Environmental perception is a powerful tool for identifying community needs and potential within their surroundings. This study assessed tourists' environmental perception regarding solid waste and its impact on the Hurtado balneary, located in Valledupar, Colombia. From May to July 2023, the investigation delved into the environmental attitudes and behaviors of 769 balneary users by employing a combination of observation, photographic documentation, and a comprehensive 21-question online survey. The findings unveiled compelling insights: an overwhelming 98.8% of participants acknowledged the adverse effects of solid waste on the environment, with an impressive 98% demonstrating a willingness to participate in waste management efforts. Alarmingly, 42.13% exhibited limited awareness of waste management practices, reflecting a lack of public interest and commitment (41.61%). Statistically significant disparities emerged: 59% of waste items were not appropriately disposed of in designated receptacles. Reasons for this included a lack of a sense of belonging (50.2%) and inadequate environmental education (45.6%). 96% expressed the need for river conservation signage, while 59.8% had not engaged in environmental training. The implications of these results extend beyond the Hurtado balneary, potentially informing solid waste management strategies in other aquatic environments. Furthermore, this investigation aligns with three critical Sustainable Development Goals: SDG 12, emphasizing responsible consumption and production; SDG 13, addressing climate action; and SDG 15, advocating for life on land and below water. Keywords: Tourism; solid waste; surface water; environmental management.

The self-assembly is an intriguing process of great importance in general soft matter and thus re-ceives an ever-growing scientific interest. Its most trivial example is the entropy-driven crystalli-zation of hard spheres. Past works have established the similarities and differences in the phase behavior of monomers and chains made of hard spheres. In the present work, inspired by the dif-ference in the melting points of the pure components, we study, through Monte Carlo simulations, the phase behavior of athermal mixtures composed of fully flexible polymers and individual monomers of uniform size. We analyze how the relative number fraction and the packing density affect crystallization and the established ordered morphologies. A synergetic effect is observed in the crystallization leading to synchronous crystallization of the two species. Structural analysis of the resulting ordered morphologies shows perfect mixing and thus no phase separation, which could split the system into polymer-rich and monomer-rich domains. Due to the constraints imposed by chain connectivity, the local environment of the individual spheres is systematically more spherical and more symmetric compared to the one of spheres belonging to chains. In general, increasing polymer content leads to reduction of the degree of crystallinity. According to the present findings, relative concentration is another determining factor to control the phase behavior of hard colloidal systems based on polymers.

The diversification of life-histories is mediated by cooperation, innovations of biological information, modularity, and heterochrony in developmental processes. These processes are defined, contextualized, and exemplified, studying the evolution of coloniality (i.e. life-history involving modularization of the multicellular individual) in the family of benthic tunicates Styelidae. This study proposes that in these colonial tunicates there is an inter-generational division of labor, where one generation is feeding, a second is developing by morphogenetic processes, and a third is aging by programmed cell death and phagocytosis. The communication system developed in these colonies is mediated, by changes in proportion, location, and gene expression of specialized blood cells. Colonial life-history in animals is related to the reduction of individual size; development of extra-corporeal tissues to interconnect zooids; the inter-generational division of labor; and the reduction of zooid’s individuality. Processes analogous with the widely accepted major evolutionary transitions (METs), suggesting that coloniality could be studied as a MET. The understanding of colonial life-histories could provide information about key mechanisms for life diversification.

Marine invertebrates are model organisms in several areas of biological sciences, being a source of massive biological information. Although, the scientific relevance of marine invertebrates, the research with them can be limited for their tissue characteristics and troubles for the replication of physical and chemical properties of seawater. Thence, the main goal of this laboratory workflow is to provide a useful methodological approach to reduce the experimental limitations during the study of marine invertebrates. The present study describes experimental methodologies for the collection, transport, and maintenance of sessile tunicates. Also, an approach to observe and characterize, a diverse population of blood cells in marine invertebrates, by several cytological stains and electron microscopy. Lastly, suggestions and protocols to extract quality RNA from samples with high concentrations of salts, pigments, secondary metabolites, and polysaccharides. This methodological approach can be easily adapted to other marine invertebrates, moreover uses low-cost reagents and widely available laboratory equipment. Making possible the study of different types of marine animals in diverse locations.

Background. It is unclear whether the use of clinical prediction rules is sufficient to rule out infective endocarditis (IE) in patients with Staphylococcus aureus bacteremia (SAB) without an echocardiogram evaluation, either transthoracic (TTE) and/or transesophageal (TEE). Our primary purpose was to test the usefulness of PREDICT, POSITIVE and VIRSTA scores to rule out IE without echocardiography. Our secondary purpose was to evaluate whether not performing an echocardiogram evaluation is associated with higher mortality. Methods. We conducted a unicentric retrospective cohort including all patients with a first SAB episode from January 2015 to December 2020. IE was defined according to modified Duke criteria. We predefined threshold cut-off points to consider that IE was ruled out by means of the mentioned scores. To assess 30-day mortality, we used a multivariable regression model considering performing an echocardiogram as covariate. Results. Out of 404 patients, IE was diagnosed in 50 (12.4%). Prevalence of IE within patients with negative PREDICT, POSITIVE and VIRSTA scores was: 3.6% (95% CI 0.1-6.9%), 4.9% (95% CI 2.2-7.7%), and 2.2% (95% CI 0.2-4.3%), respectively. Patients with negative VIRSTA and negative TTE had an IE prevalence of 0.9% (95% CI 0-2.8%). Performing an echocardiogram was independently associated with lower 30-day mortality (OR 0.24 95%CI 0.10-0.54, p=0.001). Conclusion. PREDICT and POSITIVE scores were not sufficient to rule out IE without TEE. In patients with negative VIRSTA score, it was doubtful if IE could be discarded with a negative TTE. Not performing an echocardiogram was associated with worse outcomes, which might be related to presence of occult IE. Further studies are needed to assess the usefulness of clinical prediction rules in avoiding echocardiographic evaluation in SAB patients.

SARS-CoV-2 (CoV-2) is a coronavirus which is causing the actual COVID-19 pandemic. The disease caused by 2019 new coronavirus (2019-nCoV) was named coronavirus disease-19 (COVID-19) by the World Health Organization in February 2020. Primary non-specific reported symptoms of 2019-nCoV infection at the prodromal phase are malaise, fever, and dry cough. The most commonly reported signs and symptoms are fever (98%), cough (76%), dyspnea (55%), and myalgia or fatigue (44%). Nonetheless, recent reports suggest an association between COVID-19 and altered olfactory and taste functions, although smell seems to be more affected than taste. These associations of smell and taste dysfunctions and CoV-2 are consistent with case reports describing a patient with SARS with long term anosmia after recovery from respiratory distress, with the observation that olfactory function is commonly altered after infection with endemic coronaviruses, and with data demonstrating that intentional experimental infection of humans with CoV-299 raises the thresholds at which odors can be detected. Post-viral anosmia and is one of the leading causes of loss of sense of smell in adults, accounting for up to 40% cases of anosmia. Viruses that give rise to the common cold are well known to cause post-infectious loss, and over 200 different viruses are known to cause upper respiratory tract infections. I reviewed the possible mechanisms of smell and taste loss in COVID-19. I concluded that since the existence of such a relationship is likely, it is highly recommended that those patients who experience complications such as smell and/or taste loss, even as unique symptoms, should be considered as potential SARS-CoV-2 virus carriers.

Background. Upper respiratory infections (URIs) remains as significant cause of morbidity in children. Evidence on efficacy of probiotics to prevent URIs in children is increasing. This systematic review was assembled to analyze evidence about the efficacy of probiotics to reduce duration of upper respiratory infections in ambulatory children. Methods. Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) comparing probiotics vs. placebo to prevent URIs, published between 2001 and 2016 were considered. Quality evaluation was evaluated using CONSORT. Standard mean difference (SMD) or risk ratio (RR) was calculated. Network Meta-Analysis (NMA), using a random effect model was assembled. Results. 31 RCTs were evaluated and 20 studies were included with 3,635 children randomized to probiotics and 3,433 to placebo. Lactobacillus reuteri [SMD -0.56 CI95% (-0.72 to -0.41), p 0.0001] and Lactobacillus acidophillus [SMD -0.33 CI95% (-0.60 to -0.06), p 0.01] were superior to placebo to reduce duration of URIs. L. rhamnosus GG showed tendency [SMD -0.14 CI95% (-0.28 to 0.0), p 0.048]. On the network forest plot L. reuteri showed preventive equivalence when was compared to L. rhamnosus GG, L. casei and BB12. Conclusions. Lactobacillus reuteri, Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG and Bifidobacterium BB12 are evidence-based alternatives to be considered to prevent URIs in children.

Health literacy is a growing research area with specific aspects and different instruments to measure health literacy. This article uses natural language processing model to analyze the academic corpora regarding seven health literacy instruments - Health Literacy Questionnaire, Mental Health Literacy Scale, Rapid Estimate of Adult Literacy in Medicine, Test of Functional Health Literacy in Adults, Health Literacy Survey, The Newest Vital Sign and eHealth Literacy Scale. We apply Structural Topic Modeling to all the abstracts of the selected academic corpora, label the topics based on their focus, and use the topic distribution with metadata to train a Random Forest algorithm for predicting yearly citations. We estimate Regression models based on the ranking of the most relevant features, which serves as a robustness check and to infer their impact on citation dynamics. We have found that Digital Health Literacy is positively associated with yearly citations, while other topics such as Functional Health Literacy and Women's Health reduce citation likelihood. Other article characteristics also have shown a significant role in the citation likelihood, such as the publication year, amount of articles and certain keywords. These findings portray the current landscape of health literacy research, highlighting literature gaps and popular topics.

El objetivo del siguiente artículo es presentar algunos conceptos para entender un poco más sobre qué es la inteligencia empresarial, cuál es su significado y para qué sirve, cómo ha influido en la vida de las empresas para crear sus estrategias de negocio y por qué esta herramienta . nos ayuda a tomar decisiones en una organización.

To curb the impacts arising from the agricultural sector the actions undertaken by policymakers, and ultimately by the farmers, are of paramount importance. However, finding the best strategy to reduce impacts, and especially assessing the effects of the interactions and mutual influence among farmers, is very difficult. To this aim, this paper shows an application of an agent-based model (ABM) coupled with life cycle assessment (LCA), which also includes multi objective optimization of farming activities (including both crop cultivation and livestock breeding) from an economic and environmental perspective. The environmental impacts are assessed using the impact assessment scores calculated with the Environmental Footprint (EF) 3.0 life cycle impact assessment (LCIA) method and the study is conducted “from cradle to farm gate”. The model is applied to all the farms in Luxembourg, whose network is constructed utilizing neighborhood interactions, through which a parameter known as farmer's green consciousness (GC) is updated at each time step. The optimization module is instantiated at the end of each time step, and decision variables (the number of livestock units and land allocation) are assigned based on profitability and specified environmental impact categories. If only profit optimization is considered (i.e. when farmers’ GC is de-activated), the results show a 9% reduction in the aggregated environmental impacts (obtained as EF “single score”) and a 5.5% increase in overall profitability. At the farm level, simulations display a clear trade-off between environmental sustainability and financial stability, with a 25% reduction in overall emissions possible if farming activities are carried using the EF single score impact in the objective function, though this results in an 8% reduction in profitability over ten years.

(1) In searching for herbal alternatives for treating coccidiosis in turkeys, this trial aimed to evaluate whether minced black garlic (Allium sativa) or turmeric powder (Curcuma longa) or their combination, included in dried alginate beads, were capable of controlling clinical coccidiosis in turkey male poults. (2) Four groups of 15 twelve-day-old turkey poults per group were set and rose in this trial until the end of week six. Groups were: CTR = control untreated turkeys; GAR = turkeys fed 4% of their diet with minced garlic included in dried alginate beads; CUR = treated fed 4% powder Curcuma, also prepared as dried alginate beads; and G.C. = turkeys fed 8% of their diet with the mixture of minced black garlic plus powder Curcuma (4% of each one), entrapped in dried alginate beads. Treatments were incorporated as feed-dressing, considering their mean feed intake. (3) Results reveal that turkeys in group G.C. showed a significant decrease in oocysts per gram of feces during the first six weeks of age compared to values found in the CTR group and the other treatments. These results identify that in turkey poults, there is a statistically significant anticoccidial activity of the combination of minced garlic plus powder Curcuma, included in alginate beads and administered as 4% of their feed intake. Additionally, better productive variables were recorded for this combination compared to the other three groups (P <0.05). (4) The use of vehicles specifically designed for the digestive tract of turkeys may improve the effectiveness of plant extracts for the control of coccidiosis.

