Cloud computing appears to be the dreamed vision of the healthcare industry; it refers to means of storing and accessing data and programs over the internet instead of the computer’s hard drive. However, the adoption of cloud computing requires solving several issues and infor-mation privacy is a major one. This work proposes a cloud architecture design for the healthcare information system. The proposed architecture enables for storing and sharing information in a privacy-preserving manner. Patients’ information in the proposed architecture is divided into four categories identified in the case study data analysis. User identity management protocol (U-IDM) is employed for controlling the access to patients’ information, and patients have means of control over who can access their information. A scenario-based instantiation validated the proposed architecture's privacy-preserving patient data exchange. The instantiation proved that the proposed architecture allows sharing healthcare information without violating the privacy of patients.

The clustering methods of Software Defined Networking (SDN) gained popularity due to their ability to offer improved scalability, consistency, dependability, and load balancing within overlay networks and SDN partitions. This paper delved into the effects of increasing the number of OpenFlow-enabled southbound devices on the establishment and coordination of SDN-Controller clusters. Specifically, we examined the volume of east-west cluster packet communication concerning the number of southbound devices within the topology. Many research studies focused on bandwidth and the number of bytes in East-West communication. While bandwidth referred to the maximum rate at which data could be transferred, and the number of bytes reflected the volume of data being transmitted, the number of packet communications directly influenced the efficiency and responsiveness of network operations. Our investigation encompassed the impact of SDN controllerto- controller communication within the cluster concerning the rising number of OpenFlow switches connected to various topologies, including tree (star-bus network), linear, and torus configurations. This study presented data on communication patterns within Open Network Operating Systems (ONOS) and OpenDaylight (ODL) clusters, revealing differing levels of controller communication with southbound network expansions. We evaluated the scalability of ODL and ONOS controllers by scrutinising the effect of increasing the number of southbound devices on control communication volume. Our analysis revealed varied communication patterns within ONOS and ODL clusters, resulting in different volumes of control communication with southbound expansions. The findings indicated that in small to medium-sized SDNs, ODL outperformed ONOS, notably with faster cluster discovery. Conversely, ONOS demonstrated greater efficiency in larger networks owing to its centralised communication architecture. Finally, we provided recommendations for selecting the most suitable controllers based on the size of southbound networks, aiming to provide practical guidelines for optimal network performance.

The present study uses the 3 years of data from a vertically pointed profile Radar (VPPR) at the mountain site (Huancayo at 3.2 km msl; HYO) in Peru to investigate the precipitation characteristics/patterns including diurnal variation, bright band (BB) characteristics and vertical structure of rain (VSR). VPPR provides continuous 1­min profiles of radar reflectivity (Ze), rain rate (RR), liquid water content (LWC) and Doppler velocity. At the same time, field campaign data are used to investigate the role of the surface and atmospheric variables in generating the rainfall and organization of the cloud systems over HYO. The precipitation shows the bimodal distribution; frequent and higher RR during afternoon and nighttime. The BB height also shows a diurnal pattern and BB height is higher during the afternoon and nighttime compared; and follows the diurnal heating of the Andes. More than 70% BB height lies between ~4.3­4.7 km and only 20% BB has altitude higher than 5 km. The austral summer monsoon (December to March months) have higher intense vertical profiles (higher Z e ) compared to pre monsoon seasons (September to November) and shows the nega­tive gradient for most of the altitude. The RR and LWC show the opposite characteristics, and both have a positive gradient below the 6 km altitude and then negative gradient above 6 km altitude. The raindrop size distribution (DSD) parameters show most of the variation below the freezing level, and a higher concentra­tion of large sized of hydrometeors are observed for higher RR, however the dominant modes of Dm are less than 1 mm. The changes in the VSR in DSD parameters are significant for the RR>20 mm/h, whereas for RR<2 mm/h the vertical structure in DSD parameters do not have much differences during monsoon and premonsoon seasons. Satellite and reanalysis data reveal the short periods of convective activity with higher ac­ cumulated rainfall over HYO compared to stratiform precipitation, which is more common in the nighttime and sustain for many hours. Wet spells (higher rainy days) have low pressure circulation, which favours the transport of moisture from the Amazon to the central Sierra of Peru, while the anticyclonic circulation at high levels favours the divergence at higher pressure levels and, enhances the convective in the region. During the dry spells, low level weaker circulation at the west of Brazil, restricts the transport of moisture to the central Sierra, while the circulation at high levels does not favor rain processes. The improved understanding of the tropical Andes precipitation would be very important for assessing climate variability and changes as well as to forecast precipitation using the numerical models.

The self-assembly is an intriguing process of great importance in general soft matter and thus re-ceives an ever-growing scientific interest. Its most trivial example is the entropy-driven crystalli-zation of hard spheres. Past works have established the similarities and differences in the phase behavior of monomers and chains made of hard spheres. In the present work, inspired by the dif-ference in the melting points of the pure components, we study, through Monte Carlo simulations, the phase behavior of athermal mixtures composed of fully flexible polymers and individual monomers of uniform size. We analyze how the relative number fraction and the packing density affect crystallization and the established ordered morphologies. A synergetic effect is observed in the crystallization leading to synchronous crystallization of the two species. Structural analysis of the resulting ordered morphologies shows perfect mixing and thus no phase separation, which could split the system into polymer-rich and monomer-rich domains. Due to the constraints imposed by chain connectivity, the local environment of the individual spheres is systematically more spherical and more symmetric compared to the one of spheres belonging to chains. In general, increasing polymer content leads to reduction of the degree of crystallinity. According to the present findings, relative concentration is another determining factor to control the phase behavior of hard colloidal systems based on polymers.

The diversification of life-histories is mediated by cooperation, innovations of biological information, modularity, and heterochrony in developmental processes. These processes are defined, contextualized, and exemplified, studying the evolution of coloniality (i.e. life-history involving modularization of the multicellular individual) in the family of benthic tunicates Styelidae. This study proposes that in these colonial tunicates there is an inter-generational division of labor, where one generation is feeding, a second is developing by morphogenetic processes, and a third is aging by programmed cell death and phagocytosis. The communication system developed in these colonies is mediated, by changes in proportion, location, and gene expression of specialized blood cells. Colonial life-history in animals is related to the reduction of individual size; development of extra-corporeal tissues to interconnect zooids; the inter-generational division of labor; and the reduction of zooid’s individuality. Processes analogous with the widely accepted major evolutionary transitions (METs), suggesting that coloniality could be studied as a MET. The understanding of colonial life-histories could provide information about key mechanisms for life diversification.

Marine invertebrates are model organisms in several areas of biological sciences, being a source of massive biological information. Although, the scientific relevance of marine invertebrates, the research with them can be limited for their tissue characteristics and troubles for the replication of physical and chemical properties of seawater. Thence, the main goal of this laboratory workflow is to provide a useful methodological approach to reduce the experimental limitations during the study of marine invertebrates. The present study describes experimental methodologies for the collection, transport, and maintenance of sessile tunicates. Also, an approach to observe and characterize, a diverse population of blood cells in marine invertebrates, by several cytological stains and electron microscopy. Lastly, suggestions and protocols to extract quality RNA from samples with high concentrations of salts, pigments, secondary metabolites, and polysaccharides. This methodological approach can be easily adapted to other marine invertebrates, moreover uses low-cost reagents and widely available laboratory equipment. Making possible the study of different types of marine animals in diverse locations.

Cocoa beans of the CCN-51 clone harvested in the Tumaco region (Nariño, Colombia) were fermented following four different treatments: (1) spontaneously (at room temperature for 120 h) in traditional conditions (Control); (2) traditional processing with a pre-drying (sun-dried for 24 h) treatment (PD); (3) with fermentation (for 120 h) after inoculation of a yeast starter culture (YS); and (4) including both treatments, pre-drying and yeast inoculation (PD+YS). Chemical composition, fatty acids, total polyphenol, methylxanthines (theobromine and caffeine) and lactic acid content of cocoa beans were determined. Chemical and fatty acid composition and theobromine content were not affected by the different fermentation treatment applied. When analysing total polyphenol content, YS and PD+YS treatments significantly increased the content of these compounds at the end of the fermentation process, while PD treatment decreased the caffeine content of cocoa beans. Finally, lactic acid content decreased as a consequence of both inoculation of yeast starter and mainly the pre-drying treatment. In conclusion, solar pre-drying in the open air and the inoculation of a yeast starter treatments could improve the final quality of coca beans.

There is immense variability in the postharvest quality of Hass avocados. However, there is a lack of knowledge to guaranteeing the robustness of fruit with consistent quality. The aims of this work were to develop a multivariate methodology for evaluating the postharvest quality of avocado and to determine predictive quality markers to manage fruit quality. Fruit samples produced under different nutrient management, elevation, date-to-harvest, and growing-cycle conditions were analyzed. The results highlighted soil and weather differences among orchards. Nutrient management practices based on index balancing in some samples increased both productivity and the fruit size. High variability was observed in the dry matter related to the age of the fruit at harvest. Ripening heterogeneity was very large in low-elevation orchards where the fruit was picked relatively early. High flesh mineral contents delayed fruit ripening. At low growing temperatures, more oleic and linoleic acids were present in fruits. The sensory texture and taste descriptors were affected by the fruit age and related to the flesh composition. Logistic, PLS-DA, and biplot models effectively represented the variabilities in the ripening pattern, composition, and sensory profile of avocado fruits and allowed the samples to be grouped according to the internal fruit quality.

SARS-CoV-2 (CoV-2) is a coronavirus which is causing the actual COVID-19 pandemic. The disease caused by 2019 new coronavirus (2019-nCoV) was named coronavirus disease-19 (COVID-19) by the World Health Organization in February 2020. Primary non-specific reported symptoms of 2019-nCoV infection at the prodromal phase are malaise, fever, and dry cough. The most commonly reported signs and symptoms are fever (98%), cough (76%), dyspnea (55%), and myalgia or fatigue (44%). Nonetheless, recent reports suggest an association between COVID-19 and altered olfactory and taste functions, although smell seems to be more affected than taste. These associations of smell and taste dysfunctions and CoV-2 are consistent with case reports describing a patient with SARS with long term anosmia after recovery from respiratory distress, with the observation that olfactory function is commonly altered after infection with endemic coronaviruses, and with data demonstrating that intentional experimental infection of humans with CoV-299 raises the thresholds at which odors can be detected. Post-viral anosmia and is one of the leading causes of loss of sense of smell in adults, accounting for up to 40% cases of anosmia. Viruses that give rise to the common cold are well known to cause post-infectious loss, and over 200 different viruses are known to cause upper respiratory tract infections. I reviewed the possible mechanisms of smell and taste loss in COVID-19. I concluded that since the existence of such a relationship is likely, it is highly recommended that those patients who experience complications such as smell and/or taste loss, even as unique symptoms, should be considered as potential SARS-CoV-2 virus carriers.

The study of energy sources has been an awareness of the modern world due to constraints on the current energy worldwide supply chain. The complexity of the theme as well as the consciousness of finite sources also the need of saving energy has become a priority. Although many papers have moved in this direction there is no record of papers studying the variables in a house heating system, which represents the highest energy consumption in many cold countries. This paper explores the energy-saving theme by studying the main variables present in houses’ heating systems in the winter season in cold countries like Canada, Russia, Norway, Iceland, Finland, etc. By using a novel combination of numerical thermal simulation by COMSOLTM and statistical analysis by MiniTabTM , it was possible to design an efficient thermal distribution in a house with the variables of the system by determining their significance and interaction qualitatively.

Background. Upper respiratory infections (URIs) remains as significant cause of morbidity in children. Evidence on efficacy of probiotics to prevent URIs in children is increasing. This systematic review was assembled to analyze evidence about the efficacy of probiotics to reduce duration of upper respiratory infections in ambulatory children. Methods. Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) comparing probiotics vs. placebo to prevent URIs, published between 2001 and 2016 were considered. Quality evaluation was evaluated using CONSORT. Standard mean difference (SMD) or risk ratio (RR) was calculated. Network Meta-Analysis (NMA), using a random effect model was assembled. Results. 31 RCTs were evaluated and 20 studies were included with 3,635 children randomized to probiotics and 3,433 to placebo. Lactobacillus reuteri [SMD -0.56 CI95% (-0.72 to -0.41), p 0.0001] and Lactobacillus acidophillus [SMD -0.33 CI95% (-0.60 to -0.06), p 0.01] were superior to placebo to reduce duration of URIs. L. rhamnosus GG showed tendency [SMD -0.14 CI95% (-0.28 to 0.0), p 0.048]. On the network forest plot L. reuteri showed preventive equivalence when was compared to L. rhamnosus GG, L. casei and BB12. Conclusions. Lactobacillus reuteri, Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG and Bifidobacterium BB12 are evidence-based alternatives to be considered to prevent URIs in children.

Smart grids require flexible data driven forecasting methods. We propose clustering tools for bottom-up short-term load forecasting. We focus on individual consumption data analysis which plays a major role for energy management and electricity load forecasting. The two first sections are dedicated to the industrial context and a review of individual electrical data analysis. We are interested in hierarchical time-series for bottom-up forecasting. The idea is to disaggregate the signal in such a way that the sum of disaggregated forecasts improves the direct prediction. The 3-steps strategy defines numerous super-consumers by curve clustering, builds a hierarchy of partitions and selects the best one minimizing a forecast criterion. Using a nonparametric model to handle forecasting, and wavelets to define various notions of similarity between load curves, this disaggregation strategy applied to French individual consumers leads to a gain of 16\% in forecast accuracy. We then explore the upscaling capacity of this strategy facing massive data and implement proposals using R, the free software environment for statistical computing. The proposed solutions to make the algorithm scalable combines data storage, parallel computing and double clustering step to define the super-consumers.

