A novel hybrid CSP-PV power plant is presented. Instead of the integration used in current hybrid power plants, where part of the PV production is charged into the thermal energy storage system through electrical resistors, the proposed system integrates both PV and thermal solar fields using a high-temperature heat pump. Both the heat pump and the heat engine are based on Brayton supercritical CO2 thermodynamic cycles. Such integration allows for charging the molten salts storage as if a central tower receiver field supplied the thermal energy, whereas parabolic trough collectors are employed. Unlike conventional hybrid plants, where the storage of PV production leads to a decrease in power injected into the grid throughout the day, the power injected by the proposed system remains constant. The heat engine efficiency is 44.4%, and the COP is 2.32. The LCOE for a 50 MWe plant with up to 12 hours of storage capacity is 171 $/MWh, which is lower than that of existing CSP power plants with comparable performance. Although the cost is higher compared to a PV plant with batteries, this hybrid system offers two significant advantages: it eliminates the consumption of critical raw materials in batteries, and all the electricity produced comes from a synchronous machine.

Encouraged by the administration the gentrification process has been useful in economic terms for the reactivation of socio-cultural fabrics of historic urban spaces in decline. What was initially considered an advantage has led to the touristification of historic centres, and in turn to the alter-ation of their original use. In these settings, the demographic void caused by increasingly shunning local identity has combined with pressure from excessive tourism and the obsolescence of heritage protection bodies in charge of conservation. Given the crisis affecting the definitions of the current system, this study aims to review the envi-ronmental agents of heritage value in relation to the processes of touristification and gentrification. Data obtained from different methodologies are analysed using a multidisciplinary database, a model which enables the analysis of the relevant information from the different interacting fields. The case study focuses on the historic town centre of Seville specifically between 2015 and 2020. Elements are defined as indicators for these processes and the analysis of the case study will com-prise the main results of this research.

Plant species are precursors of a wide variety of secondary metabolites that, besides having useful activity for themselves, can also be used by humans for their consumption and economic benefit. Pepper (Capsicum annuum L.) fruit is not only a common food and spice source, but it also stands out for containing high amounts of antioxidants (such as vitamins C and A), polyphenols and capsaicinoids. Particular attention has been paid to capsaicin, whose anti-inflammatory, antiproliferative and analgesic activities, have been proven. Due to the potential interest in pepper metabolites for human use, in this project, we carried out an investigation to identify new bioactive compounds of this crop is carried out. To achieve this, we developed a metabolomic approach, using an HPLC (high-performance liquid chromatography) separative technique coupled to metabolite identification by high resolution mass spectrometry (HRMS). After chromatographic analysis and data processing against metabolic databases, 12 differential bioactive compounds were identified in sweet pepper fruits, including quercetin and its derivatives, L-tryptophan, phytosphingosin, FAD, gingerglycolipid A, tetrahydropentoxylin, blumenol C glucoside, colnelenic acid and capsoside A. The abundance of these metabolites varied depending on the ripening stage of the fruits, either immature green or ripe red. We also studied the variation of these 12 metabolites upon treatment with exogenous nitric oxide (NO), a free radical gas involved in a good number of physiological processes in higher plants such as germination, growth, flowering, senescence, and fruit ripening, among others. Overall, it was found that the content of the analysed metabolites was modulated by the ripening stage and by the presence of NO. The metabolic pattern followed by quercetin and its derivatives, as a consequence of the ripening stage and NO treatment, was also corroborated by transcriptomic analysis of genes involved in the synthesis of these compounds. This opens new research windows on the pepper fruit’s bioactive compounds with nutraceutical potentiality, where biotechnological strategies can be applied for optimizing the level of these beneficial compounds.

Nowadays, probiotics has been proposed for substituting antibiotics in animal feed, since the European Union (EU) banned the latter compounds in 2006 to avoid their serious side effects on human health. Therefore, this work aimed to produce a probiotic product by fed-fermentation of whey with kefir grains for use in animal feed. The whey was fermented with a combination of kefir grains AGK1 and the free biomass present in whole milk fermented milk used to activate these kefir grains. The probiotic culture obtained was characterized with high levels of biomass, total viability and antibacterial activity. Some probiotic properties of the probiotic culture were investigated in vitro, including its survival at low pH values, under simulated gastrointestinal conditions, after freezing in skim milk at − 20 ºC, and in the commercial feed during storage at room temperature. The viable cells of lactic and acetic acid bacteria and yeasts exhibited higher tolerance to acidic pH and simulated gastrointestinal conditions when the cells were protected with skim milk and piglet feed, compared with washed cells. The results indicated the feasibility of producing a probiotic product at a low cost with a potential application in animal feed.

This study was conducted to determine the effect of different types of olive cake (five treatments) in the diet of Bísaro pigs on the volatile compounds and sensory characteristics in the dry-cured loin and dry-cured “cachaço” (2 processed meat products). The treatments applied are based on the type of extraction and this may imply differences in their water and fat content. Eighty com-pounds were identified, and grouped into eight chemical classes: hydrocarbons, aldehydes, es-ters, alcohols, ketones, acids, furans, and other compounds. Aldehydes and alcohols were the ma-jor groups of compounds, representing 57.06-66.07 % and 68.67-75.61 % for the loin and “cacha-ço”, respectively. There were no significant differences between treatments for any of the volatile compounds identified. The major aldehydes were hexanal, heptanal, pentanal, and propanal. These compounds were significantly higher (p<0.001) in “cachaço”. This significant difference be-tween the two types of dry-cured products is directly related to the amount of total fat content. The major alcohols were 2.3-butanediol, 1-octen-3-ol, 1-butanol, 3-methyl, 1-hexanol, benzyl-alcohol and glycidol. Except for compounds 2,3-butanediol and benzyl-alcohol, the majority in this group are significantly different in terms of the type of dry-cured product. As for the sensory evaluation, for both dry-cured products, the trained tasters did not detect significant differences between the different treatments, which is in line with the results obtained for volatile compounds.

Nowadays, there has been a significant rise in the consumption of kefir, a functional beverage touted for its perceived health benefits. To offer a high-quality beverage to consumers, it is imper-ative to scrutinize and fine-tune the fermentation process. This study seeks to investigate the im-pact of fermentation time and the number of subcultures on the physicochemical, microbiological, and volatile composition, as well as the visual appearance of kefir beverages obtained from four consecutive 24- or 48-h batch subcultures. All fermented beverages exhibited low lactose, ethanol and acids levels, with counts of viable probiotic lactic acid bacteria and yeast exceeding 106 colony forming units/mL. The four kefir beverages from the 48-h batch subcultures notably showed the lowest total concentrations of volatile compounds likely due to overfermentation and overacidifi-cation of the beverages. This caused separation of the whey and curd, along with the formation of large gas bubbles, negatively affecting the visual appearance of the products. These findings em-phasize the importance of fine-tuning the fermentation process to ensure the production of high-quality kefir beverages that align with consumer preferences. The four beverages from the 24-h batch subcultures exhibited high microbiological and physicochemical stability during stor-age at 4 °C for 28 days.

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

Immune response stimulation may be an adjuvant to antimicrobial treatment. Here, we evaluated the impact of immune response modification by lysophosphatidylcholine (LPC) combined with imipenem or ceftazidime in murine models of peritoneal sepsis (PS) and pneumonia by Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Imipenem and ceftazidime-susceptible strain (Pa39), and imipenem and ceftazidime-resistant strain (Pa238) were used. Ceftazidime pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic parameters were determined. Therapeutic efficacy, and TNF-α and IL-10 levels were determined in murine models of PS and pneumonia by Pa39 and Pa238 treated with LPC, imipenem or ceftazidime, alone or in combination. In PS model, LPC+ceftazidime reduced spleen and lungs Pa238 concentrations (-3.45 and -3.56 log10 CFU/g; P<0.05) than ceftazidime monotherapy, while LPC+imipenem maintained the imipenem efficacy (-1.66 and -1.45 log10 CFU/g; P>0.05). In pneumonia model, LPC+ceftazidime or LPC+imipenem reduced lungs Pa238 concentrations (-2.37 log10 CFU/g, P=0.1, or -1.35 log10 CFU/g, P=0.75). For Pa39 no statistically significant difference has been observed in PS and pneumonia models between combined therapy and monotherapy. Moreover, LPC+imipenem and LPC+ceftazidime decreased and increased significantly TNF-α and IL-10 levels, respectively, in comparison with untreated controls and monotherapies. These results demonstrate the impact of immune response modification by LPC plus antibiotics on the prognosis of infections by ceftazidime-resistant P. aeruginosa.

Background: Since March 2020, Spain is severely hit by the ongoing pandemic of coronavirus disease 19 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). Understanding and disrupting the early transmission dynamics of the infection is crucial for impeding sustained transmission. Methods: We recorded all COVID-19 cases and traced their contacts in an isolated rural community. We also sampled 10 households, 6 public service sites and the wastewater from the village sewage for environmental SARS-CoV-2 RNA. Results: The first village patient diagnosed with COVID-19-compatible symptoms occurred on March 3, 2020, twelve days before lockdown. A peak of 39 cases occurred on March 30. By May 15, the accumulated number of symptomatic cases was 53 (6% of the population), of which only 22 (41%) had been tested and confirmed by RT-PCR as SARS-CoV-2 infected, including 16 hospitalized patients. Contacts (n=144) were six times more likely to develop symptoms. Environmental sampling detected SARS-CoV-2 RNA in two households with known active cases and in two public service sites: the petrol station and the pharmacy. Samples from other sites and the wastewater tested negative. Conclusions: The low proportion of patients tested by RT-PCR calls for urgent changes in disease management. We propose that early testing of all cases and their close contacts would reduce infection spread, reducing the disease burden and fatalities. In a context of restricted testing, environmental RNA surveillance might prove useful for early warning and to identify high-risk settings enabling a targeted resource deployment.

Brucellosis infection induces fever, chills, sweats, headache, myalgia, arthralgia, anorexia, fa-tigue, and mood disorders. In mice, it causes a rise in IL-6, TNF-, and IFN-; and reduces sero-tonin and dopamine levels in hippocampus. There is loss in muscle strength and equilibrium and increased anxiety and hopelessness. Imipramine (ImiP) is a tricyclic antidepressant that increases the capacity of macrophages to destroy intracellular microorganisms in vivo. The effect of ImiP was evaluated in Balb/c mice infected with Brucella abortus 2308. Serum levels were determined in IFN-, IL-6, TNF-, IL-12, MCP-1, and IL-10 by FACS; the bacterial count in the spleen, by CFU; the serotonin concentration in the hippocampus, by HPLC; and strength, equilibrium, and mood by behavioral tests. Our results showed that infected vs. control mice had a significant rise in lev-els of IFN-, IL-6, TNF-, and IL-12 with a low IFN-/IL-6 ratio, elevated bacterial-counts, alter-ations in serotonin concentration at hippocampus, and decreased muscular strength, equilibrium, and mood. Infected mice treated with ImiP vs. infected mice showed: 1) improved mood; 2) in-creased hippocampal serotonin availability, splenic dendritic cells, and macrophage phagocytic activity; and 3) upturn inflammation and reduced CFU ability. Our results support that ImiP fa-vors positive outcomes in subjects handling Brucella infections likely by improving psychoim-mune resilience.

This work implements a stable algorithm in Field-Programmable Gate Arrays (FPGAs) for which two architectures (unrolling the loop) were developed and analyzed. The algorithm recovers sources located at the boundary separating two homogeneous media that make up a two-dimensional non-homogeneous region from measurements on the boundary of such region. The problem of recovering these sources is an ill-posed inverse problem as small errors in the measurement can produce important changes in the source location. Inverse source problems have many applications in different areas, such as engineering and medicine, making the proposed implementation important. The first architecture (mode one) allows considering different operating speeds, which is an advantage depending on whether we work with fast or slow signals. The second one (mode two) reduces resource consumption by exploiting the characteristics of the source identification algorithm, which is an advantage for multichannel problems such as inverse electrocardiography or electroencephalography. The architectures were tested on four FPGAs of the 7 Series of Xilinx: Spartan-7 xc7s100fgga484, Virtex-7 xc7v585tffg1157, Kintex-7 xc7k70tfbg484, and Artix-7 xc7a35tcpg236. The two FPGA implementations of the algorithm were validated using synthetic examples implemented in MATLAB. The results presented here can be extended to concentric spheres and complex geometries.

