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Cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) continue to be the leading cause of death worldwide. Over the past couple of years and with the surge of the COVID-19 pandemic, mortality from CVDs has been slightly overshadowed by those due to COVID-19, although it was during the peak of the pandemic. In the present study, patients with CVDs (CVDs; n = 41,883) were analyzed to determine which comorbidities had the largest impact on overall patient mortality due to their association with both diseases (n = 3,637). Obesity, hypertension, and diabetes worsen health in patients diagnosed positive for COVID-19. Hence, they were included in the overview of all patients with CVD. Our findings showed that 1,697 deaths were attributable to diabetes (p < 0.001) and 987 deaths to obesity (p < 0.001). Lastly, 2,499 deaths were attributable to hypertension (p < 0.001). Using logistic regression modeling, we found that diabetes (OR: 1.744, p < 0.001) and hypertension (OR: 2.179, p < 0.001) significantly affected the mortality rate of patients. Hence, having a CVD diagnosis, with hypertension and/or diabetes, seems to increase the likelihood of complications, leading to death in patients diagnosed positive for COVID-19.

Technology-critical elements (TCEs) include most rare earth elements (REEs), the platinum group elements (PGEs), and Ga, Ge, In, Nb, Ta, Te, and Tl. Despite increasing recognition of their prolific release into the environment, their soil to plant transfer remains largely unknown. This paper provides an approximation of the potential for plant uptake by calculating bioconcentration factors (BCFs), defined as the concentration in edible vegetable tissues relative to that in cultivation soil. Here data were obtained from an indoor cultivation experiment growing lettuce, chard, and carrot on 22 different European urban soils. Values of BCFs were determined from concentrations of TCEs in vegetable samples after digestion with concentrated HNO3, and from concentrations in soil determined after 1) Aqua Regia digestion and, 2) diluted (0.1 M) HNO3 leaching. For comparison, BCFs were also determined for 5 traditional metal contaminants (TMCs; As, Cd, Cu, Pb, and Zn). The main conclusions of the study were that: 1) BCF values for the REEs were consistently low in the studied vegetables; 2) the BCFs for Ga and Nb were low as well; 3) the BCFs for Tl were high relative to the other measured TCEs and the traditional metal contaminants; and 4) mean BCF values for the investigated TCEs were generally highest in chard and lowest in carrot. These findings provide initial evidence that there are likely to be real and present soil–plant transfer of TCEs, especially in the case of Tl. Improvements in analytical methods and detection limits will allow this to be further investigated in a wider variety of edible plants so that a risk profile may be developed.

Abstract Background Understanding gender-associated bias in aging and obesity-driven metabolic derangements has been hindered by the inability to model severe obesity in female mice. Methods Here, using chow- or high fat diet (HFD)-feeding regimens at standard (TS) and thermoneutral (TN) housing temperatures, the latter to model obesity in female mice, we examined the impact of gender and aging on obesity-associated metabolic derangements and immune responsiveness. Analysis included quantification of: (i) weight gain and adiposity; (ii) the development and severity of glucose dysmetabolism and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD); and (iii) induction of inflammatory pathways related to metabolic dysfunction. Results We show that under chow diet feeding regimen, aging was accompanied by increased body weight and white adipose tissue (WAT) expansion in a gender independent manner. HFD feeding regimen in aged, compared to young, male mice at TS, resulted in attenuated glucose dysmetabolism and hepatic steatosis. However, under TS housing conditions only aged, but not young, HFD fed female mice developed obesity. At TN however, both young and aged HFD fed female mice developed severe obesity. Independent of gender or housing conditions, aging attenuated the severity of metabolic derangements in HFD-fed obese mice. Tempered severity of metabolic derangements in aged mice was associated with increased splenic frequency of regulatory T (Treg) cells, Type I regulatory (Tr1)-like cells and circulating IL-10 levels and decreased vigor of HFD-driven induction of inflammatory pathways in adipose and liver tissues. Conclusion Our findings suggest that aging-associated altered immunological profile and inflammatory vigor may play a dominant role in the attenuation of obesogenic diet-driven metabolic dysfunction.

Introduction Alpha-pyrrolidinohexanophenone (α-PHP) is a synthetic cathinone with uneven distribution throughout the world. Its use is not uniformly regulated and its distribution is legal in some European countries. Easily accessible and available through different websites. Synthetic cathinones inhibit monoamine transporters which include dopamine, norepinephrine, and serotonin, resulting in increased neurotransmitter synaptic concentration. Ways of administration show wide range regarding latency period. Onset and appearance of symptoms as well as their duration and intensity may fluctuate. A decreasing order of latency (oral, inhaled, sublingual and intravenous) has been reported. α-PHP can result in the appearance of psychiatric symptoms, include among others, intoxication with sensory perception disturbances and α-PHP -induced psychotic episodes. Objectives The aim of our study was to assess the epidemiology, clinical and legal features regarding Alpha-pyrrolidinohexanophenone (α-PHP). Methods Review the current bibliography to upgrade the existing knowledge. -Present assorted cases with diverse clinical features. All cases include variability through psychopathological interview, symptoms assessment and treatment response according to rating scales (PANSS, YMRS). -Evaluate different treatment administration ways during acute phase and after hospital discharge. Results Differences were observed after hospitalization in the response using diverse rating scales. We used antipsychotics to treat intoxication with sensory perception disturbances and α-PHP -induced psychotic episodes. α-PHP had a negative impact on the quality of life of the patients. Conclusions α-PHP is a synthetic cathinone with potential risk to mental health and life of users. It is mandatory to implement common legislation all through the European Union to prevent its use and possible implications on population’s mental health. Disclosure No significant relationships.

