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The aim of this study is twofold. First, to assess the effect of the sonication process on the optimal dispersion of GO sheets for nanostructural reinforcement of cement pastes, as there is currently no clear criterion on this effect in the literature. For this purpose, in the first stage, the GO content in distilled water was fixed at 0.03% by weight, and the sheets were dispersed using different levels of ultrasonic energy, ranging from 0 J/mL to 2582 J/mL. In the second stage, to analyze the modification of pore structure due to the addition of GO sheets in different ratios (0–0.06% by weight) and its relationship with the mechanical and fracture properties of reinforced cement pastes. According to the results, it has been determined that the incorporation of GO sheets into the matrix alters the mechanical and fracture behavior, varying depending on matrix pore size and GO particle size. The addition of GO leads to a reduction in the average size of macropores (greater than 8 µm) of 13% for a dosage of 0.45% in weight and micropores (between 8 and 0.5 µm) in a 64% for the same composition with non-sonicated GO, although the total volume of pores in these ranges only decreased slightly. This reduction is more pronounced when the GO has not been sonicated and has larger particle size. Sonicated GO primarily modifies the range of capillary pores (<0.5 µm). The addition of GO with the highest degree of dispersion (465 nm) did not show significant improvements in compressive strength or Young’s modulus, as the cement used contains a significant volume of macropores that are not substantially reduced in any composition. Adding 0.030% ultrasonicated GO achieved a 7.8% increase in fracture energy, while an addition of 0.045% resulted in a 13.3% decrease in characteristic length, primarily due to the effect of capillary and micropores.

The multifunctionality of agricultural and livestock systems is a pivotal attribute that should be considered when formulating rural policies, as it serves as a significant source of income for those managing these systems in their respective areas. The objective of this work was to quantify the farm-level multifunctionality of extensive livestock systems with local meat breeds (cattle, sheep and goats) in Andalusia (southern Spain). The study focused on three autochthonous breeds located in southern Spain: (i) the Pajuna cattle breed; (ii) the Negra Serrana goat breed; and (iii) the Lojeña sheep breed. To assess multifunctionality in Andalusian systems, four aggregated function scores based on farm characteristics and activities were identified and evaluated: (i) production function; (ii) residence function; (iii) habitat and biodiversity function; and (iv) recreational, cultural and educational function. The farm data supporting these indicators were derived from personal interviews conducted with a total of 40 farmers. The total multifunctionality index was significantly higher for Lojeña sheep compared with Pajuna cattle and Negra Serrana goats. Across each breed, scores varied significantly for individual functions and indicators, highlighting the complexity and diversity inherent in each system. Based on the results obtained, a series of specific changes are deemed necessary to enhance the multifunctionality of the farms that specialize in the three breeds studied: (i) ensuring food self-sufficiency by promoting local opportunities; (ii) advocating for equal participation and active involvement of spouses in farm work; (iii) establishing optimal pasture management practices; (iv) fostering the development of activities related to livestock farming that contribute to ecotourism or rural tourism; (v) aligning local livestock farming practices with tasks related to forest fire prevention; and (vi) encouraging the participation of livestock farmers in training fut

The criteria on green public procurement of the European Union establish that the economic budgets of building projects must be complemented by their derived environmental and social costs. These criteria are currently being adapted to the requirements related to the circular economy, such as the use of methods to evaluate buildings environmentally. However, most methods available in the European and Spanish markets require prior training, which makes their use difficult. This paper presents an evaluation method, CEACE, for housing construction based on the determination of their footprints (ecological, carbon, and water footprints), also called the footprint family, to which the economic and social evaluation is added, as is the quantification of the construction and demolition waste generated. This method is validated with the assessment of fifteen residential buildings in Andalusia and creates an indicator that will allow technicians, companies, and administrations to evaluate projects in accordance with the criteria of green public procurement. The method is sensitive to changes in the type of building, foundation solution, and underground construction.

Ecotourism routes serve as powerful tools for fostering environmental awareness. To achieve this, it is crucial to design itineraries within natural parks that strike a balance between visitor experience and ecological preservation. Limiting the duration of visits prevents undue strain on both visitors and ecosystems. Effective routes should showcase high biodiversity, traversing diverse sites to enhance knowledge acquisition. Considering natural factors such as light conditions and climate, it is prudent to tailor visiting times to optimize the experience. Therefore, it makes sense to incorporate time-dependent benefits at arcs and the possibility of introducing waiting times at nodes in the design models. These two characteristics have enriched the optimization models developed to solve the tourist trip design problem based on maximizing benefit only when points of interest are visited. However, the specific application of these aforementioned characteristics and enriched optimization models to the arc orientation problem remains yet to be reported on and published in the literature. Our contribution addresses this gap, proposing a route design model with scenic value in the arches of the graph where the benefits perceived by travelers are maximized, taking into account a diversity of evaluations depending on the time of starting the trip through each arc.

La Pastora tholos is the most complete and characteristic megalithic monument of the Valencina de la Concepción-Castilleja de Guzmán mega-site. This monument was built using three types of rock, each with different functions and coming from three different places: Paleozoic quartzarenite, granite, and Tertiary calcareous sandstone. A detailed petrological study of the rocks of the tholos and outcrops of similar rocks in the surroundings has been carried out, locating the possible source areas in areas at least 30 km to the N of the monument for the quartzarenite, 15 km for the granite, and 15 km to the S for the sandstone. Therefore, the community that built the monument has a high knowledge of the nature by, which allows them to locate these resources, and a sufficient social organization to exploit them and move them to the mega-site. In this sense, the layout of the outcrops suggests the possible use of boats or rafts to facilitate their displacement, or at least part of their movement.

The ongoing global energy crisis in Europe has intensified energy poverty in vulnerable households, prompting a critical examination of passive retrofit strategies for improving the habitability of obsolete social housing in southern Europe from the 1960s. Given the Mediterranean climate’s characteristics (hot summers and mild winters), these buildings possess low thermal resistance envelopes designed for heat dissipation in summer but contribute to elevated heating demands in colder months. In response to the pressing need for solutions that strike a balance between reducing energy demand and ensuring year-round comfort, this research explores diverse approaches. Drawing insights from built prototypes in Colombia and Hungary and utilizing a validated simulation model in Seville, Spain, this study investigates the feasibility of implementing a double-skin envelope on building facades and assesses the impact of thermal insulation in the air chamber. So, the research specifically aims to find an equilibrium between lowering energy demand and maintaining adequate comfort conditions, concentrating on the renovation of obsolete social housing with envelopes featuring low thermal resistance in the Mediterranean climate. Results indicate that, due to the poor thermal envelope, the influence of thermal insulation on comfort conditions and energy savings outweighs that of the double skin. Consequently, the emphasis of renovation projects for this climate should not solely concentrate on passive cooling strategies but should strive to achieve a positive balance in comfort conditions throughout the year, encompassing both warm and cold months.

