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Dynamic atomic force microscopy (AFM) modes that operate at frequencies far away from the resonance frequency of the cantilever (off-resonance tapping (ORT) modes) can provide high-resolution imaging of a wide range of sample types, including biological samples, soft polymers, and hard materials. These modes offer precise and stable control of vertical force, as well as reduced lateral force. Simultaneously, they enable mechanical property mapping of the sample. However, ORT modes have an intrinsic drawback: a low scan speed due to the limited ORT rate, generally in the low-kilohertz range. Here, we analyze how the conventional ORT control method limits the topography tracking quality and hence the imaging speed. The closed-loop controller in conventional ORT restricts the sampling rate to the ORT rate and introduces a large closed-loop delay. We present an alternative ORT control method in which the closed-loop controller samples and tracks the vertical force changes during a defined time window of the tip–sample interaction. Through this, we use multiple samples in the proximity of the maximum force for the feedback loop, rather than only one sample at the maximum force instant. This method leads to improved topography tracking at a given ORT rate and therefore enables higher scan rates while refining the mechanical property mapping.

Abstract Invasive non-native freshwater mollusks are a growing concern in South America, with 16 species already recorded in the region. Among them, Sinotaia quadrata has only been documented in Argentina, for the first time in the Punilla Valley, Córdoba (2009) and La Plata, Buenos Aires (since 2015). In this study, we report the presence of S. quadrata in two additional areas, the Río de la Plata River and a stream (unnamed) in the Paraná River basin, two of the most significant rivers in South America, located in the provinces of Buenos Aires and Entre Ríos, respectively. These new records confirm the invasive nature of this species, which has also been identified in Europe, the United States, and Africa in recent years. The findings of this study highlight the need for continued monitoring and management of invasive species in South America’s freshwater ecosystems.

Increasing integration of distributed energy resources (DER) in the electrical network has led distribution network operators to unprecedented challenges. This issue is compounded by the lack of monitoring infrastructure on the low voltage (LV) side of distribution networks at residential and utility sides. Non-intrusive load monitoring (NILM) methods provide an opportunity to add value to conventional electric measurements and to increase the observability of LV networks for the implementation of active management network techniques and intelligent control of DER. This work proposes a novel implementation of NILM methods for the identification of DER electrical signatures from aggregated measurements taken at the LV side of a distribution transformer. The implementation evaluates three machine learning algorithms such as k Nearest Neighbours (kNN), random forest and a multilayer perceptron under 100 scenarios of DER integration. A year of minutely reported values of electric current, voltage, active power, and reactive power are used to train and test the proposed model. The $F_{1}$ scores achieved of 73% and 93% for Electrical Vehicles (EV) and rooftop photovoltaic (PV) respectively and processing times below $314~\mu \text{s}$ on an Intel Core i7-8700 machine. These results confirm the relevance of the NILM method based on low frequency electric measurements from the real-time identification of DER.

El objetivo del presente estudio fue analizar los cambios producidos en el ensamble de macroinvertebrados bentónicos en respuesta a las alteraciones ambientales antropogénicas en un río de la Patagonia extrandina. Se realizaron cuatro campañas de muestreo entre marzo de 2017 y marzo de 2019, en épocas del año contrastantes, en el curso medio del río Chico (Santa Cruz). Se establecieron seis estaciones de muestreo: dos estaciones control aguas arriba de la localidad de Gobernador Gregores y cuatro aguas abajo, a distancias crecientes del centro urbano. En cada estación se midieron variables fisicoquímicas y se colectaron cuatro muestras del macrobentos utilizando una red manual tipo Surber con malla de 500 µm. Los datos de abundancia de taxones y de grupos funcionales alimentarios (GFA) se analizaron con métodos estadísticos univariados y multivariados. Se identificaron 26 taxones; los mejor representados fueron los oligoquetos, los hirudíneos, los gasterópodos y los insectos Chironomidae, Baetidae y Glossosomatidae. Las estaciones control y las más alejadas de la localidad mostraron los valores más altos de diversidad y de riqueza de taxones y GFA; los moluscos Chilinidae y Lymnaeidae junto con los insectos Baetidae, Glossosomatidae y Gripopterygidae presentaron mayor importancia. En las estaciones aguas abajo, más cercanas a la localidad, el ensamble de macroinvertebrados estuvo dominado por oligoquetos Naididae e insectos Chironomidae, presentando los valores más bajos de diversidad y riqueza de taxones y GFA. Los colectores-recolectores fueron el grupo alimentario dominante en estas estaciones, en las que el aporte de efluentes urbanos favoreció la vía detritívora y la estrategia alimentaria oportunista. Los cambios en la composición y en la estructura trófica del ensamble de macroinvertebrados constituyen información relevante para comprender las modificaciones ecológicas ante la alteración del ambiente, y son de fundamental importancia para interpretar los índices bióticos utilizados para evaluar la calidad de un cuerpo de agua.

La producción peruana de cacao representa aproximadamente el 2% de la producción mundial; con una contribución muy reconocida por la calidad y diversidad de sus sabores y aromas. De milenario origen amazónico y probada utilización de hace por lo menos 5200 años, este cultivo recién ha sido visible para el desarrollo agrario en las dos últimas décadas, cuando se le ha utilizado con relativo éxito en la sustitución de cultivos ilegales de coca ¿Y qué tanto está contribuyendo la academia a la cadena de valor del cacao? Con carácter exploratorio, se registró y analizó una muestra de 44 tesis que tenían como objeto de estudio el cacao, obtenido por sus autores en los centros de producción y parcelas de productores. La mayor parte de estas tesis (41) estuvieron destinadas a obtener títulos profesionales, dos para optar el grado de magister y uno para obtener el grado de doctorado. Estas tesis se realizaron en universidades de 13 departamentos del Perú, contando Lima con el mayor número de tesis (12). Once tesis abarcaron actividades de investigación del germoplasma para la transformación y/o la innovación del cacao, confiriéndole así valor agregado con potencial uso comercial. Estas investigaciones estuvieron relacionadas con cuatro sectores productivos con un claro potencial comercial en el mercado global de recursos genéticos. En ningún caso, las investigaciones se realizaron bajo la seguridad jurídica del sistema de acceso a recursos genéticos y participación justa y equitativa de beneficios del Protocolo de Nagoya.

In this work, we report on the integration of an atomic force microscope (AFM) into a helium ion microscope (HIM). The HIM is a powerful instrument, capable of imaging and machining of nanoscale structures with sub-nanometer resolution, while the AFM is a well-established versatile tool for multiparametric nanoscale characterization. Combining the two techniques opens the way for unprecedented in situ correlative analysis at the nanoscale. Nanomachining and analysis can be performed without contamination of the sample and environmental changes between processing steps. The practicality of the resulting tool lies in the complementarity of the two techniques. The AFM offers not only true 3D topography maps, something the HIM can only provide in an indirect way, but also allows for nanomechanical property mapping, as well as for electrical and magnetic characterization of the sample after focused ion beam materials modification with the HIM. The experimental setup is described and evaluated through a series of correlative experiments, demonstrating the feasibility of the integration.

