In Mexico there is a deficit in the production of pine resin, because it depends on natural forests. Therefore, it is necessary to select provenances and phenotypes of potential species such as P. oocarpa. The objective was to determine the difference between provenances and the variation of resin components and quality, as well as the effect of geographic and climatic factors. Resin from five provenances was collected from southern Mexico. The percentage of rosin, turpentine and water was obtained, as well as the acidity and saponification index. P. oocarpa resin had 80.94 % rosin, 7.7 % turpentine and 11.49 % water. The saponification and acidity index was 125.47 and 117.49 mg KOH.g_1, respectively. All variables showed differences (p≤ 0.0001) between provenances. The provenance contributed between 6.44 and 11.71 % to the total variance, the error contributed between 88.29 and 93.56 %. Geographic and climatic variables only had an effect on the percentage of turpentine; the correlation was negative with altitude and longitude, but positive with temperature and precipitation. The results allow defining seed collection sites for resin plantations and orienting the selection for a P. oocarpa improvement program.

For a number of years heritage resources have suffered the negative effects of tourist pressure. Overtourism has been generating a wide-ranging debate on this issue. This work focuses on the strategies and measures adopted to address overtourism during the last 30 years in heritage attractions, which are much less studied than urban heritage centres. Specifically, it analyses measures relating to the management of site capacities, based on the concept of tourist carrying capacity, using the content analysis as a methodology. We have used the Alhambra in Granada as a case study, as one of the most visited Spanish World Heritage Sites. The results obtained reflect a strong consensus on the need to introduce measures to restrict tourist activity, although these measures imply a great effort in terms of management and tend to be taken advantage of by some stakeholders for their own benefit. The extensive time frame of the measures adopted allows us to reflect on the possibilities and limitations of dealing with overtourism by using capacity management strategies, and to extract useful conclusions for other heritage sites with similar problems.

Considering nutritional qualities of gofio (Gf) and aloe vera juice (AVJ), their combination is indicated as an easy and fast source of ingest of basic bio elements. As the texture of the final product must be accepted by customers, the influence of Gf concentration on the rheological behavior of Gf/AVJ suspensions was determined. Shear thinning index of AVJ maintains unaltered despite the presence of Gf particles, although the viscosity value increases as expected. Linear viscoelastic studies on Gf/AVJ confirmed this is a viscoelastic liquid that changes from chewy to creamy texture with Gf concentration increase.

The initial dilution generated by the final disposal of untreated wastewater through a submarine outfall in Santa Marta was examined with a near-field dilution model. Northward and eastward seawater velocity, salinity, and temperature profiles from a 3D hydrodynamic model were used to provide the oceanic conditions to calculate the dilution. At the wastewater discharge site, the upwelling phenomenon occurs two times a year, the major from December to March and the minor in July, eliminating the stratification condition of seawater. The results of the dilution model showed that in these periods the plume reaches the water surface achieving dilutions greater than 100. In addition, the external wave effect on the initial dilution of submarine outfall discharge in Santa Marta was determined. Surface waves increase dilution during the dry period of the year when trade winds increase the surge and start the upwelling phenomenon. The Dilution with/without waves factor is up to 1.90 for the center of the plume on the water column.

Abstract Women victims of abuse can suffer neuropsychological sequelae that affect memory and attention, as well psychopathological disorders such as depression. These consequences affect their daily life and physical and psychological health. Objective: To analyze sequelae that affect attention and memory, as well a possible association of these sequelae to depression. Method: A total of 68 women victims of gender-based violence participated in the study. The participants were between 15 and 62 years of age and resided in Spain at the time of data collection. The Luria DNA Battery (Neuropsychological Diagnosis of Adults) by Manga and Ramos (2000); and the Beck Depression Inventory were applied. Results: Women victims of gender-based violence suffer neuropsychological sequelae, presenting low short-term memory and attentional control; and score low on the Luria-DNA battery. Of these women, 60% suffer from some relevant type of depression, and there are significant differences according to their degree of memory. Through the HJ-Biplot, a direct relationship was found between memory and attentional control with the total score of the Luria battery. On the other hand, an inverse relationship was found between short-term memory and depression. Lastly, three well-differentiated gender clusters of women victims of gender-based violence were identified. Conclusions: A lower rate of depression is observed in women victims of abuse when they have a more intact short-term memory.

According to the International Union for Conservation of Nature Red List, the scalloped hammerhead (Sphyrna lewini) is a critically endangered species, primarily due to intense fishing and other anthropogenic effects such as pollution. Nowadays, plastic debris contamination is a subject of concern due to its extensive presence in the sea and the digestive tracts of many fish species. The possible effects of plastic debris as a vector of other pollutants are still unknown. We analyzed the digestive tract of hammerhead sharks to investigate the correlation between plastic and other anthropic debris contamination and feeding habits in the eastern region of the Gulf of California. A total of 58 specimens were analyzed from the coastal area, revealing a plastic occurrence frequency of 79.3%. Of these, 91.4% corresponded to fibers, and 8.6% to fragments. The composition of the polymers was primarily cellulose (64.4%). According to their diet, these organisms exhibit benthopelagic habits, feeding both in the water column and on the seabed. These results indicate a high level of contamination of anthropogenic cellulosic microfibers in the area. This changed according to the year, indicating that the anthropic debris ingestion is related to the discharges of human activities and their seasonality rather than to a selection process by the sharks. Although cellulosic microfibers are recognized as a biomaterial, they can harm marine species, posing an additional threat to this iconic shark.

The historical and cultural use of food as a remedy for diseases is evident in societies, such as using Hibiscus sabdariffa to address conditions like hypertension and high blood glucose. The natural biocompounds in this plant, including Delphinidin-3-Sambubioside (DS3), Quercetin (QRC), and Hibiscus Acid (HA), have been linked to various health benefits. Despite individual attention, molecular targets for these compounds remain unclear. In this study, in-silico analysis employed bioinformatic tools; including Swiss Target Prediction, ShinnyGo 0.77, KEGG, and Stringdb, to identify molecular targets, pathways, and hub genes. A PubMed literature search complemented the results. DS3 demonstrated potential modifications in genes related to nitrogen and glucose metabolism, inflammation, angiogenesis, and cell proliferation, particularly affecting the PI3K-AKT pathway. QRC displayed interconnected targets across multiple pathways, with overlap with DS3 and a focus on cancer-related pathways. HA showed distinct targets, particularly associated with nervous system-related pathways. These findings highlight the need for targeted research on the molecular effects of DS3, QRC, and HA, providing valuable insights into potential therapeutic pathways.

Three-phase interactions (metal-slag-argon) in ladle stirring operations have strong effects on metal-slag mass transfer processes. Specifically, the thickness of the slag controls the fluid turbulence to an extent that once trespassing a critical thickness, increases of stirring strength have not further effects on the flow. To analyze these conditions, a physical model considering the three phases was built to study liquid turbulence in the proximities of the metal-slag interface. A velocity probe placed close to the interface permitted the continuous monitoring and statistical analyses of turbulence. The slag-eye opening was found to be strongly dependent on the stirring conditions, and the mixing times decreased with thin slag thicknesses. Slag entrainment was enhanced with thick slag layers, and high flow rates of the gas phase. A multiphase model was developed to simulate these results finding a good agreement between experimental and numerical results.

This study aimed to investigate the influence of cranio-cervical position on the electromyographical activity of the core muscles during the prone plank exercise. Twenty healthy participants were enrolled in this study. Muscle activation was registered using surface electromyography (sEMG) in the rectus abdominis (RA), external oblique (EO), internal oblique (IO) and lumbar portion of erector spinae (LES). Three prone plank conditions were randomly evaluated, varying the position of the cranio-cervical segment during the prone plank performance (NEUTRAL, FLEXION and EXTENSION). sEMG signals of each individual muscle, Total Intensity (TI) and ratings of perceived exertion (RPE) were analysed with statistical significance set at P<0.05. FLEXION revealed significantly higher TI values compared to NEUTRAL and EXTENSION (p = 0.000; effect size (ES) > 0.90). The RA presented larger activation in FLEXION compared to the other variations (p < 0.05; ES >0.70). FLEXION elicited a greater response compared to NEUTRAL for both sides of EO when compared to EXTENSION, and also for both sides of IO compared to the other conditions. Both FLEXION and EXTENSION reported higher RPE values compared to NEUTRAL. Cranio-cervical segment position influenced the electromyographical activation of core musculature, showing highest values when performing prone plank in a cranio-cervical flexion.

Structural and morphological properties of the hydronium-potassium jarosite microstructures were investigated in this work, and their electrical properties were evaluated. All microstructures were synthesized at a reasonable temperature of 343 K with a reduced reaction time of 3 hours. Increase in the pH from 0.8 to 2.1 decreased the particle sized from 3 µm to 200 nm and increasing the aging time from 0, 3 to 7 days resulted in semispherical, spherical and euhedreal jarosite structures, respectively. A Rietveld analysis also was done, finding that increasing pH, the amount of hydronium substitution by potassium in the cationic site also increases, having a 77.72 % of hydronium jarosite (JH) plus 22.29 % potassium jarosite (JK) at pH 0.8; 82.44 % (JH) and 17.56 % (JK) at pH 1.1, and 89.98 % (JH) plus 10.02 % (JK) at pH 2.1. The results obtained in this work show that the obtained hydronium potassium jarosite microstructures with reduced particle size and euhedreal morphology can be used as anode materials for improving the life time of lithium ion batteries, due that during the analysis of the voltage obtained using electrodes made with this particles and graphite, this ranged from 0.89 to 1.36 V.

The knowledge of the precise anatomy and dimensions of the pulp chamber in the different teeth allows the odontologist to perform correct diagnosis, as well as treatment planning and moni-toring. The clinical practice has introduced cone-beam computed tomography (CB-CT) as a method to evaluate the morphology and dimensions of the pulp chamber. Nevertheless, micro-computed tomography (micro-CT) is regarded as the gold standard in approaching those topics. Here we have designed an algorithm that takes as input DICOM images from in vivo CB-CT of permanent molars to determine the accuracy CB-CT for evaluation of pulp chamber volume. The values were compared with those from in vivo CB-CT (rough and expert manipulated) and ex vivo micro-CT. The relative errors obtained with the volume calculated by the algorithm vs. the volume measured by micro-CT do not exceed 5.7%; also, no significant differences were found between algorithm volumes vs. manipulated CB-CT volumes while all volumes were different from those obtained with automatic CB-CT software. These data demonstrate that volume algorithm CB-CT based may be a reliable technique for evaluation of the pulp chamber volume in permanent molars and can be useful in the diagnosis of pulp diseases, as well as in the planning and monitoring of their treatments.

Chronic Kidney Disease is a medical condition that causes the decrease in the kidney function and can eventually derive in a total cessation of the work of the organ. It currently affects >10% of the global population, and the number is expected to grow within the next few years, since the correlated diabetes condition is escalating too. Diagnosing the disease on its early stages is crucial to improve life quality, and to increase the chances of survival. The traditional diagnostic methods, which include a biopsy, are invasive, expensive and dangerous. With the use of machine learning algorithms like neural networks, random forest and genetic algorithms, this paper seeks to discover an algorithm with high accuracy, whose selected attributes will be the most optimal combination aiming to reduce the cost, level of invasiveness, and easiness to obtain.

Dental caries is a public health problem worldwide according to WHO data. Among treatments in pediatric dentistry, prefabricated metal crowns (PMCs) have been one of the most successful options since they were introduced in cases of considerable tooth destruction. Our objective was to detect the presence and concentration of iron (Fe), chromium (Cr), and nickel (Ni) in saliva of patients who require rehabilitation with PMCs, before and after their placement. A quasi-experimental study was performed in 32 patients who attended dental care in a pediatric dentistry clinic at a public university and who required rehabilitation with PMCs. Parametric tests (ANOVA and Pearson correlation) were performed, and a p ≤ 0.05 was considered statistically significant. Statistically significant differences were found when comparing the Ni release before, 1 week, and 1 month after placing the crowns. Similarly, we observed a positive correlation between the number of crowns and Ni release. No tests were performed for Fe and Cr because the amounts of these metals were less than 0.1 ppb, which was not detectable by inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometry (ICP-OES). The levels of Fe, Cr, and Ni released were below toxic health levels. Studies are required to evaluate whether this release has negative effects at cellular levels.

The constitutively active tyrosine kinase BCR/ABL1 oncogene plays a key role in human chronic myeloid leukemia development and disease maintenance, and determines most of the features of this leukemia. For this reason, tyrosine kinase inhibitors are the first-line treatment, offering most patients a life expectancy like that of an equivalent healthy person. However, since the oncogene is not destroyed, lifelong oral medication is essential, even though this trigger adverse effects in many patients. Furthermore, leukemic stem cells remain quiescent and resistance is observed in approximately 25% of patients. Thus, new therapeutic alternatives are still needed. In this scenario, the emergence of CRISPR technology can offer a definitive treatment based on its capacity to disrupt coding sequences. This review describes CML disease and the main advances in the genome-editing field by which it may be treated in the future.

The TeNDER project aims to improve the Quality of Life (QoL) of chronic patients through an integrated care ecosystem. This study evaluates the Health Recommender System (HRS) developed for the project, which offers personalized recommendations based on data collected from a set of monitoring devices. The list of notifications covered different areas of daily-life such as physical activity, nutrition, and sleep. We conducted this case of study to evaluate the effectiveness and usability of the HRS in providing accurate and relevant recommendations to users. Evaluation process consisted on survey administration for QoL assessment, and the satisfaction and usability of the HRS. The four-week pilot study involved several patients and caregivers, and demonstrated that the HRS was perceived as user-friendly, consistent, and helpful, with a positive impact on patients’ QoL. However, the study highlights the need for improvement in terms of personalization of recommendations.

