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Introduction The aim of this study is to evaluate the knowledge of infant oral health in mothers who have breastfeeding for a period longer than 6 months. Methods A descriptive, observational and cross-sectional study was carried out in 1126 mothers who had breastfed for more than 6 months, using a validated questionnaire. Results 57% of the mothers surveyed had a high or very high level of knowledge about oral health during pregnancy and breastfeeding; a statistically significant association (p Conclusions The age of the mothers is positively related to the level of oral health knowledge, the elder the mothers the higher the knowledge. Mothers with a longer duration of breastfeeding beyond 24 months have a higher degree of oral health knowledge compared to the rest of the respondents, while their level of educations was also positively related to their degree of knowledge. There is a direct relationship between mothers having received previous information on oral hygiene and their surveyed degree of knowledge.

Linkages able to change their finite degree of freedom due to geometric constraints are commonly known as kinematotropic linkages. Although a considerable number of examples of such linkages can be found in the literature, the amount of reported kinematotropic parallel manipulators remains small. Even more rare are publications presenting systematic methods for the design of such parallel manipulators. Hence, in this paper, a design method for kinematotropic parallel manipulators is introduced. It takes existing parallel manipulators with a constant degree of freedom and shows how to design an additional limb that renders the manipulator kinematotropic. The method is applied in two examples, a manipulator that can switch between 1-, 2- and 3-DOF motion modes, and a different manipulator with two 1- and one 2-DOF motion modes.

Background Moral distress appears when a healthcare professional is not able to carry out actions in accordance with their professional ethical standards. The Moral Distress Scale-Revised is the most widely used to assess levels of moral distress, but it is not validated in Spanish. The aim of the study is to validate the Spanish version of the Moral Distress Scale – utilised within a sample of Spanish healthcare professionals treating COVID–19 patients. Methods The original (english) and the portuguese and french versions of the scale were translated into spanish by native or bilingual researchers and reviewed by an academic expert in ethics and moral philosophy as well as by a clinical expert. Research design: Descriptive cross-sectional study carried out using a self-reporting online survey. The data was collected between June- November 2020. A total of 661 professionals responded to the survey (N = 2873). Participants: healthcare professionals with more than two weeks of experience treating COVID–19 patients at the end of their life and working in the public sector of the Balearic Islands Health Service (Spain). Analyses included descriptive statistics, competitive confirmatory factor analysis, evidence on criterion-related validity and estimates of reliability. The study was approved by the Research Ethics Committee at the University of Balearic Islands. Results An unidimensional model in which a general factor of moral distress explained by 11 items of the Spanish version of the MDS–R scale was an adequate representation of the data: χ2(44) = 113.492 (p 0.001); Comparative Fit Index = 0.965; Root Mean Square Error of Approximation = 0.079[0.062,0.097]; and Standarized Root Mean-Square = 0.037. Evidence of reliability was excellent: Cronbach’s alpha = 0.886 and McDonald’s omega = 0.910. Moral distress was related to discipline, with nurses having statistically significant higher levels than physicians. Additionally, moral distress successfully predicted professional quality of life, with higher levels of moral distress being related to poorer quality of life. Conclusions The Spanish version of Moral Distress Scale–Revised can be used as a reliable and valid measurement tool for the evaluation of moral distress experienced by health professionals. This tool will be highly useful for managers and applicable to a variety of healthcare professionals and settings.

Background Fragile X syndrome (FXS), the most common inherited intellectual disability, is caused by the loss of expression of the Fragile X Messenger Ribonucleoprotein (FMRP). FMRP is an RNA-binding protein that negatively regulates the expression of many postsynaptic as well as presynaptic proteins involved in action potential properties, calcium homeostasis and neurotransmitter release. FXS patients and mice lacking FMRP suffer from multiple behavioral alterations, including deficits in motor learning for which there is currently no specific treatment. Methods We performed electron microscopy, whole-cell patch-clamp electrophysiology and behavioral experiments to characterise the synaptic mechanisms underlying the motor learning deficits observed in Fmr1KO mice and the therapeutic potential of positive allosteric modulator of mGluR4. Results We found that enhanced synaptic vesicle docking of cerebellar parallel fiber to Purkinje cell Fmr1KO synapses was associated with enhanced asynchronous release, which not only prevents further potentiation, but it also compromises presynaptic parallel fiber long-term potentiation (PF-LTP) mediated by β adrenergic receptors. A reduction in extracellular Ca2+ concentration restored the readily releasable pool (RRP) size, basal synaptic transmission, β adrenergic receptor-mediated potentiation, and PF-LTP. Interestingly, VU 0155041, a selective positive allosteric modulator of mGluR4, also restored both the RRP size and PF-LTP in mice of either sex. Moreover, when injected into Fmr1KO male mice, VU 0155041 improved motor learning in skilled reaching, classical eyeblink conditioning and vestibuloocular reflex (VOR) tests, as well as the social behavior alterations of these mice. Limitations We cannot rule out that the activation of mGluR4s via systemic administration of VU0155041 can also affect other brain regions. Further studies are needed to stablish the effect of a specific activation of mGluR4 in cerebellar granule cells. Conclusions Our study shows that an increase in synaptic vesicles, SV, docking may cause the loss of PF-LTP and motor learning and social deficits of Fmr1KO mice and that the reversal of these changes by pharmacological activation of mGluR4 may offer therapeutic relief for motor learning and social deficits in FXS.

