Duckweeds are the smallest flowering plants on Earth. They grow fast on water's surface and produce large amounts of biomass. Further, duckweeds display high adaptability, and species are found around the globe growing under different environmental conditions. In this work, we report the composition of 21 ecotypes of fourteen species of duckweeds belonging to the two sub-families of the group (Lemnoideae and Wolffioideae). It is reported the presence of starch and the composition of soluble sugars, cell walls, amino acids, phenolics, and tannins. These data were combined with literature data recovered from 85 publications to produce a compiled analysis that affords the examination of duckweeds as possible food sources for human consumption. We compare duckweeds compositions with some of the most common food sources and conclude that duckweed, which is already in use as food in Asia, can be an interesting food source anywhere in the world.

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 use of fiber optics as a tool for different kinds of geotechnical monitoring can become highly attractive and cost effective when compared to conventional instruments such as piezometers, inclinometers, among others. A single fiber optic cable may cover a larger monitoring area compared to conventional instrumentation, and the possibility of monitoring more than one physical quantity with the same fiber optic cable. Consulting the literature, it is possible to find several different examples where distributed fiber optic systems are being used. For the use of any sensor, a calibration curve is required. In the case of strain sensors, calibration is required to derive strain values from the frequency measurement quantity. However, fiber optic sensor cable manufacturers often do not provide their own calibration parameters and consult the values in specialized literature, which can result in monitoring errors. In this context, this article presents a bench adjusted for tests on single mode fiber optic cables, as well as results of tensile tests aimed at defining the function of strain variations of two different optical fiber cables, manufactured by different companies, using two different distributed interrogators. This paper also proposes a methodology for calibrating of the fiber optic cables deformation since the calibration parameters are provided by the cable manufacturers, which can result in errors depending on the application. It should be noted that there are few manufacturers of fiber optic cables aimed at application in civil engineering. Therefore, with the calibration methodology proposed in this paper, it is intended to transmit to the academic community the possibility of obtaining calibration parameters of any fiber optic cable, even those manufactured for telecommunications purposes and not only for cables manufactured with the intended use in civil engineering. Because of this fact, researchers will not be restricted to the acquisition of special cables for their applications. Based on the results, it was possible to conclude that the application of calibrated fiber optic sensors in experimental piles foundations is viable, in order to evaluate the load-displacement behavior of these elements, under different loading conditions.

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.

The present study aims to analyze scientific production about technological cooperation networks in biotechnology sector, based on bibliometrics network analysis. We used the Gephi software to identify groups of partnerships, proving that the cooperation relationship is a practice used, re-sulting technological development. Findings identify that in the path for new resources that com-plement skills and competences universities are an important player in this cooperative ecosystem, and The United States is a large hub, with an extensive network of global cooperation. A strong role of its researchers in the publication of scientific articles in cooperation is highlighted. This study contributes to the advancement of the discussion about cooperative networks, as well as to the development of policies aimed at the biotechnology sector advancements

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.

This article explores the lack of unanimity regarding the nomenclature used to refer to the field of research that explores the intersection between art and science. A series of examples of nomenclatures and the context in which they are applied are listed and referenced. The diverse terminology reflects the heterogeneity, transdisciplinarity, and complexity of a research field in full expansion.

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.

The establishment and spread of exotic species is a contemporary major concern. Alien species may become invasive in their new habitat, leading to both/either environmental and/or economic impacts. I briefly reviewed the literature in the last decade about the relationship of exotic species and native communities. I identified that professionals usually approach the subject in two main points of view: (1) researchers tend to point out the impacts of alien species on entire communities, evaluating if the relationship is positive, negative or neutral; (2) they focus on the eco-evolutionary processes involved in the introductions, the dynamics of invasion, and individual study cases. When evaluating the response of introductions to entire communities, evidence seems to be ambiguous and may support positive, negative or neutral relationship, especially depending on the scale approached. The unique eco-evolutionary pathways of each introduction may be a great shortcoming in the searching for generalities. On the other hand, advances have been made in understanding the dynamics of invasion on different lineages through a more selective/individualized approach. I suggest that the dynamics of invasion might be studied through a perspective in which different eco-evolutionary processes, levels of organization (from gene to entire communities), the history of the organism(s) and time are taken into account. Individual cases might be compared in attempt to understand how the relationship exotic and native works and in the search for generalities.