To curb the impacts arising from the agricultural sector the actions undertaken by policymakers, and ultimately by the farmers, are of paramount importance. However, finding the best strategy to reduce impacts, and especially assessing the effects of the interactions and mutual influence among farmers, is very difficult. To this aim, this paper shows an application of an agent-based model (ABM) coupled with life cycle assessment (LCA), which also includes multi objective optimization of farming activities (including both crop cultivation and livestock breeding) from an economic and environmental perspective. The environmental impacts are assessed using the impact assessment scores calculated with the Environmental Footprint (EF) 3.0 life cycle impact assessment (LCIA) method and the study is conducted “from cradle to farm gate”. The model is applied to all the farms in Luxembourg, whose network is constructed utilizing neighborhood interactions, through which a parameter known as farmer's green consciousness (GC) is updated at each time step. The optimization module is instantiated at the end of each time step, and decision variables (the number of livestock units and land allocation) are assigned based on profitability and specified environmental impact categories. If only profit optimization is considered (i.e. when farmers’ GC is de-activated), the results show a 9% reduction in the aggregated environmental impacts (obtained as EF “single score”) and a 5.5% increase in overall profitability. At the farm level, simulations display a clear trade-off between environmental sustainability and financial stability, with a 25% reduction in overall emissions possible if farming activities are carried using the EF single score impact in the objective function, though this results in an 8% reduction in profitability over ten years.

(1) In searching for herbal alternatives for treating coccidiosis in turkeys, this trial aimed to evaluate whether minced black garlic (Allium sativa) or turmeric powder (Curcuma longa) or their combination, included in dried alginate beads, were capable of controlling clinical coccidiosis in turkey male poults. (2) Four groups of 15 twelve-day-old turkey poults per group were set and rose in this trial until the end of week six. Groups were: CTR = control untreated turkeys; GAR = turkeys fed 4% of their diet with minced garlic included in dried alginate beads; CUR = treated fed 4% powder Curcuma, also prepared as dried alginate beads; and G.C. = turkeys fed 8% of their diet with the mixture of minced black garlic plus powder Curcuma (4% of each one), entrapped in dried alginate beads. Treatments were incorporated as feed-dressing, considering their mean feed intake. (3) Results reveal that turkeys in group G.C. showed a significant decrease in oocysts per gram of feces during the first six weeks of age compared to values found in the CTR group and the other treatments. These results identify that in turkey poults, there is a statistically significant anticoccidial activity of the combination of minced garlic plus powder Curcuma, included in alginate beads and administered as 4% of their feed intake. Additionally, better productive variables were recorded for this combination compared to the other three groups (P &lt;0.05). (4) The use of vehicles specifically designed for the digestive tract of turkeys may improve the effectiveness of plant extracts for the control of coccidiosis.

We present an open-source Star Tracker (ST) for Attitude Determination. Our implementation makes use of open source software of common usage in astronomy running on a Raspberry Pi 2 platform. The developed platform is open and available for parties interested in further development. Evaluation of the system showed that the ST is suitable for Cubesats of 2U or larger. The ST platform is capable of solving the Lost-In-Space (LIS) problem. Currently, the average accuracy reached of the algorithm is close to 5 seconds of arc with an average processing time of 75 seconds. However, a average accuracy of about 3 minutes of arc can be reached with 35 seconds in average processing time. We also describe the evaluation procedure, the found conclusions of this procedure, in particular the section of the algorithm where most of the processing time is spent and other possible source of errors not included in this study.

Human Papillomavirus (HPV) self-sampling has the potential to increase cervical cancer screening (CCS) and reduce the cervical cancer burden in Medically Underserved Women (MUW). However, interventions promoting self-sampling are limited. We examined the effectiveness of an intervention study in increasing CCS among MUW. We conducted a quasi-experimental intervention study. Face-to-face verbal approach was to recruit MUW (n=85, mean age 48.57±11.02) living in a small city in the US. Behavioral intervention based on reframing, reprioritizing, and reforming (3R model) was used to educate the women about CCS in a group format. The women completed pre-and post-intervention assessments and followed-up interviews. The primary outcome was CCS uptake. Mixed methods analyses were conducted using a t-test for the primary outcome, PROCESS for mediation analysis, and NVivo for interview data. Majority of women (75%) completed self-testing. High-risk HPV prevalent among the women was 11%, and of those, 57% followed-up with physicians for care. We found that the significant increase in the women’s post-intervention screening behaviors was mediated by the increase in knowledge (Indirect Effect [IE] = .1314; 95% CI, .0104, .4079) and attitude (IE = .2167; 95% CI, .0291, .6050) scores, (p&lt;0.001). Interview analyses offered further explanations (see the explanations in parenthesis) why MUW found the intervention messages acceptable (encourages proactive behavior), feasible (simple and easy to understand), and appropriate (helpful and informative). Barriers including lack of trust and fear of results were identified. The findings suggest that an intervention that combines the 3R model and self-sampling may increase CCS among MUW.

Animals living in the wild are exposed to numerous challenges, such as fires, that can lead to animal suffering. The impacts of fire have been studied in different branches of ecology, but studies of its effects on the welfare of individual animals remain scarce. The current review aims to synthesize a sample of relevant aspects regarding fire’s negative effects on wild animals. This review provides a better understanding of how fire compromises animal welfare, providing an example of how to use the knowledge gathered in ecology studies to examine the welfare of wild animals. It can help raise concern for the situation of wild animals as individuals, and to develop the field of welfare biology, by identifying promising future lines of research. The fundamentals of carrying out future work to design protocols for rescuing animals or preventing the harms they can suffer in fires is also explored.

Covid-19 pandemic has captivated scientists to investigate if this new disease can affect the central nervous system (CNS). The most challenging symptoms of Covid-19 are related to respiratory distress, and most patients admitted in intensive care units cannot breathe by their own. Therefore, a crucial question is if respiratory distress can be partially explained by the CNS affection. SARS-Cov-2 is a beta-coronavirus that shares high similarities with SARS-CoV. The infection of SARS‐CoV has been reported in the brains from both patients and experimental animals, where the brainstem was heavily infected. Those coronaviruses have been able to invade the brainstem via a synapse‐connected route to the medullary respiratory center, where the infected regions included the nucleus of the solitary tract and nucleus ambiguous. The vagal afferent nerves from receptors in the lung communicate with the medulla and pons respiratory control centers to coordinate inspiration and expiration. This suggests that neuroinvasion of SARS‐CoV‐2 might play a role in the acute respiratory failure of Covid-19. Therefore, acute respiratory distress in Covid-19 can be partially explained by brainstem dysfunction, suggesting the needs of more specific and aggressive treatments with the direct participation of neurologists and neurointensivists.

This paper investigates if Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) reports published by a selected group of Nordic companies are aligned with the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) standards. To achieve this goal, several natural language processing, and text mining techniques were implemented and tested. We extracted strings, corpus, and hybrid semantic similarities from the reports and evaluated the models through the intrinsic assessment methodology. A quantitative ranking score based on index matching was developed to complement the semantic valuation. The final results show that Latent Semantic Analysis (LSA) and Global Vectors for Word Representation (GloVE) are the best methods for our study. Our findings will open the door to the automatic evaluation of sustainability reports which could have a strong impact on the environment.

This article presents the development and validation of a new instrument measuring social, cultural, and behavioral factors influencing exposure to occupational zoonoses in agricultural settings. The Social Ecological Model (SEM) and the Standards for Educational and Psychological Testing were used as guiding frameworks to ensure the instrument's validity. The instrument's content was compiled by combining the results of a scoping literature review and an expert qualitative study. The instrument items were drafted, organized, and underwent a meticulous process of revision and adjustment. It was translated into Spanish and tested in one-to-one cognitive interviews with five volunteer agricultural workers. Exploratory factor analysis was conducted for construct discrimination, and bivariate regression analyses were conducted to explore the association with exposure indicators. Evidence of validity was obtained from four out of five sources of validity evidence according to the AERA/APA’s Standards of Educational and Psychological Testing. The Social Ecology of Occupational Zoonoses (SEOZ) was successfully used to determine social and behavioral factors associated with a higher risk of exposure to occupational zoonoses. Further use of the SEOZ can provide valuable insights into developing effective interventions to improve the health and well-being of agricultural workers.

Solid state fermentation (SSF) is considered more sustainable than traditional fermentation because it uses low amounts of water and transforms agro-industrial residues into value added products. Enzymes, biofuels, nanoparticles and bioactive compounds can be obtained from SSF. The key factor in SSF processes is the choice of microorganisms and their substrates. Many fungal species can be used and are mainly used due their lower requirements of water, O2 and light. Residues rich in soluble and insoluble fiber are utilized by lignocellulolytic fungi because they have the enzymes that break fiber hard structure (lignases, celullases or hemicelullases). During the hydrolysis of lignin, some phenolic compounds are released but fungi also synthetize compounds such as mycophenolic acid, dicerandrol C, phenylacetates, anthraquinones, benzofurans and alkenyl phenols that have health beneficial effects such as antitumoral, antimicrobial, antioxidant and antiviral activities. Another important group of compounds synthetized by fungi during fermentation are polysaccharides that also have important health promoting properties. Fungal biofermentation has also proved to be a process which can release high contents of phenolics and it also increases the bioactivity of these compounds.

Knowing, with reasonable accuracy, the dry matter (DM) content of Hass avocado fruit will help determine when the fruit must be harvested. The reliability of predictive models based on near infrared spectra for DM quantification depends on the ability of the spectra to be representative of the DM gradient within a whole fruit. The aim of this work was to develop a methodology to determine the optimum number of spectra to develop a robust model for DM content quantification. Three spectra were recorded for each zone of the intact fruit: peduncle, equator, and base. Each scanning point was sampled, and the DM content was determined using oven drying. Two-way ANOVA confirmed the DM gradient within the whole fruit. This gradient was observed within spectra using the RMS (root mean square) criterion and PCA. The PLS models showed that at least one spectrum per zone could be enough to construct an efficient and robust model for dry matter quantification.

This study determines the equivalent stress intensity factor (SIF) model that best fits the experimental behavior of low-carbon steel under mixed mode (I and II). The study assessed Tanaka, Richard, and Pook's equivalent SIF models. The theoretical values used for comparison correspond to experimental results in a modified C(T) geometry by machining a hole ahead of the crack tip subjected to fatigue loads with a load ratio of R = 0.1. The comparison involved the SIF for six experimental points and the values computed through the numerical simulation. The Paris, Klesnil, and modified Forman-Newman crack growth models were used with each equivalent SIF to analyze the prediction in the estimated number of cycles. The Klesnil model showed the closest prediction since the error between the calculated and experimentally recorded number of cycles is the lowest. However, the material behavior reflects a reduced crack propagation rate attributed to plasticity in the crack tip. Results suggest that Asaro equivalent SIF conservatively estimates the element lifespan with increasing errors from 2.3% at the start of growth to 27 % at the end of the calculation.

Business Intelligence, defined by [1] as "the ability to understand the interrelations of the facts that are presented in such a way that it can guide the action towards achieving a desired goal", has been used since 1958 for the transformation of data into information, and of information into knowledge, to be used when making decisions in a business environment. But, what would happen if we took the same principles of business intelligence and applied them to the academic environment? The answer would be the creation of Academic Analytics, a term defined by [2] as the process of evaluating and analyzing organizational information from university systems for reporting and making decisions, whose characteristics allow it to be used more and more in institutions, since the information they accumulate about their students and teachers gathers data such as academic performance, student success, persistence, and retention [5]. Academic Analytics enables an analysis of data that is very important for making decisions in the educational institutional environment, aggregating valuable information in the academic research activity and providing easy to use business intelligence tools. This article shows a proposal for creating an information system based on Academic Analytics, using ASP.Net technology and trusting storage in the database engine Microsoft SQL Server, designing a model that is supported by Academic Analytics for the collection and analysis of data from the information systems of educational institutions. The idea that was conceived proposes a system that is capable of displaying statistics on the historical data of students and teachers taken over academic periods, without having direct access to institutional databases, with the purpose of gathering the information that the director, the teacher, and finally the student need for making decisions. The model was validated with information taken from students and teachers during the last five years, and the export format of the data was pdf, csv, and xls files. The findings allow us to state that it is extremely important to analyze the data that is in the information systems of the educational institutions for making decisions. After the validation of the model, it was established that it is a must for students to know the reports of their academic performance in order to carry out a process of self-evaluation, as well as for teachers to be able to see the results of the data obtained in order to carry out processes of self-evaluation, and adaptation of content and dynamics in the classrooms, and finally for the head of the program to make decisions.

In the present work we present a methodology for teaching the basis of the genetic code through music composition, with the aim to combine science and arts learning. The project was carried out by 155 students, the so-called MARGA Consortium, with ages comprised between 10 and 17 years from different public schools located in the Principality of Asturias, Spain. The different groups generated 8 different music works using a short genetic sequence obtained from the human notch1 gene, receptor of mutations leading to chronic lymphocytic leukemia.

Living cells are complex systems that may be characterized by fluids crowded by hundreds of different elements in particular by a high density of polymers; they are an excellent and challenging laboratory to study exotic emerging physical phenomena where entropic forces emerge from organization processes of many-body interactions. The competition between microscopic and entropic forces may generate complex behaviors like phase transitions that living cells may use to accomplish their functions. In the era of the big data, when biological information abounds but general principles and precise understanding of the microscopic interactions scarce, the entropy methods may offer significant information. In this work we develop a model where the thermodynamic equilibrium results from the competition between an effective electrostatic shortrange interaction and the entropic forces emerging in a fluid crowded by different size polymers. The target audience for this article are interdisciplinary researchers in complex systems, particularly in thermodynamics and biophysics modeling.

