNA editing in human cancer.

This paper constitutes a first advance in the paleoenvironmental study of a small group of peatland ecosystems, of reduced size, located in the interior of the Iberian Peninsula (Puebla de Don Rodrigo, Ciudad Real, Spain). It represents a singular enclave, because these ecosystems are home to the southern-most peatlands in Europe, located at the lowest altitude in Spain, and are unique to the region of Castilla-La Mancha. They form ecosystems similar to the peat bogs of northern Europe, but in a Mediterranean climate. The analysis is followed of sample collection and data collection from documentary, textual, and cartographic sources drawn up since the 16th century up until the present day. The scientific analyses that were performed and the documentation that was consulted point to the hypothesis that these peatlands are the result of a long process of historical modification of the landscape in which anthropogenic activity has played a leading role, triggering a series of processes on the hillslopes that are culminating in the exhumation of the waterlogged areas, thereby establishing a recent genesis of these ecosystems.

This work presents an alternative to harnessing wind energy with an Electromagnetic Frequency Regulator (EFR) coupled to a hydrostatic transmission and associated with a horizontal axis wind turbine, a bidirectional frequency inverter and a secondary energy source, in a hybridized system. The hydrostatic transmision is composed by a fixed displacement axial piston pump and a variable displacement, swash plate, axial piston motor. Feedback linearization was used as a technique to control the motor geometric displacement, and a prediction algorithm for the steady state rotations of the armature and the electromagnetic field has been developed. A 5\,kW project was simulated on a Scilab platform, with combinations of constant or variable load, and constant or variable wind speed. The results indicated that the system was able to supply the generator load, adapting to fluctuations in wind speed. The possibility of storing wind energy through the inverter has also been proven. The system can accumulate energy in batteries during the fastest wind regimes, to use it when the turbine power is lower than the load.

The role of Black Carbon (BC) as a contributor to glacial retreat is of particular interest to the scientific community and decision makers, due to its impact on snow albedo and glacier melt. In this study, a thermal-optical instrument (LAHM) was used to measure effective Black Carbon (eBC) in a series of surface snow samples collected from the Vallunaraju glacier, Cordillera Blanca, between April 2019 and May 2020. The time series obtained indicates a marked seasonal variability of eBC with maximum concentrations during the dry season and dramatic decrease during the wet season. The concentrations detected ranged between a minimum of 3.73 ng/g and 4.23 ng/g during the wet season and a maximum of 214.13 ng/g and 181.60 ng/g during the dry season, in the accumulation and ablation zone. Using SNICAR model, the reduction of albedo was estimated at 6.36% and 6.60% during the dry season and 0.68% and 0.95% during the wet season, which represents an average radiative forcing of 4.52 ± 1.84 W/m2 and 4.69 ± 1.59 W/m2 in the accumulation zone, and 0.49 ± 0.27 W/m2 and 0.68 ± 0.43 W/m2 in the ablation zone. The melting of snow due to the eBC translates into 80.18 ± 37.30 kg/m2 and 83.16 ± 32.75 kg/m2 during the dry season, and 7.91 ± 4.29 kg/m2 and 10.85 ± 6.62 kg/m2 during the wet season, in the accumulation and ablation zones, respectively. Finally, the HYSPLIT trajectory assessment shows that aerosols predominate in the Amazon rainforest, especially when forest fires are most abundant according to VIIRS images.

Major cardiovascular events (MACE) are a cause of major mortality worldwide. The narrowing and blockage of coronary arteries with atherosclerotic plaques is diagnosed and treated with percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). During this procedure, coronary angiography (CAG) remains the most widely used guidance modality for the evaluation the affected blood vessel diameter in order to decide if intervention with stent colocation is suitable, where small blood vessels (&lt; 2.75 mm) are majorly left untreated; however, small vessel coronary artery disease (SvCAD) is a significant risk factor for recurrence of MACE, and there are some limitations to the use of CAG that could be improved with the use of newer techniques such as intravascular ultrasound (IVUS), although at higher costs, which might explain their underuse. To address this discrepancy and identify specific cases for its use, we conducted a retrospective study in patients who underwent PCI for MACE with at least one small blood vessel affected. The affected small blood vessels’ diameter was obtained with both CAG and IVUS, additionally we underwent a multivariate analysis to identify risk factors associated with a change in diameter. We included information from 48 patients with mean + SD age of 69.1 + 11.9 years and 34% were masculine gender. We found a significant positive low correlation in diameter measurements of small blood vessels (r=0.1242 p=0.014). Mean diameter with CAG and IVUS was 2.1 mm (95% CI 1.9-2.2), and 2.8 (2.8-3.0) the estimated difference was of 0.8 mm (95 % CI 0.7-0.9). In total 37 (77%) of patients had a reclassification of their blood vessels from a small to medium (2.75-3.00 mm) in 21 cases, or even large (&lt;3.00 mm) in 15 cases, after IVUS; this was important for the decision of intervention and stent collocation. The only variable associated with reclassification of blood vessels after adjusted in a multivariate analysis was DT2 (p=0 0.035). Our findings corroborate that blood vessels might appear smaller with CAG, especially in the diabetes population, therefore at least in these cases the use of IVUS is recommended over CAG.

