There are several well-described molecular mechanisms that influence cell growth and are relat-ed to the development of cancer. Chemokines constitute a fundamental element which are not only involved in local growth but also affect angiogenesis, tumor spread and metastatic disease. Among them, the C-X-C motif chemokine ligand 12 (CXCL12) and its specific receptor the chemo-kine C-X-C motif receptor 4 (CXCR4) have been widely studied. The overexpression in cell mem-branes of CXCR4 has been shown to be associated with the development of different kinds of his-tological malignancies, such as adenocarcinomas, epidermoid carcinomas, mesenchymal tumors or neuroendocrine neoplasms (NENs). The molecular synapsis between CXCL12 and CXCR4 leads to the interaction of G proteins and activation of different intracellular signaling pathways in both gastroenteropancreatic (GEP) and bronchopulmonary (BP) NENs conferring greater ca-pacity for locoregional aggressiveness, epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) and the ap-pearance of metastases. Therefore, it has been hypothesized how to design tools that target this receptor. The aim of this review is to focus on current knowledge of the relationship between CXCR4 and NENs, with a special emphasis on diagnostic and therapeutic molecular targets.

1960s Europe saw a large number of residential neighborhoods built to house those migrating from the countryside. Today, more than 50 years later, these neighborhoods suffer high levels of functional, social, and technical obsolescence. In response to this, University of Seville developed the Aura Strategy as an intervention methodology to find global solutions to issues in outdated neighborhoods. To provide visibility to this aspect of the Aura strategy, the retrofit proposal presented in this article provides a solution to improve the roofing of buildings in a case study neighborhood (Polígono de San Pablo, Seville) and an analysis of the results in terms of energy and financial savings for local residents. The results show that for a population of roughly 18,000 (in 2018), net savings, including energy and retrofitting costs, ranging from nearly 6.5 to over 8.6 million can be made over the 20-year life cycle span. Likewise, the results obtained on the reduction of thermal loads indicate a 72% decrease in energy consumption, equivalent to a saving of close to 4,500 tons of greenhouse gas emissions for the district and the entire life cycle time period, with the consequent benefits on the impact on air quality and and the fight against climate change. climate change.

The analysis and simulation of water quality in distribution networks is a complex issue of great concern today. The analysis of the evolution of water age, as a simple indicator of water quality in the network, is of great interest in both design and operation phases. Understanding the factors that have the strongest influence on water quality is key to developing adequate strategies aimed at preserving it. This paper firstly analyses the factors with biggest influence in the tanks water age, to support the selection of the most appropriate configuration from the point of view of water quality during design phases. Then, the main considerations when modelling tanks following the different mixing models considered in Epanet have been presented. Also, a real tank behaviour has been characterised through field measurements and Epanet simulations in order to determine the best fitted mixing model.

Oncogenic mutations in the small GTPase Ras contributes to ~30% of human cancers. However, tissue growth induced by oncogenic Ras is restrained by induction of cellular senescence and additional mutations are required to induce tumor progression. Therefore, it is paramount to identify cooperating cancer genes. Recently, the tensin family of focal adhesion proteins, TNS1-4, have emerged as regulators of carcinogenesis, yet their role in cancer appears somewhat controversial. Around 90% of human cancers are of epithelial origin. We have used the Drosophila wing imaginal disc epithelium as model system to gain insight into the roles of two orthologs of human TNS2 and 4, blistery (by) and PVRAP, in epithelial cancer progression. We have generated null mutations in PVRAP and found that, as it is the case for by and mammalian tensins, PVRAP mutants are viable. We have also found that elimination of either PVRAP or by potentiates RasV12-mediated wing disc hyperplasia. Furthermore, our results have unravelled a mechanism by which tensins may limit Ras oncogenic capacity, the regulation of cell shape and growth. These results demonstrate that Drosophila tensins behave as suppressors of Ras-driven tissue hyperplasia, suggesting that the roles of tensins as modulators of cancer progression might be evolutionary conserved.

A facilitative transport system exists on the blood brain barrier (BBB) that has been tacitly assumed to be a path for glutamate entry to brain. But glutamate is a non-essential amino acid whose brain content is much greater than plasma, and studies in vivo show that glutamate does not enter brain in material quantities except in those small regions with fenestrated capillaries (circumventricular organs). The situation became understandable when luminal (blood facing) and abluminal (brain facing) membranes were isolated and studied separately. Facilitative transport of glutamate and glutamine exist only on the luminal membranes whereas Na+-dependent transport systems for glutamate, glutamine and some other amino acids are present only on the abluminal membrane. The Na+-dependent cotransporters of the abluminal membrane are in a position to actively transport amino acids from the extracellular fluid (ECF) into the endothelial cells of the BBB. These powerful secondary active transporters couple the energy of the Na+-gradient to move glutamate and glutamine into the ECF whereupon glutamate can exit to blood on the luminal facilitative glutamate transporter. Glutamine may also exit brain on a separate facilitative transport system that exists on the luminal membranes or glutamine can be hydrolyzed to glutamate within the BBB thereby releasing ammonia that is freely diffusible. The γ-glutamyl participate cycle participates indirectly by producing oxoproline (pyroglutamate) that stimulates almost all secondary active transporters yet discovered in the abluminal membranes of the BBB.

Burkholderia are a group of Gram-negative bacteria that can cause a variety of diseases in at-risk populations. B. pseudomallei and B. mallei, the etiological agents of melioidosis and glanders, respectively, are the two clinically relevant members of the B. pseudomallei complex (Bpc). The development of vaccines against Bpc species has been accelerated in recent years, resulting in numerous promising subunits and glycoconjugate vaccines incorporating a variety of antigens. However, a second group of pathogenic Burkholderia species exists known as the Burkholderia cepacia complex (Bcc), a group of opportunistic bacteria which tend to affect individuals with weakened immunity or cystic fibrosis. To date there have been few attempts to develop vaccines to Bcc species. Therefore, the primary goal of this review is to provide a broad overview of the various subunit antigens that have been tested in Bpc species, their protective efficacy, study limitations, and known or suspected mechanisms of protection. Then, we assess the reviewed Bpc antigens for their amino acid sequence conservation to homologous proteins found in Bcc species. We propose that protective Bpc antigens with a high degree of Bpc-to-Bcc sequence conservation could serve as components of a pan-Burkholderia vaccine capable of protecting against both disease-causing groups.

A method for infrared and cameras sensor fusion, applied to indoor positioning in intelligent spaces, is proposed in this work. The fused position is obtained with a maximum likelihood estimator from infrared and camera independent observations. Specific models are proposed for variance propagation from infrared and camera observations (phase shifts and image respectively) to their respective position estimates and to the final fused estimation. Model simulations are compared with real measurements in a setup designed to validate the system. The difference between theoretical prediction and real measurements is between 0.4 cm (fusion) and 2.5 cm (camera), within a 95% confidence margin. The positioning precision is in the cm level (sub-cm level can be achieved at most tested positions) in a 4x3 m locating cell with 5 infrared detectors on the ceiling and one single camera, at distances from target up to 5 m and 7 m respectively. Due to the low cost system design and the results observed, the system is expected to be feasible and scalable to large real spaces.

Objectives: To assess the short-term impact of a single global stretching session on plantar pressures and lumbar range of motion (RoM) over one week in sedentary university students. Design: A randomised controlled trial with two parallel groups. Participants: Sixty-four university students were randomly assigned to a stretching group or control group. The stretching group received a single session of global stretching and the control group remained seated for the same length of time as the stretching session. Main outcome measures: Lumbar RoM and plantar pressures were assessed before, immediately after, 48 hours after, and 7 days after intervention. Results: Group-by-time interaction was significant for lumbar lateral flexion (p = 0.044), right maximal pressure (p = 0.003), left maximal pressure (p = 0.008), right mean pressure (p = 0.025), left mean pressure (p = 0.002), and maximal pressure minus mean pressure in right foot (p = 0.007). The model with plantar pressures showed a significant difference for group-by-time interaction (p = 0.010).Conclusion: Global stretching seems to counteract the ill-effects of prolonged sitting up to seven days with respect to plantar pressure in standing without improving lumbar ROM

The purpose of this study is to analyse the drivers and outcomes of the brand love derived from consumption experiences in the automobile retail sector. We examine the effects of consumers’ perceptions of perceived service quality and the trust they feel towards a car dealership (cognition) on emotions and brand love (affection), and the effects of brand love on consumers´ behavioural intentions (conation). This research provides insights into customer brand love in the automobile industry.

The wide metabolic diversity of microalgae, their fast growth rates, and cost-effective production make these organisms highly promising resources for a variety of biotechnological applications, addressing critical needs in industry, agriculture, and medicine. The utilization of microalgae in consortia with bacteria is proving to be valuable in different biotechnological fields, including treating various types of wastewaters, producing biofertilizers, and extracting various products from their biomass. Monoculture of the microalgae Chlamydomonas has been a prominent research model for many years, extensively utilized in studying photosynthesis, sulfur and phosphorus metabolism, nitrogen metabolism, respiration, and flagella synthesis, among others. Recent re-search has increasingly recognized the potential of Chlamydomonas-bacteria consortia as a bio-technological tool for various applications. Bioremediation of wastewater using Chlamydomonas, and its bacterial consortia presents significant potential for the sustainable reduction of contam-inants, while also facilitating resource recovery and valorization of microalgal biomass. Using Chlamydomonas and its bacterial consortia as biofertilizers can offers several benefits, such as en-hancing crop yield, protecting crops, maintaining soil fertility and stability, aiding in CO2 miti-gation, and contributing to sustainable agriculture practices. Chlamydomonas-bacterial consortia play a significant role in the production of high-value products, particularly in biofuel and en-hancing H2 production. This review aims to achieve a comprehensive understanding of the po-tential of Chlamydomonas monoculture and its bacterial consortia, identifying current applications, and proposing new research and development directions to maximize its potential.

This study analyzes tree diversity and its ecological importance value in silvopastoral systems in the Sumaco Biosphere Reserve (SBR), Ecuador, along an altitudinal gradient of 400-2000 masl. Twenty-six plots distributed in low (400-700 masl), medium (701-1600 masl) and high (1601-2000 masl) zones were used. The Shannon index and the Importance Value Index (IVI), based on abundance, dominance and relative frequency, were estimated. The results show variations in the diameter structure of the trees, influenced by factors such as settlement history and pasture management. The lower and middle zones showed higher tree density and diversity, linked to regeneration and the presence of nearby forests. Species of high commercial value, such as Cedrela odorata and Jacaranda copaia, were common, reflecting knowledge of the local timber market. In the lower and middle zones, the 10 most important species accounted for more than 70% of the trees, and up to 96% in the upper zone, indicating the need for further research on abundance factors and promotion of diversification in pastures. A total of 51 tree species were identified, mostly native, 64.7% are classified by the IUCN as "Least Concern", 31.4% as "Not Evaluated", and 3.9% as "Vulnerable", specifically highlighting Cedrela odorata and Cedrela Montana. The study concludes with policy recommendations related to the importance of trees in silvopastoral systems for the conservation of species and the livelihoods of local communities, highlighting the need for responsible management of Amazonian pasturelands.

The purpose of the evaluation of the Peruvian energy generation system is to project the electricity generation and demand until the year 2050. To achieve this, three alternative scenarios have been defined and analyzed using the LEAP (Long-range Energy Alternatives Planning) software. The scenarios are as follows: the first one, Business-as-Usual scenario, based on normal trends according to historical data and referencing projections made by Peruvian state entities; the second one is focused on Energy Efficiency, the highlighted characteristic is taking into consideration the efficient conditions in transmission and distribution of electric energy; and the third one, centered on Geothermal Energy, focused on the development of this type of energy source and prioritizing it. The primary purpose of this analysis is to identity advantages and disadvantages inherent in each scenario in order to get the best of each one. In this way, the intention is to propose solutions based on Peru’s national reality or possible uses of the country’s energy potential to supply its energy demand. Currently, Peru’s energy demand relies on fossil fuels, hydraulic, and thermal energy. However, there is the possibility of transforming this system into a sustainable one, by strengthening existing and growing energy sources such as solar and wind energy, and new technologies for hydraulic and thermal energy, in addition to considering geothermal energy as the main energy source in the third scenario. The new system mentioned satisfactorily indicate that the CO2 equivalent emissions decrease significantly in the third scenario, with a 15.8% reduction compared to the first scenario and a 9.7% reduction in comparison to the second. On the other hand, the second scenario shows a 5.6% decrease in CO2 emissions compared to the first, resulting from improvements in technology and energy efficiency without requiring significant modifications or considerable investments, as in the third scenario.

