Search

It is broadly accepted that CO is a reliable tracer of H2 in massive IR (LIR ≳ 109 L⊙) galaxies, and that there are clear correlations between LIR and L’CO that are qualitatively independent of environment and even redshift. We present two tales on the search for 12CO emission from dusty star-forming galaxies in both field (Lockman Hole, z < 0.1) and cluster (Zw Cl0024.1+1652, z ∼ 0.4) environments, according to the capabilities of the EMIR receiver at the IRAM-30m telescope. The observed galaxies are part of two follow-up programs in the millimetre regime of the spectroscopic Lockman-SpReSO and GLACE surveys in the optical (OSIRIS / 10.4m GTC). From these data we derived LIR and L’CO estimations and put them in the framework of the historic records according to the literature for each environmental case. We provide insights about some practical limits of the current facilities (IRAM observatories, ALMA, LMT) to get reliable estimations for IR at low and intermediate redshifts. Our results suggest that the amount of cold gas and the star formation efficiency increase with the cluster-centric distance, hence pointing to an environmental dependency.

To help minimize water temperature variations and stop excessive evaporation, effective insulation materials are frequently needed during the design and construction of ponds. In contrast to conventional materials, geopolymer mortars have great insulating qualities, making them an attractive option. An alkaline activator and aluminosilicate materials react chemically to create geopolymers, which have a three-dimensional network structure and high thermal insulation properties. Geopolymer mortars are used in ponds to promote energy efficiency and sustainability while also improving temperature stability and reducing water loss from evaporation. An alkaline activator and aluminosilicate materials react chemically to create geopolymers, which have a three-dimensional network structure and high thermal insulation properties. The use of geopolymer mortars as an insulating material in pond construction is discussed in this abstract, along with its composition, characteristics, and advantages over more conventional choices. Geopolymer mortars are used in ponds to promote energy efficiency and sustainability while also improving temperature stability and reducing water loss from evaporation. The utilization of geopolymers as cutting-edge insulating materials for structures with green roofs is thoroughly examined in this publication. As sustainable construction techniques become more prevalent, selecting the right insulating materials is essential for enhancing energy efficiency and overall building performance. Geopolymers, which can be produced from industrial waste or natural resources, offer appealing properties for green roofs, such as the ability to lessen the impact of urban heat islands, superior thermal insulation, and fire resistance. This study assesses the advantages, challenges, and potential impact of geopolymer-based insulating materials on green construction practices.

Antonio J Mateo Orobia,1–3 Paula Casas Pascual,1,4 José Á Cristóbal Bescós,1 Diana Perez García,1,4 Carlos Peiro Embid,1,4 M Ángeles del Buey Sayas,1,4 Valentyna Korobko Kulikova,1 Noelia Lafuente Ojeda5 1Department of Ophthalmology, Hospital Quirón, 2Department of Ophthalmology, Hospital Universitario Miguel Servet, 3Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria de Aragón (IIS), 4Department of Ophthalmology, Hospital Clínico Universitario Lozano-Blesa, 5Department of Anesthesiology, Hospital Universitario Miguel Servet, Zaragoza, Spain Purpose: To evaluate the effect of 3% trehalose as an adjuvant in the standard treatment after laser-assisted in situ keratomileusis.Design: Interventional prospective comparative single-blind study.Setting: Department of Ophthalmology, Hospital Quirón Zaragoza, Spain.Methods: A total of 26 eyes (13 patients) were included, of which 12 eyes (group 1) received conventional treatment with lubricant drops of hyaluronic acid (0.15%) and 14 eyes (group 2) received, additionally, an ophthalmic solution of 3% trehalose. Pre- and postoperative quality-of-life tests and vital stains, tear breakup time, and osmolarity measurements were made.Results: We obtained statistically significant differences between the groups in the Symptom Assessment in Dry Eye test in all visits with respect to severity, and in the postoperative day 1 visit with respect to frequency, in all cases favoring the trehalose treatment. The values of osmolarity were not significantly different between groups. However, we did find significant differences in the Oxford scale in day 90 for the trehalose treatment (P

Pezhman Kazemi,1 Mohammad Hassan Khalid,1 Ana Pérez Gago,2 Peter Kleinebudde,2 Renata Jachowicz,1 Jakub Szlęk,1 Aleksander Mendyk1 1Department of Pharmaceutical Technology and Biopharmaceutics, Faculty of Pharmacy, Jagiellonian University Medical College, Krakow, Poland; 2Institute of Pharmaceutics and Biopharmaceutics, Heinrich-Heine-University, Düsseldorf, Germany Abstract: Dry granulation using roll compaction is a typical unit operation for producing solid dosage forms in the pharmaceutical industry. Dry granulation is commonly used if the powder mixture is sensitive to heat and moisture and has poor flow properties. The output of roll compaction is compacted ribbons that exhibit different properties based on the adjusted process parameters. These ribbons are then milled into granules and finally compressed into tablets. The properties of the ribbons directly affect the granule size distribution (GSD) and the quality of final products; thus, it is imperative to study the effect of roll compaction process parameters on GSD. The understanding of how the roll compactor process parameters and material properties interact with each other will allow accurate control of the process, leading to the implementation of quality by design practices. Computational intelligence (CI) methods have a great potential for being used within the scope of quality by design approach. The main objective of this study was to show how the computational intelligence techniques can be useful to predict the GSD by using different process conditions of roll compaction and material properties. Different techniques such as multiple linear regression, artificial neural networks, random forest, Cubist and k-nearest neighbors algorithm assisted by sevenfold cross-validation were used to present generalized models for the prediction of GSD based on roll compaction process setting and material properties. The normalized root-mean-squared error and the coefficient of determination (R2) were used for model assessment. The best fit was obtained by Cubist model (normalized root-mean-squared error =3.22%, R2=0.95). Based on the results, it was confirmed that the material properties (true density) followed by compaction force have the most significant effect on GSD. Keywords: computational intelligence, milling, roll compaction, dry granulation, neural network, Cubist

Intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG) preparation comprise a pooled IgG antiboidies from the serum of thousands of donors and has been used as therapy in several pathologies such as: primary im- munodeficiency’s, autoimmune diseases, Kawasaki disease and on transplantation field to treat graft versus host disease, viral infec- tions and sensitization due to anti-donor antibodies. The anti-donor antibodies are an important risk factor for acute humoral rejections on kidney transplantation and are a very important risk factor for graft failure after hematopoietic stem cell transplantation. Using IVIG to treat patients with anti-donor antibodies might reduced the risk of acute kidney rejection and graft failure following hematopoietic stem cell transplantation.

