The aim of the present study was to measure the apparent absorption of magnesium (Mg) originating from Mg-butyrate. Six mid-lactation Holstein Friesian dairy cows were used with dietary treatments arranged in a cross-over design. Two different diets were fed during the experiment, consisting of a low Mg diet without Mg-butyrate (L-Mg, 3.1g Mg/kg dry matter) or a high Mg diet with Mg-butyrate (H-Mg, 3.9 g Mg/kg dry matter). Cows offered the L-Mg diet ingested 54.7 g Mg/day while the cows fed the H-Mg diets ingested 66.3 g Mg/day (P < 0.001). The fecal excretion of Mg, however, was similar between the two experimental diets (P = 0.174). Consequently, apparent Mg absorption was found to be 7.9 percentage units greater (P = 0.038) when the cows were fed the diet supplemented with Mg-butyrate. The greater Mg absorption after feeding the H-Mg diet was, however, not reflected by a greater urinary Mg concentration (P = 0.228). These results indicate that the availability of Mg from the Mg-butyrate supplemented diet is high (34.1% of intake). The fractional Mg absorption from Mg-butyrate was calculated to be 71.6%. In conclusion, Mg-butyrate is an attractive alternative to supplement dairy rations with Mg.

The article presents the author’s works in the field of modifications and modeling of the PQC CSIDH algorithm on non-cyclic supersingular Edwards curves and its predecessor CRS scheme on ordinary non-cyclic Edwards curves are reviewed. Lower estimates of the computational speed gains of the modified algorithms over the original ones are obtained. The most significant results were obtained by choosing classes of non-cyclic Edwards curves connected as quadratic twist pairs instead of cyclic complete Edwards curves, as well as the method of algorithm randomization as an alternative to “constant time CSIDH.” It is shown that in the CSIDH and CSIKE algorithms, there are two independent cryptosystems with the possibility of parallel computation, eliminating the threat of side-channel attacks. For the CRS scheme, there are four such cryptosystems. Integral lower bound estimates of the performance gain of the modified CSIDH algorithm are obtained at 1.5 ∙ 29, and for the CRS scheme are 3 ∙ 29.

1. Background: The global COVID-19 lockdowns are unique psychological factors, requiring adjustment and coping. This illustrative, South African case study investigated the influence the COVID-19 lockdown context would have on meditation and physical activity. As these were lifestyle patterns the null hypothesis was of no change. 2. Method: The methodology consisted of quantitative and qualitative phases. The quantitative phase was an empirical, case study review of data from the author’s HeartMath and Fitbit electronic devices, as from 9 November 2019 to 31 July 2021. This consisted of coherence and achievement data from the HeartMath Inner Balance application (app), as well as distance and activity data from the Fitbit app. The qualitative phase consisted of the selection and illustration of meditation sessions documented over lockdown. 3. Results: The highly significant increases in physical activity and meditation coherence and achievement collectively indicated significant health promotion over the COVID-19 Lockdown period. Subtle energetic, experiential descriptions of meditation apprehensions resonated and supported these quantitative findings. 4. Conclusions: COVID-19 lockdown has meant transformation, humility, and reordering of priorities. The meditation descriptions amplified information from the HeartMath and Fitbit electronic devices, together co-creating conscious, embodied, relationship science for discussion, instruction, and further research.

A persistent idea in cosmology is that the universe originated and then continued to evolve as a black hole. While the notion of a black hole universe has generally been framed within the standard cosmological model, the latter has had numerous problems related to dark matter, dark energy and other issues. To avoid such problems an alternative is proposed which omits cosmic expansion, dark matter and dark energy. The observable universe is cast instead as primarily a thin spherical shell of cold (~29 K) baryonic matter situated near the Hubble radius. This shell of plasma holds 95% of the observable universe’s mass, the remaining 5% existing in the interior galaxies and gas clouds. A key premise of the model is that spacetime is fundamentally photonic in nature. This allows photon energy to be transferred to spacetime in the Hubble redshift and to be transferred back to photons in a novel blueshift. These exchanges together drive a cosmic energy cycle for gravity and the cosmological constant, Λ. Photons of the cosmic microwave background originating in the plasma shell lose energy to ‘cooler’ regions of spacetime in interior zones via the Hubble redshift. This gives rise to gravity through the optical gravity approach. The depleted photons moving back towards the shell are then reenergized in ‘hotter’ spacetime regions via the Hubble blueshift. These photons eventually exert outward pressures on the shell which perfectly balance the inward forces of gravity, in this manner functioning as Einstein’s cosmological constant. The observable universe behaves as a closed system in thermodynamic equilibrium with constant energy and entropy and indeterminate age. Black holes are suggested to have analogous plasma shell structures and gravity/Λ cycles.

The present article addresses the long-standing problem of the polymer brush bilayers under stationary shear flow at non-linear response regime where the system gets a non-Newtonian fluid. The main idea behind this research would be the fact that the immense lubricity of the polymer brush bilayers originates from a global restructuring that takes place at large shear rates. It is shown here that physical quantities like, stress tensor, viscosity tensor, the friction coefficient and the chain extensions could become dependent on the shear rate at non-Newtonian regime. Apparently, the sub-linear scaling of the physical quantities at large shear rates is solely due to the fact that the chains stretch in the shear direction.

Background: Although many studies analyse gender differences in the clinical expression of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) and prevalence studies show that girls with ADHD are underdiagnosed, there are no instruments that are sensitive to the detection of girls with ADHD. Objective: The objective of this study is to develop a self-report early detection instrument for ADHD for boys and girls aged 7 to 16, which includes the gender perspective and is sensitive to the detection of girls with ADHD. Methods: The development of the scale and the items that comprise it were created from the thematic analysis of ADHD and its evaluation in children, based on the diagnostic criteria of the DSM-5-TR. A modified e-Delphi method involving a three-round web survey was used to reach a consensus on the content of the scale. Ten experts were recruited into a professional panel. The panel members were asked to assess the differential symptomatology of ADHD in boys and girls, the dimensions to be evaluated, and the importance of the scale items to evaluate the content. Results: Consensus was reached regarding 13 total items distributed in three dimensions: Inattention, Hyperactivity/Impulsivity, and a third dimension, Internalisation, which includes symptoms most present in the expression of ADHD in girls. Conclusions: To the best of our knowledge, the development of this scale using the Delphi method is the first specific scale for identifying ADHD that addresses the gender perspective and the differential symptomatology between boys and girls. Although we must proceed to the analysis of the psychometric properties, we can anticipate that this scale will provide relevant and reliable information for the identification of ADHD in both boys and girls.

Much has been learned about the interaction between myosin and actin through biochemistry, in vitro motility assays and cryo-electron microscopy of F-actin decorated with myosin heads. Comparatively less is known about actin-myosin interactions within the filament lattice of muscle, where myosin heads function as independent force generators and thus most measurements report an average signal from multiple biochemical and mechanical states. All of the 3-D imaging by electron microscopy that has revealed the interplay of the regular array of actin subunits and myosin heads within the filament lattice has been accomplished using the flight muscle of the large waterbug Lethocerus sp. Lethocerus flight muscle possesses a particularly favorable filament arrangement that enables all the myosin cross-bridges contacting the actin filament to be visualized in a thin section. This review covers the history of this effort and the progress toward visualizing the complex set of conformational changes that myosin heads make when binding to actin in several static states as well as fast frozen actively contracting muscle. The efforts have revealed a consistent pattern of changes to the myosin head structures determined by X-ray crystallography needed to explain the structure of the different acto-myosin interactions observed in situ.

Objective: To compare the incidence of skin abrasions caused by traditional straight edge flip flop straps versus rolled inner seam (RIS) designs in a controlled laboratory setting using preserved fetal pig skin as a proxy for human skin.Methods: This study utilized a custom-built apparatus to apply friction from two flip flop strap designs to preserved fetal pig skin samples. Three trials were conducted for each strap design to determine the time to initial abrasion onset. A paired t-test was employed for statistical analysis.Results: The RIS design demonstrated a statistically significant delay in abrasion onset compared to the standard design across all trials (p < 0.05), indicating a gentler interaction with the skin.Conclusion: The RIS strap design may offer a beneficial alternative to traditional straps by reducing the friction that can lead to skin abrasions, suggesting a potential to decrease the risk of dorsal foot ulcers. Further studies involving human subjects are warranted to validate these findings in a real-world context.Keywords: Flip flop strap design, skin abrasions, dorsal foot ulcers, footwear design, developing countries, diabetic foot care.

Quantum-dot cellular automata (QCA) is an emerging transistor-less field-coupled nanocomputing (FCN) approach to ultra-scale ‘nanochip’ integration. In QCA, to represent digital circuitry, electrostatic repulsion between electrons and the mechanism of electron tunnelling in quantum dots are used. QCA technology can surpass conventional complementary metal-oxide semiconductor (CMOS) technology in terms of clock speed, reduced occupied chip area, and energy efficiency. To develop QCA circuits, irreversible majority gates are typically used as the primary components. Recently, some studies have introduced reversible design techniques, using reversible majority gates as the main building block, to develop ultra-energy efficient QCA circuits. However, this approach resulted in time delays, an increase in the number of QCA cells used, and an increase in the chip area occupied. This work introduces a novel hybrid design strategy employing QCA irreversible, reversible, and partially reversible gates to establish an optimal balance between power consumption, delay time, and occupied area. The hybrid technique allows the designer to have more control over the circuit characteristics to meet different system needs. A combination of reversible, irreversible, and innovative partially reversible majority gates is used in the proposed hybrid design method. We have evaluated the hybrid design method by examining the half-adder circuit as a case study. We have developed four hybrid QCA half-adder circuits, each of which simultaneously incorporates various types of majority gates. The QCADesigner-E 2.2 simulation tool was used to simulate the performance and energy efficiency of the half-adders. This tool provides numerical results for the circuit input/output response and heat dissipation at the physical level, within a microscopic quantum mechanical model.

Horses’ ability to adapt to new environments and to acquire new information plays an important role in handling and training. Social learning in particular would be very adaptive for horses as it enables them to flexibly adapt to new environments. In the context of horse handling, social learning from humans has been rarely investigated but could help to facilitate management practices. We assessed the impact of human demonstration on spatial problem-solving abilities in horses using a detour task. In this task, a bucket with a food reward was placed behind a double-detour barrier and horses (n = 16) received a human demonstration or no demonstration. Horses were allocated to two test groups of 8 horses each, which experienced the two treatments in a counterbalanced order. We found that horses did not solve the detour task faster with human demonstration. However, both test groups improved rapidly over trials. Our results suggest that horses prefer to use individual rather than social information when being confronted with a spatial problem-solving task.

Quantum-dot cellular automata (QCA) are a promising nanoscale computing technology that exploits the quantum mechanical tunneling of electrons between quantum dots in a cell and electrostatic interaction between dots, in neighboring cells. QCA can achieve higher speed, lower power, and smaller areas than conventional complementary metal–oxide–semiconductor (CMOS) technology. Developing QCA circuits in a logically and physically reversible manner can provide exceptional reductions in energy dissipation. The main challenge of reversible QCA design is to maintain reversibility down to the physical level. The arithmetic logic unit (ALU) is an essential component of the central processing unit (CPU) of a computer. It performs various arithmetic and logical operations on the data that the CPU processes. Current QCA ALU designs are either irreversible or logically reversible; however, they lack physical reversibility, a crucial requirement to increase energy efficiency. In this paper, we present a novel multilayer design for a logically and physically reversible QCA ALU based on majority gates as the key components, which can perform 16 different operations. We use QCADesigner-E software to simulate and evaluate energy dissipation. The proposed logically and physically reversible QCA ALU offers an improvement of 88.8% in energy efficiency. Compared to the next most efficient 16-operation QCA ALU, this ALU uses 51% fewer QCA cells and 47% less area.

Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer-related deaths globally, with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) accounting for over 85% of cases and poor prognosis in advanced stages. This study explored shifts in circulating metabolite levels in NSCLC patients versus healthy controls and examined the effects of conventionally fractionated radiation therapy (CFRT) and stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT). We enrolled 91 NSCLC patients (38 CFRT and 53 SBRT) and 40 healthy controls. Plasma metabolite levels were assessed using semi-targeted metabolomics, revealing 32 elevated and 18 reduced metabolites in patients. Key discriminatory metabolites included ethylmalonic acid, maltose, 3-phosphoglyceric acid, taurine, glutamic acid, glycocolic acid, and d-arabinose, with a combined Receiver Operating Characteristics curve indicating perfect discrimination between patients and controls. CFRT and SBRT affected different metabolites, but both changes suggested a partial normalization of energy and amino acid metabolism pathways. In conclusion, metabolomics identified distinct metabolic signatures in NSCLC patients with potential as diagnostic biomarkers. The differing metabolic responses to CFRT and SBRT reflect their unique therapeutic impacts, underscoring the utility of this technique in enhancing NSCLC diagnosis and treatment monitoring.