The extensive metabolic diversity of microalgae, coupled with their rapid growth rates and cost-effective production, position these organisms as highly promising resources for a wide range of biotechnological applications. These characteristics allow microalgae to address crucial needs in both the agricultural, medical, and industrial sectors. Microalgae are proving to be val-uable in various fields, including the remediation of diverse wastewater types, the production of biofuels and biofertilizers, and the extraction of various products from their biomass. For decades, the microalga Chlamydomonas has been widely used as a fundamental research model organism in various areas such as photosynthesis, respiration, sulfur and phosphorus metabolism, nitrogen metabolism, and flagella synthesis, among others. However, in recent years, the potential of Chlamydomonas as a biotechnological tool for bioremediation, biofertilization, biomass, and bio-products production has been increasingly recognized. Bioremediation of wastewater using Chlamydomonas presents significant potential for sustainable reduction of contaminants and fa-cilitates resource recovery and valorization of microalgal biomass, offering important economic benefits. Chlamydomonas has also established itself as a platform for the production of a wide va-riety of biotechnologically interesting products, such as different types of biofuels, and high-value-added products. The aim of this review is to achieve a comprehensive understanding of the potential of Chlamydomonas in these aspects, and to explore their interrelationship, which would offer significant environmental and biotechnological advantages.

Advanced composite materials have drawn significant interest in the last years as an alternative to traditional materials due to their higher performance. However, industry struggle to provide low-cost, higher occupational safety, lower footprint with composites, making them suitable for holistic analyses. Therefore, the material design becomes an essential element that can impact the competitiveness, particularly in terms of productivity, circularity, safety, sustainability, and quality of the value chain. The Material Design-for-eXcellence is a state-of-art methodology for material performance multi-dimensional assessment along its life cycle phases, either useful to support ma-terial selection for new products or also to new material design support optimizing resource effi-ciency. In this methodology, the material behaviour and its multiple characteristics assessment, and the manufacturing processes efficiency are evaluated. The framework considers the analogy of product design holistic approaches, as Lean Design-for-X, to organize and assess the mul-ti-dimensional performance for each “X” Material Property. In this work, it was possible to observe that the bio-based composites solutions could be a good sustainable alternative for several sectors. Every day researchers are creating more new materials, having a diversity of properties at different scales, Material Design-for-eXcellence must also in the near future consider other factors. Hence, additional studies are thus foreseen to explore and develop this new tool.

Climate change has become a major concern for developing countries given the risk that it posses on energy and food independence, and on general productivity. Despite having an energy system with low carbon intensity when compared to other Latin American countries, Colombia is already facing climate change impacts and requires urgent efforts to mitigate them. As a developing country, the challenge is bigger as policies for economic growth should be in line with the global commitment of reducing greenhouse gas emissions. With the aim of contributing to the design of climate policies, this study assesses the impact of economic development on the environment by examining the validity of the Environmental Kuznets Curve hypothesis for Colombia. Statistically validated and stable autoregressive distributed lag models are estimated for three different environmental indicators: carbon dioxide emissions, methane emissions, and ecological footprint. Moreover, the effects of other variables such as urbanization, foreign direct investment, value added of agricultural and industrial sectors, and energy use are analyzed with dynamic simulations. Empirical evidence supports a long-run equilibrium relationship among investigated variables and the existence of an inverted U-shaped EKC relationship between Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and methane emissions, and GDP and ecological footprint. Shifting to renewable energy sources and leveraging the use of cleaner technologies in agricultural and industrial sectors are found to be key for economic growth without harming the environment.

The critical role of global electron density transfer (GEDT) in increasing the reaction rate of polar organic reactions has been studied within the framework of Molecular Electron Density Theory (MEDT). To this end, the series of the polar Diels-Alder (P-DA) reactions of cyclopentadiene with cyanoethylene derivatives, for which experimental kinetic data are available, have been chosen. A complete linear correlation between the computed activation Gibbs free energies and the GEDT taking place at the polar transition state structures (TSs) is found; the higher the GEDT at the TS, the lower the activation Gibbs free energy. An interacting quantum atoms (IQA) energy partitioning analysis allows establishing a complete linear correlation between the electronic stabilization of the electrophilic ethylene frameworks and the GEDT taking place at the polar TSs. This finding supports Parr’s proposal for the definition of the electrophilicity  index (J. Am. Chem. Soc., 1999, 121, 1922). The present MEDT study allows establishing the critical role of the GEDT in the acceleration of polar reactions, since the electronic stabilization of the electrophilic framework with the electron density gain is greater than the destabilization of the nucleophilic one, making a net favorable electronic contribution to the decrease of the activation energy.

Having valid and reliable tools that help health professionals to assess fear in children undergoing medical procedures is essential to offer humanized and quality of care in the paediatric population. The aim of this study was to develop the cross-cultural adaptation and the evaluation of the psychometric properties of the Spanish version of the “Child Medical Fear Scale” in its shortened version (CMFS-R). The design consisted of two phases, first of cross-cultural adaptation and second of the psychometric validation of the CMFS-R with a sample of 262 children from Spain. Confirmatory factor analysis was conducted to assess construct validity and the Cronbach alpha and the adjusted item-total score correlation coefficients were performed to study reliability. The results confirmed internal consistency and construct validity of the Spanish version of the CMFS-R, indicating that the scale has an acceptable level of validity and reliability. Therefore, this study brings a new version of the scale to assess fear related to medical procedures for use in the Spanish paediatric population.

Charcot-Marie-Tooth (CMT) syndrome is the most common progressive human motor and sensory peripheral neuropathy. CMT type 1E is a demyelinating neuropathy affecting Schwann cells due to pmp22 mutations, modelized by Trembler-J mice. Curcumin, a natural polyphenol com-pound obtained from turmeric (Curcuma longa), exhibits dose- and time-varying antitumor, antioxidant and neuroprotective properties, however, the neurotherapeutic actions of curcumin still remain elusive. Here, we propose curcumin as a possible natural treatment capable of enhancing cellular detoxification mechanisms, resulting in an improvement of the neurodegenerative Trembler-J phenotype. Using a refined method for obtaining enriched Schwann cell cultures, we evaluated the neurotherapeutic action of low dose curcumin treatment on the PMP22 expression, and on the chaperones (HSF1 and Hsp27) and autophagy/mTOR (HDAC6 and ribosomes) pathways in Trembler-J and wild-type genotypes. In wild-type Schwann cells, the action of cur-cumin resulted in strong stimulation of the chaperone and macroautophagy pathway, whereas the modulation of ribophagy showed a mild effect. However, despite the promising neuroprotective effects for the treatment of neurological diseases, we report (demonstrate?) that the action of cur-cumin in Trembler-J Schwann cells could be impaired due to the irreversible impact of ethanol used as a common curcumin vehicle necessary for administration. These results contribute to expand our still limited understanding of PMP22 biology in neurobiology, and expose the intrinsic lability of the neurodegenerative Trembler-J genotype. Furthermore, they unravel interesting physiological mechanisms of cellular resilience relevant for to the pharmacological treatment of the neurodegenerative Tremble J phenotype with curcumin and ethanol. We conclude that the analysis of the effects of the vehicle itself is an essential and in-escapable step to comprehensibly assess the own effects and full potential of curcumin treatment for therapeutic purposes.

Sperm capacitation involves biochemical and physiological changes that enable sperm to fertilize the oocyte. It can be induced in vitro under controlled conditions that simulate the environment of the oviduct. While extensively studied in mammals, its approach in lizards remains absent. Understanding the mechanisms that facilitate reproduction is essential for advancing the implementation of assisted reproductive technologies in this group. Fifteen males of Sceloporus torquatus were collected during the early stage of the reproductive season. The sperm were isolated from the seminal plasma and then diluted up to a volume of 150 μl using BWW medium to incubate with 5% CO2 at 30 °C for a maximum duration of 3 hours. A fraction was retrieved hourly for ongoing sperm assessment. We found that total motility is maintained up to 2 hours post-incubation, after which it decreased. However, sperm viability remained constant. From that moment on, we observed a transition to a deeper and less symmetrical flagellar bending in many spermatozoa. The chlortetracycline assay indicated a reduction in the percentage of sperm showing the F pattern and an increase in those exhibiting the capacitated (B) and reactive (RA) patterns, accompanied by an elevation in the percentage of damaged acrosomes as revealed by the lectin binding assay. In mammals, these changes are often associated with sperm capacitation. These observations support the notion that this process may also occur in saurian.

This work studies the discontinuities features of sedimentary flysch materials in a 100 km2 area belonging to the Basque Arc. Such materials are common in this Spanish Alpine region located in the north of the Iberian Peninsula. A total of 33 outcrops are investigated by an intensive geotechnical investigation including geomechanical stations, boreholes and mechanical laboratory tests. Two flysch units are characterized: the Upper Aguinaga Formation or siliciclastic flysch, and the Lower Itziar Formation or calcareous flysch. Differences between both flysch formation are found. Joints in the siliciclastic flysch formation present an undulated roughness, with a spacing narrower and a persistence lower than in the calcareous flysch formation, which exhibits higher friction angles, although roughness is essentially planar. In addition, the potential of using Artificial Intelligence (AI) techniques, particularly Artificial Neural Networks and Support Vector Machine, to estimate the Geological Strength Index (GSI) from the Rock Quality Design (RQD) and some discontinuities features (spacing, persistence, aperture and roughness) is investigated. AI techniques are found to be satisfactory, being the Support Vector Machine with a linear kernel the technique which achieves the best performance.

Dental pulp chamber volume is a fundamental measurement in the field of endodontics, but also in forensic sciences, teaching and training, or tissue engineering. This study evaluates the precision of cone beam computed tomography (CBCT) in comparison with computed micro-tomography (micro-CT) in evaluating pulp chamber volume of upper central incisors ex vivo. The intra-operator and inter-operator error were evaluated, and the results for the two techniques were compared with a T-test for paired samples. Intra-operator and inter-operator errors were >0.05, indicating an adequate reproducibility in each operator and no significant differences between their meas-urements. On the other hand, no significant differences between the two measurement techniques. The present results demonstrate that CBCT is a precise, feasible and reproducible technique for evaluation of dental pulp chamber volume ex vivo. Results provided with this method are suitable for different medical branches but also for teaching and training of undergraduate and post-graduate students. Furthermore, the findings of this study carry significant clinical implications, as accurate assessment of pulp chamber volume is critical in the diagnosis and treatment of various endodontic conditions. The ability of CBCT to provide reliable 3D dental anatomy measurements can enhance the planning of endodontic treatments by allowing for a better understanding of internal tooth morphology. Additionally, the precision and reproducibility of CBCT in assessing pulp chamber volume can contribute to improved clinical outcomes and reduced complications during endodontic procedures. These findings further support the increasingly vital role of CBCT in modern clinical practice and underscore its value as an indispensable tool in the field of dentistry.

We know that the classical Mittag-Leffler function play an important role as solution of fractional order differential and integral equations. We introduce the j-generalized p - k Mittag-Leffler function. We evaluate the second order differential recurrence relation and four different integral representations and introduce a homogeneous linear differential equation whose one of the solution is the j-generalized p-k Mittag-Leffler function. Also we evaluate the certain relations that exist between j-generalized p - k Mittag-Leffler function and Riemann-Liouville fractional integrals and derivatives. We evaluate Mellin-Barnes integral representation of j-generalized p-k Mittag-Le er Function. The relationship of j-generalized p-k Mittag-Leffler Function with Fox H-Function and Wright hypergeometric function is also establish. we obtained its Euler transform, Laplace Transform and Mellin transform. Finally we derive some particular cases.