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

Andalusia is a Spanish region that is home to numerous minority varieties due to its diversity and territorial extension, offering the local viticulture the possibility of diversifying its wine production. The molecular identification of 98 specimens from six areas with a winemaking tradition in Andalusia was carried out between the years 2020 and 2022. Thirteen microsatellite markers were used in this study, including the nine recommended by the OIV. 31 different genotypes were obtained, 20 of which corresponded to profiles of already described varieties (11 of them are of minority cultivation in Andalusia: 'Rojal Tinto', 'Beba', 'Zurieles', 'Rome', 'Hebén', 'Mollar Cano', 'Listán Prieto', 'Listán del Condado', 'Jarrosuelto', 'Negra Dorada' and 'Mantúo de Pilas'), while the other 11 profiles did not match with previously identified varieties. This profiles were integrated into the database of the IFAPA “Rancho de la Merced” Germplasm Bank. The eco-geographical groups of the new identified genotypes were determined through analysis of genetic diversity. The presence of the Grapevine Fanleaf Virus, the Grapevine Fleck Virus and the Grapevine Leafroll associated Viruses was also analyzed using an ELISA test due to the necessity of having certifiable clones of the new varieties for their potential interest in being authorized for its cultivation in Spain.

In this paper we address one of the most important topics in the field of Social Networks Analysis: the community detection problem with additional information. That additional information is modeled by a fuzzy measure that represents the possibility of polarization. Particularly, we are interested in dealing with the problem of taking into account the Polarization of nodes in the community detection problem. Adding this type of information to the community detection problem makes it more realistic, as a community is more probably to be defined if the corresponding elements are willing to maintain a peaceful dialogue. The polarization capacity is modeled by a fuzzy measure based on the JDJpol measure of polarization related to two poles. We also present an efficient algorithm for finding groups whose elements are no polarized. Hereafter, we work in a real case. It is a network obtained from Twitter, concerning the political position against the Spanish government taken by several influential users. We analyze how the partitions obtained change when some additional information related to how polarized that society is, is added to the problem.

The proliferation of radio frequency devices in today's society, especially in smart homes, Internet of Things devices, and smartphones, underscores the urgent need for robust identification methods to strengthen cybersecurity. This paper delves into the field of radio frequency fingerprinting to propose a Bluetooth device identification method based on the application of the Jensen-Shannon divergence to the statistical distribution of noise in Bluetooth signals. A detailed case study is performed to investigate the Bluetooth radio frequency noise recorded at 5 Gsps from different devices is investigated to define a statistical radio frequency fingerprint for each Bluetooth device. A noise model is used to extract a unique, universal, persistent, recoverable, and robust statistical radio frequency fingerprint that identifies each Bluetooth device. Then, using the Jensen-Shannon divergence, different noise signals provided by each Bluetooth device are compared with the statistical radio frequency fingerprint of all devices and a membership resolution is declared. The study shows that the proposed method can discriminate between devices of the same brand and model, achieving an identification effectiveness of 99.5 \%. By leveraging the statistical radio frequency fingerprint of Bluetooth devices, this research not only contributes to the advancement of the field of implicit device authentication systems based on wireless communication but also provides valuable insights into the practical implementation of radio frequency identification techniques that could be useful in forensic processes.

