An easier method for the calibration of differential drive robots is presented. Most of the calibration is done on-board and it is not necessary to expend too much time taking note of the robot's position. The calibration method does not need a big free space to perform the tests. The bigger space is just in a straight line, which is easy to find. Results with the proposed method are compared with those from UMB as a reference, and they show very little deviation while the proposed calibration is much simpler.

In this paper, we study the black hole solution of self-similar gravitational collapse in the Einstein-axion-dilaton system for the elliptic class in four dimensions. The solution is invariant under space-time dilation, which is combined with internal SL(2,R) transformations. Due to the complex and highly nonlinear pattern of the equations of motion in the physics of black holes, researchers typically have to use various numerical techniques to make the equations tractable to estimate the parameters and the critical solutions. To this end, they have to ignore the numerical measurement errors in estimating the parameters. To our knowledge, for the first time in the literature on axion-dilation systems, we propose to estimate the critical collapse functions in a Bayesian framework. We develop a novel methodology to translate the modelling of the complexity of the elliptic black hole to a sampling problem using Hamiltonian Monte Carlo with stacked neural networks. Unlike methods in the literature, this probabilistic approach enables us not only to recover the available deterministic solution but also to explore possibly all physically distinguishable self-similar solutions that may occur due to numerical measurement errors.

(1) Background: Conventional strength training and core exercises are commonly prescribed to improve cycling performance. Although previous studies have explored the utility of strength training in various cycling populations, this intervention has never been compared to core exercises; (2) Methods: 36 trained road cyclists were divided in 3 groups of 12 participants that performed either no strength training, conventional strength training or core exercises, in all cases together with their regular cycling training during a 12-week period. Peak power outputs across different durations (5 seconds, 60 seconds, 5 minutes, and 20 minutes) were recorded before and after the intervention; (3) Results: Conventional strength training is superior to core training and no strength training for all measured durations. At the same time, core training results in improved 5 second power output when compared to no strength training, while all the other measures are comparable among groups; (4) Conclusions: Conventional strength training is superior to core exercises and no strength training in trained road cyclists, and accordingly, it is recommended that this population incorporates strength training during their regular weekly workouts.

The relationship between religion and politics is a constant in the history of humanity. In the specific case of Western culture, it is possible to trace an archeology of the political as an effect of theological-political devices (essentially Christian-inspired). If we add to this the evolution of politics, in modern times, towards biopolitics, then the relationship focuses on very concrete topics. This is the case of the immunological process – from a personal, social, and philosophical perspective – thoroughly analyzed by Italian philosopher Roberto Esposito. In the context of his philosophical immunology, the place of religion is mainly archaeological and is interpreted critically. This article also aims to critically analyze his position, proposing a reading close to his thought but which is, at the same time, somewhat different.

Early detection of stress can prevent us from suffering from a long-term illness such as depression and anxiety. This article presents a scoping review of stress detection based on electrodermal activity (EDA) and machine learning (ML). From an initial set of 395 articles searched in six scientific databases, 58 were finally selected according to various criteria established. The scoping review has made it possible to analyse all the steps to which the EDA signals are subjected: acquisition, preprocessing, processing and feature extraction. Finally, all the ML techniques applied to the features of this signal have been studied for stress detection. It has been found that support vector machines and artificial neural networks stand out within the supervised learning methods given their high performance values. On the contrary, it has been evidenced that unsupervised learning is not very common in the detection of stress through EDA. This scoping review concludes that the use of EDA for the detection of arousal variation (and stress detection) is widely spread, with very good results in its prediction with the ML methods found during this review.

Charcot-Marie-Tooth (CMT) syndrome is the most common progressive human motor and sensory peripheral neuropathy. CMT type 1E is a demyelinating neuropathy affecting Schwann cells due to pmp22 mutations, modelized by Trembler-J mice. Curcumin, a natural polyphenol com-pound obtained from turmeric (Curcuma longa), exhibits dose- and time-varying antitumor, antioxidant and neuroprotective properties, however, the neurotherapeutic actions of curcumin still remain elusive. Here, we propose curcumin as a possible natural treatment capable of enhancing cellular detoxification mechanisms, resulting in an improvement of the neurodegenerative Trembler-J phenotype. Using a refined method for obtaining enriched Schwann cell cultures, we evaluated the neurotherapeutic action of low dose curcumin treatment on the PMP22 expression, and on the chaperones (HSF1 and Hsp27) and autophagy/mTOR (HDAC6 and ribosomes) pathways in Trembler-J and wild-type genotypes. In wild-type Schwann cells, the action of cur-cumin resulted in strong stimulation of the chaperone and macroautophagy pathway, whereas the modulation of ribophagy showed a mild effect. However, despite the promising neuroprotective effects for the treatment of neurological diseases, we report (demonstrate?) that the action of cur-cumin in Trembler-J Schwann cells could be impaired due to the irreversible impact of ethanol used as a common curcumin vehicle necessary for administration. These results contribute to expand our still limited understanding of PMP22 biology in neurobiology, and expose the intrinsic lability of the neurodegenerative Trembler-J genotype. Furthermore, they unravel interesting physiological mechanisms of cellular resilience relevant for to the pharmacological treatment of the neurodegenerative Tremble J phenotype with curcumin and ethanol. We conclude that the analysis of the effects of the vehicle itself is an essential and in-escapable step to comprehensibly assess the own effects and full potential of curcumin treatment for therapeutic purposes.

Even in the first quarter of XXI century, the presence of organic dyes in wastewaters is a normal occurrence in a series of countries, and being these compounds toxics, their removal from these waters is of a necessity. Among the separation technologies, adsorption processing appeared as one of the most widely used to reach this goal. The present work reviewed the most recent approaches (first half of 2021 year) about the use of a variety of adsorbents on the removal of, also, a variety of organic dyes of different nature.

Post-quantum public cryptosystems introduced so far do not define an scalable public key infrastructure for the quantum era. We demonstrate here a public certification system based in Lizama’s non-invertible Key Exchange Protocol which can be used to implement a public key infrastructure (PKI), secure, scalable, interoperable and efficient. We show functionality of certificates across different certification domains. Finally, we discuss that non-invertible certificates can exhibit Perfect Forward Secrecy (PFS).

Mercury is a toxic metal, thus, it is an element which has more and more restrictions in its uses, but despite the above, the removal of this metal, from whatever the form in which it is encountered (zero valent metal, inorganic or organic compounds), and from different sources, is of a widespread interest. In the case of Hg(II), or Hg²⁺, the investigations about the treatment of Hg(II)-bearing liquid effluents (real or in most cases synthetic solutions) appear not to end, and from the various separation technologies, adsorption is the most popular among researchers. In this topic, and in the 2019 year, more than 100 publications had been devote to this field: Hg(II)-removal-adsorption. This work examined all of them.

The transport of indium(III), from HCl solutions, across a supported liquid membrane in flat-sheet configuration was investigated, being the carrier the ionic liquid HA324H+Cl- (derived from the tertiary amine Hostarex A324 and hydrochloric acid). Different variables affecting the metal transport: hydrodynamic conditions in the source and receiving phases, metal and HCl concentrations in the source phase, and carrier concentration in the membrane phase, were investigated. Also the transport of indium(III) using carriers of various nature: ionic liquids, alcohol, ketone, phosphine oxide and phosphoric ester, was compared. The metal transport was modelled describing the transport mechanism as: diffusion across the source diffusion layer, a fast interfacial chemical reaction, and diffusion of the InCl4--carrier complex through the membrane support. Diffusional parameters for the transport of indium(III), from the experimental data and the model, were estimated.

The transport of indium(III), from HCl solutions, across a supported liquid membrane in flat-sheet configuration was investigated, being the carrier the ionic liquid HA324H⁺Cl^- (derived from the tertiary amine Hostarex A324 and hydrochloric acid). Different variables affecting the metal transport: hydrodynamic conditions in the source and receiving phases, metal and HCl concentrations in the source phase, and carrier concentration in the membrane phase, were investigated. Also the transport of indium(III) using carriers of various nature: ionic liquids, alcohol, ketone, phosphine oxide, etc., was compared. The metal transport was modelled describing the transport mechanism as: diffusion across the source diffusion layer, a fast interfacial chemical reaction, and diffusion of the InCl₄^--carrier complex through the membrane support. Diffusional parameters for the transport of indium(III), from the experimental data and the model, were estimated.

The present investigation deals with the adsorption of chromium(III) from alkaline media using multi-walled carbon nanotubes. The adsorption of Cr(III) has been studied under various experimental conditions: stirring speed of the aqueous solution, initial metal and adsorbent concentrations, NaOH concentration in the aqueous solution, and temperature. The rate law indicated that chromium adsorption is well represented by the particle diffusion model, whereas the adsorption process fits to the pseudo-second order kinetic model within an exothermic character. Equilibrium data fit to the Langmuir type-2 equilibrium isotherm in an spontaneous process. Chromium(III) can be eluted from metal-loaded nanotubes using acidic solutions, from which fine chromium(III) oxide pigment can be ultimately yielded.

This work is located in a growing sector within the field of renewable energies, wave energy converters (WECs). Specifically, it focuses on one of the point absorbers wave (PAWs) of the hybrid platform W2POWER. With the aim of maximising the mechanical power extracted from the waves by these WECs and reduce their mechanical fatigue, the design of five different model predictive controllers (MPCs) with hard and soft constraints has been carried out. As contribution of this paper, two of the MPCs have been designed with the addition of an embedded integrator. In order to validate the MPCs, an exhaustive study on performance and robustness is realized through simulations carried out in which uncertainties in the WEC dynamics are considered. Furthermore, looking for realistic in these simulations, an identification methodology for PAWs is proposed and validated by means of real time series of a scale prototype.

This is a paper on Political Economic and Economic Policies into the European Green Deal framework and the Spanish recovery plan, with special attention to the tourism sector. First, there is a literature review, combining the scientific production with professional and institutional literature, to understand the topic development, from the former restrictive point to the current view at large. Second, it is offered a case study about the green jobs opportunity, according to wellbeing economics, for the Spanish tourism sector renewal. The paper provides valuable information to improve sectorial recovery plan, to coordinate the policymakers and the business managers and entrepreneurs.

We know that the classical Mittag-Leffler function play an important role as solution of fractional order differential and integral equations. We introduce the j-generalized p - k Mittag-Leffler function. We evaluate the second order differential recurrence relation and four different integral representations and introduce a homogeneous linear differential equation whose one of the solution is the j-generalized p-k Mittag-Leffler function. Also we evaluate the certain relations that exist between j-generalized p - k Mittag-Leffler function and Riemann-Liouville fractional integrals and derivatives. We evaluate Mellin-Barnes integral representation of j-generalized p-k Mittag-Le er Function. The relationship of j-generalized p-k Mittag-Leffler Function with Fox H-Function and Wright hypergeometric function is also establish. we obtained its Euler transform, Laplace Transform and Mellin transform. Finally we derive some particular cases.

Zinc oxide is one of the most important semiconductor metal oxides and one of the most promising n-type materials, but its practical use is limited because of both its high thermal conductivity and its low electrical conductivity. Numerous studies have shown that doping with metals in ZnO structures leads to the modification of the band gap energy. In this work, Al-doped ZnO, Ni-doped ZnO, and undoped ZnO nanocrystalline powders were prepared by sol-gel method coupled with ultrasound irradiation. The doping concentration in ZnO was 1.0 at.% of Al and Ni. Influence of Al³⁺ and Ni²⁺ ions in the ZnO network are explored in this paper. X-ray Diffraction (XRD), Raman Spectroscopy, Nitrogen Adsorption (BET method), X-Ray Fluorescence (XRF) and Field Emission Scanning Electron Microscopy (FESEM) analyses demonstrated the incorporation of metal ions (aluminum and nickel) into the ZnO wurtzite structure. The crystallite size of the sample was decreased from 24.5 nm (ZnO) to 22.0 nm (ZnO-Al) and 21 nm (ZnO-Ni).