Employing polymer cantilevers has shown to outperform using their silicon or silicon nitride analogues concerning the imaging speed of atomic force microscopy (AFM) in tapping mode (intermittent contact mode with amplitude modulation) by up to one order of magnitude. However, tips of the cantilever made out of a polymer material do not meet the requirements for tip sharpness and durability. Combining the high imaging bandwidth of polymer cantilevers with making sharp and wear-resistant tips is essential for a future adoption of polymer cantilevers in routine AFM use. In this work, we have developed a batch fabrication process to integrate silicon nitride tips with an average tip radius of 9 ± 2 nm into high-speed SU8 cantilevers. Key aspects of the process are the mechanical anchoring of a moulded silicon nitride tip and a two-step release process. The fabrication recipe can be adjusted to any photo-processable polymer cantilever.

O presente artigo visa apresentar os resultados da utilização do quiabo (Abelmoschus Esculentos) como floculante no processo de desestabilização de emulsões do tipo óleo em água, sendo estas emulsões produzidas industrialmente no setor mineiro-metalúrgico. Vários problemas ambientais podem ser gerados por emulsões óleo em água, uma vez que este tipo de emulsão reduz a oxigenação dos corpos d’água, acarretando, assim, um intenso desequilíbrio ambiental. Utilizando-se quiabos que seriam posteriormente descartados por não apresentarem mais utilidade à alimentação humana buscou-se, além do desenvolvimento da tecnologia com o uso deste reagente. A potencialidade do uso do quiabo como floculante foi confirmada através dos ensaios experimentais realizados.

A computational fluid dynamics study of the horizontal oil–water flow was performed using the Eulerian–Eulerian and mixture multiphase models in conjunction with the realizable k–ε turbulence model for the characterization of flow patterns. The experimental tests were carried out using water and mineral oil with a density of 880 kg/m3 and a viscosity of 180 cP, varying the superficial velocities of both fluids in ranges of 0.1–1.2 m/s and 0.1–0.5 m/s, respectively. The numerical model was defined under the same initial and boundary conditions as in the experiment. Moreover, the model is defined such that entering the fluids in a mixed state, the stratified pattern could form adequately with the two multiphase models. Although the Eulerian–Eulerian model, together with the geometric reconstruction scheme, allowed us to visualize the three-dimensional dispersed patterns in a very similar way to the experimental results, the mixture model did not exhibit such similarity, especially in the oil-in-water dispersions. Additionally, the Eulerian–Eulerian model was able to predict the experimental holdup values with an average error of 15.2%.

Gaining robust in situ estimates of the growth rate of marine fish larvae is essential for understanding processes controlling year-class success and developing sustainable management strategies to maintain good environmental status. We measured the growth rate of Atlantic herring (Clupea harengus) larvae in the laboratory and compared it to the activity of aminoacyl-tRNA synthetases (AARS). Larvae were reared under controlled conditions for 20 days at three temperatures (7, 12, and 17 °C) using different prey concentrations (0.1, 0.3, and 2 prey·mL−1) of the copepod Acartia tonsa. The relationship between specific growth rates (SGR) and specific AARS activities was best described by a linear function—SGR = −0.1031 + 0.0017 · spAARS, r2 = 0.71, p < 0.05—when only larvae fed ad libitum were considered regardless of the temperature. When larvae fed with low concentrations of food were included in the analysis, the relationship was SGR = −0.0332 + 0.0010 · spAARS, r2 = 0.42, p < 0.05. This latter slope was rather low compared to other studies performed in zooplankton. We suggest protein degradation during the early life stages of fish as the cause of this low slope. We also studied SGR under food deprivation and the effect on specific AARS activities. We found rather high specific AARS activities in small individuals of early stages of fish, also suggesting protein degradation. Further research about protein degradation and turnover rates is needed in order to use AARS activity as a proxy for growth rates in field-caught larvae.

Abstract The Kirkwood-Dirac quasiprobability distribution, intimately connected with the quantum correlation function of two observables measured at distinct times, is becoming increasingly relevant for fundamental physics and quantum technologies. This quasiprobability distribution can take non-positive values, and its experimental reconstruction becomes challenging when expectation values of incompatible observables are involved. Here, we use an interferometric scheme aided by an auxiliary system to reconstruct the Kirkwood-Dirac quasiprobability distribution. We experimentally demonstrate this scheme in an electron-nuclear spin system associated with a nitrogen-vacancy center in diamond. By measuring the characteristic function, we reconstruct the quasiprobability distribution of work and analyze the behavior of its first and second moments. Our results clarify the physical meaning of the work quasiprobability distribution in the context of quantum thermodynamics. Finally, we study the uncertainty of measuring the Hamiltonian of the system at two times, via the Robertson-Schrödinger uncertainty relation, for different initial states.

Abstract Microbes perform critical functions in corals, yet most knowledge is derived from the photic zone. Here, we discover two mollicutes that dominate the microbiome of the deep-sea octocoral, Callogorgia delta, and likely reside in the mesoglea. These symbionts are abundant across the host’s range, absent in the water, and appear to be rare in sediments. Unlike other mollicutes, they lack all known fermentative capabilities, including glycolysis, and can only generate energy from arginine provided by the coral host. Their genomes feature several mechanisms to interact with foreign DNA, including extensive CRISPR arrays and restriction-modification systems, which may indicate their role in symbiosis. We propose the novel family Oceanoplasmataceae which includes these symbionts and others associated with five marine invertebrate phyla. Its exceptionally broad host range suggests that the diversity of this enigmatic family remains largely undiscovered. Oceanoplasmataceae genomes are the most highly reduced among mollicutes, providing new insight into their reductive evolution and the roles of coral symbionts.

The short-term variability of plankton communities in the oceanic realm is still poorly known due to the paucity of high-resolution time-series in the open ocean. Among these few studies, there is compelling evidence of a lunar cycle of epipelagic zooplankton biomass in subtropical waters during the late winter bloom. However, there is few information about lower trophic levels and zooplankton physiological changes related to this lunar cycle. Here, we studied the short-term variability of pico-, nano-, micro-, and mesoplankton in relation to the lunar cycle in subtropical waters. Weekly sampling was carried out at four stations located north of the Canary Islands from November 2010 to June 2011. Zooplankton abundance and biomass, gut fluorescence (GF), electron transfer system (ETS), and aminoacyl-tRNA synthetase (AARS) activities were measured before, during, and after the winter vertical mixing in these waters in a wide range of size classes. Chlorophyll a, primary production, and zooplankton biomass were low, showing a rather weak late winter bloom event due to the high temperature and stratification observed. Chlorophyll, nanoplankton, diatoms, and mesozooplankton proxies for grazing (GF), respiration (ETS), and growth (AARS) varied monthly denoting a lunar pattern. Chlorophyll a, nanoplankton, diatoms, and mesozooplankton proxies for grazing and respiration peaked between 4 and 6 days after the new moon, followed by an enhancement of the mesozooplankton index of growth between 8 to 9 days after the new moon. However, mesozooplankton biomass only increased during the productive period when supposedly growth exceeded mortality. Coupled with previous results in pico-, nano-, and microplankton, we suggest that the lunar cycle governs the development of planktonic communities in the high turnover warm subtropical ocean. This study provides further evidence of the match of plankton communities with the predatory cycle exerted by diel vertical migrants, adding essential information to understand the short-term functioning of the open ocean.

