Search

In the realm of sub-Riemannian manifolds, a relevant question is: what are the metric lines (isometric embedding of the real line)? The space of kk-jets of a real function of one real variable xx, denoted by Jk(R,R){J}^{k}\left({\mathbb{R}},{\mathbb{R}}), admits the structure of a Carnot group. Every Carnot group is sub-Riemannian manifold, so is Jk(R,R){J}^{k}\left({\mathbb{R}},{\mathbb{R}}). This study aims to present a partial result about the classification of the metric lines within Jk(R,R){J}^{k}\left({\mathbb{R}},{\mathbb{R}}). The method is to use an intermediate three-dimensional sub-Riemannian space RF3{{\mathbb{R}}}_{F}^{3} lying between the group Jk(R,R){J}^{k}\left({\mathbb{R}},{\mathbb{R}}) and the Euclidean space R2{{\mathbb{R}}}^{2}.

Patients with familial adenomatous polyposis (FAP) develop early colorectal adenomas and if left untreated, progression to cancer is an inevitable event. Prophylactic surgery does not prevent further development of cancer in the rectal remnant, rectal cuff in patients with ileal pouch anal anastomosis (IPAA) and even on the ileal mucosa of the pouch body. The aim of this review is to assess long-term rates of cancer and adenoma development in patients with FAP after prophylactic surgery and to summarise current recommendations for endoscopic management and surveillance of these patients.

Eduardo Laviña,1,2 Sara Lumbreras,3 Lara Bravo,4 Joan B Soriano,5 José Luis Izquierdo,1,6 Jose Miguel Rodríguez4,6 1Servicio de Neumología, Hospital Universitario de Guadalajara, Guadalajara, Spain; 2Escuela de Doctorado, Programa Doctoral en Ciencias de la Salud, Universidad de Alcalá, Alcalá de Henares, Madrid, Spain; 3Departamento de Organización Industrial, Escuela Técnica Superior de Ingeniería (ICAI), Universidad Pontificia Comillas – IIT, Madrid, Spain; 4Servicio de Neumología, Hospital Universitario Príncipe de Asturias, Alcalá de Henares, Madrid, Spain; 5Servicio de Neumología, Hospital Universitario de la Princesa; Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid; and Centro de Investigación Biomédica En Red de Enfermedades Respiratorias (CIBERES), Instituto de Salud Carlos III; All in Madrid, Madrid, Spain; 6Departamento de Medicina y Especialidades Médicas, Universidad de Alcalá, Alcalá de Henares, Madrid, SpainCorrespondence: José Luis Izquierdo, Servicio de Neumología, Hospital Universitario de Guadalajara, Calle Donantes de Sangre, Guadalajara, SN, 19002, Spain, Email joseluis.izquierdoa@uah.esIntroduction: Although pulmonary involvement due to alpha-1 antitrypsin (AAT) deficiency has been widely described, most studies focus on the genotypes causing severe deficiency (< 60 mg/dL).Objective: The aim of this study was to analyze the prevalence of the different AAT gene variants that do not cause severe deficiency in patients with pulmonary emphysema diagnosed by thoracic computed tomography (CT). Furthermore, we assessed the risk associated with a non-severe decrease in AAT values in the pathogenesis of emphysema.Methods: Case-control study design that included patients who had a CT scan available of the entire thorax. In total, 176 patients with emphysema (cases) and 100 control subjects without emphysema were analyzed.Results: The prevalence of variants was higher among cases (25.6%; 45/176) than controls (22%; 22/100), although the difference was not statistically significant (P=0.504) when analyzed globally. In the control group, all the variants detected were MS. Excluding this variant, statistically significant differences were observed in the remaining variants (MZ, SS and SZ). Only 18% of the controls (all MS) presented values below our limit of normality, and all had values very close to the reference value (90 mg/dL). In contrast, 76% of patients with the other variants presented pathological levels. In a logistic regression model, both smoking and a non-severe reduction in AAT (60 to 90 mg/dL) increased the probability of emphysema.Conclusion: Our study confirms an association between certain variants in the alpha-1 antitrypsin gene that do not cause severe deficiency and the presence of pulmonary emphysema. This association with variants that are associated with reductions in serum AAT values is statistically significant and independent of smoking habit.Keywords: emphysema, alpha-1 antitrypsin, deficiency, variants

