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Amid rapid renewable sources expansion in distribution systems, novel operational and protection challenges emerge due to dynamic variations. To address these issues, an innovative hierarchical protection strategy based on an agent-based structure has been developed. This approach integrates a dual-tier system managing digital structure comparisons and modular agent fusion. At the upper tier, critical operational decisions are made while preserving protection coordination, while lower tiers oversee event analysis and relay updates. A key advantage of this system is its autonomous ability to sustain protection coordination during adjustments of topology and control operation scenarios. Integration of controlled harmonic insertion post-fault and control adaptations ensures stability. A validation agent divides the network through IDs, enabling precise communication and ensuring the effective functioning of supplementary protection across various zones, independent of performance failures in the master agent. Efficacy of this strategy has been validated through simulation studies within the University of Valle's microgrid. [Display omitted] • Hybrid communication systems managed databases with query transformations. • Automated protection used multilevel agents, ensuring DER selectivity and bus coupling. • Protection algorithm with redundancy safeguarded against internal/external failures. • Branch stability recovery was optimized by local agents, factoring multiple inverters. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents a dossier on democratic traditions and socialism in history and the present. Topics such as representativeness versus direct democracy, historical experiences of alternative democracies, elitism in elective democratic models, and the role of social conflict in the origins of democratic institutions are analyzed. The article highlights the importance of reflecting on the current crisis of democracy and proposes possible divergences in historical development. The concept of crisis is also addressed in relation to liberal democracy, mentioning cases such as the economic war against Greece and the assault on the Capitol in the United States as examples of serious situations that challenge democratic institutions. It is concluded that the evolution of democratic institutions will depend on the ability of democratic struggles to prevail over authoritarian tendencies. The objective of the dossier is to generate useful knowledge to address the current crisis of liberal democracy and prevent future authoritarianism. [Extracted from the article]

This article explores the ability of historical materialism to articulate a history of democracy that focuses on social conflict as the main engine for the emergence and consolidation of representati- ve democratic institutions. The article begins by reflecting on the withdrawal and rise of Marxism in the academic world. It continues to define democracy as an object of study and investigates the capacity of political Marxism as a tool for the construction of this historical interpretation. Historiographical background in this field continues to be exposed to end with an exposition of the hypotheses of our targeted research plan. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Solar granulation is the visible signature of convective cells at the solar surface. The granulation cellular pattern observed in the continuum intensity images is characterised by diverse structures e.g., bright individual granules of hot rising gas or dark intergranular lanes. Recently, the access to new instrumentation capabilities has given us the possibility to obtain high-resolution images, which have revealed the overwhelming complexity of granulation (e.g., exploding granules and granular lanes). In that sense, any research focused on understanding solar small-scale phenomena on the solar surface is sustained on the effective identification and localization of the different resolved structures. In this work, we present the initial results of a proposed classification model of solar granulation structures based on neural semantic segmentation. We inspect the ability of the U-net architecture, a convolutional neural network initially proposed for biomedical image segmentation, to be applied to the dense segmentation of solar granulation. We use continuum intensity maps of the IMaX instrument onboard the Sunrise I balloon-borne solar observatory and their corresponding segmented maps as a training set. The training data have been labeled using the multiple-level technique (MLT) and also by hand. We performed several tests of the performance and precision of this approach in order to evaluate the versatility of the U-net architecture. We found an appealing potential of the U-net architecture to identify cellular patterns in solar granulation images reaching an average accuracy above 80% in the initial training experiments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objetive: A diet rich in calcium has generally been recommended to maintain adequate bone health. However, recent studies have sparked controversy over its benefits. In this sense, most of the existing studies in animal models are carried out with diets deficient in vitamin D. In this study, the effect of a diet rich in calcium on mineral metabolism and bone histomorphometry in rats is evaluated. In addition, in UMR-106 cells, the direct effect of calcium supplementation on the expression of osteogenic genes is assessed. Material and methods: A group of male wistar rats of approximately 3 months of age was fed a normal calcium content diet (0.6%) while another group received a high calcium content diet (1.2%). After 20 days urine samples were collected 24h, blood for biochemical analysis and the femur for bone histomorphometry study. In vitro, the gene expression of Runx2, Osterix and Osteocalcin was studied in UMR-106 cells cultured under conditions of high calcium content. Results: The ingestion of a diet rich in calcium reduced the concentration of PTH and calcitriol in plasma, increased calciuria and decreased phosphaturia. At the bone level, a drastic decrease in osteoblastic activity was observed, consistent with the decrease in PTH. However, the trabecular volume remained similar in both groups. In vitro, calcium supplementation did not decrease the expression of osteoblastic markers in UMR-106, indicating that the in vivo effects are