Search

Encouraging older and newer mobility alternatives to standard privately owned cars, such as cycling and autonomous vehicles, is necessary to reduce pollution, enhance safety, increase transportation efficiency, and create a more sustainable urban environment. Implementing mobility plans that identify the use of different transport modes in their confidence intervals can lead to the development of smarter and more efficient cities, where all citizens can benefit from safe and environmentally friendly streets. This research aims to provide insights into designing urban streets that seamlessly integrate autonomous vehicles and cyclists, promoting sustainable mobility while ensuring urban transport efficiency. With this aim, the research identifies and prioritizes the factors that are relevant to street design as well as the appropriate strategies to address them. Our methodology combines Multi-Criteria Decision-Making (MCDM) with Game theory to identify and realize the most convenient conditions for this integration. Initially, the basic factors were identified using the value-interval fuzzy Delphi method. Following this, the factors were weighted with the interval-fuzzy Analytic Network Process (ANP), and the cause-and-effect variables were evaluated using the interval-fuzzy Decision-Making Trial and Evaluation Laboratory ANP (DANP). Finally, Game theory was employed to determine the optimal model for addressing these challenges. The results indicate that safety emerged as the most significant factor and two optimal strategies were identified; the integration of green infrastructure and smart technology.

Abstract WEMAC is a unique open multi-modal dataset that comprises physiological, speech, and self-reported emotional data records of 100 women, targeting Gender-based Violence detection. Emotions were elicited through visualizing a validated video set using an immersive virtual reality headset. The physiological signals captured during the experiment include blood volume pulse, galvanic skin response, and skin temperature. The speech was acquired right after the stimuli visualization to capture the final traces of the perceived emotion. Subjects were asked to annotate among 12 categorical emotions, several dimensional emotions with a modified version of the Self-Assessment Manikin, and liking and familiarity labels. The technical validation proves that all the targeted categorical emotions show a strong statistically significant positive correlation with their corresponding reported ones. That means that the videos elicit the desired emotions in the users in most cases. Specifically, a negative correlation is found when comparing fear and not-fear emotions, indicating that this is a well-portrayed emotional dimension, a specific, though not exclusive, purpose of WEMAC towards detecting gender violence

Abstract Severe Neonatal Jaundice (SNJ) causes long-term neurocognitive impairment, cerebral palsy, auditory neuropathy, deafness, or death. We developed a mathematical model for allo-hemodialysis as a potential blood purification method for the treatment of SNJ in term or near-term infants. With allo-hemodialysis (allo-HD), the neonate’s blood flows through hollow fibers of a miniature 0.075 m2 hemodialyzer, while the blood of a healthy adult (“buddy”) flows counter-currently through the dialysate compartment. We simulated the kinetics of unconjugated bilirubin in allo-hemodialysis with neonate blood flow rates of 12.5 and 15 mL/min (for a 2.5 kg and 3.5 kg neonate, respectively), and 30 mL/min for the buddy. Bilirubin production rates in neonate and buddy were set to 6 and 3 mg/kg/day, respectively. Buddy bilirubin conjugation rate was calculated to obtain normal steady-state bilirubin levels. Albumin levels were set to 1.1, 2.1, 3.1 g/dL for the neonate and 3.3 g/dL for the buddy. Model simulations suggest that a 6-h allo-hemodialysis session could reduce neonatal bilirubin levels by > 35% and that this modality would be particularly effective with low neonatal serum albumin levels. Due to the high bilirubin conjugation capacity of an adult’s healthy liver and the larger distribution volume, the buddy’s bilirubin level increases only transiently during allo-hemodialysis. Our modelling suggests that a single allo-hemodialysis session may lower neonatal unconjugated bilirubin levels effectively. If corroborated in ex-vivo, animal, and clinical studies, this bilirubin reduction could lower the risks associated with SNJ, especially kernicterus, and possibly avoiding the morbidity associated with exchange transfusions.

Abstract Background The allometric body shape index (ABSI) and hip index (HI), as well as multi-trait body shape phenotypes, have not yet been compared in their associations with inflammatory markers. The aim of this study was to examine the relationship between novel and traditional anthropometric indexes with inflammation using data from the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition (EPIC) and UK Biobank cohorts. Methods Participants from EPIC (n = 17,943, 69.1% women) and UK Biobank (n = 426,223, 53.2% women) with data on anthropometric indexes and C-reactive protein (CRP) were included in this cross-sectional analysis. A subset of women in EPIC also had at least one measurement for interleukins, tumour necrosis factor alpha, interferon gamma, leptin, and adiponectin. Four distinct body shape phenotypes were derived by a principal component (PC) analysis on height, weight, body mass index (BMI), waist (WC) and hip circumferences (HC), and waist-to-hip ratio (WHR). PC1 described overall adiposity, PC2 tall with low WHR, PC3 tall and centrally obese, and PC4 high BMI and weight with low WC and HC, suggesting an athletic phenotype. ABSI, HI, waist-to-height ratio and waist-to-hip index (WHI) were also calculated. Linear regression models were carried out separately in EPIC and UK Biobank stratified by sex and adjusted for age, smoking status, education, and physical activity. Results were additionally combined in a random-effects meta-analysis. Results Traditional anthropometric indexes, particularly BMI, WC, and weight were positively associated with CRP levels, in men and women. Body shape phenotypes also showed distinct associations with CRP. Specifically, PC2 showed inverse associations with CRP in EPIC and UK Biobank in both sexes, similarly to height. PC3 was inversely associated with CRP among women, whereas positive associations were observed among men. Conclusions Specific indexes of body size and body fat distribution showed differential associations with inflammation in adults. Notably, our results suggest that in women, height may mitigate the impact of a higher WC and HC on inflammation. This suggests that subtypes of adiposity exhibit substantial variation in their inflammatory potential, which may have implications for inflammation-related chronic diseases.

