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The piezoresistive response of specimens made by electrically conductive polylactic acid (PLA) under monotonic and cyclic flexural loading was experimentally investigated. A material extrusion process was utilized to 3D print the conductive PLA/carbon black nanocomposite samples using three infill patterns and three infill ratios. Then three-point bending tests, and electrical resistance measurements, were simultaneously conducted on beam-type specimens. The results of the electromechanical tests demonstrated that the 3D printed samples show outstanding piezoresistive sensing characteristics with excellent cyclic stability and reproducibility suitable for in-situ damage detection and strain monitoring through their electrical resistance change. Determination of gauge factors of specimens with different infill ratios and patterns exhibited a significant sensitivity even at low infill ratio. The potential of the piezoresistive property of conductive PLA/carbon black nanocomposite was examined by proposing 3D printed sensors for strain monitoring. The results demonstrated that conductive feedstock can be successfully processed by this material extrusion technique to develop advanced 3D printing sensing solutions. The applicability of the piezoresistive property of conductive cellular structures 3D printed with PLA/carbon black feedstock as a suitable technique for structural health monitoring was demonstrated.

Aerogel scaffolds are nanostructured materials with beneficial properties for tissue engineering applications. The tracing of the state of the aerogels after their implantation is challenging due to their variable biodegradation rate and the lack of suitable strategies capable of in vivomonitoring the scaffolds. Upconversion nanoparticles (UCNPs) have emerged as advanced tools for in vitrobioimaging because of their fluorescence properties. In this work, highly fluorescent UCNPs were loaded into aerogels to obtain theranostic implants for tissue engineering and bioimaging applications. 3D-printed alginate-hydroxyapatite aerogels labeled with UCNPs were manufactured by 3D-printing and supercritical CO2drying to generate personalize-to-patient aerogels. The physicochemical performance of the resulting structures was evaluated by printing fidelity measurements, nitrogen adsorption-desorption analysis, and different microscopies (confocal, transmission and scanning electron microscopies). Stability of the aerogels in terms of physicochemical properties was also tested after 3 years of storage. Biocompatibility was evaluated in vitroby different cell and hemocompatibility assays, in ovoand in vivoby safety and bioimaging studies using different murine models. Cytokines profile, tissue index and histological evaluations of the main organs unveiled an in vivodownregulation of the inflammation after implantation of the scaffolds. UCNPs-decorated aerogels were first-time manufactured and long-term traceable by fluorescence-based bioimaging until 3 weeks post-implantation, thereby endorsing their suitability as tissue engineering and theranostic nanodevices (i.e. bifunctional implants).

ABSTRACTIn this paper, the statistical inference on multi-component stress-strength parameter with non-identical-component strengths, based on Kumaraswamy generalized distribution under adaptive hybrid progressive censoring samples, is considered. The problem is solved in three cases. First, when one parameter is unknown, the maximum likelihood estimation (MLE), Bayes approximations, asymptotic and highest posterior density intervals are obtained. Second, when the common parameter is known, MLE, approximation Bayes estimations, uniformly minimum variance unbiased estimator and different confidence intervals are provided. Third, when all parameters are different and unknown, MLE and Bayesian estimation are studied. The Monte Carlo simulation is employed to compare the estimations. Based on the simulation results, it is observed that the Bayesian estimates perform better than MLEs. Also, the highest posterior density intervals have better performance than asymptotic intervals. Moreover, it is observed that the performance of uniformly minimum variance unbiased estimators is worse than MLEs. To implement the theoretical method, two real data sets are analyzed.

Using biopolymers as wall materials in spray drying poses challenges, particularly in attaining flowability and thermal stability among their physicochemical properties. This paper addresses these challenges by preparing microparticles using a blend of starch–chitosan and a poloxamer, commercially named Pluronic® F127. We aimed to elucidate the effects of varying poloxamer concentrations on the resulting particles through the spray drying technique. Blends with a poloxamer concentration of 3% (w/v) demonstrated a notably higher yield, especially when compared to those with 0% and 1% concentrations. Microparticles with 3% and 5% (w/v) poloxamer displayed a narrower particle size distribution, with the 3% blend showing a superior yield attributed to arrangements of blend components that improve flowability. X-ray diffraction analysis showcased the characteristic peaks of A-type starch form, with shifts suggesting enhanced interactions between components. Microparticles with increased poloxamer content showed elevated thermal degradation temperatures, with the 3% blend registering a significant rise, opening avenues for encapsulating heat-sensitive bioactive. This study primarily focuses on the preparation and basic characterization of microparticles. It underscores the potential of blends with optimal poloxamer concentrations in microencapsulation, emphasizing further research to harness their capabilities thoroughly.