We evaluated epidemiological evolution and economic impact of COVID-19 pandemic in the European Union (EU) and worldwide, and the effects of control strategies on them. We collected incidence, mortality, and gross domestic product (GDP) data between the first quarter of 2020 and of 2023. Then, we reviewed the effectiveness of the mitigation and zero-COVID control strategies. The statistical analysis was done calculating the incidence rate ratio (IRR) of two rates and its 95% confidence interval (CI). In the EU, COVID-19 presented six epidemic waves. The sixth one at the beginning of 2022 was the biggest. Globally, the biggest wave occurred at the beginning of 2023. Highest mortality rates were observed in the EU during 2020-2021 and globally at the beginning of 2021. In mitigation countries, mortality was much higher than in zero-COVID countries (IRR= 6.82; CI:6.14-7.60; p<0.001). A GDP reduction was observed worldwide, except in Asia. None of the eight zero-COVID countries presented a GDP growth percentage lower than the EU percentage in 2020, and 3/8 in 2022 (p=0.054). COVID-19 pandemic caused epidemic waves with high mortality rates and a negative impact on GDP. The zero-COVID strategy was more effective in avoiding mortality and potentially had less impact on GDP.

Global teacher shortage is a serious concern with grave implications for the future of education. This calls for novel ways of addressing teacher roles. The economic benefits of tireless labour inspires the need for teachers who are unlimited by natural human demands, highlighting consideration for the affordances of robotics and Artificial Intelligence in Education (AIED) as currently obtainable in other areas of human life. This however demands designing robotic personalities that can take on independent teacher roles despite strong opinions that robots will not be able to fully replace humans in the classroom of the future. In this paper, we argue for a future classroom with independent robot teachers, highlighting the minimum capabilities required of such personalities in terms of personality, instructional delivery, social interaction and affect. We describe our project on the design of a robot teacher based on these. Possible directions for future system development and studies are highlighted.

Edward syndrome, clinically known as trisomy 18 syndrome, is an autosomal chromosomal disorder characterized by an extra copy of chromosome 18. It belongs to the category of autosomal trisomy syndromes and is the second most common, with trisomy 21 being the only more frequent occurrence. In the context of this research, we present a case study focusing on a 3-month-old female infant admitted to the emergency department due to a complex array of symptoms. The primary clinical manifestations included a persistent cough, cold, and fever lasting for eight consecutive days. Comprehensive clinical evaluations, encompassing radiological and hematological investigations, confirmed the diagnosis of bronchiolitis along with viral bronchopneumonia. Chest X-rays revealed bilateral patchy opacities and diffuse haziness, primarily concentrated in the right hemithorax. Beyond respiratory issues, the infant displayed a range of distinctive physical attributes, including low-set ears, micrognathia, cranial anomalies, flattened nasal bridge, widely spaced nipples, overlapping fingers, abdominal distention, rocker-bottom feet, and recurring limb deformities known as recurvatum. Attempts to correct the limb deformity with a hip spica cast over an extended month-long period proved unsuccessful. Chronic villus sampling (CVS) ultimately confirmed the presence of Edward Syndrome (Trisomy 18), linked to the extra chromosome 18, leading to diverse physiological and developmental abnormalities. This case underscores the critical importance of timely and precise diagnosis, highlighting the challenges involved in addressing complex medical conditions marked by multifaceted clinical phenotypes.

An introductory course of Arka Dhyana, also known as Intuitive Meditation (IM), consisting of five sessions, was offered to an international audience via Zoom technology. Participants were shown how to connect to their deeper self, essence or soul by bringing their I-ego-awareness from the thinking mind, often associated with the frontal part of the brain, to 19 energetic stations in the body including the heart centre. In this limited study, evaluation was both process and outcome orientated and included HeartMath (HM) Inner Balance or emWave2 electronic technology to measure mean coherence and achievement before and after each session. A highly significant increase in both coherence and achievement in six participants was found, which was also reflected in a reported increase in wellbeing related to feelings in qualitative statements indicating changes in levels of consciousness and individual transformative experiences as predicted by the Theory of the Six Main Levels of Consciousness.

The shortage of donor organs is a major global concern. Organ failure requires the transplantation of functional organs. Organ donors are preserved in warm or cold ischemia. Ischemia and reperfusion damage the organs, due to the lack of oxygen during the ischemia step and the oxidative stress during the reperfusion step. Different methodologies were developed to prevent or diminish the level of injuries. Preservation solutions were first developed, followed by the addition of chemical compounds. In addition of inhibitors of mitogen activated protein kinase, inhibitors of the proteasome, mesenchymal stem cells started to be used 13 years ago to prevent or diminish the organ’s injuries. Mesenchymal stem cells (e.g bone marrow stem cells, adipose derived stem cells) have proven to be powerful tools in repairing damaged organs. This review will focus on the use of some bone marrow stem cells, adipose derived stem cells and umbilical cord stem cells on preventing or decreasing the injuries due to ischemia-reperfusion.

The external and internal structures of male and female adults of Culicoides grisescens Edwards, were examined with scanning electron microscope (SEM) and tissue section techniques. Specimens were collected from Qilian Mountain National Park in Qinghai Province, China. The ultrastructure and morphology of compound eyes, antenna, maxillary palpus, spermathecae, genitalia and other structural characteristics of both male and female adults of C. grisescens are described. Internal structures of the species are described, including histological sections of the digestive, nervous, respiratory, and reproductive systems. This paper provides visual and descriptive details for the systematic taxonomic study of Ceratopogonidae.

Liposomal amphotericin B (L-AmB) has become the cornerstone for the treatment of severe invasive fungal infections. However, renal toxicity may be an associated risk. Our aim was to evaluate the incidence of acute kidney injury (AKI) in critically ill patients receiving L-AmB for more than 48 hours. Clinical, demographic and laboratory variables were obtained retrospectively from electronic health record. Follow-up of the patients was for 7 days after L-AmB infusion. Patients were analyzed globally and differentiated between patients with "low" and "high" risk of developing AKI with machine learning techniques. Sixty-seven patients were included: 61 years, 67% male, with mean SOFA score of 4 (3-6.5) and a crude intensive care unit mortality of 34.3%. No significant variations in serum creatinine were observed during the observation period, except for the decrease in the high-risk subgroup. Overall, 26.8% of patients developed AKI-I, while 25% and 13% of patients at low and high risk of AKI developed AKI-I, respectively. The random forest models performed in overall and low-risk subgroup identified several major contributor’s factors to the development of AKI other than L-AmB administration. The development of AKI is multifactorial and the administration of L-AmB appears to be safe in this group of patients.

Energy efficiency considerations in terms of reduced power dissipation is a significant issue in the design of digital circuits for very large-scale integration (VLSI) systems. Quantum-dot cellular automata (QCA) is an emerging ultra-low power dissipation approach, distinct from the traditional complementary metal-oxide semiconductor (CMOS) technology, for building digital computing circuits. Developing fully reversible QCA circuits has the potential to significantly reduce energy dissipation. The multiplexer is a fundamental element in the construction of useful digital circuits. In this paper, a novel, multilayer, fully reversible QCA 8:1 multiplexer circuit, with ultralow energy dissipation, is introduced. The proposed multiplexer power dissipation is simulated using the QCADesigner-E version 2.2 tool, describing the microscopic physical mechanisms underlying the QCA operation. The results showed that the proposed reversible QCA 8:1 multiplexer consumes 89% less energy than the most energy-efficient 8:1 multiplexer circuit presented previously in the scientific literature.

A claim management office (CMO) is a new intra-organisation fit based on an organisational project management (OPM) approach and deals specifically with improving claim performance. However, CMO is either misunderstood or often overlooked in construction companies, mainly due to ignorance of the OPM context but further exacerbated by a lack of real case study research on how to adopt CMO in these organisations. This study addresses this prevailing knowledge gap by investigating the nature of the construction industry from the CMO viewpoint and developing an extensive framework through which to improve organisational claims performance. Organisational ambidexterity theory integrated with X-inefficiency theory is adopted for claims performance outcomes, due to organisation intra-firm irrational decisions when managing such claims. Data was obtained and analysed from a international large construction company (which used CMOs) and its internal focus group discussion (as a multi-method approach). The reference framework provides new perspectives on how construction-related companies can adopt a CMO structure, which enables them to improve claims performance by planning in three interrelated activities viz. function-, process- and performance-based-. Furthermore, findings contribute to researchers and practitioners by providing a true understanding of the CMO-related mechanism and plausible roadmap for future work.

Abstract: This paper outlines the methodology and results for a two species finite volume scalar computational drug transport model developed for simulating the mass transport of Poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid (PLGA) ) from a half-embedded single strut implanted in a coronary arterial vessel wall. The mathematical drug transport model incorporates the convection-diffusion equation in scalar form (dimensionless) with a two species (free-drug and bound-drug) mass transport setup including reversible equilibrium reaction source terms for the free and bound-drug states to account for the pharmaco-kinetic reactions in the arterial wall. The relative reaction rates of the added source terms control the interconversion of drug between the free and bound-drug states. The model is solved by a 2-D finite-volume method for discretizing and solving the free and bound drug transport equations with anisotropic vascular drug diffusivities. This model is an improvement over our previously developed model using the finite-difference method. A dimensionless characteristic scaling pre-analysis was conducted a priori to evaluate the significance of implementing the reaction source terms in the transport equations. This paper reports the findings of an investigation of the interstitial flow profile into the arterial wall and the free and bound drug diffusion profiles with a parametric study of varying polymer drug concentration (low and high), tortuosity, porosity, and Peclet and DamKöhler numbers over the course of 400 hours (16.67 days). The results also reveal how a single species drug delivery model that neglects both a reversible binding reaction source term and the porosity and tortuosity of the arterial wall cannot accurately predict the distribution of both the free and bound drug.

Age-related changes in behavior and sensory perception have been observed in a wide variety of animal species. In ants and other eusocial insects, workers often progress through an ordered sequence of olfactory-driven behavioral tasks. Notably, these behaviors are plastic, and workers adapt and rapidly switch tasks in response to changing environmental conditions. In the Florida carpenter ant, smaller minors typically perform most of the work needed to maintain the colony while the larger majors are specialized for nest defense and rarely engage in these routine tasks. Here, we investigate the effects of age and task group on olfactory responses to a series of odorant blends in minor and major worker castes. Consistent with their respective roles within the colony, we observed significant age-associated shifts in the olfactory responses of minors as they transitioned between behavioral states, whereas the responses of majors remained consistently low regardless of age. Furthermore, we identified a unitary compound, 3-methylindole, which elicited significantly higher responses and behavioral aversion in minor nurses than in similarly aged foragers suggesting that this compound may play an important role in brood care. Taken together, our results suggest that age- and task-associated shifts in olfactory physiology may play a critical role in the social organization of ant colonies.

Fe rich soft magnetic alloys are candidates for applications as magnetic sensors and actuators. These alloys can also be added to hard magnetic compounds to obtain spring magnets. In this work we produce two nanocrystalline Fe-Zr-B-Cu alloys by the powder metallurgy powder technology of mechanical alloying. The increase of the boron content favors the reduction of the crystalline size. Thermal analysis (by differential scanning calorimetry) shows at temperatures between 450 and 650 K wide exothermic processes, associated with the relaxation of tensions of the alloys produced by milling. At high temperatures, a main crystallization peak is found. The apparent activation of this process was determined by Kissinger and isoconversional methods. The values are compared with those found in the scientific literature. Likewise, adapted thermogravimetry permits to determine the Curie temperature. The functional response has been analyzed by hysteresis loop cycles. According to the composition, the decrease of the Fe/B ratio diminishes the magnetic soft behavior.

Human-Computer Interaction, including technology-aided instruction, is beginning to focus on virtual reality (VR) technology due to its ability to support immersive learning, teaching through simulation, and gamification of learning. These systems can deliver high-level multisensory learning experiences that are important in the teaching of many subjects, especially those involving abstract concepts or requiring spatial skills, such as organic chemistry. Haptic experiences with VR, however, remain a challenge. In addition, development have focused on general entertainment/gaming; VR systems in chemistry implement simulations of the chemistry laboratory and other advanced systems whereas those that support safe, game-like, immersive and multisensory learning of organic chemistry with haptics at pre-university education levels are scarce. We developed the VR Multisensory Classroom (VRMC) as an immersive learning environment within a VR head-mounted display, where learners employ hand movements to build hydrocarbon molecules and experience haptic feedback through gloves with built-in sensors and hand-tracking with the Leap Motion system. We report here the evaluation of the first prototype by learners from diverse backgrounds who reported on the ability of the VRMC to support high engagement, motivation, interest and organic chemistry learning as well as diverse learning styles. The VRMC is a novel VR classroom that supports immersive learning in molecular organic chemistry with haptics for multisensory learning.

The objective of this paper is to present a mathematical formalism that states a bridge between Physics and Psychology, concretely between analytical dynamics and personality theory in order to open new insights in this theory. In this formalism energy plays a central role. First, the short-term personality dynamics can be measured by the General Factor of Personality (GFP) response to an arbitrary stimulus. This GFP dynamical response is modelled by a stimulus-response model: an integro-differential equation. The bridge between Physics and Psychology is provided when the stimulus-response model can be formulated as a linear second order differential equation and, subsequently, reformulated as a Newtonian equation. This bridge is strengthened when the Newtonian equation is derived from a minimum action principle, obtaining the current Lagrangian and Hamiltonian functions. However, the Hamiltonian is a non-conserved energy. Then, some changes provide a conserved Hamiltonian function: the Ermakov-Lewis energy. This energy is presented, as well as the GFP dynamical response that can be derived from it. An application case is presented: an experimental design in which 28 individuals consumed 26.51 g of alcohol. This experiment provides an ordinal scale for the Ermakov-Lewis energies that predicts the effect of a single dose of alcohol.