A mindfulness-based intervention (MBI) to address emotional factors that may negatively impact the fluency of the subjects was implemented. A MBI consisting of 5 weekly 2-h sessions was designed and applied to two stuttering cases. The goals were to lower stuttering and to reduce anxiety through the acquisition of mindfulness skills. Participants were asked to video-record a speaking task and to fill out anxiety and mindfulness skills self-reports pre and post-intervention. Both participants diminished stuttering error rates from severe (participant 1) and moderate (participant 2) to mild. Participant 2, who showed high pre-treatment anxiety, showed a significant reduction. A year-follow-up revealed that therapeutic gains in anxiety, mindfulness skills, and stuttering were successfully maintained in both participants. This is the first study focused on emotional aspects of stuttering showing long-term improvements through a MBI. MBI programs could serve as a promising complement for stuttering treatments.

Interactions between the immune system and adipose tissue contribute to the regulation of body weight, however, the underlying mechanisms remain incompletely understood. Here the authors dissect the role of two structurally and functionally similar immune mediators, BAFF and APRIL, in modifying diet-induced weight gain and adipocyte lipid handling.

In this paper, we present and evaluate the skill of an EC-Earth3.3 decadal prediction system contributing to the Decadal Climate Prediction Project – Component A (DCPP-A). This prediction system is capable of skilfully simulating past global mean surface temperature variations at interannual and decadal forecast times as well as the local surface temperature in regions such as the tropical Atlantic, the Indian Ocean and most of the continental areas, although most of the skill comes from the representation of the external radiative forcings. A benefit of initialization in the predictive skill is evident in some areas of the tropical Pacific and North Atlantic oceans in the first forecast years, an added value that is mostly confined to the south-east tropical Pacific and the eastern subpolar North Atlantic at the longest forecast times (6–10 years). The central subpolar North Atlantic shows poor predictive skill and a detrimental effect of initialization that leads to a quick collapse in Labrador Sea convection, followed by a weakening of the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation (AMOC) and excessive local sea ice growth. The shutdown in Labrador Sea convection responds to a gradual increase in the local density stratification in the first years of the forecast, ultimately related to the different paces at which surface and subsurface temperature and salinity drift towards their preferred mean state. This transition happens rapidly at the surface and more slowly in the subsurface, where, by the 10th forecast year, the model is still far from the typical mean states in the corresponding ensemble of historical simulations with EC-Earth3. Thus, our study highlights the Labrador Sea as a region that can be sensitive to full-field initialization and hamper the final prediction skill, a problem that can be alleviated by improving the regional model biases through model development and by identifying more optimal initialization strategies.

The combustion of pure H2 in engines is still troublesome, needing further research and development. Using H2 and diesel in a dual-fuel compression ignition engine appears as a more feasible approach. Here we report an experimental assessment of performance and emissions for a single-cylinder, four-stroke, air-cooled compression ignition engine operating with neat diesel and H2-diesel dual-fuel. Previous studies typically show the performance and emissions for a specific operation condition (i.e. a fixed engine speed and torque) or a limited operating range. Our experiments covered engine speeds of 3000 and 3600 rpm and torque levels of 3 and 7 Nm. An in-house designed and built alkaline cell generated the H2 used for the partial substitution of diesel. Compared with neat diesel, the results indicate that adding H2 decreased the air-fuel equivalence ratio and the Brake Specific Diesel Fuel Consumption Efficiency by around 14–29 % and 4–31 %. In contrast, adding H2 increased the Brake Fuel Conversion Efficiency by around 3–36 %. In addition, the Brake Thermal Efficiency increased in the presence of H2 in the range of 3–37 % for the lower engine speed and 27–43 % for the higher engine speed compared with neat diesel. The dual-fuel mode resulted in lower CO and CO2 emissions for the same power output. The emissions of hydrocarbons decreased with H2 addition, except for the lower engine speed and the higher torque. However, the dual-fuel operation resulted in higher NOx emissions than neat diesel, with 2–6 % and 19–48 % increments for the lower and higher engine speeds. H2 emerges as a versatile energy carrier with the potential to tackle current energy and emissions challenges; however, the dual-fuel strategy requires careful management of NOx emissions.