The production of tailored, on-demand drug delivery systems has gained attention in pharmaceutical development over the last few years, thanks to the application of 3D printing technology in the pharmaceutical field. Recently, direct powder extrusion (DPE) has emerged among the extrusion-based additive manufacturing techniques. It is a one-step procedure that allows the direct processing of powdered formulations. The aim of this systematic literature review is to analyze the production of drug delivery systems using DPE. A total of 27 articles have been identified through scientific databases (Scopus, PubMed, and ScienceDirect). The main characteristics of the three types of 3D printers based on DPE have been discussed. The selection of polymers and auxiliary excipients, as well as the flowability of the powder mixture, the rheological properties of the molten material, and the printing temperatures have been identified as the main critical parameters for successful printing. A wide range of drug delivery systems with varied geometries and different drug release profiles intended for oral, buccal, parenteral, and transdermal routes have been produced. The ability of this technique to manufacture personalized, on-demand drug delivery systems has been proven. For all these reasons, its implementation in hospital settings in the near future seems promising.

Immunohistochemistry is a powerful technique that is widely used in biomedical research and clinics; it allows one to determine the expression levels of some proteins of interest in tissue samples using color intensity due to the expression of biomarkers with specific antibodies. As such, immunohistochemical images are complex and their features are difficult to quantify. Recently, we proposed a novel method, including a first separation stage based on non-negative matrix factorization (NMF), that achieved good results. However, this method was highly dependent on the parameters that control sparseness and non-negativity, as well as on algorithm initialization. Furthermore, the previously proposed method required a reference image as a starting point for the NMF algorithm. In the present work, we propose a new, simpler and more robust method for the automated, unsupervised scoring of immunohistochemical images based on bright field. Our work is focused on images from tumor tissues marked with blue (nuclei) and brown (protein of interest) stains. The new proposed method represents a simpler approach that, on the one hand, avoids the use of NMF in the separation stage and, on the other hand, circumvents the need for a control image. This new approach determines the subspace spanned by the two colors of interest using principal component analysis (PCA) with dimension reduction. This subspace is a two-dimensional space, allowing for color vector determination by considering the point density peaks. A new scoring stage is also developed in our method that, again, avoids reference images, making the procedure more robust and less dependent on parameters. Semi-quantitative image scoring experiments using five categories exhibit promising and consistent results when compared to manual scoring carried out by experts.

Ultrafine hydraulic binder grout injection is a technique utilised for repairing masonry, either to connect sections, seal joints, or fill voids due to its great capacity for penetration and higher mechanical strength than lime grout. In this research, the mechanical properties of ultrafine hydraulic cement grout are analysed considering the influence of the mould material for preparing the specimens and their geometry characteristics in the context of the specifications set out in several international standards. The test campaign to ascertain compressive and flexural strength in different circumstances is supplemented with a physical and chemical characterisation of both binder and fresh and hardened grout. Significant differences in mechanical properties between specimens prepared with absorbent or non-absorbent-water material are found due to the influence of drying shrinkage and decanting binder during the curing process. Furthermore, the slenderness of specimens is presented as an important factor in determining the compressive strength of mixtures.

Developing gelled environmentally friendly dispersions in oil media is a hot topic for many applications. This study aimed to investigate the production of electrospun cellulose triacetate (CTA) nanofibers and to explore their potential application as a thickening agent for castor oil. The key factors in the electrospinning process, including the intrinsic properties of CTA solutions in methylene chloride (DCM)/ethanol (EtOH), such us the shear viscosity, surface tension, and electrical conductivity, were systematically studied. The impact of the CTA fiber concentration and the ratio of DCM/EtOH on the rheological properties of the gel-like dispersions in castor oil was then investigated. It was found that dispersions with a non-Newtonian response and above a critical concentration (5 wt.%), corresponding to approximately 2–2.5 times the entanglement concentration, are required to produce defect-free nanofibers. The average fiber diameter increased with CTA concentration. Further, the morphology and texture of the electrospun nanofibers are influenced by the ratio of solvents used. The rheological properties of dispersions are strongly influenced by the concentration and surface properties of nanofibers, such as their smooth or porous textures, which allow their modulation. Compared to other commonly used thickeners, such as synthetic polymers and metal soaps, CTA electrospun nanofibers have a much higher oil structuring capacity. This work illustrated the potential of using CTA nanofibers as the foundation for fabricating gel-like dispersions in oil media, and thus exerting hierarchical control of rheological properties through the use of a nanoscale fabrication technique.

The majority of data exchanged between connected devices are confidential and must be protected against unauthorized access. To ensure data protection, so-called cryptographic algorithms are used. These algorithms have proven to be mathematically secure against brute force due to the key length, but their physical implementations are vulnerable against physical attacks. The physical implementation of these algorithms can result in the disclosure of information that can be used to access confidential data. Some of the most powerful hardware attacks presented in the literature are called fault injection attacks. These attacks involve introducing a malfunction into the normal operation of the device and then analyzing the data obtained by comparing them with the expected behavior. Some of the most common methods for injecting faults are the variation of the supply voltage and temperature or the injection of electromagnetic pulses. In this paper, a hardware design methodology using analog-to-digital converters (ADCs) is presented to detect attacks on cryptocircuits and prevent information leakage during fault injection attacks. To assess the effectiveness of the proposed design approach, FPGA-based ADC modules were designed that detect changes in temperature and supply voltage. Two setups were implemented to test the scheme against voltage and temperature variations and injections of electromagnetic pulses. The results obtained demonstrate that, in 100% of the cases, when the correct operating voltage and temperature range were established, the detectors could activate an alarm signal when the cryptographic module was attacked, thus avoiding confidential information leakage and protecting data from being exploited.

This research work arises from the need to design specific techniques for the characterisation of cultural sites. Assuming the increasing complexity of the protection typologies, the expansion of working scales gives thanks to technology and the pursuit of social sustainability objectives. Thus, its main objective is to search for innovative tools that other disciplines can contribute to the work of architects specialising in heritage studies. To this end, the research explores the main methodologies, maps, guides, and registers of landscape and historic landscape characterisation developed in Europe, particularly in Spain, over the last 40 years. Considering this intense and profound evolution of landscape analysis, useful strategies for the assessment of cultural sites from their conception in the 21st century arise. Nevertheless, landscape characterisation methods have been mainly developed and applied by geographers and are absent in many urban and territorial heritage studies. In response, this article proposes a new methodological approach focusing on contextual values to be used in the assessment of architectural heritage at the territorial scale.

