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Urbanization and anthropic influences can drastically modify a natural habitat and transform it into an easily recognizable “urban habitat”. Human activities can also induce less severe modifications of what apparently might still look like natural habitats. Therefore, these subtle alterations may be hidden but can still cause important negative effects on plant and animals. In contrast, some species seem able to take advantage of these anthropic alterations. Here, we examined the possible effects of the anthropogenic disturbance of an apparent natural habitat on the feeding ecology and body condition of Moorish geckos, Tarentola mauritanica. For this, we compared microhabitat structure, invertebrate availability, the diet composition (estimated from fecal contents), diet selection patterns and body condition of the two populations of geckos inhabiting two contiguous small islands. These islands have similar environmental characteristics, but highly contrasting differences in urbanization and anthropogenic influence. We found that, although the abundance of potential invertebrate prey was similar on both habitats, the diversity of invertebrate prey was lower in the altered habitat. As a consequence, although composition of the diet of geckos was similar on both islands, the diversity of prey and food niche breadth were lower in the altered habitat, and patterns of diet selection changed. However, these inter-habitat differences did not seem to affect the body size and body condition of geckos. We discuss how flexibility in feeding ecology may allow some species to cope with small anthropic disturbances of the habitat.

Smartvessel is an innovative fire extinguisher prototype supported by new materials and IoT technology that seeks to improve the functionality and efficiency of conventional fire extinguishers. Storage containers for gases and liquids are essential for industrial activity as they enable higher energy density. The main contributions of this new prototype are (i) innovation in the use of new materials that provide lighter and more resistant extinguishers, both mechanically and against corrosion in aggressive environments. For this purpose, these characteristics are directly compared in vessels made of steel, aramid fiber and carbon fiber with the filament winding technique. (ii) The integration of sensors that allow its monitoring and provide the possibility of predictive maintenance. The prototype is tested and validated on a ship, where accessibility is complicated and critical. For this purpose, different data transmission parameters are defined, verifying that no data are lost. Finally, a noise study of these measurements is carried out to verify the quality of each data. Acceptable coverage values are achieved with very low read noise, on average less than 1%, and a weight reduction of 30% is obtained.

The theoretical expressions commonly used in the design of interference fits do not take into account the huge stress concentrations located at the edges of the hub. This underestimation of the real stress state can induce the incorrect performance of the shaft–hub assembly. Among the different methods to address this problem is the use of chamfer hubs, which are used for reducing such stress concentrations. In this paper, an analysis, performed via finite element method, of the influence of the geometric parameters of a shrink fit with chamfer hubs was carried out with the aim of determining the optimal dimensions for the design of this type of mechanical assembly. To achieve this goal, different chamfer hub geometries were considered: (i) full–chamfer hubs defined by the chamfer angle and (ii) partial–chamfer hubs defined by the chamfer angle and the chamfer height. According to the obtained results, stress concentrations can be reduced by using a full–chamfer hub with chamfer angles within the range 13°–15° depending on the hub thickness. In addition, similar results can be obtained by using partial–chamfer hubs with a chamfer height of half of the hub thickness and chamfer angles within the range 13°–15°. By using these design recommendations, the theoretical equations can be used without underestimating the real stress state.

Background & objectives: Trypanosoma cruzi, the causative agent of American trypanosomiasis, has been reported in 180 mammalian species and 154 triatomines species of Neotropic. This is a clonal parasite with variable biological behaviour, associated with the genetics of the parasite and its hosts. To know the eco-pathogenic complex of this zoonosis, it was proposed to characterize T. cruzi isolates obtained from triatomines and domestic, peridomestic and wild mammals of the eastern and central-western regions of Venezuela. Methods: The positivity to T. cruzi was established and the isolates were genetically characterized by PCR amplification of the mini-exon gene, the DNA coding for 24Sa and 18S rRNA, and polymorphic sequences-RFLPs. The sampling sites were georeferenced using the MapSource Software and ArcGis 9.3 programs to generate distribution maps of the isolates. Results: Of the 460 hosts (205 triatomines and 255 mammals), 49% were positive for the parasite. On the other hand, 38 isolates obtained from the triatomines and 23 isolates obtained from mammals were evaluated. The TcI genotype predominated in most of the isolates; however, in those obtained from triatomines the presence of the TcIII genotype in single infections and TcI + TcIII or TcI + TcIV in mixed infections was also evidenced. Interpretation & conclusion: There is a possibility that the triatomines act as biological syringes for these genotypes associated exclusively to them. The heterogeneity in T. cruzi isolates demonstrated the complexity of parasitosis in these regions, presenting its control and prevention as a challenge.

Los petroglifos de Coahuila, encontrados en los municipios de Viesca, Parras de la Fuente y General Cepeda, constituyen un verdadero diseño de códigos visuales para la intercomunicación entre los habitantes prehistóricos de la zona semidesértica de lo que hoy conforma la extensión de este Estado. No representan un mero diseño artístico como se pensaba antaño, sino verdaderos códigos complejos y diversos entre sus prolijos habitantes, elaborados secuencialmente desde las primitivas poblaciones a través del tiempo hasta la actualidad, mismos que constituyen hoy verdaderos mensajes para las culturas visuales contemporáneas, ya que la función del signo consiste en comunicar ideas por medio de mensajes (Guiraud, 2006). Desentrañar su significado es tarea de los expertos en paleontología y arqueología, por lo que nuestra contribución es solo desde una aproximación y reflexión antropológica, semiológica y comunicativa, centrada en la teoría de la comunicación humana (Watzlawick, 2017) y la semiología que resalta su característica de ser sustitutos del lenguaje desde su particularidad como códigos lógicos paralingüísticos, pues no dependen del lenguaje articulado y son códigos autónomos e independientes; es decir, verdaderos y aparentes testigos mudos de la comunicación visual. La presente investigación se realiza desde el Cuerpo Académico “Expresión visual”, de la Escuela de Artes Plásticas de la Universidad Autónoma de Coahuila, y la línea de investigación “Imagen, comunicación y cultura”, reflexiones sobre la multiculturalidad y cosmovisión, además de las interacciones sociales en las comunidades primitivas y sus fines comunicantes.

Abstract Background In the field of protein engineering and biotechnology, the discovery and characterization of structural patterns is highly relevant as these patterns can give fundamental insights into protein-ligand interaction and protein function. This paper presents GSP4PDB, a bioinformatics web tool that enables the user to visualize, search and explore protein-ligand structural patterns within the entire Protein Data Bank. Results We introduce the notion of graph-based structural pattern (GSP) as an abstract model for representing protein-ligand interactions. A GSP is a graph where the nodes represent entities of the protein-ligand complex (amino acids and ligands) and the edges represent structural relationships (e.g. distances ligand - amino acid). The novel feature of GSP4PDB is a simple and intuitive graphical interface where the user can “draw” a GSP and execute its search in a relational database containing the structural data of each PDB entry. The results of the search are displayed using the same graph-based representation of the pattern. The user can further explore and analyse the results using a wide range of filters, or download their related information for external post-processing and analysis. Conclusions GSP4PDB is a user-friendly and efficient application to search and discover new patterns of protein-ligand interaction.

