In studies of dynamic stability and power quality, it is necessary to know the mechanical parameters that determine the transient response of a wind turbine. The exact value of these parameters is not as decisive as the power curve can be, but an estimate that is far from reality can distort or even invalidate the simulation results. Despite its importance, this information, especially the inertia, but also the stiffness and damping constant of the drive-train, is hardly available for the turbine model under investigation. In this work, the different bibliographical sources that provide values of blade inertia in kg·m2 will be reviewed, and above all, those that provide a distribution of masses along the span of the blade. With this, different reliable relations will be obtained that allow calculating the inertia of the turbine rotor, based on the mass and length of the blade. When the center of gravity is also available, a very correlated expression is provided to obtain the inertia. The even rarer references to the stiffness and damping constant of the drive-train will also be reviewed.

In recent years, numerous approaches have been developed to comprehend the molecular altera-tions underlying thyroid cancer (TC) oncogenesis and explore novel therapeutic strategies for TC. It is now well established that the neurokinin-1 receptor (NK-1R) is overexpressed in cancer cells and that NK-1R is essential for viability of cancer cells. The binding of substance P (SP) to NK-1R in neoplastic cells plays a pivotal role in cancer progression by promoting neoplastic cell growth, protecting tumour cells from apoptosis, triggering invasion and metastasis through enhanced migration of cancer cells, and stimulating endothelial cell proliferation for tumour angiogenesis. Remarkably, all types of human TC (papillary, follicular, medullary, anaplastic), as well as met-astatic lesions, exhibit overexpression of SP and NK-1R compared to the normal thyroid gland. TC cells synthesize and release SP, which exerts its multiple functions through autocrine, para-crine, intracrine, and neuroendocrine processes, including the regulation of tumour burden. Con-sequently, the secretion of SP from TC results in increased SP levels in plasma, which are signifi-cantly higher in TC patients compared to controls. Additionally, NK-1R antagonists have demonstrated a dose-dependent antitumour action. They impair cancer cell proliferation on one side and induce apoptosis of tumour cells on the other side. Furthermore, it has been demonstrat-ed that NK-1R antagonists inhibit neoplastic cell migration, thereby impairing both invasiveness and metastatic abilities, as well as angiogenesis. Given the consistent overexpression of NK-1R in all types of TC, targeting this receptor represents a promising therapeutic approach for TC. Therefore, NK-1R antagonists, such as the drug aprepitant, may represent novel drugs for TC treatment.

The socioeconomic sectors increasingly rely on prompt and affordable tools to predict climatic conditions. This study uses a decision tree classifier model to identify similar monthly ENSO 3.4 indices from March 2001 to February 2011 through monthly historical ENSO3.4 indices (December 1950 – February 2001). Historical monthly ENSO3.4 indices were used to extract available high-resolution monthly historical precipitation grids (1950-2001) for Mexico and constructed monthly ensembles (March 2001 – February 2011 hindcasts). Formerly, a precipitation categorization of monthly observed and simulated precipitation (2001-2011 hindcasts) was employed. Thereafter, global vector data and spatial map assessments were performed seasonally (winter, spring, summer, and fall). Global KSS and HSS metrics indicated the model approach has skill, especially in the spring and fall. Spatial metrics exposed large areas with hit rates > 0.60 in winter and spring, though in winter and spring (dry seasons), it was due to the precipitation categorization hindcast and observed were within the first classification. Lower hit rates, but still acceptable (> 0.40), were detected in summer and fall (during the rainy season and at the end, respectively) because more precipitation classifications were tested and prone to miss. Spatial Spearman correlations provided specific areas of significant model performances and found that high hit rates during the winter and spring are spurious. Meanwhile, it was also found that during the fall the model approach is reliable in most of Mexico, followed by the spring, and in constraint areas in summer and winter across the country. It also appears that dominant ENSO neutral events followed by balanced ENSO cooling and warming events do not prefer the model skill. Overall, the empirical method shows promise (low-cost human and computational resources if ENSO indices expose certainty in its Lead months to forecast) and has the potential to be used in other developing countries influenced by El Niño phenomena.

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

This paper presents high-resolution digital measurements at low cost, combining oversample and averaging. Experiments of processing data between samples and between multiple temperature sensors in the same environment are conducted. They provide results with effective increase in the analog to digital converter bits, in correspondence with the minimization on the effects of noise. It is shown that averaging a set of small, low-cost sensors at a small microcontroller can give flexible access to improved measurement accuracy.

Glucose is a simple sugar molecule. The sugar molecule is chemically symbolised as C6H12O6. This means that the glucose molecule contains 6 carbon atoms (C), 12 hydrogen atoms (H) and 6 oxygen atoms (O). In human blood, the molecule glucose circulates as blood sugar. Normally after eating or drinking, our body breaks down the sugars in food and uses them to obtain energy for our cells. To do this, our pancreas produces insulin. Insulin "pulls" sugar from the blood and puts it into the cells for use. If someone has diabetes, their pancreas can't produce enough insulin. As a result, the level of glucose in the blood rises. This can lead one to many potential complications, including blindness, disease, nerve damage, amputation, stroke, heart attack and damage to blood vessels etc. In this study, a non-invasive method for monitoring blood glucose has been developed and is therefore easily usable. The device developed can measure the glucose level continuously and eliminates the disadvantages of the invasive system. Near-IR sensors (optical sensors) were used to estimate the concentration of glucose in the blood; these sensors have a wavelength of 940 nm. The sensor is placed on the tip of the finger and the output of the optical sensor is then connected to the microcontroller at the analogue input. Another sensor used, but only to provide more medical information was the heartbeat sensor. After processing and regression analysis, the glucose level is predicted, and data is sent via the Bluetooth network to a developed APP. The results of the implemented device were compared with available invasive methods. The study consists of a hardware platform inserted into an armband and then a small black parallelepiped-shaped box in which the optical sensors are inserted. The hardware consists of a microcontroller, a Near-IR optical sensor, a heartbeat sensor and a Bluetooth module.

Currently, a wide variety of velocity profiles are used in motion control. Thus, this paper compares the energy consumption of three parabolic, trapezoidal, and S-curve profiles. We studied the case of using embedded systems since they are a powerful solution to monitor and coordinate the movement of devices and machinery in various industries combined with motion control applications. These integrated systems allow precise and efficient control of motors and actuators through control and feedback algorithms. In addition, we propose an alternative methodology for implementing motion controllers using an Advanced RISC Machine (ARM) microcontroller, which computes the trajectory and the control action in real-time. We conducted an experiment using a linear plant composed of a direct current (DC) motor coupled to an endless screw where a carriage is mounted that can move mechanically along a rail a distance of 1.16m. In addition, a 4096 pulses per revolution (PPR) encoder is connected to the motor to measure position and angular velocity, which compute the distance the carriage has moved in meters. A current sensor is used to assess the energy consumption, and 40 tests for each profile were carried out to compare the energy consumption for the three-motion profiles considering cases with and without load on the carriage.

The number of physical devices connected to the Internet such as vehicles, household appliances and other "things" has been steadily increasing in recent years, thus forming the basis for the Internet of Things (IoT). IoT ecosystem extends beyond country borders and application domains, combining thousands of versatile devices that differ in terms of their structures, capabilities, and available resources. It is therefore not surprising that the landscape of wireless communication technologies and the degree of IoT devices available today is excessively broad and diverse. Interference between networks leads to frame collisions and consequent packet loss. Frame collisions occur when two or more packets overlap in time and frequency and use the same LoRa parameters, i.e. the same spreading factor (SF), bandwidth (BW) and carrier frequency (CF). When most devices use the same configuration, collision probability is higher. The probability of frame collisions is also affected by traffic characteristics, particularly the periodicity of the transmission and the payload size. Larger payload sizes and more frequent transmissions accumulate with higher time on air (ToA) and channel occupancy [1]. Transmission powers and the location of the gateways also influences this situation. The aim of this experimental work is to verify the effects of collisions and interference in LoRaWAN, regarding the periodicity of transmissions and the payload sizes. The hardware used is an Arduino board programmed in C/C++, a LoRa Bee module operating at a frequency of 868 MHz and a LoRaWAN LG02 gateway. Different scenarios were tested in an outdoor environment, with Line of Sight and Non-Line of Sight, and different variables such as: SFs equal to 7, 9 and 12; distances of 20, 40 and 60 meters and different data sizes of 14, 32 and 51 bytes, over the same channel. The packets with different SF’s and different data sizes were transmitted in a (pseudo) random way, one after the other, overlapping different SFs in the same channel and testing this way (theoretical) orthogonality among them. By fixing the bandwidth in 125 kHz, and testing different SFs we intend to increase the probability of cause packet loss by applying to our connection a combination of emitted power/short distance that leaves an interference power received, strong enough [2] for the effect. We validate our conclusions by analyzing ToA according with RSSI and different data sizes, the RSSI for different SFs and different data sizes and finally the packet loss through the PDR-Packet Delivery Ratio for a better understanding of the reliability of packet transmission in our link.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the relationship between serum levels of advanced glycation end products (AGEs) and abdominal aortic calcification (AAC) in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (DM2). This was a prospective cross-sectional study conducted from January 2017 to June 2018. One-hundred and four consecutive patients with DM2 were given lateral lumbar X-rays in order to quantify aortic abdominal calcification AAC. Circulating levels of AGEs and classical cardiovascular risk factors were determined. Clinical history was also registered. Patients with higher AGEs values had higher grades of aortic calcification and higher number of diabetic related complications. Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that being older, male and having high levels of AGEs and triglycerides were the independent risk factors associated to moderate-severe AAC when compared to no-mild AAC. Our results suggest that AGEs plays a role in the pathogenesis of aortic calcifications. In addition, the measurement of AGEs levels may be useful for assessing the severity of AAC in the setting of diabetic complications.

Zn2GeO4 is considered a very promising alternative to current luminescent semiconductors. Previous results suggest that its emitted wavelength may depend on different variables, such as particle size and morphology, among others. In this work, we have prepared pure and highly homogeneous Zn2GeO4 nanorods under hydrothermal synthesis conditions with a willemite-like structure. Their luminescent properties have been explored and their band gap estimated, which are distinct to previously reported Zn2GeO4 bulk particles. Therefore, our results identify particle morphology as a crucial factor for maximizing and fine-tuning the luminesce of Zn2GeO4 nano-phosphors.

Clinical and analytical differences between adult patients monoinfected with Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato (s.l.) and patients infected with B. burgdorferi s.l. who also had IgG antibodies against Babesia divergens have not been reported so far. Both Lyme disease caused by B. burgdorferi and babesiosis caused by B. divergens, endemic in Asturias, Northwestern Spain, are transmitted by Ixodes tick bites. Clinical, laboratory and other diagnostic tests characteristics (imaging, electro-cardiographic-ECG) of 120 residents of Asturias with confirmed B. burgdorferi s.l. infection, di-agnosed during 2015-2017, of whom 47 (39.2%) had B. divergens IgG antibodies, were retrospec-tively compared. Cardiorespiratory symptoms were reported in 9/47 (19.2%) patients with Lyme disease and B. divergens IgG antibodies compared to 4/73 (5.5%) patients with B. burgdorferi s.l. monoinfection (P=0.02). Dyspnea was recorded in 4/47 (8.5%) patients with Lyme disease and B. divergens IgG antibodies compared to 1/73 (1.4%) monoinfected (P=0.07). In addition ECG atri-oventricular (AV) block, mostly 1st degree, was detected in 5/47 (15.6%) patients with Lyme dis-ease and B. divergens IgG antibodies compared to 1/73 (2.6%) B. burgdorferi s.l. monoinfected (P=0.09). No other clinical, laboratory or other tests differences were observed between B. burgdorferi and B. divergens IgG antibodies carriers and B. burgdorferi monoinfected. We con-cluded that patients with Lyme disease and B. divergens IgG antibodies had more frequent car-diorespiratory symptoms, mainly dyspnea, compared to B. burgdorferi monoinfected patients. These symptoms were unrelated to anemia. ECG AV block, perhaps induced by summative myo-cardial damage due to either infections or B. divergens induced lung microcirculation slow-ing-down, might play a role in the cardiorespiratory dysfunction.