In this research paper, design and development of pyramidal horn antenna for J-band application is reported. It is particularly designed for 17 dB gain and half beam width about 25 degrees at 6.93 GHz. Horn aperture, horn axial length and distance from the throat of the antenna to aperture are the main design constraints which are calculated and used for the antenna design and simulation. Beam width in E-plane and H-plane horn is calculated and it is 19.18 dB and 22.86 dB respectively. The reported antenna design shows good performance for J-band in radiometry, satellite, and radar applications.

In recent decades, perovskite-type compounds (ABB′O3) have been exhaustively studied due to their unique ferroelectric properties. In this work, a systematic study aiming to prepare fine particles in the binary system SrZrO₃–SrTiO₃ was conducted under hydrothermal conditions in a KOH (5 M) solution at 200 °C for 4 h under a constant stirring speed of 130 rpm. The precursors employed were SrSO₄ powder (< 38 μm size) and coprecipitated hydrous gels of Zr(OH)₄•9.64 H₂O (Zr-gel) and Ti(OH)₄•4.5H₂O (Ti-gel), which were mixed according to the stoichiometry of the SrZr_1-xTixO₃ in the compositional range of 0.0>x>100.0 mol% Ti⁴⁺. The XRD results revealed the formation of two crystalline phases rich in Zr⁴⁺, an orthorhombic structured SrZr0.93Ti0.07O3 and a cubic structured SrZr0.75Ti0.25O3 within the compositional range of 0.1–0.5 mol of Ti4+. A cubic perovskite-structured solid solution, SrTi1-xZrxO3, was preferentially formed within the compositional range of 0.5>x>0.1 mol% Ti⁴⁺. The SrZrO₃ and SrZr_0.93Ti_0.07O₃-rich phases had particle sizes averaging 3 m with a cubic morphology. However, a remarkable reduction in the particle size occurred on solid solutions prepared with hydrous Ti-gel over contents of 15 mol% Ti⁴⁺ in the reaction media, resulting in the formation of nanosized particles agglomerates with cuboidal shape self-assembled via a 3D hierarchical architecture, the sizes of these particles varied in the range between 141.0–175.5 nm. The limited coarsening of the particles is discussed based on the Zr-gel and Ti-gel dehydration capability differences that occurred under hydrothermal processing.

An activated carbon manufacturing process using winemaking waste is analyzed and designed at industrial scale. Starting from experimental research, the chemical transformations and thermodynamics during pruning wood conversion are studied as a basis for plant design. In this way, mass and energy balances of hydrothermal carbonization and physical activation are fulfilled and a thermoeconomic methodology is applied to develop an energy-integrated plant. To achieve this target, a network of heat exchangers is allocated to minimize heat consumption and supply hot domestic water, while a cogeneration cycle is designed to provide electricity and satisfy the remaining heat demand. Furthermore, a sensitivity analysis is carried out to determine the influence of the production scale and other operation parameters, such as annual workload, service life, and capital and feedstock costs, on the economic viability of the plant. The energy balance of the plant indicates that the energy integration design manages to provide 48.9% of the overall process energy demand by crossing hot and cold streams and recovering heat from residual flue gas. On the other hand, the exergy cost analysis identifies the combustion of pruning wood used to provide heat demands as the main source of exergy destruction, confirming the suitability of integration to improve the thermodynamic performance. Including activated carbon production, electricity, and hot domestic water, the exergy efficiency of the plant stands at 11.5%.

We report a broadband radio frequency (RF) channelizer with up to 92 channels using a coherent microcomb source. A soliton crystal microcomb, generated by a 49 GHz micro-ring resonator (MRR), is used as a multi-wavelength source. Due to its ultra-low comb spacing, up to 92 wavelengths are available in the C band, yielding a broad operation bandwidth. Another high-Q MRR is employed as a passive optical periodic filter to slice the RF spectrum with a high resolution of 121.4 MHz. We experimentally achieve an instantaneous RF operation bandwidth of 8.08 GHz and verify RF channelization up to 17.55 GHz via thermal tuning. Our approach is a significant step towards the monolithically integrated photonic RF receivers with reduced complexity, size, and unprecedented performance, which is important for wide RF applications ranging from broadband analog signal processing to digital-compatible signal detection.

A bioelectrochemical study of charge transfer in the biofilm/chalcopyrite interface was performed to investigate the effect of surficial sulfur reduced species (SRS), as non-stochiometric compounds or polysulfides (S_n^2-), and elemental sulfur (S⁰) on a biofilm structure during the earliest stages (1, 12 and 24 h) of chalcopyrite biooxidation by A. thiooxidans alone and adding Leptospirillum sp. The surface of massive chalcopyrite electrodes was exposed to the bacteria, which were analyzed electrochemically, spectroscopically, and microscopically. At the studied earlier times, charge transfer and significant differences in the biofilm structure were detected, depending on the presence of Leptospirillum sp. acting on A. thiooxidans biofilms. Such differences were a consequence of a continuous chalcopyrite pitting and promoting changes in biofilm hydropathy. A. thiooxidans modifies the reactive properties of SRS and favors an acidic dissolution, which shifts into ferric when Leptospirillum sp. is present. A. thiooxidans allows H⁺ and Fe³⁺ diffusion, and Leptospirillum sp. allows surpassing the charge transfer (reactivity) barrier between the mineral interface and the ions. The observed changes of hydropathy on the interface are associated to ions and electrons activity and transfer. Finally, a model of S⁰ biooxidation by A. thiooxidans alone or with Leptospirillum sp., is proposed.

Functional mobility assessments (i.e., Timed Up and Go) are commonly used clinical tools for mobility and fall risk screening in the aging population. In this work, we proposed a new Mixed Reality (MR)-based assessment that utilized a Microsoft HoloLens^TM headset to automatically lead and track the performance of functional mobility tests, and subsequently evaluated its validity in comparison with reference inertial sensors. Twenty-two healthy adults (10 older, 12 young) participated in this study. An automated functional mobility assessment app was developed based on the HoloLens platform. Mobility performance was recorded with the headset built-in sensor and validated with reference inertial sensor (Opal, APDM) taped on the headset and lower back. Results indicate vertical kinematic measures by HoloLens was in good agreement with the reference sensor (Normalized RMSE ~ 10%). Additionally, the HoloLens-based test completion time was in perfect agreement with clinical standard stopwatch measure. Overall, our preliminary investigation indicates that it is possible to use an MR headset to automatically guide users to complete common mobility tests with good measurement accuracy, thus it has great potential to provide objective and efficient sensor-based mobility assessment.

Micro-combs [1-4] - optical frequency combs generated by integrated micro-cavity resonators – offer the full potential of their bulk counterparts [5,6], but in an integrated footprint. The discovery of temporal soliton states (DKS – dissipative Kerr solitons) [4,7-11] as a means of mode-locking micro-combs has enabled breakthroughs in many fields including spectroscopy [12,13], microwave photonics [14], frequency synthesis [15], optical ranging [16,17], quantum sources [18,19], metrology [20,21] and more. One of their most promising applications has been optical fibre communications where they have enabled massively parallel ultrahigh capacity multiplexed data transmission [22,23]. Here, by using a new and powerful class of micro-comb called “soliton crystals” [11], we achieve unprecedented data transmission over standard optical fibre using a single integrated chip source. We demonstrate a line rate of 44.2 Terabits per second (Tb/s) using the telecommunications C-band at 1550nm with a spectral efficiency – a critically important performance metric - of 10.4 bits/s/Hz. Soliton crystals exhibit robust and stable generation and operation as well as a high intrinsic efficiency that, together with a low soliton micro-comb spacing of 48.9 GHz enable the use of a very high coherent data modulation format of 64 QAM (quadrature amplitude modulated). We demonstrate error free transmission over 75 km of standard optical fibre in the laboratory as well as in a field trial over an installed metropolitan optical fibre network. These experiments were greatly aided by the ability of the soliton crystals to operate without stabilization or feedback control. This work demonstrates the capability of optical soliton crystal micro-combs to perform in demanding and practical optical communications networks.

We demonstrate a photonic RF integrator based on an integrated soliton crystal micro-comb source. By multicasting and progressively delaying the input RF signal using a transversal structure, the input RF signal is integrated discretely. Up to 81 wavelengths are provided by the microcomb source, which enable a large integration time window of ~6.8 ns, together with a time resolution as fast as ~84 ps. We perform signal integration of a diverse range of input RF signals including Gaussian pulses with varying time widths, dual pulses with varying time intervals and a square waveform. The experimental results show good agreement with theory. These results verify our microcomb-based integrator as a competitive approach for RF signal integration with high performance and potentially lower cost and footprint.

A transport process was studied from an aqueous solution containing oxalic acid and 100 mg/L Ge using a flat sheet supported liquid membrane (FSSLM) system. Cyanex 923 immobilized in a polytetrafluoroethylene membrane was employed as a carrier. The solution chemistry and related diagrams were applied to study the transport of germanium. The effectual parameters such as oxalic acid, carrier concentration, and strip reagent composition were evaluated in this study. Based on the results, the oxalic acid concentration of 0.075 mol/L and the carrier concentration of 20 %v/v were the condition in which the efficient germanium transport occurred. Among strip reagents, NaOH (0.04-0.1 mol/L) had the best efficiency to transport germanium through the SLM system. Furthermore, the permeation model was obtained to calculate the mass transfer resistances of the membrane (Δ_m) and feed (Δ_f) phases. According to the results, the values of 1 and 1345 s/cm were evaluated for Δ_m and Δ_f, respectively.

A winemaking waste was used as a precursor of activated carbon used in hazardous Cr(VI) removal from solutions. The preparation process consisted of a hydrothermal process, and a chemical activation, of the resulting product, with KOH. The adsorption results showed that the adsorption of Cr(VI) on the obtained activated carbon is strongly dependent on the stirring speed applied to the carbon/solution mixture, pH of the solution, and temperature. The equilibrium isotherm was well fitted to the Langmuir type-II equation, whereas the kinetic can be described by the pseudo-second-order kinetic model. Thermodynamic studies revealed that Cr(VI) adsorption was an exothermic and spontaneous process. Finally, desorption experiments showed that Cr(VI) was effectively desorbed using hydrazine sulfate solutions, and at the same time, the element was reduced to the less hazardous Cr(III) oxidation state.

In this work a new pre-tuning multivariable PID controllers method for quadrotors is put forward. A procedure based on LQR/LQG theory is proposed for attitude and altitude control. With the aim of analyzing performance and robustness of the proposed method, a non-linear mathematical model of the DJI-F450 quadrotor is employed, where rotors dynamics, togheter with sensors drift/bias properties and noise characteristics of low-cost comercial sensors typically used in this type of applications (such as MARG with MEMS technology and LIDAR) are considered. In order to estimate the state vector and compensate bias/drift effects on rate gyros of the MARG, a combination of filtering and data fusion algorithms (Kalman filter and Madgwick algorithm for attitude estimation) are proposed and implemented. Performance and robutsness analysis of the control system is carried out by means of numerical simulations, which take into account the presence of uncertainty in the plant model and external disturbances. The obtained results show that the proposed pre-tuning method for multivariable PID controller is robust with respect to: a) parametric uncertainty in the plant model, b) disturbances acting at the plant input, c) sensors measurement and estimation errors.