The state of Campeche, Mexico, harbors one of the largest green turtle (Chelonia mydas) rookeries of the Wider Caribbean Region. Since the 1970s, harvesting of this population was common practice, but it has since ceased, and the population is rebounding as a consequence. In this rookery, during the past 37 years (1984–2020), the positive relationship between the annual number of nesting females and the number of hatchlings they produce has revealed a long-term population signal that we postulate could be related to environmental factors. To investigate this relationship more deeply, we adopt a stock-recruitment (SR) approach, which is commonly used in fisheries. Regression analysis methods for the SR relationship, including a dynamic version of the model that incorporates the effect of sea surface temperature, show that the number of recruits produced and the number of hatchlings per unit nester were significantly and inversely correlated with a 26-year cycle of the Atlantic Multidecadal Oscillation (AMO) with a three year lag. A possible explanation for this finding is that environmental conditions during warming periods of the 26-year AMO cycle may negatively affect hatchling production by altering the nest moisture content during the incubation period, and increasing embryonic mortality, while the annual female abundance at nesting beaches may decrease due to trophic effects. The time series of abundance corresponding to other population units of green turtles as well as other species of sea turtles in the Gulf of Mexico present a similar behavior to that evaluated here, suggesting a basin-wide environmental effect.

Selenium (Se) is an essential element and antioxidant that catalyzes the destruction of hydrogen peroxide formed during cellular oxidative metabolism. Doses of Se as selenomethionine (SeMe) by oral route are 0.1-0.3 mgSe/kg DM, while the dose by parenteral route with sodium selenite (Na

Single and binary titanium and silicon xerogels were prepared to evaluate and compare their sorption performance with commercial sorbents (Al2O3 and TiO2) used for the 99Mo/99mTc separation, under neutral pH and room temperature conditions. Molybdenum sorption capacities were determined by batch equilibrium systems using Mo(VI) solutions labelled with 99Mo radiotracer. Ti-xerogel showed the highest 99Mo distribution coefficient and sorption capacity, while Si-xerogel exerted null affinity. Binary xerogels and reference sorbents showed similar capacities. Additionally, Ti-xerogel, after a heating process, drastically decreased its sorption capacity. Finally, a molybdenum sorption mechanism was studied.

Location of new stations/stops in public transportation networks has attracted much interest from both the point of views of theory and applications. In this paper we consider a set of pairs of points in the plane demanding traveling between the elements of each pair, and a tree network embedded in the plane representing the transportation system. An alternative mode of transportation competes with the combined plane-network mode so that the modal choice is made by distance (time) comparisons. The aim of the problem dealt with in this paper is to locate a new station/stop so that the traffic through the network would be maximized. Since stops at new stations increases the time of passengers that already used the combined mode, and may persuade them to change the mode, a constraint on the increase of the overall time is imposed. A quadratic in the number of pairs time algorithm is proposed.

Rapid industrialization is deteriorating air and water quality by exposing life to a wide range of pollutants, thus calling for efficient and affordable remediation strategies. Metal–organic frameworks (MOFs) are emerging materials for environmental remediation applications due to their high surface area, ordered porous structure, and application-specific tailoring of properties. In particular, transition metal-based frameworks are advanced adsorbents and catalysts for the remediation of organic and gaseous pollutants. Physicochemical properties are mainly dependent on the choice of the metal center, the oxidation state, and organic linkers. Bimetallic-, polyoxometalate-, and metal oxide-incorporated frameworks find applications as photocatalysts for decontamination of dyes, phenolic compounds, pesticides and pharmaceutical drugs under ultraviolet (UV)/visible radiations. Large surface area coupled with high activity of transition metal frameworks allows the capture and removal of inorganic and volatile organic pollutants. Transition metal frameworks convert gaseous pollutants into value-added chemicals. Frameworks containing synthetic and natural fibers are currently studied to remove chemical warfare agents.

In this work, the problem of maximizing the volume of wood harvested in a single-species stand over a period of time is addressed. To this end, a solution that combines dynamic programming and a single-tree forest growth simulator is developed. In this method, the decision variable of the amount of wood to be harvested at each period is discretized. This ensures that the method finds a global optimal solution within the given discretization. In the past, there have been approaches that use exact methods which solve this problem, but these approaches consider the stand growth as a whole and require the simulator to meet certain conditions. In our work, a single-tree growth simulator is used. With these tools, different alternatives for the parameters of thinning percentage in each period, duration of the planning horizon, and the selection of the trees to be harvested, among others, are explored and assessed. The results showed that the proposed method is useful not only as a tool to optimize the harvesting of the timber of a single-species stand, but also to explore different alternatives to the usual practices, that continue to change constantly.