The impending scarcity of the radio frequency (RF) spectrum has led to a boom in the development of complementary technologies such as visible light communication (VLC). Hybrid systems that complement both technologies have demonstrated numerous advantages in terms of data rate, bandwidth, and security. However, the successful operation of a hybrid VLC/RF network is highly dependent on the network selection process. In this paper, three network selection algorithms are proposed for hybrid VLC/RF systems in an indoor Internet of things (IoT)-home scenario. The proposed algorithms consider the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR), the available capacity of each network, the number of devices connected to each network, and the users’ location within the scenario. Each algorithm analyzes the data load requirements of each mobile terminal and IoT device according to these metrics. Based on this evaluation, the network that offers the best benefit in terms of signal quality, capacity, and throughput is selected. The numerical results show that the VLC network presents higher SNR values, especially for users near its access points. In addition, a higher bandwidth, a higher connection capacity, and an improvement in the quality of service are perceived from these positions. The three proposed selection algorithms presented good overall performance of the hybrid system, with the Analytical Algorithm offering the best performance for connected users, superior to the Sequential Algorithm by an average of 15.9%. The network selection algorithms efficiently allocated the maximum number of users for the VLC network, improving overall system performance and reducing the RF network data load.

Stand density management diagrams (SDMDs) are robust decision-support tools available to forest managers under limited information. SDMDs which are based on empirical models at stand level, graphically represent the temporal relationships among stand density, and different stand variables such as quadratic mean diameter, dominant height, and mean tree volume. They are used to define initial planting spacing or thinning interventions, to meet various management objectives. Nowadays, there is a growing interest in mixed-species forests as an option for adaptive forest management, where they are considered a guarantor to safeguarding a wide variety of ecosystem services within the framework of sustainability. But there is still a lack of knowledge and efficient tools and models for mixed stands such as SDMDs. This study aims to develop an SDMD for Pinus sylvestris L. and Pinus pinaster Ait. mixed stands in the Sierra de la Demanda (Spain) using data from the third Spanish National Forest Inventory. Both species are two of the most important conifers in Europe and the western Mediterranean basin. Different variables can be used to develop an SDMD. In this case, quadratic mean diameter, dominant height, total stand volume, number of trees per hectare, and stand density index were used. These equations were fit by simultaneous fitting including a new variable representing the proportion of both species in the mixed stand. The results of the simultaneous fitting showed the new variable representing the proportion of both species was not significant. Based on that, the SDMD was constructed without including mixture degree. This SDMD can be used by forest managers as an efficient tool to plan thinning operations.

La cromatografía líquida acoplada a la espectrometría de masas ha ganado en popularidad en los laboratorios en los últimos años debido a una mayor especificidad de la técnica, la posibilidad de determinar múltiples analitos en una sola inyección de la muestra, la medición de analitos en una variedad de matrices diferentes y a una drástica reducción de las interferencias analíticas en comparación con el inmunoensayo. El tratamiento y preparación de las muestras biológicas es un proceso esencial cuando éstas han de ser analizadas mediante sistemas cromatográficos. Los principales interferentes en el análisis de las muestras de sangre son los fosfolípidos y las proteínas. El objetivo principal de este estudio es mejorar la sistemática analítica toxicológica en el cribado general de fármacos mediante la técnica LC-MS/MS a través de un nuevo método de preparación de muestras en sangre basado en la precipitación de proteínas y eliminación de fosfolípidos.

Se realizó un estudio para evaluar la inmunidad de trabajadores sanitarios y no sanitarios del área de salud de Alcoy (España), tras haber recibido tres dosis de la vacuna de Pfizer-BioNTech y analizar su relación con factores individuales.

To assess the immunity of healthcare and non-healthcare workers in the Alcoy health area (Spain) after completing three doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine and how it relates with individual factors.