Abstract This article presents the results of the geoarchaeological study of earthen building materials used in a Tartessic public building at Casas del Turuñuelo. The construction dates back to the fifth century BCE and is one of the monumental buildings of Tartessic culture, characterized by its complex architecture, prestige goods, and intentional destruction after a feast and animal sacrifice. We applied an integrated methodology combining macro and micro approaches to investigate earthen construction processes, such as techniques, labour organization, workers’ specialization, and environmental exploitation. The sample mainly consists of mudbricks, but we also include other forms of earthen materials such as mud plasters, mud mortars, and geological soils for comparison. In total, 64 samples from different building parts were studied through X-ray fluorescence, X-ray diffraction, thin-section petrography, and CHN analyses. The results reveal that the workforce involved in the construction process used different resources and presented different skill levels, but was centrally planned and organized. This study reflects on the communities’ knowledge of the environment, the logistic effort and technical skill employed in the building process, and the existence of strong political structures capable of managing the erection of the complex Tartessic buildings.

Summary: Background: Ultra-processed food (UPF) consumption has been linked with higher risk of mortality. This multi-centre study investigated associations between food intake by degree of processing, using the Nova classification, and all-cause and cause-specific mortality. Methods: This study analyzed data from the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition. All-cause mortality and cause-specific mortality due to cancer, circulatory diseases, digestive diseases, Parkinson’s disease, and Alzheimer’s disease served as endpoints. Hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% CIs were estimated using multivariable Cox proportional hazards regression models. Substitution analyses were also performed. Findings: Overall, 428,728 (71.7% female) participants were included in the analysis and 40,016 deaths were documented after 15.9 years of follow-up. UPFs (in percentage grams per day [g/d]) were positively associated with all-cause mortality (HRs per 1-SD: 1.04; 95% CI: 1.02,1.05), as well as mortality from circulatory diseases (1.09; 95% CI: 1.07,1.12), cerebrovascular disease (1.11; 95% CI: 1.05,1.17), ischemic heart disease (1.10; 95% CI: 1.06,1.15), digestive diseases (1.12; 95% CI: 1.05,1.20), and Parkinson’s disease (1.23; 95% CI: 1.06,1.42). No associations were found between UPFs and mortality from cancer or Alzheimer’s disease. Replacing processed and UPFs with unprocessed/minimally processed foods was associated with lower mortality risk. Interpretation: In this pan-European analysis, higher UPF consumption was associated with greater mortality from circulatory diseases, digestive diseases, and Parkinson’s disease. The results support growing evidence that higher consumption of UPFs and lower consumption of unprocessed foods may have a negative impact on health. Funding: l’Institut National du Cancer, and World Cancer Research Fund International.

Los programas de intervención en danza han demostrado su eficacia en la promoción de la salud general de niños y adolescentes de entre 3 y 14 años. El objetivo de esta revisión sistemática fue analizar esta disciplina y los beneficios que aporta a la salud de quienes la practican. Se siguieron las directrices PRISMA 2020. Se realizó una búsqueda exhaustiva en cuatro bases de datos electrónicas: Web of Science, Scopus, MEDLINE y Proquest. Los términos de búsqueda utilizados fueron: "Dance" e "Intervention" y "Health" y "Children'' y "Adolescents". En total, se incluyeron 15 estudios en la revisión sistemática. Tras analizar los resultados, se concluyó que la práctica de la danza puede producir mejoras en todas las áreas, siendo las más estudiadas las relacionadas con la salud física, concretamente la mejora de los niveles de actividad física (AF), la composición corporal y la salud cardiovascular. Palabras clave: Niño. Adolescente. Danza. Revisión sistemática. Abstract.Dance intervention programs have been shown to be effective in promoting the overall health of children and adolescents between the ages of 3 and 14. The objective of this systematic review has been to analyze this discipline and the benefits it brings to the health of those who practice it. PRISMA 2020 guidelines were followed. A comprehensive search was conducted in four electronic databases: Web of Science, Scopus, MEDLINE and Proquest. The search terms used were: "Dance" and "Intervention" and "Health" and "Children'' and "Adolescents". In total, 15 studies were included in the systematic review. After analyzing the results, it was concluded that dance practice can lead to improvement in all areas, with the most studied being those related to physical health, in particular with the improvement in physical activity (PA) levels, body composition and cardiovascular health. Keywords: Child. Adolescent. Dance. Systematic Review