In the last decade, extensive research has been carried out on the microstructural behavior of high-entropy alloys (HEA), for which the in-situ formation of nanoparticles has been reported. However, studies of the incorporation of nanoparticles in HEA have been rarely reported. In this work, the addition of zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZnO NP) as reinforcement in a CoCrFeMoNi high-entropy alloy matrix, as well as the morphological, structural, and microstructural evolution of composites synthesized via powder metallurgy, were studied. Scanning electron microscopy and X-ray diffraction analysis were performed in order to study the microstructural and phase characterization of the composites. After sintering, it was found that the ZnO NP addition (0.5wt%, 1wt% and 2wt%) had a significant influence on the micro-structure and hardness of the CoCrFeMoNi high-entropy alloy. Stronger bonding among metal particles was promoted with the additions of ZnO NP. A reduction in porosity as a function of ZnO NP content was also observed. The microhardness results showed that the composite reached its highest reinforcement in bulk samples with 1wt% ZnO NP (HV 870), which represented a 20% improvement over the unrein-forced HEA matrix.

There is limited evidence on the efficacy and safety of anti-programmed cell death protein 1 (PD-1)-/anti-programmed death-ligand 1 (PD-L1)-based immunotherapy in the elderly, particularly those aged over 75 years. The clinical response and toxicity profile of anti-PD-1-/anti-PD-L1-based immunotherapy in patients aged over 75 years were assessed in this retrospective observational study conducted in the Medical Oncology Service of a tertiary level hospital. The associations among clinical responses, adverse events, and geriatric syndromes were evaluated. In total, 20 patients aged between 75 and 94 years were evaluated. Pembrolizumab and nivolumab were the most commonly used drugs. A clinical benefit (stable disease, partial response or complete response) was documented in 13 patients (65%). This proportion was 80% in patients aged between 75 and 79 years, and 50% in those aged over 79 years (p = 0.236). The adverse events were similar to those reported in younger patients. At least one clinical adverse event (cAE) and one laboratory adverse event (lAE) was reported in 75% and 55% of patients, respectively. Polypharmacy was observed for all patients and multi-morbidity in 95%. Patients without gait disorders showed more responses to immunotherapy. The number of lAEs was significantly associated with the number of commonly prescribed drugs (slope = 0.218, p = 0.010), the Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group score, and the number of cAEs. The elderly can obtain benefits from anti-PD-1-/anti-PD-L1-based immunotherapy. The toxicity profile was similar to that reported in younger counterparts.

To evaluate the impact of obesity on surgical outcomes for women with endometrial cancer (EC) managed by laparoscopic surgery. Minimal invasive surgery has been incorporated in the surgical management of EC, improving perioperative outcomes. However, this approach may become more challenging in case of obesity. So it is important to accurately evaluate and establish the most appropriate surgical approach for these patients. From January 2008 through April 2016, we conducted a prospective observational study, including all consecutive patients with a histological diagnosis of EC undergoing surgical staging by laparoscopy at our institution. Patients were classified in two groups (obese vs non-obese) according to their body mass index. Information about short- and long-term outcomes were recorded and analyzed during an outpatient follow-up. Between January 2008 and April 2016, 83 women underwent laparoscopic surgery for EC at our institution. Forty-six (56.6%) of them were classified as obese. Surgical outcomes were similar in both groups. No significant difference was reported in surgical time, number of lymph nodes removed, blood loss, length of hospital stay, and incidence of intra- or postoperative complications. Also, long-term outcomes did not show any statistical significant difference: recurrence rate was 6.4% (3/47) among obese patients and 13.9% (5/36) among non-obese (p = 0.251). No difference was reported even in time to recurrence (log-rank p = 0.280) and in survival time (log-tank p = 0.132) between the two groups. Our results show that obesity did not impair the outcomes of laparoscopic surgery for EC. This surgical approach may be offered to obese patients with the same level of safety, radicality, and efficiency as for the normal-weight population.

We investigated the CO oxidation at low temperature over Rh (1 wt%) supported on TiO2-nanotubes and nanoparticles. We found that tri-titanic acid phase of the nanotubes promotes the interaction between Ti4+ and Rh3+ to reduce Rh3+ to Rh1+ and Rh+1 to Rh0, compared to the anatase phase. In fact, as the Rh0/Ti4+ ratio increases, CO and OH adsorption increases and CO oxidation light-off shifts to lower temperature, from 120 to 60 °C. We found that there is a redox equilibrium between Rh0 + Ti4+ and Rhδ+ + Ti3+ (δ

Cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma (cSCC) is the leading cause of death in patients with recessive dystrophic epidermolysis bullosa (RDEB). We provide the management and prognosis of cSCC in RDEB patients at a Spanish reference center. We retrospectively included patients with RDEB attended in La Paz University Hospital from November 1988 to October 2018. Fourteen patients developed at least one cSCC. Tumors were predominantly well differentiated. Nearly half of the tumors have recurred. Median time to first recurrence was 23.4 months (95% CI: 17.2–29.5). Five patients have developed distant metastases. Median overall survival (mOS) was 136.5 months since the diagnosis of the first cSCC (95% CI: 30.6–242.3). When distant metastases occurred, mOS was 6.78 months (95% CI: 1.94–11.61). cSCC is a life-threatening complication of RDEB patients. Although tumors are usually well differentiated, they tend to relapse. This is the first Spanish report of cSCC arising in RDEB patients.

