Pasture-based production systems are predominant in major beef-producing countries, however, these systems lack validated protocols to assess animal welfare under commercial conditions. The objective of this study was to validate an animal welfare protocol for fattening Zebu cattle farms in tropical pasture systems. The initial protocol was developed with the participation of producers, professionals, the general public, and the Colombian health authority, through workshops with a participatory approach and collaborative knowledge management. The validation was carried out in 24 pasture-based commercial Zebu cattle farms in the middle Magdalena region of Colombia. Visits were made with an average duration of 2.5 hours, which included the evaluation of 788 fattening cattle. The protocol evaluated animal-based, resource-based, and livestock management indicators through a questionnaire-guided interview to evaluate cattle handling and health, animal-based measurements, and documentation management. A protocol validation process was carried out by selecting indicators that remained unchanged, adjusting those that were feasible to implement, and eliminating inadequate or unnecessary indicators. The application of the protocol demonstrated that there are valid and feasible measures to include in the evaluation protocols of pasture-based fattening systems. Likewise, the active participation of producers is crucial to achieving a greater commitment to the implementation of this protocol.

The literature on substance use usually extracts conclusions from data with correlational methods. Our study shows the usefulness of complementing ordered logistic regression (OLR) and fuzzy set qualitative comparative analysis (fsQCA) to assess factors inducing cannabis consumption in a sample of 1,935 teenagers. OLR showed a significant influence of gender (odd ratio (OR) =0.383, p<0.0001), parental monitoring (OR=0.587, p=0.0201); religiousness (OR=0.476, p=0.006); parental tolerance to substance use (OR=42.01, p<0.0001) and having close peers that consume substances (OR=5.60, p<0.0001). FsQCA has allowed fitting linkages between factors from a complementary perspective. (1) Coverage (cov) and consistency (cons) attained by solutions explaining use (cons=0.808, cov=0.357) are clearly lower than by recipes of non-use (cons=0.952, cov=0.869) (2) The interaction of gender, a tolerant family to use and the attitude toward substances by peers is very consistent to explain cannabis use. (3) The most important recipe explaining resistance to cannabis is simply parental disagreement with substance consumption (cons=0.956, cov=0.861) (4) Factors as gender, religiosity, parental monitoring and age show also a relevant impact on attitude toward cannabis use. However, whereas some of them impact symmetrically on use and non-use this does not follow in factors such as parental monitoring or age.

With an increasing demand for quality of care and lower costs, hospitals are looking for industry-based methods to improve efficiency in their processes. This study aims to reduce waste in a public hospital in Mexico by improving the medical supply process for the operating room. To this end, a lean healthcare (LH) implementation following the DMAIC approach (Define-Measure-Analyze-Improve-Control) is carried out. We analyze the value stream of the supply process, including main surgical procedures and their related medical supplies, and identify different causes of inefficiency, which are evaluated and controlled through different tools, including a value stream map, Kanban, and the 5S program. As a result, five types of waste were reduced. Over-processing requests were reduced by 15.3%, defective identification numbers were reduced by 46.5%, redundant processing was improved by 94.8%, near 2.8% of the unnecessary inventory was reduced, and transportation waste was reduced by up to 16.7%. Finally, the lead-time for the main supplies was reduced by 33 days. This work demonstrates that LH and DMAIC are effective in reducing waste and are highly conducive to improving sustainability in healthcare processes. Moreover, it provides practical insights for practitioners regarding the implementation of LH in public hospitals in developing countries.

first_pagesettingsOrder Article ReprintsOpen AccessArticleThe Carbon Footprint of Spanish University Websitesby Sonia Sanchez-Cuadrado ¹ andJorge Morato ^2,*1Department of Library and Information Science, Complutense University of Madrid, 28010 Madrid, Spain²Department of Computer Science, Carlos III University of Madrid, Leganes, 28911 Madrid, Spain^*Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.Sustainability 2024, 16(13), 5670; https://doi.org/10.3390/su16135670 (registering DOI)Submission received: 31 May 2024 / Revised: 22 June 2024 / Accepted: 23 June 2024 / Published: 3 July 2024(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainable Education in the Digital Society: Applying Communication Technologies and Digital Tools to Education) Downloadkeyboard_arrow_down Browse Figures Versions NotesAbstractThe consumption of digital content is essential for economic and scientific development, leading to a high dependence on information and communication technologies, which significantly impacts the environment. Quantifying this ecological impact is challenging due to its intangible nature and the diversity of factors. This research focuses on assessing the energy consumption and CO₂ production of Spanish university websites to evaluate their levels of digital pollution and environmental impact. The calculation of the carbon footprint considers factors related to energy consumption and the use of green or renewable energies. The findings indicate that only 17% of university websites can be considered environmentally friendly. There are significant differences in CO₂ consumption and emissions depending on whether the websites implement environmentally sound practices. This study highlights the lack of initiatives aimed at reducing energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions associated with web information management. The study shows that Spanish universities have the potential to contribute to the reduction in CO₂ emissions by implementing sustainable development practices on their websites. Furthermore, it fosters awareness about technology usage and its environmental impact, promoting the adoption of green and sustainable approaches.

One of the most used techniques for reducing drag on blunt bodies when they move at speeds above the speed of sound are spikes. An important number of numerical works based on CFD have highlighted the fluid dynamics behind its use, as well as its advantages. However, most of docu-mentation focuses mainly on modified spike physical properties, while keeping constant supersonic or hypersonic flow conditions. In this sense, it is necessary to resort to current numerical techniques as machine learning, which can be obtain the most appropriate technical solution in compared to the costly iterative simulations that can delay the rapid development and testing of new aerody-namic configurations. This investigation postulates a specific hypothesis: that the K-Nearest Neighbours algorithm, renowned for its simplicity and effectiveness in classification problems, can be extrapolated as a robust tool for predicting drag reduction on spike blunt bodies. A wide range of Mach number and aspect ratios between blunt body diameter, spike length, and spike diameter are used for the algorithm dataset. The algorithm presents good predictions of the coefficient with errors of less than 5% percent, applying a multivariable regression method. Even, in the vicinity of the hypersonic speed zone, with a minimum of 3 neighbour nodes. The above validates the flexibility of the method and shows a new area of opportunity for the calculation of aerodynamic properties in a body moving near or above the speed of sound.

Applying a procedure similar to that of E.S. Bring, by using a 4^th degree Tschirnhaus transformation, it was possible to transform the Bring-Jerrard normal quintic (BJQ) equation into a De Moivre form (DMQ), so that it could be solved by radicals. The general solution by radicals of the De Moivre equations of any degree is presented. By the same procedure the BJSx (normal sextic) equation was taken to another one without the 2^nd, 4^th and 6^th terms which was transformed into a cubic (solvable) equation. By applying a 6^th degree Tschirnhaus transformation to the BJSp (normal septic) equation its binormal (without the 2^nd, 3^rd, 4^th and 5^th terms) form was obtained.

Applying a procedure similar to that of E.S. Bring, by using a 4^th degree Tschirnhaus transformation, it was possible to transform the Bring-Jerrard normal quintic (BJQ) equation into a De Moivre form (DMQ), so that it could be solved by radicals. The general solution by radicals of the De Moivre equations of any degree is presented. By the same procedure the BJSx (normal sextic) equation was taken to another one without the 2^nd, 4^th and 6^th terms which was transformed into a cubic (solvable) equation. By applying a 6^th degree Tschirnhaus transformation to the BJSp (normal septic) equation its Bring-Jerrard binormal (without the 2^nd, 3^rd, 4^th and 5^th terms) form was obtained.

The modern civil engineering and construction sector requires collaborative work environments, learning and trust among all parties involved, qualities that are absent in the Peruvian reality. This research, which is based on an extensive literature review, investigates this challenge. The study reflects upon (i) the current situation of public works procurement in Peru and (ii) the New Engineering Contract (NEC). Comparisons are presented between the characteristics, documentation and roles of these two systems, with the purpose of understanding and representing the advantages, disadvantages and possibilities of integrating tools of NEC4 Engineering and Construction Contract to the Peruvian State Contracting Law (Ley de Contrataciones del Estado: LCE). The research is validated through the case study of a high impact road infrastructure project in the city of Arequipa, Peru; which revealed five main negative impacts on good contractual management and, also, facilitated an initial assessment of challenges and improvement opportunities in public infrastructure procurement. Thus, contribution is made to closing the knowledge gap regarding the implementation of NEC4 ECC in public sector works.

We are experiencing an unprecedented urbanization process that alongside with physical, social and economic developments is having a significant impact on population’s health. Due to higher apprehensions of pollution, violence and poverty, our modern cities no longer ensure a good quality of life so they become unhealthy environments. This study aims to measure the socio-environmental and hematologic profile of residents of Santo André’s landfill – “Bairro Espírito Santo” by using the contextualization of the studied area. The research method is Observational type and from Retrospective cohort and by convenience sampling in Santo André in the Greater ABC region. The study determined a socio environmental profile and the hematologic diseases screening related to a close location to the landfill. The disease manifests itself within a broad spectrum of symptoms that causes changes in blood count parameters. The full blood counts analysis was performed, indicating that the blood counts of residents living near the landfill led to positive hematological changes and diseases like Leukopenia, Anemia, Neutropenia and lymphocytosis were the most common changes. However it is considered that the proof of the relation of cause- effect to environmental exposures that may trigger chronic manifestations in humans requires specific studies that are often complicated.

The focus of this work lies in the construction of monitoring system designed in the form of a patch using a long-lasting potentiometric electrolyte concentration sensor from metal electrodes, in a galvanic cell configuration Mg(s)|NaCl(aq)|Cu(s). Initially, a mathematical analysis was conducted on the expected sensor output through the Nernst equation. The experimental phase involved conducting controlled tests in the laboratory using various molar concentrations of sodium chloride (NaCl) in aqueous solution. Results showed that the electrolyte sensor allows for monitoring electrolyte levels in NaCl in the range of 0.02 to 1 M/L, with electrode lifespan exceeding 10 days. On the other hand, when patch is using human sweat during controlled exercise routines, it showed the sensor's capability for monitoring changes in the subjects' hydration levels in real time. The sensor output potential is greater than 1.7 volts when the sensor electrodes are in contact with human sweat, which is equivalent to measuring molar concentrations at normal hydration and moderately high hydration levels. Sensor results indicate that the system can function in a self-powered manner without external batteries. Additionally, the extended lifespan of its electrodes allows for continuous monitoring of imbalances in the human body, showcasing the system capability for long-term health assessment.

Purpose: To assess the tolerability, safety, and efficacy of an ophthalmic topical formulation containing helenalin from Arnica montana and hyaluronic acid 0.4% (HA) in patients with mild to moderate dry eye disease (DED) exhibiting positive Matrix Metalloproteinase 9 (MMP-9) test results. Methods: Tolerability and safety were evaluated in 24 healthy subjects. Participants were in-structed to routinely apply one drop of the formulation three times a day in the study eye, for a period of two weeks, followed by a clinical follow-up of 21 days. Efficacy was studied in 48 DED patients randomized into Study (Group 1/ receiving the study formulation) or Control (Group 2/ Receiving HA 0.4% eye lubricant) groups, for 4 weeks. Assessments included MMP-9 positivity, conjunctival impression cytology (CIC), Ocular Surface Disease Index (OSDI), non-invasive tear film breakup time (NIF-BUT), non-invasive average breakup time (NIAvg-BUT), ocular surface staining, Schirmer's test, and meibomiography. A crossover design with a four-week follow-up was applied to the control group. Results: Healthy subjects receiving the study formulation exhibited good tolerability and no ad-verse events. Group 1 showed significant MMP-9 reduction (25% positivity rate) unlike Group 2 (87.5% positivity rate). Group 1 displayed improved CIC (33.3% vs. 0% SSD) compared to Group 2 (29.1%). OSDI and NIF-BUT scores improved in both groups (p < 0.001). Only Group 1 showed improved NIAvg-BUT and Schirmer’s test scores (p < 0.001), while Group 2 did not (p > 0.05). MMP-9-positive subjects shifted from 25% to 91.6% in Group 1 and 87.5% to 20.8% in Group 2 after the follow-up. Conclusion: The topical formulation containing helenalin from Arnica montana and hyaluronic acid is well tolerated and has a good safety profile. Our formulation reduces DED sympto-matology and modulates the ocular surface inflammatory process; this is evidenced by the en-hancement of CIC, the improvement of DED-related tear film status, and the reduction of MMP-9 positivity rate.