BackgroundPatients undergoing surgery often experience stress and anxiety, which can increase complications and hinder recovery. Effective management of these psychological factors is key to improving outcomes. Preoperative anxiety is inversely correlated with the amount of information patients receive, but accessible, personalized support remains limited, especially in preoperative settings. Face-to-face education is often impractical due to resource constraints. Digital health (DH) interventions offer a promising alternative, enhancing patient engagement and empowerment. However, most current tools focus on providing information, overlooking the importance of personalization and psychological support. ObjectiveThis study aimed to assess the viability of a DH intervention known as the Adhera CARINAE DH Program. This program is specifically designed to offer evidence-based and personalized stress- and anxiety-management techniques. It achieves this by using a comprehensive digital ecosystem that incorporates wearable devices, mobile apps, and virtual reality technologies. The intervention program also makes use of advanced data-driven techniques to deliver tailored patient education and lifestyle support. MethodsA total of 74 patients scheduled for surgery across 4 hospitals in 3 European countries were enrolled in this study from September 2021 to March 2022. Surgeries included cardiopulmonary and coronary artery bypass surgeries, cardiac valve replacements, prostate or bladder cancer surgeries, hip and knee replacements, maxillofacial surgery, and scoliosis procedures. After assessment for eligibility, participants were randomized into 2 groups: the intervention group (n=23) received the Adhera CARINAE DH intervention in addition to standard care, while the control group (n=27) received standard care alone. Psychological metrics such as self-efficacy, self-management, and mental well-being were assessed before and after the intervention, alongside physiological markers of stress. ResultsThe intervention group demonstrated significant improvements across several psychological outcomes. For example, Visual Analogue Scale Stress at the hospital improved at admission by 5% and at hospital discharge by 11.1% and Visual Analogue Scale Pain at admission improved by 31.2%. In addition, Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale Anxiety after surgery improved by 15.6%, and Positive and Negative Affect Scale-Negative at hospital admission improved by 17.5%. Overall, patients in the intervention study spent 17.12% less days in the hospital. Besides these individual scores, the intervention group shows more positive relationships among the psychological dimensions of self-efficacy, self-management, and mental well-being, suggesting that the CARINAE solution could have a positive effect and impact on the reduction of stress and negative emotions. ConclusionsOur results provide an important first step toward a deeper understanding of optimizing DH solutions to support patients undergoing surgery and for potential applications in remote patient monitoring and communication. Trial RegistrationClinicalTrials.gov NCT05184725; https://clinicaltrials.gov/study/NCT05184725 International Registered Report Identifier (IRRID)RR2-10.2196/38536

El impacto ambiental negativo de las emisiones de CO2 provenientes de la industria del hormigón, requiere la sustitución de los materiales tradicionales, por residuos que permitan mejorar las propiedades mecánicas, y disminuir las emisiones de CO2. Esta revisión recopila la información de artículos entre 2000 y 2021 y se analizan las características de diseño y los resultados encontrados en las propiedades mecánicas y en las emisiones de CO2 de los hormigones. Asimismo, se calculó la ecoeficiencia de las mezclas. Se encontró que las emisiones dependen del tipo de sustituto, de su porcentaje de sustitución, y de las condiciones de diseño (relación agua/cemento y resistencia a compresión). Se discuten las perspectivas frente al tema y los desafíos que enfrenta la industria del hormigón. Se espera que esta revisión motive incluir el cálculo de las emisiones y la ecoeficiencia de los hormigones como parámetro para cuantificar su impacto ambiental.

Este artículo analiza las implicaciones legales de los concubinatos en la asignación de herencias en la legislación peruana, destacando la necesidad de reformar las causales de exclusión, como la desheredación y la indignidad, para incluir a los concubinos. El objetivo es proponer una modificación legal que garantice un marco más justo y equitativo en el contexto sucesorio. La metodología incluye un análisis comparativo entre las legislaciones de Perú, Francia, Italia, Venezuela y Bolivia, enfocándose en los derechos y deberes de los concubinos en comparación con los cónyuges. A través del estudio, se constata que la Ley 30007 otorga derechos hereditarios a los concubinos, pero no los incluye en las causales de exclusión de herencia. Al comparar con las legislaciones de otros países, se observa que Francia e Italia han abolido la desheredación, mientras que Bolivia y Venezuela mantienen esta figura, lo que refleja enfoques normativos divergentes. Se concluye que es necesaria una reforma legislativa en Perú para incluir a los concubinos en las causales de exclusión, promoviendo así un sistema sucesorio más equitativo.

The distributions of anthozoan corals are undercharacterized due to their wide bathymetric ranges, occurrences in remote locales, and difficulties of identification from morphology alone. Environmental DNA (eDNA) sequencing promises to be a noninvasive strategy to complement conventional approaches for mapping and monitoring the distribution and biodiversity of coral communities. Primers for eDNA metabarcoding have been designed to amplify nuclear and mitochondrial DNA barcodes in shallow scleractinians and mitochondrial MutS in deep-sea octocorals. However, a comprehensive method for eDNA metabarcoding of all anthozoan corals, including black corals, has not been developed. We leveraged a sequence database of global coral collections, from shallow water to the deep sea, to design new PCR primers for coral eDNA sequencing that target the 28S rRNA gene (28S rDNA). We tested the performance of these primers by amplifying and sequencing eDNA from water samples collected in the Gulf of Mexico near mesophotic and deep-sea corals that were also imaged, sampled, and sequenced. Sequencing libraries produced using the primers were highly enriched in eDNA from octocorals, black corals and scleractinians, with up to 99.9% of the reads originating from these corals. Further, the 28S barcode amplified using the primers distinguished coral genera and species in many cases, like previously developed methods that target eDNA in only octocorals or scleractinians. We recovered amplicon sequencing variants (ASVs) identical to DNA barcodes derived from Sanger sequencing and genome skimming of corals sampled at the same field sites. This new eDNA metabarcoding strategy permits targeted eDNA sequencing of black corals, octocorals, and scleractinians at sites where they co-occur and expands our current toolkit for mapping and monitoring coral communities in shallow coral reefs and the deep sea.

Euphausiids, commonly known as krill, are crucial contributors to the ocean’s active carbon pump, impacting carbon export and sequestration through their diel vertical migration. These organisms feed on organic matter in the epipelagic layer at night and release inorganic carbon in the mesopelagic layer during the day via respiration. Measuring respiration in the mesopelagic layer is challenging due to the difficulties in obtaining direct measurements, as well as the lack of comprehensive data, and reliance on conservative estimates. The measurement of the electron transfer system (ETS) activity is used as a proxy to assess respiration in the mesopelagic layer. However, accurate calibration of respiration rates and ETS activity is imperative through experimental measurements and empirical data. Here, we compared the respiration rates with their respective ETS activities of different species of euphausiids captured at night in the epipelagic layer of the Atlantic Ocean along a latitudinal (42-29°N, 25°W) and a longitudinal (25-13°W, 29°N) transect. Our results revealed a spatial trend in respiration rates, and consequently in ETS activities, with rates decreasing southward and increasing slightly towards the African upwelling region. The Generalized Additive Model (GAM) demonstrated that epipelagic oxygen concentration, chlorophyll a, and the interaction between epipelagic temperature and mesopelagic oxygen concentration significantly influenced euphausiids respiration rates. Furthermore, we observed a strong correlation between respiration and specific ETS activities, with R/ETS ratios exceeding the conservative value of 0.5, which is typically used to estimate respiratory flux.

