This paper aims to list the current challenges in the study of Sports Medicine in Brazil based on a review of the literature and the author's experience as a member of a transdisciplinary team in this field, as well as to discuss methods for establishing an appropriate and organized course of health activities in this context. The authors identified four significant contemporary difficulties in the field of sports medicine in Brazil that, while minor, are complicated. There is a need to publish a greater number of national studies, generate integrated knowledge through transdisciplinary research, propose sports and movement as a tool for the prevention of degenerative conditions, and research and develop better therapeutic options through transdisciplinary research. It is expected that a transdisciplinary approach will reduce divergences between the real world and science, putting an end to dogmatism, prejudice, and theoretical thinking, increasing the scientificity of sports, bringing competitive advantages, improving training, performance, and athlete health management, and contributing to the advancement of sports medicine.

Chronic wounds remain a major challenge in healthcare, with conventional dressings often leading to infections and lacking advanced healing capabilities. This study evaluated the wound healing potential of NIMO-CH, a cellulose hydrogel derived from nipa fronds and enriched with indigenous microorganisms, particularly Lacticaseibacillus paracasei BCRC-16100. Using ICR mice with excisional wounds, three treatments were compared: no treatment, NIMO-CH, and DuoDERM. Results showed that NIMO-CH and DuoDERM both achieved 100% wound closure, with NIMO-CH-treated wounds showing complete healing with hair growth by day 18-20, while untreated wounds healed by day 20. Minimal scarring was observed in both NIMO-CH and DuoDERM groups. Histological analysis confirmed similar healing processes, including granulation tissue formation and moderate inflammatory responses, with no significant differences in collagen fiber orientation. Furthermore, genome sequencing revealed that Lacticaseibacillus paracasei BCRC-16100 contained genes sodA and gsiC, responsible for coding enzymes necessary for the wound healing process. These results suggest that NIMO-CH could be an effective alternative for wound care applications.

Bacterial infections pose a serious threat to human health, and the overuse of antibiotics has led to the rise of multidrug-resistant bacteria. Numerous current wound dressings, which may cause skin irritation or allergies are insufficient in handling large wounds, often leading to infections. This highlights the need for better antibacterial materials. Nypa fruticans (Nipa palm), native to Southeast Asia, has long been utilized for various purposes because of its multiple benefits such as its antimicrobial properties, presence of probiotics, and high cellulose content. This study evaluates the use of cellulose hydrogel from nipa fronds, loaded with probiotics (ProbioGel), as an antimicrobial agent to prevent infections. The study involved an in-vitro assay using the Kirby-Bauer method to evaluate the gel’s antimicrobial properties against common wound pathogens. Additionally, whole genome sequencing and promoter analysis were done to identify genes supporting their biochemical properties. The results showed ProbioGel exhibited significant antimicrobial activity against Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus epidermidis, and Candida albicans due to the presence of genes encoding lysozyme, carnobacteriocin B2, and fatty acid ABC transporter ATP binding in the Lacticaseibacillus paracasei BCRC-16100. This study highlighted the potential of ProbioGel as an innovative and effective antimicrobial and anti-infection agent for wound care. The discovery of genes in the probiotic strain responsible for encoding antimicrobial peptides further supports its therapeutic potential.

Probiotics are microorganisms infused in products for health benefits including acceleration of nutrient digestion, however, it is also important to ensure the safety prior to incorporation. Here, we present evidence of the ability of two probiotic isolates,Lacticaseibacillus paracasei BCRC-16100 and Lacticaseibacillus paracasei ZFM54, in the (1) enhancement of carbohydrate digestion, (2) tolerance to stress, and (3) antibiotic resistance. Approaches include whole genome sequence (WGS) analysis and bioactivity assays. WGS revealed genes suggesting the ability of the two isolates to promote carbohydrate digestion, tolerance to stress and antibiotic resistance. Carbohydrate digestive ability was confirmed through a biochemical assay where the two isolates cause glucose release from starch. The two isolates also showed versatility in a range of temperature and alcohol concentration. For antibiotic resistance particularly on vancomycin, there are three mechanisms namely transporter control, transcriptional regulation, and efflux pump. Furthermore, promoter and transposable element analysis showed that some of the active antibiotic resistant (AbR) genes can be laterally transferred. Altogether, we show the potential of two probiotic isolates to be incorporated in products for improved carbohydrate digestion and the need to address the removal of active and mobile antibiotic resistance genes that may compromise safety.

The development of an equipment starts from an effective design activity. The concept selection process is an activity that is entailed in the design stage and its relevance in the design process cannot be overemphasized because it informs the choice of optimal conceptual design from a set of alternative design. Hence, there is a need to accrue efforts to the concept selection process because of its importance. This article presents the identification of optimal conceptual design as a Multicriteria decision making model by assessing the suitability of Fuzzy Measurement Alternatives and Ranking according to COmpromise Solution (MARCOS). The Fuzzy MARCOS model was developed to access four alternative conceptual designs of briquetting machines considering eight design features with several sub features. The fuzzy MARCOS model was able to rank the conceptual designs and the results obtained from the decision analysis showed that the Fuzzy MARCOS model was able to rank the designs based on their performance and the final values of the overall utility function. The overall utility function is a based on the utility degree of the conceptual design alternatives in terms of the best and worst designs identified by the model. The utility degree created a platform for comparison on how the design alternatives varies from the best and worst design.

Indoor scene recognition and semantic information can be helpful for social robots. Recently, in the field of indoor scene recognition, researchers have incorporated object-level information and shown improved performances. This paper demonstrates that scene recognition can be performed solely using object-level information in line with these advances. A state-of-the-art object detection model was trained to detect objects typically found in indoor environments and then used to detect objects in scene data. These predicted objects were then used as features to predict room categories. This paper successfully combines approaches conventionally used in computer vision (YOLO) and Term Frequency-Inverse Document Frequency (TF-IDF). These approaches could be further helpful in the field of embodied research and dynamic scene classification, which we elaborate on.

Soil amendments with composted organic materials are recommended to increase soil organic matter (SOM), promote soil fertility, and the Circular Economy. Growing areas of hedged olive groves in southern Iberia peninsula generate huge amounts of olive leaves whose potential as soil organic amendment is not fully studied. An experimental field trial in a hedged olive grove (cv. “Cobrançosa”) was set up near Portalegre, Portugal, to test a compost of olive leaves plus sheep manure (2:1) applied in the row, at soil surface. Three nominal rates (0 or control, 2.5 and 5.0 kg m-2) were used, in a complete randomized block setup (3 treatments, 3 replicas, 9 plots) and soil chemical properties of layers 0-5, 5-15, and 15-30 cm deep were annually monitored. Results (mainly in layer 0-5 cm) showed increases in total N, carbon of the particulate organic matter (POM-C), permanganate oxidizable carbon (POX-C), extractable phosphorus, and zinc, after one year, and increases in soil organic carbon (SOC), C-stock, pHKCl, extractable phosphorus, and zinc, after two years. POX-C was the most sensitive SOM-related indicator, showing increases up to 30 cm deep after one year. This compost improved soil fertility, but should be monitored over longer periods of time, namely for SOC and extractable zinc content.

General anesthesia and surgical stress can suppress the immunological response by acting both directly on the immune system and indirectly on the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis and the sympathetic nervous system. Disturbance of the immune system during the perioperative period can lead to complications such as wound-healing disorders and infections up to sepsis. Effective-ness of acupuncture in regulating the immune function by increasing leukocyte numbers and in-hibiting inflammatory response has been proven. The aim of this study was to explore the impact of electroacupuncture (EAP) on the dynamic bal-ance of the immune system and immune cell populations in dogs undergoing surgery. For this purpose, twelve healthy bitches scheduled for elective ovariectomy were divided into two groups according to whether (EAP, n=6) or not (CTR, n=6) a peri-operative electroacupuncture treatment was performed. Levels of leukocytes (neutrophils, monocytes, T- and B-cells) and immunoglobu-lins M (IgM) and A (IgA) were measured in blood samples collected before (T0), 1 hour (T1) and 2.5 hours (T2) after anesthesia induction. Leukocytes count decreased from T0 to T1 in both groups and restored within 1.5 hours in EAP group whereas remained significantly lower in CTR group (P<0.02). In particular, neutrophils and monocytes increased in dogs receiving EAP (P<0.01) while T-cells decreased in CTR group (P<0.04) at T2. B-cells and cytotoxic T-cells de-creased in EAP dogs (P<0.04) at T2. No differences in helper T-cells, IgM and IgA levels were recorded between groups and over time. Our results suggest a modulatory effect of EAP on the immune system which is early expressed on neutrophils, monocytes and T-cells.

This paper investigates if Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) reports published by a selected group of Nordic companies are aligned with the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) standards. To achieve this goal, several natural language processing, and text mining techniques were implemented and tested. We extracted strings, corpus, and hybrid semantic similarities from the reports and evaluated the models through the intrinsic assessment methodology. A quantitative ranking score based on index matching was developed to complement the semantic valuation. The final results show that Latent Semantic Analysis (LSA) and Global Vectors for Word Representation (GloVE) are the best methods for our study. Our findings will open the door to the automatic evaluation of sustainability reports which could have a strong impact on the environment.

Braskem is the only company in the world that produces green polyethylenes (HDPE – high density polyethylene and LLDPE – linear low density polyethylene) derived from the dehydration of sugarcane ethanol. Although the performance of green and fossil nominally same polyethylenes are equivalent, commercial clients may use blends of up to 51% of green polyethylenes and 49% of fossil polyethylenes and still have the right to use the I’m greenTM label which appeals to environmental conscious consumers and places these companies in a noticeable position. The Annual Income Statement - AISs from 2010, when Braskem started production of green PE, until 2018, show there was growth of revenues. Despite of the production of polyethylenes have continued stable and the number of green polyethylenes patents have decreased since 2014, the profits with the BRKM5 stocks increased. There is no transparency of how carbon credits were gained and in the AIS. Investments in securities in the Brazilian financial market (BRKM5 and carbon credits) are much more attractive than the investment in new patents, because they generate greater gains (268% increase in the average share price of BRKM5 from 2012 to 2018) and do not require large investments in R&D.

We study the nonlinear absorptive and dispersive optical properties of molecular systems immersed in a thermal reservoir interacting with a Four-wave Mixing (FWM) signal. Residual spin-orbit Hamiltonians are considered in order to take into account the internal structure of the molecule. As system parameters in the dissipation processes, transverse and longitudinal relaxation times are considered for stochastic solute-solvent interaction processes. The intramolecular coupling effects on the optical responses are studied using a molecule model consisting of two coupled harmonic curves of electronic energies with displaced minima in nuclear energies and positions. In this study, it was considered the complete frequency space is considered through the pump-probe detuning, not restricting the derivations to only maximums of population oscillations. This approach opens the possibility of studying the behavior of optical responses, which is very useful in experimental design. Our results indicate the sensitivity of the optical responses to parameters of the molecular structure as well as to those derived from the photonic process of FWM signal generation.

The development of language and communication patterns has been significantly impacted by the internet's quick advancement. The ability to instantly communicate globally and engage with people of different linguistic origins is one of the main advantages of using the internet. Internet use has significant positive effects on language growth, but it also brings with it drawbacks that need to be addressed. Online communication's casual atmosphere can occasionally cause grammar norms to deteriorate and non-standard language patterns to proliferate. With the information stated in this paper, the aim now is to collect literature on the benefits of internet usage and the evolution of language to provide substantive information in regard to this matter. In order to assist students in navigating the complexity of Internet communication, educational institutions should incorporate digital literacy into their curricula. This involves upholding strict requirements for traditional language proficiency while teaching students how to use digital technologies efficiently. The Internet should be used to support the revitalization and preservation of endangered languages. This can entail setting up community forums, digital archives, and online learning portals where language users can interact and exchange resources.

The Covid-19 crisis has been one of the most relevant economic shocks in the history of the modern economy, mainly due to the restrictions on travel and social interaction taken by the authorities (quarantines, closure of schools, artistic activities, bars, and restaurants, capacity in stores), to reduce the transmission of the virus (Sars-Cov2), having consequences on the national productions of all countries (about 7% for the loss of GDP worldwide). In our study, we analyze, through clustering methods, the effects of the level of contagion, economic projections, and economic mitigation measures taken by governments for managing the pandemic. According to the analyses, it can be concluded that a low infection rate implies a lower loss of product and economic savings when applying economic mitigation measures, taking relevance in the management of sanitary measures to reduce the transmission of the virus (and the temporality of these).

In this work, optimal consumption and investment strategies are derived for risk-averse investors under the 4/2 stochastic volatility class of models. We work under an expected utility (EUT) framework and consider a Constant Relative Risk Aversion (CRRA) investor, who might also be ambiguity-averse. The corresponding Hamilton-Jacobi-Bellman (HJB) and HJB-Isaacs (HJBI) equations are solved in closed-form for a subset of the parametric space and under some restrictions on the portfolio setting, for complete markets. Conditions for proper changes of measure and well defined solutions are provided. These are the first analytical solutions for the 4/2 stochastic volatility model and the embedded 3/2 model for the type of excess returns established in .