SARS-CoV-2 infection remains a global burden. Despite intensive research, the mechanism and dynamics of early viral replication are not completely understood including the kinetics of formation of genomic RNA (gRNA), sub-genomic RNA (sgRNA) and replication centers/organelles (ROs). We employed single-molecule RNA-fluorescence in situ hybridization (smRNA-FISH) to simultaneously detect viral gRNA and sgRNA, immunofluorescence to detect nsp3 protein, a marker for the formation RO, and carried out a time course analysis. We found that single molecules of gRNA are visible within the cytoplasm at 30 minutes post-infection (p.i.). Starting from 2 hr. p.i., most of the viral RNA existed in clusters/speckles, some of which were surrounded by single molecules of sgRNA. These speckles associated with nsp3 protein starting at 3 hr. p.i., indicating that these were precursors to ROs. Furthermore, RNA replication was asynchronous as cells with RNA at all stages of replication were found at any given time point. Our probes detected the SARS-COV-2 variants of concern, and BA.1 strain exhibited slower rate of replication kinetics than the WA1 strain. Our results provide insights into the kinetics of SARS-CoV-2 early post-entry events, which will facilitate identification of new therapeutic targets to early stage replication to combat COVID-19.

Since the 1960s Rare earths (REs) applications gradually have expanded to everyday life. REs have great strategic importance in industrial and technological development, so it is expected an increase in their demand. Among the REs the European Commission considered Cerium and Lanthanum as critical raw materials. This research article studies the adsorption of Ce and La onto two carbon nanomaterials, multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWCNT) and carboxylic functionalized multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWCNT_ox). The latter has slightly more affinity for REs than MWCNT. The recovery percentage for Ce were 89 and 98% and in the case of for La were 99 and 92% using 0.8 g of MWCNT and 0.2 g of MWCNT_ox respectively. The adsorption process fits a pseudo second-order kinetic model and the Langmuir isotherm best represented the metal uptake.

We present a new post-processing method for Quantum Key Distribution (QKD) that raise cubically the secret key rate in the number of double matching detection events. In Shannon’s communication model information is prepared at Alice’s side then it is intended to pass it over a noisy channel. In our approach, secret bits do not rely in Alice’s transmitted quantum bits but in Bob’s basis measurement choices. Therefore measured bits are publicly revealed while bases selections remain secret. Our method implements sifting, reconciliation and amplification in a unique process, it just require a round iteration, no redundancy bits are sent and there is no limit in the correctable error percentage. Moreover, this method can be implemented as a post processing software into QKD technologies already in use.

Dynamic laser speckle is applied as a reliable sensor of activity in all sort of material. Traditional applications are based on a time rate that is usually higher than 10 frames-per-second (FPS). Even in drying processes, where there is a high activity in the first moments after the painting and a slow activity after some minutes or hours, the process is based on the acquisition of images in a time rate that is the same in both moments of high and low activity. In this work, we present an alternative approach to follow the drying of paint and the other processes related to restauration of paintings that takes long-term to reduce the activity. We illuminated, using three different wavelength lasers, an accelerator (Cyclododecane) and a varnish used in restauration of paintings and monitor them at long-term drying using an alternative fps, comparing the results to the traditional method. The work also presents a way to do the monitoring using a portable equipment. The results present the feasibility to use the portable device and show the improvement in the sensitivity of the dynamic laser speckle to sense long-term process regarding the drying of Cyclododecane and Varnish used in restauration.

By the use of the tertiary amine A327 and 1 M HCl solution as precursors, the ionic liquid A327H+Cl- was generated and used to investigate its performance in the transport of Au(III) form hydrochloric acid medium. The influence of the stirring speed (600-1800 min-1), ionic liquid concentration (1.25-50% v/v) in the membrane phase and gold concentration (0.01-0.15 g/L) in the feed phase on metal transport have been investigated. An equation which included both equilibrium and kinetics parameters was derived, and the membrane diffusional resistance (Δm) and feed phase diffusional resistance (Δf) was estimated as 9.5x106 s/cm and 307 s/cm, respectively. At carrier concentrations in the 5-50% v/v range and gold concentrations in the 0.01-0.15 g/L range, metal transport is controlled by diffusion of metal species through the feed boundary layer, whereas at the lowest carrier concentrations, membrane diffusion is predominant. From the receiving solutions, gold can be recovered as gold nanoparticles.

Currently, one of the main focuses of attention in academia is microgrids (MGs) and their ability to maintain stable, resilient, reliable and high–power quality operations. A crucial component in MGs is power converters (PC), which facilitate the decentralization of power generation. This decentralization, however, poses challenges in terms of power quality. This paper presents a microgrid model based on the IEEE 14–bus distribution system and aims to investigate the power quality when the MG operates while connected to the conventional power grid. The MG model has been developed using MATLAB–Simulink®, a specialized tool for electrical engineering simulations. The results obtained are subjected to rigorous analysis and compared with the compatibility levels established by the IEEE–519 standard. This approach allows an accurate assessment of the MGs’ ability to maintain power quality at acceptable levels while interconnected to the conventional power grid. Finally, this study provides a valuable contribution to the MGs’ field of microgrids by providing a detailed and quantitative assessment of power quality, which will aid in the design and optimization of MGs’ for effective implementation in real electric power systems.

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

Physical symptoms are defined as symptoms for which adequate examination does not reveal a sufficient underlying root cause, e.g., pain and fatigue. The extant literature of the neurobiological underpinnings of physical symptoms has been largely inconsistent and primarily consists of (clinical) case-control studies with relatively small samples sizes. Therefore, we studied the association of brain morphology with physical symptoms in pre-adolescents from two independent and population-based cohorts. This study included 2,683 individuals from the Generation R Study (51% girls, 10.1 ± 0.6 years old) and 10,567 pre-adolescents from the ABCD Study (48% girls, 9.9 ± 0.6 years old). High- resolution structural magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) was collected using 3-Tesla MRI systems. Physical symptoms were evaluated using the somatic complaints syndrome scale from the parent-reported school-age version of the Child Behavior Checklist. Linear regression models were fitted for global brain metrics (i.e., cortical and subcortical grey matter volume and total white matter volume) as well as surface-based vertex-wise measures (surface area and cortical thickness). Analyses were initially conducted separately in each cohort and later meta-analysed. No associations were observed in either cohort separately. In the combined vertex-wise meta-analysis of both cohorts; the right hemisphere surface area, most notably the rostral middle frontal gyrus, superior frontal gyrus and anterior cingulate cortex, were related to physical symptoms after correcting for multiple comparisons (cluster area = 1,882 mm2). The present study, which is the most representative and well-powered to date, suggests that surface area, but not other measures of brain morphology, are modestly related to physical symptoms in pre- adolescents. While these effects are subtle, future longitudinal research is warranted to elucidate whether such associations indicate a cause or a consequence of the physical symptoms.

Manufacturing corporations has the acceptance of the Outsourcing Process (OP) to improve industrial activities as well as to archive the revenue objectives, and with this, Risk Analysis (RA) tools are constantly used to assure expected results. Failure Mode and Effect Analysis (FMEA) is one of preferred RA tools, moreover, it is proven that FMEA adds uncertainty because of the human participation at the RA, afterward it is demonstrated that Pythagorean Fuzzy Dimensional Analysis – FMEA – Value Stream Mapping (PFDA-FMEA-VSM) method removes the uncertainty in RA, likewise it aids to the stakeholders for decision making, giving more advantages improving the use of the resources on the project. This document exhibits a real case scenario in a manufacturing firm applying PFDA-FMEA-VSM method adapted for manufacturing OP. The application of PFDA-FMEA-VSM shows solid RA results, removing the human intervention uncertainty added to the risk ranking, gives advantages to the stakeholders for visualize the main risks in detailed diagram, as well as make easier to take better decisions on where to apply resources and mitigate risks during OP.

Optical artificial neural networks (ONNs) — analog computing hardware tailored for machine learning [1,2] — have significant potential for ultra-high computing speed and energy efficiency [3]. We propose a new approach to architectures for ONNs based on integrated Kerr micro-comb sources [4] that is programmable, highly scalable and capable of reaching ultra-high speeds. We experimentally demonstrate the building block of the ONN — a single neuron perceptron — by mapping synapses onto 49 wavelengths of a micro-comb to achieve a high single-unit throughput of 11.9 Giga-FLOPS at 8 bits per FLOP, corresponding to 95.2 Gbps. We test the perceptron on simple standard benchmark datasets — handwritten-digit recognition and cancer-cell detection — achieving over 90% and 85% accuracy, respectively. This performance is a direct result of the record small wavelength spacing (49GHz) for a coherent integrated microcomb source, which results in an unprecedented number of wavelengths for neuromorphic optics. Finally, we propose an approach to scaling the perceptron to a deep learning network using the same single micro-comb device and standard off-the-shelf telecommunications technology, for high-throughput operation involving full matrix multiplication for applications such as real-time massive data processing for unmanned vehicle and aircraft tracking.

The ability to self-direct a research program determines graduate degree completion. Yet, research on incompletion of graduate physics programs assume students’ present level of self-direction adequate and neglects to recognize a lack of self-directed learning as key. One theoretical mathematical physicist focused on changing this challenge of physics graduate education by promoting self-directed learning through the type research flow that has been found to bring the greatest satisfaction to researchers with respect to their insights. This he provided through his space, time, open mindedness and theoretical contributions with his students and in collaboration with his colleagues. A self-directed learner himself, David J. Rowe developed methods of mentoring for encouraging physics graduate students to recognize symmetry as valuable in identifying solutions to problems quickly—helping these students take the lead in finding insightful resolutions to complex, multidimensional, mathematical physics uncertainties. How Rowe set about supporting self-directed learning in his graduate physics education interactions will be examined with the use of narrative research to interpret the texts and conversations with the author he made available. His techniques will be presented and recommendations made regarding how Rowe’s work in this regard can be modeled to improve self-direction in STEM graduate education.

Background: Recent advances allow the usage of Augmented Reality (AR) for many medical procedures. We perform different AR-assisted knee surgery techniques using optical surgical navigation with ArUco-type artificial marker sensors. Our study aimed to evaluate the system’s accuracy using an in vitro protocol. We hypothesised that the system’s accuracy was equal to or less than 1mm and 1° for distance and angular measurements, respectively. Methods: Our research was an in-vitro laboratory with a 316 L steel model. We evaluated absolute reliability according to the Hopkins criteria with seven independent evaluators. Each observer measured the thirty palpation points and the trademarks to acquire direct angular measurements on three occasions separated by at least two weeks. Results: The accuracy of the system to assess distances had a mean error of 1.203mm and an un-certainty of 2.062, and for the angular values, a mean error of 0.778° and an uncertainty of 1.438. The intraclass correlation coefficient was for all intra-observer and inter-observer almost perfect or perfect. Conclusions: The mean error for the distance’s determination has been statistically larger than 1mm (1.203mm) but with a trivial effect size. The mean error assessing angular values was sta-tistically minor than 1°. Our results are similar to those published by other authors in accuracy analyses of AR systems.