The decentralized treatment of wastes is studied for an urban scenario considering a high-density population of 2500 inhab./km2. Food and garden waste were assumed to be treated in a co-digestion configuration using several mid-size digesters. In contrast biogas and digestate valorization were carried out in a centralized manner. Electricity and thermal energy were produced from this configuration, accounting for 1.3% of residential electricity demand and 3.2% of thermal demand when using double-turbocharged engines. However, the location of the treatment plants is a factor that may raise social discomfort. Rejection of locating the plant in specific sites close to residential neighbors, nuisance due to possible odor and gaseous emissions, and house market distortions are just a few of a long list of problematic aspects that may threaten the decentralized alternative. These factors are of great relevance and must be given a practical solution if the circular economic model is to be implemented by considering the insertion of waste streams into the production system and generating local energy sources and raw materials.

The use of principal components analysis provided information about the main characteristics of teams, based on a set of indicators, instead of displaying individualized information for each of these indicators. In this work we have considered reducing an extensive data matrix to improve interpretation, using the principal components analysis. Subsequently, with new components and with a multiple linear regression, we have carried out a comparative analysis between the best and bottom teams of LaLiga. The sample consisted of the matches corresponding to the 2015/16, 2016/17 and 2017/18 seasons. The results showed that the best teams were characterized and differentiated from bottom teams in the realization of a greater number of successful passes and in the execution of a greater number of dynamic offensive transitions. The bottom teams were characterized by executing more defensive than offensive actions and showing a fewer number of goals, a greater ball possession time in the final third of the field. Goals, ball possession time in the final third of the field, number of effective shots and crosses are the main performance factors that influence the offensive success of football. This information allows us to increase knowledge about the key performance indicators in football.

The aim of this study was to identify gender differences in technical-tactical behaviour in football. To this end 68 matches of the first division of the Spanish men’s and women´s league, corresponding to 2016/17 season were analyzed. A comparison of medians was carried out using the Mann-Whitney U-test were conducted as post hoc test and a grouping of the variables through the clustering bootstrapping technique in both groups. We have detected statistically significant differences regarding all accurate passes, in favour of men, as well as a greater number of yellow cards. In female football, a greater number of picking up free balls, interceptions, lost balls, recoveries, challenges and attacks, both positional and counterattacks, are produced. The clustering analysis also allowed that in male football, the circumstance of receiving a red card is closely related to the number of goals conceded and most of the shots on goal are achieved by positional attacks. In women's football, ball possession on own half is closely related to the number of losses. These results could be useful for gender-specific training information for optimal preparation. However, more research is warranted to establish the main gender differences and characterize women's football.

Neurodegeneration with brain iron accumulation (NBIA) is a group of rare neurogenetic dis-orders frequently associated with iron accumulation in the basal nuclei of the brain. Among NBIA subtypes, β -propeller protein-associated neurodegeneration (BPAN) is associated with mutations in the autophagy gene WDR45. The aim of this study was to demonstrate autophagic defects and secondary pathological con-sequences in cellular models derived from two patient harboring WDR45 mutations. Both protein and mRNA expression levels of WDR45 were decreased in patient-derived fibro-blasts. In addition, the increase of LC3B upon treatments with autophagy inducers or inhibitors was lower in mutant cells compared to control cells, suggesting decreased autophagosome formation and impaired autophagic flux. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) analysis showed mitochondrial vacuolization associated with accumulation of lipofuscin-like aggregates containing undegraded material. Autophagy dysregulation was also associated with iron ac-cumulation and lipid peroxidation. In addition, mutant fibroblasts showed altered mitochon-drial bioenergetics. Antioxidants such as pantothenate, vitamin E and α-lipoic prevented lipid peroxidation and iron accumulation. However, antioxidants were not able to correct the ex-pression levels of WDR45 neither the autophagy defect nor cell bioenergetics. Our study demonstrated that WDR45 mutations in BPAN cellular models impaired autophagy, iron metabolism and cell bioenergetics. Antioxidant partially improved cell physiopathology, however autophagy and cell bioenergetics remained affected.

Agriculture in Morocco has been extensive until the middle of the 20th century due to the distribution of rainfall and the availability of water. In the middle of the last century hydraulic works were built that allowed the transition to intensive agriculture by the increase of irrigated areas, allowing that in the territories where there is water for irrigation and the climate allows it, the crops adapt to the demands of the market. The objective of the study is to assess by satellite images the land cover between 1985 and 2020, analyzing the changes in cultivation areas, as well as the changes in desert, sub-desert and forest areas of the Oum Er Rbia hydrological basin in Morocco. Landsat satellite images have been used since 1984 by the US government (Aerospace and Geological Agencies). A series of vegetation indices (NDVI, RVI, TNDVI and EVI) have been used; among which TNDVI (Transformed Normalized Vegetation Index) stands out for its better accuracy, which has allowed us to distinguish vegetation in cultivated and forest areas, as well as arid zones. In addition, the study has compared the use of two methodologies to calculate changes in the coverage of the Earth’s surface, has used local image processing from the Sentinel Application Platform tool and has also used the Google Earth Engine tool. The latter being the most optimal, although at the moment it has great limitations. In both methodologies and in the different indices it has been possible to observe during these 35 years as the cultivated area has increased (related to the availability of water by the construction of reservoirs and canals), how plant cover has improved in forest areas, and a range of variations in arid areas.

Pancreatic cancer leads the most common lethal tumor in America. This lethality is related to limited treatment options. Conventional treatments involve a non-specific use of chemotherapeutical agents like 5-FU, capecitabine, gemcitabine, cisplatine, oxaliplatine, or irinotecan, that produce several side effects. This review we focus on the use of targeted nanoparticles as an alternative to the standard treatment for the pancreatic cancer. The principal objective of the use of nanoparticles is the reduction in side effects that conventional treatments produce, mostly because of their nonspecificity. Currently, several molecular markets of pancreatic cancer cells have been studied to target nanoparticles and improve the actual treatment. Therefore, properly functionalizated nanoparticles with specific aptamers or antibodies can be used to recognize pancreatic cancer cells and once cancer is recognized, these nanoparticles can attack the tumor by drug delivery, hyperthermia, or gene therapy.

Tegucigalpa, the capital city of Honduras, has the highest number of landslides recorded in the country. In a previous study, landslides were found to be mainly concentrated in areas with colluvium and residual soils. The present study focused on assessing the physical vulnerability of houses and the risk linked to landslides in these types of soils. As an input for this assessment, the study generated landslide risk vulnerability functions based on empirical data. The study's findings suggest that the estimated Annual Average Losses associated with landslides in this region is USD 7.26 million. Moreover, the study developed a novel approach for the spatial and temporal estimation of landslide hazard probability, which overcomes some of the limitations identified in previous landslide risk assessment studies.

The first single crystal structure of the homoleptic copper (II) ML2 complex (M=Cu (II), L=curcumin) was obtained and its structure was elucidated by X-ray diffraction showing a square planar geometry. The supramolecular arrangement is supported by C-H···O interactions and the solvent (MeOH) plays an important role in stabilizing the crystal packing. The cytotoxic activity of the complex against six cancer cell lines substantially surpasses that of curcumin itself, and it is particularly selective against leukemia (K562) and human glioblastoma (U251) cell lines with similar antioxidant activity to BHT. This constitutes the first crystal structure of pristine curcumin complexed with a metal ion.

Head and neck cancer is the sixth most frequent cancer type. Drug resistance and toxicity are common challenges of the existing therapies, making the development of reliable preclinical models essential for the study of the involved molecular mechanisms as well as for eventual intervention approaches that improve the clinical outcome. Preclinical models of head and neck squamous cell carcinoma have been traditionally based in cell lines and murine models. In this review, we will go over the most frequently used preclinical models, from immortalized-cell and primary tumour cultures in monolayer or 3D, to the currently available animal models. We will scrutinize their efficiency in mimicking the molecular and cellular complexity of head and neck squamous cell carcinoma. Finally, the challenges and opportunities of other envisaged putative approaches, as well as the potential of the preclinical models to further develop customized therapies will be discussed.

The real estate market is exposed to many fluctuations in prices, because of existing correlations with many variables, some of which cannot be controlled or might even be unknown. Housing prices can increase rapidly (or in some cases, also drop very fast), yet the numerous listings available online where houses are sold or rented are not likely to be updated that often. In some cases, individuals interested in selling a house (or apartment) might include it in some online listing, and forget about updating the price. In other cases, some individuals might be interested in deliberately setting a price below the market price in order to sell the home faster, for various reasons. In this paper we aim at developing a machine learning application that identifies opportunities in the real estate market in real time, i.e., houses that are listed with a price substantially below the market price. This program can be useful for investors interested in the housing market. We have focused in a use case considering real estate assets located in the Salamanca district in Madrid (Spain) and listed in the most relevant Spanish online site for home sales and rentals. The application is formally implemented as a regression problem, that tries to estimate the market price of a house given features retrieved from public online listings. For building this application, we have performed a feature engineering stage in order to discover relevant features that allows attaining a high predictive performance. Several machine learning algorithms have been tested, including regression trees, $k$-nearest neighbors, support vector machines and neural networks, identifying advantages and handicaps of each of them.

The goal of this study is to better understand the relation between the practice of Mindfulness and the sexual activity, sexual satisfaction and erotic fantasies of Spanish-speaking participants. This research focuses on the comparison between people who practice Mindfulness versus naïve people, and explores the practice of Mindfulness and its relation with the following variables about sexuality: body awareness and bodily dissociation, personal sexual satisfaction, partner and relationship-related satisfaction, desire, subjective sexual arousal, genital arousal, orgasm, pain, attitudes towards sexual fantasies and types of sexual fantasies. The sample consisted of 106 selected adults, 32 men and 72 women, who completed six measures on an online survey platform: a) Mindfulness Attention Awareness Scale (MAAS), b) Scale of Body Connection (SBC), c) New Sexual Satisfaction Scale (NSSS), d) Scale of Sexual Activity in Women (SSA-W) and Men (SSA-M), e) Hurlbert Index of Sexual Fantasy (HISF), f) Wilson's Sex Fantasy Questionnaire. In the MAAS, Body Awareness subscale (SBC), NSSS, SSA-W and SSA-M, HISF and intimate fantasies subscale (Wilson’s questionnaire), people in the Mindfulness condition showed higher scores and these differences were statistically significant. These results may have relevant implications in the sexuality of clinical and non-clinical samples.

The formulation and analytic solution of a new mathematical model with constitutive curvature for analysis of tunnel ventilation shaft wall is proposed. Based on the Mindlin-Reissner theory for thick shells, this model also takes into account the shell constitutive curvature and considers an expression of the shear correction factor variable (αn) in terms of the thickness (h) and the radius of curvature (R). The main advantage of the proposed model is that it has the possibility to analyze thin, medium and thick tunnel ventilation shafts. As a result, two comparisons were made: the first one, between the new model and the Mindlin-Reissner model without constitutive curvature with the shear correction factor (α_n=6/5) as a constant, and the other, between the new model and the tridimensional numerical models (solids and shells) obtained by finite element method for different slenderness ratios (h/R). The limitation of the proposed model is that it is to be formulated for a general linear-elastic and axial-symmetrical state with continuous distribution of the mass.

This research investigates the effects of torsional moments on the mechanical behavior of thin-walled open-ended vertical pile foundations subjected to lateral wind loads. The warping and torsion effect generated over the piles due to the resultant lateral load impact outside the shear center is analyzed in-field tests. Complementarily, a two-dimensional finite element model based on the simple bending stress-strain state as well as a three-dimensional finite element model considering torsional effects were implemented and their results analyzed. Finally, a comparative analysis between the in-field lateral loading tests and the finite element model approaches was established and correlations between the errors and the parameters of influence were highlighted. From the results, it has been ascertained that the slender thin-walled open-ended pile foundations are particularly sensitive to small load deviations from their center of gravity, this leads to the fact that the slenderer and the more eccentricity of the load, the more it affects the torsion and warping of the pile. Calculation methodologies usually consider a simple in-plane bending behavior which conducts to errors between 44 and 58% of the experimental results.