The increasing demand for sustainable products and services has become a constant requirement by the different stakeholders in an organization. Higher Education Institutions (HEI) have a crucial role in training conscious and competent professionals to lead these changes. Chemical analyses laboratories bring together the proper mix, where the adoption of mature and efficient management systems proves to be crucial not only to better train the institutions´ human resources but also to cooperate in recruiting research projects and other services to benefit society. Maturity models assist in the needed stages for sustainable growth to take place. This paper proposes a Maturity Model based on standardized norms to guide adjustments related to quality, risks, safety, and environment of chemical analyses laboratories in public higher education institutions. This research was done in four stages: theoretical research about Maturity Models, sustainability, and integrated management systems; survey with laboratories; case study at a chemical analyses laboratory of an HEI; and structuring and validating a maturity model. As a result of this, the model includes eight dimensions (Strategy, Leadership, Management, Operations, Continuous Improvement, Sustainability, Culture, and Integration), 31 subdimensions, and 204 management practices to assess and guide chemical analyses laboratories to sustainable maturity levels.

We investigate the behavior of the solutions of the ray equation in isotropic media. We discuss local and global transversals and wavefronts and give examples of rays without wavefronts.

Sometimes there are clear and natural limits to the scope of action of a science, and in other cases they are simply convenient ones. Geographic Information Science (GISc) is a transversal science, with contacts with all geosciences but also with various formal sciences such as Mathematics, Logic and Computer Science. A first approach to specifying the limits of a science is through its definition. Definitions of GISc are often so expansive that they have been rightly criticized for practicing gerrymandering, in particular with the rest of the geosciences. To avoid this, an operational definition is proposed that places GISc among the sciences that handle Data and not Information. This solves the gerrymandering problem without really implying a significant cut of what is usually considered within GISc. As an unforeseen consequence, this delimitation will allow it to be characterized as Formal Science, leaving it as the only geoscience with this characteristic.

Extremely low-frequency electromagnetic fields (ELF-EMFs) are non-ionizing radiations typically emitted by power lines, electrical wiring and electrical appliances. Epidemiological studies have repeatedly shown a positive association between ELF-EMFs and childhood leukemia. Exposures greater than 0.3-0.4 µT increase the risk by approximately 1.5-2 fold, and estimates indicate that up to 2% of childhood leukemia cases in Europe may be attributable to ELF-EMFs. However, it is considered unlikely that ELF-EMFs can cause cancer, because carcinogenesis requires the accumulation of DNA alterations and ELF-EMFs do not have enough energy to damage the DNA. Lack of biological plausibility is a barrier to accept the evidence of carcinogenicity in human studies and to take measures to protect pregnant women and children from ELF-EMFs. Recent evidence indicates that non-mutagenic agents can cause DNA alterations and increase the risk of cancer by promoting the accumulation of cell divisions in stem cells. Cell division generates DNA alterations (e.g., mutations arising during DNA replication), which occur even in the absence of DNA-damaging agents. Importantly, ELF-EMFs can trigger the division of stem cells; this effect is under development in the field of regenerative medicine. A possible mechanism by which ELF-EMFs induce the malignant transformation of hematopoietic stem cells is discussed.

Epidemiological data indicate that 5.8% of cancer deaths world-wide are attributable to alcohol consumption. The risk of cancer is higher in tissues in closest contact on ingestion of alcohol, such as the oral cavity, pharynx and esophagus. The risk of these cancers is increased even in people who have only one alcoholic drink per day. However, since ethanol is not mutagenic and the carcinogenic metabolite of ethanol (acetaldehyde) is mostly produced in the liver, it is not clear why alcohol use preferentially exerts a local carcinogenic effect. It is well known that ethanol causes cell death at the concentrations present in alcoholic beverages; however, this effect has been overlooked probably because dead cells cannot give rise to cancer. Here I discuss that the cytotoxic effect of ethanol on the cells lining the oral cavity, pharynx and esophagus activates the division of the stem cells located in deeper layers of the mucosa to replace the dead cells. Every time stem cells divide, they become exposed to unavoidable errors associated with cell division (e.g., mutations arising during DNA replication and chromosomal alterations occurring during mitosis) and also become highly vulnerable to the genotoxic activity of endogenous and exogenous DNA-damaging agents (e.g., reactive oxygen species, acetaldehyde and tobacco carcinogens). Alcohol consumption probably increases the risk of developing cancer of the oral cavity, pharynx and esophagus by promoting the accumulation of cell divisions in the stem cells that maintain these tissues in homeostasis. Because the cytotoxic activity of ethanol is concentration-dependent, the risk of these cancers will not only increase with increasing amounts of ethanol, but also with increasing concentrations; an ounce of whisky is probably more carcinogenic when taken undiluted than when taken mixed with non-alcoholic beverages. The local cytotoxic effect of ethanol can also explain the known synergistic effect of alcohol and tobacco use on the risk of these cancers. Understanding the mechanisms of carcinogenicity of alcohol is important to reinforce the epidemiological evidence and to raise public awareness of the strong link between alcohol consumption and cancer.

Tobacco use, most people would say. Smoking tobacco increases the risk of developing many types of cancer and is responsible for approximately one-third of all cancer deaths. The association between tobacco use and lung cancer is well known; lung cancer occurs about 20 times more often in heavy smokers than in nonsmokers [1]. However, many lung cancers are diagnosed in never smokers [2], and most smokers do not develop lung cancer [3,4].

The molecular evolution of medulloblastoma is more complex than was previously imagined as emerging evidence suggests that multiples interactions between the tumor cells and components of the tumor microenvironment (TME) are important for tumor promotion and progression. The identification of several molecular networks within the TME, which interact with tumoral cells, has provided new clues to understand the tumorigenic roles of many TME components as well as potential therapeutic targets. In this review, we discuss the most recent studies regarding the roles of astrocytes in supporting the sonic hedgehog (SHH)–activated medulloblastoma molecular subgroup, and provide an overview of medulloblastoma progression through SHH expression and signal transduction mechanisms into the complex tumor microenvironment. In addition, we highlight the associations between tumor and stromal cells as possible prognostic markers and new therapeutic strategies.

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

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

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

Free-living amoebae (FLA) are protozoa widely distributed in the environment, found in a great diversity of terrestrial biomes. However, few genera of FLA are linked to human infections. Within these genera, Acanthamoeba spp., classified by genotypes (T1-T23), being T1, T2, T4, T5, T10, T12, and T18 as capable of causing granulomatous amoebic encephalitis (GAE) in immunocompromised patients mostly and Acanthamoeba keratitis related to genotypes T2, T3, T4, T5, T6, T10, T11, T12 and T15 in apparently healthy patients. Meanwhile, Naegleria fowleri is the causative agent of an acute infection called primary amoebic meningoencephalitis (PAM), while Balamuthia mandrillaris, like some Acanthamoeba genotypes, causes GAE, differing from the latter in the description of numerous cases in patients immunocompetent. Finally, other FLA related to the pathologies mentioned above have been reported; Sappinia pedata is responsible for one case of amoebic encephalitis; Vermamoeba vermiformis has been found in cases of ocular damage, and its extraordinary capacity as endo-cytobiont for microorganisms of public health importance such as Legionella pneumophila, Bacillus anthracis, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, among others. In this review, issues related to the epidemiology of each one are addressed, updating their geographic distribution and cases reported in recent years for pathogenic FLA.

The potential yield of annual crops is affected by management practices and water and energy availabilities throughout the crop season. The current work aimed to assess the effects of plant population and soil covering on yield components of maize. Field experiments were carried out during 2014-15 and 2015-16 growing seasons at areas grown with oat straw, voluntary plants and bare soil, considering five different plant populations (40,000, 60,000, 80,000, 100,000 and 120,000 plants ha-1) and three sowing dates (15 Sep., 30 Oct., 15 Dec.) for the hybrid P30F53YH in Ponta Grossa, State of Parana, Brazil. Non-impacts of soil covering or plant population on plant height at the flowering phenological stage were observed. Significant effects of soil covering on crop physiological and yield components responses throughout the 2014-15 season were detected. Influence of plant populations on yield components was evidenced, suggesting that from 80,000 plants ha-1 the P30F53YH hybrid performs a compensatory effect among assessed yield components in such a way as to not compromise productivity insofar as plant population increases up to 120,000 plants ha-1. It was noticed a positive trend of yield components and crop final yield as a function of plant density increments.

Pseudo-nitzschia spp. blooms are a recurrent problem in many coastal areas globally imposing some significant threats to the health of human, ecosystems and economy. Monitoring programmes have been established, where feasible, to mitigate the impacts caused by Pseudo-nitzschia spp. and other harmful algae blooms. The detection of such blooms from satellite data could really provide timely information on emerging risks but the development of taxa-specific algorithms from available multispectral data is still challenged by coupled optical properties with other taxa and water constituents, availability of ground data and generalisation capabilities of algorithms. Here, we developed a new set of algorithms (PNOI) for the detection and monitoring of Pseudo-nitzschia spp. blooms over the Galician coast (NW Iberian Peninsula) from Sentinel-3 OLCI reflectances using support vector machine (SVM). Our algorithm was trained and tested with reflectance data from 260 OLCI images and 4607 Pseudo-nitzschia spp. match up data points, of which 2171 were of high quality. The performance of no bloom/bloom model in the independent test set was robust, showing values of 0.80, 0.72 and 0.79 for area under the curve (AUC), sensitivity and specificity, respectively. Similar results were obtained by our below detection limit/presence model. We also present different model thresholds based on optimisation of true skill statistic (TSS) and F1-score. PNOI outperforms linear models, while its relationship with in-situ chlorophyll-a concentrations is weak demonstrating poor correlation with the phytoplankton abundance. We showcase the importance of PNOI algorithm and OLCI sensor for monitoring the bloom evolution between the weekly ground sampling and during periods of ground data absence, such as due to Covid-19.

The Textile and Clothing (T\&C) value chain is one of the most polluting in the world and one that produces the most waste. It is, therefore, important to encourage the Circular Economy (CE) model in this sector, to reduce pollution and mitigate the effects of waste production, and consequently increase environmental sustainability. For that, the involvement of the final consumer is essential. And, the final consumer's use of an Eco-gamified application for registering and promoting Consumer-to-Consumer (C2C) and Consumer-to-Business (C2B) activities, which extends the life time of textile products, is of utmost importance. In this article, we survey gamification frameworks for analyzing system design level techniques that enable engaging the final consumer in the CE process. Then, we select and use one of such frameworks, Gameful Design Heuristics (GDH), for defining the gamification structure needed to implement on a Business-to-Consumer-to-Consumer (B2C2C) context of a circular economy. As result, we present a B2C2C circular business process model for the T\&C value chain, and propose the design model of a gamified platform for the final consumers, which allows them to register the C2B and C2C activities, from the circular value chain's business process, and benefit from a game-like experience. All model features have been mapped to GDH framework heuristics, validating that it is possible to support a set of defined heuristics of applied gamification for promoting CE in the T\&C value chain.

Self-consciousness can be considered as the internal disposition to direct attention to oneself. This dispositional tendency can be focused on private aspects of the self, but also on public characteristics of the individual. We examine self-consciousness in online consumer behavior. This concept has been poorly investigated in consumer research. The main objective of this paper is to analyze the influence of the dimensions of self-consciousness in consumer adoption of online shopping. This study is based on a sample of 725 Spanish undergraduates. Results indicated that public self-consciousness is a significant predictor of the adoption of online shopping.

