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El presente artículo surge al observar que, en gran medida, los estudios de género en el Estado de Querétaro, México, se han enfocado en los acontecimientos posteriores a la globalización, pero se ha investigado muy poco en relación con los años previos. Por ello, partiendo del método etnográfico, se realizaron varias entrevistas a Antonio Palacios, sobreviviente del movimiento travesti que impulsó, a finales de los años setenta, la visibilización y el reconocimiento civil de la homosexualidad masculina en la ciudad. Con la información proporcionada por Palacios, se realizó trabajo hemerográfico en el Archivo Histórico del Estado de Querétaro, para corroborar con notas periodísticas las tensiones que surgieron cuando el bar y antiguo prostíbulo La Iguana obtuvo la primera licencia del gobierno para funcionar como lugar de reunión gay. Se puede demostrar, de ese modo, que no solo en Querétaro, sino en gran parte de México, el movimiento travesti de los años setenta cimentó las bases de las luchas sociales alrededor de las masculinidades no hegemónicas, situación invisibilizada porque formaban parte del bloque posabismal, y eran relegados por cuestiones de clase. Este trabajo pretende abordar el movimiento travesti de esos años y destacar sus aportes a las generaciones queer posglobalización.

Los frailes franciscanos terceros mantuvieron un pleito en 1622 con el duque de Arcos por un terreno del palacio que querían apropiarse para proseguir con las obras de la cabecera de su iglesia. De modo, que el maestro alarife Mateo de Orellana fue llamado por el duque y trazó un plano del palacio cuando vio las obras. Se hicieron tres informes donde firmaron los mejores maestros alarifes y maestros mayores de la ciudad, Miguel de Zumárraga, Pedro Sánchez Falconete, Diego López Bueno, Andrés de Oviedo, Diego Gómez, Diego Martín Orejuela y Pedro García Ternero. Finalmente, en 1627, se acordó que por la cesión del terreno del duque de Arcos se labrara una tribuna en la iglesia franciscana.

Bactericera cockerelli es una plaga económicamente relevante para cultivos de solanáceas. La presencia de tricomas foliares con la que cuentan ciertas especies silvestres constituye importantes recursos genéticos para programas de fitomejoramiento en términos de resistencia a plagas. En este estudio se evaluó la influencia de los tricomas foliares de especies silvestres y cultivares comerciales de tomate en la preferencia, desarrollo y fecundidad de B. cockerelli. Los resultados mostraron que las especies silvestres fueron menos preferidas por el psílido que los cultivares comerciales. Los insectos mostraron un porcentaje de asentamiento menor en S. habrochaites en comparación con las demás especies. En cuanto a la supervivencia, el menor porcentaje se desarrolló en S. habrochaites con el 24% y S. arcanum con un 40%. La media de oviposición más baja se encontró en S. habrochaites con dos huevos, los cuales no eclosionaron, además, de ser la única especie que mostró la presencia de tricomas glandulares tipo IV (113,86 ± 48,1) y VIc (27,3 ± 2,3) por mm2, asimismo su presencia se correlacionó negativamente con el número de adultos posados. S. arcanum fue otra especie que influyó negativamente en el comportamiento y desarrollo del insecto, sin embargo, estos atributos no fueron a causa de la presencia de tricomas. Los mecanismos de defensa manifestados por S. habrochaites y S. arcanum hacia B. cockerelli pueden ser utilizados como recurso de introgresión de genes para el manejo de esta plaga al reducir su potencial biológico.

In its archives, the Real Acadèmia Catalana de Belles Arts de Sant Jordi (RACBA) preserves the plans for a wooden bridge erected in 1802 for the visit of Carlos IV and Maria Luisa de Parma to Barcelona. It was built for the purpose of bridging the Royal Palace and the Customs Palace, which were the residences that the authorities assigned to the Spanish and the Neapolitan monarchs during their stay in the city, through an elevated structure. In the course of time, it was dismantled and sold piece by piece, but its ephemeral nature did not eliminate its practical utility and its decoration in the neoclassical style, which was a popular style in Catalonia at the time.