The megacities´ sewage creates socioeconomic dependence related to water availability in the nearby zones, especially in countries with hydric stress. The present paper studies the water balance progression of realistic scenarios from 2005 to 2050 in the Mezquital Valley, the receptor of Mexico City untreated sewage since 1886, allowing agriculture irrigation in unsustainable conditions. WEAP model calculated the water demand and supply. Validation was performed with outflows data of the Tula River and simulated three scenarios: 1st) Steady-state based on inertial growth rates, 2nd) Transient scenario concerned climate change outcomes, with minor influence in surface water and hydric stress in 2050; 3rd) Transient scenario perturbed with a planned reduction of 36% in the imported wastewater and the start-up of a massive Water Treatment Plant, allowing drip and sprinkler irrigation since 2030. In the 2005-2017 period, 59% of the agriculture depended on the flood irrigation with megacity sewage. The water balance scenarios evaluated the sectorial supply of the ground and superficial water. Drip irrigation would reduce 42% of agriculture demands, but still does not grant the downflow hydroelectric requirements, aggravated by the lack of wastewater supply since 2030. This research alerts about how present policies compromise future Valley demands.

Background: The isoflurane minimum alveolar concentration (MAC) was measured in rats chronically treated with WIN 55,212-2. Methods: The isoflurane MAC was determined in 24 male rats from the end expiratory samples at time of tail clamping under the following conditions: without treatment (MACISO), in rats treated for 21 days with WIN 55,212-2 (MACISO+WIN55) and other group 8 days after stopping treatment for 21 days with WIN 55,212-2 (MACISO+WIN55+8D). Results: The MACISO was 1.32 ± 0.06. In the MACISO+WIN55 group the MAC increase to 1.69 ± 0.09 (28%). After 8 days stopping treatment, MAC did not decrease significantly 1.67 ± 0.07 (26%). Conclusions: The administration for 21 days of WIN 55,212-2 increases the MAC of isoflurane in rats; this effect does not disappear after 8 days of discontinuing treatment with the synthetic cannabinoid.

The prevalence for chronic, non-healing skin wounds in the general population, most notably diabetic foot ulcers, venous leg ulcers and pressure ulcers, is approximately 2% and is expected to increase, driven mostly by an aging population and the steady rise in obesity and diabetes. Non-healing wounds often become infected, increasing the risk of life-threatening complications, which poses a significant socioeconomic burden. Aiming at an improved management of infected wounds, a variety of wound dressings incorporating antimicrobials (AMDs), namely polyhexanide (poly(hexamethylene biguanide); PHMB), have been introduced in the wound care market. However, many wound care professionals agree that none shows comprehensive and optimal antimicrobial activity. This manuscript summarizes and discusses studies on novel PHMB-releasing membranes (PRMs) for wound dressings, detailing their preparation, physical properties relevant in the context of AMDs, drug loading and release, antibacterial activity, biocompatibility, wound healing capacity, and clinical trials conducted. Some of these PRMs were able to improve wound healing in in vivo models, with no associated cytotoxicity, but significant differences in study design make it difficult to compare overall effi-cacies. It is hoped that this review, which includes, whenever available, international standards for testing AMDs, will provide a framework for future studies.their preparation, physical properties relevant in the context of AMDs, drug loading and release, antibacterial activity, biocompatibility, wound healing capacity, and clinical trials conducted. Some of these PRMs were able to improve wound healing in in vivo models, with no associated cytotoxicity, but significant differences in study design make it difficult to compare overall efficacies. It is hoped that this review, which includes, whenever available, international standards for testing AMDs, will provide a framework for future studies.

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

The idea of using the lytic power of viruses against the malignant cells has been entertained for many decades. However, oncolytic viruses (OV) gained broad attention as an emerging anti-cancer therapy only recently with the successful implementation of the oncolytic herpesvirus to treat advanced melanoma. OVs offer an attractive therapeutic combination of tumor-specific cell lysis together with immune stimulation, yet the latter effect is less well studied. Nevertheless, OVs can be envisaged as potential in situ tumor vaccines. The therapeutic potential of OVs can be instigated further by using the molecular biological and biotechnological tools to modify the existing viruses for their optimal tumor selectivity and enhanced immune stimulation. Furthermore, OVs can be readily combined with other therapeutic agents to increase the efficacy of the existing therapeutic schemes. In this review, we discuss biotechnological advances in the development of therapeutic applications of OVs in Russia. Particular emphasis is made on the OV-mediated treatment of glioblastoma. In addition, we highlight the challenges of oncolytic virotherapy, and describe the strategies to optimize current approaches to improve clinical outcomes.

Several studies have quantified the responses of Eucalyptus globulus plantations to weed control on its early development (2-3 years after establishment). However, long-term results of competing vegetation effects have been rarely incorporated into growth and yield models that forecast the long-term effects of reducing the intensity of competing vegetation control and its interaction with site resource availability on stem volume production close to rotation age. We compared several models predicting stand stem volume yield of Eucalyptus globulus plantations established across a water and fertility gradient growing under different intensity levels of free area of competing vegetation maintained during the first 3 years of stand development. Four sites were selected encompassing a gradient in rainfall and amount of competing vegetation. Treatments were applied at stand establishment and were monitored periodically until age 9 years. Competing vegetation control intensity levels considered 0, 5, 20, 44 and 100% weed-free cover around individual E. globulus seedlings. Maximum competing vegetation biomass production during the first growing season were 2.9, 6.5, 2.2 and 12.9 Mg ha^-1, for sites ranging from low to high annual rainfall. As expected, reductions in volume yield at age 9 years were observed as competing vegetation control intensity decreased during the first growing season. A strong relationship was established between stem volume yield loss and the intensity of competing vegetation control, the amount of competing vegetation biomass produced during the first growing season and mean annual rainfall. The slope of the relationship was different among sites and was related mainly to water and light limitations. Our results, suggest that the biomass of competing vegetation (intensity of competition) affecting site resource availability, contribute to observed long-term effects on E. globulus plantations productivity. The site with the lowest mean annual rainfall showed the highest volume yield loss at age 9 years. Sites with highest rainfall showed contrasting results related to the amount of competing vegetation biomass.

The development of the smart city concept and the inhabitants’ need to reduce travel time, as well as society’s awareness of the reduction of fuel consumption and respect for the environment, lead to a new approach to the classic problem of the Travelling Salesman Problem (TSP) applied to urban environments. This problem can be formulated as “Given a list of geographic points and the distances between each pair of points, what is the shortest possible route that visits each point and returns to the departure point?” Nowadays, with the development of IoT devices and the high sensoring capabilities, a large amount of data and measurements are available, allowing researchers to model accurately the routes to choose. In this work, the purpose is to give solution to the TSP in smart city environments using a modified version of the metaheuristic optimization algorithm TLBO (Teacher Learner Based Optimization). In addition, to improve performance, the solution is implemented using a parallel GPU architecture, specifically a CUDA implementation.

One of the non-linear phenomena that affect high bandwidth and long reach communication systems is the non-linear phenomenon called four-wave mixing (FWM). Unfortunately, the simulation of such systems aiming to obtain their design parameter limitations require more time as the number of channels increases. In this paper, we propose a new high-performance computational model to obtain optimal design parameters in a multi san Dense Wavelength Division Multiplexing (DWDM) system, limited by FWM and the intrinsic Amplified Spontaneous Emission (ASE) noise of optical amplifiers employed in each segment. The simulation in this work provides a complete optical design characterization and compares the efficiency and speed improvement of the proposed parallelization model versus a previous sequential model. Additionally, an analysis of the computational complexity of parallel model is presented, where two parallel implementations are used. First, Open Multi−Processing (OpenMP), based on the use of a central, multi-core processing unit is used and secondly the Compute Unified Device Arquitecture (CUDA), which is based on the use of graphics processing unit. Results show that parallelism improves to up to 40 times the performance of the simulation when nested parallelization with CUDA is used, over de sequential method and up to 6 times compared with the implementation with OpenMP using 12 processors. Within our parallel implementation, it is possible to simulate with an increased number of channels, that was unpractical in the sequential simulation.

Cirrhosis is a critical global health issue, responsible for 2.4% of deaths worldwide in 2019. The Global Burden of Disease Study reported a near doubling of decompensated cirrhosis cases from 1990 to 2017. In the U.S., cirrhosis is the 12th leading cause of death and often requires hospitali-zation and procedural interventions for severe complications such as hepatocellular carcinoma, ascites, hepatic encephalopathy, and variceal bleeding. This study aims to identify racial, ethnic, and socioeconomic disparities in receiving critical interventions among U.S. patients with de-compensated cirrhosis during 2020-2021. We conducted a retrospective cross-sectional analysis using 2020-2021 National Inpatient Sample data of adult patients (≥18 years) with cirrhosis-related and cirrhosis complication-related ICD-10 codes and who underwent procedures for cirrhosis-related indications such as esophagogastroduodenoscopy (EGD) for variceal hemor-rhage, transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunt (TIPS) for variceal hemorrhage or refractory ascites, hemodialysis for acute kidney failure or hepatorenal syndrome, and liver transplantation We collected data on patient baseline clinicodemographic and procedural outcomes. Statistical analyses included multivariable logistic regression to assess for associations with outcomes. There were significant disparities in procedure utilization: White and Hispanic patients more likely than Black patients to receive EGD and TIPS, while Black and Hispanic patients had higher odds of receiving hemodialysis. Insurance type also influenced access, with Private/HMO insurance holders having higher odds of undergoing procedures. These findings underscore the need for targeted interventions to address healthcare inequities.

It remains unclear in the literature what is the cause of the so-called alkali-carbonate reaction (ACR) damage to concrete yet, a consensus is reached when considering dedolimitization as non-expansive. However, expansion and cracks as distress features are often attributed to alkali-silica reaction (ASR) when evidence of a reactive mineral is found in the aggregate. Evidently, different types of aggregates may produce different types and degrees of damage. Therefore, this work aims to assess the damage to concrete generated and propagated by the so-called ACR susceptible reactive Kingston coarse aggregate through mechanical testing (i.e., direct shear test), microscopy (the damage rating index – DRI), and other techniques. Distinct induced expansion levels (i.e., 0%, 0.05%, 0.12%, and 0.20%) were selected to compare the distress caused by ACR to concrete affected by ASR. Result show that the behaviour of ACR, namely as captured through the DRI, is inconsistent with that of ASR thus attesting to ACR being a distinct distress mechanism.

Interferon-beta is one of the most widely prescribed disease-modifying therapies for multiple sclerosis patients. However, this treatment is only partially effective, and a significant proportion of patients do not respond to this drug. This paper proposes an alternative fuzzy logic system based on the opinion of a neurology expert to classify relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis patients: high, medium, and low responder to interferon-beta. Also, a pipeline prediction model trained with biomarkers associated to interferon-beta response is proposed for predicting whether patients are potential candidates to be treated with this drug, in order to avoid ineffective therapies. The classification results shows that the fuzzy system presents a 100% efficiency compared with an unsupervised hierarchical clustering method (52%). So, the performance of the prediction model is evaluated, and a 0.8 testing accuracy is achieved. Hence, a pipeline model including data standardization, data compression, and a learning algorithm, can be a useful tool for getting reliable predictions about the response to interferon-beta.

This article aims at presenting the results that were found in the design and implementation of a new management model of Critical Success Factors for improving the effects of research projects. The model was based on the theory of structural equations derived from factor analyses and multiple linear regression models. For achieving the purpose, the authors developed an empirical evidence analysis founded on a literature review in the knowledge area of project management. Afterwards, the process of identification of the CSFs was carried out for a group of research projects launched in Colombia as a result of the application and measurement of an instrument. They were the basis for the development of a structural relationship modeling. Also, this contributed to determine the CSFs that explain the generation of effects of research projects, and the project management execution process from which it can be carried out based on said measurement indicators.