This paper presents a new analytical method for obtaining new deformations compatibility equations or, new Saint-Venant’s identities, into the relative coordinate system with projected deformations by applying the hypothesis of the lineal shell theory in general flexion state. The method proposed generalizes the compatibility conditions established by A.L. Goldenveizer for the shell theory. On the other hand, the new equations include the deformations compatibility equations by other authors: Flügge, Saint-Venant, Love-Kirchhoff, Timoshenko, Goldenveizer, and Reissner-Mindlin. The results showed an increase of knowledge in general shell theory, and provide inverse and semi-inverse solutions, whose systems solution correspond to the hyper-statics degrees of the physical model, and not to their degrees of freedom.

The purpose of this research has been to analyze the organizational structures of the different federations and entities representing the modalities of trail-running, skyrunning and mountain running and how they have settled in the current sports landscape. The main task of these entities is to act as hosts of the legally established modalities, both internationally and nationally, applying their respective regulations and statutes unilaterally. Through an in-depth review of the different regulations, statutes and current articles of all the organizations that represent the different disciplines, we can observe how a sport modality that seems to be the same is nevertheless distant in its execution (regulations, championships, classifications, systems of points, ...) and that has led to the international level being established in different sport modalities (trail-running and skyrunning) and at the level of the Spanish territory, it has led to an administrative dispute to know who has the powers to approve the sports competitions.

Videogames have become educational, communicative and social tools among the youngest, favouring the acquisition of skills, abilities and values, encompassing an endless number of themes, and help to experience and to face, in the first person, a great diversity of environmental situations and ecology problems. Thus, the present article aims: a) the evaluation of a sample of 20 educational videogames about water, making use of some empirical criteria of quality; and b) the design, validation and application of an integrate quality indicator of educational videogames on water, based on the aspects of narrative, gameplay and didactics to that sample, which allows us to obtain a ranking. The findings reflect a ranking of games allows to suggest that the nature of the game (simulation, adventures, platforms or questions) does not determine the quality of the game, although generally simulations and adventure games are placed in a range of medium or high quality, as well as those games that pursue objectives related to the design and management of a territory in a sustainable way. The paper provides teachers with quality criteria based on narrative and gameplay that complement and enriches the pedagogical dimension.

This study presents the validation process of the Questionnaire on Academic Stress in Secondary Education –QASSE-, designed to assess the wide variety of school sources and situations related to academic stress in adolescence, and their relationship with students’ physical and psychological well-being. Participants were 860 Spanish high school students (52.9% girls) with an average age of 14.62 years (SD = 1.8). Through a cross-validation process, EFA and CFA supported QASSE multifactorial structure with four first-order factors -academic overload, interaction with classmates, family pressure, and future-oriented perspective- and a second-order factor of academic stress, showing a significant and intense relationship with adolescents’ psychological and physical well-being. Results also highlight the effects of the gender*educational level interaction on the students’ stress, with girls showing higher levels of stress in the transition courses between educational phases (sophomore and junior years). The QASSE demonstrates good validity and reliability, showing potential for both research and educational application. The results show the high impact of the QASSE dimensions on psychological and physical well-being in adolescence, highlighting its special usefulness for designing and adjusting educational prevention and intervention actions in this area to the students’ specific characteristics and needs

This study addresses the influence of working conditions on Work-Related Quality of Life (WRQOL) among Spanish healthcare professionals. The research seeks to elucidate the mediating roles of job engagement and burnout, and the moderating effects of resilience and self-efficacy, in this relationship. Methods: The study included 374 healthcare workers from Spain, encompassing physicians, nurses, and nursing assistants. It employed a methodological approach using validated instruments to assess psychosocial risks, work-life quality, job engagement, burnout, and resilience. Data were gathered through self-reported questionnaires. Results: Key findings indicate a negative association between working conditions and WRQOL. Job engagement and burnout significantly mediated this relationship, accounting for 19% to 33% of the variance in WRQOL. Notably, lack of support emerged as a strong negative factor for work-related quality of life. Additionally, resilience moderated the relationship between lack of support and burnout. Conclusions: The study concludes that improving working conditions could increase WRQOL. Interventions aimed at enhancing engagement and addressing burnout may be effective. The moderating role of resilience suggests that strategies to enhance resilience could also be beneficial. These findings hold significant implications for policy formulation and human resources planning in healthcare, emphasizing the need for enhanced workplace support and the development of resilience among health workers.

Right atrial isomerism (RAI) is a complex entity whose treatment and outcome are heterogeneous. The aim of this study was to analyze the results obtained after cardiac surgery in patients with RAI. A retrospective study was conducted; it included patients diagnosed with RAI who underwent cardiac surgery; their follow-up was from January 1, 2010 to March 31, 2020. Demographic characteristics and perioperative conditions were described. Thirty-eight patients with RAI were included, the median age was 4 years (IQR 2-9.2), and 57.9% were men. The main diagnoses were atrioventricular canal (63.2%) and pulmonary stenosis (55.3%). The most common surgical procedures were modified Blalock‐Taussig shunt (65.8%) and total cavopulmonary connection with an extracardiac conduit fenestrated without cardiopulmonary bypass (15.9%). The use of inhaled nitric oxide was a marker of postoperative mortality in critically ill patients (OR: 10.33; 95% CI: 1.04 - 102.08; p = 0.02). The overall survival was 86.8%, with a better outcome in those who did not require reintubation (Log Rank, p < 0.01). The survival of RAI was similar to other centers of reference. Individuals with RAI should be evaluated rigorously to determine an adequate repair strategy, considering high morbidity and mortality.

The relationship between Climate Change and Water is an obvious and key issue within the Sustainable Development Goals. This study aims to investigate the social representation created around this relationship in three different territorial contexts in order to evaluate the influence of the territory on the perception of the risk of Climate Change and its relationship with water. By means of a questionnaire completed by 1709 university students, the climatic literacy of the individual was evaluated in order to relate it to other dimensions on the relationship between Climate Change and Water (information, training previous on climate change and pro-environmental attitudes) in their different dimensions in three different territorial contexts. The results show that the socio-cultural context influences the social representation of Climate Change, but not from the climatological condition, so that it is reasonable to think that the social representation of this relationship is favoured by a common culture around this relationship.

Non-destructive testing of metallic objects that may contain embedded defects of different sizes is an important application in many industrial branches for quality control. Most of these techniques allow defect detection and its approximate localization, but very few give enough information for its 3D reconstruction. Here we present a hybrid laser – transducer system that combines remote laser-generated ultrasound excitation and non-contact ultrasonic transducer detection. This fully non-contact method gives access to separating scan areas on different object’s faces and defect details from different angles/perspectives can be analysed. This hybrid system can analyse the whole object’s volume data and allow a 3D reconstruction image of the embedded defects. As a novelty for the signal processing improvement, we use a 2D apodization window filtering technique, applied along with the synthetic aperture focusing algorithm in order to remove the undesired effects of side lobes and wide-angle reflections of propagating ultrasound waves, thus, enhancing the resulting 3D image of the defect. We provide both qualitative and quantitative volumetric results with high accuracy and resolution compared with conventional techniques.

We introduce a novel key exchange protocol based on non-commutative matrix multiplication defined in $\mathbb{F}_p^{n \times n}$. The security of our method does not rely on computational problems as integer factorization or discrete logarithm whose difficulty is conjectured. We show that the public, secret and channel keys become indistinguishable to the eavesdropper under matrix multiplication. Remarkably, for achieving a 512-bit security level, the public key is 1024 bits and the private key is 768 bits, making them the smallest keys among post-quantum key exchange algorithms. Also, we discuss how to achieve key authentication, interdomain certification and Perfect Forward Secrecy (PFS). Therefore, Lizama's algorithm becomes a promising candidate to establish shared keys and secret communication between (IoT) devices in the quantum era.

We present an error reconciliation method for Quantum Key Distribution (QKD) that corrects 100% of errors generated in regular binary frames transmitted over a noisy quantum channel regardless of the quantum channel error rate. In a previous investigation, we introduced a novel distillation QKD algorithm whose secret key rate descends linearly with respect to the channel error rate. Now, as the main achievement of this work, we demonstrate an improved algorithm capable of retaining almost all the secret information enclosed in the regular binary frames. Remarkably, this technique increases quadratically the secret key rate as a function of the double matching detection events and doubly quadratically in the number of the quantum pulses. Furthermore, this reconciliation method opens up the opportunity to use less attenuated quantum pulses, would allow greater QKD distances at drastically increased secret key rate. Since our method can be implemented as a software update, we hope that quantum key distribution technology would be fast deployed over global data networks in the quantum era.

We introduce a novel key exchange protocol based on non-commutative matrix multiplication defined in $\mathbb{Z}_p^{n \times n}$. The security of our method does not rely on computational problems as integer factorization or discrete logarithm whose difficulty is conjectured. We claim that the unique eavesdropper's opportunity to get the secret/private key is by means of an exhaustive search which is equivalent to the unsorted database search problem. Furthermore, we show that the secret/private keys become indistinguishable to the eavesdropper. Remarkably, to achieve a 512-bit security level, the keys (public/private) are of the same size when matrix multiplication is done over a reduced 8-bit size modulo. Also, we discuss how to achieve key certification and Perfect Forward Secrecy (PFS). Therefore, Lizama's algorithm becomes a promising candidate to establish shared keys and secret communication between (IoT) devices in the quantum era.

Cardiovascular comorbidity is a common companion of psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis (PsA). Recently, a significant link has been found between the HLA-Cw6 allele and a better cardiometabolic profile in these patients. We aimed to check this finding in our setting. Cross-sectional observational study (n: 572 psoriasis patients, 30% with PsA). Different study variables were collected in detail, as well as classic cardiometabolic risk factors. The distribution of the HLA-Cw6 allele and the IFIH1/MDA5 gene variants previously linked to disease risk was determined in the study cohort and stratified according to the cardiometabolic comorbidity. Linear and logistic regression models were constructed to analyze these associations. The study cohort included 309 men and 263 women, mean age 46.7 years (SD 14.5), mean disease duration 19.4 years (SD 14.8). We confirmed the known association between HLA-Cw6 and type I psoriasis (familial, severe, early onset). Psoriasis severity (OR: 2.14), female sex (OR: 1.63), and the IFIH1/MDA5 rs1990760 TT genotype (OR: 1.62) were significantly related to PsA, while HLA-Cw6 resulted protective (OR: 0.65). HLA-Cw6 carriers showed lower waist perimeter, lower BMI, and lower risk of both hypertension (OR: 0.52, p<0.001) and diabetes (OR: 0.36, p<0.001), but these findings were no longer apparent upon adjusted regression models. No IFIH1/MDA5 gene variant was associated with any cardiometabolic risk factor. The influence of HLA-Cw6 on the cardiometabolic risk profile of psoriatic patients seems to be explained by other factors (age, sex, duration of the disease or arthritis) and not by this biomarker itself.

This article presents a unique set of voltage and current data from a public building and acquired using a hybrid measurement solution that combines Python and Grafana. The transversal purpose consists of contributing to the community with a vision of the quality of the supply more oriented to the monitoring of the state of the network, providing a more realistic vision, which allows a better understanding, and the adoption of the best decisions to achieve the efficient energy management and thus optimize the operation and maintenance of power systems. The work focuses on higher order statistical estimators that, combined with exploratory data analysis techniques, improve the characterization of the shape of the stress signal. These techniques and data, together with the acquisition and monitoring system, present a unique combination in the line of low-cost measurement solutions. It also incorporates the underlying benefit of the contribution to industrial benchmarking. The paper also includes a computational comparison between Python and LabVIEW to elicit the performance of the measurement solution.