Los retoños tienen un valor significativo en los estimados a partir de que pueden alcanzar hasta el 50% de lo que se lleva a la industria para la molienda. Un manejo adecuado previsto desde la planificación puede favorecer significativamente al incremento del rendimiento agrícola. Con el objetivo de planificar de forma sostenible la atención postcosecha de la caña de azúcar se desarrolló esta investigación. El trabajo se realizó en la Empresa Agroindustrial Azucarera (EAA) 5 de septiembre, en la campaña 2022-2023. Se utilizó como información de la EAA: la Base de Datos Única, la información digitalizada del Mapa de Suelo 1:25 000 y la Estrategia de Corte. Para la planificación del manejo agronómico se empleó el software LabraS del Instituto de Investigaciones de la caña de Azúcar. Los resultados mostraron que las condiciones en el manejo postcosecha se caracterizaron por predominar el mal drenaje del suelo como el principal factor limitante para la labranza (41%), ocupar la cepa soca un 24% y tener una afectación del 40% de leñosas con intensidad de ligera a media. Las labores planificadas y la demanda de combustible cumplieron con los requerimientos agronómicos de la caña de azúcar y siguieron los principios de sostenibilidad. Se identificó en la máquina FMCM-1 una demanda potencial mayor que la capacidad instalada en los dos primeros meses del año, como promedio en 751 ha. Se recomendó desarrollar investigaciones para determinar los factores que influyen en la aplicación del FMCM-1 en aras de lograr su máximo aprovechamiento.

Introduction: The aim of the study was to determine the iron status of rural-dwelling pregnant Nigerian women in the second and third trimesters, and to predict their risk of giving birth to babies with suboptimal iron endowment. Methods: This was a prospective cohort study conducted between April and August 2021. A total of 174 consecutive and consenting pregnant rural dwellers, who met the inclusion criteria, were recruited by convenience sampling from the antenatal clinic of a public hospital in Nsukka, a semirural town in south-east Nigeria. The study participants were aged 21-40 years, and their iron status was determined by measuring blood haemoglobin (Hb) and serum ferritin (SF) concentration. Hb concentration was determined by the cyanmethemoglobin method and the SF concentration was determined by enzyme immunoassay method. Results: Almost half (47.7%) of the participants had Hb concentrations below 11 g/dL, while about two out of every five (40.8%) had SF concentrations less than 15 µg/L. The prevalence of iron deficiency, iron deficiency anaemia (IDA) and non-iron deficiency anaemia were 40.8%, 23.6% and 24.7%, respectively. The mean SF levels varied with maternal age, gestation stage, pregnancy intervals and the intake of iron supplements. The mean SF concentration was higher in the second trimester than in the third. The mean SF concentration ± standard deviation (37.10±3.02 µg/L) was higher in the group that took iron supplements than in the group that did not (20.76±2.11 µg/L). However, two out of five participants in both groups had SF concentrations less than 15.0 µg/L. Conclusion: The prevalence of IDA was quite high among the participants in both trimesters even with the widespread intake of the recommended oral iron supplements. About four out of 10 of the participants had SF concentrations of less than 15 µg/L and were thus judged at risk of giving birth to babies with poor iron deposits. Therefore, more effective strategies are needed to monitor and prevent IDA among pregnant women in rural populations of Nigeria and, by inference, other parts of tropical Africa.

Congenital X-linked adrenal hypoplasia is a rare disease with a known genetic basis characterized by adrenal insufficiency, hypogonadotropic hypogonadism, and a wide variety of clinical manifestations.

La hipoplasia suprarrenal congénita ligada al cromosoma X es una enfermedad rara con base genética conocida, que se presenta con insuficiencia suprarrenal e hipogonadismo hipogonadotrófico y expresión clínica variable.

Forest adaptation to global change has become one of the main objectives of forest management in recent years. Species and structural diversification by thinning is a well-known adaptation measure, often applied by managers in monospecific even-aged stands. However, regeneration fellings may be more efficient for enhancing naturalization and resilience of monospecific reforested pine stands, widely distributed throughout the Mediterranean basin. This work focuses on the evaluation of natural regeneration after seed-tree method cuttings, adopted as a diversification strategy in a 60-year old P. pinaster reforestation with varying presence of broad-leaved species (mainly Quercus spp.) in mountains of Southern Spain. A trial consisting of 78 circular plots (1 m radius) was installed to monitor annual tree-species regeneration over seven years, classified into seedlings (0-10 cm height) and saplings (10-130 cm). Scrub coverage and other ecological variables were also measured. Sampling was carried out in three stand types (Pure, Mixed 1 and Mixed 2, in order of increasing presence of broad-leaved species), according to forest species composition before the felling. Maritime pine regeneration was successfully achieved by the end of the study period (over 2000 trees ha-1 widely distributed throughout the stand), whereas Quercus spp. seedlings even colonised plots in which there were no seed trees. Pine seedling density was positively affected by summer precipitation and the presence of conspecific adult pines, and negatively influenced by scrub coverage. High temperatures during the mid-summer months (especially August) negatively affected the seedling to sapling change ratio as well as sapling survival during the study period. Our results point to regeneration fellings with retention of pine and broadleaf species as a suitable method for diversifying species composition in Pinus pinaster reforestations in the Mediterranean region.