This study assesses the impact of different sea ice thickness distribution (ITD) discretizations on the sea ice concentration (SIC) variability in ocean stand-alone NEMO3.6–LIM3 simulations. Three ITD discretizations with different numbers of sea ice thickness categories and boundaries are evaluated against three different satellite products (hereafter referred to as “data”). Typical model and data interannual SIC variability is characterized by K-means clustering both in the Arctic and Antarctica between 1979 and 2014. We focus on two seasons, winter (January–March) and summer (August–October), in which correlation coefficients across clusters in individual months are largest. In the Arctic, clusters are computed before and after detrending the series with a second-degree polynomial to separate interannual from longer-term variability. The analysis shows that, before detrending, winter clusters reflect the SIC response to large-scale atmospheric variability at both poles, while summer clusters capture the negative and positive trends in Arctic and Antarctic SIC, respectively. After detrending, Arctic clusters reflect the SIC response to interannual atmospheric variability predominantly. The cluster analysis is complemented with a model–data comparison of the sea ice extent and SIC anomaly patterns. The single-category discretization shows the worst model–data agreement in the Arctic summer before detrending, related to a misrepresentation of the long-term melting trend. Similarly, increasing the number of thin categories reduces model–data agreement in the Arctic, due to a poor representation of the summer melting trend and an overly large winter sea ice volume associated with a net increase in basal ice growth. In contrast, more thin categories improve model realism in Antarctica, and more thick ones improve it in central Arctic regions with very thick ice. In all the analyses we nonetheless identify no optimal discretization. Our results thus suggest that no clear benefit in the representation of SIC variability is obtained from increasing the number of sea ice thickness categories beyond the current standard with five categories in NEMO3.6–LIM3.

White adipose inflammation can occur in obesity and is at least in part mediated by inflammatory immune cells. Here the authors show that the Type I Interferon/Interferon alpha-beta receptor axis promotes an inflammatory, glycolysis associated adipocyte phenotype.

In recent decades, concern about rabbit welfare and sustainability has increased. The housing system is a very important factor for animal welfare. However, information about how different available housing types for female rabbits affect their health status is scarce, but this is an important factor for their welfare. Hence, the objective of this study was to evaluate the health status of female rabbits in five common housing systems: three different single-housing systems with distinct available surfaces and heights; a single-housing system with a platform; a collective system. Female rabbits in the collective and platform cages had greater cortisol concentrations in hair than those in the single-housing system with no platform. Haptoglobin concentrations and kit mortality rates during lactation were greater for the collective-cage female rabbits. The collective group had more culled females and more lesions than in the other groups. The main reasons for culling in all the groups were reproduction problems and presence of abscesses, and the collective group of females was the most affected. In conclusion, it appears that keeping females together in collective systems negatively affects their health status and welfare, while single-housing systems imply lower kit mortality rates during lactation and cortisol concentrations, and fewer lesions in female rabbits.

The microbially-derived short-chain fatty acid butyrate is a central inhibitor of inflammatory innate and adaptive immune responses. Emerging evidence suggests that butyrate induces differentiation of IL-10-producing (IL-10+) regulatory B cells. However, the underlying mechanisms of butyrate-driven modulation of B cell differentiation are not fully defined. Given the dominant role of regulatory plasma cells (PCs) as the main source of anti-inflammatory cytokines including IL-10 and the observation that butyrate also induces the differentiation of PCs, we here investigated the effect of the microbial metabolite butyrate on the induction of regulatory IL-10+ PCs and underlying mechanisms. Here we show that butyrate induces the differentiation of IL-10+IgM+ PCs. Ex vivo, butyrate, but hardly propionate, another microbially-derived short-chain fatty acid, induced the differentiation of IL-10+IgM+ CD138high PCs from isolated splenic murine B cells. In vivo, administration of butyrate via drinking water or by daily intraperitoneal injection increased the number of IL-10+IgM+ CD138high PCs in the spleens of Ovalbumin (Ova)/complete Freund's adjuvant-immunized mice. The induction of these regulatory PCs was associated with an increase of anti-Ova IgM, but a reduction of anti-Ova class-switched pathogenic IgG2b serum antibodies. Based on the knowledge that butyrate inhibits histone deacetylases (HDACs) thereby increasing histone acetylation, we identified here that HDAC3 inhibition was sufficient to induce PC differentiation and IL-10+ expression. Furthermore, reduced mitochondrial superoxide levels following butyrate treatment and HDAC3 inhibition were necessary for PC differentiation, but not IL-10 expression. In summary, the microbial metabolite butyrate promotes the differentiation of IgM+ PCs and their expression of IL-10. HDAC3 inhibition may be involved as an underlying pathway for both PC differentiation and IL-10 expression, while reduced mitochondrial superoxide levels are crucial only for PC differentiation. The induction of regulatory IL-10+IgM+ PCs and the inhibition of class switching to antigen-specific pathogenic IgG subclasses might represent important pathways of butyrate to limit inflammation.

Recently, the region surrounding eHWC J1842−035 has been studied extensively by γ-ray observatories due to its extended emission reaching up to a few hundred TeV and potential as a hadronic accelerator. In this work, we use 1910 days of cumulative data from the High Altitude Water Cherenkov (HAWC) observatory to carry out a dedicated systematic source search of the eHWC J1842−035 region. During the search, we found three sources in the region, namely, HAWC J1844−034, HAWC J1843−032, and HAWC J1846−025. We have identified HAWC J1844−034 as the extended source that emits photons with energies up to 175 TeV. We compute the spectrum for HAWC J1844−034, and by comparing with the observational results from other experiments, we have identified HESS J1843−033, LHAASO J1843−0338, and TASG J1844−038 as very-high-energy γ-ray sources with a matching origin. Also, we present and use the multiwavelength data to fit the hadronic and leptonic particle spectra. We have identified four pulsar candidates in the nearby region in which PSR J1844−0346 is found to be the most likely candidate due to its proximity to HAWC J1844−034 and the computed energy budget. We have also found SNR G28.6−0.1 as a potential counterpart source of HAWC J1844−034 for which both leptonic and hadronic scenarios are feasible.