In this paper we develop a 0-1 integer multiobjective programming. model to simultaneously select and plan a portfolio of projects from a set of initial proposals. Projects in the portfolio are allowed to start at different moments of time , according to the resources available at each period and according to other requirements of strategic and/or political character, for example. Furthermore, given that the decision maker usually has an imprecise knowledge of certain parameters appearing in both, the objective functions and constraints of the model, we treat this uncertainty using stochastic programming. The functionality of the model is tested by means of an illustrative example, and using a set of 5,760 test instances.

In this work, we develop an integer 0-1 programming model in order to select and plan,simultaneously, a project portfolio from a set of initial candidates. Projects can start at different times depending onresource availability or any other strategic or political requirements. We assume the decision centre has an impreciseknowledge about certain parameters which appear in the model’s constraints. This uncertainty has been modeledusing fuzzy set concepts. A numerical example is presented to demonstrate its performance and usefulness of theobtained results.

We have used a feather to study light diffraction, in a qualitative as well as in a quantitative manner. Experimental measurement of the separation between the bright spots obtained with a laser pointer allowed the determination of the space between feather's barbs and barbules. The results we have obtained agree satisfactorily with those corresponding to a typical feather. Due to the kind of materials, the related concepts and the experimental results, this activity becomes an excellent didactic resource suitable for studying diffraction, both in introductory undergraduate as well as in secondary school physics courses.

The UCNA experiment was designed to measure the neutron β-asymmetry parameter A0 using polarized ultracold neutrons (UCN). UCN produced via downscattering in solid deuterium were polarized via transport through a 7 T magnetic field, and then directed to a 1 T solenoidal electron spectrometer, where the decay electrons were detected in electron detector packages located on the two ends of the spectrometer. A value for A0 was then extracted from the asymmetry in the numbers of counts in the two detector packages. We summarize all of the results from the UCNA experiment, obtained during run periods in 2007, 2008–2009, 2010, and 2011–2013, which ultimately culminated in a 0.67% precision result for A0.

Sand and dust storms (SDS) are an important threat to life, health, property, environment and economy in many countries, and play a significant role in different aspects of weather, climate and atmospheric chemistry. There is an increasing need for SDS accurate information and predictions to support early warning systems, and preparedness and mitigation plans. The present contribution introduces the current activities of the Regional Center for Northern Africa, Middle East and Europe of the WMO Sand and Dust Storm Warning Advisory and Assessment System (SDS-WAS). The Center has the mission is to enhance the ability of countries in the region to deliver timely and quality SDS forecasts, observations, information and knowledge to users through an international partnership of research and operational communities.

The pre-stack Kirchhoff migration is implemented for delivering wavelet stretch-free imaged data, if the migration is (ideally) limited to the wavelet corresponding to a target horizon. Avoiding wavelet stretch provides long-offset imaged data, far beyond what is reached in conventional migration and results in images from the target with improved vertical and lateral resolution and angular illumination. Increasing the range of imaged offsets also increases the sensitivity to event-crossing, velocity errors and anisotropy. These issues must be addressed to fully achieve the greatest potential of this technique. These ideas are further illustrated with a land survey seismic data application in Texas, U.S.

Through finite difference modelling, we studied the effects of seismic scattering due near surface high velocity layers, with varied contrasts and thickness, and their influence on seismic data. Despite conventional methods to eliminate noise mainly based in a mathematical approach, i.e., F-K analysis, Radon transform, we apply a deterministic scheme based on the modeling of wave propagation, generating the unwanted signals (Ernst et al., 1998; Blonk et al., 1995; Blonk and Hermann, 1994).The detailed understanding of the backscattering phenomenon allows to discern what can be considered noise and therefore to define attenuation' s strategies (Lamer et al., 1983). In presence of near surface high velocity layers, part of the original seismic energy is scattered in these layers and only a smaller fraction is transmitted to the Earth' s interior, generating coherent noise that masks the information comming from the deeper reflectors (Leslie and Evans, 1999). A 20 model was designed to obtain synthetic seismograms. The simulation shows the scattering mechanism related with velocity inversions in the near surface layers, allowing to characterize their influence on seismic records. The unwanted signal is subtracted from that considered information. The results obtained in this work are bounded to the analysis of synthetic data.Mediante el modelamiento con diferencias finitas, se estudia el efecto de la dispersion sísmica por la presencia de capas someras de alta velocidad, con contrastes y espesores variables, y su influencia en la información sísmica. A diferencia de los métodos convencionales de eliminacion de ruido de base fundamentalmente matemática, por ejemplo: F-K, Radón, se aplica un esquema determinístico basado en el modelamiento de propagación de ondas que reproduce las señales no deseadas (Ernst et al., 1998; Blonk et al., 1995; Blonk and Hermann, 1994). El entendimiento detallado del fenómeno que genera estas señales permite discernir lo que se considera ruido y, por tanto, definir estrategias para su atenuación (Lamer et al., 1983). Por la presencia de capas someras de alta velocidad, gran parte de la energía sísmica original se dispersa en estas capas y solo una pequeña fracción se transmite al interior de la Tierra, generando ruido coherente que enmascara la información proveniente de los reflectores mas profundos (Leslie and Evans, 1999). Se diseño un modelo 20 y se obtuvieron varios sismogramas sintéticos, La simulación muestra el mecanismo de dispersión relacionado con la inversion de velocidad en las capas mas someras, lo que permite caracterizar su influencia sobre los registros sísmicos. La información no deseada (ruido) es sustraída de la que se considera información. Los resultados obtenidos en este trabajo se circunscriben al análisis de datos sintéticos.

The foothills areas are characterized by low velocity shallow layers and rugged topopgraphy. Inside these stratas a coherent noise named back scattering is produced, that noise overlaps the waves comming from the deeper reflectors. In seismic sections of the colombian foothills this signal is observed, obscuring the subsurface image. A method to attenuate this signal is presented in this paper, the approach is based in the prediction of this noise and the posterior remotion from the seismic records. The shallow layer response is simulated through the numerical modeling in finite elements of the acustic wave propagation in a subsurface model. Lately, the shallow layer response is subtracted trace by trace from the synthetic record, getting a high noise's attenuation in the shot. We present results obtained by synthetic data modeling.Las zonas de piedemonte se caracterizan por las capas someras de baja velocidad y poria topografía rugosa. En esos estratos se produce un ruido coherente lIamado backscattering que apantalla las ondas que provienen de los retlectores profundos. Esta señal se observa en las secciones sísmicas del piedemonte colombiano, oscureciendo la imagen del subsuelo. Para atenuar esta señal, se presenta en este artículo un método basado en la predicción de dicho ruido y su posterior remoción de los registros. Para ello se simula la respuesta de la capa somera mediante el modelamiento numérico en elementos finitos de la propagación de la onda acústica en un modelo del subsuelo. Posteriormente, esta respuesta se sustrae traza por traza del registro sintético, logrando una atenuación sustancial del ruido en el disparo. Se presentan resultados obtenidos de la simulación con datos sintéticos

