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Surgical menopause causes a sharp drop in estrogen levels in middle‐aged women, thus preventing the gradual physiological adaptation that is characteristic of the perimenopause. Previous studies suggest that surgical menopause might increase the risk of dementia later in life. In addition, the transition to motherhood entails long‐lasting endocrine and neuronal adaptations. We compared differences in whole‐brain cortical volume between women who reached menopause by surgery and a group of women who reached spontaneous non‐surgical menopause and determined whether these cortical differences were influenced by previous childbearing. Using surface‐based neuroimaging techniques, we investigated cortical volume differences in 201 middle‐aged women (134 women who experienced non‐surgical menopause, 78 of whom were parous women; and 67 women who experienced surgical menopause, 39 of whom were parous women). We found significant atrophy in the frontal and temporal regions in women who experienced surgical menopause. Nulliparous women with surgical menopause showed significant lower cortical volume in the left temporal gyrus extending to the medial temporal lobe cortex, as well as in the precuneus bilaterally compared to parous women with surgical menopause; whereas our results revealed no significant differences between parous women with surgical menopause and both parous and nulliparous women who reached a non‐surgical menopause. Furthermore, in the surgical menopause group, we found a negative correlation between cortical volume and age at first pregnancy in the temporal lobe. Our study suggests that the long‐term brain remodeling of parity may mitigate the neural impact of the sudden drop in estrogen levels that characterizes surgical menopause. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • Liquid to solid phase transition of biodiesel was detected via vibrating tube densimeter technique for the first time. • The established procedure for solidification detection could be extended for other amorphous materials. • Solidification of biodiesel was detected by upwards pressurization. • Liquid densities for waste beef tallow FAMEs, FAEEs and FABEs are reported from 286 to 393 K, and pressures up to 137 MPa. • FAMEs had the highest density, while the lowest density was observed for FABEs. Phase behavior and thermophysical properties of biodiesel at high pressure and high temperature are limited in the literature. These are useful to develop models and to understand their behavior having in mind the use of biodiesel in engines. Liquid to solid phase transitions, by using a vibrating tube densimeter, along with densities of three beef tallow fatty acid alkyl esters were studied in this work. Measurements of the oscillating period for each biofuel were carried out in a modular array constituted by two vibrating tube densimeters coupled in series and connected to a single loading cell. The oscillating period was converted to density by the forced path mechanical calibration (FPMC) method. Experimental liquid density sets for three beef tallow biodiesel samples based on fatty acid alkyl esters (FAAEs) are reported for the first time for pressures up to 137 MPa. These biofuels, named fatty acid methyl esters (FAMEs), fatty acid ethyl esters (FAEEs) and fatty acid butyl esters (FABEs), were measured in the temperature range of 286–393 K. The detection procedure for the beginning of the high-pressure solidification was focused on the beef tallow FABEs sample based upon its lower cloud point (CP FABEs = 281.15 K) in comparison with the reported property for the other esters (CP FAEEs = 289.15 K, CP FAMEs = 291 K) with the same feedstock; therefore, the conditions for the metastable liquid to solid phase transition associated to the effect of high pressure was detailed for waste beef tallow butyl ester biodiesel by performing step-by-step compressions in the interval of 286.20–298.13 K and with the help of the vibrating tube densimeters. FABEs had the lower density in contrast with FAEEs and FAMEs, this one being the denser biofuel. Modeling of liquid density data was performed by the perturbed-chain statistical associating fluid theory (PC-SAFT) Equation of State and the Tammann-Tait equation with maximum absolute average deviations of 0.15 % and 0.05 %, respectively. Both models were applied for correlating the thermodynamic derived properties of the fluid phase: isobaric thermal expansivity and isothermal compressibility. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Transgender people report discomfort with their birth sex and a strong identification with the opposite sex. The current study was designed to shed further light on the question of whether the brains of transgender people resemble their birth sex or their gender identity. For this purpose, we analyzed a sample of 24 cisgender men, 24 cisgender women, and 24 transgender women before gender-affirming hormone therapy. We employed a recently developed multivariate classifier that yields a continuous probabilistic (rather than a binary) estimate for brains to be male or female. The brains of transgender women ranged between cisgender men and cisgender women (albeit still closer to cisgender men), and the differences to both cisgender men and to cisgender women were significant (p = 0.016 and p < 0.001, respectively). These findings add support to the notion that the underlying brain anatomy in transgender people is shifted away from their biological sex towards their gender identity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Assessments of the efficiency of grazing systems, in terms of productivity and ecological sustainability, are necessary in view of the increased demand for animal protein. In this study, the methane (CH4) emissions (sniffer methodology), dry matter (DM) yield, paddock chemical composition (AOAC and Van Soest methods), nutrient intake (dry matter, DMI; crude protein, CPI; metabolizable energy, MEI), daily milk yield (DMY), body condition score (BCS), and body weight (BW) of cattle, in intensive silvopastoral systems (ISPSs) and monoculture systems (MSs), in the tropics of Mexico were evaluated. In the ISPS, CH4 emissions (18% less) and DMY were lower than in the MS. Cows from MSs tend to disperse across higher values of CH4 emissions per kg of DMI, as well as higher milk production, while cows from the ISPS were dispersed over a higher intake (DMI, CPI, and MEI) and lower CH4 emissions. There were no differences between systems in paddock DM yield, chemical composition, cows' BCS, and BW, regardless of whether it was the dry (April to May) and rainy (September to October) season. Based on the results obtained in this study, ISPSs contribute to the mitigation of methane emissions in cattle; forage and animal production variables in both systems were similar, with a lower use of imported inputs in the ISPS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Coagulative nucleation in the copolymerization of methyl methacrylate–butyl acrylate (MMA-BA) via semicontinuous emulsion heterophase polymerization (SEHP) under monomer-starved conditions in latexes with high solid content (50.0 wt %) and low concentrations of surfactant is reported. The SEHP technique allows the obtention of latex with high colloidal stability and has potential industrial application in polymer synthesis. High instantaneous conversions (>90%) and a high-ratio polymerization rate/addition rate (Rp/Ra) ≥ 0.9 were obtained at low times until the final copolymerization, which confirmed the starved conditions in the systems at the highest surfactant concentrations. The particle size exhibited a linear size increment at conversions between 0 and 40% induced by homogeneous nucleation, a transition region between 40 and 50%, and non-linear behavior at higher conversions by coagulative nucleation. These three behaviors were also observed in the particle surfactant coverage area (Sc), Z-potential, particle coagulation rate (dNp/dt) by the Smoluchowski model, final particle size (Dpz), and number particle (Np) through the reaction. By means of transmission electron microscopy (TEM) images, the onset of coagulation was observed from 50% of conversion until the end of the reaction. In addition, in both processes of copolymerization, tacticity was displayed (mainly syndiotacticity). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents results concerning mechanistic modeling to describe the dynamics and interactions between biomass growth, glucose consumption and ethanol production in batch culture fermentation by Kluyveromyces marxianus (K. marxianus). The mathematical model was formulated based on the biological assumptions underlying each variable and is given by a set of three coupled nonlinear first-order Ordinary Differential Equations. The model has ten parameters, and their values were fitted from the experimental data of 17 K. marxianus strains by means of a computational algorithm design in Matlab. The latter allowed us to determine that seven of these parameters share the same value among all the strains, while three parameters concerning biomass maximum growth rate, and ethanol production due to biomass and glucose had specific values for each strain. These values are presented with their corresponding standard error and 95 % confidence interval. The goodness of fit of our system was evaluated both qualitatively by in silico experimentation and quantitative by means of the coefficient of determination and the Akaike Information Criterion. Results regarding the fitting capabilities were compared with the classic model given by the logistic, Pirt, and Luedeking–Piret Equations. Further, nonlinear theories were applied to investigate local and global dynamics of the system, the Localization of Compact Invariant Sets Method was applied to determine the so-called localizing domain, i.e., lower and upper bounds for each variable; whilst Lyapunov's stability theories allowed to establish sufficient conditions to ensure asymptotic stability in the nonnegative octant, i.e., R + , 0 3 . Finally, the predictive ability of our mechanistic model was explored through several numerical simulations with expected results according to microbiology literature on batch fermentation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Older adults (aged 55 years and above) have greater difficulty carrying out activities of daily living than younger adults (aged 25–55 years). Although age-related changes in human gait kinetics are well documented in qualitative terms in the scientific literature, these differences may be quantified and analyzed using the analysis of motor control strategies through kinetic synergies. The gaits of two groups of people (older and younger adults), each with ten members, were analyzed on a treadmill at a constant controlled speed and their gait kinetics were recorded. The decomposition of the kinetics into synergies was applied to the joint torques at the hip, knee, and ankle joints. Principal components determined the similarity of the kinetic torques in the three joints analyzed and the effect of the walking speed on the coordination pattern. A total of three principal components were required to describe enough information with minimal loss. The results suggest that the older group showed a change in coordination strategy compared to that of the younger group. The main changes were related to the ankle and hip torques, both showing significant differences (p-value < 0.05 ) between the two groups. The findings suggest that the differences between the gait patterns of the two groups were closely related to a reduction in ankle torque and an increase in hip torque. This change in gait pattern may affect the rehabilitation strategy used when designing general-purpose rehabilitation devices or rehabilitation/training programs for the elderly. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims: Benzodiazepines have been used as safe anxiolytic drugs for decades and some authors have suggested they could be an alternative for morphine for treating acute cardiogenic pulmonary oedema (ACPE). We compared the efficacy and safety of midazolam and morphine in patients with ACPE.Methods and Results: A randomized, multicentre, open-label, blinded endpoint clinical trial was performed in seven Spanish emergency departments (EDs). Patients >18 years old clinically diagnosed with ACPE and with dyspnoea and anxiety were randomized (1:1) at ED arrival to receive either intravenous midazolam or morphine. Efficacy was assessed by in-hospital all-cause mortality (primary endpoint). Safety was assessed through serious adverse event (SAE) reporting, and the composite endpoint included 30-day mortality and SAE. Analyses were made on an intention-to-treat basis. The trial was stopped early after a planned interim analysis by the safety monitoring committee. At that time, 111 patients had been randomized: 55 to midazolam and 56 to morphine. There were no significant differences in the primary endpoint (in-hospital mortality for midazolam vs. morphine 12.7% vs. 17.9%; risk ratio[RR] 0.71, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.29-1.74; p = 0.60). SAE were less common with midazolam versus morphine (18.2% vs. 42.9%; RR 0.42, 95% CI 0.22-0.80; p = 0.007), as were the composite endpoint (23.6% vs. 44.6%; RR 0.53, 95% CI 0.30-0.92; p = 0.03).Conclusion: Although the number of patients was too small to draw final conclusions and there were no significant differences in mortality between midazolam and morphine, a significantly higher rate of SAEs was found in the morphine group. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Two species of the family Eomyidae are identified in the early Miocene localities of the Araia d'Alcora outcrop (Ribesalbes-Alcora Basin, Iberian Peninsula): Ligerimys florancei and Ligerimys ellipticus. The first is rarer than the second, which is one of the most abundant mammals in the Ribesalbes-Alcora Basin assemblages. Due to its abundance, we are able to describe its variability in dental morphology, showing characteristics never previously observed, including the presence of a mesoloph or other features previously described only in ancient assemblages of this species, such as the presence of the anteroloph, which appears in younger assemblages in the Araia sequence. Furthermore, based on the eomyids, we divide the record of the Campisano Ravine section into two long local biozones, depending on the species present. In addition, each local biozone is divided into two smaller subbiozones, depending on the abundance of each species. We retrospectively compare and correlate the assemblages studied here with other Ligerimys assemblages from the other basins in the Iberian Peninsula. We classify these sites based on the abundance and species of the genus Ligerimys. Additionally, we discuss the palaeoecological preferences of these species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Dmanisi (Georgia) is one of the oldest Early Paleolithic sites discovered out of Africa. In addition, it is the best site to understand the first Homo deme out of Africa and the first hominin occupation of Central to Western Eurasia. It has produced more than 40 hominin remains, including several very informative skulls, found in direct association with faunal remains and numerous lithic artifacts. To date, fossil amphibians and reptiles are one of the few proxies that have been used to propose quantitative climate reconstructions for the time where the hominins were living at Dmanisi. The aim of the present study is to review and amplify the previous paleoclimatic interpretation given by Blain et al. (2014) , with an enhanced methodology using geographic information system and based on uncertain distribution area-occupied distribution area discrimination technique. This procedure permits to approach to a more precise common species distribution area and then using the WorldClim v. 2.1 climate database to propose for the first time monthly reconstructions for temperature and rainfall, in addition to annual parameters. The same technique is used to infer dominant ecoregions through the study area and potential tree coverage. Dmanisi climate is newly reconstructed as warm and semi-arid, similar to the present-day Mediterranean climate. New estimates however suggest warmer temperatures than previously reconstructed, together with a slightly higher but much more irregular amount of rainfall. The aridity indexes suggest a six months dry period, from May to October. Associated regional paleoenvironment is mainly characterized by Mediterranean forests, woodlands, and scrub, and the potential tree coverage is around 25%, that is, much less forested than today. New estimates agree with the 'Iberian' hominin ecological model, and with other proxies (large mammals, small mammals and archaeobotanical remains) that indicate a period of increased aridity contemporaneous with human occupations of the site. • Dmanisi is one of the oldest Early Paleolithic sites discovered out of Africa. • Climate is newly reconstructed as Mediterranean warm and semi-arid. • New estimates however suggest warmer temperatures than previously reconstructed. • Paleoenvironment is characterized by Mediterranean forests, woodlands, and scrub. • Mediterranean biome was a suitable place for early hominins as early as 1.8 Ma. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]