In the quest for high-energy neutrino sources, the Astrophysical Multimessenger Observatory Network has implemented a new search by combining data from the High Altitude Water Cherenkov (HAWC) Observatory and the Astronomy with a Neutrino Telescope and Abyss environmental RESearch (ANTARES) neutrino telescope. Using the same analysis strategy as in a previous detector combination of HAWC and IceCube data, we perform a search for coincidences in HAWC and ANTARES events that are below the threshold for sending public alerts in each individual detector. Data were collected between 2015 July and 2020 February with a live time of 4.39 yr. Over this time period, three coincident events with an estimated false-alarm rate of

We present the results of dark matter (DM) searches in a sample of 31 dwarf irregular (dIrr) galaxies within the field of view of the HAWC Observatory. dIrr galaxies are DM-dominated objects in which astrophysical gamma-ray emission is estimated to be negligible with respect to the secondary gamma-ray flux expected by annihilation or decay of weakly interacting massive particles (WIMPs). While we do not see any statistically significant DM signal in dIrr galaxies, we present the exclusion limits (95% C.L.) for annihilation cross section and decay lifetime for WIMP candidates with masses between 1 and 100 TeV. Exclusion limits from dIrr galaxies are relevant and complementary to benchmark dwarf Spheroidal (dSph) galaxies. In fact, dIrr galaxies are targets kinematically different from benchmark dSph, preserving the footprints of different evolution histories. We compare the limits from dIrr galaxies to those from ultrafaint and classical dSph galaxies previously observed with HAWC. We find that the constraints are comparable to the limits from classical dSph galaxies and ∼2 orders of magnitude weaker than the ultrafaint dSph limits.

The latest High Altitude Water Cherenkov (HAWC) point-like source catalog up to 56 TeV reported the detection of two sources in the region of the Galactic plane at galactic longitude 52° < ℓ < 55°, 3HWC J1930+188 and 3HWC J1928+178. The first one is associated with a known TeV source, the supernova remnant SNR G054.1+00.3. It was discovered by one of the currently operating Imaging Atmospheric Cherenkov Telescope (IACT), the Very Energetic Radiation Imaging Telescope Array System (VERITAS), detected by the High Energy Stereoscopic System (H.E.S.S), and identified as a composite SNR. However, the source 3HWC J1928+178, discovered by HAWC and coincident with the pulsar PSR J1928+1746, was not detected by any IACT despite their long exposure on the region, until a recent new analysis of H.E.S.S. data was able to confirm it. Moreover, no X-ray counterpart has been detected from this pulsar. We present a multicomponent fit of this region using the latest HAWC data. This reveals an additional new source, HAWC J1932+192, which is potentially associated with the pulsar PSR J1932+1916, whose γ -ray emission could come from the acceleration of particles in its pulsar wind nebula. In the case of 3HWC J1928+178, several possible explanations are explored, in an attempt to unveil the origins of the very-high-energy γ -ray emission.

Silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) have aroused great interest for applications as fungicides in agriculture. This study reports the synthesis of AgNPs by green chemistry using silver nitrate (AgNO3) as the precursor agent and a coriander leaf extract as the reducing agent and surfactant. The evaluation of their antifungal properties was carried out when placed in contact with Fusarium solani and Rhizopus stolonifer phytopathogens. The extract and AgNP characterizations were performed using UV–Vis spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR), dynamic light scattering (DLS) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The evaluation of antifungal properties was carried out by exposing the phytopathogens to different concentrations of AgNPs in PDA (Potato Dextrose Agar). It was found that it was possible to identify the presence of flavones and flavonoids in the extract, compounds that were also involved in the synthesis process of AgNPs. In addition, the UV–Vis analysis of the obtained AgNPs by green chemistry showed resonance peaks at around 428 nm. Furthermore, a high distribution of AgNP sizes, with high concentrations of below 100 nm, was identified, according to DLS measurements. Using SEM images, the information provided by DLS was confirmed, and a crystallite size of 29.24 nm was determined with the help of XRD measurements. Finally, when exposing the phytopathogens to the action of AgNPs, it was concluded that, at a concentration of 1 mg/mL AgNPs, their growth was totally inhibited.

Summary: Isolation of viable immune cells from human tissues is critical for the characterization of cellular and molecular processes underlying disease pathogenesis. Here, we describe protocols for the isolation of highly viable immune cells from liver wedges and mesenteric white adipose tissue resections from obese persons. Notably, characterization of the isolated single-immune cell suspensions, via utility of basic immunological interrogations and genetic approaches, promises to generate an improved understanding of altered immunological pathways in obese individuals with or without metabolic diseases.For complete details on the use and execution of this protocol, please refer to Moreno-Fernandez et al. (2021).