El objetivo de este trabajo es analizar si los currículos derivados de la LOMLOE (Ley Orgánica 3/2020, de 29 de diciembre, por la que se modifica la Ley Orgánica 2/2006, de 3 de mayo, de Educación) para las etapas de Educación Infantil y Primaria favorecen la alfabetización ambiental. Debido a que la alfabetización ambiental, se entiende como la capacidad de reflexionar acerca de la interrelación entre los sistemas sociales y la biosfera, consideramos de interés general que las dimensiones de esta se recojan en los Reales Decretos. Para el análisis del contenido, se ha empleado un enfoque cualitativo e interpretativo. Este proceso dio lugar a un sistema de análisis previo y otro final a la luz de los datos. Los resultados señalan el bajo grado de alfabetización ambiental prescrito y las implicaciones negativas que ello supone para la educación ambiental de la ciudadanía.

This qualitative descriptive-interpretive study aims to understand and describe the perceptions of a group of pre-service teachers of the degree of environmental literacy in primary education at the University of Seville. They participated in a training proposal focused on the current eco-social crisis related to the socio-environmental impact of food in which the different dimensions constituting environmental literacy were analysed. Those dimensions are knowledge, attitudes and emotions, behaviour, and the didactic knowledge associated with socio-environmental issues. The students’ diaries were used as a data-collecting tool in this study. The results reveal a heterogeneous distribution in the students’ understanding and internalisation of concepts related to the dimensions of environmental literacy. In terms of knowledge, most students show a deep and holistic understanding. Diversity is observed in their attitudes and emotions towards socio-environmental issues, and tentative attitudes towards change prevail. Finally, their intentions and proposals for solutions mainly reflect simplistic perceptions. This emphasises the importance of encouraging active participation and collaboration in the search for socio-environmental solutions. In general, the results stress the need to continue improving the preparation of future teachers with regard to environmental education. A deeper understanding and a committed attitude towards sustainability and the preservation of the social and natural environment should be encouraged in initial teacher training.

Among the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) proposed within the 2030 Agenda and adopted by all the United Nations member states, the 13th SDG is a call for action to combat climate change. Moreover, SDGs 14 and 15 claim the protection and conservation of life below water and life on land, respectively. In this work, we provide a literature-founded overview of application areas, in which computer audition – a powerful but in this context so far hardly considered technology, combining audio signal processing and machine intelligence – is employed to monitor our ecosystem with the potential to identify ecologically critical processes or states. We distinguish between applications related to organisms, such as species richness analysis and plant health monitoring, and applications related to the environment, such as melting ice monitoring or wildfire detection. This work positions computer audition in relation to alternative approaches by discussing methodological strengths and limitations, as well as ethical aspects. We conclude with an urgent call to action to the research community for a greater involvement of audio intelligence methodology in future ecosystem monitoring approaches.

Background Population distribution of reduced diffusing capacity of the lungs for carbon monoxide (DLCO) in smokers and main consequences are not properly recognised. The objectives of this study were to describe the prevalence of reduced DLCO in a population-based sample of current and former smoker subjects without airflow limitation and to describe its morphological, functional and clinical implications.Methods A sample of 405 subjects aged 40 years or older with postbronchodilator forced expiratory volume in 1 s/forced vital capacity (FVC) >0.70 was obtained from a random population-based sample of 9092 subjects evaluated in the EPISCAN II study. Baseline evaluation included clinical questionnaires, exhaled carbon monoxide (CO) measurement, spirometry, DLCO determination, 6 min walk test, routine blood analysis and low-dose CT scan with evaluation of lung density and airway wall thickness.Results In never, former and current smokers, prevalence of reduced DLCO was 6.7%, 14.4% and 26.7%, respectively. Current and former smokers with reduced DLCO without airflow limitation were younger than the subjects with normal DLCO, and they had greater levels of dyspnoea and exhaled CO, greater pulmonary artery diameter and lower spirometric parameters, 6 min walk distance, daily physical activity and plasma albumin levels (all p

Nuestro objetivo persigue generar actitudes y valores en Educación Infantil que permitan desarrollar una visión positiva hacia "el otro" y faciliten la creación de procesos de convivencia intercultural a través de la empatía hacia los animales. Va a ser en estos primeros años desde donde se comience a aprender a discriminar, a resolver pacíficamente situaciones de conflicto, a adquirir actitudes de respeto, tolerancia y solidaridad, a trabajar colaborativamente, a eliminar situaciones de discriminación, desigualdad o violencia, a favorecer los procesos de empatía,…, en definitiva, a construir unos sólidos pilares de interrelación social. Hemos aplicado una metodología mixta cuantitativa y cualitativa, sustentada en las técnicas de la elaboración de un cuestionario y la observación participante. El recurso inicial ha sido la elaboración de un cuento, que aplicado de forma transversal, ha permitido intervenir en el desarrollo auditivo, visual y psicomotor del niño/a. Las conclusiones alcanzadas confirman muy favorablemente el objetivo propuesto.