The objective of this study was to identify the association between healthcare fragmentation and survival for patients with colorectal cancer in Colombia.

Objectives: To describe the clinical features of patients diagnosed with uveitic glaucoma (UG) and ocular hypertension secondary to uveitis (OHT-SU). Methods: A multicentric cross-sectional study using medical records of patients with uveitis between 2013 and 2021. Uveitis and glaucoma specialists examined all patients. Variables were analyzed using the chi-square or Fisher’s exact test for categorical variables. Additionally, ttest, Mann–Whitney, and Kruskal–Wallis variance analysis were used for continuous variables. Finally, a Kaplan–Meier survival analysis for UG and OHT-SU development over time was done. Results: Of the 660 clinical records reviewed of patients with uveitis, 191 (28.9%) had OHT-SU in at least one visit, and 108 (16.4%) of them developed UG. In all ages, females were more affected than males. Anterior uveitis was the main anatomic localisation, and non-granulomatous, recurrent, and inactive uveitis were the most frequent clinical features. The mean final visual acuity was 0.3 (0.0–1.0) LogMAR. Also, 95.8% of the patients had additional sequelae related to uveitis regardless of UG and OHT-SU. Interestingly, males had earlier affection, with statistical significance in OHT for adults (P= 0.036) and UG for children (P= 0.04). Of all patients, 81.1% received topical hypotensive treatment and 29.8% required a surgical procedure. Conclusions: UG and OHT-SU are common complications of uveitis in the Colombian population. These sight-threatening conditions were more common and appeared sooner in men at any age. Our results suggest that earlier and more aggressive treatment with topical hypotensive agents could positively influence the visual outcomes and the requirement of surgical procedures.

Background and aims: Single-operator cholangioscopy (SOC) offer a diagnostic and therapeutic alternative with an improved optical resolution over conventional techniques; however, there are no standardized clinical practice guidelines for this technology. This evidence-based guideline from the Colombian Association of Digestive Endoscopy (ACED) intends to support patients, clinicians, and others in decisions about using in adults the SOC compared to endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP), to diagnose indeterminate biliary stricture and to manage difficult biliary stones. Methods: ACED created a multidisciplinary guideline panel balanced to minimize potential bias from conflicts of interest. Universidad de los Andes and the Colombia Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation (GRADE) Network supported the guideline-development process, updating and performing systematic evidence reviews. The panel prioritized clinical questions and outcomes according to their importance for clinicians and patients. The GRADE approach was used, including GRADE Evidence-to-Decision frameworks. Results: The panel agreed on one recommendation for adult patients with indeterminate biliary strictures and one for adult patients with difficult biliary stones when comparing SOC versus ERCP. Conclusion: For adult patients with indeterminate biliary strictures, the panel made a conditional recommendation for SOC with stricture pattern characterization over ERCP with brushing and/or biopsy for sensitivity, specificity, and procedure success rate outcomes. For the adult patients with difficult biliary stones the panel made conditional recommendation for SOC over ERCP with large-balloon dilation of papilla. Additional research is required on economic estimations of SOC and knowledge translation evaluations to implement SOC intervention in local contexts.

Morphogenesis and cell state transitions must be coordinated in time and space to produce a functional tissue. An excellent paradigm to understand the coupling of these processes is mammalian hair follicle development, which is initiated by the formation of an epithelial invagination—termed placode—that coincides with the emergence of a designated hair follicle stem cell population. The mechanisms directing the deformation of the epithelium, cell state transitions and physical compartmentalization of the placode are unknown. Here we identify a key role for coordinated mechanical forces stemming from contractile, proliferative and proteolytic activities across the epithelial and mesenchymal compartments in generating the placode structure. A ring of fibroblast cells gradually wraps around the placode cells to generate centripetal contractile forces, which, in collaboration with polarized epithelial myosin activity, promote elongation and local tissue thickening. These mechanical stresses further enhance compartmentalization of Sox9 expression to promote stem cell positioning. Subsequently, proteolytic remodelling locally softens the basement membrane to facilitate a release of pressure on the placode, enabling localized cell divisions, tissue fluidification and epithelial invagination into the underlying mesenchyme. Together, our experiments and modelling identify dynamic cell shape transformations and tissue-scale mechanical cooperation as key factors for orchestrating organ formation.