Testing and isolation have been crucial for controlling the COVID-19 pandemic. Venezuela has one of the weakest testing infrastructures in Latin America and the low number of reported cases in the country has been attributed to substantial underreporting. However, the Venezuelan epidemic seems to have lagged behind other countries in the region, with most cases occurring within the capital region and four border states. Here, we describe the spatial epidemiology of COVID-19 in Venezuela and its relation to population mobility, migration patterns, non-pharmaceutical interventions and fuel availability. Using an SEI metapopulation model, we explore how movement patterns could have driven the observed distribution of cases. Low within-country connectivity most likely delayed the epidemic in most states, except for those bordering Colombia and Brazil where high immigration seeded outbreaks. NPIs slowed early epidemic growth and subsequent fuel shortages appeared to be responsible for limiting the spread of COVID-19 across the country.

The use of probiotics in reproductive-related dysbiosis is an area of continuous progress due to the growing interest from clinicians and patients suffering recurrent reproductive microbiota disorders. An imbalance in the natural colonization sites related to reproductive health: vaginal, cervicovaginal, endometrial and also pregnancy-related altered microbiota could play decisive role in reproductive outcomes. Oral and vaginal administrations are in continuous discussion regarding the clinical effect pursued, but probiotics as oral supplement therapy is the route administration better studied. To complement and summarise with qualitative and quantitative information of vaginal probiotics clinical studies, the main objective of this work was to retrieve the standardised protocols commonly used and their microbiota modulation capacities. The studies selected were related to treat bacterial vaginosis (BV) as the most commonly disorder, few studies on vulvovaginal candidiasis (VVC) and also administration to stabilise microbiota before in vitro fertilisation (IVF). Probiotic doses administered were similar to oral probiotics protocols, ranging from ≥ 107 CFU/day to 2.5 x 1010 CFU/day, and variable regarding posology duration from 1 day to 12 weeks, being 1 week commonly applied. Moderate modulation was achieved regarding the relative abundance decrease of abnormal microbiota, coinciding with parallel increase in Lactobacillus species.

Having valid and reliable tools that help health professionals to assess fear in children undergoing medical procedures is essential to offer humanized and quality of care in the paediatric population. The aim of this study was to develop the cross-cultural adaptation and the evaluation of the psychometric properties of the Spanish version of the “Child Medical Fear Scale” in its shortened version (CMFS-R). The design consisted of two phases, first of cross-cultural adaptation and second of the psychometric validation of the CMFS-R with a sample of 262 children from Spain. Confirmatory factor analysis was conducted to assess construct validity and the Cronbach alpha and the adjusted item-total score correlation coefficients were performed to study reliability. The results confirmed internal consistency and construct validity of the Spanish version of the CMFS-R, indicating that the scale has an acceptable level of validity and reliability. Therefore, this study brings a new version of the scale to assess fear related to medical procedures for use in the Spanish paediatric population.

This article addresses the emergence of a niche for sustainable agricultural production in the province of García Rovira, Colombia. It examines the intervention of the Colombian planning regime, which implements agendas for sustainable territorial development. However, these agendas are not adequately aligned with provincial realities, resulting in a productive decline. From a multi-level perspective, a niche of production linked to the landscape is identified, highlighting sustainable practices and innovation. The study seeks to understand how planning influences the emergence of such niches and what factors boost their transition to sustainability. Through a mixed methodology, growing sectors are highlighted, and the profiles of the producers involved are outlined. The main conclusion is that the planned intervention is inefficient, as the niche of sustainable production emerges without its clear influence. Therefore, it is proposed to re-evaluate planning using alternative analysis frameworks to detect emerging productive dynamics, serving as a basis for future plans.

Neutral beam injection (NBI) is used for thermonuclear plasma heating, non-inductive current drive, rotation, operation scenario control, and for plasma diagnostics in nuclear fusion devices. NBI is the main source of fast particles in plasma which transmit energy to thermal plasma during their slow-down. Steady-state tokamak operation is only possible when the sub-thermal particles energy is absorbed and effectively confined in plasma volume. While NBI purposes and applications vary through different fusion systems, the engineering tasks performed during research and development (R&D) stage of neutral beamline design have much in common. The NBI studies, especially addressing long pulse and high-power operation typically include a beam transmission analysis and power loads distribution at the structural components of the beamline. Thermo-structural analysis is applied next to heat removal circuits design. ‘Beam Transmission’ (BTR) code is a dedicated tool, developed by a physicist and used by NBI physicists and engineers. BTR was created and 1^st applied during R&D phase of the world’s largest tokamak ITER. BTR code is intended for public usage and routinely applied for detailed simulations of neutral beam propagation through complex beamlines. BTR is flexible and intuitive in input, user-friendly and fully interactive. Thanks to visualization and high performance BTR looks and feels like a real NB flight simulator. Despite BTR ‘mature’ age, the code is still in evolution. Support is available to all new BTR users.

For development and successful application of any material, a clear understanding of their mechanical behavior is one of the most important things, but when it comes to nanofibers networks it become a challenge due to, their high porosity, many scales in their structure, and characteristics non-linear. Therefore, an experimental methodology in conjunction with a theoretical model that can fully consider their characteristics is still needed. In this work we proposed a model that incorporates the propagation of the elastic waves in two-phase media to determine the effective elastic modulus of electrospun membranes of PLA/gelatin given the mechanical properties of nanofibers, shape, distribution and concentration. The model was verified via laser ultrasonic testing. It was found that the values predicted for the effective modulus by the model were higher than the values obtained from experimental results. One explanation is due to the experimental density. As a result, the P-Wave velocity from the model best fit to experimental results and it has the same behavior, decrees as the concentration of gelatin in the solution. These results indicate the model and experimental methodology can assist in the dressing of nanofibers networks and electrospun materials.

We studied the magnetostriction coefficients, λs, Curie temperature, Tc, and their dependence on annealing conditions in Fe47Ni27Si11B13C2 and Co67Fe3,9Ni1,5B11,5Si14,5Mo1,6 amorphous glass-coated microwires with rather different character of hysteresis loops. A positive λs≈20x10-6is observed in as-prepared Fe47Ni27Si11B13C2, while low and negative λs ≈-0.3x10-6 is ob-tained for Co67Fe3,9Ni1,5B11,5Si14,5Mo1,6 microwire. Annealing affects the magnetostriction coeffi-cients and Curie temperatures, Tc, of both Fe47Ni27Si11B13C2 and Co67Fe3,9Ni1,5B11,5Si14,5Mo1,6 glass-coated microwires in a similar way. Observed dependencies of hysteresis loops, λs and Tc on annealing conditions are discussed in terms of superposition of internal stresses relaxation and structural relaxation of studied microwires. We observed linear λs dependence on applied stress, σ, in both studied microwires. A decrease with applied stress is observed for Co-rich mi-crowires with negative magnetostriction coefficient. In contrast, a linear increase of the magne-tostriction coefficient with applied stress is observed for Fe-Ni- rich microwires with positive magnetostriction coefficient. Observed results are discussed in terms of influence of internal stresses and short range atomic rearrangements induced by annealing on hysteresis loops, magnetostriction coefficients and Curie temperatures of studied microwires.

Samples of mortar mixtures were prepared substituting the cement Portland (CPC-30R) by 0 (standard), 10 and 15% of fly ash and the structural evolution and compressive strength at 3, 7, 14 and 28 days were determined. The results for standard mortar samples showed the mineralogi-cal species portlandite, calcite, ettringite, iron oxide, silicon oxide and sillimanite. Magnetite was identified in the mixtures of mortars with portland cement substitution by 10% and 15% fly ash. The peaks corresponding to the portlandite, and ettringite showed an increase in their intensities with increasing curing time attributed to the consolidation of mineral species. The SEM tech-nique results showed that the mortar samples without fly ash addition contained mainly port-landite and ettringite while the samples with cement substitution by 10 and 15% of fly ash at 28 days further contained particles of fly ash coated with portlandite and ettringite, particles with a smooth surface and particles of fly ash with signs of attack on its surface. An increase inc was observed when the age of the mortar and the substitution of Portland cement by fly ash were increased from 3 to 28 days and from 0 to 15% respectively. The maximum value of c was reg-istered for the mortar sample with Portland cement substitution by 15% fly ash at 28 days of curing with 17.38 Mpa.

Gender parity, is an important standard to be achieved by a society in which men and women are treated equally. The distinctions in the treatment may arise from psychology, biology, or cultural norms constructed by society. Studies show the different experiences of genders across many areas including health, education, personality, life expectancy, sports, interests, political empowerment, and careers. However, we are still far from reaching the objective, because there are conducts such as gender discrimination and expressions such as the purplewashing. In relation to feminism, purplewashing is used to define a diversity of marketing and political strategies intended at promoting people, companies, associations, and other organizations through an appeal to gender equality: they use only some of the feminist values at their convenience and in its actions, they are not really supportive of gender equality. In this opinion we aimed to address some of the reasons for inequality of opportunities based on gender; purplewashing is described as an expression that takes away the visibility of women's struggle. Additionally, we touch on some actions that promote gender equality in the family, educational, and work environments. Global leaders have an unprecedented opportunity to build gender-sensitive societies and economies. The challenges facing women today are essentially the same as they were a long time ago. It is time to break the bias.

Today, mechanical tracking systems have been downsized to allow them to be used in the field of airborne laser communications and in the military domain. Risley systems are used for this purpose, which work by directing a beam of light to a given target point, this procedure is commonly known as the inverse problem. In this paper, an analytical method, the geometric method, has been designed and developed to determine the beam steering in a Risley system and solve the inverse problem. The method focuses on different geometric shapes, like circumference or ellipse, that are described when the beam passes through the second prism. The accuracy and efficiency of the geometric method has been analysed and found to be faster than the two-step method. Furthermore, the geometric method has been implemented in an iterative process and an accuracy of up to 1 pm has been achieved. This high accuracy would allow the geometric method to be applied in fields such as lithography, stereolithography or 3D printers.

Objetives: Adequate donor-recipient matching is necessary to achieve the best renal function after transplantation. The nephron load received from the donor, which can be reflected in variables such as age, sex and body mass index, may influence the evolution of the graft. Our objetive was develop a combined score according to the donor-recipient pairing in age, sex and body mass index, and assess its influence on the evolution of the renal graft. Materials and methods: Transplant patients between 2013 and 2020 who had at least 1 year of post-transplant follow-up. A ranking of 0 to 2 points was awarded according to the match between donor and recipient for sex, age and body mass index individually, with higher rank to greater mismatch. Subsequently, a Score with value of 0 to 6 points was created with the combined ranking of the indivudual variables, analyzing its influence on the evolution of the graft by multivariate linear regression. Results: 280 patients followed for 4.3 years of median. Worse renal function was observed at the end of follow-up as the range of each variable increased separately, and the Score created, with a worsening of renal function as the combined Score increased in the multivariate analysis: Coefficient B= -2.4 ml/min, p=0.018. Conclusions: An adequate match between donor and recipient in age, sex and body mass index using this combined Score can help achieve better kidney function after transplantation.

An aneurysm is a vascular malformation, it can be classified according to its location (cerebral, aortic); and according its shape (saccular, fusiform, and mycotic). The study of blood flow interaction with the aneurysms has gained attention from physicists an engineers in recent years. Shear stresses, oscillatory shear index (OSI), gradient oscillatory number (GON), and residence time had been used as potential variables to describe the hemodynamics as well as the origin and evolution of aneurysm. However, the causes of aneurysms and the hemodynamics conditions that promote the growth of these structures are still under debate. The present work presents numerical simulation on three aneurysms: 2 aortic and 1 cerebral. The results shows that the blood rheology is not relevant for aortic aneurysms, however, for cerebral aneurysm could play a relevant role in the hemodynamics. The turbulence models evaluated show equivalent results in both cases. Lastly, a simulation considering the fluid-structure interaction (FSI) shows that this phenomenon is the dominant factor for aneurysms simulation.

(1) Background: The CEECCA questionnaire assesses the ability to communicate among individuals with aphasia. It was designed using the NANDA-I and NOC standardised nursing languages (SNLs), reaching high content validity index and representativeness index values. The questionnaire was pilot-tested, demonstrating its feasibility for use by nurses in any healthcare setting. This study aims to identify the psychometric properties of this instrument. (2) Methods: 47 individuals with aphasia recruited from primary and specialist care facilities. The instrument was tested for construct validity and criterion validity, reliability, internal consistency, and responsiveness. The NANDA-I and NOC SNLs and the Boston test were used for criterion validity testing. (3) Results: 5 language dimensions explain 78.6% of the total variance. Convergent criterion validity tests showed concordances of up to 94% (Cohen’s κ: 0.9; p<0.001) using the Boston test, concordances of up to 81% using DCs of NANDA-I diagnoses (Cohen’s κ: 0.6; p<0.001), and concordances of up to 96% (Cohen’s κ: 0.9; p<0.001) using NOC indicators. Internal consistency (Cronbach’s alpha) was 0.98. Reliability tests revealed test-retest concordances of 76%-100% (p<0,001). (4) Conclusions: The CEECCA is an easy-to-use, valid, reliable instrument to assess the ability to communicate among individuals with aphasia.