El artículo inicia reflexionando sobre el lugar que comparten el fenomenólogo, el artista y el diarista, a saber, la omisión de una postura existencial frente a la realidad. El recorrido teórico continúa estableciendo algunas consideraciones de carácter general sobre el diario y la atención, entendida esta última a la luz de los planteos fenomenológicos de Edmund Husserl y sus precursores. Luego, vinculamos la facultad de la atención al quehacer del diarista en dos aspectos fundamentales. Por una parte, la focalización de la atención le ofrece al diarista temas sobre los cuales escribir. Por otro lado, la escritura representa un segundo momento atencional, donde la atención se posa reflexivamente sobre los actos atentos de la conciencia y sobre el acto de escritura. La simultaneidad de este volverse de la atención posibilita la escritura del diario, que representa una mirada estética sobre el mundo circundante e interior del sujeto. Los objetos intencionales son aprehendidos sobre la base de un placer que irradia de ellos. El interés considera a los objetos como algo más y algo diferente de lo que son, se vuelven objetos de sentimiento. Este mirar es equiparable a una forma de contemplación, es decir, a una consideración estética del mundo. Finalizamos comentando la función del mentar y sus vínculos lingüísticos. Esta reflexión nos permite desarrollar cómo el diarista nombra de nuevo aquello que menciona y concluir que este nombrar nuevo y segundo resulta un acto poético.

Abstract Background Coral-associated microbiomes vary greatly between colonies and localities with functional consequences on the host. However, the full extent of variability across the ranges of most coral species remains unknown, especially for corals living in deep waters which span greater ranges. Here, we characterized the microbiomes of four octocoral species from mesophotic and bathyal deep-sea habitats in the northern Gulf of Mexico, Muricea pendula, Swiftia exserta, Callogorgia delta, and Paramuricea biscaya, using 16S rRNA gene metabarcoding. We sampled extensively across their ranges to test for microbiome differentiation between and within species, examining the influence of environmental factors that vary with depth (53–2224 m) and geographic location (over 680 m) as well as the host coral’s genotype using RAD-sequencing. Results Coral microbiomes were often dominated by amplicon sequence variants whose abundances varied across their hosts’ ranges, including symbiotic taxa: corallicolids, Endozoicomonas, members of the Mollicutes, and the BD1-7 clade. Coral species, depth, and geographic location significantly affected diversity, microbial community composition, and the relative abundance of individual microbes. Depth was the strongest environmental factor determining microbiome structure within species, which influenced the abundance of most dominant symbiotic taxa. Differences in host genotype, bottom temperature, and surface primary productivity could explain a significant part of the microbiome variation associated with depth and geographic location. Conclusions Altogether, this work demonstrates that the microbiomes of corals in deep waters vary substantially across their ranges in accordance with depth and other environmental conditions. It reveals that the influence of depth on the ecology of mesophotic and deep-sea corals extends to its effects on their microbiomes which may have functional consequences. This work also identifies the distributions of microbes including potential parasites which can be used to inform restoration plans in response to the Deepwater Horizon oil spill.

A new family of antipatharian corals, Ameripathidae (Cnidaria: Anthozoa: Antipatharia), is established for Ameripathes pseudomyriophylla Opresko & Horowitz, gen. et sp. nov. The new family resembles Myriopathidae and Stylopathidae in terms of the morphology of the polyps and tentacles and the pinnulate branching of the corallum. Phylogenetic analysis using a genomic data set of 741 conserved element loci indicates that the new family is sister to a clade containing the Myriopathidae, Stylopathidae, Antipathidae, and Aphanipathidae.

Background: Early laparoscopic fundoplication (LF) has been shown to slow lung function decline in chronic lung disease (CLD) patients and lung transplant (LTx) recipients. Magnetic sphincter augmentation (MSA) has emerged as an effective minimally invasive alternative to LF for the treatment of GERD. We evaluate the safety and efficacy of MSA compared to LF for GERD in CLD and LTx. Methods: A retrospective review identified CLD and LTx patients undergoing LF or MSA for GERD. Primary outcome was change in percent predicted FEV1. Secondary outcomes were 30d morbidity, mortality, operative time, and length of stay (LOS). Results: 77 patients met inclusion criteria, 45 (58.5 %) were LTx recipients. 35 (45.5 %) underwent Nissen, 23 (29.9 %) underwent Toupet, and 19 (24.7 %) underwent MSA. Average age was 54.2 years, 54.5 % were female, and average BMI at ARS was 24.9 kg/m2. Median FEV1 % change between pre-ARS and post-ARS was 0 % with no significant differences between groups. MSA had faster operative times at 50.5 min than Nissen (83.5 min, p = 0.002) and Toupet (72.6 min, p = 0.003) and shorter LOS at 0.8 days than Nissen (3.7 days, p = 0.002) and Toupet (2.1 days, p = 0.0008). MSA and Nissen had higher reintervention rates than Toupet, though this was not statistically significant. There were no differences in 30-day morbidities or 30-day ED visits between groups. There were no mortalities. Conclusion: MSA is an advantageous alternative to LF in the CLD and LTx population with stabilization of percent predicted FEV1, equivalent safety profile, shorter operative times, and shorter length of hospital stay.

Background: Weight loss response to sleeve gastrectomy (SG) is variable and predicting the effectiveness of surgery is challenging and elusive. The aim of our study was to assess and quantify the association between eating control and weight loss outcomes and identify the control of eating (CoE) attributes during the early postoperative period that might predict good vs. poor response to SG at one year. Methods: A prospective longitudinal cohort study using the Control of Eating Questionnaire (CoEQ) was designed as a series before and at 3-, 6-, and 12-months post-SG. Primary outcomes were changes in CoE attributes and percent of total weight loss (%TWL) 12-months post-surgery. Subjects were categorized based on %TWL as good (GR, ≥25 %) or poor responders (PR,

El objetivo de este estúdio es rescatar el valor y alcance epistemológico que tiene la investigación psicoclínica en la obra de Abelardo Pithod. Este filósofo argentino participó activamente en el debate acerca del estatuto epistemológico de las ciencias sociales y humanas. Este estudio presenta la comprensión de este autor sobre la psicología moderna, es decir, de este campo del saber que se configura como disciplina autónoma a partir de su independización y desarrollo desde finales del siglo XIX. Pithod se preocupó por destacar, dentro de una comprensión aristotélica de la práctica científica, el valor epistémico del conocimiento empírico y probabilístico que proporcionan los estudios psicoclínicos. Su contribución podría significar un aporte en el escenario argentino y del mundo en general, consagrado a legitimar el ejercicio y la investigación psicoclínica.

Documenting large-scale patterns of animals in the ocean and determining the drivers of these patterns is needed for conservation efforts given the unprecedented rates of change occurring within marine ecosystems. We used existing datasets from two global expeditions, Tara Oceans and Malaspina, that circumnavigated the oceans and sampled down to 4000 m to assess metazoans from environmental DNA (eDNA) extracted from seawater. We describe patterns of taxonomic richness within metazoan phyla and orders based on metabarcoding and infer the relative abundance of phyla using metagenome datasets, and relate these data to environmental variables. Arthropods had the greatest taxonomic richness of metazoan phyla at the surface, while cnidarians had the greatest richness in pelagic zones. Half of the marine metazoan eDNA from metagenome datasets was from arthropods, followed by cnidarians and nematodes. We found that mean surface temperature and primary productivity were positively related to metazoan taxonomic richness. Our findings concur with existing knowledge that temperature and primary productivity are important drivers of taxonomic richness for specific taxa at the ocean’s surface, but these correlations are less evident in the deep ocean. Massive sequencing of eDNA can improve understanding of animal distributions, particularly for the deep ocean where sampling is challenging.

