The introduction of exoskeletons in the industry has focused on improving worker safety. Exoskeletons have the objective of decreasing the risk of injury or fatigue when performing physically demanding tasks. The exoskeleton’s effects on the muscles is one of the most common focus in the assessments. The present study aims to analyse the muscle interactions generated by using a passive lumbar exoskeleton during load-handling tasks in laboratory conditions with and without an exoskeleton. Electromyographic data of the muscles involved in the task were recorded from twelve participants performing load-handling tasks. Correlation Coefficient, Coherence Coefficient, Mutual Information, and Multivariate Sample Entropy were calculated to determine if there were significant differences in muscle interactions between the two test conditions. Results showed statistically significant differences for all pairs of muscles and indicated that the use of the exoskeleton implied more constant values throughout the exercise. The Directed Conditional Granger Causality was obtained to study the directionality of the interactions, with significant differences in two muscle pairs Gluteus-Quadriceps and Gluteus-Lumbar in the gravity-positive direction in both cases. In conclusion, EMG parameters chosen appear to be appropriate measurements for studying the exoskeleton effects over muscle couplings.

Objects recognition is a necessary task in smart city environments. This recognition can be used in processes such as the reconstruction of the environment map or the intelligent navigation of vehicles. This paper proposes an architecture that integrates heterogeneous distributed information to recognize objects in intelligent environments. The architecture is based on the IoT / Industry 4.0 model to interconnect the devices, called Smart Resources. Smart Resources can process local sensor data and send information to other devices. These other devices can be located in the same operating range, the Edge, in the same intranet, the Fog, or on the Internet, the Cloud. Smart Resources must have an intelligent layer in order to be able to process the information. A system with two Smart Resources equipped with different image sensors has been implemented to validate the architecture. Experiments show that the integration of information increases the certainty in the recognition of objects between 2\% and 4\%. Consequently, in the field of intelligent environments, it seems appropriate to provide the devices with intelligence, but also capabilities to collaborate closely with other devices.

Jalapeño peppers (Capsicum annuum L.) are an important agricultural product worldwide. Despite its high demand in recent years, there are few studies on its production under adverse conditions caused by environmental phenomena. Crops in protected environments such as aeroponics offer greater control of these phenomena and enable efficient use of resources. However, it is necessary to validate the cultivation technique for which new technologies are being used. One of these is the analysis of images captured in the visible and near and far infrared spectrum which involves using non-invasive techniques in order to characterize the growth of a plant and diagnose if it presents any type of stress. This study presents the characterization of vegetative growth and fruiting of jalapeño pepper plants in an aeroponic system, where the root, leaf development parameters and fruits were measured in four jalapeño pepper crops through images of plants captured in the visible (VIS), near infrared (NIR) and far infrared (IR) spectrums. Four crops of thirty jalapeño pepper plants were sown to obtain a total of one hundred and twenty plants which were characterized in the different phases of growth and fruiting. Each of the four jalapeño pepper crops were monitored for sixty days in an aeroponic system in a greenhouse. The first crop was intended to carry out tests to establish the appropriate fertigation times, the next three crops were grown under favorable conditions. Algorithms were developed in Matlab to obtain, over ten image capture sessions, the morphometric and thermal parameters of the roots (perimeter, area, length and average temperature), plants (perimeter, area, height and average temperature), and fruiting. (yield and number of fruits). The statistical analysis was carried out using the ANOVA and Tukey tests considering a value of p ≤ 0.05. The results obtained indicate that there is no significant difference between the characterizations of the four crops. This statement is also supported by the visual analysis of the growth curves parameters of the four crops. In addition, the temperature inside the aeroponic system was contrasted with the ambient temperature and it was verified that the temperature to which the roots are exposed was in the range of 10°C – 20°C. The thermal analysis determined that a plant that presents water stress and is also exposed to high temperatures has an average leaf temperature of 3.7 to 5 °C above the optimal condition for the plant, while a plant with stress at normal temperatures was 1.3 °C higher than the plant without stress.

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

Some studies have demonstrated that in vivo degradation processes are influenced by the material’s physico-chemical properties. The present study compares two hydroxyapatites manufactured on an industrial scale, deproteinized at low and high temperatures, and how physico-chemical properties can influence the mineral degradation process of material performance in bone biopsies retrieved 6 months after maxillary sinus augmentation. Residual biomaterial particles were examined by field scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX) to determine the composition and degree of degradation of the bone graft substitute material. According to the EDX analysis, the Ca/P ratio significantly lowered in the residual biomaterial (1.08±0.32) compared to the initial composition (2.22±0.08) for the low-temperature sintered group, which also presented high porosity, low crystallinity, low density, a large surface area, and poor stability and a high resorption rate compared to the high-temperature sintered material. This demonstrates that variations in the physico-chemical properties of bone substitute material clearly influence the degradation process. Further studies are needed to determine whether the resorption of deproteinized bone particles proceeds slowly enough to allow sufficient time for bone maturation to occur.

Introduction: Osteosarcomas of the jaw (OSJ) are rare tumors with a different behavior from osteosarcomas of other bones. This study aims to analyze the clinical, pathological, and therapeutic characteristics of this type of sarcoma. Methods: a retrospective observational study of cases diagnosed with OSJ registered at the “La Paz” University Hospital (Madrid). Results: Eight cases with a diagnosis of OSJ were obtained in a study period of 22 years (2000-2022). The mean age was 41 years. The distribution was 1:1 between the maxilla and mandible. Painful inflammation was the most frequent clinical manifestation. Conventional osteoblastic osteosarcoma was the most common. Survival at 5 years was 50%, while at 10 years, it decreased to 25%. Conclusions: OSJ differs from conventional osteosarcomas of long tubular bones. Surgery continues to be the mainstay of treatment; more studies are needed in which more standardized protocols can be proposed for adjuvant therapeutic management.

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

Background The high incidence of diverticulitis and hemorrhoidal proctitis episodes in the population imposes an important healthcare and economic burden. Aim To determine the association between intake of certain plant foods and diverticulitis and hemorrhoidal proctitis episodes. Methods Case-control study with quantitative food frequency questionnaire focusing on selected plant foods and derived products. These were grouped by main chemical components into: ethanol, caffeine/theine/theobromine, capsaicin, alliin, acids, eugenol, and miscellaneous foods like curcumin. We quantified intake according to 24-h recall, either on a 1-4 scale (no intake, low, moderate, high intake) or as the number of units consumed (e.g. cups of tea/coffee, n of oranges or lemons); this value was multiplied by the number of reported intake days per week (1-7). Overall intake was expressed as a continuous variable obtained by successively multiplying the score for each food category, and the result was transformed into a common logarithm (range 0.3 to 27.7). Cases and controls were compared using the chi-squared test, student’s t test, odds ratio (OR) and 95% confidence interval (CI), and predictive analysis (multiple logistic regression). Results The sample included 410 cases and 401 controls, who were similar in mean age and gender distribution. The mean score for overall intake of included plant foods was 6.3 points (standard deviation [SD] 4.5), and this was significantly higher in cases (8.5 points, SD 5.3) than in controls (4.1 points, SD 1.2; p < 0.001). Overall intake was similar in cases presenting diverticulitis or hemorrhoidal proctitis. Cases had 13 times the odds of being in the upper quartile for overall intake (> 7 points) compared to controls (OR 13.2, 95% CI 8.3 to 20.8, p < 0.001). Predictive logistic regression models showed that the chemical food group most closely associated with diverticulitis and hemorrhoidal proctitis was capsaicin, followed by ethanol, eugenol, caffeine/theine/theobromine, and acids. The OR for age was near the null value. Neither alliin nor miscellaneous food groups showed any association. Conclusions High, frequent consumption of some plant foods and derived products increases the risk of presenting symptoms of diverticulitis and hemorrhoidal proctitis.

Axial spondyloarthritis (axSpA) is a chronic rheumatic disease characterised by the presence of inflammatory back pain. In patients with chronic low back pain, the lumbar flexion relaxation phenomenon measured by surface electromiography (sEMG) differs from that in healthy individuals. However, sEMG activity in axSpA patients has not been studied. The purpose of this study was to analyse the flexion relaxation phenomenon in axSpA patients. A study evaluating 39 axSpA patients and 35 healthy controls was conducted. sEMG activity at the erector spinae muscles was measured during lumbar full flexion movements. sEMG activity was compared between axSpA patients and the controls, as well as between active (BASDAI≥4) and non-active (BASDAI<4) patients. The reliability (using intraclass correlation coefficients (ICC)), criterion validity and discriminant validity using the area Under the curve (AUC) for the inverse flexion/relaxation ratio (1/FRR) were evaluated. Significant differences (p<0.05) were observed between axSpA patients and the control group in lumbar electric activity, especially during flexion, relaxation and extension and in FRR and 1/FRR (0.66±0.39 vs. 0.25±0.19, respectively). In addition, significant differences were found between active and non-active but also between non-active and healthy subjects. The sEMG showed good reliability (ICC>0.8 for 1/FRR) and criterion validity. ROC analysis showed good discriminant validity for axSpA patients (AUC=0.835) vs. the control group using 1/FRR. An abnormal flexion/relaxation phenomenon exists in axSpA patients compared with controls. sEMG could be an additional objective tool in the evaluation of patient function and disease activity status.

This paper presents two designs of high-efficiency polarizer reflectarray antennas able to generate a collimated beam in dual-circular polarization using a linearly polarized feed, with application to high-gain antennas for data transmission links from a Cubesat. First, an 18 cm x 18 cm polarizer reflectarray operating in the 17.2 - 22.7 GHz band has been designed, fabricated and tested. The measurements of the prototype show an aperture efficiency of 52.7% for right-handed circular polarization (RHCP) and 57.3% for left-handed circular polarization (LHCP), both values higher than those previously reported in related works. Then, a dual-band polarizer reflectarray is presented for the first time, which operates in dual-CP in the frequency bands of 20 and 30 GHz. The proposed antenna technology enables a reduction of the complexity and cost of the feed chain to operate in dual-CP, as a linear-to-circular polarizer is no longer required. This property, combined with the lightweight, flat profile and low fabrication cost of printed reflectarrays, makes the proposed antennas good candidates for Cubesat applications.

This document summarizes the evidence currently available about the effects of the anesthetic agents and techniques used in primary cancer surgery and long-term oncologic outcomes, and the biomolecular mechanisms involved in their interaction..

The world is currently, subjected to the worst health crisis documented in modern history; an epidemic led by the novel coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). At the epicenter of this crisis, healthcare professionals continue working to safeguard our well-being. To the regular high levels of stress, COVID new heights even more to healthcare professionals so depending on the area, specialty, and type of work. Here we investigated what are the tendencies, or areas most affected. Through an adaptation of the original COVID-stress scale, we developed a remote, fast test designed for healthcare professionals of the Northeastern part of Mexico, an important part of the country with economic and cultural ties to the US. Our results showed 4 key correlations as highly dependent: Work area – Xenophobia (p &lt; 0.045), Work with COVID patients - Traumatic stress (p &lt; 0.001) and Total number of COVID patients per day – Traumatic stress (p &lt; 0.027), and Total number of COVID patients - Compulsive checking and reassurance. Overall concluding that normal levels of stress have increased (mild – moderate). Additionally, we further determine that the fear of being an asymptomatic patient (potential to spread without knowing) continues being a concern.

