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Abstract This paper reports the design of a biosensor for sensitive, low-cost measurement of lead in drinking water. The biosensor uses a genetically-modified strain of Escherichia coli, which serves as both signal amplifier and reporter of lead in water, measured via colour change. We developed the PlomBOX measurement platform to image this colour change and we demonstrate its capability to detect concentrations as low as the World Health Organisation upper limit for drinking water of 10 ppb. Our approach does not require expensive infrastructure or expert operators, and its automated sensing, detection and result visualisation platform is user-friendly and robust compared to existing lead biosensors—critical features to enable measurement by non-experts at the point of use.

Daily living skills are imperative for independent adult living, which is why these skills are often prioritized by parents of autistic individuals. Video-based interventions (VBIs) are when someone creates video models of a specific skill to teach another individual that skill. VBIs are becoming more prominent to teach individuals daily living skills (Hughes & Yakubova, 2016). The purpose of teaching daily living skills by using video-based interventions is to increase independence and reduce dependence on others daily (Howlin & Moss, 2012), as well as identify the functional relation in the use of VP to increase daily living skills for two young adults with developmental disabilities. This study utilized a multiple-baseline-across behaviors design, focusing on tasks that the participants self-selected. Results for both participants demonstrated a functional relation between video prompting and increased independence across three daily living skill tasks. Limitations and implications for future research will be discussed. Disclaimer: Regarding language use, Bury and colleagues' (2020) qualitative study indicated a preference from their respondents for the terms "person on the autism spectrum", "autistic", and "autistic person"; the researchers of this study inquired with the selected participants regarding their preferred terminology, with neither participant identifying a preference. Therefore, throughout this manuscript, identity-first language will be utilized based on findings from the extent literature.

PurposeMany individuals with inborn errors of immunity (IEIs) have poor humoral immune (HI) vaccine responses. Only a few studies have examined specific cell-mediated immune (CMI) responses to coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccines in this population. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to examine HI and CMI responses up to 6 months post-COVID-19 vaccine dose 3 in adults with IEIs.MethodsA multi-center prospective observational study was conducted across Canada to collect severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2)-specific HI and CMI data at 4- and 24-week intervals after vaccine doses 2 and 3 (D2 + 4wk/D2 + 24wk/D3 + 4wk/D3 + 24wk).ResultsA total of 149 adults with IEIs and 423 healthy controls were recruited from July 2021 to October 2023. Geometric mean anti-spike IgG (binding antibody units/mL) and spike-specific T-cell responses [IFN-γ+ T cells/106 peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs)] were significantly lower in IEIs compared to controls at D2 + 4wk, D3 + 4wk, and D3 + 24wk. However, at 6 months after completing the primary series (three doses for IEIs and two doses for healthy), both HI and CMI responses of both IEI participants and healthy controls persisted and were comparable. There was a strong correlation between neutralizing antibody titer (ID50) and anti-spike IgG but not between ID50 and CMI. There was only one reported case of hospitalized COVID-19 disease before and none after completing the primary series among IEI participants.ConclusionAdults with IEIs mounted both HI and CMI responses following COVID-19 vaccines, which were lower than those of healthy individuals but were present at least up to 6 months after dose 3. These data support the initial recommendation for a three-dose primary series among IEIs.