Electrochemical impedance (EI) measurements were performed to evaluate the nylon 66/-tetra-(para-aminophenyl) porphyrin (H₂T(p-NH₂)PP)/graphene oxide (GO) film coating on stainless steel and compared to the nylon/H₂T(p-NH₂)PP and nylon/GO film samples using 1M H₂SO₄ as electrolyte. The nylon/H₂T(p-NH₂)PP and nylon/GO composite films showed high electrochemical impedance in the order of 109 ohm-cm² and a system controlled by mass transfer, product of a diffusion process at low frequencies with a resistance up to 5 orders of magnitude, indicating the diffusion of protons through the coating and a decrease in the metal dissolution. Otherwise, the nylon/H₂T(p-NH₂)PP/GO film compound evaluated show good ionic conductivity and electrochemical stability in the acid environment, acting porphyrin as a catalyst to the passage of protons through the film, reducing its electrochemical impedance up to 7 orders of magnitude with respect to the compounds nylon/H₂T(p-NH₂)PP and nylon/GO. Likewise, good capacitance values are also shown by modifying the concentrations of porphyrin and GO reinforcing materials. These properties are important for technological applications, such as anticorrosion coating for bipolar plates or membrane in a fuel cell type PEM, super-capacitors, etc.

Achieving Urban Flood Resilience (UFR) is essential for modern societies, requiring the implementation of effective practices in different countries to mitigate hydrological events. Green Water Systems (GWS) emerge as a promising alternative to achieve UFR, but they are still poorly explored and present varied definitions. This article aims to define GWS within the framework of sustainable practices and propose a regulation that promotes UFR. Through a systematic review of existing definitions and an analy-sis of international regulations on Sustainable Urban Drainage Systems (SuDS), the study reveals diverse perceptions and applications of GWS and their role in Blue-Green Infrastructure (BGI). The research proposes a standardized definition of GWS and their role in Blue – Green Infrastructure (BGI). The research proposes a standardized definition of GWS and the implementation of SuDS in Peru, addressing the current knowledge gap and contributing to the development of sustainable urban infrastructure.

In this work, the structural, magnetic, and mechanical properties of Nd16Fe76-xCoxB8 alloys varying the Co content at x = 0, 10, 20 and 25, were experimentally investigated by X-Ray Diffraction (XRD), Mössbauer Spectrometry (MS), Vibrating Sample Magnetometry (VSM) at room temperature (RT), and microhardness test were performed too. The system presents the hard Nd2Fe14B and the Nd1.1Fe4B4 phases for samples with x = 0 and 10. When concentration increases to x= 20 and 25, the CoO phase appears. All MS show the ferromagnetic behavior (eight sextets: sites 16k1, 16k2, 8j1, 8j2, 4c, 4e, sb) associated to the hard and soft magnetic phases, and one paramagnetic component (doublet: site d) associated to the minority Nd1.1Fe4B4 phase, which was not identified by XRD. All samples are magnetically hard present a hard magnetic behavior. The increase of Co content in these samples did not improve the hard magnetic behavior, but increased the critical temperature of the system and decrease the crystallite size of the hard phase. The hysteresis loop showed that predominates the Nd2Fe14B hard magnetic phase. There is a general tendency to increase microhardness with cobalt content, attributable to cobalt doping reduces the lattice parameters and porosities in the sample improving it hardness.

This study presents a new kinetic scheme for the mass yield prediction of waste lignocellulosic biomasses treated by Hydrothermal Carbonization (HTC). The proposed reactions are based on the decomposition, solubilization, and polymerization of each main fraction of the biomass: cellulose, hemicellulose, and lignin. The ash content was assumed to be inert. The kinetic parameters have been obtained by non-linear adjustment using a data set with 220 experimental runs collected from the literature. The results indicate that the pre-exponential factors range was from 7.33 x10¹ to 1.412x10⁵ min^-1, and activation energies were between 33.75 y 225.3 kJ/mol. A good fit is achieved between the observed and predicted data with an R² of 0.81 and an RMSE of 7.7 %. The proposed scheme was validated with the experimental data obtained by the HTC of sawdust (Pinus radiata) and rapeseed (Brassica napus). The experiments were carried out at temperatures of 190, 220, and 250 ºC and reaction times of 0, 30, 60, 90, and 120 min. The predicted values showed an average error of 2.3 and 3.5 %, respectively. Therefore, the kinetic scheme is a useful tool in the conversion analysis of waste biomass treated by HTC.

Solid polymer electrolytes and composite polymer electrolytes serve as crucial components in all-solid-state energy storage devices. Structural batteries and supercapacitors present a promising alternative for electric vehicles, integrating structural functionality with energy storage capability. However, despite their potential, these applications are hampered by various challenges, particularly in the realm of developing new solid polymer electrolytes that require more investigations. In this study, novel solid polymer electrolytes and composite polymer electrolytes were synthesized using epoxy resin blends, ionic liquid, lithium salt, and alumina nanoparticles, and subsequently characterized. Among the formulations tested, the optimal system, designated as L70P30ILE40Li1MAl2 and containing 40 wt.% of ionic liquid and 5.7 wt.% of lithium salt, exhibited exceptional mechanical properties. It displayed a remarkable storage modulus of 1.2 GPa and reached ionic conductivities of 0.085 mS/cm at 60°C. Furthermore, a proof-of-concept supercapacitor was fabricated, demonstrating the practical application of the developed electrolyte system.

The abundant use of lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) in a wide variety of electric devices and vehicles will generate a large number of depleted batteries, which contain several valuable metals such as Li, Co, Mn, and Ni present in the structure of the cathode material (LiMO2). The present work investigates chemical, technological, and environmental aspects in the treatment of such wastes, development of a methodology for the extraction of lithium, cobalt, nickel, manganese, and graphite by a carbochlorination pyrometallurgical process. Mixtures of cathode and anode materials (called black mass, mixed oxides of Li, Co, Ni, Mn, and graphite) from different LIBs, carbon black (as reducing agent), and CaCl2 (as chlorinating agent) were used. Non-isothermal thermogravimetric tests up to 850°C and isothermal tests at 700°C of the mixtures in an inert atmosphere were carried out. It was experimentally observed that the LiMO2-C-CaCl2 reaction takes place at 700°C. LiCl, Ni, and Co were obtained as final products, and to a lesser extent, CoO, NiO, and MnO2. CaCO3 was also obtained as a by-product. The obtained results show that carbochlorination is an efficient and effective alternative route for the extraction and recovery of metals from different LIBs, focused on the sustainability and circular economy

Energy poverty in the Global South generally focuses on the lack of basic access to modern fuels and energy carriers. Impoverished people rely primarily on traditional biomass as a source of energy. This situation of basic resource deprivation, in which almost one third of the world's population lives, masks other relevant features of the problem. Current assessments of energy poverty in impoverished areas and the mitigation strategies being implemented derive from the development agenda and, with variations in detail and scope, highlight electricity connections and access to clean cooking fuels as guarantors of progress. However, a comprehensive understanding of energy poverty requires going beyond basic access, building on the interactions between the supply of energy sources and carriers, the provision of energy services and its impact on decent living conditions. Several studies in the last decade have attempted to construct an assessment framework centered on energy services to deal with these interactions. This work discusses the relevant dimensions in the framework (supply, services and impact in wellbeing), reviews the multidisciplinary work available in each aspect, presents a range of proposed taxonomies, and discusses the different issues. A detailed framework is proposed for the integrated assessment of the supply of energy carriers and energy equipment, the provision of relevant energy services, and the improvements obtained in living conditions.

Background: This study aimed to estimate the prevalence of sexualized drug use (SDU) in gay, bisexual, and other men who have sex with men living with HIV (HIV+GBMSM) in Madrid during 2019/2020 and compare it with data from 2016/2017. Methods: We analysed the frequency of SDU in a sample of HIV+GBMSM attending HIV clinics, who participated in an anonymous online survey regarding sexual behaviour and recreational drug use. The association between SDU, sexual risk behaviours, and STIs was evaluated. The methodology employed in the present study(U-SEX-2) in 2019/2020 was consistent with that of a previous study(U-SEX-1) in 2016/2017. Results: The study included 424 HIV+GBMSM, with a mean age of 40(10.43) years. Overall, 94% (396) reported being sexually active. Additionally, 33% (140) had been diagnosed with an STI within the previous year. Moreover, 54% (229) had used drugs in the last year, 25% (107) engaged in SDU, and 15% (17) reported engagement in slamsex. After adjusting for confounding factors, SDU was associated with STIs, fisting, unprotected anal intercourse, and having &gt; 24 sexual partners in the last year. According to the DUDIT test scores, 76% (81) probably had problematic drug use (≥6 points), and 5% (8) probable drug dependence (≥25 points). When comparing the U-SEX-1(2016/2017) data with the U-SEX-2(2019/2020) data, no significant differences were found in the proportion of participants practicing SDU or slamsex. Conclusion: The prevalence of SDU among HIV+GBMSM has remained high in recent years and without significant changes. We observed a clear association between SDU, high-risk sexual behaviors, STIs, and the risk of drug related problems.

Concentrations of six polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (benzanthrone, benz[a]anthracene, chrysene, fluoranthene, pyrene, and triphenylene) of soil samples from Diboll, an East Texas city (USA), were analyzed with gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). Samples were collected from five sites; Old Orchard Park, two heavy traffic intersections (Judd Street and Lumberjack Drive), an industrial site (West Borden Drive), and a truck stop. Acetone and dichloromethane extracts in all samples showed the presence of fluoranthene and pyrene. The sum of fluoranthene and pyrene concentrations in sites followed the order West Borden Drive > Judd Street > Lumberjack Drive > Old Orchard Park > truck stop. Concentrations of fluoranthene and pyrene were in the range 12.3 – 396.5 μg kg^-1 (ppb) and 13.6 – 209.8 μg kg^-1 ₍in dry soil₎, respectively. Benzanthrone, benz[a]anthracene, chrysene, and triphenylene concentrations were < 2 ppb levels. The higher concentrations in soils were associated with sites close to heavy traffic and vehicular emissions.

We show that, as in the case of the principle of minimum action in classical and quantum mechanics, there exists an even more general principle in the very fundamental structure of quantum space-time: This is the principle of minimal group that allows to consistently and simultaneously obtain a natural description of the spacetime dynamics and the physical states admissible in it. The theoretical construction is based on the physical states that are average values of the generators of the Metaplectic group Mp(n) , the double covering of SL(2C) in a vector representation, with respect to the coherent states carrying the spin weight. Our main results here are: (i) There exists a connection between the dynamics given by the Metaplectic group symmetry generators and the physical states (mappings of the generators through bilinear combinations of the basic states). (ii) The ground states are coherent states of the Perelomov-Klauder type defined by the action of the Metaplectic group which divide the Hilbert space into even and odd states mutually orthogonal. They carry a spin weight 1/4 and 3/4 respectively from which, two other basic states can be formed. (iii) The physical states, mapped bilinearly with the basic 1/4 and 3/4 spin weight states, plus their symmetric and antisymmetric combinations, have spin contents s = 0, 1/2, 1, 3/2 and 2. (iv) The generators realized with the bosonic variables of the harmonic oscillator introduce a natural supersymmetry and a superspace whose line element is the geometrical Lagrangian of our model. (v) From the line element as operator level, a coherent physical state of spin 2 can be obtained and naturally related to the metric tensor. (vi) The metric tensor is naturally discretized by taking the discrete series given by the basic states (coherent states) in the n number representation, reaching the classical (continuous) space-time for n going to infinity. (vii) There emerges a relation between the eigenvalue of our coherent state metric solution and the black hole area (entropy) as A_{bh}/4 l_{p}^{2} = I alpha I relating the phase space of the metric found g_{ab} and the black hole area A_{bh} through the Planck length l_{p}^{2} and the eigenvalue I alpha I of the coherent states. As a consequence of the lowest level of the quantum discrete space-time spectrum, eg the ground state associated to n = 0 and its characteristic length, there exists a minimum entropy related to the black hole history.

