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Background: A synovial cyst is a herniation of synovial tissue through a joint capsule, often mistaken for a ganglion cyst. The key distinctions are that synovial cysts have a synovial cell lining, while a ganglion cyst is delineated by dense fibrous connective tissue. Typically found near joints, synovial cysts are associated with conditions like osteoarthritis, prevalent in females aged 20 to 50. We present a rare case of a synovial cyst in the extensor digitorum superficialis of the right hand. Case summary: A 53-year-old Hispanic female visited our hand clinic due to a 3-year history of pain on the back of her right hand. At exploration, a 3 × 3 cm soft tumor was identified. Surgery revealed a clear-yellowish mass within the extensor digitorum superficialis tendon. Following the surgery, synovial cyst was confirmed by pathology and the patient was discharged without complications. Conclusion: This case highlights the rare presentation of an intratendinous synovial cyst and emphasizes the importance of a comprehensive understanding of synovial cysts in the differential diagnosis of hand tumors.

In naturally flowing waters, communities are expected to increase their taxonomic and functional diversity as well as increase the complexity of food web architecture along the longitudinal gradient from headwaters to mouth. However, these theories do not necessarily apply to dammed rivers. We analysed fish communities at 12 locations along the 1700 km stretch of the transnational Uruguay River. We determined species richness, beta-diversity and its components (turnover and nestedness), trophic diversity, and isotopic niches at community level, with particular focus on areas upstream and downstream of the four existing dams. We estimated trophic diversity metrics based on diet analysis, and isotopic niche breadth based on Bayesian isotopic niche models. We detected consistent longitudinal changes, supporting predictions from the River Continuum Concept. However, taxonomic richness, trophic diversity, and isotopic niche decreased abruptly immediately downstream of dams, and the component contributing the most to beta diversity was turnover, with the highest values occurring mainly after the cascade of dams in the upper Uruguay River, fitting expectations from the Serial Discontinuity Concept. The dam-free stretches of the Uruguay River allowed the recovery of ecological diversity as fish richness and trophic and isotopic niche increased. The negative impacts of dams should urgently be considered in the Neotropics, where many large dams are projected.

In the present study we dig into those post-confinement socioemotional factors that affect the academic competencies of students to the Science Faculty of the Universidad de Valparaíso. Learning conditions of these students in the previous years of their university life were completely online, interrupting normal socialization, at a key age of their neurodevelopment. A self-perception survey was applied to identify those factors that currently affect the students’ socioemotional processes with special attention on those related with academic performance. This is a quantitative study with a correlational descriptive scope. The study population consisted of 150 individuals admitted in 2021 and 2022. For the analysis of the results obtained from the survey on a Likert scale, associations were made according to the results of the Pearson correlation matrix. To the open questions, a NLP (Natural Language Processing) analysis was implemented, which consisted of counting words. Following the results of the survey, changes in teaching and learning strategies were implemented, which allowed improving the socioemotional gaps detected among students, improving their academic performance and perception of the contents addressed by the academics of the different subjects. Results drove us to the design of opportune academic strategies which tried to facilitate the transit to face-to-face learning and university life, safeguarding the students’ proper training process.

En las Bases del Plan Nacional de Desarrollo Económico y Social hasta el 2030, se destaca el eje estratégico de la nación, relacionado con las transformaciones productivas e inserción internacional donde se hace referencia a impulsar el desarrollo de las exportaciones sobre la base de una participación competitiva en los mercados internacionales. El tema de investigación contribuye a atenuar insuficiencias asociadas al despliegue de facultades y funciones asociadas a la actividad de comercio exterior hacia la empresa estatal socialista, antes asumidas por los niveles centrales de dirección de la economía. El presente artículo detalla el procedimiento para la gestión de las exportaciones de bienes y servicios en la Empresa de Componentes Electrónicos "Ernesto Che Guevara". Se utilizó el método dialéctico-materialista, el cual permitió descubrir la dialéctica del desarrollo del proceso a estudiar. Con métodos empíricos se obtuvo información primaria. Se realizaron entrevistas a decisores locales vinculados al proceso de exportación. Se realizó un diagnóstico del estado actual del proceso de gestión de las exportaciones de bienes y servicios en la empresa objeto de estudio, donde se constataron limitaciones en el proceso de gestión de la internacionalización, escasas fuentes de financiamiento externo y desconocimiento de los especialistas y directivos de la empresa de las formas de desarrollar las estrategias de internacionalización. La propuesta dota a los directivos de una herramienta metodológica orientada a perfeccionar el esquema de toma de decisiones, apoyada en métodos y herramientas científicas y contribuye a impulsar la calidad, eficiencia y eficacia en la gestión de este proceso.

The objective of this study was to understand the perceptions of Primary (PrE) and Secondary Education (SE) students in Cantabria about the subject of physical education (PE) and their teachers. A descriptive, comparative relational analytical cross-sectional design was used. A total of 1164 students (387 from PrE and 777 from SE) answered an ad hoc questionnaire on their satisfaction with their PE classes (eight items) and teachers (nine items). The results indicate that the PrE students were more satisfied than the SE students regarding the following statements about PE: more hours per week (p < 0.001); classes and subjects that I like the most (p < 0.001); I enjoy and have fun (p < 0.001); interesting and motivating (p < 0.001); and useful for life (p < 0.001) and easy (p = 0.006). The boys’ responses reflected higher values than the girls’ on all the previous items (p < 0.005). Regarding their thinking about their PE teachers, statistically significant differences were found in the PrE students’ responses compared with those of the SE students for the following: explains well and is easily understood (p = 0.006); stimulates and encourages participation (p = 0.050); cares and is interested in the students (p = 0.031); treat boys and girls the same (p < 0.001); and I prefer a woman because she understands me better (p = 0.021). Therefore, the male and primary-stage students showed more positive attitudes towards PE. In general, there was a favorable disposition towards PE and towards teachers, which must be taken into account to achieve SDG 4.

This study introduces a lightweight storage system for wearable devices, aiming to optimize energy efficiency in long-term and continuous monitoring applications. Utilizing Direct Memory Access and the Serial Peripheral Interface protocol, the system ensures efficient data transfer, significantly reduces energy consumption, and enhances the device autonomy. Data organization into Time Block Data (TBD) units, rather than files, significantly diminishes control overhead, facilitating the streamlined management of periodic data recordings in wearable devices. A comparative analysis revealed marked improvements in energy efficiency and write speed over existing file systems, validating the proposed system as an effective solution for boosting wearable device performance in health monitoring and various long-term data acquisition scenarios.