Synthesizing evolution in the post-Darwinan era has been a very challenging endeavor, both because of the great number of perspectives regarding the same natural phenomena and because of the growing technology involving mapping the origin of novelties and selection of biological variation that surpass Darwin’s original proposal of evolution by means of natural selection. Since 1859 a lot has changed, and many have presented new perspectives on evolution; either dismissing, correcting or incorporating Darwin’s ideas. This review aims to approach these different theories focusing on virus host interactions and descriptions of host-switching events in 3 different viral lineages, as well as their implications on the understanding of host-switching phenomena itself.

Despite the need for a sustainable energy resource, bioenergy gained its spotlight in the 2000s. Sugarcane is a significant crop in terms of sugar and energy capacity, and it can be an alternative energy source to mitigate the effects of climate change. Bioenergy production from sugarcane in Brazil is one of the most efficient. This production lends a centrality to biofuels' importance in confronting the effects of climate change. The present article reviews the Brazilian history of this crop as a biofuel source. We highlight the historical changes related to scientific, technological, industrial, and environmental advances since the beginning of the 20th century. We describe how creating governmental institutes and disseminating scientific knowledge strengthened public policies that led Brazil to occupy leadership positions in producing, distributing, and using bioenergy throughout the country. The compiled data shows the improvement and the new approaches needed in ethanol sugarcane. We developed a bibliometric analysis to evaluate Brazilian science's contribution to this process compared to other countries. Brazil's history of science and investments in sugarcane biofuel development for transportation may be divided into two phases: ethanol-only and flex-fuel cars. A third phase is starting, which is the ethanol-to-hydrogen era.

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.

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

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.

Climate change in the coming decades could intensify extreme events such as severe droughts. Combined with the possible increase of water demands, these changes exert a large pressure on the water systems. In order to confirm this assumption, a set of scenarios was proposed in this study to consider the combined impact of climate changes and the increase in water demand on the main multiple-use reservoirs of São Francisco River, Brazil. For this purpose, five CMIP6 climate models were used considering two greenhouse gas emissions scenarios: the SSP2-4.5 and SSP5-8.5. The naturalized and withdraw streamflows were estimated to the adopted reser-voirs considering all existing, new and projected demands. The conjunction of scenarios indicat-ed an increase in Potential Evapotranspiration, a possible significant reduction in water availa-bility, a growth in water demand mainly for irrigation and a substantial reduction in the perfor-mance of the evaluated reservoirs.

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.

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.

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.

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 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.

Evaluating mutation testing behavior can help decide whether refactoring successfully maintains the expected initial test results. Moreover, manually performing this analytical work is both time-consuming and prone to errors. This paper extends an approach to assess test code behavior and proposes a tool called MeteoR. This tool comprises an IDE plugin to detect issues that may arise during test code refactoring, reducing the effort required to perform evaluations. A preliminary assessment was conducted to validate the tool and ensure the proposed test code refactoring approach is adequate. By analyzing not only the mutation score but also the generated mutants in the pre- and post-refactoring process, results show that the approach is capable of checking whether the behavior of the mutants remains unchanged throughout the refactoring process. This proposal represents one more step toward the practice of test code refactoring. It can improve overall software quality, allowing developers and testers to safely refactor the test code in a scalable and automated way.

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.

In the software development process, the decision-maker (DM) has a range of problems inherent to its function. Wrong choices during software planning can bring great risk to the project. Therefore, the planning of software releases to be delivered to the customer should be well done. This is not an easy task because releases are made up of many requirements that contain complex variables that must be considered, such as precedence, cost, requirement stability, among other features that make the requirements-selection process challenging. To make this process less exhaustive, DM can use tools that facilitate this work. In software engineering, we can find fields of research specialists in this context, such as Search-Based Software Engineering (SBSE). The SBSE makes use of advanced metaheuristics to search for optimal solutions or the closest to it. In this work, we try to use another field of research to solve this same problem type, the Verbal Decision Analysis (VDA). To do this, we elaborate a workflow that will use the same source data, execute two solutions using the two search fields (SBSE and VDA) and compare the results. In the end, we evaluated and commented on the results.

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.

Heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF) is a multifariousness syndrome, account-ing for over half of heart failure (HF) patients receiving clinical treatment. The prevalence of HFpEF is rapidly increasing in the coming decades as the global population ages. It is becoming clearer that HFpEF has a lot of different causes, which makes it challenging to find effective treatments. Currently, there are no proven treatments for people with deteriorating HF, or HFpEF. Although the pathophysiologic foundations of HFpEF are complex, excessive reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation and increased oxidative stress caused by mitochondrial dys-function seem to play a critical role in the pathogenesis of HFpEF. Emerging evidence from an-imal models and human myocardial tissues from failed hearts shows that mitochondrial aberra-tions cause a marked increase in mitochondrial ROS (mtROS) production and oxidative stress. Furthermore, studies have reported that common HF medications like beta blockers, angioten-sin receptor blockers, angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors, and mineralocorticoid receptor antagonists indirectly reduce the production of mtROS. Despite the harmful effects of ROS on cardiac remodelling, maintaining mitochondrial homeostasis and cardiac functions requires small amounts of ROS. In this review, we will provide an overview and discussion of recent findings on mtROS production, its threshold for imbalance, and the subsequent dysfunction that leads to related cardiac and systemic phenotypes in the context of HFpEF. We will also focus on newly discovered cellular and molecular mechanisms underlying ROS dysregulation, current therapeutic options, and future perspectives for treating HFpEF by targeting mtROS and associ-ated signal molecules.

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.

The activity of prioritizing software requirements should be done as efficiently as possible. Selecting the most stable requirements for the most important customers for the development company can be a positive factor when we consider that the available resource does not always encompass the implementation of all requirements. Quantitative methods for reaching software prioritization in releases are many in the field of Search-Based Software Engineering (SBSE). However, we show that it is possible to use qualitative Verbal Decision Analysis (VDA) methods to solve this same type of problem. Moreover, we will use the ZAPROS III-i methods to prioritize requirements considering the opinion of the decision-maker, who will participate in this process. Finally, the results obtained in the VDA structured methods were quite satisfactory when compared to the methods using SBSE. A comparison of results between quantitative and qualitative methods will be made and discussed later.

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.

The reliability analysis allows to estimate the system's probability of detecting and identifying outlier. Failure to identify an outlier can jeopardise the reliability level of a system. Due to its importance, outliers must be appropriately treated to ensure the normal operation of a system. The system models are usually developed from certain constraints. Constraints play a central role in model precision and validity. In this work, we present a detailed optical investigation of the effects of the hard and soft constraints on the reliability of a measurement system model. Hard constraints represent a case in which there exist known functional relations between the unknown model parameters, whereas the soft constraints are employed for the case where such functional relations can slightly be violated depending on their uncertainty. The results highlighted that the success rate of identifying an outlier for the case of hard constraints is larger than soft constraints. This suggested that hard constraints should be used in the stage of pre-processing data for the purpose of identifying and removing possible outlying measurements. After identifying and removing possible outliers, one should set up the soft constraints to propagate the uncertainties of the constraints during the data processing. This recommendation is valid for outlier detection and identification purpose.

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.

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.

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.

Plasmonic nanomaterials have garnered considerable attention in the scientific community due to their applicability in light-mediated technologies, owing to tunability, large light absorption cross-sections, transparency, and potential scalability. While single morphology plasmonic nanoparticles exhibit substantial absorption cross-sections, their effectiveness is limited to a narrow energy window, especially under polychromatic illumination like sunlight. Integrating plasmonics with a Fabry-Pérot nanocavity is a promising approach to broaden the absorption energy range of the photosystem. Traditionally, the fabrication of these nanocavities involves clean room processes, posing scalability challenges. This study presents a novel approach, demonstrating the successful enhancement of light absorption in a plasmonic photoelectrode system through a Fabry-Pérot nanocavity created using bottom-up solution methods. This innovative technique not only overcomes the scalability issues associated with clean room processes but also enables the production of scalable photosystems that can be rendered entirely opaque or semitransparent. Such versatility opens up a multitude of application possibilities for these photosystems.

In this paper we evaluate the effects of hard and soft constraints on the Iterative Data Snooping (IDS), an iterative outlier elimination procedure. Here, the measurements of a levelling geodetic network were classified according to the local redundancy and maximum absolute correlation between the outlier test statistics, referred to as clusters. We highlight that the larger the relaxation of the constraints, the higher the sensitivity indicators MDB (Minimal Detectable Bias) and MIB (Minimal Identifiable Bias) for both the clustering of measurements and the clustering of constraints. There are circumstances that increase the family-wise error rate (FWE) of the test statistics, increase the performance of the IDS. Under a scenario of soft constraints, one should set out at least three soft constraints in order to identify an outlier in the constraints. In general, hard constraints should be used in the stage of pre-processing data for the purpose of identifying and removing possible outlying measurements. In that process, one should opt to set out the redundant hard constraints. After identifying and removing possible outliers, the soft constraints should be employed to propagate their uncertainties to the model parameters during the process of least-squares estimation.

