Strong evidence indicates that insulin resistance contributes to the development of Alzheimer´s disease by promoting inflammation, oxidative stress, and blood vessel damage. Conversely, neuroinflammation induces insulin resistance by targeting insulin signaling molecules: the insulin receptor substrates 1 and 2 (IRS1/2). In addition, neuroinflammation is strongly linked to reduced levels of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) expression. BDNF is a key factor for neuronal survival, and its expression is compromised in neurodegenerative disorders. In this study, we show that, in a triple-transgenic (3xTg) mice model of Alzheimer’s disease, the BDNF and IRS2 but not the IRS1 mRNA expression levels were reduced in the hippocampus, together with higher levels of TNFα, compared with wild-type mice. Subgroups of control and 3xTg mice received short and long treatments of Abscisic Acid (ABA), a phytohormone with anti-inflammatory and insulin-sensitizing capabilities. We found that the short ABA treatment can increase the IRS1 and IRS2 mRNA expression both in wild-type and 3xTg mice, concomitant with reducing pro-inflammatory cytokine TNFα in 3xTg mice. However, earlier, and thus longer treatments are required to rescue the BDNF mRNA levels. Our data strongly confirm that ABA administration is a potential treatment to prevent Alzheimer´s disease, via lowering neuroinflammation, potentially rescuing insulin signaling molecules and BDNF mRNA expression.

The introduction of anti-amyloid monoclonal antibodies against Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is of high importance. However, even though treated patients show very little amyloid pathology, there is only a modest effect on the rate of cognitive decline. Although this effect possibly can increase over time, there is still a need for alternative treatments that will improve the cognitive function in patients with AD. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to characterize the triazinetrione ACD856, a novel pan-Trk positive allosteric modulator, in multiple models to address its neuroprotective and potential disease modifying effects. The pharmacological effect of ACD856 was tested in recombinant cell lines, primary cortical neurons or animals. We demonstrate that ACD856 enhanced NGF-induced neurite outgrowth, increased the levels of the pre-synaptic protein SNAP25 in PC12 cells and increased the degree of phosphorylated TrkB in SH-SY5Y cells. In primary cortical neurons, ACD856 led to increased levels of phospho-ERK1/2, showed neuroprotective effect against amyloid-beta or energy-deprivation induced neurotoxicity, and increased the levels of brain derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF). Consequently, administration of ACD856 resulted in a significant increase of BDNF in the brains of 21-months old mice. Furthermore, repeated administration of ACD856 resulted in a sustained anti-depressant effect which lasted up to seven days, suggesting effects that go beyond merely symptomatic effects. In conclusion, the results confirm ACD856 as a cognitive enhancer, but more importantly, they provide substantial in vitro and in vivo evidence of neuroprotective and long-term effects that contribute to neurotrophic support and increased neuroplasticity. Presumably, the described effects of ACD856 may improve cognition, increase resilience, and promote neurorestorative processes, thereby leading to a healthier brain in patients with AD.

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

The present study provides molecular insight into the mechanisms underlying energy dissipation and lubrication of a smooth contact lubricated by an ionic liquid. We have performed normal and lateral force measurements with a surface forces apparatus and by colloidal probe atomic force microscopy on following model systems: 1-ethyl-3-methyl imidazolium bis-(trifluoro-methylsulfonyl)imide, in dry state and in equilibrium with ambient (humid) air; the surface was either bare mica or functionalized with a polymer brush. The velocity-dependence of the friction force reveals two different regimes of lubrication, boundary-film lubrication, with distinct characteristics for each model system, and fluid-film lubrication above a transition velocity V*. The underlying mechanisms of energy dissipation are evaluated with molecular models for stress-activated slip and flow, respectively. The stress-activated slip assumes that two boundary layers (composed of ions/water strongly adsorbed to the surface) slide pass each; the bond dynamics and the strength of the interaction at the slip plane dictate the change in friction -decreasing, increasing or remaining constant- with velocity in the boundary-film lubrication regime. Above a transition velocity V*, friction monotonically increases with velocity in the three model systems. Here, layers of ions slide past each (“flow”) under a shear stress and friction depends on a shear-activation volume that is significantly affected by confinement. The proposed friction model provides a molecular perspective of the lubrication of smooth contacts by ionic liquids and allows identifying the physical parameters that control friction.

Grapevine Trunk Diseases (GTDs) are caused by a wide variety of phytopathogenic fungal species that compromise grapevine productivity and wine quality. Each year they lead to major economic losses. Most GTD treatments currently available on the market are chemical-based and environ-mentally harmful. Given that one of the goals proposed by the European Green Deal is to develop sustainable agriculture which does not harm the environment, reduces pesticide use, and pro-motes rural area economies, an alternative to those treatments may be the use of elicitors such as oligosaccharides from fungal organisms. Indeed, many studies have confirmed that oligosaccha-rides play important roles in activating plants' innate immunity. Mannans are one possible type of such oligosaccharides. The present work analysed Vitis vinifera L. (cv. Tempranillo and cv. Airén) leaves and grapes to evaluate their physiological and molecular response to GTDs and how this response might be conditioned using different concentrations of mannans as elicitors. It was found that mannan addition to diseased vines was more positive for the leaves than for the grapes. In general, mannans increased the expression levels of chalcone synthase (CHS1, CHS3), phenylalanine ammonia lyase (PAL), superoxide dismutase (SOD), and polyphenol oxidase (PPO) in healthy leaves of both varieties. In diseased leaves, CHS3 and PAL decreased in both varieties, while CHS1 and PPO increased in Tempranillo but not in Airén. In the grapes, the expression pat-terns of the genes studied varied greatly due to the development of the disease. The mannan treatment seemed to reduce the oxidative stress caused by GTDs, although this response depend-ed on the variety and on the plant's phytosanitary status.

This paper presents a practical case illustrating how the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) of the 2030 Agenda have been designed and articulated in the context of the University of the Basque Country (UPV/EHU). Even though there is a widespread formal adherence of universities to the SDGs, there is a lack of solid commitment to go beyond the compartmentalization of their implementation and to contribute to a holistic approach. The EHUagenda 2030 is a roadmap to move towards an integrated, verifiable and pragmatic contribution to this international agenda. It describes the UPV/EHU's contribution to 12 of the 17 SDGs, with the addition of its own commitment to linguistic and cultural diversity (SDG 17 + 1), along with the three sectoral plans: the Equality Campus, the Inclusion Campus and the Planet Campus. It also describes the refocus of its education model IKD i3; i3 is ikaskuntza x ikerketa x iraunkortasuna, Basque for learning x research x sustainability. Additionally, it includes the UPV/EHU’s Panel of Sustainable Development Indicators, which addresses the technical aspects of monitoring the implementation of the SDGs. The systematic methodology used in this process (mapping; mainstreaming; diagnosis and definition and, finally, estimation) and presented in this paper could be replicated in other universities yet to embark on this integration. The steps and findings presented here can also be applied to other organizations and help the integration process.

Maize (Zea mays sp) is one of the most important basic grains in our diets, and requires high levels pf nitrogen and phosphorus for optimum growth. However, phosphorus is problematic due to its high reactivity in the soil matrix, meaning that it is fixed in a very short time and inaccesible to plants. The lupinus genus, and more specifically, Lupinus albus through its root clusters, or proteoid roots, have the ability to solubilize portions of phosphorus when it is found in a limited environment. The objetive of the current study was to evaluate the effect of lupinus montanus under phosphorus stress conditions intercropped with maize, utilizing sandy soils with calcium phosphate bands. Materials and Methods: Work was conducted in growth chambers using rhizotrons, which allowed the authors to observed the growth and root behavior of both species (Lupinus monatnus and maize), The SAS 9.0 program was used for the statistical Analysis and ANOVA and tukey test were perfomed. Results : The phosphorus analysis in the plant tissue indicated that is concentration in maize was slightly higher in intercropping conditions than in monoculture planting. Conclusion: From this, we calculated that lupinus montanus is capable of solubilizing portions of phosphorus making available for other crops.; likewise, we also observed that proteoid structures did not develop, leaving the study open for other wild species.

As the number of legal and illegal mining sites increase, integrative methods to evaluate the effects of mining pollution on Andes-Amazonia freshwater ecosystems are paramount. Here, we sampled water and sediments in 11 sites potentially affected by mining activities in the Napo province (Ecuador). The environmental impacts were evaluated using four lines of evidence (LOEs): water physico-chemical parameters; metal exposure concentrations; macroinvertebrate community response (AAMBI); and toxicity by conducting bioassays with Lactuca sativa and Daphnia magna. Overall, dissolved oxygen and total suspended solids were, under (<80%) and above (>130 mg/Ls) quality standards. Ag, Al, As, Cd, Cu, Fe, Mn, Pb and Zn in water and V, B and Cr in sediments were detected above quality standards. Nine out of eleven sites were classified as having bad environmental quality based on the AAMBI. Ranges of L. sativa seed germination in both water (37% to 70%) and sediment (0% to 65%), indicate significant toxicity. In 5 sites, neonates of D. magna showed a 25% reduction in survival compared to the control. Our integrated LOEs index ranked sites regarding their environmental degradation. Given the importance of the Andes-Amazon region, we recommend environmental impact monitoring of the mining expansion using multiple LOEs.

The present study investigates the impact of electrode surface roughness on the electrofreezing of water. This research focuses on how the electrode roughness induced by a laser treatment affects the nucleation and growth of ice crystals under controlled electric fields. To achieve this, a series of experiments were conducted using deionized water samples placed between electrodes with varying surface roughness. The electrodes, fabricated with the Al6061 T6 alloy were structured via the Laser Shock Processing (LSP) method. For this purpose, the pulsed densities during the LSP process were varied from 900 to 2500 pulses/cm2. The increase of the pulse density was correlated to the surface structuring and to the microstructural features and average roughness of the LSP-treated Al6061 alloy. A wavy-like microstructure was induced upon the LSP treatment with average roughnesses between ~ 3.5 and 6 µm at the selected pulse densities. The results indicate that electrode roughness significantly influences the electrofreezing process. Rougher electrodes were found to lower the nucleation temperature compared to smoother ones, suggesting enhanced ice nucleation activity. The findings are attributed to the increased electric field concentration at the asperities of the rough surfaces, which may facilitate the alignment of water molecules and the formation of critical ice nuclei.

Ultrasound is a well-known tool to produce thermal and non-thermal effects on cells and tissues. These effects require a correct application of ultrasound in terms of localization and acoustic energy delivered. This article describes a new device that combines ultrasound and Dry Needling treatments. The ultrasound transducer can rotate in 3D space mechanically to align itself in the direction of the needle. The transducer electronically focuses the acoustic pressure automatically on the needle tip and its surroundings. A computer, using graphical interface software, controls the angulation of the array and the focus position.

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

The field of applied behavior analysis has been directly involved in both research and applications of behavioral principles to improve the lives of captive zoo animals. Thirty years ago, Forthman and Ogden (1992) wrote one of the first papers documenting some of these efforts. Since that time, considerable work has been done using behavioral principles and procedures to guide zoo welfare efforts. The current paper re-examines and updates Forthman and Ogden’s original points, with attention to the five categories they detailed: (1) promotion of species-typical behavior, (2) reintroduction and repatriation of endangered species, (3) animal handling, (4) pest control, and (5) animal performances. In addition, we outline three current and future directions for behavior analytic endeavors: (i) experimental analyses of behavior and the zoo, (ii) applied behavior analysis and the zoo, and (iii) within-subject methodology and the zoo. The goal is to provide a framework that can guide future behavioral research in zoos, as well as create applications based on these empirical evaluations.

There are currently around 78 Nuclear Power Plants (NPP) in the world based on Boiling Water Reactors (BWR). The current parameter to assess BWR instability issues is the linear Decay Ratio (DR). However, it is well known that BWRs are complex non-linear dynamical systems that may even exhibit chaotic dynamics that normally preclude the use of the DR when the BWR is working at a specific operating point during instability. In this work a novel methodology based on an adaptive Shannon Entropy estimator and on Noise Assisted Empirical Mode Decomposition variants is presented. This methodology was developed for real-time implementation of a stability monitor. This methodology was applied to a set of signals stemming from several NPPs reactors (Ringhals-Sweden, Forsmark-Sweden and Laguna Verde-Mexico) under commercial operating conditions, that experienced instabilities events, each one of a different nature

We analyse recent contradictory results and conclusions about the spectrum of the screened Coulomb potential $V(r)=-r^{-1}e^{-C/r}$. The well known Hellmann-Feynman theorem shows that all the bound states of the Coulomb potential ($C=0$) remain bounded as $C$ increases. We derive a simple approximate analytical expression for the eigenvalues for sufficiently small values of the screening parameter $C$ and an approximate asymptotic expression for the asymptotic behaviour of the s-state eigenvalues when $C\rightarrow \infty $. Present results are expected to resolve the discrepancy about the spectrum of the quantum-mechanical model just mentioned.

Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) is an irreversible neurodegenerative disease with no known cure. Recent studies suggest a strong metabolic component in ALS pathogenesis and have shown an inverse relationship between leptin levels and ALS progression, although the effects of leptin as a treatment have not yet been studied. Therefore, we aim to examine whether the acute treatment with leptin has beneficial effects on brain pathology and cognitive function in the transgenic TDP43A315T line of ALS. Mice were treated intranasally (IN) with 0.03mg/kg of leptin or vehicle (VH) daily for 7 days. Data showed a progressive decline in body weight and motor coordination in TDP43A315T mice. Moreover, Lep-treated TDP43A315T mice showed an earlier disease onset, along with an improvement in motor performance. Altered levels of some of the adipokines and metabolic proteins studied were found in TDP43A315T mice, which were differently expressed among Lep-treated and VH-treated animals. Furthermore, some correlations were found among the serum levels of this proteins in WT and TDP43A315T mice. As far as we know, this is the first pilot study to provide evidence of the therapeutic effect of leptin treatment in a mice model of ALS, although further studies are needed to expound on the underlying mechanisms.

The outbreak of COVID-19, the disease caused by SARS-CoV-2, continues to affect millions of people around the world. The absence of a globally distributed effective treatment makes the exploration of new mechanisms of action a key step to address this situation. Stabilization of non-native Protein-Protein Interactions (PPIs) of the nucleocapsid protein of MERS-CoV has been reported as a valid strategy to inhibit viral replication. In this study, the applicability of this unexplored mechanism of action against SARS-CoV-2 is analyzed. During our research, we were able to find three inducible interfaces of SARS-CoV-2 N protein NTD, compare them to the previously reported MERS-CoV stabilized dimers, and identify those residues that are responsible for their formation. A drug discovery protocol implemented consisting of docking, molecular dynamics and MM-GBSA enabled us to find several compounds that might be able to exploit this mechanism of action. In addition, a common catechin skeleton was found among many of these molecules, which might be useful for further drug design. We consider that our findings could motivate future research in the fields of drug discovery and design towards the exploitation of this previously unexplored mechanism of action against COVID-19.

Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC) is one of the worst-hit regions globally by COVID-19 pandemic. Yet, scarce literature exists that examines the research strategy of LAC in facing COVID-19. The present study aims to quantify and assess the production of COVID-19 publications in thirty-two countries in LAC during the first half of 2020. A Scopus/PubMed/LILACS search was performed to retrieve research articles related to COVID-19 published from January 1 to July 31, 2020. Subgroup analysis including only original publications was used to better ascertain the contribution of LAC countries, and standardization measures were applied to comparisons of country-specific contributions. We identified 1291 publications across the region. Overall, most articles in the region were non-original (81.6%), and the most productive countries were Brazil (43.9%), Mexico (9.14%), and Colombia (7.98%). This trend shifted to Chile after the standardization. Among original studies, the most common study design was cross-sectional (25.8%). LAC countries generate articles primarily pertaining to diagnosis and treatment (27.4%). In the subgroup analysis, however, epidemiology and surveillance was the most prevalent research focus (24.1%). LAC countries should perform more research with a higher level of evidence to inform health policy making to ease the burden of COVID-19 in the region.

This study aims to enhance multimodal transportation systems by mitigating CO2 emissions and enhancing operational efficiency. It introduces a novel centralized cargo concentration approach tailored for regions facing geographical challenges. The method proposes for direct transportation of cargo from its loading origin to export ports, bypassing intermediate hubs. The mathematical model determines the most efficient means of transport for each route, factoring in variables like distance, volume, and cargo type. Research results indicate that, in scenarios with a high concentration of cargo, multiple hubs may not be necessary, which could streamline transportation and logistics operations. Modal preferences vary based on regional dynamics and cargo characteristics, with rail and sea transport emerging as preferable options under specific circumstances, surpassing the efficacy of road transport. The proposed model showcases reductions in both logistics costs and CO2 emissions compared to road-centric scenarios. It underscores the strategic integration of diverse transportation modes as pivotal for enhancing efficiency and sustainability. This study furnishes a framework adaptable to optimizing multimodal transportation systems in regions sharing similar geographical and logistical attributes.

Elliptic scator algebra is possible in 1+n dimensions, n∈N. It is isomorphic to complex algebra in 1+1 dimensions, when the real part and any one hypercomplex component are considered. It is endowed with two representations: an additive one, where the scator components are represented as a sum; and a polar representation, where the scator components are represented as products of exponentials. Within the scator framework, De Moivre’s formula is generalized to 1+n dimensions in the so called victoria equation. This novel formula is then used to obtain compact expressions for the integer powers of scator elements. A scator in S1+n can be factored into a product of n scators that are geometrically represented as its projections onto n two dimensional planes. A geometric interpretation of scator multiplication in terms of rotations with respect to the scalar axis is expounded. The powers of scators, when the ratio of their director components is a rational number, lie on closed curves. For 1+2 dimensional scators, twisted curves in a three dimensional space are obtained. Collecting previous results, it is possible to evaluate the exponential of a scator element in 1+2 dimensions.

The current study aims to develop a methodology for obtaining topology-optimal structures made of short fiber-reinforced polymers, which include the fluid-structure interaction. Accounting for the molding process during the internal iterations of topology optimization makes it possible to enhance the weight efficiency of structures—a crucial aspect, especially in aerospace. Anisotropy is considered through the fiber orientation tensor, which is modeled by solving the plastic molding equations for non-Newtonian fluids, and then introduced as a variable of the stiffness matrix during the structural analysis. The materials used were non-linearly modeled using an exponential-and-linear hardening law. The evaluation of weight efficiency in structures composed of short-reinforced composite materials using a dimensionless criterion is addressed. Experimental verification was performed to confirm the validity of the developed methodology. The evidence illustrates that considering anisotropy leads to stiffer structures and structural elements should be oriented in the direction of maximal stiffness. The load-carrying factor can be expressed in terms of failure criteria. The presented multidisciplinary methodology can be used to improve the quality of the design of structures made of short fiber-reinforced composites (SFRC) where high stiffness, high strength, and minimum mass are the primary required structural characteristics.

This study aims to understand the role of BPJS Kesehatan as a variable that mediates or mediates the relationship between emergency services and patient satisfaction. This can include how administrative processes, access to services, or costs incurred by BPJS affect the relationship between service and satisfaction. Quantitative studies of a correlational nature are a part of this investigation. In order to forecast endogenous variables (Y) Purchase decisions, researchers conduct correlational studies, which examine the link between one or more variables and other factors. Here, X represents emergency services, Y stands for patient satisfaction, and M for BPJS are the exogenous variables. The purpose of this research is to examine the role of BPJS as a moderator between the impact of emergency services on patients' levels of satisfaction. There were 120 people that filled out the survey, and the margin of error was 10% (based on a 90% truth rate and a 10% error rate). Purposive sampling was used to select participants for the aforementioned studies. Warppls 8.0 and the Warp Partial Least Square program were utilized for data analysis in this investigation. The study found that PKD significantly and positively affected 71% of participants' happiness with the impact they received. With a 63% influence, PKD has a favorable and statistically significant effect on BPJS. Patient satisfaction is significantly impacted by BPJS, which has a favorable association. When looking at the connection between community satisfaction and emergency services, BPJS is a key mediator. Community satisfaction can be enhanced through the provision of fast and excellent emergency services, and BPJS plays a vital role in mediating this relationship. The beneficial effect of emergency services on community satisfaction can be amplified if BPJS is able to offer sufficient coverage while simultaneously reducing costs and expediting administrative processes.

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

Exercise produces oxidants from a variety of intracellular sources, including NADPH oxidases (NOX) and mitochondria. Exercise-derived ROS are beneficial, and the amount and location of these ROS are important to avoid muscle damage associated with oxidative stress. We discuss here some of the evidence that involves ROS production associated with skeletal muscle contraction and the potential oxidative stress associated with muscle contraction. We also discuss the potential role of H2O2 produced after NOX activation in the regulation of glucose transport in skeletal muscle. Finally, we propose a model based on evidence for the role of different populations of mitochondria in skeletal muscle in the regulation of ATP production upon exercise. The sub-sarcolemmal population of mitochondria has the enzymatic and metabolic components to establish a high mitochondrial membrane potential when fissioned at rest but lacks the capacity to produce ATP; calcium entry to the mitochondria will further increase the metabolic input. Upon exercise, sub-sarcolemmal mitochondria will fuse to intermyofibrillar mitochondria and will transfer the membrane potential to them. These mitochondria are rich in ATP synthase and will subsequentially produce the ATP needed for muscle contraction in long-term exercise. These events will optimize energy use and minimize mitochondria ROS production.

In 1948, Skinner described the behavior of pigeons under response-independent schedules as “superstitious,” and proposed that the responses were reinforced by contiguous, adventitious food deliveries. Subsequently, response-independent schedules have been of interest to both basic and applied researchers, first to understand the mechanisms involved, and later, as “noncontingent reinforcement” (NCR) to reduce undesirable behavior. However, the potential superstitious effects produced by these schedules have been challenged, with some researchers arguing that antecedent variables play a significant role. This paper examines the evidence for adventitious reinforcement from both laboratory and applied research, the results of which suggest that antecedent, non-operant functions may be important in fully understanding the effects of NCR. We propose an applied-basic research synthesis, in which attention to potential non-operant functions could provide a more complete understanding of response-independent schedules. We conclude with a summary of the applied implications of the non-operant functions of NCR schedules.

Essential oils are mixtures of compounds obtained from plants, including flowers, roots, bark, leaves, seeds,peel, fruits, wood, that have risen up in the last decades thanks to their beneficial properties as antibacterial, antifungal and anti-inflammatory agents. The aim of this study was to characterize and analyze 13 different commercial essential oils with two different techniques. The first is GC-MS, coupled with SPME, thanks to which 204 different VOCs have been identified. The results show that a total of 95 compounds was found only in one oil, while the others were found with different frequencies in many of them. The most represented class is that of terpenes, as widely reported in literature. The second technique is based on an array of chemical gas sensors. This system was used to investigate whether sensors are able to identify these products. It turned out that basil, cinnamon and carnation are the most identifiable oils with different number and typology of sensors, especially tin oxide and copper oxide nanowires, while cayeput and thyme are more mistakable samples. Thanks to this detailed study, it has been possible to reach and obtain novel insights for the future development of this type of research.

The North-Marchean Apennines (central Italy) host an extraordinary geological and geomor-phological heritage, significant for its richness, diversity, rarity, scientific interest, aesthetic ap-peal, naturalistic, cultural, and educational values. The area, which covers 600 square kilometres and includes numerous spectacular geosites, embraces 18 municipalities in the provinces of Pesaro-Urbino and Ancona. These municipalities are distributed along the ridge that includes the peaks of Mts. Strega, Catria, Acuto, Petrano, Tenetra and Nerone and covers the parallel ridge of Mts. Paganuccio-Pietralata, together with the spectacular Furlo Gorge. It is a real geological museum outdoors, which, with its continuous stratigraphic succession of 200 million years, its geosites, and a vast system of karstic caves, is distinctive for geologists all over the world. This study aims to analyse the environmental heritage of the North-Marchean Apennines through the integrated study and description of the geo-environmental aspects of 7 geosites, se-lected from a list of 44, presented here and localized. These 7 geosites were chosen as being par-ticularly significant from a scientific, naturalistic as well as aesthetic, and cultural point of view. The richness of its geological and geomorphological heritage and the great wealth of its naturalistic, historical, and cultural aspects make it an area with high educational, tourist and recreational potential.

It has been suggested that particle size plays an important role in determining the genotoxicity of gold nanoparticles (GNPs). The purpose of this study was to compare the potential radio-sensitization effects of two different sized GNPs (3.9 and 37.4 nm) fabricated and examined in vitro in Lewis Lung carcinoma (LLC) as a model of non-small cell lung cancer through use of comet and clonogenic assays. After the treatment of 2Gy X-ray irradiation, both particle sizes demonstrated increased DNA damage when compared to treatment with particles only and radiation alone. This radio-sensitization was further translated into a reduction in cell survival demonstrated by clonogenicity. This work indicates that GNPs of both sizes induce DNA damage in LLC cells at the tested concentrations, whereas the 37.4 nm particle size treatment group demonstrated greater significance in vitro. The presented data aids in the evaluation of the radiobiological response of Lewis Lung carcinoma cells treated with gold nanoparticles.