El objetivo del presente estudio fue analizar los factores productivos, reproductivos, alimentarios y climáticos que afectan la producción de leche en un sistema comercial en la provincia de Mayabeque, Cuba. El estudio tomó en cuenta los factores relacionados con la disponibilidad de pastos, suministro de suplemento, indicadores climáticos y época del año. Para el análisis de los resultados se utilizó el modelo estadístico de medición de impacto (MEMI) y el análisis de regresión lineal en la lechería genético cuatro, que posee un sistema con banco de biomasa Cenchus purpureus cv Cuba CT-115, y ganado Siboney de Cuba en un periodo de doce años de estudio. Los resultados indicaron que la producción de leche/ha-1, litros/vaca-1 y kg norgold/día-1, reconocido como concentrado y producción e identificado como componente 1, explicó 34.4% de la varianza; el segundo componente llamado clima y compuesto por la precipitación y temperatura máxima junto con la disponibilidad del pasto, expresó 19.0% de la varianza; y el tercer componente llamado ITH conformado por las variables humedad relativa e índice de temperatura–humedad contribuyó con 12.3% de la varianza. Lo anterior significa que estas variables incluidas en el modelo explicaron 65.0% de la varianza total. La cantidad de alimento concentrado (kg de Norgold-1), la producción/ha-1 y producción/vaca-1 mostraron mayor importancia —siendo afectados por la época poco lluviosa—, la baja disponibilidad de concentrado, asociado al deterioro de los pastos y de la influencia negativa de la temperatura ambiente y la humedad relativa, afectaron a los animales y a los pastos en la producción láctea.

• The study reports on, analyses and gives voice to the participants of a service-learning project involving students of education in a real educational context. • The project was based on a historical event whose proximity to the students’ local environment helped them to realise its relevance to their own lives. • The interdisciplinary nature of the project approaches citizenship education from the perspective of historical issues and events. • The preparation and delivery of teacher training activities in a real educational context proved a positive, effective and enriching experience for all of the agents involved. • The Smallpox Vaccine Expedition offers a more historiographically inclusive approach to school history and is directly relatable to current social issues. Purpose: The article reports on and analyses the creation, development and implementation of a service-learning project involving primary and secondary school pupils and students of education (bachelor’s and master’s level), carried out in a real educational setting over the course of two academic years. Approach: The project was conducted within a social science didactics framework of issues-centred teaching for the study of socially acute questions and global citizenship. Findings: The research yielded very positive results. The task for student teachers of contextualising their social studies learning in a real educational setting was found to be a motivating factor and provided useful lessons in relation to practical teacher training experiences of this kind. Implications: Greater emphasis should be placed on teacher training projects that include direct experience in real educational settings, particularly in relation to service-learning methodologies involving community service.

This work focuses on carbon foams, whose peculiarity is a predominant open macroporous cellular network that can be provided with tailored texture and morphology by the modification of the preparation process. The goal was to obtain macroporous carbonaceous structures capable of being activated by following a simple thermo-foaming procedure using a few reagents. With this purpose in mind, carbon foams with different textural properties were synthesized from sucrose using two foaming processes: at atmospheric pressure and in a pressurized reactor. Iron and silver nitrates added to sucrose gave rise, after carbonization, to materials with iron oxides and elemental silver particles nano-dispersed in the carbon matrix and promoted microporosity in both cases and mesoporosity in the case of iron nitrate. Iron nitrate also catalyzes the graphitization of the carbon material during carbonization. All these findings show the potential of sucrose thermo-foaming process as a viable and sustainable path to produce versatile carbon materials, capable of being used in various applications.

Computed tomography (CT) introduced medicine to digital imaging. This occurred in the early 1970s and it was the start of the digital medical imaging revolution. The resulting changes and improvements in health care associated with digital imaging have been marked, are occurring now, and are likely to continue into the future. Before CT, medical images were acquired, stored, and displayed in analog form (i.e., on film). Now essentially all medical images are acquired and stored digitally. When they are not viewed by computer, they are converted to an analog image to be seen. The application of computer algorithms and the processing of digital medical images improves the visualization of diagnostically important details and aids diagnosis by extracting significant quantitative information. Examples of this can be seen with CAD and radiomics applications in the diagnosis of lung and colorectal cancer, respectively. The objectives of this article are to point out the key aspects of the digital medical imaging revolution, to review its current status, to discuss its clinical translation in two major areas: lung and colorectal cancer, and to provide future directions and challenges of these techniques.

In 2017 the Event Horizon Telescope (EHT) observed the supermassive black hole at the center of the Milky Way, Sagittarius A* (Sgr A*), at a frequency of 228.1 GHz ( λ = 1.3 mm). The fundamental physics tests that even a single pulsar orbiting Sgr A* would enable motivate searching for pulsars in EHT data sets. The high observing frequency means that pulsars—which typically exhibit steep emission spectra—are expected to be very faint. However, it also negates pulse scattering, an effect that could hinder pulsar detections in the Galactic center. Additionally, magnetars or a secondary inverse Compton emission could be stronger at millimeter wavelengths than at lower frequencies. We present a search for pulsars close to Sgr A* using the data from the three most sensitive stations in the EHT 2017 campaign: the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array, the Large Millimeter Telescope, and the IRAM 30 m Telescope. We apply three detection methods based on Fourier-domain analysis, the fast folding algorithm, and single-pulse searches targeting both pulsars and burst-like transient emission. We use the simultaneity of the observations to confirm potential candidates. No new pulsars or significant bursts were found. Being the first pulsar search ever carried out at such high radio frequencies, we detail our analysis methods and give a detailed estimation of the sensitivity of the search. We conclude that the EHT 2017 observations are only sensitive to a small fraction (≲2.2%) of the pulsars that may exist close to Sgr A*, motivating further searches for fainter pulsars in the region.

Interpretation of resolved polarized images of black holes by the Event Horizon Telescope (EHT) requires predictions of the polarized emission observable by an Earth-based instrument for a particular model of the black hole accretion system. Such predictions are generated by general relativistic radiative transfer (GRRT) codes, which integrate the equations of polarized radiative transfer in curved spacetime. A selection of ray-tracing GRRT codes used within the EHT Collaboration is evaluated for accuracy and consistency in producing a selection of test images, demonstrating that the various methods and implementations of radiative transfer calculations are highly consistent. When imaging an analytic accretion model, we find that all codes produce images similar within a pixel-wise normalized mean squared error (NMSE) of 0.012 in the worst case. When imaging a snapshot from a cell-based magnetohydrodynamic simulation, we find all test images to be similar within NMSEs of 0.02, 0.04, 0.04, and 0.12 in Stokes I , Q , U , and V , respectively. We additionally find the values of several image metrics relevant to published EHT results to be in agreement to much better precision than measurement uncertainties.

We report on the observations of the quasar NRAO 530 with the Event Horizon Telescope (EHT) on 2017 April 5−7, when NRAO 530 was used as a calibrator for the EHT observations of Sagittarius A*. At z = 0.902, this is the most distant object imaged by the EHT so far. We reconstruct the first images of the source at 230 GHz, at an unprecedented angular resolution of ∼20 μ as, both in total intensity and in linear polarization (LP). We do not detect source variability, allowing us to represent the whole data set with static images. The images reveal a bright feature located on the southern end of the jet, which we associate with the core. The feature is linearly polarized, with a fractional polarization of ∼5%–8%, and it has a substructure consisting of two components. Their observed brightness temperature suggests that the energy density of the jet is dominated by the magnetic field. The jet extends over 60 μ as along a position angle ∼ −28°. It includes two features with orthogonal directions of polarization (electric vector position angle), parallel and perpendicular to the jet axis, consistent with a helical structure of the magnetic field in the jet. The outermost feature has a particularly high degree of LP, suggestive of a nearly uniform magnetic field. Future EHT observations will probe the variability of the jet structure on microarcsecond scales, while simultaneous multiwavelength monitoring will provide insight into the high-energy emission origin.

