The genus Musa spp. contains commercially important fleshy fruit producing plants including plantains and bananas with a strong potential of providing food security and source of revenue to farmers. Occasionally, plantlets are often not available to fulfill the supply demand of farmers particularly in Caribbean region. Concerns with the quality of vegetative tissues along with the possibility of the transmission of phytopathogens makes availability of plantlets limited to farm-ers. Micropropagation of plantains offers an alternative to producing large number of in-vitro plantlets. However, conventional methods of micropropagation techniques require high produc-tion costs and are labor-intensive. Recently, Temporary Immersion Bioreactor (TIB) has emerged as an alternative to conventional micropropagation methods. Our work utilized SEM (Scanning Electron Microscope), molecular and biochemical tools (qRT-PCR and ICP-OES) to characterize and compare the morphological, elemental composition, and photosynthetic gene expression of plantains cultured on TIB. Additionally, morphological features of growth and propagation rates were analyzed for comparing outputs obtained from temporary immersion bioreactor with conventional micropropagation (CM) techniques. Results showed higher growth and multiplication rates for plantlets cultivated in TIB. Gene expression analysis of selected photosynthetic genes demonstrated high transcript abundance of phosphoenol pyruvate carboxylase (PEPC) in plantain tissues obtained by TIB. Elemental composition analysis showed higher content of iron in plantains grown in TIB suggesting a potential correlation with PEPC expression. These results demonstrate the potential of TIB to be an efficient method to produce healthy in-vitro plantains.

We report the development of in vitro propagation protocols through adventitious shoot induction pathway for a rare and medicinal Scutellaria havanensis. In vitro propagation studies using nodal explants showed MS medium supplemented with 10µM 6-Benzylaminopurine induced highest number of adventitious shoots in a time dependent manner. A ten - day incubation was optimum for shoot bud induction as longer exposures resulted in hyperhydricity of the explants and shoots induced. We also report preliminary evidence of Agrobacterium tumefaciens EHA105 - mediated gene transfer transiently expressing of green fluorescent protein in this species. Transformation studies exhibited amenability of various explant tissues, internode being the most receptive. As the plant has medicinal value, research was carried out to evaluate its potential antioxidant capacity and the efficacy of methanolic leaf extracts in curbing the viability of human colorectal cancer cell line HCT116. Comparative total polyphenol, and flavonoid content measurement of fresh and air dried leaf extract revealed that the fresh leaf extracts contain higher total polyphenol and flavonoid content. The HCT 116 cell viability assessed by colorimetric assay using a 3-(4, 5-dimethyl-thiazol-2-yl)-2, 5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide, showed a steady growth inhibition after 24 hours of incubation. Scanning Electron Microscopy of leaf surface revealed high density of glandular and non-glandular trichomes. This research provides basis for the conservation of this rare plant and future phytochemical screening and clinical research.

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

This preprint is focused in the presence of plastics and microplastics in food. We will discuss how many we eat, and how they arrive to the food, and why. We will treat many other things, such as the waste treatment in Europe and in Spain, with updated data; how much plastic waste is generated; what are microplastics and how they are analyzed, I will tell about the experience we have at the University of Alicante (UA); how they can be removed and we will estimate how many we eat over the course of a year.

A facilitative transport system exists on the blood brain barrier (BBB) that has been tacitly assumed to be a path for glutamate entry to brain. But glutamate is a non-essential amino acid whose brain content is much greater than plasma, and studies in vivo show that glutamate does not enter brain in material quantities except in those small regions with fenestrated capillaries (circumventricular organs). The situation became understandable when luminal (blood facing) and abluminal (brain facing) membranes were isolated and studied separately. Facilitative transport of glutamate and glutamine exist only on the luminal membranes whereas Na+-dependent transport systems for glutamate, glutamine and some other amino acids are present only on the abluminal membrane. The Na+-dependent cotransporters of the abluminal membrane are in a position to actively transport amino acids from the extracellular fluid (ECF) into the endothelial cells of the BBB. These powerful secondary active transporters couple the energy of the Na+-gradient to move glutamate and glutamine into the ECF whereupon glutamate can exit to blood on the luminal facilitative glutamate transporter. Glutamine may also exit brain on a separate facilitative transport system that exists on the luminal membranes or glutamine can be hydrolyzed to glutamate within the BBB thereby releasing ammonia that is freely diffusible. The γ-glutamyl participate cycle participates indirectly by producing oxoproline (pyroglutamate) that stimulates almost all secondary active transporters yet discovered in the abluminal membranes of the BBB.

Research abounds in the literature on kinetic analyses using thermogravimetric (TG) runs. Many of these studies use approximations of integral or derivative forms of the kinetic law and all of them use programmed temperature, not the actual temperature measured by thermocouples close to the sample. In addition, it is common to conduct a single run in order to perform the calculation. Nevertheless, many authors consider that numerical methods should be used to analyse the kinetics of decomposition. In such cases, the actual temperature is used and, generally, several runs are fitted using the same kinetic parameters, giving robustness to the results. In the present work, a numerical integration procedure was discussed and applied to different examples. We focused on materials presenting a single decomposition curve as well as other materials with more complex processes. Different examples were explored, and the methodology was applied to a number of wastes such as coffee husks, polystyrene and polyethylene.

An inclusive curriculum with a socio-cultural approach must include content on sustainability. This study raised the following problem: What is the presence of contents related to sustainability in the curricula of 24 degrees of Pedagogy of the Spanish state.? Through an explicit study, subjects directly related to sustainability were identified and analyzed through the qualitative data analysis program Atlas-ti. The categories of analysis used were those present in the Sustainability Thesaurus [4] to which the professional category was incorporated. The results showed, on the one hand, the low presence in these grades of subjects whose name indicates a direct link with sustainability and, on the other hand, On the other hand, the presence of professional competencies was detected, which were not subsequently specified in the corresponding learning outcomes or in the training content.

Connexin 43 (Cx43) is expressed in kidneys and constitutes a feedforward mechanism leading to inflammation in other tissues where they form hemichannels and gap junction channels. However, the possible functional relationship between these membrane channels and their role in damaged renal cells remains unknown. Here, analyses of ethidium uptake and thiobarbituric acid reactive species revealed that TNF-α plus IL-1β increase Cx43 hemichannel activity and oxidative stress in MES-13 cells, a cell line derived from mesangial cells. The latter also was accompanied by a reduction in gap junctional communication, whereas western blotting analysis showed a progressive increase of phosphorylated MYPT (a substrate of RhoA/ROCK) and Cx43 upon TNF-α/IL-1β treatment. Additionally, inhibition of RhoA/ROCK strongly diminished the TNF-α/IL-1β-induced activation of Cx43 hemichannels and reduction in gap junctional coupling. We propose that activation of Cx43 hemichannels and inhibition of cell coupling during pro-inflammatory conditions could contribute to oxidative stress and damage of mesangial cells via the RhoA/ROCK pathway.

In this study, the physical properties of briquettes produced from two different biomass feedstocks (sawdust and date palm trunk) and different plastic wastes were investigated, without using any external binding agent. The biomass feedstocks were blended with different ratios of two WEEE plastics (halogen-free wire and print circuit boards (PCB)) and automotive shredder residues (ASR). The briquettes production is studied at different waste proportions (10-30%), pressures (22-67 MPa) and temperatures (room-130 ˚C). Physical properties as density and durability rating were measured, usually increasing with temperature. Palm trunk gave better results than sawdust in most cases, due to its moisture content and the extremely fine particles that are easily obtained.

Blockchain decentralized applications (ÐApps) are applications which run on Blockchains nodes. Thus, in order to interact directly with this sort of applications, users need to have a blockchain address, wallet and knowledge about how to make transactions in order to interact with ÐApps. Therefore, the knowledge required to use a ÐApp can easily make users to desist when trying to interact with them. In order to tackle this issue, we propose a software architecture that will be located in the middle of the user and the ÐApp, thus making users initially unaware that they are interacting with a ÐApp. This is achieved by analyzing the relationship between ÐApps and Apps by using UML modelling. Next, based in the previous analysis, we created a middleware for users to interact with a ÐApp in the same manner the do with a traditional web app, i.e. by using usernames, passwords and UI elements instead of addresses, private keys or transactions. Finally, in order to put the developed middleware into practice, we developed a ÐApp that makes use of it. This ÐApp registers the time control of workers from companies by using Blockchain to store the data in a secure and non-modifiable manner.

The addition of flaxseed and amaranth on the physicochemical, functional and microstructural changes of instant-extruded cereals was evaluated. Six different mixtures were made with additions of amaranth (30%–50%) and flaxseed (10% and 15%) using maize grits and minor additives as supplementary ingredients and then extruded in a twin-screw extruder. The extrudates evaluated, had insoluble and soluble fiber contents increased with the proportion of amaranth and flaxseed. The mixture 4 (higher flaxseed content) presented highest soluble fiber percentage (1.9%). Extruded cereals had the lowest viscosity (<99.5 cp) and highest hardness values (5.2 N) whereas the dietary fiber content was highest. Fiber content increase, resulted in a higher water solubility index (WSI) (0.5) and decrease the water absorption index (WAI) (2.5). Amaranth and flaxseed incorporation increased crystallinity, resulting in a larger, and more compact laminar structure. Amaranth and flaxseed addition resulted in extruded cereals with acceptable physicochemical and functional properties.

This paper analyses the application of deep learning techniques for predicting wave overtopping events in port environments using sea state and weather forecasts as inputs. The study was conducted in the outer port of Punta Langosteira, A Coruña, Spain. A video recording infrastructure was installed to monitor overtopping events from 2015 to 2022, identifying 3709 overtopping events. The data collected was merged with actual and predicted data for the sea state and weather conditions during the overtopping events, creating three datasets. We used these datasets to create several machine learning models to predict whether an overtopping event would occur based on sea state and weather conditions. The final models achieved a high accuracy level during the training and testing stages: 0.81, 0.73, and 0.84 average accuracy during training and 0.67, 0.48, and 0.86 average accuracy during testing, respectively. The results of this study have significant implications for port safety and efficiency, as wave overtopping events can cause disruptions and potential damage. Using deep learning techniques for overtopping prediction can help port managers take preventative measures and optimize operations, ultimately improving safety and helping to minimize the economic impact that overtopping events have on the port's activities.