Agronomic traits such as biomass yield and abiotic stress tolerance are genetically complex and challenging to improve by conventional breeding strategies. Genomic selection (GS) is an alternative approach in which genome-wide markers are used to determine the genomic estimated breeding value (GEBV) of individuals in a population. In alfalfa, previous results indicated that low to moderate prediction accuracy values (<70%) were obtained in complex traits such as yield and abiotic stress resistance. There is a need to increase the prediction value in order to employ GS in breeding programs. In this paper we reviewed different statistic models and their applications in polyploid crops including alfalfa. Specifically, we used empirical data affiliated with alfalfa yield under salt stress to investigate approaches which use DNA marker importance values derived from machine learning models, and genome-wide association studies (GWAS) of marker-trait association scores based on different GWASpoly models, in weighted GBLUP analyses. This approach increased prediction accuracies from 50% to more than 80% for alfalfa yield under salt stress. This is the first report in alfalfa to use variable importance and GWAS-assisted approaches to increase the prediction accuracy of GS, thus helping to select superior alfalfa lines based on their GEBVs.

In recent years, the use of long-term seismic monitoring systems for the protection of structures is becoming increasingly widespread. This is because more and more awareness is gradually developing regarding the importance of keeping structures under observation so as to prevent any damage scenarios. Within the field of Structural Health Monitoring, data driven techniques allow to process and analyze data collected on site. This paper presents a Mode Tracking procedure to obtain the time-histories of the natural frequencies of a monumental structure. The procedure is applied on the Sanctuary of Vicoforte, an important monumental structure site in Piedmont known for its imposing oval dome and characterized by a permanent structural monitoring system. Through the procedure presented in the paper it has been possible to obtain and observe the time series of the first natural frequencies of the structure considering various aspects, including the temperature variation.

We developed and experimented at sea an innovative fiber optic hydrophone (FOH) capable of operating at very low frequency of the seismic spectrum and for detecting small magnitude earthquakes. The FOH exploits an optical fiber coil wrapped around a sensitive mandrel in a Michelson interferometric configuration. The FOH operated for about seven days at a water depth of 40 m, in the Campi Flegrei volcanic area (Southern Italy), a few meters from a well calibrated PZT hydrophone used as a reference. Thirty-three local earthquakes occurred during the simultaneous operation of the two hydrophones, allowing a straightforward comparison of the recordings. The local earthquakes occurred at an epicentral distance shorter than 2.5 km from the site of recording, and were estimated to be in the range of magnitude from -0.8 to 2.7. The analysis of the recorded earthquake waveforms in the frequency and time domain allowed retrieving the response function of the FOH in the frequency range from 5 to 70 Hz. The FOH responsivity in terms of acoustic pressure reaches about 230 nm/Pa and is flat in the studied frequency range. The high quality of the FOH recordings make this equipment suitable for applications addressing submarine volcanic activity and the background seismicity of active faults in the ocean.

Tree nuts confer many health benefits because of their high content of vitamins and antioxidants and they are increasingly consumed in the last the years. Food processing is an important industrial tool to modify allergenic properties of foods, in addition to ensure safety and to enhance organoleptic characteristics. The effect of high pressure, without and with heating, on SDS-PAGE and immunodetection profile of potential allergenic proteins (anti-11S, anti-2S and anti-LTP) of pistachio, cashew, peanut, hazelnut, almond and chestnut was investigated. Processing based on heat and /or pressure and Ultra high pressure (HHP, 300-600 MPa) without heating was applied. After treating the six tree nuts with pressure combined with heat a progressive diminution of proteins with potential allergenic properties was observed. Moreover, some tree nuts proteins (pistachio, cashew and peanut) seemed to be more resistant to technological processing than others (hazelnut and chestnut). Differences among tree nut varieties were found regarding to protein content, SDS and immunoblotting profile. High pressure combined with heating processing markedly reduce tree nut allergenic potential as the pressure and treatment time increases. HHP do not alter hazelnut and almond immunoreactivity

High porosity and mass transport properties of microfiltration polymeric membranes benefits nutrients supply to cells when used as scaffolds in interstitial perfusion bioreactors for tissue engineering. High nutrients transport is assumed when pore size and porosity of the membrane are in the micrometric range. The present work demonstrates that the study of membrane fouling by proteins present in the culture medium, though not done usually, should be included in the routine testing of new polymer membranes for this intended application. Two poly(ε-caprolactone) microfiltration membranes presenting similar average pore size (~0.7µm) and porosity (>80%) but different external surface porosity and pore size have been selected as case study. The present work demonstrates that a membrane with lower surface pore abundance and smaller external pore size (~0.67 µm), combined with adequate hydrodynamics and tangential flow filtration mode is usually more convenient to guarantee high flux of nutrients. On the contrary, having large external pore size (~1.70µm) and surface porosity would incur in important internal protein fouling that could not been prevented with the operation mode and hydrodynamics of the perfusion system. Additionally, the use of glycerol in the drying protocols of the membranes might cause plasticization and a consequent reduction of mass transport properties due to membrane compaction by the pressure exerted to force perfusion. Therefore, preferentially, drying protocols that omit the use of plasticizing agents are recommended.