Cloud computing appears to be the dreamed vision of the healthcare industry; it refers to means of storing and accessing data and programs over the internet instead of the computer’s hard drive. However, the adoption of cloud computing requires solving several issues and infor-mation privacy is a major one. This work proposes a cloud architecture design for the healthcare information system. The proposed architecture enables for storing and sharing information in a privacy-preserving manner. Patients’ information in the proposed architecture is divided into four categories identified in the case study data analysis. User identity management protocol (U-IDM) is employed for controlling the access to patients’ information, and patients have means of control over who can access their information. A scenario-based instantiation validated the proposed architecture's privacy-preserving patient data exchange. The instantiation proved that the proposed architecture allows sharing healthcare information without violating the privacy of patients.

Animals living in the wild are exposed to numerous challenges, such as fires, that can lead to animal suffering. The impacts of fire have been studied in different branches of ecology, but studies of its effects on the welfare of individual animals remain scarce. The current review aims to synthesize a sample of relevant aspects regarding fire’s negative effects on wild animals. This review provides a better understanding of how fire compromises animal welfare, providing an example of how to use the knowledge gathered in ecology studies to examine the welfare of wild animals. It can help raise concern for the situation of wild animals as individuals, and to develop the field of welfare biology, by identifying promising future lines of research. The fundamentals of carrying out future work to design protocols for rescuing animals or preventing the harms they can suffer in fires is also explored.

Covid-19 pandemic has captivated scientists to investigate if this new disease can affect the central nervous system (CNS). The most challenging symptoms of Covid-19 are related to respiratory distress, and most patients admitted in intensive care units cannot breathe by their own. Therefore, a crucial question is if respiratory distress can be partially explained by the CNS affection. SARS-Cov-2 is a beta-coronavirus that shares high similarities with SARS-CoV. The infection of SARS‐CoV has been reported in the brains from both patients and experimental animals, where the brainstem was heavily infected. Those coronaviruses have been able to invade the brainstem via a synapse‐connected route to the medullary respiratory center, where the infected regions included the nucleus of the solitary tract and nucleus ambiguous. The vagal afferent nerves from receptors in the lung communicate with the medulla and pons respiratory control centers to coordinate inspiration and expiration. This suggests that neuroinvasion of SARS‐CoV‐2 might play a role in the acute respiratory failure of Covid-19. Therefore, acute respiratory distress in Covid-19 can be partially explained by brainstem dysfunction, suggesting the needs of more specific and aggressive treatments with the direct participation of neurologists and neurointensivists.

The objective of this study was to analyze the effects of a pulmonary telerehabilitation (TR) program in young adults with post-COVID-19 syndrome. The information of sixteen students' medical files were analyzed and allocated to one of two groups (control=CG/experimental=EG). Twelve TR sessions were performed distantly and asynchronously at the EG patients' homes during 4-weeks. The program included diaphragmatic pattern breathing and aerobic exercises. The parameters: i) vital signs (oxygen saturation "SpO2", heart rate "HR", respiratory rate "RR" and blood pressure "BP"; ii) physical capacity “Sit-to-stand test”; iii) cardiorespiratory capacity “6-Minute Walk Test”; and iv) perceived effort "Borg scale" were assessed in both groups. The statistical analyses showed a significant decrease of RR and HR (p < 0.012) accompanied by a significant increase in SpO2 (p < 0.042), physical (p < 0.012) and respiratory (p < 0.028) capacity. The perceived effort decreased significantly in both groups (CG: p < 0.006; EG p < 0.001) only for physical but not for cardiorespiratory capacity (p < 0.106). There were no statistical changes registered in BP (p > 0.05). The current study suggests that a TR program that involves breathing and aerobics exercises is feasible and effective in treating post-COVID-19 syndrome in young patients.

Human Papillomavirus (HPV) self-sampling has the potential to increase cervical cancer screening (CCS) and reduce the cervical cancer burden in Medically Underserved Women (MUW). However, interventions promoting self-sampling are limited. We examined the effectiveness of an intervention study in increasing CCS among MUW. We conducted a quasi-experimental intervention study. Face-to-face verbal approach was to recruit MUW (n=85, mean age 48.57±11.02) living in a small city in the US. Behavioral intervention based on reframing, reprioritizing, and reforming (3R model) was used to educate the women about CCS in a group format. The women completed pre-and post-intervention assessments and followed-up interviews. The primary outcome was CCS uptake. Mixed methods analyses were conducted using a t-test for the primary outcome, PROCESS for mediation analysis, and NVivo for interview data. Majority of women (75%) completed self-testing. High-risk HPV prevalent among the women was 11%, and of those, 57% followed-up with physicians for care. We found that the significant increase in the women’s post-intervention screening behaviors was mediated by the increase in knowledge (Indirect Effect [IE] = .1314; 95% CI, .0104, .4079) and attitude (IE = .2167; 95% CI, .0291, .6050) scores, (p&lt;0.001). Interview analyses offered further explanations (see the explanations in parenthesis) why MUW found the intervention messages acceptable (encourages proactive behavior), feasible (simple and easy to understand), and appropriate (helpful and informative). Barriers including lack of trust and fear of results were identified. The findings suggest that an intervention that combines the 3R model and self-sampling may increase CCS among MUW.

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

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

Solid state fermentation (SSF) is considered more sustainable than traditional fermentation because it uses low amounts of water and transforms agro-industrial residues into value added products. Enzymes, biofuels, nanoparticles and bioactive compounds can be obtained from SSF. The key factor in SSF processes is the choice of microorganisms and their substrates. Many fungal species can be used and are mainly used due their lower requirements of water, O2 and light. Residues rich in soluble and insoluble fiber are utilized by lignocellulolytic fungi because they have the enzymes that break fiber hard structure (lignases, celullases or hemicelullases). During the hydrolysis of lignin, some phenolic compounds are released but fungi also synthetize compounds such as mycophenolic acid, dicerandrol C, phenylacetates, anthraquinones, benzofurans and alkenyl phenols that have health beneficial effects such as antitumoral, antimicrobial, antioxidant and antiviral activities. Another important group of compounds synthetized by fungi during fermentation are polysaccharides that also have important health promoting properties. Fungal biofermentation has also proved to be a process which can release high contents of phenolics and it also increases the bioactivity of these compounds.

It's been a growing concern that many microbes are developing resistance against many antibiotics, lowering the effectiveness and progress expected from that treatment option. To overcome the re-sistance developed by microbes, metallic and non-metallic-based nanoparticle treatments are starting to present a very promising approach. Furthermore, polyurethanes are used in a wide range of biomedical applications due to their variety of physical-chemical, mechanical, and structural properties, and biotic and abiotic degradation. They are widely used in bio-imaging procedures when metallic-based filler particles are incorporated, making the final product radiopaque. It would be advantageous, however, if polyurethanes with intrinsic radiopacity could be produced in their synthesis, avoiding a series of disadvantages in the processing and final product and also presenting potential antimicrobial activities. This review’s objective was to study the radiopacifying charac-teristics of nanoparticles as well as the physical principles of radiopacity and the variety of medical applications of polyurethanes with nanoparticles. It was found in this study that the synthetization of radiopaque polyurethanes is not only possible but also that the efficiency of synthetization was improved when using atoms with high electron density as part of the back chainbone or grafted, making them great multipurpose materials.

In the present work we present a methodology for teaching the basis of the genetic code through music composition, with the aim to combine science and arts learning. The project was carried out by 155 students, the so-called MARGA Consortium, with ages comprised between 10 and 17 years from different public schools located in the Principality of Asturias, Spain. The different groups generated 8 different music works using a short genetic sequence obtained from the human notch1 gene, receptor of mutations leading to chronic lymphocytic leukemia.

Eccentric punching shear can occur in concrete slab-column connections when the connection is subjected to shear and unbalanced moments. Typically, this situation results in edge and corner columns and is thus a common practical case. However, most punching experiments in the literature are concentric punching shear. This paper presents a developed database of eighty-eight experiments of flat slabs under eccentric punching shear, including a summary of the testing procedure of each reference and a description of the slab specimens. Additionally, a linear finite element analysis of all the specimens is included to determine the relevant sectional shear forces and moments. Finally, the ultimate shear stresses from the database experiments are compared to the shear capacities determined with ACI 318-19, Eurocode 2 NEN-EN 1992-1-1:2005, and the Model Code 2010. The comparison shows that the Model Code 2010 is the most precise in the predictions with an average tested over predicted ratio of 0.96 and a coefficient of variation of 27.96%. It can be concluded that this study represents the inconsistencies of the currently used design methods and the lack of experimental information.

Living cells are complex systems that may be characterized by fluids crowded by hundreds of different elements in particular by a high density of polymers; they are an excellent and challenging laboratory to study exotic emerging physical phenomena where entropic forces emerge from organization processes of many-body interactions. The competition between microscopic and entropic forces may generate complex behaviors like phase transitions that living cells may use to accomplish their functions. In the era of the big data, when biological information abounds but general principles and precise understanding of the microscopic interactions scarce, the entropy methods may offer significant information. In this work we develop a model where the thermodynamic equilibrium results from the competition between an effective electrostatic shortrange interaction and the entropic forces emerging in a fluid crowded by different size polymers. The target audience for this article are interdisciplinary researchers in complex systems, particularly in thermodynamics and biophysics modeling.

CD74 is a type II cell surface receptor found to be highly expressed in several hematological and solid cancers, due to its ability to activate pathways associated with tumor cell survival and proliferation. Over the past 16 years, CD74 is emerging as a commonly detected fusion partner in multiple oncogenic fusion proteins. Studies have found CD74 fusion proteins in a range of cancers including lung adenocarcinoma, inflammatory breast cancer, and pediatric acute lymphoblastic leukemia. To date, there are five known CD74 fusion proteins, CD74-ROS1, CD74-NTRK1, CD74-NRG1, CD74-NRG2a, and CD74-PDGFRB, with a total of 16 different variants, each with unique genetic signatures. Importantly, the occurrence of CD74 in the formation of fusion proteins has not been well explored despite the fact that ROS1 and NRG1 families utilize CD74 as the primary partner for the formation of oncogenic fusions. Fusion proteins known to be oncogenic drivers, including those of CD74, are typically detected, and targeted after standard chemotherapeutic plans fail and the disease relapses. The analysis reported herein provides insights into early intervention of CD74 fusions and highlight the need for improved routine assessment methods so that targeted therapies can be applied while they are most effective.

Background: Interstitial lung disease (ILD) is a frequent complication in systemic sclerosis (SSc). So, an increased awareness of this complication is a real need in the clinical setting, because it may affect the prognosis of patients. In particular, an accurate strategy is desirable in order to detect ILD in its stages. So, we investigate the validity of ultrasound (US) in detecting subclinical ILD in SSc, and to determine its potential in disease progression. Methods: 133 patients without respiratory symptoms and 133 healthy controls were included. Borg scale, Rodnan skin score (RSS), pulmonary auscultation, chest radiographs and respiratory function tests (RFT) were performed. An expert rheumatologist performed the lung US. High-resolution CT (HRCT) was also performed. After the baseline assessment, the patients were followed every 3 months for 12 months. Results: A total of 79 of 133 patients (59.4%) showed US signs of ILD in contrast to healthy controls (4.8%) (p=0.0001). The clinical and laboratory variables associated with ILD were anti-centromere antibodies (p=0.005) and RSS (p=0.004). A positive correlation was demonstrated between the US and HRCT findings (p=0.001). Sensitivity and specificity of US in detecting ILD was 91.2% and 88.6% respectively. A good inter-observer reliability was observed (k = 0.72). In the follow-up, a total of 30 patients out of 79 (37.9%) who demonstrated US signs of ILD at baseline, showed changes in the ILD score by US. Conclusions: US showed a high prevalence of subclinical ILD in SSc patients. It demonstrated to be a valid, reliable and feasible tool to detect ILD in SSc and to monitoring the disease progression.