Several studies have already demonstrated the relationship between the loss of natural habitats and the incidence of diseases caused by vectors, such as dengue, which is an acute fever disease, considered a serious public health problem. The aim of the present study was to analyze the relationship between land use changes between 2009 and 2019 and the occurrence of dengue fever in 2015 and 2019 by municipality, using the state of Minas Gerais as a case study. For this, secondary data obtained from openly available sources were used. Natural vegetation cover data were obtained from the MAPBiomas platform and dengue occurrence data from the Ministry of Health, in addition to socioeconomic indicators from the Brazilian Institute for Geography and Statistics. Between 2015 and 2019, 1,255,731 cases of dengue were recorded throughout the state of Minas Gerais, ranging from 0 to 227 per thousand inhabitants between municipalities. The occurrence of dengue was distributed throughout all regions of Minas Gerais, affected by climatic and socioeconomic aspects. In general, municipalities with net loss of natural vegetation, predominantly located in the Cerrado biome, had the highest number of dengue cases in the studied period. Despite the significant positive relationship between these two variables, three of the eight socioeconomic parameters analyzed also affected the occurrence of dengue: population density, human development index (both positively) and Gini inequality index (negatively). These results indicate that, contrary to expectations, municipalities with better social conditions had more dengue cases. Our study indicates that natural vegetation is, directly or indirectly, involved in the ecosystem service of dengue control, despite the occurrence of this disease being affected by multiple factors that interact in a complex way. Thus, policies towards reducing deforestation must be complemented by a continuous investment in public health policies and reduction of social inequalities to efficiently control dengue fever.

The intricate mechanisms of the immune response elicited by vaccines and the interplay between the immune system and the central nervous system (CNS) are poorly understood. This review explores these mechanisms, emphasizing the interplay between the immune system and the central nervous system (CNS). A critical aspect is the examination of how vaccine-induced immune responses can interact with the CNS, influencing neuroinflammation and neuroimmune interactions. Furthermore, the link between vaccination and persistent symptoms observed in long-COVID patients is discussed. Vaccination initiates a complex cascade of events, starting with the production of specific proteins, such as S1/S2 spike proteins, leading to robust immune activation in the axillary lymph nodes. The role of macrophages and antigen-presenting cells (APCs) in cytokine production, antigen presentation, and the stimulation of B and T cells highlights the sophistication of the adaptive immune response. The migration of immune cell-derived exosomes to the brain plays a dynamic role in CNS inflammation, neurodegenerative processes and long COVID. On the other hand, the prolonged presence of viral and vaccine-derived spike proteins may contribute to the complex pathophysiology of Long-COVID, shedding light on the delicate balance between beneficial immune responses and possible adverse neurological outcomes of vaccination. It is worth rigorous monitoring and further research to understand the mechanisms of neuroinflammation and the persistence of spike proteins and their long-term effects on the brain, emphasising the importance of a nuanced approach to vaccine safety and efficacy in the context of COVID-19 and beyond.Principio del formulario

Generating early warning signals of reduced resilience in ecosystems is crucial for conservation and management endeavors. However, the practical implications of such early warning signal systems are still limited by the lack of data and uncertainties associated with predicting complex systems such as ecosystems. This research aims to investigate the feasibility of developing an early warning system capable of identifying an upcoming critical transition within mangrove forest ecosystems. Using time series analysis of remote sensing images, the resilience of mangrove forests was explored across two distinct study sites. One site (Qeshm Island) has been adversely affected by land-use and land-cover changes, while the other (Gabrik) serves as a reference ecosystem. The study uses data from the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) satellite to quantify three remotely sensed indices: the Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI), the Modified Normalized Difference Water Index (MNDWI), and the Modified Vegetation Water Ratio (MVWR). In addition, Landsat data has been used to explore temporal alterations in land-use and land cover. To identify early warning signals, indicators such as autocorrelation (acf(1)), standard deviation (SD), and skewness (SK) are applied. The findings indicate a signal of reduced resilience by a significant increase in NDVI statistical metrics (acf(1): 0.50, SD: 0.9). Although MNDWI showed significant early warning signals in Qeshm Island (acf(1); 0.86, SD: 0.90), it provided a false alarm in the reference study site. MVWR failed to generate early warning signals of reduced resilience (acf(1); -0.100, SD: -0.07, SK: -0.21). Land-use land-cover change may explain reduced resilience in the forests. This study not only emphasizes the potential of remote sensing in monitoring the state of mangrove forests but also contributes to advancing our understanding of ecosystem dynamics. The findings of this study can be integrated with ecosystem management tools to enhance the effectiveness of conservation efforts aimed at safeguarding mangroves. This is the first report of the successful application of remote sensing in generating early warning signals of reduced resilience within mangrove forests in the Middle East.

Boron Neutron Capture Therapy (BNCT) is a promising binary disease-targeted therapy, as neutrons preferentially kill cells labeled with boron (¹⁰B), which makes it a precision medicine treatment modality that provides a therapeutic effect exclusively on patient-specific tumor spread. Contrary to what is usual in radiotherapy, BNCT proposes cell-tailored treatment planning rather than to the tumor mass. The success of BNCT depends mainly on the sufficient spatial biodistribution of ¹⁰B located around or within neoplastic cells to produce a high-dose gradient between the tumor and healthy tissue. However, it is not yet possible to precisely determine the concentration of ¹⁰B in a specific tissue in real-time using noninvasive methods. Critical issues remain to be resolved if BNCT is to become a valuable, minimally invasive, and efficient treatment. Moreover, functional imaging technologies such as PET can be applied to determine biological information that can be used for the combined-modality radiotherapy protocol for each specific patient. Anyway, not only imaging methods but also proteomics and gene expression methods will facilitate BNCT becoming a modality of personalized medicine. This work provides an overview of the fundamental principles, recent advances, and future directions of BNCT as cell-targeted cancer therapy for personalized radiation treatment.

The knowledge of COVID-19 impact on the human body has increased rapidly. Although many people recover from COVID-19, some continue to experience persistent symptoms that have been identified as Long COVID. This condition can have a severe impact on quality of life, and it remains a significant concern for medical professionals and researchers. One of the key components of the SARS-CoV-2 virus that enables it to enter human cells is the spike (S) protein. Recent studies have revealed a complex network of interactions between G proteins, spike (S) protein, and the Renin-Angiotensin System (RAS) may be responsible, at least in part, for long COVID. SARS-CoV-2 can also affect the brain, leading to neurological symptoms such as confusion, memory loss, and fatigue. Increasing evidence suggests that COVID-19 is not just a respiratory illness since it is likely that the virus could influence signal transduction pathways such as G-protein-coupled receptor (GPCR), among others, in the brain, either directly or indirectly, affecting neural functions. These interactions with the spike (S) protein and RAS, alongside the brain, are complex and require deep research to understand their implications for Long COVID-19 manifestation fully. While recent research has shed light on the complex interactions between G proteins, spike (S) protein, the brain, and the angiotensin system, this article explores these interconnected pathways and their implications for long COVID-19 manifestations. The present review summarises current research on different molecular mechanisms in Long COVID pathophysiology and may help identify possible targets or new strategies for the diagnosis and treatment.

With the Sendai Framework (2015-2030) and the Paris Agreement (2015), the UN has been promoting at a global level, the priority objectives to protect the life and well-being of people, these documents of global consensus have scheduled in several countries, an extensive list of actions of responsibilities and commitments to the environment, to address natural disasters among those of greatest impact earthquakes and floods and among earthquakes (seismic activity). The materialization of the disaster is a natural or human-induced event, it manifests itself in permanent changes in society and by its origin it is classified as natural, anthropogenic (anthropogenic) and mixed, creating a worldwide problematic situation of immediate reaction. The attention and alert in the scientific community have been adding efforts, but in a disorganized way, with limited human and material resources and with globalized strategies still to be improved. The literature review of disaster risk management due to seismic activity, from 2008 to 2023, allows us to have updated information to identify the factors and deepen them, with the understanding, comprehension, and multidisciplinary knowledge. The selected researches that mention the factors (elements) that influence risk management of natural disasters due to seismic activity (RMNDDSA) allow us to know the advances and spaces to approach them, which constitutes the motivation to study the twenty-four (24) factors present in this type of disasters. The selected research articles indicate important advances that associate disaster risk management (DRM) and communication technology (ICTs). The technological means mentioned are well received and accepted by society, capable of detecting and communicating in real time seismic activity worldwide, with the help of social mobile networks, technological platforms, Twitter, Facebook, and others.

The global craft beer market is witnessing substantial growth, with a particular spotlight on sour beers. These unique brews are created through lactic fermentation initiated by lactic acid bacteria (LAB). However, the presence of hops, renowned for their antimicrobial properties, can pose a limitation within the realm of sour beer production. This research aims to explore and assess the potential of sour beer as a probiotic beverage. It involves a comparative analysis of the viability of Lacticaseibacillus paracasei subsp. paracasei F19 (F19) and 431 (L431) in a sour beer with an International Bitterness Unit (IBU) value of 26.65, alongside examining the ex-pression of genes such as horA, horB, horC, hitA, bsrA, and recA, which are associated with hop resistance. The study encompasses the development of two formulations of sour beers characterized by both high hop content and a robust probiotic count (8.44 – 8.77 log CFU/mL). The findings suggest that both probiotic strains of F19 and L431, are well-suited to produce sour beers with elevated hop levels, demonstrating excellent stability. Notably, the expression of genes responsible for hops resistance exhibited distinct modulation patterns among the two strains. It appears that a higher concentration of bsrA, as observed in strain L431, may be more effective in mitigating the effects of hop-related stress, potentially surpassing the combined expression of horA and bsrA. Nonetheless, further research is essential to validate this observation in gene expression. F19 and L431 emerge as promising candidates for the development of sour beers with increased hop intensity.

In this research work, we examined the decomposition mechanisms of N-substituted diacetamides. We focused on the substituent effect on the nitrogen lone pair electron delocalization, withdrawing and electron donor groups. DFT functionals used included: B1LYP, B3PW91, CAMB3LYP, LC-BLYP, and X3LYP. Dispersion functions gd3bj were applied when necessary to improve non-covalent interactions in the transition state. Pople with higher angular moments and def2-TZVP basis sets were also applied and were crucial for obtaining consistent thermodynamic parameters. The proposed mechanism involves a six-membered transition state with the extraction of an α hydrogen. Several conformers of N-diacetamides were used to account for the decrease in entropy in the transition state in the rate-determining state. All calculations, including Natural Bond Orbital (NBO) analyses, were performed using the Gaussian16 computational package and its GaussView 6.0 visualizer, along with VMD and GNUPLOT software. The isosurfaces and IBSI indexes were calculated using MultiWFN and IGMPlot, respectively.

This research aims to introduce a model, SectraBank, designed to mitigate cyber fraud attacks, specifically targeting SIM Swapping and Fake App schemes in mobile banking users. A quantitative methodology with an experimental design was meticulously employed to examine the rise of cyber fraud within mobile banking. The study involved a sample of 100 professionals with advanced knowledge in Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs). Surveys were utilized to measure awareness of threats and perceptions of security before and after the implementation of the proposed model. SectraBank leverages unique user identifiers such as fingerprint authentication and the International Mobile Equipment Identity (IMEI) number, in addition to geolocation and One Time Passwords (OTP) for validating electronic transactions in mobile banking. The effectiveness of the proposed model was notable, achieving a 96.1% efficacy rate in mitigating Fake App attacks and a 90.2% success rate in countering SIM Swapping attacks. These findings underscore the potential of SectraBank as a robust solution to enhance cybersecurity measures in the realm of mobile banking.

This review delves into the significance of chemical communication in mammals, with an emphasis on the role of the vomeronasal system in sensing pheromone-mediated interactions. The vomeronasal system shapes a variety of social and sexual behaviors, including reproduction, hierarchy formation, maternal bonding, and species recognition. Intriguingly, this system presents a vast degree of evolutionary variability, more so than variations observed in the olfactory system. This adaptive diversity underscores the challenges in studying the vomeronasal system, emphasizing the need for detailed research into its neuroanatomy and functional morphology. This review traverses an array of topics central to our understanding of chemical communication in mammals. We begin with the foundational role and basic concepts of chemocommunication. This is followed by an in-depth exploration of the olfactory systems. Subsequently, the neuroanatomical underpinnings of the vomeronasal system are juxtaposed against those of the olfactory system. Our focus then shifts to an exhaustive study of the sensory element of the vomeronasal system, the vomeronasal organ, and the integrating center of this information, the accessory olfactory bulb. The discussion extends to secondary projections of both the olfactory and vomeronasal systems in the light of the dual olfactory hypothesis. The review culminates with a detailed look at four specific models of vomeronasal system organization belonging to four evolutionarily distinct mammalian families: rodents, marsupials, herpestids, and bovids. These have been meticulously analyzed by the authors, aiming to spotlight the significant morphofunctional differences stemming from the adaptive changes imprinted on the system.