El identificador de objeto digital, conocido en inglés como digital object identifier y abreviado DOI, surgido en 1997, es una cadena alfanumérica única que identifica un contenido electrónico yproporciona un enlace permanente a su ubicación en internet. A 25 años de la implementación de esta herramienta, todavía quedan muchas revistas con un impacto considerable que no cuentan con DOI. Cuba no lo tiene porque le es negado por las grandes agencias registradoras. Fue objetivo de los autores de esta comunicación destacar la importancia del DOI como herramienta básica para el control de la documentación digital. Se concluyó que su principal aporte es asegurar la identificación persistente y unívoca de un documento, a través de un registro sistemático central de sus metadatos. Se recomienda que siempre que esté disponible el DOI en línea, se utilice en la cita bibliográfica, para mejorar la visibilidad de las revistas y los propios investigadores.

Highlights: • The use of real-time rendering with ray tracing technology as a tool for heritage virtual reconstruction is proposed. • The possibilities that the use of next-generation video game engines, specifically Unreal Engine, offer are evaluated in terms of their application in heritage virtualisation. • The first results of the virtual reconstruction of the Tartessian site of Casas del Turuñuelo are presented, after using real-time ray tracing technology as a research method to create and review architectural hypotheses. Abstract: Virtual reconstruction has become a fundamental tool to study and analyse archaeological heritage, given its usefulness for both research and dissemination. Although the discipline has advanced exponentially in recent years, the workflow used in most jobs is still based on the offline methodology as the preferred rendering engine. In contrast, this paper proposes the substitution of this methodology with the new ray tracing in real-time rendering technology; specifically, the authors used Unreal Engine to develop virtual reconstruction work as a research tool during the excavation of an archaeological site, as well as to disseminate the results of the study of each phase. The aim is to exploit the advantages of the immediacy of calculating high-quality and realistic lighting and materials, as well as the interaction and immersion in the virtual model that this system for the development of video games offers. This paper highlights: a) the benefits detected when using real-time technology in heritage reconstruction during the work carried out to date, and b) its limitations and its future evolution with the development of the technology. To demonstrate the usefulness of this tool, the authors present the reconstruction project of the Casas del Turuñuelo site (Guareña, Badajoz). It is one of the best preserved protohistoric sites in the Western Mediterranean, which is why applying this technology to this case study was considered appropriate. The excellent architectural preservation of the Casas del Turuñuelo building is an extraordinary example to assess the usefulness of applying video game engines to heritage reconstruction. This settlement is one of the first known examples of this technology being applied to heritage, specifically, to the virtualisation of an archaeological site under excavation. This methodology and its improvements will be applied to the virtual reconstruction of this project as the excavation of this site advances; thus, one of the main outreach tools developed within the framework of Building Tartessos project will be made available to users as a final product.

Several studies have investigated the relationship between scientists and journalists. However, Southern Europe has been less studied when it comes to understanding the nature and effectiveness of collaborations between these two groups of professionals. To address this gap, this study focused on researchers (i.e., academics and scientists from different fields, including clinical researchers and medical doctors) who conducted research activities on COVID-19-related topics in three Southern European countries (Italy, Portugal, and Spain). Using an approach that combined survey data (n = 317) with semi-structured interviews (n = 40), we explored researchers' personal beliefs, opinions, and experiences regarding their encounters with the media during the pandemic. Our results show that researchers' motivations, concerns, and benefits in their interactions with the media remained largely unchanged during the pandemic. Despite the additional challenges posed by the health emergency, most researchers in Italy, Portugal, and Spain rated their interactions with journalists positively. Several practices to promote and maintain trustful and fruitful cooperation with journalists were also identified. Additionally, lessons learned were extracted from the interactions between researchers and journalists during the pandemic. They hold particular relevance in a context of uncertainty, fake news, high demand for information and high expectations in science and technology. These findings aim to support both the scientific community and media professionals to deal with current and future communicative challenges such as health, environmental and social crises that require joint efforts from multiple societal actors.

Este trabajo analiza el discurso político en Extremadura entre 1995 y 2015. En concreto, la investigación se centra en el estudio de la propuesta sobre la Sociedad de la Información del presidente Juan Carlos Ibarra en 1996 y su sucesor al frente de la comunidad - José Antonio Monago-. Se examinan 19 intervenciones, con el objetivo de identificar las coincidencias y las diferencias entre ambos, a pesar de pertenecer a partidos distintos. Se aplica una metodología cuantitativa y cualitativa siguiendo las categorías Participación; Comunicación; Conocimiento; Identidad y Desarrollo. Se puede afirmar que, a pesar de las diferencias ideológicas, ambos políticos coinciden en mantener una visión capitalista del proyecto, si bien en el caso de Ibarra, predomina más la participación.

