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The concept of “codon optimisation” involves adjusting the coding sequence of a target protein to account for the inherent codon preferences of a host species and maximise protein expression in that species. However, there is still a lack of consensus on the most effective approach to achieve optimal results. Existing methods typically depend on heuristic combinations of different variables, leaving the user with the final choice of the sequence hit. In this study, we propose a new statistical-physics model for codon optimisation. This model, called the Nearest-Neighbour interaction (NN) model, links the probability of any given codon sequence to the “interactions” between neighbouring codons. We used the model to design codon sequences for different proteins of interest, and we compared our sequences with the predictions of some commercial tools. In order to assess the importance of the pair interactions, we additionally compared the NN model with a simpler method (Ind) that disregards interactions. It was observed that the NN method yielded similar Codon Adaptation Index (CAI) values to those obtained by other commercial algorithms, despite the fact that CAI was not explicitly considered in the algorithm. By utilising both the NN and Ind methods to optimise the reporter protein luciferase, and then analysing the translation performance in human cell lines and in a mouse model, we found that the NN approach yielded the highest protein expression in vivo. Consequently, we propose that the NN model may prove advantageous in biotechnological applications, such as heterologous protein expression or mRNA-based therapies.

Dyslexia, a language-based disorder, affects children’s reading, writing, and spelling abilities despite adequate classroom instruction. Early screening is crucial to mitigate the adverse effects of delayed detection. Dyslexia also impairs precise timing tasks, including rhythm skills essential for reading. This study explores the potential of serious games incorporating rhythms to screen for dyslexia, leveraging the natural synchronization of rhythm skills observed in body movements. Existing rhythm games fail to accurately address dyslexia-related difficulties, lacking relevant performance data and user-centred design. Our research aims to design a 2D sidescrolling platformer game, integrating established rhythmic activities to identify children at risk for dyslexia and engage them in gameplay. A multidisciplinary team collaborates on this initiative, including neuropsychologists, music therapists, and game designers. Using the Design Thinking Methodology, we focus on identifying effective music compositions, game mechanics, dynamics, and visual elements that enhance the gaming experience for children with dyslexia and support early dyslexia screening.

Introduction. In recent decades, new non-invasive brain stimulation techniques and protocols have been developed, such as transcranial magnetic stimulation and transcranial direct current stimulation. Objective. To identify and visualize the intellectual structure of non-invasive brain stimulation through document co-citation analysis. Materials and methods. We analyzed 30,854 Web of Science-indexed manuscripts and their 1,615,692 references regarding non-invasive brain stimulation, all published from 1988 to 2022. We drew a document co-citation network map using CiteSpace software. Results. The most productive journal was Clinical Neurophysiology. The most published institution was the University College London, and the country with the most reports was the USA. The most productive author was Alvaro Pascual-Leone and the most cited author in the non-invasive brain stimulation field was J. C. Rothwell. In addition, the most cited study was that of Rossi et al. (2009). The safe application of non-invasive brain stimulation techniques and their effects on motor or executive functions is an emerging trend in this research area. Conclusions. The current investigation displayed a quantitative scientometric approach and delved into the advancement of non-invasive brain stimulation research by examining the references published in this domain. These findings can be valuable for professionals to picture the patterns of recognition and emerging directions in the field.