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

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

Opuntia ficus-indica has always interacted with many phytophagous insects at its center of origin; two of them are Dactylopius coccus and D. opuntiae. D. coccus, or true cochineal, is produced to extract carminic acid, and D. opuntiae or wild cochineal is a key invasive pest of O. ficus-indica in more than 20 countries around the world. Despite the economic and environmental relevance of this cactus and, D. opuntiae and D. coccus, there are few studies that have explored volatile organic compounds (VOCs) derived from the plant-insect interaction. The aim of this work was to determine VOCs of D. coccus and D. opuntiae feeding on cultivars suitable for their development and to identify different VOCs in cladodes infested by each Dactylopius species. Volatiles were identified through their essential oils, which were obtained by hydrodistillation. A total of 66 VOCs from both Dactylopius species were identified, and 125 from the Esmeralda and Rojo Pelón cultivars infested by D. coccus and D. opuntiae, respectively, were determined. Differential VOCs production due to infestation by each Dactylopius species was also found. Some changes in methyl salicylate, terpenes such as linalool or the alcohol p-vinylguaiacol were related to Dactylopius feeding on cladodes of their respective cultivars. Changes in these VOCs and their probable role in plant defense mechanisms should receive more attention because this knowledge could improve D. coccus rearing, or to its inclusion in breeding programs for D. opuntiae control in regions where it is a key pest of O. ficus-indica.

The significance of Linked Open Data datasets for traffic information goes beyond just including open traffic data. It extends to incorporating links to other relevant thematic datasets available on the web. This enables federated queries across different data platforms from various countries and sectors, such as transport, geospatial, environmental, weather, and more. Businesses, researchers, national operators, administrators, and citizens at large can benefit from having dynamic traffic open data connected to heterogeneous datasets across different Member States. This paper focuses on the development of a semantic model that enhances the basic service of accessing open traffic data through a LOD-enhanced Traffic Information System in alignment with the ITS Directive (2010/40/EU). The objective is not limited to just viewing or downloading data but also to improve the extraction of meaningful information and enable other types of services that are only achievable through LOD. By structuring the information using the RDF format meant for machines and employing SPARQL for querying, LOD allows for comprehensive and unified access to all datasets. Considering that the European standard DATEX II is widely used in many priority areas and services mentioned in the ITS Directive, LOD DATEX II was developed as a complementary approach to DATEX II XML. This facilitates the accessibility and comprehensibility of European traffic data and services. As part of this development, an ontological model called dtx_srti, based on the DATEX II Ontology, was created to support these efforts.

In this work, Gd-filled skutterudite GdxCo4Sb12 has been prepared in one-step method under high-pressure conditions in a piston-cylinder press at 3.5 GPa and moderate temperature of 800 °C. A detailed structural characterization was performed using synchrotron X-ray diffraction (SXRD), revealing a filling fraction of x = 0.066(4) and an average &lt;Gd–Sb&gt; bond length of 3.3499(3) Å. The lattice thermal expansion accessed via temperature-dependent SXRD led to a precise determination of a Debye temperature of 322(3) K, from the fitting of the unit-cell volume expansion using the second order Grüneisen approximation. Such parameter, when evaluated from the mean square displacements of Co and Sb, displayed a value of 265(2) K, meaning that the application of the harmonic Debye theory underestimates the Debye temperature in skutterudites. Regarding the Gd atom, its intrinsic disorder value is ~5× and ~25× higher than those of Co and Sb, respectively, denoting that Gd has a strong rattling behavior with an Einstein temperature of θE = 67(2) K. As a result, an ultra-low thermal conductivity of ~0.89 W/m·K at 773 K was obtained, leading to a thermoelectric efficiency zT of ~0.5 at 673 K.

This research work has been based on a previous study by the authors that characterized the behavior of a polyimide-coated FBG sensor in a structural monitoring system. Sensors applied to structural health monitoring are affected in the presence of a state of multidirectional strains simultaneously. The previous study observed the influence of transverse strain (ε_y) while keeping longitudinal strain constant (ε_x), where the direction x is the direction of the optical fiber. The present study developed an experimental methodology which has consisted of carrying out a campaign of biaxial tests on cruciform specimens with three embedded FBG sensors coated with polyimide, acrylate and ORMOCER®. Applying the Strain–Optic Theory as reference, a comparison of the results obtained with the different coatings has been studied. This experimental work has done it possible to study the influence of transverse strain (ε_y) in the longitudinal measurement of each of the FBG sensor and the influence of the coating material. Finally, the calibration procedure as well as the strain sensitivity factor K for each sensor has been defined.

This study presents a strategic approach to developing applications focused on implementing Large Language Models using the Langchain framework in Python. Three language models are highlighted: GPT-3.5 (turbo mode), LLaMA 2, and Vicuna 7B, each with their distinctive features and capabilities. The methodology used is described in detail, including data extraction from medical reports using zero-shot prompting data extraction techniques, interaction with language models, and structured storage of results. The performance of the models in data extraction is evaluated, presenting metrics such as precision, recall, and F1 score. The results demonstrate high model capability in extracting information, although areas for improvement are identified, particularly in data extraction precision. In conclusion, the efficacy of the models in extracting information from medical histories is not considerably acknowledged, with an emphasis on the importance of improving precision and increasing the volume of trained data for future research in healthcare digitalization.

The digital transformation of critical infrastructures, such as energy or water distribution systems, is essential for their smart management. Faster issue identification and smoother services enable better adaptation to consumers' evolving demands. However, these large-scale infrastructures are often outdated. Their digital transformation is crucial to enable them supporting societies. This process must be carefully planned, providing guidance that ensures that the data they rely on is dependable and that the system remains fully operational during the transition. This paper presents a formal model that supports reliable data acquisition in legacy critical infrastructures, facilitating their evolution towards a data-driven smart system. Our model provides the foundation for a flexible transformation process while generating dependable data for system management. We demonstrate the model's applicability in a use case within the water distribution domain and discuss its benefits.

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

The management of large medical files is a critical challenge in the health sector. Conventional systems have security, scalability, and efficiency deficiencies. This project proposes a hybrid architecture between blockchain and cloud computing to address these challenges. Blockchain ensures the immutability and traceability of medical records, while the cloud allows scalable and efficient storage. Together, these technologies can transform data management in electronic health record applications. The essential objective of this research is to thoroughly look at the existing strategies, devices, and conventions that encourage a secure interaction between blockchain applications and the cloud. Special emphasis is set on maintaining the integrity and security of the blockchain while tackling the potential and efficiency of cloud infrastructures. Through a meticulous investigation of these approaches, along with their successful usage and encountered challenges, this paper offers a comprehensive overview of the present state of this integration. Altogether, this paper does not propose new concepts or developments. Its central focus is to provide a comprehensive and insightful examination of the modern landscape concerning the integration of blockchain and cloud advances. By shedding light on the existing approaches and assessing their viability, this work aims to highlight the current challenges and build up a solid establishment for future development. This, in turn, will cultivate a consistent integration of blockchain security with the dynamic potential of cloud computing while guaranteeing information integrity and security remain uncompromised. In conclusion, this paper serves as a important resource for analysts, specialists, and partners looking for to dig into and development the integration of blockchain and cloud innovations, subsequently contributing to a more secure and productive cloud environment.

Bacteriocins is a term given to products of the secondary metabolism of many bacterial genera described today with antimicrobial activity. Although there are several biomolecules with such activity, even today it has not been possible to reach a consensus on the method of classification for these biomolecules. In addition, many of them are not authorized for therapeutic use against multi-drug resistant microorganisms due to possible toxic effects. However, recent research has achieved significant progress in their understanding, classification, and elucidation of the mechanisms of action against microorganisms of medical and biotechnological interest. Therefore, in more recent times, protocols are already being carried out for their optimal use and applications to use them on the hopes of solving multiple health and food conservation problems.

In recent years, CPU caches have revealed themselves as one of the most powerful sources of information leakage. This information leakage affects any implementation whose memory accesses, to data or instructions, depend on sensitive information such as private keys. In most cases, side-channel cache attacks do not require any specific permission and just need access to a shared cache. This fact, combined with the spread of cloud computing, where the infrastructure is shared between different customers, have made these attacks quite popular. In this paper, we present a novel approach to exploit the information obtained from the CPU cache. First, we introduce a non-access attack that provides a 97\% reduction in the number of encryptions required to obtain a 128-bit AES key. Next, this attack is adapted and extended in what we call the encryption-by-decryption cache attack or EBD, to obtain a 256-bit AES key. When EBD is applied to AES-256, we are able to obtain the 256 bits of the key with less than 10000 encryptions. These results make EBD, to the best of our knowledge, the first practical attack on AES-256 and also demonstrate that AES-256 is only about 3 times more complex to attack than AES-128 via cache attacks. In both cases the target is the AES T-table-based implementation, and we also demonstrate that our approach works in a cross-VM scenario.

Meniere Disease (MD) is a multifactorial disorder of the inner ear characterized by vertigo attacks associated with sensorineural hearing loss and tinnitus with a significant heritability. Although MD has been associated with several genes, no epigenetic studies have been performed in MD. Here we performed whole genome bisulfite sequencing in 14 MD patients and 6 healthy controls, with the aim of identifying a MD methylation signature and potential disease mechanisms. We observed a high number of differentially methylated CpGs (DMC) when comparing MD patients to controls (N= 9,545), several of them in hearing loss genes such as PCDH15, ADGRV1 and CDH23. Bioinformatic analyses of DMCs and cis-regulatory regions predicted phenotypes related to abnormal excitatory postsynaptic currents, abnormal NMDA-mediated receptor currents and abnormal glutamate-mediated receptor currents when comparing MD to controls. Moreover, we identified various DMCs in genes previously associated with cochleovestibular phenotypes in mice. We have also found 12 undermethylated regions (UMR) that were exclusive to MD, including 2 UMR in an inter CpG island in the PHB gene. We suggest that the DNA methylation signature allows to distinguish between MD patients and controls. The enrichment analysis confirms previous findings of a chronic inflammatory process underlying MD.

Heat waves represents a major concern for the tourism industry in the Mediterranean area. Therefore, it is necessary to deepen the study of the influence of high temperatures and their effects on tourist behavior. This research aims to develop a structural model that allows measuring how heat waves affect the behavior of external tourist demand in coastal destinations. The results are useful for the design by tourist destinations of adaptation measures to climate change. The proposed hypotheses have been contrasted using non-linear structural equations (SEM), estimated with data from the National Institute of Statistics on external demand in Spain. The results confirm lower tourist flows with the increase in high temperatures to the coasts of the Spanish Mediterranean area from traditional source markets, such as the United Kingdom. Furthermore, the tourist flow to the Balearic Islands decreases with high temperatures.