. Sealants and adhesives are used in the repair and preservation of damaged solid organs. This study examines the matrix metalloproteinases (MMP) activity in the healing of liver injuries treated with two biological adhesives (Tachosil® and GelitaSpon®) as well as that of a new elastic cyanoacrylate (Adhflex®). Methods. We induced in 90 male rats hepatic lesions using a Stiefel biopsy punch in the liver. Wound healing was assessed 2, 6, and 18 days after injury by quantifying MMP1, 2, 8, 9, and 13 tissue levels. The histopathological repair was evaluated by hematoxylin-eosin, Masson’s trichrome, and Periodic Acid Schiff (PAS) staining and CD31, CD68 immunohistochemical marker. The three sealants used contributed to the complete healing of hepatic lesions. Both histopathology and MMP findings point to the fact that degradation with Adhflex® is slower and causes a strong inflammatory reaction at the onset of healing. Results. All the MMPs measured showed higher values early in the healing process in animals treated with Adhflex® and Tachosil, expression for MMP2 and MMP9 being significantly higher in the Adhflex-treated group. Animals treated with Tachosil had significant greater values of MMP8 and MPP13 than the Adhflex group. Animals treated with Adhflex® showed a sustained overexpression in all MMPs even at the latest wound healing stages. Conclusion. Notably, the overexpression of the MMPs did not negatively influence the histological healing process of liver injuries. Since all hepatic trauma injuries should be treated as emergencies, any easy-to-use and rapid sealant, like Adhflex®, could be considered an adequate treatment option.

This study examines the matrix metalloproteinase (MMP) activity in the healing of liver injuries treated with biological adhesives Tachosil^® and GelitaSpon^® and the elastic cyanoacrylate Adhflex^®. Hepatic lesions were induced in male rats using a Stiefel biopsy punch. Healing was assessed 2, 6, and 18 days after injury by quantifying tissue levels of MMP1, 2, 8, 9, and 13. Histopathological repair was evaluated using hematoxylin-eosin, Masson’s trichrome, and Periodic Acid Schiff (PAS) staining and immunohistochemical markers CD31 and CD68. The sealants contributed to complete healing. Histopathology and MMP findings indicate that Adhflex^® has slower degradation and a strong inflammatory reaction at the onset of healing. Early on, all MMPs showed higher levels in Adhflex^® and Tachosil^®-treated animals, and MMP2 and MMP9 expressions were significantly higher in the Adhflex-treated group at 18 days post-injury (T3). The Adhflex^® group had significantly higher MMP8 and MPP13 levels than other treated groups and showed a sustained overexpression of all MMPs, even in the latest healing stages. Notably, the overexpression did not negatively influence the histological healing process. All hepatic trauma injuries should be treated as emergencies, and any easy-to-use and rapid sealant like Adhflex^® could be considered as an option for treating liver trauma.

Artificial intelligence’s rapid advancement has enabled various applications, including intelligent video surveillance systems, assisted living, and human-computer interaction. These applications often require one core task: video-based human action recognition. Research in human video-based human action recognition is vast and ongoing, making it difficult to assess the full scope of available methods and current trends. This survey provides an in-depth exploration of the vision-based human action recognition field, comprehensively offering the available techniques and their evolution, highlighting the cutting-edge ideas driving its development. We also analyze the most used keywords in research papers over the past years to identify trends and predict possible future directions. Hence, this concise survey helps researchers understand the breadth of existing approaches, evaluate current research trends, and stay up-to-date on potential developments.

Many drylands around the world have seen both soil and vegetation degradation around watering points. It can be seen in spaceborne imagery as radial brightness belts that fade with distance from the water areas. The study's primary goal was to characterize spatio-temporal land degradation/rehabilitation in the drylands of the southeast Iberian Peninsula. The brightness index of Tasseled Cap was discovered to be the best spectral transformation for enhancing the contrast between the bright-degraded areas near the points and the darker surrounding areas far from and in-between these areas. To comprehend the spatial structure present in spaceborne imagery of two desert sites and three key time periods, semi-variograms were created (mid-late 2000s, around 2015, and 2020). In order to assess spatio-temporal land-cover patterns, a geostatistical model (kriging) was used to smooth brightness index values extracted from 30 m spatial resolution images. To assess the direction and intensity of changes between study periods, a change detection analysis based on kriging prediction maps was performed. These findings were linked to the socioeconomic situation prior to and following the EU economic crisis. The study discovered that degradation occurred in some areas as a result of the region's agricultural activities being exploited.

The primary objective of this experiment is to enhance road safety and mitigate the occurrence of accidents by leveraging Low Power Wide Area Networks (LPWAN), specifically focusing on the Long Range (LoRa) network. Through comprehensive research into LPWANs and their various applications, we have designed and implemented a novel approach employing two mobile robots. These robots are utilized to emulate a typical traffic scenario, with one robot leading the way, skillfully maneuvering around obstacles, while the other robot closely follows behind, tracing the same path. The leading robot is tasked with collecting data from its internal environment, the external surroundings, and its operator through an array of sensors. Subsequently, this data is transmitted to the trailing robot. The follower robot's role is to analyze the data received and formulate decisions based on this information. Its objective is to mimic safe driving behavior, particularly when the received data deviates from the expected norms. In such instances, the follower robot will opt to decelerate significantly, thereby minimizing the risk of collision. By implementing this innovative system, we aim to significantly enhance driving safety and reduce the occurrence of accidents on the road.

This article describes the impact of restricting the air intake in industrial 250 m3 WEMCO flotation cells at Los Pelambres concentrator. The influence of this air restriction on the hydrodynamic and metallurgical performance of this type of machine was evaluated. The experiments were conducted in single flotation cells and in entire rougher banks. In all cases, the gas holdup was measured to estimate the effectiveness of the obstruction system to decrease the air concentration. In single cells, axial profiles for solid percentage and particle size were evaluated. In addition, a mass balance was conducted to assess the copper recovery and concentrate features. In individual cells, the air restriction led to a decrease in the gas holdup. However, this slight change was enough to obtain a more stable froth zone and a better solids suspension. The latter was observed as a higher P80 below the pulp-froth interface, a less diluted pulp at this level, a slightly higher Cu recovery, and a coarser concentrate product. A mineralogical analysis of the concentrate sample also showed the presence of coarser liberated Cu-sulfide particles. The results in single cells suggested an improvement in the recovery of coarse particles by a more intense solids suspension. The air intake was also restricted in 3 rougher banks to assess the impact of the air obstruction on the overall performance of the respective circuit. Eleven out of fourteen cells were operated with air restriction, which led to a significant recovery improvement of 0.9%-1.6% (absolute) with a 95% confidence level. Size-by-size mass balances were also conducted for the rougher circuits, which proved that the recovery improvements were justified by the simultaneous increase in the recovery of coarse and fine particles. Thus, a restriction of the air intake showed that the decrease in the gas holdup (and in the bubble surface area flux) was compensated by a better solids suspension and a higher turbulence in the impeller. The former promotes the recovery of coarse particles, whereas the latter improves the interaction between bubbles and fine particles. Further developments are being made to implement a regulatory control strategy to control the air intake in self-aspirated flotation cells, and to use this approach for optimizing industrial flotation banks.

Nowadays, digitalization present in all links of the product life cycle and within product design, packaging is a critical element, as it affects the customer’s purchase intention, and therefore, it is one of the most important spaces where to include techniques and methods based on Industry 4.0 that obtain results from the user and bring them closer to the process. The relationship between packaging and the expected quality and emotions of users is a topic that is addressed in the social axis of sustainability and involves an effort to strengthen the relationship with the user. This article studies the expected quality of nougat packaging in terms of shape and colour using ANOVA analysis. For this purpose, a survey was carried out among 122 participants in Spain and Mexico. The main conclusion is that a packaging with the combination of three shapes (rectangle, square and triangle) and colours (yellow, orange and red) enhances consumers’ emotions of admiration, satisfaction, pleasant surprise, attraction, fascination and joy.

Ferulic acid has numerous beneficial effects for human health, which are frequently attributed to its antioxidant behavior. In this report many of them are reviewed and 185 new ferulic acid derivatives are computationally designed, using the CADMA-Chem protocol. For the later, the chemical space was sampled and evaluated. To that purpose selection and elimination scores were used, which are built from a set of descriptors accounting for ADME properties, toxicity, and synthetic accessibility. After the first screening, 12 derivatives were selected and further investigated. Their potential role as antioxidants was predicted from reactivity indexes, directed related with the formal hydrogen atom transfer and the single electron transfer mechanisms. The best performing molecules were identified by comparisons with the parent molecule and two references: Trolox and alpha-tocopherol. Their potential as polygenic neuroprotectors was investigated through the interactions with enzymes directed related with the etiologies of Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s diseases. They are acetylcholinesterase, catechol-O-methyltransferase, and monoamine oxidase B. Based on the obtained results, the most promising candidates (FA-26, FA-118, and FA-138) are proposed as multifunctional antioxidants with potential neuroprotective effects. The findings derived from this investigation are encouraging and might promote further investigations on these molecules.

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

Antisepsis of the hands of medical personnel is one of the most important steps in the process of patient care, since direct contact can cause the cross-transfer of potentially pathogenic microorganisms at surgical sites.This study aimed to analyze the prevalence of microorganisms on the hands of 131 surgeons in a university hospital before the surgical procedure. Swabs were collected from each clinician's hands before and after handwashing. The samples were placed in a transport medium and immediately delivered to a private Clinical Analysis Laboratory from São Luis-Maranhão. The microorganisms were identified by ionization source mass spectrometry and matrix-assisted laser desorption (MALDI-TOF), and antibiotic susceptibility tests (AST) were performed using the Vitek2 automated system. The results showed a high frequency (100%) of microorganisms before handwashing, but after surgical antisepsis, the rate dropped significantly (p<0.05) to 27.5%. Gram-positive cocci and rods were the most common microbes, followed by gram-negative bacilli species. The effectiveness of hand antisepsis was 72.5%. The ideal would be 100% efficacy, that is, 0% microorganisms in all surgeons. It is logical that the presence of any organism, no matter how infrequent it may be, will always represent a great risk of postoperative infection for any patient.

Managing the multisystemic symptoms of type I Gaucher Disease (GD) requires a multidisciplinary team approach that includes disease-specific treatments, as well as supportive care. This involves a range of medical specialists, general practitioners, supportive care providers, and patients. Phenotype classification and the setting of treatment goals are important for optimizing the management of type I GD, and providing personalized care. The ability to classify disease severity using validated measurement tools allows the standardization of patient monitoring, and the measurement of disease progression and treatment response. Defining treatment goals is useful to provide a benchmark for assessing treatment response, and managing the expectations of patients and their families. Although treatment goals will vary depending on disease severity, they include the stabilization, improvement or reversal (if possible) of clinical manifestations. Enzyme replacement therapy (ERT) is the standard care for patients with type I GD, but a novel substrate reduction therapy (SRT), Eliglustat has demonstrated safety and efficacy in selected patients. To ensure that treatment goals are being achieved, regular, comprehensive follow up is necessary.

International research has highlighted the relationship between the physical environment of schools and the perceived well-being of different actors in the educational community. Although these studies pointed out a relationship between these variables, there is little research that delves into the nature and quality of this relationship. The present study aimed to analyse the mediating effect of the perception of the physical environment of the classroom (considering aspects such as lighting, acoustics, visibility, size, order, and aesthetic features) on the perception of school climate and subjective well-being of students in state-funded schools in Chile. A total of 19.567 students (48,77% female) between fifth and eighth grade from 425 vulnerable schools in Chile participated. Through a simple statistical mediation model, it was identified that the perception of the physical environment mediates about 50% of the total effect on subjective well-being and school climate (c' = 0.09 (0.01); p < 0.001). There is an urgent need to incorporate indicators and evaluations addressing the perceptions of the infrastructure and physical environment in schools, especially when this has been expressed as an explicit and historical demand of the Chilean student movements. This type of approach, including multiple factors, could favour a more articulated vision of the quality of the educational environment, contributing to the academic and emotional development of students.

