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There is an increasing urgency to implement large-scale ecosystem restoration to mitigate the biodiversity and climate crises. These efforts must be scaled up to counteract the widespread degradation of the world’s forests, although restoration costs can often limit their application. Thus, there is a pressing need to identify cost-effective approaches that catalyze landscape-scale ecological recovery. Here, we highlight seven assisted restoration innovations with demonstrated local-scale results that, once upscaled, hold promise to rapidly regenerate forests. We comprehensively assessed how each approach facilitated forest, woodland, and/or mangrove recovery across 143 studies. Our results reveal techniques with a marked ability to catalyze vegetation recovery compared to “business-as-usual” approaches. However, the context-dependent cost-benefit ratio and feasibility of applying particular approaches requires careful consideration. Our assessment emphasizes that we already have many of the tools necessary to drive the terrestrial restoration movement forward. It is time to implement and assess their efficacy at scale.

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BackgroundPrevious studies found exposure to air pollution leads to exacerbations of asthma in paediatric and adult patients and increases asthma-related emergency hospital admissions (AREHA).MethodsAREHAs and levels of air pollutants (PM10, PM2.5and NO2) were obtained from Mexico City for the period 2017–2019. A time-series approach was used to explore the relationship between air pollutants and AREHA. Relative risks of AREHA were estimated using a negative binomial regression in young children (less than 5 years) and adults (greater than 18 years).ResultsThere was a positive association between AREHA and PM10, PM2.5and NO2in adults, which remained after mutual adjustment for these pollutants. The relative risk (RR) of admission in adults increased by 3% (95% CI 1% to 4%) for a 10 µg/m3increase in PM10, 1% (0.03% to 3%) for a 5 µg/m3increase in PM2.5and by 1% (0.06% to 2%) for a 5 µg/m3increase in NO2. In contrast, in young children, AREHAs were negatively associated with PM10after adjustment for NO2(RR 0.97 (0.95 to 0.99) for a 10 µg/m3and with NO2after adjustment for PM10and PM2.5(RR 0.98 (0.96 to 0.99) and 0.97 (0.96 to 0.99), respectively, for a 5 µg/m3increase in NO2). AREHAs in children were not associated with PM2.5after adjustment for NO2.ConclusionsAmbient air pollution, within the previous week, was associated with emergency hospital admissions for asthma to public hospitals in adults in Mexico City. The relationship in children was less consistent. Further work is needed to explore why differences between adults and children exist to inform appropriate interventions to benefit public health.

This work investigates a double-layer configuration for the black Ni-P layers used in solar adsorption technology, aiming to increase the absorption of a broader range of solar wavelengths. This multilayer configuration has a surface with increased roughness and absorption area. The valleys were porous materials, which were connected to an underlying metallic sub-layer that is susceptible to corrosion. In turn, this corrosion induced changes to the top layer. The Ni-P layer was deposited by the electroless technique using an acid nickel sulfate bath as a source of metal ions and a reducing agent of sodium hypophosphite. Etching initiated an oxidation process on the surface, forming a layer of amorphous black nickel oxide for absorption. The surface features of the black Ni-P double layer consist of an uneven surface that aids sunlight adsorption. Carbon steel (AISI 1018) with different surface finishes was used for depositing Ni-P and black Ni-P, aiming to establish correlations with solar adsorption. The sample with an increased surface roughness obtained a higher absorption percentage than a single layer. The corrosion rate was calculated as 7 mmpy for the black Ni-P layer by applying polarization curves. A 6 µm-thick Ni-P double layer was obtained, achieving 96% absorption within the 300–2,000 nm range.

The pre-Hispanic iconography of the Andes around violence, death, and fertility has been associated with sacred animals of various types and meanings whose rites persist to the present time. In Tiwanaku (590-1150 AD) the condor assumes these aspects within the theme that we call Tiwanaku Devouring Condor (CDT). The CDT`s images suggest rites associated with death, transformation, and propitiation through the sacralization of his scavenger behavior, and allow us to delve into the definition of a new category of iconographic themes defined as “Devourers”, in which the CDT positioned as the most continuous and ancient during the Middle Horizon. We propose that the CDT was a product of a ritual symbolism in which many cultures of the Andes converge.