A synoptic compendium of the legumes of the Mimosoideae clade in northeastern Mexico is presented for the first time, including changes in their botanical nomenclature and retypification of genera. Furthermore, based on new information recently published, the taxonomic limits of several new genera segregated from Acacia (Acaciella, Mariosousa, Senegalia and Vachellia) and Prosopis (Neltuma and Strombocarpa) are clarified and included. Based on field work, collecting botanical samples during the last 30 years, a review of botanical materials and database in national and international, we have completed the diversity of legumes of the Mimosoideae clade of northeastern Mexico. Three tribes (Acacieae, Ingeae and Mimosaeae), 22 genera and 92 species, and 19 infraspecif categories were recorded. Only the genus Painteria is endemic to Mexico. Eighty-eight species are native to Mexico, and four are exotic, Acacia salicina, Neptunia prostrata, Neltuma chilensis and Albizia lebbeck. Twenty-eight species are endemic to Mexico, nine species are endemic of northeastern Mexico, and four species endemic to only one state in Mexico. The 22 registered genera represent 44% and 65% of the generic flora of the Mimosoideae clade for Mexico and the planet respectively while the 92 species registered represent 3% and 18% of the species of the Clade Mimosoideae for the planet and Mexico respectively. According to the new nomenclature of legumes, the number of genera in the Mimosoideae clade in northern Mexico has been increased from 19 to 24.

The aim of this study was to determine whether a rowing training program improved the quantity and quality of physical activity and quality of life in female breast cancer survivors (stage I - 4.35%; II - 30.43%; III - 52.17%; and IV - 8.7%) diagnosed 6.57 ± 5.02 years previously, who had undergone a subsequent intervention (preservation 53.52%; total mastectomy 39.13% and double mastectomy 4.35%) and had a current mean age of 53.70 ± 7.88 years. The participants (N = 30) engaged in a 12-week training program, each week comprising three sessions and each session lasting 60-90 minutes. An anthropometric evaluation was performed before and after the program. The short form of the International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ-SF) and the Short Form 36 Health Survey (SF-36) were also administered. The results showed statistically significant improvements in levels of physical activity and in the dimensions of quality of life. We can conclude that a 12-week rowing training program tailored to women who have had breast cancer increases physical activity levels, leading to improved health status and quality of life.

The aim of this study was to determine whether a rowing training program improved the quantity and quality of physical activity and quality of life in female breast cancer survivors (stage I - 4.35%; II - 30.43%; III - 52.17%; and IV - 8.7%) diagnosed 6.57 ± 5.02 years previously, who had undergone a subsequent intervention (preservation 53.52%; total mastectomy 39.13% and double mastectomy 4.35%) and had a current mean age of 53.70 ± 7.88 years. The participants (N = 30) engaged in a 12-week training program, each week comprising three sessions and each session lasting 60-90 minutes. An anthropometric evaluation was performed before and after the program. The short form of the International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ-SF) and the Short Form 36 Health Survey (SF-36) were also administered. The results showed statistically significant improvements in levels of physical activity and in the dimensions of quality of life. We can conclude that a 12-week rowing training program tailored to women who have had breast cancer increases physical activity levels, leading to improved health status and quality of life.

Background: Depending on the phase of the menstrual cycle the athlete is in, some kinetic, physiological and fatigue variables will show differences. The aim of this study is to analyze whether there are changes in these variables over the course of the menstrual cycle. Methods: Eight regular female runners and triathletes performed a maximal treadmill test, as well as a submaximal test (6’ stages at 50%, 60% and 80% of maximal aerobic speed) in each of the phases of the menstrual cycle: bleeding phase (day 2.4 ± 0.7), follicular phase (day 10.4 ± 2.2) and luteal phase (day 21.8 ± 2.1). Running dynamics were measured (using RunScribe) at the end of each test, as were lactate concentration, heart rate and fatigue (evaluated on a scale of 0 to 5). Results: Higher shock (G) values were recorded in the bleeding phase and higher vertical spring stiffness (kN/m) in the follicular phase. The phase of the menstrual cycle had a significant effect on average and peak heart rate, which was significantly higher in the follicular phase. Conclusions: Higher vertical spring stiffness was observed in the follicular phase, as well as higher peak and average heart rate.

The term neurodegeneration with brain iron accumulation (NBIA) brings together a broad set of progressive and disabling neurological genetic disorders in which iron is deposited preferentially in certain areas of the brain. Among NBIA disorders, the most frequent subtype is pantothenate kinase-associated neurodegeneration (PKAN) caused by pathologic variants in the PANK2 gene codifying the enzyme pantothenate kinase 2 (PANK2). Nowadays, there are no effective treatments to stop the progression of these diseases. This review discusses the utility of patient-derived cell models as a valuable tool for the identification of commercial pharmacological or natural compounds for implementing polytarget precision medicine in PKAN. In the last years, several studies have described that PKAN patient-derived fibroblasts manifest the main pathological changes associated with the disease including intracellular iron overload. Interestingly, treatment of mutant cell cultures with various supplements such as pantothenate, pantethine, thiamine, L-carnitine, vitamin E, omega 3, and -lipoic acid improved all pathophysiological alterations in PKAN fibroblasts with residual expression of the PANK2 enzyme. The information provided by pharmacological screenings in patient-derived cellular models can help to optimize therapeutic strategies in individual PKAN patients.

This study investigated the effects of flamenco dance on mood and subjective well-being in older women. In a broader context, the question was raised about how participation in dance activities could influence the emotional well-being of this demographic group. Thirty-four older women, aged between 62 and 79 years, with a mean age of 70.11 years (SD = 5.13), voluntarily participated in the study after providing informed consent. All of them were enrolled in a 12-week flamenco dance workshop conducted by the Autoestima Flamenca Association, with one two-hour session per week. Mood measurements (sadness, anxiety, anger, and joy) were taken biweekly before and after each session, and subjective well-being assessments were conducted before and after the intervention. The results revealed significant improvements in the overall mood of the participants, as well as an increase in their subjective well-being. These improvements were observed at both the individual and group levels. In conclusion, participation in flamenco dance demonstrated a positive impact on the mood and subjective well-being of older women. These findings support the idea that physical and artistic activities, such as flamenco dance, can play an important role in promoting emotional well-being in this age group.

Objectives: 1) to demonstrate the anti-inflammatory and anabolic effect of Ozone by determining in serum samples the biochemical levels of IL-6 and IGF-1 in knee osteoarthritis (OA) patients in a real world in Rehabilitation Setting; 2) to evaluate clinical effectiveness by Visual Analog Scale (VAS) and WOMAC scale, and biochemical effect by C-reactive protein (CRP), uric acid and erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR). Material and methods: 65 patients with knee OA Kellgren Lawrence (KL) grade 2 or more were analyzed in a retrospective observational study. The study run from January 2018 to September 2021. Inclusion criteria: a) patients 18 years or older; b) with knee OA KL 2º or more; c) biochemical analysis before-and-after treatment; d) pain more than 3 on VAS. Exclusion Criteria: a) previous knee surgery; b) favism; c) pregnancy; d) any other disease that originates lack of collaboration for infiltration. Primary Outcome variables: a) IL-6; b) IGF-1 in diabetes mellitus (DM)/obese and non-DM/non-obese patients; both before-and-after Ozone treatment. Secondary Outcome variables: a) CRP, b) ESR, c) uric acid, d) VAS pain, e) WOMAC pain, function and stiffness. Ozone protocol consisted of 4 sessions (once a week) of an intra-articular infiltration of 20 mL (20µg/mL concentration) of a gas mixture of Oxygen-Ozone 95-5% (produced by Ozone generator Ozonosan-α Plus ®). For biochemical evaluation, SNIBE MAGLUMI ™ IL-6 (CLIA) and SNIBE MAGLUMI ™ IGF-1 (CLIA) kits were used. CRP and uric acid were analyzed by Abbott Alinity c kit; and ESR was evaluated by DIESSE VES MATIC CUBE 30. Results: There is a linear correlation between age and OA severity. IL-6 decreased both in DM and non-DM patients and in all OA KL grades (from 2.7 to 1.59 pg/mL). IGF-1 decreased in total group (OA + DM + obesity) from 112.09 to 107.19 ng/mL. When only knee OA patients were analyzed, Ozone improved IGF-1 levels (from 100.17 to 102.03 ng/mL). Ozone decreased CRP, ESR, uric acid, and improved VAS pain, WOMAC pain, function and stiffness (p<0.05). Conclusions: Ozone is a valid option for the management of knee osteoarthritis in real world Rehabilitation Setting, because of its anti-inflammatory, metabolic and anabolic properties. Ozone downregulates pro-inflammatory IL-6 cytokine. Ozone has a metabolic/hypoglycemic effect on obese/diabetic knee osteoarthritis patients by reducing IGF-1. Ozone has an anabolic effect on non-diabetic/non-obese patients by improving IGF-1. Ozone reduces other biomarkers of inflammation (CRP, ESR and uric acid) and improves, pain, function and quality of life.

As Solar Photovoltaics in buildings reaches maturity, grid integration and economic yield are topics of greater interest. The traditional design of photovoltaic installations has considered the optimal orientation of photovoltaic modules to be that which yields the maximum annual energy production. The influence of the consumption patterns and the hourly-variable electricity prices implies that this traditional optimal design might not be the most profitable. Using a full-year dataset for a residential installation, alternative installations using canopies and modules attached to the façades are simulated. Simulating the energy balances for different annual consumptions, it is found that the canopy and façade installations offer better self-consumption of the PV produced energy, reflected in a 9% higher self-consumption degree using modules on façades and a 5% using canopies. The economic evaluation under the new electricity tariffs in Spain shows a better profit for PV self-consumption, reducing by more than 2 years the time of return on investment. The analysis of different alternatives for an industrial PV has allowed us to identify several benefits for these orientations, such as an increase in annual energy production of up to 59% over the optimal-producing orientation, that are confirmed after several months of operation.

Three types of wakefulness appeared along the vertebrate’s phylogeny and ontogeny: spinal-rhombencephalic in fish, brainstem-diencephalic in reptiles and cortical in mammals, in which the paralyzed spinal-rhombencephalic wake and the brainstem-diencephalic wake remain as REMS and NREMS The spinal-rhombencephalic and cortical types of wake are inherently anti-homeostatic. Animals must forage, reproduce, and survive to predation disregarding the environmental circumstances, hence temporarily forgetting the homeostatic regulation. After fulfilling the vital functions, the brainstem-diencephalic wake recovers the homeostatic control. The phasic signs of REMS are adaptive in immature mammals, serving for demanding heat, milk and defense to their mother. These advantages outweigh the REMS' poikilostasis in infants. The adults’ poikilostasis of REMS is harmless in thermoneutral environments but is mal-adaptive in aquatic environments in which REMS is reduced or even disappears. These exceptions explain the anomalous examples of REMS. An on-off hypothalamic switch homeostatically regulates the entrance and exit from REMS. Furthermore, the vital phasic signs of REMS depend on a second pontine proportional homeostatic control. Altogether, they regulate the expression of REMS.

The UN’s 2030 Agenda brings new governance challenges to municipal environmental planning, both in large urban centres and in metropolitan peripheries. The opportunities of the new framework of action proposed by the United Nations (UN) and its integrative, global and transversal nature constitute advances from the previous models of municipal management based on the Local Agenda 21. This text provides evidence to apply quality criteria and validated instruments of participatory evaluation. These instruments have been built on the foundation of Evaluative Research, a scientific discipline that provides rigour and validity to those decisions adopted at a municipal level. A case study focused on a metropolitan area serves as a field of experimentation for this model of the modernization of environmental management structures at a local level. Details of the instruments, agents, priority decision areas, methodologies, participation processes and quality criteria are provided, as well as an empirically validated model for participatory municipal management based on action research processes and strategic planning that favours a shared responsibility across all social groups in the decision-making process and in the development of continuous improvement activities that are committed to sustainability. Finally, a critical comparison of weaknesses and strengths is included in light of the evidence collected.

In previous investigations, drones have been used for visual inspections of heritage elements. We now propose the use of aerial thermography to complement the information obtained with standard drones, which perform purely visual inspections. Thus, after a brief overview of the contribution of aerial thermography to heritage, we will use a drone with a thermographic camera to inspect three unique and important heritage elements: the Roman Bridge of Alcántara, the Roman Aqueduct of Segovia and the Roman Bridge of Alconétar. The three monuments were previously visually inspected with a drone with a camera. These operations will enable us to draw conclusions about the applicability of this technology to heritage: the inspections will demonstrate the usefulness of thermography for the diagnosis of damage to stone at a deeper level, which is already in an advanced stage of development in the interior of the element when it appears on the surface. Detecting such damage early can be the key when trying to adopt less aggressive and expensive early treatment, thus avoiding further risk to the constituent elements of the monument.