This review provides a detailed analysis of hemodiafiltration (HDF), its progress from an emerging technique to a potential conventional treatment for chronic hemodialysis patients, and its current status. The article covers advances, methodologies, and clinical benefits of HDF, spe-cifically focusing on its impact on cardiovascular health, survival rates, and overall well-being. The text also addresses concerns about the safety of HDF and provides evidence to dispel worries re-lated to the elimination of beneficial substances and infection risks. Additionally, the article ex-plores the potential implications of expanded hemodialysis (HDx) as an alternative to HDF, its classification, safety profile, and an ongoing trial assessing its non-inferiority to HDF. Supported by evidence from randomized controlled trials and observational studies, the review emphasizes the superiority of HDF as a hemodialysis modality, advocating for its positioning as the gold standard in treatment. However, it acknowledges the need for extensive research to define the role of HDx in comprehensive treatment approaches for individuals undergoing dialysis. The synthesis of current knowledge underscores the importance of ongoing exploration and research to refine hemodialysis practices for optimal patient outcomes.

Streptococcus pneumoniae is an pathogenic and opportunistic Gram-positive bacteria that is the leading cause of community acquired respiratory diseases, varying from mild- to deathly- infections. Appearance of antibiotic resistant isolates has prompted the search for novel targets. One of the most promising approaches is the structure-based knowledge of possible targets in conjunction to rational design and docking of inhibitors of the chosen targets. A useful technique to help solving protein structures is to label them with a heavy atom, like selenium, that facilitates tracing of the some of the amino acid residues. We have chosen two pneumococcal DNA-binding proteins, namely the relaxase domain of MobM protein from plasmid pMV158, and the RelB-RelE antitoxin-toxin protein complex. Through the update of a previous protocol [1] that uses seleno-L-methionine, we could achieve 100% labelling of the proteins. Furthermore, the labelled proteins retained full activity as judged from relaxation of supercoiled plasmid DNA and from gel-retardation assays.

The physiological mechanisms that underlie the generation and maintenance of pain are diverse. There are afferent fibers that receive sensory information and transfer the information to the central nervous system. However, when trying to classify and determine their molecular characteristics, it becomes a difficult task due to the variety of markers that they share. With current technological advances, it is possible to specifically modulate the fibers that process pain signaling through optogenetics and chemogenetics. Nonetheless, to accomplish this aim it is necessary a specific identification of each neuron subtypes involved. This review addresses the molecular markers present in the nociceptive fibers responsible for sensory signals and the use of these molecular markers as optogenetics targets to modulate nociceptive behavior.

This study considers an application of the first-order Grey Markov Model to foresee the values of Italian power generation in relation to the available energy sources. The model is used to fit data from the Italian energy system from 2000 to 2022. The integration of Markovian error introduces a random element to the model, which is able now to capture inherent uncertainties and misalignments between the Grey model predictions and the real data. This application provides valuable insights for strategic planning in the energy sector and future developments. The results show good accuracy of the predictions, which provides powerful information for the effective implementation of energy policies concerning the evolution of energy demand in the country. Despite advancements, Italy’s 2032 energy mix will still significantly rely on fossil fuels, emphasizing the need for sustained efforts beyond 2032 to enhance sustainability.

The DOF (DNA binding with one finger) family of plant-specific transcription factors (TF) was first identified in maize in 1995. Since then, DOF proteins have been shown to be present in the whole plant kingdom including the unicellular alga Chlamydomonas reinhardtii. The DOF TF family is characterised by a highly conserved DNA binding domain (DOF domain), consisting of a CX2C-X21-CX2C motif which is able to form a zinc finger structure. Early in the study of DOF proteins it became clear their relevance for seed biology. Indeed, the Prolamine Binding Factor (PBF), one of the first DOF proteins characterised, controls the endosperm-specific expression of the zein genes in maize. Subsequently, several DOF proteins from both monocots and dicots have been shown to be primarily involved in seed development, dormancy and germination, as well as in seedling development and other light-mediated processes. In the last two decades the molecular network underlying these processes have been outlined, and the main molecular players and their interactions have been identified. In this review, we will focus on the DOF TFs involved in these molecular networs, and on their interaction with other proteins.

Aspergillus fumigatus is a ubiquitous, critical priority human fungal pathogen. Despite its clinical importance, there is limited knowledge regarding the variations of the genome within mitochondria, the powerhouse organelle within eukaryotic cells. In this study, we leveraged publicly available raw, whole genome sequence data from 1939 isolates to investigate the variations in the mitochondrial genomes of A. fumigatus. These isolates were isolated from 22 countries on six continents, as well as from outer space and from within the International Space Station. In total, our analysis revealed 39 mitochondrial single nucleotide polymorphisms (mtSNPs) within this global sample and together, these 39 mtSNPs grouped the 1939 isolates into 79 mitochondrial multilocus genotypes (MLGs). Among the 79 MLGs, 39 were each distributed in at least two countries and 30 were each shared by at least two continents. The two most frequent MLGs were also broadly distributed: MLG11 represented 420 isolates from 11 countries and four continents and while MLG79 represented 418 isolates from 18 countries and five continents, consistent with long-distance dispersals of mitogenomes. Our population genetic analyses of the mtSNPs revealed limited differentiation among continental populations but highly variable genetic differences among national populations, largely due to localized clonal expansions of different MLGs. Phylogenetic analysis and Discriminant Analysis of Principal Components of mtSNPs suggested the presence of at least three mitogenome clusters. Linkage disequilibrium, Index of Association, and phylogenetic incompatibility analyses collectively suggested evidence for mitogenome recombination in natural populations of A. fumigatus. In addition, sequence read depth analyses revealed an average ratio of ~20 mitogenomes per nuclear genome in this global population but the ratios varied among strains within and between certain geographic populations. Together, our results suggest evidence for organelle dynamics, genetic differentiation, recombination, and both widespread and localized clonal expansion of the mitogenomes in the global A. fumigatus population.

Experiential learning can facilitate the development of transferrable skills necessary for success in attaining tenure and promotion in academia. In this article, we discuss the benefits of designing and implementing an individualized professional development experience or practicum. By doing this, we describe the experiential learning component of the Accomplishing Career Transitions (ACT) Program of the American Society for Cell Biology. The ACT program aims to assist postdoctoral trainees and junior faculty from backgrounds underrepresented in STEM as they strive to transition into tenure-track positions and ultimately attain tenure at research-intensive or teaching-intensive academic institutions.

In training a deep learning system to perform audio transcription, two practical problems may arise. Firstly, most datasets are weakly labelled, having only a list of events present in each recording without any temporal information for training. Secondly, deep neural networks need a very large amount of labelled training data to achieve good quality performance, yet in practice it is difficult to collect enough samples for most classes of interest. In this paper, we propose factorising the final task of audio transcription into multiple intermediate tasks in order to improve the training performance when dealing with this kind of low-resource datasets. We evaluate three data-efficient approaches of training a stacked convolutional and recurrent neural network for the intermediate tasks. Our results show that different methods of training have different advantages and disadvantages.

Anatomical airways parameters as length, diameter and angles have a strong effect on the flow dynamics. Aiming to explore the effect of variations of the bifurcation angle (BA) and carina rounding radius (CRR) of lower human airways on the respiratory processes, numerical simulations of airflow during inhalation and exhalation were performed using a synthetic bifurcation models. Geometries for the airways models were parameterized based on a set of different BA's and several CRR's. A range of Reynolds numbers (\Reyn) relevant to the human breathing process were selected to analyzed the airflow behaviour. The numerical results show a significant influence of BA and the CRR on the development of the airflow within the airways, and therefore affecting some relevant features of the flow, namely the deformation of velocity profiles, alterations of pressure drop, the flow patterns, and finally enhance or attenuation of wall shear stresses (WSS) appearing during the regular respiratory process. Numerical results show that increases in the bifurcation angle value are accompanied by pressure increases of about 20\%, especially in the regions close to the bifurcation. Similarly, increases in the BA value lead to a reduction in peak shear stresses of up to 70\%. For the ranges of angles and radii explored, an increase in pressure of about 20\% and a reduction in wall shear stress of more than 400\% were obtained by increasing the carina rounding radius. Analysis of the coherent structures and secondary flow patterns also revealed a direct relationship between the location of the vortical structures, the local maxima of the velocity profiles and the local vorticity minima. This relationship was observed for all branches analysed, for both the inhalation and exhalation processes of the respiratory cycle.

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

With confirmed COVID-19 cases surpassing the 8.5 million mark around the globe, there is an imperative need to deepen the efforts from the international scientific community to gain comprehensive understanding of SARS-CoV-2. Although the main clinical manifestations are associated with respiratory or intestinal symptoms, reports of specific and non-specific neurological signs and symptoms, both at presentation or during the course of the acute phase, are increasing. Approximately 25-40% of the patients present neurological symptoms. The etiology of these neurological manifestations remains obscure, and probably involves several direct pathways, not excluding the direct entry of the virus to the Central Nervous System (CNS) through the olfactory epithelium, circumventricular organs, or disrupted blood-brain barrier (BBB). Furthermore, neuroinflammation might occur in response to the strong systemic cytokine storm described for COVID-19, or due to dysregulation of the CNS angiotensin system. Descriptions of neurological manifestations in patients in the previous coronavirus (CoV) outbreaks have been numerous for the SARS-CoV and lesser for MERS-CoV. Strong evidence from patients and experimental models suggests that some human variants of CoV have the ability to reach the CNS and that neurons, astrocytes and/or microglia can be target cells for CoV. A growing body of evidence shows that astrocytes and microglia have a major role in neuroinflammation, responding to local CNS inflammation and/or to dysbalanced peripheral inflammation. This is another potential mechanism for SARS-CoV-2 damage to the CNS. In this work we will summarize the known neurological manifestations of SARS-CoV-2, SARS-CoV and MERS-CoV, explore the potential role for astrocytes and microglia in the infection and neuroinflammation, and compare them with the previously described human and animal CoV that showed neurotropism. We also propose possible underlying mechanisms by focusing on our knowledge of glia, neurons, and their dynamic intricate communication with the immune system.

Fatigue fractures in materials are the main cause of approximately 80% of all material failures, and it is believed that such failures can be predicted and mathematically calculated in a reliable manner. It is possible to establish prediction modalities in cases of fatigue fracture, according to three fundamental variables in fatigue, such as volume, number of fracture cycles, as well as applied stress, with the integration of Weibull constants (length characteristic). This investigation was carried out mechanical fatigue tests on specimens smaller than 4 mm2 in section of different industrial materials for their subsequent analysis through precision computed tomography in search of microfractures. The measurement of these microfractures, along with their metrics and classifications, was recorded. A convolutional neural network trained with deep learning was used to achieve the detection of microfractures in image processing. The detection of microfractures in images with 480x854 or 960x960 pixels is the primary objective of this network, and its accuracy is above 95%. Images that have microfractures and those that do not are classified by the network. Subsequently, by means of image processing, the microfracture is isolated. Finally, the images that do contain this feature are interpreted by image processing to obtain their area, perimeter, characteristic length, circularity, orientation, and type microfracture metrics. All values will be obtained in pixels and converted to metric units (μm) through a conversion factor based on image resolution.

In December 2019, an unusual cluster of pneumonia cases were reported in Wuhan and promptly confirmed to be caused by a new virus known as severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) of which the disease it caused would be known as COVID-19. In March 2020, in the absence of any vaccines, and in response to the global spread of SARS-CoV-2 the UK implemented non-pharmaceutical intervention (NPI) measures in the form of a national lockdown to decelerate the spread. Compliance with NPIs can have significant impact on reducing disease transmission however there are currently no studies measuring compliance within the horse ownership world which naturally brings groups of people together during everyday caregiving activities. This article describes the reported horse owner compliance during the COVID-19 pandemic from March 2020 to December 2020 as deduced from 1036 respondents which completed an anonymous online survey between December 30th, 2020 and January 11th, 2021. Where rules/guidance did exist, there was good compliance with 92.76% of respondents indicating that they were following them. The most common rule/guidance implemented was social distancing, which was also the most common rule/guidance to be breached. Riding with others whilst at the yard (hacking or in an arena) and meeting up with non-household members (family and friends) when off the yard were also common rules/guidelines breached. Respondents who kept their horses at either DIY livery, or on a private yard were most likely to breach rules/regulations whereas respondents who kept their horses at full livery were least likely to breach rules/regulations. The results indicate that compliance of horse owners with COVID-19 rules/guidance is high when rules/guidance exists. However, just under half of respondents indicated that there were no rules/guidelines on their yards indicating that there is room for an increased contribution from the horse owning community by encouraging more yards to impose control measures where they currently do not exist.