The agronomic characteristics of Cenchrus purpureus were assessed through a randomized block experimental design with seven accessions (Taiwan grass, King grass, Elephant grass, Merkeron, CT-115, Purpule grass and Maralfalfa) as treatments and four replications research was carried out at the Instituto Tecnológico Superior de Tantoyuca, in 2019 and 2020, under rainfed conditions. Sowing density was established at 36 tillers in 25 m2. Green and dry matter yield, daily rates of dry matter accumulation in leaves, leaf/stem ratio, height, leaf area index and cutting frequency were assessed. Rainfall amount, temperature, relative humidity and global radiation levels were recorded to assess their effect on the evaluated variables. One-way ANOVA and multivariate analysis techniques, such as multiple linear regression (MLR), Clustering, and Principal component analysis (PCA) with the Statistica V7 software, were used. The leaf area index was greatest (p &lt; 0.05) on the dry season. Green and dry matter yield were greatest in Maralfalfa (p &lt; 0.05). Variation in the results is attributed to weather phenomena; nonetheless, Elephant grass and Maralfalfa showed the highest yields. Quality parameters must be evaluated to identify those grasses with the best attributes.

Pregnant women are especially vulnerable to respiratory diseases. We aimed to study seroconversion rate during pregnancy in a cohort of consecutive pregnancies tested in the first and third trimesters and to compare maternal and obstetric complications between women who seroconverted in the first versus the third trimester. This is an observational, cohort study carried out at Hospital Universitario de Torrejón, in Madrid, Spain, during the first peak of the COVID-19 pandemic. All consecutive singleton pregnancies with a viable fetus attending their 11-13 weeks scan between January 1st and May 15th, 2020, were included and monthly follow up until delivery. Antibodies against SARS-CoV-2 (IgA and IgG) were analyzed on stored serum samples obtained from the first and third trimester routine antenatal bloods in 470 pregnant women. Antibodies against SARS-CoV-2 were detected in 31 (6.6%) women in the first trimester and in 66 (14.0%) in the third trimester, including 48 (10.2%) that were negative in the first trimester (seroconversion during pregnancy). Although the rate of infection was significantly higher in the third versus the first trimester (p = 0.003), no significant differences in maternal or obstetric complications were observed in women testing positive in the first versus the third trimester.

Textile and clothing is one of the most important industrial sectors, not only due to the significant number of jobs generated, but also because it addresses one of the people’s fundamental needs (clothing). It is, however, a sector with a huge environmental impact, all over the world, and also an important social impact, especially in developing countries. Sustainability in the Textile &amp; Clothing value chain is a known issue, concerning both environmental, and economical-social facets of sustainability. One way to improve sustainability in this sector is by measuring the environmental, economic and social impacts of value chain activities and, ultimately, computing an Environmental and Circular score for each batch of textile and clothing product, and an Economical and Social score for each involved firm, reflected in their products. The consumer will then have the opportunity and responsibility for selecting products with the least negative environmental, economical and social impact. This article presents the results of STVgoDigital project - PPS1, developed in Portugal with the aim of implementing the traceability of textile and clothing products, boosting sustainability in this sector, and preparing the ground for the implementation of the circular economy. More exactly, a blockchain-based textile and clothing value-chain traceability platform is presented, for tracing textile product lots and activities, along the value chain, classifying them with a score, which measures their environmental and social impact. The environmental, economic and social impact scores are based on a set of proposed indicators. The results are assessed through the presentation of a case study of a face towel (home textile) and a case study of a T-shirt (clothing).

Rice husk ash (RHA) is agricultural waste with high silica content that has had proven technical feasibility as a pozzolanic material since the 1970s. Notwithstanding, its use in mortars and concrete is limited by the standards currently utilized in some countries where RHA production is high and the aforementioned pozzolanic material is not standardized. This is the case of Spain, one of the main rice producers in Europe. Nowadays, the high pressure placed on the Portland cement production sector to reduce energy use and CO2 emissions has given rise to a keen interest shown in mineral admixtures for cement manufacturing. In this research, we intend to establish the contribution of different RHA types to final blended Portland cement properties (symbol “H” was used to identify RHA in standardized cements). The experimental results demonstrated that RHA with good pozzolanic properties (large specific surface and high amorphous silica content) had to be limited to 10% cement replacement because of the severe reduction in workability at higher replacement percentages. RHA with lower reactivity, such as crystalline RHA, or fly ash (FA), can be used to prepare binary and ternary blended cements with reactive RHA. It is possible to design the following cements: CEM II/A-H and CEM II/A-(H-V) It would also be possible to design cement (CEM II/B-(H-V) with replacement values up to 30% and the same 28-day mechanical performance observed for the Portland cement without mineral addition.

This work presents an innovative application of optimal control theory to the strategic scheduling of battery storage in the day-ahead electricity market, with a focus on enhancing profitability while factoring in battery degradation. The study incorporates in the optimisation framework the cost of battery capacity degradation, the effects of capacity degradation and internal resistance degradation into dynamics. We employ a continuous-time representation of the dynamics, in contrast with many other studies that use a discrete-time approximation with rather coarse intervals. We adopt an equivalent circuit model coupled with empirical degradation parameters to simulate a battery cell’s behaviour and degradation mechanisms with good support from experimental data. Utilising direct collocation methods with mesh refinement allows for precise numerical solutions to the complex, nonlinear dynamics involved. Through a detailed case study of Belgium’s day-ahead electricity market, we determine the optimal charging and discharging schedules under varying objectives: maximizing net revenues, profits considering capacity degradation, and profits considering both capacity degradation and internal resistance increase due to degradation. The results demonstrate the viability of our approach and underscore the significance of integrating degradation costs into the market strategy for battery operators, alongside its effects on the battery’s dynamic behaviour. Our methodology extends previous work by offering a more comprehensive model that empirically captures the intricacies of battery degradation, including a fine and adaptive time domain representation, focusing on the day-ahead market, and utilising accurate direct methods for optimal control. The paper concludes with insights into the potential of optimal control applications in energy markets and suggestions for future research avenues.

T-cell mediated immune responses should be regulated to avoid the development of autoimmune or chronic inflammation diseases. Several mechanisms have been described to regulate this process, namely death of overactivated T cells by cytokine deprivation, suppression by T regulatory cells (Treg), induction of expression of immune checkpoint molecules such as CTLA-4 and PD-1, or activation-induced cell death (AICD). In addition, activated T cells release membrane microvesicles called exosomes during these regulatory processes. In this review, we revise the role of exosome secretion in the different pathways of immune regulation described to date and its importance in the prevention of autoinmune disease. Expression of membrane-bound death ligands on the surface of exosomes during AICD, or the more recently described transfer of miRNA or even DNA inside T-cell exosomes are molecular mechanisms that will be analyzed.

Chestnut is an interesting productive alternative for farmers in Southern Chile. However, cli-matic variability with the occurrence of late spring and early summer frost have cause damages on young trees. Glycine‒betaine (GB) spraying on shoots of sensitive chestnut induce an increase in tolerance during subsequent chilling stress. Experiment was performed on three years-old trees (cultivar Cittá di Castello) conducted in a leader training system and sprayed with com-mercial GB (120 g hL‒1). In summer trees treated with GB showed a better recovery after the frost (‒2.34°C) occurrence for 3.5 h compared to the control. Whereas trees obtained a 28% greater growth of central axis than untreated control (January). The trunk diameter measured in January showed the highest value under GB (27.2mm) compared with the control (25.7 mm). The GB ap-plication increased by 50 and 47% highest fresh and dry weight respectively in leaves. Under GB trees reached a 28% higher net photosynthesis (AN) compared to the AN in control (11.93 µmol CO2 m‒2 s‒1). Moreover, achieved higher stomatal conductance and transpiration rate was 44 and 31% with GB compared to control trees respectively. Antioxidant performance was differentially affected by GB activating non-enzymatic mechanisms and caused a reduced lipid peroxidation. Glycine‒Betaine has become as an interesting agronomic tool that aimed to increase tolerance to environmental stresses such as low temperatures that cause damage to herbaceous shoots and leaves in young chestnut trees.

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

Intracranial hemorrhage is a serious medical problem that requires rapid and often intensive medical care. Identifying the location and type of any hemorrhage present is a critical step in the treatment of the patient. Diagnosis requires an urgent procedure, and the detection of hemorrhage is a difficult and time-consuming process for human experts. In this paper, we propose methods based on EfficientDet’s deep-learning technology that can be applied to the diagnosis of hemorrhages and thus become a decision-support system. Our proposal is two-fold. On the one hand, the proposed technique classifies slices of computed tomography scans for the presence hemorrhage or its lack, achieving 92.7% accuracy and 0.978 ROC-AUC. On the other hand, our methodology provides visual explanations of the classification chosen using the Grad-CAM methodology.

This paper presents a requirements specification analysis for driving the design of new systems that will allow 3D media creators to further promote and monetize from their work. The provided requirements analysis is based on the IEEE 830 standard for requirements specification. It allows us to elucidate system requirements through existing (AS-IS) and envisioned (TO-BE) scenarios affected by the latest trends on design methodologies and content promotion in social media. A total of 30 tools for content creation, promotion and monetization are reviewed. The target groups, i.e. creator groups, are divided in 10 types according to their role in 3D media production. Based on this division 10 candidate TO-BE scenarios have been identified and out of these 10 scenarios, we have selected 6 scenarios for validation by media creators. The validation was performed through a survey of 24 statements on a 5 Likert scale by 47 individuals from the domains of Media, Fine arts, Architecture, and Informatics. Useful evaluation results and comments have been collected that can be useful for future systems design.

The construction of random fillings from the excavation of medium hardness rocks, with high particle sizes, presents limitations in compaction control. This research applies new control techniques with revised test procedures in the construction of the random fillings core, which constitutes the main part of the embankment, with the bigger volume and provides the geotechnical stability to the infrastructure. The maximum layer thickness researched was 800mm. As there are many types of rocks, this research is applied to metamorphic slates. Quality control has been carried out by applying new research associated with the revision of wheel impression test, topographic settlements and plate bearing test (PBT). A statistical analysis of the core of 16 slate random fillings has been carried out, with a total of 2250 in situ determination of density and moisture content, 75 wheel impression tests, 75 topographic settlement control and 75 PBT. The strong associations found between different tests have allowed to simplify the quality control.

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.

Digital twins are an emerging technology that could be harnessed for the digitalization of the industry. Steel industry systems contain a large number of electro-hydraulic components, as proportional valves. An input-output model for a novel water proportional cartridge valve is derived from physical modelling based on fluid mechanics, dynamics, and electrical principles. The valve is a two-stage valve with two 2/2-way water proportional valves as the pilot stage and a marginally stable poppet-type cartridge valve as the main valve. The orifice equation, which is based on Bernoulli principles, is approximated by a polynomial which makes parameter estimation easier and makes modelling possible without measuring pressure of the varying control volume situated in the pilot stage part of the valve. Data were collected when the valve was operating as a component in a closed-loop system as part of a press-mill machine in a steel manufacturing plant. Parameter estimation was made by convex optimization with physical constraints to overcome problems caused by poor system excitation. For comparison, a simple linear model was derived and the least squares method used for parameter estimation. A thorough estimation of the parameters relative errors is presented. The model contains 5 parameters related to the design parameters of the valve. The modelled position output is in good agreement with experimental data for training and test data. The model can be used for real time monitoring of the valve’s status by the model parameters. One of the model parameters varies linearly with production cycles. Thus, aging of the valve can be monitored.