Globally, between 10% and 15% of couples experience infertility. Given the high demand for Assisted Reproductive Techniques (ART), there is growing interest in exploring modifiable factors influencing their outcomes. In this context, the objective of this review was to investigate the impact of adherence to the Mediterranean Diet (MD), recognized for its benefits in reproductive health, on ART outcomes. Methodology: A systematic review was conducted following the PRISMA methodology. International databases were consulted, selecting studies published between 2010 and 2023, in English and Spanish, involving patients aged 18-55, and examining intermediate and/or clinical outcomes of ART. Systematic reviews, meta-analyses, and animal studies were excluded. Results: Of the 9 included articles, 5 found statistically significant associations between adherence to the MD and positive outcomes in ART, such as a higher number and quality of embryos, clinical and biochemical pregnancy, and live births. However, other studies found no such associations. Conclusions: There is a potential association between adherence to the MD and ART outcomes. The evidence is very limited, necessitating further investigation.

The first exposure to influenza is thought to impact subsequent immune responses later in life. The consequences of this can be seen during influenza epidemics and pandemics with differences in morbidity and mortality for different birth cohorts. There is a need for better understanding of how vaccine responses are affected by early exposures to influenza viruses. In this analysis of hemagglutination inhibition (HI) antibody responses in two cohorts of military personnel we noticed differences related to age, sex, prior vaccination, deployment and birth year. These data suggest that HI antibody production, in response to influenza vaccination, is affected by these factors. The magnitude of this antibody response is associated with, among other factors, the influenza strain that circulated following birth.

In recent years, online social networks have received important consideration in spatial modelling fields given the critical information that can be extracted from them for events in real time; one of the most latent issues is that regarding various natural disasters such as earthquakes. Although it is possible to retrieve data from these social networks with embedded geographic information provided by GPS, in many cases this is not possible. An alternative solution is to reconstruct specific locations using probabilistic language models, more specifically those based on Name Entity Recognition (NER), which extracts names from a user’s description about an event occurring in a specific place (e.g., a collapsed building on a specific avenue). In this work, we present a methodology to use twitter as a social sensor system for disasters. The methodology scores NER locations with a kernel density estimation function for different subtopics originating from a natural disaster and that maps them into a geographic space is proposed. The proposed methodology is evaluated with tweets related to the 2017 earthquake in Mexico.

In ref. [1], we pointed out that certain anomalies observed in the published data for ac magnetic susceptibility of a room temperature superconductor reported in Nature 586, 373 (2020) [2] would be cleared up once the measured raw data were made available. Part of the measured raw data were recently posted in arXiv:2111.15017 [3]. Here we report the results of our analysis of these raw data and our conclusion that they are incompatible with the published data. Implications of these results to the claim that the material is a room temperature superconductor are discussed.

Previous bio-mapping studies of pork processing facilities have indicated a need for mitigation strategies in trim and ground products due to Salmonella prevalence. Lymph nodes have been identified as a source of Salmonella in pork products. The objective of this study was to determine if the removal of glands and lymph nodes in pork would reduce Salmonella and indicator organisms in comminuted products. Samples from a commercial pork facility were divided into three treatment groups; 1) untreated control, 2) topical glands removed before final processing, and 3) topical, jowl, and internal lymph nodes and glands removed before final processing. Samples were evaluated for indicator organisms and quantity of Salmonella using the BioMérieux TEMPO® system and BAX® System Real-Time Salmonella SalQuant™ methodology, respectively. The results of this study indicate that the removal of the topical, internal, and jowl lymph nodes was effective at significantly (P &gt; 0.05) reducing the prevalence of both Salmonella and indicator organisms. Salmonella was reduced from 2.5-Log CFU/Sample and 3.8-Log CFU/Sample of Salmonella in control group ground and trim samples, to less than 1-Log CFU/sample in both matrices from treatment 3. These data indicate that samples from treatment 3 had an average of a 3-Log reduction, and treatment 2 had a 2.5-Log reduction, of Salmonella when compared to the control samples. This indicates that the physical removal of glands and lymph nodes can influence Salmonella and indicator organism prevalence in the final product.

Patients with polycythemia vera (PV) are at increased risk of thrombosis and hemorrhages. Although hydroxyurea (HU) has been the frontline therapy for patients at high-risk of vascular complications, about 25% of patients develop resistance/intolerance to this therapy. The aim of this non-interventional, multicenter cohort study was to understand the clinical characteristics and HU treatment response of Portuguese PV patients. HU resistance/intolerance was defined according to adjusted European LeukemiaNet (ELN) criteria. 134 PV patients with a mean disease duration of 4.8±5.0 years were included and followed up for 2 years. At baseline, most patients were ≥60 years old (83.2%), at high risk for thrombotic events (87.2%), and receiving HU therapy (79.1%). A total of 10 thrombotic events and 8 hemorrhagic events were reported, resulting in a 5-year probability of thrombo-hemorrhagic events of 17.2%. Hematocrit (p=0.007), hemoglobin (p=0.012) and MPN10 symptom score (12.0±11.6 vs 10.3±9.1; p=0.041) decreased significantly at the 24-month visit compared to baseline. Overall, 75.9% of patients met at least one of the adjusted ELN criteria for HU resistance. 14.4% of patients remained on HU throughout the study. The results from this real-world study may help identify the subset of patients at higher risk of disease sequelae who may benefit from earlier second-line treatment.

The analogy between the theory of phase transitions in simple fluids and vehicular traffic flow has long been suspected, promising a new level of understanding of urban congestion by standing on one of the firmer foundations in physics. The obstacle has been the interpretation of the thermal energy of the gas-particle system, which remains unknown. This paper proposes the flow of cars through the network as a viable interpretation, where the fundamental diagram for traffic flow would be analogous to the coexistence curve in gas-liquid phase transitions. Thanks to the power-law form of the coexistence curve, it was possible to formalize that the resulting network traffic model belongs to the Kardar-Parisi-Zhang universality class. The scaling relationships arising in this universality class are found to be consistent with West's scaling theory for cities. It is shown that congestion costs (delays + fuel consumption) scale superlinearly with city population, possibly and worryingly more so than predicted by West's theory. Implications for sustainability and resiliency are discussed.

This study analyses the detection efficiency of the Worldwide Lightning Location Network (WWLLN) of sensors over Spain, a comparison is made with the Meteorological Spanish Agency (AEMET) Lightning Detection Network. The WWLLN operates a planetary distributed network of Very Low Frequency (VLF) antennas which detect lightning VLF signals around the Earth. Very high currents from lightning strokes radiate strong VLF signals in the band 6-22 kHz, which are detected up to 10,000 km, therefore WWLLN receiving sensors can be sparsely spaced. However the detection capability of VLF signals depends on the environment, and clean areas with a good ground and no metal parts around must be selected for proper reception. For the area of Spain and Portugal we had two WWLLN sensors in 2012, and three sensors later on for the data of 2020, 2021 and 2022. The sensors in Iberian Peninsula are at a distance of around 760 km; that is very close in comparison with other WWLLN sensors in the Earth which are around 5.000-15.000 km. The WWLLN sensors send the timing of the detection to the central sensor where the location of the lightning is determined with an improved algorithm when a mini-mum of 5 sensors detect the VLF signal. We show that detection efficiency was excellent and consistent with previous studies. Lightning location data from 1st January 2012 to 30st April 2012 from AEMET was used to analyze time and space shared events with the WWLLN network with 0.5s time difference and 20 km distance. The results improved in 2020, 2021 and 2022. More than 40,000 lightning strikes were analyzed in the present work, and we found a detection efficiency > 38%.

The health emergency caused by Covid 19 highlighted the food dependency of many cities in the world and Cali and the cities of Valle del Cauca were no exception as they depended on food flows from other regions and countries, so these Entities are part of the corporate food system, to which their rulers delegated food security for their inhabitants. In the same territory and for the last nine years, a second-level organization has been consolidating that brings together 14 peasant agroecological markets and that despite strict confinement measures was able to continue supplying food to consumers in the municipalities of influence that have supported this initiative. The foregoing leads to think that said organization can become a platform for an agroecological food system of regional scope, for which the characteristics that said system should have according to a model based on the principles of agroecology were evaluated.

Use of porous titanium (Ti) and Ti alloys in orthopedic implants or in light structures requires processing routes that could generate an as-much-as possible control in the pores amount, shape, size and connectivity. In this work, a colloidal approach to the processing of Ti porous structures by the inside foaming of a porogen into a gelled high solid content aqueous suspension of Ti powders, is presented. The prepared slurries contained different amounts of Methyl Cellulose (MC) as gelling agent (8, 10 and 12 g/L) and ammonium bicarbonate (BA) as porogen (15, 20, 25 wt. %). The gel-casted samples were heated at mild temperatures ranging (60, 70 and 80 °C) to promote the gelation and produce, at the same time, the porosity by the thermal decomposition of the ammonium bicarbonate. Different structures are obtained depending on the combination of the study variables

Economic theory states that incineration and landfill taxation can effectively diminish the environmental impacts of pollution and resource use by reducing their associated pollutants while stimulating the reuse and recycling of materials, and therefore, fostering a circular economy. The aim of this research is to assess the economic and environmental effects of these taxes in Spain under different scenarios with a detailed dynamic computable general equilibrium (CGE) model, as there are no studies analyzing this in detail. We focus on the economic impact on GDP and sectorial production and the environmental impact on different categories: global warming potential, marine eutrophication potential, photochemical ozone formation potential, particulate matter, human toxicity (cancer and noncancer), ecotoxicity, and depletion of fossil resources. We find in all scenarios that these taxes have a limited economic impact while reducing all of the environmental impact categories analyzed. The study reinforces the theory that policy makers need to impose taxes on landfill and incineration to reinforce the circularity of the economy and reduce environmental burdens, but also demonstrates that they can improve their design without additional costs.

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

Earthworms are iteroparous organisms with indeterminate growth, i.e. they continue to increase in size throughout their life and after completion of sexual development. Terrestrial oligochaetes vary greatly in size. Depending on the species, adult earthworms can reach between 10 mm and 3 m in length and between &lt;1 mm and &gt;25 mm in width, with most being of length 5-15 cm. Among the more than 7000 species described to date, very few (~20) reach lengths greater than 1 m. The longest earthworm on record is Amynthas mekongianus, which is found in the mud banks of the Mekong River in Southeast Asia and which reaches almost 3 m in length. It is about the same size as Megascolides australis, the ‘Giant Gippsland Earthworm’. These atypically giant earthworm species remain a scientific curiosity in terms of their biology, but they cannot be considered cases of gigantism. Gigantism occurs when organisms are much larger than normal or exhibit excessive growth. Earthworms obtain energy from the organic matter on which they feed, and their growth mainly depends on the quality of the resource and on the species, as well as on food availability, environmental factors, which can directly or indirectly affect growth by modifying food availability, and other factors such as competition. This is particularly evident in earthworms, which display indeterminate growth and large species-dependent variations in size. The biology, life cycle and growth and reproduction rates of Eisenia fetida (Savigny 1826) and Eisenia andrei (Bouché 1972), the earthworm species most commonly used in vermicomposting and vermiculture, have been widely reported. Here we present details of the enormous growth of individual specimens of Eisenia andrei and Dendrobaena hortensis reared under particular culture conditions and fed a special diet. Individuals almost 20 times the average weight of individuals of the species have been obtained. Possible explanations for this interesting phenomenon are discussed.

Depression continues to be a glaring global challenge. The most worrisome trend is eating up the youthful generation more than anyone could predict years back. As Addis & Martell (2004) note, these adolescents end up succumbing to conditions that can be traced wholly from depression. Behavioral activation can be a rewarding intervention that will go a long way in cutting down on these cases and ensure the youthful global population's lives are safeguarded if applied and monitored to ensure correct and collective implementation processes and systems. The insights and arguments presented in the research paper will focus on the utility of behavioral activation in reducing depression cases among adolescents.

Analyses of faculty citation activity usually focus on counts as a function of author characteristics such as rank, gender, previous citation levels, and other factors influencing productivity and career path. Citation analyses of publications consider aspects such as number of authors, author reputation, author order, length of the title, methodology, and impact factors of the publication. While publication topics or discipline are considered to be important factors, they are more difficult to analyze, and therefore performed less frequently. This paper attempts to do that for the field of urban planning. Urban planning is multi-disciplinary and includes consideration of social, economic, technological, environmental, and political systems that shape human settlement patterns. It has been suspected that some topics are more “popular” and have larger audiences, therefore are cited more often. Using nearly 15,000 urban planning publications, this paper presents an analysis of topics to assess which are cited most frequently. The classification of publications was performed using a Support Vector Machine (SVM), a machine learning (ML) approach to text classification, using citation data from Google Scholar. The citation levels for the resulting categories are analyzed and discussed.

