This paper presents an innovative testing framework, testFAILS, designed for the rigorous evaluation of AI Linguistic Systems, with a particular emphasis on various iterations of ChatGPT. Leveraging orthogonal array coverage, this framework provides a robust mechanism for assessing AI systems, addressing the critical question, "How should we evaluate AI?" While the Turing test has traditionally been the benchmark for AI evaluation, we argue that current publicly available chatbots, despite their rapid advancements, have yet to meet this standard. However, the pace of progress suggests that achieving Turing test-level performance may be imminent. In the interim, the need for effective AI evaluation and testing methodologies remains paramount. Our research, which is ongoing, has already validated several versions of ChatGPT, and we are currently conducting comprehensive testing on the latest models, including ChatGPT-4, Bard and Bing Bot, and the LLaMA model. The testFAILS framework is designed to be adaptable, ready to evaluate new bot versions as they are released. Additionally, we have tested available chatbot APIs and developed our own application, AIDoctor, utilizing the ChatGPT-4 model and Microsoft Azure AI technologies

Recent studies have elucidated the diversity of genes encoding venom in sea anemones. However, most of those genes are yet to be explored in an evolutionary context. Insulin is a common peptide across metazoans and has been coopted into a predatory venom in many venomous lineages. In this study, we focus on the diversity of insulin-derived venoms in sea anemones and on elucidating their evolutionary history. We sourced data for 34 species of sea anemones and found sequences belonging to two venom families that have Insulin PFAM annotations (Cono-Insulin, VP302). Our findings show that both families have undergone duplication events. Members of each of the independently evolving clades have consistent predicted protein structures and distinct dN/dS values. Our work also shows that VP302 is part of a multidomain venom contig and has experienced a secondary gain into the venom system of cuticulate sea anemones.

This article presents a review of resources for batteries with a specific focus on sustainability aspects related to raw materials, electrode and electrolyte chemistries suitable for the automobile industry. We emphasize the importance of prioritizing sustainability in battery technology evolution, which is expected to shift towards earth-abundant materials. One notable advancement in this direction is the utilization of glass solid-state electrolytes, known for their high ionic conductivity, low electronic conductivity, and high dielectric constant. However, our review suggests that further research should explore synthesis methods to modify anisotropic properties, enhancing the performance of solid-state electrolytes, particularly in facilitating the flow of ions.

Pain is a natural bioassay for detecting and quantifying biological activities of venoms. The painfulness of stings delivered by ants, wasps, and bees can be easily measured in the field or lab using the stinging insect pain scale that rates the pain intensity from 1 to 4, with 1 being minor pain, and 4 being extreme, debilitating, excruciating pain. The painfulness of stings of 96 species of stinging insects and the lethalities of the venoms of 90 species was determined and utilized for pinpointing future promising directions for investigating venoms having pharmaceutically active principles that could benefit humanity. The findings suggest several under- or unexplored insect venoms worthy of future investigations, including: those that have exceedingly painful venoms, yet with extremely low lethality – tarantula hawk wasps (Pepsis) and velvet ants (Mutillidae); those that have extremely lethal venoms, yet induce very little pain – the ants, Daceton and Tetraponera; and those that have venomous stings and are both painful and lethal – the ants Pogonomyrmex, Paraponera, Myrmecia, Neoponera, and the social wasps Synoeca, Agelaia, and Brachygastra. Taken together, and separately, sting pain and venom lethality point to promising directions for mining of pharmaceutically active components derived from insect venoms.

This review paper investigates the intricate relationship between sexuality and body dysmorphia, emphasizing its profound impact on mental health. Through a critical examination of existing literature, this study illuminates the complex psychological, societal, and cultural dynamics at play within this intersection. Special attention is given to the influence of media representations and societal beauty standards in shaping individual perceptions and experiences. Furthermore, the paper discusses various therapeutic interventions designed to address this interplay, underscoring the necessity for mental health practices that are both sensitive and adaptable to the nuances of these issues. Ultimately, this work enriches the discourse on body image and sexual health, offering critical insights for clinical interventions and highlighting areas for further research.

Surface temperature influences human health directly and alters the biodiversity and productivity of the environment. While previous research has identified that the composition of urban landscapes influences the physical properties of the environment such as surface temperature, a generalizable and flexible framework is needed that can be used to compare cities across time and space. This study employs the Structure of Urban Landscapes (STURLA) classification combined with remote sensing of New York City’s (NYC) surface temperature. These are then linked using machine learning and statistical modeling to identify how greenspace and the built environment influence urban surface temperature. It was observed that areas with urban units composed of largely the built environment hosted the hottest temperatures while those with vegetation and water were coolest. Likewise, this is reinforced by borough-level spatial differences in both urban structure and heat. Comparison of these relationships over the period between2008 and 2017 identified changes in surface temperature that are likely due to the changes in prevalence in water, lowrise buildings, and pavement across the city. This research reinforces how human alteration of the environment changes ecosystem function and offers units of analysis that can be used for research and urban planning.

In the early decades of the 19th century, the deaf population in the eastern US and Canada was distributed across a vast area. After the 1817 founding of the American School for the Deaf (ASD) in Hartford, CT and the subsequent establishment of schools for the deaf in New York City (NYSD), Philadelphia, and many other US states, hundreds of deaf students called these schools home for several years. After leaving school, the early American Deaf community faced a challenge: How would the community maintain its social and linguistic ties across a vast geographical area once community members had dispersed to their hometowns? In this paper we analyze the attendance registries of two large gatherings of deaf individuals in Hartford in the years 1850 and 1854. These were among the largest and earliest known gatherings of deaf adults. The demographic data included in these registries open a window onto the evolving American Deaf community of the mid-19th century. Our analyses of the attendees’ school affiliations, ages, and marital status show that the signing community that had taken root among students at schools in Hartford and New York persisted among the adult graduates of those schools in towns across the northeastern US. We compare the places of residence of ASD and NYSD alumni in 1850 and 1854 to their hometowns when they first enrolled at school. Our comparisons suggest the mid-19th-century signing community had become more urban; it was centered to a greater extent in populous cities such as New York, Boston, and Hartford than had been true when the attendees had enrolled in school. We consider how the geography of deafness in the 19th century might inform our understanding of the sources of regional variation in ASL. We also consider how early cross-regional interactions may have inhibited such regional variation.

Quantum Computation, in the gate array version, uses logical gates adopting convenient forms for computational algorithms based on those of classical computation. There, two-level quantum systems are the basic elements connecting the binary nature of classical computation with the settlement of quantum processing. Despite, their design depends on specific quantum systems and physical interactions involved, exacerbating the dynamics analysis. Predictable and controllable manipulation should be addressed to control the quantum states, but resources are restricted to limitations imposed by the physical settlement. This work presents a formalism to decompose the quantum information dynamics in SU(2^2d) for 2d-partite two-level systems into 2^2d-1 SU(2) quantum subsystems. Decomposition lets to set control procedures, to generate large entangled states and to design specialized dedicated quantum gates. There, easy and traditional operations proposed by quantum computation are recovered for more complex and large systems. Alternating the parameters of local and non-local interactions, the procedure states a universal exchange semantics on the generalized Bell states basis. It could be understood as a momentary splitting of the 2d information channels into 2^2d-1 pairs of 2 level quantum information subsystems and a settlement of the quantum information manipulation free of the imposed restrictions by the underlying physical system.

The effect of the addition of maleated polyethylene (MAPE) to compounds of natural rubber (NR) and Teline monspessulana flour (TMF) previously mercerized was investigated. Two factors were analyzed: A. concentration of MAPE with five levels 2; 4; 6; 8; 10 phr (parts per hundred rubber), B. concentration of TMF with two levels 25 and 40 phr. The effect of MAPE on compatibility between NR and HTM was evaluated by tensile testing the compounds. The mixing was performed in a laboratory scale mill. The test tubes were obtained by cutting or die-cutting crosslinked peroxide sheets, these were obtained during the compression molding process. Analysis indicate that the MAPE coupling agent improved the compatibility between HTM and NR, this effect was evidenced by the values of tensile strength and elongation at break. However, the gel content determination indicates that the addition of 10 phr of MAPE crosslinking decreases due to competition with coupling reaction MAPE - HTM.

Forecasting streamflow accurately is essential to achieve an efficient integrated water resources management strategy and provide consistent support to water decision-makers. We present a simple, low-cost and robust approach for forecasting monthly and yearly streamflow during the hydrological year in course, applicable to headwater catchments. It combines the use of regression analysis techniques, the two-parameter Gamma continuous cumulative probability distribution function and the Monte Carlo method. It is based on a probabilistic comparison of the progression of the current hydrological year with the historic observed series. The methodology has been successfully applied to two headwater reservoirs within the Guadalquivir River Basin in southern Spain. The root-mean-square error and correlation coefficient were used to measure the accuracy of the model and the results showed good levels of reliability. The outputs are the probabilistic monthly and yearly streamflow and 80% confidence interval. Further reductions in prediction errors may be achieved from increasing the number of observed years. These risk-based predictions are of great value, especially, before the intensive irrigation campaign starts (usually in April), when Water Authorities are to take responsible management decisions about the best allocation of the available water volume between the different water users and environmental needs.

Computer vision is a rapidly developing field that focuses on highly sophisticated picture analysis, manipulation, and comprehension. Its objective is to analyze what is happening in front of a camera and utilize that understanding to control a computer or robotic system or to present users with fresh visuals that are more enlightening or appealing than the original camera images. Computer vision technologies make it feasible for new user interfaces, augmented reality gaming, biometrics, automobile, photography, movie creation, Web search, and many more applications. This essay seeks to explain how computer vision can be utilized to play blackjack successfully.

The province of Jaén (Andalusia, Spain), despite being declared the European territory with the largest number of defensive constructions (castles, fortifications, etc.), has few conservation plans, with many remains included on the Red List of Spanish Heritage ly-ing abandoned. This poses a challenge for landscape conservation and the optimal use of the province’s tourism potential. In this paper we present the early implementation of an ongoing methodological approach designed to alleviate this situation. It takes advantage of data from the Sentinel 2A and 2B satellites, HBIM, RPAS, GIS and fieldwork that will be applied across five archaeological case studies. It has been tested for the first time in the village of Magaña. Three main objectives and phases of this methodological approach have been designed: 1. Preparation of an Environmental Risk Chart with which to answer such ques-tions as “How have climate change, anthropic alterations and environmental characteris-tics affected the state of conservation of certain heritage sites?” 2. Preparation of HBIM models to foster monitorisation and conservation policies for the main archaeological remains and improving their protection based on digital and technological tools. 3. Building a Smart Tourism App for mobile devices aimed at promoting smart tourism by digitalising and virtualising tourist itineraries and archaeological remains. Finally, public administrations will be apprised of the need to implement a conservation policy for cultural assets and their surroundings in a simple, quick and cost-effective man-ner.

The province of Jaén (Andalusia, Spain), despite being declared the European territory with the largest number of defensive constructions (castles and fortifications), has few conservation plans, with many remains included on the Red List of Spanish Heritage lying abandoned. This presents a problem for the conservation of the landscape and the optimal use of the province’s tourism potential. Through the study case of Magaña hamlet two actions are proposed to alleviate this situation: The creation of an archaeological and environmental risk chart with which to answer such questions as “How have climate change, anthropic alterations and environmental charac-teristics affected the state of conservation of certain heritage sites?” and to put forward proposals for improving their protection using as a basis digital and technological tools, such as remote sensing (SAR), taking advantage of data from the Sentinel 2A and 2B satellites, HBIM, RPAS and GIS. To foster the promotion of smart tourism by digitalising and virtualising tourist routes and archaeological remains by building a Smart Tourism App for mobile devices. Finally, public administrations will be apprised of the need to implement a conservation policy for cultural as-sets and their surroundings in a simple, quick and cost-effective manner.

Age-related diseases place an intense and growing stress on healthcare systems. Numerous theories of ageing exist. Yet prediction, prevention and treatment limitations of age-related disease persist because we lack a complete aetiological understanding of their origins. Here we propose a new theory that aims to provide a blueprint-type understanding of ageing and disease aetiology, working across multiple scientific disciplines. Supported by specific examples, we demonstrate that the primary driver of much of age-related diseases is the futile triggering of specific molecular pathways in a pathological manner, which we term patho-pathways. Patho-pathways induce pathological cell, tissue and system changes in the form of hyperactivity (undesirable increased and new biological activities that are typical of age related disease). As part of patho-pathways, all wild-type (normal) genes have the potential to contribute to age-related diseases (though specific risk varies and can be formularised). In a domino-style effect, one patho-pathway typically triggers others, resulting in complex, but traceable, cascades. Utility, in terms of changing clinical and scientific practice, is derived from mapping these cascades to create Blueprint Maps that allow identification of biomarkers and therapeutic targets far upstream in the causal chain of events. Finally, our theory provides testable hypotheses concerning predictions of links between otherwise seemingly disparate diseases as well as new interventions into ageing.