This research analyzes the Physical Education students’ degree of academic performance with the incorporation of active methodologies, specifically the flipped classroom mixed learning, restricted to evaluation periods in the months of June and September. The study focuses on whether there are significant differences in this variable through the scores obtained. Through a simple random sampling, 131 students participated in this empiric-analytic research, using an ex-post-facto study with a retrospective design with quasi control group. A robust test of averages comparison, multiple linear regressions and an evaluation of the relative importance of predictors is conducted. The results show how flipped classroom methodology linearly and positively influences academic performance and correlationally motivation and support. As main conclusion, in a hybrid and digitalized learning context, the value of the consideration of active methodologies (flipped classroom) based on emerging pedagogies, allows improving students’ achievement and competence development, providing critical, significant, ubiquitous, transformational and especially motivating experiences.

Food allergies have increased significantly in recent decades, with shellfish being a leading cause of food allergy and anaphylaxis worldwide, affecting both children and adults. The prevalence of shellfish allergies is estimated to be approximately 0.5-2.5% of the general population, varying significantly by geographical location, age, and consumption habits. Although mollusk consumption has risen, the prevalence of mollusk allergies remains unknown. While extensive research has focused on crustacean allergies, mollusk allergies, particularly those related to gastropods, have received comparatively less attention. Clinical manifestations of shellfish allergy range from localized symptoms to life-threatening systemic reactions, such as anaphylaxis. Notably, severe bronchospasm is a predominant clinical feature in cases involving gastropods. Several allergens have been identified in mollusks, including paramyosin, tropomyosin, and sarcoplasmic calcium-binding protein. In gastropods, documented allergens include tropomyosin, paramyosin, the heavy chain of myosin, and Der p 4 amylase. Diagnosis typically involves a thorough clinical history, skin testing, in vitro quantification of immunoglobulin (Ig) E, and confirmation through oral challenge, although the latter is reserved for selected cases. This review highlights the limited research on gastropod allergy, the identified allergens to date, and the necessity for further investigations to better understand the implications of shellfish allergy within this class.

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

Considering future tasks in soil health, resources management and environmental protection, farmers are challenged to develop sustainable strategies for managing soil and land resources. In this study, the long-term sustainability of two fertilization strategies, - current, with synthetic fertilizers (SYN) vs conservative, with organic sources of nitrogen (organic amendments plus green manure with a legume - CONS) - was assessed in a processing tomato/durum wheat rotation. The EPIC model was used, validated with field data then run to simulate the management for 30 years under 3 current and future climates. Yield, soil organic carbon (SOC) stock change, nitrogen use efficiency (NUE), water use efficiency (WUE) and nitrate leaching were considered as sustainability indicators. Under all the future climate scenarios, tomato yield increased in CONS, remaining almost stable in SYN. Wheat yield increased both in CONS and SYN, but the average yield in CONS was considerably lower than in SYN. NUE and nitrate leaching followed the same trend, both decreasing in CONS, while WUE was higher in CONS compared to SYN. The effect of CONS on SOC was always positive. Thus, the alternative N fertilization strategy proposed can be a favorable option for maintaining soil health and a sustainable crop production.

Benzaldehyde and its derivatives are used as food supplements, due to their properties as anti-oxidants and mainly as organoleptic substances. The degradation of these aldehydes produces benzoic acid and benzyl alcohol derivatives, both of which present high toxicity levels. On the other hand, peroxynitrite acts as an oxidizing agent, thus strategies for its production control during food processing could help to improve food quality parameters such as taste, colour and functional properties. Therefore, the control of these degradative oxidation processes is of great interest to the food industry. In order to know in depth this problem, the present article has fo-cused on the kinetic study of the oxidation of aldehydes by peroxynitrite. The proposed mecha-nism justifies all the experimental results, passing through three competitive pathways were per-oxynitrite acts as a radical, nucleophilic or oxidant species. The possible increase of toxic prod-ucts was analyzed.