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

In previous studies, drones have been used to carry out visual inspections of heritage elements. In order to complement the information obtained with the common drone, a new underwater drone model is proposed for the specific case of old bridges. The aim is to verify the applicability of underwater drones for the inspection of submerged elements of old heritage bridges, given the large number of bridge disasters and collapses linked to failures in their foundations. To this end, we carried out an underwater inspection of the visible submerged elements (submerged but not buried) of three old bridges crossing different rivers. The different locations and characteristics of these bridges allow us to draw some initial conclusions. The results of the operations carried out show that underwater drones are not only useful for this type of inspection, but that the work is much safer than with the means currently used (underwater divers). In addition, the use of drones makes it possible to study certain parameters that can anticipate subsequent foundation problems affecting the entire bridge, such as the settlement or rotation of piers or abutments.

Whole-brain radiation therapy and stereotactic radiosurgery are two treatment modalities commonly utilized to treat brain metastases (BMs). The aim of this study is to retrospectively analyze the main radio-oncologic and clinical-demographic aspects of a cohort of BM patients treated with Volumetric Modulated Arc Therapy for radiosurgery (VMAT-RS). This is a cross-sectional observational design study with retrospective review of medical records of patients with brain metastases treated with VMAT- RS between 2012 and 2018. Clinical and demographic data, with special attention to sex, age, primary tumor, brain tumor-related epilepsy (BTRE), number and brain location of BMs, Karnofsky Performance Status (KPS), the updated DS-GPA prognostic index and the survival estimated according to the Kaplan-Meier model from the date of radiosurgery were analyzed. One hundred and twenty-one patients with 229 BMs were treated with VMAT-RS. Patients presented 1-4 BMs, which were treated with 5 non-coplanar VMAT arcs. Sixty-eight percent of the patients had lung cancer and 35% of the BMs were in the frontal lobe. Proportion of local control was 88.5%. BTRE prevalence was 30.6%. The median survival time (MST) was 7.7 months. In the multivariate analysis of the Cox Regression model KPS70 (HRKPS&lt;70=2.59; p=0.001) and higher DS-GPA (HRDS-GPAII =0.55, p=0.022; HRDS-GPAIII-IV =0.38, p=0.006) were associated with improved survival. In the univariate analysis, primary tumor, age and the presence of metastases in the posterior fossa (PFBMs) were also significative. In conclusion, the VMAT-RS is a technique with an overall survival comparable to other radiosurgery techniques. The median survival is significantly longer in those with higher KPS and DS-GPA. Other variables such as the type of primary tumor, age and PFBMs could also influence survival, although further studies are needed.

This paper investigates the path following control problem for a unmanned surface vehicle (USV) in the presence of unknown disturbances and system uncertainties. The simulation study combines two different types of sliding mode surface based control approaches due to its precise tracking and robustness against disturbances and uncertainty. Firstly, an adaptive linear sliding mode surface algorithm is applied, to keep the yaw error within the desired boundaries and then an adaptive integral non-linear sliding mode surface is explored to keep an account of the sliding mode condition. Additionally, a method to reconfigure the input parameters in order to keep settling time, yaw rate restriction and desired precision within boundary conditions is presented. The main strengths of proposed approach is simplicity, robustness with respect to external disturbances and high adaptability to static and dynamics reference courses without the need of parameter reconfiguration.

The aim of this work was to study the production of kefir-like beverage by fed-batch fermentation of red table grape juice at initial pHs of 3.99 (fermentation A) and 5.99 (fermentation B) with kefir grains during four repeated 24-h fed-batch subcultures. However, all kefir-like beverages (KLB) were characterized by low alcoholic grade (≤ 3.6%, v/v) and lactic and acetic acid concentrations. The beverages obtained from fermentation B had lower concentrations of sugars and higher microbial counts than the KLB obtained in fermentation A. In addition, the KLB from fermentation B were the most aromatic and had the highest contents in alcohols, esters, aldehydes and organic acids compared to the non-fermented juice and KLB from fermentation A. These results indicate the possibility of obtaining red table grapes KLB with their own distinctive aromatic characteristics and a high content in probiotic viable cells, contributing to the valorization of this fruit.

The crab’s fishery of the genus Callinectes is one of the most important fisheries in Mexico. Sonora and Sinaloa are the states in the eastern coast of the Gulf of California, the mainland coast. Sinaloa encompass the greatest production in Mexico of these species, in particular the Bahía Santa Maria La Reforma (BSMR), supply the most important catches. An administrative mandatory document for the fishery is the Management Plan of Crab. One of the main weaknesses found in it for Sonora and Sinaloa is the lack of fisheries assessment in both states. For this reason, a structured size method called CASA (Catch at Size Analysis) was applied in the BSMR, in the seasons 2000, 2011 and 2014 to C. bellicosus. The first catch size (CW50%) estimated for females were 97.5, 102.5 and 100 mm, while in males it was estimated at 117.5, 107.5 and 102.5 mm. In the specific case of fishing mortality (F), the algorithm allowed us to detect that in the larger sizes the greater fishing pressure is applied for both, females and males, yielding a weighted exploitation rate of 0.047 (2000), 0.119 (2011) and 0.426 (2014) for females and 0.045 (2000), 0.295 (2011) and 0.132 (2014) for males, all below 50% (E= 0.50), crab C. bellicosus in BSMR is not at risk of over exploitation.

We have modelled the energy consumption of prototype and real buildings under present and future climatic conditions with the EnergyPlus model to develop a better understanding of the relationship between changing climate conditions and energy demand. We have produced detailed meteorological information with 50 meters of spatial resolution through dynamical downscaling process combining regional, urban and computational fluid dynamics models which include the effects of the buildings on urban wind patterns. The city of Madrid has been chosen for our experiment. The impact on energy demand and their respective economic cost are calculated for year 2100 versus 2011 based on two IPCC climate scenarios, RCP 4.5 (stabilization of emissions) and RCP 8.5 (not reduction of emissions). Findings show that climate change will have a significant impact on the energy demand for buildings. Space heating demand will be increased by the RCP 4.5 and cooling demand will be increased for the RCP 8.5 in the analysed buildings.

Cable-supported façades represent a novel approach in the design and technology of double skin façades (DSF). This type of systems not only offer flexibility in terms of exterior finishes, but also regulates the access of solar radiation, thereby transforming the appearance of the building in response to varying daylight conditions. However, the structural performance of these façades under wind, impact and seismic loads remains an active area of research. The study is a groundbreaking work that experimentally evaluates the wind and seismic behaviour of these type of façades. The methodology used for the evaluation of flexible masonry facades includes laboratory tests analysing the individual capacity of the connections and materials of the system under standardized and non-standardized procedures. A full-scale experimental sub-assembly specimen of a representative module of the façade is also subjected to uniformly distributed pressures of wind load tests as well as hard body and soft body impact tests. The setup considered the border conditions, tension loads, and actual materials. Furthermore, the earthquake assessment includes tests of full-scale specimens subjected to these demands. Research findings allowed the refinement and redesign of the system's components granting the validation of the DSF used as a case study.

The evolutionary success of land plants largely relies on their ability to cope with constant environmental fluctuations, which negatively impact their reproductive fitness and trigger adaptational responses to biotic and abiotic stresses. In this challenging scenario, comprehensive research efforts so far aimed at depicting the roles of well-known phytohormones, mainly auxins, along with brassinosteroids, jasmonates, and abscisic acid, although the signaling networks coordinating the crosstalk among them remains vaguely understood. Accordingly, this review focuses on the Arabidopsis Amidase Signature (AS) superfamily members, highlighting the hitherto relatively underappreciated functions of AMIDASE1 (AMI1) and FATTY ACID AMIDE HYDROLASE (FAAH), as crucial coordinators of the growth-defense response trade-off by modulating auxin and ABA homeostasis.

In the plot under study, rice is grown under anaerobic conditions by means of flood irrigation that maintains a constant water depth during most of the crop cycle. Thus, water requirements reach a very high volume of about 12,000 m3/ha. At the outlet there is a drainage channel where there are no measuring devices. Its control will allow us to establish practices to reduce the high water consumption. We have designed a long-throated flume that can cover the entire range of flow rates to measure, between 0.02 and 0.05 m3/s in this case. Since the drainage channel has a trapezoidal cross section and is built on land, the throat of the flume will also be trapezoidal to ease the transition between the two sections and reduce head losses. A new procedure has been developed that allows to directly design the dimensions of the narrowed section, side slope and bottom width, by previ-ously choosing the modular limit, the sill height and the length of the throat more in accordance with the characteristics of the channel where the flume is to be installed. The analysis of the obtained results demonstrates the accuracy and feasibility of the presented procedure.

The aim of this work is the preparation of contact active antimicrobial films by blending copolymers with quaternary ammonium salts and polyacrylonitrile as matrix material. A series of copolymers based on acrylonitrile and methacrylic monomers with quaternizable groups were designed with the purpose of investigating the influence of their chemical and structural characteristics on the antimicrobial activity of these surfaces. The biocide activity of these systems was studied against different microorganisms, such as the Gram-positive bacteria Staphylococcus aureus and the Gram-negative bacteria Pseudomona aeruginosa and the yeast Candida parapsilosis. The results confirmed that parameters such as flexibility and polarity of the antimicrobial polymers immobilized on the surfaces strongly affect the efficiency against microorganisms. In contrast to the behavior of copolymers in water solutions, when they are tethered to the surface, the active cationic groups are less accessible and then the mobility of the side chain is critical for a good contact with the microorganism. Blend films composed of copolymers with high positive charge density and chain mobility present up to a more than 99.999% killing efficiency against the studied microorganisms.

Ammonia can be considered a relevant compound in the future energy sector, playing a significant role as an energy carrier, storage, or carbon-free fuel. However, the production of this molecule has a high energy demand, and the use of natural gas, which is not free of controversy due to the accidental leakage into the atmosphere produced during extraction and the fact that it is a non-renewable source, contributes to increasing greenhouse gas emissions. Reducing the process’s energy demand and carbon footprint will be essential to making ammonia a clear alternative for a carbon-free economy. Given the vast experience in ammonia production and handling, this gas seems to be the logical step forward in the evolution of the energy sector. However, the current uncertainty in the global market requires cautiousness in decision-making. Several factors may impact economic growth and human welfare, thus needing a careful assessment before taking any transcendental decisions that could affect worldwide energy prices and raw material availability.

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

A new approach to the measurement with elastic lidar of depolarization produced by atmospheric aerosols is presented. The system uses two different telescopes: one for depolarization measurements and another for total-power measurements. The system architecture and principle of operation are described. The first experimental results are also presented, corresponding to a collection of atmospheric conditions over the city of Barcelona.

Nemaline myopathy (NM) is one of the most common forms of congenital myopathy and it is identified by the presence of "nemaline bodies" (rods) in muscle fibers by histopathological exam-ination. The most common forms of NM are caused by mutations in the ACTA1 (Actin Alpha 1) and NEB (Nebulin) genes. Clinical features include hypotonia and muscle weakness. Unfortunate-ly, there is no curative treatment and the pathogenetic mechanisms remains unclear. In this man-uscript, we examined the pathophysiological alterations in NM using dermal fibroblasts derived from patients with mutations in ACTA1 and NEB genes. Patients’ fibroblasts were stained with rhodamine phalloidin to analyze the polymerization of actin filaments by fluorescence microsco-py. We found that patients' fibroblasts showed incorrect actin filament polymerization compared to control fibroblasts. Actin filament polymerization defects was associated with mitochondrial dysfunction. Furthermore, we identified two mitochondrial boosting compounds, linoleic acid (LA) and L-carnitine (LCAR), that improved the formation of actin filaments in mutant fibro-blasts and corrected mitochondrial bioenergetics. Our results indicate that cellular models can be useful to study the pathophysiological mechanisms involved in NM and to find new potential therapies. Furthermore, targeting mitochondrial dysfunction with LA and LCAR can revert the pathological alterations in NM cellular models.