ABSTRACTThe importance of studying the commons lies in the fact that the best-preserved ecosystems are found in areas managed and owned by the community. However, the capitalist mode of production, which depends on the excessive exploitation of natural resources, has undermined the fundamental elements of the communal system. Despite this, some territories have been able to maintain and strengthen common strategies related to the characteristics of their social capital, transforming it into a localized resource. With these objectives in mind, the study was conducted to, (1) Perform a literature review of theoretical, methodological, and empirical works related to social capital and territorialization to examine collective strategies for the conservation and management of natural resources. (2) Develop a theoretical and methodological framework that incorporates the territorialization of social capital as an explanatory factor in the collective appropriation of commons, using general concepts. The methodological approach was based on a literature review of articles, complemented by the co-occurrence method. The results show that the conceptual model consists of five theoretical categories and eleven categories of analysis, which interact to identify six thematic areas.

AbstractThis contribution analyses the current situation of the implementation of the Rule of Law in the EU focusing on three essential aspects: the role of Article 2 of the TEU as a legal paradigm, the issue of effectiveness of secondary law to strengthen Supranational mechanisms for the defense of the Rule of Law; and the thorny issue of the primacy of EU Law in the current Era of European Integration.

Length-weight relationships (LWR) were determined for Brotula barbata, Dentex angolensis, Dentex macrophthalmus, Neomerinthe folgoriand Scorpaena stephanicausing individual fish records collected between July 2002 and January 2003, during a pilot project of experimental fishing over the shelf off Guinea Bissau. Fishes were caught by commercial vessels using bottom longline, measured defrost for the total length (to the lower 0.1 cm) and weighted for the total weight (TW, to the 0.1 g), and sexed. Two new maximum total lengths were registered for Scorpaena stephanicaand Neomerinthe folgori, whose LWR b-values corresponded to the limits of the range obtained, between 2.833 and 3.318, respectively. All LWRs were obtained from well-adjusted linear regressions with r2≥ 0.90. Data presented herein expand the knowledge base for these species in West Africa, as they have limited or no LWR data available.

After her father’s death, the poetic subject in Luz Pichel’s Galician-language Casa pechada (Closed Home, 2006) returns from the city to clear the things in her house in a small Galician village. However, these things do not conform to any sense of social, emotional, or material permanence. The decay of closed-down houses and abandoned farm tools speaks to and reproduces the imprint of rural extractivism, symbolic violence, and ecological precarization on the Galician countryside. The act of naming can determine what things are and the emotions they awaken: utensils or trash, repurposed tools or ruins, personal souvenirs or museum pieces. However, the rural, at times impoverished, at times gentrified, may lack names for its materials. Pichel’s self-translation Cativa en su lughar (Cativa in Her Place, 2013) gets this point across by using familiar Castrapo rather than Spanish: a pidgin romance variation that belongs to no normative language that it is closely related to (Spanish, Galician, or Portuguese) but traverses them all. Phonetic aspects, like accent and phonemes (the “gheada”), resist incorporation to any standardized, state-sponsored language, and in turn, the names that may care for / curate rural things rely on paronomastic associations, identifications, and oppositions across languages. The article claims that in Cativa, signs and names may define the monetary value, the purpose, and the substance of things, but language’s material embodiment also supports and mobilizes their emotional and political meanings.

Central Mexico has suffered accelerated rates of habitat fragmentation caused by the growth of agriculture, industry, and rural and urban settlements accompanied by a high density of roads. According to our hypothesis, the main highways in this region (Mex-057, Mex-047D, and Mex-045) have acted as barriers to dispersal and gene flow, resulting in a decrease of functional connectivity in the coyote (Canis latrans). In the period 2016–2020, we collected 537 scat samples from 13 sites in the state of Guanajuato and 33 sites in the state of Querétaro. Of these, 282 samples were from coyotes, which were identified through the sequencing of the cytochrome B gene. Based on 13 nuclear microsatellite loci and two sex-determining genes for canids (DBX6 and DBY7), we identified 66 distinct genotypes, 19 of which were females and 47 of which were males. The Bayesian analyses and spatial principal component analysis (sPCA) identified two genetic clusters (Gst = 0.072, p= 0.000), in which geographical relationship was not evident. We found moderate levels of genetic diversity (Ho= 0.633 ± 0.053) and few transient individuals (n= 10) were detected. Landscape resistance optimization analysis in ResistanceGA did not reveal the influence of major highways and land cover on genetic differentiation between individuals. According to our findings, major highways in Guanajuato and Querétaro do not restrict gene flow nor influence genetic structure; however, we cannot discard that the barrier effect is not yet detectable in the coyote population.