The phytopathogenic fungus Fusarium fujikuroi has a rich secondary metabolism which includes the synthesis of very different metabolites in response to diverse environmental cues, such as light or nitrogen. Here, we focused our attention on fusarins, a class of mycotoxins whose synthesis is downregulated by nitrogen starvation. Previous data showed that mutants of genes involved in carotenoid regulation (carS, encoding a RING finger protein repressor), light detection (wcoA, White Collar photoreceptor), and cAMP signaling (AcyA, adenylate cyclase) affect the synthesis of different metabolites. We studied the effect of these mutations on fusarin production and the expression of the fus1 gene, which encodes the key polyketide synthase of the pathway. We found that the three proteins are positive regulators of fusarin synthesis, especially WcoA and AcyA, linking light regulation to cAMP signaling. Genes for two other photoreceptors, the cryptochrome CryD and the Vivid flavoprotein VvdA, were not involved in fusarin regulation. In most cases, there was a correspondence between fusarin production and fus1 mRNA, indicating that regulation is mainly exerted at the transcriptional level. We conclude that fusarin synthesis is subject to a complex control involving regulators from different signaling pathways.

Microplastics (MPs) and antibiotics are emerging pollutants widely found in aquatic environments, potentially causing environmental harm. MPs may act as carriers for antibiotics, affecting their environmental distribution. This study investigates the adsorption of four macrolide antibiotics and a metabolite onto two types of MPs: polyethylene terephthalate (PET) and polyethylene (PE). Results revealed a linear isotherm adsorption model, with higher adsorption to PET than to PE (R² > 0.936 for PE and R² > 0.910 for PET). Hydrophobic interactions and hydrogen bonding could be the main adsorption mechanisms, with pore filling potentially involved. Reduced particle size enhances adsorption due to the increase of active adsorption sites. This increasement is more pronounced in PE than in PET, leading to an 11.6% increase in the average adsorption of all macrolides to PE, compared to only 5.1% to PET. Dissolved organic matter inhibits adsorption (azithromycin adsorption to PE was reduced from 12% to 5.1%), while salinity enhances it just until 1% salinity. pH slightly influences adsorption, with maximal adsorption at neutral pH. Results in real samples showed that complexity of the matrix decreased adsorption. Overall, these findings indicate that PE and PET MPs can be a vector of macrolides in aquatic environments.

This paper presents a combined analysis of muon neutrino and antineutrino charged-current cross sections at kinematics of relevance for the T2K, MINERvA and MicroBooNE experiments. We analyze the sum, difference and asymmetry of neutrino versus antineutrino cross sections in order to get a better understanding of the nuclear effects involved in these processes. Nuclear models based on the superscaling behavior and the relativistic mean field theory are applied, covering a wide range of kinematics, from hundreds of MeV to several GeV, and the relevant nuclear regimes, i.e., from quasileastic reactions to deep inelastic scattering processes. The NEUT neutrino-interaction event generator, used in neutrino oscillation experiments, is also applied to the analysis of the quasielastic channel via local Fermi gas and spectral function approaches.

Solid biomass is usually simulated by decomposing it into a solid phase (carbon, ash, and sulfur) and a gas phase (water and diatomic molecules of H2, N2, O2, and Cl2) from the proximate and ultimate analysis before entering a reactor operating under chemical equilibrium when using Aspen Plus. However, this method prevents the use of energy integration for the feed stream from the system inlet to the reactor. This paper proposes an approach to solving this issue, considering biomass with both known and unknown chemical compositions; the latter involves the decomposition of biomass into complex molecular compounds. Different process arrangements were assessed to achieve a realistic simulation, and a sensitivity analysis was carried out to examine the effect of the concentration and heating upstream of the reactor, focused on supercritical water gasification (SCWG) of orange peel. This process is very energy-intensive, so the approach is useful for a better calculation of the energy requirement and exergy losses in a plant; these are usually and mainly related to the train of heat exchangers. In addition to this application to SCWG, this approach can be used for any other thermochemical process, such as gasification, pyrolysis, or combustion, and for any real biomass. Upon a base case study using a wet biomass of 10,000 kg/h with 90 wt.% water where the SCWG reaction takes place at 240 bar and 800º C, if the temperature at the SCWG reactor inlet increases from 350º C to 400º C, the heat exchange increases by 57% from 4 MW and by 34% if the water content decreases to 70 wt.%, although more heat relative to the solid is saved.

The use of compression ignition engines (CIEs) is associated with increased greenhouse gas emissions. It is therefore necessary to research sustainable solutions and reduce the negative environmental impact of these engines. A widely studied alternative is the use of H2 in dual-fuel mode. This review has been developed to include the most recent studies on the subject to collect and compare their main conclusions on performance and emissions. Moreover, this study includes most relevant emission control strategies that have not been extensively analyzed in other reviews on the subject. The main conclusion drawn from the literature is the negative effect of the addition of H2 on NOx. This is due to the increase in temperature during combustion, which increases NOx formation, as the thermal mechanism predominates. Therefore, to reduce these emissions, three strategies have been studied, namely exhaust gas recirculation (EGR), water injection (WI), and compression ratio (CR) reduction. The effect of these techniques on NOx reduction, together with their effect on other analyzed performance parameters, have been deeply analyzed. The studies reviewed in this work indicate that hydrogen is an alternative fuel for CIEs when used in conjunction with techniques that have proven to be effective in reducing NOx.

Hydroxytyrosol (HT) is a well-known compound for its bioactive properties. It is naturally present in olives, olive oil, and wine. Its presence in wines is partly due to its production during alcoholic fermentation by yeast through a hydroxylation of tyrosol formed through the Ehrlich pathway. This work aims to explore the influence of yeast assimilable nitrogen (YAN) and glucose content as precursors of HT formation during alcoholic fermentation. Commercial Saccharomyces cerevisiae QA23 and its metabolically engineered strain were used to ferment synthetic must. Each strain was tested at two different YAN concentrations (210 and 300 mg L−1) and two glucose concentrations (100 and 240 g L−1). This work confirms that the less YAN and the more glucose, the higher the HT content, with fermentations carried out with the metabolically engineered strain being the ones with the highest HT content (0.6 mg L−1).

We aimed to define a novel indicator for monitoring antimicrobial use specifically in the Emergency Department Observation Unit (EDOU) and to assess the long-term impact of an institutional education-based antimicrobial stewardship program (ASP) on the antimicrobial prescribing pattern and clinical outcomes in this setting. A quasi-experimental interrupted time-series study was performed from 2011 to 2022. An educational ASP was implemented at the EDOU in 2015. To estimate changes in antimicrobial use, we designed an indicator adjusted for patients at risk of antimicrobial prescribing: defined daily doses (DDDs) per 100 patients transferred from the Emergency Department to the Observation Unit (TOs) per quarter. The number of bloodstream infections (BSIs) and the crude all-cause 14-day mortality were assessed as clinical outcomes. Antimicrobial use showed a sustained reduction with a trend change of −1.17 DDD per 100 TO and a relative effect of −45.6% (CI95% −64.5 to −26.7), particularly relevant for meropenem and piperacillin-tazobactam, with relative effects of −80.4% (−115.0 to −45.7) and −67.9% (−93.9 to −41.9), respectively. The incidence density of all BSIs increased significantly during the ASP period, with a relative effect of 123.2% (41.3 to 284.7). The mortality rate remained low and stable throughout the study period, with an absolute effect of −0.7% (−16.0 to 14.7). The regular monitoring of antimicrobial use in the EDOU by using this new quantitative indicator was useful to demonstrate that an institutional education-based ASP successfully achieved a long-term reduction in overall antimicrobial use, with a low and steady BSI mortality rate.