Positron emission tomography (PET) imaging is used in drug development to noninvasively measure biodistribution and receptor occupancy. Ideally, PET tracers retain target binding and biodistribution properties of the investigated drug. Previously, we developed a zirconium-89 PET tracer based on a long-circulating glucagon-like peptide 1 receptor agonist (GLP-1RA) using desferrioxamine (DFO) as a chelator. Here, we aimed to develop an improved zirconium-89-labeled GLP-1RA with increased molar activity to increase the uptake in low receptor density tissues, such as brain. Furthermore, we aimed at reducing tracer accumulation in the kidneys. Introducing up to four additional Zr-DFOs resulted in higher molar activity and stability, while retaining potency. Branched placement of DFOs was especially beneficial. Tracers with either two or four DFOs had similar biodistribution as the tracer with one DFO in vivo, albeit increased kidney and liver uptake. Reduced kidney accumulation was achieved by introducing an enzymatically cleavable Met-Val-Lys (MVK) linker motif between the chelator and the peptide.

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Recently determined structures of class C G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) revealed the location of allosteric binding sites and opened new opportunities for the discovery of novel modulators. In this work, molecular docking screens for allosteric modulators targeting the metabotropic glutamate receptor 5 (mGlu5) were performed. The mGlu5receptor is activated by the main excitatory neurotransmitter of the nervous central system, L-glutamate, and mGlu5receptor activity can be allosterically modulated by negative or positive allosteric modulators. The mGlu5receptor is a promising target for the treatment of psychiatric and neurodegenerative diseases, and several allosteric modulators of this GPCR have been evaluated in clinical trials. Chemical libraries containing fragment- (1.6 million molecules) and lead-like (4.6 million molecules) compounds were docked to an allosteric binding site of mGlu5identified in X-ray crystal structures. Among the top-ranked compounds, 59 fragments and 59 lead-like compounds were selected for experimental evaluation. Of these, four fragment- and seven lead-like compounds were confirmed to bind to the allosteric site with affinities ranging from 0.43 to 8.6 μM, corresponding to a hit rate of 9%. The four compounds with the highest affinities were demonstrated to be negative allosteric modulators of mGlu5signaling in functional assays. The results demonstrate that virtual screens of fragment- and lead-like chemical libraries have complementary advantages and illustrate how access to high-resolution structures of GPCRs in complex with allosteric modulators can accelerate lead discovery.

Self-sorting phenomena are the basis of manifold relevant (bio)chemical processes where a set of molecules is able to interact with no interference from other sets and are ruled by a number of codes that are programmed in molecular structures. In this work, we study, the relevance of chelate cooperativity as a code for achieving high self-sorting fidelities. In particular, we establish qualitative and quantitative relationships between the cooperativity of a cyclic system and the self-sorting fidelity when combined with other molecules that share identical geometry and/or binding interactions. We demonstrate that only systems displaying sufficiently strong chelate cooperativity can achieve quantitative narcissistic self-sorting fidelities either by dictating the distribution of cyclic species in complex mixtures or by ruling the competition between the intra- and intermolecular versions of a noncovalent interaction.

Graphene is a two-dimensional (2D) carbon allotrope that has been used for developing three-dimensional (3D) carbon architectures. Such materials are in the spotlight due to their high surface area and tunable pore size, which can be used for many applications including catalysis, depollution, and energy storage. However, controlling the morphology and pore size of the 3D carbon architectures remains a challenge. Herein, the preparation of a 3D material based on reduced graphene oxide is reported via a layer-by-layer method coupled with a sacrificial template method. Spherical SiO2particles were used as templates, covering them with graphene oxide (GO) at room temperature and using water suspensions. The coated particles undergo thermal reduction followed by acid treatment resulting in a 3D carbon architecture with well-defined morphology. This method offers important advantages such as pore size tuning, controlled morphology, large-scale production, and the possibility to be extended with different covering materials.

A coating of poly(dimethylsiloxane) (PDMS) on a stir bar is typically used for sorptive extraction and preconcentration of nonpolar organic analytes from aqueous matrices. Here, we used sol–gel to synthesize three new coatings based on hydroxy-terminated PDMS crosslinked with 3-cyanopropyltriethoxysilane (CN) and phenyltriethoxysilane (PH) with three molar ratios of CN:PH (2:1, 1:1, and 1:2). The water contact angle of the coatings was below 90°. Cyanopropyl and phenyl groups were identified by infrared spectroscopy. The coatings were thermally stable up to 200°C. Also, they were stable to organic solvents and aqueous solutions at different pH. Glass stir bars were covered with the coatings to explore its potential application in stir-bar sorptive extraction. The test included polar antibiotics (sulfathiazole, sulfamethoxazole, trimethoprim, and chloramphenicol) dissolved in spiked water (pH 4.5) and organic solvent. Different experimental conditions were used to explore the capacity of the coatings to extract and preconcentrate the antibiotics. Unsatisfactory results of enrichment effect were obtained in aqueous solutions of antibiotics. In organic medium, the antibiotics were extracted and preconcentrated with the three coatings.