We study here a DNA oligonucleotide having the ability to form two different i-motif structures whose relative stability depends on pH and temperature. The major species at neutral pH is stabilized by two C:C+base pairs capped by two minor groove G:C:G:C tetrads. The high pH and thermal stability of this structure are mainly due to the favorable effect of the minor groove tetrads on their adjacent positively charged C:C+base pairs. At pH 5, we observe a more elongated i-motif structure consisting of four C:C+base pairs capped by two G:T:G:T tetrads. Molecular dynamics calculations show that the conformational transition between the two structures is driven by the protonation state of key cytosines. In spite of large conformational differences, the transition between the acidic and neutral structures can occur without unfolding of the i-motif. These results represent the first case of a conformational switch between two different i-motif structures and illustrate the dramatic pH-dependent plasticity of this fascinating DNA motif.

Hintergrund:Ziel dieser Studie war, über einen Fall von bilateraler anteriorer, nichtgranulomatöser, chronischer, nichtinfektiöser Uveitis assoziiert mit isolierter Nagelpsoriasis ohne Gelenkbeteiligung zu berichten. Falldarstellung:Ein 55-jähriger Mann mit Offenwinkelglaukom in der Anamnese wurde an unser Uveitis- und Augenimmunologiezentrum mit einer intraokularen Entzündung übereinstimmend mit chronischer, nichtinfektiöser, bilateraler nichtgranulomatöser Uveitis überwiesen. Bei Vorstellung hatte er bilateral eine moderate Entzündung in der Vorderkammer sowie für Nagelpsoriasis charakteristische Läsionen. Die Nagelpsoriasis wurde später durch den Nagel-Ultraschall bestätigt, der von einem auf Psoriasis spezialisierten Radiologen durchgeführt wurde. Es wurden geeignete klinische und paraklinische Untersuchungen durchgeführt, die alle anderen möglichen Ursachen der Uveitis ausschlossen. Der Patient benötigte eine duale systemische immunmodulatorische Therapie mit Methotrexat und Adalimumab, topische entzündungshemmende Medikamente (steroidale und nichtsteroidale) und eine Anti-Glaukom-Therapie, um eine zufriedenstellende Kontrolle von Entzündung und Augendruck zu erreichen. Diskussion und Schlussfolgerungen:Dies ist der erste Bericht über eine nichtinfektiöse Uveitis im Zusammenhang mit einer Nagelschädigung bei einem Patienten ohne andere Manifestationen von Psoriasis. Trotz Berichten über den Zusammenhang zwischen Psoriasis und Uveitis liegen unzureichende Informationen über klinische Phänotypen in Kombination mit Uveitis vor, die zu einer späteren Diagnose und Behandlung der assoziierten intraokularen Entzündung führen könnten. Kliniker sollten sich aller Subtypen von Psoriasis bewusst sein, die bei diesen Patienten das Risiko für die Entwicklung einer Uveitis erhöhen.

Las pacientes con mutaciones en los genes BRCA1/2 tienen un riesgo aumentado de cáncer de mama. Entre otras medidas reductoras de riesgo se encuentra la mastectomía bilateral profiláctica. En menos del 1% de las pacientes BRCA se evidencia un cáncer de mama no conocido previamente en la pieza de mastectomía. El estudio del ganglio centinela de rutina no ha mostrado beneficio ya que son pocas las pacientes dónde se evidencia un cáncer oculto y es una técnica que asocia morbilidad. En el caso de encontrar un carcinoma en la pieza, el estadificación axilar debería hacerse en un segundo tiempo. De forma clásica se ha realizado linfadenectomía y no creer posible poder realizar la biopsia selectiva de ganglio centinela (BSGC) tras la mastectomía. Presentamos el caso de una paciente con tumor infiltrante en la pieza de mastectomía izquierda, y realización de BSGC en un segundo tiempo con éxito, en la que se evitó realizar la linfadenectomía axilar con un correcto estadificación de la axila. Realizaremos además una revisión de la bibliografía.

