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Traces of singular moduli can be approximated by exponential sums of quadratic irrationals. Recently Andersen and Duke used theory of Maass forms to estimate generalized twisted traces with power-saving error bounds. We establish an asymptotic formula with effective error bounds for such traces. Our methods depend on an explicit bound for sums of Kloosterman sums on Γ 0 (4) . [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents the result of an investigation and explains the current problems of the construction of a fertilizer plant in the bay of Topolobampo, Sinaloa, established by Gas y Petroquímica de Occidente, a Mexican subsidiary of the Swiss-German Holding Proman, which will generate anhydrous ammonia as a fertilizer input, and therefore, the need to implement real protection based on public policies focused on the preservation of the bay, which is a Ramsar site. The construction of the plant began in 2014; forging confrontations with residents canceling its construction. Therefore, we detail the impacts in case of construction of the plant, proposing protection of the bay based on public policies for the benefit of the site. Keywords: Fertilizers, ammonia, Ramsar, environmental destruction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We give a substantial improvement for the error term in the asymptotic formula for the smallest parts function spt (n) of Andrews. Our methods depend on an explicit bound for sums of Kloosterman sums of half integral weight on the full modular group. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Effective properties of non-aging linear viscoelastic and hierarchical composites are investigated via a three-scale asymptotic homogenization method. In this approach, we consider the assumption of a generalized periodicity in the different structural levels and their characterization through the so-called stratified functions. The expressions for the associated local and homogenized problems, and the effective coefficients are derived at each level of organization by using the correspondence principle and the Laplace-Carson transform. Considering isotropic components and a perfect contact at the interfaces between the constituents, analytical solutions, in the Laplace-Carson space, are found for the local problems and the effective coefficients are computed. An interconversion procedure between the effective relaxation modulus and the effective creep compliance is carried out for obtaining information about both viscoelastic properties. The numerical inversion to the original temporal space is also performed. Finally, we exploit the potential of the approach and study the overall properties of a hierarchical viscoelastic composite structure representing the dermis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this research was to analyze the validity and reliability of the Scale of Attitudes towards the Consumption and Legalization of Marijuana (EACLM). The study was carried out with an incidental sample of 452 Mexicans aged between 18 and 45 years old. After analysis of the content validity by expert judges, exploratory (maximum likelihood) and confirmatory factor analyses (maximum likelihood with robust errors) were conducted to ensure the scale's construct validity; in addition, internal consistency was calculated using Cronbach's alpha coefficient. The final version of the instrument contains 16 items grouped into three oblique factors: Medical use and legalization, Recreational use and Recreational legalization. The use of the scale is recommended to explore the attitudes of different social groups on the subject and add to national discussion on the medicinal and recreational use of cannabis in Mexico. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article reflects on the shaping of identity in schools through the recognition of self and significant others. The approach is based on five axes of analysis: the peer group, coexistence spaces and play at school, stigmatization and school integration, the role of teachers in shaping the self, and the care of self and others in the health emergency. As a theoretical reference, symbolic interactionism is referred to, highlighting the social function of the school towards the understanding of the self and the recognition of others in the school space. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Almendares - Vento basin is of great importance for the Havana city, because its groundwater contributes 47% of the total planned water supply. For this reason, the main objective of the research was knew the risk of groundwater contamination in this basin. It was make the map of contamination risk of groundwater at a scale of 1: 100 000, integrating the map of natural vulnerability of this basin obtained by the RISK method, and the map of the hazard index of polluting sources prepared according to the methodology developed by the COST Action 620. The results show that a moderate and low risk level predominates, although were defined sectors with high and very high risk of contamination. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The following research article aims to study and publicize the crossing of information from seismic and transmission areas by COVID-19 for the implementation of management, coordination and attention in case of two events of such dimensions at the same time, which are directly related to the geography and geomorphology of the area, In this case, in Mexico City (CDMX), the COVID-19 pandemic, commonly known as Coronavirus, which affected the entire world and was considered a global emergency, is the central point regarding the neglect or lack of attention that the Mexican government and the general population have to these telluric episodes for attending to moments of pandemics; In past years, these natural phenomena have affected the Mexican Republic, deriving great affectations, such as the most recent and devastating seismic event for the CDMX that occurred on September 19, 2017, with a magnitude of 7.1 on the Richter scale, it is important to point out that in the midst of the pandemic in Mexico, on June 23, 2020, a phenomenon with greater characteristics than that of September 19 occurred, whose magnitude was 7.5 on the Richter scale, but fortunately much less devastating. Based on the methodology used according to research articles, theories, state of the art, newspapers, official sources, informal interviews, photointerpretation and analysis based on obtaining cartography with an adequate level to understand the problems addressed in this article regarding the geographical totality of the CDMX, areas were located based on geographical characteristics in general, taking into account the high degree of contamination by COVID-19, These were analyzed to show evidence and results of the areas that are most vulnerable in case of collapse of architectural structures by earthquakes and areas of infection based on a precise and well-founded mapping, as a preliminary conclusion alert the Mexican government and general population to take real preventive measures and not just corrective, so that the population is aware at all times of possible environmental vulnerability in which they are living to two problems that occurred at the same time as they could be earthquakes and areas of infection by COVID-19. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Natural deep eutectic solvents (NADES) combined with microwave intensify EOs extraction. • Implementing NADES for extracting essential oils (EOs) constitutes a green alternative. • Extracted compounds of obtained EOs differ depending on the selected NADES. • Extraction with NADES improved the antimicrobial and antioxidant activity of the obtained EOs. Due to the increasing demand for green technologies for the extraction of essential oils, natural deep eutectic solvents (NADES) have emerged as a type of environmentally friendly solvents. This work aimed to study the use of different NADES in combination with microwave pretreatment for intensifying the extraction of Aloysya citriodora (Mexican lippia) essential oil (ACEO), a barely studied plant. The chemical composition (GCMS–) and biological activities (antimicrobial activity, antioxidant activity, and total phenolic compounds) of the obtained oils are reported. The yield of ACEO extracted with NADES increased from 0.10 to 0.21 %. The main compounds of each ACEO were verbenone (28–54 %), limonene (2–10 %), and spathulenol (3–15 %). ACEOs extracted with NADES showed better antimicrobial activity against gram-positive bacteria. The ACEO extracted by Ch:OA reduced 3.6 log CFU/mL against Listeria monocytogenes. Meanwhile, ACEOs extracted by Ch:CA and Ch:OA showed the highest antioxidant activities (27.77–35.95 mg TE/mL of EO), and total phenolic compounds (15.33–17.35 mg GAE/mL of EO). Overall results suggest that using these green solvents aided the extraction method and may represent a study opportunity for extracting natural products without harming the environment, improving the process efficiency through a sustainable and innovative approach, with promising industrial applications. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose - The purpose of this paper is to analyse the direct impacts on financial performance and the added value of production in family businesses, considering the efficiency of intellectual capital as determining variables. Design/methodology/approach - A comparative analysis between family businesses (FB) and nonfamily businesses (NFB) is proposed to explore significant differences in the impacts on financial performance and added value of companies, through multivariate techniques. It contributes to the literature on the family business, and its performance from an analytical framework that incorporates the theory of intellectual capital and the measurement of its impact. Findings - The findings show that the value-added coefficient of intellectual capital (VAICTM) is a determining factor in the financial performance of companies and, to a greater extent, in the FB than in their NFB counterparts. It is also verified that the efficiency of intellectual capital in the FB has a direct and greater relationship with the value added of production (VAEmp), with respect to non-family businesses, being an important factor in predicting the performance of companies. Practical implications - The findings allow us to conclude the importance of efficient management of intangible factors in companies, such as intellectual capital, becoming a competitive advantage factor. Originality/value - The document explores the relationship and impact of VAICTM in family businesses that belong to an emerging economy and demonstrates the existence of differences between FB and NFB, at the level of intangible factors under a comparative analysis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Continual learning remains an unsolved problem in artificial neural networks. The brain has evolved mechanisms to prevent catastrophic forgetting of old knowledge during new training. Building upon data suggesting the importance of sleep in learning and memory, we tested a hypothesis that sleep protects old memories from being forgotten after new learning. In the thalamocortical model, training a new memory interfered with previously learned old memories leading to degradation and forgetting of the old memory traces. Simulating sleep after new learning reversed the damage and enhanced old and new memories. We found that when a new memory competed for previously allocated neuronal/synaptic resources, sleep replay changed the synaptic footprint of the old memory to allow overlapping neuronal populations to store multiple memories. Our study predicts that memory storage is dynamic, and sleep enables continual learning by combining consolidation of new memory traces with reconsolidation of old memory traces to minimize interference. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The most important parameters in the design of a landing gear for drones are evaluated by using the finite element method. A tricycle configuration was selected because this is the most used model in this type of aircraft. Among the evaluated parameters are the thickness of the cross section (t), width (b), leg length (l), the angle (θ) between the leg of the undercarriage and the horizontal, materials, stroke (S), and load factor (N). From the evaluation of geometric parameters, it is observed that the thickness variation of the cross section t, and the angle θ formed between the leg of the landing gear and the horizontal, are inversely proportional to the vertical deformation and, therefore, directly proportional to the load factor N. On the other hand, the length variation of the landing gear leg behaves in the opposite way to the previous parameters. Regarding the evaluation of the materials, those with a lower elasticity modulus have better performance for this design type, less stiffness produces less stress at the impact moment, although it should be considered that a greater deformation is generated, resulting in a thickness increase of the cross section. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The reason for carrying out the following research work is to demonstrate that people of different educational and socioeconomic levels can learn and use different Geographic Information Technologies, as well as to be able to use this didactic-digital material for the teaching of cartography in general. The world, as an example of real use of these technologies, will be studied in this work, the risks and threats in the alcaldía Álvaro Obregón in Mexico City, achieving this learning in Middle, Higher and Postgraduate Education in the Mexican case and take it as an example to Latin America, based on the actual application of Free Geographic Information Systems (GIS), as well as demonstrating that they have the same effectiveness in fieldwork as non-free GIS, and that, to a certain extent, these The latter limit the learning and knowledge of useful technologies for university students anywhere in The world and social stratum, as a server, which has had the opportunity to use both, free and not free, hence my evaluation and criticism. Mexico has little information, attention, management and coordination, by the authorities of the Mayor's Office, State or Federal, on the presence of irregular human settlements in urban areas, in the parameters of the northern area of the Álvaro Obregón town hall, in where there is some degree of physical vulnerability and high level of marginalization by the families that inhabit these areas, located on slopes, river beds and /or ravines, derived from the geomorphology of the place; and that they are a constant danger due to their pronounced degree of inclination, so that when this landslide occurs, it drags or