Caffeic acid (CA) is a polyphenol belonging to the phenylpropanoid family, commonly found in plants and vegetables. It was first identified by Hlasiwetz in 1867 as a breakdown product of caffetannic acid. CA is biosynthesized from the amino acids tyrosine or phenylalanine through specific enzyme-catalyzed reactions. Extensive research since its discovery has revealed various health benefits associated with CA, including its antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and anticancer properties. These effects are attributed to its ability to modulate several pathways, such as inhibiting NFkB, STAT3, and ERK1/2, thereby reducing inflammatory responses, and activating the Nrf2/ARE pathway to enhance antioxidant cell defenses. The consumption of CA has been linked to a reduced risk of certain cancers, mitigation of chemotherapy and radiotherapy-induced toxicity, and reversal of resistance to first-line chemotherapeutic agents. This suggests that CA could serve as a useful adjunct in cancer treatment. Studies have shown CA to be generally safe, with few adverse effects (such as back pain and headaches) reported. This review collates the latest information from Google Scholar, PubMed, the Phenol-Explorer database, and ClinicalTrials.gov, incorporating a total of 154 articles, to underscore the potential of CA in cancer prevention and overcoming chemoresistance.

The UN 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development Goal 15, termed Life on Land, is monitored by indicators and sub-indicators that largely deal with forest extent. In countries with structurally complex and species-rich forests, indicators and sub-indicators of forest quality are also needed to effectively monitor and sustain ecological integrity. The goal of the paper is to demonstrate the use of complementary sub-indicators of forest quality for SDG15 reporting and conservation planning. Our objective is to apply these sub-indicators within Colombia, Ecuador, and Peru and evaluate spatial patterns and trends over time as a basis for revealing how the results complement the official indicators of forest extent and forest extent in protected areas in informing conservation. The sub-indicators of forest quality quantify naturalness, riparian forest, forest structure and integrity, forest fragmentation, and forest connectivity. We quantified change during 2000–2021 in these metrics and highlighted insights gained from the complementary sub-indicators of forest quality relative to the official sub-indicators based on forest extent,Forests covered about 60–70% of the forested ecoregions in each country in 2000 and this proportion declined in all three countries by approximately 4% by 2021. Only a subset of the forested area was of high forest quality. Natural forests represented about 40% of forests in Colombian and Ecuador in 2000 and 50% in Peru. Those proportions declined: by 6.3% in Colombia, 6.5% in Ecuador, and 3.4% in Peru. Even less of the forested area was Core Forest in 2013; less than 28% among countries. During 2013–2021, the proportion of forest that was Core decreased by 2.3% in Colombia, 4.5% in Ecuador, and 6.7% in Peru. Connected Forests were about 17–22% of forests among the countries in 2013 and declined 10.4% in Colombia, 1.6% in Ecuador, and 3.8% in Peru by 2021. Forests high in forest structure were 10–18% of forests in 2012 among the countries and increased by 1.1–2% by 2021. Forests of high integrity were 7–13% of forests in 2012 and increased by1.4–2% by 2021. Riparian forests represented less than about 7–9% among the countries and declined by 0.6–1.3% by 2021. Thus, the area of highly quality forest across the countries was substantially less than full forest extent and high-quality forest declined at a higher rate than forest extent during 2000–2021. Forest structure and integrity did increase slightly over this time period.Our results for trends in forest naturalness, riparian association, within stand structure, fragmentation, and connectivity demonstrate how consideration of forest quality provides a much stronger basis for evaluating success in meeting SDG15 targets than consideration of forest extent alone.

Introducción: el análisis de la situación de salud es una investigación primordial que se realiza en el sistema de salud cubano, en el que se estudia la salud, los elementos que la determinan y las formas de mejorarla. Objetivo: evaluar la propuesta de diseño de un esquema que contribuya a la mejora del aprendizaje del análisis de la situación de salud de la comunidad para los residentes de la especialidad Medicina General Integral, pertenecientes a la Universidad de Ciencias Médicas de Guantánamo. Método: se realizó una investigación pedagógica de tipo descriptiva en la antes mencionada institución durante el período marzo-julio de 2022. De un universo de 67 profesores que aceptaron participar, se seleccionaron 26 por muestreo intencional. Para obtener los datos primarios fueron aplicados tres cuestionarios tipo Likert para evaluar el esquema, en consideración con la estructura, la funcionalidad y el aporte en el aprendizaje. Dichos cuestionarios incluyeron las respuestas: Totalmente en desacuerdo, En desacuerdo, Ni de acuerdo ni en desacuerdo, De acuerdo y Totalmente de acuerdo. Los datos se resumieron en números absolutos y porcentajes. Se presentaron en tablas de distribución de frecuencias. Resultados: los subtotales de respuestas Totalmente de acuerdo y De acuerdo sobre la evaluación estructural y funcional, así como la influencia que se espera de este para mejorar el aprendizaje del análisis de situación de salud, se consideraron adecuados al superar el estándar. Conclusiones: el esquema propuesto es evaluado como adecuado en estructura y funcionalidad. Se considera positiva la influencia que se espera de este para mejorar el aprendizaje del análisis de situación de salud de la comunidad.

The Internet of Things (IoT) is recognised as a game-changer technology that expands its applicability to a huge variety of domains. The key asset is the data that the myriad of sensors embedded in the environment are constantly generating. The paper describes a Blockchain-based IoT Data Marketplace (BIDM) and presents the proof-of-concept implementation that has been developed to validate it from a functional standpoint. The BIDM enables an ecosystem where sensor owners can expose the observations that their sensors generate while retaining control over who accesses each observation and directly getting revenues according to the price they have set.

Neuropeptides are a group of peptides derived from precursor proteins synthesized in neuronal and nonneuronal cells. The classical functions of neuropeptides have been extensively studied in mammals, including neuromodulation in the central nervous system, molecular signaling in the peripheral nervous system, and immunomodulation associated mainly with anti-inflammatory activity. In contrast, in teleosts, studies of the immunomodulatory function of these neuropeptides are limited. In Oncorhynchus mykiss, vasoactive intestinal peptide (VIP) mRNA sequences have not been cloned, and the role of VIP in modulating the immune system has not been studied. Furthermore, in relation to other neuropeptides with possible immunomodulatory function, such as ghrelin, there are also few studies. Therefore, in this work, we performed molecular cloning, identification, and phylogenetic analysis of three VIP precursor sequences (prepro-VIP1, VIP2 and VIP3) in rainbow trout. In addition, the immunomodulatory function of both neuropeptides was evaluated in an in vitro model using the VIP1 sequence identified in this work and a ghrelin sequence already studied in O. mykiss. The results suggest that the prepro-VIP2 sequence has the lowest percentage of identity with respect to the other homologous sequences and is more closely related to mammalian orthologous sequences. VIP1 induces significant expression of both pro-inflammatory (IFN-γ, IL-1β) and anti-inflammatory (IL-10 and TGF-β) cytokines, whereas ghrelin only induces significant expression of proinflammatory cytokines such as IL-6 and TNF-α.