Biomimetic compounds are an alternative for to the limited action and fragile nature of enzymes. This work deals with the synthesis, characterization and evaluation of catalytic activity of two new biomimetic models for the active centers of ascorbate oxidase and catalase. [Cu3(S,S(+)cpse)3(H2O)3][Cu3(R,R(-)cpse)3(H2O)3]·17H2O (model for ascorbate oxidase, 1), and [Mn2(S,S(+)Hcpse)4(NaClO4)2(NaOH)(CH4O)]n·[(C2H6O)2]n·[(CH4O)2]n (model for catalase, 2) were prepared through the synchronic method (yields > 78%). The compound 1 has electronic and optical characteristics for racemic compound. The magnetic properties and electrochemical behavior evidence electronic transfer between metal centers. Meanwhile, the compound 2 showed polymeric properties in solid state and dimeric behavior in solution. Compound 1 was able to effectively catalyze the oxidation of ascorbic acid to dehydroascorbic acid (65.6% and 78.24% for racemic and enantiomeric pure compounds) showing structural and functional similarity to the natural enzyme. Besides, Compound 2 catalyzed the decomposition of hydrogen peroxide toward oxygen and water molecules (45%), evidencing that the prepared complex mimics the action of catalases. These two biomimetic models are relationship between them for the structural ligands, the coordination form to metal center and the catalytic activity as oxidase. This research shows the relationship with the design, evaluation, and comprehension of fundamentals aspects for the biomimetic models of active center of metalloenzymes that have importance for biological and industrial processes.

Applying a procedure similar to that of E.S. Bring, by using a 4^th degree Tschirnhaus transformation, it was possible to transform the Bring-Jerrard normal quintic (BJQ) equation into a De Moivre form (DMQ), so that it could be solved by radicals. The general solution by radicals of the De Moivre equations of any degree is presented. By the same procedure the BJSx (normal sextic) equation was taken to another one without the 2^nd, 4^th and 6^th terms which was transformed into a cubic (solvable) equation. By applying a 6^th degree Tschirnhaus transformation to the BJSp (normal septic) equation its binormal (without the 2^nd, 3^rd, 4^th and 5^th terms) form was obtained.

Applying a procedure similar to that of E.S. Bring, by using a 4^th degree Tschirnhaus transformation, it was possible to transform the Bring-Jerrard normal quintic (BJQ) equation into a De Moivre form (DMQ), so that it could be solved by radicals. The general solution by radicals of the De Moivre equations of any degree is presented. By the same procedure the BJSx (normal sextic) equation was taken to another one without the 2^nd, 4^th and 6^th terms which was transformed into a cubic (solvable) equation. By applying a 6^th degree Tschirnhaus transformation to the BJSp (normal septic) equation its binormal (without the 2^nd, 3^rd, 4^th and 5^th terms) form was obtained.

Pozol is a Mexican beverage prepared from fermented nixtamalized maize dough. To contribute to understanding its complex microbial ecology, the effect of inoculating on MRS-starch pure and mixed cultures of amylolytic Sii-25124 and non-amylolytic W. confusa 17, isolated from pozol, were studied on their interactions and fermentation parameters. These were compared with L. plantarum A6, an amylolytic strain isolated from cassava. Microbial growth, kinetic parameters, amylolytic activity, lactic acid production, and hydrolysis products from starch fermentation were measured. The population dynamics were followed by qPCR. L. plantarum A6 showed higher enzymatic activity, lactic acid, biomass production, and kinetic parameters than pozol LAB in pure cultures. Mixed culture of each pozol LAB with L. plantarum A6 showed a significant decrease in amylolytic activity, lactic acid yield, specific growth rate, and specific rate of amylase production. The interaction between Sii-25124 and W. confusa 17 increased the global maximum specific growth rate (µ), the lactic acid yield from starch (Ylac/s), lactic acid yield from biomass (Ylac/x), and specific rate of lactic acid production (qlac) by 15, 30, 30, and 40%, respectively compared with the pure culture of Sii-25124. Interactions between the two strains are essential for this fermentation.

This paper has a twofold objective. The first aim is to present a comprehensive bibliographical analysis of journal articles and book chapters on fuzzy-random option pricing (FROP) over the WoS and SCOPUS databases. It follows PRISMA criteria and takes special care of developments in continuous time. Thus, we described the principal findings about the research streams, outlets and authors of this topic and lets us suggest further research. The second contribution is motivated by the fact that the bibliographical revision has identified a lack of developments on equilibrium models on the yield curve. This question motivates extending Vasicek’s yield curve equilibrium model to introduce fuzziness in the parameters that govern interest rate movements (speed of reversion, equilibrium short-term interest rate, and volatility). Likewise, this paper develops an empirical application on the term structure of fixed income public bonds with the highest credit rating in the Euro area.

Tunable circular devices made of liquid crystals or other materials, like lenses, axicons or phase plates are often constrained by limitations in size, tunability, power and other parameters. These constrains restrict their use and limit their applicability. In this review, a thorough study of the use of light orbital angular momentum in LC devices manufacturing is presented. Twisted light amazingly fosters the simultaneous optimization of most critical parameters. Experimental demonstrations of unmatched performance of tunable LC lenses, axicons and other elements, in magnitudes such as lens diameter (> 1”), power and tunability (> ±6 diopters), fill factor (> 98%) and time response have been achieved by reversible vortex generation created by azimuthal phase delay. This phase delay can be eventually removed within the optical system, so that the lens performance is not affected.

The main aim of this work is to compare and characterize the state of decay developed in a set of 14 monuments, including churches and Pazos (Galician traditional house) of the architectural heritage of the Barbanza Peninsula (Galicia), considering its relationship with the influence of the environmental factor. A macroscopic inspection was carried out to determine the deterioration patterns. The most reported pathology across the peninsula, due to the moisture regime, was the formation of dark areas (generally as biofilms) and the lichen growth (biological colonization). Depending on the proximity to the coast, the study area was divided into two zones. Zone 1, closer to the sea (&lt;1 km) with an important influence of sea salts and wind and zone 2, further from the sea with higher altitudes (center of the peninsula) and important rainfall, humidity and therefore, fauna growth. Crusts (to a lesser degree, because it is a mainly rural area) are more frequent in zone 1, but the state of conservation of stone is better than in zone 2 due to the concentration of urban centers that require aesthetics and constant maintenance. In zone 2, however, abandonment is greater and biological colonization (mainly by lichens and plants) is more developed along with deterioration patterns due to biological damage. The synergy of several factors such as salt, climatic conditions and spatial characteristics of the architectural heritage studied define the degree of deterioration of each heritage objective. The research has a potential contribution to the conservation measures to be undertaken.

Sustainable biomass production has significant potential for mitigating greenhouse gas emissions and is a promising alternative for the production of eco-friendly biofuels, biochemicals, and carbonaceous materials for biological, energetic, and environmental applications. Biomass from agroforestry and agricultural wastes is the richest natural carbon source and a sustainable option for woody biomass from a circular economic perspective. Portugal has several residues and by-products of agriculture, food processing, and forestry origin, and has a high availability of residual biomass. Portugal intends to reduce its dependence on energy imports and the use of fossil fuels, thereby increasing its economic performance while using biomass waste to produce high-value-added products. In this context, this review aims to explore the potential of agri-food wastes obtained from Portuguese industries via thermochemical conversion technologies as a promising sustainable alternative to woody biomass for the development of eco-friendly biofuels, biochemicals, and high-value carbonaceous materials and their applications. This strategy based on the circular bioeconomy concept can contribute to reducing the dependence on fossil fuels and minimising greenhouse gas emissions while meeting the demands of the growing population and providing a sustainable waste management solution.

The catalytic parameters describing enzyme catalysis are discussed in the context of the design of de novo enzymes. It is shown that high values of the catalytic efficiency may in some cases reflect tight substrate binding and lead to an immediate levelling-off of rates to reach a low plateau, an undesirable scenario for many industrial applications. It is argued that increasing the catalytic rate constant should be a main target in de novo enzyme engineering.

Among cross-sectional imaging modalities, computed tomography (CT) is more available and faster; however, magnetic resonance (MR) performs better in terms of sensitivity and specificity, due to its higher contrast resolution. The appearance of peritoneal deposits on CT and MR depends mainly on the primary tumour histology: in case of unknown primary tumour (3-5% of cases), their behaviour at imaging may provide insights on the tumour origin. The time-point of tumour evolution, previous or ongoing treatments and the peritoneal spaces where they occur, also play an important role in determining the appearance of peritoneal deposits. Thus, knowledge of peritoneal anatomy and fluid circulation is mandatory in detection and characterization of peritoneal deposits. Several benign and malignant conditions may show similar imaging features that overlap those of PC, making the differential diagnosis challenging. Clinical history, laboratory findings and previous imaging examinations must be considered to achieve the correct diagnosis.

Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is a complex hormonal disorder which impair ovarian function. The adherence to healthy dietary patterns and physical exercise are the first line of recommended treatment for PCOS patients, but it is no clear what type of diet is more adequate. In this case-control study, we explore the association between the adherence to five dietary quality indices widely used and PCOS. We enrolled 126 cases of PCOS and 159 controls (Murcia, Spain). Diagnostic of PCOS and its phenotypes were established following the Rotterdam criteria [hyperandrogenism (H), oligoanovulation (O), polycystic ovaries morphology (POM)]. We used a validated food frequency questionnaires to calculate the scores for five dietary indices: alternate Healthy Eating index (AHEI), AHEI-2010, relative Mediterranean Dietary Score (rMED), alternate Mediterranean Dietary Score (aMED) and Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH). We used multivariable logistic regression to estimate adjusted odds ratios and confidence intervals. In the multivariable analysis, AHEI-2010 index was inversely associated with “H+O” PCOS’ phenotype (ORQ3 VS Q1= 0.1; 95% CI :(0.0; 0.9); P for trend= 0.02). In conclusion, we did not find any statistical significative association between dietary indices and total, anovulatory and ovulatory PCOS, but it seems interesting explore these association among the diverse phenotypes of PCOS in studies with higher sample size.

In Ref. [1] Snider et al reported room temperature superconductivity in carbonaceous sulfur hydride (CSH) under high pressure. Recently the data for the temperature dependent ac magnetic susceptibility shown in figures of Ref [1] have appeared in the form of tables corresponding to different pressures [2]. Here we provide an analysis of the data for a pressure of 160 GPa. This work was performed in collaboration with D. van der Marel.

In South Sudan, three case-control studies found a positive association between Nodding Syn-drome (NS) and a Mansonella perstans infection. To investigate whether M. perstans could play the primary and sole causal role in the development of NS, we examined blood films of persons with and without epilepsy in rural villages affected by NS in Mahenge, Tanzania, to identify M. perstans infections. Study participants were also examined for onchocercal nodules and skin lesions and tested for the presence of anti-O. volvulus antibodies (Ov16 ELISA). One hundred and thirteen epilepsy cases and 132 controls were enrolled, with a mean age of 28.3 years (interquartile range 22 – 34 years); 125 (51%) were females. Of the persons with epilepsy, 43 (38.1%) met the probable NS criteria. M. perstans infection was absent in all participants, but Ov16 prevalence and oncho-cerciasis-associated skin manifestations were positively associated with epilepsy, including probable NS. Onchocercal nodules in the mothers of cases were also positively associated with epilepsy. In conclusion, in contrast with O. volvulus, M. perstans is likely not endemic in Mahenge and therefore cannot be a co-factor for NS in the area. Hence, this filaria cannot be the primary and sole causal factor in the development of NS.