Protein O-GlcNAcylation has been associated with neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer´s disease (AD). O-GlcNAcylation of Amyloid Precursor Protein (APP) regulates both the trafficking and the processing of the APP through the amyloidogenic pathway, resulting in the release and aggregation of the Aβ1-42 peptide. Microglia clear Aβ aggregates and dead cells to maintain brain homeostasis. Here, using LC-MS/MS we reveal that the Aβ1-42 peptide modifies the microglia O-GlcNAcome. We have identified 55 proteins, focusing our research on Galectin-1 protein, since it is a very versatile protein from a functional point of view. Combining biochemical with genetic approaches we demonstrate that Aβ1-42 peptide specifically targets Galectin-1S8 O-GlcNAcylation via OGT. In addition, this Gal-1-O-GlcNAcylated form, in turn, controls human microglia migration. Given the importance of microglia migration in the progression of AD, this study reports the relationship between Aβ1-42 peptide and Serine 8- O-GlcNAcylation of Galectin to drive microglial migration

Demand for niobium and tantalum is increasing exponentially as these are essential ingredients for the manufacture of, among others, capacitors in technological devices and ferroniobium. Mine tailings rich in such elements could constitute an important source of Nb and Ta in the future and so alleviate potential supply risks. This paper evaluates the possibility of recovering niobium and tantalum from the slags generated during the tin beneficiation process of mine tailings from the old Penouta mine, located in Spain. To do so, a simulation of the processes that would be required to beneficiate and refine both elements is carried out. After tin carbothermic reduction, the slags are sent to a hydrometallurgical process where at the end niobium oxide and tantalum oxide are obtained. Reagents, water and energy consumption, in addition to emissions, effluents and product yields are assessed. Certain factors were identified as critical, and recirculation was encouraged in the model to maximize production and minimize reagents use and wastes. With this simulation, considering 3000 production hours per year, the metal output from the tailings of the old mine could cover around 1% and 7.4% of the world annual Nb and Ta demand, respectively.

Preparation of a low-cost cellulose-based bioadsorbent from the cellulosic material extracted from the rose stems (CRS) was carried out; rose stems were considered agricultural wastes. After the required pretreatment of this waste, and its further treatment with an acidic mixture of acetic and nitric acids, the CRS product was yielded. The resulting bioadsorbent was characterized by several techniques, such as X-ray diffraction, which revealed diffraction maxima related to cellulose structure, whose calculated crystallinity index (CrI) was 75 %. In addition, Fourier Transform Infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), 13C Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR), and X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy (XPS) showed signs of acetylation of the sample, also, the thermal properties of the solid was evaluated through Thermogravimetric Analysis (TGA). Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) showed cellulose fibers before and after the adsorption process, some particles with not regular shapes were also observed. The CRS bioadsorbent was used in the effective adsorption of valuable Tb(III) from aqueous solution. The adsorption data resulted in a better fit to the Freundlich isotherm, and pseudo-second-order kinetic models; however, chemisorption had not been ruled out. Finally, desorption experiments revealed a recovery of terbium ions with an efficiency of 97 % from terbium-loaded bioadsorbent.

Neurodevelopmental and late-onset neurodegenerative disorders present as separate entities that are clinically and neuropathologically quite distinct. However, recent evidence has highlighted surprising commonalities and converging features at the clinical, genomic, and molecular level between these two disease spectra. This is particularly striking in the context of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and Parkinson’s disease (PD). Genetic causes and risk factors play a central role in disease pathophysiology and enable the identification of overlapping mechanisms and pathways. Here, we focus on clinico-genetic studies of causal variants and overlapping clinical and cellular features of ASD and PD. Several genes and genomic regions were selected for our review, including SNCA (alpha-synuclein), PARK2 (parkin RBR E3 ubiquitin protein ligase), chromosome 22q11 deletion/DiGeorge region, and FMR1 (fragile X mental retardation 1) repeat expansion, which influence development of both ASD and PD with converging features related to synaptic function and neurogenesis. Both PD and ASD display alterations and impairments at the synaptic level, representing early and key disease phenotypes which support the hypothesis of converging mechanisms between the two types of diseases. Therefore, understanding the underlying molecular mechanisms might inform on common targets and therapeutic approaches. We propose to re-conceptualize how we understand these disorders and provide a new angle into disease targets and mechanisms linking neurodevelopmental disorders and neurodegeneration.

Wind turbines are a solution for sustainable energy, significantly reducing carbon emissions and fostering a circular economy for more cost-effective and cleaner power generation, in line with worldwide environmental aspirations. In this context, this research aims to explore a novel Two-Stage Twisted Blade micro-Vertical Axis Wind Turbine ($\mu$-VAWT) alternative inspired by the Savonius Rotor (SR). This investigation utilizes the $\kappa-\omega$ SST turbulence model to explore the power coefficient ($C_P$) and torque coefficient ($C_T$), finding $C_P$ values ranging from 0.02 to 0.04 across the turbine by altering the free stream velocity ($V$). $C_T$ analysis further delves into four specific sections, highlighting areas of particular interest. These results are validated by examining velocity contours, pressure contours, and streamlines in four horizontal sections, demonstrating that the proposed turbine model exhibits minimal torque fluctuation. Moreover, the analysis of vertical wind streamlines illustrates very low interference with various wind turbine proposals, underscoring the turbine's efficiency and potential for integration into diverse wind energy projects.

This article presents the copper ions adsorption process using an activated carbon from winemaking wastes. The pH, temperature, activated carbon amount and initial copper concentration were varied based on a full factorial 2^k experimental design. Kinetic and thermodynamic studies were also carried out. The adsorption kinetics was found follow a pseudo-second-order model. The adsorption data fit better to the Langmuir isotherm. The ANOVA demonstrated that both pH of the solution and activated carbon dosage had the greatest influence on copper adsorption. The activation energy was -32 kJ·mol^-1 suggesting that the copper adsorption is a physic-sorption process. The best fit to a linear correlation was the moving boundary equation that controls the kinetics for the adsorption copper ions onto the activated carbon. The X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) results reveal the existence of different copper species (Cu²⁺, Cu⁺ and or Cu⁰) on the surface of the carbonaceous adsorbent after the adsorption, which could suggest a simultaneous reduction process.

Tuberculosis (TB) caused by Mycobacterium tuberculosis remains a predominant cause of mortality, especially in low- and middle-income nations. Recently antimicrobial peptides were discovered that at low concentrations could stimulate the growth of M. tuberculosis (hormetic response). In this study, such a peptide was used to investigate the effects on the time to positivity (TTP). A systematic substitution analysis of peptide 14D was synthesized using Spot synthesis technology, resulting in 171 novel peptides. Our findings revealed a spectrum of interactions, with some peptides accelerating M. tuberculosis growth, potentially aiding in faster diagnostics, while others exhibited inhibitory effects. Notably, peptide NH2-wkivfiwrr-CONH2 significantly reduced the TTP by 25 hours compared to the wild-type peptide 14D, highlighting its potential in improving TB diagnostics by culture. Several peptides demonstrated potent antimycobacterial activity, with a minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of 20 µg/mL against H37Rv and a multidrug-resistant M. tuberculosis strain. Additionally, a reduction in the formation of cord-like structures was observed, which is indicative of reduced virulence and transmission potential. This study underscores the multifaceted roles of antimicrobial peptides in TB management, from enhancing diagnostic efficiency to offering therapeutic avenues against M. tuberculosis.

This paper seeks to model the crack propagation in of AAs (aluminum-alloys) 2524-T3 and 7050-T7452 subjected to fatigue loading at low temperature. Fatigue crack growth tests were performed on AAs 2524-T3 and 7050-T7452 subjected to constant-amplitude and actual random-spectra loading histories at room temperature of about 25 °C and at cryogenic temperature of -70 °C, respectively, to determine their crack growth properties and residual lives. The interaction mechanisms between cryogenic temperature and the fatigue load were deduced on the basis of the results of fractographic analysis. Temperature-dependent residual lives under actual random-spectrum load history were modeled based on a modified accumulation damage rule by accounting for the load interaction. Good correlation was achieved between the predictions and actual experiments, demonstrating the practical and effective use of the proposed method.

The behaviour of oxidized and non-oxidized multiwalled carbon nanotubes in the adsorption of lanthanum(III) from aqueous solutions is described. Metal uptake is studied as a function of several variables such as the stirring speed of the system, pH of the aqueous solution and metal and nanomaterial concentrations. The experimental results are fitted to various kinetics and isotherm models, being the rate law fitted to the film diffusion and particle diffusion models, when the non-oxidized and the oxidized nanomaterials are used to remove lanthanum from the solution, respectively. Sulphuric acid solutions seem to be appropriate to recover the metal from La-loaded nanomaterials.

Fine aroma cocoa (Theobroma cacao) is one of Ecuador's most iconic export products, representing 63% of world production; however, few advances have been made in fermentation processes that greatly influence the development of chocolate´s organoleptic characteristics. The study of starter cultures has been investigated in other countries, which seek to improve organoleptic properties or decrease fermentation time. The aim of this study was to analyze the effect of a native microbial consortium based on two yeasts (Torulaspora delbrueckii and Hanseniaspora uvarum), a lactic acid bacterium (LAB) (Lactobacillus plantarum) and an acetic acid bacterium (AAB) (Acetobacter ghanensis) inoculated at the beginning of the fermentative process, on physical and biochemical variables, microbial population dynamics, and percentage of almond fermentation. The started culture caused changes in sugar and acid content, which in turn generated temperature and pH changes in the dough, resulting in the dynamics of yeast, AAB, and mesophilic microorganisms remaining higher than those of the control throughout the fermentation process; a decrease of filamentous fungi that affect the flavor and quality of beans due to the production of acetic acid or secondary metabolites from yeasts and LAB; and optimized fermentation percentage by 24% higher than spontaneous fermentation in only 96 hours.

Polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA) polymer is widely used in various fields today. In order to thoroughly reveal the structural impact performance of PMMA materials, this paper is based on the comprehensive Johnson-Cook constitutive model and damage failure model, and accurately confirm the J-C constitutive and damage failure model parameters of PMMA through material test data, The dynamic process of steel bullet impacting PMMA plate structure is analyzed by finite element software ABAQUS. The calculation results show that the numerical simulation results in this paper are in good agreement with the experimental test data. Therefore, the feasibility and accuracy of the impact analysis of PMMA structures based on J-C constitutive and damage failure models in this paper are studied. Finally, based on the J-C constitutive model and damage failure model, the variation of the residual velocity of the bullet with the PMMA plate thickness is analyzed in depth, that is, the results show that the residual velocity of the bullet has a certain linear relationship with the plate thickness.

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

The geotechnical characterisation of offshore wind farm sites requires measurement or estimation of the small-strain shear stiffness Gmax of the subsoil. This parameter can be derived from shear wave velocity Vs measurements if the bulk density of the soil is known. Since direct measurements of Vs are generally not available at all foundation locations in a wind farm, CPT-based correlations are often used to determine location-specific stiffness parameters for foundation design. Existing correlations have mostly been calibrated to onshore datasets which may not contain the same soil types and stress conditions found in the North Sea. The distinct geological history of the North Sea necessitates a critical review of these existing CPT-based correlations. They are evaluated against an extensive database of in-situ Vs measurements in the Southern North Sea. The importance of modelling the stress-dependent nature of Vs is highlighted and a novel stress-dependent model for Vs from CPT data is presented. As the small-strain stiffness is used as an input to foundation response calculations, the model uncertainty of the correlation can introduce significant uncertainty in the resulting foundation response. This transformation uncertainty is quantified for each of the correlations evaluated in this study and shows important variations.