Comprendiendo la ciudad contemporánea como una experiencia inabarcable, como un conjunto de experiencias complejas proclives a lo indeterminado, esta investigación reconoce y recolecta fragmentos de un conjunto mayor para buscar y destacar objetos, situaciones, artefactos y experiencias alejadas de los discursos canónicos. Estas experiencias «otras» se definen como arquitecturas inusuales, es decir, ubicadas al margen de lo normalmente discutido y valorado en los espacios tradicionales de la práctica, crítica y docencia arquitectónica. Tal reconocimiento es construido desde la otredad y está conformado por un conjunto provisional y cambiante. Metodológicamente, la investigación implica, primero, una contextualización conceptual respecto de la valoración de lo otro en la arquitectura y la ciudad como motor de cambio en la disciplina y segundo, una inmersión en la experiencia directa del espacio por parte del equipo. Mediante recorridos urbanos y búsqueda de información bibliográfica y de archivos, se recogen noventa casos, se discute su pertinencia y sus potencialidades críticas y se profundiza en veintisiete, sobre los que se realiza una representación planimétrica y fotográfica, así como un discurso de contextualización y valoración. De ellos, se rescatan seis casos con el propósito de contextualizar las categorías propuestas para la organización de todos los demás. Como hallazgo, se reconoce en el conjunto el valor de la otredad, con frecuencia silenciada, para desencadenar nuevos modos posibles de enfrentar los retos arquitectónicos y urbanos de la contemporaneidad.

The “Sustainable Packaging Logistics” (SPL) approach seeks sustainable integration of the combined “packaging-product-supply chain” system orientated to increase competitiveness. However, characterizing which changes make it possible to guide such design in each company and supply chain is an aspect that has not been covered in the literature from different supply chain perspectives. The main goal of this paper is to identify and justify the main actions for improvement in SPL, combined with a proposal of methodology for contextualizing, selecting and implementing each of these potential actions, applying the “Action Research” approach. Likewise, this paper illustrates the interest of this methodology with its adoption in four different companies and supply chains. This paper opens up new avenues of applied research in packaging design, generating knowledge that contributes to sustainable and competitive improvement.

In this work, we report on the synthesis and characterization of six new iridium(III) complexes of the type [Ir(C^N)2(N^N)]+ using 2-phenylpyridine (C1–3) and its fluorinated derivative (C4–6) as cyclometalating ligands (C^N) and R-phenylimidazo(4,5-f)1,10-phenanthroline (R = H, CH3, F) as the ancillary ligand (N^N). These luminescent complexes have been fully characterized through optical and electrochemical studies. In solution, the C4–6 series exhibits quantum yields (Ф) twice as high as the C1–3 series, exceeding 60% in dichloromethane and where 3MLCT/3LLCT and 3LC emissions participate in the phenomenon. These complexes were employed in the active layer of light-emitting electrochemical cells (LECs). Device performance of maximum luminance values of up to 21.7 Lx at 14.7 V were observed for the C2 complex and long lifetimes for the C1–3 series. These values are counterintuitive to the quantum yields observed in solution. Thus, we established that the rigidity of the system and the structure of the solid matrix dramatically affect the electronic properties of the complex. This research contributes to understanding the effects of the modifications in the ancillary and cyclometalating ligands, the photophysics of the complexes, and their performance in LEC devices.

Detecting people in images and videos captured from an aerial platform in wooded areas for search and rescue operations is a current problem. Detection is difficult due to the relatively small dimensions of the person captured by the sensor in relation to the environment. The environment can generate occlusion, complicating the timely detection of people. There are currently numerous RGB image datasets available that are used for person detection tasks in urban and wooded areas and consider the general characteristics of a person, like size, shape, and height, without considering the occlusion of the object of interest. The present research work focuses on developing a thermal image dataset, which considers the occlusion situation to develop CNN convolutional deep learning models to perform detection tasks in real-time from an aerial perspective using altitude control in a quadcopter prototype. Extended models are proposed considering the occlusion of the person, in conjunction with a thermal sensor, which allows for highlighting the desired characteristics of the occluded person.

The aquaculture industry is constantly increasing its fish production to provide enough products to maintain fish consumption worldwide. However, the increased production generates susceptibility to infectious diseases that cause losses of millions of dollars to the industry. Conventional treatments are based on antibiotics and antivirals to reduce the incidence of pathogens, but they have disadvantages, such as antibiotic resistance generation, antibiotic residues in fish, and environmental damage. Instead, functional foods with active compounds, especially antimicrobial peptides that allow the generation of prophylaxis against infections, provide an interesting alternative, but protection against gastric degradation is challenging. In this study, we evaluated a new immunomodulatory recombinant peptide, CATH–FLA, which is encapsulated in chitosan microparticles to avoid gastric degradation. The microparticles were prepared using a spray drying method. The peptide release from the microparticles was evaluated at gastric and intestinal pH, both in vitro and in vivo. Finally, the biological activity of the formulation was evaluated by measuring the expression of il-1β, il-8, ifn-γ, Ifn-α, and mx1 in the head kidney and intestinal tissues of rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss). The results showed that the chitosan microparticles protect the CATH–FLA recombinant peptide from gastric degradation, allowing its release in the intestinal portion of rainbow trout. The microparticle-protected CATH–FLA recombinant peptide increased the expression of il-1β, il-8, ifn-γ, ifn-α, and mx1 in the head kidney and intestine and improved the antiprotease activity in rainbow trout. These results suggest that the chitosan microparticle/CATH–FLA recombinant peptide could be a potential prophylactic alternative to conventional antibiotics for the treatment of infectious diseases in aquaculture.

In this paper, stress intensity factor (SIF) solutions of eccentric annular external cracks in elliptical notched round bars under tension loading have been obtained from 3D finite element analysis, along with their relation to the energy release rate obtained with the J-integral contour. The analysis variables have been the ligament diameter, its eccentricity, and the elliptical notch aspect ratio. The maximum SIF increases with the ligament eccentricity, the presence of the notch (compared to when the bar is smooth), and the elliptical notch axial semi-axis (for the same notch depth); it decreases with the ligament diameter. For external cracks, eccentricity induces bending of the bar subjected to tensile loading, which can produce partial and full contact of the crack surface, relevant phenomena in terms of the SIF value at the different points of the crack front.

Neurodegenerative disorders are characterized by a progressive process of degeneration and neuronal death, where oxidative stress and neuroinflammation are key factors that contribute to the progression of these diseases. Therefore, two major pathways involved in these pathologies have been proposed as relevant therapeutic targets: The nuclear transcription factor erythroid 2 (Nrf2), which responds to oxidative stress with cytoprotecting activity; and the nuclear factor NF-κB pathway, which is highly related to the neuroinflammatory process by promoting cytokine expression. Caffeic acid phenethyl ester (CAPE) is a phenylpropanoid naturally found in propolis that shows important biological activities, including neuroprotective activity by modulating the Nrf2 and NF-κB pathways, promoting antioxidant enzyme expression and inhibition of proinflammatory cytokine expression. Its simple chemical structure has inspired the synthesis of many derivatives, with aliphatic and/or aromatic moieties, some of which have improved the biological properties. Moreover, new drug delivery systems increase the bioavailability of these compounds in vivo, allowing its transcytosis through the blood-brain barrier, thus protecting brain cells from the increased inflammatory status associated to neurodegenerative and psychiatric disorders. This review summarizes the biosynthesis and chemical synthesis of CAPE derivatives, their miscellaneous activities, and relevant studies (from 2010 to 2023), addressing their neuroprotective activity in vitro and in vivo.