CO₂ geological storage in deep saline aquifers was recently developed at industrial scale mainly in sandstone formations. Experiences on CO₂ injections in carbonates aquifers for permanent trapping are quite limited, mostly from US projects such as AEP Mountaineer, Michigan and Williston Basin. The behavior of fractures in carbonates plays a key role in those reservoirs in which porous matrix permeability is very poor, which drives the CO₂ plume migration through the fracture network where hydromechanics and geochemical effects take place due to injection. Hontomín (Spain) is the actual on-shore injection pilot in Europe (EP Resolution of 14 January 2014), whose reservoir is comprised of fractured carbonates. Existing experiences from field scale tests conducted on site have supported to better understand the behavior of this type of reservoirs for CO₂ geological storage. Innovative CO₂ injection strategies are being carried out in ENOS Project (EU H2020 Programme, http://www.enos-project.eu). First results based on field tests conducted at Hontomín, and the advanced modelling developed so far will be analyzed and discussed in this article, as well as, the description of future works. The evolution of operating parameters such as flow rate, pressure and recovery term during the tests confirm the CO₂ migration through the fractures.

Corynebacterium glutamicum is a Gram-positive bacterium found in soil where the condition changes demand plasticity of the regulatory interactions, which study at the global scale has been challenged by the lack of data integration. Here, we update the manually-curated C. glutamicum transcriptional regulatory network, now including protein-protein interactions having a direct effect on gene transcription. The network model with regulations supported by any experimental evidence increased by 557 interactions regarding the previous (2018) version. 73 interactions supported by directed experiments were also included in a second model. We included 545 sRNA-mediated regulations in a third model with a total of 5164 interactions. We deposited the three network models in Abasy Atlas v2.4. We study the C. glutamicum regulatory structure by comparing it against the networks for more than 40 species, finding it to contrast in several global structural properties. We analyze the system-level components of the networks, finding that the inclusion of the sRNAs regulations changes their proportions, transferring part of the basal machinery to the modular class and increasing the number of modules while decreasing their size. Finally, we use strong networks of three model organisms to provide insights in future directions of the C. glutamicum network characterization.

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 cornerstone of molecular magnetism is a detailed understanding of the relationship between structure and magnetic behaviour, i.e. the development of magneto-structural correlations. Traditionally, the synthetic chemist approaches this challenge by making multiple compounds that share a similar magnetic core but differ in peripheral ligation. Changes in the ligand framework induce changes in the bond angles and distances around the metal ions which are manifested in changes to magnetic susceptibility and magnetisation data. This approach requires the synthesis of series of different ligands and assumes that the chemical/electronic nature of the ligands and their coordination to the metal, the nature and number of counter ions and how they are positioned in the crystal lattice, and the molecular and crystallographic symmetry have no effect on the measured magnetic properties. In short, the assumption is that everything outwith the magnetic core is innocent, which is a huge oversimplification. The ideal scenario would be to have the same complex available in multiple structural conformations, and this is something that can be achieved through the application of external hydrostatic pressure, correlating structural changes observed through high pressure single crystal X-ray crystallography with changes observed in high pressure magnetometry, in tandem with high pressure inelastic neutron scattering (INS), high pressure electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) spectroscopy and high pressure absorption/emission/Raman spectroscopy. In this review, which summarises our work in this area over the last 15 years, we show that the application of pressure to molecule-based magnets can (reversibly): (1) lead to changes in bond angles, distances and Jahn-Teller orientations; (2) break and form bonds; (3) induce polymerisation/depolymerisation; (4) enforce multiple phase transitions; (5) instigate piezochromism; (6) change the magnitude and sign of pairwise exchange interactions and magnetic anisotropy and (7) lead to significant increases in magnetic ordering temperatures.

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.

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 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.

Due to the fact that irrigation networks are water and energy-hungry and that both resources are scarce, many strategies have been developed to reduce this consumption. Otherwise, solar energy sources have become a green alternative with lower energy costs and, as a consequence, lower environmental impacts. In this work, it is proposed a new methodology to select the scheduled program for irrigation which minimizes the number of photovoltaic solar panels to be installed and which better fits energy consumption (calculated for discrete potential combinations; using a programming software to assist) to available energy obtained by panels without any power conditioning unit. So, the irrigation hours available to satisfy the water demands are limited by sunlight, the schedule type of irrigation has to be rigid (rotation predetermined) and the pressure at any node has to be above the minimum pressure required by standards. A real case study has been performed.

Polyvinyl chloride (PVC) electric wires were subjected to dechlorination in subcritical water at three different temperatures in a high-pressure reactor. About 2.09, 73.08 and 95.96 wt. % of chlorine in PVC wires was removed during dechlorination at 200, 250 and 300 °C, respectively. The solid residues were analyzed and characterized by thermogravimetry, at three different heating rates (5, 10 and 20 °C/min) in inert and oxidizing atmosphere. With the purpose of studying the emission of chlorinated pollutants, pyrolysis experiments at 850 °C were also performed in a laboratory scale reactor with the dechlorinated materials, as well as with the original PVC electric wire. Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) formation increased, but chlorobenzenes (ClBz) and chlorophenols (ClPh) formation decreased as the temperature of dechlorination increased; naphthalene was the most abundant PAH and monochlorobenzene and monochlorinated phenols (3-+4-) were the most abundant chlorinated compounds.

Effectively preventing and controlling zoonotic diseases requires a One Health approach that involves collaboration across sectors responsible for human health, animal health (both domestic and wildlife), and the environment, as well as other partners. Here we describe the Generalizable One Health Framework (GOHF), a five-step framework that provides structure for using a One Health approach in zoonotic disease programs being implemented at the local, sub-national, national, regional, or international level. Part of the framework is a toolkit that compiles existing resources and presents them following a stepwise schematic, allowing users to identify relevant resources as they are required. Coupled with recommendations for implementing a One Health approach for zoonotic disease prevention and control in technical domains including laboratory, surveillance, preparedness and response, this framework can mobilize One Health and thereby enhance and guide capacity building to combat zoonotic disease threats at the human-animal-environment interface.

Ocean surface heat fluxes play a significant role in the genesis and evolution of various marine-based atmospheric phenomena, from the synoptic scale down to the microscale. While in-situ measurements from buoys and flux towers will continue to be the standard in regards to surface heat flux estimates, they commonly have significant gaps in temporal and spatial coverage. Previous and current satellite missions have filled these gaps; though they may not observe the fluxes directly, they can measure the variables needed (wind speed, temperature, and humidity) to estimate latent and sensible heat fluxes. However, current remote sensing instruments have their own limitations, such as infrequent coverage, signals attenuated by precipitation, or both. The Cyclone Global Navigation Satellite System (CYGNSS) mission overcomes these limitations over the tropical and subtropical oceans by providing improved coverage in nearly all weather conditions. While CYGNSS (Level 2) primarily estimates surface winds, when coupled with observations or estimates of temperature and humidity from reanalysis data, it can provide estimates of latent and sensible heat fluxes along its orbit. This paper describes the development of the Surface Heat Flux Product for the CYGNSS mission, its current results, and expected improvements and changes in future releases.

A construction for the systems of natural and real numbers is presented in Zermelo-Fraenkel Set Thoery, that allows for simple proofs of the properties of these systems, and practical and mathematical applications. A practical application is discussed, in the form of a Simple and Linear Fast Adder (Patent Pending). Applications to finite group theory and analysis are also presented. A method is illustrated for finding the automorphisms of any finite group $G$, which consists of defining a canonical block form for finite groups. Examples are given, to illustrate the procedure for finding all groups of $n$ elements along with their automorphisms. The canonical block form of the symmetry group $\Delta_4$ is provided along with its automorphisms. The construction of natural numbers is naturally generalized to provide a simple and sound construction of the continuum with order and addition properties, and where a real number is an infinite set of natural numbers. A basic outline of analysis is proposed with a fast derivative algorithm. Under this representation, a countable sequence of real numbers is represented by a single real number. Furthermore, an infinite $\infty\times\infty$ real-valued matrix is represented with a single real number. A real function is represented by a set of real numbers, and a countable sequence of real functions is also represented by a set of real numbers. In general, mathematical objects can be represented using the smallest possible data type and these representations are calculable. In the last section, mathematical objects of all types are well assigned to tree structures in a proposed type hierarchy.

In this work, we report the magnetocaloric effect (MCE) in two systems of non-interactive particles, the first corresponds to the Landau problem case and the second, the case of an electron in a quantum dot subjected to a parabolic confinement potential. In the first scenario, we realize that the effect is totally different from what happens when the degeneration of a single electron confined in a magnetic field is not taken into account. In particular, when the degeneracy of the system is negligible, the magnetocaloric effect cools the system, while in the other case, when the degeneracy is strong, the system heats up. For the second case, we study the competition between the characteristic frequency of the potential trap and the cyclotron frequency to find the optimal region that maximizes the ΔT of the magnetocaloric effect, and due to the strong degeneration of this problem, the results are in coherence with those obtained for the Landau problem. Finally, we consider the case of a transition from a normal MCE to an inverse one and back to normal as a function of temperature. This is due to the competition between the diamagnetic and paramagnetic response when the electron spin in the formulation is included.

In this paper, we present a new parametric class of optimal fourth-order iterative methods to estimate the solutions of nonlinear equations. After the convergence analysis, we study the stability of this class by using the tools of complex discrete dynamics. This allows us to select those elements of the class with lower dependence on initial estimations. We verify by means of numerical tests that the stable members on quadratic polynomials perform better than the unstable ones, when applied to other non-polynomial functions. We also compare the performance of the best elements of the family with known methods, such as the schemes by Newton or Chun, among others, showing robust and stable behaviour.

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.

We study an air-fluidized granular monolayer, composed in this case of plastic spheres, which roll on a metallic grid. The air current is adjusted so that the spheres never loose contact with the grid, so that the dynamics may be regarded as pseudo two-dimensional (or two-dimensional, if the effects of sphere rolling are not taken into account). We find two surprising continuous transitions, both of them displaying two coexisting phases. Moreover, in all cases, we found the coexisting phases display strong energy non-equipartition. In the first transition, at weak fludization, a glassy phase coexists with a disordered fluid-like phase. In the second transition, a hexagonal crystal coexists with the fluid phase. We analyze, for these two-phase systems, the specific diffusive properties of each phase, as well as the velocity correlations. Surprisingly, we find a glass phase at very low packing fraction and for a wide range of granular temperatures. Both phases are characterized also by a strong anti-correlated velocities upon collision. Thus, the dynamics observed for this quasi two-dimensional system unveils phase transitions with peculiar properties, very different from the predicted behavior in well know theories for their equilibrium counterparts.

This article presents a combined route and path planning strategy to guide Skid-Steer Mobile Robots (SSMRs) in scheduled harvest tasks within expansive crop rows with complex terrain conditions. The proposed strategy integrates: i) a global planning algorithm based on the Traveling Salesman Problem under the Capacitated Vehicle Routing approach and Optimization Routing (OR-tools from Google) to prioritize harvesting positions by minimum path length, unexplored harvest points, and vehicle payload capacity, and ii) a local planning strategy using Informed Rapidly-exploring Random Tree (IRRT*) to coordinate scheduled harvesting points while avoiding low-traction terrain obstacles. The global approach generates an ordered queue of harvesting locations, maximizing the crop yield in a workspace map. In the second stage, the IRRT* planner avoids potential obstacles, including farm layout and slippery terrain. The path planning scheme incorporates a traversability model and a motion model of SSMRs to meet kinematic constraints. Experimental results in a generic fruit orchard demonstrated the effectiveness of the proposed strategy. In particular, the IRRT* algorithm outperformed RRT and RRT* with 96.1% and 97.6% smoother paths, respectively. The IRRT* also showed improved navigation efficiency, avoiding obstacles and slippage zones, making it suitable for precision agriculture.