Mexico has become one of the most highly affected countries by coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic in Latin America. Therefore, efficient vaccination programs are needed to address COVID-19 pandemic. Although recent advances around the world have made it possible to develop vaccines in record time, there has been increasing fear and misinformation around the vaccines. Hence, understanding vaccine hesitancy is imperative for modeling successful vaccination strategies. In this study, we analyzed the attitude and perceptions toward COVID-19 vaccination, in a Mexican population (n = 1,512), using the proposed COVID-19 Vaccine Acceptance and Hesitancy Questionnaire (COV-AHQ) (Cronbach's alpha > 0.8), which evaluates a mild perception of danger and contamination with respect to COVID-19, a moderate perception of xenophobia generated throughout COVID-19 quarantine, fear of adverse effects of COVID-19 vaccination, and hesitancy of parent toward vaccination of children; furthermore, a section including sociodemographic variables was included. According to the results of this study, the statistical correlation analysis of the general vaccination posture seems to correlate significantly (p < 0.05) with a mild perception of danger and contamination with respect to COVID-19, a moderate perception of xenophobia generated throughout COVID-19 quarantine, hesitancy of parent toward vaccination of children, willingness to get COVID-19 vaccine, previous influenza vaccination, perception of the vaccine that could help the economy of country, occupation, gender, age, and participants actively researching COVID-19 vaccine information. An in-depth analysis assisted by binary logistic regression concluded that the young adult population around ages 18–34 years are the most likely to get vaccinated. This posture seems to be highly influenced by a mild perception of danger and contamination with respect to COVID-19, a moderate perception of xenophobia generated throughout COVID-19 quarantine, fear of adverse effects of COVID-19 vaccination, and hesitancy of parents toward vaccination of children. While their own personal religious beliefs and economic status, the level of education does not seem to have an effect on the willingness to get vaccinated neither did having a previous COVID-19 diagnosis or even knowing someone with a positive COVID-19 diagnosis. Health authorities and policymakers could use the results of this study to aid in modeling vaccination programs and strategies and identify population groups with high vaccine hesitancy prevalence and assess significant public health issues.

Throughout the last decade, crustacean aquaculture has been developing rapidly worldwide and has given rise to a growing global trend demanding freshwater native species that share both, socio-economic importance and commercial interest such as subtropical and temperate palaemonids. Unfortunately, the reduction of native populations and the partial or complete absence of ovigerous females during the months of autumn and winter are serious obstacles towards a successful, responsible, and profitable cultivation of such palaemonid species. When reviewing the natural environment at the start of the reproductive season, an increase in both, water temperature and daylight is easily perceived, thus we decided to investigate their effects (temperature and photoperiod) on the ovarian maturation in a subtropical freshwater palaemonid of commercial interest (Cryphiops caementarius) with promising results for a strong and prosperous commercial cultivation. Adult females of C. caementarius were randomly distributed among four treatment groups (G1, G2, G3, and G4). The study was developed in two phases, an initial conditioning phase in which the four treatment groups were exposed to winter environmental conditions for 42 days (photoperiod 10 L:14D, temperature 13 °C) and a final test in which each group was exposed to a specific combination of photoperiod and temperature for a term of 105 days: G1-winter photoperiod and winter temperature (10 L:14D, 13 °C), G2-summer photoperiod and summer temperature (14 L:10D, 25 °C), G3-summer photoperiod and winter temperature (14 L:10D, 13 °C), G4- winter photoperiod and summer temperature (10 L:14D, 25 °C). All the females were individually marked and the events of maturity and spawning were monitored. Maturity events were not recorded in any of the treatment groups exposed to winter temperatures, while 39 % and 31 % of the females exposed to summer temperatures in G2 and G4 respectively, had at least one maturity event during the testing phase. The results obtained suggest that an increase in temperature could be the environmental cue responsible for triggering the process of ovarian maturity in C. caementarius and that an adequate thermal control would allow the production of ovigerous females during the winter months. Controlling crustacean reproduction in captivity using environmental variables instead of invasive techniques such as eyestalk ablation or hormone injection opens a feasible path towards recovering natural populations and/or consolidating commercial farming through friendly aquaculture procedures.

Aging and obesity are two conditions characterized by chronic, low-grade inflammation. While both conditions are also associated with dysfunctional immune responses, the shared and distinct underlying mechanisms are just starting to be uncovered. In fact, recent findings have suggested that the effects of obesity on the immune system can be thought of as a state of accelerated aging. Here we propose that chronic, low-grade inflammation seen in obesity and aging is complex, affects multiple cell types, and results in an altered basal immune state. In aging, part of this altered state is the emergence of regulatory immune populations that lead to further immune dysfunction in an attempt to reduce chronic inflammation. While in obesity, part of the altered state is the effect of expanding adipose tissue on immune cell function. Thus, in this review, we compare, and contrast altered immune states in aging and obesity and discuss their potential contribution to a shared clinical problem- decreased vaccine responsiveness.

Despite the social distancing and mobility restriction measures implemented for susceptible people around the world, infections and deaths due to COVID-19 continued to increase, even more so in the first months of 2021 in Mexico. Thus, it is necessary to find risk groups that can benefit from more aggressive preventive measures in a high-density population. This is a case-control study of suspected COVID-19 patients from Nuevo León, Mexico. Cases were: (1) COVID-19-positive patients and COVID-19-positive patients who (2) developed pneumonia, (3) were intubated and (4) died. Controls were: (1) COVID-19-negative patients, (2) COVID-19-positive patients without pneumonia, (3) non-intubated COVID-19-positive patients and (4) surviving COVID-19-positive patients. ≥ 18 years of age, not pregnant, were included. The pre-existing conditions analysed as risk factors were age (years), sex (male), diabetes mellitus, hypertension, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, asthma, immunosuppression, obesity, cardiovascular disease, chronic kidney disease and smoking. The Mann-Whitney U tests, Chi square and binary logistic regression were used. A total of 56,715 suspected patients were analysed in Nuevo León, México, with 62.6% being positive for COVID-19 and, of those infected, 14% developed pneumonia, 2.9% were intubated and 8.1% died. The mean age of those infected was 44.7 years, while of those complicated it was around 60 years. Older age, male sex, diabetes, hypertension, and obesity were risk factors for infection, complications, and death from COVID-19. This study highlights the importance of timely recognition of the population exposed to pre-existing conditions to prioritise preventive measures against the virus.