En el texto se comenta el ajuste y acomodación a los fundamentos teóricos del «pensamiento único» que se ha venido produciendo en la disciplina económica, como ciencia social, durante la época de hegemonía de la doctrina neoliberal desde el año 1973. Se podría decir que los postulados del pensamiento neoliberal, de alguna manera, han colonizado a las ciencias sociales en general, y particularmente a la doctrina económica. Se explica cómo en este proceso la academia ha tenido un papel relevante, por cuanto la lógica neoliberal también de una manera progresiva se ha ido introduciendo y consolidando en el ámbito universitario –principal bastión de la academia–, adquiriendo una dimensión global. Se analizan las consecuencias de todo ello, vinculadas a la «mercantilización» de la educación superior, a la idea de la formación universitaria con una orientación meramente «profesional» y desprovista, por tanto, de cualquier inquietud transformadora, a la ausencia del pensamiento crítico y la exploración de «otros mundos posibles», entre otras.

La incorporación del término «hedging» a la disciplina de las Relaciones Internacionales es reciente, pero se ha generalizado para identificar una política exterior que combina comportamientos de competición y cooperación. Esta investigación se propuso perfeccionar el marco teórico y analítico de la estrategia hedging y usarlos para estudiar cómo la política exterior japonesa ha lidiado con el ascenso de China desde 2001. Con este objetivo, se ha estudiado el liderazgo que han ejercido los primeros ministros japoneses desde 2001 con el fin de elucidar cómo Japón ha respondido a los desafíos presentados por China. En este sentido, se demuestra que Japón ha adoptado la estrategia hedging a causa de la incertidumbre creada por el ascenso de China; no obstante, también se comprueba que el perfil ideológico de los primeros ministros japoneses ha influido decisivamente en la configuración final de la política exterior japonesa.

This paper proposes a robust algorithm based on a fixed-time sliding mode controller (FTSMC) for a Quadrotor aircraft. This approach is based on Lyapunov theory, which guarantees system stability. Nonlinear error dynamics techniques are used to achieve accurate trajectory tracking in the presence of disturbances. The performance of the FTSMC is compared with the typical non-singular terminal sliding mode controller (NTSMC) to evaluate its effectiveness. The numerical results show that FTSMC is more efficient than the typical NTSMC in disturbance reduction.

Purpose: Employee participation is considered a fundamental pillar to implement continuous improvement. Based on this consideration, this article presents an action research case study in a large food manufacturer where employee participation is implemented. The experience has a two-fold objective: improve performance of the production system and make the participative philosophy deep-rooted among workers. Design/methodology/approach: The authors implement a structured participation system, establishing an approach of empowerment and focusing on the creation of suitable organizational structures. Under those premises, improvement teams were created on each of the firm’s production lines. Once the participation of the workers is finished, they were given a questionnaire to assess how deep-rooted the participative culture had become. Findings: The results show a remarkable improvement in the efficiency of manufacturing processes, as well as the consolidation of a participative philosophy. However, there are notable differences in the results obtained for each improvement team. Research limitations/implications: The differences obtained in the results highlight certain issues that future research must tackle. These include the way in which the staff should be rewarded for their participation or what the influence of the organizational context is when setting improvement objectives. Practical implications: The positive results obtained support the methodology proposed by the authors for structuring participation. Organizations can set up projects of this type to improve their competitiveness while at the same time strengthening the commitment of their personnel. Originality/value: This is one of the first studies in the field of employee participation that jointly assess the economic area and the cultural and organizational plane.

El presente trabajo de investigación tuvo como objetivo seleccionar los métodos estadísticos más convenientes para el procesamiento matemático de las diferentes variables de las evaluaciones nutricionales en grupos poblacionales de embarazadas. Para su cumplimiento se realizó una base de datos de estudios nutricionales realizados en embarazadas, se tuvo en cuenta datos generales, dietéticos, bioquímicos y antropométricos. Los datos se procesaron mediante estadística descriptiva, inferencia estadística, análisis bivariado. El empleo de la estadística descriptiva posibilitó caracterizar el grupo total de embarazadas, mientras que el análisis bivariado paramétrico facilitó la detección de asociaciones entre pares de variables nutricionales. Existió una correlación significativa entre el peso y el índice de masa corporal materno, el análisis estadístico permitió procesar los resultados obtenidos logrando explicar mediante una herramienta sumamente útil la validación los estudios nutricionales, lo cual no quiere decir que sea el único criterio concluyente en el análisis.

Epothilone is a natural 16-membered macrolide cytotoxic compound produced by the metabolism of the cellulose-degrading myxobacterium Sorangium cellulosum. This review summarizes results in the study of epothilones against cancer with preclinical results and clinical studies from 2010–2022. Epothilone have mechanisms of action similar to paclitaxel by inducing tubulin polymerization and apoptosis with low susceptibility to tumor resistance mechanisms. It is active against refractory tumors, being superior to paclitaxel in many respects. Since the discovery of epothilones, several derivatives have been synthesized, and most of them have failed in Phases II and III in clinical trials; however, ixabepilone and utidelone are currently used in clinical practice. There is robust evidence that triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) treatment improves using ixabepilone plus capecitabine or utidelone in combination with capecitabine. In recent years innovative synthetic strategies resulted in the synthesis of new epothilone derivatives with improved activity against refractory tumors with better activities when compared to ixabepilone or taxol. These compounds together with specific delivery mechanisms could be developed in anti-cancer drugs.

Over the last two decades, the functional role of the bilateral anterior temporal lobes (bATLs) has been receiving more attention. They have been associated with semantics and social concept processing, and are regarded as a core region for depression. In the past, the role of the ATL has often been overlooked in semantic models based on functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) due to geometric distortions in the BOLD signal. However, previous work has unequivocally associated the bATLs with these higher-order cognitive functions following advances in neuroimaging techniques to overcome the geometric distortions. At the same time, the importance of the neural basis of conceptual knowledge in understanding mood disorders became apparent. Theoretical models of the neural basis of mood and anxiety disorders have been classically studied from the emotion perspective, without concentrating on conceptual processing. However, recent work suggests that the ATL, a brain region underlying conceptual knowledge, plays an essential role in mood and anxiety disorders. Patients with anxiety and depression often cope with self-blaming biases and guilt. The theory is that in order to experience guilt, the brain needs to access the related conceptual information via the ATL. This narrative review describes how aberrant interactions of the ATL with the fronto–limbic emotional system could underlie mood and anxiety disorders.