With recent focus on deep neural network architectures for development of algorithms for computer-aided diagnosis (CAD), we provide a review of studies within the last 3 years (2015-2017) reported in selected top journals and conferences. 29 studies that met our inclusion criteria were reviewed to identify trends in this field and to inform future development. Studies have focused mostly on cancer-related diseases within internal medicine while diseases within gender-/age-focused fields like gynaecology/pediatrics have not received much focus. All reviewed studies employed image datasets, mostly sourced from publicly available databases (55.2%) and few based on data from human subjects (31%) and non-medical datasets (13.8%), while CNN architecture was employed in most (70%) of the studies. Confirmation of the effect of data manipulation on quality of output and adoption of multi-class rather than binary classification also require more focus. Future studies should leverage collaborations with medical experts to aid future with actual clinical testing with reporting based on some generally applicable index to enable comparison. Our next steps on plans for CAD development for osteoarthritis (OA), with plans to consider multi-class classification and comparison across deep learning approaches and unsupervised architectures were also highlighted.

The innate immune system is the first line of defense against pathogens. It’s composition includes barriers, mucus and other substances as well as phagocytic and other cells. The purpose of the paper is to analyze in general grounds the immune system and the body immunity to cancer. Simple ideas and the qualitative theory of differential equations are used along with general principles such as the minimization of the pathogen load and economy of resources. In the simplest linear model, the annihilation rate of pathogens in any tissue should be greater than the pathogen’s average rate of growth. When nonlinearities are added, a reference value for the number of pathogens is set, and a stability condition emerges, which relates strength of regular threats, barrier height and annihilation rate. On the other hand, in cancer immunity, the linear model leads to an expression for the lifetime risk, which accounts for both the effects of carcinogens (endogenous or external) and the immune response. The stability condition allows a comparison of immunity in different tissues. The way the tissue responds to an infection shows a correlation with the way it responds to cancer. These statements are formulated at the qualitative level, but may and deserve to be quantitatively checked.

Tourism is the main economic sector in the Balearic Islands (Spain) and hotel housekeepers (HHs) are a large occupational group, in which stress is becoming a major issue. This study aims at exploring in-depth factors perceived as stressors by HHs and key-informants, and their effects on work-life balance (WLB). A qualitative design with phenomenological approach was used, conducting six focus groups with 34 HHs and 10 individual interviews with key-informants. Results were analyzed adopting the job demands-resources model and a gender perspective. High demands –e.g work overload, time pressure, physical burden...-, lack of enough resources and little control –derived from role conflict, unexpected events...- were the most important factors explaining HHs’ stress. Additionally, this imbalance was perceived as leading to health problems –mainly musculoskeletal disorders-. Working schedule was mentioned as a facilitator to WLB, whereas an imbalance between job demands and resources led to work-home conflict –preventing them from enjoying leisure time-. Multiple roles at work and at home increased their stress. HHs experienced their job as invisible and unrecognised. Regarding practical implications, our recommendations for hotel organization include reducing workload and increasing resources, which would improve the job demands-resource balance, diminish negative mental and physical outcomes and improve WLB.

Milk fat production is important in the New Zealand (NZ) dairy industry. Elsewhere, an amino acid substitution (K232A) in the enzyme diacylglycerol acyl-CoA acyltransferase (DGAT1) has been reported to explain variation in some milk traits, including variation in milk fatty acid (FA) profile. In this study, associations between K232A, and milk traits including milk FA composition, were studied in wholly pasture-fed NZ Holstein-Friesian × Jersey (HF×J) cross-bred dairy cows. With a high frequency of K variant (61.9%), the KK cows produced more milk fat than the AA cows (5.41 ± 0.04 % vs 4.42 ± 0.05 %). The milk volume, fat concentration and protein concentration of AK cows were between the genotypes, AA and KK. More C16:0, CLA and C18:3 cis-9, 12, 15 FA were found in the milk of Kiwi-cross cows feed in outdoor pasture grazing system., and the influence of DGAT1 K232A, on these FAs from mid- and late lactation stages were significant. The AA cows produced (P < 0.001) more CLA and C18:3 cis-9, 12, 15, but less C16:0 (1.137 ± 0.047, 0.855 ± 0.015 and 35.170 ± 0.355) than the KK cows (0.934 ± 0.025, 0.778 ± 0.009 and 38.010 ± 0.250).

Plastid genomes are in general highly conserved given their slow evolutionary rate, thus large changes in their structure are unusual. However, when specific rearrangements are present, they are often phylogenetically informative. Asteraceae is a highly diverse family whose evolution is long driven by polyploidy (up to 48x) and hybridisation, both processes usually complicating systematic inferences. In this study, we have generated one of the most comprehensive plastome-based phylogenies of family Asteraceae, providing information about the structure, genetic diversity, and repeat composition of these sequences. By comparing the whole plastome sequences obtained, we confirmed the double inversion located in the long single copy region, for most of the species analysed (with the exception of basal tribes), a well-known feature for Asteraceae plastomes. We also show that genome size, gene order and gene content are highly conserved along the family. However, species representative of the basal subfamily Barnadesioideae -as well as in the sister family Calyceraceae - are lacking the pseudogene rps19 located in one inverted repeat. The phylogenomic analysis conducted here, based on 63 protein-coding genes, 30 transfer RNA genes and 21 ribosomal RNA genes from 36 species of Asteraceae, are overall consistent with the general consensus for the family’s phylogeny, while resolving the position of tribe Senecioneae and revealing some incongruences at tribe level between reconstructions based on nuclear and plastid DNA data.

The verticals of 5G, such as the automotive, smart grid and smart cities sectors, will bring lots of new sensors and IoT devices requiring Internet connectivity. Most of these machine-type terminals will be sparsely distributed, covering a very large geographical area and, from time to time, will have to update their software, firmware and/or other relevant data. Given this situation, one viable solution to implement the “Over-the-Air” update of these IoT terminals can be with the aid of GEO satellite systems. However, due to the ultra-dense radio frequency reuse that contemporary High-Throughput Satellite (HTS) systems implement in the access link to serve the IoT terminals, the use of a time-packed Free Space Optical (FSO) link represents a practical solution to avoid the bottleneck that the satellite gateway experiences in the feeder link. The performance of both Detect-and-Forward and Decode-and-Forward relaying strategies are studied, assuming that the single-carrier M-PAM symbols that are transmitted on the optical feeder link are mapped into M-QAM symbols that modulate the multiple subcarriers of the OFDM-based radio access link. In addition, the benefits of encapsulating the NB-IoT frames into DVB-S2(X) satellite frames is also analyzed in detail. The effects of the impairments introduced in both optical feeder and radio access links are characterized in detail, and the end-to-end error correction capabilities of the Modulation and Coding Schemes (MCS) defined in the contemporary releases of the NB-IoT and DVB-S2(X) standards are studied for different working regimes.

The paper analyses how between 1956 and 2009 the agrarian metabolism of the Barcelona Metropolitan Region (BMR) has become less functional, losing circularity in biomass flows and in relationship to its landscape. We do so by adopting a Multi-EROI and flow-fund (MuSIASEM) analyses and its nexus with landscape functional structure. The study of agricultural flows of Final Produce, Biomass Reused and External Inputs is integrated with that of land use, livestock, power capacity and population changes between 1956 (at the beginning of the Green Revolution) and 2009 (fully industrialized agriculture). A multi-scale analysis is conducted at the landscape scale (seven districts within the Barcelona metropolitan region) as well as for the functions deployed, within an agroecosystem, by the mutual interactions between its funds (land-uses, livestock and farming population). A complex nexus between land, livestock, dietary patterns and energy needs is shown; we conclude that from the perspective of the circular bioeconomy the agrarian sector has gone worse hand in hand with the landscape functional structure. Therefore, a novel perspective in landscape agroecology is opened

We classify all the topologically non-equivalent phase portraits of the quadratic polynomial differential system dx/dt = (1-2x)(y-x), dy/dt =y (2-g y-(5g-4)x/(g-1)), in the Poincaré disc for all the values of the parameter g in R\{1}. The differential system dx/dt = y-x, dy/dt =y (2-g y-(5g-4)x/(g-1))/(1-2x), when the parameter g in (1,2] models the structure equations of a static star in general relativity in the case of the existence of a homologous family of solutions, being x = m(r)/r where m(r)>= 0 is the mass inside the sphere of radius r of the star, y = 4pi r^2 rho where rho is the density of the star, and t = ln (r/R) where R is the radius of the star. We classify the possible values of m(r)/r and 4pi r^2 rho when r-->0.

Molecules sourced from marine environments hold immense promise for the development of novel therapeutic drugs, owing to their distinctive chemical compositions and valuable medicinal attributes. Notably, Talarolide A and Talaropeptides A-D have gained recent attention as potential candidates for pharmaceutical applications. This study aims to explore the chemical reactivity of Talarolide A and Talaropeptides A-D through the application of molecular modeling and computational chemistry techniques, specifically employing Conceptual Density Functional Theory (CDFT). By investigating their chemical behaviors, the study seeks to contribute to the understanding of the potential pharmacological uses of these marine-derived compounds. The investigation involves the utilization of molecular modeling and computational chemistry tools, with a specific focus on Conceptual DFT. These techniques are applied to examine the chemical reactivity of Talarolide A and Talaropeptides A-D, shedding light on their potential for interacting with various biological targets. The research reveals insights into the chemical reactivity of Talarolide A and Talaropeptides A-D, uncovering active reaction sites and potential biological targets. Talarolide A demonstrates robust anti-inflammatory properties and antitumor activity against diverse cancer cell lines, while Talaropeptide A displays antimicrobial efficacy against both bacteria and fungi. The study underscores the significance of comprehending the chemical reactivity of natural marine products for advancing pharmaceutical development. By employing computational tools such as Conceptual DFT, this research uncovers crucial information about the active sites and potential targets of Talarolide A and Talaropeptides A-D. The findings contribute to the broader understanding of marine-derived peptides and their prospects as pharmaceutical agents, though further investigations are necessary to fully elucidate their pharmacological attributes.

Three-quarters of a million babies are born extremely preterm (< 28 weeks’ gestation) world-wide with devastating outcomes: 20% die in the newborn period, a further 35% develop bronchopul-monary dysplasia (BPD) and 10% suffer from cerebral palsy. Pioglitazone, a Peroxisome Proliferator Activated Receptor Gamma (PPARγ) agonist, may reduce the incidence of BPD and improve neurodevelopment in extreme preterm babies. Pioglitazone exerts an anti-inflammatory action mediated through Nuclear Factor-kappa B repression. PPARγ signalling is underactive in preterm babies as adiponectin remains low during the neonatal pe-riod. In newborn animal models, pioglitazone is shown to be protective against BPD, necrotising en-terocolitis, and lipopolysaccharide-induced brain injury. Single Nucleotide Polymorphisms of PPARγ are associated with inhibited preterm brain development and impaired neurodevelop-ment. Pioglitazone was well tolerated by the foetus in reproductive toxicology experiments. Bladder cancer, bone fractures, and macular oedema seen rarely in adults may be avoided with a short treatment course. Other effects of pioglitazone including improved glycaemic control and lipid metabolism may provide added benefit in prematurity. Currently, there is no formulation of pioglitazone suited for administration to preterm babies A liquid formulation of pioglitazone needs to be developed before clinical trials. The potential benefits are likely to outweigh any anticipated safety concerns.

.Background: Clostridioides difficile infections (CDI) vary in severity from mild diarrhea to life-threatening conditions like pseudomembranous colitis or toxic megacolon, often leading to sepsis and death. The COVID-19 pandemic prompted changes in healthcare practices, potentially affecting CDI incidence, though reported data are inconclusive. We studied factors influencing CDI incidence and outcomes at a university hospital throughout the COVID-19 pandemic years. Methods: We conducted a retrospective study on all adult hospitalized CDI cases from January 1, 2020, to December 31, 2022. We collected demographic information, comorbid conditions, and concurrent infections. Results: While overall CDI and COVID-19 rates decreased in 2022, a nota-ble increase in CDI infections was observed among oncological patients and those undergoing some aggressive treatments, such as colon or gastroscopies. The prevalence of comorbidities remained unmodified, and there were declines in prior gastrointestinal surgeries and proton pump inhibitor prescriptions. Factors associated with patient fatality or prolonged hospitaliza-tion included older age, cancer, chronic kidney disease, higher Charlson and McCabe indices, elevated C-reactive protein, and low albumin concentrations. Conclusion: Our study shows the evolving landscape of CDI during the COVID-19 pandemic and emphasizes the impact of de-layed diagnoses and treatments exacerbated by telemedicine adoption. Identified risk factors for CDI-related mortality or prolonged hospital stays underscore the importance of targeted inter-ventions in high-risk populations.