Optimizing intensive care resources using predicting modeling is paramount for fighting the COVID-19 pandemic. In this paper, we model the admission of COVID-19 patients in intensive care units (ICU) in Colombia using openly available data gathered from 18 March 2020 to 14 October 2020. After an intensive preprocessing of the data, we trained four different machine learning models using four different strategies for handling the imbalanced features. Our findings show that our best model (XGBoost) effectively predicts an Area Under the Curve (AUC-ROC) of 0.94, in line with the state-of-the-art results obtained in other predictive models obtained with medical data.

This short paper reveals a simple methodology to create local-correlation models suitable for the closed-form pricing of multi-asset financial derivatives. The multivariate models are built to ensure two conditions, first, marginals follow desirable processes, e.g. we choose the Geometric Brownian Motion (GBM), popular for stock prices. Second, the payoff of the derivative should follow a desired one dimensional process. These conditions lead to a specific choice of the dependence structure, in the form of a local-correlation model. Two popular multi-asset options are entertained, a spread option and a basket option.

Background. Shoulder in CrossFit should have a balance between mobility and stability. Glenohumeral internal rotation deficit and posterior shoulder stiffness are risk factors for overhead shoulder injury. Objective. To determine the effectiveness of instrument assisted soft tissue mobilization and horizontal adduction stretch in CrossFit practitioners’ shoulders. Methods: Twenty-one regular CrossFitters were allocated to experimental (stretching with isometric contraction and instrument assisted soft tissue mobilization) or control group (instrument assisted soft tissue mobilization). Each session lasted 5 minutes, 2 days a week, over a period of 4 weeks. Shoulder internal rotation and horizontal adduction (digital inclinometer), and posterior shoulder stretch perception (Park scale) were evaluated. Shapiro-Wilk test was used to analyze the distribution of the sample. Parametric student's t-test was used to obtain the intragroup differences. The inter- and intra-rater differences were calculated using a repeated measures ANOVA. Results. Changes were found in the experimental group following intervention (p < 0.05), and when comparing baseline and follow-up assessments (p < .05) in all variables. Significant differences were found in the control group following intervention (p < 0.05), in right horizontal adduction and left internal rotation. When comparing perception of internal rotation and horizontal adduction in both groups in the three assessments significant differences were found. Conclusions. Instrument assisted soft tissue mobilization can improve shoulder horizontal adduction and internal rotation. An instrument-assisted soft tissue mobilization technique yields the same results alone as those achieved in combination with post-isometric stretch with shoulder adduction.

Configurable process models are frequently used to represent business workflows and other discrete event systems among different branches of large organizations: they unify commonalities shared by all branches and describe their differences, at the same time. The configuration of such models is usually done manually, which is challenging. On the one hand, when the number of configurable nodes in the configurable process model grows, the size of the search space increases exponentially. On the other hand, the person performing the configuration may lack the holistic perspective to make the right choice for all configurable nodes at the same time, since choices influence each other. Nowadays, information systems that support the execution of business processes create event data reflecting how processes are performed. In this article, we propose three strategies (based on exhaustive search, genetic algorithms, and greedy heuristic) that use event data to automatically derive a process model from a configurable process model that better represents the characteristics of the process in a specific branch. These strategies have been implemented in our proposed framework, and tested in both business-like event logs as recorded in a higher educational ERP system, and a real case scenario involving a set of Dutch municipalities.

The Western ‘discovery’ of Japanese cinema in the 1950s prompted scholars to articulate essentialist visions understanding its singularities as a result of its isolation from the rest of the World and its close links to local aesthetic and philosophical traditions. Recent approaches however, have evidenced the limitations of this paradigm of ‘national cinema’. Higson (1989) opened a critical discussion on the existing consumption, text andproduction-based approaches to this concept. This article draws on Higson´s contribution and calls into question traditional theorising of Japanese film as a national cinema. Contradictions are illustrated by assessing the other side of the ‘discovery’ of Japanese cinema: certain gendaigeki works that succeeded at the domestic box office while jidaigeki burst into European film festivals. The Taiyōzoku and subsequent Mukokuseki Action created a new postwar iconography by adapting codes of representation from Hollywood youth and western films. This article does not attempt to deny the uniqueness of this film culture, but rather seeks to highlight the need to reformulate the paradigm of national cinema in the Japanese case, and illustrate the sense in which it was created from outside, failing to recognise its reach transnational intertextuality.

The effect of legumes adapted to a temperate climate on gas production kinetics, enteric methane, and rumen fermentation in vitro was evaluated. The species studied were Acacia dealbatha, Acacia melanoxylon, Albizzia lopantha, Lupinus pubescens, Inga insignes, Senna multiglandulosa and Tecoma stans. The effective degradation of the dry matter was estimated, the in vitro gas production was measured up to 120 hours of incubation, and the production of enteric methane, VFAs, and ammonia were measured at 24 hours. Dry matter, organic matter, ash, crude protein, neutral detergent fiber, acid detergent fiber, and acid detergent lignin were evaluated. The content of total phenols and condensed tannins was quantified. To determine digestibility, the samples were incubated for up to 120 hours. I. insignes presented a higher dry matter content and a high crude protein content. L. pubescens presented low dry matter digestibility. The neutral detergent fiber content was higher in I. insignes and with a higher value in dry matter digestibility and lower content of total phenols and condensed tannins. While S. multiglandulosa showed low detergent acid fiber content. The acid detergent lignin value was higher in I. insignes and lower in L. pubescens. In vitro gas and enteric methane production was higher in L. pubescens. propionic acid and ammonia they were higher in S. multiglandulosa. It is concluded that the amount of secondary compounds affects methane production, compromises digestibility and rumen kinetics of the legumes studied.

The orchid genus Brachystele Schltr. comprises 20 species distributed from Mexico to Argentina; 10 are found in Brazil. Anatomical studies of Orchidoideae Lindl. have been scarce, and the anatomy and histochemistry of Brachystele are still largely unknown. We characterized the vegetative organs of B. guayanensis (Lindl.) Schltr. using standard anatomical and histochemical microtechniques. Brachystele guayanensis was observed to display the anatomical characters commonly found in the vegetative organs of representatives of the Orchidaceae and Orchidoideae (including a uniseriate epidermis, thin cuticle, amphistomatic leaves, anomocytic, diacytic and tetracytic stomata, a homogeneous mesophyll, collateral vascular bundles, rhizomes with pericyclic fibers, roots with velamen, uniseriate exodermis, endodermis and pericycle). Histochemical tests confirmed the presence of lignin, proteins, and alkaloids, the lipidic nature of the cuticle, starch grains stored in spiranthosomes in the roots, and the composition of the raphides. Alkaloids were observed in great abundance, especially in the roots, and may have potentially useful medicinal activities, as has been observed in groups phylogenetically related to Brachystele.

We present an open-source Star Tracker (ST) for Attitude Determination. Our implementation makes use of open source software of common usage in astronomy running on a Raspberry Pi 2 platform. The developed platform is open and available for parties interested in further development. Evaluation of the system showed that the ST is suitable for Cubesats of 2U or larger. The ST platform is capable of solving the Lost-In-Space (LIS) problem. Currently, the average accuracy reached of the algorithm is close to 5 seconds of arc with an average processing time of 75 seconds. However, a average accuracy of about 3 minutes of arc can be reached with 35 seconds in average processing time. We also describe the evaluation procedure, the found conclusions of this procedure, in particular the section of the algorithm where most of the processing time is spent and other possible source of errors not included in this study.

The era of digital technology has brought about a substantial shift in language development, especially for younger generations who have grown up surrounded by it. Language development is impacted by digital media exposure in both positive and bad ways. Positively, users can interact with a variety of linguistic communities across the globe by using digital platforms, which offer a wealth of options for linguistic exposure and practice. This exposure can promote imaginative language use, increase vocabulary, and improve reading comprehension. Since the brevity and informality of digital communication frequently stress speed over correctness, there are worries that digital media could encourage shallow communication, shorter attention spans, and a deterioration in professional writing skills. This paper aims to gather literature about language development in the digital age. In order to make sure that technical breakthroughs support language development, standards for the responsible and balanced use of digital media in educational settings must also be developed. Teachers can better support their students' language development in a constantly changing digital environment by remaining knowledgeable and flexible.

This paper proposes the configuration of an Organic Rankine Cycle (ORC) coupled to a solar domestic hot water system (SDHWS), with the purpose of analyzing the cogeneration capacity of the system. A simulation of the SDHWS was conducted at different temperatures, observing its performance to determine the amounts of useable heat generated by the solar collector; thus, from an energy balance, the amount of heat that may be used by the ORC could be determined. The working fluid that would be suitable for the temperatures and pressures given in the system were selected. The best fluid for the given conditions of superheated vapor at 120 °C and 604 kPa and a condensation temperature of 60 °C and 115 kPa was acetone. The main parameters for the expander thermodynamic design that may be used in such ORC were obtained with the possibility of generating 443 kWh of annual electric energy, with 6.65 % global efficiency of solar to electric power, or an overall efficiency of the cogeneration system of 56.35 % with a solar collector of 2.84 m².

Surface treatments of metals based on laser marking technology is an important application in a wide range of industrial fields. By specific combinations of laser processing parameters, the modified surface leads to different textures with specific roughness and colored appearance. Most of current works are focused on the modification of color tonality of flat surfaces, or the development of specific topography features, but the combination of both processes is not usually evaluated, mainly due to the complexity to control the optical properties on rough surfaces. This research presents an analysis of the influence of the micro-geometrical characteristics of periodic patterned laser tracks on the chromaticity and reflectance of Ti6Al4V substrates. The samples were irradiated with an infrared nanosecond pulsed laser under air atmosphere, taking as control parameter the scan speed of the beam. A roughness evaluation, microscopic inspection, absorption and chromaticity examination were conducted. Although micro-crack growth was detected in isolated case (10 mm/s), the possibility of adjusting the result color were demonstrated by controlling the thermal affected zone thickness of the textures. Results of rough/colored combined textures allow opening new perspectives in industrial design, particularly in aesthetic applications with special properties.

The Brazilian livestock is predominantly extensive, with approximately 90% of the production being sustained on pasture, which occupies around 20% of the territory. In the current climate change scenario and where cropland is becoming a limited resource, there is a growing need for a more efficient land use and occupation. It is estimated that more than half of the Brazilian pastures have some level of degradation; however there is still no mapping of the quality of pastures on a national scale. In this study, we mapped and evaluated the spatio-temporal dynamics of pasture quality in Brazil, between 2010 and 2018, considering three classes of degradation: Absent (D0), Intermediate (D1), and Severe (D2). There was no variation in the total area occupied by pastures in the evaluated period, in spite of the accentuated spatial dynamics, with a retraction in the center-south and expansion to the north, over areas of ​​native vegetation. The percentage of non-degraded pastures increased ~12%, due to the recovery of degraded areas and the emergence of new pasture areas as a result of the prevailing spatial dynamics. However, about 44 Mha of the pasture area is currently severely degraded. The dynamics in pasture quality were not homogeneous in property size classes. We observed that in the approximately 2.68 million properties with livestock activity, the proportion with quality gains was twice as low in small properties compared to large ones, and the proportion with losses was three times greater, showing an increase in inequality between properties with more and less resources (large and small, respectively). The areas occupied by pastures in Brazil present an unique opportunity to increase livestock production and make available areas for agriculture, without the need for new deforestation in the coming decades.

The effects of 0.4wt.% Sc addition on a typical Al-Si10-Mg alloy were systematically investigated in the present research. Samples with and without Sc produced refined dendritic arranged microstructures with sensitivity to the aging treatment after solidification, particularly in the case of the alloy without Sc. After being exposed to 300°C for 90 minutes, the dendritic spacing nearly doubled in the Al-10wt.%Si-0.45wt.%Mg samples. The rapidly solidified microstructures were constituted by the -Al dendritic phase surrounded by eutectic phases/intermetallics such as Si, Mg2Si and Al3Sc (in the case of the alloy containing Sc). 255°C and 300°C were deemed most appropriate temperatures for aging treatments, with four exposure times of up to 120 minutes tested for each alloy. The heat treatments allowed the Vickers hardness profiles to be plotted and compared. Moreover, in order to detect both Sc- and Mg- precipitates after aging, specific samples have been prepared for either SEM or TEM analyses. At first, the results pointed to a strong precipitate-related hardening effect formed as a result of the Sc addition to the alloy. All samples containing Sc showed a higher hardness value when compared to their respective treated samples without Sc. Secondly, when comparing the Al-10Si-Mg-Sc alloy samples among themselves after being treated at different conditions, high temperatures and excessive treatment times can become detrimental to the hardness. This was due to the growth of larger Sc-bearing precipitates of approximately 1 µm in size under such conditions, having less pronounced hardening effect. The best condition (255°C for 60 min) for as centrifuged samples in Cu-mold produced very fine dispersion of Mg- and Sc- intermetallics (~200 nm in size) with a peak hardness of 110 HV.