Background: Cervical cancer (CRC) is a public health problem because it is the fourth most common gynecologic neoplasm worldwide. The screening tests used to diagnose this pathology are cervical cytology, which in suspected malignancy or with malignancy requires colposcopy to identify the affected area and thus guide the biopsy, which is the gold standard for diagnosis. Therefore, these tests are complementary, and a high diagnostic concordance is required to make a confident diagnosis. Subjects and Methods: A retrospective, cross-sectional, observational, and analytical study was performed. A total of 1470 medical records were analyzed, of which 175 patients met the inclusion criteria. The cyto-colposcopic diagnostic yield was compared with the histopathologic yield. The concordance between screening tests and the gold standard was calculated using Cohen's kappa coefficient Results: The sample comprised 175 subjects who met the selection criteria (11.9%). The mean age was 34.59 + 11.01 years, ranging from 17 to 65 years. The mean sexual debut was 16.6 years, with a mean of 3.1 ± 2 sexual partners. When patients were classified according to lesion type, the highest percentages were found in low-grade squamous intraepithelial lesions (LSIL). With 45.71, 61.14, and 49.14% for cytologic, colposcopic, and histopathologic examination, respectively. The highest concordance between histopathology and cytology was found in the high-grade squamous intraepithelial lesion (HSIL) with 0.41, and the concordance between histopathology and colposcopy in HSIL and cancer was 0.55 and 0.74, respectively. Conclusions: Papanicolaou tests and colposcopy showed moderate concordance with histopathologic findings; the diagnostic accuracy of colposcopy is superior to that of cytology.

Control theory has been showing progress in its evolving exercise in precision agriculture for the search for optimized irrigation schemes regarding water saving. Nevertheless, implementations have been limited to on–off and PID (proportional–integral–derivative) controllers, with the more sophisticated variations being fuzzy controllers. To improve this, a robust model-based irrigation controller using a discrete sliding mode approach is taken. The work presented in this paper aims to evaluate whether the proposed controller improves irrigation performance in a pecan crop subject to uncertainties, disturbances, and delays. The paper describes the development and implementation of a discrete sliding mode controller, including system identification, model validation, stability analysis, controller parameter selection, and system response analysis. The proposed approach is evaluated, in terms of water consumption and irrigation accuracy, with two widely used watering schemes: open-loop time-based control and closed-loop on–off control. Experimental results indicate that the controller reaches water savings of 48% and 10% when compared with the time-based and on–off methods, respectively, while irrigation accuracy is kept within the range of 1% of volumetric water content.

Plasmids (circular DNA molecules) represent an ingenious strategy for horizontal gene transfer in prokaryotes and eukaryotic cells. Plasmids harbored in bacteria are responsible for the spread of traits such as antibiotic resistance, virulence factors, and the machinery for the horizontal gene transfer e.g., type IV secretion systems. Remarkably, Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) cryptic plasmids encode and carry genes that, under the host environment, replicate and concomitate with sporulation, producing parasporal crystalline proteins of two major types, crystalline (Cry) and cytolytic (Cyt), the former toxic against different orders of insects such as Lepidopterans, Coleopterans, and Dipterans (Cry proteins, MW 50–130 KDa); Cyt proteins, produced by B. thuringiensis subspecies israelensis (Bti)(MW 27-kDa) are toxic against Dipterans, i.e., mosquitoes and black flies. The X-Ray tridimensional structure for both types of toxins, formed by three domains, mostly of beta sheets antiparallel (Domain II and Domain III) linked through loops of different lengths. Domain I is a bundle of alpha helices. This structure is characterized by five conserved blocks, implying a conservation in the mode of action. Cyt proteins possess two alpha helices and some beta sheets with a structure similar to the antimicrobial peptides. Indeed, the mode of action proposed is mediated by the toxin-lipid interaction that hypothetically could result in transmembrane ionic channel formation. Several pieces of evidence support the action of both toxins in insects and mammals. The question is to what extent these Bt/Bti plasmid-encoded Cry or Cyt genes can be applied as bioinsecticides individually or in combination with Lysinibacillus sphaericus. The feasibility of being considered a promising and safe biological strategy for crop pests and vector-borne neglected infectious diseases is an issue pinpointed in the present review.