Covid-19 has caused infections and deaths worldwide. While research in the field of Data Science has contributed good predictions of positive Covid-19 case numbers, this study's review of literature shows there is little research in the use of variants of the virus in predictions. We set out to define and evaluate novel variant features. We find that features relating to variant trends, thresholds and amino acid substitutions are especially powerful in two tasks. In the first task, predicting Covid-19 case numbers, accuracy improved from 71.53% without variant features to 82.12% with variant features. In the second task, predicting transmission severity of variants between two classes, we created a method to build some variable ensembles through selecting appropriate models that are generated with variant features. The test results showed that our ensembles are more accurate and reliable. One particular ensemble of 14 models correctly classified 90.91% of variants, outperforming other models including the popular Random Forest ensemble. In addition, as the variant features have represented more underlying information about Covid-19 pathophysiology, our ensemble methods use only a few data samples to achieve an accurate prediction. The ensemble of 14 models uses only 50 cases of each variant, an ability that could be exploited for early detection of highly infectious variants. These research findings may benefit public health professionals, policy makers, and the research community in the collective efforts to overcome this disease.

The global issues of overweight and sedentary lifestyles demand comprehensive responses from health systems, yet health education still needs to be more cohesive and less sporadic. This study focuses on primary school children as a specific target for instilling healthy habits, employing ac-tive learning strategies to address healthy diet and physical activity. Through Problem-Based Learning projects, the study engaged fourth-grade primary students in acquiring healthy habits. The study was carried out over four consecutive years at a school with two lines, allowing the employment of an opportunity sample and evaluating intervention and control groups by com-paring their corresponding scores. Control groups integrated a total of 54 students, while the in-tervention group included a total of 159 students. A pre-test and post-test questionnaire were used for data collection. Evaluation differential scores revealed statistically significant higher scores in the intervention groups: 3.62 points in control groups and 6,94 in intervention groups, particu-larly in attitudinal competences. These strategies not only facilitated the development of crucial skills such as information search, synthesis, representation, analysis, decision-making, teamwork, and intrapersonal awareness but also significantly broadened the knowledge acquired in aspects related to healthy habits. This approach proved effective in helping children comprehend the im-portance of healthy choices and encouraged integrating such habits into their daily lives.

Taxes on the consumption of certain products have played a key role in public revenue analysis in European countries. This work aims to assess the differences in tax planning on new non-combustion products across some European territories. Through theoretical analysis, the paper has three distinct aspects. Firstly, we show the taxpayer profile in different countries. Secondly, the study analyzes the risks for the health system and the individual. Thirdly, the design of the land tax is based on previous experience and planning in Europe. This paper concludes with a case study for different countries: 1) Spain “vapers” and “smokers”, where the analysis is based on micro-data from the European Health Interview Survey 2020. 2) Sweden with the analysis of snus, shows it as a practice to reach economic savings while decreasing economic costs thanks to the nudging of consumers towards better products. The results show taxation and, specially, land taxation, should consider differences in planning in the case of new products, such as the non-combustion products, given the user per capita income and the potential lower health risks involved.

Veterans face difficulties accessing vital health and community services, especially in rural areas. Autonomous vehicles (AVs) can revolutionize transportation by enhancing access, safety and efficiency. Yet, there is limited knowledge about how Veterans perceive AVs. This study fills this gap by assessing Veterans' AV perceptions before and after exposure to an autonomous shuttle (AS). Using a multi-method approach, 23 participants completed pre- and post-AS Autonomous Vehicle User Perception Survey (AVUPS), with 10 participants also taking part in post-AS focus groups. Following exposure to the AS, differences were observed for three out of the four AVUPS domains: an increase in Intention to Use (p < 0.01), a decrease in Perceived Barriers (p < 0.05), and an increase in Total Acceptance (p = 0.01); Well-being remained unchanged (p = 0.81). Feedback from focus groups uncovered six qualitative themes: Perceived Benefits (n=70), Safety (n=66), Shuttle Experience (n=47), AV Adoption (n=44), Experience with AVs (n=17), and Perception Change (n=10). This study underscores AVs' potential to alleviate transportation challenges faced by Veterans, contributing to more inclusive transportation solutions. The research offers insights for future policies and interventions aimed at integrating AV technology into the transportation system, particularly for mobility-vulnerable Veterans in rural and urban settings.

We report two cases of pancytopenia in patients after recovering from a mild COVID-19, now presenting as paroxysmal nocturnal hemoglobinuria (PNH) and aplastic anemia. These cases il-lustrate a common pathway whereby a viral trigger causes clonal expansion of a hematological disorder. Although the association in both cases are temporal, and that COVID-19 may be an in-cidental diagnosis, the growing evidence related to hematological effects of SARS-CoV-2 infec-tion highlights the need for further investigation into the hematological consequences of COVID-19, particularly in the post-pandemic era.

"Hydrogen is an extremely promising energy carrier, poised to become a commercially viable product in the coming years. However, there are significant hurdles that need to be addressed. One such challenge is the high energy consumption during the electrolysis process, which is used to produce hydrogen. Furthermore, the co-production of CO and CO2 during steam hydrocarbon reforming adds to the complexity. Finding innovative solutions to these issues is crucial for the widespread adoption of hydrogen as a clean and efficient energy source." Simultaneously, various industries have the capability to generate hydrogen as a by-product, each with differing levels of purity. For instance, sodium and chlorine production plants have the potential to produce high-purity hydrogen. On the other hand, digester and sewage gas can yield low-purity hydrogen. In both instances, there is an economic incentive to utilize this hydrogen for energy production or to inject it into existing natural gas pipelines A brief estimation of the technical potential of utilizing hydrogen from various sources in Nigeria, specifically for fuel cell usage, has been conducted. Moreover, resource potential visualization maps have been generated to help visualize the availability and distribution of these hydrogen sources throughout the country.

In the era of Artificial Intelligence (AI), comprehending and responding to non-verbal communication is increasingly vital. This research extends AI's reach in bridging communication gaps, notably benefiting American Sign Language (ASL) and Taiwan Sign Language (TSL) communities. It focuses on employing various AI models, especially the Hierarchical Vision Transformer with Shifted Windows (Swin), for recognizing diverse sign language datasets. The study assesses Swin architecture's adaptability to different sign languages, aiming to create a universal platform for Unvoiced communities. Utilizing deep learning and transformer technologies, hybrid application prototypes have been developed for ASL-to-English translations and vice versa, with plans to expand this to multiple sign languages. The Swin models, trained on varied dataset sizes, show considerable accuracy, indicating their flexibility and effectiveness. This research underscores major advancements in sign language recognition and underlines a commitment to inclusive communication in the digital era. Future work will focus on enhancing these models and broadening their scope to include more sign languages, integrating multimodality and Large Language Models (LLMs), thereby fostering global inclusivity.

Microstructured optical fibres (MOFs) are a new type of optical fibres that possess a wide range of optical properties and many advantages over common optical fibres. Those are provided by unique structures defined by a pattern of periodic or quasi-periodic arrangement of air holes that run through the fibre length. In recent years, MOFs have opened up new possibilities in the field of optics and photonics, enabling the development of advanced devices and novel optical systems for different applications. The key application areas of PCFs vary from telecommunications and high-power energy transmission to quantum optics and sensing. The stack-and-draw method is a standard manufacturing technique for MOFs, where a preform is first manually created and then drawn in a high-tech furnace into a fibre with the required final dimensions and position of the air holes. Since in the manufacturing process experimenters can control only a few parameters, mathematical models and numerical simulations of the drawing process are highly requested. They not only allow to deepen the understanding of physical phenomena occurring during the drawing process, but they also accurately predict the final cross-section shape and size of the fibre. In this manuscript, we assume thermal equilibrium between the furnace and the fibre and propose a functional form of the fibre temperature distribution. We utilise it with asymptotic mass, momentum, and evolution equations for free surfaces already available in the literature to describe the process of fibre drawing. By doing so, the complex heat exchange problem between the fibre and the furnace need not be solved. The numerical results of the whole asymptotic model overall agree well with experimental data available in the literature, both for the case of annular capillaries and for the case of holey fibres.

Software governance is a management structure that guides projects in terms of their accountability and responsibility. Prime motivation of this approach is to improve the skillset of the team members through software governance policies and increase the overall success rate of the software projects. The scope of skill development is across the pillars of governance, such as structure, people, and information. Primary focus of this paper is on the skillset development of the project team members through educational policies in software governance. As part of the governance process, educational policies are defined for the skillset development of project team members. The JIRA dataset was used to determine the skillset development of the team members. Machine learning techniques, such as J48, Random Forest, Decision Table, Logistics, and Naïve Bayes, were used in the JIRA dataset. These machine learning techniques were processed using WEKA open-source software. Based on these results, it was concluded that the J48 algorithm can be applied to multiple projects/programs to monitor and track the skill development process. Machine learning model such as J48 is required to use this model at an organizational level. The skillset development of project team members should be aligned with IT governance and educational policies. Overall upskilling and reskilling strategies are provided to demonstrate the impact of skillset development through software governance.

This study examines the relationship between semantic memory and social cognition in schizophrenia, addressing how these cognitive domains intersect. Semantic memory, which includes general world knowledge and word meanings, was evaluated using verbal fluency tasks and the Camels and Cactus Test. Social cognition, essential for social interaction, was assessed through emotion recognition (Faces Test) and Theory of Mind (Hinting Task). Participants included 50 individuals with schizophrenia and 30 controls. The schizophrenia group showed significantly lower performance on both semantic memory and social cognition tasks. Notably, strong correlations were found between the Camels and Cactus Test and social cognition measures, suggesting that social cognition deficits in schizophrenia may be linked to semantic memory impairments. Regression analyses highlighted that the Camels and Cactus Test significantly predicted social cognition performance, independent of symptomatology. These findings underscore the interconnectedness of semantic memory and social cognition in schizophrenia, suggesting that semantic memory deficits, particularly in non-categorical associations, play a important role in social cognitive impairments. This study provides new insights into the cognitive underpinnings of schizophrenia, emphasizing the need for further research to explore these relationships and their implications for cognitive models and therapeutic interventions.

Background:. Knowledge and positive perception of climate change are crucial for public participation in activities that contain climate change. Limited studies, particularly in South Africa have reported on the knowledge and perceptions of climate change by university students. Study Aim: This study aimed to assess the level of knowledge and perceptions of climate change by the science students at the University of South Africa (UNISA). Methods: This was a quantitative cross sectional survey, undertaken among science students using questionnaire emailed to 500 students in the School of Science through Unisa email system. Bivariate logistic regression was used to test the association between socio-demographics, level of knowledge and perceptions of climate change. Results: A total of 420 students participated in the study. They were predominantly male (70.3%), mostly younger than 35 years of age. Most of the respondents were in the 2nd (34.7%) and 3rd (33.8%) year of study. Majority of respondents (97.9%) knew and perceived (93.6%) that climate change was happening. Overall, 93.8% of respondents had an excellent knowledge and basic concepts of climate change. Conclusion: The majority of students were knowledgeable and had positive perceptions about the basic concepts of climate change. However, the year of study was not significantly associated with positive perceptions of climate change. There is need to include climate change modules in South African university curriculum.

Purification of biologically-derived therapeutics is a major cost contributor to the production of this rapidly growing class of pharmaceuticals. Monoclonal antibodies comprise a large percentage of these products therefore new antibody purification tools are needed. Small peptides, as opposed to traditional antibody affinity ligands such as Protein A, may have advantages in stability and production costs. Multiple heptapeptides that demonstrate Fc binding behavior that have been identified from a combinatorial peptide library using M13 Phage Display are presented herein. Seven unique peptide sequences of diverse hydrophobicity and charge were identified. All seven peptides showed strong binding to the four major human IgG isotypes, human IgM, as well as binding to canine, rat, and mouse IgG. These seven peptides were also shown to bind human IgG4 from DMEM cell culture media with 5% FCS and 5 g/L ovalbumin present. These peptides may be useful as surface ligands for antibody detection and purification purposes. Molecular docking and classical molecular dynamics (MD) simulations were conducted to elucidate the mechanisms and energetics for the binding of these peptides to the Fc region. The binding site was found to be located between the two glycan chains inside the Fc fragment. Both hydrogen bonding and hydrophobic interactions were found to be crucial for the binding interactions. Excellent agreement for the binding strength was obtained between experimental results and simulations.

The use of biolubricants as an alternative for petroleum-based products has played an important role in the last decade. Thus, due to the encouragement of global policies, which mainly support green chemistry and circular economy, there has been an increasing interest in bio-based products, including biolubricants, from scientific and industrial points of view. Due to the different applications of biolubricants for a wide range of practical uses, the raw materials, production, and characteristics might vary, making this field a continuously changing subject of study by researchers. The aim of this research work was to focus on biolubricant production from vegetable oil crops in a bio-refinery perspective, paying attention to the main raw materials used, the corresponding production methods (with special focus on double transesterification), the role of catalysts and techno-economic studies. Thus, the main factors affecting quality parameters such as viscosity or oxidative stability have been covered, including catalyst addition, reaction temperature or the use of raw materials, reagents or additives were also analyzed. The latest research trends were included, updating previous studies about this matter, considering current conclusions and future research.