As the novel COVID-19 disease spreads around the world, the most affected population are those who suffer from the most common chronic diseases, such as obesity, hypertension, and type 2 diabetes, which are quite associated with the so-called age-related diseases. On the other hand, since the Spanish influenza outbreak, humanity has not experienced an infectious disease that synergizes so quickly with chronic diseases, making it mortal for those individuals with comorbidities. In this context, COVID-19 is challenging for health systems all around the world due to the high prevalence of chronic diseases. Nowadays, we are facing the beginning of a new era in which health infectious and chronic diseases meet. Therefore, epidemiologic and biomedical researchers must work together to solve further contingencies, and politicians should direct science-centered decisions on public health. In the present paper, we make an urgent call to learn from the COVID-19 lessons in order to mitigate the chronic diseases prevalence and to address the influence of the infectious diseases on the aging process; since we are about to begin the Decade of Healthy Aging.

Mn-promoted bulk iron catalysts with high specific surface area (82-211 m2.g-1) were synthesized by coprecipitation followed by drying under supercritical conditions. The catalysts were tested in the CO2 hydrogenation reaction. The Mn-promoted iron catalysts showed better textural properties than the bare Fe2O3 catalyst, allowing better dispersion of the active phase, easier reduction of iron oxide, better carburization of iron oxides and higher catalytic activity than the bare Fe2O3 catalyst. The best activity results were obtained by catalyst promotion with a very low amount of Mn (Mn/Fe ratio of 0.05). Upon steady-state conditions (T=340 ºC, total pressure of 20 bar and H2/CO2=3), this catalyst showed high CO2 conversion (44.2%) and selectivity to C2-C4 hydrocarbons (68%, olefin to paraffin ratio of 0.54), while the selectivity to C5+ hydrocarbons, CH4 and CO was about 3.2, 38.5 and 5%, respectively. A close correlation was found between catalyst textural properties and CO2 conversion. The most active MnFe-0.05 catalyst shows high stability during 72 h of reaction related to low amount of soft coke formation and catalyst activation through the formation of χ-Fe5C2 phase during the on-stream reaction.

Slope failures pose a substantial threat to mining activity due to their destructive potential and high probability of occurrence on steep slopes close to limit equilibrium conditions, often found both in open pits and in waste and tailing disposal facilities. The development of slope monitoring and modeling programs usually entails the exploitation of in situ and remote sensing data together with the application of numerical modeling, and it plays an important role in the definition of prevention and mitigation measures aimed at minimizing the impact of slope failures in mining areas. Here we present a new methodology combining satellite radar interferometry and 2D finite element modeling for slope stability analysis at a regional scale, applied within slope unit polygons. We studied a former mining area in southeast Spain, and the method proved useful in detecting and characterizing a considerably large number of unstable slopes. Out of 1,959 slope units used for the spatial analysis of the radar interferometry data, 43 were unstable, with varying values of safety factor and landslide size. Out of the 43 active slope units, 21 exhibited line of sight velocities greater than the maximum error obtained through the validation analysis (2.5 cm/year). Eventually, this work discusses the possibility of using the results of the proposed approach to devise a proxy for landslide hazard. The proposed methodology can help to provide non-expert final users with intelligible, clear and easily comparable information to analyze slope instabilities in different settings, not limited to mining areas.

Air quality is a topic of growing relevance on the global agenda. Two key indicators of air quali-ty, nitrogen dioxide (NO2) and carbon monoxide (CO), represent significant hazards to human health and the environment putting the sustainability of natural resources at risk. Therefore, it is imperative to regularly monitor and reduce atmospheric pollutant concentrations to mitigate their harmful consequences. This study presents an analysis of NO2 total and CO emissions in Argentina, utilizing remote sensing data. The research aims to determine the spatiotemporal distribution of NO2 and CO emissions in Argentina from 2019 to 2021. Subsequently, it seeks to establish the influence of land uses and land cover on the emission of NO2 and CO through dif-ferent climatic, anthropic, and natural indicators. The study was carried out in Argentina during the period 2019-2021, where random points were placed for the different land covers with a total of 800 points surveyed. The year with the highest CO concentration (mol/m-2) was 2020. The values were highest for tree covers and herbaceous wetland coverage in the northern part of the country. For total NO2, the highest concentrations were reached during the years 2020 and 2021. Regarding its distribution, throughout the evaluated period, the highest concentrations of total NO2 were found in the built-up and cropland coverages, with the capital of the country and the northern region of the Buenos Aires province being the most affected areas. In addition, the concentration of CO was influenced by climatic variables (atmospheric pressure, wind speed, maximum environment temperature, Palmer index), natural (height, humidity, NDVI), and ur-ban variables (distances to mining extraction, airports, power plants, urban index) for the differ-ent uses and land covers. Finally, the concentrations of total NO2 were influenced by climatic variables (Palmer index and wind speed), natural (height and NDVI), and urban variables (dis-tance to airports, power plants, industries, service stations, and open dumpsites) for the differ-ent uses and land cover. This study contributes to sustainable environmental management, ena-bling the formulation of effective strategies for mitigating emissions and promoting the long-term health and well-being of communities.

Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT) was used to simulate five glacierized river basins that are global in coverage and vary in climate. The river basins included the Narayani (Nepal), Vakhsh (Central Asia), Rhone (Switzerland), Mendoza (Central Andes, Argentina), and Central Dry Andes (Chile) with a total area of 85,000 km2. A modified SWAT snow algorithm was applied in order to consider spatial variation of associated snow melt /accumulation by elevation band across each subbasin. In the previous studies, melt rates varied as a function of elevation resulting from an air temperature gradient while the snow parameters were constant throughout the entire basin. A major improvement of the new snow algorithm is separating the glaciers from seasonal snow based on their characteristics. Two SWAT snow algorithms were evaluated in simulation of monthly runoff from glaciered watershed: 1) the snow parameters are lumped (i.e. constant throughout the entire basin) and 2) the snow parameters are spatially variable based on elevation band-subbasin (i.e. modified snow algorithm). Applying the distributed SWAT snow algorithm improved the model performance in simulation of monthly runoff with snow-glacial regime, so that mean RSR decreased to 0.49 from 0.55 and NSE increased to 0.75 from 0.69. Improvement of model performance was negligible in simulation of monthly runoff from the basins with monsoon runoff regime.

This article focuses on generating an alternative in order to identify traffic officers during driving. This research employed the latest You Only Look Once (YOLO) model, using a six-phase methodology: data collection, data preparation involving resizing and labeling, implementation of various filters to avoid overfitting, model training, prediction evaluation, and result interpretation. The YOLO model was applied across three iterations using a dataset of 1862 images. To enhance training efficiency and detection speed, the graphics processing unit (GPU) acceleration was utilized, further enhancing the experimental process. The results of this study revealed that the YOLOv8x variant produced the most promising results. This proposed model attained a remarkable F1 score of 0.95, bolstered by a confidence score of 0.631, with the potential for an increase to 0.80 in confidence without significantly compromising the F1-score. These findings are poised to make a substantial contribution to the broader research landscape, particularly in advancing the effectiveness of detection models for traffic officers.

Extensive genome structure variation, such as copy number variations (CNVs) and presence/absence variations, is the basis for the remarkable maize genetic diversity; however, the effect of CNVs on maize herbivory defense remains largely underexplored. Here, we report that the naturally occurring duplication of the maize 9-lipoxygenase gene, ZmLOX5, leads to increased resistance of maize to herbivory by fall armyworms (FAW). Previously, we showed that ZmLOX5-derived oxylipins are required for defense against chewing insect herbivores and identified several inbred lines, including Yu796, that contained duplicated CNVs of ZmLOX5, referred to as Yu796-2×LOX5. To test whether introgression of the Yu796-2×LOX5 locus into the herbivore-susceptible B73 background that contains a single ZmLOX5 gene is a feasible approach to increase resistance, we generated a series of near-isogenic lines that contained either 2, 1 or 0 copies of the Yu796-2×LOX5 locus in the B73 background by six back crosses (BC6). Droplet digital PCR (ddPCR) confirmed the successful introgression of the Yu796-2×LOX5 locus in B73. The resulting B73-2×LOX5 inbred line displayed increased resistance against FAW associated with increased expression of ZmLOX5, increased wound-induced production of its primary oxylipin product, the α-ketol, 9-hydroxy-10-oxo-12(Z),15(Z)-octadecadienoic acid (9,10-KODA), and the downstream defense hormones regulated by this molecule, 12-oxo-phytodienoic acid (12-OPDA) and abscisic acid (ABA). Surprisingly, wound-induced JA-Ile production was not increased in B73-2×LOX5, resulting from the increased JA catabolism. Furthermore, B73-2×LOX5 displayed enhanced drought tolerance likely due to increased ABA and 12-OPDA content. Taken together, this study revealed that the duplicated CNV of ZmLOX5 quantitively contributes to maize antiherbivore defense and presents proof-of-concept evidence that the introgression of naturally occurring duplicated CNVs of a defensive gene into the productive, but susceptible, crop varieties is a feasible breeding approach for enhancing plant resistance to herbivory and tolerance to abiotic stress.

Perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA), C7F15COOH, has been widely employed over the past fifty years, causing an environmental problem due to its dispersion and low biodegradability. Furthermore, the high stability of this molecule, conferred by the high strength of the C-F bond makes it very difficult to remove. In this work, electrochemical techniques are applied for PFOA degradation in view to study the influence of the cathode on defluorination. For this purpose, boron doped diamond (BDD), Pt, Zr and stainless steel have been tested as cathodes working with BDD anode at low electrolyte concentration (3.5 mM) to degrade PFOA at 100 mg/L. Among these cathodic materials, Pt improves the defluorination reaction. The electro-degradation of a PFOA molecule starts by a direct exchange of one electron at the anode and then follows a complex mechanism involving reaction with hydroxyl radicals and adsorbed hydrogen on the cathode. It is assumed that Pt acts as an electrocatalyst, enhancing PFOA defluorination by the reduction reaction of perfluorinated carbonyl intermediates on the cathode. The defluorinated intermediates are then more easily oxidized by HO• radicals. Hence, high mineralization (xTOC: 76.1%) and defluorination degrees (xF-: 58.6%) were reached with Pt working at current density j = 7.9 mA/cm2. This BDD-Pt system reaches a higher efficiency in terms of defluorination for a given electrical charge than previous works reported in literature. Influence of the electrolyte composition and initial pH are also explored.