Excessive fibrosis affects more than 100 million patients yearly, leading to the accumulation of extracellular matrix that compromises tissue architecture and impedes its function. Intrinsic properties of the amniotic membrane have alluded to its potential to inhibit excessive fibrosis; therefore, this study aimed to investigate the effects of dehydrated human amnion/chorion membrane (dHACM) on dermal fibroblasts and their role in fibrotic pathways. Human dermal fibroblasts were stimulated with TGFβ1, triggering myofibroblast-like characteristics in vitro. Subsequent addition of dHACM in the continued presence of TGFβ1 inhibited downstream signaling, leading to a reduction in the expression of known fibrotic and extracellular matrix genes. In addition, dHACM decreased alpha-smooth muscle actin, a stress filament responsible for contractile activity in scarring. The functional outcome of these effects was observed in an ex vivo model for cellular contraction. Hyperactivation of TGFβ signaling increased the contractile capacity of myofibroblasts embedded within a collagen substrate. Simultaneous addition of dHACM treatment prevented the marked contraction, which is likely a direct result of the inhibition of TGFβ signaling mentioned earlier. These observations may support the use of dHACM in the regulation of fibroblast activity as it relates to tissue fibrosis.

Canonical Wnt signaling is a major pathway known to regulate diverse physiological processes in multicellular organisms. Signaling is tightly regulated by feedback mechanisms; however, persistent dysregulation of this pathway is implicated in the progression of multiple disease states. In this study, proteomic analysis identified endogenous Wnt antagonists in micronized dehydrated human amnion/chorion membrane (μdHACM); thereby, prompting a study to further characterize the intrinsic properties of μdHACM as it relates to Wnt activity, in vitro. A TCF/LEF reporter cell line demonstrated the general ability of μdHACM to inhibit β-catenin induced transcription activity. Furthermore, in vitro systems, modeling elevated Wnt signaling, were developed in relevant cell types including tenocytes, synoviocytes, and human dermal fibroblasts (HDFs). Stimulation of these cells with Wnt3A resulted in translocation of β-catenin to the nucleus and increased expression of Wnt related genes. The subsequent addition of μdHACM, in the continued presence of Wnt-stimulus, mitigated the downstream effects of Wnt3A in tenocytes, synoviocytes, and HDFs. Nuclear localization of β-catenin was abated with corresponding reduction of Wnt related gene expression. These data demonstrate the in vitro regulation of canonical Wnt signaling as an inherent property of μdHACM and a novel mechanism of action.

The ice thickness distribution (ITD) is one of the core constituents of modern sea ice models. The ITD accounts for the unresolved spatial variability of sea ice thickness within each model grid cell. While there is a general consensus on the added physical realism brought by the ITD, how to discretize it remains an open question. Here, we use the ocean–sea ice general circulation model, Nucleus for European Modelling of the Ocean (NEMO) version 3.6 and Louvain-la-Neuve sea Ice Model (LIM) version 3 (NEMO3.6-LIM3), forced by atmospheric reanalyses to test how the ITD discretization (number of ice thickness categories, positions of the category boundaries) impacts the simulated mean Arctic and Antarctic sea ice states. We find that winter ice volumes in both hemispheres increase with the number of categories and attribute that increase to a net enhancement of basal ice growth rates. The range of simulated mean winter volumes in the various experiments amounts to ∼30 % and ∼10 % of the reference values (run with five categories) in the Arctic and Antarctic, respectively. This suggests that the way the ITD is discretized has a significant influence on the model mean state, all other things being equal. We also find that the existence of a thick category with lower bounds at ∼4 and ∼2 m for the Arctic and Antarctic, respectively, is a prerequisite for allowing the storage of deformed ice and therefore for fostering thermodynamic growth in thinner categories. Our analysis finally suggests that increasing the resolution of the ITD without changing the lower limit of the upper category results in small but not negligible variations of ice volume and extent. Our study proposes for the first time a bi-polar process-based explanation of the origin of mean sea ice state changes when the ITD discretization is modified. The sensitivity experiments conducted in this study, based on one model, emphasize that the choice of category positions, especially of thickest categories, has a primary influence on the simulated mean sea ice states while the number of categories and resolution have only a secondary influence. It is also found that the current default discretization of the NEMO3.6-LIM3 model is sufficient for large-scale present-day climate applications. In all cases, the role of the ITD discretization on the simulated mean sea ice state has to be appreciated relative to other influences (parameter uncertainty, forcing uncertainty, internal climate variability).

Lanthanide sandwich complexes represent both a fundamental class of organometallic compounds and promising molecular magnets for information storage. Here the authors unveil a class of lanthanide sandwich complexes containing fully π-coordinated 8- and 9-membered rings, and show their slow relaxation of the magnetization.