There are few studies on microplastic (MP) contamination in Colombia, and little is known about its impacts on continental aquatic ecosystems. This study evaluated, for the first time, the identification, abundance, and distribution of MP particles in the surface water of Luruaco Lake, in the low basin of the Magdalena River, Colombia, included in national programs in marine sciences and hydrobiological resources. Six stations and four samplings were established in the dry and rainy seasons. A total of 72 water samples were collected for microplastic extraction using hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) digestion, density separation with sodium chloride solution (NaCl), and filtration. The abundance of MPs ranged from 0 to 3.83 MPs·L−1, with an average of 1.90 MPs·L−1 in the rainy season and 0.25 MPs·L−1 in the dry season. According to the calculated coefficient of microplastics impact, the contamination in the surface water of Luruaco Lake is “maximum” to “extreme” for fibers with an average length of 2.05 mm and “minimum” to “average” for fragments that are 0.35 mm in size on average. Polyester (PES, 57.9%), polystyrene (PS, 47.0%), and polyethylene terephthalate (PET, 35.3%) polymers were more abundant in surface water. The temporal variation of the MPs indicates contamination related to the discharges of the tributary streams to the lake in the rainy season.

Una de las claves del sistema educativo de alternancia es el compromiso de unos profesores -llamados habitualmente “monitores”- con múltiples funciones más allá de la mera docencia. Precisamente la multifuncionalidad que se les pide, es la causa de una serie de dificultades asociadas a un perfil profesional que no es sencillo de encontrar. Algunas se refieren al desempeño docente en el momento inicial y otras se manifiestan en el tiempo. Ambas parecen encontrar solución, al menos en parte, en la formación, pero una formación de formadores pertinente, coherente con el sistema de alternancia. Este artículo, que parte de una revisión bibliográfica y del estudio de experiencias previas más que de hechos concretos analizados bajo una metodología determinada, tiene como objetivo explicar brevemente el perfil del formador de escuela de alternancia, esbozar la problemática de su función y apuntar algunas posibles soluciones formativas que sean aplicables -aunque requieran algunas adaptaciones de contexto- en cualquier ámbito territorial. Queda pendiente para estudios posteriores, tanto la profundización en el diagnóstico de los problemas, como el estudio detallado de las propuestas formativas.

Cropland soils are key systems in global carbon budgets due to their high carbon-sequestration potential. It is widely accepted that clays are one of the soil components that have a significant effect on the stabilisation of soil organic carbon (SOC), owing to its surface interactions with organic molecules. However, the identification of the direct effects of clays on SOC stabilization is complicated, mainly due to the difficulty of accurately characterizing the mineralogy of clays, especially phyllosilicates. In this study, the relationships between soil phyllosilicates and functional SOC pools in woodlands and comparable olive groves, under two contrasting management systems (bare soils versus soil under cover crops) and parent materials (calcareous and siliceous), were explored. The total mineralogy of soil and clay fractions and the soil-clay assemblages were analysed through the decomposition of X-ray diffraction patterns, and were then related to four SOC pools. Total and unprotected SOC was higher in olive groves under cover crops, and this was true independent of the parent material, proving the importance of herbaceous covers in SOC sequestration in woody crops. Some significant correlations between clay minerals and SOC fractions were found. Interestingly, mixed-layer content was correlated with the biochemically protected SOC fraction (r = 0.810, p < 0.05), and this was so even when the partial correlation coefficient was calculated (r = 0.761, p < 0.05). According to the partial correlation networks (PCN), four separated clusters of variables were obtained, which joined into only one at fdr < 0.25. The PCNs supported the direct correlation between mixed-layer content, especially those rich in smectite, and the biochemically protected SOC fraction, suggesting that smectite layers may stabilize organic molecules. Since potassium enrichment is higher in the rooted layers of woodland and soils under cover crops, and this increase is related to the collapse of swelling layers, these soils were poorer in smectite phases than the bare soils. This also would explain why the biochemically protected SOC was more abundant in the latter.

Background:. The surgical correction of metopic craniosynostosis usually relies on the subjective judgment of surgeons to determine the configuration of the cranial bone fragments and the degree of overcorrection. This study evaluates the effectiveness of a new approach for automatic planning of fronto-orbital advancement based on statistical shape models and including overcorrection. Methods:. This study presents a planning software to automatically estimate osteotomies in the fronto-orbital region and calculate the optimal configuration of the bone fragments required to achieve an optimal postoperative shape. The optimal cranial shape is obtained using a statistical head shape model built from 201 healthy subjects (age 23 ± 20 months; 89 girls). Automatic virtual plans were computed for nine patients (age 10.68 ± 1.73 months; four girls) with different degrees of overcorrection, and compared with manual plans designed by experienced surgeons. Results:. Postoperative cranial shapes generated by automatic interventional plans present accurate matching with normative morphology and enable to reduce the malformations in the fronto-orbital region by 82.01 ± 6.07%. The system took on average 19.22 seconds to provide the automatic plan, and allows for personalized levels of overcorrection. The automatic plans with an overcorrection of 7 mm in minimal frontal breadth provided the closest match (no significant difference) to the manual plans. Conclusions:. The automatic software technology effectively achieves correct cranial morphometrics and volumetrics with respect to normative cranial shapes. The automatic approach has the potential to reduce the duration of preoperative planning, reduce inter-surgeon variability, and provide consistent surgical outcomes.

The olive moth, Prays oleae (Bernard, 1788) (Lep., Praydidae), is one of the most common insect pests affecting the olives groves of the Mediterranean basin. Current farming practices are largely oriented to optimize the effectiveness of beneficial insects, among which the common green lacewings (Neur., Chrysopidae) stand out. Two different types of management models, organic and IPM, were compared in this study, which was conducted in olive groves in the regions of Andalucía (Spain) and Alentejo (Portugal). During 2020 and 2021, fruit samples were periodically collected, analyzing the population parameters (POP) and potential attack on the fruit (%PA), as well as the predatory impact (%PRED), which has allowed the estimation of the final attack (%FA), and derived fruit recovery rates (%REC). The results show that in organic olive groves of both countries, the infestation parameters (POP, %PA) were significantly higher than in IPM ones. However, predation rates were also higher in organic olive groves, which resulted in REC rates of between 75% and 80%, reducing FA rates to values of approximately 10% and 20% in Portugal and Spain, respectively. In contrast, in the IPM olive groves, significantly lower predation values were recorded, with lower REC rates than in the organic olive groves; the rates were very similar in both countries (ca. 54%), which led to a higher percentage of fruit loss (%FA) equivalent to 22% (Portugal) and to 34% (Spain). This paper discusses potential drivers influencing differences in the population values and percentages of infestation by P. oleae observed, as well as the differences in the final attack rates between olive groves of both countries, subject to the same type of agricultural management.

Socio-environmental problems are some of the major concerns of today’s society, and education is an essential area to raise awareness and mould future citizens who will be committed to sustainability. The purpose of this paper is to ascertain how future primary and secondary education teachers in the area of social sciences perceive the socio-environmental problems that affect today’s society, for their subsequent inclusion in the curriculum. To this end, a study was carried out by means of a questionnaire, which showed that trainee primary and secondary teachers have a high consideration of these environmental problems, with hardly any differences noted according to sex or type of degree studied. This perception is positive in terms of the subsequent inclusion of socio-environmental problems in the development of the curriculum by the participating trainee teachers, who largely prefer an autonomous model for curricular implementation.