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.

Gas gangrene refers to severe necrotizing syndromes in soft tissues of animals caused by Clos-tridium. Five species of histotoxic clostridia are responsible for myonecroses. These agents require a port of entry, such as skin punctures with needles contaminated with bacterial spores. The present case report describes the clinicopathological findings of gas gangrene in a male Quarter horse living in the Brazilian Amazon biome. Clinical examination revealed clinical signs of toxemia and an enlarged left limb. The anamnesis found the administration of medication to this limb. The animal died five hours after its arrival at the veterinary hospital. At necropsy, histopathological lesions characterized by intense muscle necrosis, liquefaction, and gas formation were observed, suggestive of Clostridium lesions, which were confirmed by multiplex PCR. C. septicum was the etiological agent identified.

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.

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.

In this study, the use of recycled diatomaceous earth as the extraction phase in a the solid phase microextraction (SPME) technique for the determination of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in river water samples, with separation/detection performed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS), is proposed. The optimized extraction conditions are extraction time 70 min at 80 ºC with no addition of salt. The limits of quantification were close to 0.5 μg L-1 with RSD values lower than 25% (n = 3). The linear working range was 0.5 μg L-1 to 25 μg L-1 for all analytes. The method was applied to samples collected from the Itajaí River (Santa Catarina, Brazil) and the RSD values for repeatability and reproducibility were lower than 15% and 17%, respectively. The efficiency of the recycled diatomaceous earth fiber was compared with that of commercial fibers and good results were obtained, confirming that this is a promising option for use as the extraction phase in SPME.

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.

Background: Changes in body weight are associated with the regulation of DNA methylation (DNAm). In this study, we investigated the associations between maternal gestational weight gain-related DNAm and foetal and neonatal body composition. Methods: Brazilian pregnant women from the Araraquara Cohort Study were followed up during pregnancy, delivery, and after hospital discharge. Women with normal pre-pregnancy BMI were allocated to two groups: adequate gestational weight gain (AGWG, n=45) and excessive gestational weight gain (EGWG, n=30). Foetal and neonatal body composition was evaluated by ultrasound and plethysmography, respectively. DNAm was assessed in maternal blood using Illumina Infinium MethylationEPIC BeadChip arrays. Linear regression models were used to explore the associations between DNAm and foetal and neonatal body composition. Results: Maternal weight, GWG, neonatal weight, and fat mass were higher in the EGWG group. Analysis of DNAm identified 46 differentially methyl-ated positions and 11 differentially methylated regions (DMRs) between the EGWG and AGWG groups. Nine human phenotypes were enriched for these 11 DMRs located in 13 genes (EMILIN1, HOXA5, CPT1B, CLDN9, ZFP57, BRCA1, POU5F1, ANKRD33, HLA-B, RANBP17, ZMYND11, DIP2C, TMEM232), highlighting the terms insulin resistance, and hyperglycaemia. Maternal DNAm was associated with foetal total thigh and arm tissues and subcutaneous thigh and arm fat, as well as with neonatal fat mass percentage and fat mass. Conclusion: The methylation pat-tern in the EGWG group indicated a risk for developing chronic diseases and involvement of ma-ternal DNAm in foetal lean and fat mass and in neonatal fat mass.

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.

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.

Background: The maximal one-repetition test (1-RM) is widely used in scientific research; however, there are conflict results regarding its reproducibility in elderly population. The present study aimed to analyze the reproducibility the test both before and after a 12 week training period by using the bench press and leg press 45° 1-RM tests in the elderly taking into consideration the training experience and strength level of the women. Methods: Elderly women (n = 376; age, 68.5 ± 14.1 years; height, 162.7 ± 5.5 cm; body mass, 71.2 ± 16.0 kg) who underwent ≥3 months of resistance training performed an initial week of familiarization and a second week of testing and retest, with a 48–72 hour interval. Results: The results showed maximal and relative load strength of 39.3 kg and 0.59 kg/body mass for lower limbs and 20.9 kg and 0.31 kg/body mass for upper limbs. The Kappa indices were 0.93 and 0.95, and the intraclass correlation coefficients were 0.99 and 0.99 for the lower and upper limbs, respectively. Conclusion: Therefore, the present study confirms that the 1-RM test has high reliability and reproducibility in the elderly, for both upper and lower limbs.