Let $D$ be a digraph, possibly with loops. A queen labeling of $D$ is a bijective function $l:V(G)\longrightarrow \{1,2,\ldots,|V(G)|\}$ such that, for every pair of arcs in $E(D)$, namely $(u,v)$ and $(u',v')$ we have (i) $l(u)+l(v)\neq l(u')+l(v')$ and (ii) $l(v)-l(u)\neq l(v')-l(u')$. Similarly, if the two conditions are satisfied modulo $n=|V(G)|$, we define a modular queen labeling. There is a bijection between (modular) queen labelings of $1$-regular digraphs and the solutions of the (modular) $n$-queens problem. The $\otimes_h$-product was introduced in 2008 as a generalization of the Kronecker product and since then, many relations among labelings have been established using the $\otimes_h$-product and some particular families of graphs. In this paper, we study some families of $1$-regular digraphs that admit (modular) queen labelings and present a new construction concerning to the (modular) $n$-queens problem in terms of the $\otimes_h$-product, which in some sense complements a previous result due to P\'olya., Comment: 11 pages, 3 figures

This research presents a study of environmental monitoring at different sampling sites from the Metropolitan Area of the Valley of Toluca (MAVT) Mexico by means of moss samples. The selected sampling sites included urban, transitional and natural protected areas. The mosses were obtained in two campaigns within two periods of the year: rainy-season and dry-cold-season. During the sampling, seven species of moss were identified, among them: Leskea angustata (Tayl.) and Fabronia ciliaris (Brid.) were the most abundant. One sample of each species was analyzed by SEM in order to determine their morphology. After that, the samples were analyzed by instrumental neutron activation analysis (INAA) and total X-ray fluorescence spectrometry (TXRFS) in order to determine the metals concentration. The results indicate that the Urban Region was significantly impacted by pollution compared to the natural protected Areas. The cluster statistical analysis results indicated that the sampling sites with the highest concentration of metals are located in the urban areas. Enrichment factors show that As, Cr, Cu, Zn, Pb, Se, Cs, and Sb are highly enriched mainly by anthropogenic sources.

The removal of manganese from aqueous solutions on synthetic alumina and natural kaolinite was investigated in batch experiments as a function of pH. Experiments were carried out by using the radiotracer 56Mn, produced by neutron activation. Theoretical analysis of manganese removal was performed considering the existence of a single type of surface sites, denoted as ≡ SOH°. The uptake of manganese on kaolinite is similar to that on alumina, indicating that adsorption occurred on the variable-charged aluminol sites. Adsorption experiments suggest that ≡ AlOH° group is the most probable edge site for complexing manganese cations through mononuclear surface complexes (≡ AlOMn+) and (≡ AlOMnOH).

Fundulus grandis (Baird and Girard), the Gulf Killifish, is an abundant species throughout the marshes of the northern Gulf of Mexico. Its wide distribution and high site fidelity makes it an ideal indicator species for brackish and salt marshes, which experience a variety of anthropogenic disturbances. Despite the ecological, commercial, and scientific importance of F. grandis, age determination methods have not been validated and little is known of its growth pattern. By combining a tag-recapture study with a chemical marker to stain otoliths, we validated an ageing method for F. grandis adults (49–128 mm TL) using whole sagittal otoliths and determined growth rates of recaptured individuals in winter (n = 58) and summer (n = 36) in Louisiana. Mean somatic growth in length was significantly greater during the winter (0.085 mm d−1) than summer (0.054 mm d−1). In contrast, mean otolith growth was significantly greater in summer (1.37 μm d−1) than winter (0.826 μm d−1). The uncoupling of somatic and otolith growth may be primarily attributed to warm summer temperatures, which led to enhanced otolith growth while simultaneously reducing somatic growth. Fundulus grandis was aged to a maximum of 2.25 years. The parameters of the von Bertalanffy growth model were estimated as: L ∞ = 87.27 mm, k = 2.43 year−1, and t 0 = −0.022. These findings reveal essential age and growth information for F. grandis and provide a benchmark to evaluate responses to environmental disturbances.

The cholinergic anti-inflammatory pathway is recognized as one of the main mechanisms of neuromodulation of the immune system. Activation of the α7 nicotinic acetylcholine receptor (nAchRα7) suppresses cytokine synthesis in distinct immune cells but the molecular mechanisms behind this effect remain to be fully described. Mast cells (MCs) are essential players of allergic reactions and innate immunity responses related to chronic inflammation. Activation of TLR4 receptor in MCs leads to the rapid secretion of pre-synthesized TNF from intracellular pools and to the activation of NFκB, necessary for de novo synthesis of TNF and other cytokines. Here we report that the nAchRα7 receptor specific agonist GTS-21 inhibits TLR4-induced secretion of preformed TNF from MCs in vivo and in vitro. Utilizing bone marrow-derived mast cells (BMMCs) it was found that GTS-21 also diminished secretion of de novo synthesized TNF, TNF mRNA accumulation and IKK-dependent p65-NFκB phosphorylation in response to LPS. nAchRα7 triggering prevented TLR4-induced ERK1/2 phosphorylation, which resulted an essential step for TNF secretion due to the phosphorylation of the metallopeptidase responsible for TNF maturation (TACE). Main inhibitory actions of GTS-21 were prevented by AG490, an inhibitor of JAK-2 kinase. Our results show for the first time, that besides the prevention of NFκB-dependent transcription, inhibitory actions of nAchRα7 triggering include the blockade of pathways leading to exocytosis of granule-stored cytokines in MCs.