Exercise in cirrhosis of the liver is an emerging topic in hepatology. Despite the known benefits of exercise in the general population, there are currently few studies addressing that issue in relation to cirrhosis and more evidence is still needed. Even though some studies have reported an acute, exercise-induced increase in the hepatic venous pressure gradient (HVPG), the opposite (a decrease in the HVPG) has been shown by recent data after an exercise program carried out for >14 weeks. In addition to that benefit, improvement has been described in the metabolic profile, quality of life, muscle mass, cardiopulmonary function, and nutritional status. Together, those features make exercise in cirrhosis a very attractive intervention. However, certain aspects must be taken into account before prescribing exercise in that population and they include cardiovascular risk, musculoskeletal disorders, and complications related to cirrhosis. After considering those factors, an individually tailored exercise program should be developed for each patient, according to the points stated above and the desired goal. Information about exercise-limiting factors, type of exercise prescribed, monitoring methods, and concomitant nutritional therapy is provided in the present review. Resumen: El ejercicio en la cirrosis hepática es un tópico emergente en hepatología. A pesar de los beneficios conocidos del ejercicio en la población general, actualmente hay pocos estudios que aborden este tema en la cirrosis y aún se necesita más evidencia. Aunque algunos estudios han mencionado un aumento agudo en el gradiente de presión venosa hepática (HVPG) inducido por el ejercicio, existen datos actuales que muestran lo contrario (una disminución en HVPG) después de un programa de ejercicio durante >14 semanas. Además de este beneficio, se han descrito mejorías en el perfil metabólico, la calidad de vida, la masa muscular, la función cardiopulmonar y el estado nutricional. En conjunto, esto hace que el ejercicio en la cirrosis sea una intervención muy atractiva. Sin embargo, ciertas consideraciones deben tenerse en cuenta antes de prescribir ejercicio en esta población, incluido el riesgo cardiovascular, la enfermedad osteomuscular y las complicaciones relacionadas con la cirrosis. Después de considerar estos factores, se debe estructurar un programa de ejercicio individualizado en cada paciente, de acuerdo con lo anterior y el objetivo que se busque. En esta revisión se presenta la información sobre las limitaciones, la prescripción del tipo de ejercicio y los métodos utilizados para su monitorización, así como el tratamiento nutricional concomitante. Keywords: Cirrhosis, Exercise prescription, Nutritional supplementation, Diet, Sarcopenia, Palabras clave: Cirrosis, Prescripción de ejercicio, Suplementación nutricional, Dieta, Sarcopenia

Resumen: El ejercicio en la cirrosis hepática es un tópico emergente en hepatología. A pesar de los beneficios conocidos del ejercicio en la población general, actualmente hay pocos estudios que aborden este tema en la cirrosis y aún se necesita más evidencia. Aunque algunos estudios han mencionado un aumento agudo en el gradiente de presión venosa hepática (HVPG) inducido por el ejercicio, existen datos actuales que muestran lo contrario (una disminución en HVPG) después de un programa de ejercicio durante >14 semanas. Además de este beneficio, se han descrito mejorías en el perfil metabólico, la calidad de vida, la masa muscular, la función cardiopulmonar y el estado nutricional. En conjunto, esto hace que el ejercicio en la cirrosis sea una intervención muy atractiva. Sin embargo, ciertas consideraciones deben tenerse en cuenta antes de prescribir ejercicio en esta población, incluido el riesgo cardiovascular, la enfermedad osteomuscular y las complicaciones relacionadas con la cirrosis. Después de considerar estos factores, se debe estructurar un programa de ejercicio individualizado en cada paciente, de acuerdo con lo anterior y el objetivo que se busque. En esta revisión se presenta la información sobre las limitaciones, la prescripción del tipo de ejercicio y los métodos utilizados para su monitorización, así como el tratamiento nutricional concomitante. Abstract: Exercise in cirrhosis of the liver is an emerging topic in hepatology. Despite the known benefits of exercise in the general population, there are currently few studies addressing that issue in relation to cirrhosis and more evidence is still needed. Even though some studies have reported an acute, exercise-induced increase in the hepatic venous pressure gradient (HVPG), the opposite (a decrease in the HVPG) has been shown by recent data after an exercise program carried out for >14 weeks. In addition to that benefit, improvement has been described in the metabolic profile, quality of life, muscle mass, cardiopulmonary function, and nutritional status. Together, those features make exercise in cirrhosis a very attractive intervention. However, certain aspects must be taken into account before prescribing exercise in that population and they include cardiovascular risk, musculoskeletal disorders, and complications related to cirrhosis. After considering those factors, an individually tailored exercise program should be developed for each patient, according to the points stated above and the desired goal. Information about exercise-limiting factors, type of exercise prescribed, monitoring methods, and concomitant nutritional therapy is provided in the present review. Palabras clave: Cirrosis, Prescripción de ejercicio, Suplementación nutricional, Dieta, Sarcopenia, Keywords: Cirrhosis, Exercise prescription, Nutritional supplementation, Diet, Sarcopenia