Although prior research has extensively examined the association of emotional intelligence (EI) with various job attitudes (e.g., job satisfaction), the empirical and systematic investigation of this link within military institutions has captured considerably less research attention. The present research analyzed the relationship between EI, teamwork communication, and job satisfaction among Spanish military cadets. We tested the potential unique contribution of EI to job satisfaction over and above demographics (i.e., gender and age), proactive personality, and resilience. Moreover, we also examined whether EI indirectly affects job satisfaction via its relationship with teamwork communication. A sample of 363 cadet officers of the Spanish General Military Academy completed questionnaires assessing EI, teamwork communication, proactive personality, resilience, and job satisfaction. Our results revealed that EI exhibited incremental variance in predicting job satisfaction even after accounting for demographics, proactive personality, and resilience. Additionally, we found that the effect of EI on job satisfaction was partially driven by enhanced teamwork communication. This research provides empirical evidence suggesting a pathway (i.e., effective teamwork communication) through which EI helps military cadets to experience higher job satisfaction. Implications for future academic programs including EI and teamwork communication to promote positive job attitudes among military personnel are discussed.

Background: Hypereosinophilic syndromes (HES) are a group of relatively rare disorders in which neurological manifestations are not uncommon including ischemic stroke. The hypothesized pathophysiological mechanisms are hypercoagulability, cardioembolism (mainly mediated by myocardial involvement) and damage to the endothelium. A variable ischemic pattern has been described, including an association of territorial and border zone ischemic stroke. Methods: Three patients who presented to our department with acute stroke were selected aiming to show these three different mechanisms inferred from the stroke pattern on brain Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) and to simultaneously illustrate the three main causes of HES. Results and Discussion: The first patient is a 55-year-old man with an abrupt onset of aphasia due to an acute ischemic stroke involving the left parietal lobule and the angular gyrus; recent lab test had shown hypereosinophilia. An extensive workup excluded primary and secondary causes of hy-pereosinophilia so a diagnosis of idiopathic hypereosinophilia was formulated and he was treated with high doses of steroids. The second patient had severe hypereosinophilia and developed multiple small scattered ischemic lesions, mainly in watershed zones. The history of severe asthma and recurrent sinusitis supported the diagnosis of EGPA (Eosinophilic Granulomatosis with Polyangiitis); considering the severe clinical conditions and the presumptive role of hypereo-sinophilia in determining her symptoms, steroid treatment was promptly started, with good clinical response. The third patient also presented with multiple metachronous ischemic lesions, both in cortical and watershed distribution and marked eosinophilia; the diagnostic work-up found an ovarian cancer. She was treated with steroids and then underwent surgery and adjuvant chemotherapy. Conclusions: HES should be considered in stroke etiological evaluation, although it is a rare disorder, and border zones pattern on neuroimaging is quite suggestive. A thorough research of the sources of hypereosinophilia should be performed to select the appropriate therapy.

The study of coordination practices in health policy and, especially in emergency situations is a central aspect. The COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted the need for further research on such practices, especially those that are deployed in complex and unforeseen situations to respond quickly while minimising errors. These dialogic coordination practices (DP) have been identified through case studies but have not been validated. The purpose of this study is to develop and validate a DP questionnaire for healthcare teams. The development of the items was based on a literature review and the content validation was carried out by means of a Delphi study. A total of 10 experts assessed the clarity and appropriateness of the items and their corresponding measurement scales. Consensus was reached after the second round, with a percentage of agreement greater than or equal to 90% for all items. The validation of these items constitutes a methodological innovation that responds to the call in the literature to open up new avenues for comparative studies, the possibility of generalising the findings obtained and the possibility of bringing together different approaches to the problem of coordination, key in health policy.

The maker movement has reached the optics labs, empowering researchers to actively create and modify microscope designs and imaging accessories. 3D printing has especially had a disruptive impact on the field, as it entails an accessible new approach in fabrication technologies, namely additive manufacturing, making prototyping in the lab available at low cost. Examples of this trend are taking advantage of the easy availability of 3D printing technology. For example, inexpensive microscopes for education have been designed, such as the FlyPi. Also, the highly complex robotic microscope OpenFlexure represents a clear desire for the democratisation of this technology. 3D printing facilitates new and powerful approaches to science and promotes collaboration between researchers, as 3D designs are easily shared. This holds the unique possibility to extend the open-access concept from knowledge to technology, allowing researchers from everywhere to use and extend model structures. Here we present a review of additive manufacturing applications in microscopy, guiding the user through this new and exciting technology and providing a starting point to anyone willing to employ this versatile and powerful new tool.