The morphology and void connectivity of thin films grown by a magnetron sputtering deposition technique at oblique geometries were studied in this paper. A well-tested thin film growth model was employed to assess the features of these layers along with experimental data taken from the literature. A strong variation in the film morphology and pore topology was found as a function of the growth conditions, which have been linked to the different collisional transport of sputtered species in the plasma gas. Four different characteristic film morphologies were identified, such as (i) highly dense and compact, (ii) compact with large, tilted mesopores, (iii) nanocolumns separated by large mesopores, and (iv) vertically aligned sponge-like coalescent nanostructures. Attending to the topology and connectivity of the voids in the film, the nanocolumnar morphology was shown to present a high pore volume and area connected with the outside by means of mesopores, with a diameter above 2 nm, while the sponge-like nanostructure presented a high pore volume and area, as well as a dense network connectivity by means of micropores, with a diameter below 2 nm. The obtained results describe the different features of the porous network in these films and explain the different performances as gas or liquid sensors in electrochromic applications or for infiltration with nanoparticles or large molecules.

Lemon essential oil (LEO) is associated with a multitude of health benefits due to its anticancer, antioxidant, antiviral, anti-inflammatory and bactericidal properties. Its drawback is that it is very sensitive to oxidation by heat. For this reason, researchers are increasingly investigating the use of LEO in nanoemulsions. In this work, we used laser diffraction, rheology and multiple light scattering techniques to study the effects of different HLB numbers (indicating different mixtures of Tween 80 and Span 20) on the physical stability of nanoemulsions formulated with LEO. We found that different HLB numbers induced different destabilization mechanisms in these emulsions. An HLB number lower than 12 resulted in an Ostwald ripening effect; an HLB number higher than 12 resulted in coalescence. In addition, all the developed nanoemulsions exhibited Newtonian behavior, which could favor the mechanism of creaming. All emulsions exhibited not only a growth in droplet size, but also a creaming with aging time. These findings highlight the importance of selecting the right surfactant to stabilize nanoemulsions, with potential applications in the food industry.

Numerous studies suggest that cultural heritage can be a powerful resource for local development when managed from the principles of sustainability and resilience. This paper aims to make a significant contribution to the designation of heritage assets. The case of the Andalusian region of southern Spain presents both qualitative and quantitative differences when a comparative study is made between urban centers, medium-sized cities, small towns, and rural areas. Subsequently, the paper proposes diverse methodologies to improve heritage designation in vulnerable territories through the incorporation of collaborative methods and digital humanities. The final objective is to conclude how to improve cultural heritage location and information processes to maximize social impact in areas suffering from aging and depopulation problems.

Polymer nanocomposites (PNCs) attract the attention of researchers and industry because of their potential properties in widespread fields. Specifically, electrically conductive and semiconductor PNCs are gaining interest as promising materials for biomedical, optoelectronic and sensing applications, among others. Here, metallic nanoparticles (NPs) are extensively used as nanoadditives to increase the electrical conductivity of mere acrylic resin. As the in situ formation of metallic NPs within the acrylic matrix is hindered by the solubility of the NP precursors, we propose a method to increase the density of Ag NPs by using different intermediate solvents, allowing preparation of Ag/acrylic resin nanocomposites with improved electrical behaviour. We fabricated 3D structures using stereolithography (SLA) by dissolving different quantities of metal precursor (AgClO4) in methanol and in N,N-dimethylformamide (DMF) and adding these solutions to the acrylic resin. The high density of Ag NPs obtained notably increases the electrical conductivity of the nanocomposites, reaching the semiconductor regime. We analysed the effect of the auxiliary solvents during the printing process and the implications on the mechanical properties and the degree of cure of the fabricated nanocomposites. The good quality of the materials prepared by this method turn these nanocomposites into promising candidates for electronic applications.

Nivolumab (anti-PD-1 antibody) and atezolizumab (anti-PD-L1 antibody) have shown superior survival outcomes and improved adverse effects compared to standard chemotherapy in advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients. However, the efficacy of both treatments has not been directly compared in clinical trials. This retrospective, single-centre study was performed from June 2015 to December 2020 and included a cohort of 158 previously treated patients with stage IV or recurrent NSCLC who received PD-1 (nivolumab) (n = 89) or PD-L1 (atezolizumab) (n = 69) inhibitors at the Virgen del Rocío Hospital in Seville. The objective response rate (ORR) was 22.5% in the nivolumab group and 14.5% in the atezolizumab group (p = 0.140). Multivariate analysis did not show significant differences between the two groups for PFS and OS (PFS hazard ratio (HR): 0.80, 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.55–1.17, p = 0.260; OS HR: 0.79, 95% CI: 0.52–1.21, p = 0.281). Adverse events of all grades occurred in 68 patients in the nivolumab group (76.4%) and in 34 patients in the atezolizumab group (49.3%) (p < 0.001). Atezolizumab and nivolumab did not show statistically significant differences in survival outcomes in patients with NSCLC, even when stratified by histological subtype (squamous versus nonsquamous). However, the safety analysis suggested a more favourable toxicity profile for atezolizumab.

Every year, cancer kills millions of people around the world. Finding more selective anticancer agents is essential to improve the low survival rates of patients with metastatic cancers. Since the research of natural products is a valuable approach to the discovery of new compounds and the Iberian flora offers a rich source of unstudied plants, we have carried out a random screening of 76 plant species from 43 families collected in Andalusia (South of Spain). Using non-malignant cells (HaCaT) and lung cancer cells (A549), we found that the extract from Arum italicum Mill. subsp. italicum (Araceae), Mandragora autumnalis Bertol. (Solanaceae), Rhamnus alaternus L. (Rhamnaceae), and Lomelosia simplex (Desf.) Raf. subsp. dentata (Jord. & Fourr.) Greuter & Burdet (Dipsacaceae) showed selective cytotoxicity against lung cancer cells. Extracts of plant species belonging to the Iridaceae family showed high selective activity against cancer cells, highlighting that the Xiphion xiphium (L.) M.B. Crespo, Mart.-Azorín & Mavrodiev flower extract was more selective against lung cancer cells than the standard anticancer drugs, cisplatin and 5-fluorouracil. This extract also showed modest selective cytotoxicity against bladder carcinoma cells (T24). The number of cells in the G1 phase increased after treatment with the extract from Xiphion xiphium. Our research indicates that various plants are potential sources for the isolation and development of new anticancer drugs.