Introducción: La atención odontológica del niño de corta edad en Latinoamérica se iniciaron en Brasil en el año 1983 a través de la implementación del programa “Plan de Atención Odontológica para el Primer Año de Vida”, cuya praxis está basada en la filosofía de tratamiento odontológico educativo, preventivo y curativo para niños el primer año de vida con amplio acompañamiento longitudinal; liderado por el Dr. Luiz Reinaldo de Figueiredo Walter y colaboradores adscritos a la disciplina de Odontopediatria y Ortodoncia de la Universidad Estadual de Londrina. Objetivo: Diseñar un protocolo de atención odontológica integral para niños hasta los 5 años de edad y sus padres o cuidadores. Metodología: Investigación proyectiva, no experimental con diseño transversal y de fuentes documentales provenientes de la literatura científica que estableció los mejores niveles de evidencia posible para sustentar la formulación del protocolo. Resultados: el protocolo se estructuro en 4 fases: I Fase Inicial (atención a la gestante, madre y niño), II Fase Diagnóstica (atención del niño), III Fase Preventiva, IV Fase Curativa del niño. Conclusión: Existe suficiente evidencia científica disponible para aseverar que la atención odontológica de niños menores de 5 años es fundamental para garantizar una población adulta futura con adecuada salud bucal. La puesta en práctica del protocolo propuesto contribuirá a controlar los procesos de enfermedades bucales como la CPI-Severa, maloclusión, periodontitis y sus factores de riesgo comunes con las enfermedades no trasmisibles.

El objetivo del trabajo fue evaluar a campo la respuesta de un suplemento proteico en vacas lecheras en ambiente tropical. Se utilizaron 24 vacas lecheras de la raza Siboney de Cuba que en su lactancia anterior produjeron más de 5000 litros, (Empresa Genética de Matanzas) las mismas formaron dos grupos semejantes en producción anterior y número de lactancia. Un mes antes del parto se comenzó a ofrecer el suplemento a cada grupo hasta los 120 días de lactancia. Los animales iban a pastorear en la tarde -noche (vespertino nocturno), mientras en el horario del día, se les ofrecía por una sola vez 30kg Materia Verde de forraje/vaca, de forma tal, que los alimentos fibrosos estuvieran garantizados durante todo el período del experimento. Los tratamientos fueron: A. Suplemento comercial y B. Suplemento Soyplus. Para equiparar los suministros de proteína la oferta de Soyplus se redujo respecto al suplemento comercial (A) en un 35%. El suplemento se distribuyó en tres ocasiones /día. Los resultados obtenidos fueron mayores y significativos a favor del suplemento Soyplus 22.9 vs 20.3 kg de leche /día/vaca con respecto al control. Los resultados indican que el producto Soyplus permitió expresar mejor el potencial de las vacas de alta producción en sistemas a pastoreo.

This article reflects on the connection between education, development, and social capital through the example of a specific type of rural school called Family Education Alternating Cycle Centers (CEFFA, the acronym for Centros Educativos Familiares de Formación en Alternancia). CEFFA schools are based on the concept of a cycle that alternates between learning periods spent in the socio-professional environment of the students and periods spent in school. Driven by family-run associations and other local actors, these schools pursue personal and local development, with a bottom-up approach based on the protagonism of the beneficiaries, especially in rural areas. To achieve this development through education, the schools provide young people with a comprehensive education associated with vocational training and introduce the needs of the territorial context into the curriculum. In this way, they ensure the relevance of learning. This article examines how these schools maintain a strong associative life that is strengthened by the social capital created around them. After defining the school associations, we describe their specific characteristics and some requirements for their adequate functioning. The CEFFA results suggest that we can reimagine a more people-centered education in which families and other community actors are committed to sustainable local development and transformative learning through the use of the power of social capital.

Abstract Background The objective of this study was to obtain utilities by means of EQ-5D-5L for different health states in patients with knee osteoarthritis (KOA) or hip osteoarthritis (HOA) in Spain, and to compare these values with those used in foreign studies with the aim of discussing their transferability for their use in economic evaluations conducted in Spain. Methods Primary study: Observational prospective study of KOA or HOA patients in Spain. Sociodemographic and clinical characteristics were collected to characterize the sample. Utilities were elicited using the EQ-5D-5L questionnaire. ANOVA and bivariable analyses were conducted to identify differences between health states. Literature review: Using the bibliographic databases NSH EED and CEA Registry, we conducted searches of model-based cost utilities analyses of technologies in KOA or HOA patients. Health states and utilities were extracted and compared with values obtained from the Spanish sample. Results Three hundred ninety-seven subjects with KOA and 361 subjects with HOA were included, with average utilities of 0.544 and 0.520, respectively. In both samples, differences were found in utilities according to level of pain, stiffness and physical function (WOMAC) and severity of symptoms (Oxford scales), so that the worst the symptoms, the lower the utilities. The utilities after surgery were higher than before surgery. Due to limitations from our study related to sample size and observational design, it was not possible to estimate utilities for approximately half the health states included in the published models because they were directly related to specific technologies. For almost 100% of health states of the selected studies we obtained very different utilities from those reported in the literature. Conclusions To our knowledge this is the first article with detailed utilities estimated using the EQ-5D-5L in Spain for KOA and HOA patients. In both populations, utilities are lower for worse health states in terms of level of pain, stiffness and physical function according to WOMAC, and according to the Oxford scales. Most utilities obtained from the Spanish sample are lower than those reported in the international literature. Further studies estimating utilities from local populations are required to avoid the use of foreign sources in economic evaluations.

Abstract Human cancers represent complex structures, which display substantial inter- and intratumor heterogeneity in their genetic expression and phenotypic features. However, cancers usually exhibit characteristic structural, physiologic, and molecular features and display specific biological capabilities named hallmarks. Many of these tumor traits are imageable through different imaging techniques. Imaging is able to spatially map key cancer features and tumor heterogeneity improving tumor diagnosis, characterization, and management. This paper aims to summarize the current and emerging applications of imaging in tumor biology assessment.

El objetivo de este experimento fue determinar el efecto de la utilización de 30 % de harina de residuo de camarón (Litopenaeus vannamei), sobre algunos indicadores productivos y reproductivos de novillas en pastoreo, en Culiacán -Sinaloa, México-. Entre febrero y agosto de 2016 se realizó un ensayo con 12 novillas Pardo Suizo, de entre 10 y 14 meses de edad, distribuidas en un diseño completamente aleatorizado con dos tratamientos de seis animales cada uno: tratamiento control: 3 kg de suplemento, que contenía 100 % del concentrado; tratamiento experimental: 3 kg de suplemento, que contenia 70 % del concentrado y 30 % de harina de residuo de camarón. El resto de la dieta consistió en pastoreo y heno de gramíneas. La ganancia de peso diaria fue favorable y significativa con la presencia de la harina de residuo de camarón (0,520 vs. 0,410 kg/animal/día); mientras que la respuesta reproductiva se evidenció en los porcentajes de novillas gestadas al concluir la prueba (83 % en el experimental vs. 50 % en el control). Se demostró que la inclusión de harina de residuo de camarón al 30 % en las dietas de las novillas permitió una mayor ganancia de peso diaria, así como una disminución de algunos indicadores de estrés calórico, como el pH de la orina y las heces, además de la temperatura rectal; ello posibilitó gestaciones en un menor periodo de tiempo, aspecto esencial para la producción ganadera de Sinaloa.