Active magnetic bearings have higher efficiency than other bearings because there is no physical contact. However, this benefit is mitigated by the addition of electrical power consumption. It is therefore important for magnetic bearings to have efficient power electronics. Gallium nitride-based transistors are a relatively new form of transistor which have shown to be more efficient than MOSFETs. There is an insufficient body of literature in the area of application of these transistors for magnetic levitation. This work presents a simple 1 degree-of-freedom voltage controlled levitation experiment in which levitation is achieved with both a gallium nitride transistor and a MOSFET.
Voltage losses and current consumption are measured when using each transistor during levitation. In particular, transients during open-to-closed and closed-to-open states are measured for PWM pulsing. It is found that the
gallium nitride transistor is superior in both switching time and efficiency in situ for magnetic levitation.

Background: Interstitial lung disease (ILD) is a frequent complication in systemic sclerosis (SSc). So, an increased awareness of this complication is a real need in the clinical setting, because it may affect the prognosis of patients. In particular, an accurate strategy is desirable in order to detect ILD in its stages. So, we investigate the validity of ultrasound (US) in detecting subclinical ILD in SSc, and to determine its potential in disease progression. Methods: 133 patients without respiratory symptoms and 133 healthy controls were included. Borg scale, Rodnan skin score (RSS), pulmonary auscultation, chest radiographs and respiratory function tests (RFT) were performed. An expert rheumatologist performed the lung US. High-resolution CT (HRCT) was also performed. After the baseline assessment, the patients were followed every 3 months for 12 months. Results: A total of 79 of 133 patients (59.4%) showed US signs of ILD in contrast to healthy controls (4.8%) (p=0.0001). The clinical and laboratory variables associated with ILD were anti-centromere antibodies (p=0.005) and RSS (p=0.004). A positive correlation was demonstrated between the US and HRCT findings (p=0.001). Sensitivity and specificity of US in detecting ILD was 91.2% and 88.6% respectively. A good inter-observer reliability was observed (k = 0.72). In the follow-up, a total of 30 patients out of 79 (37.9%) who demonstrated US signs of ILD at baseline, showed changes in the ILD score by US. Conclusions: US showed a high prevalence of subclinical ILD in SSc patients. It demonstrated to be a valid, reliable and feasible tool to detect ILD in SSc and to monitoring the disease progression.

The cattle sector is strategic sector for both the economic development and food security of Africa. However, the low availability and quality of forage puts the most vulnerable population in the field at risk. Hybrid forages have proven to be a real alternative for enhancing both the food security and sustainability of the sector. They are the product of genetic improvements and combine the superior traits of different materials. In 1987, the International Center for Tropical Agriculture (CIAT) began this line of research and together with the private sector various ma-terials have been released until today. Despite their beforementioned potential, forage hybrid adoption levels are still low in Africa, which is related to various factors among which the availability of seeds and planting material stands out. This document analyzes the potential markets for new forage hybrids adapted to the environmental conditions of eastern Africa and partially western Africa. Likewise, an estimation of the commercial value of these markets is provided. The results show a potential market of 414,388 ha for new interspecific hybrids of Urochloa and 528,409 ha for potential hybrids of Megathyrsus maximus, with approximate values of 73.5 and 101.1 million dollars, respectively. Ethiopia, Tanzania, and Kenya have a 70% market share for Urochloa, while South Sudan, Ethiopia, and Tanzania have a 67% share for Megathyrsus maximus. The results will help different actors in decision-making, i.e., regarding private sector investments in forage seed commercialization or public sector incentives supporting adoption processes, and thus contribute to increasing food security and sustainability in the region.

: In Chile, most tailings impoundments are in Northern and Central Chile, 20% of them are abandoned. Municipal budgets to manage these environmental liabilities are very limited and the use of native and endemic plant species to remove heavy metals from tailings is a low-cost alternative. Ex-situ phytoremediation experiments were conducted over seven months to evaluate the potential of Lycium chilense and Haplopappus foliosus to remove copper and lead from mine tailings. The results indicate that both species can concentrate high levels of both elements and they present removal efficiencies for Cu close to 50%. The best performance was presented by Haplopappus foliosus, accumulating higher concentrations of both metals than Lycium chilense. Also, it presents a bioconcentration over 1.

Protein malnutrition is present in developing countries but also in developed ones, due by the actual eating habits with insufficient protein intake, in addition to this it is estimated by the Food and Agricultural Organization of the United Nations an increase of world population of 9.1 billion people in less those 30 years, posing the challenge of nourish the mankind. There are different strategies to afford this challenge, one of the most promising ones is to approach novel protein sources like plants, microorganisms, and insects from dry lands.

Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is a devastating event with severe long-term complications. TBI and its sequelae are one of the leading causes of death and disability in those under 50 years old. The full extent of secondary brain injury is still being intensely investigated; however, it is now clear that neurotrauma can incite chronic neurodegenerative processes. Chronic traumatic encephalopathy, Parkinson’s disease, and many other neurodegenerative syndromes have all been associated with a history of traumatic brain injury. The complex nature of these pathologies can make clinical assessment, diagnosis, and treatment challenging. The goal of this review is to provide a concise appraisal of the literature with focus on emerging strategies to improve clinical outcomes. First, we review the pathways involved in the pathogenesis of neurotrauma-related neurodegeneration and discuss the clinical implications of this rapidly evolving field. Next, because clinical evaluation and neuroimaging are essential to the diagnosis and management of neurodegenerative diseases, we analyze the clinical investigations that are transforming these areas of research. Finally, we briefly review some of the preclinical therapies that have shown the most promise in improving outcomes after neurotrauma.

The research presents the inter-comparison of atmospheric variables measured by 9 automatic meteorological stations. This set of data was compared with the measurements of other meteorological stations in order to standardize the values that must be adjusted when taken to different areas. The data of a set of a total of 9 GMX500, which measures conventional meteorological variables, and 10 WS100 sensors, which measures precipitation parameters. The automatic stations were set up at the Huancayo Observatory (Geophysical Institute of Peru) for a period of 5 months. The data set of GMX500 were evaluated comparing with the average of the 9 sensors and the WS100 was compared with a optical disdrometer Parsivel2. The temperature, pressure, relative humidity, wind speed, rainfall rate, and drop size distribution was evaluated. A pair of GMX500 sensors presented high data dispersion, it was found found that the errors came from a bad configuration; once this problem was solved, good agreement was archived, with low RMSE and high correlation. I was found that the WS100 sensors overestimate the precipitation with a percent bias close to 100% and the differences increase with the greater intensity of rain. The DSD retrieved by WS100 have unrealistic behavior with higher concentrations in diameters of 1 mm and 5 mm, in addition to a flattened curve.

For the first time in human history the majority of people no longer live in a rural environment. According to the United Nations, over 50% of the global population now lives in cities. The abandonment of the rural environment has grave consequences for society in general, as these areas are healthier places to live, produce the food we all depend on, and are an important factor for preserving biodiversity and environmental sustainability. In this paper we will provide a historical overview of rural repopulation models and analyse a number of models currently being applied in several countries in Europe and Latin America. We will also offer observations on a pilot repopulation project called “Habita Tierra” currently being developed. The common characteristics of different repopulation models prompted us to develop a model based on active listening and accompaniment of people and local agents as well as other important factors. Rural depopulation in Spain involves a number of interrelated problems, one of the most salient being the aging rural population. The average farmer in Spain is 61 years of age. There is also the problem of gender imbalance in rural areas, where women enjoy few opportunities or alternatives. In turn, low fertility rates, increasing stress on limited public healthcare, education and transpor-tation resources, a lack of cultural activities and poor connectivity are also factors driving rural depopulation. The only group which is increasing the rural areas in Spain are immigrants, who now account for 10% of the rural population, often performing the agricultural, fishing and livestock farming ac-tivities abandoned by native residents. This group, along with young people, and women of all ages and the programs which support them may offer a solution to the challenge of depopulation. The paper concludes with a list of the key features of successful repopulation programs, drawn from a comparison of historic and contemporary models.

Introduction: In the medical area, teaching is essential since it must offer the appropriate instruments to demonstrate that graduates have acquired the necessary skills. Objective: Evaluate the quality of research in residents of medical specialties after a standardized digital training program with rubrics. Methods: An observational, prospective research study in resident physicians of seven medical specialties first-year of an introductory program to methodology. It is integrated with the result variable through the quality of the final product and the quality variable will be measured with an ad hoc questionnaire validated by the Delphi method with a consistency level of 3-3. The data will be integrated into a base of the SPSS system and determined with the Chi-square test considering a minimum significance of 0.05. Results: 85 first-year medical residents (n=85) enrolled in the Research Seminar. The mean age was 31.34 years (± 3.96). About gender Male 38±31.13 Female 31.51±3.83. The global final grade was 80.61 (± 9.59) and the global sat-isfaction of the course was referred to as good by 62.2%. We observed a positive relationship between the scope of evaluation and the level of satisfaction. Conclusion: The research seminar implementation in a b-learning mode in response to the educational needs in medical residents for the field of health education showed a relationship between higher qualification, higher satisfaction, as well as determining that the comprehensive evaluation through the use of rubrics standardized allowed to delimit the deficiencies and strengths for timely feedback influencing the process of acquiring skills and the quality of the final product.

Human violence recognition is an area of great interest in the scientific community, given its broad spectrum of applications, especially in video surveillance systems, since detecting violence in real-time could prevent criminal acts and save lives. Despite the number of existing proposals and research, most focus on the precision of results, leaving aside efficiency and its practical implementation. Thus, this work proposes a model that is effective and efficient in recognizing human violence in real-time. The proposed model consists of three modules: a first module called Spatial Motion Extractor (SME), in charge of extracting regions of interest from a frame; a second module called Short Temporal Extractor (STC), whose function is to extract temporal characteristics of rapid movements, finally the Global Temporal Extractor (GET) module, responsible for identifying long-lasting temporal features and fine-tuning the model. The proposal was evaluated regarding efficiency, effectiveness, and ability to operate in real-time. The results obtained on Hockey, Movies, and RWF-2000 datasets demonstrated that this approach is highly efficient compared to other alternatives. A VioPeru dataset was created to validate real-time applicability with violent and non-violent videos captured by real video surveillance cameras in Peru. The effectiveness results in this dataset outperformed the best existing proposal. Therefore, our proposal has contributions in efficiency, effectiveness, and real-time.

Seeds of Arazá and Acai, in addition to the byproduct of the Sacha inchi seed, after the extraction of the oil known as Sacha Inchi oil press-cake (SIOPC), are considered wastes and often discarded; however, they have valuable potential as sources of nutrients and bioactive compounds. We aimed to analyze, the bromatological, and chemical composition of these three byproducts of the fruit industry. Further cytotoxic, antioxidant, and antihypertensive activities of extracts ethanol: water were evaluated through in vitro tests. The Bromatological test showed that SIOPC had a low protein content (8.1%), while AS had a high fiber content (48.9%), however, were poorest in nutrients Ethanol: water extracts from all seeds exhibited diverse profiles of secondary metabolites, with significant concentrations of polyphenols (155.88 µg gallic acid/100 mg dry weight), flavonoids (411.69 µg quercetin/100 mg dry weight), and carotenoids in AS (43.66 µg ß-carotene/100 mg dry weight). AS and ACS extracts excelled in ABTS and DPPH radical scavenging assays, and AS showed high α-glucosidase inhibition, previously unreported in the literature. The results suggest that both seeds and extracts are sources of nutritional and bioactive metabolites with high antioxidant and hypoglycemic activity. that could be used in the food industry and the health sector. These by-products underline the importance of sustainable harnessing these sources of the native Amazonian Region

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

In soil erosion estimation models, the variable with the greatest impact is rainfall erosivity (RE), which is the measurement of precipitation energy and its potential capacity to cause erosion, and erosivity density (ED), which relates RE to precipitation. The RE requires high temporal resolution records for its estimation. However, due to the limited observed information and the increasing availability of rainfall estimates based on remote sensing, recent research has shown the usefulness of using observed-corrected satellite data for RE estimation. This study evaluates the performance of a new gridded dataset of RE and ED in Peru (PISCO_reed) by merging data from the IMERG v06 product, through a new calibration approach with hourly records of automatic weather stations, during the period of 2000-2020. By using this method, a correlation of 0.7 was found between the PISCO\_reed and RE obtained by the observed data. An average annual RE for Peru of 4831 MJ·mm·ha-1·h-1 was estimated with a general increase towards the lowland Amazon regions and high values are found on the north-coast Pacific area of Peru. The spatial identification of the most risk areas of erosion, was carried out through a relationship between the ED and rainfall. Both erosivity data sets will allow us to expand our fundamental understanding and quantify soil erosion with greater precision.

Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is a chronic disease mediated by the immune system and characterized by the inflammation of the gastrointestinal tract. This study is to understand how the use of parenteral nutrition (PN) can affect the adult population diagnosed with IBD. We conducted a systematic review, meta-analysis and a meta-regression. On the different databases, (MEDLINE, Scopus, Cochrane, LILACS, CINAHL, WOS) we found 119 registers, the accuracy was 16% (19 registers); After a Full-text review, only 15 research studies were selected for qualitative synthesis and 10 for Meta-analysis and Meta-regression. The variables used were Crohn’s Disease Activity Index (CDAI), albumin, body weight (BW) and post-operative complications (COM). PN has shown to have efficacy for the treatment of IBD and is compatible with other medicines. The CDAI and albumin improve although the effect of PN are greater after a while. However, the effect on the albumin could be less than the observed value in the meta-analysis, due to a possible publication bias. The BW does not change after intervention. COM utilizing PN has been observed, although the proportion is low.