ABSTRACT Nasopharyngeal carriage of staphylococci spreads potentially pathogenic strains into (peri)oral regions and increases the chance of cross-infections. Some laboratory strains can also move rapidly on hydrated agar surfaces, but the biological relevance of these observations is not clear. Using soft-agar [0.3% (wt/vol)] plate assays, we demonstrate the rapid surface dispersal of (peri)oral isolates of Staphylococcus aureus and Staphylococcus epidermidis and closely related laboratory strains in the presence of mucin glycoproteins. Mucin-induced dispersal was a stepwise process initiated by the passive spreading of the growing colonies followed by their rapid branching (dendrites) from the colony edge. Although most spreading strains used mucin as a growth substrate, dispersal was primarily dependent on the lubricating and hydrating properties of the mucins. Using S. aureus JE2 as a genetically tractable representative, we demonstrate that mucin-induced dendritic dispersal, but not colony spreading, is facilitated by the secretion of surfactant-active phenol-soluble modulins (PSMs) in a process regulated by the agr quorum-sensing system. Furthermore, the dendritic dispersal of S. aureus JE2 colonies was further stimulated in the presence of surfactant-active supernatants recovered from the most robust (peri)oral spreaders of S. aureus and S. epidermidis. These findings suggest complementary roles for lubricating mucins and staphylococcal PSMs in the active dispersal of potentially pathogenic strains from perioral to respiratory mucosae, where gel-forming, hydrating mucins abound. They also highlight the impact that interspecies interactions have on the co-dispersal of S. aureus with other perioral bacteria, heightening the risk of polymicrobial infections and the severity of the clinical outcomes.IMPORTANCEDespite lacking classical motility machinery, nasopharyngeal staphylococci spread rapidly in (peri)oral and respiratory mucosa and cause cross-infections. We describe laboratory conditions for the reproducible study of staphylococcal dispersal on mucosa-like surfaces and the identification of two dispersal stages (colony spreading and dendritic expansion) stimulated by mucin glycoproteins. The mucin type mattered as dispersal required the surfactant activity and hydration provided by some mucin glycoproteins. While colony spreading was a passive mode of dispersal lubricated by the mucins, the more rapid and invasive form of dendritic expansion of Staphylococcus aureus and Staphylococcus epidermidis required additional lubrication by surfactant-active peptides (phenol-soluble modulins) secreted at high cell densities through quorum sensing. These results highlight a hitherto unknown role for gel-forming mucins in the dispersal of staphylococcal strains associated with cross-infections and point at perioral regions as overlooked sources of carriage and infection by staphylococci.

Abstract Previous studies on bimetallic paddlewheel compounds have established a direct correlation between metal–metal distance and ligand torsion angles, leading to the rule that higher torsion results in longer metal‐metal bond distances. Here, the new discovery based on diarylformamidinate Ru₂⁵⁺ paddlewheel compounds [Ru2Cl(DArF)4] that show an opposite behavior is reported: higher torsions lead to shorter metal–metal distances. This discovery challenges the assumption that internal rotation solely impacts the δ bond. By combining experimental and theoretical techniques, it is demostrated that this trend is associated with previously overlooked π metal‐ligand interactions. These π metal‐ligand interactions are a direct consequence of the paddlewheel structure and the conjugated nature of the bidentate ligands. This findings offer far‐reaching insights into the influence of equatorial ligands and their π‐conjugation characteristics on the electronic properties of paddlewheel complexes. That this effect is not exclusive of diruthenium compounds but also occurs in other bimetallic cores such as ditungsten or dirhodium is demonstrated, and with other ligands showing allyl type conjugation. These results provide a novel approach for fine‐tuning the properties of these compounds with significant implications for materials design.

Introducción: La artritis reumatoidea afecta la calidad de vida, provoca pérdida de productividad laboral y elevados costos socio-sanitarios, al punto de considerarla una enfermedad catastrófica. Para su tratamiento, entre las drogas modificadoras de enfermedad, se dispone desde el año 2000 de las biológicas. Algunas preocupaciones sobre su uso se relacionan con la variabilidad en la prescripción, el monitoreo de efectos adversos y los costos. La evidencia de la vida real (Real World Evidence) es definida como aquella derivada del análisis de los datos de la vida real. El objetivo de este estudio fue indagar sobre del peso farmacoepidemiológico y costos de los fármacos biológicos para el tratamiento de la artritis reumatoidea en un sistema de salud pública. Metodología: Estudio descriptivo basado en datos de la vida real de 1034 pacientes que retiran medicación para artritis reumatoidea en el sector público de salud de la Provincia de Neuquén en un período de 11 años. Resultados: La prevalencia de artritis reumatoidea se pudo estimar en 0,43%, y los pacientes en tratamiento con drogas biológicas en un 4,25%. En 11 años se incrementó el uso de estos fármacos en un 1000%, siendo el principal motivo de su prescripción la falta de respuesta o eventos adversos con fármacos no biológicos. El más utilizado fue Etanercept, con un costo anual 113 veces más elevado que el Metotrexate. Conclusiones: Este estudio permitió identificar efectos adversos que no fueron rutinariamente reportados mediante farmacovigilancia, describir patrones habituales de prescripción y el monitoreo de costos de intervenciones una vez incorporadas al sistema de salud.

Abstract Background Lung ultrasound has demonstrated its usefulness in several respiratory diseases management. One derived score, the Lung Ultrasound (LUS) score, is considered a good outcome predictor in patients with Acute Respiratory Failure (ARF). Nevertheless, it has not been tested in patients undergoing non-invasive respiratory support (NIRS). Taking this into account, the aim of this study is to evaluate LUS score as a predictor of 90-day mortality, ETI (Endotracheal intubation) and HFNC (High Flow Nasal Cannula) failure in patients with ARF due to COVID-19 admitted to a Respiratory Intermediate Care Unit (RICU) for NIRS management. Results One hundred one patients were admitted to the RICU during the study period. Among these 76% were males and the median age was 55 (45–64) years. Initial ARF management started with HFNC, the next step was the use of Continuous Positive Airway Pressure (CPAP) devices and the last intervention was ETI and Intensive Care Unit (ICU) admission. Of the total study population, CPAP was required in 40%, ETI in 26%, while 15% died. By means of a ROC analysis, a LUS ≥ 25 points was identified as the cut-off point for mortality(AUC 0.81, OR 1.40, 95% CI 1.14 to 1.71; p