Recombination is an evolutionary strategy to quickly acquire new viral properties inherited from the parental lineages. The systematic survey of the SARS-CoV-2 genome sequences of the Andalusian genomic surveillance strategy has allowed the detection of an unexpectedly high number of co-infections, which constitute the ideal scenario for the emergence of new recombinants. Whole genome sequence of SARS-CoV-2 has been carried out as part of the genomic surveillance programme. Sample sources included the main hospitals in the Andalusia region. In addition to the increase of co-infections and known recombinants, three novel SARS-CoV-2 delta-omicron and omicron-omicron recombinant variants with two break points have been detected. Our observations document an epidemiological scenario in which co-infection and recombination are detected more frequently. Finally, we describe a family case in which co-infection is followed by the detection of a recombinant made from the two co-infecting variants. This increased number of recombinants raises the risk of emergence of recombinant variants with increased transmissibility and pathogenicity

Despite the last few decades’ advances towards social and gender justice, reproductive decisions are still a source of oppression for many European Romani women and girls. This protocol aims to propose a model to empower Romani women and girls’ reproductive decisions, inspired by Reproductive Justice—the recognition of women and girls’ ability to make safe and free decisions about their bodies and reproduction. Through Participatory Action Research, 15–20 Romani girls and their families, two Romani platforms, and key agents from a rural and an urban context in Spain will participate. They will (1) contextualize Romani women and girls’ inequities, (2) build partnerships, (3) implement Photovoice and advocate for their gender rights, and (4) assess the initiative’s related changes, using self-evaluation techniques. Qualitative and quantitative indicators will be collected to assess impacts among participants, while tailoring and assuring the quality of the actions. Expected outcomes include the creation and consolidation of new social networks, and the promotion of Romani women and girls’ leadership. For this, Romani organizations must be transformed into empowering settings for their communities, spaces where Romani women and girls assume responsibility of the initiatives, being these tailored to their real needs and interests, and guaranteeing transformative social changes.

A gluten-free diet (GFD) is currently the only treatment available for patients with celiac disease (CD). However, adherence to a GFD can be challenging because gluten is present in many foods. A lifelong follow-up of patients with CD must be performed to promote adherence to a GFD and to identify the appearance of symptoms and the associated diseases. Therefore, the development of tools to analyze gluten exposure in these patients is important. This study proposes the development of the first automatable ELISA to monitor adherence to a GFD through the quantification of urine gluten immunogenic peptides (u-GIP). Seven healthy volunteers without suspicion of CD and 23 patients with CD were monitored as part of this study to optimize, validate, and apply this assay. Non-interference was found in the urine matrix, and the recovery percentage for spiked samples was 81–101%. The u-GIP was stable for up to 16 days when the samples were stored at different temperatures. Overall, 100% of the patients had detectable u-GIP at diagnosis (range of 0.39–2.14 ng GIP/mL), which reduced to 27% after 12 months on a GFD. Therefore, this highly sensitive immunoassay would allow the analysis of u-GIP from a large battery of samples in clinical laboratories of specialized healthcare centers.

In 2019, the biggest listeriosis outbreak by Listeria monocytogenes (Lm) in the South of Spain was reported, resulting in the death of three patients from 207 confirmed cases. One strain, belonging to clonal complex 388 (Lm CC388), has been isolated. We aimed to determine the Lm CC388 virulence in comparison with other highly virulent clones such as Lm CC1 and Lm CC4, in vitro and in vivo. Four L. monocytogenes strains (Lm CC388, Lm CC1, Lm CC4 and ATCC 19115) were used. Attachment to human lung epithelial cells (A549 cells) by these strains was characterized by adherence and invasion assays. Their cytotoxicities to A549 cells were evaluated by determining the cells viability. Their hemolysis activity was determined also. A murine intravenous infection model using these was performed to determine the concentration of bacteria in tissues and blood. Lm CC388 interaction with A549 cells is non-significantly higher than that of ATCC 19115 and Lm CC1, and lower than that of Lm CC4. Lm CC388 cytotoxicity is higher than that of ATCC 19115 and Lm CC1, and lower than that of Lm CC4. Moreover, Lm CC388 hemolysis activity is lower than that of the Lm CC4 strain, and higher than that of Lm CC1. Finally, in the murine intravenous infection model by Lm CC388, higher bacterial loads in tissues and at similar levels of Lm CC4 were observed. Although a lower rate of mortality of patients during the listeriosis outbreak in Spain in 2019 has been reported, the Lm CC388 strain has shown a greater or similar pathogenicity level in vitro and in an animal model, like Lm CC1 and Lm CC4.

Recent international scientific studies have described the current situation regarding CO2 emissions and have provided evidence of its catastrophic short- and medium-term consequences. The implementation of solutions of a more sustainable nature to reduce and mitigate this situation is becoming increasingly urgent. To this end, the integration of multi-dimension and life cycle assessment into the design process of buildings can help and support decision making. Life Cycle Sustainability Assessment (LCSA) is one of the scientific community’s most widely recognized methodologies for this purpose, combining the evaluation of the social, economic, and social dimensions (Triple Bottom Line). One of the main obstacles to implementing this methodology lies in the difficulties in automatically comparing alternative design options for the selection of different materials. To overcome this limitation, the authors developed the BIM3LCA (Building Information Modelling Three Life Cycle Assessment) tool conceived to guide the decision-making process during the early design steps. This study introduces a Building Information Modelling (BIM) plug-in development and validates its application in a case study to support the multi-criteria building material selection based on the LCSA implementation at the early design stage. Three building material alternatives for the structural system of a multi-family residential building are employed to validate this plug-in. The results show the viability of using this tool during the early design stages and demonstrates the consistency of the results regarding the use of the BIM model to conduct the LCSA. The study discusses the benefits and limitations of the BIM3LCA tool. This research contributes towards the integration of multi-dimension real-time assessment in the building design process by using semantically rich BIM models.

This paper investigates the influence of a constant carrier phase shift on the DC-link capacitor harmonic current of cascaded converters used in fuel-cell and mild-hybrid electric vehicles. In these applications, a DC-DC converter can be adopted between the battery and the motor drive inverter in a cascaded structure, where the two converters share the same DC-link. Since the DC-link capacitor of such a system represents a critical component, the optimization of the converter operation to limit the current stress and extend the lifetime of the capacitor is an primary objective. This paper proposes the use of a carrier phase shift between the modulations of the two converters in order to minimize the harmonic current of the DC-link capacitor. By harmonic analysis, an optimal carrier phase shift can be derived depending on the converter configuration. Analytical results are presented and validated by hardware-in-the-loop experiments. The findings show that the pulse width modulation carrier phase shift between the interleaved boost converter and the voltage source motor drive inverter has a significant influence on the DC-link capacitor current and thus on its lifetime. A case study with two-cell and three-cell interleaved boost converters shows a possible DC-link capacitor lifetime extension of up to 390%.