The pathophysiology of Nonketotic Hyperglycinemia (NKH), a rare neuro-metabolic disorder associated with severe brain malformations and life-threatening neurological manifestations, remains incompletely understood. Therefore, a valid human neuronal model is essential. We aimed to investigate the impact of GLDC gene variants, which cause NKH, on cellular fitness during the differentiation process of human induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) into iPSC-derived astrocytes and to identify sustainable mechanisms capable of overcoming GLDC deficiency. We developed the GLDC27-FiPS4F-1 line and performed metabolomic, mRNA abundance and protein analyses. The study showed that although GLDC27-FiPS4F-1 maintained the parental genetic profile, it underwent a metabolic switch to an altered serine-glycine-one-carbon metabolism with a coordinated cell growth and cell cycle proliferation response. We then differentiated the iPSCs into neural progenitor cells (NPCs) and astrocyte-lineage cells. Analysis showed that GLDC-deficient NPCs had shifted towards a more heterogeneous astrocyte lineage with increased expression of the radial glial markers GFAP and GLAST and the neuronal markers MAP2 and NeuN. In addition, we detected changes in other genes related to serine and glycine metabolism and transport, all consistent with the need to maintain glycine at physiological levels. These findings improve our understanding of the pathology and offer new perspectives for therapeutic options.

The presence of Staphylococcus aureus in six dry-cured meat-processing facilities was investigated. S. aureus was detected in 3.8% of surfaces from five facilities. Prevalence was clearly higher during processing (4.8%) than after cleaning and disinfection (1.4%). Thirty eight isolates were typified by PFGE and MLST. Eleven sequence types (STs) were defined by MLST. ST30 (32%) and ST12 (24%), were the most abundant. Enterotoxin genes were detected in 53% of isolates. The enterotoxin A gene (sea) was present in all ST30 isolates, seb in one ST1 isolate and sec in two ST45 isolates. Sixteen isolates harbored the enterotoxin gene cluster (egc) with four variations in the sequence. The toxic shock syndrome toxin gene (tst) was detected in 82% of isolates. Regarding the antimicrobial resistance, twelve strains were susceptible to all the antibiotics tested (31.6%). However, 15.8% were resistant to three or more antimicrobials, and therefore multidrug-resistant. Our results showed that, in general, efficient cleaning and disinfection procedures were applied. Nonetheless, the presence of S. aureus with virulence determinants and resistance to antimicrobials, and particularly multidrug resistant MRSA ST398 strains might represent a potential health hazard for consumers, even though the pathogen was not isolated from final products.

Uropathogenic E. coli (UPEC) is the main etiologic agent of urinary tract infections (UTI) and possesses virulence and resistance determinants commonly harbored in mobilizable genetic elements such as plasmids or pathogenicity islands (PAI). UPEC belongs to the group of Ex-traintestinal pathogenic E. coli, however the existence of hybrid strains has been described; these possess both diarrheagenic (DEC) and extraintestinal (ExPEC) E. coli traits and are considered as "hypervirulent strains," which represents a significant health problem. This study aimed to de-termine the prevalence of UPEC PAI, ExPEC sequence types (ST), DEC genes, carbapenemase and extended-spectrum β-lactamase (ESBL) phenotypes, fluoroquinolones/aminoglycosides resistance genotypes and the presence of plasmids in 40 clinical isolates previously characterized as UPEC. A 72.5% of the isolates presented PAI, mainly PAI IV536 (53%). Sixty-five percent of the β-lactam-resistant isolates were positive for ESBL phenotype, and 100% of the car-bapenem-resistant isolates were carbapenemase producers. The most prevalent ESBL-associated gene was blaCTX-M-2 (60%), while among isolates resistant to fluoroquinolones and aminoglycosides the most frequent resistance gene was aac(6')Ib (93%). Plasmid bands were present in 57% of the isolates. Seventy percent belonged to the ST131 clonal group. The presence of molecular markers associated with DEC pathotypes was detected in 20 isolates; 60% were classified as hybrid pathotypes. These data suggest, in addition to an important pathogenic potential, the existence of hybrid pathotypes in clinical isolates of E. coli causing UTI in the Mexican population.

The aim of this work was to describe the physiological limitations induced under drought conditions in young sweet orange trees, including the crop capability to recuperate its physiological status once re-watering, and after a water withholding. The trial was conducted during two consecutive months (July and August) in two-years old sweet orange trees. Three irrigation treatments were arranged: A full irrigation treatment; (FI); a low-frequency deficit-irrigation treatment (LFDI); and a sustained-deficit irrigation (SDI) treatment. The obtained results showed that for Stem values below -1.5 MPa, significant decreases in gas exchange rates, evidencing diffusive limitations to drought stress. Additionally, there was evidence of increased osmolyte synthesis, compatible as a defensive response to prevent oxidative damage. Likewise, the isohydric behaviour observed also resulted in significant decreases in gs even for moderate stress situations. In addition, it was observed that in the LFDI treatment, the stress levels reached caused a significant increase in the levels of Pro and MDA, which were not equal to those detected in FI during the recovery periods, which leads us to assume that potential values below -1.8 MPa would be causing significant oxidative damage with no capacity for subsequent recovery, and probably affecting the final yield.

The largest impact of needle diseases in the recorded history of Pinus radiata and Pinus nigra plantations in the North of Spain, was from 2018 to 2019. The severity of the disease has led to a serious reconsideration of forest management in the area. The main pathogens involved in this historical outbreak were Lecanosticta acicola and Dothistroma septosporum. Three arboreta were established under the European project REINFFORCE in the Basque Country in recently harvested P. radiata plantations. The plants for the arboreta were produced in nurseries located in the Alps of Upper Provence (France). These arboreta were surrounded by plantations seriously damaged by L. acicola and D. septosporum. The Pinus species which were sampled in the arboreta included P. brutia (4 provenances), P. elliottii (2 provenances), P. nigra (8 or 9 provenances), P. pinaster (7 provenances), P. pinea (6 provenances), P. ponderosa (3 provenances), P. sylvestris (8 provenances) and P. taeda (3 provenances). Lecanosticta acicola is reported for the first time infecting Pinus brutia (Provenance: Alexandropolis, Greece and var. eldarica, Crimea), a new host species for this pathogen. Pinus elliottii (Provenance: Georgia, USA) and P. ponderosa (Provenance: Central California, USA) are new host reports of L. acicola for Spain. Dothistroma septosporum was found for the first time on P. brutia (Provenance: Marmaris, Turkey) and P. ponderosa (Provenance: Oregon, USA) in Spain and was also detected infecting P. nigra (Provenance: Slogne Vayrières, France).

Power semiconductor devices are essential from the operation point of view, size, efficiency and cost, these components are used in a myriad of applications, providing features that make them an important part of the system in which they are operating. This document analyzes and compares the basic structure, properties, design aspects, as well as temperature performance, stability and switching losses, present in devices on silicon (Si), silicon carbide (SiC) and new generation devices fabricated in gallium nitride (GaN) applied in renewable energy systems. The main objective is determinate the viability of the new generation components, which present a superior performance in view of an increase in efficiency, conductivity, decreases in switching losses, lower resistances and parasitic capacitances as well as higher operating frequency range. Therefore demonstrating the GaN components are a strong and viable candidate to solve some of the problems present in renewable energy systems.

The aim of this work is to compare two softwares (MAUD and TOPAS) based on the Rietveld algorithm and to test the concept of tolerance factor using the dissolution at high temperature of yttrium into BaTiO₃. In general, both softwares give up different values of the crystalline parameters however the trends are similar in most cases but the analysis of the strain and crystallite size in the BaTiO₃ crystals suggests that, in this particular case, MAUD offered results more consistent with the expected behavior. Using the crystalline parameters calculated by Rietveld, the tolerance factor values were obtained and these data suggest even better stability in the crystalline structure than that expected using theoretical parameters. Tolerance factor concept also indicates that Ti⁴⁺ should be preferred.

The mushroom industry generates large amounts of stems, a co-product with valuable sensory and health characteristics. This work aimed to study the influence of particle size (L — >0.510 mm; LI — 0.510-0.315 mm; SI—0.315-0.180 mm; S — <0.180 mm) and species in the characterization and antioxidant activity of flours from stems of Agaricus bisporus (ABSF) and Pleurotus ostreatus (POSF). ABSF was rich in protein (14 g/100 g), calcium (428.23-700.77 mg/100 g), and sorbitol (22.57-26.60 g/100 g), while POSF in β-glucans (36.62-40.34 g/100 g) and linoleic acid (20.57-39.86 g/100 g of lipid). Both species were flush in amino acids with umami flavor. The highest hydration properties and oil holding capacity were exhibited in the S size of both species. ABSF showed elevated values for emulsifying activity than POSF. ABSF-S recorded the heightened antioxidant capacity in vitro, in consonance with the total phenolic compounds (0.91 mg/g). However, this antioxidant assays in POSF presented a positive correlation with β-glucans content. According to these results, there could be several food applications for these co-products, such as emulsifier stabilizer, sweetener or fortifier in the development of functional food.

We investigate the production of an isolated attosecond pulse (IAP) via the phase-matching gating of high-harmonic generation by intense laser pulses. Our study is based on the integration of the propagation equation for the fundamental and generated fields with nonlinear polarisation found via the numerical solution of the time-dependent Schr\"odinger equation. We study the XUV energy as a function of the propagation distance (or the medium density) and find that the onset of the IAP production corresponds to the change from linear to quadratic dependence of this energy on the propagation distance (or density). Finally, we show that the upper limit of the fundamental pulse duration for which the IAP generation is feasible is defined by the temporal spreading of the fundamental pulse during the propagation. This nonlinear spreading is defined by the difference of the group velocities for the neutral and photoionised medium.

Materials known as Nd:YAG are crystalline materials of the cubic system made from neodymium-doped yttrium aluminum garnet, which among others, have excellent optical properties. Nd:YAG four-level laser devices are highly used in both the health and industrial sectors. In this study, a simple and inexpensive alternative to manufacturing Nd:YAG materials through solid state reactions following powder processing routes was proposed. For this, an intense mixture of the precursor materials (Al2O3 and Y2O3) was carried out, followed by the addition of neodymium atoms to improve the optical properties of the resulting material. High energy mechanical mixing of the precursor powders resulted in submicron particles, with good size distributions of the powders. The advance of YAG formation was monitored by intermediate phase formation during heat treatment through interrupted tests at different temperatures and analysis by X-ray diffraction. From this analysis, it was found that reaction for the formation of the desired YAG is completed at 1500°C. Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy analyses determined the presence of functional groups corresponding to the YAG. Finally, the study by optical emission spectroscopy showed wavelengths in agreement with the electronic structure of the elements of the synthesized Nd:YAG.

Background and objectives Osteoporotic vertebral compression fractures, particularly prevalent among the aging population, constitute a pressing global healthcare challenge. They often are unnoticed until severe pain and disability manifest, making them an underdiagnosed and undertreated condition. Patients who suffer from these fractures not only endure excruciating pain but also face diminished quality of life, impaired mobility, and the risk of respiratory compromise due to altered spinal alignment. The economic repercussions of vertebral compression fractures are substantial. Hospitalization costs, rehabilitation expenses, long-term care, and indirect costs related to lost productivity significantly burden healthcare systems and society at large , offering a promising avenue for enhancing patient outcomes and relieving the healthcare and societal financial strain posed by vertebral compression fractures. Kyphoplasty, a minimally invasive surgical technique, offers rapid pain relief, vertebral height restoration and improved function. Recognizing the importance of early intervention, this manuscript highlights the potential of kyphoplasty in mitigating both clinical and economic consequences. By addressing these fractures more effectively, kyphoplasty may potentially reduce long-term healthcare expenses and indirect costs. Material and Methods 66 randomized patients were divided into 2 treatment groups (kyphoplasty using single balloon and double balloon), analyzing radiographic and clinical parameters during 12 months of follow-up. Results Patients treated with double balloon obtained greater anterior and posterior vertebral height after reduction and a better local vertebral angle. Both groups of patients obtained clinical improvement after treatment (VAS and ODI), with no differences between the groups. Conclusion Patients treated with double balloon kyphoplasty had better radiographic results. This revision manuscript delves into the critical dimensions of these fractures, encompassing demographics, clinical consequences, challenges in diagnosis and management, and their profound economic impact. This manuscript serves to introduce an improved kyphoplasty technique to guide to the multifaceted nature of osteoporotic vertebral compression fractures and their management.

One of the interactions that has been studied in recent decades under the ecohydrological approach is infiltration, which is difficult to determine because the existing methods for estimation depends on certain variables that are difficult to establish or identify, and in other cases, the implementation of instrumentation is expensive. Given this, saturated hydraulic conductivity has been the descriptive variable of the infiltration process by recent authors, being understood as the conduction of water that occurs through the soil and its composition through the vegetation cover. The present design generated an easily accessible portable instrumentation model for the monitoring and collection of infiltration data in situ for basins and ecosystems with different land uses, in an automated manner with the objective of determining the vegetation patterns necessary to sustain the infiltration function. The INDI-INECOL tension infiltrometer [1] was chosen as the reference instrument. It evaluates the saturated hydraulic conductivity based on a column of water that descends through the system and it is exchanged in the soil by the air between the pores. To automate data collection, a measurement system has been proposed through a SCADA system, which is defined as a control, action, decision, storage and data recording system. This system collects field data from a sensor VL053L0X connected to a master station, in our case an Arduino board UNO, connected through the serial port and by a graphical user interface programmed on Python, to display, storage and enrichment of the sensor data and finally to be exported in files suitable for Microsoft Excel.