Thermostatically controlled loads have great potential to make a significant contribution to improving energy efficiency in the building sector, which is responsible for 40% of greenhouse gas emissions in the EU. This, in addition to the environmental damage, represents a huge expense in the electricity bill. Therefore, it is very important to train engineers on how to design energy management systems for TCLs. With this goal in mind, it would be very useful to have a simulation-based educational tool (SBET) to understand thermostatically controlled loads, their characteristics and possibilities in energy efficiency. In addition, it would be very useful if this tool could be introduced in engineering curricula to help students to be better trained and enter the labor market with more opportunities. Based on the shortcomings detected, this work develops a SBET specifically designed to teach about TCLs (SBET-TCLs), both about their intrinsic characteristics and their better management. To verify the developed SBET-TCL, it has been tested in a real scenario: A survey was carried out among the students of the subject 'Alternative Energy Sources' of the degrees of Industrial Engineering. The results show that the use of SBET-TCL has very positive effects on the learning process.

In industrial environments, nesting consists in cutting or extracting pieces from a material sheet, with the purpose of minimizing the surface of the sheet used. This problem is present in different types of industries, such as shipping, aeronautics, woodworking, footwear, and so on. In this work, the aim is to find an acceptable solution to solve complex nesting problems. The research developed is oriented to sacrifice accuracy for speed so as to obtain robust solutions in less computational time. To achieve this, a greedy method and a genetic algorithm have been implemented, being the latter responsible for generating a sequence for the placement of the pieces, where each piece is placed in its current optimal position with the help of a representation system for both the pieces and the material sheet.

This review delves into the significance of chemical communication in mammals, with an emphasis on the role of the vomeronasal system in sensing pheromone-mediated interactions. The vomeronasal system shapes a variety of social and sexual behaviors, including reproduction, hierarchy formation, maternal bonding, and species recognition. Intriguingly, this system presents a vast degree of evolutionary variability, more so than variations observed in the olfactory system. This adaptive diversity underscores the challenges in studying the vomeronasal system, emphasizing the need for detailed research into its neuroanatomy and functional morphology. This review traverses an array of topics central to our understanding of chemical communication in mammals. We begin with the foundational role and basic concepts of chemocommunication. This is followed by an in-depth exploration of the olfactory systems. Subsequently, the neuroanatomical underpinnings of the vomeronasal system are juxtaposed against those of the olfactory system. Our focus then shifts to an exhaustive study of the sensory element of the vomeronasal system, the vomeronasal organ, and the integrating center of this information, the accessory olfactory bulb. The discussion extends to secondary projections of both the olfactory and vomeronasal systems in the light of the dual olfactory hypothesis. The review culminates with a detailed look at four specific models of vomeronasal system organization belonging to four evolutionarily distinct mammalian families: rodents, marsupials, herpestids, and bovids. These have been meticulously analyzed by the authors, aiming to spotlight the significant morphofunctional differences stemming from the adaptive changes imprinted on the system.

This study examines the feasibility of using event-related potentials (ERPs) obtained from electroencephalographic (EEG) recordings as biomarkers for long-term memory item classification. Previous studies have identified old/new effects in memory paradigms associated with explicit long-term memory and familiarity. Recent advancements in convolutional neural networks (CNNs) have enabled the classification of ERP trials under different conditions and identification of features related to neural processes at the single-trial level. We employed this approach to compare three CNN models with distinct architectures using experimental data. Participants (N = 25) performed an association memory task while recording ERPs that were used for training and validation of the CNN models. The EEGNET-based model achieved the most reliable performance in terms of precision, recall, and specificity compared with the shallow and deep convolutional approaches. The classification accuracy of this model reached 70% for known items and 62% for unknown items. Good overall accuracy requires a trade-off between recall and specificity and depends on the architecture of the model and the dataset size. These results suggest the possibility of integrating ERP and CNN into online learning tools and identifying the underlying processes related to long-term memorization.

Plant-based alternative medicine is normally grounded on empiric cultural perception, as the main objective, these practices intent to either maintain good health or to provide a route to turn-the-tide on a specific disease or ailment. Amongst the thousands of plants that have been used and studied, Neem (Azadirachta indica) seems to have a very interesting tale to tell, since its properties to ward-off certain diseases have overtime, and in a rigorous way, been proven. The preceding concise review is a collection of some of the most relevant studies today, not only focusing on the health benefits obtained by its use, but digging into the molecular mechanisms of how the properties come about. In particular, we take a look over antioxidant properties and how these mediate and mitigate important molecules such as IL-6 and TNF-, leading the way in reducing systematic damage by oxidative stress. Further, we relate this oxidative reduction to other systemic diseases such as cancer and diabetes, as these are currently becoming the most rampant killers. As of yet not all is known about the different ways of extracting or the total composition of an extract, as these may be from different parts of the plant. Therefore, we also allude to an important cautionary view where toxicological effects and conflicting outcomes arise. Overall, presented results show a great potential for the different extracts of Neem as their antioxidant activity can be taken advantage off, and potentially used in modern medicine.

Configurable process models are frequently used to represent business workflows and other discrete event systems among different branches of large organizations: they unify commonalities shared by all branches and describe their differences, at the same time. The configuration of such models is usually done manually, which is challenging. On the one hand, when the number of configurable nodes in the configurable process model grows, the size of the search space increases exponentially. On the other hand, the person performing the configuration may lack the holistic perspective to make the right choice for all configurable nodes at the same time, since choices influence each other. Nowadays, information systems that support the execution of business processes create event data reflecting how processes are performed. In this article, we propose three strategies (based on exhaustive search, genetic algorithms, and greedy heuristic) that use event data to automatically derive a process model from a configurable process model that better represents the characteristics of the process in a specific branch. These strategies have been implemented in our proposed framework, and tested in both business-like event logs as recorded in a higher educational ERP system, and a real case scenario involving a set of Dutch municipalities.

Background: The protocol described in this paper is part of a research project coordinated 1 between three Spanish universities where a technology aimed at improving the quality of life of 2 people suffering from cerebral palsy will be developed. Part of the technology developed will consist 3 of developing an interface and a series of applications to increase motivation for daily physical activity. 4 The basis of these developments is based on the measurement of the emotional state of the subjects. 5 Methods: The experimental protocol is designed with two objectives, on the one hand to identify the 6 emotional state through physiological signals, and on the other to determine whether music can be 7 a motivating factor to promote physical activity. It has been specifically designed for subjects with 8 cerebral palsy taking into account the special characteristics of this population. These are people with 9 whom it is difficult to use questionnaires to have a basis to contrast with the measured physiological 10 signals, so measurements must be taken in carefully chosen daily life situations Discussion: As results 11 we hope to obtain which physiological parameters are the most robust to measure the emotional state 12 and how to design rehabilitation and physical activity promotion routines that are motivating, in 13 addition to being able to avoid risk factors during the performance of these routines. Trial registration: 14 NCT05621057. https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT05621057

Various crystallite size estimation methods were used to analyze X-ray diffractograms of spherical cerium dioxide and donut-like titanium dioxide anatase nanoparticles aiming to evaluate their reliability and limitations. The microstructural parameters were estimated from Scherrer, Monshi, Williamson-Hall, and their variants: i) uniform deformation model, ii) uniform strain deformation model, and iii) uniform deformation energy density model, and also size-strain plot, and Halder-Wagner method. For that, and improved systematic Matlab code was developed to estimate the crystallite sizes and strain, and the linear regression analysis was used to compare all the models based on the coefficient of determination, where the Halder Wagner method gave the highest value (close to 1). Therefore, being the best candidate to fit the X-ray Diffraction data of metal-oxide nanoparticles. Advanced Rietveld was introduced for comparison purposes. Refined microstructural parameters were obtained from a nanostructured 40.5 nm Lanthanum hexaboride nanoparticles and correlated with the above estimation methods and transmission electron microscopy images. In addition, electron density modelling was also studied for final refined nanostructures, and μ-Raman spectra were recorded for each material estimating the mean crystallite size and comparing by means of a phonon confinement model.

Despite gender equality being present in the social and political sphere, we still encounter aspects that are characteristic of sexism. Such aspects impact upon gender inequality and different types of violence towards women. The present article aims to examine the behaviour of adolescents from Huelva with regards to ambivalent sexism towards women on social networks and their influence on health. Further, we seek to uncover adolescent’s perceptions with regards to gender differences in the use of social networks, the relationship between sexism and women's emotional well-being was observed. The study sample was formed by young people aged between 14 and 16 years who were residing in rural and urban zones in the south of Spain. A mixed methods approach was taken. At a quantitative level, a sample of 400 young people was recruited. These were administered a questionnaire about sexism which was composed of two scales and has been validated at a national and international level. At a qualitative level, the study counted on 33 young people who participated in in-depth discussions via interviews and discussion groups. The results showed that sexism emerges in adolescence in the analysed sample from the south of Spain. This favoured a digital gender gap and was reinforced through social networks such as Instagram and Snapchat. Rising awareness and a critical view of the aforementioned sexism was shown on the behalf of females, particularly those from urban backgrounds.

Dump design and scheduling are critical elements to effective mine planning, especially if several of them are required in large-scale open pit mines. Infrastructure capital and transportation costs are considerable from an early stage in the mining project, and through the life-of-mine as these dumps gradually become immense structures. Delivered mining rates, as well as certain spatial and physical constraints, provide a set of parameters of mathematical and economic relationship that creates opportunities for modelling and thus facilitates the measuring and optimization of ultimate dump design by using programming and empirical techniques while achieving economic objectives. This paper presents a methodology to model and optimize the design of a mine dump by minimizing the total haulage costs. The proposed methodology consists on: (i) Formulation of a dump model based on a system of equations relying on multiple relevant parameters; (ii) Solves by minimizing the total cost using linear programming and determines a ‘preliminary’ dump design; (iii) Through a series of iterations, modifies the ‘preliminary’ footprint by projecting it to the topography and creates the ultimate dump design. Finally, an example application for a waste rock dump illustrates this methodology.

Room temperature superconductivity has recently been reported for a carbonaceous sulfur hydride (CSH) under high pressure by Snider et al [1]. The paper reports sharp drops in magnetic susceptibility as a function of temperature for five different pressures, that are interpreted as signaling a superconducting transition. Here I question the validity and faithfulness of the magnetic susceptibility data presented in the paper by comparison with the measured raw data reported by two of the authors of ref. [2]. This invalidates the assertion of the paper [1] that the susceptibility measurements support the case for superconductivity in this compound.

PirAB is a binary protein complex secreted by specific strains of Vibrio parahaemolyticus (Vp) that harbor the pVA1 virulence plasmid and express PirAVp and PirBVp toxins. PirABVp causes acute hepatopancreatic necrosis disease (AHPND), a newly emergent penaeid shrimp disease that can cause 70–100% mortality and has resulted in great economic losses since its appearance. The cy-totoxic effect of PirABVp on the epithelial cell of the shrimp hepatopancreas has been extensively reported. Our studies found that the PirBVp subunit has lectin activity and recognizes mucin-like O-glycosidic structures in the shrimp hepatopancreas. The PirAVp subunit may have a stabiliza-tion function of the binary complex. However, we also found that Vp AHPND changes the water microbiota community structure and causes a significant reduction in several bacteria, especially Neptuniibacter spp. We propose that the PirABvp toxin could exhibit a dual role: damage the shrimp hepatopancreas and kill surrounding bacteria.

By utilizing the Fourier transform, we present a practical method for evaluating a function of a derivative applied to any other arbitrary function of a single complex variable. As an illustration of this approach, we compute the actions of the displacement and squeeze operators on an arbitrary function, as well as the propagation of paraxial fields, Airy and number states, without the need for algebraic quantum operator techniques or the Fresnel integral.

High degree of polymerisation agave fructans (HDPAF) are presented as a novel encapsulating material. Electrospraying coating (EC) was selected as the encapsulation technique and β-carotene as the model bioactive compound. In case of direct electrospraying, two encapsulation methodologies (solution and emulsion) were proposed to find the formulation which provided a suitable particle morphology and an adequate concentration of β-carotene encapsulated in the particles. SEM images showed spherical particles with sizes ranging from 440 to 880 nm depending on the concentration of HDPAF and processing parameters. FTIR analysis confirmed interaction and encapsulation of β-carotene with HDPAF. Thermal stability of β-carotene encapsulated in HDPAF was evidenced by thermogravimetric analysis (TGA). The study showed that β-carotene encapsulated in HDPAF by the EC method remained stable for up to 50 h of exposure to UV light. Therefore, HDPAF is a viable option to formulate nanocapsules as a new encapsulating material. In addition, EC allowed increasing the ratio β-carotene:polymer as well as its photostability.