We present the real number system as a natural generalization of the natural numbers. First, we prove the co-finite topology, $Cof(\mathbb N)$, is isomorphic to the natural numbers. Then, we generalize these results to describe the continuum $[0,1]$. Then we prove the power set $2^{\mathbb Z}$ contains a subset isomorphic to the non-negative real numbers, with all its defining structure of operations and order. Finally, we provide two different constructions of the entire real number line. We see that the power set $2^{\mathbb N}$ can be given the defining structure of $\mathbb R$. The constructions here provided give simple rules for calculating addition, multiplication, subtraction, division, powers and rational powers of real numbers, and logarithms. The supremum and infimum are explicitly constructed by means of a well defined algorithm that ends in denumerable steps. In section 5 we give evidence our construction of $\mathbb N$ and $\mathbb R$ are canonical; these constructions are as natural as possible. In the same section, we propose a new axiomatic basis for analysis. In the last section we provide a series of graphic representations and physical models that can be used to represent the real number system. We conclude that the system of real numbers is completely defined by the order structure of $\mathbb N$.}

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

Soil-borne Trichoderma spp. have been extensively studied for their biocontrol activities against pathogens and growth promotion ability with plants. However, the beneficial effect of Trichoderma on inducing resistance against insect herbivores has been considered only recently. Among diverse Trichoderma species, consistent with previous reports, we showed that root colonization by T. virens triggered induced systemic resistance (ISR) to leaf-infecting fungal pathogens. Whether T. virens induces ISR to insect pests has not been tested before. In this study, we investigated whether T. virens affects jasmonic acid (JA) biosynthesis and defense against fall armyworm (FAW) and western corn rootworm (WCR). Unexpectedly, the results showed that T. virens colonization of maize seedlings grown in autoclaved soil suppressed wound-induced production of JA, resulting in reduced resistance to FAW. Similarly, the bacterial endophyte Pseudomonas chlororaphis 30-84 suppressed systemic resistance to FAW due to reduced JA. Further comparative analyses of the systemic effects of these endophytes when applied into sterile or non-sterile field soil showed that both T. virens and P. chlororaphis 30-84 triggered ISR against hemibiotrophic fungal pathogen Colletotrichum graminicola in both soil conditions, but only suppressed resistance to FAW in sterile soil. In contrast to the effect on FAW defense, T. virens colonization of maize roots suppressed WCR larvae survival and weight gain. This is the first report suggesting the potential role of T. virens as a biocontrol agent against WCR.

Signaling modules that integrate the diverse extra- and intracellular inputs to control cell proliferation are essential during both development and adult stages to guarantee organism homeostasis. Mobs are small adaptor proteins that participate in several of these signalling pathways. Here we review recent advances unraveling Mob4 cellular functions, a highly conserved non-catalytic protein, that plays a diversity of roles in cell proliferation, sperm cell differentiation and simultaneously is involved in synapse formation and neural development. In addition, the gene is often overexpressed in a wide range of tumors and is linked to poor clinical outcomes. Nevertheless, Mob4 molecular functions remain poorly defined, although it integrates the core structure of STRIPAK, a kinase/phosphatase protein complex, that can act upstream of the Hippo pathway. In this review we focus on the recent findings of Mob4 functions, that have begun to clarify its critical role on cell proliferation and development of tissues and individuals.

Currently, agro-industrial residues have been used to obtain bioactive compounds. The fermentation process is an alternative for the use of these residues and to be able to accumulate metabolites that may be of interest to different industrial sectors. The aim of this study was to evaluate solid-state fermentation conditions using pineapple waste as substrate with Aspergillus niger spp., to release polyphenolic compounds using a Plackett-Burman exploratory design. Temperature, humidity, inoculum, NaNO3, MgSO4, KCl and KH2PO4 conditions in the fermentation process were evaluated. The results revealed that the Aspergillus niger HT3 strain reached a hydrolyzable tannins accumulation of 10.00 mg/g, while Aspergillus niger Aa20 reached a condensed tannins release of 82.59 mg/g. The KH2PO4 affect the release of condensed tannins with A. niger Aa20 and MgSO4 affect the release of hydrolyzable tannins with A. niger HT3. In addition, a positive antioxidant activity was demonstrated for the DPPH, ABTS and FRAP technique. The HPLC analysis was able to identify compounds in the fermented pineapple peel such as 3-feruloylquinic acid, caffeic acid, lariciresinol and 3-hydroxyphloretin 2'-O-xylosyl-glucoside, among others. The solid-state fermentation process is a biotechnological alternative for the release of bioactive compounds.

The influence of humic aggregates in water solution upon the chemical stability under basic conditions of different substrates has been reviewed. The kinetic behavior of each substrate has been modelized in terms of micellar pseudophase model.

A hallmark of Alzheimer’s disease (AD) are the proteinaceous aggregates formed by the amyloid-beta peptide (Aβ) that is deposited inside the brain as amyloid plaques. The accumulation of aggregated Aβ may initiate or enhance pathologic processes in AD. According to the amyloid hypothesis any agent that has the capability to inhibit Aβ aggregation and/or destroy amyloid plaques represents a potential disease modifying drug. In 2023, a humanized IgG1 monoclonal antibody (lecanemab) against the Aβ soluble protofibrils was approved by US FDA for AD therapy thus providing compelling support to the amyloid hypothesis. To acquire a deeper insight on the in vivo Aβ aggregation, various animal models, including aged herbivores and carnivores, non-human primates, transgenic rodents, fish and worms are widely exploited. This review is based on the recent data obtained using transgenic animal AD models and presents experimental verification of the critical role in Aβ aggregation seeding of the interactions between zinc ions, Aβ with the isomerized Asp7 (isoD7- Aβ) and the α4β2 nicotinic acetylcholine receptor.

We present a very computationally light and fast approximation algorithm and then verify it with genetic algorithm and simulated annealing. We show that our algorithm is on par with GA and SA in terms of output produced while having a tightly bounded time complexity. Our algorithm works best when there is a strong positive correlation between the reliability of a component and its cost. We present two algorithms with the same essence. One of them is system cost bounded and the other is target reliability bounded. Our proposed algorithm works on a subsystem level redundancy instead of component level redundancy.

Edible insects can diversify diets, improve livelihoods, contribute to food and nutrition security, and have a smaller ecological impact. European Union has categorized insects as novel food, and recently, in 2021 and 2022, two species: Tenebrio molitor and Acheta domesticus have been authorized for commercialization. Acceptance and perception of food risk derived from insect consumption vary depending on factors impacting insect consumption acceptability, including neophobic tendencies, gender differences, familiarity, and gastronomic perceptions. The aim of this work was to evaluate the perception and acceptance of edible insects by exploring those factors. The study was carried out on higher education students from Universities from Valencia (Spain). Students recognize insects for their high nutritional value, particularly protein content, and have varying knowledge levels about specific nutritional components. In terms of labeling and marketing, removing health and sustainability benefits from packaging can improve consumer responses. Most respondents prefer clear labeling of insect derivatives, quality certification seals, and complete information about insect content. Students consider marketing and knowledge as significant influencers of insect consumption. In summary, the text highlights the multifaceted nature of insect consumption acceptability. These insights offer valuable perspectives on insect consumption dynamics.

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

The main purpose of the study was to study the effects of a specific rowing ergometer training program on the athletic performance of young adolescents (n=56; 11.73 ± 1.4 years old) com-pared to a workout based on general strength training. Eight-week training program was im-plemented, with four sessions per week and two-hours per session. Sample was divided in two groups: a control group (CG) that performed circuit training with exercises aimed at building general strength and an experimental group (EG) who focused on specifically training on a rowing ergometer (rowing machine). The data obtained in a rowing meter test over the compe-tition distance were analyzed to obtain the average power attained (W) at the beginning of the training, at the middle (4 weeks), at the end of the training (8 weeks) and one year after the ex-perimentation. The results show that, although both forms of training improve the average W obtained in both categories, the EG subjects (+29.94W) obtained better averages in all phases of the study compared to the CG (+5.88W). Furthermore, this increase was greater in male rowers (+ 34.06W) than in female rowers (+24.54W). These results reveal that a specific rower rowing ergometer training program has a significant effect than a general strength program and these effects can even be observed a year after the intervention.

Urban planning is recognized as an interaction between the state and society, which aims to articulate public policies in the territory, facilitating their administration in favor of greater development and well-being of society. However, this interaction becomes complex because consumption demands increase, and the needs of the community exceed the capacity of the urban ecosystem to supply them, hindering its sustainable functionality. With this panorama, it becomes relevant to study urban planning from a sustainable environmental planning perspective, based on four topics: urban planning, sustainability, resilience and smart cities. The methodology used is based on a bibliometric study through a PRISMA adjustment to 87 articles, supported by VOSviewer® to construct and visualize the co-occurrence networks of important terms extracted from a body of scientific literature. The main result is to consider cities with a complex systems approach that works like a gear, that is, there is a connective element between inter- and intra-urban processes. This relationship is the key factor that allows understanding their synchronization, stating that the deepening of each of these topics is crucial to the ideal of a territorial administration through time scales, by means of adaptive cycles, allowing to provide new tools to concepts such as carrying capacity and the measurement of the environmental footprint.

The aims of this study are to measure the technical efficiency (TE) of Cambodian household’s rice production and trying to determine its main influencing factors using the stochastic frontier production function. The study utilized primary data collected from 301 rice farmers in three selected districts of Battambang by structured questionnaires. The empirical results indicated the level of household rice output varied according to differences in the efficiency of production processes. The mean TE is 0.34 which means that famers produce 34% of rice at best practice at the current level of production inputs and technology, indicates that rice output has the potential of being increased further by 66% at the same level of inputs if farmers had been technically efficient. Furthermore, between 2013-2015 TE of household’s rice production recorded -14.3% decline rate due to highly affected of drought during dry season of 2015. Moreover, evidence reveals that land, fertilizer, and pesticide are the major influencing input factors of household’s rice production, while disaster, education of household head, family size and other crops’ cultivated area are core influencing factors decreasing TE. Conversely, the main influencing factors increasing TE are irrigated area, number of plot area and sex of household head.