En España el número de donaciones y de nuevos donantes de sangre ha disminuido en los últimos años. Si lo que se pretende es mantener unos niveles estables, es necesario un grupo de población de bajo riesgo y la población sanitaria podría ser un candidato perfecto. El objetivo de este estudio ha sido describir cuáles son los motivos que influyen en el personal sanitario para convertirse en donantes de sangre y para los que no son donantes identificar las barreras que les impiden donar y qué podría motivarles para convertirse en donantes.Se trata de un estudio descriptivo transversal, realizado en el Hospital Clínico San Carlos de Madrid, desde marzo a diciembre de 2015. Se ha considerado significativa una muestra de 300 individuos.De la muestra obtenida (N=300), 85.3% (256) fueron mujeres y un 14.7% (44) fueron hombres, con una edad media de 41.18 años (DE: 10.66). De estos 300 individuos, 23.3% (70) eran auxiliares de enfermería, 60% (180) eran enfermeras, 14.3% (43) eran médicos y 2.3% (7) pertenecían a otras categorías profesionales.En lo que respecta a la donación de sangre: 48.3% (145) nunca habían donado sangre, frente al 51.6% (155) que sí habían donado sangre en alguna ocasión. De los 155 profesionales sanitarios que eran donantes, 60% (93) habían comenzado a donar sangre por altruismo, y 13.5% (21) por la influencia del alguien cercano. Además un 63.8% (99) habían continuado donando sangre por altruismo o por responsabilidad social. En relación con los no donantes, 52.4 % (76) no han donado nunca sangre por alguna causa médica y 12.4% (18) por falta de tiempo. Al preguntarles sobre qué podría motivarles para donar: 31.3% (45) donaría si un familiar necesitase una transfusión sanguínea y el 23.4% (34) en caso de una situación de emergencia.Los resultados obtenidos podrán ayudar a establecer estrategias específicas para tratar de convertir a este grupo de población en donantes de sangre regulares.

Fundamento: Ante la escasez de datos acerca de la prevalencia de hipotiroidismo en España, se decide estimarla a través del consumo de su tratamiento específico, las hormonas tiroideas, utilizando la metodología de los estudios de utilización de medicamentos. Métodos: Cálculo de la Dosis Habitante Día (DHD) de hormonas tiroideas (grupo terapéutico H03 de la Anatomical Therapeutic Chemical) a través de la Dosis Diaria Definida (DDD), durante 1996 y 1999, en las distintas provincias de las Comunidades Autónomas de todo el territorio nacional. Se han calculado los intervalos de confianza al 95 % para las prevalencias estimadas en las comunidades autónomas y en el territorio nacional, así como los incrementos porcentuales de 1999 respecto a 1996. Los datos de las prescripciones han sido facilitados por el Ministerio de Sanidad y Consumo. Resultados: Se estima una prevalencia nacional de hipotiroidismo para 1996, de 3,19 casos por 1.000 habitantes y para 1999, de 4,33 casos por 1000 habitantes; el incremento porcentual es de 26,38 %. Los resultados de la DHD muestran diferencias en la prevalencia entre provincias: Guadalajara presenta las cifras más altas en los dos años estudiados(5,02 y 7,01 casos por 1.000 habitantes/día en 1996 y 1999 respectivamente) y Melilla, las más bajas (1,07 y 1,60 casos por 1.000 habitantes/día). En todas las provincias y comunidades autónomas se ha producido un incremento de la DHD en el año 1999 respecto al 1996. El incremento menor fue para Asturias (9,62 %) y el más alto para La Rioja (35,26 %). Conclusiones: Los 3,19 y 4,33 DDD por 1.000 habitantes/día en 1996 y 1999 respectivamente, pueden ser interpretados como la prevalencia de hipotiroidismo diagnosticado y tratado. Estas cifras se hallan en el intervalo determinado por otros estudios, aunque las comparaciones entre estudios de diferente metodología deben hacerse con extremada precaución. El incremento observado en el consumo podría explicarse más por una mejora en el diagnóstico de la enfermedad que por un aumento real de su prevalencia.

Se describe la utilización del escritorio virtual Netvibes en la Biblioteca Rector Gabriel Ferraté y la Biblioteca del Campus del Baix Llobregat de la Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya. El uso de los escritorios virtuales responde a las necesidades de estas dos bibliotecas, que comparten características comunes: múltiples puntos de atención a los usuarios, una gran superficie distribuida en plantas independientes, mucha rotación de personal y uso de múltiples aplicaciones para prestar servicios. La utilización de los escritorios virtuales se presenta como una posible solución a estas problemáticas, y abre a la vez un gran abanico de posibilidades para mejorar y simplificar los flujos de información de cualquier organización. Se puede afirmar que el uso del escritorio virtual mejora la prestación de los servicios compartiendo e integrando datos, incluso, ajenos.We describe the use of the Netvibes virtual desktop at the Rector Gabriel Ferraté Library and at the Baix Llobregat Campus Library at the Polytechnic University of Catalonia. Virtual desktops respond effectively to the needs of these two libraries, which share common features: multiple information desks, a large surface area distributed over different floors, high levels of staff rotation, and the use of multiple applications to provide service. The use of virtual desktops provides solutions to the problems posed, while offering at the same time a wide range of possibilities for enhancing and simplifying the information flows of any organization. Virtual desktops enhance service provision by sharing and integrating data, including external data.

Es descriu la utilització de l'escriptori virtual Netvibes a la Biblioteca Rector Gabriel Ferraté i la Biblioteca del Campus del Baix Llobregat de la Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya. L'ús dels escriptoris virtuals respon a les necessitats d'aquestes dues biblioteques, que comparteixen característiques comunes: múltiples punts d'atenció als usuaris, una gran superfície distribuïda en plantes independents, molta rotació de personal i ús de múltiples aplicacions per prestar serveis. La utilització dels escriptoris virtuals es presenta com una possible solució a aquestes problemàtiques, i alhora obre un gran ventall de possibilitats per millorar i simplificar els fluxos d'informació de qualsevol organització. Es pot afirmar que l'ús de l'escriptori virtual millora la prestació dels serveis compartint i integrant dades, fins i tot, alienes.We describe the use of the Netvibes virtual desktop at the Rector Gabriel Ferraté Library and at the Baix Llobregat Campus Library at the Polytechnic University of Catalonia. Virtual desktops respond effectively to the needs of these two libraries, which share common features: multiple information desks, a large surface area distributed over different floors, high levels of staff rotation, and the use of multiple applications to provide service. The use of virtual desktops provides solutions to the problems posed, while offering at the same time a wide range of possibilities for enhancing and simplifying the information flows of any organization. Virtual desktops enhance service provision by sharing and integrating data, including external data.