Seed germination is critical for seedling procedures, and new technologies are required to increase crop yields. Some substances are considered elicitors or stimulating agents because they promote seed germination as well as plant growth (like root and plumule length, and germination rate among others). Some of these, could be applied during plant growth, or in earlier phases before germination as seeds pretreatment. Neutral electrolyzed water (NEW) is a solution of oxidizing agents mainly studied for its antimicrobial power mainly applied to food pathogens, and in less reports to phytopathogens. The objective of this work is to evaluate the effect of NEW on germination and morphological parameters of tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum), cucumber (Cucumis sativus) and lettuce (Lactuca sativa L.) seeds as well as to evaluate the in vitro activity of NEW against F. oxysporum. Two experiments were carried out to determine the in vitro and in vivo effects of NEW in seed pretreatment and another in vitro experiment was also carried out to determine antifungal effect against F. oxysporum. NEW in vitro treatments at 50 mg/L decreased spore concentration greater than 4 log spores/mL. Germination parameters and morphological variables were analyzed after NEW pretreatments. For in vitro germination, NEW pretreatments up to 75 mg/L did not show effect on germination parameters however highest dose was slightly adverse (4 % against water control). For in vivo germination, NEW pretreatment of 100 mg/L had a stimulating effect on the germination rate in cucumber seeds (100 % FGP against 83 % FGP for water control). For tomato seeds germination neither stimulate nor adverse effect was observed (same percentage as water control). For lettuce seeds germination an inhibitory effect for 12 and 24 h of exposure time was achieved (73 % NEW treatment against 90 % of water control). For tomato and lettuce seeds, the NEW pretreatment of 50 mg/L during 12 h increased its germination capacity.

ABSTRACTObjectives: To describe the incorporation of monoclonal antibodies (mAb) in real-world (RW) practice for the treatment of patients with relapsed refractory multiple myeloma (RRMM) in a setting with other treatment alternatives.Methods: This was an observational, multicenter, ambispective study of RRMM treated with or without a mAb.Results: A total of 171 patients were included. For the group treated without mAb, the median (95% CI) progression-free survival (PFS) to relapse was 22.4 (17.8-27.0) months; partial response or better (≥PR) and complete response or better (≥CR) was observed in 74.1% and 24.1% of patients, respectively; and median time to first response in first relapse was 2.0 months and in second relapse was 2.5 months. For the group of patients treated with mAb in first or second relapse, the median PFS was 20.9 (95% CI, could not be evaluated) months; the ≥ PR and ≥ CR rates were 76,2% and 28.6%, respectively; and the median time to first response in first relapse was 1.2 month and in second relapse was 1.0 months. The safety profiles for the combinations were consistent with those expected.Conclusions: The incorporation of mAb in RW practice for the treatment of RRMM has shown good quality and speed of response with a similar safety profile shown in randomized clinical trials.

Alfredo Salcedo-Ledesma,1,2 Andrea Córdoba,1 Naomi C Zatarain-Barrón,1 Enrique O Graue-Hernández,1 Yonathan Garfias,3,4 Norma Morales Flores,1 Gustavo A García-Sánchez,5 Diego García-Santisteban,5 Mónica A Linares-Alba,5 Rodrigo García-Santisteban,6 Alejandro Navas1 1Department of Cornea and Refractive Surgery, Institute of Ophthalmology “Conde de Valenciana”, Mexico City, Mexico; 2PECEM MD/PhD Program, Faculty of Medicine, UNAM, Mexico City, Mexico; 3Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Medicine, UNAM, Mexico City, Mexico; 4Research Unit, Institute of Ophthalmology “Conde de Valenciana”, Mexico City, Mexico; 5Research and Development, Santgar Laboratories, Mexico City, Mexico; 6Faculty of Medicine, Panamerican University, Mexico City, MexicoCorrespondence: Alejandro Navas, Department of Cornea and Refractive Surgery, Institute of Ophthalmology “Conde de Valenciana”, Chimalpopoca 14, Mexico City, 06800, Mexico, Tel +5255 54421700, Fax +5255 55789748, Email alejandro.navas@institutodeoftalmologia.orgPurpose: To determine the effectiveness of subconjunctival application of a novel sirolimus liposomal formulation for the treatment of dry eye.Methods: A randomized, triple-blind, Phase II clinical trial. Thirty-eight eyes of 19 patients were included. Nine patients (18 eyes) assigned to the sham group (Sham) and 10 patients (20 eyes) to sirolimus-loaded liposomes group (Sirolimus). The treatment group received three doses of subconjunctival liposome-encapsulated sirolimus and the sham group received three doses of liposomal suspension without sirolimus. Subjective (Ocular Surface Disease Index, OSDI) and measured (corrected distance visual acuity, conjunctival hyperemia, tear osmolarity, Schirmer’s test, corneal/conjunctival staining and matrix metalloproteinase-9) variables were measured.Results: Sirolimus-entrapped liposomes-treated group OSDI scores changed from 62.19 (± 6.07) to 37.8 (± 17.81) (p=0.0024), and conjunctival hyperemia from 2.0 (± 0.68) to 0.83 (± 0.61) (p< 0.0001); Sham group with OSDI scores from 60.02 (± 14.2) to 36.02 (± 20.70) (p=0.01), and conjunctival hyperemia from 1.33 (± 0.68) to 0.94 (± 0.87) (p=0.048). All the other evaluated outcomes only showed significant differences in the sirolimus group: corneal/conjunctival staining score (p=0.0015), lipid layer interferometry (p=0.006), and inferior meibomian gland dropout (p=0.038). No local or systemic adverse effects regarding the medication itself were reported, and the administration route was well accepted.Conclusion: Our findings suggest that sub-conjunctival sirolimus-loaded liposomes are effective in reducing both signs and symptoms of dry eye in patients with poorly controlled moderate-to-severe DED, while avoiding other topical administration adverse effects. Further investigation with a larger sample size is required to determine long-term effects.Keywords: sirolimus, rapamycin, liposomes, sirolimus liposomal formulation, dry eye disease