In stir bar sorptive extraction (SBSE), a coating is typically used to isolate and preconcentrate organic compounds in aqueous samples. Here, a translucent coating based on polydimethylsiloxane and aminopropyltriethoxysilane was prepared by a sol–gel method. Characterization tests showed that the coating was homogeneous, relatively polar, and both thermally (≤ 400°C) and chemically stable. Coated stir bars were evaluated in SBSE experiments. Benzene derivatives and furanic compounds were successfully extracted/preconcentrated from aqueous and organic solutions. Furanic compounds and benzene derivatives were moderately extracted from water, but they were sufficiently extracted from isooctane.

The saccharide chains of heparan sulfate appear to be involved in several aspects Alzheimer disease (AD) pathogenesis. Their structural complexity is due to the expression of different isoenzymes. We studied the differential transcription of heparan sulfate chain biosynthesis in AD brains, analyzing different brain regions in patients with different extents of AD pathology. The transcriptomic study was performed by RT-PCR using samples of amygdala, anterior hippocampus, posterior hippocampus, claustrum, calcarine fissure, globus pallidus and cerebellum from patients with mild, moderate, or severe AD, as well as healthy individuals. Certain heparan sulfate epitopes were also detected by immunohistochemistry. Several genes, across all stages of heparan sulfate synthesis, showed altered transcription in different brain regions of AD patients. The numbers of alterations were greater in in moderate versus mild AD patients. In severe patients, there were fewer alterations in genes related to early stages of biosynthesis, and overexpression of genes involved in late stages. The alterations correlated with progressive brain atrophy, although alterations were more common in the cerebellum. Detection of some heparan sulfate epitopes by immunohistochemistry was consistent with previous studies. In conclusion, transcriptional alterations in the biosynthetic genes of heparan sulfate depend on the brain region and the degree of AD pathology.

171 Lens Magazine DAVID RODRÍGUEZ HEAT 172 lensmagazine.net Christian Schmidt © All rights reserved. 175 Lens Magazine DAVID RODRÍGUEZ HEAT D avid Rodríguez was born and raised on the island of La Palma. 170 lensmagazine.net Heat" (2021) shows us a collection of sensual and surreal photos. [Extracted from the article]

Suicide is a complex, global public health problem. The Colombian clinical practice guideline provides relevant input for its prevention, diagnosis and treatment. The objective was to evaluate the methodological quality, credibility and applicability of the Colombian clinical practice guideline for suicidal behaviour.

Columnar polymers and liquid crystals obtained from π-conjugated cone-shaped molecules are receiving increasing interest due to the possibility of obtaining unconventional polar organizations that show anisotropic charge transport and unique chiroptical properties. However, and in contrast to the more common planar discotics, the self-assembly of conic or pyramidic molecules in solution remains largely unexplored. Here, we show how a molecular geometry change, from flat to conic, can generate supramolecular landscapes where different self-assembled species, each of them being under thermodynamic equilibrium with the monomer, exist exclusively within distinct regimes. In particular, depending on the solvent nature–aromatic or aliphatic–cone-shaped C3-symmetric subphthalocyanine 1can undergo self-assembly either as a tail-to-tail dimer, showing monomer–dimer sigmoidal transitions, or as a head-to-tail noncentrosymmetric columnar polymer, exhibiting a nucleation-elongation polymerization mechanism. Moreover, the experimental and theoretical comparison between racemic and enantiopure samples revealed that the two enantiomers (1Mand 1P) tend to narcissistically self-sort in the dimer regime, each enantiomer showing a strong preference to associate with itself, but socially self-sort in the polymer regime, favoring an alternate stacking order along the columns.

Graphene oxide (GO) is an important platform that can be functionalized, notably because of its wide variety of functional groups. Functionalization is a critical step, leading to the production of GO-based materials for promising applications in many fields ranging from biomedicine, depollution, to energy storage. Defects introduced into the graphitic domain during graphite oxidation allow to obtain alkene groups, which can be functionalized viathiol–ene click reactions (TER). Usually, for GO functionalization by TER, thermal radical initiators have been used with disadvantages such as high reaction times and the subsequent GO reduction, losing possible oxygen functional groups that can be further used for a second functionalization. Hence, we introduce the photochemical functionalization of GO by TER, with cysteamine as the probe molecule, using a photoinitiator. The reaction was characterized by attenuated total reflection–Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, UV spectroscopy, fluorimetry, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, and Raman spectroscopy. This new perspective of photoinduced TER provides advantages such as short reaction times, use of mild conditions, and avoiding a subsequent GO reduction, associated with efficient orthogonal functionalization.