There is an interest from scholars and practitioners in understanding how nonprofit organizations (NPOs) can design and implement practices to enhance desirable volunteer attitudes and behaviors (Alfes et al., 2017). One important attitude is volunteers’ organizational commitment (OC). This research aims to identify factors that diminish volunteers’ OC and suggest effective ways to deal with them, which lead to NPOs performance improvement. This is achieved through a single case study in a Puerto Rican non-profit organization, which consists of in-depth interviews and self-administered questionnaires on psychological contract violation Five categories of factors that negatively affect volunteers’ OC were identified and analyzed: organizational structure, communication, recognition, strategic planning, and conflict management. General actions were provided to help NPOs deal with similar issues.

Introduction: renal lithiasis is very common, the predominant symptom is pain, generally intense, which must be alleviated, and homeopathic treatment is an option accessible to everybody. Objective: to evaluate the results of homeopathic treatment with calcareous carbonic 30CH indicated in patients diagnosed with renal lithiasis. Methods: a prospective longitudinal descriptive study was carried out in adult patients with a diagnosis of renal lithiasis attended at the Urology Service of the "Arnaldo Milián Castro" Hospital of Villa Clara Province during the years from 2017 to 2020. They were included 220 patients willing to cooperate with the study and were indicated treatment with calcareous carbonic 30CH. Results: female sex (115, 52.3%), age between 30 and 44 years (78, 35.5%), rural origin (129, 58.6%), consumption of well water (168, 76.4%), presentation with pain, nausea and vomiting, left lithiasis - in most cases (115, 52, 37 patients expelled the calculus in less than 30 days and 140 in the second month of treatment, 210 patients were cured, with 213 negative ultrasound scans, in the remaining patients the symptoms were relieved and the size of the lithiasis was reduced, there were few complications. Conclusions: the results of cure in more than three quarters of the patients treated confirm the use of 30CH carbonic calcarea as another option in the treatment of renal lithiasis.

Carrion consumption by scavengers is a key component of both terrestrial and aquatic food webs. However, there are few direct comparisons of the structure and functioning of scavenging communities in different ecosystems. Here, we monitored the consumption of 23 fish (seabream Sparus aurata) and 34 bird (yellow-legged gull Larus michahellis) carcasses on a small Mediterranean island (Isla Grosa, southeastern Spain) and surrounding waters in summer to compare the structure of the scavenger assemblages and their carrion consumption efficiencies in terrestrial and shallow water habitats. Scavenging was highly efficient both in marine and terrestrial environments, especially in the presence of a highly abundant vertebrate scavenger species, the yellow-legged gull. The vertebrate scavenger community was richer in the marine environment, whereas the invertebrate community was richer on land. The scavenger network was usually well-structured (i.e., nested), with the exception of the community associated with fish terrestrial carcasses, which were almost monopolized by yellow-legged gulls. In contrast, gulls left conspecific carcasses untouched, thus allowing longer persistence of gull carcasses on land and their exploitation by a diverse insect community. Our study shows important differences in the scavenging process associated with environment and carcass type. Promising avenues for further eco-evolutionary and applied research arise from the comparison of scavenging processes in terrestrial and marine ecosystems, from small islands to continents.

A few years ago, powered prostheses triggered new technological advances in diverse areas such as mobility, comfort, and design, which have been essential to improving the quality of life of individuals with lower limb disability. The human body is a complex system involving mental and physical health, meaning a dependant relationship between its organs and lifestyle. The elements used in the design of these prostheses are critical and related to lower limb amputation level, user morphology and human-prosthetic interaction. Hence, several technologies have been employed to accomplish the end user’s needs, for example, advanced materials, control systems, electronics, energy management, signal processing, and artificial intelligence. This paper presents a systematic literature review on such technologies, to identify the latest advances, challenges, and opportunities in developing lower limb prostheses with the analysis on the most significant papers. Powered prostheses for walking in different terrains were illustrated and examined, with the kind of movement the device should perform by considering the electronics, automatic control, and energy efficiency. Results show a lack of a specific and generalised structure to be followed by new developments, gaps in energy management and improved smoother patient interaction. Additionally, Human Prosthetic Interaction (HPI) is a term introduced in this paper since no other research has integrated this interaction in communication between the artificial limb and the end-user. The main goal of this paper is to provide, with the found evidence, a set of steps and components to be followed by new researchers and experts looking to improve knowledge in this field.