Introduction: The association of gene variants for interleukin 6(IL-6) (rs1800796), interleukin 10 (IL-10) (rs1800896) and tumor necrosis factorα (TNFα (rs1800629) with the occurrence of spontaneous preterm birth (PTB) was investigated to determine whether these genetic variants are a risk factor. Materials and methods: 199 blood samples from pregnant women who had given birth prematurely and 200 control blood samples were analyzed to determine single nucleotide polymor-phisms (SNPs) of genes for IL-6 (rs1800796), IL-10 (rs1800896) and TNFα (rs1800629). The control samples were samples from pregnant women with term delivery. Isolation of DNA was per-formed on mini-spin columns according to the manufacturer's protocol. The quality and purity of the isolated DNA were tested using a Qubit 3 fluorometer. Genotyping was performed with an ABI PRISM 7500 SDS using TaqMan SNP genotyping assays. The genotypes obtained were an-alyzed using the 7500 Software v2.3 package. Results: Carriers of the A/A genotype for the rs1800629 of the TNFα gene have 4.81 times greater chance of late-onset PTB compared to carriers of the G/G and A/G genotypes in the recessive inheritance model. The presence of the G/G genotype in the recessive inheritance model compared with the G/A and A/A genotypes for the rs1800896 of the IL-10 gene represents a potentially protective factor, with mothers in the term-birth group having an almost 2-fold lower odds of PTB in general and an almost 10-fold lower odds of early PTB. On the other hand, carriers of the A/G genotype of rs1800896 have a 1.54-fold higher chance of preterm birth in general and a 1.6-fold higher chance of late preterm birth in the super dominant inheritance model compared to the A/A and G/G genotypes in the group of mothers with PTB. In this study, no association was found between PTB and rs1800796 of the IL-6 gene. Conclusion: rs1800629 in mothers was associated with PTB. rs1800896 shows a potentially protective effect for the occurrence of PTB in this study. No association was found between PTB and rs1800796.

Objective: To evaluate the direct costs of treating patients with neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorders (NMOSD) in outpatient care, from a hospital and Unified Health System (SUS) perspective. Methods: Observational study with data collection by microfunding, carried out with patients diagnosed with neuromyelitis optics, treated at a university hospital, in the city of Rio de Janeiro. Mann-Whitney tests were performed to measure cost differences between patient groups by disease severity and analysis perspective. Results: Nine individuals with a median age of 48 years (IQR 30 - 59 years) were included. The median total costs for patients with greater severity from the perspective of the SUS and the hospital were R$ 21,638.22 (IIQ: R$ 15,614.63; R$ 25,985.32) and R$ 32,094.11 (IIQ: R$ 25,610 .60; R$ 38,617.25) respectively. For patients with moderate severity the median was R$ 7,339.85 (IIQ: R$ 6,235.45; R$ 11,912.05) from the SUS perspective and R$ 11,505.80 (IIQ: R$ 7,339.85; R$ 22,424.76) from the perspective of the hospital, where the use of medications had a major impact. Conclusion: The main cost drivers were medicines, especially those used off-label, and procedures.

As a hazardous waste, pickling waste liquor must be properly treated. An alternative consists in promoting the formation of ferrous salts from this residue, due to its higher ferrous content. Since FeCl2·4H2O is widely used in several applications, obtaining pure crystals of this material appears to be an interesting prospect. However, this compound has scarcely been investigated. In the present work, FeCl2·4H2O crystals have been obtained from pickling waste liquors. Their structural and morphological characteristics have been investigated by X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy as well as Mössbauer spectroscopy. In addition, the photoluminescence study of the obtained samples was also assessed. It was observed that after some aging time, the obtained crystals change in colour from green to more yellowish. So, the aged sample has also been evaluated, and their structural characteristics are compared with the original crystals. Despite this, the obtained crystals exhibit a FeCl2·4H2O structure, which is not modified with the aging of the sample.

The transverse momentum distribution of J/ψ mesons produced in pp collisions at the center-of-mass energy 5 TeV, 7 TeV，and 13 TeV is described by the modified Hagedorn function which is based on the Tsallis function and Hagedorn function. The calculated results by the modified Hagedorn function are in accord with experimental data measured by the LHCb Collaboration at LHC. The related parameters are obtained and analyzed.

Considered one of the finest first-generation Nigerian writers, John Pepper Clark-Bekederemo, who passed away on 13th October, 2020, had been categorised as a Eurocentric writer. This work assesses the authenticity or otherwise of this critics’ perception of Clark by critiquing his America, their America. By analysing this autobiography vis-à-vis the notion of self and other which is a theoretical concern in contemporary travel writing, it was established, among other things, that every culture has its dark sides which it must not feel too proud to change as time and situation demand; that Clark vehemently rejects the Americans’ claim of sophistication and superiority of their culture over African culture. The paper concludes that contemporary travel writing should be a rightful site for negotiating cultural, political and diplomatic compromises between the Self and the Other since the gulf may be difficult to close altogether.

The abundant use of lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) in a wide variety of electric devices and vehicles will generate a large number of depleted batteries, which contain several valuable metals such as Li, Co, Mn, and Ni present in the structure of the cathode material (LiMO2). The present work investigates chemical, technological, and environmental aspects in the treatment of such wastes, development of a methodology for the extraction of lithium, cobalt, nickel, manganese, and graphite by a carbochlorination pyrometallurgical process. Mixtures of cathode and anode materials (called black mass, mixed oxides of Li, Co, Ni, Mn, and graphite) from different LIBs, carbon black (as reducing agent), and CaCl2 (as chlorinating agent) were used. Non-isothermal thermogravimetric tests up to 850°C and isothermal tests at 700°C of the mixtures in an inert atmosphere were carried out. It was experimentally observed that the LiMO2-C-CaCl2 reaction takes place at 700°C. LiCl, Ni, and Co were obtained as final products, and to a lesser extent, CoO, NiO, and MnO2. CaCO3 was also obtained as a by-product. The obtained results show that carbochlorination is an efficient and effective alternative route for the extraction and recovery of metals from different LIBs, focused on the sustainability and circular economy

The European Union's recent decision to renew the authorization for the use of glyphosate until 15 December 2033 stimulates the scientific discussion all around the world regarding its toxicity or otherwise for humans. Glyphosate is a chemical used by millions of tons in the last 50 years worldwide to drying weeds in cultivated fields, greenhouses, roadsides. Concern has been raised in many quarters about the possible presence in the food chain and the consequent adverse effects on health: both aspects that argue in favor of toxicity and those that instead may indicate limited toxicity of glyphosate are here discussed. The great debate that has been generated requires further investigations and field measurements to understand its fate once dispersed in the environment and its concentration in the food chain. Hence the need for validated analytical methods that are available to analysts in the field. In the present review, methods for the analytical determination of glyphosate and its main metabolite, AMPA, are discussed, with a specific focus on chromatographic techniques applied to cereal products. The experimental procedures are explained in any detail, including cleanup, derivatization, and instrumental conditions to give the laboratories involved enough information to proceed with the implementation of this line of analysis. The prevalent chromatographic methods used are LC-MS/MS, GC-MS/SIM, and GC-MS/MS but sufficient indications are also given to those laboratories that wish to use the simpler HPLC-FLD, HPLC-UV, GC-NPD or GC-FPD techniques for screening purposes. Concentrations from literature measured in wheat, corn, barley, rye, oats, soybean, and cereal-based foods are reported together with the regulatory status in various parts of the world and the accumulation mechanism. As for the accumulation in cereals, available data show that glyphosate tends to accumulate more in wholemeal flours than in refined ones, that its concentration in the product strictly depends on the treatment period (the closer it is to the time of harvesting, the higher the concentration) and that in cold climates the herbicide tends to persist in the soil for a long time.

Tumid Lupus Erythematosus has been the subject of heated debate as to its correct nosographic classification. In particular, its definition has changed over time, depending on the different studies performed. In this review we address the initial definition of TLE, the changes that have taken place in the understanding and placement within the classification of Lupus Erythematosus (LE), and focus on clinical, histopathological, immunophenotypical and differential diagnosis aspects.

Twin pregnancies are highly undesirable in dairy cattle; they compromise the health and wellbeing of a cow, and its incidence dramatically impairs the farm economy. Recently, a genomic prediction for twin pregnancies has been developed. The objective of this study was to assess cow, environmental and management risk factors affecting the incidence of twin pregnancies in high-producing dairy cows in their first lactation, with special emphasis placed on the genomic prediction values for twin pregnancy. Our study population of primiparous cows proved valuable in identifying factors other than genomic predictive values influencing the twin pregnancy rate. The odds ratio for twin pregnancy was 0.85 (p <0.0001) for each unit of a prediction value increase, 3.5 (p = 0.023) for cows becoming pregnant during the negative photoperiod, and 0.33 (p = 0.016) for cows producing ≥42 kg of milk at AI, compared to the remaining cows producing <42kg of milk. As a general conclusion, the practical implication of our findings is that genomic prediction values can identify the risk of twin pregnancy at herd level. Given the cumulative effect of genomic selection, selecting for animals with reduced genetic risk of twin pregnancies can contribute to reduce its incidence in dairy herds.

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is an autoimmune disease mainly characterized by joint inflammation. It presents extra-articular manifestations, with the lungs one of the affected areas. Among these, damage to the pulmonary interstitium (Interstitial Lung Disease -ILD) has been linked to proteins involved in the inflammatory process and related to extracellular matrix deposition and lung fibrosis establishment. Peptidyl arginine deiminase enzymes (PAD), which carry out protein citrullination, play a role in this context. A genetic association analysis was conducted on genes encoding two PAD isoforms, PAD2 and PAD4. This analysis also included ancestry informative markers and protein level determination in samples from patients with rheumatoid arthritis, RA-associated ILD, and clinically healthy controls. Significant single nucleotide variations (SNV) and a haplotype were identified as susceptibility factors for ILD-RA development. Elevated levels of PAD4 were found in ILD-RA cases, while PADI2 showed an association with RA susceptibility. This document presents the data obtained from the conducted research, which has been published.

Despite being stored at 113 K and atmospheric pressure, LNG cold potential is not exploited to reduce green ships’ energy needs. An innovative system based on three Organic Ranking Cycles integrated into the regasification equipment is proposed to produce additional power and recover cooling energy from condensers. A first-law analysis identified ethylene and ethane as suitable working fluids for the first and the second ORC making available freshwater and ice. Propane, ammonia and propylene could be arbitrarily employed in the third ORC for air-conditioning. An environmental analysis that combines exergy efficiency, ecological indices and hazard aspects for marine environment and ship’s passengers, indicated propylene as safer and more environmentally friendly. The exergy analysis confirms more than 20% of the LNG potential can be recovered from every cycle to produce a net clean power of 76 kW, whereas 270 kW can be saved by recovering condensers' cooling power to satisfy some ship needs. Assuming the sailing mode, a limitation of 162 kg in LNG consumptions was determined, avoiding the emission of 1584 kg of CO2 per day. Marine thermal pollution is reduced by 3.5 times by recovering the working fluids' condensation heat for the LNG pre-heating.