The aims of this study are to measure the technical efficiency (TE) of Cambodian household’s rice production and trying to determine its main influencing factors using the stochastic frontier production function. The study utilized primary data collected from 301 rice farmers in three selected districts of Battambang by structured questionnaires. The empirical results indicated the level of household rice output varied according to differences in the efficiency of the production processes. The mean TE is 0.34 which means that famers produce 34% of rice at best practice at the current level of production inputs and technology, indicates that rice output has the potential of being increased further by 66% at the same level of inputs if farmers had been technically efficient. Furthermore, between 2013-2015, TE of household’s rice production recorded -14.3% decline rate due to highly affected of drought during dry season of 2015. Moreover, evidence reveals that land, fertilizer, and pesticide are the major influencing input factors of household’s rice production, while disaster, education of household head, family size and other crops’ cultivated area are core influencing factors decreasing TE. Conversely, the main influencing factors increasing TE are irrigated area, number of plot area and sex of household head.

The present study aims to measure the technical efficiency and establish core factors effecting rice production in Cambodia. Four-years dataset generated from the central government document “Profile on Economics and Social” of entire 25 provinces between 2012-2015 and the stochastic production frontier model (SFA) was applied. The results indicated that the level of output (quantity) of Cambodian rice production varied according to the different level of capital investment in agricultural machineries, total rice actual harvested area, and technically fertilizers application within provinces. Furthermore, evidence revealed the overall mean efficiency of rice production is 78.4% implies that there is still room to further improve technical efficiency by given the same level of inputs and technology. More importantly, the findings revealed that irrigation, production technique and amount of agricultural supporting staffs are being as the most important influencing factors of rice production’s technical efficiency in Cambodia. In conclusion, present study strongly recommends the development of irrigation systems and good water management practices to be considered and bring into more effective actions by the central government as well as related agencies for improving rice production in Cambodia in addition to capital investment and improving technical skills of supporting staffs and rural farmers.

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.

Cotton is the most ubiquitous and profitable fiber with diverse industrial and domestic applications. Grown in over 100 countries, it has a global market value of about $40 billion and employs over 350 million people from fields to textile mills, contributing about 7% of total labor-force recruitment in developing economies. Cotton has an indeterminate growth habit and an extensive tap root system affected by soil physicochemical and environmental conditions. There is a consensus among experts that conventional cotton cultivation still has a long way to attain sustainability, which is essential if cotton will maintain its competitive edge over other natural and synthetic fibers like hemp, polyesters, and rayon. Despite several efforts already committed to growing cotton sustainably, sustainability has eluded cotton cultivation globally because of the intense farm inputs (freshwater, pesticides, and heavy-duty equipment) needs, especially in developing economies. Some of the technological advancements towards achieving the goal of sustainable cotton cultivation include the development of new varieties, improved irrigation and mulching and precision agriculture techniques, application of remote sensing and Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS) combined with image processing, and the introduction of autonomous and multi-purpose robotic platforms for growing and harvesting cotton. This review attempts to evaluate the successes already achieved by stakeholders in moving cotton towards sustainable production and identify areas where efforts are still needed to reach sustainable production and improved profitability goals for cotton with projections for future research directions.

Industry 4.0 is in continuous technological growth that benefits all sectors of industry and society in general. This article reviews the concept of Digital Twin (DT) and the interest of its application in photovoltaic installations. A comparison is made on how other authors use the DT approach in photovoltaic installations to improve the efficiency of the renewable energy generated and consumed, the energy prediction and the reduction of the operation and maintenance costs of the photovoltaic installation. It is reviewed how, by providing real-time data and analysis, DTs enable more informed decisions in the solar energy sector. The objectives of the review are to study the digital twin technology and to analyze its application and implementation in photovoltaic systems.

Molecular dynamics(MD) simulations are playing an increasingly important role in structure-based drug discovery (SBDD). Here we review the use of MD for proteins in aqueous solvation, organic/aqueous mixed solvents (MDmix) and with small ligands, to the classic SBDD problems: binding mode and binding free energy predictions. The simulation of proteins in their condensed state reveals the solvent structure and preferential interaction sites (hot spots) on the protein surface. This information is largely transferable across all classes of protein ligands (from water to drugs) and can be used very effectively to understand ligand recognition and improve the predictive capability of well-established methods such as molecular docking. MD simulations for protein and drug or drug-like compounds are now being used but are still computationally expensive and can only be applied to specific cases. On the other hand, MDmix simulations can now be used in SBDD and we will describe the latest developments and implementations. We expect to see an increase in the application of these techniques to a plethora of protein targets to identify new drug candidates with the advent of new tools and faster computers.

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 the present work, a predictive modelling and optimization with the adaptive network based fuzzy inference system(ANFIS) modelling of mechanical properties of laser-coated NB/SiC/Ni welds was studied based on Taguchi design by laser cladding. An ANFIS model based on a Sugeno type fuzzy inference system was developed for predicting the hardness properties of SiC/BN/Ni welds by laser cladding with experimental data required for network training and prediction. Based on analysis of variance, three important factors were taken as inputs for the fuzzy logic inferences, while the hardness properties was taken as the output of the ANFIS. The microstructure of welds were analysed using scanning electron microscopy with an energy dispersive X-Ray spectrometer. Highly developed leaf-like dendrites and eutectic crystals were found in some areas of the melting zone for the BN/SiC/Ni weld, which was significantly hardened. The ANFIS model based on Taguchi's design provides a better pattern of response because the predicted and experimental values were highly similar. As a result, a satisfactory result was achieved between the predicted and experimental values of hardness in laser-coated NB/SiC/Ni welds, whereby the success and validity of the method was verified.

Keywords: olfactory rehabilitation; chronic pain; fMRI;

A pathway frequently altered in cancer is glutaminolysis where glutaminase (GA) catalyses the main step: the deamidation of glutamine to form glutamate and ammonium. There are two types of GA isozymes, named GLS and GLS2, which differ considerably in their expression patterns and can even perform opposing roles in cancer. GLS correlates with tumor growth and proliferation, while GLS2 may function as a context-dependent tumor suppressor. However, both isoenzymes have been described as essential molecules handling oxidant stress because of their involvement in glutathione production. We have reviewed the literature to highlight the critical roles of GLS and GLS2 to restrain ROS and regulate both cellular signaling and metabolic stress due to their function as indirect antioxidant enzymes and also by modulating both reductive carboxylation and ferroptosis. Blocking GA activity appears to be a potential strategy to dual activate ferroptosis and inhibit cancer cell growth in a ROS-mediated mechanism.

This research delves into a detailed exploration of the thermal decomposition behavior of bio-based polymers, specifically Thermoplastic Starch (TPS) and Poly(lactic acid) (PLA). The study focuses on the impact of three different heating rates under a nitrogen atmosphere, providing comprehensive insights into the thermal stability of these eco-friendly polymers. In particular, the TPS kinetic model is examined, encompassing the decomposition of three distinct fractions. In contrast, PLA exhibits a simplified kinetic behavior requiring only a fraction described by a zero-order model. The kinetic study involves a systematic investigation into the individual contributions of key components within TPS, including starch, glycerin, and polyvinyl alcohol (PVA). This nuanced analysis contributes to a comprehensive understanding of the thermal degradation process of TPS and PLA, enabling the optimization of processing conditions and the prediction of material behavior across varying thermal environments. Furthermore, the incorporation of different starch sources and calcium carbonate additives in TPS enhances our understanding of the polymer's thermal stability, offering insights into potential applications in diverse industries.

Arterial hypertension is a health problem that affects millions of people around the world. Particularly in Chile, according to the last health survey in 2019, 28.7% of the population had this condition, and arterial hypertension complications cause one in three deaths per year. In this work, we have used molecular simulation tools to evaluate new compounds designed in silico by our group as possible anti-hypertensive agents, taking Neutral Endopeptidase (NEP) as a target, a key enzyme in the arterial hypertension regulation at the level kidney. We use docking experiments, molecular dynamics simulation, free energy decomposition calculations (by MM-PBSA method), and ligand efficiency analysis to identify the best anti-hypertensive agent pharmacokinetic and toxicological predictions (ADME-Tox). The energetic components that contribute to the complexes stability are the electrostatic and Van der Waals components; however, when the ADME-Tox properties were analyzed, we conclude that the best anti-hypertensive candidate agents are Lig783 and Lig3444, taking Neutra Endopeptidase as a target.

Urolithins (e.g., UroA and B) are gut microbiota-derived metabolites of the natural polyphenol ellagic acid. Urolithins are associated with various health benefits, including attenuation of inflammatory signaling, anti-cancer effects and repression of lipid accumulation. The molecular mechanisms underlying the beneficial effects of urolithins remain unclear. We hypothesize that some of the human health benefits of urolithins are mediated through the aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AHR). Utilizing a cell-based reporter system, we tested urolithins for the capacity to modulate AHR activity. Cytochrome P450 1A1 (CYP1A1) mRNA levels were assessed by real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction. Competitive ligand binding assays were performed to determine whether UroA is a direct ligand for the AHR. Subcellular AHR protein levels were examined utilizing immunoblotting analysis. AHR expression was repressed in Caco-2 cells by siRNA transfection to investigate AHR-dependency. UroA and B were able to antagonize 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD)-induced AHR-mediated transcriptional activity. Furthermore, UroA and B attenuated TCCD-mediated stimulation of CYP1A1 mRNA levels. In addition, competitive ligand binding assays characterized UroA as a direct AHR ligand. Consistent with other AHR antagonists, UroA failed to induce AHR retention in the nucleus. AHR is necessary for UroA-mediated attenuation of cytokine-induced interleukin 6 (IL6) and prostaglandin-endoperoxide synthase 2 (PTGS2) expression in Caco-2 cells. Here we identified UroA as the first dietary-derived human selective AHR antagonist produced by the gut microbiota through multi-step metabolism. Furthermore, previously reported anti-inflammatory activity of UroA may at least in part be mediated through AHR.

Revealing the spatial distribution mechanism of the coupling effect between soil water and salt is essential for managing saline-alkali farmland. This study utilized the multifractal method to analyze soil water and salt under varying water content levels in arid saline-alkali farmland. Soil samples were collected on the second (S1), fifth (S2), eighth (S3), eleventh (S4), and fourteenth (S5) days after a rainfall event. The findings showed that a significant decrease in soil water content, contrasting with an increase in soil salt content throughout the soil layers post-rainfall. As water content decreased, the spatial variability of soil water initially increased from S1-3 and then decreased, while the spatial variability of soil salt decreased. The spatial distribution between soil water and salt exhibited a high correlation at S3-4 (with relative water content of soil ranging from 0.52 to 0.75) due to their coupling effect. However, soil salt was unevenly leached by rainfall at high water content levels (S1-2) and precipitated at low water content levels (S5), resulting in low spatial variability correlations between soil water and salt. This study elucidated the coupling process of soil water and salt, identifying their spatiotemporal distribution mechanism in dryland agricultural areas.