La enseñanza del idioma inglés es un programa educativo en Nicaragua que se inició en las escuelas primarias regulares en el año 2018, pero en el año 2022 se inició en algunas escuelas multigrado con el objetivo de atender a comunidades rurales a lo largo del territorio. El propósito principal de este trabajo investigativo es analizar cuáles son algunos de los desafíos que enfrentan los docentes de inglés en escuelas multigrado. Para llevar a cabo este ensayo fue necesario realizar una revisión bibliográfica de los aspectos más importantes del tema de investigación, entre estos se encuentran: los desafíos en la educación primaria y la enseñanza del inglés en escuelas multigrado en Nicaragua. Algunos de los resultados, en base al análisis bibliográfico, visualizan que los retos más relevantes que enfrentan los docentes son: manejo del aula, familiarización de los estudiantes con el idioma inglés, falta de capacitación docente y recursos didácticos limitados. Por consiguiente, estos aspectos deberían ser abordados consistentemente en escuelas multigrados.

En la actualidad se conoce un número destacado de necrópolis tartésicas fechadas en la I Edad del Hierro tanto en el valle del Guadalquivir como en el valle del Guadiana. El conocimiento que tenemos de estas deriva del estudio de sus enterramientos y sus ajuares, sin que hasta el momento hayan sido analizadas dentro del paisaje y del modelo de poblamiento del que forman parte. Con el objetivo de reconstruir el paisaje antiguo en el que se ubicaron estas necrópolis y detectar un patrón en la elección de los lugares para su ubicación, proponemos en este trabajo un método de análisis geográfico en el que se combinan los datos LiDAR, la fotografía histórica y los registros de inundaciones. Esta metodología se ha puesto en práctica en el análisis de las necrópolis del valle medio del Guadiana fechadas entre los ss. VII y V a. C. y el resultado nos permite definir la existencia de un patrón que conecta estos espacios funerarios con tradiciones de origen oriental.

ABSTRACTResponsible Innovation (RI) offers Sustainability Transitions (ST) research methodologies a pathway to enable more inclusive, responsive, and sustainable transitions. Specifically, Living Labs (LLs) can benefit from RI scholarship in the scope of their sustainability research designs, as they may thereby be able to better foster critical thinking, inclusivity, and reflexivity. Drawing on a review of LLs literature and the self-reported assessments of researchers, experts and stakeholders involved in 12 LLs experiences, this research article sets out to explore how RI dimensions might serve to advance the practice of LLs in the context of ST research. The 12 LLs from seven European countries were centred on renewable energy prosumer initiatives. This analysis looks into how stakeholders were identified and involved, what inclusivity issues were addressed and what challenges were identified, to draw key lessons learned for advancing with RI in the scope of transdisciplinary energy transition studies.

In this article, an analysis is made of Margaret Atwood’s The Handmaid’s Tale (1985) and MaddAddam (2013) from a gendered and generic perspective. The Handmaid’s Tale was one of the novels that marked the dystopian turn in the 1980s writing of fiction, while MaddAddam is, for some critics, a feminist critical dystopia in which the ending retains hope for a better future. Consequently, both novels belong a priori to a specific branch of the dystopian genre: the feminist dystopian novel. However, some ambiguity or even contradictory readings can be inferred in both texts. This article explores The Handmaid’s Tale and MaddAddam’s portrayal of women and their acts of resistance in order to assess these texts’ liberatory or still inherently conservative messages of their endings, especially regarding women.

Javier Lozano Delmar, Irene Raya Bravo y Francisco J. López Rodríguez (coords.) Madrid, Fragua, 2013 584 páginas

Abstract Background Electrocution and collisions on power lines are among the leading causes of non-natural mortality for birds. Power lines are exponentially increasing, particularly in developing countries, but mitigation strategies to prevent bird mortality are questionable. Mongolia combines a recently increased power line network, an abundant raptor population, a dangerous crossarm configuration and a habitat with no natural perches, producing many bird-power line interactions. Our aim is to assess the bird mortality caused by power lines in the Gobi Desert of Mongolia, to determine the factors increasing the risk of bird electrocution, and to evaluate the effectiveness of used retrofitting measures. Methods In July 2019 we covered 132.9 km of 15 kV power lines checking 1092 poles. We also conducted bird transects to record raptor and corvid richness and abundance, to assess species vulnerability to electrocution. Results We recorded 76 electrocuted birds of 7 species. Electrocution rate was 6.96 birds/100 poles. The most affected species were Common Raven (Corvus corax) and Upland Buzzard (Buteo hemilasius), highlighting the electrocution of 5 endangered Saker Falcons (Falco cherrug). By contrast, we only recorded 8 individuals of 5 species colliding with wires, the most affected being Pallas’s Sandgrouse (Syrrhaptes paradoxus). About 76.1% of sampled poles had some mitigation measure. Of these, 96.6% were brush perch deflectors and 3.4% rotating-mirrors perch deterrents. We found differences in electrocution rates among crossarm configurations, with the strain insulator with one jumper being the most lethal. Additionally, we found no correlation between bird abundance and electrocution rates, suggesting that some species are more sensitive to electrocution. Although no differences in total bird electrocution rates were detected between poles with and without perch deterrents, when bird size is considered, deterrents reduced the mortality rate of small birds, while they were ineffective for medium-sized birds. Conclusions Despite the widespread use of perch deterrents in the Mongolian power line network, there is still an alarming electrocution rate. This strategy is ineffective and some mechanisms, such as brush perch deflectors, may increase the electrocution rate for some medium-sized birds. Finally, we propose strategies to minimize the avian electrocution rate in the Gobi Desert.