In an analogous manner as occurred during the development of a connected metabolism that at some point reached characteristics associated with what is called ‘life’ ―due mainly to a catalytic closure phenomenon when chemicals started to autocatalyze themselves forming a closed web of chemical reactions― it is here proposed that cognition and consciousness (or features associated with them) arose as a consequence of another type of closure within the nervous system, the brain especially. Proper brain function requires an efficient web of connections and once certain complexity is attained due to the number and coordinated activities of the brain cell networks, the emergent properties of cognition and consciousness take place. Seeking to identify main features of the nervous system organization for optimal function, it is here proposed that while catalytic closure yielded life, neuroglial closure produced cognition/consciousness.

Background: Atopic dermatitis is a chronic condition that significantly affects the daily life of those who suffer from it, requiring complex and personalized management with active participation of the patient in the management of their disease. Objective: to describe the design and development process of a mobile application, using the Design Thinking method, for the follow-up of patients with atopic dermatitis. Methods: User-centered design and prototype creation method, differentiating the phases of the empathize, define, idea, prototype, and test. A purposive snowball sampling was used to recruit patients with atopic dermatitis, family members, and health professionals. Three two-hour workshops were held, attended by 25 people. Results: the parameters to be monitored will include objective data (physical, behavioral, treatments, environmental, integration of daily routines) and subjective data (user experience). On the other hand, it will figure out behavior patterns, set up rewards, foster a feeling of community, and use notifications and a chatbot. Conclusion: The active integration of all stakeholders at each stage of the design and development of the digital solution has improved its relevance and acceptance, resulting in a tool that is expected to significantly improve the management of atopic dermatitis.

In recent years, intensive work has been carried out to achieve maximum energy production in photovoltaic power plants. Today, this challenge has to be solved for arrays of solar panels that move with the object on which they are installed (vehicles, trucks, ships, etc.). The present work tries to find the best solution for both constant voltage systems and for cases of maximum intensity. Once found, these solutions will be applied in real time for the dynamic recharging of battery packs, trying to achieve energetically autonomous vehicles.To solve these situations, a new computational method of voltage and amperage calculation has been developed in this paper, based on Dijkstra’s minimum path finding algorithm on graph theory, adapted to electrical circuits. For this purpose, panel performance analysis sensors, developed at the University of Malaga, have been combined with different electronic solutions (wifi relay devices using esp8266 or similar chips) achieving an accurate and sufficiently fast solution at very low cost. With this, series or parallel configurations can be carried out depending on the type of energy generation sought. The theoretical solutions using Minkowski paths, achieved in the past, have been simulated and subsequently constructed in this article, indicating the diagrams necessary for their realisation.

The use of mobile devices facilitates access to knowledge and is at the base of the education of the future. Although the digital society has contributed a number of benefits, however, it has also been associated with worrying behaviours. The study design consisted of a quantitative approach that was descriptive, inferential and ex post-facto in nature. Its purpose was to better understand the opinion of young people regarding mobile phone use and describe dependence deriving from regular use. The sample was formed of 420 students from the Faculty of Education at the University of Granada. Results indicate that mobile phone use has displaced use of other technologies such as the television, and is associated with communication and recreational activities. In addition, a profile was identified for young people at greater risk of developing a dependence on their mobile devices. This profile constituted females, mobile phone users with recreational motives and individuals who exceeded mobile phone use by more than six hours a day. To improve the educational use of mobile phone, prevention and intervention plans must be designed which ensure correct management of this device, taking advantage of the benefits it offers whilst avoiding problems derived from inappropriate use.

A Infectious diseases account for about 3 million deaths per year. The advent of molecular techniques has led to an enormous improvement in their diagnosis, both in terms of sensitivity and specificity and in terms of the speed with which a clinically useful result can be obtained. Digital PCR, or 3rd generation PCR, is based on a series of technical modifications that result in more sensitive techniques, more resistant to the action of inhibitors and capable of direct quantification, without the need for standard curves.This review presents the main applications that have been developed for the diagnosis of viral, bacterial and parasitic infections, and the potential prospects for the clinical use of this technology.

Abstract Chaga´s disease caused by Trypanosoma cruzi infections is included in the group of neglected diseases, and efforts to develop new therapeutic or immunoprevention approaches have not been successful. After the publication of the T. cruzi genome, the number of molecular and biochemical studies on this parasite have increased considerably, many of which are focused on families of variant-surface-proteins, especially the trans-sialidases, mucins and mucin-associated proteins. The disperse gene protein 1 family (DGF-1) is one of the most abundant families in the T. cruzi genome, however, the large gene size, high copy numbers, and low antibody titers detected in infected humans make it an unattractive study target. Here, we argue that the DGF-1 gene family although not being the most obvious participant of the host-parasite immunological gamble, where T. cruzi appears to have the upper hand, it may play an important role in more basic host-parasite interactions that deserve further examination.

This paper presents a state machine based architecture which enhances flexibility and reusability of industrial robots, more concretely dual-arm multisensor robots. The proposed architecture, in addition to allowing absolute control of the execution, eases the programming of new applications by increasing the reusability of the developed modules. Through an easy-to-use graphical user interface, operators are able to create, modify, reuse and maintain industrial processes increasing the flexibility of the cell. Moreover, the proposed approach is applied in a real use case in order to demonstrate its capabilities and feasibility in industrial environments. A comparative analysis is presented for evaluating presented approach versus traditional robot programming techniques.

Intravitreal injections (IVTs) of corticosteroids as triamcinolone acetonide (TA) are frequently used for the treatment of many vitreous and retinal disorders. However, IVTs are related to severe ocular complications. Lately, a topical ophthalmic TA loaded liposomes formulation (TALF) was designed to transport TA into the posterior segment of the eye when instilled in the ocular surface. To evaluate the safety, tolerability, and biologic activity of TALF, an animal study and a phase I clinical assay was performed. Moreover, four patients with diabetic macular edema (DME) were treated with TALF in order to explore the biologic activity of the formulation. No inflammation, lens opacity, swelling or intraocular pressure rising were recorded after the instillation of TALF in any of the animal or clinical study. Mainly, mild and transient adverse events such as dry eye (30%) and burning (30%) were reported. TALF improves significantly visual acuity and diminishes central foveal thickness in patients with DME. The current data demonstrate the safety, tolerability, and biologic activity of TALF. It seems that TALF can be used topically to treat vitreous and retinal diseases that respond to TA such as DME, avoiding the use of corticosteroids IVTs and its associated hazards.

Cutaneous Melanoma (CM) is the most lethal form of skin cancer if it becomes metastatic, where treatment options and survival chances decrease dramatically. Immunotherapy treatments based on the immunologic checkpoint inhibitors (PD-1 and CTLA4) constituted a main breakthrough in the treatment of metastatic CM, particularly in the long-term benefit. However, several molecular pathways are responsible for the failure of this strategy in about 50-70% of CM patients. Some Long Non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs), and circular RNAs (circRNA) are implicated in triggering pro- and antitumorigenic responses to various cancer treatments. The relationship between lncRNA, circRNA and Immune Checkpoint Blockade (ICB) immunotherapy is not extensively explored in cutaneous metastatic melanoma (CMM). The aim of this study is to evaluate the potential role of both circRNA and lncRNA as a predictive immunotherapy biomarker in CMM. RNA-seq from 12 FFPE samples from the metastatic biopsy of metastatic melanoma patients treated with Nivolumab were analyzed. Our findings indicate that specific lncRNA and circRNA are involved in regulatory networks of the immune response against metastatic melanoma under treatment with nivolumab. Moreover, we have established a risk score that allows the prediction of Overall survival (OS) and Progression-free survival (PFS) of CMM patients with high accuracy. This proof of principle work provides a possible insight on the function of ceRNA, contributing to decipher the complex molecular mechanism of ICB cancer treatment response.

Larrea tridentata is an endemic plant from the Mexican highlands used in traditional medicine to treat hypertension and kidney stones, among many ailments. This study evaluated a vasorelaxant compound: 5- Hydroxy-2-(4-hydroxy-3-methoxyphenyl)-6,7,8-trimethoxy-4H-1-benzopyran-4-one (also known as 8-Methoxycirsilineol: 8-M) which we purified from an extract of this plant. Mesenteric artery rings were isolated from male guinea pigs for isometric force measurements. Freshly isolated smooth muscle cells from mesenteric artery were used for ionic current measurement for calcium and potassium. 10 μM 8-M completely relaxed vascular rings contracted with phenylephrine in a dose-dependent fashion with an EC50 = 4.26 ± 1.16 10-6 M and 4.56 ± 1.64 10-6 M for endothelium intact and endothelium-free tissue, respectively. The relaxant effect of 8-M was not affected by maximal doses of nifedipine, verapamil or iberiotoxin. Nevertheless, the relaxant effect was partially abolished by addition of 10 mM Tetraethylammonium (TEA). In accordance to this, calcium currents evoked by depolarization were not affected by 8-M, whereas TEA-sensitive potassium currents, were increased upon its addition. Vasorelaxation due to 8-M is partly due to activation of KV currents in an endothelium independent mode.

Background: One of the main diseases of worldwide concern is non–insulin dependent Diabetes mellitus. 90-95% of patients with diabetes suffers from Type II diabetes, a metabolic diabetes whose prevalence is increasing in the world.Given the current prevalence of diabetes type II in society, research of natural compounds able to regulate glycaemia and insulin–resistance is nowadays covering importance, as alternative or co–adjuvant treatment to existing hypoglycaemic medicines. In pre–clinical steps of research, C. elegans is considered a promising in vivo model for the study of the molecular mechanism of glucose as part of anti–diabetic bioactivity.Most of the studies of insulin resistance with this in vivo model are carried out by using mutant strains such as daf-2 and the effects of the compounds are attributed a posteriori, after a physiological response of the worms rather than directly measuring preservation of activity inside the worm. Methods: The in vitro α-glucosidase inhibition of two oral formulations with Origanum vulgare extract before and after a simulated process of gastrointestinal digestion was evaluated. After confirming the in vitro activity, the α-glucosidase inhibition was tested in vivo through the new method proposed. Results: The crude extract showed an IC50 value similar to acarbose (positive control), before and after the gastrointestinal digestion. The encapsulated extract (111.86±1.25 µg/mL) did not present statistical differences with the positive control (110.10±1.15 µg/mL) after digestion. However, the powder formulation showed the highest hypoglycaemic activity (59.55±0.85 µg/mL).In vivo, the IC50 values showed similar profile than in vitro. Conclusion: A new simple and reliable method has been developed to determine pharmacological activities inside in vivo model C. elegans.The method has been evaluated with a hydroalcoholic extract of O. vulgare. The method is accurate and valid for the quantification of the inhibition of in vivo, allowing the direct attribution of this in vivo hypoglycaemic activity to the treatment. In addition, it opens the door to further research into in vitro pharmacological activities that require an in vivo counterpart.