In this paper, a non-destructive test to diagnose wear of blade´s compressor of a gas turbine is reported. Gas turbine was operating in Campeche City, Mexico, in a very aggressive environment, where the entry of solid particles is unavoidable. The objective was to reduce cost of maintenance in this equipment. Analysis on a blade of gas turbine was performed, which was in operation on an offshore platform. Compressor blade was exposed to a severe damage by the impact of particles and environmental pollutants such as salts, sands and sulphurs. In first stage of this analysis, a visual inspection with a borescope was performed, which has the ability to illuminate dark internal areas, with a bright light for visual examination and/or make a photographic reproduction in semi-annual maintenance cycles. Images analysis was used to determine the typical failure modes. In a second stage, a tribological characterization was carried out. Chemical composition of the material of blades was obtained. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) was used to measure roughness and evaluate degradation of surfaces of blades after 30,000 service hours. The points, where peak stresses were calculated, correspond to those places in witch corrosion and some irregular scratches similar to plowing action, was observed. These are the points in which failures take place. Results showed wear modes were originated by a severe stinging action. Also, large craters, similar to those observed in solid particle erosion, were developed by at normal impact. In the same way it could be found some localized areas with a witch corrosion and irregular scratches similar to plowing action, was observed. These are the points in which failures take place.

Seeds can maintain their quality for a limited time; after that, they will lose their germination ability and vigor. Some physiological and physicochemical changes in the structure of the seeds during storage can decrease the quality of the seeds which is known as aging. Therefore, detection of the strong young seeds from the old ones is a vital issue in the modern agriculture. Conventional methods of detection of the seed viability and germination are destructive, time-consuming and costly. In this research, two peanut cultivars, namely North Carolina 2 (NC-2) and Florispan were selected and three artificial aging levels were induced to them. Hyperspectral images (HSI) of the samples were acquired and the seed viability was evaluated using two pre-trained convolutional neural network (CNN) image processing models, AlexNet and VGGNet. The noise of the reflection spectra of the samples was relatively resolved and modified by combining Preprocessing techniques of moving average (MA) and standard normal variate (SNV). Using principal component analysis (PCA), the dimensions were declined and three principal components (PC) were extracted. These PCs were then used as variables in the classification of support vector machine (SVM) and linear discriminant analysis (LDA). The results showed the high capability of CNN architectures such as AlexNet and VGGNet in detection of the seed viability based on the HIS with no pre-processing and feature extraction. The mentioned architectures reached the accuracy of 0.985 and 0.986, respectively. The combination of feature extraction method of PCA with LDA and SVM classifiers showed that the use of a limited number of PCs instead of all wavelengths can decrease the complexity of modeling, while enhancing the efficiency of the models such that LDA and SVM classifiers achieved the accuracy of 0.983 and 0.986 in classification of peanut sees, respectively.

Crataegus Oxyacantha is used in the treatment of cardiovascular diseases. In related to your biosafety, only in vitro and in vivo genotoxicity of the fruit and the leaf is described, however, the teratogenic potential is unknown. The aim this study was evaluating the transplacental genotoxicity effect of aqueous and hydroalcoholic extract of leaves C. oxyacantha in a rat model and the quantification of malondialdehyde (MDA) in liver. Three different doses of the aqueous and hydroalcoholic extracts of the C. oxyacantha leaf were administered orally (500, 1000 and 2000 mg/kg) to Wistar rats during 5 days through the pregnancy term (16-21 days), sampling in rats were every 24 h during the last 6 days of gestation and only one sample was taken in neonates at birth. A sample of the mother's and neonate's liver was taken for the determination of MDA. The results show that, at the hepatic level, the evaluated doses of extracts C. oxyacantha in pregnant rats and their pups did not show cytotoxicity. However, the aqueous and hydroalcoholic extract generated cytotoxic and genotoxic damage in the short term. On the other hand, only the aqueous extract showed a teratogenic effect. Based on these results, the aqueous and hydroalcoholic extracts of the C. oxyacantha leaf should not be administered during pregnancy.

Right atrial isomerism (RAI) is a complex entity whose treatment and outcome are heterogeneous. The aim of this study was to analyze the results obtained after cardiac surgery in patients with RAI. A retrospective study was conducted; it included patients diagnosed with RAI who underwent cardiac surgery; their follow-up was from January 1, 2010 to March 31, 2020. Demographic characteristics and perioperative conditions were described. Thirty-eight patients with RAI were included, the median age was 4 years (IQR 2-9.2), and 57.9% were men. The main diagnoses were atrioventricular canal (63.2%) and pulmonary stenosis (55.3%). The most common surgical procedures were modified Blalock‐Taussig shunt (65.8%) and total cavopulmonary connection with an extracardiac conduit fenestrated without cardiopulmonary bypass (15.9%). The use of inhaled nitric oxide was a marker of postoperative mortality in critically ill patients (OR: 10.33; 95% CI: 1.04 - 102.08; p = 0.02). The overall survival was 86.8%, with a better outcome in those who did not require reintubation (Log Rank, p < 0.01). The survival of RAI was similar to other centers of reference. Individuals with RAI should be evaluated rigorously to determine an adequate repair strategy, considering high morbidity and mortality.

A large diversity of epigenetic factors, such as microRNAs and histones modifications, are known to be capable of regulating gene expression without altering DNA sequence itself. In particular, miR-1 is considered the first essential microRNA in cardiac development. In this study, miR-1 potential role in early cardiac chamber differentiation is analyzed through specific signaling pathways. For this, we performed in chick embryos functional experiments by means of miR-1 microinjections into the posterior cardiac precursors -of both primitive endocardial tubes- committed to sinoatrial region fates. Subsequently, embryos were subjected to whole mount in situ hybridization, immunohistochemistry and RT-qPCR analysis. As a relevant nov-elty, our results revealed that miR-1 increases Tbx5, Gata4 and AMHC1, while this microRNA diminishes Mef2c expression, during early differentiation of cardiac sinoatrial region. Further-more, we observed in this developmental context that miR-1 upregulates CRABPII and RARß, and downregulates CRABPI, which are three crucial factors in retinoic acid signaling pathway. Interestingly, we also noticed that miR-1 directly interacts with HDAC4 and Calmodulin, as well as with Erk2/MAPK1, which are three key factors actively involved in Mef2c regulation. Our study shows, for the first time, a key role of miR-1 as an epigenetic regulator in early differenti-ation of cardiac sinoatrial region through orchestrating opposite actions between retinoic acid and Mef2c, fundamental to properly assign cardiac cells to their respective heart chambers. A better understanding of those molecular mechanisms modulated by miR-1 will definitely help in fields applied to therapy and cardiac regeneration and repair.

We set a feasible method to produce tailored collagen scaffolds and analyzed its potential for corneal engineering. Collagen-vitrigel membranes (CVM) were produced with a 1:1 ratio of Dulbecco’s Modified Eagle’s medium (DMEM), 1% antibiotics and 8% fetal bovine serum, and 5mg/mL collagen type I. Three volumes of collagen were used: 1X (2.8 L/mm2 of collagen), 2X, and 3X. Vitrification was done at 40% relative humidity (RH), 40° C, and 30 rpm using a matryoshka system set with a shaking-oven and a desiccator with a saturated K2CO3 solution. The CVM was characterized for width, microstructure, transparency, and biocompatibility using NIH3T3 cells. Surgical manipulation was assessed in an ex vivo corneal model. Constructs of corneal endothelial cells (CECs) and 2X-CVM were transplanted into five 18-month-old White New Zealand rabbits. CVM exhibited homogeneous surface and laminar organization. Membrane width increased with gel volume from 3.65µm to 7.2µm. 1X and 2X-CVM exhibited a 99% transmittance. NIH3T3 cells concentration increased 3-fold within 48 h with no significant difference among the 3 CVM (p = 0.323). The 2X-CVM was surgically manipulable. Transplantation of corneal endothelial cells (CECs) seeded over 2X-CVM restored corneal endothelium. The matrioshka system is a feasible method that yields CVM suitable for corneal engineering.

Background: It is well known the adverse effect of mercury exposure on pregnant women and newborns. Interactions between environmental factors and individual genetic susceptibility have been identified, particularly polymorphisms of codifying genes for the Glutathione S-transferase family (GSTs). Herein, we report a case series of patients with high Hg levels in biosamples. Case Series: Fourteen cases with high Hg levels were identified. Non-occupational or home exposure risk factors were identified. All mothers reported fish consumption during pregnancy. Almost 60% of the individuals were null for either one GSTs gene. To date, in the subsequent mother-child pairs toxicology controls no signs or symptoms of poisoning were identified and most of the mercury levels decreased and are below the accepted limit. Discussion: In this case series we found some similarities with the literature; among them, the relation of Hg ratio in maternal blood and umbilical cord, a possible exposure factor is the consumption of fish during pregnancy and, the high levels of Hg may be related with susceptibility biomarkers such as GSTs gene polymorphisms. This case series highlights the need to develop studies that evaluate the interactions between environmental factors and individual genetic susceptibility. Additionally, the importance of evaluating which Colombian fish species present the highest levels of Hg.

Building roofs are sources of unwanted heat for buildings situated in zones with a warm climate. Thus, reflective coatings have emerged as an alternative to reject a significant fraction of solar energy received by roofs. In this research, the thermal behavior of concrete slab-type roofs with traditional and solar reflective coatings was simulated using a computational tool. Weather data from four cities in Mexico with a warm climate were used as boundary conditions. This tool is an in-house code based on the Finite Volume Method developed by the author to perform building components simulations. The code was validated with experimental data from previous work. A series of comparative simulations were developed, taking a gray roof as a control case. The results showed that for the roof without thermal insulation (single roof), the solar reflective coatings reduced the exterior surface between 11 and 16∘C. Consequently, the single roofs’ daily heat gain was reduced by a factor ranging between 41 and 54%. On the other hand, for the insulated roof, the reflective coatings reduced the exterior surface temperature between 17 and 21∘C. At the same time, the daily heat gain of composite roofs was reduced between 37 and 56%.

This work demonstrates the antimycotic activity and structural damage of stingless bee propolis against Malassezia pachydermatis,causative agent of canine otitis.Two propolis ethanolic extracts(EEP) derived from the stingless bees, Scaptotrigona mexicana and Tetragonisca angustula were tested against three clinical strains of Malassezia pachydermatis and one of reference (ATCC 14522). Each ethanolic extract of propolis was analyzed by Gas Chromatography – Mass Spectrometry(GC-MS). Antimycotic activity was evaluated by plate microdilution. To evaluate the induced changes in yeasts, by fluorescence microscopy, stains were performed with chalcofluor white and propidium iodide. For both propolis, sesquiterpenes were the main components determined by GC-MS. Minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of 32 mg/mL and a minimum fungicidal concentration of 64 mg/Ml were determined in both extracts. EPP of Scaptotrigona mexicana and Tetragonisca angustula caused significant damage to yeast morphology. Propidium iodide penetration was observed, indicating damage to the yeast and with calcofluor-white stain, only morphology deformation was observed..The antimycotic activity and structural damage of propolis from Scaptotrigona mexicana and Tetragonisca angustula against Malassezia pachydermtais was demonstrated .This probably being the first scientific report that demonstrates structural damage in Malassezia pachydermatis of Mexican stingless bee propolis

The radiative heat transfer in arc plasma models is considered from the point of view of its description in terms of a net emission coefficient, the method of spherical harmonics in its lowest order, and the discrete ordinate method. Net emission coefficients are computed applying approximate and numerical approaches, the multi-band representation of the spectral absorption coefficient with three kinds of its averaging and two datasets. The self-consistent access to the radiative heat transfer is applied to a two-dimensional axisymmetric model of free-burning arc in argon at atmospheric pressure. The results obtained from the models employing the net emission coefficient, the method of spherical harmonics, and the discrete ordinate method are compared.

Peanuts, owing to their composition of complex carbohydrates, plant protein, unsaturated fatty acids, and essential minerals (magnesium, iron, zinc, and potassium), hold significant potential as a vital component of the human diet. Additionally, their low water requirements and nitrogen fixation capacity make them an appropriate choice for cultivation in adverse environmental conditions. The germination ability of seeds profoundly impacts the final yield of the crop, assessing seed viability of extreme importance. Conventional methods for assessing seed viability and germination are both time-consuming and costly. To address these challenges, this study investigated Visible-Near Infrared Spectroscopy (Vis/NIR) in the wavelength range of 500-1030 nm as a non-destructive and rapid method to determine the viability of two varieties of peanut seeds: North Carolina-2 (NC-2) and Spanish flower (Florispan). The study subjected the seeds to three levels of artificial aging through heat treatment, involving incubation in a controlled environment at a relative humidity of 85% and a temperature of 50°C over 24-hour intervals. The absorbance spectra noise was significantly mitigated and corrected to a large extent by combining the Savitzky-Golay (SG) and Multiplicative Scatter Correction (MSC) methods. To identify the optimal wavelengths for seed viability assessment, a range of meta-heuristic algorithms were employed, including world competitive contest (WCC), league championship algorithm (LCA), Genetics (GA), Particle Swarm Optimization (PSO), Ant Colony Optimization (ACO), imperialist competitive algorithm (ICA), learning automata (LA), heat transfer optimization (HTS), forest optimization (FOA), discrete symbiotic organisms search (DSOS), and cuckoo optimization (CUK). These algorithms offer powerful optimization capabilities for effectively extracting relevant wavelength information from spectral data. Results revealed that all the algorithms demonstrated remarkable accuracy in predicting the allometric coefficient of seeds, achieving correlation coefficients exceeding 0.985 and errors below 0.0036, respectively. In terms of execution time, the ICA (2.3635 seconds) and LCA (44.9389 seconds) algorithms exhibited the most and least efficient performance, respectively. Conversely, the FOA and the LCA algorithms excelled in identifying the least number of optimal wavelengths (10 wavelengths). Subsequently, the seeds were classified based on the wavelengths selected by the FOA (10 wavelengths) and (DSOS (16 wavelengths) methods, in conjunction with logistic regression (LR), decision tree (DT), Multilayer Perceptron (MP), support vector machine (SVM), k-nearest neighbor (K-NN), and NaiveBayes (NB) classifiers. The DSOS-DT and FOA-MP methods demonstrated the highest accuracy, yielding values of 0.993 and 0.983, respectively. Conversely, the DSOS-LR and DSOS-KNN methods obtained the lowest accuracy, with values of 0.958 and 0.961, respectively. Overall, our findings demonstrated that Vis/NIR spectroscopy, coupled with variable selection algorithms and learning methods, presents a suitable and non-destructive approach for detecting seed viability.