Background: As long-lived organisms, urban trees often encounter development and redevelopment activities in close proximity during their lifespans. These activities can damage tree roots, often through methods like root severing during trenching or excavation. Methods: In 2017, we simulated trenching damage on mature Quercus virginiana Mill. trees at three different distances from the base (3x, 6x, and 12x the stem diameter). After five years, we revisited these trees to assess root regrowth based on the cut root's cross-sectional area (CSA) and distance from the base. Results: We observed regrowth in all but 38 (6.7%) of the 557 cut roots revisited. The lack of regrowth in some roots was not associated with our original treatments, the CSA of the roots at the time of trenching, or distance between the cut root end and the trunk (minimum P-value = 0.841). On average, the observed CSA of the regrowth was 22.2% of the original root's CSA. Only our original trenching treatments significantly predicted the level of regrowth observed five years after pruning (P-value = 0.024). Discoloration due to root pruning was minimal. Conclusion: In summary, our findings indicate that root systems require many years to recover from trenching damage. Increasing the distance between trenching activities and trees may have a minor effect on root regrowth but primarily helps reduce initial stress on the tree.

Understanding the relationships between land cover/urban structure patterns and air pollutants is key to sustainable urban planning and development. In this study, we employ a mobile monitoring method to collect PM_2.5 and BC data in the city of Philadelphia, PA during the summer of 2019 and apply the Structure of Urban Landscapes (STURLA) methodology to examine relationships between urban structure and atmospheric pollution. We find that, while PM_2.5 and BC vary by STURLA class, many of the differences in pollutant concentrations between classes are not significant. However, we also find that the proportions in which STURLA components are present throughout the urban landscape can be used to predict urban air pollution. Among frequently sampled STURLA classes, gpl hosted the highest PM_2.5 concentrations on average (16.60 _± 4.29 µg/m³), while tgbwp hosted the highest BC concentrations (2.31 _± 1.94 µg/m³). Furthermore, STURLA combined with machine learning modeling was able to correlate PM_2.5 (R²= 0.68, RMSE 2.82 µg/m³) and BC (R² = 0.64, RMSE 0.75 µg/m³) concentrations with the urban landscape and spatially interpolate concentrations where sampling did not take place. These results demonstrate the efficacy of the STURLA methodology in modeling relationships between air pollution and land cover/urban structure patterns.

One of society’s greatest challenges is sequestering vast amounts of carbon to avoid dangerous climate change without driving competition for land and resources. Here we assess the potential of an integrated approach based on enhancement of natural biogeochemical cycles in agro-ecosystems that stimulate carbon capture and storage while increasing resilience and long-term productivity. The method integrates plant photosynthesis in the form of (cover) crops and agroforestry which drives carbon capture. Belowground plant-carbon is efficiently stored as stable soil organic carbon (SOC). Aboveground crop and tree residues are pyrolyzed into biochar, which is applied to the soil reducing carbon release through decomposition. Enhanced weathering of basalt powder worked into the soil further captures and stores carbon, while releasing nutrients and alkalinity. The integrated system is regenerative, through enhanced virtuous cycles that lead to improved plant capture, biomass storage and crop yield, the prerequisites for large-scale carbon sequestration along with food security.

This research examines the effects of the implementation of an educational programme of mindfulness training using Virtual Reality (VR) with students in adapted vocational training. The aim of this programme is to instruct and strengthen attention and self-regulation skills in relation to the learning process, with the objective of reducing anxiety and impulsivity in students, contributing to promoting sustainability in education, as well as reducing inequalities. The development and implementation of this project was carried out in IES Teguise in Lanzarote (Spain) with 11 students with intellectual disabilities who used the Virtual Reality Mindfulness application called TRIPP for three months. The use of Virtual Reality offers immersive experiences, while mindfulness enables concentration, which directly contributes to higher academic performance. After the implementation of the programme, it is observed that the use of this emerging technology provides students with a sense of calm and well-being, which translates into improvements in their academic grades, promoting equal and quality education in line with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

Background and Objectives: The techniques directed to the cranial field in osteopathy are the most questioned due to the lack of scientific evidence. In osteopathic practice, manual palpation is essential and, therefore, measuring reliability is fundamental. The objective of study is to assess the reliability and validity of osteopathic treatment depending on experience. Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional study of reliability and validity was conducted. For measurements, a strain gauge was placed on the sphenobasilar synchondrosis of the skull base, and three maneuvers (lateral compression, anteroposterior compression and compression maneuver of the mastoids) were repeated 25 times each by osteopaths with different time of experience (5-10 years, 1-5 years, <1 year). Measurement averages were computed for each of the three maneuvers to verify the average effect of each group in comparison to that of the Gold Standard (GS) (>10 years of experience). Data were analyzed to check for inter- and intra-observer reliability using intra-class correlation coefficients (ICC). Results: Reliability and validity in 5-10 experience of observer 1 and observer 2 in the tree maneuvers was excellent (p<0.001) against GS. Poor or enough reproducibility and concordance were observed in osteopaths with less experience. Conclusion: Experience of osteopaths determines the efficacy of cranial maneuvers in osteopathic treatment for patients’ rehabilitation.

The prevalence of diagnosed cases of autism has increased rapidly, which raise interest in studying the variables related to the well-being of these families. The purpose of this paper is to review recent literature on other variables related to family well-being such a parenting styles. We conducted a systematic review using PRISMA check list and bias assessment ESTROBE with the aim of analyzing if the concepts of autism, well-being and parenting style are related. We screened 753 references, 16 full text articles and abstracts were read. It was identified that authoritative parenting style, those based on warmth, establishing relationships and emotional bonding, and low expressed emotion were positively related to family well-being. On the other hand, authoritarian, permissive and overprotective styles, as well as critical, punishing and training-based were negatively associated with well-being and quality of family life.

Purpose Violence against paramedics is a complex – but underreported – problem. Extant research suggests organizational culture may play a role in sustaining cultural norms that downplay the significance and limit reporting. Our objective was to qualitatively explore paramedics’ experience with violence, with particular emphasis on understanding how organizational culture contributes to under-reporting. Approach We surveyed paramedics from a single, large, urban service in Ontario, Canada, asking participants to describe their experiences with violence, including whether – and why or why not – the incidents were reported. Within a constructivist epistemology, we used inductive thematic analysis with successive rounds of coding to identify and then define features of organizational culture that limit reporting. Findings A total of 196 (33% of eligible) paramedics completed the survey. Fully 98% of participants disclosed having experienced some form of violence; however only a minority (40%) reported the incidents to management, or the police (21%). We defined a framework within which a lack of support from management, and consequences for offenders, implicitly positions the ability of paramedics to “brush off” violent encounters as an expected professional competency. Disclosing emotional or psychological distress in response to violent encounters invited questions as to whether the individual is personally suited to paramedic work. Originality While the extant research has indicated that underreporting is a problem, our findings shed light on why – a critical first step in addressing what has been described as a serious public health problem.

Long-term continuous time series of SO2 emissions are considered critical elements of both volcano monitoring and basic research into processes within magmatic systems. One highly successful framework for computing these fluxes involves reconstructing a representative time-averaged SO2 plume from which to estimate the SO2 source flux. Previous methods within this framework have used ancillary wind datasets from reanalysis or numerical weather prediction (NWP) to construct the mean plume and then again as a constrained parameter in the fitting. Additionally, traditional SO2 datasets from ultraviolet (UV) sensors lack altitude information which must be assumed to correctly calibrate the SO2 data and to capture the appropriate NWP wind level which can be a significant source of error. We have made novel modifications to this framework which do not rely on prior knowledge of the winds and therefore do not inherit errors associated with NWP winds. To perform the plume rotation, we modify a rudimentary computer vision algorithm designed for object detection in medical imaging to detect plume-like objects in gridded SO2 data. We then fit a solution to the general time-averaged dispersion of SO2 from a point source. We demonstrate these techniques using SO2 data generated by a newly developed probabilistic layer height and column loading algorithm designed for the Cross-track Infrared Sounder (CrIS), a hyperspectral infrared sensor aboard the Joint Polar Satellite System’s Suomi-NPP and NOAA-20 satellites. This SO2 data source is best suited to flux estimates at high-latitude volcanoes and at low-latitude, but high-altitude volcanoes. Of particular importance, IR SO2 data can fill an important data gap in the UV-based record: estimating SO2 emissions from high-latitude volcanoes through the polar winters when there is insufficient solar backscatter for UV sensors to be used.

Antioxidants are molecules that neutralize free radicals. In general, the reaction mechanisms of antioxidants are well known. The main reaction mechanisms of antioxidants are electron transfer (ET), proton transfer (PT), H atom transfer (HAT) and radical adduction (RAF). The study of these mechanisms is helpful to understand how antioxidants control high free radical levels on the cell. There are many studies focused on determine the main mechanism of an antioxidant to neutralize a wide spectrum of radicals, mainly reactive oxygen species (ROS) type radicals. Most of these antioxidants are polyphenols type compounds. Some esters, amides and metal-antioxidants have shown antioxidant activity. There are few experimental and theoretical studies about the antioxidant reaction mechanism of the aforementioned compounds. In this work, we shown the reaction mechanism proposed of an amide and its metal-antioxidant counterpart. We show how the presence of the metal increase the electron transfer on polar media and the H transfer in non-polar media. Even though, esters and amides are non-polar compound, the scavenger activity is good for the metal-antioxidant compound in no-polar media

In the context of multiple repurposing of rural spaces, tourism represents a path for development, with the potential to revitalize these areas. The conservation and restoration of heritage, and its promotion through tourism, can become an opportunity for local development, in which a range of stakeholders fulfil different roles in the carrying out of the processes involved. The aim of the study was to analyse the process and results of channelling heritagisation through tourism in Mértola (Baixo Alentejo, Portugal). A series of interviews with the chief stakeholders in the process was conducted, from which the contexts and conceptualisations of development were determined. On the basis of secondary data (statistics), an analysis of the impacts of the process of heritagisation and the development of tourism was undertaken. The objectives of this study consisted in determining: a) the importance of the process of heritagisation in Mértola; b) the viability of the project, given the cost and lack of comprehensive conservation, in creating a unified whole; d) the performance of, and power relationships between, the various stakeholders; e) the limited participation of locals due to disaffection with the project; f) the correlation between heritage, rural tourism and local development.

"Chemical absorption is currently the most advanced technique for capturing carbon dioxide after combustion. A fascinating approach within amine-based technology for post-combustion carbon removal is the utilization of aqueous ammonia as a solvent, leading to a method called chilled ammonia capture. This study aims to enhance the performance of chilled ammonia capture through a thermodynamic assessment, focusing on crystalline configuration.""This study explores the development of an improved second generation chilled ammonia capture process, which involves the formation of solids to enhance capturing efficiency. The simulation software ASPEN is employed to model the expanded UNIQUAC Thermodynamics hypothesis. The modeling encompasses both the conventional carbon ammonia capture process and the more advanced carbon ammonia capture system powered by a crystallizerIn this study, the energy costs associated with implementing different technologies for carbon ammonia capture in typical ultra supercritical power plants are evaluated. The introduction of solid formation in the carbon ammonia capture system has yielded promising results. The findings indicate that the energy required for the carbon ammonia capture system, which utilizes a crystallizer, is approximately 10% lower compared to the overall cost associated with the conventional carbon ammonia capture system. These results highlight the potential for significant energy savings and improved efficiency in carbon capture processes

The recovery and valorization of waste are some of the key aspects of sustainable production. The crustacean exoskeletons can be potentially used to obtain value-added products such as chitosan. A comprehensive analysis including both safety and sustainability aspects of chitosan production from shrimp shells is presented in this study. The inherent safety analysis and sustainability evaluation was performed using the Inherent Safety Index (ISI) methodology and the Sustainable Weighted Return on Investment Metric (SWROIM), respectively. The process was designed for a processing capacity of 57,000 t/y according to shrimp production in Colombia. The economic (%ROI), environmental (PEI output), energy (exergy efficiency), and safety (ITI) technical parameters were included in the sustainability evaluation. The three first were obtained from the previous analysis performed by the authors. The total inherent safety index was estimated at 25 indicating that the process is inherently unsafe. The main process risks were given by the dangerous substance, reactivity, and inventory subindices. The overall sustainability evaluation showed a SWROIM of 36.23% indicating that the case study showed higher weighted performance compared to the return on investment (ROI) metric of 18.08%.