El sistema nervioso central es fundamental en el control de la homeostasis y mantenimiento de las funciones fisiológicas del organismo. Sin embargo, sus características bioquímicas hacen que sea especialmente vulnerable al daño oxidativo, lo que compromete su correcto funcionamiento, desencadenando neurodegeneración y muerte neuronal.

The central nervous system (CNS) is essential for homeostasis and controls the physiological functions of the body. However, the biochemical characteristics of the CNS make it especially vulnerable to oxidative damage (OS). This phenomenon compromises correct CNS functioning, leading to neurodegeneration and neuronal death.

Advances in molecular pharmacology and an improved understanding of the mechanism of most diseases have created the need to specifically target the cells involved in the initiation and progression of diseases. This is especially true for most life-threatening diseases requiring therapeutic agents which have numerous side effects, thus requiring accurate tissue targeting to minimize systemic exposure. Recent drug delivery systems (DDS) are formulated using advanced technology to accelerate systemic drug delivery to the specific target site, maximizing therapeutic efficacy and minimizing off-target accumulation in the body. As a result, they play an important role in disease management and treatment. Recent DDS offer greater advantages when compared to conventional drug delivery systems due to their enhanced performance, automation, precision, and efficacy. They are made of nanomaterials or miniaturized devices with multifunctional components that are biocompatible, biodegradable, and have high viscoelasticity with an extended circulating half-life. This review, therefore, provides a comprehensive insight into the history and technological advancement of drug delivery systems. It updates the most recent drug delivery systems, their therapeutic applications, challenges associated with their use, and future directions for improved performance and use.

Abstract Food safety has gained great importance in recent years. Food marketing has significantly influenced the eating habits of our society, which proves the importance of real-time and authentic communication. As a result of it, an urgent need has arisen in the food industry to find substitutes for additives that can potentially cause toxic or allergic reactions in humans. In addition, the so-called “functional foods” have introduced new trends in the demand and production of foods. One such trend has been the substitution of artificial colorants with beta-carotene – a natural colorant with a strong pigmenting power. However, many countries including Ecuador have still not been able to exploit this colorant at industrial levels as a total substitute for artificial colorants. Therefore, this analytical study concludes that an assertive communication is relevant for the industry, as investigated in this practical case.

Paediatric and adult psychiatric emergency department (ED) visits decreased during the initial COVID-19 outbreak. Long-term consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic will include increases in mental healthcare needs, especially among vulnerable groups such as children and adolescents.

The response of three of the most used commercial polymers (poly(vinyl chloride) (PVC), poly(ethylene terephthalate) (PET) and polypropylene (PP)) under irradiation with high repetition rate (1 kHz–1 MHz) femtosecond (450 fs) multi-pulse (N = 10–1500) laser at λ = 343 nm, 515 nm (1.40 J/cm2 for both former wavelengths) and 1030 nm (1.70 J/cm2) is reported, obtaining a study on how the absorption mechanism influences the processing efficiency for these materials. Tunable ablation depth and diameters are accomplished by modifying repetition rates at a constant fluence and number of pulses. The results highlight the role of absorption mechanism, repetition rate ranges and thermal properties of the materials for benefiting ablation efficiency. Furthermore, the use of high repetition rates improves the laser processing, reducing extended thermal effects and increasing ablation uniformity.

In the present work, the viability of a novel recording geometry to produce reflection holographic couplers is analyzed. Recalling the idea of previous works, photopolymers are used as the recording material because they have been proven to be well-suited for the intended see-through application: the capability to provide a virtual image without compromising the information about the surrounding environment. Moreover, holography fundamentals give us the proper background to examine the proposed design, where no prisms or microlenses arrays are used. Aiming to support the analysis, we provide experimental evidence that the produced reflection holographic gratings exhibit the correct properties to work as a coupler, where the sensitivity of the material and its properties are studied and examined.