Abstract The use of additives, generally called DRAs (Drag Reducing Additives), has been proposed to re-duce the energy consumption in pressurized pipes. Although many research works have been conducted to analyze the effect of these additives, less attention have been devoted to the application of coatings to the pipe wall. This paper demonstrates that the application of a hydrophobic coating to the pipe can lead to a head loss reduction for a transition flow regime with moderate Reynolds number values (Re). For this purpose, an experiment was conducted to compare the performance of both coated and uncoated pipes by measuring the head losses and assessing the Drag Reduction Percentage (%DR) and the pipe friction factor (f). This was done for two Polyvinylchloride (PVC) pipes with different nominal diameters (PVC90 and PVC63). In addition, the flow velocity distribution was also measured in all these tests. The %DR decreased as the Re values increased, with the reduction being notably less pronounced for higher Re values. This could be explained by the fact that a partial slip condition is induced by the hydrophobic product. Its effect is significant for a transition regime where the effect of viscosity is important, but it becomes negligible for increasing levels of turbulence. No significant differences were observed in the flow distribution between coated and uncoated pipes, which seems to indicate that the velocity change could be limited to the near-wall viscous sublayer. The results of this work open an important research line aimed at reducing energy costs and the carbon footprint in pipe fluid distribution systems.

Institutions worldwide call for joint actions of multiple actors in partnerships to accelerate the transitions towards sustainable food systems and reach food security for everybody, allways. This requires insights into co-creating processes. Here, 52 European food system cases are analyzed. A methodology based on the game structure is used that permits standardizing data collection and extracting generic and cases-specific findings. Game building blocks correspond with key elements of co-creation processes, like defining mutually accepted objectives, engaging in types of activities, and efficient use of resources, boundary conditions, timings, and scales of operations. Results further indicate that different types of inclusive partnerships emerge, in which especially innovative private, including smallholders, and academic actors co-create value, all contributing to sustainability. The public and civil society actors emerge as important initiators, enablers, and organizers of scales of interaction, allowing generating snowball effects. Findings lead to an adapted concept for co-creating partnerships in food systems and recommendations for the European Partnership on sustainable food systems.

En el marco académico del Grado de Maestra de Educación Infantil de la Facultad de Educación, durante el curso 2022-2023, se lleva a cabo un proyecto de investigación artística y educativa en la asignatura Didáctica de la Educación Visual y Plástica. El objetivo principal es acercar procesos artísticos contemporáneos a la formación del alumnado. Para lograrlo, se implementa y evalúa un modelo que establece vínculos entre artistas profesionales, estudiantes universitarios y maestras en activo. El punto de partida se sitúa en el encuentro con artistas contemporáneos en las aulas universitarias, creando así situaciones significativas y prácticas en el proceso formativo de las futuras maestras. Los procesos creativos identificados se utilizan como materia prima para diseñar un entorno de aprendizaje, y el proyecto culmina con su implementación práctica en diferentes escuelas colaboradoras. El artículo describe y valora el proceso y la experiencia desde la perspectiva de los investigadores participantes, enfatizando especialmente las situaciones de encuentro con artistas en la Facultad de Educación.

Abstract The study aimed to assess the impact of dehydrated citrus pulp (DCP) on growth performance, fecal characteristics, fecal bacterial composition (based on 16S rRNA analysis), and fecal and serum metabolomic profiles in crossbred pigs. 80 finishing pigs Duroc × (Landrace × Large White) were fed either a control diet (C) or a diet with 240 g/kg DCP (T) for six weeks. Including DCP in diets tended to decrease feed intake, increased (p

Background/Objectives: The direct bridge to urgent heart transplant (HT) with venoarterial extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (VA-ECMO) support has been associated with high morbidity and mortality. The objective of this study is to analyze the morbidity and mortality of patients transplanted with VA-ECMO and compare the presumed differences between various eras over a 17-year timeline. Methods: This is a prospective, observational study on consecutive patients stabilized with VA-ECMO and transplanted with VA-ECMO from July 2007 to December 2023 at a reference center (98 patients). Objective variables were mortality and morbidity from renal failure, venous thromboembolic disease (VTD), primary graft dysfunction (PGD), the need for tracheostomy, severe myopathy, reoperation, post-transplant ECMO, vascular complications, and sepsis/infection. Results: The percentage of patients who reached transplantation without the need for mechanical ventilation has increased over the periods studied. No significant differences were found between the study periods in 30-day mortality (p = 0.822), hospital discharge (p = 0.972), one-year mortality (p = 0.706), or five-year mortality (p = 0.797). Survival rates in these periods were 84%, 75%, 64%, and 61%, respectively. Comorbidities were very frequent, with an average of 3.33 comorbidities per patient. The most frequent were vascular complications (58%), the need for post-transplant ECMO (57%), and myopathy (55%). The development of myopathy and the need for post-transplant ECMO were higher in recent periods (p = 0.004 and p = 0.0001, respectively). Conclusions: VA-ECMO support as a bridge to HT allows hospital discharge for 3 out of 4 transplanted patients. This survival rate has not changed over the years. The comorbidities associated with this device are frequent and significant.