Aproximación a la condición social y económica de los moriscos segorbinos [Segorbe (Alto Palancia)] a través del estudio de los arrendamientos de sus antiguas propiedades y bienes durante el trienio 1610 a 1612. Se aborda la situación de Segorbe en el momento de publicarse el decreto de expulsión de septiembre de 1609. Se analizan, asimismo, las deudas contraídas y los préstamos concertados por los moriscos. Se discuten los problemas metodológicos que plantea la documentación estudiada y se ofrece un ejemplo preciso de ellos a través del análisis pormenorizado de la partida de Almagrán [huerta de Segorbe].

RESUMEN Actualmente, los procesos de planificación turística están orientados para que sean los agentes locales quienes formulen las actuaciones necesarias en cada destino. Sin embargo, en la práctica estos agentes no cuentan con la información suficiente para realizar esta tarea. Necesitan de herramientas que les permitan evaluar el actual grado de sostenibilidad de la actividad turística y determinar las medidas necesarias para mejorarlo. En este trabajo proponemos como instrumento de medición un sistema de indicadores de turismo sostenible. Para facilitar el uso de la información del mismo, obtenemos indicadores sintéticos que proporcionan una visión de conjunto mediante un procedimiento que combina el Análisis en Componentes Principales y la distancia a un punto de referencia, de forma que el indicador sintético obtenido, que denominamos DCP, tenga una menor subjetividad asociada. Finalmente, analizamos la sostenibilidad de los destinos costeros en Andalucía para ilustrar la forma en la que se aplica la metodología propuesta y se interpretan los resultados obtenidos.ABSTRACT Nowadays, local agents formulate the necessary public measures in the processes of tourism planning of each destination. However, in the practice these agents do not have enough information to carry out this task. They need tools to assess the current level of sustainability of tourism activity and identify the necessary measures to improve it. In this paper we propose a system of sustainable tourism indicators as a measuring tool. In order to facilitate the use of information system, we also develop synthetic indicators that provide an overview. They are obtained with a methodology that combines Principal Components Analysis and the distance to a reference point, so that this synthetic indicator, called DCP indicator, have a smaller associate subjectivity. Finally, we apply the proposed methodology to Andalusian coastal destinations and we illustrate how the results are interpreted.

En el presente trabajo presentamos un nuevo indicador sintético fruto de la combinaciónde dos métodos plenamente contrastados: análisis en componentes principales y DP2. Dichoindicador trata de combinar las buenas propiedades de los precedentes y superar susinconvenientes. Además, se implementa un programa informático de fácil y sencilla utilizaciónque se adapta a las necesidades requeridas por los usuarios que trabajan con este tipo deherramientas. Por último, tanto el funcionamiento del indicador creado como del programadesarrollado son contrastados con datos correspondientes al turismo en las costas españolas

En el presente trabajo mostramos cómo el uso combinado de las buenas propiedades mostradas hasta ahora tanto por los métodos exactos de optimización, principalmente los basados en el uso del gradiente de las funciones objetivo, como por los algoritmos metaheurísticos dan lugar a algoritmos híbridos capaces de resolver problemas de optimización multiobjetivo con un número reducido de evaluaciones de la función objetivo. Para ello, reemplazamos los operadores de mejora propios del SSPMO (Molina et al., 2007) por búsquedas locales utilizando las direcciones de búsqueda que nos proporcionan el vector gradiente de cada uno de las funciones objetivo. El algoritmo propuesto es testado sobre un conjunto de funciones de prueba estándar de la literatura y las soluciones obtenidas son comparadas con las obtenidas por el SSPMO. Dichas pruebas muestran que el uso de la información dada por los gradientes permite reducir el número de puntos visitados acelerando la convergencia sin perder la capacidad exploratoria de los metaheurísticos.

Desde finales de los ochenta el desarrollo sostenible se ha constituido como el objetivo a alcanzar en todos los ámbitos. La gestión de este nuevo objetivo lleva implícita la consideración simultánea de numerosa información de naturaleza económica, social y medioambiental. En los últimos años viene siendo práctica común la definición de un sistema de indicadores de sostenibilidad como principal instrumento de planificación. No obstante, la toma de decisiones de los agentes implicados en la planificación basada en la información proporcionada por dicho sistema no es una tarea sencilla. Para facilitar la utilización de la información contenida en este sistema por parte de los planificadores, los indicadores sintéticos constituyen un importante instrumento. En este contexto, en el presente trabajo se elaboran indicadores sintéticos de sostenibilidad para el caso del sector turístico español, centrando nuestro análisis en el caso de los destinos costeros. Para la obtención de estas medidas se aplican procedimientos de agregación alternativos basados en el Análisis de Componentes Principales y el indicador de distancia DP2.

En las postrimerías del Cuatrocientos Valencia era una de las plazas mercantiles más importantes del Mediterráneo. La ciudad ya gozaba en aquellos tiempos de un bien merecido renombre como emporio cosmopolita y galante. Esta «fisonomía gentil» que hizo las delicias de tanto visitante foráneo no era, precisamente, el orgullo de los valencianos, sobrecogidos, día a día, ante la sordidez de la prostitución urbana. Es más, no hubiera faltado razón a los naturales en responsabilizar del auge que durante aquellos años experimentaba la prostitución en Valencia al interminable desfile de una «población flotante» constituida por vagabundos, buhoneros, marinos, trajineros, comerciantes modestos y grandes mercaderes. Ello no significa, claro está, que los valencianos de finales del siglo XV desdeñasen los «amores venales». No obstante, el «comercio carnal», era una actividad que, bien como medio de subsistencia, bien como próspero negocio, parecía alentada por el intenso flujo de mercancías y viajeros.

Sometemos a la consideración del lector la segunda parte de una encuesta sobre los rendimientos agrícolas, iniciada hace algunos años por nosotros. La presentación de la fuente aquí utilizada—los patrimonios eclesiásticos—, su crítica y la viabilidad de su empleo ya han ocupado nuestra atención, por lo que nos limitaremos ahora a la presentación de los resultados obtenidos. El área geográfica encuestada en este trabajo corresponde a la Galicia occidental, encuadrada desde la gran dorsal al mar y desde la cuenca del Tambre a la del Miño.