mostly indirect and due to the decrease in PTH. Conclusions: A high-calcium diet reduces the concentration of PTH and calcitriol in plasma, which results in a decrease in osteoblastic activity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objetive: A diet rich in calcium has generally been recommended to maintain adequate bone health. However, recent studies have sparked controversy over its benefits. In this sense, most of the existing studies in animal models are carried out with diets deficient in vitamin D. In this study, the effect of a diet rich in calcium on mineral metabolism and bone histomorphometry in rats is evaluated. In addition, in UMR-106 cells, the direct effect of calcium supplementation on the expression of osteogenic genes is assessed. Material and methods: A group of male wistar rats of approximately 3 months of age was fed a normal calcium content diet (0.6%) while another group received a high calcium content diet (1.2%). After 20 days urine samples were collected 24h, blood for biochemical analysis and the femur for bone histomorphometry study. In vitro, the gene expression of Runx2, Osterix and Osteocalcin was studied in UMR-106 cells cultured under conditions of high calcium content. Results: The ingestion of a diet rich in calcium reduced the concentration of PTH and calcitriol in plasma, increased calciuria and decreased phosphaturia. At the bone level, a drastic decrease in osteoblastic activity was observed, consistent with the decrease in PTH. However, the trabecular volume remained similar in both groups. In vitro, calcium supplementation did not decrease the expression of osteoblastic markers in UMR-106, indicating that the in vivo effects are mostly indirect and due to the decrease in PTH. Conclusions: A high-calcium diet reduces the concentration of PTH and calcitriol in plasma, which results in a decrease in osteoblastic activity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We have measured the Stark widths and shifts of V II spectral lines in the wavelength range 2000–4200 Å belonging to 75 multiplets. The spectra are emitted by laser-induced plasmas generated from fused glass discs prepared by borate fusion. The electron density and temperature are in the ranges (0.72–6.5) × 1017 cm−3 and (11 000–14 900) K, respectively. To avoid self-absorption, we have used seven samples with vanadium concentrations selected by the CSigma graph methodology. This has allowed to include strong and weak lines in the study, including resonance and forbidden lines. The experimental widths and shifts are compared with theoretical values available in the literature. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We present a 14-year-old girl recently diagnosed with systemic lupus erythematosus. Individual and family intervention supporting grief are described. Patient and family go through different phases of grief, illustrated by different pieces from the sessions. This highlights the importance of emotional validation and emotional expression, specially negative emotions. Although this case is about systemic lupus erythematosus, the process itself could be generalized to any chronic disease diagnosed during childhood or adolescence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Comparisons of the external morphology and analysis of osteological features of the postcranial and appendicular skeletons of three southwestern Atlantic flatfish species of the genus Paralichthys (P. isosceles, P. orbignyanus and P. patagonicus) were carried out. Bones are described, and detailed morphological, morphometric and meristic characteristics of these flounders are given in order to provide information about the external and internal morphology of three species of Paralichthys occurring in the south-west Atlantic waters that add new information and will help regarding within the framework of a phylogenetic study of the group. Interspecific differences were found in the number of vertebrae and intermuscular bones, as well as in the morphology and morphometry of vertebrae, caudal skeletons, pectoral and pelvic girdle bones. Relationships between bones are discussed and bone characteristics compared with those found in other species of Paralichthys and in other pleuronectiform species. The position of Paralichthys isosceles within Paralichthys is discussed, along with other congeners such as P. triocellatus and P. oblongus. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Different types the spectrum of photons were studied; they were emitted from the flattening filter of a LINAC Varian 2100 C/D that operates at 15 MV. The simplified geometry of the LINAC head was calculated using the MCNPX code based on the studies of the materials of the flattening filter, namely, SST, W, Pb, Fe, Ta, Al, and Cu. These materials were replaced in the flattening filter to calculate the photon spectra at the output of this device to obtain the spectrum that makes an impact with the patient. The different spectra obtained were analyzed and compared to the emission from the original spectra configuration of the LINAC, which uses material W. In the study, different combinations of materials were considered in order to establish differences between the use of different materials and the original material, with the objective of establishing advantages and disadvantages from a clinical standpoint. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We report on the first observations of neutron star low-mass X-ray binaries with the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA) at ~300 GHz. Quasi-simultaneous observations of 4U 1728-34 and 4U 1820-30 were performed at radio (ATCA), infrared (VLT) and X-ray (Swift) frequencies, spanning more than eight decades in frequency coverage. Both sources are detected at high significance with ALMA. The spectral energy distribution of 4U 1728-34 is consistent with synchrotron emission from a jet with a break from optically thick to optically thin emission at 1.3-11.0 × 1013 Hz. This is the third time a jet spectral break has been reported for a neutron star X-ray binary. The radio to mm spectral energy distribution of 4U 1820-30 has significant detections at 5 and 300 GHz. This confirms the presence of radio emission during a soft state for this neutron star and represents the first detection of mm emission during such a state, unambiguously pointing to the presence of a jet. We also report on three additional unrelated sources - showing mm emission - in the ALMA fields of view of 4U 1728-34 and 4U 1820-30. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although most people's osteoporotic conditions treated in clinical practice may be categorized in the postmenopausal osteoporosis group or related to aging, there are some osteoporosis cases linked to the development of some other disease or identifiable factor. Most of these causes are associated with the taking of steroids, hypogonadism, malignant processes such as multiple myeloma, gastric surgery, alcoholism and treatment with anticonvulsant drugs. Hereditary hemochromatosis is another disorder related to the onset of osteoporosis. In this paper, we present 4 cases of patients with osteoporosis who also suffer hereditary hemochromatosis. The latter's characteristics are described and also its possible relationship with bone disease. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although most people's osteoporotic conditions treated in clinical practice may be categorized in the postmenopausal osteoporosis group or related to aging, there are some osteoporosis cases linked to the development of some other disease or identifiable factor. Most of these causes are associated with the taking of steroids, hypogonadism, malignant processes such as multiple myeloma, gastric surgery, alcoholism and treatment with anticonvulsant drugs. Hereditary hemochromatosis is another disorder related to the onset of osteoporosis. In this paper, we present 4 cases of patients with osteoporosis who also suffer hereditary hemochromatosis. The latter's characteristics are described and also its possible relationship with bone disease. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BACKGROUND: Actinic prurigo is an idiopathic dermatoses that affects the mestizo population, in the actinic prurigo cheilitis it has been described a dense lymphocytic inflammatory infiltrate that can form lymphoid follicles, il also has been identified macrophages, eosinophils and mast cells. The aim of this investigation was to identified besides the lymphoid follicles, the major histopathological features found in the actinic prurigo cheilitis. MATERIALS AND METHODS: It is a descriptive study conducted in the dermatopathology department of the General Hospital Dr. Manuel Gea Gonzalez in Mexico City. Samples of parafin embedded tissue of actinic prurigo cheilitis with a confirmed diagnosis with hematoxylin and eosin were included (208 cases). The assessment of the cases was carried out by two pathologists previously standardized, the database was developed with the statistical program SPSS versión 20, Inc., Chicago, II ., EE.UU. Descriptive Statistics were performed. RESULTS: Of all the included cases, 201 of them (96.6 %) presented changes in the epithelium of the vermilion, and a 100% showed some kind of alteration in the lamina propria. 110 samples (52.9 %) had some degree of ulceration, there was presence of inflammatory infiltrate and epitelial changes related to it. CONCLUSIONS: To perform the diagnosis of this condition, clinicopathological correlation is required, when lesions are formed in lip, this must be the place where the taking of the biopsy must be done, the presence of a cheilitis spongiosis, eosinophils exocytosis, dense inflammatory infiltrate of lymphocytes (perivascular disposition, lichenoid, nodular or lymphoid follicles) arc indicative of actinic prurigo cheilitis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BACKGROUND: Eccrine spiradenoma is a benign adnexal neoplasm that has been historically designated as a tumor of eccrine differentiation. It usually presents on head, trunk and extremities as a tender dermal or subcutaneous tumor frequently with a pink, red or blue coloration. Although it can occur at any age, they are common in young adults without any sex predilection. OBJECTIVE: To describe the epidemiology and clinical characteristics of eccrine spiradenoma at Instituto Nacional de Ciencias Médicas y Nutrición Dr. Salvador Zubirán, Mexico City, from 2009 to 2015. MATERIAL AND METHOD: A retrospective, descriptive and observational study was conducted in which clinical characteristics of patients with diagnosis of eccrine spiradenoma confirmed by histopathology were recorded from January 2009 to October 2015. RESULTS: Six cases of eccrine spiradenoma were found; tumors were more frequent in females at 2:1 ratio; 4 cases (66%) occurred in patients over 65 years. The predominant topography was in head (50% of patients); the other lesions were in unusual places. CONCLUSIONS: Due to the low incidence of this tumor, it may be overlooked or misdiagnosed on primary examination; so, biopsy is required for diagnosis. Malignant transformation has been described in few cases worldwide, presenting as rapid increase in size of a long-standing lesion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Guillain-Barré syndrome (GBS) and its derivatives, including Miller Fisher syndrome (MFS), along others pathologies of neurological origin such as chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy (CIDP), metabolic polyneuropathies, myasthenia gravis, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), Lambert-Eaton syndrome, Wernicke's encephalopathy and well as others, have common neurological signs and symptoms. In this way, the importance of a thorough neurological examination, and supporting diagnostic tests such as: laboratory, -cerebrospinal fluid (CSF)-electromyography, and imaging, are crucial to clarify the diagnosis. Thus, it is possible to offer early, evidence-based treatment with an aim of reducing the disease's lethality. In the text below we present a subgroup of GBS pathology, MFS, which has a significantly low incidence, a characteristic clinical picture, and a rather ominous prognosis without adequate treatment. In the following text/paper is shown the report of a case approached in San Pablo Hospital, from Coquimbo, Chile. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Clostridium perfringens type E disease in ruminants has been characterized by hemorrhagic enteritis or sudden death. Although type E isolates are defined by the production of alpha and iota toxin, little is known about the pathogenesis of C. perfringens type E infections. Thus far, the role of iota toxin as a virulence factor is unknown. In this report, iota toxin showed positive effects on adherence and colonization of C. perfringens type E while having negative effect on the adherence of type A cells. In-vitro and in-vivo models suggest that toxinotype E would be particularly adapted to exploit the changes induced by iota toxin in the surface of epithelial cells. In addition, type E strains produce metabolites that affected the growth of potential intra-specific competitors. These results suggest that the alteration of the enterocyte morphology induced by iota toxin concomitantly with the specific increase of type E cell adhesion and the strong intra-specific growth inhibition of other strains could be competitive traits inherent to type E isolates that improve its fitness within the bovine gut environment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We report on XMM-Newton observations of the black hole X-ray binary 4U1630-47 during its 2012-2013 outburst. The first five observations monitor the source as its luminosity increases across the high-soft state of accretion. In the sixth observation the source has made a transition to an "anomalous" state, characterised by a significant contribution of electron scattering. A thermally/radiatively driven disc wind is present in the first four observations, which becomes more photoionised as the luminosity increases with time. In the fifth observation, the wind is not observed any more as a consequence of strong photoionisation and the low sensitivity of this observation. This overall trend is then consistent with a fully ionised wind causing the electron scattering characteristic of the anomalous state in the sixth observation. A broad iron emission line co-exists with the absorption features from the wind in the first four observations but is not visible in the last two observations. We find that the changes in the state of the wind as measured from modelling the absorption features with a self-consistent warm absorber model are correlated to the changes in the broad iron line. When the latter is modelled with a reflection component we find that the reflection fraction decreases as the illumination increases. We propose that the changes in both the absorption and broad emission lines are caused by the increasing luminosity and temperature of the accretion disc along the soft state. Such changes ultimately enable the transition to a state where the wind is fully ionised and consequently Comptonisation plays a significant role. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fusarium spp. me commonly isolated from soybean roots but the pathogenic activity of most species is poorly documented. Aggressiveness and yield impact of nine species of Fusarium were determined oil soybean in greenhouse (50 isolates) and field microplot (19 isolates) experiments. Root rot severity and shoot and root dry weights were compared at growth stages V3 or R1. Root systems were scanned and digital image analysis was conducted; yield was measured in microplots. Disease severity and root morphology impacts varied among and within species. Fusarium graminearum was highly aggressive (root rot severity >90%), followed by F. proliferatum and F. virguliforme. Significant variation in damping-off (20 to 75%) and root rot severity (<20 to >60%) was observed among F. oxysporum isolates. In artificially-infested microplots, root rot severity was low (<25%) and mean yield was not significantly reduced. However, there were significant linear relationships between yield and root symptoms for some isolates. Root morphological characteristics were more consistent indicators of yield loss than root rot severity. This study provides the first characterization of aggressiveness and yield impact of Fusarium root rot species on soybean at different plant stages and introduces root image analysis to assess the impact of root pathogens on soybean. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this first part of the paper, the category of meaning is traced starting from the origin of the Universe itself as well as its very grounding in pre-geometry (the second part deals with an appropriate bottom-up approach). In contrast to many former approaches in the theories of information and also in biosemiotics, we will show that the forms of meaning emerge simultaneously (alongside) with information and energy. Hence, information can be visualized as being always meaningful (in a sense to be explicated) rather than visualizing meaning as a later specification of information within social systems only. This perspective taken has two immediate consequences: (1) We follow the GDI as defined by Floridi, though we modify it somehow as to the aspect of truthfulness. (2) We can conceptually solve Capurro's trilemma. Hence, what we actually do is to follow the strict (i.e., optimistic) line of UTI in the sense of Hofkirchner's. While doing this, we treat energy and information as two different categorial aspects of one and the same underlying primordial structure. We thus demonstrate the presently developing convergence of physics, biology, and computer science (as well as the various theories of information) in some detail and draft out a line of argument eventually leading up to the further unification of UTI and biosemiotics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The development of an independent intelligence capacity within the European Union has been in progress ever since the EU was created. However, this development was slowed down for a long time by the reluctance of states to share intelligence in a scenario in which the problems appeared to be patently local; this way of thinking began to disappear following the Balkans crisis and, later on, with the September 11 attacks. This article analyses the role played by Spain in the aforementioned development during its presidencies, bearing in mind that the three deadliest terrorist attacks (New York-Madrid-London) all took place within this timeframe. The rise of the European agenda, the end of the climate of the Cold War and the realisation of the need to cooperate have all given a legal, structural and political boost to increasing cooperation in the intelligence field. This article analyses the main political changes and the legal and structural instruments developed to carry out this cooperation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We give a new proof of Euler's formula related to the sum of the inverses of even powers of positive integers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sooty blotch and flyspeck (SBFS) fungi on apple fruit were sampled from nine orchards in four midwestern U.S. states during 