Malnutrition and dental caries in early childhood remain persistent and intertwined global health challenges, particularly for indigenous and geographically-remote populations. To examine the prevalence and associations between early childhood dental caries, parent-reported mouth pain and malnutrition in the Amazonian region of Ecuador, we conducted a cross-sectional study of the oral health and nutrition status of 1,407 children from birth through age 6 in the “Alli Kiru” program (2011-2013). We used multivariate regression analysis to examine relationships between severe caries, parent-reported mouth pain measures, and nutritional status. The prevalence of dental caries was 65.4%, with 44.7% of children having deep or severe caries, and 33.8% reporting mouth pain. The number of decayed, missing and filled teeth dmft) increased dramatically with age. Malnutrition was prevalent, with 35.9% of children stunted, 1.1% wasted, 7.4% underweight, and 6.8% overweight. As mouth pain increased in frequency, odds for severe caries increased. For each unit increase in mouth pain frequency interfering with sleeping, children had increased odds for underweight (AOR: 1.27; 95% CI: 1.02 – 1.54) and decreased odds for overweight (AOR: 0.76; 95% CI: 0.58 – 0.97). This relationship was most pronounced among 3-6 year-olds. Early childhood caries, mouth pain and malnutrition were prevalent in this sample of young children. Parent-reported mouth pain was associated with severe caries, and mouth pain interfering with sleeping was predictive of poor nutritional status. We demonstrate the utility of a parsimonious parent-reported measure of mouth pain to predict young children’s risk for severe early childhood caries and malnutrition, which has implications for community health interventions.

A novel gas-phase electrocatalytic system based on a low-temperature proton exchange membrane (Sterion) was developed for the gas phase electrocatalytic conversion of CO2 to liquid fuels. This system achieved gas-phase electrocatalytic reduction of CO2 at low temperatures (below 90 ºC) over a Cu cathode by using water electrolysis-derived protons generated in-situ on an IrO2 anode. Three Cu-based cathodes with varying metal particle sizes were prepared by supporting this metal on an activated carbon at three loadings (50, 20, and 10 wt%; 50%Cu-AC, 20%Cu-AC, and 10%Cu-AC, respectively). The cathodes were characterized by N2 adsorption–desorption, temperature-programmed reduction (TPR), and X-ray diffraction (XRD) whereas their performance towards the electrocatalytic conversion of CO2 was subsequently studied. The membrane electrode assembly (MEA) containing the cathode with the largest Cu particle size (50%Cu-AC, 40 nm) showed the highest CO2 electrocatalytic activity per mole of Cu, with methyl formate being the main product. This higher electrocatalytic activity was attributed to the lower Cu–CO bonding strength over large Cu particles. Different product distributions were obtained over 20%Cu-AC and 10%Cu-AC, with acetaldehyde and methanol being the main reaction products, respectively. The CO2 consumption rate increased with the applied current and the reaction temperature.

Introduction:Few robust studies have analyzed association between cognitive tests and the marital status of Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI) group with ADNI dataset. To test the hypothesis that Rey Auditory Verbal Learning test (RAVLT) cognition performance with marital status is associated with greater odds of MCI group than either RAVLT independently, we used TADPOLE data to evaluate cross-sectional associations between RAVLT performance in immediate response, learning, forgetting, and perception of forgetting with marital status and MCI. Methods: Subjects with MCI and Normal Cognition were included. Logistic regression models indicate associations between four RAVLT subgroups (low and high performance of immediate response, immediate response with learning, performance of immediate response with learning and forgetting, performance of immediate response with learning, forgetting and perception of forgetting) and MCI group. Models adjust for age, sex, race, marital status, ethnicity, education, APOE4 genotype, hippocampus, whole-brain, ventricles and ICV. Results: The sample (n=6560) had a mean age of 77 / 67 years, 44% were female, 58% in MCI group. Only all RAVLT subgroups test with age 61 to 70(OR 0.26, 95% CI 0.15-0.45), age 71 or older(OR 0.07, 95% CI,0.04-0.12), race:black/african american(OR 0.13, 95% CI 0.03-0.52)race:more than one(OR 0.05, 95% CI 0.01-0.24), marital status:never married(OR 0.2, 95% CI 0.12-0.34). Conclusion: Studies are needed to evaluate other cognitive test with missing data within TADPOLE dataset as modifiable risk factor for MCI.

Plant growth promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR) are a diverse group of microorganisms including genera such as Pseudomonas, Bacillus, Serratia, Enterobacter and Klebsiella. These bacteria have the ability to colonize roots externally and internally, and to directly enhance plant growth employing various mechanisms like phytohormone production and nutrient mineralization. These microbes can also promote plant growth indirectly by secreting antimicrobial compounds (e.g., siderophores, hydrogen cyanide) to antagonize root pathogens or by inducing defensive responses in the plant. Interestingly, there are also cases where production of antibiotic compounds such as 2,4-Diacetylphloroglucinol have the direct effect of enhancing plant growth and yield, irrespective of their biocontrol effects. The objective of this paper is to review publications showcasing PGPRs that have the capacity to both control root pathogens and stimulate plant growth, and to discuss what mechanisms might be involved.

The objective of this research is to mitigate vibrations in induction motors. To achieve this goal, a discontinuous pulse width modulation (PWM) control strategy based on carrier wave modulation is proposed for multilevel inverters. This study provides justification for the reduction of machine vibrations compared to existing control techniques documented in the technical literature. Additionally, the proposed technique offers the advantage of attenuating the Total Harmonic Distortion of the multilevel inverter's output voltage while simultaneously achieving a higher RMS value for the same DC level. By modifying a parameter of the carrier wave, the control strategy allows for variations in the electrical spectrum while avoiding natural mechanical resonance frequencies, thereby reducing motor vibrations. Laboratory results demonstrating the application of different modulation strategies in a multilevel inverter for an induction motor and a comparison with the presented strategy are provided.

Auto-labeling is one of the main challenges in 3D vehicle detection. Auto-labeled datasets can be used to identify objects in LiDAR data, which is a challenging task due to the large size of the dataset. In this work, we propose a novel methodology to generate new 3D based auto-labeling datasets with a different point of view setup than the one used in the most recognized datasets (KITTI, WAYMO, etc.). The performance of the methodology has been further demonstrated with the development of our own dataset with the auto-generated labels and tested under boundary conditions on a bridge in a fixed position. The proposed methodology is based on the YOLO model trained with the KITTI dataset. From a camera-LiDAR sensory fusion, it is intended to auto-label new datasets while maintaining the consistency of the Ground Truth. The main contribution of this work is a novel methodology to auto-label autonomous driving datasets using YOLO as the main labelling system. The performance of this approach is measured retraining the contrast models of the KITTI benchmark.

Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is a chronic disease mediated by the immune system and characterized by the inflammation of the gastrointestinal tract. One of the possible treatments for this pathology is a change in the type of diet, the enteral nutrition (EN) is one of them. This study is to understand how the use of EN can affect the adult population diagnosed with IBD. We conducted a systematic review, meta-analysis and a meta-regression. On the different databases, (MEDLINE, Scopus, Cochrane, LILACS, Cinhal, WOS) we found 363 registers, the accuracy was 12% (44 registers); After a Full-text review, only 30 research studies were selected for qualitative synthesis and 11 for Meta-analysis and Meta-regression. The variables used were Crohn’s Disease Activity Index (CDAI), C-Reactive Protein (CRP) and Erythrocyte Sedimentation Rate (ESR). EN has shown to have efficacy for the treatment of Crohn’s Disease and is compatible with other medicines. As for the CDAI or the rates of remission, there were no differences between enteral and parenteral nutrition. Polymeric formulas, have shown better results with respect to the CRP. The long-term treatment could dilute the good CDAI results that are obtained at the start of the EN treatment.

The characteristics of response to stressful situations depend on a complex of factors such as personality traits, emotional regulation, health state, features of the nervous system, motor functions and proprioception. In cases of disruption of the brain's dopamine system due to disease or chemotherapy, hormone discharge due to stress, changes in emotions and proprioception may occur. The aim of our study was to find the relationship of stress resilence in verbal test and individual differences performed in proprioceptive test in onco-patients, sportsmen and group of control; as well as to observe the differences between these groups in the verbal stress resistance and individual differences proprioceptive tests. The results showed that onco-patients were less resistant as per verbal stress resistance outcomes for a major part of variables compared to other groups. The sportsmen were superior in verbal Risk and Control dimensions compared to other groups; but less in Positive Affectiveness. The proprioceptive test perfomance revealed the only statistically significant difference in performance in the dimension related to Mood, showing more Pessimism in the sportsmen group, but more Optimism in the oncopatients at temperamental (or intrisinc) level. The obtained results can be used by psychologists, therapists, coach and healthcare when needed to attend the specific needs of public, being pateints or sportsmen, etc.

Postpartum depression is a significant health issue during the postpartum period and not only affects the woman but also has important repercussions for the newborn. Group support interventions during the postpartum period have proven effective in helping women cope with depression and improving breastfeeding rates. The aim of this study was to assess the effectiveness of a midwife-led breastfeeding support group intervention on breastfeeding rates, postpartum depression and general self-efficacy. This was a multicentric cluster randomized controlled trial with control and intervention groups and was not blinded. It was conducted in Andalusia (southern Spain) from October 2021 to May 2023. A total of 382 women participated in the study. Results showed a significant difference in exclusive breastfeeding rates at 4 months postpartum between the groups (p &lt; 0.001). Additionally, there was a lower mean score on the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale in the intervention group (12.49 ± 3.6 vs 13.39 ± 4.0; p = 0.044). Similarly, higher scores of general self-efficacy were observed among breastfeeding women at 2 and 4 months postpartum (p = 0.002 and p &lt; 0.001, respectively). In conclusion, midwife-led breastfeeding support groups enhanced self-efficacy, prolonged breastfeeding and reduced postpartum depression 4 months after giving birth.

People with Down syndrome have more visual problems than general population. They experience a premature aging, and it would be expected they will also have an acceleration in worsening visual function. A prospective observational study which includes visual acuity, refractive error, accommodation, binocular and colour vision was performed to young adults with (n=69) and without (n=65) Down syndrome and to a senior group (n=55) without Down syndrome. Results showed significant differences in visual acuity between groups (p&lt;0.001) and it can be improved with a new prescription in 40% of the participants with Down syndrome. Regarding to accommodative state, no significant differences were found between groups of young people. Concerning binocular vision, 64.7% of strabismus was observed in the group with Down syndrome (p&lt;0.001). Visual abnormalities are significant in young adults with Down syndrome and are different from those of older people without Down syndrome, some of which can be improved by providing the optimal prescription as well as regular eye examinations.

Despite successful vaccination efforts, the emergence of new SARS-CoV-2 variants poses ongoing challenges to control COVID-19. Understanding humoral responses concerning SARS-CoV-2 infections and their impact is crucial for developing future vaccines that are effective worldwide. Here, we identified 41 immunodominant linear IgG B-cell epitopes in its Spike glycoprotein with a SPOT synthesis peptide array probed with a pool of serum from hospitalized COVID-19 patients. Bioinformatics showed a restricted set of epitopes unique to SARS-CoV-2 compared to other coronavirus family members. Potential crosstalk was also detected with Dengue virus (DENV), confirmed by screening individuals infected with DENV before the COVID-19 pandemic in a commercial ELISA assay for anti-SARS-CoV-2 antibodies. Higher reactivity indices were often measured in individuals with a pre-pandemic dengue infection than those with COVID-19. A high-resolution evaluation of antibody reactivity against peptides representing epitopes in the spike protein identified ten sequences in the NTD, RBD, and S2 domains. Functionally, antibody-dependent enhancement (ADE) in SARS-CoV-2 infection of monocytes was observed with pre-pandemic dengue-positive sera. A significant increase in viral load was measured compared to controls, with no detectable neutralization or considerable cell death, suggesting its role in viral entry. This study highlights the importance of identifying the epitopes generated during the humoral response to a pathogenic infection to understand the potential interplay of previous and future conditions on disease. Vaccine development and optimization strategies should be mindful of the potential for A.D.E. that could differ geographically due to endemic biological risks.

Dystrophin-deficient cardiomyopathy (DDC) is currently the leading cause of death in patients with dystrophinopathies. Targeting myocardial fibrosis (MF) has become a major therapeutic goal in order to prevent the occurrence of DDC. We aimed to review and summarize the current evidence about the role of the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system (RAAS) in the development and perpetuation of MF in DCC. We conducted a comprehensive search of peer-reviewed English literature on PubMed about this subject. We found increasing preclinical evidence from studies in animal models during the last 20 years pointing out a central role of RAAS in the development of MF in DDC. Local tissue RAAS acts directly mainly through its main fibrotic component angiotensin II (ANG2) and its transducer receptor (AT1R) and downstream TGF-b pathway. Also, it modulates the actions of most of the remaining pro-fibrotic factors involved in DDC. Despite limited clinical evidence, RAAS blockade constitutes the most studied, available and promising therapeutic strategy against MF and DDC. Conclusion: Based on the evidence reviewed, it would be recommendable to start RAAS blockade therapy through angiotensin converter enzyme inhibitors (ACEI) or AT1R blockers (ARBs) alone or in combination with mineralocorticoid receptor antagonists (MRa) at the youngest age after the diagnosis of dystrophinopathies, in order to delay the occurrence or slow the progression of MF, even before the detection of any cardiovascular alteration.