Rat post-mitotic septal neurons, engineered to proliferate and arrest under physiological conditions can be maintained for weeks without cytotoxic effects. Nine independent cDNA libraries were made to follow arrest-induced neural differentiation and innate immune responses in normal uninfected and CJ agent infected septal neurons for weeks. CJ infection created a non-productive latent (CJ-) and a productive (CJ+) high infectivity model (10 logs/gm). Arrest of normal uninfected cells upregulated a plethora of anti-proliferative transcripts and known neuronal differentiation transcripts (e.g., Agtr2, Neuregulin-1, GDF6, SFRP4 and Prnp). Notably, many activated IFN innate immune genes were simultaneously upregulated (e.g., OAS1, RTP4, ISG20, GTB4, CD80, cytokines, chemokines and complement) along with clusterin (CLU) that binds misfolded proteins. Arrest of latently infected CJ- cells induced even more profound global transcript differences. CJ+ cells markedly downregulated the anti-proliferative controls seen in arrested normal cells. CJ+ infection also suppressed neuronal differentiation transcripts, including Prnp which is essential for CJ agent infection. Additionally, IFN and cytokine/chemokine pathways were also strongly enhanced. Analysis of the 342 CJ+ unique transcripts revealed additional innate immune and anti-viral-linked transcripts, e.g., Il17, ISG15, and RSAD2 (viperin). These data show: 1) innate immune transcripts are produced by normal neurons during differentiation; 2) CJ infection enhances and expands anti-viral responses; 3) non-productive latent infection can epigenetically imprint many proliferative pathways to thwart complete arrest. Consequently, human blood and intestinal myeloid peripheral cells that are latently infected (silent) for many years may be stimulated in vitro to produce CJ+ linked diagnostic transcripts.

The impact of laws and policies that involve social determinants of health (SDOH), particularly among older, retired populations, needs to be considered as a public health intervention. The Social Security Fairness Act was signed into law in 2025, as a new amendment to the Social Security Act first introduced in 1935. The Social Security Fairness Act ends two provisions that have reduced benefits for spouses, widows, and widowers and for public service workers, which include teachers, fire fighters, police officers, nurses, and others who are receiving pensions from state or local government. Specifically, this new bill involves economic stability, which is considered an important SDOH for older adults. The purpose of the current article is to evaluate policy changes through the Social Security Fairness Act, including potential impact and benefits, limitations or unintended consequences, and implications and recommendations for future research, policy, and practice. Findings will help guide gerontological nurses and interprofessional researchers, clinicians, and educators promoting healthy aging. [ Journal of Gerontological Nursing, 51 (2), 7-12.]., Competing Interests: Disclosure: The author has disclosed no potential conflicts of interest, financial or otherwise.

Building up from our previous findings on deep eutectic solvents (DES) as reaction promoters for the acetylation of pure wheat starch, the current work explored combinations of reaction time, temperature and acetic anhydride: bread molar ratios to acetylate macromolecules within bread particles relying solely on macromolecule solvation and the slightly basic environment provided by the eutectic mixture. High degree of substitution with acyl groups (DS acyl , 0.73-1.09 as quantified by 1 H NMR and confirmed by 13 C NMR, and FTIR) was achieved within a short timeframe of 36 min and < 16 acetic anhydride:bread molar ratio. Spectroscopy discarded a major presence of side-reaction products starch carbamates and acetyl urea in reacted samples. Nevertheless, DES acetylation resulted in reacted samples with starch weight average molecular weight (M w ) ranging from 2.62 × 10 6 to 1.39 × 10 6  g/mol for the most degraded sample and the partial wash-off of starch and cell wall polysaccharides, which resulted in increased gluten content. Notably, TGA (coupled to real-time FTIR analysis of the evolved gases) suggested a potential enhancement in hydrophobicity and glass transition temperature (T g ) in the reacted samples, with a positive correlation between DS acyl and T g . These findings emphasize the potential of DES as reaction promoters in complex starchy matrices for esterification reactions., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb) is a leading cause of death, with an escalating global occurrence of drug-resistant infections that are partially attributed to cell wall mycolic acids derived from type II fatty acid biosynthesis (FAS-II). Here, the central acyl carrier protein, AcpM, contributes to the regulation of complex and specific protein-protein interactions (PPIs), though the orchestration of these events remain largely unresolved due to unique features of AcpM. Limitations include complexities in generating modified AcpM in a single state. Herein, we report a streamlined method to generate homogeneous samples of modified AcpM for applications in structure and functional studies. We apply these to generate solvatochromic labeled crypto -AcpM, where fluorescence response reports cargo sequestration and chain flipping upon interaction with four FAS-II enzymes. We find an increased fluorescence in a truncated form, AcpM80, indicating that the 35-residue C-terminus is involved in modulating the chemical environment surrounding the substrate and contributing to the regulation of PPIs. This study establishes an efficient chemo-enzymatic strategy to generate AcpM analogs for biophysical studies to aid in understanding the processes driving Mtb pathogenicity and drug resistance.

Background: Pregnant people living in states that banned abortion after the US Supreme Court's decision overturning Roe v Wade (Dobbs v Jackson Women's Health Organization -Dobbs decision) may evaluate multiple factors when deciding where to obtain facility-based abortion care in another state. We examine Texans' stated preferences for out-of-state facility-based abortion care and quantify the trade-offs they would make when choosing between out-of-state facilities following a 2022 abortion ban., Methods: In August 2022, we surveyed Texans ≥ 16 years old seeking abortion at in-state facilities or who were searching online for information about accessing abortion care. We used a Bayesian discrete choice experiment to analyze 12 choice sets for out-of-state facility-based abortion care and to assess preferences for three care attributes: wait time to appointment, distance to facility, and cost. We estimated conditional, multinomial, and mixed logit models to examine respondents' attribute preferences and how these differed across subgroups. We used marginal rates of substitution to express Texans' tradeoffs in terms of willingness to pay and willingness to travel for different attributes., Results: Among 136 respondents (1,362 observations), time to next appointment was the most important attribute (β = -0.887, p < 0.001), followed by cost (β = -0.006, p < 0.001) and distance (β = -0.001, p < 0.001). Respondents were willing to pay an additional $248 (95% CI: $220, $278) and travel 917 miles (95% CI: 711, 1123) further to get an appointment one week sooner. The willingness to pay for a one-week reduction in wait time to appointment was higher among respondents who did not report any economic hardships ($313, 95% CI: $255, $371) than among those who had one or more economic hardships ($175, 95% CI: $142, $208)., Conclusion: This discrete choice experiment examining Texans' preferences for out-of-state facility-based abortion care demonstrates that people seeking abortion prioritize wait time to appointment when deciding where to obtain care. Efforts to make timely care a more feasible option for all those seeking abortion care are needed to mitigate the potential widening of disparities in access to care now that more states have banned abortion., Competing Interests: Declarations. Ethics approval and consent to participate: The University of Texas at Austin institutional review board, which provides ethical oversight of research studies approved procedures for informed consent and other study activities. All participants ≥ 18 years of age provided informed consent to participate in the study. In the case of minors, we only obtained participant assent. Parental consent was not obtained since requiring this may have put minors at risk if they had not disclosed their abortion decision and completely precluded them from participating in the study. Consent for publication: Not applicable. Competing interests: The authors declare no competing interests., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