The oxidized low-density lipoprotein receptor 1 (LOX-1) is one of the most important receptors for modified LDLs, such as oxidated (oxLDL) and acetylated (acLDL) low-density lipoprotein. LOX-1 and oxLDL are fundamental in atherosclerosis, where oxLDL/LOX1 promotes ROS generation and NF-κB activation inducing the expression of IL-6, a STAT3 activator. Furthermore, LOX-1/oxLDL function has been associated with other diseases, such as obesity, hypertension, and cancer. In prostate cancer (CaP), LOX-1 overexpression is associated with advanced stages, and its activation by oxLDL induces an epithelial-mesenchymal transition, increasing angiogenesis and proliferation. Interestingly, enzalutamide-resistant CaP cells increase the uptake of acLDL. Enzalutamide is an androgen receptor (AR) antagonist for castration-resistant prostate cancer (CRPC) treatment, and a high percentage of patients develop a resistance to this drug. The decreased cytotoxicity is promoted in part by STAT3 and NF-κB activation that induces the secretion of the pro-inflammatory program and the expression of AR and its splicing variant AR-V7. Here, we demonstrate for the first time that oxLDL/LOX-1 increases ROS levels and activates NF-κB, inducing IL-6 secretion and the activation of STAT3 in CRPC cells. Furthermore, oxLDL/LOX1 increases AR and AR-V7 expression and decreases enzalutamide cytotoxicity in CRPC. Thus, our investigation suggests that new factors associated with cardiovascular pathologies, such as LOX-1/oxLDL, may also promote important signaling axes for the progression of CRPC and its resistance to drugs used for its treatment.

Leptocarpha rivularis is a native South American plant used ancestrally by Mapuche people to treat gastrointestinal ailments. L. rivularis flower extracts are rich in molecules with therapeutic potential, including the sesquiterpene lactone leptocarpin, which displays cytotoxic effects against various cancer types in vitro. However, the combination of active molecules in these extracts could offer a hitherto unexplored potential for targeting cancer. In this study, we investigated the effect of L. rivularis flower extracts on the proliferation, survival, and spread parameters of gastric cancer cells in vitro. Gastric cancer (AGS and MKN-45) and normal immortalized (GES-1) cell lines were treated with different concentrations of L. rivularis flower extracts (DCM, Hex, EtOAc, and EtOH) and we determined the changes in proliferation (MTS assay, cell cycle analysis), cell viability/cytotoxicity (trypan blue exclusion assay, DEVDase activity, mitochondrial membrane potential MMP, and clonogenic ability), senescence (β-galactosidase activity) and spread potential (invasion and migration assays using the Boyden chamber approach) in all these cells. The results showed that the DCM, EtOAc, and Hex extracts display a selective antitumoral effect in gastric cancer cells by affecting all the cancer parameters tested. These findings reveal an attractive antitumoral potential of L. rivularis flower extracts by targeting several acquired capabilities of cancer cells.

Introduction: facing tuberculosis is a social and professional responsibility that requires characterization of the disease, not quite achieved in Guantanamo in the last decade. Objective: to characterize tuberculosis in patients in the province of Guantanamo in the period from 2012 to 2019. Method: the research population was the total of patients diagnosed with the disease (n=136). The following variables were taken into account: age, gender, location of the infection, results on the smear microscopy, categorization of the patient at the time of discharge and the risk groups for tuberculosis. The information was gathered through the records on the every year list of notifiable diseases, and epidemiologic surveys in the areas of infection, and it was summed up in absolute values and percentage. Results: in the 80.1 % of the cases of tuberculosis, the infection was located in the lungs, and the diagnose by positive smear microscopy (63.2 %) was more common. The 76.7 % of the patients with a positive smear microscopy were male. The most common risk groups for tuberculosis were: smokers (26.4 %), immunosuppressed patients (21.6 %) and alcoholism (19.1 %). Conclusions: In Guantanamo province, the lung-located tuberculosis prevails; and also the patients with a positive smear microscopy. Patients are mostly male, with ages ranging from 45 to 54 years old, all of them with a recent diagnosis. The disease has a greater incidence rate on those with an immunosuppression, smoking or alcoholism background.

Applications and systems for diabetes self-management are growing and involve a vast majority of factors to consider. This study was aimed at examining the integration of portable technologies for diabetes self-management, as well as benefits and issues arising of its use. From a web-based study on several groups of people with diabetes, most of them accustomed to the daily use of devices and applications for self-control, a deeper analysis based on correlations and inference was conducted considering information about the disease, technology knowledge and devices handling, use of technologies for diabetes control and management, and training with devices from a clinical and educational viewpoint. In this study, more than 70% of participants use Continuous Glucose Systems and additional devices (41.85% also use insulin pumps) which impacts positively on the knowledge of incoming technologies. The “easy to use” factor of current apps for diabetes self-management is the most valuable feature. Also, 88.98% of participants did not use gamification-based methods during the initial training sessions, although gamification is a useful technique in learning stages. An inference analysis shows how specific characteristics of diabetes devices and apps should improve. On the basis of the results, we discuss about benefits, shortcomings, and the state of these technologies and patient needs for the future.

El objetivo del presente estudio fue establecer las características del comportamiento proambiental de los estudiantes universitarios colombianos, esto es, identificar las actitudes, creencias, valoraciones, prácticas y conocimientos ambientales de estudiantes colombianos de diferentes carreras universitarias. Para ello se realizó un estudio descriptivo-correlacional de corte transversal con una muestra de 1503 estudiantes de diferentes carreras universitarias en cinco ciudades colombianas, con una probabilidad de incidencia de .5, 95 % de confianza y un error del 2.5 %. Los participantes fueron seleccionados aleatoriamente al interior de cada universidad y seles aplicaron el Inventario de Comportamiento Proambiental (ICP) y el Test de Conocimiento Ambiental (TCA), este último desarrollado específicamente para propósitos de la presente investigación. Se encontró que los estudiantes encuestados poseen actitudes y creencias ambientales positivas en la mayoría de las dimensiones. El nivel de conocimiento ambiental de los estudiantes en las cinco ciudades seleccionadas es bajo. Si bien no se observaron diferencias significativas entre las carreras respecto a las creencias, valoraciones, acciones y conocimientos ambientales, paradójicamente los estudiantes de ciencias ambientales ocuparon lugares inferiores a los que estudian ciencias económicas y administrativas. Se puede concluir que existen diferencias según la ciudad en las creencias, valoración, conocimiento y acciones ambientales de los estudiantes encuestados. El reporte de acciones ambientales presenta un perfil controversial pues al mismo tiempo las personas realizan comportamientos proambientales y antiambientales. Las instituciones universitarias y el gobierno tienen el desafío de lograr que la educación ambiental muestre los resultados esperados para el cumplimiento de las metas ambientales del país y del mundo.