The mechanisms underlying the establishment of asymmetric structures during development remain elusive. The wing of Drosophila is asymmetric along the Anterior-Posterior (AP) axis, despite that its growth signals that drive its growth are presumably symmetric. Here, we investigated the contribution of cell recruitment, a process that drives wing fate differentiation in Drosophila, to the asymmetric shape and pattern of the adult wing. Genetic impairment of cell recruitment results in a significant reduction in adult wing asymmetry, primarily affecting the region between longitudinal vein 5 and the wing margin (L5-M). Morphometric analysis reveals that the lack of cell recruitment results in a more symmetric wing with respect to the AP, suggesting a contribution of cell recruitment to the establishment of asymmetry in the adult wing. A close examination of the expression of the wing selector gene vestigial (vg) in wing disc does not support this hypothesis. However, the circularity of the Vg pattern significantly increase in recruitment-impaired wing disc, suggesting that while the decrease of the L5-M region in the adult wing may not be attributed to cell recruitment, it could contribute to the overall asymmetry of the adult wing. We conclude that cell recruitment, a widespread mechanism that participates in growth and patterning of several developing systems, could drive, at least partially, the asymmetric shape of the Drosophila wing.

Sepsis is a pervasive condition that affects individuals of all ages, with significant social and economic consequences. Early diagnosis of sepsis is fundamental for establishing appropriate treatment and is based on warning scores and clinical characteristics, with positive microbiological cultures being the gold standard. Research has yet to identify a single biomarker to meet this diagnostic demand. Presepsin is a molecule that has the potential as a biomarker for diagnosing sepsis. In this paper, we present a narrative review of the diagnostic and prognostic performance of presepsin in different age groups. Given its particularities, it is identified that presepsin is a potential biomarker for sepsis at all stages of life.

Geopolymers, made from aluminosilicate raw materials, offer significant environmental advantages over conventional concrete (CC) mixes. This study explores the compressive strength, setting time, and durability of geopolymer concrete (GPC) cylinders, some of which include an additional ordinary portland cement (OPC) mix. Consistent material composition and testing methods are emphasized to achieve reliable results. MATLAB was utilized to develop and assess a neural network model predicting the compressive strength of GPC based on key variables. The model was validated using 16 experimental samples and 1047 samples from various studies. The performance plot displayed the Mean Squared Error (MSE) over iterations, identifying the best training performance at epoch 658 with an MSE of 5.3408. The Error Histogram highlighted distribution errors between predicted and actual compressive strength values, with the highest range from -1.015 to 0.3587, meaning that the predicted values were mostly within a small margin of error from the actual values. This narrow error range indicates that the ANN model has high accuracy in its predictions, as most errors are small and clustered around zero, demonstrating reliable performance in estimating compressive strength. Regression analysis showed varying correlation coefficients (training set R=0.98373, test set R=0.88164, and whole set R=0.96982), indicating adequate predictive accuracy. The results demonstrate that properly trained neural networks can effectively predict the compressive strength of GPC, highlighting its potential as a sustainable construction material.

Polyolefin fibre reinforced concrete (PFRC) has become an attractive alternative to steel for the reinforcement of concrete elements mainly due to its chemical stability and the residual strengths that can be reached with lower weights. The use of polyolefin fibres can meet the requirements in the standards, although the main constitutive relations are based on the experience with steel fibres. Therefore, the structural contributions of the fibres should be assessed by inverse analysis. In this study, the fibre dosage has been fixed at 6kg/m³ and both self-compacting concrete and conventional concrete have been used to compare the influence of the positioning of the fibres. An idealized homogeneous distribution of the fibres with such fibres crossing from side to side of the specimen has been added to self-compacting concrete. The experimental results of three-point bending tests on notched specimens have been reproduced by using the cohesive crack approach. Hence, the constitutive relations were found. The significance of this research relies on the verification of the formulations found to build the constitutive relations. Moreover, with these results it is possible to establish the higher threshold of the performance of PFRC and the difficulties of limiting the first unloading branch typical of fracture tests of PFRC.

Centropomus undecimalis (common snook, sergeant fish or robalo) and Centropomus parallelus (fat snook, smallscale fat snook, little snook or chucumite) have tropical and subtropical wide distribution from southern Florida (Gulf of Mexico) to southern Brazil (Rio Grande do Sul) waters, and due the value of their flesh, these species have been explored with predatory fishing, generating a deficiency for their conservation. Adequate conservation of this species depends on population genetic parameters. Thus, in this study, we used microsatellite markers to investigate the genetic variability and the genetic characterization of C. undecimalis and C. parallelus populations, identifying if the citations species are geographically connected, using 10 loci of microsatellites, bringing strategies of management, sustainability, and conservation for species citations, and providing genetic subsidies needed to be used in breeding programs for snooks. Microsatellite molecular genetic markers were efficient in the study of the genetic variability of the samples of C. parallelus and C. undecimalis, resulting in data on the genetic structuring of these populations, thus aiding in their management and conservation. The data presented may provide subsidies for future use in programs aimed at animal breeding of sea bass, establishing tools for use in fish farming. In addition, despite being two species that are not on the endangered list, we can observe that there are genetic differences between the studied populations of the same species.

Several methods have been tried to estimate air temperature using satellite imagery. In this paper, the results of two machine learning algorithms, Support Vector Machine and Random Forest, are compared with Multivariate Linear Regression, TVX and Ordinary kriging. Several geographic, remote sensing and time variables are used as predictors. The validation is carried out using four different statistics on a daily basis allowing the use of ANOVA to compare the results. The main conclusion is that Random Forest with residual kriging produces the best results (R$^2$=0.612 $\pm$ 0.019, NSE=0.578 $\pm$ 0.025, RMSE=1.068 $\pm$ 0.027, PBIAS=-0.172 $\pm$ 0.046), whereas TVX produces the least accurate results. The environmental conditions in the study area are not really suited to TVX, moreover this method only takes into account satellite data. On the other hand, regression methods (Support Vector Machine, Random Forest and Multivariate Linear Regression) use several parameters that are easily calculated from a Digital Elevation Model, adding very little difficulty to the use of satellite data alone. The most important variables in the Random Forest Model were satellite temperature, potential irradiation and cdayt, a cosine transformation of the julian day.

In 2015, the Self-Action Leadership Theory—a qualitative, nomological expansion of self-leadership theory rooted in atmospheric and astronomical metaphor aimed at expanding the personal freedom of individuals, organizations, and nations by bolstering the existential growth of individuals through a series of Maslow-esque stages of holistic, personal development. This article introduces an accompanying, practitioner-based Model of Self-Action Leadership (SAL) aimed at the implicit enhancement of a holistic range of administrative processes through explicit training, mentoring, and coaching in the model’s general and universally-applicable principles and practices. The SAL model produces an original construct of personal leadership practice that builds upon the extant self-leadership academic canon, which dates back to 1983 (Manz, 1983). It also provides an analogue to four of the five core processes of Project Management by positioning a self-action leader (an individual) as the ongoing “project” at hand. The SAL Model is rooted in action research and was developed through a variety of self-oriented, action research projects in conjunction with a comprehensive, qualitative, analytical autoethnographic study of a scholar’s life experiences.

The Convective Rainfall Rate from Cloud Physical Properties (CRPh) for Meteosat Second Generation Satellites is a day-only precipitation algorithm developed at the Spanish Meteorological Agency (AEMET) for EUMETSAT’ Satellite Application Facility in support to Nowcasting and Very Short Range Forecasting (NWC SAF). It is therefore mainly intended to provide input for monitoring and near-real-time forecasts for the next few hours. This paper critically discusses the theoretical basis of the algorithm with special emphasis in the empirical values and assumptions in the microphysics of precipitation and compares the performances of the CRPh with its antecessor, the Convective Rainfall Rate algorithm (CRR), using an object-based method. The analyses show that AEMET’s CRPh is physically consistent and that outperforms the CRR. The applicability of the algorithm for nowcasting and the challenges to evolve the product to an all-day algorithm are also presented.

In this article, we give a brief review of the origin of the neutrino mass in some interesting non-linear supersymmetric models with R-symmetry. These models are able to address and solve the most important problems of the particle physics and provide mechanisms for neutrino mass generation and their mixing parameters in agreement with the current experimental data. Their prediction could be experimentally tested in the near future by collider experiments.

Sphingolipids are lipids derived from an 18-carbons unsaturated amino alcohol, the sphingosine. Ceramide, sphingomyelins, sphingosine-1-phosphates, gangliosides and globosides, are part of this group of lipids that participate in important cellular roles such as structural part of plasmatic and organelle membranes maintaining their function and integrity, cell signaling response, cell growth, cell cycle, cell death, inflammation, cell migration and differentiation, autophagy, angiogenesis, immune system. The metabolism of these lipids involves a broad and complex network of reactions that convert one lipid into others through different specialized enzymes. Impairment of sphingolipids metabolism has been associated with several disorders, from several lysosomal storage diseases, known as sphingolipidoses, to polygenic diseases such as diabetes and Parkinson and Alzheimer diseases. Sphingolipids are mainly located in central nervous system, and their abundance and distribution depend on brain development state and cell type. Although several studies have expanded the knowledge about sphingolipids function both in health and disease, it is still necessary to continue their study to understand the cellular implications of novel sphingolipids. These studies will also contribute to the diagnosis and treatment of diseases in which these molecules are part of their pathophysiology. In this review, we summarize the main sphingolipid characteristics and current knowledge about the synthesis, catabolism, regulatory pathways, participation in action potential and ionic channels, among other relevant functions.

Coffee production around the world is under threat due to climate variability and change, and drought stress will increase in many coffee regions, nutrient management practices could enhance the adaptation capacity of coffee production. Considering that coffee is a sensitive crop to boron (B) deficiency, this research investigated how B nutrition improves resistance to drought stress in coffee under controlled conditions as well how with interaction with calcium (Ca+2) influences productivity, seed compositions, and soil fertility during a production cycle of 5 year. Under controlled conditions for seven months, coffee plants were submitted to water stress with and without B nutrition. In the field, coffee plantation was submitted to two B rates (0,6 and 1,1 kg. ha-1-year-1) with fixed calcium (Ca+2) rate and, a control without Ca+2 and B. After 9 months of growth and seven months of water deficit, under controlled conditions, the application of B significantly (p&lt;0,05) reduced the negative effect of water stress on coffee growth. Under field conditions, after a production cycle of 5 years, the application of 0,6 kg B and 77 kg CaO. ha-1. year-1 yielded 14% more than the control without B and Ca+2. An increase of the B rate to 1.1 kg.ha-1.year-1 with the same Ca+2 rate increased the productivity significantly (p&lt;0,05) by 37% compared to the control. B application also improved significantly (p&lt;0,05) the B content in the soil at 0-30 cm. The B treatments influenced the biochemical composition of the green coffee beans, with a significant (p&lt;0,05) inverse correlation between the B content of the green coffee beans with caffeine, and unsaturated fatty acids (UFAs) mainly, oleic, linoleic, and linolenic acids which are considered negative descriptors of the coffee quality.

This study addresses the problem of accurately predicting azimuth and elevation angles of signals impinging on an antenna array employing Machine Learning (ML). Using the information obtained at a receiving system when a transmitter’s signal hits it, a Decision Tree (DT) model is trained to estimate azimuth and elevation angles simultaneously. Simulation results demonstrate the robustness of the proposed DT-based method, showcasing its ability to predict the Direction of Arrival (DOA) in diverse conditions beyond the ones present in the training dataset, i.e., the results display the model’s generalization capability. Additionally, the comparative analysis reveals that DT-based DOA estimation outperforms the state-of-the-art MUltiple SIgnal Classification (MUSIC) algorithm, establishing DTs as competitive alternatives for DOA estimation in signal reception systems.

Background/aim: Sexual harassment has become a serious social and public health problem in adolescence, causing adverse effects on mental health. Nevertheless, some behaviours arise that, due to their characteristics, might be misinterpreted as sexual harassment. A field study, a survey with a non-probabilistic accidental sampling, was designed in order to estimate the prevalence of sexual harassment victimization in the Spanish adolescent population, as well as to quantify the harms. Method: 1028 Spanish adolescents, 54.3% females and 45.7% males, aged 13-17 years (M = 15.21, SD = 1.03), responded to a diagnostic measure of sexual harassment victimization and an inventory measure of internalizing and externalizing Mental Health Problems (MHPs). Results: The results showed a significant prevalence of diagnosed sexual harassment victimization of school-aged adolescents, 24.1%, 95% [.215, 267], with adverse effects on internalizing and externalizing MHPs. As for the internalizing MHPs, the results showed moderate adverse effects on depression, anxiety, somatic burns, posttraumatic symptoms, and obsessive-compulsive symptoms; and mild adverse effects on social anxiety. With regard to externalizing MHPs, the results revealed moderate adverse effects on hyperactivity-impulsivity, anger control and antisocial behaviour; and mild adverse effects on attention problems, aggression and defiant behaviour. In addition, it was corroborated that sexual harassment victimization affects adolescent females to a greater extent, with the effect being significantly greater in internalizing than in externalizing MHPs. Conclusions: The results obtained are discussed and future lines of research and intervention are proposed to promote the implementation of prevention and intervention programs that address this phenomenon and, in turn, improve the physical, psychological, and social well-being of adolescents.