The National Institute on Aging (NIA) plays a pivotal role in advancing scientific research, developing training and the science workforce, and promoting public health initiatives. However, the benefits of the NIA's work have not been equally distributed among all older adult population groups, highlighting persistent disparities in chronic illness burden and access to healthcare and research. As the NIA commemorates its 50th anniversary, this milestone presents an opportunity to reflect on its consequential initiatives and accomplishments while also strategizing for the robust inclusion of underrepresented and minoritized populations and the future health of our Nation's older adult population. Disparities in Alzheimer's disease and related dementias among four minoritized and racialized groups are highlighted, as well as the critical need to recruit and retain investigators from these populations. Three trans-NIA training, outreach, and pipeline initiatives are described as having elevated the profile of aging research across the nation, particularly among minoritized and ethnic groups, and have reached thousands of individuals interested in aging research. Leaders and healthcare advocates argue that efforts to reduce health disparities cannot be fully achieved without successfully addressing the underrepresentation of minoritized leaders in healthcare and research. Racism, xenophobia, discrimination, and separation deprive our nation and the scientific community of the breadth of talent, expertise, and perspectives needed to address racialized/minoritized health inequities. To all the staff at the NIA, past and present, may you continue to be proud of the work you do, the Institute you represent, and the difference you make. Happy 50th Anniversary!, (© The Author(s) 2024. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of The Gerontological Society of America. All rights reserved. For commercial re-use, please contact reprints@oup.com for reprints and translation rights for reprints. All other permissions can be obtained through our RightsLink service via the Permissions link on the article page on our site—for further information please contact journals.permissions@oup.com.)

Lay Abstract: Autistic people have been said to have 'problems' with joint attention, that is, looking where someone else is looking. Past studies of joint attention have used tasks that require autistic people to continuously look at and respond to eye-gaze cues. But joint attention can also be done using other social cues, like pointing. This study looked at whether autistic and non-autistic young people use another person's eye gaze during joint attention in a task that did not require them to look at their partner's face. In the task, each participant worked together with their partner to find a computer-generated object in virtual reality. Sometimes the participant had to help guide their partner to the object, and other times, they followed their partner's lead. Participants were told to point to guide one another but were not told to use eye gaze. Both autistic and non-autistic participants often looked at their partner's face during joint attention interactions and were faster to respond to their partner's hand-pointing when the partner also looked at the object before pointing. This shows that autistic people can and do use information from another person's eyes, even when they don't have to. It is possible that, by not forcing autistic young people to look at their partner's face and eyes, they were better able to gather information from their partner's face when needed, without being overwhelmed. This shows how important it is to design tasks that provide autistic people with opportunities to show what they can do., Competing Interests: Declaration of conflicting interestsThe author(s) declared no potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article.

Background: Latino individuals experience disparities in the care of Alzheimer disease and related dementias (ADRD) and have disproportionately high COVID-19 infection and death outcomes., Objective: We aimed to gain an in-depth understanding of the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic among Latino families with ADRD in the United States., Methods: This was a qualitative study of 21 informal caregivers of Latino individuals with ADRD and 23 primary care providers who serve Latino patients. We recruited participants nationwide using convenience and snowball sampling methods and conducted remote interviews in English and Spanish. We organized the transcripts for qualitative review to identify codes and themes, using a pragmatic approach, a qualitative description methodology, and thematic analysis methods., Results: Qualitative analysis of transcripts revealed eight themes, including (1) the pandemic influenced mental and emotional health; (2) the pandemic impacted physical domains of health; (3) caregivers and care recipients lost access to engaging activities during the confinement; (4) the pandemic impacted Latino caregivers' working situation; (5) the pandemic impacted health care and community care systems; (6) health care and community care systems took measures to reduce the impact of the pandemic; (7) Latino families experienced barriers to remote communication during the pandemic; and (8) caregiver social support was critical for reducing social isolation and its sequalae., Conclusions: Latino families with ADRD experienced similar but also unique impacts compared to those reported in the general population. Unique impacts may result from Latino individuals' underserved status in the United States, commonly held cultural values, and their intersectionality with ADRD-related disability. Family caregiver social support was crucial during this time of adversity. These findings suggest the need for more equitable access, culturally appropriate and trustworthy content and delivery of health care and community services, as well as stronger financial and social supports for family caregivers., (© Jaime Perales-Puchalt, Jill Peltzer, Monica Fracachan-Cabrera, G Adriana Perez, Mariana Ramírez, K Allen Greiner, Jeffrey Murray Burns. Originally published in JMIRx Med (https://med.jmirx.org).)

In response to pressing global challenges like climate change, rapid population growth, and an urgent need for sustainable infrastructure, cities face an immediate and crucial necessity to transition swiftly toward an integrated approach to managing urban water resources. This shift is not merely an option but an imperative, driven by the rapidly evolving urban landscape. In addressing this imperative, a crucial decision support tool that has emerged as an asset in the domain of urban water planning and management is the Urban Water Use (UWU) tool. This tool offers an integrated approach for strategic planning, promoting urban water conservation and environmental health through the investigation of interventions in urban infrastructure under different scenarios. In this study, the latest version of this UWU tool was deployed in a case study conducted in Almirante Tamandaré, Brazil. The objective was to evaluate how an integrated decision-making approach concerning urban water systems influences the efficiency and effectiveness of interventions, ultimately contributing to achieve widespread adoption, accessibility, and relevance of urban water services. The refined UWU tool evaluates a spectrum of measures across diverse scenarios, incorporating various drivers, focusing on the stakeholders' visions for the locality. These visions are composed of sustainability indicators, specifying different sets of target values and importance weights for each indicator. The approach followed in this study demonstrates how the effectiveness indexes can vary based on stakeholders' perception. Measures under Water Sensitive Urban Design and Water Demand Management strategies were deployed to simulate the response of urban water systems under three distinct scenarios, embracing the complexities of social dynamics and of climate change. The findings of the study emphasize that realizing a desired vision through selected measures relies significantly on the adoption of an integrated approach within the decision-making process. The stakeholders' perception of how indicators should be weighted while defining the vision was found to significantly impact the effectiveness range of these measures., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2023. Published by Elsevier B.V.)