In this work a three-dimensional diffusion model is used to model photopolymers as a recording media. This model allows us to predict the properties of the Diffractive Optical Elements (DOEs) once we recorded into the photopolymer. This model had never been tested with more complex elements, such as multifocal diffractive lenses, as presented in the following in this work. In addition, the model includes; the estimation of the refractive index modulation, the low-pass filtering effect due to the experimental optical setup, and the evolution of the transverse intensity distribution. In this way, the selection of the appropriate material characteristics depending on the intended DOE application is made possible. Specifically, an acrylamide-based PVA/AA photopolymer is simulated using the proposed model. Moreover, coverplating and index matching systems are considered together to avoid the effects of thickness variation. Furthermore, in order to compare their properties using the proposed model, we focus on Fibonacci lenses (FL), a type of bifocal lenses. This allows us to evaluate the dependence of the focii intensity on the polymerisation rate, the diffusivity parameter, low-pass filtering effect and the use of the index matching system for these lenses. This enables us to know the recording parameters in order to produce this type of multifocal diffractive lenses with higher quality and precision.

El género Sorghum, es una especie cultivada con relevancia a nivel mundial, clave en el objetivo de contribuir a alcanzar la seguridad alimentaria. Así mismo, dadas sus características fisiológicas diferentes, como su alta eficiencia fotosintética y adaptación a condiciones adversas, potenciadas por la expresión de su vigor híbrido, representa una alternativa viable para la rotación de cultivos en áreas arroceras y maiceras. En el Ecuador hay poca investigación, relacionados con el comportamiento y adaptación de este cultivo, que permitan lograr la inserción del cultivo de sorgo en los diferentes sistemas de producción agrícola e industrial. En este contexto el presente trabajo busca, a través de la evaluación de cuatro híbridos de sorgo, cultivado en tres zonas agroecológicas diferentes de la costa ecuatoriana, determinar la adaptabilidad, productividad, y rentabilidad, mediante la evaluación de variables morfométricas y fisiológicas, aplicando metodologías estandarizadas para determinar rentabilidad, rendimiento y adaptabilidad de las variedades de sorgo MALÓN, ADV1302, ADV1350 IG, ADV1250 IG en zonas agroecológicas ecuatorianas de Montalvo, Ventanas y Quevedo. Con los datos registrados se realizaron análisis estadísticos y económicos, donde efectivamente existen diferencias significativas en las variables evaluadas. Los tratamientos empleados mostraron diferencias significativ

Angiosarcoma of the bone is a rare, aggressive and poor-prognosis malignancy, that is unusual in children. This entity preferentially affects the tubular bones, and can present as a solitary or multicentric lesion. We present the case of a 7-year-old girl, without medical surgical history, who consulted to the National Cancer Institute - Colombia, for presenting a tumor lesion that compromised the entire humerus, destroying it and deforming the arm. To guide the diagnosis of the lesion, a detailed histopathological study and immunohistochemical markers were performed, which suggested a malignant vascular neoplasm. Due to the extensive tumor involvement, the only therapeutic option was scapulothoracic disarticulation of the limb, followed by adjuvant management with a chemotherapy protocol. During the chemotherapy cycles, the patient presented metastatic lesions in the lung, which were resected. At the moment, she is without tumor lesions and under close follow-up.

The present study tries to assess the nutritional status and dietary behaviours in a group of undergraduate students in order to characterize their food habits and assess the quality of their diet. A cross-sectional study was conducted with 220 undergraduate university students (110 male and 110 female) aged between 19 and 24 years from the Food Department of Saad Dahlab Blida 1 University (Algeria). The data collection and nutritional evaluation were carried out using DIAL nutritional software. Male participants had significantly (P < 0.005) higher body mass index (BMI) when compared to females. Significantly higher percentages of female students (P < 0.005) had tried a low-fat diet (P = 0.0075) and a low-carbohydrate diet (P < 0.005). The prevalence of overweight was higher among males compared to females. In contrast, a greater percentage of underweight students were observed in the group of female subjects. Related to micronutrient intake, a significant difference by sex was observed for vitamin A, C, folic acid, iron, calcium, and sodium intakes. However, females consumed more food containing vitamins C and A, whereas males’ intake of calcium, sodium, folic acid, and iron was higher than the corresponding values observed in females. To conclude, these students reported a diet characterized by a high variety of cereal products and a moderate amount of vegetables, milk and dairy products, meat, fish and eggs, dietary fats and beverages, whereas the consumption of fruits was highly infrequent.