Molluscan aquaculture is a major contributor to global seafood production, but is hampered by infectious disease outbreaks which can cause serious economic losses. Selective breeding has been widely used to improve disease resistance in major agricultural and aquaculture species, and has clear potential in molluscs, albeit its commercial application remains at a formative stage. Advances in genomic technologies, especially development of cost-efficient genomic selection, have potential to accelerate genetic improvement. However, tailored approaches are required due to the distinctive reproductive and lifecycle characteristics of molluscan species. Transgenesis and genome editing, in particular CRISPR/Cas systems, have been successfully trialled in molluscs, and may further understanding and improvement of genetic resistance to disease through targeted changes to the host genome. Whole organism genome editing is achievable on a much greater scale compared to other farmed species, making genome-wide CRISPR screening approaches plausible. This review discusses the current state and future potential of selective breeding, genomic tools, and genome editing approaches to understand and improve host resistance to infectious disease in molluscs.

(1) Background: Alcohol consumption during pregnancy is a major concern, particularly in Europe and North America. Its prevalence has been so far under researched. In most of the studies the determination of this consumption may be underestimated, as it is based on the information obtained from questionnaires rather than from biomarkers, which will provide a much reliable approach. The main objective in this study was the comparison of prevalence of consumption during pregnancy assessed by a questionnaire and a hair biomarker. (2) Method: Cross-sectional study with a random sample of 425 pregnant women treated in public hospital consultations in Seville (Spain) and in the 20th week of their pregnancy, orally interviewed through a questionnaire elaborated ad hoc which evaluated sociodemographic, obstetric, and alcohol consumption variables. Additionally, the ethyl glucuronide metabolite (EtG) was tested on a hair sample in 252 pregnant women who agreed to facilitate it. Once data obtained through the questionnaire and the hair testing were analyzed, the level of metabolites and the self-reported alcohol consumption were contrasted. (3) Results: The prevalence of self-reported alcohol consumption (questionnaire) was 20.7% and real consumption (metabolite analysis) was 20.2%. In 16.8% of pregnant women who declared not consuming alcohol during their pregnancy a noticeable consumption was detected according to the metabolite testing. No relevant level of variability in estimated alcohol consumption was detected in the biomarker with respect to the studied sociodemographic and obstetric variables.

Mastitis-causing bacteria can establish persistent infections in the mammary gland of commercially important dairy animals despite the presence of strong specific humoral and cellular immune mechanisms. The aim of this study was to encapsulate vitamin D3 by complex coacervation with sulfur-saturated bovine lactoferrin-alginate using microbial transglutaminase-catalyzed crosslinking and investigate the oral administration of encapsulated vitamin D3 in blood serum biomarkers of the immune response in late-lactating dairy goats. Dairy goats (n = 18) in late lactation were randomly assigned to three experimental groups (n = 6), after balancing weight. Dairy goats were orally administered with 0.35 mg vitamin D3/day in the unencapsulated form and 0.35 mg vitamin D3/day in the encapsulated powder form. Another group received the basal diet. The experimental period lasted 6 weeks. The blood serum concentrations of 25-hydroxyvitamin D3 [25-(OH)-D3], lactoferrin, immunoglobulin A (IgA), and interferon-gamma (INF-γ) were measured. The delivery of vitamin D3 to dairy goats resulted in a marked increase of 25-(OH)-D3 concentration in serum while the serum level of lactoferrin also increased. Alternatively, the serum levels of IgA and the immunomodulatory cytokine INF-γ were elevated following supplementation with the encapsulated vitamin D3. Overall, the capsules in the powder form used in this study kept vitamin D3 highly bioavailable.

Background. Increasing evidence demonstrate that concentration of protein in infant formula >1.9g/100Kcal with high levels of insulinogenic aminoacids is associated with accelerated weight gain, increased fat mass accumulation and risk of adiposity. Purpose of this study was to conduct a systematic review to determine the metabolic effects in infants feed with infant formula optimized in protein. Methods. Systematic review was conducted according PRISMA Statement. RCTs with one intervention group (infant formula with 1.6-1.9gr of protein/100Kcal) and at least one comparative control group (infant formula with >1.9gr of protein/100Kcal) were included. Standardized mean differences (SMD), through random model were calculated. Results. 15 RCT were included. Optimized protein in infant formula was associated with less gain of BMI at 24 months of follow-up (SMD -0.25, IC95% -0.36 to -0.13, p 0.01) and less fat mass accumulation (SMD -0.68, IC95% -0.98 to -0.37, p 0.01). Optimized protein was also associated to less gain of weight, weight/age Z-score, weight/length Z-score, BUN (mmol/dL) and IGF1 (ng/ml). No effect on length/age Z-score was observed. Conclusions. Robust evidence showed optimized protein (1.6gr/100Kcal to 1.9gr/100Kcal) in infant formula is associated with metabolic benefits in infants with less weight gain, BMI and fat mass accumulation.

With the arrival of SARS-CoV-2 vaccines, a new stage of the pandemic commenced, with new challenges ahead. During the coming months, countries will be implementing their COVID-19 vaccination programs depending on their implementation of vaccine availability and its prescription on risk stratification. Although children will not benefit from active immunization programs, now, with the beginning of the era of the anti-COVID19 vaccines, the suffering of children can no longer be ethically tolerated or neglected. The time has come to provide specific lasting strategies for children living in the COVID-19 era. Here we propose a child-focused indirect COVID-19 vaccination strategy.For better or worse, children depend on their natural caregivers (adults) and the rest of society for their well-being and achieving their full potential. We believe that including in the priority categories also those adults in close contact with children could ensure a safety net of child protection.A child-focused vaccination strategy would allow the faster return to "normality" for children and their families. Such an approach would not only enable the reopening and continuity of essential services for children but also would allow adults to return to their routine economic/productive activities.

This paper describe the influence of the Rift Molango during the mineralization of elements of the platinum group and some light rare earths elements in a sedimentary exhalative ore deposit.

We have previously shown that the transmembrane protein ODZ1 promotes cytoskeletal remodelling of glioblastoma (GBM) cells and invasion of the surrounding parenchyma through activation of a RhoA-ROCK pathway. We also described that GBM cells can control the expression of ODZ1 through transcriptional mechanisms triggered by binding of IL-6 to its receptor and a hypoxic environment. Epidermal growth factor (EGF) plays a key role in the invasive capacity of GBM. However, the molecular mechanisms that enable tumor cells to acquire the morphological changes to migrate out from the tumor core have not been fully characterized. Here we show that EGF is able to induce the expression of ODZ1 in primary GBM cells. We analysed the levels of EGF receptor (EGFR) in 20 GBM primary cell lines and found expression in 19 of them by flow cytometry. We selected two cell lines that do or do not express EGFR and found that EGFR-expressing cells responded to EGF ligand by increasing ODZ1 at the mRNA and protein level. Moreover, blockade of EGF-EGFR binding by Cetuximab, inhibition of the p38 MAPK pathway or siRNA-mediated knockdown of MAPK11 (p38 MAPK) reduced the induction of ODZ1 in response to EGF. Overall, we show that EGF may activate an EGFR-mediated signalling pathway through p38 MAPK, to upregulate the invasion factor ODZ1, which may initiate morphological changes for tumor cells to invade the surrounding parenchyma. These data identify a new candidate of the EGF-EGFR pathway for novel therapeutic approaches.

Over the last fifty years, management plans have become more descriptive with regard to potential sustainability of forest systems, raising questions about the feasibility of implementing management activities and ensuring sustainability of a wide variety of ecosystem services. To assess this issue, we conducted a survey among forest planning and operation research communities to understand their perceptions regarding the potential of a sample of sustainability statements currently used in forest plans to be incorporated into optimization models or other mathematical operations. The results revealed that only a few statements from the sample were deemed to have relatively mature or firm methodologies and data to enable inclusion in modern mathematical models for land use optimization. These statements were mostly related to economic sustainability, offering quantifiable information such as a non-declining flow of wood products over time and limits on the amount of timber harvested per decade. In contrast, sociocultural and, to some extent, ecological statements regarding sustainability were generally perceived to be more difficult to translate into mathematical modeling efforts. Particularly challenging were statements corresponding to sustaining natural or scenic characteristics of a forest. These findings may be attributed to various factors, including a lack of measurable indicators for sustainability and a potential lack of understanding about the modeling components and their interactions with planned management activities.

The Sunyaev-Zeldovich effect (SZe) is a global distortion of Cosmic Microwave Bckground (CMB) spectrum as result of its interaction with a hot electron plasma in the intracluster medium for large gravitational virialized structures such as galaxy clusters. Furthermore, this hot gas of electrons emits X-Rays due to its fall in the gravitational potential well of the cluster. The analysis of SZe and X-Ray data, provide a method for calculating distances to galaxy clusters at any redshift (Angular diameter distance (d_A) and gas mass fraction (f_gas)). On the other side, many of these galaxy clusters produce a Strong Gravitational Lens effect (SGL), which has become an useful astrophysical tool for cosmology. We use these cosmological tests, in addition to the more traditional ones (SNIa, CMB, BAO), to constraint alternative models of dark energy (ωCDM, CPL, IDE, EDE) and study the history of expansion through the cosmographic parameters (H(z), q(z), j(z)). Using Akaike and Bayesian Information Criterion (AIC, BIC) we find that the ωCDM and ΛCDM models are the most favored by the observational data. In addition, we found that at low redshift appears an peculiar behavior of slowdown of aceleration, which occurs only on dynamical dark energy models using only galaxy clusters (d_A,clusters + f_gas).

Background: In the span of just two years, tracking the COVID-19 pandemic through wastewater surveillance has advanced from early reports of successful SARS-CoV-2 RNA detection in untreated wastewater to implementation of programs in at least 60 countries. Early wastewater monitoring efforts primarily originated in research laboratories and are now transitioning into more formal surveillance programs run in commercial and public health laboratories. A major challenge in this progression has been to simultaneously optimize methods and build scientific consensus while implementing surveillance programs, particularly during the rapidly changing landscape of the pandemic. Translating wastewater surveillance results for effective use by public health agencies also remains a key objective for the field. Objectives: We examine the evolution of wastewater surveillance to identify model collaborations and effective partnerships that have created rapid and sustained success. We propose needed areas of research and key roles academic researchers can play in the framework of wastewater surveillance to aid in the transition of early monitoring efforts to more formalized programs within the public health system. Discussion: Wastewater surveillance has rapidly developed as a public health tool Clinical testing programs are ramping down and home testing is on the rise, making wastewater monitoring important for future surveillance of COVID-19. Our experience in initiating and implementing wastewater surveillance programs in the United States has allowed us to reflect on key barriers and organizational challenges and draw useful lessons. As wastewater surveillance programs are formalized, the working relationships developed between academic researchers, commercial and public health laboratories, and data users should continue and should promote knowledge co-development. While wastewater surveillance has demonstrated utility for tracking COVID-19, there remain technical challenges and open scientific questions that researchers are equipped to address, which will contribute to building robust surveillance programs that provide public health practitioners with new insights into population health.

In the last years, more and more studies highlight the advantages of complementing traditional master classes with additional activities that improve students´ learning experience. This combination of teaching techniques is specially advised in the field of structural engineering, where intuition of the structural response it is of vital importance to understand the studied concepts. This paper deals with the introduction of a new (and more encouraging) educational tool to introduce intuitively students in the dynamic response of structures excited with an educational shaking table. Most of the educational structural health monitoring systems use sensors to determine the dynamic response of the structure. The proposed tool is based on a radically different approach, as it is based on low-cost image-recognition techniques. In fact, it only requires the use an amateur camera, a black background and a computer. In this study, the effects of both the camera location and the image quality are also evaluated. Finally, to validate the applicability of the proposed methodology, the dynamic response of small-scale buildings with different typologies is analyzed. In addition, a series of surveys were conducted in order to evaluate the activity based on student´s satisfaction and the actual acquisition and strengthening of knowledge.

For broadcast spawning invertebrates such as the crown-of-thorns starfish, early life history stages (from spawning to settlement) may be exposed to a wide range of environmental conditions, and could have a major bearing on reproductive success and population replenishment. Arrested development in response to multiple environmental stressors at the earliest stages can be used to define lower and upper limits for normal development. Here, we compared sperm swimming speeds and proportion of motile sperm and rates of fertilization and early development under a range of environmental variables (temperature: 20-36°C, salinity: 20-34 psu, and pH: 7.6-8.2) to identify environmental tipping points and thresholds for reproductive success. We also tested the effects of water-soluble compounds derived from eggs on sperm activity. Our results demonstrate that gametes, fertilization, and early development are robust to a wide range of temperature, salinity, and pH levels that are outside the range found at the geographical limits of adult distribution and can tolerate environmental conditions that exceed expected anomalies as a result of climate change. Water-soluble compounds associated with eggs also enhance sperm activity, particularly in environmental conditions where sperm motility is initially limited. These findings suggest that fertilization and embryonic development of crown-of-thorns starfish are tolerant to a wide range of environmental conditions, though environmental constraints on recruitment success may occur at later ontogenic stages.

Introduction: Tuberculosis (TB) is one of the most prevalent respiratory diseases in the world. In 2020 there were at least 9.9 million new infections, with 1.5 million deaths. Approximately 10% of people infected with Mycobacterium tuberculosis (LTBI) develop the disease during the first 2 to 5 years after infection. Currently in South America, the diagnosis of LTBI continues to be per-formed through the Mantoux tuberculin skin test (TST). Objective: The objective of our study was to compare the sensitivity of a new immunofluorescence IGRA test against a widely available IGRA kit on the market. Material and method: Close contact to infectious patients with TB, or HIV patients or immunocompromised for another cause were recruited. Two interferon gamma release assay (IGRA) diagnostic kits were used and compared with TST. Results: 76 patients were recruited. 93.42% were Chilean nationality, 98.68% of the patients did not have immunosuppres-sion. The sensitivity of the new technique was 88.89% and specificity 92.50% in the study popula-tion compared to the IGRA previously used. In the subgroup older than 36 years, the sensitivity was 95.65% and the specificity 89.47%. Conclusion: IGRA techniques are a new resource in clini-cal laboratories to be able to make an accurate diagnosis in LTBI in the region of the Americas. In our population, the greatest benefit of this new IGRA would be observed in people over 36 years of age, where the sensitivity of the technique was like that of the currently available test.