The influence of the hot isostatic pressing (HIP) post-processing step on structural and phase changes, porosity healing and mechanical strength in a powder metallurgy Ti35Nb2Sn alloy was studied. Powders were pressed at room temperature at 750 MPa, and then sintered at 1,350°C in a vacuum for 3 h. The standard HIP process at 1,200°C and 150 MPa for 3 h was performed to study its effect on a Ti35Nb2Sn powder metallurgy alloy. The influence of the HIP process and cold rate on density, microstructure, the quantity of interstitial elements, mechanical strength and Young's modulus was investigated. HIP post-processing for 2 h at 1,200°C and 150 MPa led to greater porosity reduction and a marked retention of the β phase at room temperature. The slow cooling rate during the HIP process affected phase stability, with a large amount of α”-phase precipitate, which decreased the titanium alloy’s yield strength.

The prevalence of back pain (BP) among children and adolescents has increased over recent years. Some authors advocate promoting back-health education in the school setting. It is therefore important to adopt a uniform suite of assessment instruments to measure the various constructs. The present study aimed to perform a cultural adaptation of a validated measurement instrument (BackPEI), beginning with a translation and cultural adaptation phase, followed by a second phase to test reliability using a test-retest design. The translation and cross-cultural adaptation were performed based on the guidelines. Reliability was tested by applying the questionnaire to 224 secondary school students, at two different times with a 7-day interval between the tests. In general, the Spanish version presented adequate agreement for questions 1–20, with only question 9 achieving a low Kappa range of .312 [-.152- .189]. The question about pain intensity did not show differences between the averages for the test (4.72 ± 2.33) and re-test (4.58 ± 2.37) (p = .333), and the responses for these two tests were highly correlated (ICC= .951 [.928- .966]; p= .0001). Psychometric testing indicated that the Spanish version of the BackPEI is well-adapted and reliable, based on the test-retest design, providing similar results to the original Brazilian version.

The performance of Integrated Multisatellite Retrievals for GPM (V06B-IMERG) is evaluated at subdaily and daily scale using 10 years of heavy precipitation over a region in the Western Med-iterranean for different temporal aggregations with a dense network of rain gauges. On a half-hourly scale, the contribution of passive microwave (PMW) and infrared (IR) sources in the satellite estimates was considered, as well as the relation of various microphysical properties of cloud tops using Cloud Microphysics (CMIC- NWC SAF) data. IMERG shows a marked tendency to underestimate precipitation compared to rain gauges as the rainfall intensity threshold and temporal resolution increases. Results indicate that the negative bias is weaker when retrievals are due to PMW data. On the other hand, the benefits of filling the PMW gaps of IMERG by including IR information come at the expense of increasing the bias. IMERG performs dramatically better in the presence of precipitating ice clouds compared to warm and mixed phase clouds, which seems to be related with microphysical properties such as cloud optical thickness and cloud top effective radius. This work contributes to the understanding of the factors affecting satellite estimates of extreme precipitation and their relationship with the microphysical characteristics of clouds, which generates added value for further downstream applications and users’ decision making.

Introduction: In an era of increasing public awareness regarding the pivotal role of nutrition in the onset and progression of chronic degenerative diseases, there is a growing demand for information and assistance pertaining to the intricate relationship between diet and disease. Nutritional practices, therefore, emerge as a fundamental element in the prevention and management of these maladies, necessitating a proactive response from healthcare professionals (HCP). This study sought to evaluate the impact of participation in a Culinary Medicine (CM) program on Mediterranean diet adherence, food management skills, culinary proficiency, and counseling confidence among HCP. Methods: A mixed-methods pilot implementation program (PIP) was meticulously designed and executed, engaging a cohort of 20 HCP recruited from Hospital Clinic Barcelona. The program unfolded at the Alícia Foundation kitchen-lab and encompassed a series of interactive, hands-on sessions that delved into the realms of gastronomy, food management, culinary skills, and culinary diet therapy, with a specific focus on prevalent diseases and their prevention, treatment, and care. Tailored questionnaires were administered to all participants both before and after the PIP. Results: Of the 20 participants, 14 successfully completed the study, comprising 86% women, 86% aged above 40, 71% nurses, and 7% medical doctors. Interestingly, 86% of the participants had previously received nutrition training, whereas only 14% had received culinary training. Following the completion of the program, there was a remarkable improvement in adherence to the Mediterranean diet (p < 0.01). However, no statistically significant improvements were observed in food management and culinary skills or counseling confidence (p > 0.5). Despite the absence of statistical significance, there was a noteworthy trend towards greater advocacy for dietary changes before resorting to medication, along with enhanced confidence in providing nutritional and culinary guidance to patients. Conclusion: The findings from this study underscore the potential of hands-on CM training as a vital component of nutrition education for HCP. While statistically significant improvements in certain domains were not observed, the program did demonstrate its ability to influence attitudes, knowledge, and behaviors related to healthy cooking and eating for both HCP themselves and their patients. Given these promising trends, future studies with a larger sample size must be performed to further elucidate the impact of CM training on HCP and its potential benefits for public health.

We investigated how Artificial Intelligence (AI) reveals factors shaping COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy among healthcare providers by examining their open-text comments. We conducted a longitudinal survey starting in spring of 2020 with 38,788 current and former female nurses in three national cohorts to assess how the pandemic has affected their livelihood. In January and March-April 2021 surveys, participants were invited to contribute open-text comments and answer specific questions about COVID-19 vaccine uptake. A closed-ended question in the survey identified vaccine-hesitant (VH) participants who either had no intention or were unsure of receiving a COVID-19 vaccine. We collected 1,970 comments from VH participants and trained two Machine Learning (ML) algorithms to identify behavioral factors related to VH. The first predictive model classified each comment into one of three Health Belief Model (HBM) constructs (barriers, severity, and susceptibility) related to adopting disease prevention activities. The second predictive model used the words in January comments to predict the vaccine status of VH in March-April 2021; vaccine status was correctly predicted 89% of the time. Our results showed that 35% of VH participants cited barriers, 17% severity, and 7% susceptibility to receiving a COVID-19 vaccine. Out of the HBM constructs, the VH participants citing a barrier, such as allergic reactions and side effects, had the most associated change in vaccine status from VH to later receiving a vaccine.

There is consensus over the fact that urban green areas contribute to the quality of life of their inhabitants. So, efficient city management must assess whether the population has access to green areas and their quality in relation to vegetation, facilities or furnishings, for example. Therefore, the objective set is to establish the environmental justice of urban parks in Tarragona (Spain) by developing a Park Quality Index (PQI) and the sociodemographic characteristics (level of studies, Human Development Index [HDI], home sale and rental prices) of the population living within 300 metres of a park. To prepare this, a GIS-integrated Multi-Criteria Evaluation (MCE) has been produced. The results show that the green areas have low accessibility and availability and that most parks obtain an average-low PQI, with the best- valued aspect being the vegetation and the worst the facilities. As for the degree of environmental justice, a casual relationship emerges between the PQI and the indicators used. The average value of the home sale prices is the one that shows the greatest correlation. These results can be used together with participatory procedures as a basis for identifying places with greater inequality, and for selecting the more effective actions that enable increasing environmental justice with respect to green areas.

The aim of the study was to identify factors associated with non-adherence to tuberculosis (TB) preventive treatment among contacts with latent TB infection of new cases of pulmonary TB cases reported in Catalonia in 2019-2021. All contacts aged 18 years or older with a latent TB infection who received a TB preventive treatment were included in the study. The Chi square test and the odds ratios (OR) were used to assess the association between non-adherence to TB preventive treatment and the study variables, considering a p < 0.05 as statistically significant. Multiple logistic regression analysis was used to detect the in-dependent factors associated with TB preventive treatment non-adherence, considering a p < 0.05 as statistically significant. The percentage of non-adherence to TB preventive treatment found in this study was 23.7%. A multivariable logistic regression analysis determined that the following factors were significantly associated with TB preventive treatment non-adherence among adult contacts: “exposure at school or workplace” (aOR = 3.34), “exposure to an index case without laboratory confirmation of TB” (aOR = 2.07), “immigrant contact” (aOR = 1.81), “male gender” (aOR = 1.75) and “exposure duration <6 hours per week or sporadic exposure” (aOR = 1.60). By contrast, the factor “short-term TB preventive treatment regimen” (aOR = 0.38) was significantly associated with a lower treatment non-adherence. Adherence to TB preventive treatment should be improved among adult contacts of TB pulmonary cases with latent TB infection by recommending short-term treatment regimens and by developing health education activities, with a greater focus on contacts with factors associated with treatment non-adherence.

This work presents a new discussion about the vibrational properties of the carbonate ion displayed in several different environments, not only the microparameters introduced by cation substitution and different crystal lattices but also the crystal aggregation, showing how their active Raman modes are affected by these changes by using data obtained with four different laser excitation sources. New Raman spectra excited at 1064 nm are reported for calcite, aragonite, and dolomite groups, also including magnesite, witherite, rhodochrosite, siderite, malachite and azurite. These new data contribute to the discussion and understanding of these materials and their spectra, bringing new observations based on the Raman modes, focusing on the internal symmetrical and asymmetrical stretching and bending modes of the carbonate ion, highlighting the differences observed in the relative intensity and width of the bands. The results indicate some evidence of the influence of the crystal habit and/or the growth of the mineral itself in the Raman spectrum. In addition, the data show the influence of the cation substitution upon the Raman band width and that small cations contribute to less rigid crystalline structures and, consequently, larger Raman bandwidths.

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

Post-viral fatigue syndrome (PVFS) encompasses a wide range of complex neuroimmune disorders of unknown cause characterized by disabling post-exertional fatigue, myalgia and joint pain, cognitive impairments, unrefreshing sleep, autonomic dysfunction, and neuropsychiatric symptoms. It includes myalgic encephalomyelitis, also known as chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS), fibromyalgia (FM), and more recently post-COVID-19 condition (Long COVID). To date, there are no definitive clinical case criteria and no FDA-approved pharmacological therapies for PVFS. Given the current lack of effective treatments, there is a need to develop novel therapeutic strategies for these disorders. Mitochondria, the cellular organelles responsible for tissue energy production, have recently garnered attention in research into PVFS due to their crucial role in cellular bioenergetic metabolism in these conditions. Accumulating literature has identified a link between mitochondrial dysfunction and low-grade systemic inflammation in ME/CFS, FM, and Long COVID. To address this issue, this article aimed to critically review the evidence relating to mitochondrial dysfunction in the pathogenesis of these disorders; in particular, to evaluate the effectiveness of coenzyme Q10 supplementation on chronic fatigue and pain symptoms as a novel therapeutic strategy for the treatment of PVFS.

In relation to organizational performance measurement, there is a growing concern about the creation of value for people, society and the environment. The traditional corporate reporting does not adequately satisfy the information needs of stakeholders for assessing an organization’s past and future potential performance. Practitioners and scholars have developed new non-financial reporting frameworks from a social and environmental perspective, giving birth to the field of Integrated Reporting (IR). The Economy for the Common Good (ECG) model and its tools to facilitate sustainability management and reporting can provide a framework to do it. The present study is the first one that empirically validates such metrics on a sample of 206 European firms. Consequently, it allows knowledge to advance as it checks their statistical validity and reliability.

In this work we present some driving strategies for a type of omnidirectional mobile robot, the offset-differential robot. This system presents omnidirectionality while using any type of standard wheels, allowing for applications in all terrain. The work is based on the full kinematic and dynamic analysis of the robot, including the passive elements, to explain some unexpected behaviors that appear during its motion. The stable and unstable behaviors are characterized and some driving strategies are stated in order to achieve the desired performance regarding precise positioning and speed.

Enzymes are in high demand for very diverse biotechnological applications. However, natural biocatalysts often need to be engineered for fine-tuning their properties towards the end applications, such as the activity, selectivity, stability to temperature or co-solvents, and solubility. Computational methods are increasingly used in this task, providing predictions that narrow down the space of possible mutations significantly and can enormously reduce the experimental burden. Many computational tools are available as web-based platforms, making them accessible to non-expert users. These platforms are typically user-friendly, contain walk-throughs, and do not require deep expertise and installations. Here we describe some of the most recent outstanding web-tools for enzyme engineering and formulate future perspectives in this field.

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

Recognizing the critical impact of environmental factors on individuals, this study explores the relationship between environmental indoor pollutants (PM1, PM2.5, PM10, and CO₂) and students' basic emotional responses based on Ekman’s categorization. Conducted in a secondary school in Spain, it integrates IoT and image processing technologies to monitor air quality and emotions in real-time. Participants included 76 secondary school students and three teachers, with data collected over two months. The results showed significant correlations between PM levels and negative emotions such as anger and disgust, while CO₂ levels were associated with both negative and positive emotions, including happiness. Regression models demonstrated that environmental variables significantly predict basic emotions, highlighting the influence of indoor air quality. These findings emphasize the need for proactive air quality management in educational settings to enhance learning environments and support students' emotional well-being.