Una buena calidad de sueño (CS) es esencial para el rendimiento deportivo. El objetivo del presente estudio fue identificar los componentes auto informados de la CS, sexo y modalidad deportiva y su incidencia en la percepción de trastornos del sueño durante viajes competitivos en deportistas universitarios. Una muestra por conveniencia de 96 deportistas universitarios respondió el cuestionario auto administrado del Índice de Calidad de Sueño de Pittsburgh (ICSP) vía online para identificar su CS y una pregunta sobre la ocurrencia de trastornos de sueño durante viajes competitivos. Se realizó un modelo de regresión logística binario usando los componentes del ICSP y los datos sociodemográficos como predictores de experimentar trastornos del sueño en viajes competitivos. El 34.7% de los deportistas reportaron presentar trastornos de sueño durante las competencias y el 65.6% presentaron una mala CS de acuerdo a la puntuación global del ICSP (>5). Se identificó un modelo multivariado con una precisión del 82.3%, sensibilidad del 71.9% y especificidad del 87.5% para predecir trastornos de sueño durante viajes competitivos. Se concluye que, el ser mujer deportista, participar en un deporte individual y presentar una deficiente CS en los componentes de disfunción diurna, calidad subjetiva del sueño y alteraciones del sueño, son predictores de presentar trastornos del sueño durante viajes competitivos, por lo que es importante buscar estrategias con estos grupos para aminorar efectos adversos en su rendimiento competitivo. Palabras clave: calidad de sueño, competencia deportiva, deporte individual, disfunción diurna, rendimiento competitivo. Abstract. A good sleep quality (SQ) is essential for sports performance. The aim of the present study was to identify the self-reported components of SQ, sex and sports modality and their incidence on the perception of sleep disorders during competitive travels in university athletes. A convenience sample of 96 college athletes responded to the self-administered Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) questionnaire online to identify their SQ and a question about the occurrence of sleep disorders during competitive travel. A binary logistic regression model was performed using the PSQI components and sociodemographic data as predictors of experiencing sleep disorders in competitive travel. 34.7% of the athletes reported having sleep disorders during competitions and 65.6% had a poor SQ according to the PSQI global score (>5). A multivariate model was identified with an accuracy of 82.3%, sensitivity of 71.9% and specificity of 87.5% to predict sleep disorders during competitive trips. It is concluded that being a female athlete, participating in an individual sport and presenting poor SQ in the components of daytime dysfunction, subjective sleep quality and sleep disturbances are predictors of presenting sleep disorders during competitive travels, so it is important to look for strategies with these groups to reduce adverse effects on their competitive performance. Keywords: sleep quality, sport competition, individual sport, daytime dysfunction, competitive performance.

Background COVID-19 survivors who were hospitalised continue to experience long-term multisystemic sequelae and symptoms, impacting their health-related quality of life (HRQoL). The complexity of post-COVID-19 conditions underscores the importance of adopting a multidisciplinary, patient-centric approach to ensure ongoing care. This study aims to assess HRQoL and post-COVID symptoms in a cohort of severe COVID-19 survivors depending on their participation in a multidisciplinary programme. Methods This prospective study was conducted in a post-COVID clinic staffed by a multidisciplinary team (physical rehabilitator, nutritionist, psychologist, including experts in pulmonary rehabilitation, nutrition, psychology and others). Subjects over 18 years old who were hospitalised due to severe COVID-19 during the acute phase and had attended the post-COVID clinic within the first 3 months following discharge were included. Subjects who were unable or unwilling to provide informed consent to participate in the protocol were excluded. Linear mixed-effect models were employed to examine changes in 12-Item Short-Form Health Survey (SF-12) component scores. The resolution of post-COVID symptom clusters was compared using the Cox model. Results A total of 730 patients were included, with a mean±sd age of 55.78±15.43 years; 60.55% were male and 90.62% required mechanical ventilation during hospitalisation. Programme attendants demonstrated improved SF-12 physical and mental component scores at 3 and 12 months. A reduction in the prevalence of post-COVID symptoms was observed in both groups, with greater reductions in those attending the programme. Conclusion Our study showed that patients enrolled on the multidisciplinary programme experienced improvements in fatigue, musculoskeletal, gastrointestinal, neuropsychiatric and respiratory symptoms, along with enhanced SF-12 mental and physical component scores.