The designation of which resources are valued as emerging heritage is at a turning point. This has resulted in urban heritage regeneration processes designed from the top down, neglecting the perception of the local. This article highlights the importance of generating participatory multi-actor spaces where the knowledge of agents involved in the same process of urban regeneration, in this case linked to heritage in obsolete neighborhoods, can be incorporated and contrasted. The San Pablo neighborhood in Seville, built in the 1960s, is chosen as a case study. Actor–network theory is taken as a methodological basis for articulating a network with the voices of agents involved in heritage regeneration processes in obsolete neighborhoods. A methodology designed from the bottom up is put into practice, having as a base the social agents, followed by the academy, and finally with the technical knowledge of official institutions. This research concludes that incorporating the elderly population as social agents in regenerative actions in the San Pablo neighborhood is a determining factor in characterizing its uniqueness. Collective memory naturally associates resources that are part of the social identity of the neighborhood. Due to its deep roots, the older population recognizes different elements that could be protected and possibly recognized as emerging heritage, and that technical agents should consider them to achieve sustainable regeneration.

A systematic analysis of the weak responses for charged-current quasielastic neutrino-nucleus reactions is presented within the scheme of a fully relativistic microscopic model considering momentum-dependent scalar and vector mean field potentials in both the initial and final nucleon states. The responses obtained are compared with the ones corresponding to simpler approaches: energy-independent potentials and the relativistic plane wave limit in the final state, i.e., no potentials applied to the outgoing particle. The analysis is also extended to the scaling phenomenon, which provides additional information regarding nuclear dynamics. Results for the scaling function are shown for various nuclei and different values of the transferred momentum in order to analyze the behavior of the relativistic scalar and vector mean field potentials.

The irrigation surface of olive orchards has increased over recent decades. In zones affected, def-icit irrigation scheduling is a must. The aim of this work was to study water stress management based on reference equations for midday stem water potential. An experiment was conducted over three seasons in Seville (Spain) from 2020 to 2022. A young hedgerow olive orchard (cv Manzanilla de Sevilla) was irrigated using three different treatments: Control (full irrigated), RDI, and Rrainfed, in a completely randomized design (6 replications). Midday stem water po-tential and leaf conductance were measured throughout the three seasons. Stem water potential was more sensitive to water stress than leaf conductance and showed a clearer impact and rehy-dration. Individual data of stem water potential were grouped according to leaf conductance re-duction. The relationship of these stem water potentials and temperature or vapor pressure defi-cit was significant, linear and aligned to published baselines. Scattering in these equations in-creased when the leaf conductance reduction was greater. These reference equations would be useful to define moderate water stress conditions in the most sensitive processes, such as vegeta-tive or fruit growth. Definition of severe water stress conditions would be better established with constant values.

According to the EU, the global consumption of biomass, fossil fuels, metals, and minerals is expected to double by 2050, while waste will increase by 70%. In this context, the Circular Economy Action Plan (CEAP) intends to integrate development and sustainability. In this regard, tailored biofertilizers based on plant growth-promoting bacteria (PGPB) can improve plant yield with fewer inputs. In our project, an autochthonous halophyte of the Andalusian marshes, namely Mesembryanthemum crystallinum, was selected for its interest as a source of pharmaceuticals and nutraceuticals. The aim of this work was to use a culturomics approach for the isolation of specific PGPB and endophytes able to promote plant growth and, eventually, modulate the metabolome of the plant. For this purpose, a specific culture medium based on M. crystallinum biomass, called Mesem Agar (MA), was elaborated. Bacteria of three compartments (rhizosphere soil, root endophytes, and shoot endophytes) were isolated on standard tryptone soy agar (TSA) and MA in order to obtain two independent collections. A higher number of bacteria were isolated on TSA than in MA (47 vs. 37). All the bacteria were identified, and although some of them were isolated in both media (Pseudomonas, Bacillus, Priestia, Rosellomorea, etc.), either medium allowed the isolation of specific members of the M. crystallinum microbiome such as Leclercia, Curtobacterium, Pantoea, Lysinibacillus, Mesobacillus, Glutamicibacter, etc. Plant growth-promoting properties and extracellular degrading activities of all the strains were determined, and distinct patterns were found in both media. The three best bacteria of each collection were selected in order to produce two different consortia, whose effects on seed germination, root colonization, plant growth and physiology, and metabolomics were analyzed. Additionally, the results of the plant metabolome revealed a differential accumulation of several primary and secondary metabolites with

The objective of this study was to characterize the changes of muscle tone, stiffness, and thickness of upper and lower limb muscles in stroke survivors. Forty patients with subacute or chronic stroke and 31 controls were included and measured using myotonometry (MyotonPRO), with multiple site assessments at muscle belly (MB) and musculotendinous (MT) locations of the biceps brachii and gastrocnemius muscles. Muscle thickness (ultrasonography) was obtained for each muscle. Upper and lower limb motor performance was evaluated with the Fugl–Meyer Assessment for Upper Extremity and the Functional Ambulance Category. Overall, muscle tone and stiffness were significantly higher at MT than at MB sites. Among stroke patients, differences between the paretic and nonparetic limb were found for the biceps brachii, with lower muscle tone, stiffness, and thickness of the paretic side (all, p < 0.05). There were weak to moderate correlations between mechanical (myotonometry) and structural (ultrasound) muscular changes, regardless of the post-stroke stage. This suggests that myotonometry and ultrasonography assess similar, although different, constructs and can be combined in the clinical setting. Their discriminative ability between the paretic and nonparetic sides and between participants with and without stroke differs depending on the muscle, the functional level, and the stroke stage.

This work shows a new method for the preparation of 100% carbon-structured devices. The method is based on resorcinol-formaldehyde polymerization, using starch as a binder with the addition of a certain amount of external carbon source before polymerization. Molds obtained by 3D printing are used to shape the structured devices in the desired shape, and the ultimate pyrolysis step consolidates and produces the carbonaceous devices. The proposed method allows obtaining supports with different textural and surface properties varying the carbonaceous source, the solvent, or the pyrolysis conditions, among other factors. The as-obtained devices have demonstrated their usefulness as palladium supports for the gas-phase formic acid dehydrogenation reaction. The monolith shows a high conversion of formic acid (81% according to H2 production) and a high selectivity towards hydrogen production at mild temperatures (80% at 423 K).

Inborn errors of immunity are a heterogeneous group of genetically determined disorders that compromise the immune system, predisposing patients to infections, autoinflammatory/autoimmunity syndromes, atopy/allergies, lymphoproliferative disorders, and/or malignancies. An emerging manifestation is susceptibility to fungal disease, caused by yeasts or moulds, in a superficial or invasive fashion. In this review, we describe recent advances in the field of inborn errors of immunity associated with increased susceptibility to fungal disease.