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Background: The brain cortex is responsible for many higher-level cognitive functions. Disruptions during cortical development have long-lasting consequences on brain function and are associated with the etiology of brain disorders. We previously found that the protein tyrosine phosphatase receptor delta Ptprd, which is genetically associated with several human neurodevelopmental disorders, is essential to cortical brain development. Loss of Ptprdexpression induced an aberrant increase of excitatory neurons in embryonic and neonatal mice by hyper-activating the pro-neurogenic receptors TrkB and PDGFRβ in neural precursor cells. However, whether these alterations have long-lasting consequences in adulthood remains unknown. Results: Here, we found that in Ptprd+/-or Ptprd-/-mice, the developmental increase of excitatory neurons persists through adulthood, affecting excitatory synaptic function in the medial prefrontal cortex. Likewise, heterozygosity or homozygosity for Ptprdalso induced an increase of inhibitory cortical GABAergic neurons and impaired inhibitory synaptic transmission. Lastly, Ptprd+/-or Ptprd-/-mice displayed autistic-like behaviors and no learning and memory impairments or anxiety. Conclusions: These results indicate that loss of Ptprdhas long-lasting effects on cortical neuron number and synaptic function that may aberrantly impact ASD-like behaviors.

The reintroduction of the Mexican wolf in the wilds of northwestern Mexico has allowed us to address its trophic ecology and elucidate conflicts with livestock producers: their main mortality factor. Our objective was to determine the feeding habits of wolves in Mexico, as well as the quantity and frequency of livestock predation in relation to seasonal and individual variables, through the analysis of genetically identified scats. During 2012–2022 we collected 1171 Mexican wolf scats. We extracted and sequenced DNAm and identified individuals and their sex using microsatellite analysis. We washed the scat and separated the undigested components for taxonomic identification. We estimated the frequency of prey items, the biomass it contributed to the diet, and compared prey consumption between sexes and between the birth and dispersal seasons. We constructed generalized linear models to identify the relationship between livestock presence in the diet and dietary prey richness with respect to environmental and individual variables. We identified 68 wolves that had consumed 30 species of vertebrates. Of these, white‐tailed deer (36.12%), diversionary feeding (22.79%), and cattle (25.56%) had the highest contribution to biomass. The ingestion of items was independent of the sex of the wolves but was dependent on the season. The presence of deer and diversionary feeding decreased the likelihood of cattle being ingested but also decreased the richness of items of wild species in the wolf diet. Wolves in northwestern Mexico fed mainly on large prey available in the reintroduction area, including livestock. As wolves consume livestock, it increases the risk of retaliatory actions from ranchers. Our results serve as a basis for the implementation of strategies to reduce human–wolf conflicts and set a baseline for coexistence in northwestern Mexico.

ABSTRACTSea-level reanalysis data fields from the Iberia-Biscay-Ireland Monitoring and Forecasting Center (IBIre) were analysed and validated with coastal tide-gauge and vertical positioning data from 110 experimental stations, complemented with the Technical University of Denmark global ocean tide model and mean dynamic topography DTU10, in order to establish the reference hydrographic surface (RHS) for Spanish waters. IBIre fitting to experimental tidal ranges, with mean errors about 10 cm, improves the DTU10 results along the Iberian Mediterranean shore due to an adequate reproduction of the ‘radiational’ tides. Regarding the mean dynamic topography, errors were also about 10 cm both for IBIre and DTU10 fields, and about 50% of them is plausibly related to the experimental uncertainness arising from the different averaging periods of observed series. Fitting of IBIre results to experimental data provides orthometric/ellipsoidal heights of the lowest astronomical tide with mean errors between 7 and 10 cm. IBIre sea-level data have enough quality to constitute a reliable basis for an operative RHS in Spanish waters, and plausibly in other regions within its spatial coverage. Moreover, IBIre sea-level data have other potential applications to the study of climate/sea-level trends, and improvements of the accuracy in de-tiding satellite-altimetry data in the western Mediterranean Sea.

ABSTRACTThis study applies a comparative political economy approach to institutional theory by considering institutional convergence and geopolitics as determinants of Chinese outward foreign direct investment (OFDI). Using country-level data for a sample of Asian countries, including Bamboo Network countries or countries with prominent overseas Chinese business networks in Southeast Asia, and other countries identified in the Varieties of Capitalism literature, the dynamic panel analysis from 2007 to 2019 finds that Chinese OFDI is significantly positively affected by the interaction between greater formal institutional distance from China and a similar state-backed institutional configuration. Conversely, active territorial disputes with China and formal arbitral proceedings against this country have significant and negative effects. This study finds that Chinese OFDI in general and specifically the reversal of the Bamboo Network, or the flowing back of Chinese capital into Southeast Asian economies that initially invested in China’s rise and integration into the global economy, are conditioned upon geopolitical tensions and convergence in terms of institutional configuration but not institutional distance.