A silver-rich lead alloy was obtained through the recycling of two metallurgical wastes: these are lead paste obtained from spent lead–acid batteries and a jarosite residue obtained from the hydrometallurgical production of zinc. Mixtures of both wastes were pyrometallurgically treated with sodium carbonate in a silicon carbide crucible at 1200 °C. The alloy and slag produced were analyzed by atomic absorption spectrometry, X-ray diffraction, and scanning electron microscopy with energy-dispersive spectra. High silver recovery was obtained in a Pb-Ag alloy for a mixture ratio of 30% Na2CO3–40% lead paste–30% jarosite, reaching a silver grade of 126 ppm. The slags produced for the highest jarosite content allow the compound formation of Na2(SO4) and Na2Fe(SO4)2, which have high sulfur-fixing, avoiding SO2 release and contributing to the minimization of atmospheric pollution. The novel pyrometallurgical route addresses not only the valorization of precious metals such as silver and lead but also the reduction in accumulated industrial waste.

El gobierno desempeña un papel crucial en la estimulación de la actividad económica, especialmente durante las recesiones. Sin embargo, la implementación de políticas fiscales contracíclicas a menudo resulta en un aumento significativo de la deuda pública. En este estudio, proponemos una alternativa para impulsar la actividad económica sin comprometer la deuda soberana. Para lograrlo, utilizamos un modelo NK-DSGE para analizar el gasto desagregado en la economía mexicana y calcular los multiplicadores de cada componente de manera individual. Nuestra propuesta consiste en aumentar el gasto en el elemento con mayor multiplicador, compensando con recortes en aquel con menor impacto. De esta manera, no se afecta el presupuesto gubernamental. Concluimos que este enfoque es óptimo tanto para estimular la economía como para lograr la consolidación fiscal.

Student persistence remains an important focus for higher education professionals. National conferences and other professional development opportunities regularly highlight information on resources, supports, and programmatic efforts that are most effective at helping college students persist. Retention is a key performance indicator for institutions, a significant policy issue, and a primary focus for researchers and practitioners (Seidman, 2012). Located just two miles apart in Brooklyn Park, Minnesota, a first-ring suburb of Minneapolis, are Hennepin Technical College (HTC) and North Hennepin Community College (NHCC). Both are a part of the Minnesota State system (MinnState) of colleges and universities. The colleges enroll similar student populations with a high number of students who are of diverse races and ethnicities, low-income, first-generation, and adult learners. Because the institutions are located within the same city and are facing similar trending enrollment declines, decreasing state funding, and a projected regional workforce shortage, the authors were compelled to conduct a local research study about persistence. To do this research, the authors partnered with the Brooklyn Bridge Alliance for Youth. As a result of this study the authors designed a Blueprint Action Plan to catalyze changes that will lead to increased student persistence which includes six collective actions detailed in this article.

During the electrolytic production of zinc, the iron in solutions is mainly controlled by the precipitation of jarosite. This precipitate also contains valuable metals (Zn, Pb, Cu, Ag) and toxic elements (Hg, Cd, As). This study deals with the pyrometallurgical treatment of jarosite waste in order to recover the metal values and convert the waste into environmentally acceptable slag. Initially, the sample was heated to 100°C to remove moisture, and then roasted at 700°C to release some OH‒ and sulfate groups by thermal decomposition. The analysis of the SiO2-CaO-Fe2O3 ternary phase diagram showed that a flux containing 48% CaO and 52% SiO2 can be used to melt the roasted jarosite at 1400°C. Subsequently, tests were carried out with the reducing agent (CaSi), resulting in a mixture of slag and two metallic phases, one of which is an Fe-Si alloy and the other a Pb-rich phase containing the valuable metal Ag. Both the metallic and slag phases were characterised by chemical analysis, SEM-EDS and XRD. Additionally, the raw jarosite residue and the final slag were leached with an aqueous acetic acid solution to estimate their chemical stability. The obtained results show that the slag produced after the reduction of jarosite residue meets the environmental specifications and could be used as raw material in other industries.