Production of lumpfish (Cyclopterus lumpus) has become crucial in controlling sea lice levels in salmonid aquaculture. To improve their breeding, there is a need for early sex identification. The genomic region containing anti-Müllerian hormone (amh) gene was suggested as the candidate sex-determining gene in lumpfish. However, the genome of lumpfish contains three copies of amh with ambiguous sex specificity, designated amh1, amh2, and amh3. The study aims to analyse the male-specific region between these amh paralogues, for its application as a sex marker. In this study, we utilised polymerase chain reaction (PCR)-based assays to identify the male-specific amh markers in lumpfish and estimate the length of the male-specific region in the lumpfish genome. Our results suggest that a region of approximately 26 kilobase (kb) region containing amh1 and amh2 is male-specific, while both sexes share amh3. The developed PCR-based genetic sex identification assays targeting amh1 and amh2 exhibited more than 97% accuracy. Further experiments in other members of the Cyclopteridae: Aptocyclus ventricosus, Eumicrotremus taranetzi, and E. asperrimus revealed male-specific amh fragments only in A. ventricosus. Phylogenetic analyses using the available Cyclopteridae amh sequences suggest that male-specific amh arose early in the Cyclopteridae lineage. These findings and development of the PCR test will be of service to lumpfish aquaculture as well as to future studies attempting to further elucidate the sex-determination system and sex chromosome evolution in lumpfish.

Introduction: Adverse events related to vaccines are reactions that can lead to serious complications, in the present that we live at the publication of this article with the need to generate high rates of vaccination have been presented in the case of vaccine agents against COVID-19 adverse events, with thrombotic events being the most important. Case Presentation: This is a 37-year-old female patient who presents 11 days after ChAdOx1-S vaccination against COVID-19 presents with intense headache associated with symptoms of intracranial hypertension, she was initially taken to simple cranial tomography showing presence of cerebral edema and indirect signs of cerebral venous thrombosis, it is proposed to carry out cerebral angiography which showed the presence of thrombosis of both transverse venous sinuses, no hypercoagulability states were found in the laboratories, the immunological tests carried out for antiphospholipid syndrome were negative, the thrombotic event was associated with the ChAdOx1-S vaccine, later the patient was taken to thrombectomy by Neuroradiology, achieving complete channeling of both transverse venous sinuses. Conclusions: Adverse events associated with vaccination have been described with multiple vaccine agents, this component against COVID-19 is also an event to consider, knowing the pathophysiology of these events is essential to be able to reduce these risks and select the least risky agent. Despite this risk, vaccination remains the only cost-effective measure to reduce the morbidity and mortality associated with COVID-19.

Pig farms management is involved in multiple factors such as environmental conditions, animal behavior, weight gaining and others. In all those scenarios, it is fundamental to detect each individual and its development as it grows to reach the shipment phase. Therefore, the objective of this study was to apply an automatic individual pig detection algorithm using Deep Learning Techniques, in frames taken from videos recorded during the weaning phase in real production conditions of small and medium producers in tropical conditions in Colombia. The weaning phase was selected because individual detection in each cage is more difficult due to environmental adaptations that piglets undergo after nursing. Piglets tend to cluster together during this phase, making image processing more challenging compared to the fattening phase, where animals are more isolated. The You Only Look Once (YOLOv7) algorithm and VGG Image Annotator were used to detect individuals in two pens separated by gender. All animal postures, lighting conditions were considered. The Precision, Recall and mAP metrics were used to assess the model performance with different confidence values. A precision of 98.3% in a threshold of 0.9 was reached, Recall of 98.5% in a threshold of 0.85. Data augmentation techniques were important to increase the dataset and to have a more realistic model for individuals’ detection. The method used allowed us to identify all the complete pigs’ bodies under different posture and lighting situations.

Microalgal harvesting is one of the most challenging processes in the development of algal research and development. Several methods, such as centrifugation, flocculation, and filtration, are available at the laboratory scale. However, the requirement of expensive pieces of equipment and the possibility of biomass contamination are recurring gaps that hinder the development of microalgae I+D in different parts of the world. Recently, the electroflotation has been proved as a suitable method for the harvesting of different species of microalgae and cyanobacteria. To this day, there are no companies that sell laboratory-scale electroflotation equipment; this is mainly due to the gap in the knowledge on which factors (time, mixing rate, number of electrodes, and others) will affect the efficiency of concentration without reducing the biomass quality. This paper aims to build an innovative low-cost electroflotation system under 300 USD with cheap and resistant materials. To achieve our goal, we test the interaction of three variables (time, mixing rate, and amount of electrodes) were evaluated. Results showed that an efficiency closer to 100% could be achieved under 20 minutes using >10 electrodes and 150 rpm. We hope this innovative approach can be used by different researchers to improve our knowledge of the concentration and harvesting of algae and cyanobacteria.

Evidence-based data for endometriosis management are limited. Experiments are excluded without adequate animal models. Data are limited to symptomatic women and occasional observations. Hormonal medical therapy cannot be blinded if recognised by the patient. Randomised controlled trials are not realistic for surgery since a variable disease with low numbers. Each diagnosis and treatment is an experiment with an outcome and experience is Bayesian updating from the past. If the experience of many is similar, this has more value than an opinion. The combined experience of a group of endometriosis surgeons was used to discuss problems in the management of endometriosis. Considering endometriosis as several genetically/epigenetically different diseases is important for medical therapy. Imaging cannot exclude endometriosis and diagnostic accuracy is limited for superficial lesions, deep lesions, and cystic corpora lutea. Surgery should not be avoided for emotional reasons. Shifting infertility treatment to IVF without considering fertility surgery is questionable. The concept of complete excision should be reconsidered. Surgeons should introduce quality control and teaching should move to explain why it is done. The perception of information has a personal bias. These are the major problems in the management of endometriosis identified by the combined experience of endometriosis surgeons.

Acute myocardial infarction (AMI) results from vulnerable plaque rupture, causing ischemic cardiomyocyte necrosis and intense inflammation. Paradoxically, this inflammation releases factors that aid heart repair. Recent findings suggest a role for extracellular vesicles (EVs) in intercellular communication during post-AMI cardiac repair. However, EVs’ tissue origin and chemokine profile in the blood of patients with AMI remains unclear. This study characterized EV tissue origin and chemokine receptor profile in the coronary and peripheral blood of patients with AMI. The results reveal that vesicles isolated from coronary and peripheral blood plasma are enriched in tetraspanin (CD9) and express CD81+, CD90+, and CD144+. The vesicle size ranged between 145 and 162 nm, with the control group exhibiting smaller vesicles than the AMI group. Furthermore, all vesicles expressed CCR6+ and CXCR3+, whereas a small percentage expressed CCR4+. In addition, a decrease in CXCR3+ and CCR6+ positivity was observed in coronary and peripheral blood vesicles compared with the control. Non-difference was found in the coronary and peripheral blood for the CXCR3+ and CCR6+ markers. In conclusion, our study demonstrates, for the first time, changes in the number of extracellular vesicles expressing CD144+, CXCR3+, and CCR6+ in the peripheral circulation of patients with AMI. Extracellular vesicles present in the peripheral circulation of patients with AMI hold excellent promise as a potential diagnostic tool.

Colorectal cancer is a common disease, both in Chile and worldwide. The most widely used chemotherapy schemes are based on 5-fluorouracil (5FU) as the foundational drug. Genetic polymorphisms have emerged as potential predictive biomarkers of response to chemotherapy, but conclusive evidence is lacking. Additionally, the interplay between hereditary variations and acquired mutations in the EGFR pathway remains unknown. This study aimed to investigate the role of genetic variants associated with 5FU-based chemotherapy on therapeutic effectiveness, considering their interaction with the EGFR pathway mutations. In a retrospective cohort of 63 patients diagnosed with metastatic colorectal cancer, a multivariate analysis revealed that liver metastases, DPYD, ABCB1 and MTHFR polymorphisms are independent indicators of a poor prognostic, irrespective of EGFR pathway mutations. BRAF V600E wild-type status and high-risk drug-metabolism polymorphisms correlated with a poor prognosis in this Chilean cohort. Additionally, findings from the genomics of drug sensitivity (GDSC) project demonstrated that cell lines with wild-type BRAF have higher IC50 values for 5-FU compared to BRAF-mutated cell lines. In conclusion, the genetic polymorphisms DPYD rs1801265, ABCB1 rs1045642 and MTHFR rs180113 may serve as useful biomarkers for predicting a poor prognosis in patients undergoing 5-fluorouracil chemotherapy, regardless of EGFR pathway mutations.

Running at odds with the timing imposed by the circadian clock plays an important role in the process that leads to communicable and non communicable diseases. The primary objective of this study was to analyse whether early dinner eater children were at lower risks of acute respiratory infections than late dinner eater children, during the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods: This cross sectional study was conducted from July to December 2020 on children attending Majorcan emergency services. Clinical data collected included timing, symptoms, laboratory tests and imaging studies of current illness. Each diagnosis was validated by general paediatricians. Our survey on dinner time habits was carried out by using self-administered questionnaires. Results: A total of 669 children under age 18 were included in the study. The median of dinner time was 8:30 pm. Late dinner eaters accounted for a higher proportion of acute otitis media than early dinner eaters (7% vs 3%; P=0.028). Other infectious diseases were not associated with dinner time habits. Conclusions: We make a preliminary estimate of the link between late dinner habits and acute otitis media in children. However, no conclusions about causality can be established due to the observational design of the study.

Gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) are currently under intense investigation for biomedical and biotechnology applications, thanks to their ease in preparation, stability, biocompatibility, multiple surface functionalities and size-dependent optical properties. The most commonly used method for AuNPs synthesis in aqueous solution is the reduction of tetrachloroauric acid (HAuCl₄) with trisodium citrate. We observed variations in the pH and concentration of the gold colloidal suspension synthesized under standard conditions, verifying a reduction in the reaction yield by around 46% from pH 5.3 (2.4 nM) to pH 4.7 (1.29 nM). Citrate-capped AuNPs were characterized by UV-visible spectroscopy, TEM, EDS and zeta-potential measurements, revealing a linear correlation between pH and the concentration of the generated AuNPs. This result can be attributed to the adverse effect of protons both on citrate oxidation and on citrate adsorption onto the gold surface, which is required to form the stabilization layer. Overall, this study provides insight into the effect of the pH over the synthesis performance of the method, which would be of particular interest from the point of view of large-scale manufacturing processes.

Like many coastal lagoons in several countries, “Navío Quebrado” lagoon (La Guajira-Colombia) is a very delicate and precious environment; indeed, it is a nationally recognized Flora and Fauna Sanctuary. Several factors, amongst which climate change, are threatening its existence because of changes in the governing hydro-morphological processes. A first step to address this problem certainly is to understand its hydrological behavior and to be able to replicate via simulation its recent history and then infer likely futures. These potential futures will be marked by changes in the water input by its tributary, the Camarones River, and by a modified water exchange with the sea, according to a foreseen sea level rise pattern, as well as by a different evaporation from the free surface, according to temperature changes. In order achieve the required ability to simulate future scenarios, data on the actual behavior have to be gathered, i.e. a monitoring system has to be set up, which to date is not existent. Conceptually, designing a suitable monitoring system is not a complex issue and seems easy to implement. However, the environmental and socio-cultural and socio-economic context makes every little step a hard climb. An extremely simple –almost “primitive”- monitoring system has been set up in this case which is based on very basic measurements of current velocity and water levels and a direct participation of local stakeholders, first of all the National Park unit of the Sanctuary. All this may clash with the latest groovy advances of science, like in situ automatized sensors, remote sensing, machine learning and digital twins, and certainly several improvements are possible and desirable. But it has strong positive points: it is providing surprisingly reasonable data and…it is working at almost zero additional cost. Several technical difficulties made this exercise interesting in itself and worth being shared. Its novelty lies in showing how old, simple methods may offer a working solution to new challenges. This humble experience may be of help in several other similar situations across the world.

Background: Mycobacterium avium complex includes the commonest nontuberculous mycobacteria associated with human infections. These infections have been associated with the production of biofilms in many cases, but there are only a few studies about biofilms produced by the species included in this group. Methods: Three collection strains (M. avium ATCC25291, M. intracellulare ATCC13950, and M. chimaera DSM756), three clinically significant strains (647, 657, and 655), and three clinically nonsignificant ones (717, 505, and 575) of each species were included. The clinical significance of the clinical isolates was established according to the internationally accepted criteria. Biofilm ultrastructure was studied by Confocal-Laser Scanning Microscopy using Backlight Live dead and Red Nile stains. Viability, covered surface, height and relative autofluorescence were measured in several images/strain. The effect of clarithromycin was studied the technique described by Muñoz-Egea et al with modifications regarding incubation time. The study included clarithromycin in the culture medium at a concentration achievable in the lungs (11.3 mg/L), using one row of wells as the control without antibiotic. Bacterial viability inside the biofilm is expressed as a percentage of viable cells. The differences between the different parameters of biofilm ultrastructure were analysed using Kruskal-Wallis test. The correlation between bacterial viability in the biofilm and treatment time was evaluated using Spearman's rank correlation coefficient (ρ). Results: The strains showed differences between them with all the studied parameters, but neither a species-specific pattern nor a clinical significance-specific patter were detected. For the effect of clarithromycin, the viability of the bacteria contained in the biofilm was inversely proportional to the exposure time of the biofilm (ρ > -0.3; p-value < 0.05), excluding two M. chimaera strains (M. chimaera DSM756 and 575), which showed a weak positive correlation with treatment time (0.2 < ρ < 0.39; p-value < 0.05). Curiously, despite a clarithromycin treatment of 216 hours, the percentage of biofilm viability of the strains evaluated here was not less than 40% at best (M. avium 717). Conclusions: All the M. avium complex studied strains are able to form biofilm in vitro, but ultrastructural characteristics between them suggest that these are strain-specific characteristics unrelated with neither with the species nor with the clinical significance. The clarithromycin effect on MAC species is biofilm age/time of treatment-dependent and appears to be strain-specific while being independent of the clinical significance of the strain.