Background: Scabies is an unfortunately neglected tropical skin disease. Scabies occurs in Australia, however it is drastically more common amongst select socioeconomically disadvantaged groups. Amongst these, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities are affected particularly severely, likely secondary to rampant overcrowding. Methods: This literature review has comprehensively explored the relevant evidence available since the year 2000. Objectives: The objective of this article is to provide updates on the identification, management, and control of scabies in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities. The article also aims to reveal issues with these factors that may be contributing to the inflated prevalence of scabies amongst these groups. Conclusions: Diagnosis currently depends upon clinical examination, dermatoscopy, and skin scraping microscopy; all of which are prone to error. In Australia, topical permethrin remains first-line treatment, however resistance is developing. Other management aspects to consider are environmental measures and treating secondary infections. Scabies prevention is far more cost-effective than managing advanced individual cases, typically ensured through mass drug administration of permethrin or ivermectin. Sustained prevention can prove troublesome for some communities. In order to address the status of scabies as a neglected tropical disease, these issues must be managed first.

Wind turbines (WTs) are clean a renewable energy source that has been growing in popularity in recent years. Gearboxes are complex, expensive, and critical components of WT, which are subject to high maintenance costs and several stresses including high loads and harsh environments that can lead to failure with significant downtime and financial losses. This paper focuses on the development of a digital twin-based approach for the modelling and simulation of WT gearboxes with the aim to improve their design, diagnosis, operation, and maintenance by providing insights into their behavior under different operating conditions. Pow-erful commercial computer-aided design tools (CAD) and computer-aided engineering (CAE) software are embedded into a computationally efficient multi-objective optimization framework (modeFrontier) with the aim of maximizing the power density, compactness, performance, and reliability of the WT gearbox. This entails minimizing its weight, volume, and maximum stresses and strains achieved without compromising efficiency. The 3D CAD model of the WT gearbox is carried out using SolidWorks, the Finite Element Analysis (FEA) to obtain the stresses and strains fields are modelled using Ansys Workbench, while the multibody kinematic and dynamic system is analyzed using MSC Adams. The method has been successfully applied to different case studies to find the optimal design and analyze the performance of the WT gearboxes. Simulation results can be used to identify potential failure modes and optimize gearbox design to improve performance, extend service life and relia-bility, thereby ensuring proper operation over its lifetime and reducing maintenance costs.

Rural electrification is a crucial step for the socio-economic development of isolated communities. Decentralized power generation, typically more favorable for renewable energies, requires an accurate analysis of the different electrification options, whose convenience depends on multiple factors. The application of Geographical Information System (GIS) to energy planning allows the assessment at a local level, considering spatial resources variability and demand distribution. This work introduces IntiGIS-local, a GIS-based model implemented in ArcGIS environment, designed to calculate the Levelized Energy Cost (LEC) for different electrification options. The model allows the comparison between three power generation alternatives: solar system, diesel generator set and solar-diesel hybrid system. Configurations are adjustable through input variables, with a special focus on the confrontation between individual systems and microgrids. The objective is to provide an adequate groundwork for developing a decision-making tool to assess diverse rural electrification options in future studies. The model IntiGIS-local is tested in the case study of Guasasa community (Cuba).

The study aimed to evaluate implant success and bone height variations after transcrestal sinus floor elevation (tSFE) using the osseodensification technique (OD) combined with beta-tricalcium phosphate (β-TCP), as bone graft material and simultaneous implant placement. Thirteen patients requiring the placement of one implant in the upper posterior maxilla, with a residual bone height of

Despite widespread vaccination, early treatments, and improved understanding of the disease, the effects of SARS-CoV-2 infection remain significant worldwide. Many patients still suffer from severe COVID-19, necessitating admission to intensive care units. Remdesivir is a primary treatment option among viral RNA polymerase inhibitors for hospitalized SARS-CoV-2 patients. However, there is a lack of studies examining factors influencing its effectiveness in this context. We conducted a retrospective study throughout 2022, analyzing clinical, laboratory, and sociodemographic data from 252 hospitalized COVID-19 patients treated with remdesivir. Six machine learning algorithms were compared and validated to predict factors associated with the loss of clinical benefit from remdesivir in terms of mortality and hospital stay. Data were extracted from electronic health records. The eXtreme Gradient Boost (XGB) method achieved the highest balanced accuracy for both mortality (95.45%) and hospital stay (94.24%). Factors associated with worse outcomes of remdesivir use in terms of mortality included limitation of life support treatment, need for ventilatory support (especially invasive mechanical ventilation) on day 14 after the first dose of remdesivir, lymphopenia, low levels of albumin and hemoglobin, presence of flu and/or coinfection, and cough. Factors associated with worse outcomes of remdesivir use in terms of hospital stay included the number of doses of the COVID-19 vaccine, patchy lung density, bilateral pulmonary radiological status, number of comorbidities, oxygen therapy, troponin and lactate dehydrogenase levels, and asthenia. These findings highlight the effectiveness of XGB as a strong candidate for accurately categorizing COVID-19 patients undergoing remdesivir treatment.

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.

Epithelial characteristics underlying the differential susceptibility of chronic asthma to SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19) and other viral infections are currently unclear. By revisiting transcriptomic data from patients with Th2 low versus Th2 high asthma, as well as mild, moderate and severe asthmatics, we characterized the changes in expression of human coronavirus and influenza viral entry genes relative to sex, airway location and disease endotype. We found sexual dimorphism in expression of COVID-19 genes ACE2, TMPRSS2, TMPRSS4, and SLC6A19. ACE2 receptor downregulation occurred specifically in females in Th2 high asthma, while proteases broadly assisting coronavirus and influenza viral entry, TMPRSS2 and TMPRSS4, were highly upregulated in both sexes. Overall, changes in COVID-19 gene expression were specific to Th2 high molecular endotype of asthma, and different by asthma severity and airway location. The downregulation of ACE2 (COVID-19, SARS) and ANPEP (HCoV-229E) viral receptors correlated with loss of club and ciliated cells in Th2 high asthma, while the increase in DPP4 (MERS-CoV), ST3GAL4, and ST6GAL1 (influenza) associated with an increase in goblet and basal activated cells. Overall, this study elucidates sex, airway location, disease endotype and changes in epithelial heterogeneity as factors underlying asthmatic susceptibility, or lack thereof, to COVID-19.

The stability and composting behaviour of monolayers and laminates of poly(lactic acid) (PLA) and starch with and without active extracts and cellulose fibres from rice straw (RS) were evaluated. The retrogradation of the starch throughout storage (1, 5, and 10 weeks) gave rise to stiffer and less extensible monolayers, with lower water vapour barrier capacity. In contrast, the PLA monolayers, with or without extract, did not show marked changes with storage. However, these changes were more attenuated in the bilayers that gained water vapour and oxygen barrier capacity during storage, maintaining the values of the different properties close to the initial range. The bioactivity of the active films exhibited a slight decrease during the storage, the antioxidant capacity being better preserved in the bilayers. All monolayer and bilayer films were fully composted within 90 days, but with different behaviour. The bilayer assembly enhanced the biodegradation of PLA whose monolayer exhibited a lag period of about 35 days. The active extract reduced biodegradation rate of both mono and bilayers but does not limit the material biodegradation within the time stablished in the Standard. Therefore, PLA-starch laminates, with or without the valorised fractions from RS, can be considered as biodegradable and stable materials for food packaging applications.

: Suicide is a serious public health problem, with a global mortality rate of 1.4% of all deaths worldwide, and the leading cause of unnatural death in Spain. The use of clinical simulation has proven to be a beneficial tool in the training of nursing students. Such experiences allow them to develop cognitive and affective skills that are fundamental for the detection of warning signs and use of interventions in cases of people who want to take their own lives. Working in a mental health environment can be difficult for nursing students; therefore, the purpose of this study was to explore the perceptions of nursing students on the approach, management and intervention of suicidal crisis through clinical mental health simulation. Methods: qualitative descriptive phenomenological study through focus groups and reflective narratives in a sample of 45 students. A thematic analysis was performed using ATLAS-ti. Results: After the analysis, three themes were obtained: (a) management and handling of emotions (b) identification of suicide motives (c) intervention in suicidal crisis. Discussion: Clinical simulation in mental health allows students to exercise clinical judgment reasoning, detect warning signs for a better treatment approach, and provide tools for effective intervention and management of patient care. The results of this study indicate that nursing students face challenges in approaching mental health clinical simulation due to lack of prior exposure.

In this research paper, design and development of pyramidal horn antenna for J-band application is reported. It is particularly designed for 17 dB gain and half beam width about 25 degrees at 6.93 GHz. Horn aperture, horn axial length and distance from the throat of the antenna to aperture are the main design constraints which are calculated and used for the antenna design and simulation. Beam width in E-plane and H-plane horn is calculated and it is 19.18 dB and 22.86 dB respectively. The reported antenna design shows good performance for J-band in radiometry, satellite, and radar applications.

Blackberry (Rubus fruticosus spp) is a fruit that has a significant antioxidant activity, due to its content in anthocyanins and antioxidant compounds. Emerging technologies are required as the thermoultrasound technique that ensures microbial reduction and release of compounds with antioxidant properties. The objective of this study was to evaluate changes in the antioxidant content and fatty acid profile of blackberry juice when it is subjected to conservation treatment (pasteurization and thermoultrasound). The blackberry juice and the extracted oil of blackberry juice with n-hexane (control, pasteurized and thermoultrasonicated) were evaluated in antioxidant activity, fatty acid profile and antioxidant content. The thermoultrasound juice had the highest (p < 0.05) amount of total phenols (1011 mg GAE/L), anthocyanins (118 mg Cy-3-GlE/L); antioxidant activity by ABTS (44 mg VCEAC/L) and DPPH (2665 µmol TE/L) compared to the control and pasteurized samples, as well as, as well as, oil extract of obtained of the thermoultrasound juice presented high antioxidant activity (177.54 mg VCEAC/L to ABTS and 1802.60 µmol TE/L to DPPH). The fatty acid composition of the oil extract showed the presence of myristic, linolenic, stearic, oleic, and linoleic acid, the fatty acid profile was similar in the different samples with the exception of stearic acid where this was higher in control sample. The thermoultrasound treatment can be an alternative to pasteurization treatments because keeps and releases antioxidant bioavailable compounds, preserving their fatty acids.

This study aims to explore significant present and future trends in accounting and corporate sustainability by examining publications from the Web of Science database spanning from 2010 to 2023. With a particular focus on research related to the digital business environment, the study employs bibliometric analysis grounded in the resource-based view theory to investigate the evolution of auditing and digital accounting research. Utilizing the VOSviewer tool, the study analyzes keyword relationships and their geographical distribution based on a comprehensive examination of 700 publications from the Web of Science. The findings highlight the transformative impact of auditing and digital accounting on business operations in response to rapid digitization. Key clusters identified shed light on digital transformation and the intersection between information technology and corporate management, revealing the evolving research landscape. The study discusses both practical and theoretical implications arising from these findings.

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

Pertussis is a vaccine-preventable disease caused by the bacterium Bordetella pertussis. Over the past years, the incidence and mortality of pertussis increased significantly. A possible cause is the switch from whole cell to acellular pertussis vaccines, although other factors may also contribute. To develop future vaccines and improve current vaccination strategies, it is critical to understand factors influencing the generation of immunological memory. We applied high-dimensional flow cytometry to investigate changes in B cells in individuals of different ages and distinct priming backgrounds upon administration of an acellular pertussis booster vaccine. These findings were correlated to vaccine-specific plasma cells and serum Ig levels. Expansion and maturation of plasma cells 7 days post-vaccination was the most prominent cellular change in all age groups, and was most pronounced for more mature IgG1+ plasma cells. Cellular responses were stronger in individuals primed with whole cell vaccine than in individuals primed with acellular vaccine. Moreover, IgG1+ plasma cell expansion weakly correlated with Prn- and PT- specific serum IgG levels. Our study points at plasma cells as a potential early cellular marker of an immune response and contributes to understanding differences in immune responses between age groups and priming backgrounds.