A wide variety of CreER T2 driver lines are available for genetic manipulation of adult-born neurons in the mouse brain. These tools have been instrumental in studying fate potential, migration, circuit integration, and morphology of the stem cells supporting lifelong neurogenesis. Despite a wealth of tools, genetic manipulation of adult-born neurons for circuit and behavioral studies has been limited by poor specificity of many driver lines targeting early progenitor cells and by the inaccessibility of lines selective for later stages of neuronal maturation. We sought to address these limitations by creating a new CreER T2 driver line targeted to the endogenous mouse doublecortin locus as a marker of fate-specified neuroblasts and immature neurons. Our new model places a T2A-CreER T2 cassette immediately downstream of the Dcx coding sequence on the X chromosome, allowing expression of both Dcx and CreER T2 proteins in the endogenous spatiotemporal pattern for this gene. We demonstrate that the new mouse line drives expression of a Cre-dependent reporter throughout the brain in neonatal mice and in known neurogenic niches of adult animals. The line has been deposited with the Jackson Laboratory and should provide an accessible tool for studies targeting fate-restricted neuronal precursors., (© 2023 Wiley Periodicals LLC.)

Background: When caregivers have a high level of caregiver mastery, their care recipients with cognitive impairment have less behavioral health problems. However, the relationship between caregiver mastery and anxiety among care recipients over time is unknown. Therefore, this study was conducted to examine that better caregiver mastery is associated with less anxiety in individuals with cognitive impairment over time., Methods: A secondary data analysis was conducted using the Healthy Patterns Clinical Trial (NCT03682185) dataset and guided by Factors Associated with Behavioral and Psychological Symptoms of Dementia conceptual framework. This study included 154 dyads of individuals with cognitive impairment and their caregivers. Multiple linear regression analyses were performed on changes in anxiety. Model 1 included variables at the level of neurodegeneration (i.e., cognitive impairment and age). Model 2 added patient factors (i.e., sleep problems and depression) with the Model 1. Finally, Model 3 included caregiver factor (i.e., caregiver mastery) with the Model 2 to examine how changes in caregiver mastery influence changes in anxiety of care recipients., Results: Model 3 was statistically significant; after controlling for variables at the level of neurodegeneration associated with cognitive impairment and patient factors, improvement of caregiver mastery over time (β =-0.230, p = 0.015) was related to decreased anxiety over time (R 2  = 0.1099)., Conclusions: Caregivers with high caregiver mastery may have better knowledge on how to care for their loved ones and how to manage their neuropsychiatric symptoms. Therefore, improving the level of caregiver mastery by providing psychoeducational programs and resources that family caregivers need will help reduce the frequency of anxiety in individuals with cognitive impairment., (© 2023. BioMed Central Ltd., part of Springer Nature.)

The development of a skilled research workforce in aging is fundamental to understanding conditions associated with growing older and extending healthy, active years of life. The National Institutes of Health (NIH) supports the training of health scientists, and its National Institute on Aging (NIA) prioritizes the professional development of investigators with an interest in aging. Since 1987, NIA's Summer Institute on Aging Research, renamed the Butler-Williams (B-W) Scholars Program in 2013, has offered an intensive one-week experience on issues, opportunities, and challenges of research on aging, with emphasis on disparities and health equity. The first 30 years of the Program are described in this report, including its history, selected curriculum highlights, Scholar outcomes, and qualitative data from faculty, and the program's impact on the training, growth, and development of scientists in aging research. Questions raised over a decade ago by the Committee on the Future Health Care Workforce for Older Americans Board on Health Care Services are revisited, and recommendations for the future are provided. This important Program remains an exemplar for the training and development of health scientists for careers that advance biomedical research and emphasize an equitable understanding of factors related to extending healthy years of life.

Neurodegenerative diseases are characterized by selective vulnerability of distinct cell populations; however, the cause for this specificity remains elusive. Here, we show that entorhinal cortex layer 2 (EC2) neurons are unusually vulnerable to prolonged neuronal inactivity compared with neighboring regions of the temporal lobe, and that reelin + stellate cells connecting EC with the hippocampus are preferentially susceptible within the EC2 population. We demonstrate that neuronal death after silencing can be elicited through multiple independent means of activity inhibition, and that preventing synaptic release, either alone or in combination with electrical shunting, is sufficient to elicit silencing-induced degeneration. Finally, we discovered that degeneration following synaptic silencing is governed by competition between active and inactive cells, which is a circuit refinement process traditionally thought to end early in postnatal life. Our data suggests that the developmental window for wholesale circuit plasticity may extend into adulthood for specific brain regions. We speculate that this sustained potential for remodeling by entorhinal neurons may support lifelong memory but renders them vulnerable to prolonged activity changes in disease., Competing Interests: RZ, SG, CW, GP, MC, ML, AS, KP, JJ No competing interests declared, (© 2022, Zhao, Grunke, Wood et al.)

While sleep disturbances are common in people living with cognitive impairment, little is known about the influence of evening light exposure on their sleep. The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between evening light exposure in natural living environment and daytime sleepiness in community residing people living with cognitive impairment. A secondary data analysis was conducted using the baseline data of the Healthy Patterns Clinical Trial. Actiwatch Spectrum Plus was used to collect information on the average white light intensity of 4 hours before sleep for three consecutive days. Multivariate regression analyses were used. Among 173 participants, the average light intensity during evening was 80.25 ± 123.04 lux. After controlling for covariates, greater intensity of light exposure during evening was related to excessive daytime sleepiness ( β = 0.211, p = .004). The results of our study suggest exposure to light during evening may disturb sleep and subsequently influence daytime sleepiness the following day.

Background: Palliative care consultation to discuss goals-of-care ("PCC") may mitigate end-of-life care disparities., Objective: To compare hospitalization and cost outcomes by race and ethnicity among PCC patients; identify predictors of hospice discharge and post-discharge hospitalization utilization and costs., Methods: This secondary analysis of a retrospective cohort study assessed hospice discharge, do-not-resuscitate status, 30-day readmissions, days hospitalized, ICU care, any hospitalization cost, and total costs for hospitalization with PCC and hospitalization(s) post-discharge among 1,306 Black/African American, Latinx, White, and Other race PCC patients at a United States academic hospital., Results: In adjusted analyses, hospice enrollment was less likely with Medicaid (AOR = 0.59, P = 0.02). Thirty-day readmission was less likely among age 75+ (AOR = 0.43, P = 0.02); more likely with Medicaid (AOR = 2.02, P = 0.004), 30-day prior admission (AOR = 2.42, P < 0.0001), and Black/African American race (AOR = 1.57, P = 0.02). Future days hospitalized was greater with Medicaid (Coefficient = 4.49, P = 0.001), 30-day prior admission (Coefficient = 2.08, P = 0.02), and Black/African American race (Coefficient = 2.16, P = 0.01). Any future hospitalization cost was less likely among patients ages 65-74 and 75+ (AOR = 0.54, P = 0.02; AOR = 0.53, P = 0.02); more likely with Medicaid (AOR = 1.67, P = 0.01), 30-day prior admission (AOR = 1.81, P = 0.0001), and Black/African American race (AOR = 1.40, P = 0.02). Total future hospitalization costs were lower for females (Coefficient = -3616.64, P = 0.03); greater with Medicaid (Coefficient = 7388.43, P = 0.01), 30-day prior admission (Coefficient = 3868.07, P = 0.04), and Black/African American race (Coefficient = 3856.90, P = 0.04). Do-not-resuscitate documentation (48%) differed by race., Conclusions: Among PCC patients, Black/African American race and social determinants of health were risk factors for future hospitalization utilization and costs. Medicaid use predicted hospice discharge. Social support interventions are needed to reduce future hospitalization disparities.