If a subject learns about the properties of an alternative under a high state of food deprivation, it will prefer this alternative over a similar one in a later choice test, although the subject is currently under a relative state of satiety. In this experiment, we probe this effect in a delay-discounting task, where the reward of the experienced alternative is progressively delayed. Eight male Wistar rats were trained to respond to an alternative under a high state of deprivation and eight rats under a relative state of satiety. After 20 sessions, their weight was recalibrated to a state of relative satiety. Then, they were exposed to a delay-discounting task where the long-larger alternative was the one used during training. The group that experienced the alternative under a higher level of food deprivation preferred more this alternative, and its preference stayed across time. On the contrary, the group that experienced the alternative under a lower level of food deprivation systematically preferred the small-shorter alternative. Our results support that the reinforcement value may be sensitive to the organism's state at the moment an alternative is experienced for the first time.

Companies have been increasing the amount of data that they collect from their systems and processes, considering the decrease in the cost of memory and storage technologies in recent years. The emergence of technologies such as Big Data, Cloud Computing, E-Science, and the growing complexity of information systems made evident that traceability and provenance are promising approaches. Provenance has been successfully used in complex domains, like health sciences, chemical industries, and scientific computing, considering that these areas require a comprehensive semantic traceability mechanism. Based on these, we investigate the use of provenance in the context of Software Process (SP) and introduce a novel approach based on provenance concepts to model and represent SP data. It addresses SP provenance data capturing, storing, new information inferencing and visualization. The main contribution of our approach is PROV-SwProcess, a provenance model to deal with the specificities of SP and its ability in supporting process managers to deal with vast amounts of execution data during the process analysis and data-driven decision-making. A set of analysis possibilities were derived from this model, using SP goals and questions. A case study was conducted in collaboration with a software development company to instantiate the PROV-SwProcess model (using the proposed approach) with real-word process data. This study showed that 87.5% of the analysis possibilities using real data was correct and can assist in decision-making, while 62.5% of them are not possible to be performed by the process manager using his currently dashboard or process management tool.

This paper explores the emergence of Sustainability-Linked Bonds (SLBs) as an innovative instrument to finance sustainability objectives. SLBs have emerged as a transformative financial instrument, establishing an explicit link between cost of funding and sustainability objectives. SLBs were first launched in 2019 and represent 7% of labelled bonds, still dominated by the more established green bonds. Issuance of SLBs now exceeds $250 billion. Following initial enthusiasm, they are now facing criticism. In the context of the growth of sustainable finance and concerns of greenwashing, this paper investigates ways to enhance the design of SLBs. Drawing on literature and expert interviews, the findings highlight the strong potential of SLBs to contribute to sustainability financing, especially in hard-to-abate sectors. The paper identifies the key positive attributes of SLBs and their limitations in five areas: key performance indicators’ (KPI) selection, sustainability performance targets’ (SPT) calibration, bond characteristics, reporting practices, and resource requirements. Recommendations to financial intermediaries, issuers and policy makers include defining standardized KPIs based on a materiality assessment, requesting SPTs to be supported by science and in line with an issuer’s core strategy, tailored step-up mechanisms and avoidance of call loopholes, and stricter reporting. SLBs represent an opportunity to add rigor to sustainable finance and better price externalities, where material topics have an explicit impact on cost of funding and credit ratings.

In the last decade several projects have been developed for the digitization and semantization of cultural heritage data. They were developed to preserve and maintain this heritage, but bringing it closer to all types of users and allowing access to this information to other sectors such as tourism, education, etc. In these developments, web technologies are combined, along with the use of knowledge graphs and interactive visualisation tools. Although remarkably interesting projects have been developed, in those projects, the data visualization tools are usually focused on the project context. This makes it difficult to reuse these jobs. Additionally, there are peculiarities of cultural heritage data considered with little depth, such as uncertainty, spatial and temporal granularity, as well as other aspects, such as relationships between data. In this article, these problems are described and based on other works such as VUMO or VISO, the design of an ontology that formalizes how to visualise this information is proposed, considering these problems. In addition, the development of a platform that allows the visualisation of this information through a web application and its evaluation of its use in projects such as SILKNOW, or Arxiu Valencià del Disseny is exposed

This paper seeks to optimize the mechanical and durability properties of ultra-high performance concrete (UHPC). To meet this objective, concrete specimens were manufactured by using 1,100 kg/m3 of binder, water/binder ratio 0.20, silica sand and last generation of superplasticizer. Silica fume, metakaolin and two types of nano silica were used for improving the performances of the concrete. Additional mixtures included 13mm long OL steel fibers. Compressive strength, electrical resistivity, mercury intrusion porosimetry tests and differential and thermogravimetric thermal analysis were carried out. The binary combination of nano silica and metakaolin, and the ternary combination of nano silica with metakaolin and silica fume, led to the best performances of the UHPC, both mechanical and durable performances.

Introduction: Individuals with gout are at higher risk of developing chronic conditions, such as diabetes, chronic kidney disease (CKD), and cardiovascular diseases. In this study, the association between urate-lowering therapy (ULT) use and the prevalence of these conditions was evaluated. Methods: This observational, cross-sectional pharmacoepidemiologic study used the 2013-2018 biannual cycles of the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. The inclusion criteria were adults 30 years of age and older with a diagnosis of gout. The association between ULT treatment status and dyslipidemia, coronary heart disease, heart failure, hypertension, and chronic kidney disease was evaluated, as well as associations with select clinical laboratory biomarkers. Results: Use of ULT was 28.9% (95%CI 24.3%-33.9%). There was no significant association between ULT use and the prevalence of heart failure, coronary heart disease, hypertension, or dyslipidemia (p>0.05). Those on ULT had a lower mean eGFR compared to those not on treatment (68.03 versus 74.74 mL/min/1.73m², p=0.014). LDL- and HDL- and total cholesterol were significantly lower among those receiving ULT treatment (p<0.05). Conclusion: ULT use continues to be low among those with gout. Those on ULT were more likely to be diagnosed with CKD, college graduates and above, older males, and obese. Clinical guidelines conditionally recommend ULTs in co-morbid kidney disease; while our results may reflect guidelines recommendation for ULT use in CKD patients, worsening kidney function while taking ULT is unlikely. Further research is necessary to determine the long-term impact of ULTs on kidney function and cardiovascular biomarkers.

In the southeastern coast of Brazil, the bays of Ilha Grande and Sepetiba are linked by the Ilha Grande Channel, where remarkably vigorous currents have been consistently observed. The sheer intensity of these currents defies a simple explanation through tidal forcing alone, prompting researchers to delve into potential influences such as basin resonance and the baroclinic effect. This study aims to elucidate the role of remote meteorological effects within this complex hydrodynamic system. A numerical approach with a coastal model nested within an ocean model was employed, enabling an in-depth examination of the intricate interplay between meteorological and tidal forcings. The study revealed a significant finding: the lag in signal propagation plays a pivotal role in determining how these signals impact the dynamics of the bays. The astronomical signal exhibits a minimal lag along the coast (1 minute), and leads to water level differences between the sea and the coastline, resulting in the generation of tidal currents at the bay entrances. On the other hand, the remote meteorological signal, with a stronger signal lag along the coast (4.92 hours), leads to the creation of water level difference between the bay’s entrances, inducing significant fluxes along the narrow Ilha Grande Channel.

The combined effects of the thermal processing (i.e., sterilisation treatment) and the prior frozen storage time (3 or 6 months at –18 ºC) on the quality loss in canned Atlantic horse mackerel (Trachurus trachurus) were determined. Thus, the sterilisation step led to a remarkable (p&lt;0.05) formation in canned fish muscle of fluorescent compounds, free fatty acids (FFAs) and trimethylamine and to an increase of the L* and b* colour parameters; meantime, a decrease (p&lt;0.05) of the total ω3 FA/total ω6 FA ratio and the a* colour value were detected. The prior frozen storage period led to an increased (p&lt;0.05) lipid oxidation (peroxide, thiobarbituric acid reactive substance and fluorescent compound formation) and hydrolysis (FFA formation) development and to increased L* and b* colour values in the corresponding canned samples; additionally, a lower (p&lt;0.05) polyene index and phospholipid content were observed in canned fish previously subjected to frozen storage. In most indices, physico-chemical changes related to quality loss were found higher if the previous storage period was increased. According to the marked effects of the sterilisation step and the prior frozen storage period, optimisation of such processing conditions is recommended to maximise the quality of canned horse mackerel.

Worldwide anthropogenic activities result in the production and release of poten-tially damaging toxic pollutants into ecosystems, thereby jeopardizing their health and continuity. Research studies and biomonitoring programs attend to this emerging problematic by applying and developing statistically relevant indexes that integrate complex biomarker response data to provide an holistic approach reflecting toxically induced alterations at the organism’s or population level. Ultimately, indexes allow simple result communication, enhancing policy makers understanding, so contributing for better resource and environmental managing policies. In this study three indexes , the Integrated Biomarker Response index (IBR), the Bioeffects Assessment Index (BAI) and the Principal Components Analysis (PCA), were evaluated for their sensitivity in revealing toxically induced stress patterns in cells of the diatom Phaeodactylum tricornutum under contaminant exposure. The set of biomarkers selected for index construction comprise the anti-oxidant enzymes APX, CAT and SOD, and the lipid peroxidation marker TBARS. Several significant inverse correlations with the concentration gradients applied, , was noticed for all indexes, though, the IBR excels for its reliability in delivering statistically significant dose-response patterns for four out of the five compounds tested.

Humulus lupulus, or hops, is a vital ingredient in brewing, contributing bitterness, flavor, and aroma. The female plants produce strobiles rich in essential oils and acids, along with bioactive compounds like polyphenols, humulene, and myrcene, which offer health benefits. This study examined the aromatic profiles of five hop varieties grown in Brazil versus their countries of origin. Fifty grams of pelletized hops from each strain were collected and analyzed using HS-SPME/GC-MS to identify volatile compounds, followed by statistical analysis with PLS-DA and ANOVA. The study identified 330 volatile compounds and found significant aromatic differences among hops from different regions. For instance, H. Mittelfrüher grown in Brazil has a fruity and herbaceous profile, while the German-grown variety is more herbal and spicy. Similar variations were noted in Magnum, Nugget, Saaz, and Sorachi Ace varieties. The findings underscore the impact of terroir on hop aromatic profiles, with Brazilian-grown hops displaying distinct profiles compared to their counterparts from their countries of origin, including variations in aromatic notes and α-acid content.

Size effect on plain concrete specimens is well known and can be correctly captured when performing numerical simulations by using a well characterised softening function, but in the case of fibre reinforced concrete this is not directly applicable, since an only diagram cannot capture the material behaviour on elements with different size due to dependence of the orientation factor of the fibres with the size of the specimen. In previous works, the use of a trilinear softening diagram proved to be very convenient for reproducing fracture of polyolefin fibre reinforced concrete elements, but only if it is previously adapted for each specimen size. In this work, a predictive methodology is used to reproduce fracture of polyolefin fibre reinforced concrete specimens of different sizes under three-point bending. Fracture is reproduced by means of a well known embedded cohesive model, with a trilinear softening function that is defined specifically for each specimen size. The fundamental points of these softening functions are defined a priori by using empirical expressions proposed in past works, based on an extensive experimental background. Therefore, the numerical results are obtained in a predictive manner, and then compared with a previous experimental campaign, showing that this approach properly captures the size effect, although some values of the fundamental points in the trilinear diagram could be defined more accurately.

Chloride (Cl-) is applied in coffee in rates as a “macronutrient” due that potassium (K+) is one of the most demanded nutrients by the coffee plant, and the potassium muriate (KCl) bases fertilizer is one the most used by the coffee growers. Does not exist scientific evidence that addresses the question regarding with which is the influences of the Cl- applied in the K fertilization base on MOP on coffee growth, nutrient uptake, and nitrogen use efficiency (NUE). Over four years, two trials were conducted on greenhouse and field conditions to address these questions. The trials set up were designed to test the influence of increased Cl- and reduced S rates on biomass accumulation, nutrient uptake, and NUE. A significant effect of the Cl- rates on growth was observed under greenhouse conditions but a non-significant effect on yield under field conditions. Cl- and S significantly influence the NUE in coffee. The result allows us to conclude that Cl- rates need to be balanced with S rates and that Cl- applied as a macronutrient can improve the NUE in coffee when those rates do not exceed 180 mg. L-1 Cl- and 80 mg.L-1 S in the greenhouse and 150 kg.ha-1.year-1 Cl- and 50 kg. ha-1.year-1 S in field conditions. In practical terms, coffee farmers need to balance the K base fertilizers sources to improve the nutrient use efficiency, especially the NUE.