Large datasets play a crucial role in the progression of surgical robotics, facilitating advancements in the fields of surgical task recognition and automation. Moreover, public datasets enable the comparative analysis of various algorithms and methodologies, thereby assessing their effectiveness and performance. The ROSMA (Robotics Surgical Maneuvers) dataset provides 206 trials of common surgical training tasks performed with the da Vinci Research Kit (dVRK). In this work, we extend ROSMA dataset with two annotated subsets: ROSMAT24, which contains bounding box annotations for instrument detection, and ROSMAG40, which contains high and low level gesture annotations. We propose an annotation method that provides independent labels for the right-handed tool and the left-handed tool. For instrument identification, we validate our proposal with a YOLOv4 model in two experimental scenarios. We demonstrate the generalization capabilities of the network to detect instruments in unseen scenarios. For gesture segmentation, we propose two label categories: high-level annotations that describe gestures at a maneuvers level, and low-level annotations that describe gestures at a fine-grain level. To validate this proposal, we have designed a recurrent neural network based on a bidirectional long-short term memory layer. We present results for four cross-validation experimental setups, reaching up to a 77.35% mAP.

Recent studies have demonstrated an important role for vitamin C in the epigenetic regulation of cancer-related genes via DNA demethylation by the ten-eleven translocation (TET) methylcytosine dioxygenase enzymes. DNA methyltransferase (DNMT) reverses this, increasing DNA methylation and decreasing gene expression. Dual oxidase (DUOX) enzymes produce hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) in normal pancreatic tissue but are silenced in pancreatic cancer (PDAC). Treatment of PDAC with pharmacologic ascorbate (P-AscH-, intravenous, high dose vitamin C) increases DUOX expression. We hypothesized that inhibiting DNMT may act synergistically with P-AscH- to further increase DUOX expression and cytotoxicity of PDAC. PDAC cells demonstrated dose-dependent increases in DUOX mRNA and protein expression when treated with DNMT inhibitors. PDAC cells treated with P-AscH- + DNMT inhibitors demonstrated increased DUOX expression, increased intracellular oxidation, and increased cytotoxicity in vitro and in vivo compared to either treatment alone. These findings suggest a potential therapeutic, epigenetic mechanism to treat PDAC.

We provide an axiomatic base for the set of natural numbers, that has been proposed as a canonical construction, and use this definition of $\mathbb N$ to find several results on finite group theory. Every finite group $G$, is well represented with a natural number $N_G$; if $N_G=N_H$ then $H,G$ are in the same isomorphism class. We have a linear order, on the quotient space of isomorphism classes of finite groups, that is well behaved with respect to cardinality. If $H,G$ are two finite groups such that $|H|=m<n=|G|$, then $H<\mathbb Z_n\leq G\leq\mathbb Z_{p_1}^{n_1}\oplus\mathbb Z_{p_2}^{n_2}\oplus\cdots\oplus\mathbb Z_{p_k}^{n_k}$ where $n=p_1^{n_1}p_2^{n_2}\cdots p_{k}^{n_k}$ is the prime factorization of $n$. We find a canonical order for the objects of $G$ and define equivalent objects of $G$, thus finding the automorphisms of $G$. The Cayley table of $G$ takes canonical block form, and we are provided with a minimal set of independent equations that define the group. We show how to find all groups of order $n$, and order them. We give examples using all groups with order smaller than $10$, and we find the canonical block form of the symmetry group $\Delta_4$. In the next section, we extend our results to the infinite case, which defines a real number as an infinite set of natural numbers. A real function is a set of real numbers, and a sequence of real functions $f_1,f_2,\ldots$ is well represented by a set of real numbers, as well. In general, we represent mathematical objects using the smallest possible data-type. In the last section, mathematical objects are well assigned to tree structures. We conclude with brief comments on type theory and future work on computational aspects of these representations.

More than 20 years after the discovery of the first anelloviruses (AVs), they still remain a mysterious group of viruses. To date, there is no clear understanding of their impact on the host organism, although information is emerging about their participation in various pathologies. However, it is well known that AVs are an important component of the human virome. In the current study we assessed the abundance of AVs in viromes from four nasal and pharyngeal samples from children with respiratory symptoms using a metagenomic approach. It is worth noting that three patients had known respiratory viruses and one did not have any. Regarding AVs, they were detected in all samples, namely Torque teno mini virus (TTMV). The greatest abundance and diversity of AVs (Torque teno virus (TTV), TTMV and Torque teno midi virus (TTMDV)) were shown in a diseased patient with an absence of respiratory viruses, which may indicate the potential involvement of AVs in the maintenance of respiratory symptoms. An activated immune system to combat the main pathogens, against the background of which the number of AVs decreases, is discussed as a possible reason for the reduced diversity of anellome in other patients. We also compared the results of the metagenomic approach and qPCR for major respiratory viruses, which were in agreement. In addition, metagenomic sequencing made it possible to obtain additional data on viral genomes in order to establish their taxonomic identification and characterize individual viral profiles in patients from the Siberian part of Russia.

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.

Worldwide, approximately 15 million people per year suffer from stroke. With about 5 million deaths, stroke is the second most common cause of death and a major cause of long-term disability. It is estimated that about 25% of people older than 85 years will develop stroke. Cannabis sativa and derived cannabinoids are used for recreational and medical purposes for many centuries. However, due to past legal status, research faced restrictions and cannabis use was stigmatized for potential negative impacts on health. With the legalization of cannabis in many countries of the world, cannabis and cannabis-derived substances such as cannabinoids and terpenes have gained more interest in medical research. Several medical effects of cannabis have been scientifically proven and potential risks were identified. In the context of stroke, the role of cannabis is controversial. Negative impact of cannabis use on stroke has been reported through anecdotal case reports and some population-based studies. However, potential beneficial effects of specific cannabinoids are described in animal studies under certain conditions. In this review, the existing body of evidence regarding the negative and positive impacts of cannabis use prior to stroke will be critically appraised.

Electrospun ultrathin fibers based on binary compositions of polylactide (PLA) and poly(ε-caprolactone) (PCL) with different ratios of polymer components from 0/100 to 100/0 wt. % were studied. Using a combination of thermal (DSC) and relaxation (EPR) measurements, the effect of biopolymers content on the characteristics of the crystal structure of PLA and PCL and the diffusive rotational mobility of the stable TEMPO radical in the amorphous regions of PLA/PCL compositions was shown. It was revealed that after PLA and PCL blending, significant changes in the degree of crystallinity of PLA, PCL segmental mobility, sorption capacity of the radical as well as activation energy of rotational diffusion in the amorphous regions of PLA/PCL composition are observed. The characteristic region of biopolymers’ composition from 50/50 to 30/70 % PLA/PCL blends ratio was found, where the inversion transition of PLA from dispersive medium to dispersive phase where an inversion transition is assumed when the continuous medium of the PLA transforms into a discrete phase. The performed studies made it possible for the first time to carry out a comprehensive analysis of the effect of the system component ratio on the structural and dynamic characteristics of the PLA/PCL film material at the molecular level.

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

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).

Wireless Mesh Networks (WMN) are a solution with a reasonable cost/benefit ratio when provid-ing broadband internet access. The concept is being used not only in IEEE networks but also in other wireless networks such as cellular networks (4G/5G) and Low Power Wide Area Network (LPWAN). IEEE 802.11s is the facto standard and is well known for working with WMN. The standard defines Hybrid Wireless Mesh Protocol (HWMP) as a layer 2 routing protocol. The met-ric proposed by the protocol is Air Time Link (ALM), and the IEEE 802.11 standard proposes an equation for its calculation. This work proposes a new methodology for the calculation of ALM which has been developed in the following way: through several scripts, which simulate various WMN scenarios in NS-3, collect information in several databases, and then take the data to RStu-dio, where different statistical tests are developed, such as linear models (LM), generalized linear models (GLM), and other statistical tests for both the original and new model proposals. The result is a new methodology for the calculation of metrics, using statistical techniques in the selection and validation of model regressors, presenting an a priori tool to improve the per-formance of the WMS's.

From June 18 to 19, 2013, the Ésera river in the Pyrenees, Northern Spain, caused widespread damage due to flooding as a result of torrential rains and sustained snowmelt. We estimate the contribution of snow melt to total discharge applying a snow energy balance to the catchment. Precipitation is derived from sparse local measurements and the WRF-ARW model over three nested domains, down to a grid cell size of 2 km. Temperature profiles, precipitation and precipitation gradient are well simulated, although with a possible displacement regarding the observations. Snowpack melting was correctly reproduced and verified in three instrumented sites, and according to satellite images. We found that the hydrological simulations agree well with measured discharge. Snowmelt represented 33% of total runoff during the main flood event and 23% at peak flow. The snow energy balance model indicates that most of the energy for snow melt during the day of maximum precipitation came from turbulent fluxes. This approach forecast correctly peak flow and discharge during normal conditions at least 24h in advance and could give an early warning of the extreme event 2.5 days before.

More than one million curable sexually transmitted infections occur every day. Trichomonas vaginalis is one of the main responsible for these epidemiological data, however, the diagnosis of this protozoan is still mainly based on microscopic and culture identification. The commerciali-zation of immunological tests and the development of molecular techniques have improved the sensitivity of classical methods. Nevertheless, the fact that trichomoniasis is a neglected parasitic infection, hinders the development of novel techniques and their implementation in routine di-agnosis. This review article shows the different methods developed to identify T. vaginalis in population and the difficulties to diagnose male and asymptomatic patients. The importance of including this parasite in routine gynecological screening, especially in pregnant women, and the importance of considering T. vaginalis as an indicator of high-risk sexual behavior is also discussed.

Social media has become the most influential battleground for political and societal debate. The reach, the speed, and the fact that everybody can participate make this medium very popular but also highly manipulative, subject to biases and extremely precious to control. Misinformation spreads in an unforeseeable way. Sometimes it just follows usual non-malicious social interaction patterns, but often a targeted and designed-for-purpose manner. In this paper, we propose a novel method to identify the most effective opportunities to moderate the social media debate at a large scale using the properties of social signed graphs, such as structural balance. After building the topic universe for a particular political debate in a given time frame, we extract the most active and influential users and mine their position regarding the topic based on their interactions with other users. The result is a signed graph where each edge represents either support or challenge between a pair of users in the context of the topic. This graph can be modelled as an Ising model, with the goal of minimizing its energy state by using the advantages of Adiabatic Quantum Computing. Applying this principle, we use a Quantum Annealing implementation to solve the problem of finding the edges violating the structural balance of this graph, which in classic computing is known to be an NP-hard problem. We then provide a non-intrusive moderation technique for those violations to mitigate or increase the structural imbalance, depending on the desired strategy. The methodology is shown in the context of the COVID-19 skeptics’ debate in Twitter and implemented using a D-Wave 2000Q-6 quantum annealer.