More than 48 million unpaid family/friend caregivers in the United States provide care to older adults. This unpaid workforce provides essential support for family members or friends who have a serious, long-term illness or disability. However, family caregivers are often under supported, which contributes to negative health, economic, and psychological consequences. Despite the significant contributions of family caregivers, there are limited policy supports aimed at alleviating the hardships of care on this growing community. National paid family and medical leave policy in particular holds substantial potential to alleviate the compounding burdens faced by family caregivers and address systemic inequities that contribute to disproportionately poorer caregiving outcomes among historically marginalized older adults and their caregivers. The purpose of the current article is to provide an overview of the economic burdens and caregiving-related health disparities experienced by Black/African American and Hispanic/Latinx family caregivers and discuss the impact of paid leave policies on the overall health and well-being of older adults. We propose a "Call to Action" for gerontological nurses to work in partnership with transdisciplinary colleagues, stakeholders, and advocates to ensure all family care-givers have access to paid leave. [ Journal of Gerontological Nursing, 48 (3), 5-10.].

Aim of Study: identify consultation reasons, experiences with seeking dermatological assistance and skin care strategies within neighbours from an urban deprived settlement in Buenos Aires province, Argentina. This setting lies onto a sanitary landfill with a high index of environmental contamination., Materials and Methods: a dermatological health care team from the main local hospital designed a dermatological assistance device (DAD), in cooperation with social leaders and institutions of the neighborhood. The DADs included walks around the neighborhood for attending those who could not get a consultation. The experiences were evaluated through a qualitative research strategy, developed from the theoretical framework of Sociocultural Epidemiology. Those who attended the DADs were interviewed. Ethnographic field notes were also recorded. Multiple accessibility barriers to the public health care system were identified and self care practices were also recognized., Results: The most frequent consultations to the DADs were for "pimples", "stains'' and "lumps" on exposed areas of the skin. These lesions generated discomfort or pain, or even affected the interviewees aesthetically or emotionally. Most of them were associated to extremely dry skin and a high sun exposure, in connection with the lack of shade in the neighbourhood. An initiative to plant trees was promoted in order to prevent sun radiation-induced dermatoses., Conclusion: the reflective immersion of the dermatology team in the realm of the neighborhood daily life enabled the development of attention strategies grounded on the perceived needs of the population., (Universidad Nacional de Córdoba.)

This study explored a germplasm collection consisting of 112 Luffa acutangula (ridge gourd) accessions, mainly from Thailand. A total of 2834 SNPs were used to establish population structure and underlying genetic diversity while exploring the fruit characteristics together with genetic information which would help in the selection of parental lines for a breeding program. The study found that the average polymorphism information content value of 0.288 which indicates a moderate genetic diversity for this L. acutangula germplasm. STRUCTURE analysis (ΔK at K = 6) allowed us to group the accessions into six subpopulations that corresponded well with the unrooted phylogenetic tree and principal coordinate analyses. When plotted, the STRUCTURE bars to the area of collection, we observed an admixed genotype from surrounding accessions and a geneflow confirmed by the value of F ST  = 0.137. AMOVA based on STRUCTURE clustering showed a low 12.83% variation between subpopulations that correspond well with the negative inbreeding coefficient value (F IS  =  - 0.092) and low total fixation index (F IT  = 0.057). There were distinguishing fruit shapes and length characteristics in specific accessions for each subpopulation. The genetic diversity and different fruit shapes in the L. acutangula germplasm could benefit the ridge gourd breeding programs to meet the demands and needs of consumers, farmers, and vegetable exporters such as increasing the yield of fruit by the fruit width but not by the fruit length to solve the problem of fruit breakage during exportation., (© 2021. The Author(s).)

Background: Posttranslational histone modifications play a critical role in the regulation of gene transcription underlying synaptic plasticity and memory formation. One such epigenetic change is histone ubiquitination, a process that is mediated by the ubiquitin-proteasome system in a manner similar to that by which proteins are normally targeted for degradation. However, histone ubiquitination mechanisms are poorly understood in the brain and in learning. In this article, we describe a new role for the ubiquitin-proteasome system in histone crosstalk, showing that learning-induced monoubiquitination of histone H2B (H2Bubi) is required for increases in the transcriptionally active H3 lysine 4 trimethylation (H3K4me3) mark at learning-related genes in the hippocampus., Methods: Using a series of molecular, biochemical, electrophysiological, and behavioral experiments, we interrogated the effects of short interfering RNA-mediated knockdown and CRISPR (clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats)-mediated upregulation of ubiquitin ligases, deubiquitinating enzymes and histone methyltransferases in the rat dorsal hippocampus during memory consolidation., Results: We show that H2Bubi recruits H3K4me3 through a process that is dependent on the 19S proteasome subunit RPT6 and that a loss of H2Bubi in the hippocampus prevents learning-induced increases in H3K4me3, gene transcription, synaptic plasticity, and memory formation. Furthermore, we show that CRISPR-dCas9-mediated increases in H2Bubi promote H3K4me3 and memory formation under weak training conditions and that promoting histone methylation does not rescue memory impairments resulting from loss of H2Bubi., Conclusions: These results suggest that H2B ubiquitination regulates histone crosstalk in learning by way of nonproteolytic proteasome function, demonstrating a novel mechanism by which histone modifications are coordinated in response to learning., (Copyright © 2021 Society of Biological Psychiatry. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Drought is a complex natural phenomenon. The description of the way in which drought changes (moves) in space may help to acquire knowledge on its drivers and processes to improve its monitoring and prediction. This research presents the application of an approach to characterise the dynamics of drought. Tracks, severity, duration, as well as localisation (onset and end position), and rotation of droughts were calculated. Results of calculated droughts were compared with documented information. Data from the Standardized Precipitation Evaporation Index (SPEI) Global Drought Monitor was used to identify droughts in India as an example for the period 1901-2013. Results show regions where droughts with considerable coverage tend to occur. Paths, i.e. consecutive spatial tracks, of six of the most severe reported droughts were analysed. In all of them, areas overlap considerably over time, which suggest that drought remains in the same region for a period of time. Results of this research are being used to build a model to predict the spatial drought tracks, incl. India (https://www.researchgate.net/project/STAND-Spatio-Temporal-ANalysis-of-Drought)., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest The authors declare that there is no conflict of interest regarding the publication of this article., (Copyright © 2019 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)