Background: Smoking is disproportionately prevalent among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australian peoples, with 39% of Indigenous Australians aged over 15 years smoking daily. Efforts to reduce this high prevalence include culturally focused media campaigns, designed using community consultation, highlighting the need to determine how such health messaging is received by smokers. This study aimed to examine Indigenous Australian smokers’ reactions to a culturally focused anti-smoking mass media campaign—'Give up Smokes’. Methods: Intercept surveying across health services and events used recorded demographics, smoking status, quit attempts, smoking health effects, anti-smoking campaign recall, social support, and campaign reactions. Participants rated campaign images in five domains: 1) whether it made them stop and think; 2) personal relevance; 3) believability of design and message; 4) prompting concern about smoking; and 5) motivation towards quitting. Cluster analysis was used to segment smoker types. Results: Smoking health effects knowledge was high, and did not differ by quit readiness, attempts, or social support. Cessation support access was higher among those with greater readiness to quit. Social smoking behaviour and confidence to support others quitting did not significantly differ between participants, however importance of others quitting did. Quit readiness, attempts, and social support were associated with reaction to campaign design, but not message recall. Four types of smokers were described, using smoking characteristics, who differed in campaign message reactions. Conclusions: Strategies using campaign-exposed smoker characteristics to inform culturally focused health promotion are discussed in relation to four identified types of smokers.

Demyelinating diseases alter myelin or the coating surrounding most nerve fibers in the central and peripheral nervous systems. The grouping of human central nervous system demyelinating disorders today includes Multiple Sclerosis (MS) and Neuromyelitis Optica Spectrum Disorders (NMOSD) as distinct disease categories. Each disease is caused by a complex combination of genetic and environmental variables, many involving an autoimmune response. Even though these conditions are fundamentally similar, research into genetic factors, their unique clinical manifestations, and lesion pathology has helped with differential diagnosis and disease pathogenesis knowledge. This review aims to synthesize the genetic approaches that explain the differential susceptibility between these diseases, explore the overlapping clinical features, and pathological findings, discuss existing and emerging hypotheses on the etiology of demyelination, and assess recent pathogenicity studies and their implications for human demyelination. This review presents critical information from previous studies on the disease, which asks several questions to understand the gaps in research in this field.

Two polyurethanes (PUs) were similarly synthesized by reacting a cycloaliphatic isocyanate with 1,4 butanediol and two polyols of different nature (polyester, polycarbonate diol) with molecular weights of 1000 Da. The PU made with polycarbonate diol polyol (YCD) was the only showing intrinsic self-healing at 20 °C. For assessing the mechanism of intrinsic self-healing of YCD, a structural characterization by molecular weights determination, infrared and X-ray photoelectronic spectroscopies, differential scanning calorimetry, X-ray diffraction, thermal gravimetric analysis and dynamic mechanical thermal analysis was carried out. It was concluded that the self-healing at 20 °C of YCD was due to non-covalent dynamic exchange interactions among the carbonate groups of the soft segments. Therefore, the chemical nature of the polyol played a key role in developing PUs with intrinsic self-healing at 20 °C.

Cerebral aneurysms come in a wide range of shapes and sizes, they can evolve over time and present significant changes. It is generally accepted that large aneurysms are more prone to rupture, but the rupture of small aneurysms has also been observed, indicating the presence of additional risks factors. The aim of this study is to assess the effects of the aneurysm size and wall thickness on its rupture risk by using fluid-structure interaction simulations. Six patient-specific geometries were chosen, four were used for studying the size effect and two for studying the thickness effect. Additional cases where the aneurysm was removed were included. It was found that thinner walls suffer from significantly greater stresses, whereas an increment in size means, in general, lower wall shear stress and greater equivalent stress. By removing the aneurysm, it could be noted that at the rupture point, the reduction in the time-averaged wall shear stress was 75%. Although the size of an aneurysm has a great impact in its rupture risk, its wall thickness needs to be considered, since even maintaining its size, the aneurysm could suffer from a thin-ning of its walls that can lead to structural failure.

This paper addresses the pressing concern of corporate tax evasion recognized by several nations, employing insights from public choice theory and tax compliance theory. The research aims to evaluate the ramifications of corporate tax evasion on public revenue, public expenditures, tax rates, and the prevailing budget deficit. Methodologically, the study utilizes questionnaire data and employs structural equation modeling for analysis. The findings indicate that tax evasion is significantly influenced by multiple factors, encompassing tax income, public expenditures, tax rates, and the budget deficit. The article offers a comprehensive exploration of both theoretical frameworks and practical implications, contributing valuable insights to the ongoing discourse on corporate tax evasion and its multifaceted impact on fiscal dynamics.

’Lockdown’ periods in response to COVID-19 have provided a unique opportunity to study the impacts of economic activity on environmental pollution (e.g. NO2, aerosols, noise, light). The effects on NO2 and aerosols have been very noticeable and readily demonstrated, but that on light pollution has proven challenging to determine. The main reason for this difficulty is that the primary source of nighttime satellite imagery of the earth is the SNPP-VIIRS/DNB instrument, which acquires data late at night after most human nocturnal activity has already occurred and much associated lighting has been turned off. Here, to analyze the effect of lockdown on urban light emissions, we use ground and satellite data for Granada, Spain, during the COVID-19 induced confinement of the city’s population from March 14 until May 31, 2020. We find a clear decrease in light pollution due both to a decrease in light emissions from the city and to a decrease in anthropogenic aerosol content in the atmosphere which resulted in less light being scattered. A clear correlation between the abundance of PM10 particles and sky brightness is observed, such that the more polluted the atmosphere the brighter the urban night sky. An empirical expression is determined that relates PM10 particle abundance and sky brightness at three different wavelength bands.

On March 11, 2020, coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) was declared a pandemic by the World Health Organization (WHO). This review focuses on where the body mass index (BMI) value can be used as a tool to evaluate the risk of development and/or aggravation of this disease. Databases were used to search studies published up to April 18, 2020. In total, 4285 articles and other scientific literature were found, and twelve articles were included in this systematic review. The mean BMI value of severe COVID-19 patients ranged from 24.5 to 33.4 kg/m², versus 22.0 to 24.3 kg/m² for non-severe patients Articles using the terms obesity or overweight, without indicating the BMI value, in these patients were common, but this is not useful as the nutritional status, when not defined by this index, is confusing due to the classification being different in the West compared to among,, Asian and Korean criteria-based adults. Furthermore, the use of BMI is important during this pandemic, as it should be applied to nutritional support therapy during hospitalization of infected patients, as well as being considered in the home confinement population.

Internet of Things (IoT) technologies can greatly benefit from machine learning techniques and Artificial Neural Networks for data mining and vice versa. In the agricultural field, this convergence could result in the development of smart farming systems suitable for use as decision support systems by peasant farmers. This work presents the design of a smart farming system for crop production, which is based on low-cost IoT sensors and popular data storage services and data analytics services on the Cloud. Moreover, a new data mining method exploiting climate data along with crop production data is proposed for the prediction of production volume from heterogeneous data sources. This method was initially validated using traditional machine learning techniques and open historical data of the northeast region of the state of Puebla, Mexico, which were collected from data sources from the National Water Commission and the Agri-food Information Service of the Mexican Government.

The ability to self-direct a research program determines graduate degree completion. Yet, research on incompletion of graduate physics programs assume students’ present level of self-direction adequate and neglects to recognize a lack of self-directed learning as key. One theoretical mathematical physicist focused on changing this challenge of physics graduate education by promoting self-directed learning through the type research flow that has been found to bring the greatest satisfaction to researchers with respect to their insights. This he provided through his space, time, open mindedness and theoretical contributions with his students and in collaboration with his colleagues. A self-directed learner himself, David J. Rowe developed methods of mentoring for encouraging physics graduate students to recognize symmetry as valuable in identifying solutions to problems quickly—helping these students take the lead in finding insightful resolutions to complex, multidimensional, mathematical physics uncertainties. How Rowe set about supporting self-directed learning in his graduate physics education interactions will be examined with the use of narrative research to interpret the texts and conversations with the author he made available. His techniques will be presented and recommendations made regarding how Rowe’s work in this regard can be modeled to improve self-direction in STEM graduate education.

The Environmental interactions contributed to the processes of settlement and development of the first settlers at southern Peru 15,000 BC. The determination of this process is based on paleoclimatic studies at southern Peru and ethnoarchaeological evidence. The determination of this process is based on paleoclimatic studies of southern Peru and ethnoarchaeological evidence; establishing as a result of this analysis the hypothesis of environmental interaction and territorial occupation of the first hunter-gatherer populations until their consolidation, dominating the geographical space from Tacna. The Disruptive disaster events and their effects on climate during the Peruvian Paleolithic resulted in the origin of local societies that shaped the Tiawanaku societies of the early horizon at Southern Peru and Northern Chile.

The purpose of this paper is to propose a tool to measure the performance of a Strategic Asset Management Plan (SAMP) based on a Balanced Scorecard (BSC). The SAMP converts organizational objectives into asset management objectives, also specifies the role of the asset management system and brings support to achieve asset management objectives. The SAMP becomes the heart of the organization and integrates with long-term, medium-term, and short-term financial plans integrated with same term activity plans. In the SAMP, the balance among performance, costs and risks is also taken into consideration in order to achieve the organization’s objectives. On the other side, the SAMP is a guide to set the asset management objectives while describing the role of the Asset Management System (AMS) in meeting those objectives. While SAMP is the central figure of AMS, it is important to measure its performance and needs to be build and improved through an iterative process, what means that is not just a document, it is “the document”, and should be treated as a “living being” that needs to adapt to internal and external changes quickly. The BSC is an excellent tool where, through the appropriate Key Performance Indicators (KPIs), the progress can be measured, and is supported by four perspectives: Financial; Customer; Internal Process; and Learning and Growth.

Pruning is an important part in controlling the branching, good fruit size, and prodctivity of fruit trees. and consequently, ‘Valencia’ orange trees were grown many years ago, the trees were suffering from a decline in productivity in the newly reclaimed lands after certain years of plantation. This study elucidated the effect of pruning severity on growth, yield and fruit quality of ‘Valencia’ orange trees. Four levels of pruning were applied on 35 years old ‘Valencia’ orange trees as follows: T1: Control (un-pruned), T2: Light pruning ( 25% of main branches were removed); T3: Moderate pruning (50% of main branches were removed) and T4: Heavy pruning: 75% of main branches were removed. The treatments were done in February 15th (for each season). The results indicated that pruning severity increased vegetative growth paraments such as shoot length and leaf area and decreased canopy volume of Valencia orange trees in comparison to control. Maximum yield was gained from 75% followed by 50% and 25% pruning severity treatment. The pruning treatments improve in fruit weight, size, firmness, juice content, TSS%, TSS/acid ratio and vitamin C content. In addition, pruning produced an increasing in fruit yield per tree as well as yield increasing %. Hence, it might be concluded that pruning at different severity applied in February can be used effectively on ‘Valencia’ orange trees to improve vegetative growth, fruit physical and chemical properties. Besides, increasing fruit yield by nearly 20% in comparison to control.

A specific HPLC method has been developed and validated for the determination of vanillyl butyl ether in cosmetic products. The extraction procedure with an isopropanol water 1:1 mixture is described. The method uses a RP-C-18 column with isocratic elution and a UV detector. The mobile phase consists of a mixture of acetonitrile and buffer (Na2HPO4 20mM in water) (30:70 v/v) with a variable flow rate. The method was validated with respect to accuracy, precision (repeatability and reproducibility), specificity and linearity. The procedure described here is simple, selective and reliable for routine quality control analysis and stability tests of commercially available cosmetic products.