El desarrollo teórico de las Relaciones Internacionales se encuentra dominado por la academia occidental; no obstante, las teorías autóctonas han tomado un papel destacado en la oposición a dicha dominación. Con el objetivo de realizar una revisión crítica de la literatura sobre las teorías no occidentales se han identificado y analizado como casos de estudio las teorías autóctonas producidas en China y en Japón. En el caso de la academia China concluimos que su desarrollo teórico cuestiona el predominio occidental-céntrico y ha empezado a combatir la hegemonía euroamericana. En cambio, la evolución teórica de la disciplina en Japón avanza en los momentos en que el país se posiciona como potencia en ascenso, mientras que se estanca en períodos en que el país se acomoda al statu quo.

Abstract Background Müllerian adenosarcoma is a rare malignancy. These tumors occur mainly in the uterus, but also in extrauterine locations, usually related to endometriosis. Because of their rarity, there is limited data on optimal management strategies. Case presentation We present a 44-year-old woman with a history of endometriosis who consults for chronic pelvic pain. In the imaging tests, a heterogeneous mass is observed that impresses endometriosis, encompassing the uterus and left appendage. Surgery is performed by finding an extrauterine adenosarcoma that affected the uterus, ovary and bladder wall. Conclusion This is a rare case but should be considered in a patient with atypical clinical characteristics or preoperative pathology, so we show the diagnostic and therapeutic strategies carried out for the resolution of the case.

In this paper, stress intensity factor (SIF) solutions are numerically obtained for notched bars subjected to tensile loading containing an eccentric circular inner crack located in the cross-section corresponding to the notch root. The finite element method and the J-integral have been used to obtain the SIF and to analyze the effect on it of three elliptical notch geometries (of equal radial depth). The results show how the SIF is greater in the notched bars than in the smooth bar and within the former when the axial semi-axis of the notch rises, its effect being greater as the diameter and eccentricity of the inner crack increase. In addition, the fatigue growth of an eccentric crack induces an increase in such eccentricity, greater as the notch axial semi-axis increases. The cause of these phenomena can be attributed to the constraint loss caused by the notch, which also facilitates bending of the specimen due to the asymmetry generated by the crack eccentricity.

Cognitive deficits are very difficult to diagnose during the initial stages; tests typically consist of a patient performing punctual dual-task activities, which are subjectively analyzed to determine the cognitive decline impact on gait. This work supports novel and objective diagnosis methods by stating a baseline on how neurotypical aging affects dual tasks while using a smartphone on the move. With this aim, we propose a twofold research question: Which mobile device tasks performed on the move (dual tasking) have characteristic changes in gait parameters, and which are especially characteristic at older ages? An experiment was conducted with 30 healthy participants where they performed 15 activities (1 single task, 2 traditional dual-tasks and 12 mobile-based dual-tasks) while walking about 50 m. Participants wore a wireless motion tracker (15 sensors) that made the concise analysis of gait possible. The results obtained characterized the gait parameters affected by mobile-based dual-tasking and the impact of normal cognitive decline due to aging. The statistical analysis shows that using smartphone-based dual-tasking produces more significant results than traditional dual-tasking. In the study, 3 out of 10 gait parameters were very significantly affected (p < 0.001) when using the traditional dual tasks, while 5 out of 10 parameters were very significantly affected (p < 0.001) in mobile-based dual-tasking. Moreover, the most characteristic tasks and gait parameters were identified through the obtained results. Future work will focus on applying this knowledge to improve the early diagnosis of MCI.

Although scurvy, the severe form of vitamin C deficiency, has been almost eradicated, the prevalence of subclinical vitamin C deficiency is much higher than previously estimated and its impact on human health might not be fully understood. Vitamin C is an essential molecule, especially in the central nervous system where it performs numerous, varied and critical functions, including modulation of neurogenesis and neuronal differentiation. Although it was originally considered to occur only in the embryonic brain, it is now widely accepted that neurogenesis also takes place in the adult brain. The subventricular zone (SVZ) is the neurogenic niche where the largest number of new neurons are born; however, the effect of vitamin C deficiency on neurogenesis in this key region of the adult brain is unknown. Therefore, through BrdU labeling, immunohistochemistry, confocal microscopy and transmission electron microscopy, we analyzed the proliferation and cellular composition of the SVZ and the lateral ventricle (LVE) of adult guinea pigs exposed to a vitamin-C-deficient diet for 14 and 21 days. We found that neuroblasts in the SVZ and LVE were progressively and significantly decreased as the days under vitamin C deficiency elapsed. The neuroblasts in the SVZ and LVE decreased by about 50% in animals with 21 days of deficiency; this was correlated with a reduction in BrdU positive cells in the SVZ and LVE. In addition, the reduction in neuroblasts was not restricted to a particular rostro–caudal area, but was observed throughout the LVE. We also found that vitamin C deficiency altered cellular morphology at the ultrastructural level, especially the cellular and nuclear morphology of ependymal cells of the LVE. Therefore, vitamin C is essential for the maintenance of the SVZ cell populations required for normal activity of the SVZ neurogenic niche in the adult guinea pig brain. Based on our results from the guinea pig brain, we postulate that vitamin C deficiency could also affect neurogenesis in the human brain.

The capability analysis of a process against requirements is often an instrument of change. The traditional and fuzzy process capability approaches are the most useful statistical techniques for determining the intrinsic spread of a controlled process for establishing realistic specifications and use for comparative processes. In the industry, the traditional approach is the most commonly used instrument to assess the impact of continuous improvement projects. However, these methods used to evaluate process capability indices could give misleading results because the dataset employed corresponds to the final product/service measures. This paper reviews an alternative procedure to assess the fuzzy process capability indices based on the statistical methodology involved in the modeling and design of experiments. Firstly, a model with reasonable accuracy is developed using a neural network approach. This model is embedded in a graphic user interface (GUI). Using the GUI, an experimental design is carried out, first to know the membership function of the process variability and then include this variability in the model. Again, an experimental design identifies the improved operating conditions for the significative independent variables. A new dataset is generated with these operating conditions, including the minimum error reached for each independent variable. Finally, the GUI is used to get a new prediction for the response variable. The fuzzy process capability indices are determined using the triangular membership function and the predicted response values. The feasibility of the proposed method was validated using a random data set corresponding to the basis weight of a papermaking process. The results indicate that the proposed method provides a better overview of the process performance, showing its true potential. The proposed method can be considered non-invasive.