Energy transitions are reshaping the global energy system. Such shift has taken the power system to become a critical infrastructure for achieving economic development of every nation in the planet, therefore, guaranteeing its security is crucial, not only for energy purposes but as a part of a national security strategy. This paper presents a multi-dimensional index developed to assess energy security of electrical systems in the long term. This tool, named Power System Security Index (PSIx), and which has been previously used for the evaluation of a country in two different time frames, is applied to evaluate the member countries of the Latin American Energy Organization, located within the Latin America and the Caribbean region, in order to measure their performance on energy security. Mixed results were obtained from the analysis, with clear top performers in the region such as Argentina, while there are others with broad areas of opportunity, as it is the case of Haiti.

This paper presents a script that classify spatial patterns of residential urban growth using a morpho-structural approach. The script performs a combination of variography analysis and morphological closings over buildings possessing a residential function in 2002 and 2017 within a region located in southern France named Centre-Var. The different bounding regions then allow classifying new residential buildings into different categories according to their degrees of clustering/scattering and to their locations regarding existing urban areas. Preliminary results show that this protocol is able to provide useful insights regarding the degree of contribution of each new residential building to different patterns of urban growth (clustered infill, scattered infill, clustered edge-expansion, scattered edge-expansion, clustered leapfrog and scattered leapfrog). Open-access to the script and to the test region data is provided.

Stellatolides are natural compounds that have shown promising biological activities, including antitumor, antimicrobial, and anti-inflammatory properties, making them potential candidates for drug development. Chemical Reactivity Theory (CRT) is a branch of chemistry that explains and predicts the behavior of chemical reactions based on the electronic structure of molecules. Conceptual Density Functional Theory (CDFT) and Computational Peptidology (CP) are computational approaches used to study the behavior of atoms, molecules, and peptides. In this study, we present the results of our investigation of the chemical reactivity and ADMET properties of Stellatolides A-H using a novel computational approach called Conceptual DFT-based Computational Peptidology (CDFT-CP). Our study uses CDFT and CP to predict the reactivity and stability of molecules and to understand the behavior of peptides at the molecular level. We also predict the ADMET properties of the Stellatolides A-H to provide insight into their effectiveness, potential side effects, and optimal dosage and route of administration. This study sheds light on the potential of Stellatolides A-H as promising candidates for drug development and highlights the potential of CDFT-CP for the study of other natural compounds and peptides.

The purpose of this study was to present the challenges faced when implementing a diet and exercise intervention for low-income older Hispanics with type 2 diabetes with an observational study of recruitment, attendance, and characteristics of Hispanic adults with type 2 diabetes in a community congregate meal site pre and post administration of a diet and exercise intervention. This report evaluates retentions and diabetes self-management beliefs Hispanic adults ≥60 years with type 2 diabetes (n=17) at baseline, and completion of the six-month intervention in terms of the Health Belief Model. There was limited interest in controlling diabetes with diet and exercise. Major barriers included lack of perceived vulnerability to diabetes complications and a belief that medication alone is sufficient to stabilize blood glucose. Environmental barriers included lack of transportation, access to exercise groups, access grocery stores, and limited ability to pay for healthy foods. A lesson learned from this intervention was that the diet and exercise intervention given was insufficient as a cue to action for this population interventions to engage low-income, older Hispanics with diabetes in diet and exercise need to consider strategies to overcome barriers such as health beliefs, transportation issues, lack of access to nutritious food and group exercise classes.

Mountain systems within the Mediterranean region, e.g. the Pyrenees, are very sensitive to climate change. In the present study, we quantified the magnitude of extreme precipitation events and the number of days with torrential precipitation (daily precipitation ≥ 100 mm) in all the rain gauges available in the Pyrenees for the 1981-2015 period, analyzing the contribution of the synoptic scale in this type of events. The easternmost (under the Mediterranean influence) and north-westernmost (under Atlantic influence) areas of the Pyrenees registered the highest number of torrential events. The heaviest events are expected in the eastern part, i.e. 400 mm day-1 for a return period of 200 years. Northerly advections over the Iberian Peninsula, which present a low zonal index, i.e. im-plying a stronger meridional component, give rise to torrential events over the western Pyrenees; and easterly advections favour extreme precipitation over the eastern Pyrenees. The air mass travels a long way, from the east coast of North America, bringing heavy rainfall to the western Pyrenees. In the case of the torrential events over the eastern Pyrenees, the air mass causing the events in these areas is very short and originates in the Mediterranean Basin. The NAO index has no influence upon the occurrence of torrential events in the Pyrenees, but these events are closely related to certain Mediterranean teleconnections such as the WeMO

Treatment with calcitriol, the hormonal form of vitamin D, has shown beneficial effects in ex-perimental models of acute lung injury. In this study we aimed to analyze the associations be-tween calcitriol supplementation and the risk of SARS-CoV2 infection or COVID-19 mortality. Individuals ≥18 years old living in Catalonia and supplemented with calcitriol from April 2019 to February 2020 were compared with propensity score matched controls. Outcome variables were SARS-CoV2 infection, severe COVID-19 and COVID-19 mortality. Associations between calcitriol supplementation and outcome variables were analyzed using multivariable Cox proportional regression. A total of 8076 patients were identified as being on calcitriol treatment. Advanced chronic kidney disease and hypoparathyroidism were the most frequent reasons for calcitriol supplementation in our population. Calcitriol use was associated with reduced risk of SARS-CoV2 infection (HR 0.78 [CI 95% 0.64-0.94], p=0.010), reduced risk of severe COVID-19 and reduced COVID-19 mortality (HR 0.57 (CI 95% 0.41-0.80), p=0.001) in patients with advanced chronic kidney disease. In addition, an inverse association between mean daily calcitriol dose and COVID-19 severity or mortality was observed in treated patients, independently of renal function. Our findings point out that patients with advanced chronic kidney disease could benefit from calcitriol supplementation during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Avian mutations in vaccine strains obtained from embryonated eggs could impair vaccine effec-tiveness. We performed a systematic review and meta-analysis of the adjusted relative vaccine effectiveness (arVE) of seed cell-cultured influenza vaccines (ccIV) compared to egg-based influ-enza vaccines (eIV) in preventing laboratory-confirmed influenza related outcomes (IRO) or IRO by clinical codes, in subjects 18 and over. We completed the literature search in January 2021; ap-plied exclusion criteria, evaluated risk of bias of the evidence, and performed heterogeneity, pub-lication bias, qualitative, quantitative and sensitivity analyses. All estimates were computed us-ing a random approach. International Prospective Register of Systematic Reviews, CRD42021228290. We identified 12 publications that reported 26 adjusted arVE results. Five publications reported 13 laboratory confirmed arVE and seven reported 13 code-ascertained arVE. Nine publications with 22 results were at low risk of bias. Heterogeneity was explained by season and risk of bias. We found a significant 11% (8 to 14%) adjusted arVE favoring ccIV in preventing any IRO in the 2017-2018 influenza season. The arVE was 3% (-01 to 7%) in the 2018-2019 influenza season. We found moderate evidence of a significant advantage of the ccIV in preventing IRO, compared to eIV, in a well-matched A(H3N2) predominant season.

Aggregative multicellularity occurs when dispersed cells join together to form a highly cooperative unit, in contrast to clonal multicellular organisms formed by cells that remain in contact after descent from a single cell. Because aggregative groups may include non-relatives, aggregative multicellular organisms should be particularly vulnerable to the rise of cheater cells that take advantage of social goods without paying the costs, reducing cooperation, and even threatening extinction. We review the key mechanisms by which aggregative multicellular organisms control cheaters with a focus on the best studied aggregative organisms, Myxococcus xanthus and Dictyostelium discoideum. These include various passive and active mechanisms to maintain high relatedness within aggregates, to enforce cooperation on aggregate members, and the costs of cheating on other key functions. Ultimately, aggregative multicellular organisms are not that different from clonal organisms descended from a single cell.

Objective: This study assessed hearing aid benefits for people with a normal audiogram but hearing-in-noise problems in everyday listening situations. Design: Exploratory double-blinded case control study whereby participants completed retrospective questionnaires, ecological momentary assessments, speech-in-noise testing, and mental effort testing with and without hearing aids. Twenty-seven adults reporting speech-in-noise problems but normal air-conduction pure-tone audiometry took part in the study. They were randomly separated into an experimental group who trialled mild-gain hearing aids with advanced directional processing and a control group fitted with hearing aids with no gain or directionality. Results: Self-reports showed mild-gain hearing aids reduce hearing-in-noise difficulties and provide a better hearing experience (i.e., improved understanding, participation, and mood). Despite the self-reported benefits, the laboratory tests did not reveal a benefit from the mild-gain hearing aids, with no group differences on speech-in-noise tests or mental effort measures. Further, participants found the elevated cost of hearing aids to be a barrier for their adoption. Conclusions: Hearing aids benefit the listening experience in some listening situations for people with normal audiogram who report hearing difficulties in noise. Decreasing the price of hearing aids may lead to greater accessibility to those seeking remediation for their communication needs.

(1) Background Diabetic Retinopathy (DR) is the primary cause of poor vision in young adults. Screening for DR is important but many patients do not attend; (2) Methods: We validated an algorithm for predicting DR and its progression by conducting a retrospective study of 11 children in a population of 120,389 T2DM (3) Results: By applying the algorithm to the population showed an AUC of 0.93 (95% CI, 0.92–0.94) for any-DR and 0.90 (95% CI, 0.89–0.91) for referable-DR(4) Conclusions: The algorithm is useful for predicting patients who could develop referable forms of DR and also for any-DR. This would allow a personalized screening plan to be drawn up for each patient.

Atherosclerosis (ATH) and Coronary Artery Disease (CAD) are chronic inflammatory diseases with an important genetic background which derive from the cumulative effect of multiple common risk alleles, most of them located in genomic non-coding regions. These complex diseases behave as non-linear dynamical systems that show a high dependence on their initial conditions, so that long-term predictions of disease progression are unreliable. One likely possibility is that the non-linear nature of ATH could be dependent on non-linear correlations in the structure of the human genome. In this review we show how Chaos theory analysis highlighted genomic regions that shared specific structural constraints that could have a role in ATH progression. These regions were shown to be enriched in repetitive sequences of the Alu family, genomic parasites which colonized the human genome, which show a particular secondary structure and have been involved in the regulation of gene expression. We also review the impact of Alu elements on the mechanisms that regulate gene expression, especially highlighting the molecular mechanisms by which the Alu elements could alter the inflammatory homeostasis. We devise especial attention to their relationship with the lncRNA ANRIL, the strongest risk factor for ATH, their role as miRNA sponges, and their ability to interfere with the regulatory circuitry of the NF-kB response. We aim to characterize ATH as a non-linear dynamic system in which small initial alterations in the expression of a number of repetitive elements are somehow amplified to reach phenotypic significance.

Microorganisms drive the biogeochemical cycles that link abiotic and biotic processes in the aqueous environment and are intricately associated with plastic debris. The detection of microplastics in water and sediment introduces new concerns as small particle size allows for yet unconsidered pathways for plastics in the food web and element cycles. In this review, we present current knowledge of microbe-plastic interactions and summarize the potential impact of biogeochemical processes on plastic distribution, cycling, transport, and sedimentation. We explore how microbe-plastic interactions influence the exposure of consumers to plastics and plastic degradation products. Key methods used to elucidate biofilm development, microbial biodegradation, and plastic detection in the aqueous environment are discussed. Finally, we comment on potential future questions and research directions needed to further define the role of microorganisms in the environmental fate of microplastics.

Global use of single-use non-biodegradable plastics, like bottles made of polyethylene tereph-thalate (PET), have contributed to catastrophic levels of plastic pollution. Fortunately, microbi-al communities are adapting to assimilate plastic waste. Previously, our work showed a full consortium of five bacteria capable of synergistically degrading PET. Using omics approaches we identified key genes implicated in PET degradation within the consortium’s pangenome and transcriptome. This analysis led to the discovery of a novel PETase, EstB, discovered to hydrolyze oligomer BHET, and polymer PET. Besides genes implicated in PET degradation, many other biodegradation genes were discovered. Over 200 plastic and plasticizer degrada-tion related genes were discovered through the Plastic Microbial Biodegradation Database (PMBD). Diverse carbon source utilization was observed by a microbial community-based as-say, which paired with an abundant number of plastic and plasticizer degrading enzymes in-dicates a promising possibility for mixed plastic degradation. Using RNAseq differential analysis, several genes were predicted to be involved in PET degradation including aldehyde dehydrogenases and several classes of hydrolases. Active transcription of PET monomer me-tabolism was also observed, including the generation of polyhydroxyalkanoate (PHA) bi-opolymers. These results present an exciting opportunity for the bio-recycling of mixed plastic waste with upcycling potential.