The aim was to determine the effect of Sechium edule var. nigrum spinosum (chayote) on gene ex-pression related to antioxidant protection mechanisms and the inflammatory process in older adults with metabolic syndrome (MetS). A quasi-experimental study was carried out in a con-venience sample of 46 older adults diagnosed with MetS: (i) placebo group (PG; n=20), (ii) ex-perimental group (EG; n=26). Clinical, biochemical, and anthropometric parameters, SOD, GPx, and CAT enzyme activity, total oxidant status (TOS), total antioxidant status (TAS), oxidative stress index (OSI), cytokines (IL-6, IL-8 and TNF-α) and mRNA expression of (SOD, GPx, CAT, IL-6, IL-8, TNF-α, Nrf2, NFkB p50 and NFkB p65), were measured at baseline and 6 months post-intervention. A statistically significant decrease was observed in TOS (baseline, 28.9 ± 3.6 vs. post, 23.7 ± 3.4, p < 0.01) and OSI (baseline, 24.1 ± 3.8 vs. post, 17.7 ± 4). As well as the increase in IL-6 (baseline, 10.7 ± 1.1 vs. post, 12.3 ± 2, p = 0.03), SOD activity (baseline, 167.1 ± 11.9 vs. post, 180.6 ± 7.6, p < 0.05), CAT activity (baseline, 1.0 ± 0.2 vs. post, 1.3 ± 0.2, p < 0.01) and TAS (baseline, 1.1 ± 0.1 vs. post, 1.4 ± 0.1, p < 0.01) in the EG compared to the PG. Regarding the expression of Nrf2, SOD and IL-6, the EG showed a significant increase vs basal levels (47%, 44% and 43%, re-spectively). Our findings suggest that Sechium edule supplementation promotes the antioxidant response and decreases oxidative stress via Nrf2.

The use of vitamin D (VitD) supplements has become widespread in the last decade due not only to the dissociation between the blood levels recommended as "optimal" and those shown by the healthy population, but also to its presumed beneficial effects on multiple disorders. This work evaluated the levels of 25-hydroxyvitamin D [25(OH)D] in a healthy population of European origin living in a region with high solar irradiation. In serum samples from a population-based study conducted in the Canary Islands, levels of 25(OH)D were analyzed. In 876 individuals who had no history of kidney or malabsorption disorders and who had not been treated with calcium and/or VitD supplementation, the median 25(OH)D level was 26.3 (5th;95th percentile, 14.3;45.8)ng/mL. Notably, 65.4% of the population had 25(OH)D blood levels below 30ng/mL, 23.4% below 20ng/mL and 6.4% below 15ng/mL. Based on the lack of evidence supporting causality between 25(OH)D levels below what is recommended as optimal (≥20ng/mL, or even ≥30ng/mL) and major skeletal and non-skeletal diseases, and in light of the distribution of the concentration of this vitamin in healthy adults living under optimal conditions of solar irradiation, it seems reasonable to consider 25(OH)D levels below 20ng/mL and close to 15ng/mL as adequate for the general population.

This work shows the preliminary description of the origin of a sedimentary - exhalative outcrop of Jurassic Lower Pliensbachian. The location of this deposit was achieved by applying an examination based in the identification of sedimentary transgressions of heterochronies ages and the identification of a Rift – type mega –structure. According with the methodology, it was carried out a study of the discordant relationships between two types of sediments: continental and marine. According the characterization, it was noted the existence of light rare earths, in values that show positive anomalies in comparison with the distribution of elements in upper continental crust according to the Clarke [1], reflecting so a felsic affinity of the mineral deposit. Also, positive anomalies of platinum and Pd, were determined with marginal contents of Au and Ag; and finally the base metals Zn, Pb and Cu were detected in low contents, which could be due to the presence of altered shale. According to the sedimentary lithology found, which was of siliciclastic type; to the exhalative roots observed during the fieldwork; the presence of quartz minerals such as biotite and muscovite; the presence of minerals of hydrothermal remobilization like chalcopyrite with some base metals, altered shale, as well as sulfur deficiency; this mineral reservoir could be defined as a SEDEX – type.

Present research focus on the effect of different processing routes on physical and mechanical properties of nano Ti(CN) based cermet’s with metallic binders. Tungsten carbide (WC) is added as secondary carbide and Ni-Co are added as metallic binders in nano Ti(CN) based cermet processed via Conventional and Spark Plasma Sintering (SPS). Systematic comparison of composition and sintering conditions for different cermet’s’ systems is done to design the novel composition and sintering conditions. Nano TiCN powder was prepared by 30hr of ball milling. Highest density of >98.5% percent was achieved for SPS processed cermet’s sintered at 1200°C and 1250°C for 3 min. at 60 MPa pressure in comparison to conventionally sintered cermet’s at 1400°C for 1hr with two stage compaction process, uniaxially at 150 MPa and isostatically at 300 MPa pressure respectively. Comparison of XRD analysis of milled powders of different time intervals was done to understand the characteristics of the as received and milled powders. Peak broadening was observed after 5 hr. of ball milling, and it increased till 30hr. Also, peak broadening and refined carbide size was observed in XRD and SEM micrograph of SPS processed cermet. TEM analysis of milled powder showed internal structure having regular periodic arrangement of planes. SEM (BSE) images of all cermets primarily showed three major microstructural phases of core-rim-binder with black, grey and white contrast respectively. In the present sintering conditions high hardness of ~16 GPa and fracture toughness of ~9 MPa m1/2 was obtained for SPS processed cermets sintered at higher temperature.

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

Parthenium incanum (Mariola) is used in Mexico to treat stomach and liver disorders. Reports have shown that the genus Parthenium contains biologically active metabolites. This work aimed to isolate and identify biologically active compounds with trypanocidal activity. The extracts were obtained through static maceration and extraction with successive reflux using different solvents. After that, they were fractionated with column chromatography, and the obtained fractions were compared by TLC; similar fractions were pooled and concentrated. A bioguided assay was performed with S. aureus ATCC 25923, using agar diffusion techniques and bioautography to determine preliminary biological activity. Active fractions were obtained and purified from a preparative TLC plate. The obtained compounds were identified as parthenin and coronopolin by TLC, FT-IR, and HPLC-MS. Finally, they were evaluated against the Ninoa strain of Trypanosoma cruzi, obtaining an IC50 of up to 45±2.5 ppm. It was concluded that P. incanum contains compounds with trypanocidal activity.

This article analyses the environmental impact of the measures imposed during the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic. We compare the evolution of atmospheric pollution levels in recent years and during lockdown, and assess the effects of the decrease in mobility and changes in patterns and lifestyles during the latter period. Thus, the reduction in the risk to human health brought about by the improvement of air quality during the months of confinement through the use of dose-response functions is estimated. The focus of the case study is the island of Tenerife. The island of Tenerife has been selected because it can serve as an example for other sites in Europe. We distinguish between the three areas with the highest population concentrations: the Metropolitan, Southern, and Northern areas. The impacts of air pollution and its relationship with changes in consumption and activity patterns are clearly distinguishable. Therefore, the lessons learned can be easily extrapolated to other areas, in both island and mainland contexts.

Currently, the textile industry is a poorly automated sector, due in part to problems in the handling of deformable leather and textile parts during production operations. In this work, several problems in the handling process of leather and textile parts are addressed, introducing methods to increase the automation of the process. A pneumatic actuator designed to pick up textile or leather parts avoiding their deformation during transport has been developed. This actuator maximizes the number of gripping points to improve handling, making it more stable and efficient. Additionally, a vision system has been implemented in the part picking task which, in conjunction with the CAD information of the part, sends the modified gripping position of the part to the robot. This allows customized handling of each textile or leather part. Finally, validation tests have been carried out on this development, both in simulations and in laboratory conditions, demonstrating its viability and direct applicability in the production line.

Bacillus licheniformis produce several classes of antimicrobial substances which are mainly either peptides or proteins. Among of them bacteriocins - peptides or proteins of different structural composition including synthesized by bacteria ribosomally; non-ribosomally synthesized peptides and cyclic lipopeptides; exopolysaccharides. Different representatives of these classes act against Gram-positive, Gram-negative bacteria, fungal pathogens and amoebae cells. In this review, a detailed classification of antimicrobial substances produced by B. licheniformis based on their chemical structure and mode of the synthesis and activity is presented. For some (rather limited number) of secreted antimicrobials mechanism of their harmful effect on the target cells is established, however, for many of them it remains unknown. The antimicrobial activity for most substances was studied in vitro only, however some substances were characterized in vivo and are found practical applications in medicine and veterinary. The cyclic lipopeptides with surfactant properties are applied in industry. In this review, a special attention on antimycobacterials produced by B. licheniformis is made as a possible approach to combat multidrug resistant and latent tuberculosis. Indeed, a number of peptides and proteins revealed strong antimycobacterial activity. However, medical application of some bacteriocins with promising in vitro antimycobacterial activity is limited by their toxicity for animals and humans. In this connection, similarly with the enhancement of the antimycobacterial activity of natural bacteriocins using genetic engineering, reduction of the toxicity by the same approach looks feasible. A unique capability of B. licheniformis to synthesize and produce a bouquet of different antibacterial compounds allow to consider this organism as a universal natural vehicle for antibiotic substances in form of probiotic cultures strains to combat various types of pathogens including mycobacteria.

The paper presents an analysis of the method of recording the magnetic component of the Earth’s natural pulse electromagnetic field in an urban environment. This method of recording has already proved itself to be a method that allocates the stressed sections of rock mass at mining and, therefore, authors suppose its effectiveness for allocating active tectonic disturbances and forecasting accidents at underground utilities, what will help reduce the potential environmental hazard of these objects.

Objective: Several authors have analyzed the impact of the pandemic on the incidence rates of different conditions. Our aim was to analyze the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on primary care new diagnoses of respiratory diseases. Methods: This was an observational retrospective study performed to describe the impact of COVID-19 pandemic on primary care new diagnosis of respiratory diseases other than lung cancer. Incidence rate ratio between pre-pandemic and pandemic period was calculated. Results: We found an decrease in the incidence of respiratory conditions (IRR 0.65) during the pandemic period. When we compared the different groups of diseases according to ICD-10, we found a significant decrease in the number of new cases during the pandemic period, except in the case of pulmonary tuberculosis, abscesses or necrosis of the lungs and other respiratory complications. Instead, we found increases in new diagnoses of flu and pneumonia (IRR 2.17) and respiratory interstitial diseases (IRR 1.41). Conclusion: There has been a decrease in new diagnosis of most respiratory diseases during the COVID-19 pandemic. The real clinical impact of this situation is still unknown. Large-scale real-life studies will make it possible to evaluate the long-term true impact of COVID-19 pandemic on the respiratory diseases management.

Chronic myeloid leukaemia (CML) is a haematological neoplasm driven by the BCR/ABL fusion oncogene. The monogenic aspect of the disease and the feasibility of ex vivo therapies in haematological disorders make CML an excellent candidate for gene therapy strategies. The ability to abolish any coding sequence by CRISPR-Cas9 nucleases offers a powerful therapeutic opportunity to CML patients. However, a definitive cure can only be achieved when only CRISPR-edited cells are selected. A gene-trapping approach combined with CRISPR technology would be an ideal approach to ensure this. Here, we have developed a CRISPR-Trap strategy that efficiently inserts a donor gene trap (SA-CMV-Venus) cassette into the BCR-ABL1-specific fusion point in the CML K562 human cell line. The trapping cassette interrupts the on-cogene coding sequence and expresses a reporter gene that enables the selection of edited cells. Quantitative expression analyses showed significantly higher level of expression of the BCR-Venus allele coupled with a drastically lower level of BCR/ABL expression in Venus+ cell fractions. Functional in vitro experiments showed cell proliferation arrest and apoptosis in selected Venus+ cells. Finally, xenograft experiments with the selected Venus+ cells showed a large reduction in tumour growth, thereby demonstrating a therapeutic benefit in vivo. This study is a proof of concept for the therapeutic potential of a CRISPR-Trap system as a novel strategy for gene elimination in haematological neoplasms.

Wearable vital signs monitoring and specially the electrocardiogram have taken important role due to the information that provide about high-risk diseases, it has been evidenced by the needed to increase the health service coverage in home care as has been encouraged by WHO. Some wearables devices have been developed to monitor the ECG in which the location of the measurement electrodes is modified respect to the Einthoven model. However, mislocation of the electrodes on the torso can lead to the modification of acquired signals, diagnostic mistakes and misinterpretation of the information in the signal. This work presents a volume conductor evaluation and an ECG signal waveform comparison when the location of electrodes is changed, to find a electrodes’ location that reduces distortion of interest signals. In addition, effect of motion artifacts and electrodes’ location on the signal acquisition are evaluated. A group of volunteers was recorded to obtain ECG signals, the result was compared with a computational model of the heart behavior through the EA ECG, DTW and SNR methods to quantitatively determine the signal distortion. It was found that while the Einthoven method is followed, it is possible to acquire the ECG signal from the patient’s torso or back without a significant difference, and the electrodes position can be moved 6cm at most from the suggested location by the Einthoven triangle in Mason-Likar’s method.