After the characterization of the central pacemaker in the suprachiasmatic nucleus, the expression of clock genes was identified in several peripheral tissues including the immune system. The hierarchical control from the central clock to peripheral clocks extends to other functions including endocrine, metabolic, immune, and mitochondrial responses. Increasing evidence links the disruption of the clock genes expression with multiple diseases and aging. Chronodisruption is associated with alterations of the immune system, immunosenescence, impairment of energy metabolism, and reduction of pineal and extrapineal melatonin production. Regarding sepsis, a condition coursing with an exaggerated response of innate immunity, experimental and clinical data showed an alteration of circadian rhythms that reflects the loss of the normal oscillation of the clock. Moreover, recent data point to that some mediators of the immune system affects the normal function of the clock. Under specific conditions, this control disappears reactivating the immune response. So, it seems that clock gene disruption favors the innate immune response, which in turn induces the expression of proinflammatory mediators, causing a further alteration of the clock. Here, the clock control of the mitochondrial function turns off, leading to a bioenergetic decay and formation of reactive oxygen species that, in turn, activate the inflammasome. This arm of the innate immunity is responsible for the huge increase of interleukin-1β and entrance into a vicious cycle that could lead to the death of the patient. The broken clock is recovered by melatonin administration, that is accompanied by the normalization of the innate immunity and mitochondrial homeostasis. Thus, this review emphasizes the connection between clock genes, innate immunity and mitochondria in health and sepsis, and the role of melatonin to maintain clock homeostasis.

The aim of the current study was to analyze the effect of different types of framing one’s own behavior, as in defusion interactions, on performance in several experimental tasks. For this purpose, in Phase 1 (or pretest), 34 participants performed two experimental tasks that induced discomfort. In Phase 2, participants were randomly assigned to one of the three experimental protocols: the Defusion I protocol was basically made up of deictic framing interactions— I/You, Here/There, Now/Then—to promote flexibility in perspective taking of the psychological content; the Defusion II protocol incorporated not only deictic framing but also hierarchical framing to promote a perspective where the psychological content is experienced in a hierarchical relation with the deictic “'I” and several cues to specify the regulatory or augmental function; and the Control protocol did not include any active protocol component. Finally, in Phase 3 (or posttest), participants repeated the two experimental tasks. Results indicate that all participants’ performance increased after the intervention. However, the superiority of Defusion II condition was shown. Conclusions of the current study are focused on the type of framing involved in the so-called defusion interactions that ensure its efficacy, supported by the improvement of performance observed.

Diagnosis of invasive pulmonary aspergillosis (IPA) is challenging. The objective of the study was to assess the value of microbiological tests to the diagnosis of IPA in the absence of non-specific radiological data. A retrospective study of 23 patients with suspicion of IPA and positivity of some microbiological diagnostic tests was performed. These tests included conventional microbiological culture, detection of Aspergillus galactomannan (GM) antigen and in some patients (1 → 3)-β-d-glucan (BDG) and Aspergillus fumigatus DNA using the LightCycler® SeptiFast test. In 10 patients with hematological malignancy, 6 cases were considered ‘probable’ and 4 ‘non-classifiable.’ In 8 patients with chronic lung disease, 7 cases were classified as ‘probable’ and 1 as ‘proven,’ and in 5 patients with prolonged ICU stay (>7 days), there were 2 ‘proven’ cases, 2 ‘non-classifiable’ and 1 putative case. Microbiological culture was positive in 17 cases and 18 Aspergillus spp. were isolated (one mixed culture). A. fumigatus was the most frequent (44.4%) followed by A. tubingensis. The Aspergillus galactomannan (GM) antigen assay was positive in 21 cases (91.3%). The GM antigen and the (1 → 3)-β-d-glucan (BDG) assays were both performed in 12 cases (52.2%), being positive in 9. The SeptiFast test was performed in 7 patients, being positive in 4. In patients with non-classifiable pulmonary aspergillosis and one or more positive microbiological tests, radiological criteria may not be considered a limiting factor for the diagnosis of IPA.

The current study aimed to design a preliminary implicit relational assessment procedure (IRAP) to measure the increased complexity and the flexibility in perspective taking (PT). Undergraduate students (N = 35) from a Spanish university completed a PT scale and a PT task (deictic relational task; DRT) that involved trials with different complexity (reversed and double reversed). Then, participants were asked to complete an IRAP to assess the level of complexity and flexibility involved in perspective-taking framing. Results showed that the IRAP captured the differences, on the one hand, in relational complexity when the participants were asked to respond saying Yes or No to their own perspective and, on the other hand, in relational flexibility when they were asked to change their own perspective. In addition, the IRAP effect correlated with high deictic ability as measured by the DRT (mainly in double-reversed trials). These findings suggest that the IRAP as designed in the present study seems to be a good indicator of complexity and flexibility in PT.