Rhodoliths occur extensively around the shores of Fuerteventura Island in the Canary Archipelago, with Lithothamnion cf. corallioides being the most prominent species. A large number of rhodoliths end up washed onshore, the debris from which contributes to the formation of sediments constituting modern beaches. In a previous study by one of the co-authors (MEJ), the northern coast of Fuerteventura was shown to comprise various types of rhodolith deposits such as beach, platform overwash, tidal pools, coastal dunes, and others. An extraordinary example of stranded rhodoliths is located near Caleta del Bajo de Mejillones, approximately 3 km west of Corralejo, on the north coast of the island. The deposit forms a supratidal beach 120 m long and 10 m wide that sits above the landward termination of an extensive wave-cut platform eroded in basalt and exposed at low tide to a width of 130 m perpendicular to shore. Here, rhodoliths are very small (

Parkinson’s disease is a neurodegenerative ailment generated by the loss of dopamine in the basal ganglia, mainly in the striatum. The disease courses with increased striatal levels of acetylcholine, disrupting the balance among these modulatory transmitters. These modifications disturb the excitatory and inhibitory balance in the striatal circuitry, as reflected in the activity of projection striatal neurons. In addition, changes in the firing pattern of striatal tonically active interneurons during the disease, including cholinergic interneurons (CINs), are being searched. Dopamine-depleted striatal circuits exhibit pathological hyperactivity as compared to controls. One aim of this study was to show how striatal CINs contribute to this hyperactivity. A second aim was to show the contribution of extrinsic synaptic inputs to striatal CINs hyperactivity. Electrophysiological and calcium imaging recordings in Cre-mice allowed us to evaluate the activity of dozens of identified CINs with single-cell resolution in ex vivo brain slices. CINs show hyperactivity with bursts and silences in the dopamine-depleted striatum. We confirmed that the intrinsic differences between the activity of control and dopamine-depleted CINs are one source of their hyperactivity. We also show that a great part of this hyperactivity and firing pattern change is a product of extrinsic synaptic inputs, targeting CINs. Both glutamatergic and GABAergic inputs are essential to sustain hyperactivity. In addition, cholinergic transmission through nicotinic receptors also participates, suggesting that the joint activity of CINs drives the phenomenon; since striatal CINs express nicotinic receptors, not expressed in striatal projection neurons. Therefore, CINs hyperactivity is the result of changes in intrinsic properties and excitatory and inhibitory inputs, in addition to the modification of local circuitry due to cholinergic nicotinic transmission. We conclude that CINs are the main drivers of the pathological hyperactivity present in the striatum that is depleted of dopamine, and this is, in part, a result of extrinsic synaptic inputs. These results show that CINs may be a main therapeutic target to treat Parkinson’s disease by intervening in their synaptic inputs.

Abstract Invasive Alien Species (IAS) alter ecosystems, disrupting ecological processes and driving the loss of ecosystem services. The common carp Cyprinus carpio is a hazardous and widespread IAS, becoming the most abundant species in many aquatic ecosystems. This species transforms ecosystems by accumulating biomass to the detriment of other species, thus altering food webs. However, some terrestrial species, such as vertebrate scavengers, may benefit from dead carps, by incorporating part of the carp biomass into the terrestrial environment. This study describes the terrestrial vertebrate scavenger assemblage that benefits from carp carcasses in a Mediterranean wetland. We also evaluate the seasonal differences in the scavenger assemblage composition and carrion consumption patterns. Eighty carp carcasses (20 per season) were placed in El Hondo Natural Park, a seminatural mesohaline wetland in south‐eastern Spain, and we monitored their consumption using camera traps. We recorded 14 scavenger species (10 birds and four mammals) consuming carp carcasses, including globally threatened species. Vertebrates consumed 73% of the carrion biomass and appeared consuming at 82% of the carcasses. Of these carcasses consumed, 75% were completely consumed and the mean consumption time of carcasses completely consumed by vertebrates was 44.4 h (SD = 42.1 h). We recorded differences in species richness, abundance, and assemblage composition among seasons, but we did not find seasonal differences in consumption patterns throughout the year. Our study recorded a rich and efficient terrestrial vertebrate scavenger assemblage benefitting from carp carcasses. We detected a seasonal replacement on the scavenger species, but a maintenance of the ecological function of carrion removal, as the most efficient carrion consumers were present throughout the year. The results highlight the importance of vertebrate scavengers in wetlands, removing possible infectious focus, and moving nutrients between aquatic and terrestrial environments.