The penetrability and directivity of ultrasound in different media is of interest in engineering and medical applications (imaging, nondestructive testing, sonochemistry, among others). The nonlinearity of a liquid can be used in the parametric antenna framework to generate low-frequency components with particular features from several ultrasonic signals at the source. Bubbly liquids are dispersive liquids in which a small amount of tiny gas bubbles leads to the increase of the nonlinear parameter of the media over certain frequency ranges. Parametric antenna applied to this huge nonlinear media gives rise to low-frequency components with relatively small intensity at the source. The evolution of a low-frequency component (difference-frequency component obtained from two primary signals) during its propagation in a bubbly liquid is somehow unknown. It is thus interesting to analyse its characteristics to establish whether this component can benefit from the quality of its own frequency and from the primary frequencies in terms of directivity and penetrability into the medium. It must be noted that no such study in bubbly liquids exists in the litterature, but only for homogeneous media. To this end, several numerical models developed previously are used here to analyse the difference-frequency component obtained from a parametric antenna emitting from two ultrasonic signals at the source in one and two-dimensional domains. These models allow us to observe the behavior of this frequency component. An angle that measures the directivity of a beam is also defined. Our results show a point hardly found in the literature: the high directivity and the huge penetrability of the secondary beam associated to the difference-frequency component into the bubbly liquid, compared to the same frequency signal excited directly from the source in the bubbly liquid and to the parametric acoustic array in homogeneous fluids.

After the ban on tributyltin-based antifouling paints, DCOIT (4,5-Dichloro-2-octylisothiazol-3(2H)-one) became one of the most used antifouling biocides. DCOIT is a pseudo-persistent contaminant in port areas and is toxic to non-target species, but its ability to bioaccumulate and be transferred along the trophic chain remains unknown. This study aimed to preliminarily investigate the bioaccumulation, trophic transfer, and biomagnification of DCOIT and SiNC-DCOIT (DCOIT immobilized in silica mesoporous nanocapsules) from the microalga Tetraselmis chuii to the mussel Mytilus galloprovincialis during exposure experiments considering 24 h of uptake followed by 72 h depuration. Mussels rapidly internalized and metabolized both DCOIT and SiNC-DCOIT. The predator-prey biomagnification factors (BMFTL) suggested that both forms of the biocide can be trophically transferred, with higher concentrations of DCOIT and SiNC-DCOIT in mussels than in microalgae (BMFTL > 1). However, the bioaccumulation and bioconcentration factors indicated a low bioaccumulation capability in the short term, suggesting that the depuration rate overcomes the uptake. Our findings contribute to the development of environmental risk assessments for DCOIT and SiNC-DCOIT, but do not exclude the possibility of DCOIT bioaccumulation in the long-term in areas with constant input of DCOIT. Further studies are needed to understand these processes under continuous exposure scenarios to DCOIT.

The natural history of COVID-19 caused by SARS-CoV-2 is extremely variable, ranging from asymptomatic infection, to pneumonia, and to complications eventually fatal. We propose here the first model, explaining how the outcome of first, crucial 10-15 days after infection, hangs on the balance between the cumulative dose of viral exposure and the efficacy of the local innate immune response (natural IgA and IgM antibodies, MBL). If SARS-CoV-2 runs the blockade of this innate immunity and spreads from the upper airways to the alveoli in the early phases of the infections, it can replicate with no local resistance, causing pneumonia and releasing high amounts of antigens. The delayed and strong adaptive immune response (high affinity IgM and IgG antibodies) that follows, causes severe inflammation and triggers mediator cascades (complement, coagulation, and cytokine storm) leading to complications often requiring intensive therapy and being, in some patients, fatal. Strenuous exercise and high flow air in the incubation days and early stages of COVID-19, facilitates direct penetration of the virus to the lower airways and the alveoli, without impacting on the airway’s mucosae covered by neutralizing antibodies. This allows the virus to bypass the efficient immune barrier of the upper airways mucosa in young and healthy athletes. In conclusion, whether the virus or the adaptative immune response reach the lungs first, is a crucial factor deciding the fate of the patient. This “quantitative and time-sequence dependent” model has several implications for prevention, diagnosis, and therapy of COVID-19.

Commercially available oxidized (carboxylic groups) and non-oxidized multiwalled carbon nanotubes were studied as adsorbents of cerium(III) in batch operation mode. Several variables affecting the rare earth adsorption were investigated, including: the stirring speed applied to the system, the pH of the solution and the metal concentration and carbon dosages. Although the removal of cerium from the solution is different and dependent upon the adsorbent type: i) adsorption in non-oxidized multiwalled carbon nanotubes, ii) cation exchange in the case of using oxidized multiwalled carbon nanotubes, the adsorption kinetics, the rate law and the isotherm models are the same for both adsorbents: pseudo-second order, film diffusion and Langmuir Type-1, respectively. Cerium is desorbed from loaded adsorbents using acidic solutions.

The pregnane X receptor (PXR) is the main nuclear receptor regulating the expression of xenobiotic metabolizing enzymes and is highly expressed in the liver and intestine. Recent studies have highlighted its additional role in lipid homeostasis, however, the mechanisms of these regulations are not fully elucidated. We investigated the transcriptomic signature of PXR activation in the liver of adult wild-type vs Pxr-/- C57Bl6/J male mice treated with the rodent specific ligand pregnenolone 16α-carbonitrile (PCN). PXR activation increased liver triglyceride accumulation and significantly regulated the expression of 1215 genes mostly xenobiotic metabolizing enzymes. Among the down-regulated genes, we identified a strong peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor α (PPARα) signature. Comparison of this signature with a list of fasting-induced PPARα target genes confirmed that PXR activation decreased the expression of more than 25 PPARα target genes, among which the hepatokine fibroblast growth factor 21 (Fgf21). PXR activation abolished plasmatic levels of FGF21. We provide a comprehensive signature of PXR activation in the liver and identify new PXR target genes that might be involved in the steatogenic effect of PXR. Moreover, we show that PXR activation down-regulates hepatic PPARα activity and FGF21 circulation, which could participate in the pleiotropic role of PXR in energy homeostasis.

Overweight and Obesity are global health and economic concerns. According to the World Health Organization, the number of individuals with obesity has nearly tripled since 1975. This health issue is currently considered an epidemic, affecting over 1.9 billion adults and 340 million children and adolescents. It contributes to more than 5 million deaths each year and has a global economic burden that will reach $4.32 trillion annually by 2035, according to the World Obesity Federation. This disease can affect every system of the human body and can lead to complications such as metabolic syndrome, diabetes, cancer, dyslipidemia, cardiovascular diseases, and hypertension, among others. Treatment may sometimes include diet, exercise, drugs, and bariatric surgery. Nonetheless, not all people have access to these treatments, and public health strategies consider prevention the most important factor. In this regard, recent investigations are aiming to find alternatives and adjuvants for the treatment of obesity, its prevention, and the reversion of some of its complications, using natural sources of anti-obesogenic compounds like polyphenols, terpenes, alkaloids, saponins, among others. In this review, we gather the most current information using PubMed, Google Scholar, Scopus, Cochrane, and Web of Science. We present and discuss the current information about natural products that have shown anti-obesogenic effects at a molecular level. We also consider the impact of dietary habits and lifestyle in preventing overweight and obesity due to the evidence of the benefits of certain foods and compounds consumed regularly. We discuss mechanisms, pathways, and receptors involved in the modulation of obesity, especially those related to inflammation and oxidative stress linked to this disease, due to the relevance of these two aspects in developing complications.

Microcombs provide a potential compact and efficient light source for multi-Terabit-per-second optical superchannels. However, as the bandwidth of these multi-wavelength light sources is increased, this can result in low per-line power. Optical amplifiers can be used to overcome power limitations, but the accompanying spontaneous optical noise can degrade performance in optical systems. To overcome this issue, we propose wideband noise reduction for comb lines using a high-Q microring resonator, whose resonances align with comb lines. When applying the proposed distillation to a superchannel system with 18 Gbaud, 64-QAM sub-channels in a > 10 Tb/s optical superchannel, we find that noise-corrupted comb lines can reduce the optical signal-to-noise ratio required for the comb by ~ 9 dB when used as optical carriers at the transmitter side, and by ~ 12 dB when used as a local oscillator at the receiver side.

Large datasets play a crucial role in the progression of surgical robotics, facilitating advancements in the fields of surgical task recognition and automation. Moreover, public datasets enable the comparative analysis of various algorithms and methodologies, thereby assessing their effectiveness and performance. The ROSMA (Robotics Surgical Maneuvers) dataset provides 206 trials of common surgical training tasks performed with the da Vinci Research Kit (dVRK). In this work, we extend ROSMA dataset with two annotated subsets: ROSMAT24, which contains bounding box annotations for instrument detection, and ROSMAG40, which contains high and low level gesture annotations. We propose an annotation method that provides independent labels for the right-handed tool and the left-handed tool. For instrument identification, we validate our proposal with a YOLOv4 model in two experimental scenarios. We demonstrate the generalization capabilities of the network to detect instruments in unseen scenarios. For gesture segmentation, we propose two label categories: high-level annotations that describe gestures at a maneuvers level, and low-level annotations that describe gestures at a fine-grain level. To validate this proposal, we have designed a recurrent neural network based on a bidirectional long-short term memory layer. We present results for four cross-validation experimental setups, reaching up to a 77.35% mAP.

High-resolution GPS/GSM dataloggers provide spatial information of the highest quality, which outperform previous tracking methods, such as Argos telemetry or conventional VHF ground-tracking. As a result, this has improved our knowledge of home-range behavior and spatial ecology of many species, including large raptors. In this paper, we use high-resolution GPS/GSM dataloggers to assess the home-range size and the role of sex, season (breeding or non-breeding season), and breeding status (reproductive or non-reproductive individuals) on the space use of Bonelli’s eagle (Aquila fasciata). To this end, 51 territorial individuals (25 females and 26 males) were equipped with GPS/GSM transmitters and were tracked over 7 years (2015–2021) in eastern Spain. Overall, we recorded 4,791,080 fixes that were analyzed through kernel density methods (50%, 75%, and 95% fixed kernels). The average individual home-range size according to the 95%, 75%, and 50% kernels was 54.84 ± 20.78 km², 24.30 ± 10.18 km², and 11.17 ± 4.90 km², respectively. Overall, the home-range size of individuals occupying the same territory was similar, mainly due to the cooperative hunting behavior exhibited by the species. We did not find interannual differences in the home-range size (95% fixed kernel) of the majority of individuals, showing a strong territorial fidelity of the breeding pairs. In general, females’ home-range size was slightly smaller than males’ size due to the decrease in activity in the breeding season as a result of laying, incubation, and chick attendance at nests. No seasonal variation in the 95% kernel was found, but it was found in the 75% and 50% kernels. In regard to the breeding status, higher home-range size was recorded in the non-reproductive individuals. Moreover, we found a low neighbor overlap among the territories (4.18% ± 3.06%), which evidences a high level of intraspecific competition in the Bonelli’s eagle. Finally, this study highlights the advantages of the use of accurate telemetry information to improve our understanding of the spatial ecology of the endangered Bonelli’s eagle, which ultimately will serve to better inform management actions for its conservation.

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

The paper presents the main experimental capabilities of the automatic system for the study of the interaction between porous media and atmosphere. This system is one of the possible variants of patent 2-241-477. The paper shows the result of a drying and wetting study of a tailings sample. The sample is 32 cm in height and 29 cm in diameter. The saturation and drying process was carried out at 26 degrees Celsius at the sample surface, an air velocity of 2 m/s and a relative humidity of 60%. The recharge applied to the column surface was 0.3 cm3/cm2/minute. The results show the effectiveness of the system in controlling the spatial-temporal variation of different physical properties of the porous medium in the vertical and surface profile. The controlled variables include volumetric water content, suction, relative humidity, sample weight variation due to recharge or drying, shrinkage, temperature, etc. The experiment shows how the tailings saturate very quickly but dry very slowly. Tailings consolidation occurs in the drying and wetting processes, being higher in the first one.