Hip fractures are the most frequently treated fractures in the world. Of these, intertrochanteric fractures (ITFs) account for almost 50%. After surgical fixation of ITFs, nonunion is rare. Nonunions are commonly produced from mal-reduction (in varus) and/or inadequate stability of the bone-implant construct and/or fatigue failure of the implants. Other causes of nonunion include posteromedial comminution and osteoporosis. The published incidence of ITF nonunion is 1%-2%. Mechanical complications of ITFs include cut-out, excessive shortening of the proximal femur, delayed union, nonunion, early implant fracture, nail toggle and cut through/medial migration. That is why a fundamental goal in the treatment of ITFs is to achieve stable fixation in osteoporotic bone, allowing early weight bearing. Intraoperative determination of fracture stability is essential. The American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons (AAOS) clinical practice guidelines for the management of intertrochanteric fractures (ITF) in patients older than 55 years are the following: 1) In patients with stable ITF, the use of either a sliding hip screw (SHS) or a cephalomedullary nail (CMN) is advised (strong strength of evidence). 2) In patients with reverse obliquity fractures, a CMN is recommended (strong strength of evidence). 3) Patients with unstable ITF should be treated with a CMN (strong strength of evidence). 4) In patients with ITF, a short or long CMN may be considered (limited strength of evidence).

Despite great strides in the development of contraceptive technologies, the United States has one of the highest teen pregnancy rates in the world. Many investigators have aimed to examine the relationship between religion and the sexual health behaviors of college students to determine how social factors may influence the use of contraception amongst college students. Thus, we aimed to examine the differences in current contraceptive method and age of first contraceptive usage among sexually active female college students with different religious affiliations and strengths of religiosity. It was hypothesized that there would be no difference in current contraceptive methods among different religious affiliations and strengths of religions, and that there would be a difference in age of first contraceptive usage among different religious affiliations and strengths of religiosity. Two-hundred twenty-four college aged females completed a 20-question survey about sexual health and religious practices. Chi-squared tests were implemented to determine if the frequencies of responses across religious affiliations and strengths of religiosity. Significant differences in the frequency of responses for age of first contraceptive usage were observed across different strengths of religiosity (p=0.016) and for the self-perceived impact of religion on sexual health across different religious affiliations (p=0.033) and strengths of religiosity (p=0.005). All other differences were found not to be statistically significant. It was determined that increased strengths of religiosity resulted in delayed onset of contraceptive us-age and that both different religious affiliations and greater strengths of religiosity lead to different self-perceived impacts of religion on sexual health.

Graphene-based Field-Effect Transistors (FETs) integrated with microstrip patch antennas offer a promising approach for Terahertz signal radiation. In this study, a dual-stage simulation methodology is employed to comprehensively investigate the device’s performance. The initial stage, executed in MATLAB, delves into charge transport dynamics within a FET under asymmetric boundary conditions, employing hydrodynamic equations for electron transport in the graphene channel. Electromagnetic field interactions are modeled via Finite-Difference Time-Domain (FDTD) techniques. The second stage, conducted in COMSOL Multiphysics, focuses on the microstrip patch antenna’s radiative characteristics. Notably, analysis of the S11 curve reveals minimal reflections at the FET’s resonant frequency of 1.34672 THz, indicating efficient impedance matching. Examination of the radiation pattern demonstrates the antenna’s favorable directional properties. This research underscores the potential of graphene-based FETs for Terahertz applications, offering tunable impedance matching and high radiation efficiency for future Terahertz devices.

Huge amounts of wastes are generated during shrimp processing, representing approximately 65% of the initial shrimp weight, which can become an environmental problem when accumulated. Residues such as shrimp shells can be processed to obtain value-added products such as chitin, chitosan, astaxanthin, and a nitrogenous extract under the biorefinery concept. In this work, the economic evaluation and the techno-economic sensibility analysis for a mass integrated biorefinery based on shrimp were developed to determine the economic feasibility of the project and to identify the critical techno-economic variables that affect the profitability of the process. The results showed that a biorefinery for the annual processing of 4,113.09 tons of fresh shrimp in Colombia is profitable, with a return on investment percentage (%ROI) equal to 65.88% and a net present value (NPV) of 10.40 MM USD. The process supports decreases of up to 28% in capacity of production and increases of 12% and 11% in the cost of raw materials and variable operating costs without incurring losses, respectively. However, the decrease over 500 USD/t in the shrimp meat selling price is not supported, thus it is mainly recommended to increase the selling price of this product.

As a form of protection, a nature park is often created to protect and valorise natural and cultural heritage in peripheral rural areas. However, in terms of multi-functionality, new nature parks are incorporated into traditional productive activities, such as recreational and tourist activities, which sometimes compromise sustainability. The research objective is to study the relationship between tourism and sustainability in the Nature Parks of “Sierra de Aracena y Picos de Aroche”, “Sierra Norte de Sevilla” and “Sierra de Hornachuelos” that makes up the Dehesas de Sierra Morena Biosphere Reserve in Andalusia, Spain. Therefore, selective interviews have been carried out with the stakeholders to establish their perception of sustainable tourism and the presence of dominant discourses. The main conclusions indicate (1) the presence of different dominant discourses on sustainability, namely the conservationist and mercantilist ones, with the prevalence of the economic dimension; (2) poor awareness and adaptation to the context of global change; and (3) the presence of competitive relationships that generate difficulties for the governance of sustainable tourism.

There are now a wide variety of global metrics. To find the degree of overlap between these different measures, we employ a principal components analysis (PCA) to 15 indices across 145 countries. Our results demonstrate that the most important underlying dimension highlights that economic development and social progress go hand in hand with state stability. The results are used to produce categorical divisions of the world. The threefold division identifies a world composed of what we describe and map as Rich, Poor and Middle countries. A five-group classification provided a more nuanced categorization described as; The Very Rich, Free and Stable, Affluent and Free, Upper Middle, Lower Middle, and Poor and Not Free.

Helicobacter pylori cytotoxin-associated gene A protein (CagA) has been associated with the increase in virulence and risk of cancer. It has been demonstrated that CagA's translocation is dependent on its interaction with phosphatidylserine. We evaluated the variability of the N-terminal CagA in 127 sequences reported in NCBI, by referring to molecular interaction forces with the Phosphatidylserine and the docking of 3 mutations chosen from variations in specific positions. The major sites of conservation of the residues involved in CagA-Phosphatidylserine interaction were 617, 621 and 626 which had no amino acid variation. Position 636 had the lowest conservation score, so mutations in this position were evaluated to observe the differences in intermolecular forces of the CagA-Phosphatidylserine complex. We evaluated the docking of 3 mutations: K636A, K636R and K636N. The models of the crystal and mutations presented a ΔG of −8.919907, −8.665261, −8.701923, −8.515097 Kcal/mol, respectively, while mutations K636A, K636R, K636N and the crystal structure presented 0, 3, 4 and 1 H-bonds, respectively. Likewise, the bulk effect of the ΔG and amount of H-bonds was estimated in all of the docking models. The type of mutation affected both the ΔG (χ²(1) = 93.82, p-value < 2.2 × 10⁻¹⁶) and the H-bonds (χ²(1) = 91.93, p-value < 2.2 × 10⁻¹⁶). In all the data, 76.9% of the strains that exhibit the K636N mutation produced a severe pathology. The average H-bond count diminished when comparing the mutations with the crystal structure of all the docking models, which means that other molecular forces are involved in the CagA-Phosphatidylserine complex interaction.

Colombia is noteworthy as a biodiversity hotspot, featuring an extraordinary number of en-demic orchids, birds, and butterflies. This exploratory study examines the perceptions of desti-nation image considering the cognitive and affective image in predicting behavioral intentions of ecotourists through symmetric data analysis. Using Partial Least Squares (PLS), the author(s) analyzed 64 survey responses collected of rural areas, including a new 15 statement scale spe-cialized on birdwatching. The findings support the reliability of the model, symmetric analysis presents the higher influence of emotions and affections in increasing intentions of recommen-dation, considering birdwatching as based on personal relationships. Additionally, the cognitive image for the birders despite representing destination attributes or sets of destination resources of a mental picture does not have the same impact on behavioral intentions. Therefore, manag-ers should develop positioning strategies based on the generation of emotions, because bird-watching tourists seek to have more emotional experiences.

Cancers of the head and ne¬ck and their treatment can cause disfigurement and loss of functioning, with a profound negative impact on the person’s self-image and psychosocial wellbeing. This can lead to experiences of shame and stigma, which are important targets for psychosocial interventions. Accurate measurement and identification of these problems enables clinicians to offer appropriate interventions and monitor patients’ progress. This study aimed to validate the Canadian version of the Shame and Stigma Scale (SSS) among French and English speaking head and neck cancer patients. Data from 258 patients from two major Canadian hospitals was analysed. The existing 4-factor structure of the SSS was supported, with the following subscales: Shame with Appearance, Sense of Stigma, Regret, and Social/Speech Concerns. The Canadian SSS showed adequate convergent and divergent validity and test-retest reliability. Rasch analysis suggested scale improvement by removing two misfitting item and two items with differential functioning between French and English speaking patients. The final 16-item scale version had adequate fit to the Rasch model. The SSS provides more accurate measures for people with high levels of shame and stigma, and thus has utility in identifying patients with more severe symptoms who may be in need of psychosocial interventions.

Role identity theory describes the purpose and meaning in life that comes, in part, from occupying social roles. While robustly linked to health and well-being, this may become, however, when an individual is unable to fulfil the perceived requirements of an especially salient role in the way that they believe they should. Amid high rates of mental illness among public safety personnel, we interviewed a purposely selected sample of 21 paramedics from a single service in Ontario, Canada to explore incongruence between an espoused and able-to-enact paramedic role identity. Situated in an interpretivist epistemology, and using successive rounds of thematic analysis, we developed a framework for role identity dissonance wherein chronic, identity-relevant disruptive events cause emotional and psychological distress. While some participants were able to recalibrate their sense of self and understanding of the role, for others, this dissonance was irreconcilable, contributing to disability and lost time from work. In addition to contributing a novel perspective on paramedic mental health and well-being, our work also offers a modest contribution to the theory in using the paramedic context as an example to consider identity disruption through chronic workplace stress.

Air pollution is a leading cause of death in the United States, and is associated with adverse health outcomes, including increased vulnerability to coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). The AirBeam2 was used to measure particulate matter with a diameter of 2.5 micrometers or smaller (PM2.5), to investigate differences between indoor and ambient levels at seven private homes in New York during and after the COVID-19 lockdown. Measurements taken in 2020 winter, spring and fall and in fall 2022 showed that 90% of the time, indoor PM2.5 levels exceeded outdoor levels both during and after the COVID-19 lockdown, p = 0.03, and exceeded safety levels. Higher indoor PM2.5 levels attributed to little or no ventilation from cooking and smoke in the kitchen and basements, were significantly greater in fall than in winter. Higher ambient PM2.5 levels were attributed to vehicular traffic at a street-facing sampling site. PM2.5 sources identified in this study may help in devising control strategies to improve indoor air quality (IAQ), and consequently alleviate respiratory health effects. These findings may be used as a basis for in-house modifications including natural ventilation and use of air purifiers to reduce exposures, mitigate future risks, and prevent potential harm to vulnerable residents.

Franklinite-Zincochromite-Gahnite solid solutions have been prepared by ceramic or coprecipitation method and its pigmenting capacity as cool ceramic pigments in different glazes (double and single firing frits and porcelain frit) was studied. XRD, UV-Vis-NIR diffuse reflectance, CIEL*a*b* colour analysis, bandgap measurement and the photocatalytic activity over the Orange II azoic dye were carried out for the characterization of samples. Following criteria of high red colouring capacity and high NIR reflectance at minimum Cr amount, Zn(Fe1.8Cr0.2), Zn(Al1.5Cr0.5) and Zn(Al1.3Cr0.5Fe0.2)O4 turn out to be the optimal compositions for an intense reddish cool pigment. All powders show a direct semiconductor behaviour with bandgap around 2 eV, falling in the visible range (620 nm), and according to literature, the associated photocatalytic activity over Orange II with visible light irradiation is moderate in all cases, but the Franklinite-Zincochromite Zn(Fe1.8Cr0.2) stands out.

An emerging picture in cancer biology is that, paradoxically, chemotherapy can actively induce changes that favor cancer progression. These pro-cancer changes can be either inside (intrinsic) or outside (extrinsic) the cancer cells. In this review, we will discuss the extrinsic pro-cancer effect of chemotherapy; that is, the effect of chemotherapy on the non-cancer host cells to promote cancer progression. We will focus on metastasis, and will first discuss recent data from mouse models of breast cancer. Intriguingly, despite reducing the size of primary tumors, chemotherapy changes the tumor microenvironment, resulting in an increased escape of cancer cells into the blood stream. Furthermore, chemotherapry changes the tissue microenvironment at the distant sites, making it more hospitable to cancer cells upon their arrival. We will then discuss the idea and evidence that these devastating pro-metastatic effects of chemotherapy can be explained in the context of stress response. At the end, we will discuss the potential relevance of these mouse data to human breast cancer and their implication on chemotherapy in the clinic.