The burnout syndrome, which affects so many healthcare workers, has recently awakened wide interest due to the severe repercussions related to its appearance. Even though job factors are determinant to its development, not all individuals exposed to the same work conditions show burnout, which demonstrates the importance of individual variables such as personality. The purpose of this study was to determine personality characteristics of a sample of nursing professionals based on the Big Five model, and then, having determined the personality profiles, analyze the differences in burnout and engagement based on those profiles. The sample was made up of 1236 nurses. An ad hoc questionnaire was prepared to collect the sociodemographic data, and the Brief Burnout Questionnaire, the Utrecht Work Engagement Scale and the Big Five Inventory-10 were used. The results showed that the existence of burnout in this group of workers, is associated negatively with extraversion, agreeableness, conscientiousness and openness to experience, and positively with the neuroticism personality trait. These personality factors showed the opposite pattern with regard to engagement. Three different personality profiles were also found in nursing personnel, in which professionals who had a profile marked by strong neuroticism and low scores on the rest of the personality traits where those who were most affected by burnout.

The following are three successful case studies that affected humanity during the COVID-19 pandemic. The key to their success was their swift adaptability to the new confinement regulations and the unyielding determination of those carrying out their plans. Various extraordinary and prompt efforts were required to make the essential logistical preparations and practice for distance learning a reality. The research activities were also reorganized so the thesis students might carry out a few simple experiments at home under the strict supervision of their advisers and supervisors. The findings revealed that the students who participated in these projects applied all the abilities they had gained before the epidemic. In addition, they included crucial knowledge about the project, problem-based, and research-based learning. Furthermore, because they were the primary implementers of the trials, they learned by planning and performing experiments. The culmination of these efforts was displayed in three scientific publications that were published in index journals with a high level of impact. This latter factor is essential for the prestige and visibility of the university, in addition to the acquisition of financing and grants for scientific research.

This article proposes a measurement solution designed to monitor instantaneous frequency in power systems. It uses a data acquisition module and a GPS receiver for time stamping. A program in Python takes care of receiving the data, calculating the frequency, and finally transferring the measurement results to a database. The frequency is calculated with two different methods, which are compared in the article. The stored data is visualized using the Grafana platform, thus demonstrating its potential for comparing scientific data. The system as a whole constitutes an efficient low cost solution as a data acquisition system.

The purpose of this study was to identify different adolescent profiles identified by their use tobacco/alcohol and violent behavior repertoires as well as to analyze the extent to which they show impulsivity traits. Participants were selected by cluster random sampling. There was a total of 822 high school students in the sample aged 13 to 18 years with a mean of 14.84 (SD=.87). A cluster analysis with the following variables was done to form the groups: Use of tobacco, Use of alcohol, Physical aggression, Verbal aggression, Anger and Hostility. Three groups of adolescents resulted from these five variables. The multivariate comparison demonstrated the existence of significant between-group differences, and individual analysis for each of the dependent variables (impulsivity dimensions) showed that the relationship was statistically significant in all cases. In conclusion, analysis of factors possibly associated with adolescent’s risk behavior makes possible and orients intervention in different stages of development for sustainable consumption in adolescents.

Aggressive behavior in adolescence is influenced by a diversity of individual, family and social variables. The purpose of this study was to analyze the relationship between family functioning, emotional intelligence and values for development of different types of aggression, as well as to establish profiles according to the predictor variables of aggression. To do this, a sample of 317 high school students aged 13 to 18 were administered the Peer Conflict Scale, the Family Functionality Scale, the Brief Emotional Intelligence Inventory for Senior Citizens and the Values for Adolescent Development Scales. The study showed that stress management, positive adolescent development and family functioning predominated in nonaggressive subjects with higher scores than aggressors. There was also a negative relationship between the different types of aggression and emotional intelligence, positive values and family functioning. In addition, two different profiles were found. The first had low scores on all the variables, while the second profile had higher scores on all the variables except family functioning which was higher.

Single-Anastomosis Duodeno-Ileal bypass with Sleeve Gastrectomy (SADI-S) is a modification of the duodenal switch in which only one anastomosis is performed, with a longer common limb and an expected less malabsorptive effect. The present study analyzes presentation and treatment of malnutrition after SADI-S. 258 consecutive patients undergoing SADI-S between May 2007 and September 2017 were included. The common limb length was 200 cm in 50 cases, 250 cm in 156 and 300 in 52. 30 patients were admitted for severe hypoalbuminemia and 16 patients were submitted to revisional surgery and constitute the series of our study. Mean weight before reoperation was 57 kg and mean body mass index (BMI) was 21 kg/m2. Mean number of daily bowel movements was 5,6. Mean time to reoperation was 56 months. Revisional surgery consisted mainly in elongation of the common limb. Mean weight regain was 14 kg and mean final BMI was 26 kg/m2. Daily bowel movements were decreased to 1,3. Factors related to hypoalbuminemia were hypertension, poor controlled diabetes, age over 55 years and a shorter common limb. Although SADI-S is expected to be less malabsorptive than previous biliopancreatic diversions, caution has to be taken with selected patients to avoid postoperative malnutrition.

(1) Background: The purpose of this study was therefore to analyze the predictive capacity of the three variables (impulsivity, sensation-seeking and drug use) in aggressors and victims of violence. (2) Methods: The design is cross-sectional quasi-experimental. A sample of 822 students aged 13 to 18 who had filled in an ad hoc questionnaire, the State Impulsivity Scale and the Sensation-Seeking Scale, was used for this. (3) Results: The results show that aggressors had high levels of gratification, automatism, attentional factor, disinhibition and susceptibility to boredom, and use alcohol and/or tobacco. The variables that could predict involvement as an aggressor in peer conflict are use of alcohol, smoking, high levels of gratification, automatism and attentional factors and a high degree of disinhibition and susceptibility to boredom. The disinhibition is the best predictor of aggressor. (4) Conclusions: Thus having available empirical evidence that facilitates detection of predictive variables for participation in violence is going to favor the design of effective education intervention for reducing risk behavior.

The majority of structures supporting solar panels are founded on thin-walled metal piles driven into the ground to optimize costs and construction timelines. These pile foundations are subjected to repetitive lateral loads from various external forces, such as wind, which can compromise the in-tegrity of the pile-soil system. Given that the proper functioning of photovoltaic solar plants is typically expected for 20-30 years, predicting their useful life under fatigue loading becomes crucial. This research investigates the lateral load response of a single pile subjected to different fatigue loads in stiff cohesive soils. Additionally, the effect of loading cycles on the degradation of pile-soil ad-hesion is studied through pull-out field tests. This study reveals that soil fatigue does not occur under repetitive loading, and the soil’s stiffness remains constant once the cycles causing soil compaction have been overcome. Nevertheless, the soil's accumulated plastic deflection steadily increases once soil compaction due to cyclic loading occurs. The implications of these results on the fatigue life of photovoltaic solar panel foundations are discussed.

Understanding the motor patterns underlying the movement of people with Parkinson's disease (PD) is fundamental to the effective targeting of non-pharmacological therapies. This study aims to analyze the gait pattern in relation to the evolutionary stage between I-II and III-IV according to the Hoehn and Yahr scale (H&amp;Y) in people affected by PD. The study was conducted with the participation of 37 PD patients, with a mean age of 70.09±9.53 years, and of whom 48.64% were women. The inclusion criteria were: 1. To be diagnosed with PD; 2. To be in an evolutionary stage of the disease of between I and IV and; 3. To be able to walk independently and without any assistance. Kinematic and spatial-temporal parameters of the gait were analyzed. The results show differences in speed of movement, cadence, stride length, support duration, swing duration, step width, walking cycle duration and double support time between the stages analyzed. These results confirm the differences in PD gait pattern between stages I-II and III-IV. Different behaviors of the same variable were recorded depending on whether the right or left sides were affected by PD.

In many regions where drinking water supply is intermittent and unreliable, households adapt by storing water in cisterns or rooftop tanks. Both intermittent supply and stored water can be vulnerable to contamination by microorganisms with deleterious health effects. The Guadalajara Metropolitan Area is a rapidly growing urban center with over five million residents where household storage is nearly ubiquitous. This pilot study was conducted in July 2018 to examine the microbiological quality of drinking water in Guadalajara. Samples were tested for free available chlorine residual, total coliform bacteria, and E. coli. A survey on access to water and public perspectives was also conducted. Water exiting rooftop tanks exceeded regulatory limits for total coliform levels in half of the homes studied. Piped water arriving at two homes had total coliform levels that far exceeded regulatory limits. No E. coli were detected in any of the samples. Only 35% of homes had a chlorine residual between the recommended 0.2 and 1.5 mg/L. Many homes reported unpleasant odors and colors. Only 7% of residents drank the piped water. Future studies are needed, especially during April and May when many homes reported a higher disruption to water service.

Some p53 mutants lose their tumor suppressor activity and acquire new oncogenic functions, known as a gain of function. Recent studies have shown that p53 mutants can exert oncogenic effects through specific miRNAs. We identified the differentially expressed miRNA profiles of the three most frequent p53 mutants (p53R273C, p53R248Q, and p53R175H) in the Saos-2 cell line (null p53) transfected as compared with p53WT transfected cells. The association between these miRNAs and the signaling pathways in which they might participate was performed through the miRPath Software. QRT-PCR was employed to validate the miRNAs profiles. In addition, we explored if the induction of cell migration and invasion by the p53R48Q mutant was dependent on the miR-182-5p. We observed that p53 mutants have an overall negative effect on miRNA expression. Likewise, we found miRNAs differentially expressed associated with regulating Oncogenic signaling pathways. We found overexpression of miR-182-5p, which is associated with processes such as cell migration and invasion. Inhibition of mutant p53R248Q and miR-182-5p increased FOXF2-MTSS1 levels and decreased cell migration and invasion. Our results suggest that p53 mutants increase the expression of miR-182-5p, and this miRNA is also necessary to induce cell migration and invasion by the p53R248Q mutant in a cancer cell model.

In recent years, music education in Ibero-America has been losing ground within the school environment in favor of the development of curricular systems that benefit academic results in standardized tests. Despite this, several studies in the field of cognitive neurosciences have found evidence of great relevance and in which it can be observed how music education can favor cognitive development and performance in practically all stages of human development, with important results in language tasks, attention, and executive functions such as planning, inhibition, cognitive flexibility and working memory.

The current work shows the optimization in the preparation of nanosized titanium carbide (TiC) in-situ through mechanical alloying (MA). Metallic titanium (Ti) powders, along with two carbon sources, carbon nanotubes (CNTs), and stearic acid (SA), were used to reduce the particle size using a high-energy Spex800 mill. The combined use of 2 wt % of these carbon sources and n-heptane as a liquid process control agent (PCA) proved crucial in generating nanoscale powder composites through a simple and scalable synthesis process within a 4-hour timeframe. The use of 20 wt % of both carbon sources was compared to determine the ability of CNTs to form carbides and the decomposition of PCAs during mechanical milling. The result reveals structures like nanoblocks and nanolumps with and important size reduction. The structure and morphology of the composites and starting materials were evaluated through x-ray diffraction (XRD), Raman spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and transmission electron microscopy (TEM).

Natural products have a significant role in the development of new drugs, being relevant the pentacyclic triterpenes extracted from Olea europaea. Anticancer effect of uvaol, a natural triterpene, has been scarcely studied. The aim of this study was to understand the anticancer mechanism of uvaol in HepG2 cell line. Cytotoxicity results showed a selectivity effect of uvaol with higher influence in HepG2 than WRL68 cells used as control. Uvaol presented anti-migratory capacity in HepG2, supported by the morphological changes and higher HSP-60 expression. This compound also induced arrest in G0/G1 phase and an increase in apoptosis rate. These results are supported by decreased Bcl-2 expression and down-regulation of AKT/PI3K signaling pathway. A reduction in reactive oxygen species levels in HepG2 cells was observed. Altogether, results showed anti-proliferative and pro-apoptotic effect of uvaol on hepatocellular carcinoma, constituting an interesting challenge in the development of new treatments against this type of cancer.