El objetivo del estudio fue evaluar el efecto de la época del año sobre la producción y el valor nutricional de los forrajes, en una asociación de Megathyrsus maximus (Jacq.) B.K. Simon & S.W.L. Jacobs con Leucaena leucocephala (Lam.) de Wit. Se realizaron muestreos del componente herbáceo y del estrato arbóreo; y se estimó la disponibilidad y la composición química en la gramínea, la leguminosa voluble y la leñosa. La disponibilidad de las gramíneas fue elevada en ambas épocas, pero superior (p < 0,001) en la lluviosa (ELL) con respecto a la poco lluviosa (EPLL), con valores de 5 895,2 y 3 763,1 kg de MS/ha/rotación, respectivamente. La disponibilidad de follaje de L. leucocephala fue similar para ambas épocas del año (85,7 y 72,1 kg de MS/ha/rotación para la ELL y la EPLL, respectivamente). La DIVMS96 en M. maximus resultó adecuada (≈ 650 g/kg de MS) y similar para las dos épocas del año. La EM mostró valores superiores (p < 0,001) en la ELL (7,8 vs 7,0 MJ/kg de MS). La PB fue superior (p = 0,004) en la EPLL (13,8 vs 11,4 %), mientras que la FDN y la FDA no difirieron entre las épocas. En L. leucocephala la DIVMS96 (p = 0,003), la EM (p = 0,009) y la PB (p = 0,003) fueron superiores en la EPLL con respecto a la ELL (601,5 vs 545,1 g/kg de MS; 7,3 vs 6,8 MJ/kg de MS; 27,9 vs 24,8 %, respectivamente). En Neonotonia wightii (Wight & Arn.) J.A. Lackey todos los indicadores fueron similares para ambas épocas, con una excelente DIVMS96 (641,4-667,2 g/kg de MS) y PB (18,1-20,6 %) y adecuada EM (7,4-7,7 MJ/kg de MS). La asociación de gramíneas mejoradas con L. leucocephala, en condiciones de producción, mostró una elevada disponibilidad de biomasa total y de PB por hectárea; la cual, aun cuando fue superior en la época lluviosa, demostró el potencial de estos sistemas para garantizar una adecuada producción de alimento durante todo el año.

Las sociedades que transitan del conflicto a la paz necesitan buscar la verdad, la justicia y la reparación en relación con las violaciones masivas y sistemáticas de los derechos humanos. La verdad, la historia y la memoria histórica se entienden como fundamentales para la reconciliación y juegan un papel clave en el cumplimiento de las obligaciones nacionales e internacionales del Estado. La construcción de la memoria histórica en Colombia comenzó antes de la firma de los acuerdos de paz como una iniciativa oficial del Estado entre otros mecanismos no jurisdiccionales para satisfacer los requerimientos de verdad de las víctimas del conflicto colombiano. Una dimensión importante del estudio de las políticas de memoria reside en prestar atención a las prácticas narrativas mediante las cuales se da sentido colectivo a las injusticias del pasado. Este artículo analiza el relato histórico planteado por el Centro Nacional de Memoria Histórica, a través de un análisis documental de la producción académica y divulgativa del Centro. Se encuentra que la selección de testimonios orales y los eventos analizados por esta institución presentan la historia del conflicto en Colombia como una suerte de memoria de persecución y resistencia, de aquellos que sufrieron, pero también resistieron la violencia de paramilitares y grupos armados con la connivencia u omisiones de miembros de la Fuerza Pública.

Background: The International Study of Asthma and Allergies in Childhood (ISAAC) showed a wide variability in prevalence and severity of allergic rhinitis (AR) and rhinoconjunctivitis (ARC), in addition to other atopic diseases (Asher et al, 2006).1 The Global Asthma Network (GAN) has continued to study these conditions. Objective: To estimate the prevalence of AR and ARC in children and adolescents in Mexico and to assess their association with different risk factors. Methods: GAN Phase I is a cross-sectional, multicentre survey carried out in 15 centres corresponding to 14 Mexican cities throughout 2016–2019 using the validated Spanish language version of the GAN Phase I questionnaires. The questionnaires were completed by 35 780 parents of 6–7 year old primary school pupils (children) and by 41 399 adolescents, 13–14 years old. Results: The current and cumulative prevalence of AR was higher in the adolescents (26.2–37.5%, respectively) in comparison to the children (17.9–24.9%, respectively), especially in female participants. This tendency was also observed in the current prevalence of ARC, where 15.1% of female adolescents reported nasal symptoms accompanied with itchy-watery eyes in the past year. The most important risk factors for AR and ARC were the presence of wheezing in the past 12 months, wheezing in the first year of life, the previous diagnosis of asthma and eczema symptoms. Furthermore, allergic symptoms had a negative tendency concerning altitude. Conclusion: This is the largest AR epidemiological study ever conducted in Mexico. It shows an increase in AR prevalence, as well as significant associations with modifiable risk factors, which could help to establish recommendations to reduce the burden of this condition.

Humid montane scrublands (HMs) represent one of the least studied ecosystems in Ecuador, which in the last decade have been seriously threatened by the increase in wildfires. Our main objective was to evaluate the effects of wildfire severity on physicochemical soil properties in the HMs of southern Ecuador. For this purpose, fire severity was measured using the Normalized Burn Ratio (NBR) and the difference between pre-fire and post-fire (NBR Pre-fire-NBR Post-fire) over three contrasted periods (years 2019, 2017, and 2015) was determined. Likewise, 72 soil samples from burned HMs and 72 soil samples from unburned HMs were collected at a depth of 0 to 10 cm, and some physical (bulk density and texture) and biochemical (pH, soil organic matter, and total nutrients) soil properties were analyzed and statistically processed by one-way ANOVA and principal component analysis (PCA). Results indicate that burned HMs showed mixed-severity burning patterns and that in the most recent wildfires that are of high severity, SOM, N, P, Cu, and Zn contents decreased drastically (PCA: component 1); in addition, there was an increase in soil compaction (PCA: component 2). However, in older wildfires, total SOM, N, P, K, and soil pH content increases with time compared even to HMs that never burned (p-value < 0.05). These results can help decision makers in the design of policies, regulations, and proposals for the environmental restoration of HMs in southern Ecuador affected by wildfires.

The Colombian government signed a revised version of the Havana Peace Deal with the country’s main guerrilla group, Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC), in November 2016, giving rise to a set of new opportunities and challenges for the South American nation. Societies that make the transition from conflict to peace need to seek truth, justice, and reparation concerning massive and systematic violations. Thus truth, history, and historical memory (HM) are central to reconciliation and play a key role in fulfilling the national and international obligations of the state. HM in Colombia has emerged mainly from the voices of victims, generating a narrative of events in which the discourses of members of the Armed Forces has, by and large, tended either to be out of place, or is regarded as the perpetrators’ account. Military personnel have usually been perceived to be offenders or perpetrators; finding the “truth” based on narratives of traumatic events is complex. This research contributes to the debate on HM in Colombia and the right to truth, exploring the narratives and emotions of traumatized soldiers who suffered permanent physical injuries, and presenting the results of an interdisciplinary project conducted via a series of in-depth interviews. It brought to light important accounts and deeply negative feelings toward the perpetrators of violence and the government, but also mixed feelings about the institution of the military that soldier victims continue to harbor.