Dual-nozzle fused deposition modeling (FDM) is a 3D printing technique that allows for the simultaneous printing of two polymeric filaments and the design of complex geometries. Hence, hybrid formulations and structurally different sections can be combined into the same dosage form to achieve customized drug release kinetics. The objective of this study was to develop a novel bicompartmental device by dual-nozzle FDM for colon-specific drug delivery. Hydroxypropylmethylcellulose acetate succinate (HPMCAS) and polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) were selected as matrix-forming polymers of the outer pH-dependent and the inner water-soluble compartments, respectively. 5-Aminosalicylic acid (5-ASA) was selected as the model drug. Drug-free HPMCAS and drug-loaded PVA filaments suitable for FDM were extruded, and their properties were assessed by thermal, X-ray diffraction, microscopy, and texture analysis techniques. 5-ASA (20% w/w) remained mostly crystalline in the PVA matrix. Filaments were successfully printed into bicompartmental devices combining an outer cylindrical compartment and an inner spiral-shaped compartment that communicates with the external media through an opening. Scanning electron microscopy and X-ray tomography analysis were performed to guarantee the quality of the 3D-printed devices. In vitro drug release tests demonstrated a pH-responsive biphasic release pattern: a slow and sustained release period (pH values of 1.2 and 6.8) controlled by drug diffusion followed by a faster drug release phase (pH 7.4) governed by polymer relaxation/erosion. Overall, this research demonstrates the feasibility of the dual-nozzle FDM technique to obtain an innovative 3D-printed bicompartmental device for targeting 5-ASA to the colon.

t: Nanoemulgels are novel formulations of great interest for their use as dual-release systems and as fat substitutes in foods. Lemon essential oil, with a large number of benefits due to its antimicrobial, antifungal, and medicinal properties, and low methoxyl pectin, a natural polysaccharide capable of gelling by adding divalent ions such as calcium, are very appropriate ingredients to produce nanoemulgels with potential applications in industries such as cosmetics, agrochemistry, pharmaceuticals, or food. In this work, lemon-essential-oil-in-water nanoemulgels containing low methoxyl pectin derived from citrus peels were prepared following a three-step process that involves the preparation of a nanoemulsion, a pectin gel, and the mixture of both. In the first stage, the stirring time and the rotational rate employed during the mixing step were assessed. Once the preparation protocol was established, the pectin gel/nanoemulsion mass ratio was investigated. Different techniques were combined to evaluate the influence of the processing and the composition variables on the particle size distribution, mean diameters, flow curves, and physical stability of different emulgels obtained. It was found that the processing variables studied, stirring time, and rotational rate, do not influence the mean particle size of the emulgel, with values matching those of the starting nanoemulsion. However, 3 min and 200 rpm were selected for exhibiting the lowest TSI values. Regarding the composition, a higher content of pectin gel caused a higher viscosity, and therefore a higher physical stability, with the 75P/25E emulgel being the most stable. Aggregation of gel particles, because the pectin gel was really a sheared gel, was the main responsible contributor to the results obtained. This work highlights the importance of the preparation and formulation variables to develop stable, innovative formulations based on nanoemulgels.

first_pagesettingsOrder Article Reprints Open AccessArticle Repurposing Study of 4-Acyl-1-phenylaminocarbonyl-2-substituted-piperazine Derivatives as Potential Anticancer Agents—In Vitro Evaluation against Breast Cancer Cells by Emilio Guillén-Mancina 1,†,María del Rosario García-Lozano 2,3,†ORCID,Estefanía Burgos-Morón 1ORCID,Sarah Mazzotta 2,4ORCID,Pablo Martínez-Aguado 2,3,5,6,José Manuel Calderón-Montaño 1ORCID,José Manuel Vega-Pérez 2,Miguel López-Lázaro 1ORCID,Fernando Iglesias-Guerra 2,* andMargarita Vega-Holm 2,*ORCID 1 Department of Pharmacology, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Seville, 41012 Seville, Spain 2 Department of Organic and Medicinal Chemistry, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Seville, 41012 Seville, Spain 3 Institute of Biomedicine of Seville (IBiS), Virgen del Rocío University Hospital, CSIC, University of Seville, 41013 Seville, Spain 4 Department of Chemistry, University of Milan, 20133 Milan, Italy 5 Infectious Diseases and Microbiology Clinical Unit, University Hospital Virgen Macarena, 41009 Seville, Spain 6 Departament of Medicine, School of Medicine, University of Seville, 41012 Seville, Spain * Authors to whom correspondence should be addressed. † These authors contributed equally to this work. Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2023, 24(23), 17041; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms242317041 Original submission received: 31 January 2023 / Resubmission received: 3 November 2023 / Revised: 21 November 2023 / Accepted: 28 November 2023 / Published: 1 December 2023 (This article belongs to the Special Issue Novel Molecular Pathways in Oncology) Downloadkeyboard_arrow_down Browse Figures Versions Notes Abstract Breast cancer is the most common type of cancer in women. Although current treatments can increase patient survival, they are rarely curative when the disease is advanced (metastasis). Therefore, there is an urgent need to develop new cytotoxic drugs with a high selectivity toward cancer cells. Since repurposing approved drugs for cancer therapy has b

A three-step (rotor-stator-microfluidization-rotor stator) protocol was used to prepare 15% lemon essential oil in water emulgels using a mixture of Tween 80 and Span 20 surfactants as low molecular mass emulsifiers and 0.4% low-methoxyl citrus peel pectin as a gelling agent. Ca² + was used as a gel-promoting agent. Different CaCl₂/pectin mass ratio values from 0.3 to 0.7 were used. Emulgels showed a microstructure consisting of oil droplets embedded in a sheared gel matrix, as demonstrated by bright field optical microscopy. Laser diffraction tests showed multimodal particle size distributions due to the coexistence of oil droplets and gel-like particles. Multiple light scattering tests revealed that the physical stability of emulgels was longer as the CaCl₂/pectin mass ratio decreased and that different destabilization mechanisms took place. Thus, incipient syneresis became more important with increasing CaCl₂ concentration, but a parallel creaming mechanism was detected for CaCl₂/pectin mass ratio values above 0.5. Dynamic viscoelastic and steady shear flow properties of the emulgels with the lowest and highest CaCl₂/pectin mass ratio values were compared as a function of aging time. The lowest ratio yielded an emulgel with enhanced connectivity among fluid units as indicated by its wider linear viscoelastic region, higher storage modulus, loss modulus and viscosity values, and more shear thinning properties than those of the emulgel formulated with the highest CaCl₂/pectin mass ratio. The evolution of the dynamic viscoelastic properties with aging time was consistent with the information provided by monitoring scans of backscattering as a function of sample height.

The increasing limitations in the use of fossil fuels due to their limited availability and pollution have increased the use of renewable energies and storage systems for electricity generation. To achieve the goals of the integration of renewable energy, sizing and management methods for hybrid plants are needed to make investments profitable and attractive in these resources. This work presents an optimization method for the sizing and operation of hybrid plants with storage, choosing the best combination of technologies based on resource availability, installation costs and market prices, maximizing an economic index such as the net present value. One of the main contributions of this work is to reduce the oversizing that occurs in traditional methods through a penalty term for lost energy, encouraging investment in batteries to store excess energy above the point of interconnection (POI). In addition, it is intended to cover gaps such as the operation in coupled markets with different execution periods to maximize the benefits of the investment made and to contemplate different generation alternatives together with storage. The presented method is tested through sizing and operation simulations to demonstrate its potential. The presented method is tested through sizing and operation simulations to demonstrate its potential. In scenario A, the best combination of solar energy, photovoltaic energy and storage, is chosen. In scenario B, it is shown how the curtailment of the oversizing is reduced in some months by more than 5%. In scenario C, for daily operation in coupled markets, it is possible to improve the benefits from 0.7% to 37.04% in the days of the year.