La sedación es necesaria en el tratamiento de los pacientes críticos, tanto para aliviar el sufrimiento como para curar a los pacientes con enfermedades que precisan el ingreso en unidades de cuidados intensivos. Esta sedación debe ser la adecuada a las necesidades del paciente en cada momento de su evolución clínica, ni por debajo (infrasedación) ni por encima (sobresedación). Una sedación adecuada influye en la comodidad, la seguridad, la supervivencia, la calidad de vida posterior, la rotación de camas de las unidades de críticos y los costes. La infrasedación se detecta y corrige rápidamente. Sin embargo, la sobresedación es silente y difícil de prevenir sin unas pautas de actuación, una concienciación colectiva y un trabajo en equipo. El proyecto «Sobresedación Zero» del Grupo de Trabajo de Sedación, Analgesia y Delirium de la Sociedad Española de Medicina Intensiva, Crítica y Unidades Coronarias pretende ser una herramienta docente, práctica y de concienciación colectiva de comodidad, seguridad y gestión para maximizar el resultado clínico y minimizar los efectos perjudiciales de la sedación excesiva. Se basa en un paquete de medidas que se incluye monitorizar el dolor, la analgesia, la agitación, la sedación, el deliriumy el bloqueo neuromuscular, mantener a los pacientes sin dolor, realizar una sedación dinámica según objetivos clínicos, consensuar el protocolo multidisciplinar a seguir y evitar la sedación profunda no indicada clínicamente.

During February and March 2019, black dot symptoms were observed on potato stems in a commercial field located in Ahome, Sinaloa, Mexico. Morphological and molecular approaches confirmed the identity of Colletotrichum coccodes. Pathogenicity tests were conducted, and Koch’s postulates were fulfilled with two isolates of this fungus. To our knowledge, this is the first confirmed report of C. coccodescausing black dot on potato in Mexico.

The small forward-curved blades known as Sirocco fan units are very common and widespread solution for air conditioning used in public transportation applications, as buses or trains. The users quietness and comfort have become a main concerns in the automotive industry. For such kind of turbomachinery flow , the patterns becomes always highly 3D and unsteady, compromising the referred comfort, and setting the focus on the working flow variables. A mathematically exact solution for that flow, which would provide any required information on pressure or forces, is out of scope at the current engineering design processes. Nevertheless, some flow features and mechanical data are needed to progress in the frame of a modern industrial environment, involving maintenance protocols with important temporal and economic constraints for different design procedures.The correctness of a given maintenance protocol relies on its feasibility to handle a set of machine working parameters or variables, including a number of them as wide as possible. Doing so, a set of not-dangerous ranges for them can be established. Such ranges are often defined promoting a series of failures similar to real ones, when the machine is in its operative lifetime.In this paper and in order to establish proper working ranges for maintenance purposes, a series of failures have been experimentally tested for a Sirocco fan unit. Initially, real data from industry have been required and a list of main failures was made, including (1) impeller or rotor unbalance, (2) impeller channel obstruction and (3) blocked inlet. The failures are studied using a purified orbit diagram (POD) technique and a symmetrized dot pattern (SDP) technique. All four working conditions are studied for at least three different flow rates and, therefore, a deeper insight into the fan working parameters and options are made feasible. In the frame of the maintenance protocol, a full set of ranges for the considered failures has been obtained.Therefore, the present paper shows a novel possibility to enhance existing maintenance protocol using two advanced frequency-based techniques.

We describe the preparation of two monomers that bear complementary nucleobases at the edges (guanine-2′-deoxycytidine and 2-aminoadenine-2′-deoxyuridine) and that are conveniently protected and activated for solid-phase automated DNA synthesis. We report the optimized synthetic routes leading to the four nucleobase derivatives involved, their cross-coupling reactions into dinucleobase-containing monomers, and their oligomerization in the DNA synthesizer.

Candida aurises una levadura multirresistente emergente que causa infecciones invasivas graves y brotes con una alta mortalidad. El control de C. aurises un reto. Laboratorios, clínicos e instituciones sanitarias deben trabajar conjuntamente para mejorar la identificación y el tratamiento de la infección, así como el control de la transmisión. Esta revisión describe los aspectos generales de la biología, diagnóstico y tratamiento de C. auris, al igual que las recomendaciones publicadas recientemente por un grupo de expertos. También se presenta la experiencia de un brote de C. aurisen el Consorcio Hospital General Universitario de Valencia desde septiembre de 2017 hasta agosto de 2019. Se detectaron un total de 203 pacientes infectados y/o colonizados por C. auris. Se diagnosticaron 30 infecciones invasivas (29 candidemias y 1 meningitis). El 32% de las candidemias del año 2018 fueron por C. auris. Todas las cepas fueron resistentes a fluconazol.