El territorio costero de la icónica ciudad de Tipasa (Tipaza) nunca ha sido objeto de una investigación arqueológica sistemática y en la actualidad gran parte de su patrimonio se encuentra amenazado. En el marco de un nuevo proyecto hispano-argelino se ha realizado una prospección que aporta datos inéditos para conocer las conexiones de esta región con el resto del Mediterráneo y, en particular, con la península ibérica. El espacio analizado es una franja litoral que se extiende entre el propio yacimiento y el Mausoleo real mauritano, ambos declarados Patrimonio Mundial de la Humanidad por la UNESCO en 1982. Entre los primeros resultados destaca el hallazgo de nuevos yacimientos de carácter residencial en el entorno de la Colonia Aelia Augusta Tipasensium, uno de los cuales, conocido desde el siglo XIX, ha sido objeto de una intervención específica. Ubicado en la bahía de la Corne d’Or, es un complejo que albergó diversas estructuras, incluyendo ambientes para uso termal. Entre el material recuperado se cuentan varios fragmentos de pintura mural romana entre los que destaca una técnica pictórica propia del Sureste hispano y no documentada hasta la fecha en el Magreb. Se trata de la decoración incisa, hasta ahora identificada únicamente en el ager carthaginensis, obra de un taller “local” fechado en la primera mitad del siglo I d. C. y que pudo trabajar en ambos lugares. El hallazgo permite reflexionar sobre la circulación de talleres y modelos compositivos entre ambas orillas, a la vez que aporta nuevos datos sobre una región aún poco representada en los estudios de pintura mural.

Abstract Background To analyze evolution and factors related with greater gains in Health Related Quality of Life (HRQOL) and with a greater probability of exceed their corresponding minimal clinically important differences (MCID) in patients with Osteoarthritis of the knee, undergoing total knee arthroplasty (TKA) at long-term. Methods Data were obtained from two previously recruited multicenter cohorts of patients who underwent TKA in the Basque Country. Patients were follow-up at 6 months and 10 years after surgery. Patients completed specific and generic HRQOL questionnaires plus sociodemographic, and clinical data at 10 years. Associations were analysed using linear and logistic regression models. Results A total of 471 patients responded at 10-year follow-up. The multivariable analysis showed that low preoperative HRQOL scores, higher age, higher BMI, some comorbidities and readmissions at 6 months were associated with less gains in HRQOL. Apart from aforementioned, to have a peripheral vascular disease (odd ratio 0.49 (95% CI, 0.24–0.99)), complications (odd ratio 0.31 (95% CI, 0.11–0.91)), and readmissions within 6 months of discharge (odd ratio 2.12 (95% CI, 1.18–3.80)) were associated with a lower probability of exceeding the MCID. The effect sizes (ESs) of changes from baseline to 6 months (range, 1.20–1.96) and to 10 years (range, 1.54–1.99) were large in all dimensions, nevertheless the ESs from 6 months to 10 years were not appreciable for pain (ES = 0.03) or stiffness (ES = 0.09), and small for function (ES = 0.30). Conclusions Low preoperative HRQOL scores, to be elderly, severe obesity, the presence of some comorbidities -depression and rheumatology disease-, having readmissions or complications and not having rehabilitation of discharge, are good predictors of long-term lower gains in HRQOL. Some other non-registered parameters of the follow-up may also influence those outcomes. Key Indexing Terms (MeSH terms): Health-Related Quality of Life, Knee Arthroplasty, Total, Osteoarthritis