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

In this work we discuss the insights from activity landscape, docking and molecular dynamics towards the understanding of the structure-activity relationships of dual inhibitors of major epigenetic targets: lysine metiltransferase (G9a) and DNA metiltranferase 1 (DNMT1). The study was based on a novel data set of 50 published compounds with reported experimental activity for both targets. The activity landscape analysis revealed the presence of activity cliffs, e.g., pairs of compounds with high structure similarity but large activity difference. Activity cliffs were further rationalized at the molecular level by means of molecular docking and dynamics simulations that led to the identification of interactions with key residues involved in the dual activity or selectivity with the epigenetic targets.

The allosteric SERCA (Sarcoplasmic/Endoplasmic Reticulum Ca2+-ATPase) activator CDN1163 has been recently added to the group of pharmacological tools for probing SERCA function. We chose to investigate the effects of the compound on T lymphocyte Ca2+ stores, using the well-described Jurkat T lymphocyte as a reliable cell system for Ca2+ signaling pathways. Our study identified the lowest concentrations of the SERCA inhibitors thapsigargin (TG) and 2,5-di-(tert butyl)-1,4-benzohydroquinone (tBHQ) capable of releasing Ca2+, permitting the differentiation of the TG-sensitive SERCA 2b Ca2+ store from the tBHQ-sensitive SERCA 3 Ca2+ store. We proceeded to test the effects of CDN1163 on Ca2+ stores, examining specific actions on the SERCA 2b and SERCA 3 Ca2+ pools using our low dose SERCA blocker regimen. In contrast to previous work, we find CDN1163 exerts complex time-sensitive and SERCA isoform-specific actions on Ca2+ stores. Surprisingly, short-term exposure (0-30 minutes) to CDN1163 perturbs T cell Ca2+ stores by suppressing Ca2+ uptake with diminished Ca2+ release from the SERCA 2b-controlled store. Concomitantly, we find evidence for a SERCA-activating effect of CDN1163 on the SERCA 3 regulated store, given the observation of increased Ca2+ release inducible by low dose tBHQ. Intriguingly, longer-term (>12 hours) CDN1163 exposure reversed this pattern, with increased Ca2+ release from SERCA 2b-regulated pools, yet decreased Ca2+ release responses from tBHQ-sensitive SERCA 3 pool. Our results reveal differential effects of CDN1163 on Ca2+ stores regulated by distinct SERCA isoforms, prompting the need for careful interpretation of the compound’s effects, particularly in cells expressing multiple SERCA isoforms.

Food safety and quality are the first steps in the food chain. This work reports a low-cost and easy-to-use optoelectronic measurement system for improving feed chain quality and safety, based on near-infrared spectrometry (NIRS) technology. This is a significant challenge for dairy farm technicians and producers who need rapid and reliable knowledge of forage quality on their farms. In most cases, instrumentation suitable for these specifications is expensive and difficult to operate. The core of the measurement system is Texas Instruments´ NIRscan Nano Evaluation Module (EVM) spectrometer. This module has a large sensing area and high resolution suitable for forage samples. To evaluate the feasibility of the prototype to analyze agrifood samples, different ways of presenting the sample, intact or ground, were tested. The final objective of the research is not just to check the efficiency of the proposed system. It is also to determine the measurement system characteristics and how to improve them.

This work is a generalization of the Lopez-Ruiz, Mancini and Calbet (LMC); and Shiner, Davison and Landsberg (SDL) complexity measures, considering that the state of a system or process is represented by a dynamical variable during a certain time interval. As the two complexity measures are based on the calculation of informational entropy, an equivalent information source is defined and, as time passes, the individual information associated to the measured parameter is the seed to calculate instantaneous LMC and SDL measures. To show how the methodology works, an example with economic data is presented.

Mitochondria are semiautonomous organelles, which are pivotal for the energy metabolism of eukaryotic cells. These organelles contain their own genetic system (mtDNA, mitogenome) that encodes to some structural RNAs and organellar proteins. The biogenesis and function of mitochondria is tightly regulated by nuclear-encoded protein cofactors. The mtDNAs of land plants are characteristically large, with a complex mode of gene organization and expression, in particularly at the post-transcriptional level. To become functional, the primary organellar transcripts undergo extensive maturation steps, which include endo- and exo-nucleolytic cleavage, RNA-base editing, and both ‘cis’- and ‘trans’-splicing events. These essential processing steps rely on the activities of a large set of nuclear-encoded factors. Among these, the RNA helicases serve as key players in organellar (mt-)RNA metabolism. This review summarizes the important roles played by these factors in regulating the highly dynamic processes of transcription, RNA processing, and translation within the mitochondria of land plants. We further discuss recent advancements in understanding how dysregulation of mitochondrial RNA helicases affects the organellar gene expression, respiratory functions, and hence the growth, development and physiology of land plants.

There are increasing calls in education for deeper integration of disciplines and better preparation for the personal and job challenges of a fast-changing and smarter society. Thus, we need to search for new effective didactic strategies. However, current classrooms are isolated. They practically never connect. This hinders the exchange of ideas. It inhibits imitation and recombination, the basic blocks of cultural evolution and innovation. In this paper, we analyze online inter-class tournaments. These are lessons where entire elementary or middle school classes interconnect synchronously and play an educational game. These are new types of academic activities, and only possible thanks to digital communication technology. In this paper, we examine four online tournaments, we analyze how feasible it is to carry them out and the benefits they bring. One tournament is for teaching machine learning and statistics. The second one teaches the conservation of momentum in physics and an engineering optimization challenge. The third tournament is for learning to solve word problems. The fourth one is for teaching natural and sexual selection along with developing statistical and population thinking. We found that these inter-class tournaments are feasible to implement in schools and that they are a promising mechanism to facilitate imitation, recombination, and innovation of teaching strategies.

The vomeronasal system serves as a pivotal element in mammalian sensory biology, allowing the perception of chemical signals essential for social communication via the activation of two main receptor families, V1R and V2R. The expression of V1Rs and V2Rs is linked with that of the G-protein alpha-subunits, Gαi2 and Gαo, respectively. The exploration of the evolutionary pathways of V1Rs and V2Rs across all mammalian species remains a main challenge, juxtaposing available genomic data against emerging immunohistochemical evidence. However, recent investigations, in contrast to what is predicted by the currently annotated genomic sequences, have revealed the expression of Gαo in the vomeronasal neuroepithelium of wild canids, including wolves and foxes. In the present study, the employment of a specific antibody raised against the mouse V2R2, member of the C-family of vomeronasal receptors, V2Rs, has confirmed the expression of this receptor in the fox and wolf, but it has revealed the lack of expression in the dog. This may reflect the impact of domestication on the regression of the VNS in this species, in contrast to their wild counterparts, and underscores the effects of artificial selection on sensory functions. Thus, these findings suggest a more refined chemical detection capability in wild species.

By defining a constant probabilistic orbit of and iterated functions, the stability dynamics of these functions in possible interactions through connectivity provides the formation of a dynamic fixed point as a metric space between both iterated functions. The presence of a dynamic fixed point identifies qualitatively phases of iteration time lengths and interaction orbits of the event. Qualitative results show that the greater the average distance from one of the functions to the fixed point of the other (all possible solutions), the higher the iteration expression on time (false asymptotic effect) of one of the functions and in the opposite hand, the lower the average distance, the higher orbit’s interactions proximity between iterated functions (stability). This feature reveals asymptotic (well-defined) behavior between functions f and g within a well-defined Lyapunov stability.

In this data deposit, I describe a dataset that is the result of content mining 167,318 published articles for statistical test results. As a result of this content mining, 688,112 results from 50,845 articles were extracted. In order to provide a comprehensive set of data, the statistical results are supplemented with metadata from the article they originate from. The dataset is provided in a comma separated file (CSV) in long-format. For each of the 688,112 results, 20 variables are included, of which seven are article metadata and 13 pertain to the individual statistical results (e.g., reported and recalculated p-value). A five-pronged approach was taken to generate the dataset: (i) collect journal lists, (ii) spider journal pages for articles, (iii) download articles, (iv) add article metadata, and (v) mine articles for statistical results.

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

As consequence of COVID-19, millions of households suffered mobility restrictions and changes in their lifestyle during several months. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of COVID-19 home confinement in food habits, lifestyle and emotional balance of the Spanish population. This cross-sectional study used data collected via an anonymous online questionnaire during the last month before lockdown finished in Spain in a total of 675 participants. 38.8% of the respondents experienced weight gain while 31.1% lost weight during confinement. The increase in body weight was positively correlated with the age (Rs = 0.14, p <0.05) and BMI (Rs = 0.20, p <0.05). We also identified that 39.7% reported poorer quality sleep, it was positively correlated with BMI (Rs = -0.18, p <0.05) and with age (Rs = -0.21, p <0.05). 44.7% of the participants had not performed physical exercise during confinement with differences by sex (p <0.05), by age (p <0.05), by BMI (p <0.05) and sleep quality (p <0.05). According to emotional-eater questionnaire, 21.8% and 11% were classified as emotional eater and very emotional eater, respectively. We emphasize the importance of adopting a healthy lifestyle, as the COVID-19 pandemic nowadays is ongoing.

A new copper(I) complex, [Cu2(L)2dppm](PF6)2 (1) [L = 3-(2-Pyridyl)-5,6-diphenyl-1,2,4-triazine and dppm: Bis(diphenylphosphino)methane] was prepared and characterized by IR, 1H-NMR, 31P-NMR spectroscopy, elemental and thermogravimetric analysis, and single-crystal X-ray diffraction technique. Complex 1 is a dinuclear compound, showing that L and dppm act as tridentate and bidentate chelating ligands, respectively. The two Cu(I) atoms exhibit a distorted tetrahedral coordination sphere embedded in N3P environments. The supramolecular interactions in the solid-state structure are characterized by C−H···N, C−H···F, C-H···π and π···π intermolecular interactions that were analyzed by inspection of the Hirshfeld surface and fingerprint plots. Additionally, the complex was studied experimentally in solution by UV–Vis spectroscopy and cyclic voltammetry; also, theoretical studies with Time-Dependent Density Functional Theory (TD-DFT) were performed. Moreover, the optical and electrochemical properties have been studied, focusing on the band gap. Compound 1 has been used as a co-sensitizer in a dye-sensitized solar cell, showing good activity.

There is an urgent need to develop new therapies for cancer treatment due to high rates of resistance and tumor relapse. Moreover, chemotherapy and radiation weaken the immune system and leave patients susceptible to sudden death from infections and organ failure since antineoplastic drugs lack specificity. Hence, scientists worldwide continue the search for natural alternatives with anticancer activities and fewer side effects. In this regard, traditional medicine offers strategies for preventing and treating numerous diseases and nowadays scientific studies worldwide highlight some of the mechanisms underlying their potential as an effective alternative for the management of cancer. In Mexico, Mayan healers have been prescribed mainly medicinal plants for more than 2,000 years. Furthermore, their ethnomedical knowledge has led to drug discovery or the development of herbal remedies. Medicinal plants from the genus of Cissus remain an important element of all indigenous medical systems in Mexico including the Mayan tribes in Yucatan, particularly for the management of gastrointestinal illnesses, sores, cutaneous diseases, and tumors. In this review, we present the reported bioactivities against cancer cells of the extract and compounds from the species of Cissus with a particular focus on recent studies on the phytochemistry of C. trifoliata which is widely distributed in Mexican territory and used for tumor management in traditional medicine.