Logistics in urban areas are currently suffering a radical transformation due to increasingly population concentration and the massive use of cars as the preferred transport mode. These issues have resulted in higher pollution levels in urban environments and traffic congestion impacting the world globally. Facilitating the use of sustainable transport modes is widely regarded as a necessity to cope with these adverse effects on citizens’ life quality. Hence, some regions, as the European Union, are encouraging bus transport firms to make their business models more environmentally and socially sustainable. The aim of this research is thus to explore how practices adopted by urban bus companies can improve cities’ sustainability. With this in mind, a combined Importance Performance Analysis (IPA)-Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) method was applied. In this way, both environmental and social sustainability effects of developed practices were represented through hierarchical structures separately. Subsequently, importance and performance ratings of practices in each sustainability dimension were estimated, and thus two IPA grids were generated. These grids support managers in the establishment of more effective action plans to improve logistics sustainability in cities. Findings also provide guidance to governments on the practices that should be promoted in future urban mobility plans.

In this work, we report the magnetocaloric effect (MCE) in a quantum dot corresponding to an electron interacting with an antidot, under the effect of an Aharonov-Bohm flux subjected to a parabolic confinement potential. We use the Bogachek and Landman model, which additionally allows the study of quantum dots with Fock-Darwin energy levels for vanishing antidot radius and flux. We find that the Aharonov-Bohm flux (AB-flux) strongly controls the oscillatory behaviour of the MCE, thus acting as a control parameter for the cooling or heating of the magnetocaloric effect. We propose a way to detect AB-flux by measuring temperature differences.

: In Chile, most tailings impoundments are in Northern and Central Chile, 20% of them are abandoned. Municipal budgets to manage these environmental liabilities are very limited and the use of native and endemic plant species to remove heavy metals from tailings is a low-cost alternative. Ex-situ phytoremediation experiments were conducted over seven months to evaluate the potential of Lycium chilense and Haplopappus foliosus to remove copper and lead from mine tailings. The results indicate that both species can concentrate high levels of both elements and they present removal efficiencies for Cu close to 50%. The best performance was presented by Haplopappus foliosus, accumulating higher concentrations of both metals than Lycium chilense. Also, it presents a bioconcentration over 1.

The ankle is a complex joint with a high injury incidence. Rehabilitation Robotics applied to the ankle is a very active research field. We present cable-driven reconfigurable robot kinematics and statics. We studied how the tendons pull mid-foot bones around the talocrural and subtalar axes. Likewise, we propose a hybrid serial-parallel mechanism analogous to the ankle. Then, using screw theory, we synthesized a cable-driven robot with the human ankle in the closed-loop kinematics. We incorporate a draw-wire sensor to measure the axes’ pose and compute the product of exponentials. We reconfigure the cables to balance the tension and pressure forces using the axis projection on the base and platform planes. Likewise, we also computed the workspace to show that the reconfigurable design fits several sizes. The data used is from anthropometry and statistics. Finally, we validated the robot’s statics with MuJoCo for various cable length groups corresponding to the axes’ range of motion. We suggested a platform adjusting system and an alignment method. The design is lightweight, and the cable-driven robot has advantages over rigid parallel robots, such as Stewart platforms. We will use compliant actuators.

Nanocrystalline silicon oxide (nc-SiOx:H) is a multipurpose material with its varied application in solar cells as a transparent front contact, intermediate reflector, back reflector layer and even tunnel layer for passivating contacts, owing to easy tailoring of its optical properties. In this work, we systematically investigate the influence of gas mixture (SiH4, CO2, PH3 and H2), RF power and process pressure on the optical, structural and passivation properties of thin n-type nc-SiOx:H films prepared in an industrial, high throughput, plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD) reactor. We provide a detailed description of the n-type nc-SiOx:H material develop-ment using various characterization techniques (SEM, EDX, Raman spectroscopy, and spectro-scopic ellipsometry) with a focus on the relationship between the material properties and the pas-sivation they provide to n-type c-Si wafers characterized by their effective carrier lifetime (τeff). Further, we also outline the parameters to be kept in mind while developing different n-type nc-SiOx:H layers for different solar cell applications. We report a tunable optical gap (1.8 – 2.3 eV) for our n-type nc-SiOx:H films as well as excellent passivation properties with τeff up to 3.5 ms (iVoc ~ 715 mV) before annealing. Oxygen content plays an important role in determining the crystallinity and hence passivation quality of the deposited nanocrystalline silicon oxide films.

Assessment of the percentage of disease infected lung volume using computed tomography (CT) images can play an important role to detect lung diseases and predict disease severity. However, manual segmentation of disease infected regions from many CT image slices is tedious and not feasible in clinical practice. To help solve this clinical challenge, this study aims to investigate a new strategy to automatically segment disease infected regions and predict disease severity. We employed a public dataset acquired from 20 COVID-19 patients, which includes manually annotated lung and infections masks, to train a new ensembled deep learning (DL) model that combines the five customized residual attention UNet models to segment disease infected regions followed by a Feature Pyramid Network (FPN) model to classify severity stage of COVID-19 infection. To test potentially clinical utility of new model, we first gathered and processed another set of CT images acquired from 80 Covid-19 patients. Next, we asked two chest radiologists to read CT images of each patient and report the estimated percentage of infected lung volume and disease severity level. Additionally, we asked radiologists to rate acceptance of DL model-generated segmentation results using a 5-scale rating method. Data analysis results show that agreement between disease severity classification is &gt;90% in 45 testing cases. Furthermore, &gt;73% of cases received the high rating score from two radiologists (scored more than 4). This study demonstrates feasibility of developing a new DL-model to efficiently provide quantitative assessment of disease severity based on the automated segmentation of the disease infected regions to support improving efficacy of radiologists in disease diagnosis.

Protein malnutrition is present in developing countries but also in developed ones, due by the actual eating habits with insufficient protein intake, in addition to this it is estimated by the Food and Agricultural Organization of the United Nations an increase of world population of 9.1 billion people in less those 30 years, posing the challenge of nourish the mankind. There are different strategies to afford this challenge, one of the most promising ones is to approach novel protein sources like plants, microorganisms, and insects from dry lands.

Due to the genotype-dependent effects of water deficit (WD) on coffee physiology, climate change raises the risk of coffee yield. The aim of the study was to assess the effect of WD on physiological and growth traits in arabica coffee (Coffea arabica L.). Water status, photosynthetic response to in-tercellular concentration of CO2 (A/Ci curves) and growth parameters were evaluated in seedlings of four genotypes (Catimor ECU 02, Cavimor ECU, red Caturra and Sarchimor 4260). Most of the physiological traits evaluated differed significantly among genotypes. Between control and WD plants, there were significant differences in A/Ci parameters, showing a wide range of values for photosynthetic rate, stomatal conductance, and water use efficiency, with decreases ranging from 4 to 74%. Maximum rate of carboxylation by RuBisCO, maximum electron transport rate through photosystem II, and triose phosphate utilization rate were all strongly reduced by WD 61 % (red Caturra and Sarchimor 4260), followed by Cavimor ECU (35 %) and 24 % in Catimor ECU 02. Differences in response to WD among genotypes suggest possible genotypic differences in toler-ance. The results indicated that Catimor ECU 02 and Cavimor ECU were less sensitive to WD, while red Caturra and Sarchimor 4260 were the most susceptible.

Guava (Psidium guajava L.) is a species is widely distributed in Córdoba, despite this, there are few studies that have been carried out to understand its genetic diversity. For this reason, the objective of this research was to evaluate the genetic diversity and variability of guava (Psidium guajava L) using microsatellite markers in Montería, Córdoba-Colombia. Forty-five accessions were evaluated. For DNA extraction, the CTAB 2x extraction protocol was used with modifications. The extracted DNA was amplified by the PCR technique using seven microsatellite markers. A total of 46 alleles were found with an average of 6.5 alleles per locus. A total of 28 private alleles were identified in the populations, possibly fixed by different evolutionary forces. The evaluated population presented an average expected heterozygosity of 0.572 and the observed heterozygosity was lower (0.058). The fixation index presented a total average of 0.906, indicating that in Montería there is an excess of homozygotes. The PIC values allowed us to determine that the markers mPgCIR9, mPgCIR11, mPgCIR13, mPgCIR16, mPgCIR19 and mPgCIR22 are highly informative, while mPgCIR23 is moderately informative. The guava population in Montería presented a low genetic diversity within the subpopulations, which could be related to inbreeding events such as self-pollination..

The mosaic disease in maize is caused by Sugarcane mosaic virus (SCMV), a member of the Potyviridae family. The best strategy to cope with viral infections is the use of disease-resistant maize lines. To better understand the resistance response to SCMV, we analyzed differentially expressed genes among a resistant line (CI-RL1), a susceptible line (B73), and the F1 progeny from a cross between both lines using RNA-Seq data. We also analyzed transcript expression pattern clustering to allocate previously reported resistance candidate genes. GO enrichment analysis of biological processes highlighted a strong regulation in ROS detoxification in both the susceptible and resistant lines. The enrichment of cellular components led to the identification of an integral component of the plasma membrane in the RL line. Transcript expression patterns provide evidence of the importance of host translation in virus response, showing the diverse and complex behavior of eIF4E homologs and the presence of eleven eEF1α factors in maize. In addition, we identified two genes putatively implied in long-distance movement: ZmPiezo and ZmPVIP1. Finally, we propose an ABC transporter to be associated with viral resistance.

For the first time in human history the majority of people no longer live in a rural environment. According to the United Nations, over 50% of the global population now lives in cities. The abandonment of the rural environment has grave consequences for society in general, as these areas are healthier places to live, produce the food we all depend on, and are an important factor for preserving biodiversity and environmental sustainability. In this paper we will provide a historical overview of rural repopulation models and analyse a number of models currently being applied in several countries in Europe and Latin America. We will also offer observations on a pilot repopulation project called “Habita Tierra” currently being developed. The common characteristics of different repopulation models prompted us to develop a model based on active listening and accompaniment of people and local agents as well as other important factors. Rural depopulation in Spain involves a number of interrelated problems, one of the most salient being the aging rural population. The average farmer in Spain is 61 years of age. There is also the problem of gender imbalance in rural areas, where women enjoy few opportunities or alternatives. In turn, low fertility rates, increasing stress on limited public healthcare, education and transpor-tation resources, a lack of cultural activities and poor connectivity are also factors driving rural depopulation. The only group which is increasing the rural areas in Spain are immigrants, who now account for 10% of the rural population, often performing the agricultural, fishing and livestock farming ac-tivities abandoned by native residents. This group, along with young people, and women of all ages and the programs which support them may offer a solution to the challenge of depopulation. The paper concludes with a list of the key features of successful repopulation programs, drawn from a comparison of historic and contemporary models.

The escalating environmental challenges that stem from urban residential waste in densely populated areas have become increasingly prominent in recent times. As a result, the waste management sector has experienced significant growth nationwide. However, due to the predominantly manual nature of these processes, their effectiveness falls short of meeting the current demand. Addressing these issues requires process enhancement. In this context, Industry 4.0, particularly the concept of Digital Twins, emerges as a potential avenue for refining processes. To tackle both current and future industry challenges, it is imperative to create a comprehensive methodology capable of generating effective solutions within the waste management sector. This paper provides an explanation of digital twins, outlines the methodological framework comprising an architectural structure and layered model, and details a series of sequential methodical stages for implementing digital twins based on the specific scope determined by the end-user. A noteworthy aspect is the transformative potential of digital twins in enhancing efficiency and precision within waste management practices. By providing a virtual real-time representation of the waste management system, digital twins empower simulations and experimentation to fine-tune processes. Furthermore, they facilitate informed decision-making by offering a detailed visualization of the complete system, simplifying the identification of challenges and opportunities for improvement. that this article derives from the presentation titled "Digital Twin application methodology for the improvement of production and service systems. Application to waste management processes" at the "Sustainable Smart Cities and Territories International Conference" held in the city of Manizales, Colombia, from 21st to 23rd June 2023.

Amplitude growth rates of monochromatic gravity waves were estimated and compared from multiple instrument measurements carried out in Brazil. Wave dynamic parameters were obtained from sodium density profiles from lidar observations carried out in Sao Jose dos Campos (23°S, 46°W), while all-sky images of multiple airglow layers provided amplitudes and parameters of waves over Cachoeira Paulista (23°S, 45°W). Growth rates of gravity wave amplitudes from lidar and airglow imager data were consistent with dissipative wave behavior. Only a small amount of the observed wave events presented freely propagating behavior. Part of the observed waves presented saturated amplitude. The general saturated/damped behavior is consistent with diffusive filtering processes imposing limits to amplitude growth rates of the observed gravity waves.