Dioscorea composita is a plant native to México and Central America with a high concentration of diosgenin precursors. Currently, México is one of the two most important countries producers of this yam; however, climate change is altering the environmental conditions of its natural habits, threatening its preservation and productivity. This is why this research was focused to characterize the eco-geography of D. composita and predict its potential geographic distribution under climate change scenarios in México-Central America. A collection of 408 geo-referenced accessions was used to determine its climatic adaptation, ecological descriptors, and the current and future potential geographic distribution, which was modeled with MaxEnt model through the Kuenm R-package. For future climate scenarios, an ensemble of the GCMs HadGEM-ES and CCSM4 was used. Results showed that D. composita adapts to warm humid and very humid agro-climates and that the most contributing variables for its presence are annual and seasonal moisture availability indices, seasonal photoperiod, annual thermal range, Bio14 and Bio11. The year 2050 RCP 4.5 climate scenario would contract the potential distribution of D. composita, whilst the 2050 RCP 8.5 scenario would expand it, indicating that this species could be a good crop option under this scenario of emissions.

Intermediate CAG expansions in the gene ataxin-2 (ATXN2) are a known risk factor for ALS, but little is known about their role in FTD risk. Moreover, their contribution to the risk and phenotype of patients might vary in populations with different genetic background. The aim of this study was to assess the relationship of intermediate CAG expansions in ATXN2 with the risk and phenotype of ALS and FTD in the Spanish population. Repeat-Primed PCR was performed in 620 ALS and 137 FTD patients in three referral centers of Spain to determine the exact number of CAG repeats. In our cohort, ≥27 CAG repeats in ATXN2 was associated with a higher risk of developing ALS (odds ratio [OR] = 2.666 [1.471-4.882]; p = 0.0013), but not FTD (odds ratio [OR] = 1.446 [0.558-3.574]; p = 0.44). Moreover, ALS patients with ≥27 CAG repeats in ATXN2 showed shorter survival rate compared to those with &lt;27 repeats (hazard ratio [HR] 1.74 [1.18, 2.56], p = 0.005), more frequent limb onset (odds ratio [OR] = 2.34 [1.093-4.936]; p = 0.028), as well as family history of ALS (odds ratio [OR] = 2.538 [1.375-4.634]; p = 0.002). Intermediate CAG expansions of ≥27 repeats in ATXN2 are associated with ALS risk, but not with FTD, in the Spanish population. ALS patients carrying an intermediate expansion in ATXN2 show more frequent limb onset, but worse prognosis than those without expansions. In patients carrying C9orf72 expansions, the intermediate ATXN2 expansion might increase the penetrance and modify the phenotype.

Knowing professionals’ attitudes is the basis for the development of skills for dealing with drug dependence. These attitudes may affect patients’ clinical safety and the cost-benefit ratio of the interventions. The goal of this study was to assess emergency and mental health nurses’ attitudes and perceptions towards alcoholics. A multicenter prospective descriptive study was conducted in six hospitals with 167 emergency and mental health nurses. Nurses classified alcoholics as sick individuals, although there was a tendency to feel comfortable working with them. Results indicated that these professionals had a rejecting attitude towards moderate alcohol consumption. We found a significant association between the attitude of the nurse and gender, with the degree of rejection towards the alcoholic being higher in men than in women and with less punitive attitudes in professionals from 0 to 11 years of professional experience.

Accumulated data show the utility of diagnostic multi-organ point-of-care ultrasound (PoCUS) in the assessment of patients admitted to an internal medicine ward. Assess whether multi-organ PoCUS (lung, cardiac, and abdomen) provides relevant diagnostic and/or therapeutic information in patients admitted for any reason to an internal medicine ward. Prospective, observational, and single-center study, at a secondary hospital. Multi-organ PoCUS was performed during the first 24 hours of admission. The sonographer had access to the patients’ medical history, physical examination, and basic complementary tests performed in the ED (laboratory, X-ray, electrocardiogram). We considered a relevant ultrasound finding if it implied a significant diagnostic and/or therapeutic change. In the second semester of 2019, 310 patients were enrolled (48.7% men, mean age 70.5 years). Relevant ultrasound findings were detected in 86 patients (27.7%) and in 60 (19.3%) triggered a therapeutic change. These findings were associated with older age (Mantel-Haenszel 2 = 25.6; p&lt; .001) and higher degree of dependency (Mantel Haenszel 2 = 5.7; p = .017). Multi-organ PoCUS provides relevant diagnostic information, complementing traditional physical exam, and facilitates therapy adjustment, regardless of the cause of admission. Multi-organ PoCUS to be useful need to be systematically integrated into the decision-making process in internal medicine.

Members of the Fusarium oxysporum species complex (FOSC) has the capacity to specialize into host-specific pathogens known as formae speciales through horizontal gene transfer between pathogenic and endophytic individuals. To this day, the origin of these formae speciales and the genetic determinants dictating the switch from endophytic to pathogenic Fusarium oxysporum (Fox) are still unknown. F. oxysporum f. sp. vanillae (Fov), member of FOSC, is the causal agent of root and stem rot disease, representing the main phytosanitary problem in vanilla plantations worldwide. Here we analyzed the RNA-seq libraries resulting from the interaction vanilla-Fov at early and late stages of the infection, and what we initially identified as control in a previous study, detecting the presence of Fox endophytes. We identified virulence, hypervirulence, sporulation, conidiation, necrosis, and production of fusaric acid as key processes taking place during Fov-vanilla interaction. Through comparison with endophytic Fox, we found that Fov can infect vanilla thanks to the presence of pathogenicity islands and genomic regions associated with supernumerary chromosomes. These play a central role as carriers of genes involved with pathogenic activity and could have being obtained by Fov through horizontal gene transfer. We also found that, unlike other pathogenic members of FOSC, Fov do not use Secreted in Xylem proteins (SIX) to infect vanilla.

Clusterin (CLU) protein is involved in various pathophysiological processes including carcinogenesis and tumor progression. In recent years, the role of the secretory isoform has been demonstrated in tumor cells, where it inhibits apoptosis and favors the acquisition of resistance to conventional treatments used to treat cancer. To determine the possible therapeutic potential of inhibiting this protein, numerous studies have been carried out in this field. In this paper, we show the existing knowledge on the inhibition of this protein in different types of cancer and discuss the importance it could have in the development of new therapies directed against this pathology.

Since its 2013 emergence in the Americas, chikungunya virus (CHIKV) has posed a serious threat to public health. Early and accurate diagnosis of the disease, though currently lacking in clinics, is integral to enable timely care and epidemiological response. We developed a dual detection system: a CHIKV antigen E1/E2-based enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and a lateral flow test using high-affinity anti-CHIKV antibodies. The ELISA was validated with 100 PCR-tested acute Chikungunya fever samples from Honduras. The assay had an overall sensitivity and specificity of 51% and 96.67%, respectively, with accuracy reaching 95.45% sensitivity and 92.03% specificity at a Ct cutoff of 22. As the Ct value increased from 22, ELISA sensitivity decreased. We then developed and validated two lateral flow tests using independent antibody pairs. The sensitivity and specificity reached 100% for both lateral flow tests using 39 samples from Colombia and Honduras at Ct cutoffs of 20 and 27, respectively. For both lateral flow tests, sensitivity decreased as the Ct increased after 27. Because CHIKV E1/E2 are exposed in the virion surfaces in serum during the acute infection phase, these sensitive and specific assays demonstrate opportunities for early detection of this emerging human pathogen.

This review documents an emerging body of evidence concerning the neurological effect of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) exposure, with regard to cognitive function and increased risk of neurodegeneration. Two electronic databases PubMed and Web of Science were systematically searched. The 37/428 studies selected included outcomes measuring cognitive function, neurobehavioral symptoms of impaired cognition, and pathologies associated with neurodegeneration from prenatal (21/37 studies), childhood (14/37 studies), and adult (8/37 studies) PAH exposure. Sufficient evidence surrounding prenatal exposure negatively impacting child intelligence, mental development, average overall development, verbal IQ, memory impairment, externalizing, internalizing, anxious, depressed behaviours, behavioural development and child attentiveness was found. Evidence concerning exposure during childhood and as an adult was scarce and highly heterogeneous, however presence of neurodegenerative biomarkers and increased concentrations of cryptic “self” antigens in serum and cerebrospinal fluid samples suggest a higher risk of neurodegenerative disease. Associations with lowered cognitive ability, and impaired attentiveness were found in children and memory disturbances, specifically auditory memory, verbal learning and general memory in adults. Although evidence is not yet conclusive and further research is needed the studies included supported the hypothesis that PAH exposure negatively impacts cognitive function and increases the risk of neurodegeneration in humans, and recommends considering the introduction of a variable “rural vs. urban” as covariate for adjusting analyses where the neurological functions affected (as result of our review) are outcome variables.

The present study evaluates the psychometric properties of the Conflicts in Romantic Relationships Over Facebook Use Scale with a sample of Puerto Rican adults. A total of 577 Puerto Ricans participated on this confirmatory and psychometric study. The results confirmed that the scale has a multidimensional structure. These dimensions are: Partner Facebook intrusion, Conflict over Facebook use, and Jealousy over Facebook use. A total of 18 items complied with the criteria of discrimination and presented appropriate factorial loads (6 items per dimension). The Cronbach’s Alpha indexes of the dimensions ranged between .87 and .95 and the omega coefficients ranged between .88 and .95. In summary, the instrument has the appropriate psychometric properties to continue with validation studies, as well as to be implemented in various work areas, both theoretical and applied.

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

Soot combustion experiments with 5%O2/He were conducted using model soot, and four distinct compositions of CexPr1-xO2-δ oxides were prepared, varying nominal cerium com-positions (x=0, 0.2, 0.3, and 1). The catalyst samples were comprehensively characterized using techniques such as XRD, Raman spectroscopy, HR-TEM, N2 adsorption at −196 °C, XPS, O2-TPD, H2-TPR, and work function measurements. The Pr-rich compositions, rang-ing from Ce0.3Pr0.7O2-δ to PrO2-δ, resulted in a significant increase in the total evolved O2 amounts and enhanced catalyst reducibility. However, a decrease in textural properties of the catalysts was noted, being particularly important for the pure praseodymia under the synthesis route conducted. The catalytic activity was investigated under two contact modes of mixing between soot and catalyst: loose and tight. The results revealed that the catalytic performance is associated with the surface contact in tight contact mode and with the combination of surface/subsurface/bulk oxygen mobility and the BET surface ar-ea in loose contact mode. Notably, the T10 and T50 parameters were achieved at much lower temperatures than the uncatalyzed soot combustion, even under loose contact conditions. Specifically, the 50% conversion was achieved at 511℃ and 538℃ for Ce0.3Pr0.7O2 and Ce0.2Pr0.8O2, respectively. While no direct correlation between catalytic activity and work function was observed a significant relationship emerges between work function values and the formation of oxy-gen vacancies, whatever the conditions used for these measurements. On the other hand, the ability to generate a high population of oxygen vacancies at low temperatures, rather than the direct activation of gas-phase O2, influences the catalytic performance of Pr-doped ceria catalysts, highlighting the importance of surface/subsurface oxygen vacancy generation, which was the parameter which showed better correlation with the catalytic activity, whatever the soot conversion value or the mode of contact considered.

There are several well-described molecular mechanisms that influence cell growth and are relat-ed to the development of cancer. Chemokines constitute a fundamental element which are not only involved in local growth but also affect angiogenesis, tumor spread and metastatic disease. Among them, the C-X-C motif chemokine ligand 12 (CXCL12) and its specific receptor the chemo-kine C-X-C motif receptor 4 (CXCR4) have been widely studied. The overexpression in cell mem-branes of CXCR4 has been shown to be associated with the development of different kinds of his-tological malignancies, such as adenocarcinomas, epidermoid carcinomas, mesenchymal tumors or neuroendocrine neoplasms (NENs). The molecular synapsis between CXCL12 and CXCR4 leads to the interaction of G proteins and activation of different intracellular signaling pathways in both gastroenteropancreatic (GEP) and bronchopulmonary (BP) NENs conferring greater ca-pacity for locoregional aggressiveness, epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) and the ap-pearance of metastases. Therefore, it has been hypothesized how to design tools that target this receptor. The aim of this review is to focus on current knowledge of the relationship between CXCR4 and NENs, with a special emphasis on diagnostic and therapeutic molecular targets.