Abstract Objective The primary aim of this study was to evaluate the influence of targeted interventions, administered through comprehensive geriatric assessments on the incidence of hospitalization‐related complications among older adults diagnosed with pulmonary diseases. Methods A retrospective analysis of medical records encompassed individuals aged 75 years and older who were admitted to a lung center during the period spanning from March to June 2023. These admissions occurred in a context where standardized geriatric management protocols were systematically implemented. This study's scope extended to assessing the prevalence of hospital‐related complications, encompassing delirium and pressure ulcers. A rigorous multivariate logistic regression analysis was conducted to discern and characterize associated factors. Results The integration of comprehensive geriatric assessment yielded a substantial reduction in in‐hospital complications among the cohort of 118 patients (mean age : 82.1 ± 5.6 years, 44.5% women). The incidence of delirium decreased from 53.3% to 21.8% [odds ratio (OR): 0.246, 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.134–0.450, p

This work focuses on the recovery of lead and silver from jarosite waste by a three-stage process: drying, roasting and reduction at 100 °C, 700 °C and 1400 °C, respectively. A flux mixture with 48 mass% CaO and 52% SiO2 was used for the reduction stage. A gas consisting of 70 vol% CO and 30 vol% CO2 was used as a reducing agent. To select the temperatures and the amount of flux and reducing agent, a characterization of the jarosite waste was carried out using thermogravimetry and high-temperature X-ray diffraction, as well as a thermodynamic study of the effects of the process parameters. The lead-rich metallic and slag phases were characterized by chemical analysis, SEM-EDS and XRD. In addition, the jarosite residue and the final slag were leached with an aqueous acetic acid solution to estimate their chemical stability. The results show a recovery of over 95% of the lead and silver and the formation of an environmentally friendly residual slag.

In the context of advanced technology, increased knowledge, complex problems, and global issues, topics related to science and education need to be reimagined and deconstructed. All the proposed pedagogies developed throughout history need to be assessed to figure out which one would be the most suitable according to the current times. Although all of them offered some advantages and worked in their respective sociohistorical contexts, a theorical and pragmatic view should be used to get the best of those pedagogies. Polymathic pedagogy is the proposed way of teaching and learning, where the main educational actors (students-teachers) work together around a systemic paradigm, grounded in the ideal of the unity of knowledge, in which disciplinary, interdisciplinary, multidisciplinary and transdisciplinary approaches draw different theoretical and practical perspectives on the learning-teaching process that influences the biological, psychological, and social aspects of the individual, including the environment. An integrative and holistic approach of all the systems does not mean that the individual needs to acquire and accumulate merely information. Instead, it is a pragmatic way of choosing the appropriate knowledge and applying it in an adequate context.

Synchronous motors have extended their presence in different applications, specifically in high-demand environments such as agronomy. These uses need advanced and better control strategies to improve energy efficiency. Within this context, sliding mode control has demonstrated effectiveness in electric machine control due to its advantages in robustness and quick adaptation to uncertain dynamic system disturbances. Nevertheless, this control technique presents the undesirable chattering phenomenon due to the discontinuous control action. This paper introduces a novel speed integral control scheme based on sliding modes for synchronous motors. This approach is designed to track smooth speed profiles and is evaluated through several numeric simulations to verify its robustness against variable torque loads. This approach addresses using electric motors for different applications such as irrigation systems, greenhouses, pumps, and others. Moreover, to address the chattering problem, different sign function approximations are evaluated in the control scheme. Then, the most effective functions for suppressing the chattering phenomenon through extensive comparative analysis are identified. Integral compensation in this technique demonstrates improvement in motor performance, while sign function approximations show a chattering reduction. Different study cases prove the robustness of this control scheme for large-scale synchronous motors. The simulation results validate the proposed control scheme based on sliding modes with integral compensation, by achieving chattering reduction and obtaining an efficient control scheme against uncertain disturbances in synchronous motors for agronomy applications.