Abstract: This article aims to better understand the mechanisms that connect climate change perceptions and general willingness to engage in pro-environmental behavior using Spanish cross-sectional data (N = 403). To do this, we first developed and validated the General Willingness for Environmental Behavior Scale (GWEBS), which includes the classical approach of voluntarily doing new actions but also actions implying not doing things (degrowth) and actions forced by social constraints. The exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis showed a good fit for the one-factor structure, which had adequate validity based on their relationship with other variables. Additionally, the GWEBS distinguished between women and men, left- and right-oriented people, and people who belonged to pro-environmental groups and people who did not. In the second place, we tested the parallel mediator role of eco-anxiety and trust in science in the relationship between climate change perceptions and the GWEBS. The results showed that eco-anxiety, fully, and trust in science partially mediated such a relationship, making them crucial to mobilize the intention to act following the perception. This study contributes to our understanding of the psychological mechanisms that eventually drive pro-environmental behaviors and provides a clear direction for future research.

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.

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.

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.

Exercises for lower trapezius (LT) often use overhead positions, causing compressive forces to the subacromial space. Scapular retraction would be an alternative to activate LT muscle. Electromyography of infraspinatus (IS), upper (UT) and LT was recorded during scapular retraction under progressive adduction loads of 42 participants, divided in 2 groups: with (SP, n=26) and without shoulder pain (nSP, n=16). The adduction loads of 20, 30, 40 and 50% of the maximal voluntary contraction were applied using a load cell. Normalized electromyography and the ratio between UT and LT (UT:LT) were used for statistical analysis. No differences were observed between groups, but a condition effect occurred for all muscles: UT showed higher values at 50% vs. 20% (p=0.004); LT showed higher values on 40% and 50% (p=0.001; 0.006). Higher values for IS were noted at 40% (vs 20%; p=0.04), and at 50% (vs. 20%; p=0.001, vs. 30%, p=0.001; vs. 40%; p=0.001). UT:LT showed lower values at 50% (vs. 20%; p=0.001, and vs. 30%; p=0.016). Scapular retraction with adduction loads at 40-50% is an alternative to overhead exercises aiming to activate the LT and the IS muscles. The exercise ensures higher levels of LT and IS excitation, without increasing UT excitation.

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.

An iterative outlier elimination procedure based on hypothesis testing, commonly known as Iterative Data Snooping (IDS) among geodesists, is often used for the quality control of the modern measurement systems in geodesy and surveying. The test statistic associated with IDS is the extreme normalised least-squares residual. It is well-known in the literature that critical values (quantile values) of such a test statistic cannot be derived from well-known test distributions, but must be computed numerically by means of Monte Carlo. This paper provides the first results about Monte Carlo-based critical value inserted to different scenarios of correlation between the outlier statistics. From the Monte Carlo evaluation, we compute the probabilities of correct identification, missed detection, wrong exclusion, overidentifications and statistical overlap associated with IDS in the presence of a single outlier. Based on such probability levels we obtain the Minimal Detectable Bias (MDB) and Minimal Identifiable Bias (MIB) for the case where IDS is in play. MDB and MIB are sensitivity indicators for outlier detection and identification, respectively. The results show that there are circumstances that the larger the Type I decision error (smaller critical value), the higher the rates of outlier detection, but the lower the rates of outlier identification. For that case, the larger the Type I Error, the larger the ratio between MIB and MDB. We also highlight that an outlier becomes identifiable when the contribution of the measures to the wrong exclusion rate decline simultaneously. In that case, we verify that the effect of the correlation between the outlier statistics on the wrong exclusion rates becomes insignificant from a certain outlier magnitude, which increases the probability of identification.

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.