Introducción: la resistencia combinada a múltiples antibióticos en algunas de las principales bacterias patógenas en humanos está aumentando en los últimos años y está generando una importante amenaza para la salud pública. Objetivo: caracterizar a las gestantes con urosepsis que presentaron resistencia antimicrobiana de Escherichia coli aislada en urocultivos y atendidas en el Hospital General Docente “Dr. Agostinho Neto” de Guantánamo durante el periodo enero-junio de 2017. Método: serealizó un estudio descriptivo, transversal y retrospectivo en el Hospital General Docente “Dr. Agostinho Neto” de Guantánamo, en el periodo enero a junio 2017. El universo de estudio quedó constituido por 58 gestantes. Las variables estudiadas fueron: edad, paridad, factores de riesgo y resistencia. Se utilizó como medida de resumen la frecuencia absoluta y la frecuencia relativa (%). Resultados: el mayor número de gestantes con urosepsis causada por Escherichia coli se encontraban en el grupo de edades entre los 19 y 29 para un 48,3 %. La urosepsis en etapas anteriores al embarazo se identificó en el 48,3 % de las multíparas, solo 11 de las primíparas (19,0 %). La anemia se diagnosticó en 28 gestantes (48,3 %), la diabetes mellitus tipo II en 11 pacientes para un 19,0 %. En 33 gestantes (57 %), se presentó resistencia al ácido nalidíxico, en 28 al sulfaprim (48,2 %) y en el 40 % a la amoxicilina + ácido clavulánico un total de 23 pacientes. Conclusiones: la urosepsis por Escherichia coli predominó en gestantes comprendidas entre los 19 y 29 años, multíparas, con esta entidad en etapas anteriores al embarazo, anemia, multigestas y con diabetes mellitus. Se presentó resistencia al ácido nalidíxico, sulfaprim, amoxicilina + ácido clavulánico y cefalexina.

Introducción:las infecciones asociadas a la asistencia sanitaria constituyen un grave problema de la salud pública a nivel mundial por su frecuencia y elevada mortalidad.Objetivo:identificar el nivel de conocimientos, actitudes y prácticas para controlar las infecciones intrahospitalarias del personal asistencial.Método:se realizó un estudio descriptivo de corte transversal, en el Hospital Santiago de Jinotepe en Carazo, Nicaragua, periodo enero-junio 2017.El universo lo constituyeron 345 trabajadores del hospital incluyendo a los internos de la carrera de Medicina y la muestra intencional o por conveniencia, de 53 proveedores. Las variables utilizadas:clasificación ocupacional, nivel de conocimiento sobre la definiciónde infecciones asociadas a la atención en salud(IAAS)y sobreefecto del lavado de las manos con agua y el jabón para remover bacilos Gram negativos, así como la evaluación de prácticas y actitudes relacionados con la prevención de las IAAS.Resultados:se evidenció déficit cognitivo sobre las infecciones asociadas a la atención en salud y en las actitudes y prácticas correctas en el personal asistencial para su prevención.Conclusiones: existe falta de conocimiento sobre las infecciones asociadas a la atención en salud, así como en el ejercicio de actitudes y prácticas correctas destinadas a su prevención, para esto se deberá diseñar un programa de capacitación en este nivel de atención para tratar de disminuir lasIAAS.

This work proposes a simplified control method to stabilize the model of a nonlinear Planar Vertical Take-Off and Landing (PVTOL) system when a constant force is applied in the horizontal axis. Since the stability analysis is based on a Lyapunov function, exponential stability is guaranteed when the initial conditions fall inside a domain of attraction that is also specified. The performance of the suggested control algorithm is demonstrated using numerical simulations.

BRCA1 and BRCA2 are the most recognized tumor-suppressor genes involved in double-strand DNA break repair through the homologous recombination (HR) system. Widely known for its role in hereditary cancer, HR deficiency (HRD) has turned out to be critical beyond breast and ovarian cancer: for prostate and pancreatic cancer also. The relevance for the identification of these patients exceeds diagnostic purposes, since results published from clinical trials with poly-ADP ribose polymerase (PARP) inhibitors (PARPi) have shown how this type of targeted therapy can modify the long-term evolution of patients with HRD. Somatic aberrations in other HRD pathway genes, but also indirect genomic instability as a sign of this DNA repair impairment (known as HRD scar), have been reported to be relevant events that lead to more frequently than expected HR loss of function in several tumor types, and should therefore be included in the current diagnostic and therapeutic algorithm. However, the optimal strategy to identify HRD and potential PARPi responders in cancer remains undefined. In this review, we summarize the role and prevalence of HRD across tumor types and the current treatment landscape to guide the agnostic targeting of damaged DNA repair. We also discuss the challenge of testing patients and provide a special insight for new strategies to select patients who benefit from PARPi due to HRD scarring.

Introduction: Poor physical performance has been shown to be a good predictor of complications in some pathologies. The objective of our study was to evaluate, in patients with colorectal neoplasia prior to surgery, physical performance and its relationship with postoperative complications and in-hospital mortality, at 1 month and at 6 months. Methods: We conducted a prospective study on patients with preoperative colorectal neoplasia, between October 2018 and July 2021. Physical performance was evaluated using the Short Physical Performance Battery (SPPB) test and hand grip strength (HGS). For a decrease in physical performance, SPPB < 10 points or HGS below the EWGSOP2 cut-off points was considered. Nutritional status was evaluated using subjective global assessment (SGA). The prevalence of postoperative complications and mortality during admission, at 1 month, and at 6 months was evaluated. Results: A total of 296 patients, mean age 60.4 ± 12.8 years, 59.3% male, were evaluated. The mean BMI was 27.6 ± 5.1 kg/m2. The mean total SPPB score was 10.57 ± 2.07 points. A total of 69 patients presented a low SPPB score (23.3%). Hand grip strength showed a mean value of 33.1 ± 8.5 kg/m2 for men and 20.7 ± 4.3 kg/m2 for women. A total of 58 patients presented low HGS (19.6%). SGA found 40.2% (119) of patients with normal nourishment, 32.4% (96) with moderate malnutrition, and 27.4% (81) with severe malnutrition. Postoperative complications were more frequent in patients with a low SPPB score (60.3% vs. 38.6%; p = 0.002) and low HGS (64.9% vs. 39.3%, p = 0.001). A low SPPB test score (OR 2.57, 95% CI 1.37–4.79, p = 0.003) and low HGS (OR 2.69, 95% CI 1.37–5.29, p = 0.004) were associated with a higher risk of postoperative complications after adjusting for tumor stage and age. Patients with a low SPPB score presented an increase in in-hospital mortality (8.7% vs. 0.9%; p = 0.021), at 1 month (8.7% vs. 1.3%; p = 0.002) and at 6 months (13.1% vs. 2.2%, p < 0.001). Patients with low HGS presented an increase in mortality at 6 months (10.5% vs. 3.3%; p = 0.022). Conclusions: The decrease in physical performance, evaluated by the SPPB test or hand grip strength, was elevated in patients with colorectal cancer prior to surgery and was related to an increase in postoperative complications and mortality.

The discovery of an original Baetican oil amphora workshop in a plateau area on the left bank of the Guadalquivir, between Palma del Río and Cordoba, marks a crucial stage in the new research conducted since 2013 on the issues of these production centres. The workshop in Fuente de los Peces, which dates from the Augustan period, has also delivered several copies of the two oldest known stamps on amphora Dr. 20, as well as the testimonies of a local manufacture of amphorae of Iberian tradition. After having presented in detail the material elements collected by field surveys, the authors question the contributions of this discovery to the location of the first oil amphora workshops and discuss the origin and status of the founder of this workshop, associated with a vast rural settlement.