In this work, single-wall carbon nanotubes (SWNTs)/poly(3-octylthiophene) (P3OTMWa) composites were synthesized by the in situ chemical oxidative microwave-assisted polymerization. In situ polymerization of SWNTs/P3OTMWa composites was carried out by oxidative reaction of distilled 3-octylthiophene monomer with FeCl3 using anhydrous CHCl3 as solvent and different weight concentrations of nanotubes. Field emission scanning electron microscopy and scanning electron microscopy analysis revealed that in the SWNTs/P3OTMWa composites the nanotubes are uniformly dispersed in the polymer matrix and the polymer chains wrap around the nanotube walls. Nuclear magnetic resonance analysis indicated that with an increase in SWNTs concentration the head–tail regioregularity of the composites also increases. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy studies indicate not fully ground-state interaction between the nanotubes and P3OTMWa molecules. This is also corroborated by the ultraviolet–visible measurements. The characteristic absorption peak shifts slightly to a longer wavelength due to the SWNTs content in the close packing of P3OTMWa. X-ray diffraction shows that the crystalline order is increased when the nanotubes were added to the polymer. The impressive conductivity values and enhanced dispersibility and stability of the composites in organic solvents encourage their application whithin optoelectronic devices field.

Some mechanical properties for cobalt boride (CoB and Co2B) coatings were obtained using the Vickers depth-sensing indentation technique. The coatings were developed on the surface of a CoCrMo alloy using the powder-pack boriding process at temperatures between 1223 and 1273 K using different exposure times for each temperature. Vickers indentations were conducted at constant distances from the surface using loads ranging from 15 to 450 mN. For the entire set of experimental conditions, the behavior of the indentation properties was examined as a function of the indentation loads. Universal expressions were used to determine the apparent or real hardness, the indentation Young’s modulus, and fracture toughness of the CoB and Co2B coatings. The results indicated that the CoB and Co2B coatings exhibited an apparent hardness of 20 and 17 GPa, respectively, in which the fracture toughness of the cobalt boride coatings only varied slightly in the set of experimental conditions proposed in this work.

Made available in DSpace on 2018-12-11T16:50:39Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 0 Previous issue date: 2017-11-01 Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES) Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP) Cascade multisystem reservoirs are extremely complex ecosystems that require studies to improve understanding of their dynamics and functioning, including the effects of contamination with metals. In this work, superficial sediments were collected during two sampling campaigns (in the dry and rainy seasons) at 19 sites along a cascade multisystem reservoir in São Paulo, Brazil, formed by five reservoirs. The sediments were evaluated considering the following parameters: pseudo-total metals (Cu, Cd, Cr, Ni, Pb, Zn, Mn, Fe, and Al); bioavailable metal (Cu); organic matter; total phosphorus; total nitrogen; and grain size. In the last reservoir of this system, the enrichment factors indicated enrichment of Cu, Pb, Zn, and Mn. Despite this increased metals content, the pollution load index indicated an absence of pollution (PLI

The soil organic carbon (SOC) was determined in 40 sites at two depths (0–10 and 10–20 cm) for different uses of soil during one year (February 2014–February 2015). The total SOC stored in the analysed soil from the Ramsar site was $$9{,}67 \times 10^{5}$$ t, from which 40% was stored in induced pasture, followed by the red oak forest with shrubbery secondary vegetation, rain-fed agriculture and human settlements (24%, 23%, and 13%, respectively); the last was evaluated to determine how the proximity of the city impacts the SOC. The SOC concentrations present significant differences with respect to soil depth ( $$p=0.0$$ ) and land use ( $$p=0.0$$ ). The temporal distribution maps showed that SOC did not present significant variations in the short-term. A relation between SOC and bulk density was found ( $$r = -0.654$$ , $$p=0.00$$ ), with respect to other physicochemical properties. Moreover, a significant relation between SOC and stored total nitrogen ( $$r = 0.585$$ ; $$p = 0.00$$ ) was found. This work represents the first study that analyses the current condition of the soils in the Ramsar site ‘Presa Manuel Avila Camacho’.

Protein:protein interactions are fundamental in living organism homeostasis. Here we introduce VHH6, a junctional epitope antibody capable of specifically recognizing a neo-epitope when two proteins interact, albeit transiently, to form a complex. Orthogonal biophysical techniques have been used to prove the “junctional epitope” nature of VHH6, a camelid single domain antibody recognizing the IL-6–gp80 complex but not the individual components alone. X-ray crystallography, HDX-MS and SPR analysis confirmed that the CDR regions of VHH6 interact simultaneously with IL-6 and gp80, locking the two proteins together. At the cellular level, VHH6 was able to alter the response of endothelial cells to exogenous IL-6, promoting a sustained STAT3 phosphorylation signal, an accumulation of IL-6 in vesicles and an overall pro-inflammatory phenotype supported further by transcriptomic analysis. Junctional epitope antibodies, like VHH6, not only offer new opportunities in screening and structure-aided drug discovery, but could also be exploited as therapeutics to modulate complex protein:protein interactions.

Many species of marine organisms go through ontogenetic shifts that occur in unknown or inaccessible locations. Finding these areas is crucial to understand con- nectivity and resilience of populations, both of which have conservation implications. When extrinsic markers are not suitable to track organisms, intrinsic markers can be use- ful to infer the location of inaccessible areas where these cryptic stages occur. Our study focuses on the location of oceanic foraging areas of the cryptic early juvenile stage of green turtles, Chelonia mydas, in the Atlantic. Due to the small size of hatchlings, the use of telemetry is limited to short periods of time and small spatial ranges, which do not allow determining the location of oceanic foraging areas. We used lead (Pb) stable isotopes to determine the possible location of oceanic foraging areas of small green turtles in the Atlantic Ocean. Pb stable isotope ratios in the scute tis- sue deposited when turtles were in the oceanic habitat were compared to ratios of major sources of lead in the Atlantic and oceanic areas in the Atlantic to determine the location of oceanic foraging grounds. The Pb isotope ratios in the scute of oceanic-stage green turtles indicated that turtles