A revision of Renichnus arcuatus Mayoral, 1987, the vermetid attachment etching trace fossil (fixichnia), is presented here with an emended diagnosis. Renichnus arcuatus should be used only for nested reniform depressions arranged in linear series or solitary ones. A new ichnotaxon, Santichnus mayorali ichnogen. et ichnosp. nov., is described to name a bioerosion structure that previous authors included under R. arcuatus. The new trace fossil comes from the Miocene–Pliocene deposits from Fuerteventura and Lanzarote, Canary Islands, and is characterized as a shallow canal, semicircular in cross-section that occurs on the surface of hard substrates. Santichnus mayorali follows a logarithmic spiral path that may depart in its outer whorl in a somewhat straight shaft that becomes recurved back toward the spiral. From an actualistic point of view, this new ichnotaxon is interpreted as the anchorage bioerosion structure of vermetid gastropods. Given the close relationship between the two ichnotaxa (Renichnus and Santichnus) that share vermetid gastropods as their tracemakers, it is proposed that they should be considered as compound trace fossils when they occur interconnected.

Multi-recording techniques show evidence that neurons coordinate their firing forming ensembles and that brain networks are made by connections between ensembles. While “canonical” microcircuits are composed of interconnected principal neurons and interneurons, it is not clear how they participate in recorded neuronal ensembles: “groups of neurons that show spatiotemporal co-activation”. Understanding synapses and their plasticity has become complex, making hard to consider all details to fill the gap between cellular-synaptic and circuit levels. Therefore, two assumptions became necessary: First, whatever the nature of the synapses these may be simplified by “functional connections”. Second, whatever the mechanisms to achieve synaptic potentiation or depression, the resultant synaptic weights are relatively stable. Both assumptions have experimental basis cited in this review, and tools to analyze neuronal populations are being developed based on them. Microcircuitry processing followed with multi-recording techniques show temporal sequences of neuronal ensembles resembling computational routines. These sequences can be aligned with the steps of behavioral tasks and behavior can be modified upon their manipulation, supporting the hypothesis that they are memory traces. In vitro, recordings show that these temporal sequences can be contained in isolated tissue of histological scale. Sequences found in control conditions differ from those recorded in pathological tissue obtained from animal disease models and those recorded after the actions of clinically useful drugs to treat disease states, setting the basis for new bioassays to test drugs with potential clinical use. These findings make the neuronal ensembles theoretical framework a dynamic neuroscience paradigm.

Abstract Background This study investigated the effect of the Feel4Diabetes-intervention, a 2-year multilevel intervention, on energy balance-related behaviors among European families at risk for developing type 2 diabetes. Intervention effects on self-reported physical activity, sedentary behavior and eating behaviors were investigated across and within the participating countries: Belgium, Finland, Greece, Spain, Hungary and Bulgaria. Methods Families were recruited through schools, located in low socio-economic status areas. In total, 4484 families at risk for developing type 2 diabetes were selected using the FINDRISC-questionnaire. Parents’ and children’s energy balance-related behaviors data were collected by questionnaires at three time points (baseline, mid- and post intervention). Families assigned to the intervention group were invited to participate in a 2-year school-, community-, and family-based intervention to promote a healthier lifestyle, including counseling sessions (first intervention year) and text messages (second intervention year). Families assigned to the control group received standard care, including medical check-up results and recommendations and tips regarding a healthy lifestyle. To assess the intervention-effects, Mixed Models were conducted using the R-Package “lmer “with R v3.2. Results Significant intervention effects were found on a certain number of families’ lifestyle behaviors. Significant favorable intervention effects were detected on parents’ water consumption and consumption of fruit and vegetables, and on children’s consumption of sweets and moderate-to-vigorous physical activity. Analyses by country revealed significant favorable intervention effects on water consumption and on moderate-to-vigorous physical activity in Belgian parents and on fruit and vegetable consumption among Belgian children, on sweets consumption among Spanish parents and children, and on moderate-to-vigorous physical activity among Finnish children. Unfavorable intervention effects were found on the consumption of soft drinks and sugar-containing juices among Hungarian children and parents, while when examining the intervention effects for the overall population and per country, 10 from the 112 investigated outcome variables were improved in the intervention group compared to the control group (9%). Conclusions The Feel4Diabetes-intervention managed to improve a certain number of targeted lifestyle behaviors while the intervention was not effective on a large number of targeted lifestyle behaviors. The findings of the current study are encouraging, but further research is needed on how we can further improve effectiveness of lifestyle interventions to prevent type 2 diabetes in families at risk. Trial registration The Feel4Diabetes-study is registered with the clinical trials registry http://clinicaltrials.gov , ID: 643708.

This article examines Margaret Atwood’s climate fiction novel MaddAddam (2013), a dystopian cautionary text in which food production and eating become ethical choices related to individual agency and linked to sustainability. In the novel, both mainstream environmentalism and deep ecologism are shown to be insufficient and fundamentally irrelevant in the face of a submissive population, in a state of passivity that environmental studies scholar Stacy Alaimo relates to a scientific and masculinist interpretation of the Anthropocene. The article focuses on edibility as a key element in negotiating identity, belonging, cohabitation and the frontiers of the new MaddAddam postapocalyptic community.