Over the last decade, Psidium guajava L. (guava) leaves have demonstrated their in vitro and in vivo effect against Diabetes mellitus (DM). However, there is a lack of literature concerning the effect of the individual phenolic compounds present in the leaves in DM disease. For this reason, the aim of the present work was the in silico evaluation of each phenolic compound. The identification of an 80% ethanol extract of guava leaves revealed the presence of 73 compounds. The in silico study carried out with the DIA-DB web server revealed that aldose reductase was the target protein with heterogeneous affinity. Naringenin exhibited the highest number of interactions with target proteins, and compounds like catechin, quercetin, naringenin and morin displayed similarities with known antidiabetic drugs. In conclusion, the computational workflow showed that guava leaves contain several compounds that can play a therapeutic role in the treatment of DM.

Several animal food allergens assembly into amyloids under gastric-like environments. These aggregated structures provide Gad m 1 with an enhanced IgE interaction due to the amyloid assembly of the epitope regions. However, whether these properties are unique of Gad m 1 or common to other food allergens has not yet been addressed. Using Bos d 5, Bos d 12 and Gal d 2 as food allergen models and Gad m 1 as control, aggregation reactions and the sera of milk, egg and fish allergic patients we have analyzed the IgE interaction of the distinct amyloids. We found that amyloids formed by Bos d 12 and Gal d 2 full-length and truncated chains are recognized by the IgEs of milk and egg allergic patient sera. As with Gad m 1, in most cases amyloid recognition is higher than that of the precursor structure. Bos d 5 was not recognized under any fold by the IgE of the sera studied. These results support that formation of IgE-binding amyloids might be a common feature to animal food allergen.

This longitudinal study aimed to analyze the effects of a team rowing-based training program on physical fitness and anthropometric parameters in female breast cancer survivors (n=40; 56.78±6.38 years). Participants were divided into two groups: one rowed in fixed seat rowing (FSR) boats (n=20; 56.35±4.89 years) and the other in sliding seat rowing (SSR) boats (n=20; 57.20±7.7 years). Both groups engaged in two 75-minute sessions per week for 24 weeks. Significant improvements were observed in both groups in terms of weight (FSR: -1.93 kg, SSR: -1.75 kg), body mass index (FSR: -0.73 kg/m², SSR: -0.67 kg/m²), waist circumference (FSR: -2.83 cm, SSR: -3.66 cm), and hip circumference (FSR: -2.02 cm, SSR: -2.88 cm). Muscle strength improved in lower extremities (jump test: FSR: 2.99 cm, SSR: 3.11 cm) and upper extremities (dominant: FSR: 4.13 kgf, SSR: 4.34 kgf; non-dominant: FSR: 3.67 kgf, SSR: 3.32 kgf). Aerobic capacity also improved, with the SSR group showing a greater increase (FSR: 63.05 m, SSR: 93.65 m). Flexibility tests revealed better results in the SSR group for both dominant (SSR: 1.75 cm vs. FSR: -5.55 cm) and non-dominant limbs (SSR: 1.72 cm vs. FSR: -3.81 cm). These findings suggest that the type of rowing modality can influence physical fitness outcomes, with the SSR group showing superior improvements compared to the FSR group.

This work demonstrates the antimycotic activity and structural damage of stingless bee propolis against Malassezia pachydermatis,causative agent of canine otitis.Two propolis ethanolic extracts(EEP) derived from the stingless bees, Scaptotrigona mexicana and Tetragonisca angustula were tested against three clinical strains of Malassezia pachydermatis and one of reference (ATCC 14522). Each ethanolic extract of propolis was analyzed by Gas Chromatography – Mass Spectrometry(GC-MS). Antimycotic activity was evaluated by plate microdilution. To evaluate the induced changes in yeasts, by fluorescence microscopy, stains were performed with chalcofluor white and propidium iodide. For both propolis, sesquiterpenes were the main components determined by GC-MS. Minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of 32 mg/mL and a minimum fungicidal concentration of 64 mg/Ml were determined in both extracts. EPP of Scaptotrigona mexicana and Tetragonisca angustula caused significant damage to yeast morphology. Propidium iodide penetration was observed, indicating damage to the yeast and with calcofluor-white stain, only morphology deformation was observed..The antimycotic activity and structural damage of propolis from Scaptotrigona mexicana and Tetragonisca angustula against Malassezia pachydermtais was demonstrated .This probably being the first scientific report that demonstrates structural damage in Malassezia pachydermatis of Mexican stingless bee propolis

The Nocturnal Bottleneck explains how mammals evolved from their reptilian ancestors after inverting the chronotype, form diurnal to nocturnal. Pre-mammals traded-off the excellent visual system of their ancestors for improvements in audition and in olfactory telencephalon, needed for efficient orientation in the dark. This was how the mammalian nocturnal telencephalic wakefulness was born. However, the modified visual system of those pre-mammals became sensitive to the dangerous diurnal light and the exposure would involve a high risk of blindness and death. Therefore, pre-mammals had to remain immobile with closed eyes hidden in lightproof burrows during light time. This was the birth of the mammalian sleep. Typical reptiles distribute their wake time cycling between Basking Behavior, to attain the preferred body temperature, and poikilothermic Goal Directed Behavior, to perform life sustaining tasks. These cycles persisted during the new mammalian sleep. However, as the behavioral output had to be blocked during light time, the paralyzed reptilian Basking Behavior and Goal Directed Behavior cycles became the NREM and REM cycles, respectively. This was how NREM and REM cycles remained incorporated within the mammalian sleep. After the Cretaceous-Paleogene extinction, the environmental pressure for nocturnal life was softened, allowing high variability in chronotype and sleeping patterns. This permitted some mammalian groups, e.g., primates, to begin the quest for diurnal wake.Concluding, sleep constituted an additional bottleneck in the mammalian evolution. The reduced population of pre-mammals that was able to develop sleep during light time, including NREM and REM, became full mammals and survived; the remainder perished.

Several clinically useful anticancer drugs selectively kill cancer cells by inducing DNA damage; the genomic instability and DNA repair defects of cancer cells make them more vulnerable than normal cells to the cytotoxicity of DNA-damaging agents. Because epoxide-containing compounds can induce DNA damage, we have used the MTT assay to evaluate the selective cytotoxicity of three epoxyalkyl galactopyranosides against A549 lung cancer cells and MRC-5 lung normal cells. Compound (2S,3S)-2,3-Epoxydecyl 4,6-O-(S)-benzylidene-β-D-galactopyranoside (EDBGP) showed the highest selective anticancer activity and was selected for mechanistic studies. After observing that EDBGP induced cellular DNA damage (comet assay), we found that cells deficient in nucleotide excision repair were hypersensitive to the cytotoxicity of this compound; this suggests that EDBGP may induce bulky DNA adducts. EDBGP did not inhibit glycolysis (glucose consumption and lactate production). Pre-treatment of lung cancer cells with several antioxidants did not reduce the cytotoxicity of EDBGP, thereby indicating that reactive oxygen species do not participate in the anticancer activity of this compound. Finally, EDBGP was screened against a panel of cancer cells and normal cells from several tissues, including three genetically modified skin fibroblasts with increasing degree of malignancy. Our results suggest that epoxyalkyl galactopyranosides are promising lead compounds for the development of new anticancer agents.

Oral pyogenic granuloma (PG) is generally a solitary benign connective tissue proliferation of unknown etiology. It is the most common type of oral inflammatory hyperplasia histologically characterized by proliferation of granulation tissue with inflammatory infiltrates and high angiogenic capacity. Vascular neoformations of different diameters are usually present. Due to their structural characteristics, tendency to bleed, and rapid and alarming growth rate, these neoformations may have serious consequences. Sometimes, it is complex to make an accurate diagnosis. Therefore, adequate management and treatment are based on the characteristics and systemic conditions of each patient. This review was carried out to provide an overview of the factors involved in, or attributed to the etiopathogenesis of oral PG. It describes the different forms of presentation and clinical evolution, as well as the most frequent signs and symptoms that characterize this disease, while incorporating recent radiographic and microscopic findings. In addition, it describes the different modalities for the management of oral pyogenic granuloma depending on the particular characteristics of each patient.

Seaweeds, notably cochayuyo (Durvillaea incurvata), are recognized for their rich macro- and micronutrient content, along with their inhibitory effects on the α-glucosidase enzyme. The present study aims to evaluate the effectiveness of this inhibition in actual starchy food products under in vitro gastrointestinal conditions. The study utilized freeze-dried cochayuyo, extracted using hot pressurized liquid extraction with 50% ethanol at 120 C and 1500 psi. The inhibition mechanism of α-glucosidase was determined, and the polyphenol composition of the extract was analyzed using Ultra-High-Performance Liquid Chromatography. The study further evaluated the extract’s impact on starch digestibility, total phenolic content, and antioxidant capacity in noodles as representative starchy food under gastrointestinal conditions. The results indicate that the α-glucosidase inhibition mechanism is mixed. Phenolic compounds, primarily tetraphloroethol, could contribute to this anti-enzymatic activity. The extract was observed to decrease starch digestibility, indicated by a lower rate constant (0.0158 vs. 0.0261 min-1) and digested starch at an infinite time (77.4 vs. 80.5 g/100 g). A significant increase (~1200 vs. ~390 µmol TROLOX/100 g) in antioxidant activity was also noted during digestion when the extract was used. Thus, the study suggests that the cochayuyo extract can reduce starch digestion and enhance antioxidant capacity under gastrointestinal conditions.

In the last years, advances in materials engineering based on adaptive electronics have found a new paradigm to optimize drawbacks in signal processing. A two-layer MnO/ZnO:Zn heterostructure envisioned for frequency adaptive electronic signal processing is synthesized by sputtering where the use of internal states allows reconfigurability to obtain new operating modes at different frequency input signals. An X-Ray Diffraction (XRD) is performed on each layer, MnO:Mn had a cubic and ZnO:Zn a hexagonal structure with preferential growth in [111] and [002] directions respectively. It is determined that the coupling in this heterojunction is compatible with a mismatch less 1 % due texture in each layer which implies a low number of defects. An electrical characterisation with an oscilloscope and signal generator was carried out to obtain the time-response signals and current-voltage (I-V) curves where no degradation is detected when changing from a range of frequencies (100 Hz – 1 MHz). An equivalent circuit is proposed to explain the effects in the interface. Finally, the MnO/ZnO:Zn heterojunction delivers states that are stable, repeatable, and reproducible and it demonstrates how the interaction of the materials can be used in adaptive device applications applying frequencies and internal states as to create new and innovative design schematics, reducing the numbers of components/connections in a system for future sustainable electronics.

The principal aim of a spectral observer is twofold: the reconstruction of a signal of time via state estimation and the decomposition of such a signal into the frequencies that make it up. A spectral observer can be catalogued as an online algorithm for time-frequency analysis because is a method that can compute on the fly the Fourier transform (FT) of a signal, without having the entire signal available from the start. In this regard, this paper presents a novel spectral observer with an adjustable constant gain for reconstructing a given signal by means of the recursive identification of the coefficients of a Fourier series. The reconstruction or estimation of a signal in the context of this work means to find the coefficients of a linear combination of sines a cosines that fits a signal such that it can be reproduced. The design procedure of the spectral observer is presented along with the following applications: (1) the reconstruction of a simple periodical signal, (2) the approximation of both a square and a triangular signal, (3) the edge detection in signals by using the Fourier coefficients, (4) the fitting of the historical Bitcoin market data from 2014-12-01 to 2018-01-08 and (5) the estimation of a input force acting upon a Duffing oscillator. To round out this paper, we present a detailed discussion about the results of the applications as well as a comparative analysis of the proposed spectral observer vis-à-vis the Short Time Fourier Transform (STFT), which is a well-known method for time-frequency analysis.

Maslinic acid (MA) is a natural triterpene from Olea europaea whose pharmacological functions have been showed. The objective of this study was to examine MA effect on cell viability (by MTT assay), reactive oxygen species (ROS levels, by flow cytometry) and key anti-oxidant enzyme activities (by spectrophotometry) in murine skin melanoma (B16F10) cells compared to healthy cells (A10). MA induced cytotoxic effects in cancer cells (IC50 42 µM) whereas no effect was found in A10 cells treated with MA (up to 210 µM). In order to produce a stress situation in cells, 0.15 mM of H2O2 were added. Under stressful conditions, MA protected both cell lines against oxidative damage, decreasing intracellular ROS, being higher in B16F10 than in A10 cells. The treatment with H2O2 and without MA produced different responses in anti-oxidant enzymes activities depending on cell line. In A10 cells, all enzymes were up-regulated, but in B16F10 cells only superoxide dismutase, glutathione S-transferase and glutathione peroxidase increased their activities. MA restored the enzyme activities to similar levels than control group in both cell lines, highlighting that in A10 cells the highest MA doses induced values lower than control. Overall, these findings demonstrate the great anti-oxidant capacity of MA.