Walison Nunes da Silva,1 Pedro Augusto Carvalho Costa,1 Sérgio Ricardo Aluotto Scalzo Júnior,1 Heloísa AS Ferreira,1 Pedro Henrique Dias Moura Prazeres,2 Caroline Leonel Vasconcelos Campos,3 Marco Túllio Rodrigues Alves,1 Natália Jordana Alves da Silva,1 Ana Luiza de Castro Santos,1 Lays Cordeiro Guimarães,1 Maria Eduarda Chen Ferris,1 Ajay Thatte,4 Alex Hamilton,4 Kelly Alves Bicalho,5 Anderson Oliveira Lobo,6 Helton da Costa Santiago,3 Lucíola da Silva Barcelos,1 Maria Marta Figueiredo,7 Mauro Martins Teixeira,3 Vivian Vasconcelos Costa,8 Michael J Mitchell,4 Frédéric Frézard,1 Pedro Pires Goulart Guimaraes1 1Department of Physiology and Biophysics, Federal University of Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, MG, Brazil; 2Department of Pathology, Federal University of Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, MG, 31270-901, Brazil; 3Department of Biochemistry and Immunology, Federal University of Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, MG, 31270-901, Brazil; 4Department of Bioengineering, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA; 5Instituto René Rachou, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz, Belo Horizonte, MG, Brazil; 6Department of Materials Engineering, Federal University of Piauí, Teresina, PI, Brazil; 7State University of Minas Gerais, Divinopolis, MG, Brazil; 8Department of Morphology, Federal University of Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, MG, BrazilCorrespondence: Pedro Pires Goulart Guimaraes, Department of Physiology and Biophysics, Federal University of Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, MG, Brazil, Email ppiresgo@reitoria.ufmg.brIntroduction: Immunotherapy has revolutionized cancer treatment by harnessing the immune system to enhance antitumor responses while minimizing off-target effects. Among the promising cancer-specific therapies, tumor necrosis factor-related apoptosis-inducing ligand (TRAIL) has attracted significant attention.Methods: Here, we developed an ionizable lipid nanoparticle (LNP) platform to deliver TRAIL mRNA (LNP-TRAIL) directly to the tumor microenvironment (TME) to induce tumor cell death. Our LNP-TRAIL was formulated via microfluidic mixing and the induction of tumor cell death was assessed in vitro. Next, we investigated the ability of LNP-TRAIL to inhibit colon cancer progression in vivo in combination with a TME normalization approach using Losartan (Los) or angiotensin 1– 7 (Ang(1– 7)) to reduce vascular compression and deposition of extracellular matrix in mice.Results: Our results demonstrated that LNP-TRAIL induced tumor cell death in vitro and effectively inhibited colon cancer progression in vivo, particularly when combined with TME normalization induced by treatment Los or Ang(1– 7). In addition, potent tumor cell death as well as enhanced apoptosis and necrosis was found in the tumor tissue of a group treated with LNP-TRAIL combined with TME normalization.Discussion: Together, our data demonstrate the potential of the LNP to deliver TRAIL mRNA to the TME and to induce tumor cell death, especially when combined with TME normalization. Therefore, these findings provide important insights for the development of novel therapeutic strategies for the immunotherapy of solid tumors.Keywords: immunotherapy, TRAIL, mRNA, lipid nanoparticle, losartan, angiotensin (1– 7)

Ecuador has gone through a significant reduction in new cases from 2000 (106) to 2023 (12), suggesting a trend towards zero leprosy. An ecological spatiotemporal study design was used to describe the epidemiological distribution of the disease in the country during 2000–2023. Leprosy cases registered by the surveillance system of the Ecuadorian Ministry of Public Health were the data utilized for the study. From January 2000 to December 2023, 1539, incidence cases were diagnosed with leprosy in Ecuador. At the time of diagnosis, the median age was 54 years. Most of the cases were males (71.5%). The proportion of incidence cases in subjects over 50 years was 63% and 1.5% in children ≤ 15 years old. The yearly incidence rate ranged from 8.5/1,000,000 population in 2000 to 0.68/1,000,000 population in 2023, remaining within the low-endemic parameter. In total, 35 cantons reported newly detected leprosy cases in the year 2000. By the end of 2023, only eight cantons actively reported cases of leprosy. High-risk clusters for leprosy were detected in the tropical coastal region of Ecuador. The provinces with the highest number of cases during the study period were Guayas (44.8%) and Los Rios (15.7%), with zero cases being found in the Galapagos Islands. Our study is unique in that it documents a retrospective dataset over a two-decade timespan from a South American country that has effectively applied global guidelines for the control and elimination of leprosy.

Los plásticos constituyen uno de los principales problemas de contaminación ambiental por su manejo y disposición inadecuada, generando así amenazas e impactos negativos en el medio ambiente. El objetivo de este trabajo fue analizar la biodegradabilidad de polietileno de baja densidad (LDPE) con hongos del género Aspergillus sp., en suelo, durante dos periodos de tiempo (30 y 60 días) y dos calibres (0,45 mm y 0,90 mm). Las cepas usadas fueron Aspergillus níger, Aspergillus fumigatus y Aspergillus flavus, de manera individual y combinada, a una concentración de 1x107 esporas/mL, inoculando en macetas con 100 g de suelo estéril y muestras de LDPE de 4 cm2 y 25 cm2, según diseño experimental. Los resultados revelaron que la mayor degradación del LDPE se alcanzó con el calibre de 0,45 mm y una muestra de 25 cm2, cuando se empleó el consorcio de los tres hongos, obteniendo una tasa de degradación del 18,45 %, en comparación con la muestra de 4 cm2, la cual registró un valor de 16,10 % de degradación, ambas en 60 días. En el caso del calibre de 0,90 mm y una muestra de 25 cm2, el mismo consorcio de A. niger + A. fumigatus + A. flavus demostró la máxima degradación con un valor del 0,34 % en 60 días. Por lo anterior, los hongos del género Aspergillus sp. muestran un potencial para degradar plásticos en suelo, y son una alternativa biotecnológica que puede contrarrestar el efecto medioambiental producido por el inadecuado manejo de los residuos plásticos.

Este artículo presenta la base de datos “Jueces y Reforma Agraria” (JRA), que corresponde a un panel municipal y anual de la entrega de 11.761 baldíos—alrededor de 260.000 hectáreas—a particulares a través de un mecanismo judicial que no verifica los requisitos de la reforma agraria—esto es, la prescripción adquisitiva de dominio. Nuestro análisis estadístico y geográfico sugiere que este fenómeno ha tenido dos efectos contradictorios: el acceso a la tierra por campesinos sin ella y la acumulación de tierras. Enfatizamos en este último para los casos de Córdoba y Casanare. JRA ofrece datos nacionales novedosos para explicar las causas y las consecuencias del rol de los jueces en la implementación de la reforma agraria en Colombia.

Abstract Numerous genomic methods developed over the past two decades have enabled the discovery and extraction of orthologous loci to help resolve phylogenetic relationships across various taxa and scales. Genome skimming (or low‐coverage genome sequencing) is a promising method to not only extract high‐copy loci but also 100s to 1000s of phylogenetically informative nuclear loci (e.g., ultraconserved elements [UCEs] and exons) from contemporary and museum samples. The subphylum Anthozoa, including important ecosystem engineers (e.g., stony corals, black corals, anemones, and octocorals) in the marine environment, is in critical need of phylogenetic resolution and thus might benefit from a genome‐skimming approach. We conducted genome skimming on 242 anthozoan corals collected from 1886 to 2022. Using existing target‐capture baitsets, we bioinformatically obtained UCEs and exons from the genome‐skimming data and incorporated them with data from previously published target‐capture studies. The mean number of UCE and exon loci extracted from the genome skimming data was 1837 ± 662 SD for octocorals and 1379 ± 476 SD loci for hexacorals. Phylogenetic relationships were well resolved within each class. A mean of 1422 ± 720 loci was obtained from the historical specimens, with 1253 loci recovered from the oldest specimen collected in 1886. We also obtained partial to whole mitogenomes and nuclear rRNA genes from >95% of samples. Bioinformatically pulling UCEs, exons, mitochondrial genomes, and nuclear rRNA genes from genome skimming data is a viable and low‐cost option for phylogenetic studies. This approach can be used to review and support taxonomic revisions and reconstruct evolutionary histories, including historical museum and type specimens.