As β-glucosidases represent the major bottleneck for industrial degradation of plant biomass, great efforts are being devoted both to discover novel and robust versions of these enzymes, as well as to develop efficient and inexpensive ways to produce them. In this work, raw glycerol from chemical production of biodiesel was tested as carbon source for the fungus Talaromyces amestolkiae with the aim of producing enzyme cocktails rich in this activity. Approximately 11 U/mL β-glucosidase were detected in these cultures, constituting the major cellulolytic activity. Proteomic analysis revealed BGL-3 as the most abundant protein and the main β-glucosidase. This enzyme crude was successfully used to supplement a basal commercial cellulolytic cocktail (Cellu-clast 1.5L) for saccharification of pretreated wheat straw, corroborating that even hardly exploitable industrial wastes, such as glycerol, can be used as secondary raw materials to produce valuable enzymatic preparations in a framework of circular economy

The global health emergency caused by multi-drug resistant bacteria has led to the search for and development of new antimicrobial agents. Phage therapy is an abandoned antimicrobial therapy that has been resumed in recent years. In this study, we mutated a lysogenic phage from Acinetobacter baumannii into a lytic phage (Ab105-2phiΔCI) showing antimicrobial activity against A.baumannii clinical strains (such as Ab177_GEIH-2000 which showed MICs to meropenem and imipenem of 32 µg/ml and 16 µg/ml, respectively as well as belonging to GEIH-REIPI Spanish Multicenter A. baumannii Study II 2000/2010, Umbrella Genbank Bioproject PRJNA422585). We then enhanced the time kill curves (in vitro) and in Galleria mellonella survival assays (in vivo) antimicrobial activity of the new lytic phage by combining it with carbapenem antibiotics (meropenem and imipenem). We observed in vitro, an antimicrobial synergistic effect (from 4 log to 7 log CFU/ml) with meropenem plus lytic phage in all combinations analysed (0.1, 1 and 10 MOI of Ab105-2phiΔCI mutant as well as 1/4 and 1/8 MIC of meropenem). Moreover, we had a decrease in bacterial growth of 8 log CFU/ml for the combination of imipenem at 1/4 MIC plus lytic phage (Ab105-2phiΔCI mutant) and of 4 log CFU/ml for the combination of imipenem at 1/8 MIC plus lytic phage (Ab105-2phiΔCI mutant) in both MOI 1 and 10. These results were confirmed in in vivo (G. mellonella) obtaining a higher effectiveness in the combination of imipenem and Ab105-2phiΔCI mutant (P<0.05 by Log Rank-Matel Cox test). This approach could help to reduce the emergence of phage resistant bacteria and restore sensitivity to the antibiotics when used to combat multiresistant strains of Acinetobacter baumannii.

Commons and food are experiencing a revival in recent years and yet the links between both are almost absent in academic and political discourses. Commons are often portrayed as historical and yet innovative governing mechanisms that can challenge the State-Market hegemony. On the other side, food is both a relevant agent of change and a major driver of planetary destruction, being thus cause and solution to multiple crises that affect humankind. Departing from the commodification of food as one root cause of the broken global food system, this text firstly situates and discusses the different schools of thought (or epistemologies) that have addressed the private/public, commodity/commons nature of goods in general, and then explores how those schools have considered food in particular. To do so, the author has defined five epistemologies, four academic (economic, legal, historical and political) and one non-academic (grassroots activists). The analysis highlights how those epistemologies have yielded incommensurable understandings and conflicting vocabularies, hence creating confusion in the socio-political realm and even rejection around the idea of food being considered as a commons. The economic epistemic regard has reigned over the others by applying an approach to commons, public and private goods that is theoretical, reductionist and ontological instead of phenomenological, therefore preventing or obscuring other scholarly or practical understanding of commons. When applied to food, the iron law of economics dictated that food, a private good based on rivalry and excludability, shall be better allocated through market mechanisms with absolute proprietary rights and valued as a pure commodity. This reductionist view collides with the plurality of meanings of food in different societies, civilisations and historical periods, as other schools of thought indicate. The author uses diverse epistemic tools to re-construct food as a commons, based on its essentiality to human beings and societies and the customary and contemporary praxis to produce, consume and govern food collectively through non-market mechanisms for more than 2000 centuries. As commoning has instituting power to create different political and legal frameworks, if food is valued differently the entire architecture of the global food system would change, as the grassroots activist school claims. Re-commoning food defies the legal and political scaffoldings that sustain the hegemony of market and state decision-makers over eaters and food producers and informs sustainable forms of food production (agro-ecology), new collective practices of governance (food democracies) and alternative policies to regain control over the food system (food sovereignty). Food as a commons is an agent of change with transformative power, no matter what economists say.

This article presents a methodology for the design of rehabilitation devices that considers factors involved in a clinical environment. This methodology integrates different disciplines that work together. The methodology is composed by 3 phases and 13 stages with specific tasks, the first phase includes the clinical context considering the requirements of the patient and therapist during the rehabilitation, the second phase is focused in engineering based on the philosophy of digital twin, and in the third phase is evaluated the device. This article explains the characteristics of the methodology and how it was applied in the design of an exoskeleton for passive rehabilitation of the upper limb.

To mitigate the COVID-19 infection, many world governments endorsed the cessation of non-essential activities, such as the school attendance. Thereby, forcing the evolution of the teaching model to the virtual classroom. In the present work we show the application of a modified version of the adapted COVID-19 stress scales (ACSS) which also included teaching anxiety and preparedness, and resilience for academic professionals in Mexico, during the unprecedented transformation of the education system undergone in the COVID-19 quarantine. Most of the studied variables: gender, age, academic degree, household occupants, having a disease, teaching level, teaching mode, work hours, resilience, teaching anxiety and preparedness, and fear of being an asymptomatic patient (FOBAP), showed significant statistical correlation between each other (p<0.050) and to the 6 areas of the ACSS (danger, contamination, social economical, xenophobia, traumatic stress and compulsive checking). Our results further showed that the perceived stress and anxiety, fell into the category of absent to mild with only the danger section of the ACSS falling into the moderate category. Finally, resilience generated throughout the quarantine, seems to be a predictor of the adaptation the academic professional has undergone to cope with stress.

Different machine learning models (multiple linear regression, vector support machines, artificial neural networks and random forests) are applied to predict the monthly global irradiation (MGI) from different input variables (latitude, longitude and altitude of meteorological station, month, average temperatures, among others) of different areas of Galicia (Spain). The models were trained, validated and queried using data from three stations, and each best machine model was checked in two independent stations. The results obtained confirmed that the best ML methodology is the ANN model which presents the lowest RMSE value in the validation and querying phases 122.6·10kJ/(m2∙day) and 113.6·10kJ/(m2∙day), respectively, and predict conveniently for independent stations, 201.3·10kJ/(m2∙day) and 209.4·10kJ/(m2∙day), respectively. Given the good results obtained, it is convenient to continue with the design of artificial neural networks applied to the analysis of monthly global irradiation.

Development of biomarkers of analytes with interest in clinic is an important field of study. In this work, we synthesized and analyzed the new fluorescent acetate-biomarker, Iso-PG. The mechanism of detection is the acetate buffer mediated proton transfer reaction. The rate constants involved were obtained, and we measured the change in the fluorescence lifetime produced as a consequence of the presence of acetate in the medium. Finally, we checked its potential use as acetate biomarker in synthetic serum

Daptomycin is one of the last therapeutic resources for multidrug-resistant gram- positive bacteria. Despite its structural similarities with glycopeptides, its mechanisms of action and resistance are different, and in some respects are not completely understood. Mutations in several genes have been associated to daptomycin resistance, especially in mprF, walkR, rpoB and rpoC, but their role and importance remain to be elucidated. We have studied mutations in 11 genes, which have been previously associated to daptomycin non- susceptibility, in 9 daptomycin non-susceptible Staphylococcus aureus clinical isolates (daptomycin MIC: > 1mg/L). Susceptibility to daptomycin, vancomycin, linezolid, oxacillin, telavancin and dalbavancin were studied. walkR, agrA, cls1, cls2, fakA, pnpA, clpP, prs, rpoB, rpoC and mprF were amplified by PCR and sequenced. The sequences were compared with the S. aureus ATCC 25923 complete genome (GenBank gi: 685631213) by using BLAST® software. We did not find any changes in walkR, pnpA, prs and clpP. All isolates excepting isolate 5 showed a high number of significant mutations (between 13 and 25 amino acid changes) in mprF. Most isolates also showed mutations in rpo genes, cls genes and fakA. Daptomycin non-susceptibility in S. aureus clinical isolates seems to be reached through different mutations combinations when compared to S. aureus ATCC 25293. Especially mprF and cls1 showed a very high polymorphism in most isolates. Meanwhile, one isolate, St5, showed only single mutation in mprF (P314T).

Novel strategies have been developed to reduce or to avoid the intravitreal injections (IVTs) of the antiangiogenic (ranibizumab; RBZ) and the anti-inflammatory (triamcinolone acetonide; TA) agents used to treat vitreoretinal diseases. One of the strategies include liposomes. In this study, it was evaluated the safety and efficacy of topical triamcinolone-loaded liposomes formulation (TALF) as an adjuvant to intravitreal RBZ therapy in treatment-naive patients with neovascular age related macular degeneration (nAMD). Subjects were randomly assigned to the RBZ-TALF or the RBZ-pro re nata (RBZ-PRN) group. Patients from the RBZ-TALF group were instructed to apply TALF for a 12-month period after a single dose of RBZ. Patients from the RBZ-PRN group received three monthly RBZ-IVTs. Retreatment with RBZ was considered in case of nAMD reactivation. Related to safety, non-ocular abnormalities were observed during TALF therapy. Owing to the efficacy, non-significant differences are identified in visual acuity or central foveal thickness when the RBZ-PRN and RBZ-TALF groups are compared. Importantly the average number of RBZ injections was significantly lower in the RBZ-TALF group (2.5 ± 1.4 vs 6.1 ± 1.3 IVTs; p=0004). Therefore, TALF used as an adjuvant to RBZ reduce the number of RBZ-IVTs retreatment with optimal visual and anatomic results.

The food system, the most important driver of planetary transformation, is in a deep crisis. Therefore, seeking a sustainable and socially-fair transition pathway becomes an issue of utmost priority for our own survival. The consideration of food as a commodity, a social construct that played a central role in driving this crisis, remains the uncontested narrative to lead the different transition pathways what seems rather contradictory. By exploring the normative values in the transition landscape, this paper seeks to understand how relevant is the hegemonic narrative of “food as commodity” and its alternative of “food as commons” to determine transition trajectories and food policy beliefs. Applying the Multi-level Perspective framework and developing the ill-studied “agency in transition”, this research enquired food-related professionals that belong to an online community of practice (N=95) on valuation of food dimensions and agency in food transitions to check whether the valuation of food is relevant to explain personal stances in transition. Results suggest the socially-constructed view of food as commodity is positively correlated to the gradual reforming attitude, whereas food as commons is positively correlated to the counter-hegemonic transformers regardless the self-defined position in the transition landscape (regime or niches). At personal level, there are multiple loci of resistance with counter-hegemonic attitudes in varied institutions of the regime and the innovative niches, many of them holding this discourse of food as commons. Conversely, alter-hegemonic attitudes are not positively correlated to this alternative discourse and they may inadvertently or purportedly reinforce the ‘‘neoliberal narrative’’. Food as commons, a different narrative whose rationale is explained in the paper, seems to be a relevant framework that could enrich the multiple transformative constituencies that challenge the industrial food system and therefore facilitate the convergence of movements that reject the commodification of food.