Abstract To develop a predictive model for successful cervical ripening in women that undergo induction of labour by means of a vaginal prostaglandin slow-release delivery system (Propess®). Prospective observational study on 204 women that required induction of labour between February 2019 and May 2020 at “La Mancha Centro” hospital in Alcázar de San Juan, Spain. The main variable studied was effective cervical ripening (Bishop score > 6). Using multivariate analysis and binary logistic regression, we created three initial predictive models (model A: Bishop Score + Ultrasound cervical length + clinical variables (estimated fetal weight, premature rupture of membranes and body mass index)); model B: Ultrasound cervical lenght + clinical variables; and model C: Bishop score + clinical variables) to predict effective cervical ripening. All three predictive models obtained (A, B and C) presented good predictive capabilities, with an area under the ROC curve ≥ 0.76. Predictive model C, composed of the variables: gestational age (OR 1.55, 95% CI 1.18–2.03, p = 0.002), premature rupture of membranes (OR 3.21 95% CI 1.34–7.70, p = 0.09) body mass index (OR 0.93, 95% CI 0.87–0.98, p = 0.012), estimated fetal weight (OR 0.99, 95% CI 0.99–1.00, p = 0.068) and Bishop score (OR 1.49 95% CI 1.18–1.81, p = 0.001), is presented as the model of choice with an area under the ROC curve of 0.76 (95% CI 0.70–0.83, p

Fleas (Siphonaptera) are ectoparasitic hematophagous insects responsible for causing bites and itchy skin conditions in both humans and animals. Furthermore, they can act as vectors of different pathogens of a wide variety of diseases worldwide, including bartonellosis, rickettsiosis, and bubonic plague. Accurate identification of fleas is necessary for the study of their epidemiology, prevention, and control. In addition to traditional morphological classification approaches and molecular biology techniques, geometric morphometrics is increasingly proving to be a useful complementary tool for discriminating between Siphonaptera taxa. With the objective of determining the capacity of this technique to identify and differentiate synanthropic fleas, a principal component analysis was carried out on populations of Ctenocephalides felis, Pulex irritans, and Archaeopsylla erinacei collected in distinct regions of Andalusia (Spain). The analysis carried out on 81 male and female specimens revealed factorial maps that allowed the differentiation of the populations under study, with only partial overlaps that did not prevent their correct identification. Global size differences were also detected, with a slightly larger size in P. irritans males and a bigger size in A. erinacei females. Therefore, the present study emphasizes the role of geometric morphometrics as a useful complementary technique in taxonomic studies of arthropods, especially in the case of flea specimens lacking representative morphological features.

Life cycle stages are very important for the aerospace industry. Many models have emerged for handling the processes within and across the development of new products. Developing CubeSat-based missions has shortened the required time and has reduced expenses. However, the lack of strategic planning in the design, integration, and testing of product development models has been highlighted as one of the key issues contributing to failures. The objective of this study is to propose a new hybrid model for the physical development of a product using an Agile Stage-Gate methodology focused on a 1U CubeSat (AztechSat-1). This study aims to explain the full process throughout the project timeline from conceptualization to execution. The benefits of such a model include ensuring adaptive responses to not only improve technical integration but also allow the successful validation and verification of a nanosatellite. Our theoretical approach articulates an in-depth understanding of Agile Stage-Gate methodology through experience obtained from experts and team members. Our analysis supports the expected benefits of the iterative process at every stage. Through this approach, product development could benefit from reduced times and better innovations. Nevertheless, there are also drawbacks to this method. The requirements of greater human effort, more frequent demonstrations, and a constant review process have negative impacts. Additionally, particular modifications must be made for each area of research. For educational purposes, the initial results seem to be encouraging.

Mezcal is a drink made in Mexico, the production of which generates vinasses with a high content of organic matter (OM) that is not utilized. However, these residues have the potential to be drawn upon in dark fermentation (DF) processes to obtain biogas rich in biohydrogen, biomethane, and volatile fatty acids (VFAs) with the potential to become biofuels. In the present work, the effect of reaction time (RT) and organic load (OL) was assessed based on the efficiency of removing OM, the production of VFAs, and the generation and composition of biogas in a process of DF fed with mezcal vinasses. The results show that increasing the RT and decreasing the OL increases COD removal but decreases biohydrogen production. The maximum production of H2 (64 ± 21 NmL H2/Lreactor) was obtained with the lowest RT (1 d) and the highest OL (13.5 gCODm3d−1), while the highest accumulation of VFAs (2007 ± 327 mg VFA/L) was obtained with an RT of 3 d. It was determined that RT and OL are key parameters in DF processes for biohydrogen and VFA production.