Aymaraism, as a socio-cultural phenomenon, has given rise to components and elements of representativeness in the population of the Andes. However, the dialectic component of the Aymara as a nation is annulled by fundamental historiographical elements that underlie this process of identification. The empirical analysis of the historical data leads us to conclude that the Aymara language and culture contain ambiguous elements that cannot be defined according to the dialectical interpretation and the current narrative. Thus, the analysis of the cultural, linguistic and social elements of this population from the Early Horizon period to the present confirms the historical distortion towards a narrative component of origin and presence in the territory of the Qullasuyu, in the current geographical area of the Collao. In order to understand this phenomenon, this work promotes the complementarity of the analysis through the use of ethnoarchaeological and documentary elements in order to clarify the origin, synthesis and development of the Aymara from a historical perspective, leaving aside the dialectical component of the present.

Huanglongbing (HLB), or citrus greening, is a devastating disease impacting citrus trees worldwide, with severe effects particularly noted in Florida. Current strategies to combat HLB have focused on aggressive replanting despite the high susceptibility of young trees to infection. In this context, it is critical to explore agronomic practices that can enhance the health and resistance of young citrus trees to HLB. Here, we demonstrate that treatment with homobrassinolide (HBr), a type of brassinosteroid, on newly planted citrus trees can delay HLB infection and improve tree health amidst the high psyllid pressure conditions endemic to Florida. Our study reveals a significant reduction in HLB infection rates in HBr-treated trees compared to control trees, with only 25% of treated trees testing positive for HLB by six months, in contrast to 100% infection in untreated trees. This delay in infection may be attributed to HBr inducing an immune response and negatively impacting psyllid performance, as subsequently demonstrated in a greenhouse experiment. Our findings suggest that HBr applications could serve as a viable strategy to enhance the resilience of citrus production against HLB, underscoring the need for further investigation into their mechanisms of action and potential role in a comprehensive pest and disease management strategy.

Background: Free-living amoebas (FLA), also amebas, are eukaryotic and mitochondrial microorganisms that are capable of growing in any environment, aquatic or terrestrial. These free-living amoebas are mostly non-pathogenic to humans. However, there exist some highly pathogenic species, such as Acanthamoeba — mainly T-4 genotype —, Naegleria fowleri (known as brain-eating amoeba), and Balamuthia mandrillaris. They can be called "brain-eating amoebas” because of their ability to cause substantial destruction of brain tissue. There is no standard treatment; immunological processes which predispose humans to acquire and infection and, then, a disease are unknown. In addition, there are other species of free-living amoebas such as, Sappinea pedata, Vermamoeba vermiformes, Vanellas sp,Vahlkampfia sp., and, more recently, Paravahlkampfia francinae, which is less virulent and aggressive than the first three mentioned above. Methods: All CSF samples were evaluated in our laboratory under the microscope. Monoxenic and axenic cultures were negative as well as the presence of cysts or exponential growth. PCR was negative using the FLA primers. Results: Under close observation of sterile CSF, we can see mobile forms of non-human cells. None of the observed forms has the morphotype of Acanthamoeba, Naegleria sp. or Balamuthia mandrillaris. Conclusions: Due to these findings, we know these structures can be observed in the CSF and many of them do not form cysts as others do. In addition, these microorganisms are uncultivable in conventional medium culture to FLA and impossible to detect even when using molecular tools such as PCR, using the primers for EUK A/B or 18s RNAr gene as a target.

The hybrid system is analyzed and optimized to produce electric energy in Non-Interconnected Zones in the Colombian Caribbean region, contributing both to the improvement in the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions and to the rational use of energy. A comparative analysis of the performance of these systems was carried using a dynamic model in real wind and solar data. The model is integrated by a Southwest Wind Power Inc. wind turbine. AIR 403, a proton exchange fuel cell (PEM), an electrolyze, a solar panel and a charge regulator based on PID controllers to manipulate oxygen and hydrogen flows in the cell. The transient responses of the cell voltage, current, and power were obtained for the demand of 200 W for changes in solar radiation and wind speed for all days of the year 2013 in the Ernesto Cortissoz airport, Puerto Bolívar, Alfonso Lopez airport and Simon Bolívar airport, by regulating the flow of hydrogen and oxygen into the fuel cell. The maximum contribution of power generation from the fuel cell was presented for the Simon Bolívar airport in November with a value of 158,358W (9.45%). A multi-objective design optimization under a Pareto front is presented for each place studied to minimize the Levelized Cost of Energy and CO₂ emission, where the objective variables are the number of panel and stack in the PV system and PEM.

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

In Mexico, it is estimated that due to the economic system the overexploitation of natural resources, environmental impacts and health have been generated, with high rates of overweight and obesity. This review analyzes the impacts on food safety, environmental health, and the economy in Mexico before and during the COVID-19 contingency. Derived from the analysis, among the lessons learned we can include: the health contingency due to COVID-19 had negative repercussions on food security, environmental health and the economy, which require the promotion of public policies (health, environment and economy) and migrate to a health prevention system and an agroecological model, which includes multidisciplinary and intersectoral interventions (government, academia, researchers, civil society organizations, business groups and citizens themselves) to reform and enforce the right to enjoy adequate food and a healthy environment. The contingency due to COVID19 has shown us that this must go from an ideology to being a reality and the lessons learned will have to focus on promoting an innovative and ethical culture of generating an economy, with a gender balance, resilience to climate change, management transparent technology and a priority in health and this will lead to progress in the food security of the population.

This paper seeks to model the crack propagation in of AAs (aluminum-alloys) 2524-T3 and 7050-T7452 subjected to fatigue loading at low temperature. Fatigue crack growth tests were performed on AAs 2524-T3 and 7050-T7452 subjected to constant-amplitude and actual random-spectra loading histories at room temperature of about 25 °C and at cryogenic temperature of -70 °C, respectively, to determine their crack growth properties and residual lives. The interaction mechanisms between cryogenic temperature and the fatigue load were deduced on the basis of the results of fractographic analysis. Temperature-dependent residual lives under actual random-spectrum load history were modeled based on a modified accumulation damage rule by accounting for the load interaction. Good correlation was achieved between the predictions and actual experiments, demonstrating the practical and effective use of the proposed method.

Polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA) polymer is widely used in various fields today. In order to thoroughly reveal the structural impact performance of PMMA materials, this paper is based on the comprehensive Johnson-Cook constitutive model and damage failure model, and accurately confirm the J-C constitutive and damage failure model parameters of PMMA through material test data, The dynamic process of steel bullet impacting PMMA plate structure is analyzed by finite element software ABAQUS. The calculation results show that the numerical simulation results in this paper are in good agreement with the experimental test data. Therefore, the feasibility and accuracy of the impact analysis of PMMA structures based on J-C constitutive and damage failure models in this paper are studied. Finally, based on the J-C constitutive model and damage failure model, the variation of the residual velocity of the bullet with the PMMA plate thickness is analyzed in depth, that is, the results show that the residual velocity of the bullet has a certain linear relationship with the plate thickness.

Citizen participation has always been of vital importance in decision-making processes and, likewise, joint work in the formulation and execution of projects that respond to territorial needs. This in order to ensure the best impact of public or private investment, optimizing the result and community articulation. For this reason, this investigation proposes a methodology of evaluation and prioritization of projects based on an approach integrated between the modelling in dynamics systems (SDM) and the Analytical process network (ANP), in which the citizen factors are used as qualitative and quantitative variables inside the posed balance sheet model. This is how the model developed by the Stella Architect software, it offers to the decision makers approximate information about the reality of the community, especially those who were affected by the Colombian conflict and where the expectations of a comprehensive repair could disrupt the socioeconomic system and reveal more pressing interests than those of the central government. The methodology is described by the information gotten through the participatory workshops done in the California county that belongs to the Magdalena region, this is a very affected region by the conflict in Colombia. The investigation results confirm the useful of, first of all, the use of the modelling as an information-generating tool by allowing the simulation of relevant variables in the evaluation and prioritization of projects at different moments of time and, in second place, use the knowledge of the experts that expose the ANP method for establishing the importance of each variable compared with other variables and, likewise of each project compared to the rest of the alternatives in each of the different instants of time in which the evaluation is carried out, given that the results could change in any time, the official ranking is showed after an optimization process with partial results.

We perform new measurements of the expansion rate and the sound horizon at the end of the baryon decoupling and derive constraints on cosmic key parameters in the framework of the ΛCDM model, flat wCDM model, the ΛCDM+ΩK model and the phenomenological emergent dark energy (PEDE) model. We keep rd and H0 completely free and use the recent dark energy spectroscopic instrument (DESI) Year 1 and dark energy survey (DES) Year 6 BAO measurements in the effective redshift range 0.3&lt;z&lt;2.33 combined with the compressed form of the Pantheon sample of Type Ia supernovae, the latest 33 observational H(z) measurements based on the differential age method, and the recent H0 measurement from SH0ES 2022 as an additional Gaussian prior. Combining BAO data with the observational H(z) measurements, and the Pantheon SNe Ia data, we get H0=69.65±1.07 km s−1 Mpc−1, rd=147.71±2.18 Mpc in ΛCDM model, H0=70.06±1.07 km s−1 Mpc−1, rd=147.39±2.50 Mpc in PEDE model. The spatial curvature is Ωk=0.025±0.026 and the dark energy equation of state is w=−1.016±0.056, consistent with a cosmological constant. We apply the Akaike information and the Bayesian information criterion test to compare the four models, and see that PEDE model performs better.

The Albufera of Valencia is a coastal lagoon located in the western area of the Mediterranean Sea, in the Iberian Peninsula. It has an area of 23.1 km2 and an average depth of only 1 m, with a maximum depth of 1.6 m. This lagoon is the rest of an original and more extensive wetland of about 220 km2, mostly dedicated to rice cultivation nowadays. Surface water is supplied through several main and many secondary canals for a total of 64 water entry points and three exit points to the sea. It is difficult to evaluate the renewal rate due to the lack of reliable measurements of the inflow or outflow, as well as continuous measurements. Between 1988 and 2018 several procedures have been used, synthesizing in this work the result, in which it is observed a decrease of the inflow in these thirty years, and therefore the residence time is increasing. There is a temporal variation during the year of renewal influenced by rainfall and cultivation periods. Likewise, it is observed that the natural hydrological zoning of the lagoon causes a spatial heterogeneity with small areas with more renewal, practically weekly, and large extensions with little renewal during months. It is impossible to know this information if flow measurements are not taken in each of the main watercourses.

Atopic dermatitis (AD) is a chronic skin disease marked by inflammation, erythema, dryness and pruritic lesions. Due to the intermittent nature of the disease, management strategies for AD focus on flare prevention following remission. A 24-year-old patient with mild-to-moderate AD lesions, previously non-responsive to topical corticosteroids (TCS), was treated with pimecrolimus for 12 days and emollient plus cream (EC) every day. After the initial 12-day treatment course, the patient was advised to use pimecrolimus if his symptoms reoccured. AD symptoms improved substantially between Weeks 0 and 12 with daily use of EC. However, by Week 12, his symptoms had relapsed, necessitating retreatment with pimecrolimus. Overall, the patient experienced flare-free periods between Weeks 3 and 12 and between Weeks 13 and 16. No tolerability issues were reported. This case report demonstrates the use of a complementary approach of daily administration of maintenance EC and intermittent application of pimecrolimus for flare management, which was effective for treating a patient with mild-to-moderate AD resistant to TCS.