Background: Zika virus (ZIKV) infection has significantly affected Latin America in 2015–2017. Most studies have been reported from Brazil and Colombia, and only a few from Central America. For these reasons we analyzed the incidence, incidence rates and evolution of cases in Honduras from 2016–2017. Methods: Using epidemiological weeks (EW) surveillance data on the ZIKV epidemics in Honduras, we estimated incidence rates (cases/100,000 population), and developed maps at national, departmental and municipal levels. Results: From 1 January 2016 to 31 December 2017, a total of 32,607 cases of ZIKV were reported (98.5% in 2016 for an incidence rate of 36.85 cases/100,000 pop; 1% confirmed by RT-PCR). The highest peak was reached on the EW 6°, 2016 (2,559 cases; 29.34 cases/100,000 pop). The department with the highest number of cases and incidence rate was Cortés (13,128 cases, 791.08 cases/100,000 pop in 2016). Discussion: The pattern and evolution of ZIKV infection in Honduras has been similar to that which occurred for chikungunya in 2015. As previously reported, infection with chikungunya involved predominantly the central and capital area of the country, reaching incidences there >750 cases/100,000 pop. Studies using geographical information systems linked with clinical disease characteristics are necessary to attain accurate epidemiological data for public health systems. Such information is also useful for assessment of risk for travelers who visit specific areas in a destination country.

Lifespan extension was recently achieved in Caenorhabditis elegans nematodes by mitochondrial stress and mitophagy, triggered via iron depletion. Conversely in man, deficient mitophagy due to Pink1/Parkin mutations triggers iron accumulation in patient brain and limits survival. We now aimed to identify murine fibroblast factors, which adapt their mRNA expression to acute iron manipulation, relate to mitochondrial dysfunction and may influence survival. After iron depletion, expression of the plasma membrane receptor Tfrc with its activator Ireb2, the mitochondrial membrane transporter Abcb10, the heme-release factor Pgrmc1, the heme-degradation enzyme Hmox1, the heme-binding cholesterol metabolizer Cyp46a1, as well as the mitophagy regulators Pink1 and Parkin showed a negative correlation to iron levels. After iron overload, these factors did not change expression. Conversely, a positive correlation of mRNA levels with both conditions of iron availability was observed for the endosomal factors Slc11a2 and Steap2, as well as for the iron-sulfur-cluster (ISC)-containing factors Ppat, Bdh2 and Nthl1. Positive correlation only after iron depletion was observed for the iron export factor Slc40a1, mitochondrial iron transporters Slc25a28, Abcb7 and Abcb8, mitochondrial ISC-containing factors Glrx5, Nfu1, Bola1 and Abce1, cytosolic Aco1 and Tyw5, as well as nuclear Dna2, Elp3, Pold1 and Prim2. The latter are regulators of nucleotide synthesis and DNA quality control, which have known importance for growth and lifespan. The only Pink1-/- triggered transcript modulation was the reduced expression of the ISC-containing ribosomal factor Abce1. These mammalian findings support previous fly data that Pink1 influences co-translational quality control via Abce1, as well as mitophagy. Our findings provide the first systematic survey how iron dosage triggers homeostatic transcriptional regulations and elucidate how iron deprivation results in mitophagy.

We consider two abstract systems of parabolic-hyperbolic type that model thermoelastic problems. We study the influence of the physical constants and the initial data on the nonexistence of global solutions that in our framework are produced by the blow-up in finite time of the norm of the solution in the phase space. We employ a differential inequality to find sufficient conditions that produce the blow-up. To that end, we construct a set that is positive invariant for any positive value of the initial energy. As a result we found that the coupling with the parabolic equation stabilizes the system, as well as the damping term in the hyperbolic equation. Moreover, for any pair of positive values $(\xi,\epsilon)$, there exist initial data such that the corresponding solution with initial energy $\xi$ blows-up at a finite time less than $\epsilon$. Our purpose is to improve results previously published in the literature.

Technology has transformed aeroponics, providing numerous advantages over traditional soil-based agriculture. However, there remains a need for comprehensive information on the types of technology employed in aeroponics and their impact on the growing process. This paper presents a literature review of 47 studies published between 2012 and 2023 in peer-reviewed journals and conference proceedings. As a result, it identifies the status and tendencies in the usage of technology in aeroponics as well as the main opportunities and challenges. Furthermore, this paper introduces the Technology Adoption and Integration in Sustainable Agriculture (TAISA) model. TAISA is a model that identifies the degree of technology integration in any sustainable agriculture system to determine how technology affects production and quality. Overall, the systematic review suggests that technology can play a vital role in improving the efficiency and sustainability of aeroponic farming. However, careful consideration must be given to the costs and technical requirements associated with using these technologies. Moreover, the TAISA model reveals that technology has primarily been employed in creating new processes that are not possible to implement without the help of technology. Therefore, we conclude that technology use has taken root in aeroponics and can be promoted to improve sustainable agriculture.

The aim of this study was to evaluate and compare the fracture resistance of definitive zirconia dioxide restorations obtained using a computer-aided design and manufacturing (CAD/CAM) system. Methods: Two groups of ten samples were analyzed for each material (n: 20), the first group was Zolid Gen X Amann Girrbach (ZGX) and the second group was Cercon HT Dentsply Sirona (CDS). The restorations were designed with identical parameters and milled with a CAD/CAM system. Each specimen was load tested at a speed of 0.5 mm/min with a direction parallel to the major axis of the tooth and with an initial preload of 10N until fracture using a universal testing machine (Universal/Tensile Testing Machine, Autograph AGS-X Series) equipped with a 20 kN load cell. The results obtained were recorded in Newtons (N), using software connected to the testing machine. Results: Statistically significant differences were found, and the fracture toughness of the monolithic zirconia crowns was lower in the CDS group (1744.84 ± 172.8 N), compared to the ZGX group (2387.41 ± 516 N). Conclusions: The monolithic zirconia CAD-CAM zirconia crowns showed sufficient fracture strength to be used in posterior molar and premolar zones with either material as they withstood fracture loads greater than the maximum masticatory force.

OBJETIVE: This study analyses the views of four groups of healthcare professionals who may play a role in the management of suicidal behaviour. The goal was to identify key factors for suicide prevention in different areas of the healthcare system. METHODOLOGY: Qualitative research was conducted using focus groups made up of different healthcare professionals who participated in the identification, management and prevention of suicidal behaviour. Professionals included were primary care physicians, psychologists, psychiatrists and emergency physicians. RESULTS: ‘Suicide’ was amongst the most relevant terms that came up in discussions most of the times it appeared associated with words such as ‘risk’, ‘danger’ or ‘harm’. In the analysis by categories, the four groups of professionals agreed that interventions in at-risk behaviours are first in importance. Prevention was the second main concern with greater significance among psychiatrists. DISCUSSION: Primary care professionals claim for more time to address patients at risk for suicide and an easier access to and communication with the mental health network. Emergency care professionals have a lack of awareness of their role in the detection of risk for suicide in patients who seek attention at emergency care facilities for reasons of general somatic issues. Mental health care professionals are in high demand in case of self-harm but they would like to receive specific training in dealing with g suicidal behaviour.

Some recent studies show that filters in convolutional neural networks (CNNs) have low color selectivity in datasets of natural scenes such as Imagenet. CNNs, bio-inspired in the visual cortex, are characterized by their hierarchical learning structure, which appears to gradually transform the representation space. Inspired by the direct connection between the LGN and V4, which allows V4 to handle low-level information closer to the trichromatic input in addition to processed information that comes from V2/V3, we propose the addition of a long skip connection (LSC) between the first and last blocks of the feature extraction stage to allow deeper parts of the network to receive information from shallower layers. This type of connection improves classification accuracy by combining simple-visual and complex-abstract features to create more color-selective ones. We have applied this strategy to classic CNN architectures and quantitatively and qualitatively analyzed the improvement in accuracy while focusing on color selectivity. The results show that, in general, skip connections improve accuracy, but LSC improves it even more and enhances the color selectivity of the original CNN architectures. As a side result, we propose a new color representation procedure for organizing and filtering feature maps, making their visualization more manageable.

In the last two decades, the discovery of various pathways involved in renal cell carcinoma (RCC) have led to the development of biologically-driven targeted therapies. Hypoxia inducible factors (HIFs), angiogenic growth factors, von Hippel-Lindau (VHL) gene mutations and oncogenic miRNAs play essential roles in the pathogenesis and drug resistance of clear cell renal cell carcinoma. These insights have led to the development of VEGF inhibitors, mTOR inhibitors and immunotherapeutic agents which have significantly improved outcomes of patients with advanced RCC. HIF inhibitors will be a valuable asset in the growing therapeutic armamentarium of RCC. Various histone deacetylase (HDAC)inhibitors, including selenium and agents such as PT2385 and PT2977, are being explored in various clinical trials as potential HIF inhibitors to ameliorate the outcomes of RCC patients. In this article, we will review the current treatment options and highlight the potential role of selenium in the modulation of drug resistance biomarkers expressed in ccRCC tumors.

Among the many Lysosomal Storage Disorders (LSDs) that would benefit from the establish-ment of novel cell models, either patient-derived or genetically engineered, is Mucopolysaccha-ridosis type II (MPS II). In fact, even though a specific therapeutic approach does exist for this disorder (Enzyme Replacement Therapy, ERT, with recombinant human IDS) and haematopoiet-ic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) may also hold promise whenever the disorder is diagnosed soon enough, both approaches have their own drawbacks. Here we present our results on the establishment and characterization of two MPS II pa-tient-derived stem cell line(s) from deciduous baby teeth. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first time a stem cell population is isolated from LSD patient samples obtained from the oral cavity. Taking into account our results on the molecular and biochemical characterization of those cells and our first insights on their subcellular MPS phenotype, we consider these cells will be a valuable tool for both pathophysiological assessments and drugs screenings. Ultimately, we believe patient-derived dental pulp stem cells (DPSC) may represent a feasible alternative to induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSC) in many labs with standard cell culture con-ditions and limited (human and economic) resources.

This research aimed to determine salient factors affecting the decision to become a beginning organic farmer. New and beginning organic farmers have unique characteristics, showcasing their dedication to environmental justice and social justice at the expense of their own businesses. This research employed a multiple-case case study design. We conducted semi-structured interviews with 40 first-generation farmers who operate organic farms in Arkansas, Florida, or Georgia. We analyzed interview transcripts using the qualitative analysis approach of coding. Our results revealed the reasons that people with little practical knowledge start farms. They are inspired by those around them who succeed and encouraged by influential characters in the field who assure them they can do something they love and be profitable. This research showed that first-generation farmers find inspiration and develop values rooted in food justice. Our findings have implications for developing and implementing current and future programmatic activities that aim to enhance beginning farmer training and workforce development. Identifying sources of inspiration will help researchers and service providers target newer and beginning farmers to support a vibrant food system, including a burgeoning market opportunity, developing strong communities around food, and building grassroots solutions.

Threats to natural ecosystems are closely linked to human development, and the lack, insufficiency or inefficiency of public policies are some of the most important drivers of negative effects on the environment. The contribution of the IUCN’s Red List of Ecosystems (RLE) to conservation topics has been discussed in previous studies; however, to date its implications for conservation in public policies have not been addressed. This perspective discusses how the RLE may support the improvement and development of these policies, specifically through the implications for public policy of each of the criteria that substantiate the threat status of ecosystems. We aim to provide a plausible baseline to the operationalization of RLE in public and conservation policy, facilitating the work of governments, practitioners and decision makers. Finally, we provide recommendations and examples as to how to proceed in creating and modifying different public policy instruments, such as land-use planning, spatial zoning, tax reduction, compensation schemes, climate change adaptation plans, management of introduced species, development offsets and restoration investment. This perspective contributes to implement RLE into public policy and to improve ecosystem conservation by expanding the current scope of RLE into practical and political dimensions through plausible actions, policies and strategies.