Natural system management that favors one or a group of plant species for the benefit of humankind is one of the main factors promoting landscape change. However, depending on the focal species, management practices can promote plant diversity and contribute to the subsistence of local human populations. In this study, we identify and describe three management systems (conserved forest [CF], shade-grown coffee plantation [SGC], and enriched forest [EF]) associated with the edible fruit Oecopetalum mexicanum (Icacinaceae). The study area is in an anthropized landscape in Sierra de Misantla in central Veracruz, Mexico, where this species is of particular economic and cultural value. Three questions were addressed: 1) What is the structure and floristic diversity in each of the three identified management systems? 2) How do the management practices affect the floristic regeneration potential? and 3) How do the management systems differ in relation to the number of useful native or introduced species? In each management system, we quantified the diversity, structure, composition, physiognomy, and presence of useful species. The diversity metrics reveal a gradient in which CF is the most diverse system, followed by EF and SGC. This was observed in the groups of adult plants and in those undergoing regeneration. The EF presented the highest number of useful plants. In CF, and particularly in EF, we found a high frequency and abundance of O. mexicanum seedlings as a result of management practices that favor the germination and growth of this species. In addition, CF and EF presented analogous physiognomic characteristics. Our study demonstrates the manner in which applied management practices can determine floristic diversity, in this case reducing diversity while increasing the proportion of useful species. Furthermore, the results show that the application of management practices, especially those related to key species, can promote the conservation of natural landscape and cultural components that are of importance to the subsistence of local human populations.

Endogenous melatonin is synthesized from tryptophan via 5-hydroxytryptamine. It is considered an indoleamine from a biochemical point of view because the melatonin molecule contains a substituted indolic ring with an amino group. The circadian production of melatonin by the pineal gland explains its chronobiotic influence on organismal activity, including the endocrine and non-endocrine rhythms. Other functions of melatonin, including its antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties, its genomic effects, and its capacity to modulate mitochondrial homeostasis, are linked to the redox status of cells and tissues. With the aid of specific melatonin antibodies, the presence of melatonin has been detected in multiple extrapineal tissues including the brain, retina, lens, cochlea, Harderian gland, airway epithelium, skin, gastrointestinal tract, liver, kidney, thyroid, pancreas, thymus, spleen, immune system cells, carotid body, reproductive tract, and endothelial cells. In most of these tissues, the melatonin-synthesizing enzymes have been identified. Melatonin is present in essentially all biological fluids including cerebrospinal fluid, saliva, bile, synovial fluid, amniotic fluid, and breast milk. In several of these fluids, melatonin concentrations exceed those in the blood. The importance of the continual availability of melatonin at the cellular level is important for its physiological regulation of cell homeostasis, and may be relevant to its therapeutic applications. Because of this, it is essential to compile information related to its peripheral production and regulation of this ubiquitously acting indoleamine. Thus, this review emphasizes the presence of melatonin in extrapineal organs, tissues, and fluids of mammals including humans.

Since computer programs for solving kinematic analyses of spatial linkages have been around for more than 45 years, it is taken for granted that those programs provide the proper solution in any situation. This contribution shows that this is not always the case. Thus, the contribution is a reminder that computer aided analyses results always need to be double-checked. Furthermore, the contribution shows how to interpret the results obtained from a computer program that does not provide the expected results.

Wastewater treatment using moving bed membrane bioreactor technology was tested with real urban wastewater at a pilot plant, combining moving bed treatment as a biological process with hybrid biomass (suspended and fixed) and the advantages of a membrane separation system. The evolution of the kinetic constants of the hybrid biomass and organic matter removal were studied in a pilot plant under different operational conditions, by varying hydraulic retention time (HRT), mixed liquor suspended solids (MLSS) and temperature, and considering the attached biomass of the carrier and the dispersed biomass of the flocs to reproduce real treatment conditions. The rates of organic matter removal were 97.73 ± 0.81 % of biochemical oxygen demand (BOD5), 93.44 ± 2.13 % of chemical oxygen demand (COD), 94.41 ± 2.26 % of BOD5 and 87.62 ± 2.47 % of COD using 24.00 ± 0.39 and 10.00 ± 0.07 h of HRT, respectively. The influence of the environmental variables and operational conditions on kinetic constants was studied; it was determined that the most influential variable for the decay coefficient for heterotrophic biomass was HRT (0.34 ± 0.14 and 0.31 ± 0.10 days−1 with 10.00 ± 0.07 and 24.00 ± 0.39 h of HRT, respectively), while for heterotrophic biomass yield, this was temperature (0.61 ± 0.04 and 0.52 ± 0.06 with 10.00 ± 0.07 and 24.00 ± 0.39 h of HRT, respectively). The results show that introducing carriers in an MBR system provides similar results for organic matter removal, but with a lower concentration of MLSS.