Neuroptera is an order of insects with a moderate diversity of species numbers yet a high between-family morphological diversity, which has a significant ecological role as a predator. However, there are few studies focused on describing changes in species diversity along environmental gradients. We evaluated changes in the alpha and beta diversity of species and the higher taxa in Neuroptera communities in the Tacaná Volcano in southern Mexico. Five sites each at different altitudes were studied through systematic annual sampling. The taxonomic and phylogenetic alpha diversity were analyzed, as well as the beta diversity and its components, species turnover and nestedness. The alpha diversity had two trends: (1) decreased standardized richness and taxonomic distinctness with increasing altitude, and (2) increased estimated richness and species diversity at intermediate altitudes. The highest turnover values for species, as well as for supra-specific taxa, were recorded at sites with lower altitudes. The highest total beta diversity value was recorded at elevations above 3000 m, whereas the highest number of species and supra-specific taxa were observed at sites between 600 and 2000 m, with an evident decrease above 3000 m. The type of vegetation and environmental conditions may be influencing the decrease in diversity toward higher elevations, which could explain the niche specialization of Neuroptera species to particular sites within the gradient. These results highlight the need to study the environmental factors and their effects on species composition along an elevation gradient.

Objective. To compare the physical fitness of children from eight elementary schools in Morelos, México after the imple­mentation of an intervention to prevent childhood obesity. Materials and methods. 214 children were randomly selected (111 - intervention community and 103 - control community). Physical fitness was evaluated by the 6 minutes walking test and the 50 meters speed test, as well as the number of steps/day. Results. The median of time in the speed test at the intervention site was 11.3 seconds and 13.8 seconds at the control site (p

In this project, a Fuzzy control system is proposed in an industrial process training module with two independent systems between them, one thermal and the other pneumatic. The control algorithm is developed in Python language v3.6 executed by a Raspberry Pi B+, both controllers depend on the error and change in error that are updated in times of 2 s and 1 s, for temperature and pressure respectively, communication with the plants uses A/D and D/A converters, the thermal Fuzzy was analyzed with three temperature references [50,100 and 150]°C, with a rise time of 191 s, 360 s and 505 s; steady state error of 5.5%, 0.7% y 0.7%, in the pneumatic system the speed of change between references is evaluated from 10 psi to 15 psi varying the activation of the compressor at the beginning of the experiments, the settling times obtained are 111 s and 106 s, with the compressor off the result is 116 s and 88 s, besides a maximum excess of 13% with inherent oscillations to the type system that are in an acceptable range.

Background: Malaria transmission is highly dependent on environmental conditions. The association between climatic variables and malaria transmission is well established, but the interaction between variations in climate and land use change, such as deforestation, is less well understood. Earth observation data provide a valuable and accessible resource to investigate these environment–malaria associations, in particular where little ground truth data are available. Progress towards malaria elimination in Latin America is being hindered by a surge of cases in Venezuela, a country that accounted for 53% of cases in the region in 2019. The country's economic and political crisis has fuelled economic migration to gold mining areas in the south, where extraction activities are expanding malaria vector habitats and sustaining disease transmission. Methods: In this spatiotemporal modelling study, we used multisource Earth observation data, including meteorological, land use change, and socioeconomic factors, and data on mining activity, to investigate how changes in the ecological landscape might have facilitated increases in the incidence of malaria in the past 20 years. We modelled spatiotemporal malaria case data for 1996–2016 using a Bayesian hierarchical mixed-model framework for Bolívar state in Venezuela, a malaria foci where approximately 60% of national cases occur annually. We examined how mining activities were associated with malaria hotspots and also considered the potential effects of climate variation, seasonality, and spatial dependency structures. Findings: We found that malaria risk was increased in mining hotspots, which were important in sustaining transmission in Bolívar state. We also found that the effect of temperature and rainfall variation differed depending on the level of deforestation in Bolívar, where the increased risk of malaria with temperature was greatest in areas that were more deforested. Interpretation: Our findings provide important evidence of environmentally driven re-emergence of malaria and highlight the advantages of using Earth observation data for understanding malaria dynamics in areas with sparse or incomplete data records. Funding: The Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council and Royal Society Dorothy Hodgkin Fellowship.

The current COVID-19 crisis may have an impact on the mental health of professionals working on the frontline, especially healthcare workers due to the increase of occupational psychosocial risks, such as emotional exhaustion and secondary traumatic stress (STS). This study explored job demands and resources during the COVID-19 crisis in predicting emotional exhaustion and STS among health professionals. The present study is a descriptive and correlational cross-sectional design, conducted in different hospitals and health centers in Spain. The sample consisted of 221 health professionals with direct involvement in treating COVID-19. An online survey was created and distributed nationwide from March 20 to April 15 which assessed: sociodemographic and occupational data, fear of contagion, contact with death/suffering, lack of material and human protection resources (MHRP), challenge, emotional exhaustion, and STS. Descriptive findings show high levels of workload, contact with death/suffering, lack of MHPR and challenge, and are moderately high for fear of contagion, emotional exhaustion, and STS. We found an indirect significant effect of lack of MHPR on predicting (1) emotional exhaustion through the workload and (2) on STS through fear of contagion, contact with death/suffering, and workload. To conclude, this study examines the immediate consequences of the crisis on health professionals' well-being in Spain, emphasizing the job demands related to COVID-19 that health professionals are facing, and the resources available in these health contexts. These findings may boost follow-up of this crisis among health professionals to prevent them from long-term consequences.