Economic threats, along with political identities and ideologies, are associated with affective polarization. However, there is still a need to learn more about the consequences of different economic threats and identities fueling polarization. We take a longitudinal perspective in testing the influence of these phenomena on affective polarization. Specifically, we tested the effect of subjective personal and collective economic threats and political, national, regional, and European identities on affective polarization towards politicians and partisans in Spain. We use four waves of the E-DEM panel study from Spain (N = 2,501) collected between 2018 and 2019. We conducted longitudinal multilevel analyses to determine the growth in affective polarization and included predictors at the between- and within-person levels. Consistent with our hypotheses, we found that collective economic threats, such as perceiving more unfairness in the distribution of wealth and being dissatisfied with the Spanish economy, positively predict affective polarization. Contrary to our expectations, personal economic threats did not predict affective polarization. Furthermore, political and national identities positively predicted affective polarization towards politicians and partisans. Interestingly, exploratory analyses suggested that the associations between economic threats, identities, and affective polarization are moderated by political ideology. We discuss how economic threats and identities may exacerbate animosities toward political actors.

This paper presents two novel formulations for scheduling problems, namely order-position hybrid formulation (OPH) and order-disjunctive hybrid formulation (ODH), which extend and combine parts of existing formulation strategies. The first strategy (OPH) is based on sequence position and linear ordering formulations, adding relationships between constraints that allow relaxing some decision variables. The second approach (ODH) is based on linear ordering and disjunctive formulations. In this work, we prove ODH to be the most efficient formulation known so far. The experiments have been carried out with a large set of problems, which consider single machines and identical parallel machines. Computational results show that OPH is better than the rest of the existing formulations for the case of weighted completion objectives, while ODH turns out to be the best approach for most scenarios studied.

Biological treatments have become insufficient to treat municipal wastewater with greater toxicity and excess nitrogen and phosphate species, thus affecting the organisms that consume the water. In this work, a process was implemented for the removal of nutrients through three stages: stage A, complete aeration (24 h, 43 months); stage B, decreased aeration (12 h, 17 months); and stage C, decreased aeration with biocalcium (12 h, 19 months). The addition of biocalcium from eggshell promoted the formation of flocks, which resulted in the removal of nitrites (61 %), nitrates (84 %), total nitrogen (57 %), total phosphorus (8.3 %), sedimentable solids (50 %), total suspended solids (69 %), BOD5 (76 %), helminth eggs (50 %) and fecal coliforms (54 %). The statistical analyses in the three stages indicated that there is a strong correlation between the concentration of fats and oils and the removal of sedimentable solids and total suspended solids, since these parameters were correlated by 97 and 89 %, respectively. Sedimentable solids were correlated with total suspended solids by 94 %, while nitrates and total nitrogen were correlated 92 %, which favors the removal of nutrients in wastewater. The increase in the concentration of nitrogen in the sludge in stage C generated a C:N ratio of 7.98. This ratio shows that the sludge is feasible for use as a mediator of soils and a biofertilizer because of the high contents of calcium, phosphorus and nitrogen. In addition, biocalcium promoted the precipitation of hydroxyapatite, struvite, calcite and quartz. In general, the three stages of the treatment contributed to the stabilization of the wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) in an efficient, economical, and safe way.

The demand of green hydrogen, that is, the hydrogen produced from water electrolysis, is expected to increase dramatically in the coming years. State‐of‐the‐art proton exchange membrane water electrolysis (PEMWE) uses high loadings of platinum group metals, such as Pt in the electrode where hydrogen is produced. Alternative electrodes based on phosphides, sulfides, nitrides, and other low‐cost alternatives are under investigation. Herein, a simple process for the preparation of RuP electrodes with high activity for the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) in acidic electrolyte is described. A straightforward one‐pot synthesis that yields RuP nanoparticles with fine‐tuned composition and stoichiometry is presented, as determined by multiple characterization techniques, including lab‐ and synchrotron‐based experiments and theoretical modeling. The RuP nanoparticles exhibit a high activity of 10 mA cm−2 at 36 mV overpotential and a Tafel slope of 30 mV dec−1, which is comparable to Pt/C. Moreover, a RuP catalyst‐coated membrane (CCM) with a low Ru loading of 0.6 mgRu cm−2 is produced and tested in a PEMWE cell configuration, yielding 1.7 A cm−2 at 2 V.