Suboptimal micronutrient intake in children remains a public health concern around the world. This study examined the relationship between a previously defined dietary carbohydrate quality index (CQI) and the risk of micronutrient intake inadequacy in a pediatric cohort of Spanish preschoolers. Children aged 4-5 years old were recruited at their medical center or at school, and information on sociodemographic, dietary, and life-style variables were collected through a self-administered online questionnaire. Dietary information was obtained from a validated 147-item semi-quantitative food frequency questionnaire. We calculated the CQI and categorized participants in quartiles according to their score. We assessed the intakes of 20 micronutrients and evaluated the probability of intake inadequacy using the Estimated Average Requirement cut-off point. Generalized estimating equations were used to adjust for potential confounders and account for the intra-cluster correlations between siblings. The adjusted proportions of children with inadequate intake of ≥3 micronutrients were 23%, 12%, 11% and 9% in the first, second, third and fourth quartiles of the CQI, respectively. Children in the highest quartile of CQI had 0.22-fold lower odds (95%CI 0.10-0.48) of having ≥3 inadequate micronutrient intakes than their peers in the lowest quartile. These findings reinforce the relevance of carbohydrate quality in children’s diets.

The white wine industry generates a large amount of wastes and composting is an alternative for recycling these residues with agronomic and environmental advantages. With this aim, grape marc and grape stalks were composted in static and turned piles, with 3 and 6 turns, to investigate the effects of pile conditions during composting in order to improve final compost quality. Thermophilic temperatures were attained soon after pile construction, and the highest maximum temperatures were achieved in the turned piles (70.5-71.8 ºC). However, pile moisture content decreased bellow recommended values after day 42 in these piles. The extremely high temperatures and low moisture content in turned piles hampered OM mineralization rates and the amount of potentially mineralizable organic matter (OM0) (391-407 g kg-1), whereas the structure of the static pile provided adequate porosity to increase OM decomposition and OM0 (568 g kg-1). This study shows that composting grape marc with stalks, for a period of 140 days, resulted in stabilized and matured compost (NH4+-N / NO3--N &lt;0.5), with good chemical characteristics for application as soil organic amendment in vineyards, without the need for rewetting or turning the piles, thus reducing the agronomic, and environmental cost of the composting process.

Particle size can pose a challenge to random embankment compaction control methods, where practical techniques have hardly been developed and procedural control is used instead. In order to develop new quality control procedures for slate random fill, the necessary fieldwork and laboratory tests were carried out. This involved the revision of certain methods such as the wheel-tracking or topographic settlement tests. More than six hundred in-situ density and moisture content measurements were carried out for this research. In addition, more three hundred topographic settlements and three hundred wheel-tracking carriage tests were performed. The quality control processes were completed with more than thirty plate bearing tests. Possible evidence of statistical correlations between compaction control tests were identified. An analysis of variance (ANOVA) was performed. When testing proved relationships between them, the replacement of one of them by the other was assessed by deduction. Finally, the study suggests new procedures for compaction quality control of random slate fill used in crown area.

A frequent problem in Geotechnics is the soils with inadequate physical-mechanical properties before the efforts to which they will be subjected by the constructions, incurring cost overruns caused by their engineering improvement. The need to improve the engineering properties of soils is not recent, currently observing that the most common alternatives are binders such as cement and lime. The climate change observed in recent decades and the uncontrolled emission of greenhouse gases have motivated Geotechnical and Geoenvironmental researchers to seek mechanisms for soil reinforcement from a more sustainable and environmentally friendly approach by proposing the use of recycled and waste materials. An alternative is natural fibers, which can be obtained as waste from many agro-industrial processes, implying their high availability and low cost. Sawdust as a by-product of wood processing has a rough texture that can generate high friction between the fiber and the matrix of the soils, leading to a significant increase in its shearing strength and bearing capacity. This concept of improving the properties of soils using natural fibers distributed randomly is inspired by the natural phenomenon of grass and/or plants that when growing on a slope can effectively stabilize a said slope.

Transcriptional regulation constitutes a key step in gene expression regulation. Myocyte enhancer factor 2C (MEF2C) is a transcription factor of MADS box family involved in the early development of several cell types including muscle cells. Over the last decade a novel layer of complexity modulating gene regulation is emerging as non-coding RNAs have been identified, impacting in both transcriptional and post-transcriptional regulation. microRNAs represent the most studied and abundantly expressed subtype of small non-coding RNAs and their functional role have been widely documented. On the other hand, our knowledge on the transcriptional and post-transcriptional regulatory mechanisms that drive microRNA expression is still incipient. We recently demonstrated that MEF2C is able to transactive the long, but not short, regulatory element upstream of miR-23a-miR-27a-miR-24-2 transcriptional start site. However, MEF2C over-expression and silencing, respectively, displayed distinct effects on each of the miR-23a-miR-27a-miR-24-2 mature cluster members, without affecting pri-miRNA expression levels, supporting thus additional MEF2C-driven regulatory mechanisms. Within this study we demonstrated a complex post-transcriptional regulatory mechanisms directed by MEF2C in the regulation of miR-23a-miR-27a-miR-24-2 cluster members, distinctly involving different domains of the MEF2C transcription factor and the physical interaction with pre-miRNAs and RNA interacting proteins such as Ksrp, HnRNPa3 and Ddx17.

Objectives: To assess the short-term impact of a single global stretching session on plantar pressures and lumbar range of motion (RoM) over one week in sedentary university students. Design: A randomised controlled trial with two parallel groups. Participants: Sixty-four university students were randomly assigned to a stretching group or control group. The stretching group received a single session of global stretching and the control group remained seated for the same length of time as the stretching session. Main outcome measures: Lumbar RoM and plantar pressures were assessed before, immediately after, 48 hours after, and 7 days after intervention. Results: Group-by-time interaction was significant for lumbar lateral flexion (p = 0.044), right maximal pressure (p = 0.003), left maximal pressure (p = 0.008), right mean pressure (p = 0.025), left mean pressure (p = 0.002), and maximal pressure minus mean pressure in right foot (p = 0.007). The model with plantar pressures showed a significant difference for group-by-time interaction (p = 0.010).Conclusion: Global stretching seems to counteract the ill-effects of prolonged sitting up to seven days with respect to plantar pressure in standing without improving lumbar ROM

This paper contains a concise overview of the deployment of scattered solar power plants in Poland, mainly from the perspective of their communication networks, and how the recent development of the Polish 4G networks has a very positive impact for the performance of the whole monitoring system (production control and video-surveillance), with a special emphasis on video-analytics, due to its higher bandwidth demand. All the information will be shown from the point of view of the solar photovoltaics developer I+D Energías, and therefore it constitutes a real user’s experience.

The impact of the presence of Microplastics (Mp's) has become popular due to its presence in all environments, however, its transportation, accommodation and destination is still unknown. This study developed a laboratory-scale experiment, using eco-technologies for the treatment of domestic wastewater and reused for agriculture. A Constructed Wetland System of horizontal subsurface flow conditioned with substrate gravel and with two types of ornamental plants Hippeastrum Hybridum Hort and Heliconia Bihai Marginata, obtained an average 90% efficiency in the removal of pollutants COD, TDS, NH4, NT, PO4 , NO2 and PT; directing water through a drip irrigation system for irrigation of the Phaseolus vulgaris crop, selected for its nutritional importance (36% of daily protein intake), grown in two Growth Beds; The crop irrigated with treated water presented a greater relationship between growth and number of pods; finally identify the presence of Mp's through Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) analysis in the different types of water (domestic waste, treated waste and well) and determine the quality of the fruit for consumption with safety tests. Escherichia coli and Salmonella.

The move towards a new Circular Economy (CE) economic model has been advocated and supported in Portugal, however, there is limited research on this topic. To address this gap, a quantitative research based on an online survey was carried out among 99 Portuguese organizations, encompassing a wide range of sectors and sizes. The results show that CE is regarded as a strategic and relevant issue for profitability and value creation. Furthermore, the perception that it requires the adoption of new business models in addition to the classical “reduce, reuse, and recycle” approach is growing. Moreover, based on the hypotheses raised, results suggest that the level of CE adoption is positively impacted by the status of the EMS (Environmental Management System) certification and the willingness to improve the environmental performance and achieve a sustainable business model. However, CE activities are still relatively modest and a friendlier context (fiscal, legal, organizational, etc.) and the stronger support from supply chain agents and consumers are required. Future research should focus on how to design and shape the transition from a linear to a CE economy, and to ascertain if the positive attitude towards CE is materialized in changing the way business is done.

The future of machine tools will be dominated by highly flexible and interconnected systems, in order to achieve the required productivity, accuracy and reliability. Nowadays, distortion and vibration problems are easily solved in labs for the most common machining operations by using models based on equations describing the physical laws of the machining processes; however additional efforts are needed to overcome the gap between scientific research and the real manufacturing problems. In fact, there is an increasing interest in developing simulation packages based on “deep-knowledge and models” that aid machine designers, production engineers or machinists to get the best of the machine-tools. This article proposes a methodology to reduce problems in machining by means of a simulation utility, which uses the main variables of the system&process as input data, and generates results that help in the proper decision-making and machining planification. Direct benefits can be found in a) the fixture/clamping optimal design, b) the machine tool configuration, c) the definition of chatter-free optimum cutting conditions and d) the right programming of cutting toolpaths at the Computer Aided Manufacturing (CAM) stage. The information and knowledge-based approach showed successful results in several local manufacturing companies and are explained in the paper.

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

Colorectal cancer is a common disease, both in Chile and worldwide. The most widely used chemotherapy schemes are based on 5-fluorouracil (5FU) as the foundational drug. Genetic polymorphisms have emerged as potential predictive biomarkers of response to chemotherapy, but conclusive evidence is lacking. Additionally, the interplay between hereditary variations and acquired mutations in the EGFR pathway remains unknown. This study aimed to investigate the role of genetic variants associated with 5FU-based chemotherapy on therapeutic effectiveness, considering their interaction with the EGFR pathway mutations. In a retrospective cohort of 63 patients diagnosed with metastatic colorectal cancer, a multivariate analysis revealed that liver metastases, DPYD, ABCB1 and MTHFR polymorphisms are independent indicators of a poor prognostic, irrespective of EGFR pathway mutations. BRAF V600E wild-type status and high-risk drug-metabolism polymorphisms correlated with a poor prognosis in this Chilean cohort. Additionally, findings from the genomics of drug sensitivity (GDSC) project demonstrated that cell lines with wild-type BRAF have higher IC50 values for 5-FU compared to BRAF-mutated cell lines. In conclusion, the genetic polymorphisms DPYD rs1801265, ABCB1 rs1045642 and MTHFR rs180113 may serve as useful biomarkers for predicting a poor prognosis in patients undergoing 5-fluorouracil chemotherapy, regardless of EGFR pathway mutations.

Molecular dynamics simulation is currently the theoretical technique eligible to simulate a wide range of systems from soft condensed matter to biological systems. However, of the excellent results that the technique has arrogated, this approach remains computationally expensive, but with the emergence of the new supercomputing technologies bases on graphics processing units graphical processing units-based systems GPUs, the perspective has changed. The GPUs allow performing large and complex simulations at a significantly reduced time. In this work, we present recent innovations in the acceleration of molecular dynamics in GPUs to simulate non-Hamiltonian systems. In particular, we show the performance of measure-preserving geometric integrator in the canonical ensemble, that is, at constant temperature. We provide a validation and performance evaluation of the code by calculating the thermodynamic properties of a Lennard-Jones fluid. Our results are in excellent agreement with reported data reported from literature, which were calculated with CPUs. The scope and limitations for performing simulations of high-throughput MD under rigorous statistical thermodynamics in the canonical ensemble are discussed and analyzed.

Coffee is not only a delicious beverage but also an important dietary source of natural antioxidants. We live in an oxidative world where it is impossible to avoid pollution, stress, food additives, radiation, and other sources of oxidants that eventually lead to severe health disorders. Fortunately, there are chemicals in our diet that counteract the hazards posed by the reactive species that trigger oxidative stress. They are usually referred to as antioxidants; some of them can be versatile compounds that exert such a role in various ways. This review summarizes, from a chemical point of view, the antioxidant effects of relevant molecules found in coffee. Their ways of action and trends in activity are analyzed, considering the data gathered so far from both theory and experiments. The influence of the media and pH in aqueous solution, and structure-activity relationships are discussed. The protective role of the explored compounds is examined. A particular section is devoted to derivatives of some coffee components, and another one to their bioactivity. The data used in the analysis come from theoretical anc computational protocols, which have been proven to be very usefull in this context. Hopefully, the information provided here will promote further investigations into the amazing chemistry contained in our morning cup.