Salmonella Typhimurium infection in pigs is characterized by an intense inflammatory response in early infection which seems to dysregulate host physiology including the gut microbiota. Both, changes in host physiology and microbiome composition, must entail modifications within the gut environment. This study analyzes the gut metabolome in early infected pigs (48 hours after infection) and non-infected controls by untargeted metabolomics (LC–QTOF MS/MS and GC–TOF MS), supported with microbiome data (16S rRNA abundance and prediction functional analyses). The metabolomic profile in Salmonella-infected pigs differed from healthy controls in 39 of these metabolites, including eight amino acids, four bile acids and carboxylic acids, three carnitines and sugar derivates, eleven fatty acids and six other compounds. Changes in amino acids abundance and the observed decrease of proteolytic bacteria such as Lactobacillus or Bacteroides could favor the niche colonization by Desulfovibrionaceae. In addition, the decrease in short chain fatty acids and tricarboxylic acids cycle was correlated to a decrease in beneficial bacteria in infected pigs. Interestingly, we observed an increase of bile acids concentration and compounds such as succinic acid or pantothenic acid, which may boost the inflammatory response. Altogether, the results reveal how S. Typhimurium infection alters the gut microbiome composition and prompts changes in the metabolism with a potential interaction between intestinal metabolism and microbiota abundance.

Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) can directly kill Gram-positive bacteria, Gram-negative bacteria, mycobacteria, fungi, enveloped viruses and parasites. At sublethal concentrations some AMPs and also conventional antibiotics can stimulate bacteria response to increase their resilience, also called the hormetic response. That can include stimulation of growth, mobility, and biofilm production. Here, we have discovered AMPs that stimulate the growth of certain mycobacteria. Peptide 14 for example showed growth stimulating effect on M. tuberculosis, M. bovis, M. avium subsp. paratuberculosis (MAP), M. marinum, M. avium-intracellulare, M. celatum and M. abscessus. The effect was more pronounced at low bacterial inocula. The peptides induce a faster transition from the lag phase to the log phase and keep the bacteria longer in the log phase before entering the stationary phase compared to non treated control. In some cases, an increase in the division rate was observed. An initial screen using MAP and a collection of 75 peptides revealed 13 peptides with a hormetic effect. For M. tuberculosis a collection of 25 artificial peptides were screened and 9 were found to reduce the time to positivity (TTP), improving growth. A screen of 43 naturally occurring peptides, 11 fragments of naturally occurring peptides and 5 designed peptides, all taken from the APD3, identified a further 44 peptides that also lowered TTP by at least 5%. Lasioglossin LL-III (Bee) and Ranacyclin E (Frog) were the most active natural peptides, the human cathelicidin LL37 fragment GF-17 and a porcine cathelicidin protegrin-1 fragment was the most active fragment of naturally occurring peptides. Peptide 14 showed growth-stimulating activity between 50 ng/ml and 10 µg/ml whereas the stability-optimised peptide 14D had a narrow activity range of 0.1 - 1 µg/ml. Peptides identified in this study are now part of novel products improving the diagnosis of mycobacteria in humans and animals.

An laboratory procedure has been developed to obtain lanthanum oxide from spent fluid catalytic cracking catalyst, commonly used in the cracking the heavy crude oil process. Two different spent fluid catalytic cracking catalysts, which are mainly formed by silica and alumina, and a certain amount of rare earths were leached under several conditions to recover the rare earth from the solids waste. Subsequently, liquid phases were subjected to a liquid-liquid extraction process, and lanthanum was quantitatively stripped using oxalic acid to obtain the corresponding lanthanum oxalates. After the corresponding thermal treatment, these solids were transformed into lanthanum oxide. Both, lanthanum oxalates and oxides solids have been characterized by wide techniques in order to investigate the purity of the phases.

Hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) is one of the most important reaction in electrochemistry. This is not only because it is the simplest way to produce high purity hydrogen and the fact that it is the side reaction in many other technologies. HER actually shaped current electrochemistry because it was in focus of active research for so many years (and it still is). The number of catalysts investigated for HER is immense, and it is impossible to overview them all. In fact, it seems that the complexity of the field overcomes the complexity of HER. The aim of this review is to point out some of the latest developments in HER catalysis, current directions and some of the missing links between a single crystal, nanosized supported catalysts and, recently emerging, single atom catalysts for HER

DNA double-strand breaks (DSBs) trigger the Ataxia telangiectasia mutated (ATM)-dependent DNA damage response (DDR), which consists of histone H2AX, MDC1, RNF168, 53BP1, PTIP, RIF1, Rev7, and Shieldin. Early stages of B and T lymphocyte development are dependent on recombination activating gene (RAG)-induced DSBs that form the basis for further V(D)J recombination. Non-homologous end joining (NHEJ) pathway factors recognize, process, and ligate DSBs. Based on numerous loss-of-function studies, DDR factors were thought to be dispensable for the V(D)J recombination. In particular, mice lacking Mediator of DNA Damage Checkpoint Protein 1(MDC1) possessed nearly wild-type levels of mature B and T lymphocytes in the spleen, thymus, and bone marrow. NHEJ factor XRCC4-like factor (XLF)/Cernunnos is functionally redundant with ATM, histone H2AX, and p53-binding protein 1 (53BP1) during the lymphocyte development in mice. Here, we genetically inactivated MDC1, XLF, or both MDC1 and XLF in murine vAbl pro-B cell lines and, using chromosomally integrated substrates, demonstrated that MDC1 stimulates the V(D)J recombination in cells lacking XLF. Moreover, combined inactivation of MDC1 and XLF in mice resulted in synthetic lethality. Together, these findings suggest that MDC1 and XLF are functionally redundant during the mouse development, in general, and the V(D)J recombination, in particular.

The scratch test consists in pushing a tool across the surface of a material at a given penetration depth or applied load. It has several applications in Science and Engineering including strength testing, damage and quality control of thin films and coatings. Despite numerous attempts in scientific literature, the application of scratch test to characterizations of fracture properties remains a heavily controversial topic. Therefore, this investigation arises as an experimental study in order to assess the fracture toughness using scratch test. A study on the effect of cryogenic treatment, performed after tempering, on fracture toughness, via scratch test experiments, of different tool steels has been made. A laboratory investigation on AISI D2, AISI M2 and X105CrCoMo18 steel confirms the possibility of increasing the fracture toughness by carrying out the cryogenic treatment after the usual heat treatment

The potential of biological consortia designed for laccase production and dye treatment is discussed in this review. The poor yields in laccase production and low efficiency in dye decolorization of monoculture-based treatments has encouraged the use of designed biological consortia. A consortium is a system where the growth of two or more organisms, chosen to improve a particular bioprocess, is induced in the same medium. Chemical and natural mediators are being replaced by consortia for the production of laccases because, in addition to being less toxic, they induce new enzyme isoforms and lead to high laccase yields. On the other hand, consortia act synergistically in the decolorization of azo dyes through the enzymes they produce, so overall degradation is improved. Designed consortia are an attractive alternative still in development that could provide new biotechnological tools for the treatment of textile effluents.

The changes in consumer preferences and the increasingly competitive global market have demanded that food entrepreneurs engage in innovative value-added activities. The date is a delicatessen fruit known by its content of active compounds (e.g., dietary fiber and antioxidants) and its biological activity which has a vast potential in the design of new products such as bioactive ingredients, sugar substitutes, dietary supplements, functional foods, among others. In the current paper, innovative approaches to the value addition to date fruits and their processing by-products have been reviewed from recent high-quality scientific works. New processes such as ultrafiltration and hydrothermal treatments are shown as a useful alternative to obtain differentiated date-based ingredients (e.g., fiber concentrates, sap syrups, and date powders). Moreover, the use of date fruits and their byproducts as natural sources of value-added active compounds in the preparation of dairy, meat, and bakery and cereal products is also presented.

Layered two-dimensional (2D) graphene oxide (GO) films are integrated with micro-ring resonators (MRRs) to experimentally demonstrate enhanced nonlinear optics in the form of four-wave mixing (FWM). Both uniformly coated and patterned GO films are integrated on CMOS-compatible doped silica MRRs using a large-area, transfer-free, layer-by-layer GO coating method together with photolithography and lift-off processes, yielding precise control of the film thickness, placement, and coating length. The high Kerr nonlinearity and low loss of the GO films combined with the strong light-matter interaction within the MRRs results in a significant improvement in the FWM efficiency in the hybrid MRRs. Detailed FWM measurements are performed at different pump powers and resonant wavelengths for the uniformly coated MRRs with 1−5 layers of GO as well as the patterned devices with 10−50 layers of GO. The experimental results show good agreement with theory, achieving up to ~7.6-dB enhancement in the FWM conversion efficiency (CE) for an MRR uniformly coated with 1 layer of GO and ~10.3-dB for a patterned device with 50 layers of GO. By fitting the measured CE as a function of pump power for devices with different numbers of GO layers, we also extract the dependence of GO’s third-order nonlinearity on layer number and pump power, revealing interesting physical insights about the evolution of the layered GO films from 2D monolayers to quasi bulk-like behavior. These results confirm the high nonlinear optical performance of integrated photonic resonators incorporated with 2D layered GO films.

Pinus patula is one of the most planted wood conifer species worldwide; however, no foliar nutrient standards exist for this species up to date. The objective of the present study was to generate and verify two sets of foliar nutrient standards for nearly ten-year-old P. patula trees: critical nutrient concentrations and DRIS norms. Nutrients studied were N, P, K, Ca, Mg, Fe, Cu, Zn, Mn, and B. The reference standards were verified experimentally by installing two fertilization trials; one of them located in Huayacocotla, state of Veracruz and the other one in Aquixtla, state of Puebla, Mexico. Nutrient status of each fertilization trial was correctly predicted by critical nutrient values and DRIS as well. Both standards were able to detect the secondary growth-limiting nutrient deficiency in the Huayacocotla trial, where the primary limitation for growth was scarcity of solar radiation within tree crowns. The limiting nutrient in both experimental trials was K.

We report a photonic-based radio frequency (RF) arbitrary waveform generator (AWG) using a soliton crystal micro-comb source with a free spectral range (FSR) of 48.9 GHz. The comb source provides over 80 wavelengths, or channels, that we use to successfully achieve arbitrary waveform shapes including square waveforms with a tunable duty ratio ranging from 10% to 90%, sawtooth waveforms with a tunable slope ratio of 0.2 to 1, and a symmetric concave quadratic chirp waveform with an instantaneous frequency of sub GHz. We achieve good agreement between theory and experiment, validating the effectiveness of this approach towards realizing high-performance, broad bandwidth, nearly user-defined RF waveform generation.

The Canal of Aragon and Catalonia (CAC) is 134 km long and irrigates 105,000 ha (131 irrigation user communities) and it is own by the River Ebro’s Water Agency. The aqueducts are located between km 67 and 71 of the canal and were designed by the Civil Engineer Félix de los Ríos Martín in 1907. The cross-section of both aqueducts, Coll de Foix and Capedevila, was extended within the framework of the project by Fernando Hué Herrero in 1962 in order to reach design flows of 26.1 m3/s and 25.7 m3/s, respectively. The structural performance of the aqueducts has been satisfactory, nevertheless the hydraulic capacity has reduced over the years. As a result, the irrigation user communities have expressed the need to extend the cross-section of the aqueducts to meet the irrigation demands. Given the age of the structure and the different design considerations at the time, it is paramount to verify the structural reliability of the aqueducts in the new load configuration. Therefore, the objective of the paper is to present the structural safety analysis conducted and describe the new extended cross-section for both aqueducts (maintaining the original structural typology).