This study aimed to characterize the risk of falling in low, moderate and high risk participants from two different geographical locations using a portable force-plate. A sample of 390 older adults from South and North America were matched for age, sex, height and weight. All participants performed a standardized balance assessment using a force plate. Participants were classified in low, moderate and high risk of falling. No differences were observed between South and North American men, nor comparing North American men and women. South American women showed the significantly shorter center of pressure path length compared to other groups. The majority of the sample was categorized as having low risk of falling (male: 65.69 % and female: 61.87 %), with no differences between men and women. Also, no differences were found between North vs. South Americans, nor for falls risk levels when male and female groups were compared separately. In conclusion, South American women had better balance compatible with the status of the 50-59 years’ normative age-range. The prevalence of low falls risk was ~ 61-65 % and the prevalence of moderate to high risk was ~ 16-19 %. The frequency of fall risk did not differ significantly between North and South Americans, nor between males and females.

BDD is a hoof disease characterized by inflammation of the second and fifth accessory digits and the skin in this region. This pathology is scarcely described in the literature; however, it has recently been observed in beef cattle in the Amazon Biome region. The objective of this study was to identify the epidemiological factors associated with BDD onset in cattle in the analyzed biome. Samples were collected from eight farms with extensive breeding systems located in Xinguara, Rondon do Pará, Curionópolis, and Ipixuna do Pará, in the state of Pará, Brazil. A total of 706 Nellore and Nellore crossbred with taurine animals of both sexes were evaluated, with males aged between 2–4 years and a mean weight of 650 kg and females aged between 2–11 years and a mean weight of 400 kg. Distal extremities were inspected during cattle management, and in case of accessory digit lesions, a specific examination was carried out after proper restraint. Animals were diagnosed with BDD in all farms analyzed. Of the 706 cattle inspected, 49 (6.94%) showed BDD, of which 19 (38.77%) were Nellore and 30 (61.22%) were crossbred. This was the first study to determine BDD’s occurrence in extensive farming systems in the Amazon region, also showing that pastures with large amounts of stumps and stones, the physical structure of pens, and trauma and injury incidence during animal management are the most important predisposing factors for the onset of BDD.

This paper introduces a new category of electrical current transducers based on piezoelectrets with thermoformed channels exhibiting magnetic characteristics. These magnetic characteristics gave rise to a new class of piezoelectrets called Thermoformed Magneto-Piezoelectrets (MPTs). Testing the MPTs reaction to external electrical currents showed that these devices respond proportionally to the magnetic fields generated by the applied electrical current. The occurrence of the direct piezoelectric effect is thus verified, and when subjected to magnetic fields produced by electrical currents, the sensor evidenced piezoelectric and piezo-magnetic coefficients of 8300 pC/N and 4980pC/G, respectively. Therefore, the additional layer of magnetostrictive material optimized the piezoelectric characteristics of the MPTs, but also allowed them to respond to external magnetic fields produced by electrical currents.

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.

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.

Individuals diagnosed with systemic arterial hypertension (SAH) are considered risk groups for COVID-19 severity. This study assessed differences in cardiac autonomic function (CAF) and functional capacity (CF) in SAH individuals without COVID-19 infection compared to SAH individuals post-COVID-19. Participants comprised 40 SAH individuals aged 31 to 80 years old, grouped as SAH with COVID-19 (G1; n=21) and SAH without COVID-19 (G2; n=19). CAF was assessed via heart rate variability (HRV), measuring R-R intervals during a 10-minute supine period. Four HRV indices were analyzed through symbolic analysis: 0V%, 1V%, 2LV%, and 2UV%. FC assessment was performed by a 6-minute walk test (6MWT). G1 and G2 showed no difference between significant age, anthropometric, clinical and medication. G2 exhibited superior 6MWT performance, covering more distance (522±78 vs. 465±59 meters, p&lt;0.05). Specifically, G2 demonstrated a moderate, positive correlation between 6MWT and the 2LV% index (r=0.58; p&lt;0.05). Shorter walking distances were observed during 6MWT in SAH individuals post-COVID-19. However, the study did not find impaired cardiac autonomic function in SAH individuals post-COVID-19 compared to those without. This suggests that while COVID-19 impacted FC, CAF remained relatively stable in this population.

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.