Introducción: La promoción de la salud es primordial para modificar que las personas adquieran aptitudes, habilidades y comportamientos personales que faciliten la adquisición de un estilo de vida saludable. Objetivo: Explorar que señala la evidencia cualitativa sobre percepción de la promoción de la salud de personas adultas y profesionales de la salud para contribuir a modificar el estilo de vida. Metodología: Metasíntesis cualitativa, análisis de metadatos con propuesta de Sandelowski y Barroso, en estudios primarios descriptivos o interpretativos de 2008 a 2019, considerando las percepciones de personas adultas y profesionales de la salud con respecto a la promoción de la salud y estilo de vida, empleando diferentes bases de datos, descriptores y boleanos: promoción de la salud, conductas saludables, estilo de vida saludable, adulto e investigación cualitativa, en diversas combinaciones posibles, con AND y OR, excluyendo artículos cuantitativos, población pediátrica y personas con problemas de salud, se analizaron 10 artículos según criterios de rigor científico de Lincoln y Guba. Resultados: Las personas percibieron el contexto macro y microsocial y algunas barreras en la implementación de acciones de promoción de la salud por parte del personal de salud que influyó directamente en los cambios de conducta. Los profesionales de la salud reconocieron la promoción de la salud como una estrategia de mediación entre las personas y su entorno para incidir en la adopción de un estilo de vida saludable. Conclusiones: La promoción de la salud sigue siendo una estrategia idónea para incentivar acciones en beneficio de la salud de las personas.

Como cada año, el Congreso Internacional de la Academia Mexicana de Investigación Turística (AMIT) congrega a especialistas de turismo del país y del extranjero. Este evento reúne a investigadoras(es) y estudiantes interesados en el campo del turismo y afines, quienes asisten cada año para presentar los avances de sus investigaciones e intercambiar ideas para enriquecer el conocimiento. Después de dos años de realizar el Congreso de manera virtual, era necesario restablecer el contacto humano, de ahí que esta decimosexta edición significó un reinicio y un emotivo reencuentro después del vendaval que ocasionó la pandemia del COVID-19.

In the cognitive and neural sciences, Bayesianism refers to a collection of concepts and methods stemming from various implementations of Bayes’ theorem, which is a formal way to calculate the conditional probability of a hypothesis being true based on prior expectations and updating priors in the face of errors. Bayes’ theorem has been fruitfully applied to describe and explain a wide range of cognitive and neural phenomena (e.g., visual perception and neural population activity) and is at the core of various theories (e.g., predictive processing). Despite these successes, we claim that Bayesianism has two interrelated shortcomings: its calculations and models are predominantly linear and noise is assumed to be random and unstructured versus deterministic. We outline ways that Bayesianism can address those shortcomings: first, by making more central the nonlinearities characteristic of biological cognitive systems, and second, by treating noise not as random and unstructured dynamics, but as the kind of structured nonlinearities of complex dynamical systems (e.g., chaos and fractals). We provide bistable visual percepts as an example of a real-world phenomenon that demonstrates the fruitfulness of integrating complex dynamical systems theory in Bayesian treatments of perception. Doing so facilitates a Bayesianism that is more capable of explaining a number of currently out-of-reach natural phenomena on their own, biologically realistic terms.

This article provides an overview of current special education policy in Mexico and highlights two successful schools in rural Jalisco that have garnered recognition as particularly creative and responsive institutions. A void exists in the literature about the types of specialized services that children with disabilities are likely to encounter south of the border. U.S. educators can maximize the success of their Mexican origin special needs students, by having a better understanding of this schooling context. The topic of this paper is of particular urgency to a record number of families who are facing voluntary or involuntary deportation, and who are concerned about access to quality services for their differently abled children, particularly if they find themselves in rural communities.