Dual-energy CT (DECT) imaging has broadened the potential of CT imaging by offering multiple postprocessing datasets with a single acquisition at more than one energy level. DECT shows profound capabilities to improve diagnosis based on its superior material differentiation and its quantitative value. However, the potential of dual energy imaging remains relatively untapped, possibly due to its intricate workflow and intrinsic technical limitations of DECT. Knowing the clinical advantages of dual-energy imaging and recognizing its limitations and pitfalls is neces-sary for an appropriate clinical use. The aims of this paper are to review physical and technical basis of DECT acquisition and analysis, to discuss advantages and limitations of DECT in dif-ferent clinical scenarios, to review technical constraints in material labeling and quantification, and to evaluate cutting-edge applications of DECT imaging, including artificial intelligence, qualitative and quantitative imaging biomarkers, and DECT-derived radiomics and radioge-nomics

There is a pressing need for more precise biomarkers of chronic kidney disease (CKD). Plasma samples from 820 subjects [231 with CKD, 325 with end-stage kidney disease (ESKD) and 264 controls] were analyzed by LC-MS/MS to determine a metabolic profile of 28 aminoacids (AA) and biogenic amines to test their value as markers of CKD risk and progression. The Kynurenine/Tryptophan ratio showed the strongest correlation with estimated glomerular filtration rate values (coefficient=-0.731, P&lt;0.0001). Models created with Orthogonal Partial Least Squares-Discriminant Analysis (OPLS-DA) containing the metabolic signature showed high goodness of fit and predictability for controls/CKD (R2X:0.73;R2Y:0.92;Q2:0.92) and lower for CDK/ESKD (R2X:0.56;R2Y:0.59;Q2:0.55). Based on generated VIP scores, the most relevant markers for segregating samples into control/CKD or CKD/ESKD groups were citrulline (1.67) and tryptophan (1.59), respectively. ROC analysis showed that the addition of the metabolic profile to a model including CKD classic risk factors improved AUC from 86.7% (83.6-89.9) to 100% (100-100) for CKD risk (P&lt;0.0001), and from 63.0% (58.2-67.8) to 96.5% (95.3-97.8) for the risk of progression from CKD to ESKD (P&lt;0.0001). Plasma concentrations of AA and related amines may be useful as diagnostic biomarkers of kidney disease, both for CKD risk and for progression of CKD patients to ESKD.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the intensity of the annual sexual behavior (SB) of Boer bucks under tropical conditions in southern Mexico. For one year, 16 extensively grazing males were evaluated for SB individually with estrogenized goats. From the beginning of the experiment and every 30 days, body weight (BW), body condition (BC), testicular circumference (TC), odor intensity (OI) and SB (nudging, ano-genital sniffing, flehmen, mounting attempts, mounts with intromission, and self-urination) were recorded. The bucks showed a more intense SB during the months of November to May than during the months of June to October (p < 0.05). Greater frequency was found for nudging, ano-genital sniffing, mounting attempts, and self-urination in the months of November to May (p < 0.001). BW was lower during the months of January to August than in the months of September to December (p < 0.05). On the other hand, TC increased from October to December (p < 0.05). Similarly, the OI in males varied over time (time effect; p < 0.001). In fact, an increased odor was found from October to December. The conclusions were that breed male goats from the tropics of Guerrero have a more intense SB during the months of November to May, which corresponds to the time of the year when forage availability is the greatest.

Since the discovery of mitochondrial-derived peptides (MDP), their participation in cellular metabolism is no longer considered as the sole function of the mitochondria, but importance was also attached to its role as a source of protective factors of metabolic stress. These peptides are encoded in the mitochondrial genome and translated into the mitochondria or cytoplasm, to signal within the cell or be released and bind to membrane receptors. The objective of this work was explored and compare the frequency of MT-RNR1 and MT-RNR2 variants in sequences obtained from T2D individuals and control population. 213 different mitochondrial polymorphisms previously reported in the literature associated with T2D and cardiovascular diseases were analyzed. We can found three variants in the MT-RNR1 not related with MOTS-c coding sequence: m.1189T>C (rs28358571), m.1420T>C (rs111033356), and m.1438A>G (rs2001030); and secondly, three polymorphisms associated to MT-RNR2 m.2667T>C (rs878870626) related to humanin, m.1811A>G (rs28358576) in SHPL3 and m.3027T>C (rs199838004) in SHPL6 associated with statistical differences between the T2D and control group. All these findings were previously related to cardiovascular complications in literature and, as far as we know, relating for the first time in diabetic patients.

For years, effort has been devoted to establishing an effective bull breeding soundness evaluation procedure; usual research on the subject is based on BBSE (Bull Breeding Soundness Examination) methodologies, which have significant limitations in terms of their evaluation procedure, such as high cost, time-consuming and administratively difficult. This research focuses on the creation of a prediction model to supplement and/or improve the BBSE approach, through the study of two algorithms, Clustering and Artificial Neural Network (ANN), to find the optimum Machine Learning (ML) approach for our application, with an emphasis on data categorization accuracy. The tool is designed to assist veterinary medicine and farmers in identifying key factors and increasing certainty in their decision-making during the selection of bulls for breeding purposes, providing data from a limited number of factors generated from a deep pairing study of bulls. Zebu Bulls, European Bulls, and Crossbred Bulls were the general groupings. The data utilized in the model's creation (N =359) considers five variables that influence improvement decisions. This approach enhances decision-making by 12%. ANN obtained an accuracy of 90%; Precision was 97% for satisfying, 92% for unsatisfying, and 85% for Bad.

Dioscorea remotiflora, a perennial climbing herbaceous plant wild and native to México, bears tubers of important ethnobotanical and nutritional value. However, the information for its production and use is precarious. The objective of this research was to characterize the adaptation habitats of D. remotiflora in order to determine its ecological descriptors and current distribution, as well as to model its potential distribution. A comprehensive database encompassing 481 geo-referenced accessions was assembled. Using the Agroclimatic Information System for México and Central America (SIAMEXCA), 42 environmental variables were formulated. The MaxEnt model within the Kuenm R-package was employed to predict the species distribution. The findings reveal a greater presence of D. remotiflora in harsh environments, characterized by arid to semi-arid conditions, poor soils, and hot climates with long dry periods. The plant's nutritional and medicinal attributes, combined with its ecological adaptability, suggest its viability within evolving regional cropping systems under the influence of climate change. Niche modeling revealed that seven key variables determine the geographical distribution of D. remotiflora: precipitation of the warmest quarter, precipitation of the driest month, minimum temperature of the coldest month, November-April solar radiation, annual mean relative humidity, annual moisture availability index, and May-October mean temperature. Favorable regions for D. remotiflora coincide with its current presence sites, while other suitable areas, such as the Yucatan Peninsula, Northeast region, and Gulf of México, offer potential expansion opportunities for the species distribution. The characterization obtained for D. remotiflora, together with the description of its edaphic and climatic adaptation habitats, will enable an efficient design of strategies for its use and conservation in the near future.

Precise HDV-RNA detection and quantification are pivotal for accurate diagnosis and monitoring of response to newly approved treatment. We evaluate the performance of three assays: Hepatitis Delta RT-PCR system, EurobioPlex HDV assay, and the RoboGene HDV RNA Quantification kit 2.0, testing 151 HBsAg-positive samples, 90 HDV-RNA negative and 61 HDV-RNA positive. We also evaluated serial dilutions of the WHO international standard for HDV, PEI 7657/12. Finally, all HDV-RNA positive samples were genotyped using a next-generation sequencing strategy. Qualitative results indicated a 100% concordance between tests. Quantitative results correlated well between tests, r2=0.703 (Vircell-vs-Eurobio), r2=0.833 (Vircell-vs-RoboGene), r2=0.835 (Robogene-vs-Eurobio). Bias index was 2.083 (Vircell-vs-Eurobio), -1.283 (Vircell-vs-RoboGene), and -3.36 (Robogene-vs-Eurobio). Using the WHO IS, Vircell overestimated the viral load by 0.98 log IU/mL, Eurobio by 1.46 log IU/mL, and RoboGene underestimated it by 0.98 log IU/mL. Fifty-nine samples were successfully genotyped (Genotype 1, n=52; Genotype 5, n=7; Genotype 6, n=1), with similar results in terms of correlation and bias. The three assays demonstrate promising performance. Their accuracy, reflected in concordance rates and quantitative analysis, makes them suitable for clinical practice. However, in the absence of assay harmonization, quantitative HDV RNA monitoring should be performed in the same laboratory and assay to avoid variability.

QPEs (Quantitative Precipitation Estimates) obtained from remote sensing or ground-based radars could complement or even be an alternative to rain gauge readings. However, to be used in operational applications, a validation process has to be carried out, usually by comparing their estimates with those of a rain gauges network. In this paper, the accuracy of two QPEs are evaluated for three extreme precipitation events in the last decade in the southeast of the Iberian Peninsula. The first QPE is PERSIANN-CCS, a satellite-based QPE. The second is a meteorological radar with Doppler capabilities that works in the C band. Pixel-to-point comparisons are made between the values offered by the QPEs and those obtained by two networks of rain gauges. The results obtained indicate that both QPEs were well below the rain gauge values, especially in extreme rainfall time slots. There seems to be a weak linear association between the value of the discrepancies and the precipitation value of the QPEs. It does not seem that radar is more accurate than PERSIANN-CCS, despite its larger spatial resolution and its commonly higher effectiveness. The main conclusion is that neither PERSIANN-CCS nor radar, without empirical calibration, are acceptable QPEs for the real-time monitoring of meteorological extremes in the southeast of the Iberian Peninsula.

Bone involvement occurs in 75% of patients with Gaucher disease (GD), and comprises structural changes, debilitating pain, and bone density abnormalities. Osteoporosis is a silent manifestation of GD until a pathologic fracture occurs. Thus early diagnosis is crucial for identifying high-risk patients to prevent irreversible complications. Thirty-one patients with GD were assessed prospectively to identify predictive markers associated with bone density abnormalities, osteopenia (OSN), and osteoporosis (OSR). Subjects were categorized into three cohorts based on T- or Z- scores of bone mineral density (BMD): In GD cohort with no bone complication (Z-score≥-0.9; T-scores≥-1), the OSN group (-1.8 ≥ Z-score ≥ -1; -2.5 ≥ T-score ≥ -1) and OSR group (Z-score ≤ -1.9; T-scores ≤ -2.5). Serum levels of TRAP5b, RANKL, OPG, and RANK were quantified by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays. TRAP5b was increased in GD and showed a positive correlation with GD biomarkers, including plasma glucosylsphingosine (Lyso-Gb1), macrophage activation markers CCL18 and chitotriosidase. The highest levels of TRAP5b was measured in patients with osteoporosis. The elevation of RANKL and RANKL/OPG ratio correlated with osteopenia in GD. Elevation of TRAP5b, RANKL, and RANKL/OPG indicate osteoclast activation in GD. TRAP5b is a potential bone biomarker for GD with the ability to predict the progression of bone density abnormalities.

Substances that can modify the androgen receptor pathway in humans and animals are entering the environment and food chain with the proven ability to disrupt hormonal systems and leading to toxicity and adverse effects on reproduction, brain development, and prostate cancer, among others. State-of-the-art databases with experimental data of human, chimp, and rat effects by chemicals have been used to build machine learning classifiers and regressors and evaluate these on independent sets. Different featurizations, algorithms, and protein structures lead to dif- ferent results, with deep neural networks (DNNs) on user-defined physicochemically-relevant features developed for this work outperforming graph convolutional, random forest, and large featurizations. The results show that these user-provided structure-, ligand-, and statistically-based features and specific DNNs provided the best results as determined by AUC (0.87), MCC (0.47), and other metrics and by their interpretability and chemical meaning of the descriptors/features. In addition, the same features in the DNN method performed better than in a multivariate logistic model: validation MCC = 0.468 and training MCC = 0.868 for the present work compared to evalu- ation set MCC = 0.2036 and training set MCC = 0.5364 for the multivariate logistic regression on the full, unbalanced set. Techniques of this type may improve AR and toxicity description and predic- tion, improving assessment and design of compounds. Source code and data are available at https://github.com/AlfonsoTGarcia-Sosa/ML

Tuberculosis (TB) associated with diabetes (DM) is a growing problem, particularly in low and medium-resource countries. We conducted an open-label, parallel-group, randomized, and controlled trial in a tertiary care center in Mexico City to assess TB preventive treatment with isoniazid (INH) or rifampicin (RIF) in people with DM. Participants were assigned six months of INH 300mg/day plus pyridoxine 75mg or three months of RIF 600mg/day. The primary outcomes were adverse events resulting in permanent treatment cessation and considered possibly or probably related to study drugs. We included 130 subjects, 68 randomized to INH and 62 to RIF. We prematurely halted the study based on recommendations of the Adverse Event Safety Panel. There was no difference between arms in the overall frequency of adverse events. However, the INH group had significantly more permanent treatment interruptions due to grade 2 recurrent or grade 3 or 4 hepatoxicity. In comparison, the RIF arm had more treatment interruptions due to grade 3 or 4 gastrointestinal intolerance. TB preventive treatment is not safe enough to be considered a universal indication to patients with DM and LTBI. These results underline the need to search for alternative TB prevention in DM patients with better safety profiles.

This study developed gelatin-based films with incorporation of microcrystalline cellulose as reinforcement material. Clove (Syzygium aromaticum), nutmeg (Myristica fragrans), and black pepper (Piper nigrum) oleoresins containing antimicrobial compounds of natural origin were incorporated into films. The mechanical, thermal, optical, and structural properties, as well as color, resistance to sealing and permeability to water vapor, light, and oil of the films were determined. Adding oleoresins to the gelatin matrix increased elongation of the material and significantly diminished its permeability to water vapor and oil. Evaluation of the potential use of films containing different oleoresins as bread packaging material was influenced by the film properties. The biocomposite film containing oleoresin from black pepper was the most effective packaging material for maintaining the bread’s quality characteristics.

: Background: Overweight and obesity are major risk factors for many chronic diseases, and weight-loss interventions often include systematic exercising and nutritional supplements. The purpose of this study was to determine the independent/synergistic effects of Spirulina maxima supplementation (6-week, 4.5 g/day) and a systematic physical exercise program (6 weeks/ 2 times) on body composition and cardiorespiratory fitness of overweight and obese subjects. Methods: 27 overweight and 25 obese sedentary male subjects were assigned to four interventions through a randomized double-blind, crossover controlled trial: Physical exercise program with (SE) or without (Ex) Spirulina maxima or no-exercise program with (Sm) and without (C) Spirulina maxima. Body composition and cardiorespiratory fitness parameters were taken during a maximal intensity test. Results: As compared to C group, SE, Sm and Ex groups reduced (p < 0.05) their body fat percentage while improving their maximal oxygen uptake (VO₂max; r = −0.40), being obese subjects more benefited. Weight loss, time to reach fatigue and onset of blood lactate accumulation were improved in both Spirulina maxima supplemented groups, regardless the subjects’ body composition. Conclusions: Spirulina maxima supplementation synergistically improves the effects of systematic exercise in body composition and cardiorespiratory fitness parameters in overweight but mostly in obese adults.