The purpose of this study is to compare IVC Celect and ALN filters in regard to their efficacy, retrievability, and 1-year follow-up after retrieval. Materials and Methods: This is a prospective randomized study, conducted in three centers between April 2020 and May 2021. A total of 115 participants were randomized, of which 15 participants were excluded for various reasons. Each group of 50 participants was finally assigned a type of filter (Celect n= 50 and ALN= 50). Tilt angles at placement and retrieval together with rates of overall filter retrieval, complications, complex retrieval, and clinical follow-up at 12 months were compared. Results: One hundred participants (59 men and 41 women) were included. The mean age was 62.4±13.3 with no significant differences between both groups (p 0.503). The mean of dwelling time was 44.7±93 days. (p 0.520) Filter retrieval was successful in all participants (100%). The main complication in CT prior to removal was inclination > 15º (31%) and filter tip embedment (16%). No significant differences were observed in the type of retrieval (standard or complex) between both filters (p 0.24); however, fluoroscopy time was significantly longer in the complex removal of the Celect filter 29.1±12 min vs 17.5±10.3 (p 0.005). After one year, no recurrent pulmonary embolism was observed in both types of filters. Conclusion: The ALN filter had a significantly lower rate of tip and filter tip embedding with no differences in complexity or removal success rate. There were significant differences in the fluoroscopy time consumed for standard and complex retrievals between both filters with less time in the ALN filter

This work addresses the challenge of EEG visual multiclass classification into 40 classes for Brain-Computer interface applications, by using deep learning architectures. The visual multiclass classification approach offers BCI applications a significant advantage, since it allows the supervision of more than one BCI interaction, considering that each class label supervises a BCI task. However, because of the nonlinearity and nonstationarity of EEG signals, performing multiclassifiers based on EEG features remains a significant challenge for BCI systems. In the present work, mutual information-based discriminant channel selection and Minimum-Norm Estimate algorithms are implemented to select discriminant channels and enhance EEG data. Hence, deep EEGNet and Convolutional-recurrent neural networks are implemented separately to classify EEG data of image visualization into 40 labels. By using the k-fold cross-validation approach, average classification accuracies of 94.8% and 89.8% were obtained by implementing the aforementioned network architectures, respectively. Satisfactory results obtained with this method offer a new implementation opportunity for multi-task BCI applications by utilizing a reduced number of channels (&lt;50%), compared to those presented in the related literature where the whole set of channels is used.

In this paper, we introduce a model for the automatic generation of literary sentences in French. It is based on algorithms that we have previously used to generate sentences in Spanish and Portuguese, and on a new corpus consisting of literary texts in French that we have constructed, called [FR]. Our automatic text generation algorithm combines language models, shallow parsing and deep learning, artificial neural networks. We have also proposed and implemented a manual evaluation protocol to assess the quality of the artificial sentences generated by our algorithm, by testing if they fulfill four simple criteria. We have obtained encouraging results from the evaluators for most of the desired features of our artificially generated sentences.

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

The objective of this research was to study the dynamics of moisture and nutrition at the root zone and to quantify the variables linked to efficient water management in avocado orchards of mid and high-lands of Michoacán, México, in typical Andisols of low fertility with (A)C(w2) and C(w2) climates, respectively. Using the FDR (Frequency Domain Reflectometry) technology, the dynamics of soil moisture and salinity were recorded daily at four depths: 0-15, 15-30, 30-45, and 45-60 cm. The soil moisture balance model was used to determine actual evapotranspiration (ETr), crop coefficient (Kc), and water use efficiency (WUE). Results indicated that ETr is 66-73% of the total water at 0-30 cm depth; the fertilizer absorption is limited to 0-30 cm, being negligible at deeper layers. The water use efficiency is 4.4 to 5.6 kg of fruit m-3 of applied water, and the ratio of the water use index (ETr/irrigation sheet applied, ISA) is 0.65-0.70; while the annual avocado Kc is 0.72 in Cutzato and 0.78 in Tiamba. We concluded that avocado has a low water requirement, it does not cause leaching of nutrients and/or water, the absorption of water and nutrients mostly occurs at 30 cm depth, and from a hydrological point of view, the crop is environmentally friendly.

Rural women constitute one of the most marginalized and vulnerable groups in the world. Despite playing a critical role in sustainable development and food security, they face systemic inequalities and structural constraints that limit their access to resources, services and opportunities. The purpose of this research is to identify advances and setbacks in the formulation of 17 SDG indicators for rural women. Systematic Review Registered in PROSPERO: CRD42023420583. Sixteen articles were included. Three indicators were identified: entrepreneurship, empowerment and gender equality. Due to its relevance in rural areas where women have an active role in family income through cooperatives, associations and companies to improve quality of life and that of their community, however, aspects of discrimination are still evident in gender and inequality in participation in economic spheres and decision making.

Congenital deafness is a major pediatric problem, affecting about 1.5-3 per 1000 newborns. The early treatment through cochlear implantation and auditory rehabilitation has been a historic milestone. Early diagnosis of congenital deafness is an essential requirement to obtain the best results, which is achieved through neonatal screening, a diagnostic practice that we began systematically at the Hospital Clínico in Valencia (Spain) 30 years ago.

Genetic sensorineural hearing loss and Meniere disease have been associated with rare variations in the coding and non-coding region of the human genome. Most of these variants are classified as likely pathogenic or variants of unknown significance and require functional validation in cellular or animal models. Given the difficulties to obtain human samples and the raising concerns about animal experimentation, human induced pluripotent stem cells emerge as cellular models to investigate the interaction of genetic and environmental factors in the pathogenesis of inner ear disorders. The generation of human sensory epithelia and neuron-like cells carrying the variants of interest may facilitate a better understanding of their role during differentiation. These cellular models will allow us to explore new strategies for restoring hearing and vestibular sensory epithelia as well as neurons. This review summarizes the use of human induced pluripotent stem cells in sensorineural hearing loss and Meniere disease and proposes some strategies for its application in clinical practice.

Using first-principles molecular dynamics (FPMD), we performed numerical simulations at 300 K to explore the interaction of a 2D MoS2 surface and a platinum atom, calculating the optical properties of the resulting material. The pristine MoS2 is a semiconductor with a gap of around 1.8 eV. The Pt atom is chemisorbed by the surface with an adsorption energy of −1.718 eV. With the adsorption of the Pt atom, the material remains a semiconductor, and its energy band gap reduces to 1.04 eV. But changes in the material's energy band structure imply substantial changes in its optical properties. The energy band structure of the 2D MoS2 with a sulfur vacancy VS shows that the material becomes a conductor, and there are significant changes in its optical properties. We also found that the Pt atom chemisorbs in a sulfur vacancy of the material, with an adsorption energy of −4.1164 eV. After the adsorption of Pt atoms in the sulfur vacancy, the material becomes a semiconductor with a band gap of 1.06 eV, and the changes in the optical absorption and reflectivity are significant.

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

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

Diffuse optical tomography (DOT) technology enables a differentiation between oxyhemoglobin (HbO) and deoxyhemoglobin (HbR) in the sensory and motor cerebral gyri, resulting in greater sensitivity for cerebral activation compared to functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI). Here, we introduce a novel approach where functional regions of interest (ROIs) are created based on the specific signal behavior observed in DOT measurements, in contrast to the conventional use of structural-ROIs obtained from anatomical information. The generation of cerebral activation maps involves using the general linear model (GLM) to compare the outcomes obtained from both the functional and structural ROI approaches. DOT-derived maps are then compared with maps derived from fMRI datasets considered the gold standard for assessing functional brain activity. The results obtained demonstrate the effectiveness of employing functional ROIs to improve the spatial location of functional activations in the sensory and motor cerebral gyri by leveraging the neural synchronization data provided by DOT. Furthermore, this methodology simplifies data processing in animal models, where anatomical differences compared to the human head can pose challenges. By incorporating functional ROIs prior to GLM application, this study offers enhancements to DOT analysis techniques and broadens its applicability in both human and animal models.

In this paper, we prove some random fixed point theorems for generalized random $\alpha-\psi-$contractive mappings in a Polish space and, as some applications, we show the existence of random solutions of second order random differential equation.

The aim of the present study was to evaluate the association between television viewing/physical activity (TVV/PA) interactions and cardiometabolic risk in an adult European population. A total of 2,155 subjects (25-64 years) (45.2% males), a random population-based sample were evaluated in Brno, Czechia. TVV was classified as low (&lt;2hours/day), moderate (2-4), and high (≥4). PA was classified as insufficient, moderate, and high. To assess the independent association of TVV/PA categories with cardiometabolic variables, multiple linear regression was used. After adjustments, significant associations were: high TVV/insufficient PA with body mass index (BMI) (β=2.61,SE=0.63), waist circumference (WC) (β=7.52,SE=1.58), body fat percent (%BF) (β=6.24,SE=1.02), glucose (β=0.25,SE=0.12), triglycerides (β=0.18,SE=0.05), and HDL-C (β=-0.10,SE=0.04); high TVV/moderate PA with BMI (β=1.98,SE=0.45), WC (β=5.43,SE=1.12), %BF (β =5.15,SE=0.72), triglycerides (β =0.08,SE=0.04), total cholesterol (β=0.21,SE=0.10), LDL-c (β=0.19,SE=0.08), and HDL-c (β=-0.07,SE=0.03); and moderate TVV/insufficient PA with WC (β=2.68,SE=1.25), %BF (β=3.80,SE=0.81), LDL-c (β=0.18,SE=0.09), and HDL-c (β=-0.07,SE=0.03). Independent of PA levels, higher TVV was associated with higher amounts of adipose tissue. Higher blood glucose and triglycerides were present in subjects with high TVV and insufficient PA, but not in those with high PA alone. These results affirm the independent cardiometabolic risk of sedentary routines even in subjects with high-levels of PA.

The presence of heavy metals in cocoa crops is currently a serious problem for farmers and producers in various regions of Peru. Exports of cocoa and its derivatives to European markets are threatened by possible indications of contamination of heavy metals such as Cadmium (Cd) in cocoa beans for export, some at levels higher than those allowed by food regulations established by European Community, which are oriented to consumer protection. The possible sources of cadmium contamination in cocoa crops can be due to natural activities, such as volcanic activities, erosion processes and sedimentation in rocks that contain minerals with a high content of heavy metals (Greenockite, Burnsite, Hawleite, among others), and by anthropogenic activities such as: mining of associated deposits, agriculture (use of fertilizers), smelting of minerals and burning of fossil fuels. Currently, there is no information about contents of heavy metals in areas located in The Campo Verde-Honoria-Tournavista corridor (Ucayali Region and Huanuco Region), due to this, in this work we make a study of this region. A methodology will be used to take cocoa samples from the seed and soil in these areas, and then through chemical analysis, determine the concentrations of heavy metals, using an atomic absorption spectrophotometer. As a consequence of this study, we determined and concluded that the concentrations of cadmium obtained in soils are slightly higher than European standards allowed. Therefore, with this information we prepare a geochemical cadmium map in soils for the study area, which will help cocoa producers to identify areas that exceed the allowed cadmium values, in order to comply with standards that European Community demands in relation of concentration levels of heavy metals (Cadmium) in chocolate. In this way, we can carry out in the future a mitigation plan for areas with cadmium problems, which allows to reduce their content in order to export the product without any problem. .