carries the foundations of the constructions and what is in its way, especially in the rainy season and /or earthquakes, which causes human, environmental and economic losses. On the other hand, this results in an environmental deterioration around the ecosystem that was originally found, and that was arbitrarily modified over the years, with this disjointed urbanization, since when these types of constructions and buildings are carried out in areas not suitable for habitability, for the aforementioned problems, it eliminates or replaces the vegetal cover of the soil, seeing itself modified by the grade of foundations, which promotes the null filtration of rainwater by the compaction of it, due to the use of materials for building. Something of utmost importance is that people who inhabit these areas with some degree of vulnerability, fill or fill in some way small cavities or mines with gravel material, solid waste or garbage for leveling the soil, which only increases and brings serious consequences, making it even more unstable. Therefore, the free GIS obviously help the management, coordination, evaluation and decision making of the problem, avoiding human losses due to this type of geomorphological events, it is clear that the use of GIS can be used by any person, without excuse or pretext of limitation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recently Schauz and Brink independently extended Chevalley's theorem to polynomials with restricted variables. In this note we give an improvement to Schauz-Brink's theorem via the ground field method. The improvement is significant in the cases where the degree of the polynomial is large compared to the weight of the degree of the polynomial. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The objectives of this study were to identify the predictive level that personality dimensions have on the students Body Image, as well as their possible relationships, and to compare such variables according to the sex of the participants. The study population were students of three technical careers at a public educational institution in the state of Jalisco, Mexico. The sample consisted of 567 students. The Body Shape Questionnaire was used to measure the Body Image. The Neo Personality Inventory Revised NEO FFI (reduced version of the NEO PI-R) was used to evaluate the personality. Regarding the results, a multiple linear regression analysis identified the predictive variables of the Body Image --unsatisfied--, the dimension of the personality called "Neuroticism" and the female sex. In addition, significant relationships were found between the dimensions of personality "Neuroticism", "Extroversion", "Kindness and Responsibility" with body image and significant differences in it according to sex. It is suggested that later studies include other characteristics that could explain the presence of Body Image dissatisfaction in adolescents and confirm the influence of the predictor variables identified. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The objective of this research was to develop an explicative and predictive model of suicidal ideation in Mexican high school students. The study participants were students of three technical careers from a public education institution in the state of Jalisco, Mexico. The sample consisted of 911 students, selected through nonprobabilistic sampling. The exogenous variables were sex, family social support, adjustment and school victimization, risky eating behavior, dissatisfaction with body image and depression. The instrument for measuring suicidal ideation was the "Suicidal Ideation Scale" developed by Beck, Kovacs and Weissman which measures the characteristics and frequency of thoughts and attitudes about the intentionality of committing suicide. An explicative and predictive model of suicidal ideation was constructed that included the variables of depression, family support and adjustment problems to the school through a Multiple Linear Regression analysis. Based on the findings, it is suggested to develop intervention strategies within the school and family context focused on the variables that predict a significant increase in suicidal ideation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Social skills and self-concept are two constructs that research in psychology has related to mental health; a negative self-concept or a poor command of social skills have been typified as risk factors for various psychosocial problems. This research had three main objectives: (a) to study the relationship between social skills and self-concept in university students belonging to a technological institution of the state of Jalisco, Mexico, (b) to compare both variables according to the sex of the students, and (c) identify the strength of self-concept dimensions in the prediction of social skills. The sampling used was incidental non-probabilistic and was formed by a total of 482 students. The results indicated that (a) there is a medium and positive correlation between the variables of the study, (b) there are significant differences by sex in the total score of the Self-concept and in the emotional, physical and academic-work factors, and (c) through a Multiple linear regression analysis, a model was obtained that refers to the emotional, physical and social factors of Self-concept as the main predictors of Social Skills. With these results, the association between the variables of the study is confirmed and reaffirms the idea that in people (especially young people) self-concept is an aspect that shapes the development of their social skills and, therefore, the characteristics of their interpersonal communication and their psychological adjustment to the environment. Finally, the study recommends encouraging activities that increase the self-concept of people and thus prevent a possible deficit in their social skills. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Resting- or baseline-state low-frequency (0.01-0.2 Hz) brain activity is observed in fMRI, EEG, and local field potential recordings. These fluctuations were found to be correlated across brain regions and are thought to reflect neuronal activity fluctuations between functionally connected areas of the brain. However, the origin of these infra-slow resting-state fluctuations remains unknown. Here, using a detailed computational model of the brain network, we show that spontaneous infra-slow (<0.05 Hz) activity could originate due to the ion concentration dynamics. The computational model implemented dynamics for intra- and extracellular K+ and Na+ and intracellular Cl- ions, Na+/K+ exchange pump, and KCC2 cotransporter. In the network model simulating resting awake-like brain state, we observed infra-slow fluctuations in the extracellular K+ concentration, Na+/K+ pump activation, firing rate of neurons, and local field potentials. Holding K+ concentration constant prevented generation of the infra-slow fluctuations. The amplitude and peak frequency of this activity were modulated by the Na+/K+ pump, AMPA/GABA synaptic currents, and glial properties. Further, in a large-scale network with long-range connections based on CoCoMac connectivity data, the infra-slow fluctuations became synchronized among remote clusters similar to the resting-state activity observed in vivo. Overall, our study proposes that ion concentration dynamics mediated by neuronal and glial activity may contribute to the generation of very slow spontaneous fluctuations of brain activity that are reported as the resting-state fluctuations in fMRI and EEG recordings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents a symmetric Kronecker product analysis of independent and identically distributed jump linear systems to develop new, lower dimensional equations for the stability and performance analysis of this type of systems than what is currently available. In addition, new closed form expressions characterising multi-parameter relative sensitivity functions for performance metrics are introduced. The analysis technique is illustrated with a distributed fault-tolerant flight control example where the communication links are allowed to fail randomly. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recent work of Altuğ continues the preliminary analysis of Langlands' Beyond Endoscopy proposal for G L ( 2 ) by removing the contribution of the trivial representation by a Poisson summation formula. We show that Altuğ's method of smoothing real elliptic orbital integrals by an approximate functional equation extends to G L ( n ) . We also discuss the case of an arbitrary reductive group, and remaining obstructions for applying Poisson summation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A balance between excitation and inhibition is necessary to maintain stable brain network dynamics. Traditionally, seizure activity is believed to arise from the breakdown of this delicate balance in favor of excitation with loss of inhibition. Surprisingly, recent experimental evidence suggests that this conventional view may be limited, and that inhibition plays a prominent role in the development of epileptiform synchronization. Here, we explored the role of the KCC2 co-transporter in the onset of inhibitory network-induced seizures. Our experiments in acute mouse brain slices, of either sex, revealed that optogenetic stimulation of either parvalbumin- or somatostatin-expressing interneurons induced ictal discharges in rodent entorhinal cortex during 4-aminopyridine application. These data point to a proconvulsive role of GABA A receptor signaling that is independent of the inhibitory input location ( i.e. , dendritic vs. somatic). We developed a biophysically realistic network model implementing dynamics of ion concentrations to explore the mechanisms leading to inhibitory network-induced seizures. In agreement with experimental results, we found that stimulation of the inhibitory interneurons induced seizure-like activity in a network with reduced potassium A-current. Our model predicts that interneuron stimulation triggered an increase of interneuron firing, which was accompanied by an increase in the intracellular chloride concentration and a subsequent KCC2-dependent gradual accumulation of the extracellular potassium promoting epileptiform ictal activity. When the KCC2 activity was reduced, stimulation of the interneurons was no longer able to induce ictal events. Overall, our study provides evidence for a proconvulsive role of GABA A receptor signaling that depends on the involvement of the KCC2 co-transporter. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The reason for doing the following research work is the generation of cartography and sufficient level of detail to generate some kind of prediction, approximately three to four meters error tolerance, based on control points taken with Positioning System Global (GPS), all this taking it to reality to be able to generate, prevention, attention, management or coordination, on the part of the authorities of the acaldías, state and federal, on the presence of human settlements allowed and not allowed, in urban areas north of the Alcaldía Álvaro Obregón, in which, some degree of geophysical, geomorphological, geological or topographical vulnerability is observed, on the other hand the high level of marginalization on the part of the families, which inhabit these zones, located in mountain areas as they are; slopes, riverbeds or ravines, for what they are, a constant danger due to its pronounced degree of inclination and when some gravitational process occurs, it drags or carries the foundations of existing constructions and what is in its way, even more so in season of rains, seismic movements, collapses of mine roofs, landslides, which causes loss of human life. On the other hand, this results in an environmental deterioration around the original ecosystem and that was arbitrarily modified over the years, with this disarticulated urbanization regulated and not regulated by the Alvaro Obregon City Hall, since when this type was carried out of buildings in areas not suitable for habitability, including natural protected areas now urbanized, for the problems mentioned above, the vegetation cover is eliminated or replaced, observing the non-filtration of rainwater by the compaction of the soil in terms of the use of materials for construction and recently found in field work, pumice stone, which is very weak when it is hydrated. Something of utmost importance, is that the people who live in these areas with some degree of vulnerability, fill or fill in some way, small cavities or mines with gravel material, organic waste, solid waste or trash for leveling the soil, which it only increases and brings serious consequences, making it even more unstable. It will try to solve the aforementioned, with the use of files type Raster extension TIFF, GEOTIFF and BIL, obtained from the website of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA): https://vertex.daac.asf. alaska.edu/, and the National Institute of Statistics and Geography (INEGI): http://www.beta. inegi.org.mx/temas/mapas/relieve/continental/, based on these files, models of 3d prediction with the help of Geographic Information Systems (GIS) and field visits. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this study is to identify psychosocial predictors of academic stress in secondary school students. The study population were students of three technical academic programmes at a public education institution in the state of Jalisco, Mexico. The sample consisted of 988 students. The predictive variables included in the study were school atmosphere, school adjustment, school victimisation, dissatisfaction with body image, depression and gender. The instrument for measuring academic stress was the Academic Stress Inventory (ASI) developed by Hernández, Polo & Pozo (1996). In terms of results and through a multiple linear regression analysis, two predictive models were constructed, the first comprising 'Stressgenerating situations' and the second 'Stress responses'. In the first case, family support, teacher help, school adjustment problems, relational victimisation, dissatisfaction with body image and depression were identified as predictors. In the second, depression, dissatisfaction with body image and gender were identified as predictors. It is suggested that further studies should include other characteristics that could better explain the onset of stress-generating situations and confirm the influence of the mentioned variables. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction. 72% of Chile's territory suffers from some degree of draught, affecting 90% of its inhabitants. 