Actualmente, el trasplante renal es el tratamiento de elección para pacientes con enfermedad renal que requieren terapia de sustitución. La diálisis es un paso necesario, pero no obligatorio, previo al trasplante. Existe la posibilidad del trasplante renal anticipado o en prediálisis, es decir, sin diálisis previa. El objetivo del presente estudio es evaluar el resultado de nuestra experiencia en el trasplante renal anticipado con donante cadáver.

Currently, kidney transplantation is the treatment of choice for patients with kidney disease who require replacement therapy. Dialysis is a necessary step, but not mandatory prior to transplantation. There is the possibility of pre-emptive transplantation or transplantation in pre-dialysis, that is, without previous dialysis. The aim of the present study is to evaluate the result of our experience with a pre-emptive kidney transplant from a deceased donor.

Exposure to bisphenol A (BPA), a ubiquitous endocrine-disrupting chemical (EDC), is known to produce variable effects on female puberty and ovulation. This variability of effects is possibly due to differences in dose and period of exposure. Little is known about the effects of adult exposure to environmentally relevant doses of this EDC and the differences in effect after neonatal exposure. This study sought to compare the effects of neonatal vs adult exposure to a very low dose or a high dose of BPA for 2 weeks on ovulation and folliculogenesis and to explore the hypothalamic mechanisms involved in such disruption by BPA. One-day-old and 90-day-old female rats received daily subcutaneous injections of corn oil (vehicle) or BPA (25 ng/kg/d or 5 mg/kg/d) for 15 days. Neonatal exposure to both BPA doses significantly disrupted the estrous cycle and induced a decrease in primordial follicles. Effects on estrous cyclicity and folliculogenesis persisted into adulthood, consistent with a disruption of organizational mechanisms. During adult exposure, both doses caused a reversible decrease in antral follicles and corpora lutea. A reversible disruption of the estrous cycle associated with a delay and a decrease in the amplitude of the LH surge was also observed. Alterations of the hypothalamic expression of the clock gene Per1 and the reproductive peptide phoenixin indicated a disruption of the hypothalamic control of the preovulatory LH surge by BPA.

Because of their wide number of biological functions and potential applications, self-assembled nanotubes constitute highly relevant targets in noncovalent synthesis. Herein, we introduce a novel approach to produce supramolecular nanotubes with defined inner and outer diameters from rigid rod-like monomers programmed with complementary nucleobases through two distinct, decoupled cooperative processes of different hierarchy and acting in orthogonal directions: chelate cooperativity, responsible for the formation of robust Watson–Crick H-bonded cyclic tetramers, and nucleation–growth cooperative polymerization.

RESUMENLa crisis económica global ha tenido un importante impacto en los gobiernos locales, especialmente por las fuertes tensiones financieras ocasionadas, provocando que los ciudadanos demanden una mayor transparencia en materia de sostenibilidad de los servicios públicos. Así, investigaciones previas y pronunciamientos internacionales están reclamando la adopción de medidas para mejorar la difusión de información gubernamental sobre sostenibilidad. En el caso de los gobiernos locales, aún son insuficientes los trabajos que han abordado la divulgación de información sobre sostenibilidad y sus variables influyentes, y muy pocos han afrontado estudios comparativos en Europa. Este trabajo analiza la información sobre sostenibilidad publicada en las Webs de 91 grandes gobiernos locales pertenecientes a nueve países europeos. Pretendemos descubrir factores influyentes en la transparencia sobre sostenibilidad de los gobiernos locales europeos, generando nuevo conocimiento útil para responsables gubernamentales interesados en potenciar la difusión online de información económica, social y medioambiental.

Medically unexplained symptoms are defined as physical symptoms that have been present for several weeks and that an adequate medical evaluation has not revealed any disease that explains them; when these symptoms become persistent, they lead to comprehensive clinical investigations and multiple interventions. These patients have a greater or at least comparable commitment to physical functioning, mental health, and negative health perception than patients with multiple chronic medical conditions; have significantly more stressful life events (psychological, physical and/or sexual abuse) and are more likely to meet diagnostic criteria for anxiety and depression.

Se define como síntoma médicamente inexplicado los síntomas físicos de varias semanas de duración cuya adecuada evaluación médica no revele alguna enfermedad que los explique; cuando estos síntomas se tornan persistentes, llevan a exploraciones clínicas exhaustivas y múltiples intervenciones. Estos pacientes tienen un deterioro mayor, o al menos comparable en cuanto a funcionamiento físico, salud mental y percepción negativa de su salud, que los pacientes con múltiples enfermedades médicas crónicas; tienen significativamente más eventos estresantes vitales (abuso psicológico, físico y/o sexual) y más probabilidades de cumplir criterios diagnósticos de ansiedad y depresión.