Byers Peninsula (62°34’-62°40’S-60°54’61°13’W), 60 km2 in size, is considered one of the largest ice-free areas in Antarctica. Since 2006, the Spanish Polar Program has taken part in a large number of environmental studies involving effects of climate changes, limnology and microbiology, live cycles, but not albedo. Surface albedo is one of the key physical parameters in the surface energy budget of polar regions. Most of Antarctica is covered by ice sheets; only about 0.44% of the area is permanently ice-free. However, in maritime Antarctica, the ice-free areas, corresponding to small islands, peninsulas, and coastal beaches, account for about 3% of the territory. To incorporate the contribution of these areas into global albedo models, it is necessary to relate the soil properties of the ice-free areas to the surface albedo response. Also, mapping soil properties and albedo have and special interest in these ice-free areas. Image classification using machine learning methods trained with georeferenced soil data could be useful for mapping soil properties and albedo in multispectral optical satellite images. A shallow neural network implemented using the Keras Python module was used to define and train models of soil properties using 15 explanatory variables corresponding to bands and spectral indices of a Sentinel image and a population of 49 soil samples taken from the top 5 centimeters of the soil profile. The soil samples were analyzed in the laboratory and a spectral library in the Vis-Nir range (350-2500 nm) was created. The albedo of the samples was integrated from the ADS spectra. At the same time, a linear regression model of albedo using the soil properties as explanatory variables was performed. The R2 fit of this new model was about 0.82 and the error of estimation was 4.1. The model was extended to the entire Byers Peninsula using the ML soil property models as explanatory variables. The RMSE of the extended models increased up to 8.2. We think that the main cause of this increase (2.6 points) is related to the error propagation, phenomenon due to the use of models as explanatory variables. However, another important part of the error increase could be due, among other reasons, to the use of an image that, although corrected, is not completely free of clouds.

In 2019, the Global Burden of Disease (GBD) estimated that prostate cancer (PC) was the 16th cause of death globally in males. In Mexico, PC epidemiology has been reported for a selected number of metrics and years, although without including the most up-to-date estimates. Herein, we describe and compare the burden and trends of PC in Mexico and its 32 states from 2000 to 2019. For this, we extracted online available data from the GBD 2019 to estimate the crude and age-standardized rate (ASR per 100,000 people) of incidence, mortality, and disability-adjusted life years (DALYs). In Mexico, PC caused 27.1 thousand (95% uncertainty intervals, 20.6-36.0 thousand) incident cases, 9.2 thousand (7.7-12.7 thousand) deaths, and 161.5 thousand (122.7-219.5 thousand) DALYs in males of all ages in 2019. Among states, Sinaloa had the greatest ASR of incidence and Guerrero the highest values of deaths and DALYs. The burden of PC showed an increasing trend, although the magnitude of change differed between metrics and locations. We found both an increasing national trend and subnational variation in the burden of PC. Our results confirm the need for updated and timely estimates to design effective diagnostic and treatment campaigns in locations where the burden of PC is the highest.

The vegan diet excludes animal-derived products consumption. The objective of the present study is to analyze dietary lipid intake, nine plasmatic fatty acids concentrations (from C14:0 [lauric acid] to C20:4 [arachidonic acid]), and conventional clinical lipid profile among vegan individuals with omnivore controls. A case-control and cross-sectional study was performed between 2016 and 2017. Vegans were paired in a 1:1 ratio with omnivores from Merida, Mexico. A 150-item Semi-Quantitative Food Frequency Questionnaire was conducted to evaluate eating patterns. Serum fatty acids were determined from total blood with a gas chromatography assay. Lower cholesterol, stearic, arachidonic and trans fatty acids intake, but higher consumption of lauric acid were observed in the vegan group (p= <0.001, 0.014, <0.001, 0.005, respectively). Decreased plasma concentrations of stearic, arachidonic and linoleic acids were found (p= 0.017, <0.001 and 0.026, respectively). Following a vegan diet for more than three years generate modifications in serum concentrations of saturated and polyunsaturated ω-6 fatty acids, which could lower inflammatory markers’ biosynthesis. Potential benefits regarding cardiovascular risk may be assumed in favor of vegan individuals.

Clove (Syzygium aromaticum L. Myrtaceae) is an aromatic plant widely cultivated in tropical and subtropical countries, rich in volatile compounds and antioxidants such as eugenol, β-caryophyllene, and α-humulene. Clove essential oil has received considerable interest due to its wide application in the perfumery, cosmetic, health, medical, flavoring, and food industries. Clove essential oil has relevant biological activities to human health, including antimicrobial, antioxidant, and insecticide. This review describes the effect of the extraction method (hydrodistillation, steam distillation, ultrasound-assisted extraction, microwave-assisted extraction, cold pressing, and supercritical fluid extraction) on the chemical composition of essential oil and its correlation with their biological activities. Likewise, are summarized the main compounds and their reported biological activities. Furthermore, the main applications in clove essential oil in the food industry are presented. Finally, this review presents the new biological activities such as anti-inflammatory, analgesic, anesthetic, antinociceptive and anticancer, which are beneficial for human health. This review aims to compile the effect of different methods of extracting clove essential oil on chemical composition, food applications, as well as a current description of biological activities of interest to human health. Biological activities have increased interest in research into this essential oil and its future applications in the food or pharmaceutical industry.

Interdisciplinary STEM and STEAM education give us an opportunity for creativity and educational innovation in a world scenario that needs training in which students can achieve all educational objectives and are prepared to achieve sustainable development. The rural environment with its land is a scenario that provides us with a range of educational resources for the development of STEM and STEAM projects in which students who are better trained and prepared for the needs of today's world are developed, as well as students who are more linked and sensitized to the environment, with the rural environment and its land, so important in our time.  In this article, we will collect examples from Latin America; STEM projects are being developed in which young people establish links with their environment, territory, and the local environment surrounding them. We must look carefully at projects and works in which students' ties with their land and environment are valued through the STEM and STEAM education necessary today. In this scenario, a comparison has been made between Latin American countries and Spain.

Introduction: Dental health problems including dental plaque are common health problems affecting people of different age groups globally. Air-polishing is a safe tooth polishing technique used by dental professionals for stain and plaque removal and as preventive procedure for dental health. Here we report the technical improvisation of existing air-polishing technique by supplementing cannabinoid powder into the classic polishing powder for effective removal of supragingival and subgingival plaque and inhibition of plaque forming bacteria. Methods: The cannabidiol (CBD) powder was added to the tooth polishing powder (AIR-N-GO, classic) at 1% (wt/wt) ratio. The study was conducted on 12 patients, of which 6 received regular polishing treatment and 6 received CBD-supplemented polishing treatment. The dental plaque samples were collected before and after each treatment and subjected to in vitro microbiological analysis and the colony forming units (CFU) were analyzed using automated colony counter. Results: Based on in vitro microbiological analysis, the average CFU of interdental space samples collected from post-CBD-supplemented polishing treatment was significantly reduced (linear fold change between 3.9-18.4) compared to that of post-regular polishing (linear fold change between 1.0-2.6) treatment. Conclusions: CBD-supplemented polishing powder can help in effective removal and killing of dental plaque bacteria during the polishing treatment. CBD powder can be added as enhancing supplement to the existing polishing powders.

We propose an approach for estimating the error in depth data provided by generic 3D sensors, which are modern devices capable of generating an image (RGB data) and a depth map (distance) or other similar 2.5D structure (e.g. stereo disparity) of the scene. Our approach starts capturing images of a checkerboard pattern devised for the method. Then proceed with the construction of a dense depth map using functions that generally comes with the device SDK (based on disparity or depth). The 2D processing of RGB data is performed next to find the checkerboard corners. Clouds of corner points are finally created (in 3D), over which an RMS error estimation is computed. We come up with a multi-platform system and its verification and evaluation has been done, using the development kit of the board nVIDIA Jetson TK1 with the MS Kinects v1/v2 and the Stereolabs ZED camera. So the main contribution is the error determination procedure that does not need any data set or benchmark, thus relying only on data acquired on-the-fly. With a simple checkerboard, our approach is able to determine the error for any device. Envisioned application is on 3D reconstruction for robotic vision, with a series of 3D vision sensors embarked in robots (UAV of type quadcopter and terrestrial robots) for high-precision map construction, which can be used for sensing and monitoring.

The MAP kinase ERK5 contains an N-terminal kinase domain and a unique C-terminal tail including a nuclear localization signal and a transcriptional activation domain. ERK5 is activated in response to growth factors and stresses, and regulates transcription at the nucleus by either phosphorylation or interaction with transcription factors. MEK5-ERK5 pathway plays an important role regulating cancer cell proliferation and survival. Therefore, it is important to define the precise molecular mechanisms implicated in ERK5 nucleo-cytoplasmic shuttling. We previously described that the molecular chaperone Hsp90 stabilizes and anchors ERK5 at the cytosol, and that ERK5 nuclear shuttling requires Hsp90 dissociation. Here, we show that MEK5 or Cdc37 overexpression -mechanisms that induce nuclear ERK5- induced ERK5 SUMO-2 modification at residues Lys6/Lys22 in cancer cells. We also show that overexpression of the SUMO protease SENP2 completely abolished endogenous ERK5 nuclear localization in response to EGF stimulation. Furthermore, mutation of these SUMO sites abolished the ability of ERK5 to translocate to the nucleus and to promote prostatic cancer PC-3 cell proliferation. These results allow us to propose a more precise mechanism: in response to MEK5 activation, ERK5 SUMOylation favors the dissociation of Hsp90 from the complex, allowing ERK5 nuclear shuttling and activation of transcription.

We compare the well known Rayleigh-Ritz variational method (RRVM) with a recently proposed approach based on supersymmetric quantum mechanics and the Gram-Schmidt orthogonalization method (SSQMGS). We apply both procedures to a particular class of double-well harmonic oscillators that had been conveniently chosen for the application of the latter approach. The RRVM eigenvalues converge smoothly from above providing much more accurate results with less computational effort. Present results show that the unproved SSQMGS upper bounds do not hold.

Bare titania and metal promoted TiO2 catalysts were employed in the treatment of nitrates, which are ubiquitous pollutants of wastewater. The results show that the process can be carried out under visible light (from white light LED lamp) and, in the best case, 23.5% conversion of nitrate was obtained over 4 hours with full selectivity towards N2 by employing 0.1 mol% Ag/TiO2 prepared by flame spray pyrolysis. Moreover, the performance was worse when testing the same catalysts with tap water (11.3% conversion), due to the more complex composition of the matrix. At last, it was found that the photoreduction of nitrate can be effectively performed in combina-tion with the photo-oxidation of ammonium without loss in the activity, opening to the possi-bility to treat highly polluted wastewater with a single process. The latter treatment employs the two contaminants simultaneously as electron and holes scavengers, with very good selectiv-ity, in a completely new process that we may call Photo-Selective Catalytic Reduction (Pho-to-SCR).

The vegan diet excludes animal-derived product consumption and health advantages had been reported when followed. However, heterogeneous eating habits, food availability, and sociocultural characteristics among regions could lead to different physiological results. The objective of this case-control cross-sectional pilot study was to analyze body composition, daily nutrients consumption, and basic serum biomarkers as a general overview of the health status of Mexican adults with a vegan diet for ≥3 years, randomly paired with omnivores. Body composition was assessed through bioelectric impedance analysis. Eating patterns were evaluated and daily nutrients intake was calculated. A complete blood count, glycated hemoglobin, cobalamin, and creatinine serum concentrations were analyzed. We hypothesized certain nutrient deficits and specific biomarker impairments originated from cultural particularities driving food selection in Mexicans following a plant-based diet. Body composition did not differ among groups. Lower protein, niacin, pantothenic acid, pyridoxine, cobalamin, calciferol, fluoride, iodine, and selenium intake yet greater fiber, folic acid, vitamin E, copper, and molybdenum were observed in the plant-based group when compared with controls. Vegans presented lower cobalamin and creatinine serum concentrations. Hematologic abnormalities were prevalent in vegans. Insufficient consumption of several nutriments was identified in both dietary groups, suggesting that the local diet may be unbalanced, affecting both vegans and non-vegan individuals. However, vegans might present additional deficiencies, especially vitamin B₁₂, with potential repercussions. Clinical and nutritional guidance is required in this particular population to avoid possible health adverse events.

The objective of this study is to analyze the assessment practices in primary education and how they relate to the valuation of the learning process. It seeks to understand the perceptions of teachers and students regarding assessment and to observe classroom activities, as well as to analyze the assessment instruments used. The method used is a mixed approach that combines qualitative interpretations of the participants’ realities with a phenomenological analysis to reflect on the evaluative practices. The results indicate a contradiction between what is said and what is done in terms of evaluation, with a tendency to use written tests and traditional exams instead of a combination of techniques that allow for a significant evaluation of student learning. In addition, significant differences are observed among teachers regarding the importance they give to evaluation within their practices and evaluative models.

The COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in a wide range of spatial interventions to slow down the spread of the virus. The spatial limitations of narrow public circulation spaces within informal settlements, which house over one billion people around the world, make it impossible for pedestrians to practice physical distancing (or social distancing). In this paper, we propose a flexible mathematical method, named the Cluster Lane Method, for turning a planar circulation network of any size or complexity into a network of unidirectional lanes, making physical distancing possible in narrow circulation spaces by limiting face-to-face interactions. New notions and theorems about oriented graphs in graph theory are introduced. The paper ends with a discussion of the potential implementation of this cost-efficient, low-tech, sustainable solution, and with the introduction of a novel unidirectional tactile paving for the visually impaired.

Aim: To perform a descriptive analysis of eating patterns and biophysical conditions of previously diagnosed and currently under treatment individuals from a semi-urban Mayan community of Yucatan, and to contrast them with T2DM therapeutic guidelines. Methods: The present study is derived from a randomized clinical trial conducted at Komchen, Yucatan. Participants’ diagnosed with T2DM were included. A 24-hour dietary recall, anthropometric parameters (weight, visceral fat, height, and waist circumference), biochemical (HbA1c) and clinical (blood pressure) variables were evaluated and compared via hypothesis test with T2DM treatment cut-off points (based on World Health Organization criteria). Results: Anthropometric characteristics differ significantly from the ideal criteria. Obesity prevalence within women with T2DM was 92.9%. Only 21% of the participants were under T2DM control (≤7%). Energy and carbohydrates consumption, significantly exceed therapeutic guidelines, whereas protein, fat, and fiber intake were lower than the recommendations. Conclusions: Komchen’s diet, concomitantly with food characteristics, could be related to glycemic decontrol. There is a disproportion in macronutrients consumption in favor of carbohydrates, probably associated with socioeconomic limitations, food availability, and price. Developing nutritional assistance programs which contemplate cultural and economic factors in this Mayan population must be taken into consideration.

Generative AI has gained enormous interest nowadays due to new applications like chatGPT, DALL E, Stable Difussion and Deep Fake. Particularly DALL E, Stable Difussion and others (Adobe Firefly, ImagineArt...) are able to create images from a text prompt and are also able to recreate real photographs. Due to this fact, intense research has arisen to create new image forensics applications able to distinguish between real captured images and videos and artificial ones. Detecting forgeries made with Deep Fake is one of the most researched issues. This paper is about another kind of forgery detection. The purpose of this research aims to detect photo realistic AI created images versus real photos coming from a physical camera. For this purpose, techniques that perform a pixel level feature extraction are used. First one is Photo Response Non-Uniformity (PRNU). PRNU is a special noise due to imperfections on the camera sensor that is used for source camera identification. The underlying idea is that AI images will have a different PRNU pattern. Second one is Error level analysis (ELA). This is other type of feature extraction traditionally used for detecting image editions. In fact, ELA is being used nowadays by photographers to detect manually AI created images. Both kinds of features are used to train Convolutional Neural Networks to differentiate between AI images and real photographs. Good results are obtained achieving accuracy rates over 95%. Both extraction methods are carefully assessed by computing precision/recall and F1-score measurements.

(1) Background: Painful nervus intermedius neuropathy (e.g., geniculate neuralgia) involves continuous or near-continuous pain affecting the distribution of the intermedius nerve(s). The diagnosis of this entity is challenging, particularly when the clinical and demographic features do not resemble the typical presentation of this condition. To the best of our knowledge, only three case reports have described the occurrence of nervus intermedius neuropathy in young patients. (2) Case Description: A 13-year-old female referred to the Orofacial Pain clinic with a complaint of pain located deep in the right ear and mastoid area. The pain was described as a constant throbbing and dull, with an intensity of 7/10 on numerical rating scale, characterized by superimposed brief paroxysms of severe sharp pain. The past treatments included ineffective pharmacological and irreversible surgical approaches. After a comprehensive evaluation, a diagnosis of idiopathic painful nervus intermedius neuropathy was given, which was successfully managed with the use of gabapentin. (3) Conclusions and Practical Implications: The diagnosis and treatment of neuropathic pain affecting the nervus intermedius can be challenging due to the complex nature of the sensory innervation of the ear. The diagnosis can be even more challenging in cases of atypical clinical and demographic presentations, which in turn may result in unsuccessful, unnecessary, and irreversible treatments. Multidisciplinary teams and constant knowledge update are fundamental to provide good quality of care to our patients and to not overlook any relevant signs or symptoms.

The transition from a dormant to a germinating seed represents a crucial developmental switch in the life cycle of a plant. Subsequent transition from a germinating seed to an autotrophic organism also requires a robust and multi-layered control. Seed germination and seedling growth are multistep processes, involving both internal and external signals, which lead to a fine-tuning control network.

The use of Learning Management Systems (LMS) has had a rapid growth over the last decades. Great efforts have been recently made to assess the level of performance of the students online due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Faculty members with limited experience in the use of LMS such as Moodle, Edmodo, MOOC, Blackboard and Google Classroom can have some problems creat-ing online tests. In this work, a new plugin for Moodle is presented: FastTest PlugIn. This plugin is based on a Microsoft® Excel spreadsheet and it can be used to export questions to Moodle. Us-ers of FastTest PlugIn can create question pools in an easy and intuitive way. A literature review about plugins used to import/export questions in Moodle is carried out. Then, the characteristics of FastTest PlugIn are presented. At the end, the characteristics of the main plugins found in the literature are discussed and compared with the ones of FastTest PlugIn.

Malignant tumors behave dynamically as cell communities governed by ecological principles. Massive sequencing tools are unveiling the true dimension of the heterogeneity of these communities along their evolution in most human neoplasms, clear cell renal cell carcinomas (CCRCC) included. Although initially thought to be purely stochastic processes, very recent genomic analyses have shown that temporal tumor evolution in CCRCC may follow some deterministic pathways that give rise to different clones and sub-clones randomly spatially distributed across the tumor. This fact makes each case unique, unrepeatable and unpredictable. Precise and complete molecular information is crucial for patients with cancer since it may help in establishing a personalized therapy. Intratumor heterogeneity (ITH) detection relies on the correctness of tumor sampling and this is part of the pathologist’s daily work. International protocols for tumor sampling are insufficient today. They were conceived decades ago, when ITH was not an issue, and have remained unchanged until now. Noteworthy, an alternative and more efficient sampling method for detecting ITH has been developed recently. This new method, called multisite tumor sampling (MSTS), is specifically addressed to large tumors that are impossible to be totally sampled, and represent an opportunity to improve ITH detection without extra costs.

This article presents the integration of lean 6S methodologies and hazard analysis and critical control points (HACCP) in the food production sector. Through the study, it is seen that non-food industrial production is not very different from that of food and, in many cases, it assimilates protocols and ideas that are already working in the food industry; Such is the case of risk analysis, critical control points or hygiene, which are part of the food production protocol and, increasingly, of the industry in general. After the integrative analysis, the article proposes a common lean 6S - HACCP model, which can be used both in food production and in non-food industrial production.

The coastal wetlands of the Mediterranean area are among the most vulnerable and threatened environments due to human pressure and activities. Fragmentation is generally considered as one of the most driving factors in habitats loss. In this paper, we investigated the floristic composition, structure, conservation status, and trends of the habitat types sensu 92/43EEC Directive of a coastal wetland area in south-eastern Sicily (“Saline di Priolo” SAC). Based on 128 phytosociological surveys and several plant collections, a total of 304 taxa, 28 plant communities and 16 habitats have been identified. Furthermore, three new plant associations were described, including two in the wetland and one on the rocky coasts. For the classification of plant communities and habitats, a hierarchical clustering was performed by using Euclidean coefficient and beta-flexible algorithm. The life form spectrum of the current flora highlights the dominance of therophytes and hemicryptophytes. The Mediterranean species are largely prevailing with 123 taxa. The cartographic analysis performed with ArcGis 10.3 shows a radical reduction of the wetland habitats in the last 70 years, and a strong alteration of the ecological succession of the psammophilous-hygrophilous vegetation. Moreover, landscape configuration of the coastal vegetation and habitat types was well highlighted by a set of specific landscape metrics. In particular, our outcomes identify three habitats (2110, 2210, and 5220* EU code) with bad conservation status, among which one of priority conservation (Zyziphus arborescent matorral), that requires urgent restoration measures.

Chitosan is a chitin-derived fiber, extracted from the shellfish shells, a by-product of fish industry, or from fungi grown in bioreactors. In oenology, it is used for the control of Brettanomyces spp., for the prevention of ferric, copper and protein casse and for clarification. The International Organisation of Vine and Wine established the exclusive utilization of fungal chitosan to avoid the eventuality of allergic reactions. This work focuses on the differences between two chitosan categories, fungal and animal chitosan, characterizing several samples in terms of chitin content and degree of deacety-lation. In addition, different acids were used to dissolve chitosans, and their effect on viscosity and on the efficacy in wine clarification were observed. Results demonstrated that, even if fungal and animal chitosans shared similar chemical properties (deacetylation degree and chitin content), they showed different viscosity depending on the acid used to dissolve them. A significant difference was discovered on their fining properties, as animal chitosans showed a faster and greater sedimentation compared to the fungal, independently from the acid used for their dissolution. This suggests that physic-chemical differences in the molecular structure occur between the two chitosan categories and that this affect significantly their technologic (oenological) properties.

Sensors and actuators are fundamental units in Cyber-Physical and Internet of Things systems. Because they are included in a variety of systems, using many technologies, it is very useful to characterize their functions abstractly by describing them as Abstract Entity Patterns (AEPs), that are patterns that describe abstract conceptual entities. For concreteness, we study them here in the context of autonomous cars. An autonomous car is a complex system because, in ad-dition to its own complex design, it interacts with other vehicles and with the surrounding in-frastructure. To handle these functions, it must incorporate various technologies from different sources. An autonomous car is an example of a Cyber-Physical System, where some of its func-tions are performed by Internet of Things units. Sensors are extensively used in autonomous cars to measure physical quantities; actuators are commanded by controllers to perform appro-priate physical actions. From AEPs we can derive concrete patterns, a structure combining re-lated AEPs is an Entity Solution Frame (ESF). Both sensors and actuators are susceptible to mali-cious attacks due to the large attack surface of the system where they are used. Our work is in-tended to make autonomous cars more secure, which also increases their safety. Our final objec-tive is to build a Security Solution Frame for sensors and actuators of autonomous cars that will facilitate their secure design. A Security Solution Frame is a solution structure that groups to-gether and organizes related security patterns. This article is the first stage of a secure unit that can be used to design not only secure autonomous cars but also any system where sensors and actuators are used. This paper concentrates on AEPs and ESFs for sensors and actuators; that is, on the functional aspects of these devices.

Over recent years, nanocarriers have played an ever-increasing role in clinical and biomedical applications owing to their unique physicochemical properties and surface functionalities. Lately, much effort has been directed towards the development of smart, stimuli-responsive nanocarriers that are capable of releasing their cargos in response to specific stimulus. These intelligent-responsive nanocarriers can be further surface-functionalized so as to achieve active tumor targeting in a sequential manner, which can be simply modulated by the stimuli. By applying this methodological approach, these intelligent-responsive nanocarriers can be directed to different target-specific organs, tissues or cells, and exhibit on-demand controlled drug release that may enhance therapeutic effectiveness and reduce systemic toxicity. Light, an external stimulus, is one of the most promising triggers for use in nanomedicine to stimulate on-demand drug release from nanocarriers. Light-triggered drug release can be achieved by light irradiation at different wavelengths, either in UV, visible or even NIR region, depending on the photophysical properties of the photo-responsive molecule embedded in the nanocarrier system, the structural characteristics and material composition of the nanocarrier system. In this review, we highlighted the emerging functional role of light in nanocarriers, with emphasis on light-responsive liposomes and dual-targeted stimuli-responsive liposomes. Moreover, we provided the up-to-date phototriggered targeting strategies and mechanisms of light-triggered drug release from liposomes and NIR-responsive nanocarriers. Lastly, we addressed the current challenges, advances, and future perspectives for the deployment of light-responsive liposomes in targeted drug delivery and therapy.

Campylobacter infection affects more than 200,000 people every year in Europe and in the last four years trend shows an increase of campylobacteriosis. Main vehicle for transmission of the bacterium is contaminated food like meat, milk, fruit and vegetables. In this study, the aim was to find characteristic VOCs of C. jejuni in order to detect its presence with an array of MOX gas sensors. Using a starting concentration of 10³ CFU/mL, VOCs were analyzed using GC-MS with SPME technique at the initial time (T0) and after 20 hours (T20). It has been found that Campylobacter sample at T20 is characterized by a higher number of alcohol compounds that the one at T0 and this is due to sugar fermentation. Sensors results showed the ability of the system to follow bacteria curve growth from T0 to T20 using PCA. In particular, this results in a decrease of ΔR/R₀ value over time. For this reason, MOX sensors are a promising technology for the development of a rapid and sensitive system for C. jejuni.