The aim of the present study was to monitor implant stability after sinus floor elevation with two biomaterials during the first 6 months of healing by a resonance frequency analysis (RFA), and how physico-chemical properties affect the implant stability quotient (ISQ) at the placement and healing sites. Bilateral maxillary sinus augmentation was performed in 10 patients in a split-mouth design using a bobine HA (BBM) as a control and porcine HA (PBM). Six months after sinus lifting, 60 implants were placed in the posterior maxilla. The ISQ was recorded on the day of surgery from RFA at T1 (baseline), T2 (3 months), and T3 (6 months). Statistically significant differences were found in the ISQ values during the evaluation period. The ISQ (baseline) was 63.8±2.97 for BBM and 62.6±2.11 for PBM. The ISQ (T2) was ~ 73.5±4.21 and 67±4.99, respectively. The ISQ (T3) was ~ 74.65±2.93 and 72.9±2.63, respectively. All the used HAs provide osseointegration and statistical increases in the ISQ at baseline, T2 and T3 (follow-up), respectively. The BBM, sintered at high temperature with high crystallinity and low porosity, presented higher stability, which demonstrates that variations in the physico-chemical properties of a bone substitute material clearly influence implant stability.

Electrical Resistance Tomography (ERT) has been used in the literature to monitor the gas-liquid separation. However, the image reconstruction algorithms used in the studies take a considerable amount of time to generate the tomograms, which is far above the time scales of the flow inside the inline separator and, as a consequence, the technique is not fast enough to capture all the rele-vant dynamics of the process, vital for control applications. This article proposes a new strategy based on the physics behind the measurement and simple logics to monitor the separation with a high temporal resolution by minimizing both the amount of data and the calculations required to reconstruct one frame of the flow. To demonstrate its potential, the electronics of an ERT system are used together with a high-speed camera to measure the flow inside an inline swirl separator. For the 16-electrode system used in this study, only 12 measurements are required to reconstruct the whole flow distribution with the proposed algorithm, 10x less than the minimum number of measurements of ERT (120). In terms of computational effort, the technique was shown to be 1000x faster than solving the inverse problem non-iteratively via the Gauss-Newton approach, one of the computationally cheapest techniques available. Therefore, this novel algorithm has the potential to achieve measurement speeds in the order of 104 times the ERT speed in the context of inline swirl separation, pointing to flow measurements at around 10kHz while keeping the aver-age estimation error below 6 mm in the worst case scenario.

Celiac disease (CD) is a genetically conditioned autoimmune process that appears in susceptible people. It can affect people of any age, and slightly predominates in females. It has a fairly homogenous global distribution, with an average prevalence of 1-2%, the frequency having increased in recent decades. The only effective treatment is a strict and permanent gluten-free diet (GFD), although the level of compliance with it is poor, at about 50% of cases. To monitor the effectiveness of the GFD, several procedures involving various approaches are employed: a) periodic interviews by nutritionists; b) clinical follow-up; c) serological controls of specific antibodies; d) endoscopies with collection of duodenal biopsies; e) structured questionnaires; f) determination of gluten peptides derived from gluten in feces and/or urine. All of these procedures are useful when applied, alone or in combination, depending on the cases. Some patients will only need to consult to their doctors, while others will require a multidisciplinary approach to assess their compliance with the GFD. In children, normalization of duodenal mucosa was achieved in 95% of cases within 2 years, while it is more delayed in adults, whose mucosa take longer to heal completely.

The genus Aeromonas is widely distributed in aquatic environments. It is frequent as a fish pathogen, but has also been described associated to human infections. Most human cases are caused by A. caviae, A. veronii biovar sobria, and A. hydrophila, though A. dhakensis is becoming increasingly important. Transmission happens primarily by ingestion or contact with aquatic collections, or by consumption of contaminated food, especially of aquatic origin. Increasing resistance has been described in Aeromonas to penicillins, including their combinations with classical b-lactamase inhibitors, cephalosporins and carbapenems. Among the b-lactam antibiotics, only the 4th generation cephalosporins remain almost uniformly active. In addition, the simultaneous presence of resistance genes to 3rd generation cephalosporins and carbapenems in the same isolates is increasing. Recently, the presence of mobile genes linked to colistin resistance has also been described, in some cases with resistance percentages higher than 30%. Most likely, this evolution of colistin resistance is linked to its use in aquaculture, and, together with the evolution of b-lactam resistance, may be turning this genus into a reservoir of resistance genes that may affect other species much more frequently linked to human infections, such as Enterobacterales.

In this research article we solve the problem of synchronization and anti-synchronization of chaotic systems described by discrete and time-delayed variable fractional order differential equations. To guarantee the synchronization and anti-synchronization of these systems, we use the well-known PID control theory and the Lyapunov-Krasovskii stability theory for discrete systems of variable fractional order.We illustrate the results obtained through simulation with examples, in which it can be seen that our results are satisfactory, thus achieving synchronization and anti-synchronization of chaotic systems of variable fractional order with discrete time delay.

This paper presents the results of aerodynamical performance research focused on maintaining the thermal comfort and increasing the energy efficiency of a typical social housing unit located in a high-density urban area. Bioclimatic design strategies are used to develop a sustainable and economic technology in existing housing clusters in Mexico City. A full-scale prototype, built on campus facilities, was used to study the flow conditions around the design. All scaled prototypes implement similar criterion. Furthermore, a scaled prototype is evaluated within a low speed wind tunnel installation. Additionally, numerical simulations were performed at transient state based on previous physical measurements and historical local climatic conditions to determine preferable modifications.

In traditional databases, the entity resolution problem (which is also known as deduplication), refers to the task of mapping multiple manifestations of virtual objects to its corresponding real-world entity. When addressing this problem, in both theory and practice, it is widely assumed that such sets of virtual object appear as the result of clerical errors, transliterations, missing or updated attributes, abbreviations, and so forth. In this paper, we address this problem under the assumption that this situation is caused by malicious actors operating in domains in which they do not wish to be identified, such as hacker forums and markets in which the participants are motivated to remain semi-anonymous (though they wish to keep their true identities secret, they find it useful for customers to identify their products and services). We are therefore in the presence of a different, even more challenging problem that we refer to as adversarial deduplication. In this paper, we study this problem via examples that arise from real-world data on malicious hacker forums and markets arising from collaborations with a cyber threat intelligence company focusing on understanding this kind of behavior. We argue that it is very difficult---if not impossible---to find ground truth data on which to build solutions to this problem, and develop a set of preliminary experiments based on training machine learning classifiers that leverage text analysis to detect potential cases of duplicate entities. Our results are encouraging as a first step towards building tools that human analysts can use to enhance their capabilities towards fighting cyber threats.

In the same manner that there are several statements of the second law of thermodynamics but all of them are equivalent, it is possible that most of the entropic methods applied to the nervous system and brain in particular share a similar outcome, or essence, that helps understand some aspects of the fundamentals of basic neurodynamics. In this short review focused on certain aspects of the entropic metrics some results are examined that indicate the fundamental importance of the natural tendency towards a maximal energy distribution for healthy brain activity and thus cognition to emerge.

“De-[Constructing] Growth” is offered as a deeper and more useful conceptualization that avoids the negative connotations of, and resistance to, “degrowth” by decoupling profit from unsustainable consumption, production, and inequality.

Manual material handling tasks in industry cause work-related musculoskeletal disorders. Exoskeletons are being introduced to reduce the risk of musculoskeletal injuries. This study investigated the effect of using a passive lumbar exoskeleton in terms of moderate ergonomic risk. Eight participants were monitored by electromyogram (EMG) and motion capture (MoCap) while performing tasks with and without the lumbar exoskeleton. The results showed a significant reduction in the root mean square (VRMS) for all muscles tracked: erector spinae (8%), semitendinosus (14%), gluteus (5%), and quadriceps (10.2%). The classic fatigue parameters showed a significant reduction in the case of the semitendinosus: 1.7% zero-crossing rate, 0.9% mean frequency, and 1.12% median frequency. In addition, the logarithm of the normalized Dimitrov’s index showed reductions of 11.5, 8, and 14% in erector spinae, semitendinosus, and gluteus, respectively. The calculation of range of motion in the relevant joints demonstrated significant differences, but in almost all cases, the differences were smaller than 10. The findings of the study indicate that the passive exoskeleton reduces muscle activity and introduces a minor change of strategies for motion. Thus, EMG and MoCap appear to be appropriate measurements for designing an exoskeleton assessment procedure.

The COVID-19 pandemic has left no one indifferent: all around the globe, people have felt the massive impact of a virus that has stopped the world in its tracks. Many countries have been forced to impose strict lockdowns, causing devastating damage to the overall economy and welfare state, but also leaving an unprecedented emotional footprint on almost everyone. In this paper, we aim to quantify, by building our own method how, this pandemic has affected people emotionally by detecting the shifts in the emotional profile of representative users in selected countries. Our method processes the social media stream adapting the Pleasure-Arousal-Dominance (PAD) approach to measure emotional states on the Russell Circumplex plane, allowing for not only an overall emotional shift quantification but also a detailed analysis at mood level. By focusing on certain emotions and searching behavior, we establish a relationship between the pandemic and the emotional response. Although the method can be applied to any location with a significant and varied amount of geo-localized social media streams, the scope of this paper covers the most representative cities in Europe.

Background: Objectives were to determine the real-life effectiveness and safety of DT with dolutegravir (50 mg/QD) plus lamivudine (300 mg/QD) in multiple-tablet regimen (MTR) in naïve PLHIV followed up for 48 weeks and to evaluate the compliance and satisfaction of patients. Material and methods: Open, single-arm, multicenter, non-randomized clinical trial from May 2019 through September 2020 with 48-week follow-up. Results: The study included 88 PLHIV (91% male) with mean age of 35.9 years; 76.1% were MSM. Mean baseline CD4 was 516.4 cells/uL, with viral load (VL) of 104,828 cop/mL, and 11.4% were in AIDS stage. DT started within 7 days of first specialist consultation in all patients and the same day in 84.1%; 3.4% had baseline resistance mutations (K103N, V106I+E138A, and V108I); 12.5% were lost to follow-up. At week 48, 86.3% had VL< 50 cop/uL by intention-to-treat analysis and 98.7% by per-protocol (PP) analysis. Virological failure (VF) was recorded in 1.1%, with no resistance mutation. One blip was detected in 5.2%, without VF. Three reported anxiety, dizziness, and cephalgia, respectively, at week 4 and one insomnia at week 24; none reported adverse events at week 48. Mean weight was 4 kg higher at 48 weeks (p=0.0001) and abdominal circumference 3 cm larger at 24 weeks (p=0.022). No forgetfulness occurred in 98.7% of patients. Patient satisfaction was 90/100 at 4, 24, and 48 weeks. Conclusion: Real-world data demonstrate that dolutegravir plus lamivudine in MTR is effective, safe, and satisfactory, moderately increasing weight and abdominal circumference and administrable on a test-and-treat strategy.