Banana bunchy top virus (BBTV) was recently detected in Mozambique and appears to be limited to the provinces of Gaza, Maputo and Zambezia, but it has great potential to spread to other provinces. Despite its importance, nothing is known about the BBTV isolates that occur in Mozambique. In this study, the sequences of the S and R genes of 40 isolates chosen as representatives of samples collected previously from eleven farms of the four administrative posts of the district of Chóckwè, Gaza province, were sequenced and analyzed. The S-DNA nucleotide sequences of the analyzed isolates were highly conserved, with identity ranging from 97% to 100%. The same was observed for the R-DNA sequences, with most identities ranging between 98% and 100% among the isolates from Chókwè and above 90% when compared to the isolates from GenBank. The phylogenetic analysis showed that the Mozambican BBTV isolates belong to the Pacific-Indian Oceans (PIO) group, showing greater proximity to the isolate JQ820453 from Malawi than to the isolates from sub-Saharan countries, which were grouped in a distinct subclade. This is the first study conducted to determine the molecular characteristics of BBTV isolates present in Mozambique.

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.

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.

Biochar is a carbonaceous material derived from the thermochemical conversion of biomass under oxygen-lean conditions. Its properties render it many applications in agriculture, environmental remediation, and catalysis. Commonly produced by pyrolysis under a nitrogen atmosphere, the biochar composition is influenced mainly by residence time, heating rate, and process temperature. The existing literature primarily assesses biochar properties, such as ultimate, proximate, calorific, porosity, and combustibility, generated under various thermo-conversion conditions. However, there is a notable lack of sufficient investigation and attention given to the practical application of biochar. This article seeks to bridge that gap by enhancing the comprehension of the necessary experimental assessment for specific biochar applications and proposing process optimization methods using Multi-Criteria Decision Analysis (MCDA). By delving into these aspects, the study offers a concise overview of biochar production and presents a comprehensive panorama based on articles and patents. Additionally, the research explores the physicochemical characterization techniques associated with biochar and its various applications in conjunction with MCDA. This comprehensive approach aims to uncover valuable insights that could further advance the practical and sustainable utilization of biochar in a wide range of fields.

The aim of this literature review was to present the novel imaging modalities elastography and contrast-enhanced ultrasonography. We provided an overview of the concepts and applications of each technique for the investigation of neoplastic and metastatic tumors in dogs and cats. Studies with elastography are based on the elasticity and deformation of the evaluated tissue. The information obtained from the different types of elastography can aid in the detection and differentiation of malignant and benign structures. Descriptions of elastographic studies in several organs and tissue in veterinary medicine reported that, in general, malignant tumors tend to be more rigid, and, therefore, less deformable than benign lesions or in comparison to the healthy parenchyma. Contrast-enhanced ultrasonography is based on the intravenous injection of contrast media constituted by microbubbles. This imaging modality can be performed in non-sedated animals and provides information on the tissue perfusion, allowing the investigation of macro- and micro-circulation. Studies with different organs and tissues were performed in dogs and cats and revealed a tendency of malignant tumors to present faster transit of the contrast media (time to wash-in, peak and wash-out). These advanced techniques can be associated with other imaging modalities, aiding important information to the well-established exams of B-mode and Doppler ultrasonography. They can be used as screening tests, potentially representing an alternative to the invasive sampling methods required for cytological and histopathological analysis.

Aim: This study aimed to evaluate the sociodemographic, behavioral, and biological profile and its relationship with the emergence of chronic non-communicable diseases in riverside populations in the Xingu region, Pará, Brazil. Methods: Characteristics related to health indicators and which risk factors are considered most important were also analyzed. This is a cross-sectional, exploratory, and descriptive study. The sample consisted of riverside people over 18 years of both sexes. The sample size (n.86) was calculated with a confidence level of 95% and a sample error of 5%. To divide the groups, the K-means clustering algorithm was adopted through an unsupervised method and the values were expressed as median. For continuous and categorical data, the Mann-Whitney and Chi-square tests were used, respectively, and the significance level was set at p<5%. To classify the degree of importance of each variable, the multi-layer perceptron algorithm was applied. Results: Based on this information, the sample was divided into two groups: the group with low or no education, with bad habits and worse health conditions, and the group with opposite characteristics. The risk factors considered for cardiovascular diseases and diabetes in the groups were low education (p < 0.001), sedentary lifestyle (p < 0.01), smoking, alcoholism, body mass index (p < 0.05) and the waist-hip ratio, with values above the expected, in both groups. Conclusions: The factors considered important to have a good health condition or not were the educational and social conditions of these communities and a part of the riverside population was considered healthier than the other.

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.