Introduction: The association of gene variants for interleukin 6(IL-6) (rs1800796), interleukin 10 (IL-10) (rs1800896) and tumor necrosis factorα (TNFα (rs1800629) with the occurrence of spontaneous preterm birth (PTB) was investigated to determine whether these genetic variants are a risk factor. Materials and methods: 199 blood samples from pregnant women who had given birth prematurely and 200 control blood samples were analyzed to determine single nucleotide polymor-phisms (SNPs) of genes for IL-6 (rs1800796), IL-10 (rs1800896) and TNFα (rs1800629). The control samples were samples from pregnant women with term delivery. Isolation of DNA was per-formed on mini-spin columns according to the manufacturer's protocol. The quality and purity of the isolated DNA were tested using a Qubit 3 fluorometer. Genotyping was performed with an ABI PRISM 7500 SDS using TaqMan SNP genotyping assays. The genotypes obtained were an-alyzed using the 7500 Software v2.3 package. Results: Carriers of the A/A genotype for the rs1800629 of the TNFα gene have 4.81 times greater chance of late-onset PTB compared to carriers of the G/G and A/G genotypes in the recessive inheritance model. The presence of the G/G genotype in the recessive inheritance model compared with the G/A and A/A genotypes for the rs1800896 of the IL-10 gene represents a potentially protective factor, with mothers in the term-birth group having an almost 2-fold lower odds of PTB in general and an almost 10-fold lower odds of early PTB. On the other hand, carriers of the A/G genotype of rs1800896 have a 1.54-fold higher chance of preterm birth in general and a 1.6-fold higher chance of late preterm birth in the super dominant inheritance model compared to the A/A and G/G genotypes in the group of mothers with PTB. In this study, no association was found between PTB and rs1800796 of the IL-6 gene. Conclusion: rs1800629 in mothers was associated with PTB. rs1800896 shows a potentially protective effect for the occurrence of PTB in this study. No association was found between PTB and rs1800796.

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

The folding of certain proteins (e.g., enzymes) into perfectly defined 3D conformations via multi-orthogonal interactions is critical to their function. Concerning synthetic polymers chains, the “folding” of individual polymer chains at high dilution via intra-chain interactions leads to so-called single-chain nanoparticles (SCNPs). This review article describes the advances carried out in recent years in the folding of single polymer chains into discrete SCNPs via multi-orthogonal interactions using different reactive chemical species where intra-chain bonding only occurs between groups of the same species. First, we summarize results from computer simulations of multi-orthogonally folded SCNPs. Next, we comprehensively review multi-orthogonally folded SCNPs synthesized via either non-covalent bonds or covalent interactions. Finally, we conclude by summarizing recent research about multi-orthogonally folded SCNPs prepared through both reversible (dynamic) and permanent bonds.

This study investigates the historical variability in annual average precipitation in the northwest region of Mexico, aiming to evaluate the cumulative impact of precipitation on soil degradation and associated risks posed by rainfall. Despite being known as "The Agricultural Heart of Mexico," the region's soil has experienced significant damage to its granulometric structure due to unpredictable rainfall patterns attributed to climate change. Sixteen historical series of average annual rainfall were analyzed as stationary stochastic processes for spectral analysis. The results revealed exponential decay curves in each radial spectrum, indicating a linear relationship between frequency and amplitude. These curves identified initial impulses correlated with moments of severity for structural damages caused by rainfall-induced degradation. The degradation process, exacerbated by water stress, accelerates, as evidenced by maps illustrating approximately 75% soil damage. In the context of climate change and the uncertainty surrounding soil responses to extreme meteorological events, understanding this phenomenon becomes crucial. Recognizing the dynamic nature of soil responses to environmental stressors is essential for effective soil management. Emphasizing the need to employ numerical processes tailored to new environmental considerations related to observed soil damages is crucial for sustainable soil management practices in any region.

COVID-19 sepsis immune response remains unclear. Here we propose a new perspective in host response against pathogenic proteins that may lead to a vaccine design by polymerization of antigens of <70 kDa. In COVID-19, initial Th1 response kills infected cells releasing viral proteins. SARS-CoV-2 viral structural proteins are Spike (140 kDa), Nucleocapsid (50 kDa), Membrane (25 kDa) and Envelope (10 kDa). B cell receptor cannot capture antigens >70 kDa. The Spike protein (140 kDa) cannot be captured by B cells and triggers inflammatory Th1 response via the macrophages. Only proteins with a size <70 kDa can activate B cell receptor and trigger Th2 adaptative humoral response. Moreover, M-25 kDa and E-12 kDa glycoproteins can activate IgM-BCR like oligovalent or monovalent antigens. The sustained infected cells lysis overfeeds high levels of viral proteins <70 kDa, increases B cells activation and, in the shift from Th1 to Th2 immune response, triggers the cytokine storm. The continuous BCR activation increases IL-10 releasing and may lead to immune paralysis.

The transverse momentum distribution of J/ψ mesons produced in pp collisions at the center-of-mass energy 5 TeV, 7 TeV，and 13 TeV is described by the modified Hagedorn function which is based on the Tsallis function and Hagedorn function. The calculated results by the modified Hagedorn function are in accord with experimental data measured by the LHCb Collaboration at LHC. The related parameters are obtained and analyzed.

Considered one of the finest first-generation Nigerian writers, John Pepper Clark-Bekederemo, who passed away on 13th October, 2020, had been categorised as a Eurocentric writer. This work assesses the authenticity or otherwise of this critics’ perception of Clark by critiquing his America, their America. By analysing this autobiography vis-à-vis the notion of self and other which is a theoretical concern in contemporary travel writing, it was established, among other things, that every culture has its dark sides which it must not feel too proud to change as time and situation demand; that Clark vehemently rejects the Americans’ claim of sophistication and superiority of their culture over African culture. The paper concludes that contemporary travel writing should be a rightful site for negotiating cultural, political and diplomatic compromises between the Self and the Other since the gulf may be difficult to close altogether.

ND1 subunit possesses the majority of the inhibitor binding domain of the human MRC-I. This is an attractive target for the search for new inhibitors that seek mitochondrial dysfunction. It is known, from in vitro experiments, some metabolites from Annona muricata called acetogenins have important biological activities such as anticancer, antiparasitic, and insecticide. Previous studies propose an inhibitory activity of bovine MRC-I by bis-THF acetogenins such as annocatacin B, however, there are few studies on its inhibitory effect on human MRC-I. In this work, we evaluate the molecular and energetic affinity of the annocatacin B molecule with the human ND1 subunit in order to elucidate its potential capacity to be a good inhibitor of this subunit. For this purpose, QM optimizations, MD simulations and MM/PBSA analysis were performed. As a control to compare our outcomes, the molecule rotenone, which is a known MRC-I inhibitor, was chosen. Our results show that annocatacin B has a greater affinity for the ND1 structure, its size and folding were probably the main characteristics that contributed to stabilize the molecular complex. Furthermore, the MM/PBSA calculations showed a 35% stronger BFE compared to the rotenone complex. Detailed analysis of the BFE shows that the aliphatic chains of annocatacin B play a key role in molecular coupling by distributing favorable interactions throughout the major part of the ND1 structure. These results are consistent with experimental studies that mention that acetogenins may be good inhibitors of MRC-I.

During March and April 2020, the European Union (EU) was the center of the COVID-19 pandemic. Many National Governments imposed severe lockdown policies to mitigate the health crisis. The European Parliament commissioned a survey to analyse the citizens’ attitudes over a number of issues related to the COVID-19 pandemic. 21804 European citizens in 21 EU countries responded the survey between 23 April and 1 May 2020. The paper analyses empirically the individual satisfaction that European citizens have experienced over the measures taken by the respective National Governments to control the COVID-19 pandemic. The analysis is based on a micro-econometric model (ordered probit) that explains the citizens’ satisfaction by a number of attitudes and sociodemographic factors. Our results reveal that Spaniards are the least satisfied citizens in comparison with Danes, Irelanders, Greeks and Croats who are the most satisfied nationals. The years of education and the social class also play a determinant role. We also find that the most important determinant is the political support to the Government, and that those who are more worried by the economy and the protection of individual rights are usually more critic with the measures than those who are more worried by the health consequences.

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

In the context of freshwater ecosystems, turbidity and suspended solids play crucial roles, with their levels significantly influenced by anthropogenic activities. This study focuses on assessing and monitoring these parameters in Albufera de Valencia using Sentinel-2 imagery. The primary aim is to establish reliable estimation algorithms that can contribute to effective ecosystem management. The study calibrated and validated algorithms for estimating turbidity and suspended solids. The R783×R705/R490 model proved to have the best performance for estimating turbidity and total solids in the Albufera. However, R783/R490 obtained a higher coefficient of de-termination for the organic part, while the R705 band was selected for the inorganic part. However, to achieve better estimates of turbidity and inorganic matter, more research is needed in the future. The implications of excessive suspended solids are underscored, including the depletion of dissolved oxygen, and reduced primary productivity due to limited light penetration and habitat availability. Collaboration between disciplines such as limnology, optics and water chemistry are crucial to advance water quality estimation models in lakes and lagoons such as Albufera. By integrating expertise and approaches from these diverse fields, new knowledge can be gained and the basis for more effective management and conservation strategies can be laid.

Some evidence supports the influence of the implant macro-design and primary stability. Additionally, tactile perception can be used to assess implant stability when placing the implant. This research aimed to quantify the primary and secondary stability of three implant systems with two different macro geometries (cylindrical and conical) determined through the insertion torque and the implant stability quotient (ISQ) at the moment of implant placement as a function of implant-related factors (length, width, dental arch, and implant location in the arch), intraoperative factors (bone density determined subjectively by the clinician's tactile perception), and patient-related factors (age, gender and bone density determined objectively in the cone beam computed tomography (CBCT). Methods: 102 implants of three implant systems with two different macro geometries (conical and cylindrical) were placed in 53 patients. The insertion torque, the ISQ at the implant placement (ISQ0), and bone quality according to the clinician's tactile sensation were recorded on the day of the surgery. After a three-month healing period, the ISQ was re-evaluated (ISQ3). Results: Cylindrical implants exhibited significantly higher insertion torque and ISQ at the moment of the surgery and after three months than conical implants. Cylindrical implants also showed significantly lower indices of tactile evaluation of bone quality during the implant placement surgery. However, no differences were demonstrated in the bone density measured objectively in the CBCT. (4) Conclusions: The cylindrical implants achieved the highest values for primary stability (Ncm and ISQ) and secondary stability (ISQ after three months). Insertion torque was the variable that most influenced ISQ on the day of the surgery. Implant location (incisors-canines, bicuspids-molars) and the implant macro geometry were the variables that most influenced the secondary stability (ISQ at three months).

Tumid Lupus Erythematosus has been the subject of heated debate as to its correct nosographic classification. In particular, its definition has changed over time, depending on the different studies performed. In this review we address the initial definition of TLE, the changes that have taken place in the understanding and placement within the classification of Lupus Erythematosus (LE), and focus on clinical, histopathological, immunophenotypical and differential diagnosis aspects.

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

The Western ‘discovery’ of Japanese cinema in the 1950s prompted scholars to articulate essentialist visions understanding its singularities as a result of its isolation from the rest of the World and its close links to local aesthetic and philosophical traditions. Recent approaches however, have evidenced the limitations of this paradigm of ‘national cinema’. Higson (1989) opened a critical discussion on the existing consumption, text andproduction-based approaches to this concept. This article draws on Higson´s contribution and calls into question traditional theorising of Japanese film as a national cinema. Contradictions are illustrated by assessing the other side of the ‘discovery’ of Japanese cinema: certain gendaigeki works that succeeded at the domestic box office while jidaigeki burst into European film festivals. The Taiyōzoku and subsequent Mukokuseki Action created a new postwar iconography by adapting codes of representation from Hollywood youth and western films. This article does not attempt to deny the uniqueness of this film culture, but rather seeks to highlight the need to reformulate the paradigm of national cinema in the Japanese case, and illustrate the sense in which it was created from outside, failing to recognise its reach transnational intertextuality.