Estuaries are ecologically important ecosystems particularly affected by climate change and human activities. Our interest is focused on the use of legumes to fight against the degradation of estuarine soils and loss of fertility under adverse conditions. This work was aimed to determine the potential of a nodule synthetic bacterial community (SynCom), including two Ensifer sp. and two Pseudomonas sp. strains isolated from Medicago spp. nodules, to promote M. sativa growth and nodulation in degraded estuarine soils under several abiotic stresses, including high metal contamination, salinity, drought and high temperature. These plant growth promoting (PGP) endophytes were able to maintain and even increase their PGP properties in the presence of metals. Inoculation with the SynCom in pots containing soil enhanced plant growth parameters (from 3- to 12-fold increase in dry weight), nodulation (from 1.5- to 3-fold increase in nodules number), photosynthesis and nitrogen content (up to 4-fold under metal stress) under all the controlled conditions tested. The increase in plant antioxidant enzymatic activities seems to be a common and important mechanism of plant protection induced by the SynCom under abiotic stress conditions. The SynCom increased M. sativa metals accumulation in roots, with low levels of metals translocation to shoots. Results indicated that the SynCom used in this work is an appropriate ecological and safe tool to improve Medicago growth and adaptation to degraded estuarine soils under climate change conditions.

The aim of this study was to analyze the possible nephroprotective effect of 3’,4’-dihydroxy phenylglycol (DHPG), a polyphenolic compound of extra virgin olive oil (EVOO), on renal lesions in an experimental model of type 1 diabetes. Rats were distributed as follows: healthy normoglycemic rats (NDR), diabetic rats treated with saline (DR), and DR treated with 0.5 mg/kg/day or 1 mg/kg/day of DHPG. DR showed a significantly higher serum and renal oxidative and nitrosative stress profile than NDR, as well as reduced prostacyclin production and renal damage (defined as urinary protein excretion, reduced creatinine clearance, increased glomerular volume, and increased glomerulosclerosis index). DHPG reduced the oxidative and nitrosative stress and increased prostacyclin production (a 59.2% reduction in DR and 34.7–7.8% reduction in DHPG-treated rats), as well as 38–56% reduction in urinary protein excretion and 22–46% reduction in glomerular morphological parameters (after the treatment with 0.5 or 1 mg/kg/day, respectively). Conclusions: DHPG administration to type 1-like diabetic rats exerts a nephroprotective effect probably due to the sum of its antioxidant (Pearson’s coefficient 0.68–0.74), antinitrosative (Pearson’s coefficient 0.83), and prostacyclin production regulator (Pearson’s coefficient 0.75) effects.

Wear is a tremendously important phenomenon, which takes place on the surfaces of two solids in contact under cyclic loads and constitutes one of the most-significant ways of failure for mechanical elements. However, it is not the only source of failure in contacting solids. The subsurface stresses should also be considered, due to the fatigue and crack initiation problems. Nevertheless, these stresses (i.e., their maximum values and distributions) evolve with the solids’ surface wear (i.e., with the load cycles) and also depend on the friction intensity. Therefore, their evolution should be properly computed to predict failures in mechanical elements under wear conditions. This work focused on the study of the evolution of the surface wear and the subsurface stress distributions generated—in an elastic half-space—by a cylindrical flat-ended punch, under cyclic indentation loading (i.e., radial fretting wear conditions). Based on a numerical scheme recently presented by the authors, this is the first time that, for this contact problem, the surface wear and subsurface stress distribution (i.e., maximum value and its location)—and its evolution—were simultaneously analyzed when orthotropic friction and fretting wear conditions were considered. The studies presented in this work were developed for purely elastic contact assumptions.

Climate change will have a great impact on the hottest climates of southern Europe and the existing residential stock will be extremely vulnerable to these future climatic conditions. Therefore, there is an urgent need to update this building stock considering imminent global warming by applying climatic files that predict future conditions in building performance simulations. This research makes use of the two most applied tools (Meteonorm and CCWorldWeatherGen) for generating future climate hourly datasets for 2050 and 2080 in southern Spain. The results predicted for outdoor and indoor thermal conditions and cooling and heating demands are evaluated for two different scale simulation models: a test cell and a multi-family building located in southern Spain. The main aim of this work is the development of a comparative analysis of the results to highlight their potential differences and raise awareness of the influence of the climate data projection method on the simulation outcome. The results show that the projection method selected for producing future climatic files has relevant effects on the analysis of thermal comfort and energy demand, but it is considerably reduced when an annual evaluation is developed.

Down syndrome patients show success rates in dental implants much lower than those observed in the general population. This retrospective case-control study aimed to identify possible genes that are related to the regulation of inflammatory responses and bone metabolism related to periimplantitis and implant loss, as well as genes related to bone quality. This process involved using the functional analysis of the gene expression software Transcriptome Analysis Console (TAC version 4.0 Applied BiosystemsTM, Thermo Fisher Scientific, Waltham, MA, USA) and a search for possible candidate genes involved. The focus was placed on the 93 genes related to periodontitis, periimplantitis, bone loss, implant loss, and genes related to bone quality and regulators underlying the establishment and maintenance of osseointegration. Five genes showed statistically significant results (p < 0.05) in our comparison. Four of them, IL1B (p = 0.023), IL1RN (p = 0.048), BGLAP (p = 0.0372) and PTK2 (p = 0.0075) were down-regulated in the periodontal disease and implant rejection group, and only one was overexpressed: FOXO1A (p = 0.0552). The genes with statistically significant alterations described in this article determine that the group of Down syndrome patients with periodontal disease and implant failure is a group of patients genetically susceptible to suffering from both conditions together.

The current socio-economic scenario has promoted telecommuting at home for a significant number of workers, mainly due to the sanitary situation experienced and the improvement in communication technologies. However, the work context at home is often not suitable for teleworking since the environmental conditions are not usually adequate for good performance and the wellness of workers. The received light, both in quantity and in spectrum, affects the visual comfort and performance of the worker through the regulation of the circadian stimulus. Accordingly, the objective of the present study is to ascertain the influence of natural daylight on the performance and health of teleworkers, considering a room at home analyzed in three different locations, two orientations, two-time schedules, and two window shapes. The impact of natural light on health was assessed using the Circadian Stimulus Autonomy (CSA) produced by daylight during the morning, while the illuminance requirement was defined in accordance with the Daylight Autonomy (DA). The results obtained were contrasted with a real test cell under real daylight conditions. The conclusions of this study serve to determine the suitable windowed areas of the analyzed room where teleworkers obtain the appropriate lighting performance and well-being.