Background Global Asthma Network (GAN) was established in 2012 as a development to the International Study of Asthma and Allergies in Childhood to improve asthma care globally.Objective To survey asthma, allergic rhinitis and atopic dermatitis in primary and secondary school children and to investigate and evaluate its prevalence, severity, management and risk factors in Mexico.Methods GAN Phase I is a cross-sectional, multicentre survey carried out in 15 centres corresponding to 14 Mexican cities throughout 2016–2019 using the validated Spanish language version of the GAN Phase I questionnaires. The questionnaires were completed by parents of 6–7-year-old primary school pupils (school children) and by 13–14-year-old adolescents.Results A total of 35 780 school children and 41 399 adolescents participated. Wheezing ever prevalence was 26.2% (95% CI 25.8% to 26.7%) in school children and 23.9% (95% CI 23.4% to 24.3%) in adolescents. The corresponding frequencies for current wheeze were 10.2% (95% CI 9.9% to 10.5%) and 11.6% (95% CI 11.2% to 11.9%). In school children, the risk factors for current wheeze were rhinitis (OR 4.484; 95% CI 3.915% to 5.134%) and rash symptoms (OR 1.735; 95% CI 1.461% to 2.059%). For adolescents, rhinitis symptoms (OR 3.492; 95% CI 3.188% to 3.825%) and allergic rhinitis diagnosis (OR 2.144; 95% CI 1.787% to 2.572%) were the most significant. For both groups, there was a negative relation with centres’ sea level altitude higher than 1500 m above mean sea level (p

Maquiavelo forma parte de toda una tradición de pensamiento humanista y republicano, característico del Renacimiento. Entonces un humanista era, en primer término, una persona que sabía latín, familiarizado con la cultura de la antigua Roma, en especial con los autores clásicos, dedicado a la enseñanza de esta materia o que desempeñaba un cargo público, y que por lo general se identificaba o simpatizaba con las instituciones políticas republicanas. Aun cuando se parte del reconocimiento de que el Renacimiento representó un gran salto en el desarrollo del pensamiento humano, en este artículo se señala y do- cumenta cómo en los siglos previos hubo una serie de antecedentes culturales e intelectuales que es necesario considerar para contextualizar el pensamiento de Maquiavelo.

En los últimos años ha habido un creciente interés por el emprendimiento social aun cuando existe cierta confusión o controversia sobre su significado. La mayoría de la literatura reconoce la importancia de la articulación de diversos factores dentro de un ecosistema favorable. Pese a esto, aún son muy escasos los estudios relativos a esta materia en el ámbito latinoamericano. Es por ello por lo que este artículo vincula la importancia de la Alianza del Pacifico, como espacio de integración regional para la promoción de este tipo de iniciativas. A partir del análisis de sus documentos oficiales y de entrevistas a responsables de toma de decisiones se identificaron factores que dentro del marco de la Alianza del Pacífico facilitan la consolidación de procesos de emprendimiento social.

Background/Objective: Evidence from basic and clinical studies suggests that unsaturated fatty acids (UFAs) might be relevant mediators of the development of complications in acute pancreatitis (AP). Objective: The aim of this study was to analyze outcomes in patients with AP from regions in Spain with different patterns of dietary fat intake.Materials and Methods: A retrospective analysis was performed with data from 1,655 patients with AP from a Spanish prospective cohort study and regional nutritional data from a Spanish cross-sectional study. Nutritional data considered in the study concern the total lipid consumption, detailing total saturated fatty acids, UFAs and monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFAs) consumption derived from regional data and not from the patient prospective cohort. Two multivariable analysis models were used: (1) a model with the Charlson comorbidity index, sex, alcoholic etiology, and recurrent AP; (2) a model that included these variables plus obesity.Results: In multivariable analysis, patients from regions with high UFA intake had a significantly increased frequency of local complications, persistent organ failure (POF), mortality, and moderate-to-severe disease in the model without obesity and a higher frequency of POF in the model with obesity. Patients from regions with high MUFA intake had significantly more local complications and moderate-to-severe disease; this significance remained for moderate-to-severe disease when obesity was added to the model.Conclusions: Differences in dietary fat patterns could be associated with different outcomes in AP, and dietary fat patterns may be a pre-morbid factor that determines the severity of AP. UFAs, and particulary MUFAs, may influence the pathogenesis of the severity of AP.

OBJECTIVE:Osteoarthritis of the lower limb (OALL) worsens health-related quality of life (HRQL), but this impact has not been quantified with standardized measures. We intend to evaluate the impact of OALL on HRQL through measures based on individual preferences in comparison to the general population. METHODS:A cross-sectional study was designed. A total of 6234 subjects aged 50 years or older without OALL were selected from the Spanish general population (National Health Survey 2011-12). An opportunistic sample of patients aged 50 years or older diagnosed with hip (n = 331) or knee osteoarthritis (n = 393), using the American Rheumatism Association criteria, was recruited from six hospitals and 21 primary care centers in Vizcaya, Madrid and Tenerife between January and December 2015. HRQL was measured with the EQ-5D-5L, and the results were transformed into utility scores. Sociodemographic variables (age, sex, social group, cohabitation), number of chronic diseases, and body mass index were considered. The clinical stage of OALL was collected using the Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis Index and the Oxford hip score and Oxford knee score. Generalized linear models were constructed using the utility index as the dependent variable. RESULTS:HRQL expressed by OALL patients was significantly worse than this of the general population. After adjustment for sociodemographic and clinical characteristics, the mean utility loss was -0.347 (95% CI: -0.390, -0.303) for osteoarthritis of the hip and -0.295 (95% CI: -0.336, -0.255) for osteoarthritis of the knee. OALL patients who were treated at a hospital had an additional utility loss of -0.112 (95% CI: -0.158, -0.065). CONCLUSION:OALL has a great impact on HRQL. People with OALL perceive a utility loss of approximately 0.3 points compared to the general population without osteoarthritis, which is very high in relation to the utility loss reported for other chronic diseases and for arthritis in general.

Background: According to the International Study of Asthma and Allergies in Childhood (ISAAC) methodology, in 2003, the prevalence of asthma symptoms in children 6–7 years old and adolescents 13–14 years old was 11.6% and 13.7%, respectively. Since then, the number of asthma cases has increased worldwide. The study was conducted in several districts in northern Mexico City to evaluate the prevalence of asthma in these age groups and examine possible risk factors. The data were compared to the 2003 results from the same area. Methods: This was a comparative cross-sectional study following the official Global Asthma Network (GAN) methodology. The parents or guardians of participants completed a questionnaire that explored demographics, asthma symptoms, diagnoses, and possible risk factors. Central tendency measurements were determined for statistical analysis and chi-squared distribution for possible risk factors. Results: A total of 2515 children aged 6–7 years and 3375 adolescents aged 13–14 years participated in the study. Compared to the ISAAC results, we found a greater prevalence of wheezing in both children (at some time in life, 19.2% vs. 27.1%; over the last year, 6.8% vs. 10.6%) and adolescents (at some time in life, 16.9% vs. 19.7%), and for children with an asthma diagnosis (4.5% vs. 5.1%). For both groups, the most common risk factor associated with wheezing was the presence of rhinitis symptoms. Conclusions: Asthma symptoms are highly prevalent in Mexico City, occurring in almost 20% of adolescents. Compared to a decade ago, there was a 7.9% increase in the prevalence of asthma symptoms in children. Almost half of the children and adolescents presenting with symptoms had experienced more than four episodes per year. However, less than 50% of children and adolescents with asthma symptoms had been diagnosed with this disorder, suggesting under-diagnosis. Keywords: Asthma, Atopic allergic diseases, Wheezing, Rhinitis, Risk factors, ISAAC, GAN

Se realizó un experimento con el objetivo de evaluar el efecto de un sistema silvopastoril (SSP) con Tithonia diversifolia (Hemsl). A. Gray, asociada a una mezcla de gramíneas tropicales, sobre la población microbiana ruminal de vacas lecheras en condiciones de producción. Se utilizaron 100 vacas Holstein, que pastaron en un sistema de punteros y continuadores, con tiempo de estancia de dos días. El pastoreo en T. diversifolia fue nocturno, y los animales permanecieron desde las 5:00 p.m. hasta las 5:00 a.m. Para la colecta del líquido ruminal se seleccionaron al azar seis vacas en cada uno de los muestreos. Las poblaciones de bacterias viables totales, amilolíticas y celulolíticas fueron más numerosas cuando las vacas pastaron sobre el SSP con T. diversifolia, respecto al pastoreo de gramíneas. Los valores de metanógenos fueron de 9,83 y 19,33 1010 UFC mL-1, y los de protozoos, de 4,67 y 7,67 105 células mL-1 para SSP con T. diversifolia y gramíneas, respectivamente. El pH y el NH3 resultaron superiores en el SSP. La biomasa microbiana mostró valores de 196,9 y 192,3 g, y la materia orgánica que se fermentó, de 547,2 y 506,4 g para SSP y gramíneas, respectivamente. Se concluye que el sistema silvopastoril con T. diversifolia mejoró el ecosistema ruminal, al incrementar los organismos degradadores de la fibra y reducir los protozoos y metanógenos; así como poner a disposición del animal mayor cantidad de materia orgánica fermentada para la síntesis de proteína microbiana.