Coffee is not only a delicious beverage but also an important dietary source of natural antioxidants. We live in an oxidative world where it is impossible to avoid pollution, stress, food additives, radiation, and other sources of oxidants that eventually lead to severe health disorders. Fortunately, there are chemicals in our diet that counteract the hazards posed by the reactive species that trigger oxidative stress. They are usually referred to as antioxidants; some of them can be versatile compounds that exert such a role in various ways. This review summarizes, from a chemical point of view, the antioxidant effects of relevant molecules found in coffee. Their ways of action and trends in activity are analyzed, considering the data gathered so far from both theory and experiments. The influence of the media and pH in aqueous solution, and structure-activity relationships are discussed. The protective role of the explored compounds is examined. A particular section is devoted to derivatives of some coffee components, and another one to their bioactivity. Hopefully, the information provided here will promote further investigations into the amazing chemistry contained in our morning cup.

Two polyurethanes (PUs) were similarly synthesized by reacting a cycloaliphatic isocyanate with 1,4 butanediol and two polyols of different nature (polyester, polycarbonate diol) with molecular weights of 1000 Da. The PU made with polycarbonate diol polyol (YCD) was the only showing intrinsic self-healing at 20 °C. For assessing the mechanism of intrinsic self-healing of YCD, a structural characterization by molecular weights determination, infrared and X-ray photoelectronic spectroscopies, differential scanning calorimetry, X-ray diffraction, thermal gravimetric analysis and dynamic mechanical thermal analysis was carried out. It was concluded that the self-healing at 20 °C of YCD was due to non-covalent dynamic exchange interactions among the carbonate groups of the soft segments. Therefore, the chemical nature of the polyol played a key role in developing PUs with intrinsic self-healing at 20 °C.

The cattle sector is strategic sector for both the economic development and food security of Africa. However, the low availability and quality of forage puts the most vulnerable population in the field at risk. Hybrid forages have proven to be a real alternative for enhancing both the food security and sustainability of the sector. They are the product of genetic improvements and combine the superior traits of different materials. In 1987, the International Center for Tropical Agriculture (CIAT) began this line of research and together with the private sector various ma-terials have been released until today. Despite their beforementioned potential, forage hybrid adoption levels are still low in Africa, which is related to various factors among which the availability of seeds and planting material stands out. This document analyzes the potential markets for new forage hybrids adapted to the environmental conditions of eastern Africa and partially western Africa. Likewise, an estimation of the commercial value of these markets is provided. The results show a potential market of 414,388 ha for new interspecific hybrids of Urochloa and 528,409 ha for potential hybrids of Megathyrsus maximus, with approximate values of 73.5 and 101.1 million dollars, respectively. Ethiopia, Tanzania, and Kenya have a 70% market share for Urochloa, while South Sudan, Ethiopia, and Tanzania have a 67% share for Megathyrsus maximus. The results will help different actors in decision-making, i.e., regarding private sector investments in forage seed commercialization or public sector incentives supporting adoption processes, and thus contribute to increasing food security and sustainability in the region.

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

Introduction: Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS) is an endocrinologic disorder that affects 5-15 % of women of their reproductive age and is a frequent cause of infertility. Major symptoms include hyperandrogenism, ovulatory dysfunction, a characteristic multi-follicular morphology of the ovary, an elevated ratio of LH/FSH, and often obesity and/or insulin resistance. PCOS also represents a state of chronic low-grade inflammation that is closely interlinked with the metabolic features. Inflammatory processes consist of the acute inflammatory response and resolution processes initiated concomitantly. "Classical" pro-inflammatory lipid mediators like prostaglandins (PG), leukotrienes (LT), or thromboxanes (TX) are derived from arachidonic acid (AA) and are crucial for the initial response. Resolution processes are driven by four families of so-called specialized pro-resolving mediators (SPMs): resolvins, maresins, lipoxins, and protectins. SPM biosynthesis starts from the essential polyunsaturated fatty acids DHA, DPA, or EPA via certain hydroxylated intermediates (18-HEPE, 17-HDHA, 14-HDHA). The present study aimed to establish lipid mediator profiles of PCOS patients compared to healthy women to identify differences in their resolutive and pro-inflammatory lipid parameters. Material and Methods: Blood samples were taken (20 ml), separated into plasma and serum, and analyzed by HPLC/MS-QQQ. Fifteen female patients (18-45 years) were diagnosed with PCOS according to Rotterdam criteria, and five healthy women, as comparator group, were recruited for the study. The main outcome measures were: Pro-inflammatory lipid mediators (PG, LT, TX) and their precursor AA; SPMs (Resolvins, Maresins, Protectins, Lipoxins), their precursors EPA, DHA, DPA, and their active biosynthesis pathway intermediates (18-HEPE, 17-HDHA, 14-HDHA). Ratio [(sum of pro-inflammatory molecules)/sum of SPMs]. Results: The level of pro-inflammatory parameters in serum was significantly higher in PCOS-affected women. The ratio [(sum of pro-inflammatory molecules) / (sum of SPMs plus hydroxylated intermediates)] reflecting the inflammatory state was significantly lower in the group of healthy women. Conclusion: There is a strong pro-inflammatory state in PCOS patients. Further research will clarify whether supplementation with SPMs or their precursors may improve this state.

Abstract: Bariatric surgery is increasingly used in women of childbearing age due to the rising prevalence of obesity and the effectiveness and availability of this treatment. Pregnancy in women with previous bariatric surgery deserves special attention. Weight loss induced by surgery re-duces the risks that obesity poses for pregnancy. But on the other hand, decreased intake and malabsorption may increase the risk of malnutrition and micronutrient deficiency and negatively affect maternal and foetal health. The aim of this narrative review is to provide an updated anal-ysis on the impact of different bariatric surgery techniques on minerals and micronutrients status nutritional status during pregnancy and the possible effect on maternal-foetal health.

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

Asparagus shoots are worldwide consumed, although most of such species have a restricted range, and several taxa still remain unstudied. In this work, a total of four taxa from different locations were scrutinized and compared with cultivated A. officinalis. All shoots were screened for saponins by LC-MS, and in vitro antiproliferative activities against the HT-29 colorectal cancer cell line (by MTT assay). The total saponins (TS) contained in the crude extracts ranged from 710.0 (A. officinalis) to 1258.6 mg/100 g dw (A. acutifolius). It stands out the richness of compounds detected in this work: a total of 47 saponins have been detected and quantified in the edible parts (shoots) of 5 taxa of Asparagus. The structure of all the saponins found present skeletons of the furostane and spirostane type. In turn, the structures with a furostane skeleton are divided into unsaturated and dioxygenated, both in the 20-22 position. The sum of dioscin and derivatives varied largely along the studied taxa. It reached the following percentages of TS: 27.11 (A. officinalis), 18.96 (A. aphyllus), 5.37 (A. acutifolius), and 0.59 (A. albus), while in A. horridus such compound remains undetected. Aspachiosde A, D, and M varied largely among samples, while a total of seven aspaspirostanosides were characterized in the analyzed species. Hierarchical cluster analysis of the saponin profiles clearly separated the various taxa and demonstrated that the taxonomic position is more important than the place from which the samples were acquired. Thus, saponin profiles have chemotaxonomic significance in Asparagus taxa. The MTT assay showed dose- and time-dependent inhibitory effects of several saponins extracts on HT-29 cancer cells, standing out the cell growth inhibition exercised by A. albus and A. acutifolius (GI50 of 125 and 175 µg/mL). This work constitutes a whole approach to evaluate the saponins from shoots of different Asparagus taxa and provide arguments for use them as functional foods.

The use of machine learning (ML) approaches to target clinical problems is called to revolutionize clinical decision-making. The success of these tools is subjected to the understanding of the intrinsic processes being used during the classical pathway by which clinicians make decisions. In a parallelism with this pathway, ML can have an impact at four levels: for data acquisition, predominantly by extracting standardized, high-quality information with the smallest possible learning curve; for feature extraction, by discharging healthcare practitioners from performing tedious measurements on raw data; for interpretation, by digesting complex, heterogeneous data in order to augment the understanding of the patient status; and for decision support, by leveraging the previous step to predict clinical outcomes, response to treatment or to recommend a specific intervention. This paper discusses the state-of-the-art, as well as the current clinical status and challenges associated with each of these tasks, together with the challenges related to the learning process, the auditability/traceability, the system infrastructure and the integration within clinical processes.

Background: The university must take on the challenges that arise at all levels. Within this mechanism, university professors play an important role as facilitators of knowledge. Aim: To analyse the motivations that influence the professional performance of Spanish university professors. Methods: 102 university professors from 9 Spanish public universities participated in the study. [Male: 54 (52.9%); Female: 48 (47.1%)]. A questionnaire of 22 closed-ended Likert-type questions was designed, scoring from 0-10 (do not agree at all, strongly agree). Results: The questionnaire, finally composed of 17 items, showed good internal consistency. (Cronbach's alpha=0.858). The validity analysis showed a value of 0.822 (>0.5) ) in the sample adequacy measure KMO (Kaiser-Meyer-Olkin) and Bartlett's sphericity test (p<0.0001). The exploratory factor analysis showed a clustering in 4 factors (2 for internal goods and 2 for external goods), explaining 64.33% of the total variance. Comparisons between each factor scores by gender (male and female) showed differences statistically significant by gender for factor F1 (higher for females) and F2 (higher for males). Finally, Q1 and Q13 showed a statistically significant correlation (p≤0.05) with years of teaching experience. Conclusions: The motivations of Spanish university professors seem to be associated with the age and gender of the teacher.

Cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF) is a strong independent predictor of morbidity and mortality. However, there is no recent information about the impact of CRF on cardiometabolic risk specifically in Central and Eastern Europe, which are characterized by different biological and social determinants of health. Normative CRF values were proposed and the association between CRF and cardiometabolic outcomes was evaluated in an adult Czechian population. In 2054 participants (54.6 % females, median 48 years), the CRF was predicted from a non-exercise equation. Multivariable-adjusted logistic regressions were carried out to determine the associations. Higher CRF quartiles were associated with lower prevalence of hypertension, type 2 diabetes (T2D) and dyslipidaemia. Comparing subjects within the lowest CRF, those within the highest CRF had decreased chances of hypertension (odds ratio [OR] = 0.36; 95% CI: 0.22-0.60); T2D (OR=0.16; 95% CI 0.05-0.47), low HDL-c (OR=0.32; 95% CI 0.17-0.60), high low-density lipoprotein (OR=0.33; 95% CI 0.21-0.53), high triglycerides (OR=0.13; 95 CI 0.07-0.81), and high cholesterol (OR=0.44; 95% CI 0.29-0.69). There was an inverse association between CRF and cardiometabolic outcomes, supporting the adoption of a non-exercise method to estimate CRF of the Czech population. Therefore, more accurate cardiometabolic studies can be performed incorporating the valuable CRF metric.