Although, staging models gained momentum to stage define affective disorders, no attempts were made to construct mathematical staging models using clinical and biomarker data in patients with major depression and bipolar disorder.The aims of this study were to use clinical and biomarker data to construct statistically-derived staging models, which are associated with early lifetime traumata (ELTs), affective phenomenology and biomarkers.In the current study, 172 subjects participated, 105 with affective disorders (both bipolar and unipolar) and 67 controls. Staging scores were computed by extracting latent vectors (LVs) from clinical data including ELTs, recurring flare ups and suicidal behaviors, outcome data such as disabilities and health-related quality of life (HR-QoL), and paraoxonase (PON)1 actvities and nitro-oxidative stress biomarkers.Recurrence of episodes and suicidal behaviors could reliably be combined into a LV with adequate composite reliability (the “recurrence LV”), which was associated with female sex, the combined effects of multiple ELTs, disabilities, HR-QoL and impairments in cognitive tests. All those factors could be combined into a reliable “ELT-staging LV” which was significantly associated with nitro-oxidative stress biomarkers. A reliable LV could be extracted from serum PON1 activities, recurrent flare ups, disabilities and HR-QoL.Our ELT-staging index scores the severity of a relevant affective dimension, shared by both major depression and bipolar disorder, namely the trajectory from ELTs, a relapsing course and suicidal behaviors to progressive disabilities. Patients were classified into three stages, namely an early stage; a relapse-regression stage; and a suicidal-regression stage. Lowered lipid-associated antioxidant defenses may be a drug target to prevent the transition from the early to the later regression stages.

Introduction: In the medical area, teaching is essential since it must offer the appropriate instruments to demonstrate that graduates have acquired the necessary skills. Objective: Evaluate the quality of research in residents of medical specialties after a standardized digital training program with rubrics. Methods: An observational, prospective research study in resident physicians of seven medical specialties first-year of an introductory program to methodology. It is integrated with the result variable through the quality of the final product and the quality variable will be measured with an ad hoc questionnaire validated by the Delphi method with a consistency level of 3-3. The data will be integrated into a base of the SPSS system and determined with the Chi-square test considering a minimum significance of 0.05. Results: 85 first-year medical residents (n=85) enrolled in the Research Seminar. The mean age was 31.34 years (± 3.96). About gender Male 38±31.13 Female 31.51±3.83. The global final grade was 80.61 (± 9.59) and the global sat-isfaction of the course was referred to as good by 62.2%. We observed a positive relationship between the scope of evaluation and the level of satisfaction. Conclusion: The research seminar implementation in a b-learning mode in response to the educational needs in medical residents for the field of health education showed a relationship between higher qualification, higher satisfaction, as well as determining that the comprehensive evaluation through the use of rubrics standardized allowed to delimit the deficiencies and strengths for timely feedback influencing the process of acquiring skills and the quality of the final product.

In a previous Argentine study, we found that, in the critical con-text of social isolation during the COVID-19 pandemic, there were changes in maternal practices that influenced the relationship with their children. We also found that the impact of mandatory isolation was moderated positively by protective factors such as positive parenting and maternal school support, or negatively by risk factors such as maternal stress. Although this study only analyzed maternal behavior, we were interested in studying the behavior of both parents, comparing the parenting (positive parenting, parental stress, and school support) of the father and mother and the perceived behavioral changes in their children. The sample consisted of 120 Argentinean parents (70 mothers and 50 fathers) aged be-tween 27 and 56 years (M = 38.84; SD = 5.03). Questionnaires were administered on sociodemo-graphic and behavioral data of the children, as well as a brief scale to assess parenting. Mann Whitney U and MANOVA were used to analyze the influence of gender on perceived changes in children's behavior and perceived parenting, respectively. Mothers perceived more significant changes than fathers in their children's behavior. In addition, women reported more parental stress, greater child school sup-port, and greater perceived positive parenting, compared to men. These findings support the hypothesis that parenting developed differently in fathers and mothers which is likely influenced by culture.

Human violence recognition is an area of great interest in the scientific community, given its broad spectrum of applications, especially in video surveillance systems, since detecting violence in real-time could prevent criminal acts and save lives. Despite the number of existing proposals and research, most focus on the precision of results, leaving aside efficiency and its practical implementation. Thus, this work proposes a model that is effective and efficient in recognizing human violence in real-time. The proposed model consists of three modules: a first module called Spatial Motion Extractor (SME), in charge of extracting regions of interest from a frame; a second module called Short Temporal Extractor (STC), whose function is to extract temporal characteristics of rapid movements, finally the Global Temporal Extractor (GET) module, responsible for identifying long-lasting temporal features and fine-tuning the model. The proposal was evaluated regarding efficiency, effectiveness, and ability to operate in real-time. The results obtained on Hockey, Movies, and RWF-2000 datasets demonstrated that this approach is highly efficient compared to other alternatives. A VioPeru dataset was created to validate real-time applicability with violent and non-violent videos captured by real video surveillance cameras in Peru. The effectiveness results in this dataset outperformed the best existing proposal. Therefore, our proposal has contributions in efficiency, effectiveness, and real-time.

Recent studies have reported shallow and deep seep areas offshore Mocha island. Gas hydrate occurrences along the Chilean margin could explain seeps presence. Gas phases (gas hydrate and free gas) and geothermal gradients were estimated analysing two seismic sections. Close to Mocha island (up to 20 km) were detected high (up to 1900 m/s) and low (1260 m/s) velocities associated with high gas hydrate (up to 20 % of total volume) and free gas (up to 1.1% of total volume) concentrations respectively. These values are in agreement with a variable and high geothermal gradient (65 to 110 °C/km) related to high supply deep fluids canalised by faults and fractures. Faraway from Mocha island (more than 60 km), free gas concentrations decrease to 0.3 % of total volume and low geothermal gradient (from 35 to 60 °C/km) are associated with low fluids supply. Finally, we propose gas hydrate dissociation processes as the main supply source for seeps in the vicinity of Mocha island. These processes can be triggered by ancient sliding reported in literature.

This research delves into the intricate dynamics underlying the impact of investments on global output, em-ploying the Leontief matrix as a robust analytical framework. Investments wield a profound influence on economies worldwide, with varying effects contingent upon investment types, development levels of coun-tries, and external factors such as trade conflicts and global shocks. The diverse range of investment forms, including physical capital, human capital, R&D, and technological investments, engenders distinct implica-tions for productivity, innovation, and efficiency. Developing and developed economies navigate unique tra-jectories, with investments playing a pivotal role in bridging infrastructure gaps, improving technology, and spurring growth. However, external disruptions, such as trade wars and global shocks, introduce an element of complexity, reshaping investment patterns and altering global output trajectories. This study centers on harnessing the Leontief matrix's prowess to evaluate the interplay of investments and global output, focusing on the Romanian economy. By analyzing input-output tables, encompassing 105 branches aggregated into 10 sectors, the research captures the intricate connections between economic segments. No-tably, the Romanian context reveals the volatility of the matrix coefficients', an outcome of ongoing transi-tional processes, technological advancements, and fluctuating relative prices. In unraveling the intricate threads weaving investments and global output, this study contributes to a nuanced comprehension of these multifaceted interactions. The findings underscore the significance of tailoring investment strategies to specific economic contexts and advocate for robust frameworks, such as the Leontief matrix, to inform pol-icy decisions and drive sustainable growth in an increasingly complex global economy.

The human ankle is a complex joint, most commonly represented as talocrural and subtalar axes. It is difficult to locate and take in vivo measurements of the ankle joint. There are no instruments for patients lying on a bed or the floor; that can be used in outdoor or remote sites. We have developed a "Turmell-meter" to address these issues. We started with the study of ankle anatomy and anthropometry, then we used the product of exponentials’ formula to visualize the movements. Furthermore, we built a prototype using human proportions and statistics. For pose estimation, we used a trilateration method by applying tetrahedral geometry. Additionally, we computed the axis direction by fitting 3D circles, plotting the manifold and chart as an ankle joint model. We presented the results of simulations, a prototype comprising 45 parts, specifically designed draw-wire sensors, and electronics. Finally, we tested the device by capturing positions and fitting them into the bi-axial ankle model as a Riemannian manifold. The Turmell-meter is intended to be a hardware platform for human ankle joint axis estimation, it is adjustable and has an easy setup. The proposed model has the properties of a chart in a geometric manifold, we provided the details

In this work, we report the magnetocaloric effect (MCE) in two systems of non-interactive particles, the first corresponds to the Landau problem case and the second, the case of an electron in a quantum dot subjected to a parabolic confinement potential. In the first scenario, we realize that the effect is totally different from what happens when the degeneration of a single electron confined in a magnetic field is not taken into account. In particular, when the degeneracy of the system is negligible, the magnetocaloric effect cools the system, while in the other case, when the degeneracy is strong, the system heats up. For the second case, we study the competition between the characteristic frequency of the potential trap and the cyclotron frequency to find the optimal region that maximizes the ΔT of the magnetocaloric effect, and due to the strong degeneration of this problem, the results are in coherence with those obtained for the Landau problem. Finally, we consider the case of a transition from a normal MCE to an inverse one and back to normal as a function of temperature. This is due to the competition between the diamagnetic and paramagnetic response when the electron spin in the formulation is included.

Background and Objectives: Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is highly prevalent world-wide. It progresses from simple steatosis to non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH). Fibrosis is often present during NAFLD progression; however, factors determining which subjects develop NASH or fibrosis are unclear. Insulin-like growth factor binding proteins (IGFBP) is a family of secreted proteins involved in senescence and scarring mainly synthetized in the liver. Here we aimed to study the association of IGFBP and its induced senescence with the progression of NAFLD and liver fibrosis. Materials and Methods: 16 weeks old male C57BL/6 mice weighing 23 ± 3 g were fed either Methionine-Choline Deficient or control diet for 2, 8 or 12 weeks. Blood and liver samples were collected; histological assessment of NAFLD and fibrosis was performed. Fat contents were measured. Cellular senescence was evaluated in the liver. IGFBP levels were assessed in liver and serum. Data was expressed as Mean ± SD and analyzed by one-way ANOVA followed Tukey’s test. Lineal regression models were applied for NAFLD and fibrosis progression. p

The definition of artificial intelligence (AI) is the capacity of a computer or machine to mimic or simulate human intelligence. AI has been applied in different areas, including medicine. In cardiology, AI techniques have revolutionized the field of cardiac diagnosis, enabling the detection and prediction of cardiovascular diseases to be more accurate and efficient. This article provides an overview of machine learning, deep learning, and neural networks as they pertain to cardiac diagnosis. We will investigate how these techniques harness the power of data and algorithms to analyze complex patterns in cardiac data, thereby facilitating early detection, risk assessment, and treatment decision-making.

The consequences of a fall on an elderly person can be reduced if the accident is attended by medical personnel within the first hour. Independent elderly people use to stay alone for long periods of time, being in more risk if they suffer a fall. The literature offers several approaches for detecting falls with embedded devices or smartphones using a triaxial accelerometer. Most of these approaches were not tested with the target population, or are not feasible to be implemented in real-life conditions. In this work, we propose a fall detection methodology based on a non-linear classification feature and a Kalman filter with a periodicity detector to reduce the false positive rate. This methodology requires a sampling rate of only 25 Hz; it does not require large computations or memory and it is robust among devices. We test our approach with the SisFall dataset achieving 99.4% of accuracy. Then, we validate it with a new round of simulated activities with young adults and an elderly person. Finally, we give the devices to three elderly persons for full-day validations. They continued with their normal life and the devices behaved as expected.

Warren Weaver, writing about the function that science should have in mankind’s developing future, ideas and ideals, proposed to classify scientific problems into ‘problems of simplicity’, ‘problems of disorganised complexity’, and ‘problems of organised complexity’ — the huge complementary class to which all biological, human, and social problems belong. Problems of simplicity have few components and variables and have been extensively addressed in the last 400 years. Problems of disorganised complexity have a huge number of individually erratic components and variables, but possess collective regularities that can be analysed by resourcing to stochastic methods. Yet, problems of organised complexity do not yield easily to classical or statistical treatment since interrelations among phenomenon elements change during its evolution alongside commonly used state variables, affecting behaviour and outcome. Moreover, organisation, the focal point in this complementary class, is still an elusive concept despite the gigantic efforts undertaken since a century ago to tame it. This paper addresses the description, representation and study of phenomena in the ‘problems of organised complexity’ class. Grounded on relational mathematical constructs, a theoretical framework providing operational definitions and schemes for formally modelling organisations and interaction of organisations is introduced. This framework extends the general systems’ concept and provides a novel perspective for addressing organised complexity phenomena as a collection of interacting organisations.