Zinc oxide nanoparticles were successfully synthesized under precipitation processes, using ZnSO4·7H2O as a Zn2+ precursor and K2CO3 used as a basic source, and hydrozincite was obtained as an intermediary, which was treated under two procedures; first procedure involved multiple stages to get final precipitated with NaOH, and in the second procedure the hydrozincite was straightforwardly dried at 220 °C. By both processes ZnO structures were obtained, which were turned into nanoparticles by a solvothermal treatment, for four hours in ethylene glycol at 200 °C. The final products for the first procedure was conglomerate of spherical nanoparticles with sizes ranged between 5–10 nm and dispersed ellipsoidal nanoparticles for the second procedure.Apart off the two procedures mentioned above, another synthesis was carried out with the same Zn2+ precursor but now using NaOH, and the solvothermal treatment produced ZnO mixed micro-structures which under ultrasonic cavitation disaggregated on mesoporous ZnO nanoplates of hexagonal shapes with nanopore sizes of approximately 0.35 nm. All ZnOs synthesized were structurally characterized with XRD, TEM and FT–IR techniques, and electronically with UV–Vis absorption and diffuse reflectance spectroscopies.

The enzyme L-asparaginase from Escherichia coli is a therapeutic enzyme that has been a cornerstone in the clinical treatment of acute lymphoblastic leukemia for the last decades. However, treatment effectiveness is limited by the highly immunogenic nature of the protein and its cross-reactivity towards L-glutamine. In this work, a bioinformatic approach was used to identify, select and computationally characterize L-asparaginases from Streptomyces through sequence-based screening analyses, immunoinformatics, homology modeling, and molecular docking studies. Based on its predicted low immunogenicity and excellent enzymatic activity, we selected a previously uncharacterized L-asparaginase from Streptomyces scabrisporus. Furthermore, two putative asparaginase binding sites were identified and a 3D model is proposed. These promising features allow us to propose L-asparaginase from S. scabrisporus as an alternative for the treatment of acute lymphocytic leukemia.

This article addresses the development and experimental validation of a trajectory-tracking control for a miniature autonomous Quadrotor helicopter system (X4-prototype) using a robust algorithm control based on second-order sliding mode technique or also known as super-twisting algorithm in outdoor environments. This nonlinear control strategy guarantees the convergence in finite time to a desired path r(t) in the presence of external disturbances or uncertainties in the model affecting the appropriate behavior of our Quadrotor helicopter. For this purpose, a polynomial smooth curve trajectory is selected as a reference signal where the corresponding derivatives of the function are bounded. Moreover, we consider disturbances due to wind gusts acting on the aerial vehicle, and the reference signal is pre-programmed in an advanced autopilot system. The proposed solution consists of implementing a real-time control law based on super-twisting control using GPS measurements in order to obtain the position in the xy-plane to accomplish the desired trajectory. Simulation and experimental results of trajectory-tracking control are presented to demonstrate the performance and robustness of the proposed nonlinear controller in windy conditions.

El artículo se centra en las relaciones birregionales entre la Unión Europea (ue) y América Latina y el Caribe (alc) en el marco de la política exterior europea. Su objetivo central es examinar la evolución de los “tres pilares” fundamentales en torno a los cuales se han articulado tales relaciones: el diálogo político, la cooperación y el comercio –en un sentido más o menos amplio–, desde 1999, año en que se creó la “Asociación Estratégica” que encauza las relaciones birregionales. La hipótesis central interpretativa del trabajo es que alc no ha representado una prioridad en el marco de la política exterior de la ue. Las relaciones se han mantenido con cierta asimetría y, a pesar de que se han logrado avances en algunos temas relevantes, en ninguno de los “tres pilares” los resultados han sido notables. Esto no ha sido así desde el punto de vista del desarrollo y la mejora de las condiciones económicas, sociales y políticas en Latinoamérica, ni desde el de la propia influencia europea en esta región. Las relaciones ue-al han pasado por alto algunos temas considerados clave, como las migraciones, la cooperación en materia educativa, la gestión de la deuda externa, entre otros. Finalmente, se defiende la idea de que pueden y deben profundizarse estas relaciones, y de que la región de alc puede constituir un aliado estratégico imprescindible de la ue

Antimicrobial resistance is an increasing problem worldwide, and Salmonella spp. resistance to quinolone was classified by WHO in the high priority list. Recent studies in Europe and in the US reported the presence of small plasmids carrying quinolone resistance in Enterobacteriaceae isolated from poultry and poultry products. The aims of this study were to identify and characterize plasmid-mediated quinolone resistance in Salmonella spp. and to investigate transduction as a possible mechanism associated to its dissemination. First, we assessed resistance to nalidixic acid and/or ciprofloxacin in 64 Salmonella spp. and detected resistance in eight of them. Genomic analyses determined that six isolates of different serotypes and sources carried an identical 2.7-kb plasmid containing the gene qnrB19 which confers quinolone resistance. The plasmid detected also has high identity with plasmids reported in the US, Europe, and South America. The presence of similar plasmids was later surveyed by PCR in a local Salmonella collection (n = 113) obtained from diverse sources: food (eggs), wild and domestic animals (pigs, horse, chicken), and human clinical cases. qnrB19-carrying plasmids were found in 8/113 Salmonella tested strains. A bioinformatics analysis including Chilean and previously described plasmids revealed over 95.0% of nucleotide identity among all the sequences obtained in this study. Furthermore, we found that a qnrB19-carrying plasmid can be transferred between Salmonella of different serotypes through a P22-mediated transduction. Altogether our results demonstrate that plasmid-mediated quinolone resistance (PMQR) is widespread in Salmonella enterica of different serotypes isolated from human clinical samples, wild and domestic animals, and food in Chile and suggest that transduction could be a plausible mechanism for its dissemination. The occurrence of these antimicrobial resistance elements in Salmonella in a widespread area is of public health and food safety concern, and it indicates the need for increased surveillance for the presence of these plasmids in Salmonella strains and to assess their actual impact in the rise and spread of quinolone resistance.

This article presents an easy-to-deploy and low-cost Internet of Things infrastructure for gait characterization based on a set of wireless inertial sensors, called nodes, connected to the same local area network. These nodes allow acquiring inertial raw data from the trunk of each frail elder involved in explicit gait trials carried out directly in the elderly care homes. The Internet of Things infrastructure has been validated for Quantitative Gait Analysis showing an adequate accuracy in the demarcation of relevant gait events and in the estimation of stride interval variability. The latter, in combination with other characteristics that are commonly used to assess the state of frail elders and which come from anthropometric, biological, nutritional, functional, and mobility domains, allows us to perform a cross-sectional cohort study and a subsequent multiple logistic regression to evaluate their impact on cognitive functioning. The cohort study and the multivariate regression are performed using a sample of 81 frail elders from two nursing homes in Spain. The results obtained indicate that frail elders aged 90 years or older, with moderate dependence in daily functioning and with a stride interval gait variability greater than 6%, were most likely to suffer cognitive impairment, representing what is called cognitive frail.