Trail detection in mixed canopy ecosystems has important implications for forest management, monitoring, and conservation, although active sensor technology for sub-canopy trail detection is still developing. In order to assess the effectiveness of UAV(Unmanned Aerial Vehicle)-borne lidar (light detection and ranging) data for small trails (&lt; 2.5m width) in mixed forest canopy cover, we collected lidar data and trail characteristics (canopy cover and trail width) and created a high definition surface model map from the resulting lidar data, and also a high-resolution satellite imagery map using Google Earth. Through participatory mapping methods, seven respondents with limited prior geospatial experience completed a rapid identification of trails on both maps. Respondents’ trails were georeferenced in order to compare the rate of detectability between maps. We found greater detection on the lidar-derived map compared to the Google Earth map. Detectability in Google Earth maps was positively correlated with wider trails and trials with lower canopy. In lidar maps, trail detectability increased with wider trails, but canopy cover had no effect on detection rates. Our data indicate that a mixed-method approach that combines UAV-mounted lidar with high-resolution satellite imagery and participatory mapping increases rapid detection rates of small trails under varying canopy cover and trail widths.

In tropical areas, simultaneous transmission of several vector-borne diseases is common due to ecological factors that are shared by arthropod vectors. Malaria and dengue virus, transmitted by Anopheles and Aedes mosquitoes, respectively, are among the top vector-borne diseases that cause significant morbidity and mortality in endemic areas. Notably, tropical areas often have suitable conditions for the co-existence of these mosquito species, highlighting the importance of identifying markers that accurately indicate the risk of acquiring each specific disease entity. Aedes are daytime-biting mosquitoes, while Anopheles preferentially bite during the night. These biting patterns raises the possibility of concurrent exposure to bites from both species. This pattern is important since mosquito saliva, deposited in the skin during blood feeding, induces immune responses that modulate pathogen establishment and infection. Previous studies have focused on characterizing such effects on the vector-pathogen interface for an individual pathogen and its mosquito vector. In this study, we evaluated associations between immune responses to salivary proteins from non-dengue and non-malaria vector mosquito species with clinical characteristics of malaria and dengue, respectively. Surprisingly, antibody responses against Anopheles antigens in dengue patients correlated with red blood cell count and hematocrit, while antibody responses against Aedes proteins were associated with platelet count in malaria patients. Our data indicate that concurrent exposure to multiple disease-carrying mosquito vectors and their salivary proteins with differing immunomodulatory properties could influence the transmission, pathogenesis, and clinical presentation of malaria, dengue fever, and other vector-borne illnesses.

Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS) is a highly prevalent endocrine-metabolic disorder in women of reproductive age. Diagnosis of this syndrome relies on criteria established by the Rotterdam Consensus, with PCOS phenotypes being crucial for distinguishing potential complications, treatment approaches, and timing. The aim of this study is to characterize the biodemographic, clinical, metabolic, and reproductive variables and their association with PCOS phenotypes in a population from the Ecuadorian Andes. Methodology: A cross-sectional study was conducted with a non-random consecutive sample of 92 women attending the gynecology and endocrinology outpatient clinic at the Technical University of Loja Hospital (UTPL)-Santa Inés, Loja, Ecuador, between January 2022 and July 2023.Results: The average age was 22±3.4 years, predominantly mestizo, urban, single, with higher education and a medium-high socioeconomic status. Oligo-amenorrhea and acne appear strongly associated with phenotypes A and B, while hirsutism and polycystic ovaries on ultrasound show a weaker association with these phenotypes. Alopecia is more prevalent in phenotypes C and D. Triglyceride levels and BMI have a strong association with phenotypes A and B. Total testosterone levels, 17 OH progesterone, LH, and free androgen index show a moderate association with phenotypes A and B, while other reproductive variables exhibit weak associations. Conclusions: Classical phenotypes A and B of PCOS are most common in Andean Ecuadorian women, carrying higher risks of insulin resistance, anovulation, metabolic disorders, and elevated triglycerides compared to phenotypes C and D. Ethnic diversity and sociocultural habits influence the prevalence and clinical manifestations of phenotypes.

Environmental perception is a powerful tool for identifying community needs and potential within their surroundings. This study assessed tourists' environmental perception regarding solid waste and its impact on the Hurtado balneary, located in Valledupar, Colombia. From May to July 2023, the investigation delved into the environmental attitudes and behaviors of 769 balneary users by employing a combination of observation, photographic documentation, and a comprehensive 21-question online survey. The findings unveiled compelling insights: an overwhelming 98.8% of participants acknowledged the adverse effects of solid waste on the environment, with an impressive 98% demonstrating a willingness to participate in waste management efforts. Alarmingly, 42.13% exhibited limited awareness of waste management practices, reflecting a lack of public interest and commitment (41.61%). Statistically significant disparities emerged: 59% of waste items were not appropriately disposed of in designated receptacles. Reasons for this included a lack of a sense of belonging (50.2%) and inadequate environmental education (45.6%). 96% expressed the need for river conservation signage, while 59.8% had not engaged in environmental training. The implications of these results extend beyond the Hurtado balneary, potentially informing solid waste management strategies in other aquatic environments. Furthermore, this investigation aligns with three critical Sustainable Development Goals: SDG 12, emphasizing responsible consumption and production; SDG 13, addressing climate action; and SDG 15, advocating for life on land and below water. Keywords: Tourism; solid waste; surface water; environmental management.

This paper presents a novel micro-segmented genetic algorithm (μsGA) to identify the best solution for the locomotion of a quadruped robot designed on a rectangular ABS plastic platform. We compare our algorithm with three similar algorithms found in the specialized literature: a standard genetic algorithm (GA), a micro-genetic algorithm (μGA), and a micro artificial immune system (μAIS). The quadruped robot prototype guarantees the same conditions for each test. The platform was developed using 3D printing for the structure and can accommodate the mechanisms, sensors, servomechanisms as actuators. It also has an internal battery and a multicore embedded system (mES) to process and control the robot locomotion. This research proposes a μsGA that segments the individual into specific bytes. μGA techniques are applied to each segment to reduce the processing time; the same benefits as the GA are obtained, while the use of a computer and the high computational resources characteristic of the GA are avoided. This is the reason why some research in robot locomotion is limited to simulation. The results show that the performance of μsGA is better than the three other algorithms (GA, μGA and AIS). The processing time was reduced using a mES architecture that enables parallel processing, meaning that the requirements for resources and memory were reduced. This research solves the problem of continuous locomotion of a quadruped robot, and gives a feasible solution with real performance parameters using a μsGA bio-micro algorithm and a mES architecture.

Introduction: Capillary malformation-arteriovenous malformation (CM-AVM; MIM#608354) is caused by germline RASA1 and EPHB4 alterations. RASA1 intralesional second hits have also been reported. Constitutional mosaicism, defined as the presence of a mosaic variant in all cell types of an individual, is detected in clinical practice as mosaic variants in multiple tested samples from one individual or as mosaic variants in blood samples in a disorder affecting another cell/tissue types. Here we report RASA1 constitutional mosaicism in CM-AVM. Subjects and methods: A custom high-throughput sequencing panel was used to search for RASA1 pathogenic variants in blood samples from two unrelated patients with a clinical diagnosis of CM-AVM. An affected tissue sample from one of the patients was also analyzed. Results: Both patients showed different nonsense RASA1 variants in mosaic in blood samples and in the corresponding affected tissue sample from one of the patients. The mosaicism ranged between 7% and 21,5%. Conclusions: We report for the first time the presence of RASA1 constitutional mosaicism in CM-AVM. Constitutional mosaicism has implications for accurate molecular diagnosis and recurrence risk, and helps to explain the great phenotypic variability in CM-AVM.

Human Parechoviruses, officially known as Parechovirus A (PeV-A), is associated with mild gastrointestinal and respiratory illness in young children, however, they may also give rise to Central Nervous System (CNS) infections and neonatal sepsis. While studies have delved into the detection of PeV-A in different populations, the detection of PeV-A in Hispanic populations in Latin American countries is not well-known. The aim of this study was to determine the presence of PeV-A in respiratory, gastrointestinal, and neurological clinical samples of pediatric patients in Panama. Two hundred samples of pediatric patients with a negative diagnosis for the main respiratory viruses, rotavirus and neurological viruses such as herpesvirus, enterovirus and cytomegalovirus, collected between 2014 and 2015, were analyzed by real-time RT-PCR. Eight positive PeV-A infections were detected, 2 in respiratory samples, 5 in stool samples and one detected in cerebrospinal fluid. This is the fisrt report of PeV-A in Panamá.

This study introduces a Fiber Specklegram Sensor (FSS) design for temperature measurement utilizing a single-multi-single mode optical fiber configuration. FSS technology offers unique advantages for potential development into portable sensing systems. This investigation explores an FSS design compatible with miniaturization by optimizing the interrogation system based on the relationship between speckle grain size and filtering fiber area. Temperature variations are detected through fluctuations in optical power at the sensor output, offering a simple and reduced interrogation scheme. The performance of the FSS is assessed through post-calibration measurements compared to a commercial Fiber Bragg Grating (FBG) sensor, demonstrating comparable results. These findings pave the way for compact and portable fiber optic temperature sensing systems leveraging FSS advantages while maintaining compatibility with established fiber optic measurements.

Background. It is unclear whether the use of clinical prediction rules is sufficient to rule out infective endocarditis (IE) in patients with Staphylococcus aureus bacteremia (SAB) without an echocardiogram evaluation, either transthoracic (TTE) and/or transesophageal (TEE). Our primary purpose was to test the usefulness of PREDICT, POSITIVE and VIRSTA scores to rule out IE without echocardiography. Our secondary purpose was to evaluate whether not performing an echocardiogram evaluation is associated with higher mortality. Methods. We conducted a unicentric retrospective cohort including all patients with a first SAB episode from January 2015 to December 2020. IE was defined according to modified Duke criteria. We predefined threshold cut-off points to consider that IE was ruled out by means of the mentioned scores. To assess 30-day mortality, we used a multivariable regression model considering performing an echocardiogram as covariate. Results. Out of 404 patients, IE was diagnosed in 50 (12.4%). Prevalence of IE within patients with negative PREDICT, POSITIVE and VIRSTA scores was: 3.6% (95% CI 0.1-6.9%), 4.9% (95% CI 2.2-7.7%), and 2.2% (95% CI 0.2-4.3%), respectively. Patients with negative VIRSTA and negative TTE had an IE prevalence of 0.9% (95% CI 0-2.8%). Performing an echocardiogram was independently associated with lower 30-day mortality (OR 0.24 95%CI 0.10-0.54, p=0.001). Conclusion. PREDICT and POSITIVE scores were not sufficient to rule out IE without TEE. In patients with negative VIRSTA score, it was doubtful if IE could be discarded with a negative TTE. Not performing an echocardiogram was associated with worse outcomes, which might be related to presence of occult IE. Further studies are needed to assess the usefulness of clinical prediction rules in avoiding echocardiographic evaluation in SAB patients.

Preterm birth (PB) is a leading cause of perinatal morbidity and mortality. PB prediction is per-formed by measuring cervical length, with a detection rate of around 70%. Although it is known that a cytokine-mediated inflammatory process is involved in the pathophysiology of PB, no screening method implemented in clinical practice includes cytokine levels as a predictor varia-ble. Here, we quantified cytokines in cervical-vaginal mucus of pregnant women (18-23.6 weeks of gestation) with high- or low-risk for PB determined by cervical length, collecting relevant obstetric information. IL-2, IL-6, IFN-γ, IL-4, and IL-10 were significantly higher in the high-risk group, while IL-1ra was lower. Two different models for PB prediction were created using the Random Forest machine-learning algorithm: the full model with 12 clinical variables and cyto-kine values, and the adjusted model, including the most significant variables -maternal age, IL-2, and cervical length- (detection rate 66 vs 87%, false positive rate 12 vs 3.33%, false negative rate 28 vs 6.66%, and area under the curve 0.722 vs 0.875, respectively). The adjusted model integrat-ing cytokines showed a detection rate 8 points higher than the gold standard calculator, which may allow us to identify PB risk more accurately and implement strategies for preventive in-terventions

Based on a measuring system to determine the statistical heterogeneity of individual polygons we propose a method to use polygonal shape patterns as a source of data in order to determine the Shannon entropy of biological organizations. In this research, the term entropy is a particular amount of data related with levels of spatial heterogeneity in a series of different geometrical meshes and sets of random polygons. We propose that this notion of entropy is important to measure levels of information in units of bits, measuring quantities of heterogeneity in geometrical systems. In fact, one important result is that binarization of heterogeneity frequencies yields a supported metric to determine geometrical information from complex configurations. Thirty-five geometric aggregates are tested; biological and non-biological, in order to obtain experimental results of their spatial heterogeneity which is verified with the Shannon entropy parameter defining low particular levels of geometrical information in biological samples. Geometrical aggregates (meshes) include a spectrum of organizations ranging from cell meshes to ecological patterns. Experimental results show that a particular range (0.08 and 0.27) of information is intrinsically associated with low rates of heterogeneity. We conclude it as an intrinsic feature of geometrical organizations in multi-scaling biological systems.