Little is known about how recreational triathletes prepare for an Olympic distance event. The aim of this study was to identify the training characteristics of recreational-level triathletes within the competition period and assess how their preparation for a triathlon influences their health and their levels of fatigue. During the 6 weeks prior to an Olympic distance triathlon, and the 2 weeks after, 9 recreational athletes (5 males, 4 females) completed a daily training log. Participants answered the Daily Analysis of Life Demands Questionnaire (DALDA), the Training Distress Scale (TDS), and the Alberta Swim Fatigue and Health Questionnaire weekly. The Recovery-Stress Questionnaire (REST-Q) was completed at the beginning of the study, on the day before the competition, and at the end of week 8. Training loads were calculated using session-based rating of perceived exertion (sRPE). The data from every week of training was compared to week 1 to determine how athletes’ training and health changed throughout the study. No changes in training loads, duration, or training intensity distribution were seen in the weeks leading up to the competition. Training duration was significantly reduced in week 6 (p=0.041, d = 1.58, 95% CI = 6.9, 421.9), while the number of sessions was reduced in week 6 (Z=2.32, p=0.02, ES = 0.88) and week 7 (Z = 2.31, p=0.02, ES = 0.87). Training was characterized by large weekly variations in training loads and a high training intensity. No significant changes were seen in the DALDA, TDS, or REST-Q questionnaire scores throughout the 8 weeks. Despite large spikes in training load and a high overall training intensity, these recreational-level triathletes were able to maintain their health in the 6 weeks of training prior an Olympic distance triathlon.

In a constantly transforming retail financial sector, TCS has established a strategic alliance with Cencosud Scotiabank, expanding its role beyond consultancy to become an essential partner in the journey of growth and transformation. This collaboration reflects a shared commitment to advancing together in the competitive world of retail financial services, driving significant strategic change at Cencosud Scotiabank. As part of this effort, TCS has co-designed a series of practical workshops aimed at fostering and expanding the culture of innovation within the organization. These practical workshops are fundamental in the transformation process, providing deep and practical learning that serves as a solid foundation for the desired change. Each workshop session, carefully designed and executed according to an innovation playbook, aligns visual thinking tools with practical techniques to ensure smooth and effective execution of the work. The goal of these efforts is twofold: on the one hand, to strengthen the culture of innovation at Cencosud Scotiabank through collaboration; on the other, to firmly center the organization around the customer. The workshops are not just meetings; rather, they are collaborative spaces where creativity, deep user understanding, and agility converge to shape innovative solutions.

Mycobacteria can be one of the main contaminants of biological products, and their presence can have serious consequences on patients’ health. Thus, specific testing is necessitated by regulations such as the European Pharmacopoeia. The current pharmacopeial reference i.e., microbial culture method cannot ensure an exhaustive detection of mycobacteria due to their growth characteristics. Additionally, the method is time-consuming and requires a continuous supply of culture media, which could be further challenging. Thus, to overcome these challenges, pharmaceutical industries need to consider alternative non-microbiological techniques to detect these fastidious, slow-growing contaminating agents. This review provides an overview of alternative methods, which could be applied within a quality control environment of biological products, and underlines advantages and limitations of these methods. Nucleic acid amplification techniques or direct measurement of mycobacteria stands out as the most suitable alternatives for mycobacterial testing in biological products.

The global increase in population, the phenomenon of climate change, the issue of water pollution and contamination, and the inadequate management of water resources all exert heightened strain on freshwater reserves. The potential utilization of the interfacial solar steam generation (ISSG) system, which utilizes photothermal conversion to generate heat on material surfaces for wastewater purification and desalination purposes, has been successfully demonstrated. Textile materials based ISSG devices, including (woven, nonwoven and knitting) fabrics and electrospinning membranes, exhibit distinct properties such as rough surface texture, high porosity, significant surface area, exceptional flexibility, and robust mechanical strength. These characteristics, combined with their affordability, accessibility, and economic viability for widespread implementation, make them extremely attractive for applications in SSG. In this review, a comprehensive analysis of emerging concepts, advancements and applications of textile materials (woven, nonwoven, and knitting) fabrics and electro-spun membranes in the ISSG for wastewater purification and desalination is highlighted. We also emphasize significant obstacles and potential prospects in both theoretical investigations and real-world implementations, aiming to contribute to future advancements in the domain of textile based materials interfacial evaporation in wastewater purification and desalination. Furthermore, the drawbacks and the challenges of ISSG systems are also highlighted.

Imbalance in the oxidative status in neurons, along with mitochondrial damage, are common characteristics in some neurodegenerative diseases. The maintenance in energy production is crucial to face and recover from the oxidative damage and the coexistence of different sources of energy production, such as mitochondrial and glycolytic ATP, allows faster adaptative mechanisms to situations of high energy demand and may help in the maintenance of neuronal function in stress situations. Fingolimod phosphate is a drug with neuroprotective and antioxidant actions, used in the treatment of Multiple Sclerosis. This work has been performed in a model of oxidative damage on neuronal cell cultures exposed to menadione, in presence or absence of fingolimod phosphate. We have studied the mitochondrial function and several pathways related with glucose metabolism, including oxidative, glycolytic and pentose phosphate in neuronal cells cultures. Our results showed a beneficial effect on neuronal survival probably based in the recovery of all, oxidative balance, glycolysis and pentose phosphate, promoted by fingolimod phosphate. These effects are mediated, at least in part by the interaction with its specific receptor. These actions would make this drug a potential tool to the treatment of neurodegenerative processes, either to slow progression or alleviate symptoms.

This study aims to understand the role of BPJS Kesehatan as a variable that mediates or mediates the relationship between emergency services and patient satisfaction. This can include how administrative processes, access to services, or costs incurred by BPJS affect the relationship between service and satisfaction. Quantitative studies of a correlational nature are a part of this investigation. In order to forecast endogenous variables (Y) Purchase decisions, researchers conduct correlational studies, which examine the link between one or more variables and other factors. Here, X represents emergency services, Y stands for patient satisfaction, and M for BPJS are the exogenous variables. The purpose of this research is to examine the role of BPJS as a moderator between the impact of emergency services on patients' levels of satisfaction. There were 120 people that filled out the survey, and the margin of error was 10% (based on a 90% truth rate and a 10% error rate). Purposive sampling was used to select participants for the aforementioned studies. Warppls 8.0 and the Warp Partial Least Square program were utilized for data analysis in this investigation. The study found that PKD significantly and positively affected 71% of participants' happiness with the impact they received. With a 63% influence, PKD has a favorable and statistically significant effect on BPJS. Patient satisfaction is significantly impacted by BPJS, which has a favorable association. When looking at the connection between community satisfaction and emergency services, BPJS is a key mediator. Community satisfaction can be enhanced through the provision of fast and excellent emergency services, and BPJS plays a vital role in mediating this relationship. The beneficial effect of emergency services on community satisfaction can be amplified if BPJS is able to offer sufficient coverage while simultaneously reducing costs and expediting administrative processes

Sleep disorders are a frequent problem in pediatrics. The prevalence is variable (from 15 to 50%) although the majority of papers coincide in that 1 every 3 kids can experiment some kind of sleep disorder. Underlying medical problems usually manifest by difficulty to fall asleep or stay asleep. The diagnosis and resolution of the medical problems with the specific treatment should be the prime concern, before starting with the treatment of the sleep behavioral problem

Abstract: Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is the leading cause of central blindness in developed countries. It affects people mainly over the age of 50 years. It is a disease of the macula, an area of the retina responsible for sharp central vision. It particularly affects the Bruch’s membrane (BM); a layer in the retina that acts as the basement upon which retinal pigment epithelial cells (RPE) attach and survive. The pathology of AMD is not fully understood, but age is considered the main risk factor. There are two forms; nonexudative, leading to the end-stage of the disease, called nonexudative (or dry) AMD (90% of cases) where fatty deposits called drusen form under the RPE on top of the BM lifting off the RPE, and neovascular (or wet) AMD (10% of cases) where abnormal new blood vessels grow and push through the BM, bleeding in and disrupting the RPE. Neovascular AMD is well controlled with regular antiangiogenic drug injections of anti-vascular endothelial growth factor (anti-VEGF) into the eye, whereas there is no current treatment for nonexudative AMD. Many research groups across the world are working on a treatment for nonexudative AMD. This review discusses the research currently being conducted including cell therapies, development of cell transplantation membranes, targeting other disease structures in affected retina (i.e. drusen), and drug delivery to the retina using nanoparticles. Finally, we include our research contributing to the field; developing a bioactive membrane intended to function two-fold: target diseased structures and transplant healthy RPE to the desired area.

In studies of dynamic stability and power quality, it is necessary to know the mechanical parameters that determine the transient response of a wind turbine. The exact value of these parameters is not as decisive as the power curve can be, but an estimate that is far from reality can distort or even invalidate the simulation results. Despite its importance, this information, especially the inertia, but also the stiffness and damping constant of the drive-train, is hardly available for the turbine model under investigation. In this work, the different bibliographical sources that provide values of blade inertia in kg·m2 will be reviewed, and above all, those that provide a distribution of masses along the span of the blade. With this, different reliable relations will be obtained that allow calculating the inertia of the turbine rotor, based on the mass and length of the blade. When the center of gravity is also available, a very correlated expression is provided to obtain the inertia. The even rarer references to the stiffness and damping constant of the drive-train will also be reviewed.

Despite soccer popularity, comparatively little scientific information is available concerning the assessment of youth players’ physiological characteristics. The use of medical software integrating wearable sensors to provide accurate and objective data is necessary. In the present study, the objective assessment of physical performance of 128 adolescent soccer players at two timepoints (pre-season and end-season) has been performed. Participants completed a comprehensive test battery including stability, countermovement jumps (CMJ), plyometric jumps (PJ), agility, and quick feet tests. A single Inertial Measurement Unit (IMU) sensor provided quantitative data on various performance metrics. Principal Component Analysis (PCA) reduced the dataset to four principal components (PCs) explaining over 80% of the variance: power (PC1), balance (PC2), speed/agility (PC3), and stiffness (PC4). Paired samples t-test between the two timepoints showed no significant differences in the PCs between the two timepoints, indicating that the training program did not significantly alter the assessed physical attributes. However, subtle individual changes may still inform personalized training adjustments. The study highlights the importance of continuous monitoring and individualized training strategies to optimize athlete performance and reduce injury risk.

Pregnant women are especially vulnerable to respiratory diseases. We aimed to study seroconversion rate during pregnancy in a cohort of consecutive pregnancies tested in the first and third trimesters and to compare maternal and obstetric complications between women who seroconverted in the first versus the third trimester. This is an observational, cohort study carried out at Hospital Universitario de Torrejón, in Madrid, Spain, during the first peak of the COVID-19 pandemic. All consecutive singleton pregnancies with a viable fetus attending their 11-13 weeks scan between January 1st and May 15th, 2020, were included and monthly follow up until delivery. Antibodies against SARS-CoV-2 (IgA and IgG) were analyzed on stored serum samples obtained from the first and third trimester routine antenatal bloods in 470 pregnant women. Antibodies against SARS-CoV-2 were detected in 31 (6.6%) women in the first trimester and in 66 (14.0%) in the third trimester, including 48 (10.2%) that were negative in the first trimester (seroconversion during pregnancy). Although the rate of infection was significantly higher in the third versus the first trimester (p = 0.003), no significant differences in maternal or obstetric complications were observed in women testing positive in the first versus the third trimester.

This article presents a unique set of voltage and current data from a public building and acquired using a hybrid measurement solution that combines Python and Grafana. The transversal purpose consists of contributing to the community with a vision of the quality of the supply more oriented to the monitoring of the state of the network, providing a more realistic vision, which allows a better understanding, and the adoption of the best decisions to achieve the efficient energy management and thus optimize the operation and maintenance of power systems. The work focuses on higher order statistical estimators that, combined with exploratory data analysis techniques, improve the characterization of the shape of the stress signal. These techniques and data, together with the acquisition and monitoring system, present a unique combination in the line of low-cost measurement solutions. It also incorporates the underlying benefit of the contribution to industrial benchmarking. The paper also includes a computational comparison between Python and LabVIEW to elicit the performance of the measurement solution.