Background: To investigate the experiences and perspectives of rural physical therapists in relation to various telehealth strategies in physical therapy; Methods: A qualitative field study was conducted in [n=4,344] remote regions of [n=6] (Mexico). Using telehealth technology, 16 physical therapists from 6 clinics expanded their reach and provided physical therapy care to patients located in nonmetropolitan sites. The outcomes measured were the sociodemographic characteristics, telemedicine modalities employed, and the types of treatments administered. These assessments were conducted pre, post-intervention, and during the follow-up period; Results: This study included 4,344 participants, averaging 44.5 ±20.7 years old. Most visits (80.1%) were initial, while 19.9% were follow-ups, with an average of 12.4 ±4.7 sessions. "Puebla sur" had the highest case frequency (29.3%), followed by "Tlalnepantla" (27.5%), "CAPU" (17.4%), "Tlalpan" (15.5%), and "Guadalajara" and "Guatemala" clinics with lower frequencies (8.8% and 1.5%, respectively); Conclusions: This study highlights the potential of telemedicine to surmount barriers such as limited access to healthcare facilities, physical impediments faced by patients in rural areas, and financial burdens on families. The findings contribute to the optimization of telehealth strategies, specifically tailored to the unique challenges of rehabilitation care in underserved rural communities.

In the coming years, digital applications and services that continue to use the country's native cloud systems will be huge. By 2023, that will exceed 500 million, according to IDC. This corresponds to the sum of all applications developed in the last 40 years. If you are the one you answered, yes! This article is for you!

Smart Grid systems have become popular and necessary for the development of a sustainable power grid. These systems use different technologies to provide optimized services to the users of the network. Regarding computing, these systems optimize electrical services by processing a large amount of data generated. However, privacy and security are essential in this kind of system. With a large amount of data generated, it is necessary to protect the privacy of users, because this data may reveal users’ personal information. Today, blockchain technology has proven to be an efficient architecture for solving privacy and security problems in different scenarios. Over the years, different blockchain platforms have emerged, attempting to solve specific problems in different areas. However, the use of different platforms fragmented the market, which was no different in the smart grid scenario. This work proposes a blockchain architecture that uses sidechains to make the system scalable and adaptable. We used three blockchains to ensure privacy, security, and trust in the system. To universalize the proposed solution, we used the OSGP protocol and smart contracts. The results show that architecture security and privacy are guaranteed, making it feasible for implementation in real systems. Although scalability issues regarding the storage of data generated still exists.

Superscaling in electron scattering from nuclei is re-examined paying special attention to the definition of the averaged single-nucleon responses. The validity of the extrapolation of nucleon responses in the Fermi gas has been examined, which previously lacked a theoretical foundation. To address this issue, we introduce new averaged responses with a momentum distribution smeared around the Fermi surface, allowing for momenta above the Fermi momentum. This approach solves the problem of negativity in the extrapolation away from the scaling region and, at the same time, validates its use in the scaling analysis. This work has important implications for the interpretation of scaling data and contributes to the development of a more complete understanding of the scaling approach.

Next Generation IoT systems will allow sustainable performance in long-term monitoring systems. This sustainability concept is applicable to soundscape description, as it allows monitoring in urban environments. In this work, the implementation of psycho-acoustic annoyance models in a 5G-enabled IoT system is proposed applying two Edge Computing approaches. A modified Zwicker’s model is adopted in this research, introducing a term that takes into account the tonal component of the captured sound. These implementations have been validated in a measurement campaign where several IoT devices have been deployed to evaluate different sound environments of a University Campus. Then, the analysis of the sound quality metrics is done in different location showing that if tonality is present in a noisy environment, it results in greater subjective annoyance. Moreover, the Just Noticeable Difference of these results are derived for the Zwicker’s psycho-acoustic annoyance to establish a limitation for this metric.

The aim of this work was to classify the business incubators in Spain according to the four phases of the startup’s incubation process. Considering that the graduation rate implies greater survival and business success of the incubated companies, they have been identified at each stage of the incubation (spread of entrepreneurship, pre-incubation, advanced incubation, and graduation). The activities that present higher impacts on the success of the incubated companies and the activities carried out by the business incubator that have a greater relevance on the graduation of the companies have concretely been considered. Principal component (PC) cluster analysis has been applied. All the incubation variables were used simultaneously, reducing their number, and grouping them into factors. Finally, the cases were grouped according to these latent variables. Principal components analysis reduced dimensionality to 8 factors with a 74 % of explained variance. Factor 1 was positively related to pre-incubation variables, factor 2 was linked to training and collaboration variables within the entrepreneurship diffusion phase. Factor 3, named activity monitoring and control, was related to phase 3 or basic incubation variables. Cluster analysis facilitates the grouping of business incubators into three clusters: Group 1 (16 % of the total), incubators with strong deficits in incubation phases 1, 2 and 3. They are small sized business incubators, often located in rural areas or cities and low graduation rate. Group 2 (30 %), business incubators with very high graduation rate, and strongly positive values in factors 1 and 2. Factor 3, although positive, it is susceptible to improvement. They are the largest group of business incubators and usually located in industrial and technological parks. Group 3 (54 %) is the majority, with values close to cluster 2 and 3.

The aim of this work was to classify the business incubators in Spain according to the four phases of startups incubation. Taking into account that the graduation rate implies greater survival and business success of the incubated companies, they have been identified at each stage of the incubation (spread of entrepreneurship, pre-incubation, advanced incubation, and graduation). The activities that present higher impacts on the success of the incubated companies and the activities carried out by the incubator that have a greater relevance on the graduation of the companies have concretely been considered. Principal component (PC) cluster analysis have been applied. All the incubation variables were used simultaneously, reducing their number, and grouping them into factors, finally the cases were grouped according to these latent variables. Principal components analysis reduced dimensionality to 8 factors with a 74 % of explained variance. Factor 1 was positively related to pre-incubation variables, factor 2 was linked to training and collaboration variables within the entrepreneurship diffusion phase. Factor 3 called activity monitoring and control and was related to phase 3 or basic incubation variables. Clusters analysis facilitates the grouping of incubators into three clusters: Group 1 (16 % of the total), incubators with strong deficits in incubation phases 1, 2 and 3. They are small Business Incubators, often located in rural areas or cities and low graduation rate. Group 2 (30 %), business incubators with very high graduation rate, and strongly positive values in factor 1 and 2. Factor 3 although positive is susceptible to improvement. They are the largest incubators and usually located in industrial and technological parks. Group 3 (54 %) is the majority, with values close to cluster 2 and 3.

The importance of rare earth elements as the basis in the development of new technologies or the improvement of the used ones, made of a necessity its recovery, besides that from raw materials, from waste materials. In this recovery, Hydrometallurgy and its derivative Solvometallurgy, play a key role due to its operational characteristics, which are emphasized with the use of ionic liquids. The manuscript reviewed the most recent advances (2023 and 2024 years) about the use of ionic liquids in the unit operations (leaching and separation technologies) aimed to the recovery of these valuable and strategic metals. Moreover, a comprehensive review about the use of these chemicals in the development of advanced materials containing some of these rare earth elements is presented.

In polymer-based dental composites, wear is a three-body wear system mainly abrasive, because of the food particles and wear products suspended in the oral cavity, which are transferred to the microcavities of the surface of the replacements. Due to this fact, the incorporation of nanodiamond as reinforcement in these polymer matrix composites, which promotes the creation of a solid lubricant tribofilm surface could be advantageous. When nanodiamond is added in contents of 0.8, 1.6 and 3.2 wt %, an increase in microhardness from 95 up to 420 %, compared to the one of neat BisGMA/TEGDMA, is observed. Additionally, the incorporation of a content of 1.6 wt % is enough to cause a diminution of ~78 % in the friction coefficient and a reduction of the specific wear rate and Archard’s coefficient of ~50 %. Nevertheless, the addition of relatively high contents reduces the effectiveness of photoinitiation and UV-curing, which is related to the scattering and absorption of UV radiation by ND.

Proteins play a pivotal role in supporting athletes by promoting muscle hypertrophy and minimizing protein catabolism during exercise. They stimulate muscle protein synthesis, aiding in the repair of exercise-induced muscle damage and serving as an energy source, particularly for post-exercise glycogen replenishment. In individuals with phenylketonuria (PKU), for whom protein intake is limited to essential phenylalanine (Phe), supplementation with Phe-free amino acids or glycomacropeptides is necessary. Tailored for macronutrient and micronutrient content, these protein substitutes fulfill most protein requirements, but lack Phe, unlike dietary sources of protein. Protein requirements for athletes with PKU exceed general recommendations due to limited availability in supplements and potential catabolism mitigation. Various factors influence tolerated dietary Phe in PKU, including protein substitute quantity, distribution, pharmacological treatment, age, growth rate, pregnancy, catabolic states, and physical activity. While general protein requirements for PKU surpass those of the general population, adherence to supplement regimens is crucial for athletes and patients with PKU. Strategically timed protein substitutes enhance muscle protein synthesis, body composition, and sports performance within safety limits. Individualized intake is essential for optimal outcomes, as proteins have a multifaceted role in optimizing athletic performance and addressing challenges in PKU.

Cyber-physical Systems involve the creation, continuous updating and monitoring of virtual replicas that closely mirror their physical counterparts. These virtual representations are fed by real-time data from sensors, Internet of Things (IoT) devices and other sources, enabling a dynamic and accurate reflection of the state of the physical system. This emphasizes the importance of data synchronization, visualization and interaction within virtual environments as a means to improve decision-making, training, maintenance and overall operational efficiency. This paper presents a novel approach to a cyber-physical system to harness the power of Industry 4.0, Digital Twin technology, Virtual Reality (VR) and 3D SCADA in the context of monitoring and optimizing an olive mill. In conclusion, this paper presents a methodology that leverages digital twins and virtual reality to create an immersive, data-driven simulation and monitoring system for an olive mill. The proposed CPS takes data from the physical environment through the existing sensors and measurement elements in the olive mill, concentrates them and exposes them to the virtual environment through the Open Platform Communication United Architecture (OPC-UA) protocol, thus establishing a bidirectional and real-time communication. Furthermore, in the proposed virtual environment, the digital twin is interfaced with the 3D SCADA system, allowing it to create virtual models of the process. This innovative approach has the potential to revolutionize the olive oil industry by improving operational efficiency, product quality and sustainability, while optimizing maintenance practices.

Maize (Zea mays sp) is one of the most important basic grains in our diets, and requires high levels pf nitrogen and phosphorus for optimum growth. However, phosphorus is problematic due to its high reactivity in the soil matrix, meaning that it is fixed in a very short time and inaccesible to plants. The lupinus genus, and more specifically, Lupinus albus through its root clusters, or proteoid roots, have the ability to solubilize portions of phosphorus when it is found in a limited environment. The objetive of the current study was to evaluate the effect of lupinus montanus under phosphorus stress conditions intercropped with maize, utilizing sandy soils with calcium phosphate bands. Materials and Methods: Work was conducted in growth chambers using rhizotrons, which allowed the authors to observed the growth and root behavior of both species (Lupinus monatnus and maize), The SAS 9.0 program was used for the statistical Analysis and ANOVA and tukey test were perfomed. Results : The phosphorus analysis in the plant tissue indicated that is concentration in maize was slightly higher in intercropping conditions than in monoculture planting. Conclusion: From this, we calculated that lupinus montanus is capable of solubilizing portions of phosphorus making available for other crops.; likewise, we also observed that proteoid structures did not develop, leaving the study open for other wild species.