Several factors, such as internal algorithm, sensor technology, and obsolescence might skew outcomes when comparing different gas analysers measurements during CPET. Besides aerosol borne infectious disease are a source of contamination during cardiopulmonary exercise tests (CPET). Thus, the main aim of this study was to determine the agreement degree between the Quark RMR and the Jaeger Oxycon Pro, using an antibacterial filter with the latter. Forty-two participants (19-54 years old) performed two non-consecutive maximal graded exercise tests on a cycle-ergometer on two counterbalance and different days using the Oxycon Pro and the Quark RMR in a randomized order. Differences between devices were tested using a generalized linear model adjusted by Bonferroni, and correlation and agreement was assessed using Pearson’s correlation coefficient (R), intraclass coefficient correlation (ICC), Lin’s concordance correlation coefficient (CCC) and Bland-Altman plots. No significant differences were found between devices in any of metabolic or ventilatory parameters for cardiorespiratory fitness assessment (VO_2max: 3131.3±882.1 vs. 3189.8±894.8, p=0.071, VCO_2max: 3436.3±936.0 vs. 3550.3±1043.2, p=0.071, for Quark RMR and Oxycon Pro, respectively). However, Bland-Altman plots showed a trivial tendency towards Oxycon Pro overestimation relative to Quark RMR as air flow volume increases. Both devices showed strong correlation and high level of agreement during maximal and submaximal exercise intensities (Pearson’s R: 0.974 & 0.977; ICC: 0.985 & 0.987; Lin’s CCC: 0.971 & 0.974, for VO₂ and VCO₂, respectively). Therefore, providing consistency to CPET data comparison between both devices, and insight into whether the use of these metabolic carts could be interchangeable or combined when a single device cannot be used for CPET assessment.

Biomass storage is an essential requirement in the supply chain of bio-refineries and power plants. This research aims to evaluate the influence of long-term outdoor storage (1 year) of baled rockrose (Cistus laurifolius L.) shrub biomass on biofuel´s quality, pre-treatment processes and on combustion emissions in an industrial boiler. The raw material was obtained from different rockrose shrublands in North-center Spain. 233 tWM (tones of wet matter) of biomass were used to produce biofuels (30 mm milled biomass and Ø 8 mm pellets) in the pre-treatment pilot plants at CEDER-CIEMAT. The combustion tests were conducted in an industrial moving grate boiler with a thermal power of 50 MWth, in a 17 MWe power plant. Outdoor storage improved some quality biofuels parameters, mainly the reduction in ash content, what allowed to classify 30 mm milled material as class I1 (ISO 17225-9:2022) and pellets as class I3 (ISO 17225-2-2021). No significant differences were observed in the total specific mass flow and energy consumptions in the pre-treatment processes. The combustion tests had similar results, being the emissions below the limits established in the Directive (EU) 2015/2193. The results obtained indicated that 1-year outdoor store of rockrose-baled biomass under Mediterranean conditions was feasible for its subsequent use as biofuel.

Scientific literature shows increased interest in the aged and the aging phenomenon. The Aging Attitudes Questionnaire - AAQ was validated for the Portuguese population to understand the importance of attitudes towards old age and their impact on the subjective well-being of the elderly. A sample of 400 subjects (from 18 to 93 years) answered a socio-demographic questionnaire, and the AAQ was composed of three subscales (psychosocial losses, physical change, and psychological growth). The CFA confirmed the tri-factorial structure with very good adjustment of the model to the data with the Cronbach alpha of the total scale scoring .84 and ranging from .65 to .77 for each factor. A total of 9 items were omitted both for poor factor loadings (<0.50. Notwithstanding, 3 items below the criteria were maintained, as they conceptually fit into the factor. Of the final 15 AAQp items, 5 belong to the Psychosocial Loss factor, 6 to Physical Change, and 4 to Psychosocial Growth. This tree factor model explained 50.1 % of the total variance. In conclusion, this study supports that AAQ has acceptable validity, confirming the composite reliability and the discriminant validity, but not the convergent validity. Through multi-group analysis, the invariance of the scale was confirmed. This validation is of pivotal importance once it allows measuring the attitudes towards aging, thus facilitating the promotion of wellbeing across the lifespan.

Weight loss solutions are on the rise, and there is growing interest in natural alternatives to the pharmaceuticals in the market, which are not devoid of relevant side effects. To this end, the objective of the current study is to assess the effects of a botanical-based blend comprised of lemon verbena and hibiscus extracts in weight management, body fat, appetite, lipid, and glucose profiles, in an overweight population, for 90 days. As a result, the volunteers presented significant weight loss in absence of diet, which coincided with decreased body fat. Body fat was assessed by anthropometry, electrical bioimpedance and DEXA scan. Cholesterol levels were also significantly decreased. Satiety assessment revealed that the product contributed to increased feeling of fullness and satisfaction after a meal, compared to the placebo group, which could contribute to the weight loss observed. Blood glucose and blood pressure levels remained unchanged, which was expected as the volunteers were normoglycemic and their blood pressure was in the healthy range. In conclusion, daily supplementation of a botanical-based blend contributes to weight loss in overweight individuals, in absence of diet, while not affecting other parameters that are in the healthy range. This product could be a candidate alternative or add-on to other weight loss products, as part of a healthy lifestyle.

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

Among the agricultural practices promoted by the Common Agricultural Policy to increase soil functions, the use of cover crops is a recommended tool to improve the sustainability of Mediter-ranean woody crops such as olive orchards. However, there is a broad range of cover crop ty-pologies in relation to its implementation, control and species composition. In that sense, the in-fluence of different plant species on soil quality indicators in olive orchards remains unknown yet. This study describes the effects of four treatments based on the implementation of different ground covers (CC-NAT, CC-GRA and CC-MIX) and conventional tillage (TILL) on soil erosion, soil physicochemical and biological properties, and soil microbial communities after 8 years of cover crop establishment. Our results have demonstrated that the presence of a temporary cover crop (CC), compared to a soil under tillage (TILL), can reduce soil losses and maintain good soil physicochemical properties and modify greatly the structure and diversity of soil bacterial com-munities and its functioning. The presence of a homogeneous CC of gramineous (Lolium rigidum or Lolilum multiflorum) (CC-GR) for 8 years significantly increased the functional properties of the soil as compared to TILL; although the most significant change was a modification on the bacte-rial community composition that was clearly different from the rest of treatments. On the other hand, the use of a mixture of plant species (CC-MIX) as a CC for only two years although did not modify greatly the structure and diversity of soil bacterial communities compared to the TILL soil, induced significant changes on the functional properties of the soil, and reverted those properties to a level similar to that of an undisturbed soil that had maintained a natural cover of spontaneous vegetation for decades (CC-NAT).

This study addresses the implementation of the International Financial Reporting Standard 9 (IFRS 9) in the European Union as of January 1, 2018, replacing the International Accounting Standard 39 (IAS 39) to introduce a new model for recognizing Loan Loss Provisions (LLP) based on Expected Credit Loss (ECL). This model responds to criticisms of the former Incurred Credit Loss (ICL) system for its inability to reflect credit losses in a timely manner, potentially exacerbating the effects of financial crises (Bushman &amp; Williams, 2015; Gebhardt &amp; Novotny-Farkas, 2011). The study focuses on the effects of adopting the ECL model on the level of Loan Loss Allowances (LLA) in loans, own equity, and the Common Equity Tier 1 (CET1) ratio across 13 Portuguese commercial banks. A mean comparison test is used to evaluate scenarios before and after the application of the ECL model, highlighting the importance of regulator actions and the adequacy of loss recognition policies, including the effects of Regulation (EU) 2017/2395 of December 12. The results obtained demonstrate significant negative impacts on the net values of loans, own equity, and the CET1 ratio upon adopting the IFRS 9 ECL model, due to the widespread increase in LLAs.

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

Physical rehabilitation aims to help people recover their mobility and strength after an injury or illness. One way to evaluate progress in rehabilitation is through isokinetic prototype tests that describe the dynamic characteristics of an isokinetic leg extension device for rehabilitation and control action. These tests use an isokinetic system to assess muscle strength and performance in a patient during isometric or isokinetic contraction. An experimental prototype allows the performance of the device to be evaluated in a controlled environment prior to use by the patient. In order to achieve physical recovery from musculoskeletal injuries in the lower limbs and achieve the reintegration of the affected subject into society as an independent and autonomous individual in their daily activities, a control model is presented that introduces a medical isokinetic rehabilitation protocol, where the element that allows carrying out such protocol consists of a magnetic particle brake whose control action is strongly influenced by the dynamics of the system when in contact with the end user, specifically the patient's legs in the stretch from the knee to the ankle. The results of these tests are valuable for health professionals seeking to measure their patient’s progress during the rehabilitation process and determine when it is safe and appropriate to advance in their treatment.

Fire regimes in mountain landscapes of southern Europe have been shifting from their baselines due to rural abandonment and fire exclusion policies. Understanding the effects of fire on biodiversity is paramount to implement adequate management. Herein, we evaluated the relative role of burn severity and heterogeneity on bird abundance in an abandoned mountain range located in the biogeographic transition between the Eurosiberian and Mediterranean region (the Natural Park ‘Baixa Limia–Serra do Xurés’). We surveyed the bird community in 206 census plots distributed across the Natural Park, both inside and outside areas affected by wildfires over the last 11 years (from 2010 to 2020). We used satellite images of Sentinel 2 and Landsat missions to quantify the burn severity and heterogeneity of each fire within each surveyed plot. We also accounted for the past land use (forestry or agropastoral use) by using a land cover information for year 2010 derived from satellite image classification. We recorded 1,735 contacts from 28 bird species. Our models, fitted by using GLMs with Poisson error distribution (pseudo-R²_-average of 0.22 ± 0.13), showed that up to 71% of the modelled species were linearly correlated with at least one attribute of the fire regime. The spatiotemporal variation in burnt area and severity were relevant factors for explaining the local abundance of our target species (39% of the species; Akaike weights > 0.75). We also found a quadratic effect of at least one fire regime attribute on bird abundance for 60% of the modeled species. The past land use, and its legacy after 10 years, was critical to understand the role of fire (Akaike weights > 0.75). Our findings confirm the importance of incorporating remotely sensed indicators of burn severity into the toolkit of decision makers to accurately anticipate the response of birds to fire management.

The global pandemic caused by the new SARS-COV-2 coronavirus makes it necessary to search for drugs for its control. Within of this research it has been known that the ivermectin drug, a FDA-approved drugs which is formulated as an 80:20 mixture of ivermectin B1a and B1b and used commonly for parasitic infections, has an inhibitory effect on viruses, includes SARS-COV-2 at in vitro level. In the particular case of SARS-COV-2 its mechanism of action remains elusive and controversial. Interestingly, the energy of interaction of ivermectin with any of the proteins the SARS-CoV-2 and the possible structural alterations at the protein level that this drug can cause have not been reported. In this sense, we carried out a bioinformatics study with docking strategies and molecular dynamics to predict the binding and disturbance induced by ivermectin in proteins associated with SARS-CoV-2. We use DockThor and Molegro docking scores. The DockThor server and myPresto software were used to build complexes and dynamics studies, respectively. The results obtained suggested that ivermectin is capable of docking with the 3CL protease and the HR2 domain, and may promote structural changes in these proteins by inducing unfolding/folding. Specifically, ivermectin brings protease to a significantly more deployed conformational state and the HR2 domain to a more compact state compared to the native state. Finally, it is shown that B1a and B1b macrocyclic lactones have a behavior different from to each target protein. These results suggest a possible inhibitory effect against SARS-CoV-2 due to a synergistic role of this drug to spontaneously bind to two important proteins involve in the proliferation of this virus. However, more studies are required on this possible mechanism of action.

Breast cancer has an important incidence in the worldwide female population. Although alterations in the mitochondrial genome probably play an important role in carcinogenesis, the actual evidence is ambiguous and inconclusive. The purpose of the present work was to explore mitochondrial sequences of clinical cases with breast cancer from different origins and determine the polymorphisms associated. The search for complete and partial mtDNA sequences obtained from breast cancer patients and controls was performed in NCBI Genbank database. We identified 124 mtDNA sequences associated to breast cancer cases of which 86 were complete and 38 partial sequences. Of these 86 complete sequences, 52 belong to patients with a confirmed diagnosis of breast cancer and 34 sequences were obtained from healthy mammary tissue of the same patients used as controls. From mtDNA analysis, two polymorphisms with significative statistical differences were found in D130 in sequences analyzed: m.310del (rs869289246) in 34.6% (27/78) breast cancer cases and 61.7% (21/34) of controls; and m.315dup (rs369786048) in 60.2% (47/78) of breast cancer cases and 38.2% (13/34) of controls. Also, the variant m.16519T>C (rs3937033) was found in 59% of control sequences and 52% of breast cancer sequences with a significant statistical difference. Polymorphic changes are evolutionarily related to haplogroup H of Indo-European and Euro Asiatic origins, however, were found in all non-European sequences with breast cancer.