The vast majority of autonomous driving systems are limited to applications on roads with clear lane markings and are implemented using commercial grade sensing systems coupled with specialized graphic accelerator hardware. This research reviews an alternative approach for autonomously steering vehicles that eliminates the dependency on road markings and specialized hardware. A combination of machine vision, machine learning and artificial intelligence based on popular pre-trained Convolutional Neural Networks (CNN) and Recurrent Neural Networks (RNN) was used to drive a vehicle along roads lacking lane markings (unmarked roads). The team developed and tested this approach on the ACTor (Autonomous Camus TranspORt) vehicle - an autonomous vehicle development and research platform coupled with a low-cost webcam based sensing system and minimal computational resources. The proposed solution was evaluated on real-world roads and varying environmental conditions. It was found that this solution may be used to successfully navigate unmarked roads autonomously with acceptable road following behavior.

Adipose tissue has acquired considerable importance due to its role in maintaining body homeostasis. Beyond storing energy, adipose tissue is essential in numerous processes of energy metabolism, food intake, endocrine and immunological functions as well as neromodulatory functions by secreting hormones that participate in the regulation of homeostasis and being responsive to soluble proteins secreted by other tissues. An imbalance of these functions will generate structural and functional changes in the adipose tissue, favouring the secretion of deleterious adipocytokines that benefit a pro-inflammatory state, allowing the development of metabolic and cardiovascular diseases. Obesity is a disease that has increased rapidly in recent decades and is caused by environmental, hormonal, and genetic factors, which probably work in combination. Environmental factors that contribute to the increase in obesity include decreased physical activity, associated with increased screen time, increased accessibility and consumption of foods rich in fats and sugars. Weight loss should be recommended for all obese patients and overweight patients with comorbidities. For many patients who need to lose weight for medical reasons, the initial goal is to lose 5-10% of their body weight in the first 6 months. A common theme worldwide has been the development of professional guidelines for the control and treatment of obesity and in Chile, the Chilean Society of Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery led the process of adopting the adult obesity clinical practice guideline, which establishes changes in the approach to managing obesity as a chronic disease, with an emphasis on multifactorial lifestyle interventions that include dietary changes, increased physical activity, and behavioural modifications. Pharmacotherapy, medical devices, and bariatric surgery are other options for patients who need additional interventions, so the objective of this review is to know the pathophysiological mechanisms of obesity from its origin to the current treatments available for treatment.

Introduction: The purposes of this study were to seek for overall ratio (OR) and anterior ratio (AR) patients data in normal occlusion and Angle’s malocclusion studies, and to assess if such results support Bolton’s standards as general references. Methods: Pubmed, Medline, CENTRAL and Scholar databases were searched up to February 2018 (CRD42018088438). Gray literature was explored through OpenGray. Non-randomized clinical studies, published in English and assessing Bolton’s OR and AR in normal occlusion and Angle’s malocclusion groups (Class I, Class II, Class II division 1, Class 2 division 2, Class III) patients were included. OR and AR means and standard deviations (SD) were collected. Potential covariates (study design, publication year, country where the study was conducted, number of cases, gender, mesiodistal measurement method, and calibration method) were also extracted. The National Health Heart Lung, and Blood Institute’s Quality Assessment Tool for Observational Cohort and Cross-Sectional Studies was used to assess each included studies quality. Pairwise Random-Effects and Multilevel Bayesian Network Meta-Analyses were used to synthesize available data. Results: Fifty-two observational studies were included (8872 participants; male/females 2674/3272; 16 studies lacked gender information). For normal occlusion, global pooled estimates for OR and AR means were 91.74% (95% CI: 91.37-92.10) and 78.24% (95% CI: 77.85-78.63), respectively. We could identify on Angle’s Class III patients meaningful OR and AR mean deviations from normal occlusion (0.89, 95% credible interval [CrI], 0.66-1.12, and 0.66, 95% CrI, 0.38-0.94, respectively), while on Class I patients we found a meaningful mean deviation from normal occlusion only for OR (0.25, 95% CrI, 0.03-0.47). Concerning gender impact, male patients presented higher OR (0.30, 95% CI 0.00-0.59) and AR (0.41, 95% CI 0.00-0.83) mean values than females in Class I. Conclusions: The results show that global pooled OR and AR mean values for normal occlusion patients are slightly above Bolton’s original values. Class I, for OR mean values, and Class III, for both OR and AR, are proportionally larger than normal occlusion patients. Gender had almost no impact on teeth mesiodistal proportion.

The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) is a global strategy that aims to obtain a more equitable and just world. These objectives are organized in 17 SDGs, which are detailed in 169 targets. Different international institutions have emphasized education's relevance to developing citizens who contribute to the SDGs' achievement for 2030. However, a review focused on Physical Education exclusively has not been performed yet. Therefore, the objective of this work is double. First, to analyze and select the specific goals of the SDGs that can be implemented in the subject of Physical Education. And second, to relate these specific goals to the different models based on Physical Education practices. This review showed how three institutional documents have previously related sport, physical exercise and physical education to the specific goals of the SDGs. Based on the search done, this document selects those goals that could be integrated into the educational context through Physical Education. The bibliographic and narrative analysis carried out in this research shows that of the 169 specific goals proposed in the SDGs, only 24 could be worked on in Physical Education. In addition, after this previous analysis, a proposal for the relationship between the practice-based models and these 24 goals is presented. The contributions made in this paper will allow teachers to establish links between PE sessions and SDGs while raising awareness to develop students who contribute to a more sustainable world.

Asthma is a significant public health concern. This study identified the provinces with the highest morbidity and mortality rates due to asthma among the working-age population (15-69 years) in the Republic of Ecuador. The secondary objective was to explain the possible differences attribut-able to occupational exposure. This nationwide ecological and exploratory study was conducted in 24 provinces between 2016 and 2019. Government databases were used as sources of infor-mation. Standardized rates were calculated for codes the J45 and J46. The hospitalization mor-bidity rate for asthma decreased from 6.51 to 5.76 cases per 100,000 working-age population, and the mortality rate has consistently been low and stable from 0.14 to 0.15 deaths per 100,000 working-age population. Geographic differences between the provinces were evident. The risk of hospitalization and death due to asthma was higher in the Pacific coast (five provinces) and the Andean region (two provinces). The high rates observed in provinces with greater agricultural and industrial development could be the main determinants of national heterogeneity and could act as occupational risk factors. The contribution of occupational hazards in each province should be examined in depth through ad hoc studies. These findings provide valuable information for creating public policies aimed at promoting and safeguarding the respiratory health of the popu-lation, particularly that of workers.

The COVID-19 pandemic has led to the growth of hybrid and online learning environments and the trend to introduce more technology into the classroom. One such change would be the use of smart synchronous hybrid learning environments (SSHLE), which are settings with both in-person and online students concurrently, and in which technology plays a key role in sensing, analyzing, and reacting throughout the teaching and learning process. These changing environments and the incorporation of new technologies can place a greater orchestration load on participants and a reduction in teacher agency. In this context, the aim of this paper is to analyse the orchestration load and teacher agency in different SSHLEs. The NASA-TLX model was used to measure the orchestration load in several scenarios. Questionnaires and interviews were used to measure teacher agency. The results obtained indicate that the orchestration load of the teacher tends to be high (between 60 and 70 points out of 100 of the NASA-TLX workload), especially when they lack experience in synchronous hybrid learning environments, and the orchestration load of the students tends to have average values (between 50 and 60) in the SSHLEs analysed. Meanwhile, the teacher agency does not appear to be altered but shows potential for improvement.

Violence against paramedics has been described as a ‘serious public health problem’ but one that remains ‘vastly underreported’, owing to an organizational culture that stigmatizes reporting – hindering efforts at risk mitigation in addition to creating a gap in research. Leveraging a novel reporting process developed after extensive stakeholder consultation and embedded within the electronic patient care record, our objective was to provide a descriptive profile of violence against paramedics in a single paramedic service in Ontario, Canada. Between February 1, 2021, through January 31, 2023, a total of 374 paramedics in Peel Region (48% of the workforce) generated 941 violence reports, of which 40% documented physical (n=364) or sexual (n=19) assault. The violence was typically perpetrated by patients (78%) and primarily took place at the scene of the 9-1-1 call (47%); however, violent behavior frequently persisted or recurred while in transit to hospital and after arrival. Collectively, mental health, alcohol, or drug use were listed as contributing circumstances in 83% of violence reports. In all, 81 paramedics were physically harmed because of an assault. On average, our data correspond to a paramedic filing a violence report every 18 hours, being physically assaulted every 46 hours, and injured every 9 days.

Adaptive mechanisms, such as channel hopping and packet replication, are used in low-power wireless networks to deal with the spatial and temporal variations in the link quality, and meet the reliability requirements of industrial applications (i.e., PDR>99%). However, the benefits of such mechanisms are limited and may have a large impact on end-to-end latency and energy consumption. Hence, in this paper we propose using adaptive modulation diversity, which allows to dynamically select different modulations, to improve link reliability. We present three adaptive modulation diversity selection strategies and validate them using the data derived from a real-world deployment using the IEEE 802.15.4g SUN modulations (i.e., SUN-FSK, SUN-OQPSK and SUN-ODFM) in an industrial environment. The results show that by using adaptive modulation diversity it is possible to improve link reliability regardless of node conditions.

Van Wyk Grumbach syndrome refers to the development of peripheral precocious puberty, long-standing hypothyroidism, and gonadal masses; when not diagnosed, an unnecessary gonadectomy may be done; Here we present a case of a 10-year-old girl with Down syndrome, short stature, and vitiligo presented with vaginal bleeding, and a pelvic mass, in whom bilateral gonadectomy was performed. Most cases of Van Wyk Grumbach syndrome present in women, and classic hypothyroidism symptoms always precede the diagnosis; 11% of patients have Down Syndrome, sometimes tumor markers get elevated, and some develop severe symptoms (myopathy, short stature, mental delay, ascites, pericardial effusion, Cullen sign, pituitary hyperplasia, and severe anemia), that respond to levothyroxine treatment; Conclusions: Children with peripheral precocious puberty and gonadal masses, must be studied for hypothyroidism before any radical decision is made. Keywords: Puberty, Precocious; Ovarian Cysts, gonadectomy, Van Wyk Grumbach Syndrome

Plant diseases and pests reduce crop yields, accounting for global crop losses of 30% to 50%. In conventional agricultural production systems, these losses are typically controlled by applying chemical pesticides. However, public pressure is mounting to curtail agrochemical use. In this context, employing beneficial endophytic microorganisms is an increasingly attractive alternative to the use of conventional chemical pesticides in agriculture. A multitude of fungal endophytes are naturally present in plants, producing enzymes, small peptides and secondary metabolites due to their bioactivity, can protect hosts from pathogens, pests and abiotic stresses. The use of beneficial endophytic microorganisms in agriculture is an increasingly attractive alternative to conventional pesticides. The aim of this study was to characterize fungal endophytes isolated from apparently healthy, feral wine grapes in eastern Canada that have grown without agrochemical inputs for decades. Host plants ranged from unknown seedlings to long-lost cultivars not widely propagated since the 1800s. HPLC-MS was used to identify unique endophyte-derived chemical compounds in the host plants, while dual-culture competition assays showed a range in endophytes’ ability to suppress the mycelial growth of Botrytis, which is typically controlled in viticulture with pesticides. Twelve of the most promising fungal endophytes isolated were identified using multilocus sequencing and morphology, while DNA barcoding was employed to identify some of their host vines. These fungal endophyte isolates, which consisted of both known and putative novel strains, belonged to seven genera in six families and five orders of Ascomycota. Exploring the fungal endophytes in these specimens may yield clues to the vines’ survival and lead to the discovery of novel biocontrol agents.

There is a growing interest in the endocannabinoid system and the gut microbiota. Both areas have been suggested to play a role in endometriosis, however this is yet to be studied comprehensively. The purpose of this narrative review is to identify the gaps in endometriosis research in the context of these two areas. It underscores the limited knowledge regarding the involvement of the endocannabinoid system and gut microbiota in endometriosis. Further research in these areas is essential to unlock the therapeutic potential of cannabis and enhance the understanding of endometriosis pathogenesis.

The use of sustainable energy sources is a feasible alternative for fossil fuel products, which can represent a positive factor to alleviate many current environmental issues. In that sense, not only the sustainable industrial development is important, but also sustainable practices at local level, including households. Specifically, heating and cooking are one of the most important activities that require energy in households, where the role of biomass could be interesting, as it can provide an energy source with lower environmental impact. However, there is room for improvement in biomass stoves, whose adaptability to specific wastes, as well as their improvement in efficiency, should be accomplished. The aim of this work was to assess the improvement of combustion performance of a domestic stove by the implementation of a programmable logic converter for a better adaptation to different biomass samples (holm oak, pear tree, poplar and sugarcane bagasse pellets). Thus, the working regime of the stove was controlled, especially concerning the screw conveyor (to regulate pellet feeding) and flue gas fan (to change oxygen supply). As a result, better combustion performances were obtained, heat capacities from 5.66 to 8.67 kW for the selected samples. On the other hand, different improvements of the combustion stove to avoid blockages, for instance, are proposed as further steps.