Accurate power curve modelling is essential to continuously evaluate the performance of a wind turbine (WT). In this work, we characterize the wind power curves using SCADA data acquired at a frequency of 5 minutes in a wind farm (WF) consisting of 5 WTs. Regarding the non-parametric methods, we select artificial neural networks (ANNs) to make curve estimations. Given that, we have the curves provided by the manufacturer of the WTs given by some very precisely measured pair of wind speed and power points. We can evaluate the difference between the manufacturer characterization and the ones estimated with the data provided by the SCADA system. Before the estimation, we propose a method of filtering the anomalies based on the characteristics provided by the manufacturer. We use three-quarters of the available data for curve estimation and one-quarter for the test. One WT suffered a break in the test part, so we can check how the test estimates reflect this problem in its wind-power curve compared to the estimations obtained in the WTs that worked adequately.

Tourism is the main economic sector in the Balearic Islands (Spain) and hotel housekeepers (HHs) are a large occupational group, in which stress is becoming a major issue. This study aims at exploring in-depth factors perceived as stressors by HHs and key-informants, and their effects on work-life balance (WLB). A qualitative design with phenomenological approach was used, conducting six focus groups with 34 HHs and 10 individual interviews with key-informants. Results were analyzed adopting the job demands-resources model and a gender perspective. High demands –e.g work overload, time pressure, physical burden...-, lack of enough resources and little control –derived from role conflict, unexpected events...- were the most important factors explaining HHs’ stress. Additionally, this imbalance was perceived as leading to health problems –mainly musculoskeletal disorders-. Working schedule was mentioned as a facilitator to WLB, whereas an imbalance between job demands and resources led to work-home conflict –preventing them from enjoying leisure time-. Multiple roles at work and at home increased their stress. HHs experienced their job as invisible and unrecognised. Regarding practical implications, our recommendations for hotel organization include reducing workload and increasing resources, which would improve the job demands-resource balance, diminish negative mental and physical outcomes and improve WLB.

Endophytic insect pathogenic fungi have a multifunctional lifestyle; in addition to its well-known function as biocontrol agents, it may also help plants respond to other biotic and abiotic stresses, such as iron (Fe) deficiency. This study explores M. brunneum EAMa 01/58-Su strain attributes for Fe acquisition. Firstly, direct attributes include siderophore exudation (in vitro assay) and Fe content in shoots and in the substrate (in vivo assay) were evaluated for three strains of Beauveria bassiana and Metarhizium bruneum. The M. brunneum EAMa 01/58-Su strain showed a great ability to exudate iron siderophores (58.4% surface siderophores exudation) and provided higher Fe content in both dry matter and substrate compared to the control and was therefore selected for further research to unravel the possible induction of Fe deficiency responses, Ferric Reductase Activity (FRA), and relative expression of Fe acquisition genes by qRT-PCR in melon and cucumber plants.. In addi-tion, root priming by M. brunneum EAMa 01/58-Su strain elicited Fe deficiency responses at transcriptional level. Our results show an early up-regulation (24, 48 or 72 h post inoculation) of the Fe acquisition genes FRO1, FRO2, IRT1, HA1, and FIT as well as the FRA. These results highlight the mechanisms involved in the Fe acquisition as mediated by IPF M. brunneum EAMa 01/58-Su strain.

The human-readable simplicity with which the CSV format was devised, together with the absence of a standard that strictly defines this format, has allowed the proliferation of several variants in the dialects with which these files are written. The latter has meant that the exchange of information between data management systems, or between countries and regions, requires human intervention during the data mining and cleansing process. This has led to the development of various computational tools that aim to accurately determine the dialects of CSV files, in order to avoid data loss at data loading stage in a given system. However, the dialect detection is a complex problem and current systems have limitations or make assumptions that need to be improved and/or extended. This paper proposes a method for determining CSV file dialects through table uniformity, a statistical approach based on table consistency and records dispersion measurement along with the detection of data type over each field. The new method has a 100\% accuracy on a dataset with 148 CSV files composed of samples coming from a data load testing framework and some others added as verification of the parsing routines. In tests on truly messy data, the proposed solution outperforms the state-of-the-art tool by achieving an improvement of about 10\% in the accuracy with which dialects are detected. Furthermore, the proposed method is accurate enough to determine dialects by reading only ten records, requiring more data to disambiguate those cases where the first records do not contain the necessary information to conclude with a dialect determination.

The review analyzes a possible role of autoimmune processes in the pathogenesis of schizophrenia and evolution of concepts on this issue from its origin to present. Risks of autoimmune processes causing schizophrenia are associated with several factors: an impaired functioning of dopaminergic and glutamatergic systems in the brain, kynurenine pathway disorder with overproduction of quinolinic, anthranilic and kynurenic acids (possibly altering both neurons and T-regulators), increased intestinal permeability, as well as food antigens’ effects, stress and infections with various pathogens at different stages of ontogenesis. An increase in the levels of proinflammatory cytokines and chemokines as well as a decrease in the levels of anti-inflammatory ones also may contribute to schizophrenia risks. Schizophrenia often occurs in those patients having various autoimmune diseases and their first-degree relatives. Cases of schizophrenia resulted from autoimmune pathogenesis (including autoimmune encephalitis caused by autoantibodies against various neuronal antigens) are characterized by quite severe cognitive and psychotic symptoms and less favorable prognosis. This severe course may result from the chronic immune damage of the neuronal receptors such as NMDA, GABA, and others and depend on hyperprolactinemia, induced by antipsychotics, but aggravating autoimmune processes [with 2 tables, 4 figures, bibliography: 99 references].

Predictive numerical models in the study of ground-borne vibrations generated by railway sys-tems have traditionally relied on the segmented approach of subsystems. In this approach, loads are individually applied, and the cumulative effect of rolling stock is obtained through superposi-tion. While this method serves to mitigate computational costs, it may not fully capture the com-plex interactions involved in ground-borne vibrations. Recent advancements in computational and software tools have enabled the development of more sophisticated vibrational pollution models. These advanced models encompass the entire dynamic system, from the rolling stock to the terrain, allowing for continuous simulations with a defined time step. Furthermore, the incorporation of computational contact tools between various ele-ments not only ensures temporal accuracy but also extends the analysis to the frequency domain. This paper explores the evolution of predictive numerical models in the context of ground-borne vibrations generated by trains on ballasted tracks. It highlights the shift from segmented models to continuous simulations, demonstrating the progressive advancement towards more comprehen-sive and accurate representations of railway-induced and generated vibrations in the track sur-roundings as an additional way of evaluate sustainability of infrastructures. In particular, this development of a numerical model from its inception aimed to expand upon ex-isting emission - prediction models by enriching the data with frequency-domain information. This approach has been driven by the aspiration to bridge the gap between numerical predictions and measured signals, striving for a higher level of accuracy in our obtained results. This model can predict the impact of a high-speed rail (HSR) vehicle passing on its own track. It possesses sufficient information in both the time and frequency domains to precisely characterize vibrations. This initiative marks a pivotal advancement, enabling us to more effectively capture the intricacies of ground-borne vibrations and their impact on the surrounding environment due to a deeper comprehension of the occurrences in the frequency domain, there's a heightened ca-pability to accurately characterize vibrations.

Antibiotic resistance is now a first-order health problem, which makes the development of new families of antimicrobials an imperative. These compounds should ideally be inexpensive, readily available, highly active and non-toxic. Here we present the results on the antimicrobial activity of a series of natural and synthetic polyamines with different architectures (linear, tripodal and macrocyclic) and their derivatives containing the oxygen containing aromatic functional groups 1,3-benzodioxol, ortho/para phenol or 2,3-dihydrobenzofuran. The new compounds were prepared through a non-expensive process and their activity was tested against selected strains of yeast, gram-positive and gram-negative bacteria. In all cases, the conjugated derivatives showed antimicrobial activity higher than the unsubstituted polyamines. Several factors, such as the overall charge at physiological pH, the lipophilicity and the topology of the polyamine scaffold were relevant to their activity. The nature of the lipophilic moiety was also determinant on human cell toxicity. The lead compounds showed to be bactericidal and fungistatic, and they were synergic with the commercial antifungals fluconazole, cycloheximide and amphotericin B against the yeast strains tested.

The in vitro production and cryopreservation of mammalian embryos generate reactive oxygen species (ROS) due to conditions of the system that can overcome their antioxidant protection. Resveratrol is an antioxidant used in in vitro systems improving blastocyst rates, but its effect on antioxidant enzymes such as glutathione (GSH) in embryos produced by in vitro fertilization (IVF) after vitrification has not been reported. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of resveratrol in the in vitro maturation medium (IVM) of sheep oocytes (Ovis aries) on the levels of ROS and GSH in embryos produced by IVF subjected to vitrification. Resveratrol was added at 0µM, 0.25µM, 0.5µM and 1µM during oocyte in vitro maturation (IVM). Matured oocytes were fertilized with thawed ram sperm. Embryos were cultured in sequential media until blastocysts, then were vitrified for 24 h and after heating they were stained with DCFH-DA (2',7'-dichlorodihydrofluorescein diacetate) to determine the presence of ROS and with Cell Tracker Blue® for the presence of GSH. The quantitative values of ROS and GSH were obtained through the Image J image processor. The results showed that resveratrol increases GSH and decreases ROS production (p<0.05). It is concluded that its use in sheep oocytes during IVM has a beneficial effect on embryos produced by IVF subjected to vitrification, protecting them from oxidative damage by promoting the synthesis of antioxidants.

Background: The Sequential Organ Failure Assessment (SOFA) is a scoring system used for the evaluation of disease severity and prognosis of critically ill patients. The impedance ratio (Imp-R) is a novel mortality predictor. Aims: This study aimed to evaluate the combination of SOFA + Imp-R in the prediction of mortality in critically ill patients admitted to the emergency department (ED). Methods: A retrospective cohort study was performed in adult patients with acute illness admitted to the ED of a tertiary-care referral center. Baseline SOFA score and bioelectrical impedance analysis to obtain the Imp-R were performed within the first 24 hours after admission to the ED. A Cox regression analysis was performed to evaluate mortality risk of initial SOFA score plus Imp-R. Harrell's C-statistic and decision curve analyses (DCA) were performed. Results: Out of 325 patients, 240 were included for analysis. Overall mortality was 31.3%. Only 21.3% of non-surviving patients died after hospital discharge, and 78.4% died during hospital stay. Of the latter, 40.6% died in the ED. SOFA and Imp-R values were higher in non-survivors and were significantly associated with mortality in all models. The combination of SOFA + Imp-R significantly predicted 30-day mortality, in-hospital mortality, and ED mortality with area under the curve (AUC) of 0.80 (95% CI: 74-0.86), 0.79 (95% CI: 0.74-0.86) and 0.75 (95% CI: 0.66-0.84) respectively. The DCA showed that combining SOFA + Imp-R improved the prediction of mortality through the lower risk thresholds. Conclusion: The addition of Imp-R to baseline SOFA score at admission to the ED improves mortality prediction in severely acutely ill patients admitted to the ED.

The Atoyac River crosses the metropolitan area of Puebla, Mexico, and presents a condition of severe degradation that has been poorly studied. The research was conducted in the year 2016 and analyzed the space-time dynamics of the water quality of the river, the increase in pollution in the period 2011–2016, and the water quality of the Atoyac River used for agricultural irrigation and human consumption in the population of Emilio Portes Gil, Ocoyucan, based on official Mexican standards (NOMs). The anoxic state of the river was demonstrated (~1.47 mgO₂/L) and the high organic pollution, particularly in drought, as well as the presence of large populations of coliform bacteria, and 11 enterobacteries of pathogenic importance. The pollution recorded an average increase of 49% in the period 2011-2016, and the values of Fe, Al, Pb, and Cd in variable percentages. It was evidenced that water for irrigation and wells is contaminated with fecal bacteria (104–549 NMP/100 mL), including pathogenic. In wells, the concentration of heavy metals was 5 times higher in drought. These results represent a serious threat for the population of Emilio Portes Gil and the environment in the metropolitan area of Puebla.

Some recent studies show that filters in convolutional neural networks (CNNs) have low color selectivity in datasets of natural scenes such as Imagenet. CNNs, bio-inspired in the visual cortex, are characterized by their hierarchical learning structure, which appears to gradually transform the representation space. Inspired by the direct connection between the LGN and V4, which allows V4 to handle low-level information closer to the trichromatic input in addition to processed information that comes from V2/V3, we propose the addition of a long skip connection (LSC) between the first and last blocks of the feature extraction stage to allow deeper parts of the network to receive information from shallower layers. This type of connection improves classification accuracy by combining simple-visual and complex-abstract features to create more color-selective ones. We have applied this strategy to classic CNN architectures and quantitatively and qualitatively analyzed the improvement in accuracy while focusing on color selectivity. The results show that, in general, skip connections improve accuracy, but LSC improves it even more and enhances the color selectivity of the original CNN architectures. As a side result, we propose a new color representation procedure for organizing and filtering feature maps, making their visualization more manageable.