79,1% of that territory, then, has some degradation risk and 21,7% of it can become a desert, and this percentage corresponds to 16.379.342 hectares. Objective. Optimize the irrigation of salicornia plants, considering both salt and fresh water to establish the conditions for best developing this species with the right irrigation and temperature in the Puerto Aldea region in Coquimbo, Chile. Materials and methods. The surface response methodology was used to establish the optimal conditions for the plants' growth with the right irrigation and temperature. Results. High fiber levels could be established for the species analyzed, between 38,2 and 45,84 g/100g, and the highest levels are in the seeds. The best result is that with an irrigation of 750 cc of salt water and 250 cc of fresh water, as it had the lowest mortality of plants (10%) and the highest growth rate. Conclusions. The usefulness of this plant is diverse, as not only is it good for human consumption but for other industries worldwide, considering its fiber and carbohydrates contents. Further research is suggested in areas such as animal forage development and the economic feasibility of obtaining biodiesel from it. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The effluent organic matter (EfOM) including micropollutants present in the concentrate streams generated from reverse osmosis (RO) based municipal wastewater reclamation processes entails environmental and health risks on its disposal to the receiving environment. The suitability of a biological activated carbon (BAC) process to treat municipal wastewater RO concentrate was evaluated at lab scale during 320 days of operation. BAC alone and combined UV/H 2 O 2 –BAC and ozone–BAC were performed. The combination of both advanced oxidation processes with the BAC filter improved considerably the water quality parameters. Overall eliminations for dissolved organic carbon, chemical oxygen demand and ultraviolet absorbance at 254 nm ranged between 50–66%, 48–66% and 73–87%, respectively, improving considerably the removals obtained without pretreatment step (28%, 19% and 37%, respectively). Moreover, although some pharmaceuticals were partially removed by the BAC filter, the integration of the UV/H 2 O 2 or the ozone step was necessary to achieve the total removal of those micropollutants. Finally, biomass assessment techniques allowed determining the diversity of different BAC filter scenarios. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

American trypanosomiasis is one of the few native parasites of this continent. As a zoonosis, Trypanosoma cruzi infects about 180 species out of 25 families of mammals. Its regular transmission is through triatomines, which can easily transmit parasites either by the skin route (contamination of mammals skin with their feces) or by oral route (ingestion of food contaminated with complete triatomines or their feces) and additionally through haematogenous via (congenital and transfusional) and by tissues (transplants). The oral route, which seems to be the ancestral form of transmission to wild and domestic mammals, has recently become more important after the success achieved in the control of domicile vectors using residual pesticides. From its initial diagnosis in 1967, tens of oral outbreaks have been diagnosed mostly in the Brazilian Amazon and subsequently in other four countries in South America. Environmental imbalance caused by man through the invasion and deforestation of woodlands, results in reduction of biodiversity of mammals as food source for triatomines, affecting the “dilution effect” of T. cruzi in the nature increasing the risk of human infection. On the other hand, triatomines invade houses looking for new blood sources. One of the consequences of domiciliated triatomines is the food contamination spread, especially in home-made juices, which has been the source of infection of most oral outbreaks. Other biotic and abiotic factors help to explain the recent increase of oral transmission outbreaks of Chagas disease, distributed in nine eco-regions of America. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Homeostatic synaptic plasticity (HSP) has been implicated in the development of hyperexcitability and epileptic seizures following traumatic brain injury (TBI). Our in vivo experimental studies in cats revealed that the severity of TBI-mediated epileptogenesis depends on the age of the animal. To characterize mechanisms of these differences, we studied the properties of the TBI-induced epileptogenesis in a biophysically realistic cortical network model with dynamic ion concentrations. After deafferentation, which was induced by dissection of the afferent inputs, there was a reduction of the network activity and upregulation of excitatory connections leading to spontaneous spike-and-wave type seizures. When axonal sprouting was implemented, the seizure threshold increased in the model of young but not the older animals, which had slower or unidirectional homeostatic processes. Our study suggests that age-related changes in the HSP mechanisms are sufficient to explain the difference in the likelihood of seizure onset in young versus older animals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpouse: One Step Nucleic Acid Amplification (OSNA) has been previously proposed for the diagnosis of lymph node metastases (LNMs) from several malignant conditions by quantifying the number of copies of cytokeratin 19 mRNA. Our aim was to evaluate the results obtained by OSNA in the lymph nodes of patients with papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC) by comparing our results with the findings observed using standard pathological examination. Materials and Methods: Fifty human lymph nodes (from five patients with diagnosed PTC) were studied. Each node was divided into two: one half was used for molecular study ('OSNA-node'), and the other half was used for conventional staining with hematoxylin and eosin ('HE-non-OSNA node'). Three cytological imprints using Papanicolaou and May-Grunwald-Giemsa strains were obtained from both node halves. The results from each technique were compared, and ROC analysis was performed. Results: The OSNA study showed 22 positive samples for LNM (44%), which demonstrate a high concordance rate with the results observed using conventional pathological examination (cytology of 'OSNA-node' and HE of 'Non-OSNA node') with specificity and sensitivity values greater than 86% and 89%, respectively. However, both comparisons differed in the number of copies of mRNA as the best cut-off (260 copies in the first case and 93 in the second case). Conclusions: The OSNA results for the detection of LNM in patients with PTC are comparable with those observed using conventional techniques. However, its quantitative nature could be useful to more accurately detect lymph node involvement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The objective of this work was to characterize the raw and roasted grains that are used in the Cuban coffee factories. The grains were natural Arabica Cuban coffee and Robusta coffee from Brazil, pea (Pisum sativum L.) from Canada and chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.) harvested in Cuba. The following determinations to the raw and roasted grains were made: hardness, apparent density, diameter and weight and content of aflatoxin B1, vitamin C, moisture, minerals, proteins, fiber, ash, total and assimilable carbohydrates and energy value. In general, the roast temperature influenced negatively on the nutritional composition of the grains and it was observed a significant decreasing of weight of the grain, apparent density, hardness and moisture. The loss for coffees and pea were according with to dayness of torrefaction process under the Cuban technological conditions. The Arabica coffee tolerates the thermal treatment better than Robusta coffee and the chickpea better than the pea. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Apple cubes were subjected to vacuum impregnation using grape juice concentrate. The effect of pressure reduction (VP = 100–500 mmHg), immersion time (t = 10–30 min), and concentration of grape juice (C = 40–60°Brix) on impregnation parameters were evaluated using response surface methodology. Second-order polynomial equations were developed (R2 > 0.895) to describe the behavior of water loss, total soluble solids, L* , a* , Hue , total color difference, the color of impregnated/treated areas (A U / A OP), antioxidant activity, total monomeric anthocyanin, and dimensionless volume (V/V o) in the impregnated product. VP had a significant (p ≤ 0.05) effect on mass transfer parameters, color parameters, A U / A OP, and bioactive compounds. However, at 60°Brix and 500 mmHg, the lower V/V o values were reached due to cell disruption. Therefore, it is recommended to use a VP = 500 mmHg and t less than 20 min to significantly impregnate compounds and obtain a product without considerable morphometric modification. • Impregnation with grape juice concentrate increase bioactive compounds in apple. • Analysis of apple tissue staining allows mass transfer parameters evaluation. • Response surface models adequately describe apples' mass transfer characteristics. • Image processing was used to analyze staining of apple tissue during impregnation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tin oxide synthesis and characterization were studied in the present work in order to evaluate its catalytic activity in the reaction of methyl ricinoleate from castor oil. Oxide is obtained through the controlled precipitation method, and significant advantages are obtained when using water solutions of SnCl2.2H2O as precursor. Its characterization was done using the techniques DTA, TGA, XRD, finding that in order to have high performance for the cassiterite system the optimum pH value was 6,25 whereas a pH of 8.0 was leading to the romarchite system. When using SEM techniques and a surface area, the size of the particle found was below 50 nm with a surface area of 19 m²/g. The ricinoleate ester was obtained from the oil using sodium methylate as catalyst and then making it react with hydrogen peroxide as oxidant agent and tin oxide to produce an epoxide. Finally, reaction products are identified through gas chromatography finding that tin oxides are active for obtaining epoxides with better performance of the romarchite crystal system (SnO) especially towards the methyl-12-hydroxi-9, 10-epoxioctadecanote (MHEOD). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

His article attempts to analyse the school failure from the different indicators that are obtained throughout compulsory schooling (primary and secondary) and that, in many moments give us clues and tips about then called school failure (percentage of people who fail to overcome the mandatory teachings), and, secondly, the unequal incidence of this school failure on the students depending on their social and cultural environment. Therefore shows the results obtained in Catalonia in various external assessments conducted in recent years: PISA 2003, PISA 2006, Evaluación general de diagnóstico 2010 and Competencias básicas 2009 and 2010. Checks the availability of indicators showing a bag of students since the age of 10, at risk of school failure, and also, as this failure has more impact on students from disadvantaged social classes. It examines whether the Catalonian Educational System is sufficiently fair and compensates for existing social inequalities or, conversely, reproduces them. Although the data presented are from different areas, is made special emphasis on the section of the reading competence. This section is specifically for the PISA study, thus, also evaluated is included in the communicative competence, General assessment of diagnosis of the Ministry of Education and the powers of the Department of Education of the Catalan Parliament. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights: [•] Good performance for the elimination of the different DOM fractions. [•] The oxidation mechanisms play an important role in the elimination of DOM fractions. [•] The molecular mechanism in ozonation leads to the accumulation of LMM acids. [•] UV/H2O2 results in an effluent composed of all low molar mass fractions and humics. [•] Interpretation of SUVA data fails to diagnose the depletion of humic substances. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Peru is a country that has great biodiversity and huge environmental problems. It also has a growing population of evangelicals, some in rural communities close to important conservation areas. In this communication, I describe how I encourage evangelical groups to participate in creation care, providing both reasons and paths for creation care and responses to opposition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: The effect of exposure of Escherichia coli O157:H7 to prior stress on the effectiveness of pulsed electric field (PEF) treatment of milk was studied. Cells were exposed to a variety of temperatures (7–45 °C), pH (4.0–7.0), osmotic conditions (0–10% NaCl), starvation (100 h at 25 °C), and cold shock (5 °C for 250 h). Stress responses were explained by the Gompertz and Weibull models with similar goodness-of-fit. Using these models, conditions that induced adequate stress were identified and used to pre-condition E. coli O157:H7 cells. The inactivation of the bacterial cells in milk by PEF was characterized by downward concavity with differences in mean time of resistance between cells exposed to temperature, acid or osmotic stress. Application of the Weibullian–Log-Logistic model indicated that, at higher field strengths, inactivation occurred at lower onset temperatures, and this was related to an increase in heat dissipation. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Lobster fishery (Panulirus argus) forms an important part of the fishing activities along the Caribbean coast of Central America. The present study provides information regarding the seasonal abundance and distribution of postlarval P. argus in Parque Nacional Cahuita, Costa Rica. During the study period (March 2004-February 2005), a total of 1907 pueruli were obtained from GuSi collectors. Postlarvae were present during all months, with a pronounced peak in January-February 2005 (CPUE of 21.82 and 22.18, pueruli/collector/month, respectively), and minor peaks in May and October 2004. The abundance of postlarval P. argus in the study area was comparable to locations which support important lobster fisheries, e.g. Mexico. A majority of the postlarvae (1027 ind.) was collected during the first quarter moon, the remaining pueruli (880 ind.) during new moon; these results are in general agreement with similar findings for P. argus in the Caribbean area. Based upon our results, we recommend introducing a local or regional monitoring program, studying spiny lobster migration and distribution patterns, and evaluate the introduction of artificial shelters for P. argus. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An individual's ability to metabolize certain drugs depends on multiple factors, including its genetic profile. Patients with altered expression of certain enzymes can have an decreased or increased clearance of the administered drug, causing therapeutic failure, risk of intoxication or adverse effects. It has been reported that most pharmaceutical drugs are effective in a range from 25% to 60%. The aim of this article is to define fundamental aspects of pharmacogenetics and pharmacogenomics, addressing particular cases such as the metabolism of the thiopurine-methyl-transferase-enzyme and the CYP2C19 hepatic microsomal system and present results about the metabolism of proton pump inhibitors, generated by our group. It is stated that pharmacogenetics and pharmacogenomics are new fields of study, which are constantly evolving. We consider noteworthy for the doctor to know a patient's genotype because there is a variation in the metabolism of certain drugs depending on the studied population. Therefore, a global treatment for a given disease can not be generalized. This highlights the importance of a tailored-based pharmacological therapy in order to prescribe the treatment at optimal doses, improving the patient's quality of life and clinical outcome. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This research work presents an analysis of the traffic on a LAN segment heading to model its behavior and the generation of similar results by using a traffic simulation tool. To achieve this, datagrams are collected from servers supporting commonly used protocols such as SMTP1 and HTTP2. The datagrams are then used to determine the degree of self-similarity of the network segment and its probabilistic characteristics. Different tests are used for each case. Once the network segment model is obtained, a simulation tool is used to get a similar traffic environment to the real network traffic. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The lumped-network finite-difference time-domain (LN-FDTD) technique is an extension of the conventional FDTD method that enables the incorporation of linear one-port LNs in a single FDTD cell. This paper studies the stability and the numerical dispersion of this technique. To this end, an isotropic medium that is uniformly loaded with LNs in the x-direction is considered as a working model. The stability analysis, based on the von Neumann method, is performed for general Mth-order LNs and closed-form stability conditions are derived for some particular cases. The numerical dispersion relation is obtained for plane-wave propagation in the proposed LN-loaded medium. It is shown that LNs can be interpreted in terms of an effective frequency-dependent permittivity and, as a consequence, the LN-loaded medium can be viewed as a uniaxial medium. The numerical admittance of the LNs is also obtained showing that, as a side-effect of the time discretization, the LN parameters become frequency-dependent, e.g. for the resistor case, the resistance becomes a function of the frequency. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A combined strategy of a photo-Fenton pretreatment followed by a Sequencing Batch Biofilm Reactor (SBBR) was evaluated for total C and N removal from a synthetic wastewater containing exclusively 200mgL−1 of the antibiotic Sulfamethoxazole (SMX). Photo-Fenton reaction was optimized at the minimum reagent doses in order to improve the biocompatibility of effluents with the subsequent biological reactor. Consequently, the pretreatment was performed with two different initial H2O2 concentrations (300 and 400mgL−1) and 10mgL−1 of Fe2+. The pre-treated effluents with the antibiotic intermediates as sole carbon source were used as feed for the biological reactor. The SBBR was operated under aerobic conditions to mineralize the organic carbon, and the Hydraulic Retention Time (HRT) was optimized down to 8h reaching a removal of 75.7% of the initial Total Organic Carbon (TOC). The total denitrification of the NO3 − generated along the chemical–biological treatment was achieved by means of the inclusion of a 24-h anoxic stage in the SBBR strategy. In addition, the Activated Sludge Model No. 1 (ASM1) was successfully used to complete the N balance determining the N fate in the SBBR. The characterization and the good performance of the SBBR allow presenting the assessed combination as an efficient way for the treatment of wastewaters contaminated with biorecalcitrant pharmaceuticals as the SMX. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Henoch-Shonlein syndrome (HSS) and Kawasaki disease (KD), are the commonest systemic vasculitis in childhood. There are some cases reported of visceral hemorrhagic complications, cerebral hemorrhage is rare. We presented a girl patient of 4 years old, with symptoms since 2 years of age, characterized by fever, cardiac failure associated whit myocardial ischemia, aneurysmatic dilation of both coronary arteries, echocardiography made the diagnoses of KD. Six months later, the patient complains abdominal pain and distention. At 4 years of age complain headache, right hemicorporal paresis whit a CT scan, showed frontoparietal hemorrhage. The treatment required it was surgical remotion. The outcome improves until complete recovery. Hemorrhagic complications in KD and HSS are extremely rare and involve high morbidity and mortality. Often the treatment required is only medical and conservative measures for immunologic disease. Is rare to need surgical treatment for intracerebral hemorrhage. There's no reported cases of cerebral hemorrhage with both diagnosis (KD and HSS) why the authors present this case and literature review. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The objective of this work was to study the abatement of 200mgL−1 sulfamethoxazole (SMX) solution by means of photo-Fenton process. Biodegradability of the treated solutions was followed by the ratio biochemical oxygen demand at five days/chemical oxygen demand (BOD5/COD) and toxicity by Microtox® and inhibition tests. Experiments with different initial concentration of H2O2 were carried out. The initial amount of Fe2+ and pH of the solution were set at 10mgL−1 and 2.8 respectively. The temperature of the reactor was kept constant in all the experiments (25±0.8°C). Photo-Fenton process is thought to be a successful treatment step to improve the biodegradability of wastewater containing SMX. The complete antibiotic removal was achieved for a H2O2 dose over 300mgL−1. Biodegradability (BOD5/COD) rose from zero (SMX solution) to values higher than 0.3 (treated solutions). Toxicity and inhibition tests pointed out in the same direction: oxidized intermediates for initial H2O2 dose over 300mgL−1 showed no toxicity effects on pure bacteria and no inhibition on activated sludge activity. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