2000 and 30 orchards in 10 eastern U.S. states during 2005 in order to estimate taxonomic diversity and discern patterns of geographic distribution. Forty apple fruit per orchard were arbitrarily sampled and colonies of each mycelial phenotype were counted on each apple. Representative colonies were isolated, cultures were purified, and DNA was extracted. For representative isolates, the internal transcribed spacer (ITS) and large subunit (LSU) regions of ribosomal DNA were amplified and sequenced. In total, 60 SBFS putative species were identified based on ITS sequences and morphological characteristics; 30 of these were discovered in the 2005 survey. Modified Koch's postulates were fulfilled for all 60 species in an Iowa orchard; colonies resulting from inoculation of apple fruit were matched to the original isolates on the basis of mycelial type and ITS sequence. Parsimony analysis for LSU sequences from both surveys revealed that 58 putative SBFS species were members of the Dothideomycetes, 52 were members of the Capnodiales, and 36 were members of the Mycosphaerellaceae. The number of SBFS species per orchard varied from 2 to 15. Number of SBFS species and values of the Margalef and Shannon indexes were significantly (P < 0.05) lower in 21 orchards that had received conventional fungicide sprays during the fruit maturation period than in 14 unsprayed orchards. Several SBFS species, including Schizothyrium pomi, Pehaster fructicola, and Pseudocercosporella sp. RH 1, were nearly ubiquitous, whereas other species, such as Stomiopeltis sp. RS5.2, Phialophora sessilis, and Geastrumia polystigmatis, were found only within restricted geographic regions. The results document that the SBFS complex is far more taxonomically diverse than previously recognized and provide strong evidence that SBFS species differ in geographic distribution. To achieve more efficient management of SBFS, it may be necessary to understand the environmental biology of key SBFS species in each geographic region. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract  This paper presents a computer tool that automatically predicts mining subsidence using the generalized n-k-g influence function detailed in (González Nicieza et al. Int J Rock Mech Min Sci 42(3):372–387, 2005). This function depends on two physical concepts: the first is gravity, which characterizes the forces acting on the ground, and the second, the convergence of the roof and floor of the mine workings due to the stress state of the ground. The developed tool also allows other influence functions to be used to predict subsidence, namely the spatial influence function (Ramírez Oyanguren et al. 2000) and the normal-type classical (Knothe, Arch Gór Hut 1, 1952) and modified (González Nicieza et al. Bull Eng Geol Environ 66(3):319–329, 2007) time functions. Moreover, the inputting and periodic updating of data from subsidence monitoring surveys is controlled by one of the tool’s modules using a method that minimizes errors resulting from time discontinuities in landmarks measurements. In addition, when actual landmarks measurements exist, the developed tool allows calibration of the subsidence parameters, minimizing the errors between actual measurements and those obtained by prediction. The tool includes a viewer, developed using OpenGL, which enables the results of the calculations carried out to be viewed, allowing the point of view to be varied. It also includes the option of viewing and saving the results of the calculations carried out over the original topographic plane defined in the AutoCAD DXF data file format. The efficacy of the tool is demonstrated via its application to a real case of mining work carried out in a village in the Principality of Asturias, Spain. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract  The time evolution of the content and composition of carbohydrates was studied in the surface layer of forest soils non-affected and affected by wildfires. The low- and high-severity fires caused an immediate reduction of the C present as carbohydrates of 34% and 47–55%, respectively, which was due to the decrease of both hexoses and pentoses in two hydrolysis fractions (hydrolysate-A, non-cellulosic polysaccharides; hydrolysate-B, cellulosic polysaccharides). Carbohydrates tended to recover with time; however, values had still not reached the amounts found in the corresponding unburnt samples after 12–15 months. No difference between the unburnt and burnt samples was observed in the distribution of the neutral sugars in the hydrolysates over time. On a percentage basis, 72–92% of the total neutral sugars was extracted in hydrolysate-A (59 ± 7% hexoses; 24 ± 7% pentoses) and the rest, 8–28%, in hydrolysate-B (15 ± 5% hexoses; 2 ± 1% pentoses). The contribution of hexoses and pentoses to the neutral sugar pool was different between the two hydrolysis fractions being the hexoses/pentoses ratio higher for hydrolysate-B than for hydrolysate-A. The results also showed that the proportion of soil C present as carbohydrates-C rather than the total carbohydrates content should be used for monitoring short- and medium-term changes induced by fire in soil organic matter quality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A hermaphroditic individual of the multispine skate, Bathyraja multispinis, caught on the Argentinean continental shelf, is described. This is the first record of hermaphroditism in the genus Bathyraja and one of the very few hermaphroditic specimens reported in the Rajidae. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Collecting by Alcide D'Orbigny in the western South Atlantic provided material for Platessa orbignyana Valenciennes, 1839, published as an illustration of the holotype without accompanying descriptive information. A brief and inadequate description was provided in 1847. Thereafter, the holotype was thought to be lost, precluding comparative study and resulting in nomenclatural confusion for other nominal paralichthyid species. A specimen of Paralichthys collected in the Rio de la Plata, Buenos Aires, Argentina by D'Orbigny at the Muséum national d'histoire naturelle (MNHN 1999-0295) is here identified as the holotype of Platessa orbignyana Valenciennes, 1839. A redescription of the holotype and comparison with other South Atlantic species resolves several nomenclatural issues. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Díaz de Tuesta AM, Ribó MaDR, Belinchón O, Marchena PJ, Bruscas MaJ, Val E, Cortés A, Nieto JA (Virgen de la Luz Hospital, Cuenca, Spain). Low levels of vitamin B12 and venous thromboembolic disease in elderly men. J Intern Med 2005; 258: 244–249. Hyperhomocysteinaemia is a well-known risk factor for venous thromboembolic disease (VTD). However, it is not clear whether homocysteine (Hc) itself or a related metabolite or a cofactor is primarily responsible for VTD. We carried out a case–control study to investigate whether vitamin concentrations that are involved in the Hc metabolism are associated or not with an elevated risk of VTD. Case–control study. We measured serum vitamin B12, folate, creatinine and albumin concentrations and plasma Hc concentrations in 101 consecutive patients with VTD, diagnosed by image tests and 101 control subjects, matched for age and sex. Serum vitamin B12 concentrations were significantly lower in VTD patients than in the control subjects. There were no differences in plasma Hc or serum folate concentrations between the groups. Among the male subgroup aged more than 70 years, serum vitamin B12 concentrations were significantly lower (240.88 ± 103.07 vs. 421.20 ± 314.31 pmol L−1; P = 0.03) and plasma Hc concentrations were significantly higher (13.1 ± 4.18 vs. 10.56 ± 3.06 μmol L−1; P =0.04) in VTD patients than in the control group. On multivariate analysis, in patients aged more than 70 years, serum vitamin B12 concentrations were independently associated with VTD. Compared with the highest quartile of vitamin B12 (>512.6 pmol L−1) the odds ratio (OR) for VTD in the lowest quartile (<230.9 pmol L−1) was 3.8 (95% CI 1.44–10.18; P = 0.01). In the VTD group, lowest vitamin B12 concentrations (percentile 10 <152.8 pmol L−1) were associated with the factor V Leiden mutation (OR = 6.07, 95% CI 0.93–38.55; P = 0.04). Measuring vitamin B12 concentrations in elderly males may help in identifying people at risk of venous thromboembolism in our population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This case presentation discusses the many variables involved when treating minority women in the United States. The case of Maria portrays a 21-year-old Portuguese woman who was referred to psychotherapy by her mother. On intake, Maria reported anxiety symptoms consistent with Generalized Anxiety Disorder and dysthymic symptoms. Cognitive behavioral as well as behavioral techniques were utilized in the treatment process to increase functioning and coping skills. In addition, issues of acculturation were further explored utilizing an ethnocultural assessment and a genogram. Implications for clinicians are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The adverse effects of hyperthyroidism on bone have been described for years. Thyroid hormones are necessary for growth, maturation, metabolism and bone remodelling. However, untreated thyrotoxicosis causes increased remodelling, osteopenia or osteoporosis and increased fracture risk. Since the introduction of antithyroid drugs and radioiodine, hyperthyroid bone disease is less common. Here we present a rare case of an asymptomatic patient with thyrotoxicosis making its debut as increased bone remodelling. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Gold nanoparticles capped with a cis-(4-aminothiophenol)bis(bipyridyl)(chloro)ruthenium(ii) complex that are able to coordinate nitric oxide, become fluorescent and then liberate it by photolabilization when irradiated at 430 nm is reported. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Organisations are under pressure to digitally transform and become more sustainable. Thus, the convergence of digitalisation and sustainability is inevitable. There are several Digital Maturity models that help companies to develop their digital roadmaps, however, none of them have been developed for Research and Development (R&D) organisations. Additionally, none of these models include the dimension of sustainability. In this paper the authors used the Means-End Chain method to determine which are the key dimensions of the digital maturity model tailored for R&D, as well as to investigate the link between digital transformation and sustainability. The results show that although technologies are important, they cannot successfully transform the organisation on their own. They must be supported by people and culture change. The results also highlighted that sustainability is high on the agenda and cannot be ignored when progressing towards the higher level of Digital Maturity. The findings may serve as a reference for any organisation that is building or revising its digitalisation or sustainability strategies. It highlights the important dimensions that should be considered and prioritised when preparing the transformation roadmap. These dimensions are tailored for R&D but can be a good indication for any other type of organisation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

AbstractMental health issues among children and adolescents have increased, especially after the COVID-19 pandemic. Despite awareness, less than half get needed care, leading to long-term consequences. The World Health Organization calls for integrated, preventive community interventions. In this paper, we present The Mental Health Clinical Liaison Programme for Schools in the Community of Madrid, Spain, which features school-based activities delivered by multidisciplinary mental health teams, offering early detection, intervention, and prevention strategies for children and adolescents. We describe the activities implemented, present the evidence supporting them, provide preliminary data, and discuss the scope and challenges of the programme. In 2023–2024, the programme intervened in 53 primary and secondary schools, helping identify in 876 cases, evaluating 356, and referring 122 to other services. It supported interventions for 179 patients already in mental healthcare and 34 reintegrations after psychiatric hospitalization. Anti-stigma workshops have been conducted, involving approximately 1620 students. Ongoing research aims to evaluate the effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of these interventions to ensure continuous improvement in mental health services for young people. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objetive: A series of studies in the literature indicate that the incidence of osteoporosis and associated fractures is lower in countries where the Mediterranean diet is predominant. Olive oil is characteristic of the Mediterranean diet, a third of the intake of vegetable fats. We carried out an extensive review of studies showing that the ingestion of olive oil, both in experimental animals, especially ovariectomized rats, and in humans, produces positive actions on the bone. The effects of different components of virgin olive oil such as oleuropein, a phenolic compound, and other phenolic alcohols such as tyrosol and hydrotyrosol have been reviewed. Oleuropein not only exerts actions on the bone of ovariectomized rats, but also enhances the formation of osteoblasts and decreases the formation of "osteoclast-like" cells. The phenolic compounds in olive oil exert anti-oxidant actions in vitro and in vivo. Tyrosol and hydrotyrosol exert actions on bone loss in ovariectomized rats and inhibit dose-dependent osteoclast formation. Our group's research has shown that virgin olive oil also exerts actions on the biomechanical parameters of the bone such as Young's modulus and fractal dimension in ovariectomized rats. The results of this review indicate that olive oil has a positive action on bone health. Its components have antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. Thus they are potential candidates for preventing osteoporosis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objetive: A series of studies in the literature indicate that the incidence of osteoporosis and associated fractures is lower in countries where the Mediterranean diet is predominant. Olive oil is characteristic of the Mediterranean diet, a third of the intake of vegetable fats. We carried out an extensive review of studies showing that the ingestion of olive oil, both in experimental animals, especially ovariectomized rats, and in humans, produces positive actions on the bone. The effects of different components of virgin olive oil such as oleuropein, a phenolic compound, and other phenolic alcohols such as tyrosol and hydrotyrosol have been reviewed. Oleuropein not only exerts actions on the bone of ovariectomized rats, but also enhances the formation of osteoblasts and decreases the formation of "osteoclast-like" cells. The phenolic compounds in olive oil exert anti-oxidant actions in vitro and in vivo. Tyrosol and hydrotyrosol exert actions on bone loss in ovariectomized rats and inhibit dose-dependent osteoclast formation. Our group's research has shown that virgin olive oil also exerts actions on the biomechanical parameters of the bone such as Young's modulus and fractal dimension in ovariectomized rats. The results of this review indicate that olive oil has a positive action on bone health. Its components have antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. Thus they are potential candidates for preventing osteoporosis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Camille Melchior Gibert was born in 1797 in Paris. He interned there under Doctor Biett at l’Hôpital Saint-Louis and worked at the Broca and Saint-Louis Hospitals. He is best remembered for his description of Pityriasis rosea, which has been associated with him. He died in the 1866 Paris cholera epidemic. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A feasible design for a magnetic diagnostics subsystem for eLISA will be based on that of its precursor mission, LISA Pathfinder. Previous experience indicates that magnetic field estimation at the positions of the test masses has certain complications. This is due to two reasons. The first is that magnetometers usually back-act due to their measurement principles (i.e., they also create their own magnetic fields), while the second is that the sensors selected for LISA Pathfinder have a large size, which conflicts with space resolution and with the possibility of having a sufficient number of them to properly map the magnetic field around the test masses. However, high-sensitivity and small-sized sensors that significantly mitigate the two aforementioned limitations exist, and have been proposed to overcome these problems. Thus, these sensors will be likely selected for the magnetic diagnostics subsystem of eLISA. Here we perform a quantitative analysis of the new magnetic subsystem, as it is currently conceived, and assess the feasibility of selecting these sensors in the final configuration of the magnetic diagnostic subsystem. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article shows a transition in the behavior of the positive ions movement around a cylindrical Langmuir probe which we have experimentally observed in a low pressure plasma. In the case of helium plasma, depending on the plasma conditions, the ion current collected by the probe behaves as predicted by a radial motion theory, by an orbital motion theory, or by none of them when the transition between the two behaviors takes place. In the case of argon and neon plasmas, the ion current is well described by radial motion theories. The knowledge of the positive ions behavior is essential to diagnose the plasma parameters by using the ion saturation zone of the current–voltage characteristic curve. The use of this zone is one of the less intrusive in probe plasma diagnostics methods providing local information about the plasma parameters, since the charge drained from the plasma is very low. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We report on the first simultaneous high-time resolution X-ray and infrared (IR) observations of a neutron star low mass X-ray binary in its hard state. We performed |$\approx 2\,$|  h of simultaneous observations of 4U 1728−34 using HAWK-I@VLT, XMM–Newton , and NuSTAR. The source displayed significant X-ray and IR variability down to sub-second time-scales. By measuring the cross-correlation function between the IR and X-ray lightcurves, we discovered a significant correlation with an IR lead of |$\approx 30 \!-\! 40\,$|  ms with respect to the X-rays. We analysed the X-ray energy dependence of the lag, finding a marginal increase towards higher energies. Given the sign of the lag, we interpret this as possible evidence of Comptonization from external seed photons. We discuss the origin of the IR seed photons in terms of cyclo-synchrotron radiation from an extended hot flow. Finally, we also observed the IR counterpart of a type-I X-ray burst, with a delay of |$\approx 7.2\,$|  s. Although some additional effects may be at play, by assuming that this lag is due to light travel time between the central object and the companion star, we find that 4U 1728−34 must have an orbital period longer than |$3\,$|  h and an inclination higher than 8○. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Squalus genus comprises a group of small demersal sharks occurring circumglobally, popularly known as dogfish sharks. This genus exhibits a conserved morphology, thus making correct morphological identification difficult. Considering these taxonomic problems and the scarcity of molecular data, the present study aimed to identify Squalus genus MOTUs, using DNA barcoding for species delimitation via ABGD (automatic barcode gap discovery), PTP (Poisson tree process), and GMYC (general mixed Yule coalescent) employing the mitochondrial COI gene. A total of 69 sequences were generated from samples obtained from the American coast in both the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans. The ABGD analysis was the most conservative among the three applied delimitations, indicating three taxonomic units, while the PTP analysis revealed nine MOTUs, with two conflicting units noted between S. clarkae + S. mitsukurii and S. albicaudus + S. cubensis. The GMYC analysis indicated an excessive division, with S. acanthias and S. mitsukurii subdivided into six MOTUs each and S. blainville, into four. These findings demonstrated that Squalus presents a complex of previously defined species, with misidentified samples deposited in databases leading to difficulties in analyzing the real distribution and diversity of species belonging to this genus. Thus, further efforts to highlight possible new species are recommended. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: This study sought to ascertain to what degree health-related quality of life (HRQL) in the City of Madrid was affected by each of the most frequent chronic health conditions, and the specific quality-of-life (QL) domains on which such health conditions had the greatest impact, taking co-morbidity and socio-demographic variables into account. Methods: A descriptive, analytical, cross-sectional study was conducted covering 7341 subjects aged ≥16 years in the City of Madrid. Data were collected on self-reported diagnosed morbidity, including hypertension, hypercholesterolaemia, varicose veins, diabetes, chronic asthma/bronchitis, myocardial infarction/angina pectoris, stomach problems, allergy, arthrosis/arthritis or rheumatism, depression/anxiety, cataracts, cerebrovascular accidents (CVACs), chronic constipation, osteoporosis and Alzheimer's disease or dementia. HRQL was measured using the COOP/WONCA questionnaire. The effects of diagnosis, age, social class, gender and the co-morbidity were analysed using a multivariate analysis of covariance (ANCOVA). Results: The chronic health conditions that registered the worst overall mean scores on the COOP/WONCA questionnaire were Alzheimer's disease or dementia, Parkinson's disease, fibromyalgia, CVACs and depression, with scores of over 26 points in all cases. After the introduction of socio-demographic variables in the model, the highest values of Snedecor's F-test corresponds to depression (F = 461.63), ‘arthrosis/arthritis or rheumatism’ (F = 175.41), Alzheimer's disease or dementia (F = 65.70), gastric disorders (F = 65.17), cancer (F = 43.08) and CVACs (F = 41.65). Conclusions: Depression and ‘arthrosis/arthritis or rheumatism’ are the two chronic health conditions, which have the greatest impact on HRQL in Madrid's citizens, therefore is mandatory to propose and implement public health strategies that would reduce the prevalence and morbidity of such disorders. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

The present paper analyzes the diet, feeding strategy and niche width of Bathyraja albomaculata over the Patagonian continental shelf and upper slope. The diet comprised a variety of 14 small invertebrates, although the most important prey were polychaete worms. The opheliid polychaete Travisia sp. and the gammarid amphipod Cirolana sp. were the main prey present in stomach contents of B. albomaculata. No differences were found between the diets of males and females, however ontogenetic changes were detected. Skates <40 cm of disk width (DW) preyed on amphipods, and sizes >40 cm DW largely consumed polychaetes. As size increased, polychaetes became more important and the importance of amphipods decreased. B. albomaculata showed a narrow food niche and a marked specialization towards polychaetes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Previous studies in teleosts have revealed the presence of the intermediate filaments vimentin (Vim) and glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) in glial cells of the spinal cord and/or some brain regions, but there is no comprehensive study of their distribution and developmental changes in fishes. Here, the distribution of Vim and GFAP immunoreactivities was studied in the brain of larvae, juveniles, and adults of an advanced teleost, the gray mullet (Chelon labrosus). A different sequence of appearance was observed for expression of these proteins: Vim levels decreased with age, whereas GFAP increased. In general, both immunoreactivities were expressed early in perikarya and endfeet of ependymocytes (tanycytes), whereas expression in radial processes appeared later. In large larvae, the similar expression patterns of Vim and GFAP suggest that some of these glial cells contain both proteins. Subependymal radial glia cells were observed mainly in the optic tectum, exhibiting Vim and GFAP immunoreactivity. The only immunoreactive cells with astrocyte-like morphology were observed in the optic chiasm of the adult, and they were positive for both GFAP and Vim. The perivascular processes of glial cells showed a different distribution of Vim and GFAP during development and had a caudorostral sequence of appearance of immunoreactivities similar to that observed for ependymal and radial glia cells. Several circumventricular organs (the organon vasculosum hypothalami, saccus vasculosus, and area postrema) exhibited highly specialized Vim- and/or GFAP-expressing glial cells. The glial cells of the midline septa of several brain regions were also Vim and/or GFAP immunoreactive. In the adult brain, tanycytes retain Vim expression in several brain regions. As in other vertebrates, the regions with Vim-immunoreactive ventricular and midline glia may represent areas with the capability of plasticity and regeneration in adult brain. J. Comp. Neurol. 469:413–436, 2004. © 2004 Wiley-Liss, Inc. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]