The cancer burden is increasing worldwide with contrasting national patterns. Therefore, providing national estimations is necessary to understand and control this health issue. Herein, we comparatively describe incidence, mortality, and disability-adjusted lived years (DALYs) due to 29 groups of cancer in Mexico from 1990 to 2019 by sex and age. Using public data from the Global Burden of Disease Study 2019, we assessed the national burden of cancer using counts and crude and age-standardized rates per 100,000 people with 95% uncertainty intervals for 2019 and their trends using the annual percentage of change from 1990 to 2019. In 2019, cancer caused 222,060 incident cases, 105,591 deaths, and 2,86,054 DALYs in the general population. Nonmelanoma skin cancer, prostate cancer, and breast cancer had the highest incidence, and six groups of cancer (lung, colorectal, stomach, prostate, breast, and pancreatic) caused 53% of the deaths in 2019. From 1990 to 2019, incidence and mortality showed an increasing trend that varied between 10% and 436% among the groups of cancer, whereas the crude and age-standardized rates showed cancer-specific sex disparities. Our results demonstrate a substantial growth of the national burden of cancer with sex-specific patterns of change. These results may guide national efforts toward reducing health loss due to cancer.

Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) has become a worldwide health problem. Consequently, there is a global interest in the study of the antimicrobial activity of natural compounds as an alternative to antibiotics. One of the possibilities studied during the last years is the use of bacteriophages and their derived proteins. More specifically, phage lytic proteins or endolysins are specific enzymes that cause cell lysis and can be easily produced and purified after overexpression in bacteria. However, one of the major disadvantages of these proteins is their sensitivity to some environmental conditions that can reduce their efficiency. The use of vesicles for endolysin encapsulation could help overcome this disadvantage, offering an additional protection to the protein and allowing its controlled release and long-term stability.

Pregnant women with diabetes often present impaired fetal growth, which is less common if maternal diabetes is well-controlled. However, developing strategies to estimate fetal body composition beyond fetal growth that could better predict metabolic complications later in life is essential. This study aimed to evaluate subcutaneous fat tissue (femur and humerus) in fetuses with normal growth among pregnant women with well-controlled diabetes using a reproducible 3D-ultrasound tool and offline TUI (Tomographic Ultrasound Imaging) analysis. Additionally, three artificial intelligence classifier models were trained and validated to assess the clinical utility of the fetal subcutaneous fat measurement. A significantly larger subcutaneous fat area was found in three-femur and two-humerus selected segments of fetuses from women with diabetes compared to the healthy pregnant control group. The full classifier model that includes subcutaneous fat measure, gestational age, fetal weight, fetal abdominal circumference, maternal body mass index, and fetal weight percentile as variables, showed the best performance, with a detection rate of 70%, considering a false positive rate of 10%, and a positive predictive value of 82%. These findings provide valuable insights into the impact of maternal diabetes on fetal subcutaneous fat tissue as a variable independent of fetal growth.

Based on a previous risk calculation study along a road corridor, risk is recalculated using stochastic simulation by introducing variability for most of the parameters in the risk equation. This leads to an exceedance curve comparable to that of catastrophe models. This approach introduces uncertainty into the risk calculation in a simple way, which can be used for poorly documented cases to fulfil lack of data. This approach seems to tend to minimize risk or to question risk calculations.

Bone innate ability to repair without scaring is surpassed by major bone damage. Current gold-standard strategies do not achieve a full recovery of bone biomechanical properties. To bypass these limitations, tissue engineering techniques based on hybrid materials made up of osteoprogenitor cells, like mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs), and bioactive ceramic scaffolds, like calcium phosphate-based (CaPs), are promising. Biological properties of the MSCs, are influenced by the tissue source. The aim of this study is to define the MSC source and construct (MSC and scaffold combination) most interesting for its clinical application in bone regeneration. iTRAQ generated the hypothesis that anatomical proximity to bone has a direct effect on MSC phenotype. MSCs were isolated from adipose tissue, bone marrow and dental pulp. MSCs were cultured both on plastic surface and on CaPs (hydroxyapatite and β-tricalcium phosphate) to compare their biological features. On plastic, MSCs isolated from dental pulp (DPSCs) were the MSCs with the highest proliferation capacity and the greatest osteogenic potential. On both CaPs, DPSCs are the MSCs with the greatest capacity to colonize bioceramics. Furthermore, results show a trend for DPSCs are the MSCs with the most robust increase in the ALP activity. We propose DPSCs as a suitable MSCs for bone regeneration cell-based strategies.What do you want to do ?New mailCopy

Despite epidemiological findings of improvements in cardiovascular risk factors with a light-to-moderate intake of alcohol, many misconceptions remain regarding alcohol intake and the risks and benefits of consumption. We sought to examine physician attitudes and recommendations regarding alcohol intake in a cohort of Argentine physicians and to establish their sources of knowledge. An online national survey was distributed through the Argentine Federation of Cardiology (FAC) to cardiologists, internal medicine specialists, general and other subspecialty physicians in Argentina. The survey was completed by 745 physicians, of whom 671 (90%) were cardiologists. In total, 35% of physicians viewed moderate alcohol intake to be beneficial for cardiovascular health, 36% believed only wine offered such benefits, 24% viewed any intake to be harmful, and 5% had other opinions. More than half (57%) self-reported their knowledge to come from academic sources. Regarding knowledge of drinking guidelines, only 41% of physicians were aware of the concept of ‘standard drink’. Physicians were generally not comfortable converting ‘standard drinks’ into other metric units, however men tended to be more comfortable than women (p=0.052). Physicians were not satisfied with their knowledge of drinking guidelines (3.01 ± 2.73, on a 0-10 scale). Physicians were generally comfortable in counselling patients regarding safe-limits of consumption (6.22 ± 3.20, on a 0-10 scale). Argentine physicians were not satisfied with their knowledge of alcohol consumption guidelines or their understanding of the reported metrics. Only one-third of study participants viewed moderate alcohol intake as beneficial for cardiovascular health. This study shows the necessity to optimize the sources of knowledge.

To characterize the metabolic actions of D-Pinitol, a dietary inositol, in male Wistar rats, we analysed its oral pharmacokinetics and its effects on a) the secretion of hormones regulating metabolism (insulin, glucagon, IGF-1, ghrelin, leptin and adiponectin), b) insulin signaling in the liver and c) the expression of glycolytic and neoglucogenesis enzymes. Oral D-Pinitol administration (100 or 500 mg/Kg) resulted in its rapid absorption and distribution to plasma and liver compartments. Its administration reduced insulinemia and HOMA-IR, while maintaining glycaemia thanks to increased glucagon activity. In the liver, D-Pinitol reduced the key glycolytic enzyme pyruvate kinase and decreased the phosphorylation of the enzymes AKT and GSK-3. These observations were associate with an increase in ghrelin concentrations, a known inhibitor of insulin secretion. The profile of D-Pinitol suggests its potential use as a pancreatic protector decreasing insulin secretion through ghrelin upregulation while sustaining glycaemia through liver-based mechanisms of glycolysis control.

The metabolites secreted by probiotics or released after their lysis are called postbiotics. They provide physiological benefits to the host, preventing the colonisation of pathogens by improving the intestinal environment for beneficial commensal bacteria, which reduces the incidence of digestive disorders and improve the immune system. The aim of this work was to evaluate the addition of postbiotics to dairy cow rations during the transition period on nutrient digestibility, composition, and milk yield. The effects of two postbiotics were evaluated in twelve Friesian cows from 30 days before calving to two months of lactation. The animals were randomly allocated to the treatments control (CT) and supplemented with postbiotics (PC and PR). Feeding was ad libitum with 60/40 of forage/concentrate ratio. Daily feed intake and milk production were recorded individually throughout the study. Two digestibility balances were performed, one before parturition and one after parturition. Colostrum was sampled at first milking and milk was sampled weekly. Data were analysed using a mixed mode in R software. The results suggest that postbiotic supplementation in late gestation and early lactation increase the voluntary intake of dry matter, especially in the PR treatment, with higher apparent total tract digestibility of dry matter, organic matter and neutral detergent fiber. Both treatments including postbiotics induced an increase in colostral immunoglobulin concentration. Milk production of cows receiving the PC treatment was the highest, with high fat and protein yields and a higher persistence of the production curve throughout the lactation.

Bladder cancer (BC) is the most common neoplasm of the urinary tract, which originates in the epithelium that covers the inner surface of the bladder. The molecular BC profile has led to the development of different classifications of non-muscle invasive bladder cancer (NMIBC) and muscle-invasive (MIBC). However, the genomic BC landscape profile of the Mexican population, including NMIBC and MIBC, is unknown. In this study, we aimed to identify somatic single nucleotide variants (SNVs) and copy number variations (CNVs) in Mexican patients with BC and their associations with clinical and pathological characteristics. We retrospectively evaluated 37 patients treated between 2012 and 2021 at the National Cancer Institute - Mexico (INCan). DNA samples were obtained from paraffin-embedded tumor tissues and ran exome sequencing. Strelka2 and Lancet packages were used to identify SNVs and insertions or deletions. FACETS was used to determine CNVs. We found a high frequency of mutations in TP53 and KMT2D, gains in 11q15.5 and 19p13.11-q12, and losses in 7q11.23. STAG2 mutations and 1q11.23 deletions were also associated with NMIBC and low histologic grade.

Suicide is a public health problem influenced by a variety of biological, psychological, social, and environmental factors. Recognizing the warning signs at each stage is crucial for prevention and helping those at risk. In this context, body awareness, especially interoceptive body awareness, emerges as a potentially relevant and underexplored factor. In this study, binary logistic regression and linear regression analyses were used to examine the relationship between interoceptive body awareness and suicidal orientation in Colombian university students. In addition, the bootstrap technique was used to resample and estimate the distribution of the data. The results support the idea that greater interoceptive awareness may protect against suicidal orientation by improving emotional regulation. An inverse relationship was found between interoceptive awareness and suicidal ideation. These findings are consistent with previous literature on the importance of body awareness for emotional well-being. Further longitudinal research is needed to explore this relationship in depth.

In the follow-up of treated high-grade cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (HSIL/CIN) lesions, cer-vical cytology has a high false-negative rate, while high-risk human papillomavirus (HR-HPV) DNA testing showed high sensitivity and lower specificity. The detection of messenger RNA of the HR-HPV E6 and E7 oncoproteins (E6/E7 mRNA) seems to be an indicator of viral integration and it allows the identification of severe lesions. Our objective was to assess the clinical utility of E6/E7 mRNA determination in the follow-up of patients treated for HSIL/CIN. A retrospective obser-vational study including 407 patients treated for HSIL/CIN was performed. The recurrence rate and the validity of E6/E7 mRNA testing were evaluated. The recurrence rate of high-grade lesions was 1.7%. The sensitivity of the test was 88% in the first clinical revision and 100% in the second and third revisions. Specificity was 91% in the first revision, 92% in the second revision, and 85% in the third revision. The positive predictive value was 18% in the first medical revision, 10% in the second and 14% in the third. The negative predictive value was 100% in all follow-up visits. In conclusion, the E6/E7 mRNA test seems to be effective in ruling out recurrence after treatment for HSIL/CIN lesions.

Crohn's disease (CD) results from an aberrant immune response against commensal microbiota in genetically susceptible hosts. However, the nature of immune defects, the microflora involved, and genetic susceptibility remain incompletely defined and controversial. This review seeks to describe the present state of association between CD and renal disease; moreover, we highlight the convergence of CD with amyloidosis that can trigger sustained inflammation, producing the pathological alteration observed in both diseases. The following MESH terms were searched in PubMed, PubMed Central (PMC), and Web of Science: “Crohn´s disease” and “renal disease.” The R RISmed package was used for PubMed and PMC. The abnormal humoral immune response is described along with alterations in immune cell migration mechanisms in CD during inflammation.

SAMHD1 is a deoxynucleotide triphosphate (dNTP) triphosphohydrolase with important roles in the control of cell proliferation and apoptosis, either through the regulation of intracellular dNTPs levels or the modulation of the DNA damage response. However, SAMHD1 role in cancer evolution is still unknown. We performed the first in-depth study of SAMHD1 role in advanced solid tumors, by analyzing samples of 128 patients treated with chemotherapy agents based on platinum derivatives and/or antimetabolites and developing novel in vitro knock-out models to explore the mechanisms driving SAMHD1 function in cancer. Low or no expression of SAMHD1 was associated with a positive prognosis in breast, ovarian and non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) cancer patients. A predictive value was associated to low-SAMHD1 expression in NSCLC and ovarian patients treated with antimetabolites in combination with platinum derivatives. In vitro, SAMHD1 knock-out cells showed increased γ-H2AX and apoptosis suggesting that SAMHD1 depletion induces DNA damage leading to cell death. In vitro treatment with platinum-derived drugs significantly enhanced γ-H2AX and apoptotic markers expression in knock-out cells, indicating a synergic effect of SAMHD1 depletion and platinum-based treatment. SAMHD1 expression represents a new strong prognostic and predictive biomarker in solid tumors and thus, modulation of SAMHD1 function may constitute a promising target for the improvement of cancer therapy.