The chemistry and electrochemistry basic fields have been active since the last two decades of the past century studying how surface modification of electrodes by coating with conductive films enhances their activity and performance. In the light of the development of alternative sustainable ways of energy storage and carbon dioxide conversion by electrochemical processes, these research studies have jumped in the 21st century to more applied fields such as chemical engineering, energy and environmental science and engineering. The huge amount of literature on experimental works dealing with the development of CO2 electroreduction processes addresses electrocatalyst development. Membranes can help understanding and controlling the mass transport limitations of current electrodes and reactors designs. The present bibliometric review addresses the papers published in the 21st century regarding membrane coated electrodes and electrocatalysts to enhance electrochemical reactor performance and viability with a special focus on the urgent issue of carbon dioxide capture and utilization.

This study introduces an innovative optimization method to identify the optimal configuration of a sparse symmetric 2D array for applications in security, particularly multistatic imaging. Utilizing Genetic Algorithms (GA) in a sophisticated optimization process, the research focuses on achieving the most favorable antenna distribution while mitigating the common issue of secondary lobes in sparse arrays. The main objective is to determine the ideal configuration from specific design parameters, including hardware specifications such as number of radiating elements, minimum spacing, operating frequency range, and image separation distance. The study employs a cost function based on the the point spread function (PSF), the system response to a point source, with the goal of minimizing the secondary lobe levels and maximizing their separation from the main lobe. Advanced simulation algorithms based on Physical Optics (PO) are used to validate the presented methodology and results.

The fermentation of syngas is an attractive technology that can be integrated with gasification of lignocellulosic biomass. The coupling of these two technologies allows for treating a great variety of raw materials. Lignin usually hinders microbial fermentations; thus, the thermal decomposition of the whole material into small molecules allows for the production of fuels and other types of molecules using syngas as substrate, a process performed at mild conditions. Syngas contains mainly hydrogen, carbon monoxide and carbon dioxide in varying proportions. These gases have a low volumetric energy density, resulting more interesting its conversion into higher energy density molecules. Syngas can be transformed by microorganisms, thus avoiding the use of expensive catalysts, which may be subject to poisoning. However, the fermentation is not free of suffering from inhibitory problems. The presence of trace components in syngas may cause a decrease in fermentation yields or cause a complete cessation of bacteria growth. The presence of tar and hydrogen cyanide are just examples of this fermentation's challenges. Syngas cleaning impairs significant restrictions in technology deployment. The technology may seem promising, but it is still far from large-scale application due to several aspects that still need to find a practical solution.

Purpose: This research compared the dissociated phoria at near and distance fixation in free space using three techniques: the Howell test, alternate Cover test, and Thorington test. Methods: 220 healthy Mexican children (age 5.06-17.11) participated in this study. Phorias were quantified at both distances using each test, from the least to the most disruptive. The stereopsis degree and near point of convergence (break/recovery) were analyzed to understand their role on the visual system's sensorimotor balance. Results: For the exophoria/esophoria at near, the alternate Cover and Thorington tests showed similar values. The exophoria at distance, was similar with the alternate Cover and Howell tests, while esophoria, with the alternate Cover and Thorington tests. The break value and near exophoria relates to each other and affect the stereopsis degree, whereas age is associated with the stereopsis degree and break value. Conclusions: The analysis revealed that alternate Cover and Thorington tests can substitute one another, but not with the Howell test. The test's specific dissociation method may explain these results. Analyzing the binocular visual system provides information about its sensorimotor balance and fragility when faced to the technique’s degree of dissociation.

This work proposes a metaheuristic-based approach for hyperparameter selection in a multilayer perceptron to classify electromyographic signals. The main goal of the study is to improve the performance of the model by optimizing four important hyperparameters: the number of neurons, the learning rate, the epochs, and the training batches. The approach proposed in this work shows that hyperparameter optimization using particle swarm optimization and gray wolf optimizer significantly improves the performance of a multilayer perceptron for classifying EMG motion signals. The final model achieved an average classification rate of 93% for the validation phases. The results obtained are promising and suggest that the proposed approach may be helpful for the optimization of deep learning models in other signal processing applications.

The practice of spatial econometrics revolves around a weighting matrix, which is often supplied by the user on previous knowledge. This is the so called $\mathbf{W}$ issue. Probably, the aprioristic approach is not the best solution although, nowadays, there few alternatives for the user. Our contribution focuses on the problem of selecting a $\mathbf{W}$ matrix from among a finite set of matrices, all of them considerer appropriate for the case. We develop a new and simple method based on the Entropy corresponding to the distribution of probability estimated for the data. Other alternatives, which are common in current applied work, are also reviewed. The paper includes a large Monte Carlo to calibrate the effectiveness of our approach compared to the others. A well-known case study is also included.

The purpose of this work was analysing the compaction of a cohesive material using different DEM simulators to determine the equivalent contact models and identify how some parameters of the simulations affect the compaction results (maximum force and compacts appearance) and computational costs. For that purpose, three cohesion contact models were tested (‘linear cohesion’ in EDEM; ‘SJKR’ and ‘SJKR2’ in LIGGGHTS). The influence of the particle size distribution (PSD) on the results was also investigated. Further assessments were performed on the effect of selecting different timesteps, using distinct conversion tolerances for exporting the 3D models to STL files and moving the punch with different speeds. Consequently, it was possible to determine that a timestep equal to a 10% Rayleigh timestep, a conversion tolerance of 0.01 mm and a punch speed of 0.2 m/s are adequate for simulating the compaction process using the contact models in this work. In addition, the results determined that the maximum force was influenced by the PSD because of the rearrangement of the particles. The PSD was also related to the computational cost because of the number of simulated particles and their sizes. Finally, an equivalence was found between the linear cohesion and SJKR2 contact models

As a consequence of the global sanitary crisis in early 2020, universities had to tackle with a sudden shift in their teaching-learning strategies so that the preset competences could be fulfilled. This study presents the learning outcomes of the tasks implemented, student experiences and feedback, as well as some reflections from the instructors with a holistic perspective of the courses due to the measures and adaptations adopted. Six courses taught at Civil Engineering degrees of three universities, two from Spain and one from Peru, are analyzed. The teaching and evaluation strategies are described and some reflections are made by comparing the student’s performance with the previous course. Although the shift to online learning had to be made from day to day, with no time for preparation, the experience has proved that online learning can be beneficial in some aspects and have probably come to stay, although some others are difficult to replace with respect to face-to-face learning, especially students’ engagement and motivation.

This paper investigates pseudo-polymorphism in 2-pyridylmethoxy derivatives of p-tert-butylcalix[4]arene (PyC4), p-tert-butyldihomooxa-calix[4]arenes (PyHOC4), and p-tert-butylhexahomotrioxacalix[3]arenes (PyHO3C3), presenting 11 crystal structures with 15 crystallographically independent molecules. The macrocycle of PyC4 is smaller and less flexible with respect to those of PyHOC4 and PyHO3C3 and in solution, the cone conformation of these three molecules exhibit different point symmetries: C4, Cs and C3, respectively. A correlation is observed between the macrocycle's structural rigidity and the number of pseudo-polymorphs formed. The more rigid PyC4 displays a higher number (6) of pseudo-polymorphs compared to PyHOC4 and PyHO3C3, which exhibit a smaller number of crystalline forms (3 and 2, respectively). The X-ray structures obtained show that the conformation of the macrorings is primarily influenced by the presence of an acetonitrile guest molecule within the cavity, with limited impact from crystal packing and intermolecular cocrystallized solvent molecules. Notably, both calix[4]arene derivatives produce host-guest complex with acetonitrile, while the most flexible and less aromatic PyHO3C3 do not give crystals with acetonitrile as guest. Intertwined 1D and 2D solvent channel networks were observed in the PyHOC4-hexane and in the PyHO3C3-H2O-MeOH crystal structures, respectively, while the other pseudopolymorphs of PyHOC4 and PyHO3C3 and all PyC4 crystal forms exhibit a closely packed crystal structures without open channels.

Fibre reinforced cementitious materials (FRC) have become an attractive alternative for structural applications. Among such FRC, steel and polyolefin fibre reinforced concrete and glass fibre reinforced concrete are the most used ones. However, in order to exploit the properties of such materials structural designers need constitutive relations that reproduce FRC fracture behaviour accurately. This contribution analyses the suitability of multilinear softening functions combined with a cohesive crack approach for reproducing the fracture behaviour of the FRC previously mentioned. The implementation performed accurately simulates the fracture behaviour while being versatile, robust and efficient from a numerical point of view.

The permeation of dioxin-like pollutants, namely, chlorinated dibenzodioxins and dibenzofurans, through lipid membranes has been simulated using classic molecular dynamics (CMD) combined with the umbrella sampling approach. The most toxic forms of chlorinated dibenzodioxin and dibenzofuran, 2,3,7,8-tetrachloro-p-dibenzodioxin (TCDD) and 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzofuran (TCDF), and a dioleyl-phosphatidylcholine (DOPC) lipid membrane of 50 Å wide have been chosen for our study. The free energy profile shows the penetration process is largely favoured thermodynamically (DG≈-12 kcal/mol), with a progressively decrease of the free energy until reaching the energy minima at distances of 8Å and 9.5Å from the centre of the membrane for, respectively, TCDD and TCDF. At the centre of the membrane, both molecules display subtle local maxima with free energy differences of 0.5 and 1 kcal/mol with respect to the energy minima for TCDD and TCDF, respectively. Furthermore, the intermolecular interactions between the molecules and the lipid membrane have been characterized at the minima and the local maxima using hybrid quantum mechanics/molecular mechanics energy decomposition analysis (QM/MM-EDA). Total interaction energies of -17.5 and -16.5 kcal/mol have been found at the energy minima for TCDD and TCDF, respectively. In both cases, the dispersion forces govern the molecule-membrane interactions, no significant changes have been found at the local maxima, in agreement with the classical free energy profile. The small differences found in the results obtained for TCDD and TCDF point out the adsorption and diffusion processes through the cell membrane are not related to the different toxicity shown by these pollutants.

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.

With the rising prevalence of obesity, Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease (NAFLD) now affects 20-25% of the global population. NAFLD, a progressive condition associated with oxidative stress, can result in cirrhosis and liver cancer in 10% and 3% of patients suffering NAFLD, re-spectively. Therapeutic options are currently limited, emphasizing the need for novel treatments. In this study, we examined the potential of activating the transcription factor NRF2, a crucial player in combating oxidative stress, as an innovative approach to treating NAFLD. Utilizing a CRISPR-engineered human cell line, we were able to monitor the expression of heme oxygenase-1 (HMOX1), an NRF2 target, using a Nanoluc luciferase tag. Our model was validated using a known NRF2 activator, after which we screened 1200 FDA-approved drugs, unearthing six compounds (Disulfiram, Thiostrepton, Auranofin, Thimerosal, Halofantrine, and Vorinostat) that enhanced NRF2 activity and antioxidant response. These compounds demonstrated protec-tive effects against oxidative stress and lipid accumulation in vitro. Our study underscores the utility of CRISPR tagging with Nanoluc luciferase in identifying potential NRF2 activators, pav-ing the way for potential NAFLD therapeutics.

This article proposes a monitoring system that allows to track transitions between different stages in the berry harvesting process (berry picking, waiting for transport, transport, and arrival to the packing) solely using information from temperature and vibration sensors located in the basket. The monitoring system assumes a characterization of the process based on Hidden Markov Models and uses the Viterbi algorithm to perform inference and estimate the most likely state trajectory. The obtained state trajectory estimate is then used to compute a potential damage indicator in real-time. The proposed methodology does not require information about the weight of the basket to identify each of the different stages, which makes it effective and more efficient than other alternatives available in the industry.

Despite the advancements in evidence-based medicine, many hospitals still maintain high rates of patients undergoing prolonged preoperative fasting. The goal of this study is to determine the prevalence of prolonged fasting time among patients undergoing elective surgeries at a Brazilian university hospital and its associations with clinical and sociodemographic variables. This cross-sectional study was conducted between May and November 2019 and included patients of all ages undergoing elective surgeries. Out of the 293 patients analyzed, 64.2% were male, with ages ranging from 1 to 85 years, and 93.9% were classified as ASA I or II. The prevalence of preoperative fasting exceeding 8 hours was 89.4%. An average fasting time exceeding 11 hours was observed across all age groups. Patients who underwent procedures in the afternoon had an average fasting time that was 16% longer than those in the morning period (13.84 vs. 11.92, p<0.001). Surgery time (r=0.134, p<0.03) and anesthesia times (r=0.121, p<0.04) demonstrated a weak correlation with fasting time. Despite the international consensus on preoperative fasting time, our study demonstrated low adherence to current recommendations. Therefore, healthcare professionals should ensure the comprehension of fasting guidelines, and further studies should aim to identify effective solutions to mitigate prolonged fasting.