This paper presents a quantum formulation for classical abstract dynamical systems (ADS), defined by coupled sets of first order differential equations. They are referred as “abstract” because their dynamical variables can be of different interrelated nature, not necessarily corresponding to physics, such as populations, socioeconomic variables, behavioural variables, etc. A first order classical Hamiltonian in canonical moments can be derived for ADS by using Dirac’s dynamics for singular Hamiltonian systems. And also a corresponding first order Schrödinger equation (which involves the existence of a system Planck constant particular of each system) can be derived from this Hamiltonian. However, Bohm and Hiley’s reinterpretation of quantum mechanics produces no further information about the mathematical formulation of ADS. However, a second order classical Hamiltonian in canonical moments can be also derived for ADS, as well as a corresponding second order Schrödinger equation. In this case, Bohm and Hiley’s reinterpretation of quantum mechanics provides a quantum Hamiltonian that does provide the quantum formulation for ADS, which provides new quantum variables interrelated dynamically with the classical variables. An application case is presented: the one-dimensional autonomous system given by the logistic dynamics, where the differences between the classical and the quantum trajectories are highlighted.

Objectives: A wealth of literature has established risk factors for social isolation among older people, however much of this research has focused on community-dwelling populations. Relatively little is known about how risk of social isolation is experienced among those living in long-term care (LTC) homes. We conducted a scoping review to identify possible risk factors for social isolation among older adults living in LTC homes. Methods: A systematic search of five online databases retrieved 1535 unique articles. Eight studies met the inclusion criteria. Results: Thematic analyses revealed that possible risk factors exist at three levels: individual (e.g., communication barriers), systems (e.g., location of LTC facility), and structural factors (e.g., discrimination). Discussion: Our review identified several risk factors for social isolation that have been previously documented in literature, in addition to several risks that may be unique to those living in LTC homes. Results highlight several scholarly and practical implications.

The ongoing SARS-CoV-2 pandemic has raised concerns surrounding immunological protection against the virus, particularly for people with inborn errors of immunity (IEI). While COVID-19 vaccination induces robust antibody, memory B-cell, and T-cell responses in healthy individuals, how well vaccination protects people with IEI against infection and severe disease remains unclear – especially in the context of new viral variants and vaccine formulations – leading to anxiety, ongoing self-isolation, and repeated vaccination with limited evidence of increased efficacy. Whilst most people with IEI generate some level of cellular and/or humoral immunity to COVID-19 vaccination, the level of protection and durability of the response are unclear. Alongside vaccination, antibody-based therapeutics are aimed at limiting infection and severe disease in this cohort. Immunoglobulin replacement therapy (IgRT) provides passive immunity in antibody-deficient individuals. However, to successfully prevent SARS-CoV-2 infection, a sufficient number of neutralizing antibodies must be present in product. While antibodies against circulating variants are eventually present in IgRT products (both from natural infection and vaccination of the donors), evidence of their capacity to recognize new variants is limited. Furthermore, while antibody-based pre- and post-exposure prophylaxis can be effective, they are susceptible to decreased efficacy in the context of variant evolution. This review provides an in-depth overview of current knowledge about COVID-19 vaccine efficacy in IEIs, the efficacy of SARS-CoV-2-specific antibody products, and knowledge and technological advances required for continued protection of people with IEI.

The Japanese city presents a certain number of peculiarities in the organization of its physical space (weak zoning regulations, fast piecemeal destruction/reconstruction of buildings and blocks, high compacity, incremental reorganization). Compared to countries where urban fabrics are more perennial and easily distinguishable (old centers, modern planned projects, residential areas, etc.), in Japanese metropolitan areas we often observe higher heterogeneity and more complex spatial patterns. Even within such a model, it should be possible to recognize the internal organization of the physical city. The aim of this paper is thus to study the spatial structure of the contemporary Japanese city, generalizing on the case study of Osaka and Kobe. In order to achieve this goal, we will need to identify urban forms at different local scales (building types, urban fabrics) and to analyze them at a wider scale to delineate morphological regions and their structuring of the overall layout of the contemporary Japanese city. Several analytical protocols are used together with field observations and literature. The results, and more particularly the building and urban fabrics types and their location within the Osaka-Kobe metropolitan area, are interpreted in the light of Japanese history and model of urbanization. A synoptic graphical model of an urban morphological structure based upon Osaka is produced and proposed as an interpretative pattern for the Japanese metropolitan city in general.

The MiniMovers (MM) APP combines motor development theory with creativity expertise and has been designed to provide parents with developmentally appropriate activities to support children’s motor skills. This study investigates how MiniMovers activities enabled parents to support their children’s physical development. Families participated in an 8-week MM programme of activities from the MM APP (Mini, Mighty and Mega levels), with pre- and post-intervention data collected. Mixed research methods were applied among children (N=8; aged 21-79 months) and their parents, providing quantitative analysis on children’s performance (running, throwing, jumping, kicking, balancing and catching), as well as qualitative analysis on parents’ attitude and behaviour (co-activity questionnaire, two-weekly feedback surveys and interviews). Kinematic data and kinetic data were captured using marker-based motion capture system and a force plate, respectively. For catching, children at Mighty and Mega levels were also tested using eye-tracking glasses. Videos were recorded for developmental stage evaluation. The results showed that five children improved across different ages, with two children improving in almost all tasks, and three children who had more tasks that improved than did not. Parents reported increased levels of co-activity, increased children’s enjoyment, independence, and confidence. This pilot study provides support for the research and development of MM App and suggests a need for more research into the use of APPs to support in home activities among families with young children.

Primary cutaneous B-cell lymphomas (PCBCLs) are B-cell lymphomas that can occur in the skin without evidence of extracutaneous involvement. The 2005 WHO/EORTC classification of cutaneous lymphomas and its 2018 update have distinguished three main categories based on clinicopathological, immunohistochemical and genetic characteristics: primary cutaneous marginal zone lymphoma (PCMZL), primary cutaneous follicle centre lymphoma (PCFCL), and primary cutaneous diffuse large B-cell lymphoma, leg type (PCDLBCL-LT). PCMZL and PCFCL are clinically indolent, while PCDLBCL-LT is an aggressive lymphoma. Due to its low incidence and lack of prospective studies, it is difficult to establish a standard treatment for each subgroup. The objective of our study was to describe the clinical and pathological characteristics of 103 patients with cutaneous B-cell lymphoma from 12 centres belonging to the Spanish Lymphoma Oncology Group. The median age was 53 years (40-65). According to skin extension, 62% had single site lymphoma, 17% had regional lymphoma and 20% had multifocal lymphoma. Histology: 66% had PCMZL, 26% had PCFCL, and 8% had PCDLBCL-LT. Twenty-three percent of the patients were treated exclusively with surgery, 26% with radiotherapy only, 21% with surgery plus radiotherapy, 10% with polychemotherapy, and 5% with rituximab monotherapy. Overall, 96% of patients achieved a complete response, and 44% subsequently relapsed, most of them relapsing either locally or regionally. The 10-year OS was 94.5% for the entire cohort, 98% for the PCMZL cohort, 95% for the PCFCL cohort and 85.7% for the PCDLBCL-LT cohort. Our data are comparable to those of other published series, except for the high frequency of PCMZL. The expected heterogeneity in therapeutic management has been observed.

The new SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus has brought with it an increase in the use of digital platforms and an exponential increase in the number of scientific papers worldwide. The purpose of this study is to show a global overview of the digital transformation from 1975 to the present (2021). The main collection of the Web of Science database was used to retrieve global scientific production on digital transformation. Bibliometric indicators of production, visibility, impact, and collaboration were analyzed to assess research progress on the topic. The results show that digital transformation is a construct of recent development, increasingly relevant and transdisciplinary, with a clear growth after the declaration of the global COVID-19 pandemic.

Therapeutic Drug Monitoring (TDM) is potentially a useful tool that can be employed to increase the efficacy and decrease the toxicity of antifungal drugs. The aim of this narrative review is to provide an overview of the current use of TDM in clinical practice, and to present the evidence available regarding its use in proactive clinical settings for preventing and managing treatment failure. This review also presents the existing evidence regarding the association of various clinical outcomes with specific thresholds of drug concentrations in everyday practice. Articles concerning the use of TDM of triazoles in the treatment of fungal infections were retrieved through an electronic search using PubMed. In clinical practice, TDM has an increasingly important role in the management of antifungal drugs as a consequence of the improvement in the knowledge of the pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics of these drugs. The currently available evidence shows a direct exposure-response relationship for triazoles, though the PK/PD profile is unpredictable. Current guidelines and treatment consensus statements recommend the proactive TDM of voriconazole, posaconazole, and itraconazole to optimize dosage regimens and improve outcomes for adult and pediatric patients.

Focused electron beam induced deposition is a versatile tool for the direct fabrication of complex-shaped nanostructures with unprecedented shape fidelity and resolution. While the technique is well-established for various materials, the direct electron beam writing of silver is still in its infancy. Here, five different silver carboxylates, three fluorinated: [Ag2(µ-O2CCF3)2], [Ag2(µ-O2CC2F5)2], [Ag2(µ-O2CC3F7)2] and two containing hydrogen: [Ag2(µ-O2CCMe2Et)2] and [Ag2(µ-O2CtBu)2] were examined and compared as potential precursors for focused electron beam induced deposition. All of the compounds show high sensitivity to electron dissociation and efficient dissociation of Ag-O bonds. The as-deposited materials showed high silver content from 42 at.% to above 70at.% and silver nano-crystal formation with impurities of carbon and fluorine incorporated between metal grains. A correlation of the number of carbon atoms in the precursor ligands and silver content of the deposited structures was found. The highest silver contents were achieved for compounds with the shortest CF chains. The deposited silver content depends on the balance of electron induced ligand co-deposition and thermal ligand desorption. Low electron flux is advantageous for high silver content. Our findings demonstrate that silver carboxylates constitute a promising group of precursors for focused electron beam nanoprinting of high silver content materials.

Early childhood is important for future cognitive and educational outcomes. Programs overcoming barriers to engagement in early education for Indigenous children must address family cultural needs and target developmental delays. This systematic review identifies culturally adapted programs to improve cognitive, emotional and developmental delays among young children, in response to an identified priority of a remote Indigenous community. Five databases (the Cochrane Library, Embase, Medline, Scopus and CINAHL) were searched for English language papers in January 2018. Study quality was assessed and findings analysed thematically. Findings were presented to the community at an event with key stakeholders, to determine their inclusion and face validity. Seven relevant studies, published between 1997-2013, were identified by the researchers and each study was supported by the community for inclusion. Two studies focused on Native American children and five studies included children from non-Indigenous disadvantaged backgrounds. Findings were reported narratively across four themes: Storytelling to improve educational outcomes; Family involvement improved development; Culturally adapted Cognitive Behavioral Therapy to reduce trauma; Rewards-based teaching to improve child attention. Limited published research on culturally adapted and safe interventions for children with cognitive, emotional and developmental delay exists but these four themes from seven studies identify useful components.

This paper aims to analyse the mechanical properties response of polylactic acid (PLA) parts manufactured through fused filament fabrication. The influence of six manufacturing factors (layer height, filament width, fill density, layer orientation, printing velocity, and infill pattern) on the flexural resistance of PLA specimens is studied through an L27 Taguchi experimental array. Different geometries have been tested on a four-point bending machine and on a rotating bending machine. From the first experimental phase, an optimal set of parameters deriving in the highest flexural resistance have been determined. Results show that layer orientation is the most influential parameter, followed by layer height, filament width, and printing velocity, whereas the fill density and infill pattern show no significant influence. Finally, the fatigue fracture behaviour is evaluated and compared with previous studies results, to present a comprehensive study of the mechanical properties of the material under different kind of solicitations.

The 3D/3D+ multidimensional geriatric assessment tool provides an optimal model of emergency care for patients aged 75 and over who attend the Emergency Department (ED). The baseline, or static, component (3D) stratifies the degree of frailty prior to the acute illness, while the current, or dynamic, component (3D+) assesses the multidimensional impact caused by the acute illness and helps to guide the choice of care facility for patients upon their discharge from the ED. The objective of this study was to evaluate the prognostic value of the 3D/3D+ to predict short- and long-term adverse outcomes in ED patients aged 75 years and older. Multivariable logistic regression models were used to identify the predictors of mortality 30 days after 3D/3D+ assessment. Two hundred and seventy-eight patients (59.7% women) with a median age of 86 years (interquartile range: 83-90) were analysed. According to the baseline component (3D), 83.1% (95%CI: 78.2-87.3) presented some degree of frailty. The current component (3D+) presented alterations in 60.1% (95%CI: 54.1-65.9). The choice of care facility at ED discharge indicated by the 3D/3D+ was considered appropriate in 96.4% (95%CI: 93.0-98.0). Thirty-day all-cause mortality was 19.4%. Delirium and functional decline were the dimensions on the 3D/3D+ that were independently associated with 30-day mortality. These two dimensions had an area under receiver operating characteristic of 0.80 (95%CI: 0.73-0.86) for predicting 30-day mortality. 3D/3D+ enhances the provision of comprehensive care by ED professionals, guides them in the choice of patients’ discharge destination, and has a prognostic validity that serves to establish future therapeutic objectives.