The mites that infest laying hens and broiler chickens in poultry farms have caused great inconvenience to the industry due to the difficulty of controlling or eliminating their populations within the production systems. Dermanyssus gallinae and Ornithonyssus spp. are the mites that mainly interfere with the well-being of the poultry, harming the animals’ health and damaging the production and quality of the end product, with special emphasis on Ornithonyssus sylviarum and Ornithonyssus bursa. The objective of this article is to analyze the impact of hematophagous mites that infest commercial egg and meat production systems, the consequences of this form of parasitism, and discuss the methods of control it, including chemical and non-chemical means with the use of plants, entomopathogenic fungi, diatomaceious earth-based products and synthetic silica, and new lines of study aimed at developing vaccines as a new way of effectively controlling these pests.

Malaria is a parasitic infection that is a great public health concern and is responsible for high mortality rates worldwide. Different strategies have been employed to improve disease control, demonstrating the ineffectiveness of controlling vectors, and parasite resistance to antimalarial drugs requires the development of an effective preventive vaccine. There are countless challenges to the development of such a vaccine directly related to the parasite's complex life cycle. After more than four decades of basic research and clinical trials, the World Health Organization (WHO) has recommended the pre-erythrocytic Plasmodium falciparum (RTS, S) malaria vaccine for widespread use among children living in malaria-endemic areas. However, there is a consensus that major improvements are needed to develop a vaccine with a greater epidemiological impact in endemic areas. This review discusses novel strategies for malaria vaccine design taking the target stages within the parasite cycle into account. The design of the multi-component vaccine shows considerable potential, especially as it involves transmission-blocking vaccines (TBVs) that eliminate the parasite's replication towards sporozoite stage parasites during a blood meal of female anopheline mosquitoes. Significant improvements have been made but additional efforts to achieve an efficient vaccine are required to improve control measures. Different strategies have been employed, thus demonstrating the ineffectiveness in controlling vectors, and parasite resistance to antimalarial drugs requires the development of a preventive vaccine. Despite having a vaccine in an advanced stage of development, such as the RTS, S malaria vaccine, the search for an effective vaccine against malaria is far from over. This review discusses novel strategies for malaria vaccine design taking into account the target stages within the parasite’s life cycle.

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.

This research presents a comprehensive bibliometric and sentiment analysis of nanocomposite literature from 1990 to 2024. Employing cutting-edge computational methods, the study delves deep into the progression of microstructural characterization, electrical properties, and mechanical behaviors of nanocomposites. The analysis utilizes advanced Boolean search strategies from the Scopus database, ensuring a thorough extraction of thematic content. The results explore various themes and insights, shedding light on trends evident in the Scopus database, particularly the prominence of research on nanocomposite microstructure, electrical attributes, and mechanical performance. The paper also offers textual analytics and bibliometric data, showcasing critical collaborative efforts and influential studies. Significant discoveries encompass the evolution of research language, shifts in thematic focus, and global contributions, providing a comprehensive perspective on the current landscape of nanocomposite research and its dynamic evolution. Moving forward, the "State-of-the-Art and Gaps Extracted from Results and Discussions" section of the paper delves into the most recent advancements in nanocomposite research. It delves into various types of nanocomposites, with a particular emphasis on their microstructural characteristics, electrical properties, mechanical dynamics, and the application of nanocomposite films. This section identifies key research themes, traces historical progress, and highlights emerging trends while underscoring the significance of collaboration and the influence of pivotal studies that have shaped the field. Lastly, in the "Literature Review Guided by Artificial Intelligence" section, the paper introduces a revised approach for researching nanocomposites through AI-guided techniques. This approach prioritizes articles published in 2023 based on citation frequency. Here, the focus is on exploring the relationship between nanocomposites and their electrical properties, emphasizing their fundamental interactions and impact on electrical characteristics. Various nanocomposite systems are covered, highlighting their composition, structure, and functionality. Findings from recent studies are integrated to provide a comprehensive overview of the current state of knowledge in this area. Notably, the sentiment analysis, anchored by an average sentiment score of 0.638771, underscores a positive trajectory in academic discourse, emphasizing the growing recognition of the potential of nanocomposites. The bibliometric exploration maps the intellectual domain, emphasizing pivotal research themes and the influence of crosslinking time on nanocomposite attributes. While this study is thorough, it acknowledges its limitations and advocates for broader database inclusion in future research endeavors. This work elucidates the prevailing trends in nanocomposite research, emphasizing the indispensable role of computational tools in comprehending this vast wealth of information.

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.