Appropriate management of unruptured intracranial aneurysms (UIAs) is still a matter of debate. Whether to treat patients with conservative management (CM) or with interventional management (IM) has been addressed in multiple reports with controversial risk/benefit balances.Our objective is to analyze in-hospital management decision and treatment results of UIAs and to evaluate the management of these UIAs with the UIATS and PHASES scores introduced in 2015.A total of 54 patients/71 UIAs diagnosed in 2015–2016 were reviewed. IM was performed in 34 patients/47 UIAs with surgical (15) or endovascular approaches (19), with a female predominance (59%) and 51-yo median age. Median size of UIAs was 6 mm (2–26). Aneurysm obliteration reached 100% in both groups. Major complications ranged between 5%–13%, with no reoperations or mortality. Epidemiologic risk factors in our population detected >95% of patients without family history, high-risk ethnicity, drug habit, or symptoms from UIAs.Patients with CM had lower UIATS/PHASES scores than those with IM, matching the recommendation from these scores. In contrast, UIATS score in UIAs that were managed with IM showed lower punctuations than expected, showing an institutional preference for IM. In multiple UIAs, UIATS/PHASES scores of the aneurysm leading to IM (excluding other lower risk lesions treated with the same approach) showed higher punctuations, especially in the surgical group. Final decision on treatment of UIAs in our center was mostly based on high-risk profile of aneurysm and multiplicity than on scores, p

El objetivo de este trabajo es lograr una visión sobre qué es la cultura de Internet y cómo se relaciona con el término “cultura participativa”. Advertir cómo la cultura de Internet, está integrada por culturas de ciencia e investigación, de creación tecnológica, comunitaria virtual y empresarial, así como, describir las relaciones que pudiera tener con la cultura participativa, en el ámbito de Internet. El Internet se ha vuelto parte importante de nuestras vidas, ya no se puede hablar de mundo real y del mundo virtual como opuestos, lo que sucede en uno, tiene eco en el otro. El mundo virtual también es real y forma parte de nuestra vida diaria. El creciente número de empresas que han adoptado Internet como principal o único canal de ventas y comercialización demuestra lo imprescindible que resulta en la actualidad; también, Internet ha facilitado la exportación e importación de los recursos de la cultura de masas, lo que ha permitido a las personas, usuarios de este medio, apropiarse de las narrativas o recursos culturales para producir su propia cultura construida, consumida y compartida casi exclusivamente en y para este medio.

Se utilizaron cuatro machos caprinos de la raza Alpina, de dos años de edad y 37,94 ± 4,87 kg de PV, alojados en jaulas individuales de metabolismo durante 60 días y distribuidos en un diseño cuadrado latino (4 x 4), con el objetivo de evaluar el efecto de diferentes proporciones de Moringa oleifera:Cenchrus purpureus cv. Cuba OM-22 sobre el consumo voluntario y el balance de nitrógeno. Los tratamientos consistieron en la inclusión de niveles crecientes de moringa (0, 20, 40, 80 %) en sustitución de C. purpureus cv. Cuba OM-22 (100, 80, 60, 20 %), y un control al que se le ofreció concentrado (6 g kg PV-1) y forraje del cv. Cuba OM-22 a voluntad. Los resultados del consumo de materia seca relativos a peso vivo (3,5 % PV, p < 0,0001), peso metabólico (88,99 g kg PV0,75, p < 0,0004) y consumo de proteína (220 g d-1, p < 0,0001) beneficiaron la ración 80:20 % M. oleifera:C. purpureus. Similar comportamiento estadístico mostró el nitrógeno ingerido (35,20 g día-1, p < 0,0001), el retenido (19,78 g día-1, p < 0,0001) y la digestibilidad aparente del nitrógeno (92,31 %, p < 0,0001). Se concluye que la utilización de raciones con inclusión de M. oleifera: C. purpureus cv. Cuba OM-22 en la alimentación de caprinos mejora el consumo voluntario y la utilización del nitrógeno, aunque el mejor comportamiento se logró con 80 % de M. oleifera:20 % de C. purpureus; la cual incrementó la digestibilidad y la retención, así como disminuyó las excreciones de nitrógeno al medio.

Se realizó un experimento con el objetivo de evaluar el efecto de Leucaena leucocephala vc. Perú en la población microbiana ruminal de toros mestizos de Cebú, en las dos etapas del ciclo de ceba. El sistema, integrado por cinco franjas de gramíneas asociadas con L. leucocephala y cinco sin asociar, alternadas consecutivamente en 25 ha, permitió la ceba de 80 animales, de los que se utilizaron ocho para los estudios microbiológicos. Los muestreos de líquido ruminal se realizaron con frecuencia bimensual (febrero-marzo, abril-mayo, junio-julio) y cuatrimestral (agosto-noviembre). Las bacterias celulolíticas alcanzaron valores entre 15,94 y 46,13 106 UFC.mL-1 cuando los toros pastaron L. leucocephala asociada a gramíneas. La mayor población de hongos celulolíticos ruminales se encontró en el rumen de animales en el sistema con leucaena, en los muestreos de agosto-noviembre. La concentración de amoniaco ruminal tuvo valores de 8,76 y 24,09 mmol.L-1 en el sistema con gramíneas y el de leucaena asociada con gramíneas, respectivamente (p < 0,001). El pH en rumen fue significativamente mayor, la población de bacterias viables totales resultó 2,9 veces superior y los protozoos disminuyeron cuando leucaena participó en la ración. Se concluye que es ventajoso el sistema con L. leucocephala asociada a gramíneas, debido a que propicia incrementos en las poblaciones de bacterias viables totales y microorganismos degradadores de la fibra; ello, unido al efecto depresor de los protozoarios, garantiza un ambiente ecológico favorable a la celulolisis ruminal, lo cual contribuiría de manera sostenida al incremento productivo del sistema ganadero.

Abstract Knowledge about chemical communication in some vertebrates is still relatively limited. Squamates are a glaring example of this, even when recent evidences indicate that scents are involved in social and sexual interactions. In lizards, where our understanding of chemical communication has considerably progressed in the last few years, many questions about chemical interactions remain unanswered. A potential reason for this is the inherent complexity and technical limitations that some methodologies embody when analyzing the compounds used to convey information. We provide here a straightforward procedure to analyze lizard chemical secretions based on gas chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry that uses an internal standard for the semiquantification of compounds. We compare the results of this method with those obtained by the traditional procedure of calculating relative proportions of compounds. For such purpose, we designed two experiments to investigate if these procedures allowed revealing changes in chemical secretions 1) when lizards received previously a vitamin dietary supplementation or 2) when the chemical secretions were exposed to high temperatures. Our results show that the procedure based on relative proportions is useful to describe the overall chemical profile, or changes in it, at population or species levels. On the other hand, the use of the procedure based on semiquantitative determination can be applied when the target of study is the variation in one or more particular compounds of the sample, as it has proved more accurate detecting quantitative variations in the secretions. This method would reveal new aspects produced by, for example, the effects of different physiological and climatic factors that the traditional method does not show.