We present an overview of the analyses performed by the two experiments at the Run II of the Tevatron searching for Higgs boson production. Especial effort has been done in the search for the Higgs boson predicted by the Standard Model. The good performance of the Tevatron would allow the experiments to be sensitive to the presence of the Higgs beyond the LEP limit by the end of Run II. In addition, analyses performed in the framework of models extending the Standard Model are already covering regions not excluded by previous experiments. Results from all these analyses and plans for the future will be discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present work collects the results of the tests accomplished in an electrical arch furnace of 225of power kW for the obtainment of ferrochromium of high carbon from mineral of chromium of the deposit "Sorpresa" of Pinares of Mayarí. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The NHEPACHA Iberoamerican Network, founded on the initiative of a group of researchers from Latin American countries and Spain, aims to establish a research framework for Chagas disease that encompasses diagnosis and treatment. For this purpose, the network has created a questionnaire to gather relevant data on epidemiological, clinical, diagnostic, and therapeutic aspects of the disease. This questionnaire was developed based on a consensus of expert members of the network, with the intention of collecting high-quality standardized data, which can be used interchangeably by the different research centers that make up the NHEPACHA network. Furthermore, the network intends to offer a clinical protocol that can be embraced by other researchers, facilitating comparability among published studies, as well as the development of therapeutic response and progression markers. Author summary: In this work, we present a new clinical questionnaire for the standardized evaluation and collection of clinical data from patients with acute or chronic Trypanosoma cruzi infection, as well as a uniformed database to collect it. The questionnaire has been produced after consensus from clinical experts belonging to the NHEPACHA network, a coalition of clinical research institutions in Latin America and Spain. This tool will facilitate the collection and sharing of high-quality clinical and paraclinical data useful to annotate sample collections, and allow clinically meaningful comparisons between different cohorts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Chagas disease, caused by the parasite Trypanosoma cruzi, affects over 6 million people, mainly in Latin America. Two different clinical phases, acute and chronic, are recognised. Currently, 2 anti-parasitic drugs are available to treat the disease (nifurtimox and benznidazole), but diagnostic methods require of a relatively complex infrastructure and trained personnel, limiting its widespread use in endemic areas, and the access of patients to treatment. New diagnostic methods, such as rapid tests (RDTs) to diagnose chronic Chagas disease, or loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP), to detect acute infections, represent valuable alternatives, but the parasite's remarkable genetic diversity might make its implementation difficult. Furthermore, determining the efficacy of Chagas disease treatment is complicated, given the slow reversion of serological anti-T. cruzi antibody reactivity, which may even take decades to occur. New biomarkers to evaluate early therapeutic efficacy, as well as diagnostic tests able to detect the wide variety of circulating genotypes, are therefore, urgently required. To carry out studies that address these needs, high-quality and traceable samples from T. cruzi-infected individuals with different geographical backgrounds, along with associated clinical and epidemiological data, are necessary. This work describes the framework for the creation of such repositories, following standardised and uniform protocols, and considering the ethical, technical, and logistic aspects of the process. The manual can be adapted according to the resources of each laboratory, to guarantee that samples are obtained in a reproducible way, favouring the exchange of data among different work groups, and their generalizable evaluation and analysis. The main objective of this is to accelerate the development of new diagnostic methods and the identification of biomarkers for Chagas disease. Author summary: The diagnosis of Chagas disease requires costly equipment and trained personnel, which unavailability hinders access to diagnosis, and treatment, in vast areas of endemic regions. Additionally, timely assessment of treatment efficacy is complicated due to the slow reversion of serological anti-T. cruzi reactivity. Hence, there is an urgent need for biomarkers of early therapeutic efficacy and disease prognosis, as well as more practical diagnostic tools. To conduct studies that can address these needs, it is essential to have collections of clinical samples with good quality, traceability, and appropriately associated clinical-epidemiological information. In this work, we provide a standard protocol to collect, process, store, and transport clinical samples from Chagas disease patients. The manual was produced upon reaching a consensus among the experts within the NHEPACHA network, a coalition of clinical and academic researchers from the Americas and Spain that pursues the identification and validation of new biomarkers and diagnostics for Chagas disease. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Virtual Psychological Care Guide (VPCG_COVID-19) has been designed as a tool for orientation and urgent attention to psychological conditions and symptoms during the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic. Objective. To assess the psychological impact on the levels of depression, anxiety and stress associated with the implementation of a telepsychology intervention based on the VPCG_COVID-19. A single group repeated measures design was used to assess depression, anxiety and stress before (T0 = pretest), after (T1 = posttest) and 14 days after its implementation (T2 = retest). A sample of 117 adults participated (mean age = 37.69; SD = 12.07; 62.4 % male) and received telepsychology care and were channeled according to VPCG_COVID 19 criteria: Level 2 psychoeducation and orientation (n = 46), level 3 = psychological first aid (n = 24) and level 4 = brief cognitive behavioral therapy-brief (n = 47). Significant differences were found in depression, anxiety and stress, for the three levels of attention (pre, post and retest measurements). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article reflects on the discovery of aqueduct by Anatomist Physician and Scientist Franciscus de la Boe Sylvius. It states that a narrow passage between the third and fourth ventricles described by the scientist is the aqueduct of Sylvius. It describes the size of aqueduct in children and adults. The authors discuss three parts and five portions of aqueduct.

The objective is to describe a rare case of a trigeminal schwannoma in a child and the surgical procedure performed for therapy. Case report: a 13 year old boy presented right sided hypoacusia and hemifacial hypoesthesia, dysarthric speech and cerebellar symptoms. Imaging studies revealed a unilateral dumbbell-shaped tumor, extending into the middle and posterior fossae, centered over Meckel´s cave. One-stage surgery was performed by an orbitozygomatic approach. The tumor was first debulked in the middle fossa, then peeled from the wall of the cavernous sinus, followed by extirpation of the tumor from the posterior fossa. The tumor was fully removed. Histopatological examination revealed a schwannoma. Conclusion: trigeminal schwannoma is a tumor that rarely occurs in childhood. Although several, often multistaged surgical strategies have been reported in the literature, this tumor was eradicated by a one-stage orbitozygomatic approach. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]