Prebiotic dietary fiber supplements are commonly consumed to help meet fiber recommendations and improve gastrointestinal health by stimulating beneficial bacteria and the production of short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs), molecules beneficial to host health. The objective of this research project was to compare potential prebiotic effects and fermentability of five commonly consumed fibers using an in vitro fermentation system measuring changes in fecal microbiota, total gas production and formation of common SCFAs. Fecal donations were collected from three healthy volunteers. Materials analyzed included: pure beta-glucan, Oatwell (commercially available oat-bran containing 22% oat β-glucan), xylooligosaccharides (XOS), WholeFiber (dried chicory root containing inulin, pectin, and hemi/celluloses), and pure inulin. Oatwell had the highest production of propionate at 12 h (4.76 μmol/mL) compared to inulin, WholeFiber and XOS samples (p<0.03). Oatwell’s effect was similar to those of the pure beta-glucan samples, both samples promoted the highest mean propionate production at 24 h. XOS resulted in a significant increase in the genus Bifidobacterium after 24 h of fermentation (0 h: 0.67 OTUs; 24 h: 5.22 OTUs; p = 0.038). Inulin and WholeFiber increased the beneficial genus Collinsella, consistent with findings in clinical studies. All analyzed compounds were fermentable and promoted the formation of beneficial SCFAs.

Objective: Despite increasing interest in understanding factors influencing awareness, knowledge, and acceptability of the human papilloma virus (HPV) vaccine among Latino parents to date, limited information is available specific to Latino fathers living in the United States. Methods: This descriptive qualitative study explored Latino fathers’ awareness, knowledge, and acceptability of the HPV vaccine for their adolescent children. Data were collected through individual, semi-structured interviews and analyzed using a hybrid method of thematic analysis that incorporated deductive and inductive approaches. Results: Nineteen, majority foreign-born Latino fathers (63.2%; n = 12) fathers of male and female adolescents participated in the study. Four main themes and two subthemes emerged from the analyses. Results found fathers’ low awareness and knowledge of HPV and the HPV vaccine. Results also identified fathers’ positive attitude toward vaccines in general. Moreover, results revealed fathers’ trust in healthcare providers. This trust translated into an increased willingness to vaccinate their children against HPV if recommended by their child’s primary healthcare provider. Conclusion: Findings indicate the need for increased efforts to raise awareness and knowledge among Latino fathers of HPV and the HPV vaccine. In addition, findings underscore the critical role of healthcare providers’ recommendation of the HPV vaccine. Given the limited research focused on Latino fathers, this study’s findings are valuable in building a knowledge foundation needed for developing future studies and interventions to promote the HPV vaccine by targeting Latino fathers living in the United States. Future research should quantify Latino fathers' awareness, knowledge, and acceptability of the HPV vaccine for their children, and preferences for educational interventions to promote HPV vaccination.

Transfer learning has proven to be a valuable technique for deploying machine learning models on edge devices and embedded systems. By leveraging pre-trained models and fine-tuning them on specific tasks, practitioners can effectively adapt existing models to the constraints and requirements of their application. In the process of adapting an existing model, a practitioner may make adjustments to the model architecture, including the input layers, output layers, and intermediate layers. In this study, we examine the effects of these adjustments on the runtime and energy performance of an edge processor performing inferences. Based on our observations, we make recommendations for how to adjust convolutional neural networks during transfer learning to maintain runtime performance. We observe that the Edge TPU is generally more efficient than a CPU at performing inferences on convolutional neural networks, and continues to outperform a CPU as the depth and width of the convolutional network increases. We explore multiple strategies for adjusting the input and output layers of an existing model and demonstrate important performance cliffs for practitioners to consider when modifying a convolutional neural network model.

Objectives: This paper presents a statistical review of modelling simulations for frequency and sensitivity of COVID-19 testing paradigms. Methods: We performed a review of preprints and published articles on PubMed from January 1, 2020 – March 1, 2021 using the search terms “COVID screening testing”, “COVID testing frequency”, “COVID testing frequency screening” and “SARS-CoV-2 testing frequency”.Results: Several authors’ conclusions support the claim that test frequency and test sensitivity both play a role in reducing SARS-CoV-2 transmission. We highlight the interplay between frequency of testing, test sensitivity and the speed at which test results are available in our review. Conclusions: Evidence suggests that sensitivity and frequency of testing both play a part in decreasing transmission of disease. We conclude that, overall, test sensitivity plays less of a role in reducing disease transmission in a population compared to the frequency of testing and how quickly test results are available.

While maintenance dredging of port access channels is often required to maintain navigability, it can result in increased turbidity, sediment plumes, and associated reductions in water quality. Unoccupied aircraft systems (UAS, or drones) are increasingly applied to study water quality due to their high spatial and temporal resolutions. In this study, we investigated the use of drone imagery to monitor turbidity in the Morehead City Harbor, North Carolina, USA, during channel maintenance by hopper dredge. Drone flights were conducted concurrently with in-situ sampling during active dredging and post-dredging. Multispectral drone images were radiometrically calibrated, converted to reflectance and then turbidity using two separate processing methods and a single-band (red; 620nm-700nm) generic turbidity retrieval algorithm, and then compared to in-situ measurements. The method of using average reflectance to retrieve a single turbidity measurement per drone image produced agreeable results when compared to the in-situ measurements (R² = 0.84). This method was then used to generate turbidity maps and extract surface plumes. While this could be considered a limited validation, the results indicate that realistic values can be obtained from drone imagery for low and high turbidity concentrations (1-72 FNU), making drones a viable option for monitoring surface turbidity associated with dredging.

This paper uses resilience as a lens through which to analyse disasters and other major threats to patterns of criminal behaviour. A set of indicators and mathematical models are introduced that aim to quantitatively describe changes in crime levels in comparison to what could otherwise be expected, and what might be expected by way of adaptation and subsequent resumption of those patterns. The validity of the proposed resilience assessment tool is demonstrated using commercial theft data from the COVID-19 pandemic period. A 64 per cent reduction in crime was found in the studied city (China) during an 83-day period, before daily crime levels bounced back to higher than expected values. The proposed resilience indicators are recommended as benchmarking instruments for evaluating and comparing the global impact of COVID-19 policies on crime and public safety.

The crisis of mining-industrial activities in Western Europe since the middle of the 20th century caused the cessation of mining, triggering a structural crisis. It is necessary to look for alternatives, among which tourist activities based on mining heritage stand out. However, there are unattractive peripheral spaces in which new activities encounter obstacles to their development, facing the post-industrial and rural crises. The Riotinto Mining Basin (Huelva, Andalusia) represents an example of such spaces with an enormous cultural heritage. A central agent, the Río Tinto Foundation, has opted to enhance tourism value, while the mine has recently been reactivated. The objective of this research is to analyze the contribution of mining tourism to sustainable rural development. The methodology applied has been mixed based on conducting interviews and analyzing secondary data. The results are (a) achievement of the tourism value of the mining heritage; (b) difficulties for tourism to overcome its peripheral condition; (c) relative contribution of tourism to the improvement of the territorial image; (d) lack of coordination among stakeholders; (e) limited contribution of tourism to sustainable rural development, moving to a secondary economic role after the reopening of the mine.

This research aims to contribute to the growing body of knowledge of Collaborative Consumption (CC) by exploring the motivations that influence the use of Peer-to-Peer (P2P) accommodation platforms from the demand side. There has been a significant increase in interest in sustainable choices regarding P2P accommodation in recent years. To address this gap and contribute to the collaborative consumption and P2P accommodation theory a quantitative study was conducted through a survey yielding 235 responses from both users and non-users of P2P platforms. The findings of this study suggest that P2P accommodation platform usage is influenced by multiple motivations, including sustainability, belonging, economic benefits, and convenience. Interestingly, the study also found that individuals with higher levels of academic qualifications are more likely to adopt this mode of consumption. Moreover, the study is the first of its kind to quantitatively address this topic and, therefore, contributes significantly to the field of collaborative consumption and P2P accommodation theory. By understanding the motivations of P2P platform users, policymakers and practitioners can develop targeted strategies to promote sustainable choices in this sector. Overall, this study provides a useful framework for future research on collaborative consumption and sustainable P2P accommodation.

In rural spaces, new activities are developed to add to the traditional ones in the context of multifunctionality, considering the protection and enhancement of natural and cultural heritage, as in Nature Parks. They incorporate new recreational and tourist functions, understood as an instrument for local development. This research aims to study the relationships between tourism and local development in three Natural Parks (Sierra de Aracena and Picos de Aroche, Sierra Norte de Sevilla and Sierra de Hornachuelos) in Andalusia (Spain). The research uses a mixed methodology consisting of, on the one hand, selective interviews with stakeholders focused on tourism and local development processes and, on the other, secondary data to analyze the repercussions on local development. The results show that (1) prevalence among the informants of the economic dimension in local development above the environmental and socio-cultural dimensions; (2) influence of declarations of protection and implementation of development policies on the growth of the tourist offer; (3) uneven tourism development in the different municipalities and Natural Parks; and (4) limited effects of tourism on local development.

Local Productive Systems (hereinafter LPS) based on agro-food industries constitute alternative models of development in peripheral rural areas that are subject to internal and external dynamics and processes. The main objective of the research is to investigate the processes and their consequences on four SPLs based on the Iberian Pig Transformation Industry (hereinafter LPS-IPTI) in SW Spain: Fregenal de la Sierra, Higuera la Real, Cumbres Mayores and Jabugo. Using secondary data, a comparison is made between 2002 and 2020 to establish the changes, causes and consequences on the LPS-IPTI studied. The results obtained indicate (1) business and territorial concentration of LPS-IPTI; (2) productive and territorial specialisation in standardised products and quality products; (3) simplification of industrial processes; (4) loss of employment, especially female; (5) external control of companies in the sector which, accordingly, results in the loss of prominence of local actors in favour of foreign companies, reduced social capital and the progressive loss of ownership of the LPS.

The objective of this work is to present the results of an investigation on the technological, pedagogical and content knowledge evidenced by mathematics teachers in the second-level of initial training (preservice) at the Universidad Nacional, from the TPACK model perspective, on the subject of functions. The research has a qualitative approach with an interpretive hermeneutical stance. A sample of 27 teachers in training who were enrolled in courses related to the three base domains of the TPACK model (pedagogical, technological and content of quadratic function) during the first semester (I cycle) of 2020 was used. A theoretical inquiry was carried out that allowed the creation of an instrument that made possible the description of the participants’ knowledge based on this model focused on the topic of quadratic function. The results show that participants possess instrumental dominance over the basic forms of knowledge underlying the model. It is concluded that, although participants have already experimented in courses related to these forms of knowledge, there is insufficient evidence to ascertain that their current knowledge would allow them to integrate technologies as a didactic resource within the teaching of the subject of quadratic function.

Nowadays, the European Union and the governments of the different countries have focused on the development of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) and the 2030 agenda, something that has been translated into education itself. Video Games, Gamification, and Game Based Learning have become different strategies and tools to enhance the learning process and some of the growing approaches used by teachers to develop sustainable education in the classrooms. This research aims to analyze the characteristics to promote sustainability in education using games and technology, specifically its learning benefits for Higher Education. A systematic review of the literature was conducted following the PRISMA methodology. At first, 2025 documents were found which, after the filtering phases, the number of articles has been reduced to nine, which subsequently were analyzed in depth. The results indicated that among the benefits of the use of games mediated by technologies are the following: it favors education for sustainability and it promotes the educational inclusion and the work of various social skills such as collaborative and cooperative work. Also, showed an increase of the number of publications between 2019 and 2023, reflecting the growing interest in the topic. However, there are some research gap in this field.

Despite the efforts made to stop the tuberculosis (TB) epidemic, it still remains one of the leading causes of death from an infectious disease. Previous work in the group uncovered a new family of amides which showed promising activities against Mycobacterium tuberculosis. A closer look at the literature showed that these compounds are structurally related to the DNB family of DprE1 inhibitors, so, we decided to study a wide range of substituted amides and determine their activity, focusing on unexplored structures related to the dinitrobenzamides (DNB) found in the literature. To synthesize our library of compounds we started from 3,5-dinitrobenzoic acid to form the nitroaromatic core that is characteristic of the DNB’s, to which we then added linear or cyclic amine moieties. Additionally, the impact of terminal aromatic moieties was also assessed for some derivatives, via an ether, ester, or amide bond. In order to obtain the desired derivatives, multiple synthetic approaches were used, mainly focused on nucleophilic addition/elimination reactions, SN2 reactions and Mitsunobu reactions. The activity was impacted mainly by two structural features, the addition of an aromatic moiety as a terminal group and the type of the linker. The most interesting compounds exhibited activities comparable to isoniazid and DNB1. Computational studies were also performed aimed at understanding their possible interactions with DprE1. The most active compounds are a good starting point for further development, and we plan to study an extended family of compounds based in those structures.