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

Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) have emerged as a promising treatment for inflammatory diseases. It is described that the immunomodulatory effect of MSCs takes place both by direct cell-to-cell contact and by means of soluble factors that leads to an increased accumulation of regulatory immune cells at the sites of inflammation. Similar efficacy of MSCs has been described regardless the route of administration used, the inflammation conditions and the MHC context. These observations arise the question as to whether the migration of the MSCs to the inflamed tissues is a pre-requisite to achieve their beneficial effect. To address this, we examined the biodistribution and the efficacy of intraperitoneal luciferase-expressing human expanded adipose derived stem cells (Luci-eASCs) in a mouse model of colitis. Luci-eASC-infused mice were stratified according to their response to the Luci-eASC treatment. According to the stratification criteria, there was a tendency to increase the bioluminescence signal in the intestine at the expense of a decrease in the bioluminescence signal in the liver in the `responder´ mice. These data thus suggest that the accumulation of the eASCs to the inflamed tissues is beneficial to achieve an optimal modulation of inflammation.

Keywords: Academic Trends; Energy Consumption; Higher Education Institutions; Systematic Literature Review; Scholarly output; University buildings

The ability of S. aureus to infect humans and cause a wide range of infections so efficiently is a consequence of the many variant virulence factors that it can produce. Superantigens (SAgs) make up a group of them and include staphylococcal enterotoxins (SE). The main objective of this study was to detect enterotoxin gene cluster (EGC) in S. aureus isolates that caused infections in Paraguayan children in the year 2017, through an observational and cross-sectional study. The detection of the EGC including the seg, sei, sem, sen, seo, and seu genes, was carried out by end-point PCR. 181 S. aureus isolates were collected, most of them caused skin and soft tissue infections (SSTI, n=140, 77%) and came from children under 6 years 50% (n=90). At least one SE gene was detected in 96% (174/181) of isolates and 24% (44/181) carried the entire EGC. An association between methicillin resistance and seg, sei, seo, and seu gene carriage (p ≤0.05) was observed. A high prevalence of EGC was detected in S. aureus isolates collected from infected children attending the main health care centers in Paraguay, its importance is due to the potential of these toxins to aggravate staphylococcal infections.

“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.

Recurrent pregnancy loss (RPL) affects around 2 % of women of reproductive age. Primary RPL is defined by ≥2 pregnancy losses and no normal birth delivery. In secondary RPL, the losses are after a normal pregnancy and delivery. Most cases have no clear aetiology, although primary cases are the most complex. Several gene polymorphisms have been associated with RPL. Some polymorphisms are increased in women of Asian or Caucasian race. In admixed RPL populations, the information on possible genetic links is scarce and contradictory. The study aimed to assess the frequency of two SNP in different enzymes involved in medical conditions observed during pregnancy. Microsomal epoxy hydrolase (mEPH) is involved in detoxifying xenobiotics. It is present in ovaries, and it is hormonally regulated. The endothelial nitric oxide synthase forms nitric oxide from arginine and is involved in vascular tone. Two SNPs, rs1051740 and rs1799983, were assessed. The study included 26 controls and 63 primary RPL patients. Significant differences were observed in the frequencies of both SNP (p<0.05). The frequency of mutated alleles was higher in patients. Double mutated homozygotes were encountered only in RLP patients (p<0.05). Genetic polymorphisms rs1051740 and rs1799983 may be involved in primary RPL in the Venezuelan admix population. Genetic studies could provide crucial information on the aetiology of primary RPL.

This paper deals with the analysis of the cognitive functions of the cerebral cortex or cortex in the evolutionary context. The triune brain model is presented given its notorious popularity in fields that are not strictly neuroscientific, and its limitations and inaccuracies are also shown. Although it is an outdated theory, this one represented the passage to a new era, because it really was the model of the movement towards understanding the brain in evolutionary terms. Next, the paper illustrates the different areas of the cortex and their functions, as well as the evolution of the brain and the cortex in vertebrates. To date, the expansion of the cortex with the amniotes was placed 300 million years ago, although recent studies place it in the lampreys more than 500 million years ago. Evolutionary changes in mammalian brain and cortex size are discussed, showing the evolution from three to six cell layers and trends in different groups of mammals. Finally, the most recent contributions in the field of research are illustrated, such as the role of neurogenesis and the evolution of the connectivity of the cortex.

This study analyzes the academic performance of students from an official school in Bogotá (Colombia) who had asymmetric access to Information and Communication Technologies during the first year of the Covid-19 pandemic. The Classical Linear Regression Model is employed using data from a survey of a representative group of students in the year 2020. Results show technological gaps between students that are associated with asymmetric academic performance against students with limited or null access to the Internet and electronic devices. Results also show that, among students with permanent access to the Internet, women have better scores compared to men’s scores, which implies that women can achieve better academic results than men in virtual education. It is also noted that the sole access to an electronic device does not guarantee good academic achievements if there is no full access to the Internet, and if ICT-use skills have not been developed.

The social- and self-directed behaviours of two golden lion tamarins (Leontopithecus rosalia) was investigated while having residence in the tropical house of Aalborg Zoo, Denmark. The behaviour of the female had been distinct from the male since 2018. Despite several diagnostic examinations and medicinal treatments, the cause of the aberrant and apparently stereotypical behavioural patterns remained undetermined, which initiated this study. The pair were recorded throughout a predetermined observation period and these recordings were analysed to illuminate the behaviours of the individuals. The results showed that there were differences in the type, frequency, and durations of both social- and self-directed behaviours between the sick female and the healthy male. The female expressed both social- and self-directed behaviours more frequently and for longer durations, while the male were more socially reserved and did not engage in social behaviours as frequently. Furthermore, subsequent necropsy of the female revealed uro-genital disease.

Brushless Synchronous Machines (BSM) are replacing conventional synchronous machines with static excitation in generation facilities due to the absence of sparking and lower maintenance. However, this excitation system makes challenging measuring electric parameters in the rotor. This fact highly difficult the detection of ground faults, which are the most common type of electrical fault in electric machines. In this paper, a ground fault detection method for BSM is proposed. It is based on an inductive AC/DC rotating current sensor installed in the shaft. In case of a ground fault in the rotating parts of the BSM, a fault current will flow through the rotor’s sensor, inducing voltage in its stator. Analyzing the frequency components of the induced voltage the detection of a ground fault in the rotating elements is possible. The ground faults detection method proposed covers the whole rotor and discern between DC and AC sides. To corroborate the detection method, experimental tests have been performed using a prototype of this sensor connected to laboratory synchronous machines achieving satisfactory results.

Subglottal Impedance-Based Inverse Filtering (IBIF) allows for the continuous, non-invasive estimation of glottal airflow from a surface accelerometer placed over the anterior neck skin below the larynx, which has been shown to be advantageous for the ambulatory monitoring of vocal function. However, during long-term ambulatory recordings over several days, conditions may drift from the laboratory environment where the IBIF parameters were initially estimated due to sensor positioning, skin attachment, and temperature, among other factors. Observation uncertainties and model mismatch may result in significant deviations in the glottal airflow estimates, but are very difficult to quantify in ambulatory conditions due to a lack of a reference signal. To address this issue, we propose a Kalman filter implementation of the IBIF filter, which allows for both estimating the model uncertainty and adapting the airflow estimates to correct for signal deviations. One-way ANOVA results from laboratory experiments using the Rainbow Passage indicate a an improvement on amplitude-based measures for PVH subjects compared to IBIF which shows a statistically difference with respect to the reference oral airflow (p=0.02,F=4.1). MFDR from PVH subjects is slightly different to the oral airflow when compared to IBIF (p=0.04, F=3.3). Other measures did not have significant differences with either Kalman or IBIF, with the exception of H1H2, whose performance deteriorates for both methods. Overall, both methods show similar flottal airflow measures, with the advantage of Kalman by improving amplitude estimation. Moreover, Kalman filter deviations from the IBIF output airflow might suggest a better representation of some fine details in the ground-truth glottal airflow signal. Other applications may take more advantage from the adaptation offered by the Kalman filter implementation.

In this study, we investigated water transparency estimation models in the hypertrophic lagoon of the Albufera of Valencia using Sentinel-2 images. Water transparency, a crucial environmental indicator, was assessed via Secchi disk depth (ZSD) measurements. Three optical models (R490/R560, R490/R705, R560/R705) were explored to establish a robust algorithm for ZSD estimation. Through extensive field sampling and laboratory analyses, weekly data spanning 2018 to 2023 were collected, including water transparency, temperature, conductivity, and chlorophyll-a concentration. Remote sensing imagery from the Sentinel-2 mission was employed, and images were processed using SNAP software. The R560/R705 model, calibrated for turbid lakes, emerged as the most suitable. The algorithm's calibration was validated with high correlation coefficients (R2) in both calibration (0.6149) and validation (0.916) phases, demonstrating the model's accuracy in estimating ZSD. This new algorithm significantly outperformed a previous approach, highlighting the importance of tailoring algorithms to specific water body characteristics. The study contributes to improved water quality assessment and resource management, underscoring the value of remote sensing in environmental research.

In this work, the conceptions of the electrodynamics of action-at-a-distance and of electromagnetic fields are reviewed and confronted, with the aim of clarifying whether it is possible to propose a Weberian theory of action-at-a-distance, which together with a renewed mechanics (both re-specting the existence of a limiting velocity c) could constitute a framework capable of yielding predictions equivalent to those of the conventional Maxwell-Lorentz and SRT framework. In this work, it is shown that, considering basic assumptions about the interaction process, understanding it as an action exchange process, it is possible to derive the expression of the electrodynamic Phipps’ potential energy between two interacting charges. It is also shown that, with the same assumptions and the additional hypothesis that the interaction is supported by a mediating agent (aether or field) which is perturbed by the transmission of action, this perturbation obeys the wave equation (one of the main drawbacks of Weberian electrodynamics). Another aim of the work is to confront the relational electrodynamic formulations (supported by Galilean transformations that assume a universal time) with the Maxwell-Lorentz formulation of electromagnetism (linked to Lorentz transformations that entail local times), in order to elucidate whether the space-time to which the SRT leads us is a mere mathematical artifice or an inescapable reality.

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.