Introduction: Metabolic syndrome is a predictor of cardiovascular morbidity and mortality; habits and lifestyles are important in its expression, in its etiology, progression and complications. The search for better risk predictors, since cardiovascular disease is the first cause of death in Cuba and the world, is a priority for health services. Objective: Characterize predictors of cardiovascular risk in carriers of metabolic syndrome. Methods: A cross-sectional descriptive observational study was carried out in 60 patients, older than 45 years, with a diagnosis of metabolic syndrome and the presence of 4 diagnostic criteria. The study variables were: levels of triglycerides, cholesterol, ApoA, ApoB and the atherogenic indices ApoB/ApoA, ApoB/total cholesterol. Results: There was an increase in proatherogenic predictors, reflected in TG levels (above 1.7 mmol/L), ApoB 100 (1.42 g/L) and a decrease in antiatherogenic markers with ApoA 1 values (1.0 g/L) and the ApoB 100/ApoA 1(0.5 Decile) ratio somewhat far from the 1 Decile value, established as the reference value and a high risk of cardiovascular disease when the ApoB/total cholesterol ratio is found (0.73 g/L) above normal values. Conclusions: Apolipoproteins and atherogenic indices are better predictors of cardiovascular risk by expressing the balance between plasma pro- and anti-atherogenic particles, as well as the formation of atheromatous plaque precursors.

IntroductionAlthough higher incidence of cancer represents a major burden for obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) patients, the molecular pathways driving this association are not completely understood. Recently, the adhesion receptor P-selectin glycoprotein-1 (PSGL 1) has been identified as a novel immune checkpoint, which are recognized major hallmarks in several types of cancer and have revolutionized cancer therapy.MethodsThe expression of PSGL-1 and its ligands VISTA and SIGLEC-5 was assessed in the leucocytes of OSA patients and control subjects exploring the role of intermittent hypoxia (IH) using in vitro models. In addition, PSGL-1 impact on T-cells function was evaluated by ex vivo models.ResultsData showed PSGL-1 expression is upregulated in the T-lymphocytes from patients with severe OSA, indicating a relevant role of hypoxemia mediated by intermittent hypoxia. Besides, results suggest an inhibitory role of PSGL-1 on T-cell proliferation capacity. Finally, the expression of SIGLEC-5 but not VISTA was increased in monocytes from OSA patients, suggesting a regulatory role of intermittent hypoxia.DiscussionIn conclusion, PSGL-1 might constitute an additional immune checkpoint leading to T-cell dysfunction in OSA patients, contributing to the disruption of immune surveillance, which might provide biological plausibility to the higher incidence and aggressiveness of several tumors in these patients.

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a neurodegenerative condition characterized by a gradual decline in cognitive functions. Currently, there are no effective treatments for AD, underscoring the importance of identifying individuals in the preclinical stages of mild cognitive impairment (MCI) to enable early interventions. Among the neuropathological events associated with the onset of the disease is the accumulation of amyloid protein in the brain, which correlates with decreased levels of Aβ42 peptide in the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF). Consequently, the development of non-invasive, low-cost, and easy-to-administer proxies for detecting Aβ42 positivity in CSF becomes particularly valuable. A promising approach to achieve this is spontaneous speech analysis, which combined with machine learning (ML) techniques, has proven highly useful in AD. In this study, we examined the relationship between amyloid status in CSF and acoustic features derived from the description of the Cookie Theft picture in MCI patients from a memory clinic. The cohort consisted of fifty-two patients with MCI (mean age 73 years, 65% female, and 57% positive amyloid status). Eighty-eight acoustic parameters were extracted from voice recordings using the extended Geneva Minimalistic Acoustic Parameter Set (eGeMAPS), and several ML models were used to classify the amyloid status. Furthermore, interpretability techniques were employed to examine the influence of input variables on the determination of amyloid-positive status. The best model, based on acoustic variables, achieved an accuracy of 75% with an area under the curve (AUC) of 0.79 in the prediction of amyloid status evaluated by bootstrapping and Leave-One-Out Cross Validation (LOOCV), outperforming conventional neuropsychological tests (AUC = 0.66). Our results showed that the automated analysis of voice recordings derived from spontaneous speech tests offers valuable insights into AD biomarkers during the preclinical stages. These findings introduce novel possibilities for the use of digital biomarkers to identify subjects at high risk of developing AD.