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 paper describes the development of a two-dimensional water quality model that solves hydrodynamic equations tied to transport equations with reactions mechanisms inherent in the processes. This enable us to perform an accurate assessment of the pollution in a coastal ecosystem. The model was developed with data drawn from the ecosystem found in Mexico's southeast state of Tabasco. The coastal ecosystem consists of the interaction of El Yucateco lagoon with the Chicozapote and Tonalá rivers, that connect the lagoon with the Gulf of Mexico. We present the results of pollutants transport simulation in the coastal ecosystem, focusing on toxic parameters for two hydrodynamic scenarios: wet and dry seasons. As it of interest in the zone, we study the transport of four metals: Cadmium, Chromium, Nickel and Lead. In order to address our objectives we solved numerically a self-posed mathematical problem,which is based on the measured data. The performed simulations show to characterise metal transport within the acceptable range of accuracy and in accordance with the measured data. The performed simulations show to characterise metals transport with an acceptable accuracy, agreeing well with measured data in total concentrations in four control points along the water body. Although for the accurate implementation of the hydrodynamic-based water quality model herein presented, boundary (geometry, tides, wind, etc.) and initial (concentrations measurements) conditions are required, it poses as an excellent option when the distribution of solutes with high accuracy is required, easing environmental, economic and social management of coastal ecosystems.

The semi-nonparametric (SNP) modeling of the return distribution has been proved to be a flexible and accurate methodology for portfolio risk management that allows two-step estimation of the dynamic conditional correlation (DCC) matrix. For this SNP-DCC model, we propose a stepwise procedure to compute pairwise conditional correlations under bivariate marginal SNP distributions, overcoming the curse of dimensionality. The procedure is compared to the assumption of Dynamic Equicorrelation (DECO), which is a parsimonious model when correlations among the assets are not significantly different but requires joint estimation of the multivariate SNP model. The risk assessment of both methodologies is tested for a portfolio on cryptocurrencies by implementing backtesting techniques and for different risk measures: Value-at-Risk, Expected Shortfall and Median Shortfall. The results support our proposal showing that the SNP-DCC model has better performance for a smaller confidence level than the SNP-DECO model, although both models perform similarly for higher confidence levels.

In this study, we investigated water transparency estimation models in the hypertrophic lagoon of the Albufera of Valencia using Sentinel-2 images. Water transparency, a crucial environmental indicator, was assessed via Secchi disk depth (ZSD) measurements. Three optical models (R490/R560, R490/R705, R560/R705) were explored to establish a robust algorithm for ZSD estimation. Through extensive field sampling and laboratory analyses, weekly data spanning 2018 to 2023 were collected, including water transparency, temperature, conductivity, and chlorophyll-a concentration. Remote sensing imagery from the Sentinel-2 mission was employed, and images were processed using SNAP software. The R560/R705 model, calibrated for turbid lakes, emerged as the most suitable. The algorithm's calibration was validated with high correlation coefficients (R2) in both calibration (0.6149) and validation (0.916) phases, demonstrating the model's accuracy in estimating ZSD. This new algorithm significantly outperformed a previous approach, highlighting the importance of tailoring algorithms to specific water body characteristics. The study contributes to improved water quality assessment and resource management, underscoring the value of remote sensing in environmental research.

This article focuses on the current state-of-the-art in the area of cellular and molecular biotechnology for over-production of clinically relevant therapeutic growth factors and how the technology can be used for the treatment of osteoarthritis (OA). Transfected and irradiated protein packaging cell lines may be used as “cellular factories” for large-scale production of therapeutic proteins and pro-anabolic growth factors, particularly in the context of cartilage matrix regeneration. We discuss the potential for new innovations in regenerative medicine for degenerative diseases of synovial joints using mammalian protein production platforms, specifically protein packaging cell lines, for over-producing growth factors for cartilage tissue regeneration and give recent examples. Mammalian protein production platforms that incorporate protein packaging cell lines are superior to bacterial expression systems and are likely to have a significant impact on the development of new biological therapies for treating focal cartilage defects and more generally for the treatment of degenerative joint diseases such as OA.

The pregnane X receptor (PXR) is the main nuclear receptor regulating the expression of xenobiotic metabolizing enzymes and is highly expressed in the liver and intestine. Recent studies have highlighted its additional role in lipid homeostasis, however, the mechanisms of these regulations are not fully elucidated. We investigated the transcriptomic signature of PXR activation in the liver of adult wild-type vs Pxr-/- C57Bl6/J male mice treated with the rodent specific ligand pregnenolone 16α-carbonitrile (PCN). PXR activation increased liver triglyceride accumulation and significantly regulated the expression of 1215 genes mostly xenobiotic metabolizing enzymes. Among the down-regulated genes, we identified a strong peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor α (PPARα) signature. Comparison of this signature with a list of fasting-induced PPARα target genes confirmed that PXR activation decreased the expression of more than 25 PPARα target genes, among which the hepatokine fibroblast growth factor 21 (Fgf21). PXR activation abolished plasmatic levels of FGF21. We provide a comprehensive signature of PXR activation in the liver and identify new PXR target genes that might be involved in the steatogenic effect of PXR. Moreover, we show that PXR activation down-regulates hepatic PPARα activity and FGF21 circulation, which could participate in the pleiotropic role of PXR in energy homeostasis.

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

The paper discusses the experience of implementing an efficient economic management system at the University of Vigo in Spain. This system, which focuses on managing secondments, aims to minimize bureaucracy and standardize economic procedures for various staff groups. By adopting a qualitative methodology and utilizing content analysis, the study compares the University of Vigo's fully digital administrative procedure with other universities in the CRUE network. The results show significant time and cost savings due to this implementation. The improved traceability and information for users support the administrative change, and the positive environmental impacts highlight the commitment to a more sustainable approach. The paper's originality lies in demonstrating how this approach enhances efficiency, reduces costs, and improves sustainability within a Spanish public administration setting.

The main goal of the Soil Moisture and Ocean Salinity (SMOS) mission over land surfaces is the production of global maps of soil moisture (SM) and vegetation optical depth (τ) based on multi-angular brightness temperature (TB) measurements at L-band. The operational SMOS Level 2 and Level 3 soil moisture algorithms account for different surface effects, such as vegetation opacity and soil roughness at 4 km resolution, in order to produce global retrievals of SM and τ. In this study, we present an alternative SMOS product which was developed by INRA (Institut National de la Recherche Agronomique) and CESBIO (Centre d’Etudes Spatiales de la BIOsphère). This SMOS-INRA-CESBIO (SMOS-IC) product provides daily SM and τ at the global scale and differs from the operational SMOS Level 3 (SMOSL3) product in the treatment of retrievals over heterogeneous pixels. Specifically, SMOS-IC is much simpler and does not account for corrections associated to the antenna pattern and the complex SMOS viewing angle geometry. It considers pixels as homogeneous to avoid uncertainties and errors linked to inconsistent auxiliary data sets which are used to characterize the pixel heterogeneity in the SMOS L3 algorithm. SMOS-IC also differs from the current SMOSL3 product (Version 300, V300) in the values of the effective vegetation scattering albedo (ω) and soil roughness parameters. An inter-comparison is presented in this study based on the use of ECMWF (European Center for Medium range Weather Forecasting) SM outputs and NDVI (Normalized Difference Vegetation Index) from MODIS (Moderate-Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer). A 6 year (2010-2015) inter-comparison of the SMOS products SMOS-IC and SMOSL3 SM (V300) with ECMWF SM yielded higher correlations and lower ubRMSD (unbiased root mean square difference) for SMOS-IC over most of the pixels. In terms of τ, SMOS-IC τ was found to be better correlated to MODIS NDVI in most regions of the globe, with the exception of the Amazonian basin and of the northern mid-latitudes.

Commonly, professors, students and researchers from universities around the world use software distributed under a license agreement for computer simulation purposes, which requires a computer with considerable hardware capabilities. Consequently, this implies a high cost to conduct simulations that require implementing numerical methods in all areas of engineering, particularly in the field of robotics and nonlinear control. This paper presents the design and results analysis of a low-cost and open-source frugal computer simulation tool with applications to robotic nonlinear control, for instance, for numerical simulations of manipulator robot control based on dynamic models. Using a single board minicomputer with with reduced computing power, Raspberry Pi, together with free software, GNU-Octave, trajectory tracking control simulations in the joint space of a Selective Conformal Assembly Robot Arm (SCARA) are achieved by solving a system of nonlinear differential equations, represented in matrix form, which includes the control law and the system model. The results of the proposed alternative are compared by running the same simulation code on a laptop computer using MATLAB and GNU Octave, which show minimal deviations and reasonable time complexity. Moreover, considering the frugality curve calculated for this approach, in addition to the low acquisition cost of the simulation software tool, it would allow the creation of a simulation laboratory in some universities with budgetary constraints for educational and research purposes.

The extent of micro-phase separation in polyurethanes (PUs) depended on the molecular weight, the chemical nature and the structure of the polyol/soft segments. Balanced properties in PUs were obtained by using blends of polyols during synthesis. No previous studies have been devoted to understand the interactions between the soft segments that affect the properties of the PUs. In this study, different blends of two polyols of different nature (polyester – PE - and polycarbonate diol - CD) and similar molecular weight were prepared and their structural, thermal, surface, viscoelastic and self-adhesion properties were assessed. PE showed larger number of structural repeating units and higher number of polar groups than CD, but the carbonate-carbonate interactions in CD were stronger than the ester-ester interactions in PE. The blending of CD and PE imparted synergic structural properties, particularly in the ones containing less than 50 % PE, they were associated to the disrupt of carbonate-carbonate interactions in CD and the formation of new ester-carbonate and hydroxyl-carbonate interactions. Therefore, higher glass transition temperatures, a new diffraction peak at 2θ = 24°, one additional thermal degradation at 426-436 °C, and less steeper decline of the storage moduli to lower temperature were found in CD+PE blends with less than 50 wt.% PE. Furthermore, the different interactions between the polyol chains in the blends were also evidenced on their surface properties, and all CD+PE blends showed self-adhesion property which seemed related to the existence of ester-carbonate and carbonate-carbonate interactions.

Members of the genus Armillaria are widespread forest pathogens against which effective protection has not yet been developed. Due to their longevity and the creation of large-scale cloning of Armillaria individuals, the use of mycoviruses as biocontrol agents (BCAs) against these pathogens could be an effective alternative. This work describes the screening of double-stranded RNA banding patterns as a first approach for potential virus discovery and the use of stranded total RNA-seq for viral detection and characterization in Armillaria spp. collected in the Czech Republic. A total of five single-stranded RNA viruses were detected in Armillaria ostoyae and A. cepistipes, including the first virus of the family Tymoviridae found infecting a member the genus Armillaria and four viruses belonging to the recently described virus group "ambiviruses" with circular ambisense genome organization. Both hammerhead (HHRz) and hairpin (HpRz) ribozymes were detected in all the ambiviricot sequences. Armillaria viruses were compared by phylogenetic analysis and confirmed their specific host by direct RT-PCR, which showed the occurrence of interspecies transmission.

Ti6Al4V samples obtained by selective laser melting were subjected to acid treatment, chemical oxidation in hydrogen peroxide solution and subsequent thermochemical treatment. The effect of temperature and time of acid etching of Ti6Al4V samples on surface roughness, morphology, topography and chemical and phase composition after the thermochemical treatment was studied. The surfaces were characterized using scanning electron microscopy, energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction and contact profilometry. Pore and protrusion sizes were measured. Acid etching modified the elemental composition and surface roughness of the alloy. Temperature had a greater influence on the morphology, topography and surface roughness of samples than time. Increases in roughness values were observed when applying successive chemical oxidation and thermochemical treatment compared to the values observed on surfaces with acid etching. After the thermochemical treatment, the samples with acid etching at a temperature of 80 °C showed a multiscale topography. In addition, a network-shaped structure was obtained on all surfaces, both on their protrusions and pores previously formed during the acid etching.