Plankton monitoring by microscopy offers long-term ecological perspective of plankton com-munities but different detection approaches are biased uniquely. Genetic identification of marine plankton has become standard but is still not used in routine monitoring. This study assessed the diversity of plankton taxa using 18S high throughput sequencing from 2011-2012 from small-volume (~200ml) samples from the Water and Microplankton Sampler (WaMS) deployed on the Continuous Plankton Recorder platform (CPR). The 18S-HTS survey revealed a bias towards heterotrophic taxa, and phototrophs under 10µm within the photosynthetic community. In comparison with phytoplankton microscopic counts from the CPR survey and Western Channel Observatory station L4, only 8-12 taxonomic families were common to all three surveys, with a bias towards larger diatoms and dinoflagellate taxa in microscopy surveys. The WaMS survey detected a contrasting but complementary taxa set to that of microscopic surveys. Additional Quantitative PCR was carried out on the picoeukaryotic pelagophyte, Aureococcus anophagefferens, and the nanoeukaryotic potential harmful algae, Pseudo-nitzschia delicatissima, from 2011-2013. This confirmed the persistence presence of A. anophagefferens in the Western Channel and an elevated abundance of both species in 2011. Species specific seasonality were distinct from those of aggregrate phytoplankton groups.

Neuromuscular adverse events following cancer treatment with anti-programmed cell death protein 1 (PD-1) monoclonal antibodies are relatively rare, yet potentially fatal. Using the PRISMA approach, we performed a systematic review to characterize the clinical presentation, diagnostic workup, and management of neuromuscular disorders (NMDs) in patients treated with nivolumab or pembrolizumab. Sixty-three publications on 85 patients (mean age 66,9 years (range 34–86); male/female 2.6:1; 59% metastatic melanoma) were identified from selected indexing databases until June 2018. Forty-eight patients had received nivolumab and 39 pembrolizumab. The mean number of PD-1 inhibitor treatment cycles prior to onset of symptoms was 3,6 (range 1–28). Symptoms included oculomotor (47%); respiratory (43%), bulbar (35%), and proximal weakness (35%); as well as muscle pain (28%). Diagnoses were categorized as myasthenia gravis (27%), neuropathy (23%), myopathy (34%) and a combination of these (16%). After critical review of the data, however, evidence did not support the stated NMD diagnosis in 13% of cases, while up to 14% of patients had signs of additional NMDs. PD-1 inhibitor associated myasthenia was associated with cardiac complications in almost 30% of patients and with a more rapid clinical progression compared with idiopathic myasthenia. Mortality was high despite adequate treatment strategies including corticosteroid, IV immunoglobulins and plasmapheresis. In conclusion, clinical presentation of NMDs associated with PD-1 inhibitors is often atypical, with significant overlap between myasthenia gravis and myopathy; and cardiac/respiratory complications are common, leading to more severe disease courses than idiopathic myasthenia.

The objective of this study was to evaluate the potential benefits of feeding spray-dried porcine plasma (SDPP) to pigs infected with African swine fever virus (ASFV). Two groups of twelve weaned pigs each were fed with CONVENTIONAL or 8% SDPP enriched diets. Two pigs (trojans)/group) were injected intramuscularly with the pandemic ASFV (Georgia 2007/01) and comingled with the rest of the pigs (1:5 trojan:naïve ratio) to simulate a natural route of transmission. Trojans developed ASF and died within the first week after inoculation but contact pigs did not develop ASF, viremia or seroconversion. Therefore, three more trojans per group were introduced to optimize the ASFV transmission (1:2 trojan:naïve ratio). Blood, nasal and rectal swabs were weekly harvested and at end of the study, ASFV-target organs collected. After the second exposure, rectal temperature of conventionally fed contact pigs increased >40.5˚C while fever was delayed in the SDPP contact pigs. Additionally, PCR Ct values in blood, secretions and tissue samples were significantly lower (P<0.05) for CONVENTIONAL compared to SDPP contact pigs. Under these study conditions, contact exposed pigs fed SDPP had delayed ASFV transmission and reduced virus load, likely by enhanced specific T-cell priming after the first ASFV-exposure.

Background: Whilst lack of concentration is a known symptom of anaemia, its association with post-stroke dementia is unclear. Methods: We used data from a UK regional stroke register. To be eligible, patient must have survived to discharge and had anaemia by WHO criteria. Dementia status and other prevalent co-morbidities were assessed using ICD-10 codes. Patients were followed till May 2015 (mean follow-up 3.7 years, total person years = 27,769). Hazard Ratio for incident dementia was calculated using Cox-proportional hazards model controlling for potential confounders. Fine and Gray model was additionally constructed using mortality as the competing risk. Results: A total of 7,454 stroke patients were included with mean age (SD) of 75.9(12.3) years (50.2% men). Those with anaemia were older, has higher disability and co-morbidity burden prior to stroke. We observed a large amount of variation in the dementia incidence rates over time and that the hazard ratio increased every year. The significant association between anaemia and dementia incidence was lost after controlling for pre-stroke Modified Rankin score (HR1.17(0.97,1.40)). With every 20g/dL increase in Hb was associated with a significant reduction in the risk of dementia after adjustment for age, sex, stroke factors and disability but lost significance after adjustment for vascular risk factors. Competing risk analyses showed similar results. Conclusion: Whilst we found no evidence of anaemia as a risk factor for post-stroke dementia, the findings may be limited by potential under recognition of post stroke dementia.

Waste glycerol can be subjected to various processing operations, including purification and re-fining, to obtain glycerol of appropriate purity. In addition, alternative methods of utilising waste glycerol are also being sought, e.g. by converting it into other valuable chemical products or biofuels. Therefore, various technologies are being developed to utilise this type of waste effectively and sustainably. The production of value-added products from waste glycerol is an important issue that determines the improvement of the economic viability of biofuel production and corresponds to the model of a waste-free and emission-free circular economy. This paper characterised the mechanisms and evaluated the efficiency of existing methods of microbiological utilisation of waste glycerol into liquid biofuels, including biodiesel, bioethanol and biobutanol, and identified further directions for the production of value-added products. In addition, a bibliographical analysis of publications re-lated to the production of liquid fuels and economically valuable products from glycerol was carried out, the progress of research and application work was assessed and directions for future research were identified.

Background: Whilst lack of concentration is a known symptom of anaemia, its association with post-stroke dementia is unclear. Methods: We used data from a UK regional stroke register. To be eligible, patient must have survived to discharge and had anaemia by WHO criteria. Dementia status and other prevalent co-morbidities were assessed using ICD-10 codes. Patients were followed till May 2015 (mean follow-up 3.7 years, total person years = 27,769). Hazard Ratio for incident dementia was calculated using Cox-proportional hazards model controlling for potential confounders. Fine and Gray model was additionally constructed using mortality as the competing risk. Results: A total of 7,454 stroke patients were included with mean age (SD) of 75.9(12.3) years (50.2% men). Those with anaemia were older, has higher disability and co-morbidity burden prior to stroke. We observed a large amount of variation in the dementia incidence rates over time and that the hazard ratio increased every year. The significant association between anaemia and dementia incidence was lost after controlling for pre-stroke Modified Rankin score (HR1.17(0.97,1.40)). With every 20g/dL increase in Hb was associated with a significant reduction in the risk of dementia after adjustment for age, sex, stroke factors and disability but lost significance after adjustment for vascular risk factors. Competing risk analyses showed similar results. Conclusion: Whilst we found no evidence of anaemia as a risk factor for post-stroke dementia, the findings may be limited by potential under recognition of post stroke dementia.

To compare concentrations of endogenous N-acylethanolamines (NAEs) lipid mediators pal-mitoylethanolamide (PEA), oleoylethanolamide (OEA), and anandamide (AEA) in fresh, decon-taminated, cryopreserved and freeze-dried amniotic membrane (AM) allografts. Thereby deter-mining whether AM's analgesic and anti-inflammatory efficiency related to NAEs persists during storage. The concentrations of NAEs were measured using ultra-high-performance liquid chro-matography-tandem mass spectrometry. Indirect fluorescent immunohistochemistry was used to detect the PEA PPARα receptor. The concentrations of PEA, OEA, and AEA were significantly higher after decontamination. A significant decrease was found in cryopreserved AM compared to decontaminated tissue for PEA but not for OEA and AEA. However, significantly higher val-ues for all NAEs were detected in cryopreserved samples compared to fresh tissue before decon-tamination. The freeze-dried AM had similar values to decontaminated AM with no statistically significant difference. The nuclear staining of PPARα receptor was clearly visible in all specimens. The stability of NAEs in AM after cryopreservation was demonstrated under tissue bank storage conditions. However, a significant decrease, but still higher concentration of PEA compared to fresh not decontaminated tissue was found in cryopreserved, but not frieze-dried AM. Results in-dicate that NAEs persist during storage in levels sufficient for the analgesic and anti-inflammatory effects of AM allografts.

Blood-based biomarkers are much-needed diagnostic and prognostic tools for ALS. Canine degenerative myelopathy (DM) is recognized animal disease model to study the biology of human ALS. Serum derived exosomes are potential carrier that transport intercellular hormone-like messengers, together with their stability as carrier of proteins and RNA, make them ideal as biomarkers for a variety of diseases and biological processes. We study exosomal TDP-43 pattern as a surrogate biomarker that reflects biochemical changes in central nervous system. We isolated exosomes from canine serum using commercial exosome isolation reagents. TDP-43 and SOD1 profile in spinal cord homogenate lysate and that of serum-derived exosomes were found elevated in dogs with DM. We conclude levels of spinal cord TDP-43 and serum-derived exomes were similar in TDP-43 profiling, which warrant further investigation of disease sensitivity and specificity for establishing as a blood-based biomarker in canine DM.

Background: The objective of the present study was to evaluate the formation of biofilm in bone patellar tendon bone grafts (BPTB grafts) and to compare it to the formation of biofilm formation in quadrupled hamstring anterior cruciate ligament grafts (4xHt graft). Methods: A descriptive in vitro study was conducted. One 4xHt graft and one BPTB graft were prepared. They were then contaminated with a strain of S. epidermidis. Later, a quantitative analysis was carried out by means of microcalorimetry and sonication with plating. Additionally, a qualitative analysis was carried out by means of electron microscopy. Results: No significant differences were found between the bacterial growth profiles of 4xHt graft and BPTB graft in microcalorimetry and colony counting. In the samples analyzed with electron microscopy, no specific biofilm growth pattern was identified upon comparing BPTB graft to 4xHt graft. Conclusions: There were no significant differences at either the quantitative or qualitative level when comparing bacterial growth in BPTB graft to that in 4xHt graft. Therefore, the presence of sutures in 4xHt graft cannot be established as a predisposing factor for increased biofilm growth in this in vitro study.

Mediterranean catchments are characterized by significant spatial and temporal hydrological variability caused by the interaction of natural as well human-induced abiotic and biotic factors. This study investigates the (non-)linearity rainfall-runoff relationship at multiple temporal scales in representative small Mediterranean catchments (i.e., < 10 km2) to achieve a better understanding of the hydrological response. Rainfall-runoff relationship was evaluated in 44 catchments at annual and event –203 events in 12 of these 44 catchments– scales. A linear rainfall-runoff relation was observed at annual scale with higher scatter in pervious than impervious catchments. Larger scattering was observed at event scale, although pervious lithology and agricultural land use promoted significant rainfall-runoff linear relations in winter and spring. These relationships were particularly analysed during five hydrological years in Es Fangar catchment (3.35 km2; Mallorca, Spain) as a temporal downscaling to assess intra-annual variability in which antecedent wetness conditions played a significant role in runoff generation.

This study investigates the impact of inoculating Torulaspora delbrueckii (Td) strains during the initial phase of Carbonic Maceration (CM) vinification, aiming to enhance the fermentative process and unique characteristics of CM wines. CM is a winemaking technique where whole bunches (without destemming and crushing) are enclosed in tanks filled with carbon dioxide, inducing intracellular fermentation. The study compares the effects of two Td strains on the MLF performance and sensory characteristics of CM wines, using both inoculated and spontaneous MLF strategies. Although general physicochemical parameters remained consistent across conditions, organoleptic attributes showed significant differences due to T. delbrueckii presence. T. delbrueckii introduction during CM resulted in wines with increased anthocyanin content and a particular volatile profile. Isoamyl acetate, a key aroma in CM wines, was notably elevated, especially in the TdP strain. Sensory evaluations also revealed distinctions, with TdV wines displaying more pronounced aromas of red fruit, banana, and grass. Regarding MLF, T. delbrueckii presence notably enhanced performance, particularly in spontaneous MLF cases, accelerating fermentation completion. Inoculating the Oenococcus oeni strain OoVP41 also shortened MLF duration. These findings highlight the potential of Td strains to improve MLF efficiency and sensory attributes in CM wines. Employing T. delbrueckii strains strategically enables winemakers to optimize MLF and improve sensory profiles, offering an opportunity to produce higher-quality CM wines.

Ctenophores are marine organisms attracting significant attention from evolutionary, molecular biology and ecological research. Here we describe an easy and affordable set-up to maintain a stable culture of the ctenophore Mnemiopsis leidyi. The challenging delicacy of the lobate ctenophores can be met by monitoring the water quality, providing the right nutrition, and adapting the handling and tank set-up to their fragile gelatinous body plan. Following this protocol allows stable laboratory lines, a continuous supply of embryos for molecular biological studies, and independence from population responses to environmental fluctuations.