Background: Hypertension, atherogenicity and insulin resistance are major risk factors of cardiovascular disorder (CVD), which shows a strong comorbidity with major depression (MDD) and bipolar disorder (BD). Activated oxidative and nitrosative stress (O&NS), inflammatory pathways, and increased atherogenicity are shared pathways underpinning CVD and mood disorders. Methods: The current study examined the effects of lipid hydroperoxides (LOOH), superoxide dismutase (SOD), nitric oxide metabolites (NOx), advanced oxidation protein products (AOPP), and malondialdehyde (MDA) on systolic (SBP) and diastolic (DBP) blood pressure in 96 mood disordered patients and 60 healthy controls. Results: A large part of the variance in SBP (31.6%) was explained by the regression on a z unit-weighted composite score (based on LOOH, AOPP, SOD, NOx) reflecting nitro-oxidative stress toxicity (NOSTOX), coupled with highly sensitive C-reactive protein, body weight and use of antihypertensives. Increased DBP was best predicted (23.8%) by body mass index and NOSTOX. The most important O&NS biomarkers predicting an increased SBP were in descending order of significance: LOOH, AOPP and SOD. Higher levels of the atherogenic index of plasma, HOMA2 insulin resistance index and basal thyroid-stimulating hormone also contributed to increased SBP independently from NOSTOX. Although there were no significant changes in SBP/DBP in mood disorders, the associations between NOSTOX and blood pressure were significant in patients with mood disorders but not in healthy controls. Conclusions: Activated O&NS pathways including increased lipid peroxidation and protein oxidation, which indicates hypochlorous stress, are the most important predictors of an increased BP, especially in patients with mood disorders.

Three-dimensional matrices are a new strategy used to tackle type I diabetes; a chronic metabolic disease characterized by the destruction of beta pancreatic cells. Type I collagen is an abundant extracellular matrix (ECM), component that has been used to support cell growth. However, pure collagen possesses some difficulties including low stiffness and strength, and high susceptibility to cell-mediated contraction. Therefore, we developed a collagen hydrogel with a poly(ethylene glycol) diacrylate (PEGDA) interpenetrating network (IPN), functionalized with vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) to mimic the pancreatic environment for the sustenance of beta-pancreatic cells. We analyzed the physicochemical characteristic of the hydrogels and found that they were successfully synthesized. The mechanical behavior of the hydrogels improved with the addition of VEGF, and the swelling degree and the degradation were stable over time. In addition, it was found that 5 ng/mL VEGF-functionalized collagen/PEGDA IPN hydrogels sustained and enhanced viability, proliferation, respiratory capacity and functionality of beta pancreatic cells. Hence, this is a potential candidate for future preclinical evaluation, which may be favorable for diabetes treatment.

Silver iodide (AgI) is a system prototype allowing the flow of ions through its structure and has a phase transition at 420 K, characterized by an abrupt change in conductivity and a high ionic conductivity. Introducing low concentrations of graphite (C) into the AgI structure produces a new material with a mixed conductivity (ionic and electronic) which increases with increasing temperature. The experimental results of the logarithm of the ionic conductivity as a function of the inverse of temperature for the (AgI)x–C(1−x) system for low carbon concentrations 0.97 ≤ x ≤ 0.99 were well fitted using a phenomenological model with a probability distribution for the charge carriers based on the carrier density

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

Deep learning is an emerging area of machine learning (ML) research. It comprises multiple hidden layers of artificial neural networks. The deep learn- ing methodology applies nonlinear transformations and model abstractions of high level in large databases. The recent advancements in deep learning architec- tures within numerous fields have already provided significant contributions in artificial intelligence. This article presents a state of the art survey on the contri- butions and the novel applications of deep learning. The following review chron- ologically presents how and in what major applications deep learning algorithms have been utilized. Furthermore, the superior and beneficial of the deep learning methodology and its hierarchy in layers and nonlinear operations are presented and compared with the more conventional algorithms in the common applica- tions. The state of the art survey further provides a general overview on the novel concept and the ever-increasing advantages and popularity of deep learning.

With this article we would like to clarify the often-disregarded fact by virtue of which the European Missionaries in Asia acted as catalysts of a kind of nuanced acculturation named Accommodatio (adaptation). To a great extent they became harbingers of Culture and Science more than Faith itself to the dismay of many, including the Roman Church. Such cultural and scientific transference was actually two-pronged, for simultaneously they presented in Europe unique findings related to Language, e.g. the Chinese Characters (considered to be the sole natural language), Geography, Cosmology and even Governance. We would try to prove that such procedure contributed positively to the modern scientific notions of sustainability and to provide the kind of accoutrements that model the modern world as we know it.

In soil erosion estimation models, the variable with the greatest impact is rainfall erosivity (RE), which is the measurement of precipitation energy and its potential capacity to cause erosion, and erosivity density (ED), which relates RE to precipitation. The RE requires high temporal resolution records for its estimation. However, due to the limited observed information and the increasing availability of rainfall estimates based on remote sensing, recent research has shown the usefulness of using observed-corrected satellite data for RE estimation. This study evaluates the performance of a new gridded dataset of RE and ED in Peru (PISCO_reed) by merging data from the IMERG v06 product, through a new calibration approach with hourly records of automatic weather stations, during the period of 2000-2020. By using this method, a correlation of 0.7 was found between the PISCO\_reed and RE obtained by the observed data. An average annual RE for Peru of 4831 MJ·mm·ha-1·h-1 was estimated with a general increase towards the lowland Amazon regions and high values are found on the north-coast Pacific area of Peru. The spatial identification of the most risk areas of erosion, was carried out through a relationship between the ED and rainfall. Both erosivity data sets will allow us to expand our fundamental understanding and quantify soil erosion with greater precision.

Galectin-3 is considered a cancer biomarker and bioindicator of fibrosis and cardiac remodeling, and, therefore, it is desirable to develop convenient methods for its detection. Herein, an approach based on the development of multivalent electrochemical probes with high galectin-3 sensing abilities is reported. The probes consist of multivalent presentations of lactose–ferrocene conjugates scaffolded on poly(amido amine) (PAMAM) dendrimers and gold nanoparticles. Such multivalent lactose–ferrocene conjugates are synthesized by coupling of azidomethylferrocene-lactose building blocks on alkyne-functionalized PAMAM, for the case of the glycodendrimers, and to disulfide‐functionalized linkers that are then used for the surface modification of citrate-stabilized gold nanoparticles. The binding and sensing abilities towards galectin 3 of both ferrocene-containing lactose dendrimers and gold nanoparticles have been evaluated by means of isothermal titration calorimetry, UV-vis spectroscopy, and differential pulse voltammetry. The highest sensitivity by electrochemical methods to galectin-3 was shown by lactosylferrocenylated gold nanoparticles, which are able to detect the lectin in nanomolar concentrations.

Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is a chronic disease mediated by the immune system and characterized by the inflammation of the gastrointestinal tract. This study is to understand how the use of parenteral nutrition (PN) can affect the adult population diagnosed with IBD. We conducted a systematic review, meta-analysis and a meta-regression. On the different databases, (MEDLINE, Scopus, Cochrane, LILACS, CINAHL, WOS) we found 119 registers, the accuracy was 16% (19 registers); After a Full-text review, only 15 research studies were selected for qualitative synthesis and 10 for Meta-analysis and Meta-regression. The variables used were Crohn’s Disease Activity Index (CDAI), albumin, body weight (BW) and post-operative complications (COM). PN has shown to have efficacy for the treatment of IBD and is compatible with other medicines. The CDAI and albumin improve although the effect of PN are greater after a while. However, the effect on the albumin could be less than the observed value in the meta-analysis, due to a possible publication bias. The BW does not change after intervention. COM utilizing PN has been observed, although the proportion is low.

Structural hydroxide groups in layered magnesium-aluminum double hydroxides were partially replaced by fluoride ions. Fluorinated and fluorine-free materials were used as hosts for two dyes, carminic acid and hydroxyl naphthol blue, resulting in a hybrid pigment color palette. Additionally, the pigments were protected with a magnesium hydroxide phase to prevent the color from fading over time. The color properties of the pigments were significantly influenced by the host of dye, since the presence of fluorine directly influences the acid-base properties of the layered double hydroxides. Finally, the pigments were successfully applied to prepare colored creams.

Entrepreneurship education has become increasingly relevant. For some years now, the business environment for starting a new company in the Dominican Republic has been considered very propitious. This has generated that many universities have incorporated training in entrepreneurship in their study plans. This study aims to analyse whether the cognitive and affective components, the country's business environment, university training in entrepreneurship and attitudes towards entrepreneurship are antecedents of the entrepreneurial intention of university students. It also seeks to investigate the relationship between entrepreneurial intention and entrepreneurial behaviour of students. Data were collected through a structured questionnaire from a sample of 523 students who had taken courses on entrepreneurship. The data have been analysed through the SPSS and Smart-PLS programs. The results of this research highlight the importance of the affective component and attitudes towards entrepreneurship in the formation of students' entrepreneurial intentions. This reinforces the importance of cultivating positive attitudes through educational interventions. These results contribute to the understanding of the factors that drive entrepreneurial intentions among university students and provide a foundation for future research.

The cancelation factor (CF) is a model for the ratio between gravity wave perturbations in the airglow intensity to that in the ambient temperature. The CF model allows to estimate the momentum and energy flux of gravity waves seen in nightglow images as well as the divergence of these fluxes due to waves propagating through the mesosphere and lower thermosphere region, where the nightglow and the Na layers are located. This study uses a set of T/W Na Lidar data and zenith nightglow image observations of the OH and O(1S) emissions to test and validate the CF model from the experimental perspective. The dataset analyzed was obtained during campaigns carried out at the Andes Lidar Observatory (ALO), Chile in 2015, 2016, and 2017. The CF modeled function was compared with observed points from an empirical method for vertically propagating waves that calculates directly the ratio of the gravity wave amplitude seen in nightglow images to the wave amplitude seen in lidar temperatures. We show that the CF analytical relationship underestimates the observed results generally. However, the O(1S) emission line has better agreement respect to the theoretical value due to simpler nightglow photochemistry. In contrast, the observed CF ratio from the OH emission deviates by a factor of two from the modeled asymptotic value.

One of the main challenges for autonomous learning in virtual environments is finding the right material that fits students’ needs and supports their learning process. Personalized recommender systems partially solve this problem by suggesting online educational resources to students based on their preferences. However, in educational environments (which need a proper characterization of both users and educational resources), most existing recommendation algorithms either fail to include all the available information or use hybrid processes that do not exploit possible relationships between users and item features. This article presents a personalized recommender system for educational resources aimed at combining user and item information into a single mathematical model based on matrix factorization. As a result, estimated latent factors can provide insight into possible interactions between users and item features, improving the quality of the information retrieval process. We validated the proposed model on a real dataset that contains the ratings assigned by students from Universidad Nacional de Colombia and Universidade Feevale to educational resources in the Colombian Federation of Learning Object Repositories (FROAC in Spanish). User characterization included learning style and educational level, whereas item characterization (obtained from the objects’ metadata), included interactivity level, aggregation level and type, and resource format. These results, compared to those obtained when not all the available information is included, show that our method can improve the recommendation process.

Malnutrition and dental caries in early childhood remain persistent and intertwined global health challenges, particularly for indigenous and geographically-remote populations. To examine the prevalence and associations between early childhood dental caries, parent-reported mouth pain and malnutrition in the Amazonian region of Ecuador, we conducted a cross-sectional study of the oral health and nutrition status of 1,407 children from birth through age 6 in the “Alli Kiru” program (2011-2013). We used multivariate regression analysis to examine relationships between severe caries, parent-reported mouth pain measures, and nutritional status. The prevalence of dental caries was 65.4%, with 44.7% of children having deep or severe caries, and 33.8% reporting mouth pain. The number of decayed, missing and filled teeth dmft) increased dramatically with age. Malnutrition was prevalent, with 35.9% of children stunted, 1.1% wasted, 7.4% underweight, and 6.8% overweight. As mouth pain increased in frequency, odds for severe caries increased. For each unit increase in mouth pain frequency interfering with sleeping, children had increased odds for underweight (AOR: 1.27; 95% CI: 1.02 – 1.54) and decreased odds for overweight (AOR: 0.76; 95% CI: 0.58 – 0.97). This relationship was most pronounced among 3-6 year-olds. Early childhood caries, mouth pain and malnutrition were prevalent in this sample of young children. Parent-reported mouth pain was associated with severe caries, and mouth pain interfering with sleeping was predictive of poor nutritional status. We demonstrate the utility of a parsimonious parent-reported measure of mouth pain to predict young children’s risk for severe early childhood caries and malnutrition, which has implications for community health interventions.