Background: Clinical cases reports with snake accidents show that venom bite induces increased oxidative stress including several markers of lipid peroxidation and other oxidative stress marker in plasma. Methods: The main findings of this work were performed with BthTx-II on paw edema of animals treated with the toxin and biochemical measurement of COX-2, PGE2, MDA and the effects of peroxiredoxin inhibitors on edema and myotoxicity were also evaluated. Results: The results show that edema and myotoxocity induced by PLA2 (BthTx-II) induces a strong mobilization of arachidonic acid and an increase in cellular oxidative stress as measured by increased malondialdehydo (MDA) concentration and protein carbonylation. Thus, these findings establish the strong link between oxidative stress, arachidonic acid mobilization and that these events may explain the presence of oxidative stress markers in snake-bitten patients. Experiments performed with animals previously treated with commercially purchased inhibitors showed enzymes such as thioredoxin (TXN), thioredoxin reductase (TXNRD) and other glutathione (GSH)-related antioxidant defenses could play an essential role controlling and defining the end of edema on the late phase of PLA2 BthTx-II-induced process. Conclusion. This study showed that thioate-dependent antioxidant enzymes play an important role in resolving the edema induced by BthTx-II.

Family Parvoviridae consists of small, non-enveloped viruses with linear, single-stranded DNA genomes of approximately 4-6 kilobases, subdivided into 3 subfamilies: Parvovirinae, Densovirinae and Hamaparvovirinae. Parvoviruses of aquatic animals infect crustaceans, mollusks, and finfish. In this review, these parvoviruses, which are highly host-specific and are associated with mass morbidity and mortality in both farmed and wild aquatic animals are described. They include Cherax quadricarinatus densovirus (CqDV) in freshwater crayfish; Sea star-associated densovirus (SSaDV) in sunflower sea star on the Northeastern Pacific Coast; Clinch densovirus 1 in freshwater mussels in the Clinch River, Virginia, and Tennessee, USA, in subfamily Densovirinae; Hepatopancreatic parvovirus (HPV) and Infectious hypodermal and hematopoietic necrosis virus (IHHNV) in farmed shrimp worldwide; Syngnathid ichthamaparvovirus 1 in gulf pipefish in the Gulf of Mexico and parts of South America; and Tilapia parvovirus (TiPV) in farmed tilapia in China and Thailand, in the subfamily Hamaparvovirinae. In addition, virus megataxonomy has enabled the inclusion of novel parvoviruses detected in both diseased and healthy animals using metagenomic sequencing for virus discovery, such as the novel zander parvovirus from zander in Hungary, novel salmon parvovirus from sockeye salmon smolts in British Columbia-Canada, and Spawner-isolated mortality virus (SMV) from shrimp broodstock in Australia.

Comminution is the most power-demanding stage, and the lack of geometallurgical testing, often for financial reasons, may result in an inefficient operation. The Geopyörä Rock Breakage test was developed with the objective of making mineral variability data more accessible by providing both standard comminution parameters and rock mechanical properties at low cost, and with a modest sample size, allowing a larger number of samples to be tested to reduce uncertainties and assure productivity. The objective of this work is to present the results of an extensive validation of this new rock breakage method against two of the main tests currently in use, namely the SMC® and Bond ball mill work index tests. More than 100 samples have been tested and the results compared, showing that the new method can accurately estimate the parameters of the traditional tests. This confirms that the new test is a reliable tool for comminution and geometallurgical tests.

Excessive extracellular histones can damage cells despite their importance in DNA structure and gene regulation. We previously showed the harmful effect of histone 3.3 (H3.3) and its acetylated form (AcH3.3) in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), but further research is needed to understand the in vivo underlying mechanisms. To investigate this, we administered a single dose of recombinant histones via intra-tracheal instillation in C57BL/6 mice and analyzed the outcomes after 48 hours. Both rH3.3 and rAcH3.3 effectively reached the bronchial and alveolar space. Lung histology revealed severe immune cell infiltration, rupture, damage, and thickening of many alveolar walls. Micro-CT scans showed macroscopic structure changes with a decreased tissue volume to total volume ratio. The administration of rH3.3 and rAcH3.3 induced lung apoptotic activity, as indicated by increased levels of cleavage caspase 3 and 9. Moreover, elevated plasma levels of pro-inflammatory cell mediators, including TNF-alpha, IL-6, MCP-3, and CXCL-1, were observed. The pathological changes and pro-inflammatory cytokine response were more pronounced in animals treated with rAcH3.3, which also exhibited leukocytosis and lymphocytosis. These findings emphasize the crucial role of extracellular H3.3 acetylation in inducing cytotoxicity and a robust, acute inflammatory response similar to what occurs in the lungs of COPD patients.

Current State-of-the-Art (SotA) chatbots are able to produce high quality sentences, handling different conversation topics, and larger interaction times. Unfortunately, the generated responses highly depend on the data on which they have been trained, the specific dialogue history and current turn used for guiding the response, the internal decoding mechanisms, ranking strategies, among others. Therefore, it may happen that for semantically similar questions asked by users, the chatbot may provide a different answer, which can be considered as a form of hallucination or produce confusion in long-term interactions. In this research paper, we propose a novel methodology consisting of two main phases: a) hierarchical automatic detection of topics and subtopics in dialogue interactions using a Zero-Shot learning approach, and b) detecting inconsistent answers using K-Means and the Silhouette coefficient. To evaluate the efficacy of topic and subtopic detection, we used a subset of the DailyDialog dataset and real dialogue interactions gathered during the Alexa Socialbot Grand Challenge 5 (SGC5). The proposed approach enables detecting up to 18 different topics and 102 subtopics. For the purpose of detecting inconsistencies, we manually generate multiple paraphrased questions and employ several pre-trained SotA chatbot models to generate responses. Our experimental results demonstrate a weighted F-1 value of 0.34 for topic detection, a weighted F-1 value of 0.78 for subtopic detection in DailyDialog, then 81% and 62% accuracy for topic and subtopic classification in SGC5; finally, to predict the number of different responses, we obtained a mean squared error (MSE) of 3.4 when testing smaller generative models and 4.9 in recent large language models.

Most crops are fertilized with high amounts of nitrogen, and have an alarmingly low utiliza-tion efficiency. For this reason, the coordination between the fertilizer contribution and the ni-trogen requirements of the crop is very important. Therefore, the objective of this study was to determine the nitrogen use efficiency, and create new NUE indices that can determine and calculate the final destination of the assimilated nitrogen, for the formation and development of green bean plant organs, fertilized with molybdenum nanofertilizer applied foliarly and combined with soil fertilization of ammonium nitrate. The plants were grown in a greenhouse covered with anti-aphid mesh and irrigated with nutrient solution. Three sources of foliar Molybdenum (Nano fertilizer, Molybdenum Chelate and Sodium Molybdate) were applied in four doses of 0, 5, 10 and 20 ppm Mo, complemented with edaphic fertilization of NH4NO3 (0, 3, 6 and 12 mM of N). As results, the NUE indices showed that with the application of the nanofertilizer, the total biomass production increased 41.65% more than with the application of the chelate, and 36.84% more than with the application of molybdate. Finally, it is con-cluded that the use of NUE indices is an important approach that evaluates the fate of nitro-gen and accurately estimates plant yield.

Thin films of BiFeO3 (BFO), VO2 and BFO/VO2 were grown on SrTiO3(100) and Al2O3(0001) monocrystalline substrates using the RF and DC sputtering techniques. The surface of the films was characterized by profilometry, AFM, and XPS. The heterostructures have roughnesses between 0.2 and 16 nm and a grain size between 20 nm and 67 nm. XPS measurements show a higher proportion of the V4+ and Bi3+ oxides. In the Fe region, a higher proportion of Fe3+ is shown in the films. The homogeneous ordering, low roughnesses, and the oxidation states on the obtained surface show a good coupling in these films. The I-V curves show ohmic behavior at room temperature and change with increasing temperature. The effect of coupling these materials in a thin film shows the appearance of hysteresis cycles I-V and R-T, typical of materials with high potential in applications such as resistive memories and solar cells.

Biodiesel is seen as a successor to diesel of petrochemical origin, as it can be used in cycle engines and stationary engines, and be obtained from renewable raw materials. Currently, the biodiesel production process on an industrial scale is mostly carried out through the transesterification reaction, also forming glycerol as a product. Pure glycerol is used in the pharmaceutical, cosmetic, cleaning, food and other industries. Even presenting numerous applications, studies indicate that there is a saturation of glycerol in the market which is directly related to the production of biodiesel. This increase causes a commercial devaluation of pure glycerol; making the separation and purification processes unfeasible from an economic point of view. Despite the economic unfeasibility of the aforementioned processes, they continue to be carried out due to environmental issues. Faced with the problem presented, this work aims at a bibliographical review of works that aimed to use glycerol as a raw material for the production process of biofuels, these processes being carried out mostly via fermentation.

Digital Educational Recourses (DER) have undergone a rapid evolution and integration into the educational contexts. Teachers play a fundamental role in incorporating technology into their classrooms, so it is important to identify the value that teachers on DER and reflect on the implications for their practice. Through the qualitative methodology the necessary data is obtained with open-response inter-views with teachers. This dataset was analysed and categorised using AQUAD. The results suggest that teachers acknowledge the importance of integrating digital re-sources into their classrooms, although there was no consensus regarding the appropriate level at which to do so. Further the inter-views revealed that younger teachers tend to use more self-elaborated or selected resources. Teachers noted the benefits of using technology, especially in regard to maintaining student motivation, how-ever they also highlighted a number of extrinsic challenges and limitations. The results indicate there is a relationship between teachers’ perceptions and their practice, although this could be improved.

Background: This study aimed to analyze the psychometric properties of the Brief-COPE Inventory and to determine its concurrent validity by exploring its association with perceived stress in Peruvian nurses. Methods: Psychometric study carried out in 434 Peruvian nurses to determine the psychometric properties by confirmatory factor analysis. Three stepwise variable selection regression models were implemented. Results: The three-factor of the Brief-COPE Inventory reported adequate fit (root mean square error of approximation = 0.052, standardized root mean square = 0.068, and both the comparative fit index and the Tucker–Lewis index = 0.95). Likewise, we found that its factors are correlated (p &lt; 0.001) and that there is adequate reliability (ω= 0.90). Moreover, nurses showed a medium level of perceived stress and the following associated factors: sex, having received stress management training, fear of COVID-19, and problem-focused coping strategies (p &lt; 0.05). Conclusion: This study proved that Brief-COPE Inventory is a valid tool for measuring coping strategies in Peruvian nurses because it has a good fit to the model, excellent reliability, and concurrent validity with perceived stress. However, further studies are required to evaluate its validity according to the nursing professionals’ perceived areas of performance.

GM2 gangliosidoses are a group of pathologies characterized by GM2 ganglioside accumulation into the lysosome due to mutations on the genes encoding for the β-hexosaminidases subunits or the GM2 activator protein. Three GM2 gangliosidoses have been described: Tay-Sachs disease, Sandhoff disease, and the AB variant. Central nervous system dysfunction is the main characteristic of GM2 gangliosidoses patients that include neurodevelopment alterations, neuroinflammation, and neuronal apoptosis. Currently, there is not approved therapy for GM2 gangliosidoses, but different therapeutic strategies have been studied including hematopoietic stem cell transplantation, enzyme replacement therapy, substrate reduction therapy, pharmacological chaperones, and gene therapy. The blood-brain barrier represents a challenge for the development of therapeutic agents for these disorders. In this sense, alternative routes of administration (e.g. intrathecal or intracerebroventricular) have been evaluated, as well as the design of fusion peptides that allow the protein transport from the brain capillaries to the central nervous system. In this review, we outline the current knowledge about clinical and physiopathological findings of GM2 gangliosidoses, as well as the ongoing proposals to overcome some limitations of the traditional alternatives by using novel strategies such as molecular Trojan horses or advanced tools of genome editing.

The identification and physical interpretation of quantum correlations, more recently explored beyond entanglement, is not always a simple task. Two assumptions that, at least in principle, should lead to a relatively large dispersion for the observables of a quantum bipartite formed by systems I and II are to assume that; (a) all the possible observables describing the composite are potentially equally probable as outcomes of measurements; and (b) there cannot be concurrence (positive reinforcement) between any of the observables within a given system, meaning all their corresponding operators do not commute. The so-called EPR states are known to observe (a). Here we demonstrate in general terms that they also verify (b). As examples, we discuss three-level systems. Given the character of (a) and (b), one may expect the CHSH correlation for qubits to naturally violate its associated Bell’s inequality (i.e., it would yield values greater than 2) when applied to EPR states. Surprisingly, we show the CHSH contradicts such prediction. This finding emphasizes the subtleties of correlations in quantum mechanics, where the conceivable dispersive interdependence of EPR states observables results counterintuitively in a more limited range of values for the CHSH correlation, not surpassing the nonlocality threshold of 2.