Introduction: Like other public safety professions, paramedicine has historically been a male-dominated occupation, both in the demography of its workforce and in its organizational culture. Although women are increasingly choosing paramedicine as a career, participation in leadership roles remains limited. Drawing on data from a recent comprehensive mental health survey, we describe the proportion of women in leadership in a single, large, urban paramedic service in Ontario, Canada. Methods: We distributed an in-person, paper-based survey during the fall 2019 - winter 2020 Continuing Medical Education (CME) sessions. Participating paramedics completed a demographic questionnaire alongside a battery of mental health screening tools. We assessed the demography of the workforce and explored differences in employment classification, provider level (e.g., primary vs. advanced care), and participation in formal leadership roles along self-reported gender lines. Results: Out of 607 paramedics attending CME, we received 600 completed surveys, with 11 excluded for missing data, leaving 589 for analysis and a 97% response rate. Women comprised 40% of the active-duty paramedic workforce, with an average of 8 years of experience. Compared to men, women were more than twice as likely to have a university degree (Odds Ratio [OR] 2.02), but almost half as likely to practice at the Advanced Care Paramedic level (OR 0.61), and somewhat less likely to be employed full-time (OR 0.77). Women were nearly 70% less likely to hold a leadership role in the service compared to men (OR 0.36), occupying just 20% of leadership positions. Conclusion: Although paramedicine is witnessing an encouraging shift in the demography of its workforce with greater participation from women, there is still work to be done, particularly in leadership. Future research should focus on identifying and ameliorating barriers to career advancement among women and other historically underrepresented people.

Low-frequency electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) is used to extract the EPR parameter A-mid and support the approximate X-band value of g-mid for Ba(Co_yZn_1/3-yTa_2/3)O₃. Although cobalt hyperfine structure for the [+/−1/2> state is often unresolved at X-band or S-band, it is resolved in measurements on this compound. This allows for detailed analysis of the molecular orbital for the [+/−1/2> state, which is often the ground state. Moreover, this work shows that the EPR parameters for Co substituted into Zn compounds gives important insight into the properties of zinc binding sites.

Responsible innovation combines philanthropic and economic aspects and it is common to refer to entrepreneurs who lead it as "social entrepreneurs". The present study of 100 Mexican SMEs, provides knowledge of exploratory nature about what the models of organization are conducive to SMEs in the generation and development of responsible innovations. Through the statistical technique of cluster analysis, this study identified and characterized four models of organization according to the level of social entrepreneurship reached: (1) “The techno-scientific organization”, (2) “The techno-social organization”, (3) “The capitalist-social organization” and (4) “The capitalist organization”. While in Europe the dominant discourse about responsible innovation focuses on the control of the risk of social rejection of the advance of science and technology; in contexts such as the Mexican, the phenomenon is configured as the mechanism through which entrepreneurs articulate its technological and scientific capabilities to solve priority and specific problems of the society, however, the social impact does not crucially affect their business initiatives. The techno-scientific organization (50% of studied SMEs) is proposed as the model of organization with greater viability for Mexican entrepreneurs.

Porous coatings on prosthetic implants encourage implant fixation. Enhanced fixation may be achieved using a magneto-active porous coating that can deform elastically in vivo on application of an external magnetic field, straining in-growing bone. Such coating, made of 444 ferritic stainless steel fibres, was previously characterised in terms of its mechanical and cellular responses. In this work, co-cultures of human osteoblasts and endothelial cells were seeded into a novel fibrin-based hydrogel embedded in a 444 ferritic stainless steel fibre network. Albumin was successfully incorporated into fibrin hydrogels improving the specific permeability and the diffusion of fluorescently-tagged dextrans without affecting their Young’s modulus. The beneficial effect of albumin was demonstrated by upregulation of osteogenic and angiogenic gene expression. Furthermore, mineralisation, extracellular matrix production and formation of vessel-like structures were enhanced in albumin-enriched fibrin hydrogels compared to fibrin hydrogels. Collectively, the results indicate that the albumin-enriched fibrin hydrogel is a promising bio-matrix for bone tissue engineering and orthopaedic applications.

There is a potential for synergy effects in utilizing CO2 for both enhanced gas recovery (EGR) and geothermal energy extraction (CO2-plume geothermal, CPG) from natural gas reservoirs. This “combined CO2-EGR–CPG system” has been introduced as a feasible approach that constitutes a CO2 Capture double-Utilization and Storage (CCUUS) system. In this study, we carry out reservoir simulations, using TOUGH2, to evaluate the sensitivity of the natural gas recovery, pressure buildup, and geothermal power generation performance of the combined system to various key reservoir and operational parameters. The reservoir parameters include horizontal permeability, permeability anisotropy, reservoir temperature, and pore-size-distribution index; while the operational parameters include wellbore diameter and ambient surface temperature. Using an example of a natural gas reservoir model, we also investigate the effects of different strategies of transitioning from the CO2-EGR stage to the CPG stage on the energy-recovery performance metrics and on the two-phase fluid-flow regime in the production well. The simulation results show that overlapping the CO2-EGR and CPG stages and having a relatively brief period of CO2 injection but no production (which we call the CO2-plume establishment stage) achieves the best overall energy (natural gas and geothermal) recovery performance. Permeability anisotropy and reservoir temperature are the parameters the natural gas recovery performance of the combined system is most sensitive to. The geothermal power generation performance is most sensitive to the reservoir temperature and the production wellbore diameter. The results of this study pave the way for future CPG-based geothermal power-generation optimization studies. For a CO2-EGR–CPG project, the results can be a guide regarding the required accuracy of the reservoir parameters during exploration and data acquisition.

In the present work, a study has been carried out on the contamination of heavy metals in urban dust deposited on the roads of the city of Cartagena (Spain), in order to know the content of metals such as Ni, Zn, Pb, Cd, Cr and Cu. Likewise, the possible relationship of the concentration of heavy metals with the color of the sample, level of magnetism and traffic density was studied. Contamination was evaluated using several indices such as contamination factor (CF), enrichment factor (EF), geoacumulation index (Igeo), pollutant load index (PLI) and ecological risk index (RI). A total of 88 samples were taken in the urban area of Cartagena, and the metals were determined by acid digestion and measured by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry. The concentration of heavy metals in urban dust from Cartagena was Zn (672 mg/kg) &gt; Cu (248.9 mg/kg) &gt; Pb (227 mg/kg) &gt; Cr (82.7 mg/kg) &gt; Ni (47.7 mg/kg) &gt; Cd (4.1 mg/kg). Contamination levels were high in Pb, Zn, Cd and Cu, according to environmental indices. A correlation was found between magnetism and metal concentration, which was repeated for all metals except Cd. Dark-colored samples contained higher metal concentrations than light-colored samples. Meanwhile, streets with medium and low traffic intensity were found to have higher concentrations of heavy metals. This study's objective was to identify pollution hotspots caused by heavy metals in dust in the urban ecosystem of Cartagena city.

The current research investigated the environmental risk of the polycyclic musk compounds, Galaxolide® (HHCB) and Tonalide® (AHTN), in the marine environments. These substances are lipophilic, bioaccumulated and potentially biomagnified in aquatic organisms. To understand the toxicity of HHCB and AHTN, we performed acute toxicity tests by exposing marine microalgae (Phaeodactylum tricornutum, Tretraselmis chuii and Isochrysis galbana), crustaceans (Artemia franciscana), echinoderms (Paracentrotus lividus), bivalves (Mytilus galloprovincialis), fish (Sparus aurata) and a candidate freshwater microalga (Raphidocelis subcapitata) to environmentally relevant concentrations (0.005 - 5 µg/L) following standardized protocols. The effects of both substances on microalgae growth were incipient and only I. galbana was sensitive to HHCB and AHTN, with IC10 values of 5.22 µg/L and 0.328 µg/L, respectively. Significant (p < 0.01) concentration dependent responses were measured in P. lividus and M. galloprovincialis larvae developments as well as S. aurata mortality tested with HHCB. The effect of HHCB on P. lividus larvae development was the most sensitive endpoint recorded, producing an EC50 value of 4.07 µg/L. Our results show that HHCB represents a high risk to P. lividus larvae development for early life stages in marine environments.

Frontotemporal lobar degeneration (FTLD) belongs to a heterogeneous group of highly complex neurodegenerative diseases and represents the second cause of presenile dementia in individuals under 65. Frontotemporal-TDP is a subgroup of frontotemporal dementia characterized by the aggregation of abnormal protein deposits, predominantly transactive response DNA-binding protein 43 (TDP-43), in the frontal and temporal brain regions. These deposits lead to progressive degeneration of neurons resulting in cognitive and behavioral impairments. Limbic age-related encephalopathy (LATE) pertains to age-related cognitive decline primarily affecting the limbic system which is crucial for memory, emotions, and learning. Though distinct, emerging research suggests a potential overlap in pathogenic processes, with some cases of limbic encephalopathy displaying TDP-43 pathology. Genetic factors play a pivotal role in both disorders. Mutations in various genes, such as progranulin (GRN) and chromosome 9 open reading frame 72 (C9orf72), have been identified as causative in frontotemporal-TDP. Similarly, specific genetic variants have been associated with an increased risk of developing LATE. Understanding these genetic links provides crucial insights into disease mechanisms and the potential for targeted therapies.

This paper focuses on leveraging a cutting-edge 3D state-space model for a holistic eco-friendly assessment in petrochemical operations. - By applying the ecological carrying capacity theory and the three-dimensional state-space model, this research aims to unleash the next frontier of sustainability in the petrochemical industry. - The proposed methodology will enable advanced and comprehensive eco efficiency evaluation in petrochemical operations. - Through the integration of the ecological carrying capacity theory and advanced modeling techniques, this research seeks to revolutionize sustainability assessments in the petrochemical sector. - The utilization of the cutting-edge 3D state-space model will provide a more advanced and accurate understanding of eco-friendly practices in petrochemical operations. This research presents a unique approach distinct from existing literature, which primarily examines business eco efficiency from behavioral motivation and strategic perspectives. In contrast, this paper introduces a novel three-dimensional state-space model to evaluate the ecological efficiency of petrochemical operations. By combining the ecological carrying index and state space, this model represents the ecological impact of petrochemical operations in a three-dimensional geometric space. It considers petrochemical operations as a significant factor exerting pressure on natural resources and the natural environment. In this three-dimensional state-space model, the three axes represent different dimensions of petrochemical operations. The first axis represents the economic status, which quantitatively describes the financial aspects of the operation. The second axis represents the utilization of resources, capturing the extent to which resources are consumed in the operation. The third axis focuses on the impact of the operation on the environment, allowing for a quantitative assessment of its ecological footprint. By incorporating these dimensions, the model aims to provide a comprehensive and quantitative description of the economic activities of petrochemical operations and their interactions with resources and the environment.The primary focus of this research is to apply the three-dimensional state-space model to calculate the ecological carrying capacity of petrochemical operations. By doing so, it aims to verify the feasibility and applicability of the model in determining the ecological efficiency of these operations. The research also aims to provide theoretical tools that can assist operations in making more informed ecological efficiency judgments. By utilizing this model, petrochemical operations will have a quantitative framework to assess and improve their environmental impact, thus fostering more sustainable practices. The findings of this research demonstrate that the implementation of this method can effectively identify issues related to resources, economy, and environment throughout the development of petrochemical operations. By identifying these problems, it provides managers with a solid foundation for making strategic decisions that promote sustainable development. With this valuable information at their disposal, managers can proactively address challenges, optimize resource utilization, and minimize environmental impacts, thus steering the petrochemical operations towards a more sustainable and responsible path.

Lipophilicity can be measured with different methods, such as Shake-Flask or liquid chromatography. HPLC presents the advantage of overcoming solubility issues and therefore extending the range of lipophilicity to high values. A specific HPLC method, called ELogD, had been developed 20 years ago on a C₁₆-amide stationary phase, enhancing hydrophobic and hydrogen bond interactions to mimic octanol-water partition. The emergence of novel stationary phases added to the need for a less complex mobile phase has led to the development of a new HPLC assay called alphaLogD, applicable to neutral and basic compounds at pH 7.4, that combines superficially porous particles, a high number of equilibriums between solutes and stationary phase, and results in a lower number of isocratic methods to determine the logk’_w at a higher throughput. Statistical studies have been run to successfully evaluate the alphaLogD method compared to the Shake-Flask method and to allow this lipophilicity measurement into the so-called Beyond-Rule-of-5-molecules space.