The present work analyzes the behavior in terms of corrosion resistance of three reinforced concrete formulations over a period of 1 year. The samples were accompanied by creating a monitoring methodology using the Electrochemical Impedance Spectroscopy (EIE) technique, working only with the real component over time. Three mixtures were used, one conventional without pozzolanic addition (REF) and two others with pozzolanic additions, rice husk ash (RCA) and metakaolin (MK). Prototypes were created and exposed to the action of a 165g/l NaCl sodium chloride solution. The characterization of the materials was carried out by determining the chloride diffusion profile (ASTM 1556), analyzing images using tomography and with the support of analytical techniques such as x-ray fluorescence and x-ray diffraction. The monitoring methodology using the EIE demonstrated the positive effect of the insertion of pozzolans, rice husk ash (RCA) and metakaolin (MK), by delaying the process of chloride diffusion in the concrete, resulting in greater resistance to corrosion. The EIE also showed that the active mineral addition in concrete, of aluminum-silicic composition (MK), had a predominant protective effect on the steel//concrete interface against the attack of chloride ions.

Mucorales are the causal agents for the lethal disease known as mucormycosis. Mortality rates of mucormycosis can reach up to 90%, due to the mucoralean antifungal drug resistance and the lack of effective therapies. A concerning urgency among the medical and scientific community claims to find targets for the development of new treatments. Here, we reviewed different studies de-scribing the role and machinery of a novel non-canonical RNAi pathway (NCRIP) only conserved in Mucorales. Its non-canonical features are the independence of Dicer and Argonautes proteins. Conversely, NCRIP relies on RNA-dependent RNA Polymerases and an atypical ribonuclease III (RNaseIII). NCRIP regulates the expression of mRNAs by degrading them in a specific manner. Its mechanism binds dsRNA but only cuts ssRNA. NCRIP exhibits a diversity of functional roles. It represses the epimutational pathway and the lack of NCRIP increases the generation of drug resistant strains. NCRIP also regulates the control of retrotransposons expression, playing an essential role in genome stability. Finally, NCRIP regulates the response during phagocytosis, affecting the multifactorial process of virulence. These critical NCRIP roles in virulence and antifungal drug resistance, along with its exclusive presence in Mucorales, mark this pathway as a promising target to fight against mucormycosis.

The purpose of this longitudinal study was to determine the effects of a rowing training program on physical fitness and body composition in female breast cancer survivors (56.78 ± 6.38 years). Over six months, the participants (n=40) performed two training sessions per week for an average of 75 minutes, combining resistance and muscle strength exercises with rowing. To evaluate the impact of the program, physical fitness tests and anthropometric measurements were carried out before and after the training protocol. The results show statistically significant improvements in measures such as weight (-1.84 kg), BMI (-0.7 kg/m2), hip (-3.24 cm) and waist circumference (-2.45 cm). In addition, variables associated with physical fitness also improved including leg strength (3.04 cm), dominant handgrip strength (4.24 kgf), non-dominant handgrip strength (3.49 kgf), aerobic endurance (78.35 m) and muscle flexibility (3.96 cm). We can therefore conclude that a rowing-based exercise program is an effective strategy to improve physical fitness in this type of population, yielding improvements in both anthropometric measurements and basic physical capacity variables, essential factors for better health and quality of life.

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.

Introduction: Venous thromboembolism (VTE), comprising deep vein thrombosis (DVT) and pulmonary embolism (PE), is a common condition associated with high morbidity and mortality. Although patients with heart failure (HF) are known to have an increased risk of PE, there is limited evidence regarding its specific impact on patients with acute PE, both in presentation and outcomes, and its relationship with left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF). Material and Methods: A prospective observational study was conducted at two tertiary hospitals, including patients with symptomatic acute PE between January 2012 and December 2022. The primary objective of the study was the development of a composite outcome (mortality, major bleeding, and recurrence) within the first 30 days. The secondary objective was the development of early complications in patients with HF and reduced LVEF. Results: Out of 1991 patients included with symptomatic acute PE, 7.13% had a history of HF. Patients with HF were older and had more comorbidities. The HF group showed higher mortality (11.27% vs. 4.33%, p<0.001) and major bleeding (9.86% vs. 4.54%, p=0.005). In multivariate analysis, HF was an independent risk factor for the development of the composite outcome (HR 1.93; 95% CI: 1.35-2.76). Reduced LVEF was independently associated with a higher risk of bleeding (HR 3.44; 95% CI: 1.34-8.81). Conclusion: In patients with symptomatic acute pulmonary embolism, heart failure is independently associated with a higher risk of early complications. Additionally, heart failure with reduced LVEF is an independent risk factor for major bleeding.

1) Background: Aware that engagement in the healthcare field needs high levels of emotional intelligence, we began this study in to the relationship between engagement and emotional intelligence in nurses. The objective of this study was to determine the explanatory value of the components of emotional intelligence for engagement in a sample of nurses, and to identify which of the emotional intelligence components have the greatest explanatory value for dimensions of engagement, by sex.; 2) Methods: The final study sample was made up of 2126 working nursing professionals with a mean age of 31.66 (SD=6.66). To compile the data, an ad hoc questionnaire was used to collect sociodemographic information, and to collect professional and employment information, the Utrecht Work Engagement Scale, and the Reduced Emotional Intelligence Inventory for Adults.; 3) Results: The results show that nurses with higher levels of emotional intelligence also scored more highly in engagement, with the Interpersonal factor being the greatest predictor of engagement.; and 4) Conclusions: This study have significant practical implications for the creation of intervention programs and activities to improve the performance of nurses in the workplace.

: The cytotoxic effect of four extracts obtained from the wild plant and two from a culture of Ag-eratina pichinchensis calluses on cell lines: prostate carcinoma, cervical cancer, hepatocellular car-cinoma, human hepatoma, lung cancer and cellular keratinocytes was evaluated; the extracts were obtained with ethyl acetate and methanol, leaves and stems were used from the wild plant. The results of the cytotoxic evaluation showed that only the ethyl acetate extract obtained from the callus culture showed an effect on the cervical cancer cell line (HeLa) with an IC50 of 94.79 ± 2.0 µg/mL. The purification of this extract allowed obtaining a benzofuran type compound as the main product, which was identified as 2,3-dihydrobenzofuran. The cytotoxic evaluation of this compound showed an important effect against the HeLa cell line with an IC50 of 23.86 ± 2. .5µg/mL. These results contribute to the development of alternatives for the production of com-pounds for the treatment of cancer.

This article presents the integration of lean 6S methodologies and hazard analysis and critical control points (HACCP) in the food production sector. Through the study, it is seen that non-food industrial production is not very different from that of food and, in many cases, it assimilates protocols and ideas that are already working in the food industry; Such is the case of risk analysis, critical control points or hygiene, which are part of the food production protocol and, increasingly, of the industry in general. After the integrative analysis, the article proposes a common lean 6S - HACCP model, which can be used both in food production and in non-food industrial production.

Tomato is considered moderately sensitive to salinity, which detracts from the quality and yield of its fruit; therefore, wild populations have been used as a genetic resource. The aim of this research was to identify lines derived from wild tomato populations with tolerance to salinity during the germination and seedling stages. During germination, 52 wild lines and 2 commercial hybrids (Imperial®, Reserva®) were subjected to 150 mM and 0 mM NaCl and evaluated. The test was carried out for 20 days in a germination chamber with constant darkness, temperature of 25±2 °C and relative humidity of 80±4%. At the seedling stage, 22 wild tomato lines with the best performance in the germination test and 2 commercial hybrids (Imperial®, Topanga®) were evaluated for 12 days in a floating raft system. Concentrations of 175 mM and 0 mM NaCl were used. During germination, the saline condition decreased germination percentage (65.2%), speed of germination (88.2%), steam length (72.5%), root length (46.56%), normal plants number (59.5%), stem dry matter (68.78%), root dry matter (61.99%), and total dry matter (67.1%). At the seedling stage, this condition decreased (P<0.05) the aerial part dry matter (46.37%), leaf area (59.35%), root length (42.43%), final plant height (40.24%), and growth rate (71.42%). Seventeen tolerant genotypes were identified at one of both developmental stages, while one genotype showed tolerance at both stages. These results indicate that there are different response mechanisms in each developmental stage. Native tomatoes play an important role in the identification of tolerant genotypes since they can be used as genetic resources for obtaining commercial genotypes with salt tolerance.

Healthcare personnel are considered one of the sectors of workers most exposed to heavier workloads and work stress. One of the consequences associated with its chronic presence is the development of burnout syndrome. Given that, for the evaluation of this syndrome, the context in which they are to be used must be addressed, the purpose of this work was to analyze the psychometric properties, as well as the structure, and to propose a more suitable version for its application to health professionals, and more specifically, nursing, of the Burnout Brief Questionnaire (CBB). The final study sample was made up 1236 working nursing professionals. An exploratory factorial analysis was carried out and a new model was proposed through a confirmatory factorial analysis. Thus, the validation of the CBB questionnaire for nursing healthcare personnel showed an adequate discrimination of the items and a high internal consistency of the scale. With respect to the factorial analysis, four factors were extracted from the revised model. Specifically, these new factors called Job Dissatisfaction, Social Climate, Personal Impact and Motivational Abandonment, showed an adequate index of adjustment. Thus, the Burnout Revised Brief Questionnaire for nursing staff has favorable psychometric properties, and this Burnout model can be applied to all healthcare professionals.

The use of alcohol and tobacco is related to several variables which act as risk or protective factors, depending on the circumstances. The objectives of this study were to analyze the relationship between emotional intelligence, resilience and family functioning in adolescent use of alcohol and tobacco and to find emotional profiles for their use considering self-concept. The sample was made up of 317 high school students aged 13 to 18 who filled out the Brief Emotional Intelligence Inventory, the Resilience Scale for Adolescents, the APGAR Scale, the Alcohol Expectancy Questionnaire - Adolescents and the Five-Factor Self-Concept Questionnaire. The results revealed that emotional intelligence and resilience, specifically, stress management and family cohesion were significant in the group of nonusers. Family functioning acts as a predictor factor for onset of use of tobacco and alcohol. Positive expectancies about drinking alcohol were found to be a risk factor and the intrapersonal factor to be protective. Both stress management and family cohesion were protective factors against smoking. Furthermore, cluster analysis revealed emotional profiles for users of both substances based on self-concept. Finally, the importance of the direction of the relationship between the variables studied for intervention in this problem should be mentioned. Responsible use by improving adolescent decision-making is one of the results expected from this type of intervention.

We recently screened a series of new aziridines β-D-galactopyranoside derivatives for selective anticancer activity and identified 2-methyl-2,3-[N-(4-methylbenzenesulfonyl)imino]propyl 2,3-di-O-benzyl-4,6-O-(S)-benzylidene-β-D-galactopyranoside (AzGalp) as the most promising compound. In this article, we explore possible mechanisms involved in the cytotoxicity of this aziridine and evaluate its selective anticancer activity using cancer cells and normal cells from a variety of tissues. Our data show that AzGalp induces DNA damage (detected with the comet assay). Cells deficient in the DNA repair pathway nucleotide excision repair (NER) were hypersensitive to the cytotoxicity of this compound. These results suggest that AzGalp induces bulky DNA adducts, and that cancer cells lacking a functional NER pathway may be particularly vulnerable to the anticancer effects of this aziridine. Several experiments revealed that neither the generation of oxidative stress nor the inhibition of glycolysis played a significant role in the cytotoxicity of AzGalp. The combinations of AzGalp with either oxaliplatin or 5-fluorouracil slightly improved the ability of both anticancer drugs to selectively kill cancer cells. AzGalp also displayed selective cytotoxicity against a panel of malignant cells versus normal cells; the highest selectivity was observed for two acute promyelocytic leukemia cell lines. Additional preclinical studies are necessary to evaluate the anticancer potential of AzGalp.