Citizens are often asked to evaluate peace agreements seeking to end civil conflicts, by voting on referendums or the negotiating leaders or, even when not voting, deciding whether to cooperate with the implementation of policies like combatant reintegration. In this paper, we assess how citizens form attitudes towards the provisions in peace agreements. These contexts tend to have high polarization, and citizens are asked to weigh in on complex policies, so we theorize that citizens will use cues from political elites with whom they have affinity, and, without these cues, information will have less effect. We assess our theory using survey experiments in Colombia. We find citizens rely on political elites’ cues to form their opinion on a peace agreement’s provisions, with the direction depending on the citizen’s affinity with the political elites. Additional information about these policies has little effect. The paper suggests that even these high stakes decisions can be seen as political decisions as usual.

A damping-like spin-orbit torque (SOT) is a prerequisite for ultralow-power spin logic devices. Here, we report on the damping-like SOT in just one monolayer of the conducting transition-metal dichalcogenide (TMD) TaS2 interfaced with a NiFe (Py) ferromagnetic layer. The charge-spin conversion efficiency is found to be 0.25 ± 0.03 in TaS2(0.88)/Py(7), and the spin Hall conductivity (14.9×105ℏ2eΩ-1m-1) is found to be superior to values reported for other TMDs. We also observed sizable field-like torque in this heterostructure. The origin of this large damping-like SOT can be found in the interfacial properties of the TaS2/Py heterostructure, and the experimental findings are complemented by the results from density functional theory calculations. It is envisioned that the interplay between interfacial spin-orbit coupling and crystal symmetry yielding large damping-like SOT. The dominance of damping-like torque demonstrated in our study provides a promising path for designing the next-generation conducting TMD-based low-powered quantum memory devices.

En Ecuador, en el cultivo de Banano (Musa spp.), la principal enfermedad es la Sigatoka negra, causada por el hongo Mycosphaerella fijiensis Morelet, se caracteriza por tener reproducción sexual y asexual (Paracercospora fijiensis), ocasionando una alta diseminación de esporas dentro de las plantaciones bananeras. La investigación tuvo como objetivo evaluar alternativas de fungicidas protectantes azufrados y microbiológicos, dentro de las combinaciones de fungicidas, como estrategias de control de la Sigatoka negra. Se utilizó un Diseño de bloques Completamente al Azar, conformado por 7 tratamientos y 10 repeticiones, el análisis estadístico se realizó mediante el análisis de varianza ANOVA y los promedios fueron comparados mediante la prueba de Tukey. Las variables evaluadas fueron porcentaje de área foliar afectada y el área bajo la curva del progreso de la enfermedad (ABCPE) durante toda la epidemia, evidenciándose el tratamiento T7 como la mejor estrategia de control frente a la enfermedad. Los resultados sugieren que el azufre elemental 800 gr/Kg a una dosis 3Kg/ha, puede integrarse en las combinaciones de fungicidas, como estrategia de control de la sigatoka negra, obteniendo buenos niveles de control.

(1) Background: The informed consent form must contain all the relevant information about the procedure to be performed to guarantee the patient’s freedom to choose. (2) Objective: To analyze the formal quality of, and compliance with informed consent forms in critical care and surgical areas in a county hospital in Spain. (3) Methods: The formal quality of informed consent forms in critical care and surgical areas from the hospital were analyzed, following the established formal quality criteria for informed consent forms. The compliance with specific criteria for each of the operated patients during the period of study was also evaluated. (4) Results: The formal quality of 224 informed consent forms was analyzed from 8 disciplines observing a median of non-compliances of 4 with a minimum of 1 and a maximum of 5, with the most breaches being in verifying the delivery of a copy to the patient and showing contraindications. The compliance of 376 documents from 188 operated patients were assessed, highlighting that the non-complied items were: the personalized risks and complete identification of the patient and the physician. A significant association was found between disciplines analyzed and the identification of the physician and personalized risks, with anesthesia and critical care showing the best compliance. (4) Conclusions: The informed consent forms in critical care and surgical areas were shown to have a deficient formal quality and an inadequate compliance. These deficiencies should be corrected to improve the information received by the patients and to guarantee their freedom to choose. As nurses have a responsibility to ensure that patients are adequately informed about both nursing interventions and care, as well as the surgical treatments they receive, consideration should be given to the possibility of nursing professionals taking the lead in obtaining informed consent.