The use of advanced fuels must increase from 0.5 to 3.6% of the total fuel consumption in internal combustion engines according to the forthcoming European directive. In this regard, alcohols that can be obtained from waste or lignocellulosic materials with advanced production techniques may play an important role in the future. This work focuses on the effect of the use of butanol as a blend component on the properties of soot emitted from compression ignition engines. This knowledge is essential to decide the strategy to carry out a proper regeneration process in a diesel particle filter. The study was performed in a Euro 6 diesel engine. The engine operating condition used to collect particulate matter was selected as a typical steady mode in urban driving. The blends tested were baseline diesel, Bu10D (10% butanol and 90% diesel v/v), Bu20D (20% butanol and 80% diesel v/v), and Bu10B10D (10% butanol, 10% biodiesel, and 80% diesel v/v). The techniques used to characterize the soot were X-ray diffraction, Raman spectroscopy, transmission electron microscopy, surface area analysis, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). Among the results shown, most of the structural parameters related to the soot carbon layers did not correlate with reactivity, whereas others such as the concentration of oxygenated functional groups, the surface area (both increasing with butanol content), and the average primary particle diameter, which is reduced with the increasing butanol content, showed good consistency with soot reactivity obtained with TGA and DSC.

Prehispanic Andean iconography communicated ideology and structures of power. On the coast, iconography depicting violence and fertility legitimized elite power. In Tiwanaku (A.D. 400–1100), such iconography is considered to have been absent. We re-examine the theme of the Sacrificer in Tiwanaku iconography that originated during the Formative period in the south-central Andes. This figure, which we term Tiwanaku Camelid Sacrificer (TCS), takes on a new appearance: a human-camelid body carrying a a trophy head or axe. The TCS imagery is often depicted on portable prestige objects, many of them found in the Tiwanaku hinterlands that relied economically and socially on caravans. We propose that the TCS represents aspects of Tiwanaku ritual and ontology, by which camelids and humans shared acts, essence, and form. The states of being (camay) and becoming (tucoy) embodied by the TCS testify to the unique positions of power camelids held over life in Tiwanaku’s agropastoralist society.

This article stems from an interest in discovering how working conditions have changed in qualified professions in Spain, concentrating on lawyers. Using a qualitative method, we have found significant sources of precariousness that are transforming the profession’s ways. Throughout this article, light has been cast on the connections between the changing professional model of the lawyer’s job over the past three decades and the emergence of precarious situations. Our findings highlight that there has been a transformation in the occupation of lawyers in Spain: income and professional careers are marked by extreme uncertainty, raising psychosocial risks.

Genomic studies have recently identified RPS15 as a new driver gene in aggressive and chemorefractory cases of chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL). RPS15 encodes a ribosomal protein whose conserved C-terminal domain extends into the decoding center of the ribosome. We demonstrate that mutations in highly conserved residues of this domain affect protein stability, by increasing its ubiquitin-mediated degradation, and cell-proliferation rates. On the other hand, we show that mutated RPS15 can be loaded into the ribosomes, directly impacting on global protein synthesis and/or translational fidelity in a mutation-specific manner. Quantitative mass spectrometry analyses suggest that RPS15 variants may induce additional alterations in the translational machinery, as well as a metabolic shift at the proteome level in HEK293T and MEC-1 cells. These results indicate that CLL-related RPS15 mutations might act following patterns known for other ribosomal diseases, likely switching from a hypo- to a hyperproliferative phenotype driven by mutated ribosomes. In this scenario, loss of translational fidelity causing altered cell proteostasis can be proposed as a new molecular mechanism involved in CLL pathobiology.

This paper addresses the temperature control of a refrigerated chamber, using a vapour-compression refrigeration system. A cascade control strategy is proposed, where the outer controller regulates the chamber temperature by generating a reference on the cooling power to be satisfied by the inner controller, which manipulates the actual manipulated variables: the compressor speed and the expansion valve opening. Since two control variables are available to satisfy only a certain cooling demand, energy efficiency is addressed to generate the required cooling power as efficiently as possible. A simple decoupling strategy is applied to reduce the high coupling between both controlled variables, while the PID parameters are calculated applying affine parameterisation and considering a certain condition for robust stability. The performance of the proposed control strategy is evaluated in simulation, concerning reference tracking and disturbance rejection.