A large number of coordinate points is available after digitizing a profile, a surface, or generating the points of the function that define the surface or the profile (if an equation to generate these points is available). These coordinate points are grouped according to the strategy followed for the digitization or the generation. But not all the coordinate points are equally important: More coordinate points are needed in the zones where the curvature is larger, in contrast to the zones where the curvature is smaller. A new selection method of coordinate points is presented in this study. It is based on the maximum allowed chord error. This method simplifies the selection of the important coordinate points for the shape reconstruction with a computer-aided design program or for the computer numerical control (CNC) mechanizing, using either less information, smaller number of points, or NC program lines. To accomplish this objective, any programming language can be applied. An Excel macro and MATLAB have been used in this study. This is interesting both in high-speed CNC machines and in old equipment. The first ones have “look ahead” benefits, because the number of blocks in the NC program are read in advance. Therefore, if a smaller number of lines are needed for the same required precision, the process speed will be higher. The use of old machines will also be improved by the smaller number of lines to process. It must be noted that this process is as fast as the slowest of its elements.

Today, methane (CH4), nitrous oxide (N2O), and carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions represent approximately 98 % of the total greenhouse gas (GHG) inventory worldwide, and their share is expected to increase significantly in this twenty-first century. CO2 represents the most important GHG with approximately 77 % of the total GHG emissions (considering its global warming potential) worldwide, while CH4 and N2O are emitted to a lesser extent (14 and 8 %, respectively) but exhibit global warming potentials 23 and 298 times higher than that of CO2, respectively. Most members of the United Nations, based on the urgent need to maintain the global average temperature 2 °C above preindustrial levels, have committed themselves to significantly reduce their GHG emissions. In this context, an active abatement of these emissions will help to achieve these target emission cuts without compromising industrial growth. Nowadays, there are sufficient empirical evidence to support that biological technologies can become, if properly tailored, a low-cost and environmentally friendly alternative to physical/chemical methods for the abatement of GHGs. This study constitutes a state-of-the-art review of the microbiology (biochemistry, kinetics, and waste-to-value processes) and bioreactor technology of CH4, N2O, and CO2 abatement. The potential and limitations of biological GHG degradation processes are critically discussed, and the current knowledge gaps and technology niches in the field are identified.

The environmental external gamma dose rate has been determined at the Mexican Nuclear Research Centre and surrounding communities, located in a forest area. Outdoor direct measurements of external gamma exposure and absorbed dose rates in air were performed using passive integrating thermoluminescent dosimeters. Radiological measurements were also carried out with a portable high pressure ionization chamber. The gamma dose rate was evaluated from data obtained along 10 years measurements. The activity concentrations of 40K, 226Ra, 232Th, 137Cs, and 235U in surface soil samples at sampling sites are also presented. The radionuclide activity concentrations were determined by low background gamma spectrometry with hyper-pure germanium detectors. A site specific lineal model to describe the relationship between the external gamma dose rate and the 226Ra concentration values in the soil is proposed.

This review examines information generated over the past decade on the pollution of rivers in regions with a mediterranean-type climate (med-climate). Pollution has clearly increased in the last 100 years and is correlated with the development of industry, agriculture and human population. Important efforts have been made in some med-climate countries in order to characterise the chemical status of rivers. In addition, the number of chemical substances detectable in mediterranean-climate rivers (med-rivers), as well as the limits of detection, have improved from the development of better analytical methods. New substances detected in rivers are gaining attention. We discuss available knowledge regarding real and potential effects of pollutants on the biota and ecosystems in med-rivers, taking into account natural environmental characteristics of these rivers. The extreme seasonal conditions in med-rivers add to the potential risk because these characteristics can enhance pollutant effects. Efforts and policies to prevent or reduce pollution effects on med-rivers are linked to the knowledge about pollution pressures associated with the degree of economic development. Aquatic communities in med-rivers are more sensitive to pollutants because they are exposed to strong natural and human stressors.

Let G be any graph and let {Hi}i∈I be a family of graphs such that E(Hi) ∩ E(Hj ) = ∅ when i 6= j, ∪i∈IE(Hi) = E(G) and E(Hi) 6= ∅ for all i ∈ I. In this paper we introduce the concept of {Hi}i∈I -super edge-magic decomposable graphs and {Hi}i∈I -super edge-magic labelings. We say that G is {Hi}i∈I -super edge-magic decomposable if there is a bijection β : V (G) → {1, 2, . . . , |V (G)|} such that for each i ∈ I the subgraph Hi meets the following two requirements: β(V (Hi)) = {1, 2, . . . , |V (Hi)|} and {β(a) + β(b) : ab ∈ E(Hi)} is a set of consecutive integers. Such function β is called an {Hi}i∈I -super edge-magic labeling of G. We characterize the set of cycles Cn which are {H1, H2}-super edge-magic decomposable when both, H1 and H2 are isomorphic to (n/2)K2. New lines of research are also suggested. The research conducted in this document by the first and third authors has been supported by the Spanish Research Council under project MTM2008- 06620-C03-01 and by the Catalan Research Council under grant 2009SGR1387.

We study equilibrium and oscillatory solutions of a general mass structured system with a boundary delay. Such delays may be derived from systems with a separate egg class. Analytical calculations reveal existence criteria for non-trivial steady states. We further explore parameter space using numerical methods. The analysis is applied to a typical mass structured slug population model revealing oscillations, pulse solutions and irregular dynamics. However, robustly defined isolated cohorts, of the form sometimes suggested by experimental data, do not naturally emerge. Nonetheless, disordered, leapfrogging local maxima do result and may be enhanced by selective predation.