Durante mucho tiempo no se tuvo en cuenta a los padres durante el trabajo de parto y parto bajo la mirada limitada frente al apoyo que pudieron percibir las áreas asistenciales y se restringía la asistencia a salas de espera, sin obtener suficientes detalles sobre la gestante e hijo. El acompañamiento paterno fortalece a la madre positivamente convenciéndola de su capacidad de dar vida, de autocontrol y resiliencia frente al estrés momentáneo. Los beneficios que recibe el recién nacido por la compañía le permiten una transición rápida a la vida extrauterina, el ambiente familiar disminuye el estrés del parto, proporciona tranquilidad y confianza. La presente investigación fue de tipo cualitativo-interpretativo mediante entrevistas a profundidad donde se pudo ahondar en el fenómeno estudiado desde la descripción de las vivencias frente al acompañamiento del padre en los procesos fisiológicos y emocionales. Este acompañamiento permitió identificar aspectos únicos en el estudio favorecedores para la mujer al resaltar la mirada compasiva y de apreciación de los hombres dándole un significado especial y único.

Resumen: En pandemia, en Argentina y en otros países se observó variabilidad en las políticas públicas implementadas sobre tecnologías sanitarias para prevención y tratamiento de la COVID-19. El objetivo fue analizar cómo se procesaron en Argentina los movimientos de coordinación vs. cooperación, y de autonomía vs. reparto de autoridad entre entidades, explorando asimetrías entre diferentes entidades en la implementación de políticas públicas sobre tecnologías sanitarias en pandemia y las influencias de otros actores. Se realizó una revisión documental del período 2020-2021 (informes técnicos publicados por la Organización Mundial de la Salud, organismos nacionales y sociedades científicas, leyes, fallos judiciales, prensa, encuestas y entrevistas en profundidad a miembros de los Ministerios de Salud de Argentina). Se indagó sobre procesos y resultados de la toma de decisiones en los Ministerios de Salud, mapeando la cobertura y recomendación de cada tecnología y el partido político provincial gobernante. Hubo heterogeneidad en resultados y procesos entre los Ministerios, y disputas en el interior de los mismos. La adherencia a recomendaciones oficiales fue baja, influyendo distintos criterios técnico-políticos (relaciones de poder, presión social, de los medios, académicos, poder Judicial y Legislativo). En algunos casos se observó una fuerte tensión entre oficialismo y oposición al partido gobernante a partir de la discusión sobre tecnologías. Cada provincia argentina definió sus políticas sobre tecnologías sanitarias para COVID-19 con autonomía, y la toma de decisiones en la administración pública en pandemia fue desordenada, compleja y no lineal.

Abstract We report on the experimental quantification of the contribution to non-equilibrium entropy production stemming from the quantum coherence content in the initial state of a qubit exposed to both coherent driving and dissipation. Our experimental demonstration builds on the exquisite experimental control of the spin state of a nitrogen-vacancy defect in diamond and is underpinned, theoretically, by the formulation of a generalized fluctuation theorem designed to track the effects of quantum coherence. Our results provide significant evidence of the possibility to pinpoint the genuinely quantum mechanical contributions to the thermodynamics of non-equilibrium quantum processes in an open quantum systems scenario.

Quantum sensors can show unprecedented sensitivities, provided they are controlled in a very specific, optimal way. Here, we consider a spin sensor of time-varying fields in the presence of dephasing noise, and we show that the problem of finding the pulsed control field that optimizes the sensitivity (i.e., the smallest detectable signal) can be mapped to the determination of the ground state of a spin chain. We find an approximate but analytic solution of this problem, which provides a lower bound for the sensitivity and a pulsed control very close to optimal, which we further use as initial guess for realizing a fast simulated annealing algorithm. We experimentally demonstrate the sensitivity improvement for a spin-qubit magnetometer based on a nitrogen-vacancy center in diamond.

The house wren shows complex song, and the rufous-tailed hummingbird has a simple song. The location of vocal brain areas supports the song’s complexity; however, these still need to be studied. The astrocytic population in songbirds appears to be associated with change in vocal control nuclei; however, astrocytic distribution and morphology have not been described in these species. Consequently, we compared the distribution and volume of the vocal brain areas: HVC, RA, Area X, and LMAN, cell density, and the morphology of astrocytes in the house wren and the rufous-tailed hummingbird. Individuals of the two species were collected, and their brains were analyzed using serial Nissl- NeuN- and MAP2-stained tissue scanner imaging, followed by 3D reconstructions of the vocal areas; and GFAP and S100β astrocytes were analyzed in both species. We found that vocal areas were located close to the cerebral midline in the house wren and a more lateralized position in the rufous-tailed hummingbird. The LMAN occupied a larger volume in the rufous-tailed hummingbird, while the RA and HVC were larger in the house wren. While Area X showed higher cell density in the house wren than the rufous-tailed hummingbird, the LMAN showed a higher density in the rufous-tailed hummingbird. In the house wren, GFAP astrocytes in the same bregma where the vocal areas were located were observed at the laminar edge of the pallium (LEP) and in the vascular region, as well as in vocal motor relay regions in the pallidum and mesencephalon. In contrast, GFAP astrocytes were found in LEP, but not in the pallidum and mesencephalon in hummingbirds. Finally, when comparing GFAP astrocytes in the LEP region of both species, house wren astrocytes exhibited significantly more complex morphology than those of the rufous-tailed hummingbird. These findings suggest a difference in the location and cellular density of vocal circuits, as well as morphology of GFAP astrocytes between the house wren and the rufous-tailed hummingbird.

Atypical deployment of social gaze is present early on in toddlers with autism spectrum disorders (ASDs). Yet, studies characterizing the developmental dynamic behind it are scarce. Here, we used a data-driven method to delineate the developmental change in visual exploration of social interaction over childhood years in autism. Longitudinal eye-tracking data were acquired as children with ASD and their typically developing (TD) peers freely explored a short cartoon movie. We found divergent moment-to-moment gaze patterns in children with ASD compared to their TD peers. This divergence was particularly evident in sequences that displayed social interactions between characters and even more so in children with lower developmental and functional levels. The basic visual properties of the animated scene did not account for the enhanced divergence. Over childhood years, these differences dramatically increased to become more idiosyncratic. These findings suggest that social attention should be targeted early in clinical treatments.