Metabolic dysfunction-associated fatty liver disease (MAFLD) has now affected nearly one third of global population and became the number one cause of chronic liver disease in the world because of the obesity pandemic. Chronic hepatitis resulting from hepatitis B virus (HBV) and hepatitis C virus (HCV) also remain significant challenges to liver health even in the 21st century. The coexistence of MAFLD and chronic viral hepatitis can markedly alter the disease course of individual diseases and can complicate the management of each of these disorders. Thorough understanding of the pathobiological interlink and interactions between MAFLD and these two chronic viral hepatitis infections are crucial for appropriate management of patients. We update these interlinks in this comprehensive clinical review.

Confined masonry (CM) is a construction system which consists of masonry wall panels enclosed by vertical and horizontal reinforced concrete confining elements. The presence of these confining elements distinguishes CM from unreinforced masonry system and makes this technology suitable for construction of structures in regions subjected to intense seismic or wind actions. CM construction has been used in many countries and regions, and has performed well in past earthquakes. The purpose of the paper is to review past research studies related to the seismic in-plane and out-of-plane behaviour of CM structures. The authors have identified the key design and construction parameters which were considered in past research studies and have performed statistical analyses to establish their influence on the seismic performance of CM buildings. For the purpose of this study the authors have compiled databases of previous experimental studies on CM wall specimens which were used for statistical analyses. Finally, the paper discusses research gaps and needs for future research studies which would contribute to the understanding of seismic behaviour and failure mechanisms of CM walls.

Background: Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is a significant cardiovascular (CV) risk factor, with dialysis-dependent CKD (DD-CKD) patients facing high mortality rates. Hypercholesterolemia is another crucial CV risk factor, typically managed with lipid-lowering therapy, though its efficacy in DD-CKD remains uncertain. Evidence shows mixed results regarding the benefits of statins in these patients. Citrate-based dialysates are known to reduce inflammatory biomarkers compared to acetate-based ones, potentially impacting lipid profiles and immune responses. This study aimed to determine the effects of citrate versus acetate dialysate on lipid profiles and immunophenotypes in DD-CKD patients. Methods: This unicentric, cross-over, prospective study included 21 hemodialysis patients (10 males, 11 females, average age 62.25 years). Each patient underwent 24 dialysis sessions (12 with each dialysate) and acted as their own control. Lipid profiles, immunological parameters, and nutritional and inflammatory markers were measured before the last session with each dialysate. Results: Compared to acetate dialysate (AD), citrate dialysate (CD) resulted in significantly higher LDL (75.71 vs. 67.05 mg/dL, p=0.042) and HDL (51.19 vs. 47.14 mg/dL, p=0.013), and lower TG (97.86 vs. 110.38 mg/dL, p=0.046). CD also led to higher NK cells (19.24 vs. 16.95%, p=0.035), higher complement C3 levels (115.14 vs. 107.81 mg/dL, p=0.009) and lower CD3+ CD8+ and CD16+56+ lymphocytes. Finally, total lymphocytes were lower with AD than with CD. We found no difference in predialysis nutritional nor inflammatory parameters (IL-6 and hs-CRP) except for ESR, which was higher when subjects used CD than AD. Conclusion: There are significant differences in lipid and immunophenotypic profiles that should increase the CV risk of patients who use CD. However, numerous studies have shown no differences, or even a benefit in mortality in certain HD subpopulations that use CD. Further studies are needed to understand if the observed changes may be counterbalanced by other mechanisms potentially provided by citrate (e.g., reducing vascular calcification).

Chitin and its derivative, chitosan, have diverse applications in fields such as agriculture, medicine, and biosensors, amongst others. Extraction is primarily conducted from marine sources, such as crustaceans, which have been the focus of optimization process studies. However, there are other sources that are more readily available, such as insects, where insufficient research has been conducted. The house cricket (Acheta domesticus) is a promising source for chitin extraction because of its high chitin content, availability, and short lifespan. Modern chemical chitin extraction methods have not been standardized due to the use of different reagents, molar concentrations, temperatures, and reaction times across publications. Therefore, in this study, the compositional analysis of Acheta domesticus cricket flour was determined: 2.62% humidity, 4.3% ash content, 56.29% protein, 13.35% fat, 23.44% carbohydrates, and 15.71% crude fiber content. After a drying, defatting, demineralization, deproteinization, and bleaching process, chitin extraction was performed, and chitosan was obtained via a deacetylation reaction. The demineralization process was standardized at 30ºC for 3 hours using HCl 2M, resulting in 95.85 ± 0.012%. The deproteinization process was optimized at 80ºC for 45 minutes using NaOH 2.56 M, yielding 46.37 ± 3.86%. Finally, the identity and physicochemical characteristics of the compounds were determined through characterization with FTIR, XRD, SEM and DSC.

Economic theory states that incineration and landfill taxation can effectively diminish the environmental impacts of pollution and resource use by reducing their associated pollutants while stimulating the reuse and recycling of materials, and therefore, fostering a circular economy. The aim of this research is to assess the economic and environmental effects of these taxes in Spain under different scenarios with a detailed dynamic computable general equilibrium (CGE) model, as there are no studies analyzing this in detail. We focus on the economic impact on GDP and sectorial production and the environmental impact on different categories: global warming potential, marine eutrophication potential, photochemical ozone formation potential, particulate matter, human toxicity (cancer and noncancer), ecotoxicity, and depletion of fossil resources. We find in all scenarios that these taxes have a limited economic impact while reducing all of the environmental impact categories analyzed. The study reinforces the theory that policy makers need to impose taxes on landfill and incineration to reinforce the circularity of the economy and reduce environmental burdens, but also demonstrates that they can improve their design without additional costs.

The review aims to assess fifteen (15) academic literature sources, highlighting the application of machine learning algorithms in the maintenance operations of optical fiber networks. It exhibits the collection of data using PRISMA methodology—Preferred Reporting Item for Systems Review and Meta-Analyses. The application, results, and performance metrics are discussed based on the collected observations, computations, and statistics in the studies, which revealed records of high accuracy degrees ranging from 86% to 98% on average and quality ML models including Neural Networks (NNs), Support Vector Machines (SVMs), and LSTM, as well as deep learning models that disclosed effective results of determining challenges and problems within the optical fiber lines. The review mainly centralized on superior machine learning technologies that surpass traditional techniques in fault detection and localization for improved optical fiber networks’ operations while providing insights into the limitations and challenges encountered in real-world applications of these models, offering a comprehensive perspective on the optical fiber network’s domain.

Mycotoxins are secondary metabolites produced by filamentous fungi associated to a variety of acute and chronic foodborne diseases. Current toxicology studies mainly rely on monolayer cell cultures and animal models, which are undeniably affected by several limitations. To bridge the gap between the current in vitro toxicology approach and the in vivo predictivity of the data, we here investigated the cytotoxic effects induced by the mycotoxins sterigmatocystin (STE), ochratoxin A (OTA) and patulin (PAT) on different 2D and 3D cell cultures. We focused on human tumours (neuroblastoma SH-SY5Y cells, and epithelial breast cancer MDA-MB-213 cells) and healthy cells (bone marrow derived mesenchymal stem cells, BM-MSC, and umbilical vein endothelial cells, HUVECs). Cytotoxicity of STE, OTA, and PAT was determined after 24, 48 and 72 h of exposure by ATP assay in both culture models. 3D spheroids morphology was also analysed using the MATLAB-based open-source software AnaSP. Our results highlighted how each cell line and different culture models showed specific sensitivities, reinforcing the importance of using more complex models for toxicology studies and a multiple cell line approach for an improved and more comprehensive risk assessment.

In this work, an embroidered textile moisture sensor is presented. The sensor is based on a capacitive interdigitated structure embroidered on a cotton substrate with an embroidery conductor yarn composed by 99% pure silver plated nylon yarn 140/17 dtex. In order to evaluate the sensor sensitivity, the impedance of the sensor has been measured by means of a LCR meter from 20 Hz to 20 kHz on a climatic chamber with a sweep of the relative humidity from 25% to 65% at 20 ºC. The experimental results show a clear and controllable dependence of the sensor impedance with the relative humidity. Moreover, the reproducibility of the sensor performance subject to the manufacturing process variability and washing process is also evaluated. The results show that the manufacturing variability introduce a moisture measurement error up to 4%. The washing process impact on the sensor behavior after applying the first washing cycle implies a sensitivity reduction higher than 14%. Despite these effect, the textile sensor keeps its functionality and can be reused in standard conditions. Therefore, these properties point out the usefulness of the proposed sensor to develop wearable applications on health and fitness scope including the user needs to have a life cycle longer than one-time use

Mammalian cells have evolved to function under Earth’s gravity, but how they respond to microgravity remains largely unknown. Neural stem cells (NSCs) are essential for the maintenance of central nervous system (CNS) functions during development and the regeneration of all CNS cell populations. Here, we examined the behavior of space (SPC)-flown NSCs as they readapted to Earth’s gravity. We found that most of these cells survived the space flight and self-renewed. Yet, some showed autophagy-like behaviors (ALB). To ascertain if the secretome from SPC-flown NSCs contained molecules inducing this behavior, we incubated naïve, non-starved NSCs in a medium containing SPC-NSCs secretome. We found a four-fold increase in the ALB rate. Proteomic analysis of the secretome revealed that the protein of highest content produced by SPC-NSCs was secreted protein acidic and rich in cysteine (SPARC), which triggers endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress leading to lethal ALB. These results offer novel knowledge on the response of neural cells, particularly NSCs, subjected to space microgravity. Moreover, some secreted proteins have been identified as microgravity sensing, paving a new venue for future research aiming at targeting SPARC metabolism. Although we did not establish a direct relationship between ALB and SPARC as a potential marker, these results represent the first step in the identification of gravity sensing molecules as targets to be modulated and to design effective countermeasures to mitigate intracranial hypertension in astronauts using structure-based-protein design.

Oilfield produced water (OPW) is used to boost freshwater sources for crop irrigation in California's agriculturally important Central Valley. OPW is known to contain salts, metals, hydrocarbons, alkylphenols, naturally radioactive materials, biocides, and other compounds from drilling and production processes. Less is known about the potential uptake and accumulation of these compounds in crops and soil irrigated with OPW. In this study 23 potted mandarin orange plants were irrigated 2-3 times weekly (depending on season) with water containing three different concentrations of the known OPW heavy metals barium, chromium, lead, and silver. Seven sets of samples of soil and leaves and all fruits were collected and processed using microwave-assisted digestion (EPA Method 3051A). Processed samples were analyzed using ICP-OES. ANOVA, ANCOVA, and Tukey’s honest significant difference test were used to examine the effects of metal concentrations in the irrigation water, sample number, and number of watering days on the metal concentrations in the soil, leaf, and fruit samples. Accumulation of barium in soil and leaves was strongly positively associated with sample and number of watering days, increasing nearly 2,000-fold. Lead also showed an upward trend, increasing up to 560-fold over baseline level. Chromium showed an increase in the soil that tapered off, but less consistent results in the leaves and fruit. The silver results were more volatile, but also indicated at least some level of accumulation in the tested media. The smallest absolute accumulation was observed for chromium. Concentrations in the fruit were highest in the peel, followed by pith and juice. Accumulation of all heavy metals was generally highest in the soil and plants that received the highest irrigation water concentration. Considering the potential for adverse human health effects associated with ingesting soluble barium contained in food and drinking water, and to a lesser extent chromium and lead, the study signals that it is important to conduct further research into whether OPW contaminants can enter the food chain and pose risks to consumers.

We advance the notion that much, like artificial nanoparticles, relatively more complex biological entities with nanometric dimensions such as pathogens (viruses, bacteria and other microorganisms) may also acquire a biomolecular corona, upon entering the blood circulation of an organism. We view this biomolecular corona as a component of a much broader non-cellular blood interactome that can be highly specific to the organism, akin to components of the innate immune response to an invading pathogen. We review published supporting data and generalize these notions from artificial nanoparticles to viruses and bacteria. Characterization of the non-cellular blood interactome of an organism may help explain apparent differences in the susceptibility to pathogens among individuals. The non-cellular blood interactome is a candidate therapeutic target to treat infectious and non-infectious conditions.