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

Today's city needs more than ever methodological devices that ensure a specific urbanism, in keeping with the complexity of relationships that occur in the urban space. Networks or systems of diverse nature must be activated to achieve a certain success of the city, even more so in its fragile central fabrics. The study is focused on the historic neighborhoods of the city of Jaén (Spain), which have a high vulnerability index. The aim is to establish a strategy to revitalize their urban and social capital and improve their articulation with the rest of the urban and territorial structure. A methodological proposal for the analysis of vulnerability factors and an urban and cartographic analysis of the public space is addressed through an interweaving of a triple network: environmental, social, and urban. For this purpose, the configuration of this overlapping network of analysis and formulation of criteria is presented, which considers the urban multiplicity and promotes new dynamics for the integrated urban regeneration of the area and for the activation of public and collective urban spaces.

Studies carried out have revealed that every day around three thousand and twelve people lose their lives in the world due to traffic accidents and poor air quality. Large cities, with their millions of inhabitants and vehicles, face many problems relating to vehicular traffic. In 2015 the speed limit was modified on several roads in the city of São Paulo-Brazil. However, in 2017 the speed limits were increased again, but not on all previous routes. This study analyzed the impact of this change on the number of accidents and pollutant concentrations, over a period of ten years, comparing the periods before and after the implementation of the measure, using real data collected and provided by the authorities of the city and the state transit and environmental companies, on more than forty routes and two nearby air quality stations. The results show a clear reduction in the number of accidents without victims on the roads of the city of São Paulo starting in 2010. However, the restrictive measures imposed by government officials may have contributed to the decrease in the number of accidents, but the number of fatalities has not changed much. Air pollution has not improved substantially with speed changes, as new speed increases have been linked to new episodes of congestion. The average number of fatalities due to accidents has been increasing since 2010 and accidents are becoming more serious. The application of a general linear statistical model (GLM) estimated the impact of the speed reduction policy in terms of the number of injuries avoided per month: 43.4 and 14.1 on other roads and on Pinheiros marginal, respectively. The results highlight the need for a constant data collection by the authorities in cities with high vehicle traffic. The important temporal time trend in terms of reduction of injuries but not in terms of fatalities and air quality, shows the need to apply joint public policies, not only speed reduction, but also the use of new technologies and raising drivers’ awareness of the problem.

This paper presents a system for identification of wind features, such as gusts and wind shear. These are of particular interest in the context of energy-efficient navigation of Small Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS). The proposed system generates real-time wind vector estimates and a novel algorithm to generate wind field predictions. Estimations are based on the integration of an off-the-shelf navigation system and airspeed readings in a so-called direct approach. Wind predictions use atmospheric models to characterize the wind field with different statistical analyses. During the prediction stage, the system is able to incorporate, in a big-data approach, wind measurements from previous flights in order to enhance the approximations. Wind estimates are classified and fitted into a Weibull probability density function. A Genetic Algorithm (GA) is utilized to determine the shaping and scale parameters of the distribution, which are employed to determine the most probable wind speed at a certain position. The system uses this information to characterize a wind shear or a discrete gust and also utilizes a Gaussian Process regression to characterize continuous gusts. The knowledge of the wind features is crucial for computing energy-efficient trajectories with low cost and payload. Therefore, the system provides a solution that does not require any additional sensors. The system architecture presents a modular decentralized approach, in which the main parts of the system are separated in modules and the exchange of information is managed by a communication handler to enhance upgradeability and maintainability. Validation is done providing preliminary results of both simulations and Software-In-The-Loop testing. Telemetry data collected from real flights, performed in the Seville Metropolitan Area in Andalusia (Spain), was used for testing. Results show that wind estimation and predictions can be calculated at 1 Hz and a wind map can be updated at 0.4 Hz. Predictions show a convergence time with a 95% confidence interval of approximately 30 s.

Natural products are considered an essential source of chemical compounds with relevant biological activities. Important antibiotics, anti-virals, and anticancer agents within healthcare facilities have been isolated from them. In recent decades, the study of alkaloids and the modulation of the immune response has aroused interest. The survey of SAR alkaloids with immunomodulatory effects is of great importance since structural modifications impact the effectiveness of the immunomodulatory activity, thus promoting the rational design of more effective and specific drugs. This review exhibits the main alkaloids with an immunomodulatory effect and their relationship with SAR studies, particularly in activating leukocytes and secretion of molecules with critical inflammatory activities such as cytokines, chemokines, and nitric oxide. These studies optimize the properties of alkaloids and allow a deeper understanding of the mechanisms of action at a molecular level, which is fundamental for the innovation of immunological therapies.

The Casiquiare River is a natural channel that connects two of the greatest rivers in the world, the Orinoco and the Amazon in the South American Continent. The aim of this paper is to present a review and synthesis of the hydrological and sedimentological knowledge of the Casiquiare River, including the first hydro-sedimentary balance of the Casiquiare fluvial system conducted at the bifurcation and at the mouth on September 9-12, 2000, during the expedition ‘Humboldt-Amazonia 2000’. Bathymetric, flow discharge and physico-chemical measurements were made at the inlet and at the outlet of the Casiquiare Channel. The main conclusions of this study indicate that Casiquiare is taking a significant proportion of flow (20 to 30%) from the Upper Orinoco basin to the Amazon basin. Throughout its 356 km-course, this chameleon channel undergoes significant morphological, hydrological and bio-geochemical variations between the inlet and the outlet, whose most visible witnesses are the increase in its width (3 to 4 times), flow (7 to 9 times) and its change in water color (white to black water), under the influence of tributaries coming from vast forest plains.

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

(1) Objective: This study analyzes the evolution of the body mass index (BMI) throughout the academic year associated with changes in the lifestyle associated with the place where they live during the course and design lifestyle and health strategies to the university community. (2) Methods: 93 first-year nursing students participated in this study. Data were collected throughout the course by administering self-reported questionnaires about eating habits and lifestyles, weight, and height to calculate their BMI and place of residence throughout the course. Data were analyzed using statistical analysis (Mann-Whitney, Chi-square, student's t- test, repeated-measures analysis of variance, and least significant difference tests). (3) Results: We found that the mean BMI increases significantly throughout the course among all students regardless of sex, age, eating habits or where they live during the course. At the beginning course the mean BMI was 22.1 ± 3,642. The mean difference between the beginning of the course and the middle has a value of p value &lt;0. 015 and between the middle of the course and the end a p value &lt;0.009. The group that increased the most is found among students who continue to live in the family nucleus rather than those who live alone or in residence. Students significantly change their eating and health habits, especially those who live alone or in residences.: (4) Conclusions: There is an increase in BMI among students. It is necessary to carry out seminars or talks that can help students understand the importance of good eating practices and healthy habits to maintain their weight and, therefore, their health, in the short, medium, and long term and acquire a good quality of life.

Melatonin (MEL), a ubiquitous indolamine, is a molecule whose regulatory role in plan metabolism has gained interest in the last decades. Likewise, nitric oxide (NO), a gasotransmitter, can also affect plant molecular pathways due to its function as a signalling molecule. Both MEL and NO can interact at multiple levels under abiotic stress, starting by their own biosynthetic pathways and inducing a particular signalling response in plants. This review summarizes the role of these molecules during plant development and fruit ripening, as well as their interactions. Due to the impact of climate change‐related abiotic stresses on agriculture, this review has also focused on their role in mediating abiotic stress tolerance and the mechanisms by which they operate, from upregulation of the whole antioxidant defence system to posttranductional modifications of important molecules. Their interactions and crosstalk with phytohormones and H2S is also discussed. Finally, we introduce NOmela, an emerging and very unknown molecule which seems to have a stronger potential than MEL and NO separately in mediating plant stress response.

Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) usually comes along with metabolic disturbances attributed to androgen excess and obesity, but the contribution of each has not been defined, and the occurrence of metabolic disturbances is frequently not investigated. We evaluated 99 PCOS and 41 non-PCOS women. Clinical biomarkers of glucose-, liver-, and endothelial-related metabolic alterations were measured; participants were categorized into four groups according with obesity (OB) and hyperandrogenemia (HA) statuses: Healthy (no-HA, lean), HA (HA, lean), OB (no-HA, OB), and HAOB (HA, OB). Metabolic disturbances were highly frequent in PCOS women (70%). BMI correlated with all biomarkers, while free testosterone (FT) only with glucose- and hepatic-related indicators. Despite insulin sensitivity and liver enzymes were associated with FT, women with obesity exhibited lower M [coeff = 8.56 – 0.080(FT) –3.71(Ob); p &lt;0.001)] and higher aspartate aminotransferase (coeff = 26.27 + 0.532(FT) + 8.08(Ob); p = 0.015)] than lean at the same level of FT. Women with obesity exhibited greater risk of metabolic disorders than lean, independently of hyperandrogenemia. Clinicians are compelled to search for metabolic alterations in PCOS women; obesity must be handled in all cases, but hyperandrogenemia needs to be managed also in those with glucose- or liver-related disturbances.

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.

Polyurethane (PU) is a polymer widely used by humans whose recycling is highly complex due his chemical structure, being limited to incineration or accumulation in landfills. Biodegradation by enzymes and microorganisms has been studied for decades as an effective method of biological decomposition. In this study, Tenebrio molitor larvae (T. molitor) were fed with polyurethane foams, which gut enzymes and microorganisms were capable of degrading the polymer by 35% in 17 days of treatment, producing a weight loss of 14% in the mealworm. Changes in T. molitor gut bacterial community and diversity were observed, which may be due to colonization of species associated with PU degradation. Physical and structural biodegradation in PU by T. molitor compared to virgin PU, was demonstrated by Fourier Transform InfraRed spectroscopy (FTIR), Thermal Gravimetric Analysis (TGA) and Scanning Electron Microphotography (SEM).

We reelaborate on the basic properties of PT symmetry from a geometrical Perspective. The transfer matrix associated with these systems induces a Möbius transformation in the complex plane. The trace of this matrix classifies the actions into three types that represent rotations, translations, and parallel displacements. We find that a PT invariant system can be pictured as a complex conjugation followed by an inversion in a circle. We elucidate the physical meaning of these geometrical operations and link them with measurable properties of the system.

In oral pathology, the appearance of a large ulcerated lesion may suggest a malignant process that requires an early diagnosis given the uneasiness of the patient and his or her family. Finding lingual carcinoma in children is, however, extremely rare We present the case of a 13-year-old girl who came to the oral medicine clinic, referred by her orthodontist, with a large round lesion on the ventral side of the tongue (15 x 12 mm) that did not heal, after three weeks of evolution and after eliminating the existing traumatic factors (orthodontic appliance in the lower jaw) and treatment with topical gel based on PVP (polyvinyl pyrrolidone), glycyrrhetinic acid and hyaluronic acid (Aloclair PLUS®). The objective of this article is analyse the possible causes and provide a review of the literature of a large ulcerated lesions.