The purpose of this paper is to assess students’ social representations of forced migration as a relevant social problem in the last year of primary education and the opportunity for its curricular inclusion. The study was carried out by means of a questionnaire, filled in by 6th-year primary education groups (11–12 years old) (n = 70), in a state-supported private school in the city of A Coruña (Galicia, Spain). The questionnaire was supported by three pictures of forced migrations from the media. In this case, the children had to interpret the pictures through a series of questions that sought to investigate their representations, the causes they identify in this social problem, their opinions, and possible solutions. Finally, the opportunity for the inclusion of social problems as curriculum content was addressed. The study shows that the students are in favor of migrants, that they use concepts from the social sciences in their arguments—albeit simple ones, and that they are in favor of the curricular inclusion of social problems, in which they develop representations through different sources of information.

Abstract Background Knee osteoarthritis (OA) represents a heavy burden for patients and the society as a whole. The Oxford Knee Score (OKS) is a well known tool to assess the quality of life in patients with Knee OA. The purpose of this study was to analyze the psychometric properties of the Spanish version of the OKS, including its reliability, validity, and responsiveness. Methods Prospective observational study that included 397 patients diagnosed with knee OA according to the criterion of the American Rheumatism Association, which were recruited in 3 different Spanish regions. Their self-perceived health-related quality of life (HRQL) was assessed through 3 questionnaires: a generic one (the EQ-5D-5 L) and two specific ones adapted to Spanish (the Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis Index (WOMAC) and the Oxford Knee Score (OKS). The follow-up period was 6 months, and the acceptability of the OKS was evaluated, together with its psychometric properties, presence of ceiling and floor effects, validity, reliability, and sensitivity to change. Results The OKS was fully answered in 99.5% of cases, with no evidence of ceiling or floor effects. Its factor structure can be explained in a single dimension. Its discriminating capacity was very good compared to the groups generated by the WOMAC and the EQ-5D-5 L. The correlation of the OKS with the dimensions of the latter questionnaires was around 0.7. The test-retest reliability was excellent (ICC 0.993; CI 95%: 0.990–0.995) and so was its internal consistency (Cronbach’s α = 0.920). The effect size was 0.7 for moderate improvements in the HQRL, which is similar to that of the dimensions of the WOMAC and greater than for the EQ-5D-5 L. The minimum clinically significant difference that was detected by the questionnaire was 6.1 points, and the minimum detectable change was 4.4 points. Conclusions The Spanish-adapted version of the OKS is a useful, valid tool for assessing the perceived HRQL in patients suffering from knee OA, with psychometric properties similar to the WOMAC, and that allows for discriminating the patient’s condition at a particular moment as well as for appraising changes over time.

Abstract Agricultural nutrient balances have been receiving increasing attention in both historical and nutrient management research. The main objectives of this study were to further develop balance methodologies and to carry out a comprehensive assessment of the functioning and nutrient cycling of 1950s agroecosystems in Portugal. Additionally, the main implications for the history of agriculture in Portugal were discussed from the standpoint of soil fertility. We used a mass balance approach that comprises virtually all nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P) and potassium (K) inputs and outputs from cropland topsoil for average conditions in the period 1951–56. We found a consistent deficit in N, both for nationwide (−2.1 kg.ha−1.yr−1) and arable crops (−1.6 kg.ha−1.yr−1) estimates, that was rectified in the turn to the 1960 decade. P and K were, in contrast, accumulating in the soil (4.2–4.6 kg.ha−1.yr−1 and 1.0–3.0 kg.ha−1.yr−1, respectively). We observed that the 1950s is the very moment of inflection from an agriculture fertilized predominantly through reused N in biomass (livestock excretions plus marine, plant and human waste sources) to one where chemical fertilizers prevailed. It is suggested that N deficiency played an important role in this transition.

Abstract Identifying the factors that underlie signal divergences remains challenging in studies of animal communication. Regarding the chemical signalling, different compounds can be found in some species but be absent in others. We hypothesized that if the costs that are associated with the expression of some compounds are too high, their presence in the signal may be restricted. However, these compounds may be expressed and be functional when those costs are relaxed. Vitamin E (α-tocopherol), a dietary compound with metabolic relevancy, acts as an honest chemical sexual signal in many lizards but no in others such as the Carpetan Rock lizard (Iberolacerta cyreni). We investigated whether dietary supplementation favours the expression of this vitamin in scents of I. cyreni. We show that dietary constraints can preclude the expression of vitamin E in chemical secretions of wild males because was expressed when it was experimentally provided in the diet. Vitamin E supplementation also heightened the immune response of males and increased the interest of their scent for females, highlighting the vitamin E as a chemical sexual signal in this species. We suggest that diet could decisively act as a driver of intra- and interspecific divergences in the chemical signalling of lizards.

Abstract Background Osteoarthritis (OA) of the hip is a disease that entails a major burden for patients and the society as a whole. One way of measuring this burden for the patient is through impact on Health-related Quality of Life (HRQL). The Oxford Hip Score (OHS) is a well-known tool to measure HRQL in patients with OA of the hip. This study aims to assess the psychometric properties of the Spanish-adapted version of the OHS, including its reliability, validity, and sensitivity to change. Methods Prospective observational study that included 361 patients diagnosed with hip OA (according to the criterion of the American College of Rheumatology) from 3 different Spanish regions. Their HRQL was assessed using a generic questionnaire, the EQ-5D-5 L, and two specific ones (the Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis Index, WOMAC, and the OHS) adapted to Spanish. There was a follow-up period of 6 months, and the acceptability, psychometric properties, presence of ceiling and floor effects, validity, reliability, and sensitivity to changes of the OHS were measured. Results The OHS was fully answered in 99.4% of cases with no indication of ceiling or floor effects. Its factor structure can be explained in a single dimension. Its discriminative capacity was very good compared to the groups generated by the WOMAC and the EQ-5D-5 L. The correlation between the OHS and dimensions of the WOMAC or EQ-5D-5 L utilities was ≥0.7. Excellent test-retest reliability (ICC = 0.992; CI95%: 0.994–0.998) and internal consistency (Cronbach’s α = 0.928) were observed. The minimal clinically important difference (MCID) was 7.0 points, and the minimum detectable change (MDC) was 5.5 points. The effect size for moderate improvement in perceived HRQL was 0.73, similar to that of WOMAC dimensions and higher than the EQ-5D-5 L. Conclusions The Spanish-adapted version of the OHS is a useful, acceptable tool for the assessment of perceived HRQL in patients with hip OA, and has psychometric properties similar to those of the WOMAC that allow for discriminating both a patient’s condition at a given moment and changes that can occur over time.

Las competencias socio-profesionales están muy valoradas en el mundo del empleo, por tanto, su desarrollo es fundamental en todas las personas y especialmente en aquellas en riesgo de exclusión, ya que actúan como factor de inclusión a través de la entrada al mundo laboral. A pesar de su importancia, no siempre se trabajan y evalúan de forma sistemática en los centros de formación. En este artículo se presenta una propuesta formativa de competencias socio-profesionales a través del diseño, validación y aplicación de un programa específico que puede ser adaptado a diferentes contextos. La evaluación del programa a través de los aprendizajes de los estudiantes y de sus valoraciones tiene implicaciones para la mejora de la formación de estas competencias, tales como la importancia de la sensibilización previa, la necesidad de flexibilidad para adaptarse al nivel de desarrollo de los estudiantes, y la importancia de su participación en el proceso a través, por ejemplo, de la autoevaluación