Droughts are among the major natural hazards that are spreading to many parts of the world with huge multi-dimensional impacts. For Continental Croatia an extensive analysis of drought phenomenon is presented based on meteorological E-OBS gridded dataset (0.25° x 0.25°), within the period of 1950 to 2022. The drought events were characterized by the Standardized Precipita-tion Evapotranspiration Index (SPEI) applied to different time-scales (6 and 12 months) in order to describe the subannual and annual variability of drought. The spatiotemporal patterns of drought are obtained through principal component analysis (PCA) and K-means clustering (KMC) applied to the SPEI field. An areal drought evolution analysis and the changes in the frequency of occur-rence of the periods under drought conditions were achieved by using a kernel occurrence rate es-timator (KORE). The Modified Mann-Kendall (MMK) test coupled with the Sen’s slope estimator test are applied to the SPEI series in order to quantify the drought trends throughout the country. According to drought events history and considering the different morphoclimatic characteristics of the study area the results showed that Croatia could be divided into three different and spatial-ly well-defined regions with specific temporal and spatial characteristics of droughts (Central North, Eastern and Southern regions). It is shown that there is a manifest increase in the percent-age of area affected by drought as well as in the yearly drought occurrences rates in both Central North and Eastern regions and an evident decrease in the Southern region for both 6 and 12 month SPEI time-scales. In the observation of the drought temporal characteristics, it was found that downward trends expressing increasing drought severities were strongly significant in North and Eastern regions while a few significant upward trends were seen in Southern region. From this study, it is possible to obtain a broader view of the historical behaviour of droughts in Croatia with results providing useful support for drought risk assessment and decision-making processes.

Preterm birth accounts for about 10% of births worldwide. Studying risk factors for perinatal brain damage is essential, as findings suggest that almost 20% of disabilities are linked to risks in the early stages of development. This research aimed to study longitudinal changes in intelligence from 6 to 8 years of age in a sample of 39 preterm children with a history of risk of brain damage and a control group of 35 children born at term. The Wechsler Intelligence Scale (WISC-IV) was used for cognitive measurement. The results showed that the preterm group obtained significantly lower scores than the control group. The working memory indicator significantly affected the interaction between age and prematurity. We consider that it is crucial to expand the knowledge we have about the neurocognitive development of premature infants both in specific cognitive domains and in age ranges so that the information obtained helps to predict the probability of presenting cognitive alterations from early stages and, therefore, to implement intervention strategies and programs based on scientific evidence and complemented in their design by clinical experience, empirical and theoretical knowledge of the different professionals involved in infant cognitive intervention.

The positional cloning of single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) of the neutrophil cytosolic factor 1 (Ncf1) gene, advocating that a low oxidative burst drives autoimmune disease, demands an understanding of the underlying molecular causes. A cellular target could be T cells, which have been shown to be regulated by reactive oxygen species (ROS). However, the pathways by which ROS mediate T cell signaling remain unclear. The adaptor molecule linker for activation of T cells (LAT) is essential for coupling T cell receptor-mediated antigen recognition to downstream responses, and it contains several cysteine residues that have previously been suggested to be involved in redox regulation. To address the possibility that ROS regulate T cell-dependent inflammation through LAT, we established a mouse strain with cysteine-to-serine mutations at positions 120 and 172 (LATSS). We found that redox regulation of LAT through C120 and C172 mediate its localization and phosphorylation. LATSS mice had reduced numbers of double-positive thymocytes and naïve peripheral T cells. Importantly, redox insensitivity of LAT enhanced T cell-dependent autoimmune inflammation in collagen-induced arthritis (CIA), a mouse model of rheumatoid arthritis (RA). This effect was reversed on an NCF1-mutated (NCF1m1j), ROS-deficient, background. Overall, our data shows that LAT is redox-regulated, acts to repress T cell activation, and is targeted by ROS induced by NCF1 in antigen-presenting cells (APCs).

The present study evaluates the response to betahistine in patients who presented vestibular drops attacks in the context of Ménière's disease (MD) and the factors that can predict an unfavorable response to it. A total of 43 patients were analyzed, out of which 33 were diagnosed with MD. It is a descriptive, cross-sectional study with retrospective data collection. Data as regards age, accompanying symptoms, etiological diagnosis and response to MD treatment were collected. A statistical analysis was carried out, and we found that the disease evolution time and specific alterations in the vestibulospinal and oculomotor physical examination present an unfavorable response to betahistine, as opposed to the use of intratympanic gentamicin, with which symptomatic control is achieved in 100% of the cases.

A The agri-food sector is in full renovation, continuously demanding new systems that allow farmers to facilitate their work. Efficient agricultural practices are essential for increasing farm profitability. Efficient agricultural practices can be increased by understanding and managing water neeeds. However, real-time monitoring of water needs is currently slow, and irrigation decisions are based on previous data or physical evidence. Furthermore, the prices of automatic systems for collecting data from several sources (soil and climate) are expensive and the autonomy is very low. Emerging Internet of Things (IoT) technologies such as wireless sensor networks can be used to collect vast amounts of data recorded via apps. By means of an LPWAN communication the farmer can know in real time the state of his crops thanks to a large number of sensors connected wirelessly and distributed across his farm. This paper presents a low consumption solution based on LoRaWAN technology. The wireless sensor node, called BoX, exhibits very low power since it has been optimized both in terms of hardware and software. The result is a higher degree of autonomy than commercial motes. That will allow the farmer to have all the information necessary to achieve an efficient management of his crops with full autonomy.

Background: COVID-19 made its debut as a pandemic in 2020; since then, more than 607 million cases and at least 6.5 million deaths have been reported worldwide. While the burden of disease has been described, the long-term effects or chronic sequelae are still being described. Objective: To describe the findings of a current systematic review of the long-term effects related to post-COVID-19 sequelae. Design: A systematic review was carried out in which cohort studies, case series, clinical case reports were included, and the PubMed, Scielo, SCOPUS and Web of Science databases were ex-tracted. Information published 2020 to June 1, 2022, was sought. Results: We reviewed 300 manuscripts during the first step of the literature review process. Then 260 abstracts were analyzed. In the end, we included 32 manuscripts: 9 for pulmonary, 6 for cardiac, 2 for renal, 9 for neurological and psychiatric, and 8 for cutaneous sequelae. Conclusion: Studies show that the most common sequelae are those linked to the lungs, followed by skin, cutaneous and psychiatric alterations. Women report a higher incidence of the sequelae, as well as those with comorbidities and severer COVID-19 history. The COVID-19 pandemic has not only caused death and disease since its apparition but has also sickened millions of people around the globe who potentially suffer from serious illnesses that will continue to add to the list of health problems and further burden healthcare systems around the world.

Background: allergic diseases and, in particular food allergy (FA), have been identified as one of the major diseases in the world. The first 1000 days of life can be a “window of opportunity” or a “window of susceptibility” during which several factors can predispose children to FA development. Changes in gut microbiota composition, from pregnancy to infancy, could have a pivotal role in this regard: some bacterial genus such as Lactobacillus or Bifidobacterium seem to be protective from FA development, on the contrary Clostridium and Staphylococcus appear to be unprotective. Methods: we conducted a research through the most recent literature (2013-2023), using Pubmed and Scopus as databases. We included English original papers, clinical trials, metanalysis and reviews. Case reports, series and letters have been excluded. Results: during pregnancy, maternal diet can play a fundamental role in influencing gut microbiota composition of newborns. After birth, human milk can promote the development of protective microbial species by human milk oligosaccharides (HMOs), that play a prebiotic role. Also complementary feeding can modify gut microbiota composition. Conclusions: the first two years of life are a critical period where several factors, in genetic predisposed children, can increase the risk of FA development.

The study aimed to evaluate the association between the changes in ventilatory variables (tidal volume (Vt), respiratory rate (RR), and lung ventilation (VE)) and deoxygenation of m.intescostales (∆SmO2-m.intercostales) during a maximal incremental exercise in nineteen male competitive marathon runners. The ventilatory variables and oxygen-consumption (VO2) were recorded breath-by-breath by exhaled gas analysis. A near-infrared spectroscopy device (MOXY) located in the right-hemithorax allowed recording SmO2-m.intercostales. To explore changes in oxygen levels in muscles with high demand during exercise, a second MOXY records SmO2-m.vastus laterallis. The triphasic model of exercise intensity was used for evaluating changes in SmO2 in both muscle groups. We found that ∆SmO2-m.intercostales correlated with VO2-peak (r=0.65; p=0.002) and the increase of VE (r=0.78; p=0.001), RR (r=0.54; p=0.001), but not Vt (p=0.210). The interaction of factors (muscles X exercise-phases) in SmO2 expressed as an arbitrary unit (a.u) was significant (p=0.005). At VT1 were no difference (p=0.177), but SmO2-m.intercostales was higher at VT1 (p&lt;0.001) and VO2-peak (p&lt;0.001). In competitive marathon runners, the m.intercostales deoxygenation during incremental exercise is directly associated with the aerobic capacity and increased lung ventilation and respiratory rate, but not tidal volume. Besides, it shows less deoxygenation than m.vastus laterallis at intensities above the aerobic ventilatory threshold.

In this work, two embroidered textile moisture sensors are characterized with three different conductive yarns. The sensors are based on a capacitive interdigitated structure embroidered on a cotton substrate with an embroidered conductor yarn. The performance comparison of 3 different type of conductive yarns has been addressed. In order to evaluate the sensor sensitivity, the impedance of the sensor has been measured by means of a LCR meter from 20 Hz to 20 kHz on a climatic chamber with a sweep of the relative humidity from 30% to 65% at 20 ºC. The experimental results show a clear and controllable dependence of the sensor impedance with the relative humidity and the used conductor yarns. This dependence points out the optimum conductive yarn to be used to develop wearable applications for moisture measurement.

The severity of the global COVID-19 pandemic, with a high transmission rate, 2.6-4.7% lethality and a huge economic impact, poses an urgent need for efficient medical treatments and vaccines. Currently, there are only non-specific treatments to assist the patients in acute respiratory distress during the inflammatory step following the preliminary infection by SARS-CoV-2. Clinical trials of drug repurposing were quickly launched at the international level. Specific treatments such as the transfusion of plasma from patients who have recovered into infected patients or the use of specific inhibitors of the viral RNA-polymerase complex are promising strategies to block infection. To complete the therapeutic arsenal, we believe that the opportunity of targeting the SARS-CoV-2 genome by RNA therapy should be deeply investigated. In the present paper, we propose to design specific antisense oligonucleotides targeting transcripts encoding viral proteins associated to replication and transcription of SARS-CoV-2, aiming to block infection. We designed antisense oligonucleotides targeting the genomic 5’ untranslated region (5’-UTR), open reading frames 1a and 1b (ORF1a and ORF1b) governing expression of the replicase/transcriptase complex, and the gene N encoding the nucleoprotein that is genome-associated. To maximize the probability of efficiency, we predicted the antisense oligonucleotides by using two design methods: i) conventional antisense oligonucleotides with 100% phosphorothioate modifications (ASO); ii) antisense locked nucleic acids GapmeR. After binding the viral RNA target, the hetero-duplexes antisense oligonucleotide-RNA are cleaved by RNAse H1. Nine potent ASO candidates were found and we selected five of them targeting ORF1a (3), ORF1b (1) and N (1). Nine GapmeR candidates were predicted with excellent properties and we retained four of them targeting 5’-UTR (1), ORF1a (3), ORF1b (1) and N (1). The most potent GapmeR candidate targets the 5’-UTR, a key genomic domain with multiple functions in the viral cycle. By this open publication, we are pleased to share these in silico results with the scientific community in hopes of stimulating innovation in translational research in order to fight the unprecedented COVID-19 pandemic. These antisense oligonucleotide candidates should be now experimentally evaluated.

This study presents a straightforward electrochemical and plasma deposition method for producing Cobalt-doped Blue-TiO2 nanotubes with enhanced catalytic properties. After a titanium plate has been anodized, specific procedures are carried out that cause oxygen vacancies to form inside the TiO2 nanostructures. The obtained catalysts were subjected to electrochemical tests (to identify charge transfer resistance and flat band potential), optical analysis (to determine the band gap and Urbach energy) and also characterized in terms of morphology, wettability and antibacterial effect in order to understand and analyze the impact of the Co doping method on the final catalyst characteristics. A hydrophilic film with star-shaped structures and with antibacterial effect was created when cobalt was electrochemically doped to Blue-TiO2 nanotubes. By using this electrochemical doping technique, the Urbach energy was raised from 1.171 to 3.836 eV while the band gap energy was decreased from 3.04 to 2.88 eV. Additionally, photodegradation experiments using artificial doxycycline (DOX) water were conducted to determine the practical relevance of the research findings. In areas like antimicrobial applications and photodegradation of DOX, these extra experiments aimed to show the practical applicability and potential advantages of the research findings.

We report the case of a 61-year-old woman who was referred to the Oral Surgery and Implantology Unit of the University Hospitals of Geneva to take care edentulous sites after dental avulsions of teeth 11 and 21 following traumatic shock due to endotracheal intubation under general anaesthesia. The dental history revealed that the patient had a history of generalized chronic periodontitis that had been treated several years earlier. Treatment consisted, for the first time to our knowledge, of immediate insertion of implants at sites 11 and 21 with simultaneous bone augmentation in a single surgical procedure and immediate restorations.