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

Abstract: Abstract: The objective of this article is to analyze the dimensions of creativity concerning students with high abilities. Firstly a review of the most relevant scientific contributions on creativity is carried out. Next the dimensions of creativity in secondary school students who have been previously identified as high- ability students are analyzed. Those abilities associated to di-vergent thinking were assessed by means of the Torrance Test of Creative Thinking [19]. The flu-ency, flexibility and originality dimensions were assessed with the Scientific-Creative Thinking Test (TPCC, [7]). The results obtained evidence that high-ability students achieve greater scores in both the figurative creativity and scientific-creativity dimensions. A significant relationship between creativity and high ability can therefore be established. This study is of an exploratory nature and the results obtained contribute to develop future studies in application of its findings in the teaching-learning process..

A novel gas-phase electrocatalytic system based on a low-temperature proton exchange membrane (Sterion) was developed for the gas phase electrocatalytic conversion of CO2 to liquid fuels. This system achieved gas-phase electrocatalytic reduction of CO2 at low temperatures (below 90 ºC) over a Cu cathode by using water electrolysis-derived protons generated in-situ on an IrO2 anode. Three Cu-based cathodes with varying metal particle sizes were prepared by supporting this metal on an activated carbon at three loadings (50, 20, and 10 wt%; 50%Cu-AC, 20%Cu-AC, and 10%Cu-AC, respectively). The cathodes were characterized by N2 adsorption–desorption, temperature-programmed reduction (TPR), and X-ray diffraction (XRD) whereas their performance towards the electrocatalytic conversion of CO2 was subsequently studied. The membrane electrode assembly (MEA) containing the cathode with the largest Cu particle size (50%Cu-AC, 40 nm) showed the highest CO2 electrocatalytic activity per mole of Cu, with methyl formate being the main product. This higher electrocatalytic activity was attributed to the lower Cu–CO bonding strength over large Cu particles. Different product distributions were obtained over 20%Cu-AC and 10%Cu-AC, with acetaldehyde and methanol being the main reaction products, respectively. The CO2 consumption rate increased with the applied current and the reaction temperature.

In this paper, we revisit the q-states clock model for small systems. We present results for the thermodynamics of the q-states clock model from $q=2$ to $q=20$ for small square lattices $L \times L$, with L ranging from $L=3$ to $L=64$ with free-boundary conditions. Energy, specific heat, entropy and magnetization are measured. We found that the Berezinskii-Kosterlitz-Thouless (BKT)-like transition appears for $q>5$ regardless of lattice size, while the transition at $q=5$ is lost for $L<10$; for $q\leq 4$ the BKT transition is never present. We report the phase diagram in terms of $q$ showing the transition from the ferromagnetic (FM) to the paramagnetic (PM) phases at a critical temperature T$_1$ for small systems which turns into a transition from the FM to the BKT phase for larger systems, while a second phase transition between the BKT and the PM phases occurs at T$_2$. We also show that the magnetic phases are well characterized by the two dimensional (2D) distribution of the magnetization values. We make use of this opportunity to do an information theory analysis of the time series obtained from the Monte Carlo simulations. In particular, we calculate the phenomenological mutability and diversity functions. Diversity characterizes the phase transitions, but the phases are less detectable as $q$ increases. Free boundary conditions are used to better mimic the reality of small systems (far from any thermodynamic limit). The role of size is discussed.

Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) is crucial in higher education, providing students with the knowledge, skills, and values necessary for a sustainable future. ESD seeks a holistic understanding of sustainability and promotes critical thinking and innovative approaches. Specifically, ESD is very important to address in engineering careers, as engineers will need to establish sustainable solutions in the future. For this reason, the integration of sustainability into university curricula has been studied for some time. In this way, this research analyses the perceptions (attitudes towards teachers; knowledge about sustainable development; environmental, economic and social attitudes; sustainable behaviours) that engineering students in the Dominican Republic have towards sustainable development. 626 questionnaires completed by engineering students were obtained. Subsequently, the data was analysed in SPSS and PLS-SEM. The results showed that attitudes towards teachers have an impact on engineering students' knowledge of sustainable development. In turn, the results also showed that knowledge about sustainable development influences both attitudes (economic, social and environmental) and sustainable behaviours of engineering students. Contrary to other research, this study suggested that economic attitudes are not identified as an antecedent of sustainable behaviours among engineering students. From these results, implications and future lines of research are generated.

Plant growth promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR) are a diverse group of microorganisms including genera such as Pseudomonas, Bacillus, Serratia, Enterobacter and Klebsiella. These bacteria have the ability to colonize roots externally and internally, and to directly enhance plant growth employing various mechanisms like phytohormone production and nutrient mineralization. These microbes can also promote plant growth indirectly by secreting antimicrobial compounds (e.g., siderophores, hydrogen cyanide) to antagonize root pathogens or by inducing defensive responses in the plant. Interestingly, there are also cases where production of antibiotic compounds such as 2,4-Diacetylphloroglucinol have the direct effect of enhancing plant growth and yield, irrespective of their biocontrol effects. The objective of this paper is to review publications showcasing PGPRs that have the capacity to both control root pathogens and stimulate plant growth, and to discuss what mechanisms might be involved.

The objective of this research is to mitigate vibrations in induction motors. To achieve this goal, a discontinuous pulse width modulation (PWM) control strategy based on carrier wave modulation is proposed for multilevel inverters. This study provides justification for the reduction of machine vibrations compared to existing control techniques documented in the technical literature. Additionally, the proposed technique offers the advantage of attenuating the Total Harmonic Distortion of the multilevel inverter's output voltage while simultaneously achieving a higher RMS value for the same DC level. By modifying a parameter of the carrier wave, the control strategy allows for variations in the electrical spectrum while avoiding natural mechanical resonance frequencies, thereby reducing motor vibrations. Laboratory results demonstrating the application of different modulation strategies in a multilevel inverter for an induction motor and a comparison with the presented strategy are provided.

We present in this work a method for estimation of plasma bubble mean zonal drift velocities using keograms generated from images of the OI 6300.0 nm nightglow emission collected from an equatorial station -- Cariri (7.4$^\circ$S, 36.5$^\circ$W), and a mid-latitude station -- Cachoeira Paulista (22.7$^\circ$S, 45$^\circ$W), both in the Brazilian sector. The mean zonal drift velocities were estimated for 239 events recorded from 2000 to 2003 in Cariri, and for 56 events recorded over Cachoeira Paulista from 1998 to 2000. It was found that plasma bubble zonal drift velocities are smaller ($\sim$60 ms$^{-1}$) for events occurring later in the night compared to those occurring earlier ($\sim$150 ms$^{-1}$). The decreasing rate of the zonal drift velocity is of $\sim$10 ms$^{-1}$/h. We have also found that, in general, bubble events appearing first in the west-most region of the keogram are faster than those appearing first in the east-most region of the keograms. Larger zonal drift velocities occur from 19 LT to 23 LT in a longitude range from 37$^\circ$ to 33$^\circ$. The method of velocity estimation using keograms compares favorably against the mosaic method developed by \cite{Arruda:2005}, but the standard deviation of the residuals for the zonal drift velocities from the two methods is $\sim$15 ms$^{-1}$

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.

Huge amounts of chitin and chitosans can be found in the biosphere as important constituent of the exoskeleton of many organisms, as well as waste by worldwide seafood companies. Nowadays, politicians, environmentalists, and industrialists encouraged the use of these marine polysaccharides as renewable source, particularly when developed by alternative eco-friendly processes, especially in the production of regular cosmetics. The aim of this review is to outline the physicochemical and biological properties and the different bioextraction methods of chitin and chitosans sources, focusing on enzymatic deproteinization, bacteria fermentation, and enzymatic deacetylation methods. Thanks to their biodegradability, non-toxicity, biocompatibility, and bioactivity, the application of these marine polymers is widely used in the contemporary manufacturing of biomedical and pharmaceutical products. In the end, advanced cosmetic products based on chitin and chitosans are presented, analyzing different therapeutic aspects about skin, hair, nail, and oral care. The innovative formulations described can be considered as excellent solutions regarding problems in the various body anatomical sectors.

Auto-labeling is one of the main challenges in 3D vehicle detection. Auto-labeled datasets can be used to identify objects in LiDAR data, which is a challenging task due to the large size of the dataset. In this work, we propose a novel methodology to generate new 3D based auto-labeling datasets with a different point of view setup than the one used in the most recognized datasets (KITTI, WAYMO, etc.). The performance of the methodology has been further demonstrated with the development of our own dataset with the auto-generated labels and tested under boundary conditions on a bridge in a fixed position. The proposed methodology is based on the YOLO model trained with the KITTI dataset. From a camera-LiDAR sensory fusion, it is intended to auto-label new datasets while maintaining the consistency of the Ground Truth. The main contribution of this work is a novel methodology to auto-label autonomous driving datasets using YOLO as the main labelling system. The performance of this approach is measured retraining the contrast models of the KITTI benchmark.

Graphene is perhaps the most prominent “Dirac material,” a class of systems whose electronic structure gives rise to charge carriers that behave as relativistic fermions. In multilayer graphene several crystal sheets are stacked such that the honeycomb lattice of each layer is displaced along one of the lattice edges. When subject to an external magnetic field, the scaling of the multilayer energy spectrum with the magnetic field, and thus the system’s thermodynamic behavior, depends strongly on the number of layers. With this in mind, we examine the performance of a finite-time endoreversible Otto cycle with multilayer graphene as its working medium. We show that there exists a simple relationship between the engine efficiency and the number of layers, and that the efficiency at maximum power can exceed that of a classical endoreversible Otto cycle.

This paper describes how to construct a low-cost magnetic levitation system (MagLev). The MagLev has been intensively used in the engineering education, allowing instructors and students to learn through hands-on experiments essential concepts, such as electronics, electromagnetism, and control systems. Built from scratch, the proposed MagLev depends only on simple, low-cost components readily available on the market. In addition to showing how to construct the MagLev, this paper presents a semi-active control strategy which seems novel when applied in the MagLev. Experiments performed in the laboratory have compared the proposed control scheme with the classical PID control. The corresponding real-time experiments illustrate both the effectiveness of the approach and the potential of the MagLev for education.

NADPH is an indispensable cofactor in a wide range of physiological processes which is generated by a family of NADPH-dehydrogenases, where the NADP-dependent malic enzyme (NADP-ME) is one member of these enzymes. Pepper (Capsicum annuum L.) fruit is a horticultural product worldwide consumed which has great nutritional and economic relevance. Besides the phenotypical changes that undergo pepper fruit during ripening, there are many associated modifications at transcriptomic, proteome ic, biochemical, and metabolic levels. Nitric oxide (NO) is a recognized signal molecule that can exert regulatory functions in diverse plant processes. To our knowledge, there is very scarce information about the number of genes encoding for NADP-ME in pepper plants and their expression during the ripening of sweet pepper fruit. Based on a data-mining approach on the pepper plant genome and fruit transcriptome (RNA-seq), five NADP-ME genes were identified, and four of them, namely CaNADP-ME2 to CaNADP-ME5, were expressed in fruit. The time-course expression analysis of these genes during different fruit ripening stages including green immature (G), breaking point (BP), and red ripe (R) showed that they were differentially modulated. Thus, while CaNADP-ME3 and CaNADP-ME5 were upregulated, CaNADP-ME2 and CaNADP-ME4 were downregulated. Exogenous NO treatment of fruit triggered the downregulation of CaNADP-ME4. Furthermore, the analysis of the cis-regulatory elements showed that CaNADP-ME2 and CaNADP-ME5 were positively regulated by the light-responsive element Box4 whereas CaNADP-ME4 was by ABRE (ACGT-containing abscisic acid response element), which is involved in the abscisic acid (ABA) responsiveness. To get deeper knowledge on this enzyme system from fruits, we obtained the 50-75% ammonium-sulfate-enriched protein fraction containing CaNADP-ME enzyme activity, and this was assayed by non-denaturing polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (PAGE). The results allowed identifying four isozymes designated CaNADP-ME I to CaNADP-ME IV. Taken together, the data provide new pieces of information on the CaNADP-ME system with the identification of five CaNADP-ME genes and how the four genes expressed in pepper fruits are modulated during ripening and by exogenous NO gas treatment.

Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is a chronic disease mediated by the immune system and characterized by the inflammation of the gastrointestinal tract. One of the possible treatments for this pathology is a change in the type of diet, the enteral nutrition (EN) is one of them. This study is to understand how the use of EN can affect the adult population diagnosed with IBD. We conducted a systematic review, meta-analysis and a meta-regression. On the different databases, (MEDLINE, Scopus, Cochrane, LILACS, Cinhal, WOS) we found 363 registers, the accuracy was 12% (44 registers); After a Full-text review, only 30 research studies were selected for qualitative synthesis and 11 for Meta-analysis and Meta-regression. The variables used were Crohn’s Disease Activity Index (CDAI), C-Reactive Protein (CRP) and Erythrocyte Sedimentation Rate (ESR). EN has shown to have efficacy for the treatment of Crohn’s Disease and is compatible with other medicines. As for the CDAI or the rates of remission, there were no differences between enteral and parenteral nutrition. Polymeric formulas, have shown better results with respect to the CRP. The long-term treatment could dilute the good CDAI results that are obtained at the start of the EN treatment.

Implementing the methodology of clinical simulation in the nursing degree course is a necessity in the European framework of higher education to acquire competences. The objectives of this research were to evaluate the strategies and techniques used during the simulations, identify the contents learned, and determine which of them are transferred to the nursing practice. We performed an observational, descriptive, and cross-sectional study from the nursing students’ perspective during the 2020-21-year course. On the one hand, our results show that the DASH scale helped us to obtain an internal validity of the simulations obtaining a mean score of 6.61 out of 7. On the other hand, the Ad Hoc scale, based on the competences were acquired in the simulations were transferred to the care practices. In conclusion, it is possible to improve care practices by integrating knowledge through clinical simulations.

As a part of our ongoing effort in the search for promising antileishmanial agents based on the thiochroman scaffold, we prepared a series of substituted 2H-thiochromenes. Thirty-three compounds were evaluated against intracellular amastigotes forms of L. (V) panamensis. Twelve compounds were active with EC₅₀ values lower than 40 μM, and among those three compounds displayed the highest antileishmanial activity with EC₅₀ values below 10 uM. Cytotoxicity was determined against human U-937 macrophages; thus, compounds having electrophilic alkenes (α,β-unsaturated carbonyl, or nitriles) displayed the highest antileishmanial activity but also moderate to high cytotoxicities. Based on SAR analysis, compounds 8d and 10, which differ only in the hydroxy group at C4, were selected as the most promising compounds in this library because good antiparasitic activity and Selectivity Index.

Past exploration for U deposit in the Philippines discovered the mineralization of radioactive allanite in Palawan. The allanite occurs as sand component in the heavily populated beach of Erawan, San Vicente, Palawan. This work assessed the risks associated with the radionuclides in Erawan beach by in situ ground radiometric survey of K, U, and Th in 694 sampling points. Principal component analysis (PCA) and Pearson correlation coefficient were used to determine the similarity between the radionuclides and to identify other probable anthropogenic sources of radionuclides. Our results show that the mean activity concentrations of K (597.8 Bq kg^-1) and Th (93.15 Bq kg^-1) are equivalent to 1.5 and 3.1 times of the world average natural radioactivity levels in soil, respectively, while the mean U (34.7 Bq kg^-1) is similar to the world average. The mean radiological risk assessments like radium equivalent, gamma specific activity index, external hazard index, internal hazard index, absorbed gamma dose rate, annual effective dose equivalent, annual gonadal equivalent dose, and excess lifetime cancer risk are 213.96 Bq kg^-1, 0.78, 0.58, 0.67, 97.24 nGy h^-1, 119.25 µSv y^-1, 684.39 µSv y^-1, and 0.42 (10^-3), respectively. Th consistently correlated most to the risks. We attribute the occurrence of Th to the presence of allanite, K to fertilizer use for farming, and U to both the allanite and farming. The results of our study can provide important baseline data for future detailed studies or monitoring of the long-term effects of elevated radiation levels to the local population of Erawan.

The characteristics of response to stressful situations depend on a complex of factors such as personality traits, emotional regulation, health state, features of the nervous system, motor functions and proprioception. In cases of disruption of the brain's dopamine system due to disease or chemotherapy, hormone discharge due to stress, changes in emotions and proprioception may occur. The aim of our study was to find the relationship of stress resilence in verbal test and individual differences performed in proprioceptive test in onco-patients, sportsmen and group of control; as well as to observe the differences between these groups in the verbal stress resistance and individual differences proprioceptive tests. The results showed that onco-patients were less resistant as per verbal stress resistance outcomes for a major part of variables compared to other groups. The sportsmen were superior in verbal Risk and Control dimensions compared to other groups; but less in Positive Affectiveness. The proprioceptive test perfomance revealed the only statistically significant difference in performance in the dimension related to Mood, showing more Pessimism in the sportsmen group, but more Optimism in the oncopatients at temperamental (or intrisinc) level. The obtained results can be used by psychologists, therapists, coach and healthcare when needed to attend the specific needs of public, being pateints or sportsmen, etc.

The clustering methods of Software Defined Networking (SDN) gained popularity due to their ability to offer improved scalability, consistency, dependability, and load balancing within overlay networks and SDN partitions. This paper delved into the effects of increasing the number of OpenFlow-enabled southbound devices on the establishment and coordination of SDN-Controller clusters. Specifically, we examined the volume of east-west cluster packet communication concerning the number of southbound devices within the topology. Many research studies focused on bandwidth and the number of bytes in East-West communication. While bandwidth referred to the maximum rate at which data could be transferred, and the number of bytes reflected the volume of data being transmitted, the number of packet communications directly influenced the efficiency and responsiveness of network operations. Our investigation encompassed the impact of SDN controllerto- controller communication within the cluster concerning the rising number of OpenFlow switches connected to various topologies, including tree (star-bus network), linear, and torus configurations. This study presented data on communication patterns within Open Network Operating Systems (ONOS) and OpenDaylight (ODL) clusters, revealing differing levels of controller communication with southbound network expansions. We evaluated the scalability of ODL and ONOS controllers by scrutinising the effect of increasing the number of southbound devices on control communication volume. Our analysis revealed varied communication patterns within ONOS and ODL clusters, resulting in different volumes of control communication with southbound expansions. The findings indicated that in small to medium-sized SDNs, ODL outperformed ONOS, notably with faster cluster discovery. Conversely, ONOS demonstrated greater efficiency in larger networks owing to its centralised communication architecture. Finally, we provided recommendations for selecting the most suitable controllers based on the size of southbound networks, aiming to provide practical guidelines for optimal network performance.

Background: There is a strong comorbidity between mood disorders and metabolic syndrome (MetS). Increased levels of reactive oxygen and nitrogen species (RONS) and nitro-oxidative stress toxicity (NOSTOX) partially underpin this comorbidity.Aims: To examine the associations of RONS/NOSTOX biomarkers with MetS after adjusting for the significant effects of mood disorders (major depression, and bipolar type 1 and 2), generalized anxiety disorder (GAD), tobacco use disorder (TUD), and male sex.Methods: The study included subjects with (n=65) and without (n=107) MetS and measured levels of superoxide dismutase 1 (SOD1), lipid hydroperoxides (LOOH), nitric oxide metabolites (NOx), malondialdehyde (MDA), and advanced oxidation protein products (AOPP) and computed z unit-weighted composite scores which reflect RONS/NOSTOX. The study included 105 patients with mood disorders, 46 with GAD, and 95 with TUD.Results: MetS was associated with increased levels of MDA and AOPP, independently from mood disorders, TUD, sex and GAD. Atherogenicity and insulin resistance (IR) were significantly associated with a NOSTOX composite score. Mood disorders, TUD, GAD, male sex and MetS independently contribute to increased RONS/NOSTOX. The RONS/NOSTOX profile of MetS was different from that of GAD, which showed increased SOD1 and NOx levels. TUD was accompanied by increased SOD1, LOOH and MDA, and male sex by increased LOOH and AOPP.Conclusions: MetS is characterized by increased lipid peroxidation with aldehyde formation and chlorinative stress, and atherogenicity and IR are strongly mediated by RONS/NOSTOX. Partially shared RONS/NOSTOX pathways underpin the comorbidity of MetS with mood disorders, GAD, and TUD.

In this work, we report the caloric effect for an electronic system of the antidot type, modeled by combining a repulsive and attractive potential (parabolic confinement). In this system, we consider the action of a perpendicular external magnetic field and the possibility of having an Aharonov-Bohm flux (AB-flux) generated by a current passing through a solenoid placed inside the forbidden zone for the electron. The energy levels are obtained analytically, and the model is known as the Bogachek and Landman model. We propose to control the caloric response of the system by varying only the AB-flux, finding that in the absence of an external magnetic field, the maximization of the effect always occurs at the same AB-flux intensity independent of the temperature while fixing the external magnetic field at a non-zero value breaks this symmetry and changes the point where the caloric phenomenon is maximized and is different depending on the temperature to which the process is carried. Due to the great diversity in technological applications that have antidots in electronics, the possibility of controlling their thermal response just by varying the intensity of the internal current inside the solenoid can be a platform of interest for experimental studies.

This present work explores the performance of a thermal-magnetic engine of Otto type, considering as a working substance an effective interacting spin model corresponding to the q− state clock model. We obtain all the thermodynamic quantities for the q = 2, 4, 6, 8 cases in a small lattice size (3×3 with free boundary conditions) by using the exact partition function calculated from the energies of all the accessible microstates of the system. The extension to bigger lattices was performed using the mean-field approximation. Our results indicate that the total work extraction of the cycle is highest for the q=4 case, while the performance for the Ising model (q=2) is the lowest of all cases studied. These results are strongly linked with the phase diagram of the working substance and the location of the cycle in the different magnetic phases present, where we find that the transition from a ferromagnetic to a paramagnetic phase extracts more work than one of the Berezinskii–Kosterlitz–Thouless to paramagnetic type. Additionally, as the size of the lattice increases, the extraction work is lower than smaller lattices for all values of q presented in this study.

Nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD+) is an essential molecule involved in various metabolic reactions, acting as an electron donor in the electron transport chain and as a co-factor for NAD+-dependent enzymes. In the early 2000s, reports that NAD+ declines with aging introduced the notion that NAD+ metabolism is globally and progressively impaired with time. Since then, NAD+ became an attractive target for potential pharmacological therapies aiming to boost NAD+ levels to promote vitality and protect against age-related diseases. This review summarizes and discusses a collection of studies that report the levels of NAD+ with aging in different species (i.e., yeast, C. elegans, rat, mouse, monkey, and human) to determine whether the notion that overall NAD+ levels decrease with aging stands true. We find that despite systematic claims of overall changes in NAD+ levels with aging, the evidence to support it is very limited and often restricted to a single tissue or cell type. This is particularly true in humans, where the development of NAD+ levels during aging is still poorly characterized. There is a need for much larger, preferably longitudinal, studies aimed to assess how NAD+ levels develop with aging in various tissues. This will strengthen our conclusions on NAD+ during aging and should provide a foundation for better pharmacological targeting of relevant tissues.

Defects are considered one of the wastes in manufacturing systems that negatively affect the delivery times, cost and quality of products leading to manufacturing companies facing a critical situation with the customers and to not comply with the IPC-A-610E standard for the acceptability of electronic components. This is the case is a manufacturing company located in Tijuana, Mexico. Due to an increasing demand on the products manufactured by this company, several defects have been detected in the welding process of electronic boards, as well as in the components named Thru-Holes. It is for this reason that this paper presents a lean manufacturing application case study. The objective of this research is to reduce at least 20% the defects generated during the welding process. In addition, it is intended to increase 20% the capacity of 3 double production lines where electronic boards are processed. As method, the PDCA cycle, is applied. The Pareto charts and the flowchart are used as support tools. As results, defects decreased 65%, 79% and 77% in three analyzed product models. As conclusion, the PDCA cycle, the Pareto charts, and the flowchart are excellent quality tools that help decrease the number of defective components.