Marine environments represent a great opportunity for the discovery of compounds with a wide spectrum of bioactive properties. Due to the privileged conditions of natural selection, marine natural products are subject to overcome the pressure put on identify novel drugs; not only in the case of newly discovered bioactive metabolites, but also in those previously known. Since drug resistance has caused an increase in infections caused by tuberculous and nontuberculous Mycobacteria, the re-evaluation of known bioactive metabolites has been suggested as a means to address this problem. In this sense, this study presents an evaluation of in vitro effect of laurinterol (1) and aplysin (2), two brominated sesquiterpenes isolated from Laurencia johnstonii against nine Mycobacterium tuberculosis strains and six nontuberculous mycobacteria. Laurinterol (1) exhibited good anti-tuberculous activity, especially against nontuberculous mycobacteria, being remarkable the effect against M. abscessus with MIC values lower than the reference drug imipenem. This study provides further evidence for the antimycobacterial activity of some sesquiterpenes from L. johnstonii, that can be considered an interesting lead compound for the discovery of novel antimycobacterial molecules to treat NTM infections.

In this study, we introduce the concept and construction of an innovative Digital Miniature Cathode Ray Magnetometer designed for the precise detection of magnetic fields. This device addresses several limitations inherent to magnetic probes such as D.C. offset, nonlinearity, temperature drift, sensor aging, and the need for frequent recalibration, while capable of oper-ating in a wide range of magnetic fields. The core principle of this device involves the utilization of a charged particle beam as the sensitivity medium. The system leverages the interaction of an electron beam with a scintillator material, which, then, emits visible light that is captured by an imager. The emitted scintillation light is captured by a CMOS sensor. This sensor not only rec-ords the scintillation light but also accurately determines the position of the electron beam, providing invaluable spatial information crucial for magnetic field mapping. The key innova-tion lies in the combination of electron beam projection, CMOS imager scintillation-based de-tection and digital image signal processing. By employing this synergy, the magnetometer achieves remarkable accuracy, sensitivity and dynamic range. The precise position registration enabled by the CMOS sensor further enhances the device's utility in capturing complex magnetic field patterns, allowing for 2D field mapping. In this work, the optimization of the probe's per-formance is tailored for applications related to the characterization of insertion devices in light sources, including undulators.

The Surface Urban Heat Island (UHI) is caused by the difference in temperature between the urban and its surrounding areas. However, in the scientific literature, there is no solid methodology defining urban and non-urban areas, which is essential to estimate the SUHI with greater accuracy. This study uses the official national urban areas limit, to obtain the SUHI more accurately on the nine northeastern Brazilian capitals. The land surface temperature was obtained using the Sentinel 3 satellite data for the years 2019 and 2020. Afterward, the maximum and average SUHI, and the complementary indexes were calculated, such as the Urban Thermal Field Variation Index (UTFVI) and the Thermal Discomfort Index (TDI) for the urban areas and their surrounding areas. The Maximum and Average SUHI, obtained values between 1.85 and 8.25 and -4.92 and 2.59 degree difference, respectively, proving the SUHI existence in the study areas. The UTFVI, with values between 0.010 and 0.040, expresses how bad the eco-environmental spaces of urban are. The TDI, with values between 24.61 and 28.89 ºC, expresses the population’s thermal comfort. Therefore, this study provides a better understanding of the surface UHI pioneeringly for the Brazilian Northeast Region.

The Land Surface Temperature (LST) is an essential indicator for analyzing the Surface Urban Heat Island (SUHI). A factor contributing to its occurrence is the reflections of the different materials in urban and rural areas, which significantly affect the energy balance near the surface. Therefore, recent studies have increasingly used the Local Climate Zones (LCZ) classification system to discriminate those urban areas. Therefore, our study aims to do a systematic review using the PRISMA method of LCZ classification applied to understand the LST and the SUHI phenomenon. At first, it was found in the scientific literature 10,403 articles which, after passing through filtering stages, resulted in 51 that were further analyzed. Our results showed that these articles were very recent, beginning in 2016. However, presenting an increasing trend. China was the country with more studies. Landsat and TERRA/AQUA sensors appeared in 82% of the studies. The method that appears the most to LCZ definitions is from the World Urban Database. Finally, considering the current climatic changes, this systematic review can help new studies on SUHI identification through LCZ in different world areas using remote sensing data to estimate the LST.

Background: This study investigated the effect of indirect air-cooling on the variation in intrapulpal temperature (ΔT) during different light-curing protocols of bulk-fill resin composites in molars with class V cavities. Methods: A nonretentive class V cavity was prepared in an upper molar. The intrapulpal temperature changes with and without air-cooling were recorded with type K thermocouple. The cavity was restored with bulk-fill resin composites: Tetric PowerFlow and Filtek Bulk-Fill Flow. The tooth was exposed to different light-curing protocols (n=5) using the Valo Grand light-curing unit: (i) high-intensity light-curing of 3200 mW/cm² (3 and 6 s) and (ii) moderate-intensity light-curing of 1000 mW/cm² (10 and 20 s). The ΔT data were subjected to two-way ANOVA, followed by Bonferroni post hoc test. Results: A significant increase in temperature was observed with the use of the high-intensity light-curing resin composite without indirect air-cooling. In addition, the application of air-cooling significantly decreased the temperature in all the groups except for the Tetric PowerFlow bulk-fill resin composite at 3 s of light-curing. Conclusion: Indirect air-cooling resulted in a lower increase in intrapulpal temperature during the light-curing of bulk-fill resin composites, making it an effective alternative for controlling the temperature rise in class V restorations with 1 mm of remaining dentin.

Steel fibers (SF) and polyolefin (PF) are widely used for shotcrete, especially in tunnelling. Both SF and PF and have shown to meet the standards in order to reduce or substitute the conventional steel mesh as reinforcement of concrete showing mechanical and productive advantages. This study sought the analysis and assessment of the mechanical properties of fiber reinforced shotcrete, comparing in-situ with laboratory results. This was performed with low and high fiber dosages of SF and PF as well as a combination of them (hybrid mixtures). A total of seven mixtures, two of steel, two of polyolefins, two hybrids and a control mixture were manufactured at laboratory and in situ. By performing tests according to EN 14651 and slabs according to EN 14488-5, it was possible to characterize the residual flexural strengths (fRj), and energy absorption capacity (E25mm) in slabs. In addition, a fracture surface analysis was performed, and the orientation factor was obtained. This allowed the authors to quantify the loss of residual strength on site and correlate it with the fiber content and positioning. Moreover, some relationships between beam and slab tests were found, allowing to correlate the most relevant type of tests in the field of fiber reinforced concrete.

The presence of valuable bioactive compounds in European eel (Anguilla anguilla) skin was studied. For it, proximate and lipid class compositions and analysis of the fatty acid (FA) profile (individual FAs; FA groups, i.e., saturated, monounsaturated, and polyunsaturated; FA ratios, i.e., polyunsaturated/saturated, ω3/ω6) were determined and compared to the composition of the eel muscle. As a result, higher (p&lt;0.05) levels of proteins (271.6 g·kg-1), lipids (38.0 g·kg-1), ash (27.7 g·kg-1) and ω6 FAs were observed in the skin tissue. Contrary, the muscle tissue showed higher (p&lt;0.05) moisture, ω3 FA and ω3/ω6 values. Regarding lipid classes, a higher (p&lt;0.05) proportion of phospholipids (111.1 g·kg-1 lipids), sterols (104.7 g·kg-1 lipids), α-tocopherol (274.0 mg·kg-1 lipids), and free fatty acids (43.6 g·kg-1 lipids) was observed in the skin tissue. No differences (p&gt;0.05) between both tissues could be detected for triacylglycerol and FA group (saturated, monounsaturated, and polyunsaturated) values, as well as for the polyunsaturated/saturated ratio. It is concluded that eel skin, a by-product resulting from commercial processing, can be considered a valuable source to provide the food and pharmaceutical industries with useful value-added constituents such as proteins, lipids, ω3 FAs, phospholipids, and α-tocopherol.

The ability of 2D hybrid structures formed by boron, nitrogen and carbon atoms (h-BNCs) as potential substrates for surface enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) detection of dioxin-like pollutants is theoretically analyzed. The strong confinement and high tunability of the electromagnetic response of the carbon nanostructures embedded within the h-BNC sheets point out that these hybrid structures could be promising for applications in optical spectroscopies, such as SERS. In this work, two model dioxin-like pollutants, TCDD and TCDF, and a model h-BNC surface composed by a carbon nanodisk of ninety-six atoms surrounded by a string of borazine rings, BNC96, are employed for the simulation of the adsorption complexes and the static and pre-resonance Raman spectra of the adsorbed molecules. A large affinity of BNC96 by these pollutants is reflected on the large interaction energies obtained for the most stable stacking complexes, with dispersion being the most important contribution to their stability. The large vibrational coupling of some active modes of TCDF and, specially, of TCDD makes the Raman static spectra display a ‘pure’ chemical enhancement of one order of magnitude. On the other hand, due to the strong electromagnetic response of BNC96, confined within the carbon nanodisk, pre-resonance Raman spectra obtained for TCDD and TCDF display large enhancement factors of 108 and 107, respectively. Promisingly, laser excitation wavelengths frequently used in SERS experiments also provoke significant Raman enhancements, around 104, for the TCDD and TCDF signals. Both the strong confinement of the electromagnetic response within the carbon domains and the high modulation of the resonance wavelengths within the visible and/or UV ranges in h-BNCs should lead to a higher sensitivity than graphene and white graphene parent structures, solving one of the main disadvantages of using 2D substrates for SERS applications.

The dynamic response of structural elements subjected to blast loading is a problem of growing interest in the field of defense and security. In this work, a novel computational tool for the rapid evaluation of the effects of explosions, hereafter referred as SimEx, is presented and discussed. The classical correlations for the reference chemical (1 kg of TNT) and nuclear (106 kg of TNT) explosions, both spherical and hemispherical, are used together with the blast wave scaling laws and the International Standard Atmosphere (ISA) model to compute the dynamic response of Single-Degree-of-Freedom (SDOF) systems subject to blast loading. The underlying simplifications in the analysis of the structural response follow the directives established by UFC 3-340-02 and the Protective Design Center Technical Reports of the US Army Corps of Engineers, which offer useful estimates with a low computational cost, enabling in particular the computation of damage diagrams in the Charge Weight-Standoff distance (CW-S) space for the rapid screening of component (or building) damage levels. SimEx is a computer application based on Matlab and developed by the Fluid Mechanics Research Group at University Carlos III of Madrid (UC3M), which has been successfully used for both teaching and research purposes in the Degree in Security Engineering, taught to the future Guardia Civil officers at the Spanish University Center of the Civil Guard (CUGC). This dual use has allowed the development of the application well beyond its initially objective, testing on one hand the implemented capacities by undergraduate cadets with end-user profile, and implementing new functionalities and utilities by Masters and PhD students. With this experience, the application has been continuously growing since its initial inception in 2014 both at a visual and a functional level, including new effects in the propagation of the blast waves, such as clearing and confinement, and incorporating new calculation assistants, such as those for the thermochemical analysis of explosive mixtures; crater formation; fragment mass distributions, ejection speeds and ballistic trajectories; and the statistical evaluation of damage to people due to overpressure, body projection, and fragment injuries.

GIGANTEA (GI) is a gene involved in multiple biological functions, which were analysed and are partially conserved in a series of mono- and dicotyledonous plant species. The identified biological functions include control over the circadian rhythm, light signalling, cold tolerance, hormone signalling and photoperiodic flowering. The latter function is a central role of GI, as it involves a multitude of pathways, both dependent and independent of the gene CONSTANS(CO) as well as on the basis of interaction with miRNA. The complexity of gene function of GI increases due to the existence of paralogs showing changes in genome structure as well as incidences of sub- and neofunctionalization. We present an updated report of the biological function of GI, integrating late insights into its role in floral initiation, flower development and flower volatile production.

Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is a growing public health concern worldwide, and it poses a significant threat to human, animal, and environmental health. The overuse and misuse of antibiotics have contributed significantly to the emergence and spread of antimicrobial resistance, which may lead to significant economic consequences like reduced productivity and increased healthcare costs. Nanotechnology offers a promising platform for addressing this challenge. Nanoparticles have unique properties that make them highly effective in combating bacterial infections by inhibiting the growth and survival of multidrug-resistant bacteria in three areas of health: human, animal, and environmental. To conduct an economic evaluation of surveillance in this context, it is crucial to have a comprehension of the connections to be addressed by several nations by implementing national action policies based on the One Health strategy. This review provides an overview of the progress made thus far and presents potential future directions to optimize the impact of nanobiotics on AMR.