INTRODUCCIÓN: La anticoncepción es un derecho, y es obligación del Estado garantizar el acceso a métodos anticonceptivos efectivos, seguros y de calidad. Se realizó una evaluación de tecnología sanitaria sobre los parches anticonceptivos transdérmicos. MÉTODOS: Un equipo multidisciplinario e independiente designado por el Comité Provincial de Biotecnologías de Neuquén buscó información epidemiológica, regulatoria y evidencias científicas sobre eficacia, seguridad y adherencia. Se analizó y sistematizó siguiendo metodología GRADE (Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation) y CASPe (Critical Appraisal Skills Programme Español). RESULTADOS: El único parche autorizado en Argentina para su comercialización libera 33,9 µg/día de etinilestradiol y 203 µg/día de norelgestromina. Su prospecto en Argentina, EE.UU. y Europa lo asocia al doble de riesgo de enfermedad tromboembólica venosa si se compara con las píldoras anticonceptivas que provee el Estado. Esto coincide con resultados de estudios de cohortes de alta calidad. Los parches proveen similar eficacia anticonceptiva a corto plazo, pero con altas tasas de abandono en el seguimiento. La Organización Mundial de la Salud no los ha incluido en su listado de medicamentos esenciales. Los parches son más costosos que otros métodos disponibles. DISCUSIÓN: Sobre la base de los principios de beneficencia, no maleficencia, de precaución y de proporcionalidad, no se recomienda la incorporación de parches.

Abstract Introduction The message of palliative care can be promoted using creative thinking and gamification. It can be an innovative strategy to promote changes in behaviour, promote thinking, and work on skills such as empathy. Aim Design, test and evaluate a gamified social intervention to enhance palliative care awareness among young university students from non-health background. Methods Participatory action research study with mixed methods, Design Thinking and using the Public Engagement strategy. Forty-three undergraduate students participated in a Palliative Care Stay Room and completed the Test of Cognitive and Affective Empathy (TECA) before and after the game. At the end of the game, a ten-minute debriefing was held with the participants, which was concluded with an open conversation. The content analysis was done independently and the sum of the scores of each dimension was compared before and after the activity. Findings The Stay Room improved the participants’ knowledge and new perspectives about palliative care. Before the game, their views focused on the end of life and after the game on their values, highlighting the dedication of the healthcare professionals who do not treat death but the life until death. After de game, participants (N = 43: female = 23; male = 20; x̄ 19.6 years old) presented higher values in perspective adoption (intellectual ability to put oneself in the other’s place) p = 0.046 and in emotional understanding (ability to recognize emotional states) p = 0.018, and had high scores on empathic joy (p = 0.08). Conclusion Gamification can be used in teaching and transmitting positive attitudes. Palliative Care and can help young university students to think positively about care issues.

“Educación en capital natural de Romerillo” este un precepto poco investigado y no aplicado en la ciencia de la educación en Ecuador. Los problemas como poca información, seguimiento y monitoreo de las publicaciones científicas sobre la educación ambiental “activo natural romerillo” no permiten alcanzar buen conocimiento acerca de este precioso recurso en su estado natural, debido a que, es el único bosque de conífera nativo en el Ecuador. El objetivo de este artículo consistió en profundizar sobre el estudio del “concepto de capital natural forestal de romerillo” a través de la educación ambiental formal e informal sobre este activo natural. Para esto se realizó un estudio cualitativo exploratorio de revisión de literatura secundario en orden cronológico y temático. Para definir el concepto de educación del capital natural forestal de romerillo se hizo una profunda búsqueda de artículos científicos (aplicando diferentes criterios de inclusión y exclusión en la revisión de la literatura). De ahí que se concluya que, el capital natural estuvo determinado por los recursos renovables y no renovables. Así como, por los servicios ecosistémicos: información para el aprovechamiento del arte ecológico, recreación al aire libre y turismo, los que constituyen una alternativa sostenible para educar a los pobladores sobre el capital natural forestal Romerillo.

Based on an integrative taxonomical approach, using molecular, morphological, and bioacoustics data, a new species of glassfrog of the genus Centrolene is described from Refugio de Vida Silvestre El Zarza, southern Ecuador. Centrolene zarza sp. nov. is a medium sized species, easily distinguished from all other glassfrogs by its unique combination of characters, such as a shagreen dorsum with elevated warts corresponding to white spots, an evident tympanum, half or more than half of the upper parietal peritoneum covered by iridophores, iridophores absent on all visceral peritonea, including the pericardium, a lobed liver lacking iridophores, males with small projecting humeral spines, the outer edges of forearms and tarsus with a row of enameled warts that often continue into the external edges of Finger IV and/or Toe V, and white or yellowish white iris with thick black reticulations. The new species is closely related to a currently undescribed species and superficially resembles C. condor, C. pipilata, C. solitaria, C. altitudinalis, and C. daidalea. The tadpole and advertisement and courtship calls are described, and the threats to the species survival, mainly represented by habitat loss and contamination due to mining activities, are briefly discussed.

Robotics has transformed the field of surgery, providing a tool that has greatly expanded the treatment of a multitude of surgical diseases. In hernia repair, robotic platforms have provided an alternative option that is superior to conventional laparoscopy in many aspects, including marked improvements in manipulation and visibility. Additionally, it is far more ergonomic for the surgeon. The increasing application of robotics has provided a space for the development of additional platforms and devices to address unmet needs. We review current state of the art and potential future uses and innovations in robotic hernia repair.

The aim of this study was to discriminate between different disinfection protocols applied to common basil seeds for in vitro establishment on Murashige & Skoog medium. The aim of this approach was not only to overcome seed dormancy, but also to decisively influence the germination process in order to achieve a significant increase in the proportion of seeds that germinate successfully. In the Colombian context, where some 156 species of medicinal plants are currently marketed, basil (Ocimum basilicum L.), originally from Asia Minor, stands out as one of the most widely used plants in the world. In the department of Valle del Cauca, medicinal plants have emerged as protagonists in contrast to the monoculture of sugar cane (Saccharum Officinarum L.) that dominates the region. However, basil faces significant challenges related to seed dormancy, a condition that negatively affects germination and therefore directly affects yield. In this scenario, 21 treatments were carried out in the Biological Sciences Laboratory of the Central Unit of Valle del Cauca, which showed a marked variability and influence in phenological development, especially in stem and leaf growth. Treatment 12 (0.7% NaClO) showed the highest percentage of basil seed germination (80%). It is imperative to explore new protocols that effectively contribute to the basil production process by overcoming seed dormancy.

Twin-box decks are being extensively used in the design of long-span bridges due to their superior flutter performance. Although the significant role played by the gap distance has been previously addressed in the frame of experimental studies, there is still a lack of understanding about the complex interplay between box geometry, gap distance and the aerodynamic force coefficients and flutter derivatives. In the present work, firstly, a surrogate model is developed, considering three design inputs for the geometry of the deck along with the angle of attack, providing the force coefficients as output. Afterwards, the work is then extended by developing another surrogate model, considering as inputs the reduced velocity and the same geometric variables of the deck, with the outputs being the flutter derivatives. The methodology, comprising the selection of the design domain, the definition of the samples, the CFD-based evaluation of the samples' response and the construction of the surrogate through the application of the neural network-based radial basis method, is reviewed. The surrogate models enable a quantitative description of the impact caused in the force coefficients and the flutter derivatives by modifications in the geometry of the twin-box deck. It has been found that flutter derivatives H1*, H2* and A2* are strongly dependent on the gap distance.