The allosteric SERCA (Sarcoplasmic/Endoplasmic Reticulum Ca2+-ATPase) activator CDN1163 has been recently added to the group of pharmacological tools for probing SERCA function. We chose to investigate the effects of the compound on T lymphocyte Ca2+ stores, using the well-described Jurkat T lymphocyte as a reliable cell system for Ca2+ signaling pathways. Our study identified the lowest concentrations of the SERCA inhibitors thapsigargin (TG) and 2,5-di-(tert butyl)-1,4-benzohydroquinone (tBHQ) capable of releasing Ca2+, permitting the differentiation of the TG-sensitive SERCA 2b Ca2+ store from the tBHQ-sensitive SERCA 3 Ca2+ store. We proceeded to test the effects of CDN1163 on Ca2+ stores, examining specific actions on the SERCA 2b and SERCA 3 Ca2+ pools using our low dose SERCA blocker regimen. In contrast to previous work, we find CDN1163 exerts complex time-sensitive and SERCA isoform-specific actions on Ca2+ stores. Surprisingly, short-term exposure (0-30 minutes) to CDN1163 perturbs T cell Ca2+ stores by suppressing Ca2+ uptake with diminished Ca2+ release from the SERCA 2b-controlled store. Concomitantly, we find evidence for a SERCA-activating effect of CDN1163 on the SERCA 3 regulated store, given the observation of increased Ca2+ release inducible by low dose tBHQ. Intriguingly, longer-term (&gt;12 hours) CDN1163 exposure reversed this pattern, with increased Ca2+ release from SERCA 2b-regulated pools, yet decreased Ca2+ release responses from tBHQ-sensitive SERCA 3 pool. Our results reveal differential effects of CDN1163 on Ca2+ stores regulated by distinct SERCA isoforms, prompting the need for careful interpretation of the compound’s effects, particularly in cells expressing multiple SERCA isoforms.

The assessment of welfare and disease progression in animal models is critical. Most tools rely on evaluating individual subjects, whereas social behaviors, also sensitive to acute illness, chronic diseases, or mental health, are scarcely monitored because of their complexity, are invasive, and time-consuming. We propose the evaluation of social nesting, a species-typical behavior naturally occurring in standard housing conditions, for such behavioral monitoring. We provide an example of its use to evaluate social deficits and the long-term effects of neonatal sensorial stimulation in male and female adult 3xTg-AD mice for Alzheimer's disease compared to sex- and age-matched NTg counterparts with normal aging. Social nesting was sensitive to genotype (worse in 3xTg-AD mice), sex (worse in males), profile, and treatment (distinct temporal patterns, time to observe the maximum score and incidence of the perfect nest). Since social nesting can be easily included in housing routines, this neuroethological approach can be useful for animal's welfare, monitoring the disease's progress, and evaluating potential risk factors and effects of preventive/therapeutical strategies. Finally, the non-invasive, painless, simple, short time and low-cost features of this home-cage monitoring are advantages that make social nesting feasible to be successfully implemented in most animal department settings.

This is a paper of Political Economy and Economic Policies into the European Green Deal framework to improve the Recovery Plan post-COVID-19. This paper is focused on the green jobs opportunity for Europe, especially for Spain. It is offered a systematization of concepts and calculations in the issue (attending the international institutions and forums proposals) to harmonize the recovery plans, to apply them beyond the energy sector and to align public and private sector, as well other key stakeholders in achieving this goal. The obtained outcome gives the creation of around 350.000 new green jobs and the necessity of a new workforce reskilled. This result makes necessary to coordinate sectoral plans by the policymakers in which all the involved entities might express their needs and views on the best education approach to renewables sector and green jobs.

Cable-Driven Parallel Robots (CDPRs) are a special kind of parallel manipulator which use cables to control the position and orientation of the mobile platform or end-effector. The usage of cables instead of rigid links offer some advantages over their conventional rigid counterparts. As cables can only pull, but not push, the number of cables (n) required to command the end-effector is always n+1. This configuration is known as fully-constrained and it is the most extended configuration for CDPRs. Although CDPRs have many advantages, such as their ability to cover large working areas, one of their main problems is that their working area (workspace) is limited in comparison to its frame area (planar case), or frame volume (spatial case), due to the minimum and maximum allowed tensions. Depending of these tensions values the workspace can be notoriously decreased. In order to tackle this problem, lots of works focus on solving kinematics or dynamics problems for cable sagging, i.e., they take into account sagging when modelling the robot kinematic and include these poses inside the usable robot workspace. Taking into account phenomenons like this increases the mathematical complexity of the problem, and much more complex techniques are required. On the other hand, the lack of workspace problem can be tackled by adding active or passive elements to the robot design. In this sense, this paper proposes two mechanical modifications: to add passive carriages to the robot frame and to use a single cable loop to command the end-effector position and orientation. This work presents the kinematic, static and dynamic models of the novel design and shows the gain of workspace for a planar case while taking into account different parameters of the robot.

Marine environments represent a great opportunity for the discovery of compounds with a wide spectrum of bioactive properties. Due to the privileged conditions of natural selection, marine natural products are subject to overcome the pressure put on identify novel drugs; not only in the case of newly discovered bioactive metabolites, but also in those previously known. Since drug resistance has caused an increase in infections caused by tuberculous and nontuberculous Mycobacteria, the re-evaluation of known bioactive metabolites has been suggested as a means to address this problem. In this sense, this study presents an evaluation of in vitro effect of laurinterol (1) and aplysin (2), two brominated sesquiterpenes isolated from Laurencia johnstonii against nine Mycobacterium tuberculosis strains and six nontuberculous mycobacteria. Laurinterol (1) exhibited good anti-tuberculous activity, especially against nontuberculous mycobacteria, being remarkable the effect against M. abscessus with MIC values lower than the reference drug imipenem. This study provides further evidence for the antimycobacterial activity of some sesquiterpenes from L. johnstonii, that can be considered an interesting lead compound for the discovery of novel antimycobacterial molecules to treat NTM infections.

Mitochondria are semiautonomous organelles, which are pivotal for the energy metabolism of eukaryotic cells. These organelles contain their own genetic system (mtDNA, mitogenome) that encodes to some structural RNAs and organellar proteins. The biogenesis and function of mitochondria is tightly regulated by nuclear-encoded protein cofactors. The mtDNAs of land plants are characteristically large, with a complex mode of gene organization and expression, in particularly at the post-transcriptional level. To become functional, the primary organellar transcripts undergo extensive maturation steps, which include endo- and exo-nucleolytic cleavage, RNA-base editing, and both ‘cis’- and ‘trans’-splicing events. These essential processing steps rely on the activities of a large set of nuclear-encoded factors. Among these, the RNA helicases serve as key players in organellar (mt-)RNA metabolism. This review summarizes the important roles played by these factors in regulating the highly dynamic processes of transcription, RNA processing, and translation within the mitochondria of land plants. We further discuss recent advancements in understanding how dysregulation of mitochondrial RNA helicases affects the organellar gene expression, respiratory functions, and hence the growth, development and physiology of land plants.

The art of observing and describing behaviors has driven diagnosis and informed basic science in Psychiatry. In recent times, studies of mental illness are focused on understanding the brain’s neurobiology but there is a paucity of information on the potential contributions from peripheral activity to mental health. In Precision Medicine, this common practice leaves a gap between bodily behaviors and genomics that we here propose to address with a new layer of inquiry that includes genes’ expression on tissues inclusive of brain, heart, muscle-skeletal and organs for vital bodily functions. We interrogate genes’ expression on human tissue as a function of disease-associated genes. By removing genes linked to disease from the typical human set, and recomputing the genes’ expressions on the tissues, we can compare the outcomes across mental illnesses, well-known neurological conditions, and non-neurological ones. We find that major neuropsychiatric conditions that are behaviorally defined today (e.g. Autism, Schizophrenia, Depression) through DSM-observation criteria, have strong convergence with well-known neurological ones (e.g. Ataxias, Parkinson), but less overlap with non-neurological ones. Surprisingly, tissues majorly involved in the central control, coordination, adaptation and learning of movements, emotion and memory are maximally affected in psychiatric diagnoses along with peripheral heart and muscle-skeletal tissues. Our results underscore the importance of considering both the brain-body connection and the contributions of the peripheral nervous systems to mental health.

Children from rural areas face numerous possibilities for neurodevelopmental conditions that may compromise their well-being and optimal development. Neuropsychology and electroencephalography (EEG) have shown strong agreement in detecting correlations between these two variables and suggest an association with specific environmental and social risk factors. The present meta-analysis aims to integrate the qualitative and quantitative EEG findings, their relationship with cognitive impairment in children living in vulnerable or rural environments, and the main risk factors influencing EEG abnormalities. The method for this purpose was based on a systematic string-based review from Ebscohost and Web of Science, following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis (PRISMA). Qualitative and quantitative analyses were conducted from the outcomes that complied with the selected criteria. A total of 92 records were identified; however, only 20 were eligible, considering 11 for qualitative and 9 for quantitative analysis. The findings highlight a significant amount of literature on EEG and its relation with cognitive impairment from studies in children with epilepsy and malnutrition. In general, there is evidence about the advantages of implementing EEG diagnosis and research techniques in children living under risk conditions. Further research is needed to better describe and integrate the state of the art regarding EEG features extraction.

One way to increase overall natural gas engine efficiency is to transform exhaust waste heat into useful energy by means of a bottoming cycle. Organic Rankine cycle (ORC) is a promising technology to convert medium and low grade waste heat into mechanical power and electricity. This paper presents an energy and exergy analysis of three ORC-Waste heat recovery configurations by using an intermediate thermal oil circuit: Simple ORC (SORC), ORC with Recuperator (RORC) and ORC with Double Pressure (DORC), and Cyclohexane, Toluene and Acetone have been proposed as working fluids. An energy and exergy thermodynamic model is proposed to evaluate each configuration performance, while available exhaust thermal energy variation under different engine loads was determined through an experimentally validated mathematical model. Additionally, the effect of evaportating pressure on net power output , absolute thermal efficiency increase, absolute specific fuel consumption decrease, overall energy conversion efficiency, and component exergy destruction is also investigated. Results evidence an improvement in operational performance for heat recovery through RORC with Toluene at an evaporation pressure of 3.4 MPa, achieving 146.25 kW of net power output, 11.58% of overall conversion efficiency, 28.4% of ORC thermal efficiency, and an specific fuel consumption reduction of 7.67% at a 1482 rpm engine speed, a 120.2 L/min natural gas Flow, 1.784 lambda, and 1758.77 kW mechanical engine power.

In this data deposit, I describe a dataset that is the result of content mining 167,318 published articles for statistical test results. As a result of this content mining, 688,112 results from 50,845 articles were extracted. In order to provide a comprehensive set of data, the statistical results are supplemented with metadata from the article they originate from. The dataset is provided in a comma separated file (CSV) in long-format. For each of the 688,112 results, 20 variables are included, of which seven are article metadata and 13 pertain to the individual statistical results (e.g., reported and recalculated p-value). A five-pronged approach was taken to generate the dataset: (i) collect journal lists, (ii) spider journal pages for articles, (iii) download articles, (iv) add article metadata, and (v) mine articles for statistical results.

City marathons have evolved and grown exponentially in type and popularity, managerial complexity, for their financial impact on their host cities and for the attraction of corporate sponsors. Much research has focused on evaluating the broad economic, urban, tourist, social, sporting, and symbolic effects of city marathons on host cities. Research have not examined the importance of the contribution of sponsors to the financial stability and its implications to the overall management and further success of marathons. This article focuses on the cases of the Bank of America Chicago Marathon and the Marathon Valencia Trinidad Alfonso and examines how effective has been the contribution of their sponsors to the financial stability and its implications for the management and success of both races over time. Results show that the international success of both events –in terms of sporting participation, performance and economic impact– is closely related to the design and management of the event; the synergies between the political, business and sporting spheres that the organizational leadership of the event has made it possible to implement and, as a consequence, the support received from sponsors, which has not only provided both races with financial stability, but also has contributed to improve the management of the race.