Background: The practice of self-medication is common worldwide and is an important component of medical self-care. However, the practice can be dangerous and is linked to various risks for the patients and the entire community. This study aimed to estimate the prevalence and factors associated with self-medication among Bangladeshi adults. Methods: A cross-sectional survey was conducted between April and June 2021 among Bangladeshi adults (aged &gt;19 years) using convenient sampling. A total of 1320 data were collected through face-to-face interviews using a standardized questionnaire. Multivariable logistic regression analysis was used to identify factors associated with self-medication practice (SMP). Results: Overall, 41% of adults in our survey reported SMP. The most common illnesses that prompted SMP were common cold/flu (66.4%), gastric problems (65%), and headache (64.4%). The most frequent reasons for SMP were to get better services (30.59%), perceive SMP without side effects (23.28%), and save time with effectiveness (14.56%). Potential risk factors included 10 years (AOR = 1.91; 95% CI: 1.04 - 3.50) and &gt;12 years of schooling (AOR = 5.03; 95% CI: 2.27 - 11.15), being a businessman (AOR = 4.64; 95% CI: 1.74 - 12.37), having ≤6 family members (AOR = 2.13; 95% CI: 1.40 - 3.24), being a member of a social group (AOR = 1.53; 95% CI: 1.10 - 2.12), a health status check after every six months (AOR = 1.52; 95% CI: 1.08 - 2.13), and current ill-health (AOR = 1.41; 95% CI: 1.06 - 1.87). Protective factors identified included ≤30 years of age (AOR = 0.40; 95% CI: 0.17 - 0.93), and practice of modern (AOR = 0.39; 95% CI: 0.22- 0.69) and herbal (AOR = 0.45; 95% CI: 0.21- 0.97) healing types. Conclusion: More than one-third of the study participants reported practicing self-medication. Increasing the community’s awareness of the extreme consequences of SMP and not just the average experience might sway individuals away from SMP, and implementing strict jurisdiction could be a way to minimize the SMP.

The paper presents a method to assess the effect of electrolyte additives on the energy capacity of Pb-acid batteries. The method applies to any chemically unreactive additive, including suspensions and gels. The approach is thermodynamically based and it leads to the definition of a region of admissible concentrations –the battery’s admissible range– where the battery can undergo an indefinite number of charge/discharge cycles without suffering permanent damage. An experimental procedure to determine this range is presented. The obtained results provide a way to assess the potential of electrolyte additives to improve the energy capacity of Pb-acid batteries. The same results also provide a means to determine the additive concentration that produces the maximum energy capacity increase of the battery. The paper closes with an example of application of the proposed approach to a practical case.

The anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury is the most serious injury in judo. Therefore, its prevention is of great importance. The main mechanism of injury is the collapse of the knee in valgus, which usually occurs when there are deficits of strength and neuromuscular control of the core, external rotators and hip abductors, as well as limitations of ankle and hip mobility. In most sports there is a difference in the prevalence of this injury between both sexes, being more common in women. Therefore, in the present study we observed this possible intersexual disparity in the difference of movement patterns among elite judokas according to their sex, in order to identify those athletes with a higher risk of ACL injury. In addition, it was not observed differences between sexes in the performance of the Single Leg Squat test (SLS test); There was worse neuromuscular control of the non-dominant leg in men and women; No differences were observed in in the range of motion of ankle dorsiflexion and hip external rotation between men and women, but there were differences in internal rotation, a movement whose restriction may be related to an increased risk of ACL injury.

Biodiversity has become an issue of global anxiety over the past decades due to its rapid decline worldwide. Bangladesh as one of the most densely populated countries in the world is no more exception. The country, although, was once very rich in biodiversity, during the last few decades as a consequence of the rapid reduction in forest area, urbanisation, habitat modification, unsustainable natural resources use and collection and overall climate change it has decreased alarmingly. Of late, the government, as a signatory of various regional and international conservation treaties, has taken various initiatives to improve country’s dwindling biodiversity. This paper reviews the present situation of biodiversity in Bangladesh, management trends and major causes of biodiversity loss. A separate statutory body is fundamental to ensure conservation, sustainable use and equitable sharing of benefits arisen from biodiversity in the country.

To improve efficacy and safety of sunscreen emulsions, UV‐filter skin permeation could be kept as low as possible by reducing UV‐filter content or changing emulsion composition. In this work, different lipid phase ratio (12, 14 and 16% w/w) were assessed for their ability to affect the technological and sensory properties of O/W emulsions in which bemotrizinol (BMTZ), a broad spectrum sunscreen agent, was incorporated free or loaded into nanostructured lipid nanocarriers (NLC) to reduce its release from the vehicle and, hence, its skin permeation. The following technological properties were evaluated in vitro by suitable methodologies: spreadability, viscosity, pH, occlusion factor, BMTZ release, sun protection factor (SPF). Sensory attributes were assessed by trained panelists in three different phases: before/during pick‐up, rub‐in, after application. Raising the lipid phase ratio led to an increase of viscosity and to a corresponding drop of spreadability while the incorporation of BMTZ‐loaded NLC determined a decrease of occlusion factor and an increase of SPF. No BMTZ release was observed from all emulsions. Sensory attributes were mainly affected by lipid phase ratio. These results suggest that lipid phase ratio and BMTZ incorporation into NLC could contribute to determine technological and sensory properties of O/W emulsions.

Precise monitoring of individual crop growth and health status is crucial for precision agriculture practices. However, traditional manual inspection methods are time-consuming, labor-intensive, and often lack the spatial resolution required for detailed analysis. This research addresses the need for efficient and high-resolution crop monitoring by leveraging Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) imagery and advanced computational techniques. The primary objective was to develop a methodology for precise identification, extraction, and monitoring of individual corn crops throughout their growth cycle. This was achieved by integrating UAV-derived data with image processing, computational geometry, and machine learning techniques. UAV imagery was ac-quired bi-weekly at altitudes of 40m and 70m, capturing the entire growth cycle of a corn crop from planting to harvest. A time-series Canopy Height Model (CHM) was generated by analyzing the differences between the Digital Terrain Model (DTM) and the Digital Surface Model (DSM) derived from the UAV data. Local spatial analysis and image processing techniques were em-ployed to determine the local maximum height of each crop. Subsequently, a Voronoi data model was developed to delineate individual crop canopies, successfully identifying 13,000 out of 13,050 corn crops in the study area. For enhanced accuracy in canopy size delineation, vegetation indices were incorporated into the Voronoi model segmentation, refining the initial canopy area esti-mates by eliminating interference from soil and shadows. The proposed methodology enables precise estimation and monitoring of crop canopy size, height, biomass reduction, lodging, and stunted growth over time, providing valuable insights for precision agriculture practices. This work contributes to the scientific community by demonstrating the potential of integrating UAV technology, computational geometry, and machine learning for accurate and efficient crop mon-itoring at the individual plant level.

Background: Variations in several clopidogrel-pharmacogenes have been linked to clopidogrel response variability and clinical outcomes. We aimed to determine the frequency distribution of major polymorphisms on CYP2C19, PON1, ABCB1 and P2RY12 pharmacogenes in Puerto Ricans. Methods: This was a cross-sectional, population-based study of 200 unrelated “Guthrie” cards specimens from newborns registered in the Puerto Rican Newborn Screening program (PRNSP) between 2004 and 2014. Taqman® SNP assay techniques were used for genotyping. Results: Minor Allele Frequencies (MAF) were 46% for PON1 (rs662), 41% for ABCB1 (rs1045642), 14% for CYP2C19*17, 13% for CYP2C19*2, 12% for P2RY12-H2 and 0.3% for CYP2C19*4. No carriers of the CYP2C19*3 variants were detected. All alleles and genotype proportions were found to be in Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium (HWE). Overall, there were no significant differences between MAFs of these variants in Puerto Ricans and the general population (n=453) of the 1,000 Genome project, except for the Yoruba in Ibadan from Nigeria (YRI, West-African ancestry; p<0.05). As expected, the prevalence of these markers in Puerto Ricans most resembled those in the 181 subjects from reference populations of the Americas. Conclusions: These prevalence data provide a necessary groundwork for future clinical studies of clopidogrel pharmacogenetics in Caribbean Hispanics.

Vascular pathogens are the causal agents of main diseases threatening the health and growth of olive crops worldwide. The use of endophytic microorganisms represents a challenging and promising strategy for management of vascular diseases in olive. Although current research has been focused on analyzing the structure and diversity of the endophytic microbial communities inhabiting the olive xylem, the characterization of this ecological niche has been overlooked and to date remain unexplored, despite that the characterization of the xylem sap composition is essential to unravel the nutritional requirements of xylem-limited microorganisms. In this study, branches from plantlets and adult olive trees of cultivars ‘Picual’ and ‘Arbequina' were selected to characterize the chemical composition of olive xylem sap extracted using a Scholander pressure chamber. Metabolome and ionome analyses of xylem sap were performed by proton nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy-based and by inductively coupled plasma with optical emission spectroscopy (ICP-OES), respectively. Olive xylem sap metabolites included a higher relative percentage of sugars (54.35%), followed by alcohols (28.85%), amino acids (8.01%), organic acids (7.68%) and osmolytes (1.12%). Within each of these groups, the main metabolites in the olive xylem sap were mannitol, ethanol, glutamine, acetate and trigonelline, whereas K and Cl- were the main element and inorganic anion, respectively. Metabolomic profile varied when comparing olive plant age and genotype. The levels of glucose, fructose, sucrose and mannitol, choline, B and PO43 were significantly higher in adult trees than in plantlets for both olive genotypes, whereas NO3- and Rb content showed the opposite behavior. On the other hand, levels of aspartate, phenylalanine and Na were significantly higher in ‘Picual’ than in ‘Arbequina’ whereas Fe showed the opposite behavior but only for adult trees. Non-supervised hierarchical clustering analysis separated xylem sap composition firstly according to the plant age and then by the olive cultivar. Supervised PLS-DA analysis revealed that B, ethanol, Fe, Fructose, glucose, mannitol, sucrose and Sr were the most significative compounds discriminating adult trees from plantlets, whereas asparagine, aspartate, glutamate and phenylalanine or aspartate, arginine, ethanol and Sr were the most contributory compounds in the discrimination of both olive genotypes for adult trees or plantlets, respectively. Knowledge of the chemical composition of xylem sap will lead to a better understanding of the complex nutritional requirements of olive xylem-inhabiting microorganisms, including its vascular pathogens, and would allow the design of artificial growing media to improve culturing the olive microbiome.

Seaports are well known as the medium that has evolved into the central link between sea and land for complex marine activities. The growth in maritime logistics especially necessitates a large volume of energy supply to maintain the operation of sea trade, resulting in an imbalance between the generation and demand sides. Future projections for three major concerns show an increase in load demand, cost of operation, and environmental issues. In order to overcome these problems, integrating microgrids as an innovative technology in the seaport power system appears to be a vital strategy. It is believed that microgrids enhance the seaport operation by providing sustainable, environmentally friendly, and cost-effective energy. Despite the fact that microgrids are well established and widely used in a variety of operations on land, their incorporation into the seaport is still limited. The involvement of a variety of heavy loads such as all-electric ships, cranes, cold ironing, and buildings infrastructure makes it a complicated arrangement task in several aspects, which necessitate further research and leave space for improvement. In this paper, an overview of the seaport microgrids in terms of their concepts, requirements, and operation management is presented. It provides the perspectives of integrating the microgrid concept into a seaport from both shore side and seaside as a smart initiative for the green ports vision. Future research directions are discussed towards the development of more efficient marine power system.