This paper presents a combined approach to the design of PID control applied to vapour-compression refrigeration systems. The underlying controller consists of two decentralised PIDs, aiming to control both the reference on the temperature of the evaporator secondary fluid, imposed by the cooling demand, and the degree of superheating, by manipulating the compressor speed and the expansion valve. A partial decoupling matrix is calculated to reduce the high coupling between the controlled variables, while the PIDs are tuned applying affine parameterisation and considering the condition for robust stability given by the study on the uncertainty sources and the estimation of the uncertainty region around a nominal linear model. The designed controller is applied to the system proposed in the Benchmark process challengeand some comparative simulations are presented and discussed, while the performance indices of the proposed controller with respect to the reference one are analysed.

The Benchmark proposed for the 3rd IFAC Conference on Advances in Proportional-Integral-Derivative Control (PID’18) held in July 2017 is described. This facilitates researchers to test their recent developments in the design of PID controllers on a challenging control problem. The paper focuses on the control of refrigeration systems: the canonical vapour-compression cycle is first described and then the MIMO control problem selected for the Benchmark PID 2018 is addressed, where the cooling power (through the outlet temperature of the evaporator secondary fluid) is intended to be controlled, as well as the degree of superheating at the evaporator outlet, using the compressor speed and the expansion valve opening as manipulated variables. The control systems described in this paper are ready to test other multivariable control strategies, despite being focused on PID regulators. Full documentation about the Benchmark was linked on the website of PID’18 and it will remain in http://www.dia.uned.es/~fmorilla/benchmarkPID2018/.

FtsZ is a self-assembling GTPase that forms, below the inner membrane, the mid-cell Z-ring guiding bacterial division. FtsZ monomers polymerize head to tail forming tubulin-like dynamic protofilaments, whose organization in the Z-ring is an unresolved problem. Rather than forming a well-defined structure, FtsZ protofilaments laterally associate in vitro into polymorphic condensates typically imaged on surfaces. We describe here nanoscale self-organizing properties of FtsZ assemblies in solution that underlie Z-ring assembly, employing time-resolved x-ray scattering and cryo-electron microscopy. We find that FtsZ forms bundles made of loosely bound filaments of variable length and curvature. Individual FtsZ protofilaments further bend upon nucleotide hydrolysis, highlighted by the observation of some large circular structures with 2.5–5° curvature angles between subunits, followed by disassembly end-products consisting of highly curved oligomers and 16-subunit −220 Å diameter mini-rings, here observed by cryo-electron microscopy. Neighbor FtsZ filaments in bundles are laterally spaced 70 Å, leaving a gap in between. In contrast, close contact between filament core structures (∼50 Å spacing) is observed in straight polymers of FtsZ constructs lacking the C-terminal tail, which is known to provide a flexible tether essential for FtsZ functions in cell division. Changing the length of the intrinsically disordered C-tail linker modifies the interfilament spacing. We propose that the linker prevents dynamic FtsZ protofilaments in bundles from sticking to one another, holding them apart at a distance similar to the lateral spacing observed by electron cryotomography in several bacteria and liposomes. According to this model, weak interactions between curved polar FtsZ protofilaments through their the C-tails may facilitate the coherent treadmilling dynamics of membrane-associated FtsZ bundles in reconstituted systems, as well as the recently discovered movement of FtsZ clusters around bacterial Z-rings that is powered by GTP hydrolysis and guides correct septal cell wall synthesis and cell division.

Social networks have increased in recent decades, and with them the bullying, causing difficulties in young people's mental health expressed through depressive symptoms, suicidal ideation and suicide attempts. Up next, we present a case that exemplifies this situation.

La victimización a través de las redes sociales se ha asociado con problemas de salud mental como depresión y comportamiento suicida.

Corn tortillas (CTs) are an essential part of the Mexican population's diet, although they are not highly recommended for the nutritional therapy of type 2 diabetes (T2D). Therefore, the integration of ingredients with functional properties, such as cabbage (Brassica oleraceavar. capitata L.), can serve the development of healthier foods for T2D patients. This study evaluated nutritional value, mineral content, bioactive compounds, biological activity, and sensorial analysis of CTs combined with cabbage flour. CTs is developed with cabbage flour (w/w) as follows: 0% (T0), 5% (T5), 10% (T10), and 15% (T15). In the CTs added with cabbage flour, moisture, and fiber increased, while fat content, nitrogen-free extract (NFE), and energy intake decreased. T15 had higher K, Na, and Mg concentrations (p<0.05) than the other treatments. T10 and T15 had similar Ca, Fe, Zn, and P contents to T5 and T0 (p<0.05). Total phenolic compounds (TPC) and total flavonoid content (TFC) in T15 were 13 and 380 times higher than in T0. T15 (p<0.05) inhibited DPPH, ABTS+, α-amylase, and α-glucosidase activities. Taste, color, and overall impression were similar (p<0.05) between T0 and T15. The addition of 15% cabbage flour improves CTs nutritional and functional properties; thus, this food could be an option for T2D.