With the Sendai Framework (2015-2030) and the Paris Agreement (2015), the UN has been promoting at a global level, the priority objectives to protect the life and well-being of people, these documents of global consensus have scheduled in several countries, an extensive list of actions of responsibilities and commitments to the environment, to address natural disasters among those of greatest impact earthquakes and floods and among earthquakes (seismic activity). The materialization of the disaster is a natural or human-induced event, it manifests itself in permanent changes in society and by its origin it is classified as natural, anthropogenic (anthropogenic) and mixed, creating a worldwide problematic situation of immediate reaction. The attention and alert in the scientific community have been adding efforts, but in a disorganized way, with limited human and material resources and with globalized strategies still to be improved. The literature review of disaster risk management due to seismic activity, from 2008 to 2023, allows us to have updated information to identify the factors and deepen them, with the understanding, comprehension, and multidisciplinary knowledge. The selected researches that mention the factors (elements) that influence risk management of natural disasters due to seismic activity (RMNDDSA) allow us to know the advances and spaces to approach them, which constitutes the motivation to study the twenty-four (24) factors present in this type of disasters. The selected research articles indicate important advances that associate disaster risk management (DRM) and communication technology (ICTs). The technological means mentioned are well received and accepted by society, capable of detecting and communicating in real time seismic activity worldwide, with the help of social mobile networks, technological platforms, Twitter, Facebook, and others.

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

There are laws and rights aimed at people with disabilities, especially those with Mild Intellectual Disability (LDD), who actively participate in society but face barriers in learning and participating in various activities. In Colombia, where 1.3 million people with disabilities are registered, 16.8% correspond to the category of DIL, some of whom are part of the economically active population. Despite this, significant employment gaps persist.In order to address this gap, this research focuses on the analysis of the specific problems related to the labor inclusion of people with IDL in logistics environments, particularly in cold rooms. The aim is to prevent occupational hazards through the application of Industry 4.0 technologies.Through the collaboration of the Analytics and Design Research Seedbed, with entrepreneurs and experts in the field, significant challenges in labor inclusion in low-temperature environments were identified. The agile Scrum methodology was used to develop a prototype of an application that addresses these issues. This prototype meets the functional and non-functional requirements necessary to ensure the protection and prevention of risks for workers with DIL who perform functions in refrigerated rooms.This prototype manages to provide an inclusive alternative for people with disability Intellectual Light, challenging business cultural paradigms, by integrating mobile devices with Industry 4.0 technologies, encouraging greater interaction between machines and human beings, thus prioritizing the health and safety of employees in their daily activities.

This paper extends the Stochastic Method of Cuts (SMoC) to approximate of the Macroscopic Fundamental Diagram (MFD) of urban networks and uses Maximum Likelihood Estimation (MLE) method to estimate the model parameters based on empirical data from a corridor and 30 cities around the world. For the corridor case, the estimated values are in good agreement with the measured values of the parameters. For the network datasets, the results indicate that the method yields satisfactory parameter estimates and graphical fits for roughly 50\% of the studied networks, where estimations fall within the expected range of the parameter values. The satisfactory estimates are mostly for the datasets which (i) cover a relatively wider range of densities and (ii) the average flow values at different densities are approximately normally distributed similar to the probability density function of the SMoC. The estimated parameter values are compared to the real or expected values and any discrepancies and their potential causes are discussed in depth to identify the challenges in the MFD estimation both analytically and empirically. In particular, we find that the most important issues needing further investigation are: (i) the distribution of loop detectors within the links, (ii) the distribution of loop detectors across the network, and (iii) the treatment of unsignalized intersections and their impact on the block length.

A reduced order model is developed to monitor aeroengines condition (defining their degradation from a baseline state) in real-time, by using data collected in specific sensors. This reduced model is constructed by applying higher order singular value decomposition plus interpolation to appropriate data, organized in tensor form. Such data are obtained using a detailed engine model that takes the engine physics into account. Thus, the method synergically combines the advantages of data-driven (fast online operation) and model-based (the engine physics is accounted for) condition monitoring methods. Using this reduced order model as surrogate of the engine model, two gradient-like condition monitoring tools are constructed. The first tool is extremely fast and able to precisely compute `on the fly’ the turbine inlet temperature, which is a paramount parameter for the engine performance, operation, and maintenance, and can only be roughly estimated by the engine instrumentation in civil aviation. The second tool is not so fast (but still reasonably inexpensive) and precisely computes both, the engine degradation and the turbine inlet temperature at which sensors data have been acquired. These tools are robust in connection with random noise added to the sensors data and can be straight forwardly applied to other mechanical systems.

This paper presents a methodology to design sensor fusion parameters using real performance indicators of navigation in UAVs based on PixHawk flight controller and peripherals. This methodology and the selected performance indicators allows to find the best parameters for the fusion system of a determined configuration of sensors and a predefined real mission. The selected real platform is described with stress on available sensors and data processing software, and the experimental methodology is proposed to characterize sensor data fusion output and determine the best choice of parameters using quality measurements of tracking output with performance metrics not requiring ground truth.

Background: Zebrafish (Danio rerio) is a model organism emerged for the study of human cancer. Compared with the murine model, the zebrafish model has several properties ideal for personalized therapies. The transparency of the zebrafish embryos and the development of the pigment-deficient “casper” zebrafish line give the capacity to directly observe cancer formation and progression in the living animal. Automatic quantification of cellular proliferation in vivo is critical to the development of personalized medicine. Methods: A new methodology was defined to automatically quantify the cancer cellular evolution. ZFTool was developed to establish a base threshold that eliminates the embryo auto-fluorescence and automatically measures the area and intensity of GFP (green-fluorescent protein) marked cells and define a proliferation index. Results: Proliferation index automatically computed on different targets demonstrates the efficiency of ZFTool to provide a good automatic quantification of cancer cell evolution and dissemination. Conclusion: Our results demonstrate that ZFTool is a reliable tool for the automatic quantification of the proliferation index, being a measure of cancer mass evolution in zebrafish eliminating the influence of its autofluorescence.

Gliomas are aggressive, primary central nervous system tumours arising from glial cells. Glioblastomas are the most malignant. They are known for their poor prognosis or median overall survival. Current standard of care is overwhelmed by the heterogeneous, immunosuppressive tumour microenvironment promoting immune evasion and tumour proliferation. The advent of immunotherapy with its various modalities – immune checkpoint inhibitors, cancer vaccines, oncolytic viruses, chimeric antigen receptor T cells and NK cells have shown promise. Clinical trials incorporating combination therapies of the above have overcome the microenvironment resistance and yielded survival and prognostic benefit. Rolling these new therapies out in the real-world scenario in a low cost, high throughput manner is the unmet need of the hour. These will bring practice changing implications to the glioma treatment landscape. In this review article, we focus on describing the hallmarks of the glioma microenvironment and its interplay with the different emerging modalities of immunotherapy.

We investigate some of the fundamental features of the interaction of mixed kaleidoscope states, namely, particular statistical mixtures of coherent states, with two-level atoms in the Jaynes-Cummings model framework. We begin our analysis by calculating the von Neumann entropy of the field which is determined with help of the virtual atom method. Oscillations appear in this entropy that indicate a state of purity greater than the initial state, {it i.e.}, a purification of the initial state is achieved. In this oscillatory region, we obtain the field Wigner function that resembles Schrodinger's cats.

Natural rocks are highly heterogeneous due to various geological processes that constantly alter their properties. The accumulation, deposition, and cementation of mineral and organic particles continuously modify the spatial characteristics of rock properties. Property variability or anisotropy is commonly observed in most rock types and influences strength, transport, and thermal conductivity behavior. This unpredictability presents a significant challenge for laboratory testing. Binder-jet additive manufacturing (3D printing) has emerged as a valuable technology for characterizing rock properties in geoscience and engineering. This study proposes a methodology to evaluate the variability and repeatability of mechanical properties of 3D-printed sandstones during binder-jet additive manufacturing. The mechanical properties were analyzed statistically for samples located in various parts of the 3D printer build volume. The results showed that the 3D-printed sandstones exhibited significant variations in their strength and stiffness properties when measured from samples produced within the same build volume during binder-jet additive manufacturing. The Uniaxial Compressive Strength (UCS) varied from 23 to 38 MPa, with an average value of 29 MPa. The Young's modulus, on the other hand, ranged from 1.5 to 4.05 GPa, with an average value of 2.33 GPa. The variability of the mechanical properties, quantified by the standard deviation, decreased when the entire population of 3D-printed sandstones was divided into smaller samples situated at different elevations of the build platform.

In the smart city, information and communications technologies (ICTs) are proposed as solutions to urban challenges, including sustainability concerns. While sustainability commonly refers to economic and environmental dimensions, the concept also contains a social component. Our study asked how smartphone applications (apps) address social sustainability challenges in urban transport, if at all. We focused on transport disadvantages experienced due to low income, physical disability, and language barriers. A review of 60 apps showed that transport apps respond to these equity and inclusion issues in two ways: (a) by employing universal design in general-use apps; including cost-conscious features; and providing language options (b) by specifically developing smartphone apps for persons with disabilities. The article discusses the study by positioning it in the literature of smart cities as well as socially sustainable transport.

The anthropogenic deterioration of aquatic ecosystems affects water resources due to agricultural malpractices, pollution from domestic septic tanks, recreational activities, and poor watershed management, among others. This study examines the management of Las Curias Reservoir (176,974 m2), San Juan, Puerto Rico, post the 2016 arrival of the invasive aquatic fern Salvinia molesta. In December 2019, a community-led initiative introduced the Cyrtobagous salviniae weevil, an effective biological control agent for S. molesta, and commenced a mechanical removal campaign using an aquatic harvester. Limnological sampling (September 2019 to March 2022) and drone flights were employed to measure physicochemical and floating plant cover changes, respectively, in the reservoir. Monitoring of weevils in the reservoir demonstrated a rapid establishment and dispersal, which resulted in visible damage including browning of plants and eventually sinking of entire mats. By January 29, 2021, 71% (125,652 m2) of the reservoir surface was covered by salvinia. In 2022, the reservoir recorded an average dissolved oxygen concentration of 2.38 mg/L -1 (± 0.021, n = 144), the highest in the study period and indicative of ecosystem recovery. After three years of control efforts, dissolved oxygen, pH, and specific conductance returned to levels recorded prior to Salvinia molesta introduction. This ecosystem recovery, a first in Puerto Rico, could be attributed to an early use of mechanical control and a long-term impact of biological control.

This paper presents additional results of the generalized bathtub model for urban networks, including a simpler derivation and exact solutions for uniformly distributed trip lengths. It is shown that in steady state this trip-based model is equivalent to the more parsimonious accumulation-based model, and that the trip-length distribution has merely a transient effect on traffic dynamics, which converge to the same point in the macroscopic fundamental diagram (MFD). To understand the statistical properties of the system, a queueing approximation method is proposed to compute the network accumulation variance. It is found that (i) the accumulation variance is much larger than predicted by traditional queueing models, due to the nonlinear dynamics imposed by the MFD, (ii) the trip-length distribution has no effect on the accumulation variance, indicating that the proposed formula for the variance might be universal, (iii) the system exhibits critical behavior near the capacity state where the variance diverges to infinity. This indicates that the tools from critical phenomena and phase transitions might be useful to understand congestion in cities.

Cardiovascular diseases (CVD´s) continue as the primary cause of death worldwide. During the past couple of years, and with the surge of the COVID-19 pandemic, deaths linked to CVD´s were -slightly overshadowed by those deaths related to COVID-19, albeit during the highest peaks of the pandemic. The present study derived form understanding the correlation between both diseases, from the standpoint of patients already diagnosed with CVD´s (n = 41883) and what comorbidities had the highest influence on overall patient death (n = 3637). Obesity, hypertension, and diabetes are all linked to worsening the outcome of COVID-19 positive patients, hence they were considered when looking at the overview of all CVD positive patients. Our finding showed that 1697 deaths were related to diabetes (p < 0.001), 987 deaths were related to obesity (p < 0.001), and lastly 2499 deaths were attributed to hypertension (p < 0.001) individually. Using logistic regression modeling, we found diabetes (OR: 1.744, p < 0.001) and hypertension (OR: 2.179, p < 0.001) had a high impact on patient deaths. Hence, having a CVD diagnosis, with hypertension and/or diabetes seems to increase the likely-hood of complication leading to death in COVID-19 positive patients.