Todas las personas necesitan apoyarse en elementos del contexto para desenvolverse por los entornos de manera autónoma. Esta necesidad se concreta en apoyos específicos cuando las personas tienen dificultades en comprensión permanentes o circunstanciales. Para que un contexto sea accesible universal y cognitivamente se emplean pictogramas para identificar los entornos. Estos pictogramas constituyen una señalética que debe ser validada por procesos estandarizados como describe la Normativa ISO-9186. El objetivo del estudio fue ampliar la base de pictogramas disponibles para la señalización de edificios y evaluar su diseño accesible. Los datos se recogieron por entrevista online y por formulario autocompletado online, en dos fases, la evaluación de la comprensibilidad y la translucidez, así como la calidad perceptual de los pictogramas. Un total de 1462 personas evaluaron la comprensión de los pictogramas y 270 su calidad perceptiva. Dicha muestra incluye participantes de diferentes colectivos y perfiles cognitivos. Se evaluaron 151 pictogramas y fueron 55 los seleccionados por cumplir criterios de comprensión, translucidez y calidad perceptiva. Este resultado supone una contribución relevante a las bases de pictogramas de uso público y privado existentes y aporta recursos señaléticos validados que pueden beneficiar a todas las personas facilitando la accesibilidad cognitiva en los espacios.

First-line treatment in postmenopausal women with estrogen- and/or progesterone-positive breast cancer consists of aromatase inhibitors (AROi). The ability of AROi to promote or worsen cognitive function, depressive symptoms, sleep quality and performance in basic activities of daily life as primary and concomitant outcomes in long longitudinal studies in post-menopausal women has been seldom investigated. This study is a cohort trial which aimed to determine if there were differences in cognitive function assessment, depressive symptoms, and sleep quality after 1 year under AROi treatment and to determine the interrelations between these symptoms. Methods: A prospective 1-year longitudinal study was performed in a representative sample of tertiary hospital. Women with localized breast cancer newly treated with AROi therapy were evaluated for cognitive functions, depressive symptoms, sleep problems and ability to perform basic activities of the daily life at baseline and after 6 months and 12 months under adjuvant AROi treatment. Results: Analysis of cognitive functions by the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) scores did not show significantly worsening under AROi treatment after 6 months and 12 months of treatment compared to the baseline. Analysis of depressive symptoms with the Geriatric Depression Scale and sleep quality with the Athens Insomnia Scale (AIS) scores showed significant (p

Abstract Optical coherence tomography angiography (OCT-A) allows the detection of retinal vessel density (VD) loss, which is a reflection of brain vascular pathology. We aimed to investigate differences in macular VD in the superficial plexus in a large cohort of individuals cognitively unimpaired (CU), with mild cognitive impairment due to Alzheimer´s disease (MCI-AD), MCI due to cerebrovascular pathology (MCI-Va), probable Alzheimer´s disease dementia (ADD) and Vascular Dementia (VaD). Clinical, demographical, ophthalmological and OCT-A data from the Neuro-ophthalmology Research at Fundació ACE (NORFACE) project were analyzed. Differences of macular VD in four quadrants (superior, nasal, inferior and temporal) among the five diagnostic groups were assessed in a multivariate regression model, adjusted by age, sex, education, hypertension, diabetes mellitus, heart disease and stroke. The study cohort comprised 672 participants: 128 CU, 120 MCI-AD, 111 MCI-Va, 257 ADD and 56 VaD. Regression analysis showed a significantly higher VD in the temporal quadrant in MCI-AD compared to CU participants (49.05 ± 4.91 vs 47.27 ± 4.17, p = 0.02, d = 0.40), and a significantly lower VD in the inferior quadrant in MCI-Va compared to CU participants (48.70 ± 6.57 vs 51.27 ± 6.39, p = 0.02, d = 0.40). Individuals with heart disease presented significantly lower VD in the inferior quadrant than those without (p = 0.01). The interaction of sex and diagnosis had no effect in differentiating VD. Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) scores were not correlated to VD (all r 0.07). In conclusion, our study showed that the MCI-AD and MCI-Va groups had significant differences in macular VD in opposite directions in the temporal and inferior quadrants, respectively, compared to CU participants, suggesting that macular VD might be able to differentiate two pathogenic pathways (AD- and cerebrovascular-related) in early stages of cognitive decline.