The presented paper introduces a simple methodology to obtain a reduced-order approximation to high-order systems with oscillating dynamics. The reduction is based on the frequency domain characteristics of the under-damped high-order process. Classic control theory tools are used in order to obtain an accurate model reduction. Time-delay term plays an important role at the low-order model since it allows to hold the phase characteristics of the original system. Finally, a simple PID tuning methodology has been proposed in order to obtain the controller gains from the reduced model. Some numerical simulations are presented obtaining a similar performance when the PID controller applied to the high-order plant.

Aim:To assess the properties of a medical device containing xyloglucan, propolis and hibiscus to create a bioprotective barrier to avoid the contact of uropathogenicEscherichia colistrains on cell walls in models of intestinal (CacoGoblet) and uroepithelial (RWPE-1) cells (derived from normal human prostate epithelium).Materials & methods:Two uropathogenicE. colistrains (expressing type 1 fimbriae and P fimbriae) were used to assess, by electronic microscopy and ELISA, the barrier properties of the medical device. The antimicrobial activity was assessed in broth dilution assays.Results:The three components (xyloglucan, propolis and hibiscus) did not alterE. colicell integrity in intestinal and uroepithelial cell models and were devoid of antibacterial activity. The three components avoided bacterial contact in both cell monolayers.Conclusion:The nonpharmacological barrier properties of xyloglucan, propolis and hibiscus confirm the role of the medical device for the management of urinary tract infections.

Este trabajo presenta una evaluación del comportamiento del acero al carbono expuesto a la atmósfera de Bogotá. Los principales parámetros climáticos y ambientales medidos fueron humedad relativa (HR), temperatura (T), deposición de dióxido de azufre (DSO2) y deposición de material particulado (DPM). En adición, la pérdida de masa de platinas de acero AISI/SAE 1006 se midió en ocho sitios de ensayo de corrosión atmosférica ubicados a través de la ciudad durante un año de exposición. Los resultados del estudio muestran que la velocidad de corrosión del acero al carbono es menor a 35μm/año luego del primer año de estudio. Además se encontró que el occidente de la ciudad presenta la mayor agresividad, ya que ahí los niveles de material particulado y dióxido de azufre son más altos, relacionados con las características de la distribución de las actividades antrópicas en toda la ciudad. Una función dosis-respuesta de la corrosión del acero al carbono fue obtenida en función de HR, T y SO2.

Self-assembled nanotubes exhibit impressive biological functions that have always inspired supramolecular scientists in their efforts to develop strategies to build such structures from small molecules through a bottom-up approach. One of these strategies employs molecules endowed with self-recognizing motifs at the edges, which can undergo either cyclization–stacking or folding–polymerization processes that lead to tubular architectures. Which of these self-assembly pathways is ultimately selected by these molecules is, however, often difficult to predict and even to evaluate experimentally. We show here a unique example of two structurally related molecules substituted with complementary nucleobases at the edges (i.e., G:C and A:U) for which the supramolecular pathway taken is determined by chelate cooperativity, that is, by their propensity to assemble in specific cyclic structures through Watson–Crick pairing. Because of chelate cooperativities that differ in several orders of magnitude, these molecules exhibit distinct supramolecular scenarios prior to their polymerization that generate self-assembled nanotubes with different internal monomer arrangements, either stacked or coiled, which lead at the same time to opposite helicities and chiroptical properties.

Small molecule screening libraries cover only a small fraction of the astronomical number of possible drug-like compounds, limiting the success of ligand discovery efforts. Computational screening of virtual libraries representing unexplored chemical space could potentially bridge this gap. Drug development for adenosine receptors (ARs) as targets for inflammation and cardiovascular diseases has been hampered by the paucity of agonist scaffolds. To identify novel AR agonists, a virtual library of synthetically tractable nucleosides with alternative bases was generated and structure-based virtual screening guided selection of compounds for synthesis. Pharmacological assays were carried out at three AR subtypes for 13 ribosides. Nine compounds displayed significant activity at the ARs, and several of these represented atypical agonist scaffolds. The discovered ligands also provided insights into receptor activation and revealed unknown interactions of endogenous and clinical compounds with the ARs. The results demonstrate that virtual compound databases provide access to bioactive matter from regions of chemical space that are sparsely populated in commercial libraries, an approach transferrable to numerous drug targets.