Since its emergence in March 2020, the SARS-CoV-2 global pandemic has produced more than 65 million cases and one point five million deaths worldwide. Despite the enormous efforts carried out by the scientific community, no effective treatments have been developed to date. We created a novel computational pipeline aimed to speed up the process of repurposable candidate drug identification. Compared with current drug repurposing methodologies, our strategy is centered on filtering the best candidate among all selected targets focused on the introduction of a mathematical formalism motivated by recent advances in the fields of algebraic topology and topological data analysis (TDA). This formalism allows us to compare three-dimensional protein structures. Its use in conjunction with two in silico validation strategies (molecular docking and transcriptomic analyses) allowed us to identify a set of potential drug repurposing candidates targeting three viral proteins (3CL viral protease, NSP15 endoribonuclease, and NSP12 RNA-dependent RNA polymerase), which included rutin, dexamethasone, and vemurafenib among others. To our knowledge, it is the first time that a TDA based strategy has been used to compare a massive amount of protein structures with the final objective of performing drug repurposing

Solifenacin (SFC) is a potent muscarinic antagonist that effectively reduces bladder muscle contraction, thereby alleviating symptoms such as frequency of micturition and urgency. Oxidation of SFC leads to the formation of impurities like Impurity K. Effective analysis and control of this impurity is crucial for ensuring compliance with regulatory standards and safeguarding patient health. To address these challenges, we propose a novel one-step synthesis of Impurity K from SFC. Impurity K was synthesized using cerium ammonium (IV) nitrate (CAN) in water/acetonitrile as the solvent. Additionally, we describe a new HPLC-MS method for the detection of Impurity K in solifenacin succinate tablets.

In this study, we aimed to identify the features of indeterminate choroidal melanocytic lesions visualized on optical coherence tomography angiography (OCTA) and to identify predictors of growth. We retrospectively evaluated 86 patients with indeterminate lesions treated at our cen-tre from 2016 to 2021. Clinical management involved active surveillance followed by brachy-therapy if growth was detected. The lesions were classified into two groups according to wheth-er they grew (small melanomas) or remained stable (choroidal nevi). Growth was detected in 19 (22.1%) lesions. All patients underwent OCTA at baseline. These images were compared to iden-tify possible predictors of growth. Significant between-group differences were observed in thickness (p=0.00), greatest basal diameter (p=0.00), number of risk factors (p=0.00), symptoms (p=0.001; relative risk [RR]: 4.3), orange pigment (p=0.00; RR: 6.02), and ultrasonographic hol-lowness (Kappa sign); p=0.000; RR: 5.3). The melanomas had significantly more vessels with a diameter ≥ 76.3 µm (p=0.02; RR: 2.46). The time to growth in these lesions was significantly shorter (p=0.05) than in lesions with smaller vessels. These findings show that vessel diameter quantified by OCTA can differentiate between choroidal nevi and small melanomas, especially when considered together with clinical risk factors.

Patients with COPD have a higher prevalence of coronary ischemia and other factors that put them at risk for COVID-19-related complications. We aimed to explore the impact of COVID-19 in a large population-based sample of patients with COPD in Castilla-La Mancha, Spain. We analyzed clinical data in electronic health records from January 1st to May 10th, 2020 by using Natural Language Processing through the SAVANA Manager® clinical platform. Out of 31,633 COPD patients, 793 had a diagnosis of COVID-19. The proportion of patients with COVID-19 in the COPD population (2,51%; CI95% 2,33 – 2,68) was significantly higher than in the general population aged > 40 years (1,16%; 95%CI 1,14 – 1,18); P < .001. Compared with COPD-free individuals, COPD patients with COVID-19 showed significantly poorer disease prognosis, as evaluated by hospitalizations (31,1 % vs 39,8%: OR 1,57; 95%CI 1,14 – 1,18) and mortality (3,4% vs 9,3%: OR 2,93; 95%CI 2,27 – 3,79). Patients with COPD and COVID-19 were significantly older (75 vs. 66 years), predominantly male (83% vs 17%), smoked more frequently, and had more comorbidities than their non-COPD counterparts. Pneumonia was the most common diagnosis among COPD patients hospitalized due to COVID-19 (59%); 19% of patients showed pulmonary infiltrates suggestive of pneumonia and heart failure. Mortality in COPD patients with COVID-19 was associated with older age and prevalence of heart failure (P<0.05). COPD patients with COVID-19 showed higher rates of hospitalization and mortality, mainly associated with pneumonia. This clinical profile is different from exacerbations caused by other respiratory viruses in the winter season.

Objective To measure, exposure to PM2.5 particles in outdoor smoking areas and changes in breathing rates in patients with asthma or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Setting Sixty venues in Czechia, Ireland and Spain, in an open, non-randomised, clinical trial. Participants We studied 60 patients-30 asthma patients (Female 63.3%), with a mean age (+/-standard deviation [SD]) of 47.4 (19.0 SD), and 30 COPD patients (Female 51.6%), mean age 63.5 (10.1 SD), smokers, non-smokers or ex-smokers, recruited through medical clinics. Intervention Patients wore a PM2.5 particle monitor (AirSpeck), and a breath monitor (RESpeck) for 24 hours to determine changes in breathing rates (Br) at rest and during a visit to an outside smoking area. Spirometry and breath CO were measured before and the day after visiting an outdoor smoking area. Results PM2.5 levels in the 60 venues were highly variable, in 1 premises levels of PM2.5 were sustained for at least 15 minutes at ≥ 2,000 µg/m3, in 4 premises, ≥ 500 (range 1,933-539) µg/m3, in 8 premises, ≥ 200(range 480-203) µg/m3, in 9 premises, ≥ 100 (range 170-108) µg/m3, in 8 premises, ≥ 40 (range 80.5- 40.1) µg/m3, in 9 premises, ≥ 25 µg/m3, in 10 premises, ≥ 10 µg/m3, in 8 premises, and ≤10 µg/m3 in only 3 premises, with a single wall. The overall breathing rates/minute (Br)did not change significantly but in 28 patients mean Br increased from 21.47 (1.74 SD) to 22.8 (2.29 SD), change of -1.35 (-1.80-0.91 C.I), p value 0.00 and mean in 29 patients Br decreased from 21.95(2.43 SD) to 20.38(2.79 SD), 1.57(1.03-2.12 C.I), p value 0.00. Conclusion Exposure to high levels of PM2.5, and associated alteration of patients’ breathing rates occurred in outdoor smoking areas despite national comprehensive smokefree laws. These exposure levels support the abolition of such areas. (Words 295) ClinicalTrials.gov ID: NCT03074734 Ethics: Approval Number: Ref: 15-103

Ecuador is an important center of biodiversity of the plant family Amaryllidaceae, specially the subfamily Amaryllidoideae, known as a source of important bioactive molecules. The aim of this study was to assess the chemical and biological potential of four different species of Amaryllidoideae collected in Ecuador: Urceolina formosa, Urceolina ruthiana, Clinanthus incarnatus, and Stenomesson aurantiacum. Sixteen alkaloids were identified in the bulb extract of these species by GC-MS, which the extract of S. aurantiacum exhibiting the greatest structural diversity. The potential of these three genera against Alzheimer’s disease was evaluated by measuring their AChE and BuChE inhibitory activity, revealing that C. incarnatus and U. formosa (from Sucumbíos province) showed the best results with IC50 values of 1.73 ± 0.25 and 30.56 ± 1.56 g·ml-1, respectively. Molecular dynamic assays were conducted to elucidate the possible interactions that occurs among 2-hydroxyanhydrolycorine and AChE enzyme, suggesting some similarity with those observed for galanthamine. This study enhances our understanding of the biodiversity of Amaryllidoideae species from Ecuador, highlighting their potential as a source of chemical compounds with pharmaceutical potential.

Europium is the most-studied and least-well-understood rare earth ion (REI) dopant in GaN. While attempting to increase the efficiency of red GaN light-emitting diodes (LEDs) by implanting Eu⁺ into p-type GaN templates, the Strathclyde University group, in collaboration with IST Lisbon and Unipress Warsaw, discovered hysteretic photochromic switching (HPS) in the photoluminescence spectrum of doubly doped GaN(Mg):Eu. Our recent work, summarised in this contribution, has used time-, temperature- and light-induced changes in the Eu intra-4f shell emission spectrum to deduce the microscopic nature of the Mg-Eu defects that form in this material. As well as shedding light on the Mg acceptor in GaN, we propose a possible role for these emission centres in quantum information and computing.

Flushing tap water is often promoted as a simple and low cost approach to reducing water lead exposures. This study evaluated lead reduction when prevailing flush guidelines (30 seconds-2 minutes) are implemented in a city compliant with lead-associated water regulations (New Orleans, LA). Water samples (n=1,497) collected from a convenience sample of 376 residential sites (2015-2017) were analyzed for lead in samples collected: at 1) first draw (n=375), and after incremental flushes of 2) 30-45 seconds (n=375), 3) 2.5-3 minutes (n=373), and 4) 5.5-6 minutes (n=218). There was no significant reduction when compared to the first draw lead level, until the 6 minute flush (p<0.05); but most sites (52%) still had detectable lead (≥1 ppb) after 6 minutes. Older homes (pre-1950) and low occupancy sites had significantly higher WLLs (p<0.05).Each sample type had health-based standard exceedances at over 50% of sites sampled (max: 58 ppb). While flushing is an effective short-term approach to remediate high lead, prevailing flush recommendations are an inconsistently effective exposure prevention measure that can often inadvertently increase exposures. Public health messages should be modified to ensure appropriate application of flushing for specific cities, while acknowledging its short-comings and practical limitations.

The Olympic Games are a sporting event and a catalyst for urban development in the host city. In this study, we utilized remote sensing and GIS techniques to examine the impact of the Olympic infrastructure on the surface temperature of urban areas. Using Landsat Series Collection 2 Tier 1 Level 2 data, cloud computing, and Google Earth Engine (GEE) methods, this study examines the effects of various Olympic Games facility urban planning in different historical moments and location typologies: monocentric, polycentric, peripheric and clustered Olympic ring. The GEE code applies to the Olympic Games from Paris’24 to Munich’72. However, this paper focuses specifically on the representative cases of Paris’24, Tokyo’20, Rio’16, Beijing’08, Sydney’00, Barcelona’92, Seoul’88, and Montreal’76. The study is not only concerned with obtaining absolute Land Surface Temperatures (LST), but rather the relative influence of mega-event infrastructures on mitigating or increasing the urban heat. As such, locally Normalized Land Surface Temperature (NLST) was utilized for this purpose. In some cities (Paris, Tokyo, Beijing, and Barcelona), it is identified that Olympic planning has resulted in the development of green spaces, creating "green spots" that contribute to lower-than-average temperatures. However, it should be noted that there is a significant variation in temperature within intensely built-up areas, such as Olympic villages and the surrounding areas of the Olympic stadium, which can become “hotspots”. Therefore, it is important to acknowledge that different planning typologies of Olympic infrastructure can have varying impacts on city heat islands, with the polycentric and clustered Olympic ring typologies displaying a mitigating effect. This research contributes to a cloud computing method that can be updated for future Olympic Games or adapted for other mega-events and utilizes a widely available remote sensing data source to study a specific urban planning context.

1) Background: Traditionally, complex biological products such as vaccines presented unique challenges to implementation of even rudimentary characterization packages; thus, the product was defined almost exclusively by its manufacturing process. The advances in technology and analytical tools allowed the application of more comprehensive characterization packages for products such as adsorbed combination vaccines, which contain several antigens in a single formulation to protect against more than one disease, and may contain adjuvants and excipients. Aluminum phosphate (AlPO4) is a well-established adjuvant for enhancing the uptake of vaccines and to induce robust immunity against pathogens. During manufacturing, adjuvant is mixed with protein antigens which may in turn impact their higher order structure and stability. 2) Methods: To study the structural changes of protein antigens after adsorption several analytical tools including DLS, FTIR, Fluorescence, LD, and SEM were used. 3) Results: the AlPO4 adjuvant suspension consists of small submicron particles that form a continuous porous surface. Secondary structure alpha-helix and beta-sheet content of DT and TT increased after adsorption to AlPO4 adjuvant, whereas no significant changes were noted for other protein antigens. Interactions were noted between AlPO4 adjuvant and DT, TT, and FHA. 4) Conclusions: here we report for the first time the use of SEM for the visualization of adsorbed multivalent vaccine components. A unique signature profile detected for each multivalent vaccine by FTIR can be used as a lean in-process test to verify vaccine product composition and identity prior to filling.

Plankton monitoring by microscopy offers long-term ecological perspective of plankton communities but is biased towards those organisms that can be distinguished using the microscope. Genetic identification of marine plankton has become standard but is still not used. This study is a comprehensive study genetically measured taxa in the Western Channel of UK using a small-volume automated water sampler deployed on the CPR platform. The study present one year of high-throughput sequencing data focussing on smaller plankton and separate community to that measured by microscopy that can complement each other for a holistic view of plankton. Quantitative tests of two harmful algae show relatively high abundance of the Pelagophyte Aureococcus anophagefferens during 2011 with low nitrite levels. Three years of Pseudo-nitzschia delicatissima quantitative monitoring also shows a greater abundance of this potentially harmful taxa in 2011. Flow cytometry reveals distinct seasonal cycles with distinct timings.