The broad bean plant contains L-DOPA, a compound that is essential for patients with Parkin-son’s disease. However, little has been reported on other broad bean compounds that have bene-ficial effects on health. The objective was to evaluate plants of four Mexican broad bean varieties to determine the content and yield of total phenolic compounds (TPC), total flavonoids (TF), and L-DOPA, as well as to analyze the flavonoid profile and antioxidant (AA) and anti-inflammatory (AANTI) activity in vitro. Broad bean seeds were sown in the field and plants were harvested 20 days after emergence. The analyses were performed with visible UV spectrophotometry and HPLC. The variety José María produced the highest yield of TPC (9.30 g m-2), TF (8.08 g m-2) and L-DOPA (5.64 g m-2) per unit of area. The highest yields per plant were obtained with the Rojita variety: TPC (0.25 g plant-1), TF (0.21 g plant-1) and L-DOPA (0.17 g plant-1). This variety also had the highest antioxidant (CI50= 87.68 µg mL-¹) and anti-inflammatory (CI50= 74.40 mg mL-1) activi-ty, which was attributed to the L-DOPA compounds and to rutin and isoorientins, respectively. The flavonoid profile revealed the presence of rutin and isoorientins, which had not been previ-ously detected in the broad bean plant.

This paper secures the analytical soliton solutions of the perturbed NLSE gives to (1). The existence criteria have been demonstrated and the wave speed of the soliton befall out. To achieve all the results obtained we used the mathematical technique. In view of the results obtained, some new additional one have been reported in left-handed metamaterials.

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

Viruses are the most common congenital infections and an important cause of fetal malformations, morbidity, and mortality. The effects of these infections, which are transmitted in-utero (transplacentally), during childbirth or in the puerperium depend on the timing of the infections. These vary from miscarriages (usually with infections in very early pregnancy), congenital malformations (where the infections occur during organogenesis) and morbidity (with infections occurring late in pregnancy, during childbirth or after delivery). The most common of these viruses are cytomegalovirus, hepatitis, parvovirus B-19, rubella, varicella and zika. There are currently very few efficacious antiviral agents licensed for use in pregnancy and therefore for most of these infections, prevention by means of immunisation (where there is a vaccine), administration of immunoglobulins to those exposed to the virus to offer passive immunity or appropriate measures to avoid being infected would be options to minimise the infections and their consequences. In this review, we discuss the current understanding of some of the congenital infections and their consequences on both the mother and fetus and their management focusing mainly on prevention.

Given the imperative of security, sustainability of supply, strategic considerations, and energy independence, there is a widely acknowledged need to persist in utilizing coal as the primary fuel for electricity generation in power plants. However, in order to combat the rising levels of CO2 in the atmosphere, it is crucial to advance the development of carbon capture and storage (CCS) technologies that enable fossil fuel power plants to achieve zero emissions. These technologies play a pivotal role in capturing and effectively storing CO2, thus ensuring that coal-based power generation can continue while significantly reducing its environmental impact. By implementing CCS solutions, fossil fuel power plants can transition towards a more sustainable and environmentally friendly energy future.The utilization of chemical solvents for CO2 absorption, coupled with long-term storage, presents an intriguing and commercially viable technology for CO2 capture. However, the significant energy demands of the solvent regeneration process necessitate optimization, particularly in large-scale power plants. While the current cost of CO2 capture stands at approximately #55,000.00(Naira) per ton of CO2, the objective is to reduce this cost to below #25,000.00(Naira) per ton of CO2. This reduction in cost is essential to ensure the economic feasibility and widespread adoption of CO2 capture technologies in power generation.This research paper explores various approaches to address the energy demands associated with amine scrubbing integration in a commercial power plant. It provides a comprehensive analysis, both technically and economically, of the performance of these different approaches. While some of the proposed schemes may result in minor efficiency reductions, the key objective is to calculate the specific cost per ton of CO2 captured. The primary focus is on identifying the most suitable configuration to implement large-scale, cost-effective schemes that can serve as a foundation for CO2 capture demonstration projects. By determining the optimal configuration, this research aims to pave the way for the successful implementation of efficient and economically viable CO2 capture technologies in the power generation sector.

Phylogenies depict shared evolutionary patterns and structures on a tree topology, enabling the identification of hierarchical and historical relationships. Recent analyses indicate that phylogenetic signals extend beyond the primary structure of protein or DNA, and various aspects of codon usage biases are phylogenetically conserved. Several functional biases exist within genes, including the number of codons that are used, the position of the codons, and the overall nucleotide composition of the genome. Codon usage biases can significantly affect transcription and translational efficiencies, leading to differential gene expression. Although systematic codon usage biases originate from the overall GC content of a species, ramp sequences, codon aversion, codon pairing, and tRNA competition also significantly affect gene expression and are phylogenetically conserved. We review recent advances in analyzing codon usage biases and their implications in phylogenomics. We first outline common phylogenomic techniques. Next, we identify several codon usage biases and their effects on secondary structure, gene expression, and implications in phylogenetics. Finally, we suggest how codon usage biases can be included in phylogenomics. By incorporating various codon usage biases in common phylogenomic algorithms, we propose that we can significantly improve tree inference. Since codon usage biases have significant biological implications, they should be considered in conjunction with other phylogenetic algorithms.

Violence against paramedics is widely recognized as a serious, but underreported, problem. While injurious physical attacks on paramedics are generally reported, non-physical violence is less likely to be documented. Verbal abuse can be very distressing, particularly if the harassment targets personal or cultural identities, such as race, ethnicity, gender, or sexual orientation. Leveraging a novel, point-of-event reporting process, our objective was to estimate the prevalence of harassment on identity grounds against paramedics in a single paramedic service in Ontario, Canada, and assess its potentially differential impact on emotional distress. In an analysis of 502 reports filed between February 1, 2021, through February 28, 2022, two paramedic-supervisors independently coded the free-text narrative descriptions of violent encounters for themes suggestive of sexism, racism, and homophobia. We achieved high interrater agreement across the dimensions (k=0.73-0.83), and after resolving discrepant cases, we found that 1 in 4 violent reports documented abuse on at least one of the identity grounds. In these cases, paramedics were 60% more likely to indicate being emotionally distressed than for other forms of violence. Our findings offer unique insight into the type of vitriol paramedics experience in the course of their work and its potential for psychological harm.

Background: Blood flow restriction training (BFRT) uses occlusion during low-intensity resistance training (&lt;50% of repetition maximum, 1RM) to reduce arterial blood flow and venous return, imposing greater metabolic stress but similar muscular hypertrophy and strength gains as high-intensity resistance training (HIRT). However, no study, to date, has incorporated BFRT in a collegiate strength and conditioning setting to assess ecological validity. We aimed to investigate the effects of adding 6-weeks of accessory BFRT or HIRT to NCAA Division III soccer players prescribed resistance training regimen on muscle strength and hypertrophy. Methods: Male and female (n=17) athletes were randomly assigned to complete biceps curls 2x/week under BFRT or control (HIRT), following the regularly scheduled strength training. Bicep strength (1RM) and circumference (BC) were assessed at weeks 0, 3, and 6. Results: In men, no significant interaction between time and condition was observed for BC (p=0.861), though condition (BFRT vs Control, p=0.025) and time (p=0.024) were significant. For 1RM, there was no significant interaction between time and condition (BFRT vs HIRT, p=0.067) or of condition (p=0.598), but there was a significant effect of time (p=0.004). In women, there was no significant interaction between time and condition (p=0.765) or of condition (p=0.971) on BC, but time was significant (p=0.045). For 1RM, there was no significant interaction between time and condition (p=0.227) or of condition (p=0.741), but time was (p=0.018). Conclusion: BFRT induced similar increases in muscle strength and hypertrophy as HIRT in soccer players, suggesting that BFRT could be incorporated into collegiate athlete training.

The IEEE 802.15.4-2015 standard includes the SUN (Smart Utility Networks) modulations, i.e., SUN-FSK, SUN-OQPSK and SUN-OFDM, which provide long range communications and allow to trade data rate, occupied bandwidth and reliability. However, given the constraints of low-power devices and the challenges of the wireless channel, communication reliability cannot still meet the PDR (Packet Delivery Ratio) requirements of industrial applications, i.e., PDR>99%. Hence, in this paper we evaluate the benefits of improving communication reliability by combining packet transmissions with modulation diversity using multiple IEEE 802.15.4g SUN modulations. The results derived from a real-world deployment show that going from 1 to 3 packet transmissions with the same SUN modulation can increase PDR from 85.0/84.6/71.3% to 94.2/94.1/86.0% using SUN-FSK, SUN-OQPSK and SUN-OFDM, respectively. Combining the same number of packet transmissions with modulation diversity allows to further increase the average PDR to 97.1%, indicating its potential as a tool to help meeting the reliability requirements of industrial applications.

In this article we present a deployment of 11 nodes using the three different SUN (Smart Utility Network) modulation schemes, as defined in the IEEE 802.15.4-2015 standard. The nodes were deployed in a 110.044 m2 warehouse for 99 days, and the resulting dataset contains a total of 10.710.868 measurements with RSSI (Received Signal Strength Indicator), CCA (Clear Channel Assessment) and PDR (Packet Delivery Ratio) values. The analyzed results show a high variability in average RSSI (i.e., between -82.1 dBm and -101.7 dBm) and CCA (i.e., between -111.2 dBm and -119.9 dBm) values, which are caused by the effects of multi-path propagation and external interference. Despite being above the sensitivity limit for each modulation, this values result in poor average PDR values (i.e., from 65.9% to 87.4%), indicating that additional schemes are required for low-power wireless communications to meet the dependability requirements of industrial applications. For that purpose, we also introduce the concept of modulation diversity, which can be combined with packet repetition to meet such requirements (i.e., PDR>99%) while minimizing the energy expenditure of nodes and meeting regulatory constraints.

Overweight and Obesity (Ow/Ob) is a risk factor for developing cardiometabolic disease, and metabolic dysfunction. Dietary interventions, such as caloric restriction (CR), have been explored but little is known about the acute effects of CR and often such diets are not standardized. PURPOSE: To assess the impact of a standardized 3-day CR diet (~590kcal/d) on cardiometabolic health and fat metabolism in Ow/Ob individuals. METHODS: Fifteen Ow/Ob men and women were assessed pre-post 3-day CR using standardized diet; specifically, body weight/composition (% body fat, visceral fat score (Vfs), waist-hip circumferences, blood pressure and vascular stiffness, resting energy expenditure (REE), substrate utilization (respiratory quotient, RQ), and blood glucose/lipid profile. RESULTS: CR induced changes in body weight (93.1±15.2 to 90.67±14.4 kg, p&lt;0.001, d=1.9), body mass index (32.9±4.0 to 32.0±3.7 kg/m2, p&lt;0.001, d=1.4), body fat (37.2±7.5 to 35.8±7.5%, p=0.002, d=1.1) and Vfs (13.1±4.5 to 12.2±3.9 a.u., p=0.002, d=1.1), but not body water (46.3±3.6 to 46.0±3.6%, p=0.29, d=0.3). CR had no effect on peripheral (86±5 to 89±5 mmHg, p=0.23, d=0.3) or central mean arterial pressure (86±5 to 87±6 mmHg, p=0.44, d=0.2), but lowered augmentation index (29.8±17.5 to 21.5±14.5%, p=0.05, d=0.6). Blood glucose (86±7 to 84±11 mg/dl, p=0.33, d=0.3) and blood lipids (total cholesterol (196±49 to 203±54 mg/dl, p=0.16, d=0.4) and TC/HDL (4.9±2.4 to 6.1±4.7, p=0.13, d=0.4)) were unchanged. RQ decreased with CR (0.84±0.01 to 0.76±0.00, p&lt;0.001, d=1.9), though REE was unchanged (1718±274 to 1722±317 kcal/d, p=0.83, d=0.1). CONCLUSION: The 3-day CR significantly improved body weight and composition and fat metabolism, with minimal cardiovascular effects.

Adenine and thymine homopolymer strings of at least 8 nucleotides (AT 8+mers) were characterized in Salmonella entericasubspecies I. The motif differed between cother taxonomic classes but not between Salmonella enterica serovars. The motif in plasmids was associated with serovar. Approximately 12.3% of the S. enterica motif loci had mutations. Mutability of AT 8+mers suggests that genomes undergo frequent repair to maintain optimal gene content, and that the motif facilitates self-recognition; in addition, serovar diversity is associated with plasmid content. A theory that genome regeneration accounts for both persistence of predominant Salmonella serovars and serovar diversity provides a new framework for investigating root causes of foodborne illness.

Medical records contain many terms which are difficult to process. Our aim in this study is to allow the visual exploration of the information in medical databases where the texts presents a large number of syntactic variations and abbreviations, through an interface which facilitates content identification, navigation and information retrieval. We propose the use of multi-term tag clouds as content representation tools and as assistants for the browsing and querying tasks. The tag cloud generation is achieved through a novelty mathematical method that allows related terms to remain grouped together within the tags To evaluate this proposal, we have used a database with 24,481 records. 23 expert users in the medical field were tasked to complete a survey to evaluate the generated tag clouds properties and we obtained a precision of 0.990, a recall of 0.870 and a F1score of 0.904 in the evaluation of the tag cloud as an information retrieval tool. The main contribution of this approach is that we automatically generate a visual interface over the text capable of capturing the semantics of the information and facilitating access to medical records.