Abstract: Understanding the reliability and sensitivity of jump testing is essential to determine the neuromuscular progress of athletes and make informed decisions. This study aimed to assess the reliability and sensitivity of countermovement jump (CMJ) and drop jump (DJ) tests metrics in female volleyball players. Sixteen semi-professional female volleyball players participated in the study. Intrasession and intersession reliability of CMJ and DJ metrics were evaluated using a randomized cross-over design. Dual force platform was used to collect data, and several dependent variables were calculated using forward dynamics. Intraclass correlation coefficients (ICC), coefficients of variation (CV) and minimum difference (MD) were calculated. The third attempt presented the highest values for both test, and changes in jump strategy in DJ. CMJ is consistent across sessions, while DJ also shows intersession differences (p<0.05) in 11 out of 15 variables. Most CMJ variables exhibit excellent reliability while DJ variables have lower reliability and higher variability. Concentric and eccentric impulses for DJ showed excellent reliability. Most CMJ variables showed excellent reliability and variability, DJ had lower reliability, higher variability, and lower sensitivity. These findings provide valuable information when assessing athletes' performance and highlight the reliability, sensitivity, and variability in jump performance for CMJ and DJ tests.

Compared to other 2D materials, MBenes are at an early stage in both experimental and theoretical approaches. However, the wide range of possible 2D structures leads to novel and challenging properties and their consequent applications. From all the possible stoichiometries, we have performed a theoretical study of orthorhombic and hexagonal M2B2 MBenes in the framework of the Density Functional Theory. We have found that both symmetries of Cr2B2, Fe2B2, and Zr2B2 show a metallic behavior and could be grown under certain conditions, as they are demonstrated to be dynamically stable. Moreover, the values of the magnetic moment, in specific ferromagnetic cases exceeding 2.5 μB/M2B2, make them suitable as robust 2D magnets. All our findings represent an important step in the understanding of MBenes and open several windows to future research in fields like energy conversion and storage, sensing, catalysis, biochemistry, or nanotechnology, among others.

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

Every year around 800 000 people commit suicide, this represents one death every 40 seconds. In the search for possible biological biomarkers associated with suicide and/or psychiatric disorders, serum cholesterol levels have been extensively explored. Several studies have indicated that cholesterol and associated proteins, especially apolipoproteins (Apos), may play an important role in the diagnosis, prognosis, and susceptibility of suicide. Here, we describe the current knowledge and findings in the relationship between apolipoproteins and suicide.

Background: Deficiency of alpha-1 antitrypsin (AAT1) is a rare disorder that represents a significant health threat and early diagnostic a priority issue. We investigate the usefulness of the serum protein electrophoresis (SPE) as an opportunistic screening tool for AAT1 deficiency. Methods: For 6 months, all SPE carried out for any reasons were evaluated in our center. In those with less than 3% of Alpha-1 globulins, AAT1 concentrations were studied. The SERPINA1 gene was subsequently sequenced in those subjects displaying concentrations below 100 mg/dL. Results: Out of the total, 14 patients (0.3%) were identified with low AAT1 concentrations, 11 of them agreeing to enter the study. Of those, mutations in the SERPINA1 gene were discovered in 10 subjects (91%). Heterozygous mutations were detected in 7 patients; 3 had the c.1096G>A mutation (p.Glu366Lys; Pi*Z), 2 the c.863A>T mutation (p.Glu288Val; Pi*S), one the c.221_223delTCT mutation (p.Phe76del; Pi*Malton) having the last one the c.1066G>A (p.Ala356Thr) mutation not previously described. Finally one patient had the c.863A>T mutation in homozygosis whereas two double heterozygous patients c.863A> T/ c.1096G>A were detected. Conclusions: an altered result in the concentration of AAT1 anticipates a mutation in the SERPINA1 gene in a manner close to 91%. The relationship between a decrease in the Alpha-1 globulin band of the SPE and an alteration in the AAT1 concentration is direct in basal states of health. The SPE is presented as a highly sensitive test for opportunistic screening of AAT1 deficiency.

Background: This study aimed to assess the relationship between age-related changes in Neuro-filament Light Chain (NFL), a marker of neuronal function, and various factors including muscle function, body composition, and metabolomic markers. Methods: The study included 40 partici-pants, aged 20 to 85 years. NFL levels were measured, and muscle function, body composition, and metabolomic markers were assessed. Results: NFL levels increased significantly with age, particularly in men. Negative correlations were found between NFL levels and measures of mus-cle function, such as grip strength, walking speed, and chair test performance, indicating a decline in muscle performance with increasing NFL. These associations were more pronounced in men. NFL levels also negatively correlated with muscle quality in men, as measured by 50 kHz phase angle. In terms of body composition, NFL was positively correlated with markers of fat mass and negatively correlated with markers of muscle mass, predominantly in men. Metabolomic analy-sis revealed significant associations between NFL levels and specific metabolites, with gen-der-dependent relationships observed. Conclusions: This study provides insights into the rela-tionship between circulating serum NFL, muscle function, and aging. The findings highlight gen-der differences and contribute to our understanding of age-related changes in neuronal function and their impact on muscle health.

With the evolution of technology over the years, it has become possible to develop intelligent environments based on the concept of the Internet of Things, distributed systems, and machine learning. Such environments are incorporated with various solutions to solve user demands from services. One of these solutions is UBIPRI middleware, whose central concept is to maintain privacy in smart environments and to receive notifications as one of its services. However, this service is freely performed, disregarding the privacy that the environment employs. Another consideration is that based on the researched related works, it was possible to identify that the authors do not use statistical hypothesis tests in their solutions developed in the presented context. This work proposes an architecture for notification management in smart environments, composed by a notification manager named PRIPRO to assign it to UBIPRI and to aim to perform tests and comparisons between classification algorithms to delimit which one is most feasible to implement in the PRINM decision-making mechanism. The experiments showed that the J48 algorithm obtained the best results compared to the other algorithms tested and compared.

Intraband energy transitions of an electron in GaAs/AlGaAs hexagonal quantum well wires in the presence of external electric and magnetic fields are presented. We consider the effects of the revolve of the quantum well wires via a geometric factor that converts the quantum wires straight and symmetric with respect to the z−axis, into a curved wires that no longer has this symmetry. In addition, the influence of having a shallow donor impurity on (off) is calculated. The shape of this quantum string corresponds to the core/shell structure. The energy levels and wave functions of the electron in the heterostructure with a finite potential between the shells are calculated using the effective mass approximation and the finite element method. The calculations of the optical properties are obtained from the compact density matrix and an iterative method. The direction of the applied external fields is parallel (anti-parallel) to the z−direction. The results reveal a significant dependence of the physical properties calculated with the deformation parameter, the dimensions of the quantum well wires and the presence or not of the impurity. The electronic transitions are in a range between 4.90 meV to 41.50 meV under the effect of the electric field, this corresponds to a range of frequencies of optical responses between 1.20 to 10 THz, that is, the mid-infrared. For the magnetic field the range is between 1.24 meV to 14 meV, that is, in frequencies from 0.36 to 3.38 THz, that is, in the far-infrared.

Patients with COPD have a higher prevalence of coronary ischemia and other factors that put them at risk for COVID-19-related complications. We aimed to explore the impact of COVID-19 in a large population-based sample of patients with COPD in Castilla-La Mancha, Spain. We analyzed clinical data in electronic health records from January 1st to May 10th, 2020 by using Natural Language Processing through the SAVANA Manager® clinical platform. Out of 31,633 COPD patients, 793 had a diagnosis of COVID-19. The proportion of patients with COVID-19 in the COPD population (2,51%; CI95% 2,33 – 2,68) was significantly higher than in the general population aged > 40 years (1,16%; 95%CI 1,14 – 1,18); P < .001. Compared with COPD-free individuals, COPD patients with COVID-19 showed significantly poorer disease prognosis, as evaluated by hospitalizations (31,1 % vs 39,8%: OR 1,57; 95%CI 1,14 – 1,18) and mortality (3,4% vs 9,3%: OR 2,93; 95%CI 2,27 – 3,79). Patients with COPD and COVID-19 were significantly older (75 vs. 66 years), predominantly male (83% vs 17%), smoked more frequently, and had more comorbidities than their non-COPD counterparts. Pneumonia was the most common diagnosis among COPD patients hospitalized due to COVID-19 (59%); 19% of patients showed pulmonary infiltrates suggestive of pneumonia and heart failure. Mortality in COPD patients with COVID-19 was associated with older age and prevalence of heart failure (P<0.05). COPD patients with COVID-19 showed higher rates of hospitalization and mortality, mainly associated with pneumonia. This clinical profile is different from exacerbations caused by other respiratory viruses in the winter season.

The archival Rossi X-ray Timing Explorer (RXTE) Proportional Counter Array (PCA) observations of HZ Her/Her X-1 are analyzed here. The time periods for Anomalous Low States are refined. The 35-day X-ray lightcurve of Her X-1 is produced using 35-day phases determined with RXTE All-Sky Monitor (ASM) and Swift Burst Altert Telescope (BAT) data, with adjustments based on the RXTE/PCA data. The result is the highest sensitivity 35-day lightcurve of Her X-1. The RXTE/PCA data were separated into 8 differents states of the 35-day cycle: Main High (MH) turn-on, MH, MH decline, Low State (LS) 1, Short High (SH) turn-on, SH, SH decline, and LS2. Orbital lightcurves were created for each state, and the different states are compared. Eclipse data was extracted for each state to determine the changes of eclipse shape with 35-day phase. A scattering corona model was fit to the eclipses for the different 35-day states: this shows that the corona is present at all 35-day phases with similar intensity. We carried out a search for previously-reported dips with no absorption, but did not find any.

Diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) is an aggressive and biologically heterogeneous disease. Approximately 40% of patients with DLBCL will experience disease relapse or will be refractory to first line chemoimmunotherapy. In recent years there have been several new therapeutic agents approved for the treatment of relapsed/refractory (R/R) DLBCL. These agents include anti-CD19 chimeric antigen receptor T-cell therapies (CAR T-cells) and monoclonal antibodies as polatuzumab and tafasitamab. Nevertheless, despite the high efficacy of all these new therapies, there are still patients who do not respond or relapse, representing an unmet clinical need. This review describes new promising therapies that are under investigation to treat R/R DLBCL.

In the field of robotics education, introductory courses would ideally utilize heavy industrial arms for hands-on learning. This would provide students with valuable experience in joint programming, which involves direct control of each joint motor in the arm to accomplish desired path planning and differential movements. This practice requires consideration of the physical dynamics of the arm. However, the use of heavy industrial arms has several drawbacks. They are large and expensive, require specialized maintenance, can pose safety risks, and they typically do not allow for direct control of the joint motors. One solution is to use a small, lightweight, toy-like arm. While these are cost-effective and provide direct access to the joint motors without posing safety risks, their lightweight construction means they exhibit minimal dynamic behavior, which limits their educational value. Another solution involves a robotic arm simulator that uses a virtual arm. However, a virtual arm doesn't offer the same level of hands-on engagement and excitement as a physical arm. We propose a hybrid solution that combines a small physical arm with a virtual arm. This approach provides students with the experience of working with an industrial arm, but without the associated difficulties. We demonstrate how this approach successfully improved the completion rate of joint programming assignments, offering a promising solution for practical robotics education.