Several studies have quantified the responses of Eucalyptus globulus plantations to weed control on its early development (2-3 years after establishment). However, long-term results of competing vegetation effects have been rarely incorporated into growth and yield models that forecast the long-term effects of reducing the intensity of competing vegetation control and its interaction with site resource availability on stem volume production close to rotation age. We compared several models predicting stand stem volume yield of Eucalyptus globulus plantations established across a water and fertility gradient growing under different intensity levels of free area of competing vegetation maintained during the first 3 years of stand development. Four sites were selected encompassing a gradient in rainfall and amount of competing vegetation. Treatments were applied at stand establishment and were monitored periodically until age 9 years. Competing vegetation control intensity levels considered 0, 5, 20, 44 and 100% weed-free cover around individual E. globulus seedlings. Maximum competing vegetation biomass production during the first growing season were 2.9, 6.5, 2.2 and 12.9 Mg ha^-1, for sites ranging from low to high annual rainfall. As expected, reductions in volume yield at age 9 years were observed as competing vegetation control intensity decreased during the first growing season. A strong relationship was established between stem volume yield loss and the intensity of competing vegetation control, the amount of competing vegetation biomass produced during the first growing season and mean annual rainfall. The slope of the relationship was different among sites and was related mainly to water and light limitations. Our results, suggest that the biomass of competing vegetation (intensity of competition) affecting site resource availability, contribute to observed long-term effects on E. globulus plantations productivity. The site with the lowest mean annual rainfall showed the highest volume yield loss at age 9 years. Sites with highest rainfall showed contrasting results related to the amount of competing vegetation biomass.

Insect behavior is coordinated mainly by smell, through the diverse odor-binding proteins (OBP) that allow them to identify and recognize their environment. Sensory information collected through smell is then analyzed and interpreted in the brain, allowing for correct insect functioning. The behavior of honey bees (Apis mellifera L.) can be affected by different pathogens, such as deformed wing virus (DWV). In particular, DWV variant A (DWV-A) is capable of altering olfactory sensitivity, reducing the gene expression of different OBPs, including those associated with nursing behavior. DWV is also capable of replicating itself in the sensory lobes of the brain, further compromising the processing of sensory information. This study evaluated the behavioral response of nurse honey bees exposed to a pheromone compound and the alterations in the gene expression of pre- and post-synaptic neuronal genes neuroxins-1 and neurogilin-1 in the bee heads and OBP proteins in antennae of nurse bees inoculated with DWV-A. The behavioral response of nurse bees exposed to the larval pheromone compounds benzyl alcohol was analyzed using a Y-tube olfactometer. The viral load, gene expression of OBP5 and OBP11 in antennae and the neuroxins-1 and neurogilin-1 in the bee heads were analyzed by qPCR. High viral loads significantly reduced the ability of 10- and 15-day-old nurse honey bees to choose the correct pheromone compound. Also, the gene expression of OBP5, OBP11, neuroxin-1 and neurogilin-1 in nurse honey bees decreased when they were highly infected with DWV-A. These results suggest that a DWV-A infection can disturb information processing and cause nurse honey bees to reduce their activity inside the hive, altering internal cohesion.

Postpartum depression is a significant health issue during the postpartum period and not only affects the woman but also has important repercussions for the newborn. Group support interventions during the postpartum period have proven effective in helping women cope with depression and improving breastfeeding rates. The aim of this study was to assess the effectiveness of a midwife-led breastfeeding support group intervention on breastfeeding rates, postpartum depression and general self-efficacy. This was a multicentric cluster randomized controlled trial with control and intervention groups and was not blinded. It was conducted in Andalusia (southern Spain) from October 2021 to May 2023. A total of 382 women participated in the study. Results showed a significant difference in exclusive breastfeeding rates at 4 months postpartum between the groups (p &lt; 0.001). Additionally, there was a lower mean score on the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale in the intervention group (12.49 ± 3.6 vs 13.39 ± 4.0; p = 0.044). Similarly, higher scores of general self-efficacy were observed among breastfeeding women at 2 and 4 months postpartum (p = 0.002 and p &lt; 0.001, respectively). In conclusion, midwife-led breastfeeding support groups enhanced self-efficacy, prolonged breastfeeding and reduced postpartum depression 4 months after giving birth.

Autoimmune thyroid disease refers to a spectrum of various diseases, with two extremes of clinical presentation, hypo-thyroidism (Hashimoto's thyroiditis), and hyperthyroidism (Graves-Basedow disease). Both conditions are character-ized by presenting a cellular and humoral autoimmune reaction, with an increase in the synthesis and secretion of an-tibodies directed towards various thyroid antigens, together with a phenomenon of thyrocyte necrosis and apoptosis (in Hashimoto's thyroiditis) and a persistent thyrotropin-receptor stimulation (in Graves-Basedow disease). The diagnosis of both entities is based on the clinical, laboratory and imaging findings. In this review, the usefulness of thyroid antibodies in the diagnostic approach to autoimmune thyroid disease is de-scribed.

Angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE)1, ACE2, and renin are components of the renin-angiotensin system (RAS), which regulates blood pressure. ACE2 also serves as a receptor for SARS-CoV-2 and together with the transmembrane serine protease 2 (TMPRSS-2), mediates viral cell-endocytosis. As the placenta expresses all these factors, it acts as a target for SARS-CoV-2 and also as a source of blood pressure modulators. An ACE1/ACE2 ratio imbalance can lead to RAS dysregulation and a bad prognosis in COVID-19 patients. Calcitriol, the vitamin D active metabolite, negatively regulates RAS, reduces inflammation, and enhances antiviral immunity, thereby playing a protective role against COVID-19 severity. Placental calcitriol has been inversely correlated with maternal blood pressure; however, its regulatory role in RAS components and SARS-CoV-2 receptors within the fetomaternal unit has been barely explored. Therefore, we investigated the effects of calcitriol on placental RAS components. Calcitriol downregulated ACE1, ACE2, TMPRSS-2, and renin gene expression in cultured syncytiotrophoblasts and the extravillous trophoblast cell line HTR-8/SVneo. The ACE1/ACE2 ratio was also downregulated by calcitriol. Similar results were obtained in syncytiotrophoblasts treated with calcidiol, the precursor of calcitriol. Altogether, these results support that vitamin D is essential in restricting SARS-CoV-2 placental infection while helping to regulate maternal blood pressure during pregnancy.

People with Down syndrome have more visual problems than general population. They experience a premature aging, and it would be expected they will also have an acceleration in worsening visual function. A prospective observational study which includes visual acuity, refractive error, accommodation, binocular and colour vision was performed to young adults with (n=69) and without (n=65) Down syndrome and to a senior group (n=55) without Down syndrome. Results showed significant differences in visual acuity between groups (p&lt;0.001) and it can be improved with a new prescription in 40% of the participants with Down syndrome. Regarding to accommodative state, no significant differences were found between groups of young people. Concerning binocular vision, 64.7% of strabismus was observed in the group with Down syndrome (p&lt;0.001). Visual abnormalities are significant in young adults with Down syndrome and are different from those of older people without Down syndrome, some of which can be improved by providing the optimal prescription as well as regular eye examinations.

Dystrophin-deficient cardiomyopathy (DDC) is currently the leading cause of death in patients with dystrophinopathies. Targeting myocardial fibrosis (MF) has become a major therapeutic goal in order to prevent the occurrence of DDC. We aimed to review and summarize the current evidence about the role of the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system (RAAS) in the development and perpetuation of MF in DCC. We conducted a comprehensive search of peer-reviewed English literature on PubMed about this subject. We found increasing preclinical evidence from studies in animal models during the last 20 years pointing out a central role of RAAS in the development of MF in DDC. Local tissue RAAS acts directly mainly through its main fibrotic component angiotensin II (ANG2) and its transducer receptor (AT1R) and downstream TGF-b pathway. Also, it modulates the actions of most of the remaining pro-fibrotic factors involved in DDC. Despite limited clinical evidence, RAAS blockade constitutes the most studied, available and promising therapeutic strategy against MF and DDC. Conclusion: Based on the evidence reviewed, it would be recommendable to start RAAS blockade therapy through angiotensin converter enzyme inhibitors (ACEI) or AT1R blockers (ARBs) alone or in combination with mineralocorticoid receptor antagonists (MRa) at the youngest age after the diagnosis of dystrophinopathies, in order to delay the occurrence or slow the progression of MF, even before the detection of any cardiovascular alteration.

Molluscan aquaculture is a major contributor to global seafood production, but is hampered by infectious disease outbreaks which can cause serious economic losses. Selective breeding has been widely used to improve disease resistance in major agricultural and aquaculture species, and has clear potential in molluscs, albeit its commercial application remains at a formative stage. Advances in genomic technologies, especially development of cost-efficient genomic selection, have potential to accelerate genetic improvement. However, tailored approaches are required due to the distinctive reproductive and lifecycle characteristics of molluscan species. Transgenesis and genome editing, in particular CRISPR/Cas systems, have been successfully trialled in molluscs, and may further understanding and improvement of genetic resistance to disease through targeted changes to the host genome. Whole organism genome editing is achievable on a much greater scale compared to other farmed species, making genome-wide CRISPR screening approaches plausible. This review discusses the current state and future potential of selective breeding, genomic tools, and genome editing approaches to understand and improve host resistance to infectious disease in molluscs.

Scientists and astronomers have attached Scientists and astronomers have attached great importance to the task of discovering new exoplanets, even more so if they are in the habitable zone. To date, more than 4300 exoplanets have been confirmed by NASA, using various discovery techniques, including planetary transits, in addition to the use of various databases provided by space and ground-based telescopes. This article proposes the development of a deep learning system for detecting planetary transits in Kepler Telescope lightcurves. The approach is based on related work from the literature and enhanced to validation with real lightcurves. A CNN classification model is trained from a mixture of real and synthetic data, and validated only with real data and different from those used in the training stage. The best ratio of synthetic data is determined by the perform of an optimisation technique and a sensitivity analysis. The precision, accuracy and true positive rate of the best model obtained are determined and compared with other similar works. The results demonstrate that the use of synthetic data on the training stage can improve the transit detection performance on real light curves.

(1) Background: Alcohol consumption during pregnancy is a major concern, particularly in Europe and North America. Its prevalence has been so far under researched. In most of the studies the determination of this consumption may be underestimated, as it is based on the information obtained from questionnaires rather than from biomarkers, which will provide a much reliable approach. The main objective in this study was the comparison of prevalence of consumption during pregnancy assessed by a questionnaire and a hair biomarker. (2) Method: Cross-sectional study with a random sample of 425 pregnant women treated in public hospital consultations in Seville (Spain) and in the 20th week of their pregnancy, orally interviewed through a questionnaire elaborated ad hoc which evaluated sociodemographic, obstetric, and alcohol consumption variables. Additionally, the ethyl glucuronide metabolite (EtG) was tested on a hair sample in 252 pregnant women who agreed to facilitate it. Once data obtained through the questionnaire and the hair testing were analyzed, the level of metabolites and the self-reported alcohol consumption were contrasted. (3) Results: The prevalence of self-reported alcohol consumption (questionnaire) was 20.7% and real consumption (metabolite analysis) was 20.2%. In 16.8% of pregnant women who declared not consuming alcohol during their pregnancy a noticeable consumption was detected according to the metabolite testing. No relevant level of variability in estimated alcohol consumption was detected in the biomarker with respect to the studied sociodemographic and obstetric variables.

Current diagnoses of mood disorders are not cross validated. The aim of the current paper is to explain how machine learning techniques can be used to a) construct a model which ensembles risk/resilience (R/R), adverse outcome pathways (AOPs), staging, and the phenome of mood disorders, and b) disclose new classes based on these feature sets. This study was conducted using data of 67 healthy controls and 105 mood disordered patients. The R/R ratio, assessed as a combination of the paraoxonase 1 (PON1) gene, PON1 enzymatic activity, and early life time trauma (ELT), predicted the high-density lipoprotein cholesterol – paraoxonase 1 complex (HDL-PON1), reactive oxygen and nitrogen species (RONS), nitro-oxidative stress toxicity (NOSTOX), staging (number of depression and hypomanic episodes and suicidal attempts), and phenome (the Hamilton Depression and Anxiety scores and the Clinical Global Impression; current suicidal ideation; quality of life and disability measurements) scores. Partial Least Squares pathway analysis showed that 44.2% of the variance in the phenome was explained by ELT, RONS/NOSTOX, and staging scores. Cluster analysis conducted on all those feature sets discovered two distinct patient clusters, namely 69.5% of the patients were allocated to a class with high R/R, RONS/NOSTOX, staging, and phenome scores, and 30.5% to a class with increased staging and phenome scores. This classification cut across the bipolar (BP1/BP2) and major depression disorder classification and was more distinctive than the latter classifications. We constructed a nomothetic network model which reunited all features of mood disorders into a mechanistically transdiagnostic model.