The use of DC microgrids (DC-µGs) offers a variety of environmental benefits; albeit, a successful implementation depends on the implementation of an Energy Management System (EMS). An EMS is broadly implemented with a hierarchical and centralized structure, where the communications layer presents as a key element of the system to achieve a successful operation. Additionally, the relatively low cost of wireless communication technologies and the advantages offered by remote monitoring have promoted the inclusion of the Internet of Things (IoT) and Wireless Sensor and Actuator Network (WSAN) technologies in the energy sector. In this article is presented the development of an IoT EMS based on a WSAN (IoT-EMS-WSAN) for the management of a DC-µG. The proposed EMS is composed of a WiFi-based WSAN that is interconnected to a DC-µG, a cloud server, and a User Web App. The proposed system was compared to a conventional EMS with a high latency wired communication layer. In comparison to the conventional EMS, the IoT-EMS-WSAN increased the updating time from 100 ms to 1200 ms; also, the bus of the DC-µG maintained its stability even though its variations increased; finally, the DC bus responded to an energy-outage scenario with a recovery time of 1 s instead of 150 ms, as seen with the conventional EMS. Despite the reduced latency, the developed IoT-EMS-WSAN was demonstrated to be a reliable tool for the management, monitoring, and remote controlling of a DC-µG.

Microgrids have increased in popularity thanks to both the integration of renewable energy resources and their energy distribution capability for remote locations. Moreover, the microgrids, mainly using multiple generators connected in parallel, acquire additional advantages by using both Hot-Swap and Current-Sharing techniques. This paper presents the development of a Hardware in the Loop platform to test Current-Sharing algorithms. It is reinforced that the use of a real-time simulation based on Hardware in the Loop is a viable and cost-effective alternative in the validation of controllers. The platform was developed in a graphical programming environment (LabVIEW 2015) and implemented with NI MyRIO 1900 (National Instruments Corp., Austin, TX, USA) development boards for easier reproducibility. The entire code project is openly available and provided in this paper. A system of photovoltaic energy generators was used to evaluate the performance of the HIL platform. As a result, the platform was able to reproduce a similar behavior to the photovoltaic generator, presenting average mean errors of 0.4 V and 0.2 A in its voltage and current, respectively. Additionally, the platform showed its capability to test Current-Sharing algorithms in the occurrence of Hot-Swap events. This work contributes with a validation tool for energy management systems applied to microgrids.

Abstract Aims Residual congestion at the time of hospital discharge is an important readmission risk factor, and its detection with physical examination and usual diagnostic techniques have strong limitations in overweight and obese patients. New tools like bioelectrical impedance analysis (BIA) could help to determine when euvolaemia is reached. The aim of this study was to investigate the usefulness of BIA in management of heart failure (HF) in overweight and obese patients. Methods and results Our study is a single‐centre, single‐blind, randomized controlled trial that included 48 overweight and obese patients admitted for acute HF. The study population was randomized into two arms: BIA‐guided group and standard care. Serum electrolytes, kidney function, and natriuretic peptides were followed up during their hospital stay and at 90 days after discharge. The primary endpoint was development of severe acute kidney injury (AKI) defined as an increase in serum creatinine by >0.5 mg/dL during hospitalization, and the main secondary endpoint was the reduction of N‐terminal pro‐brain natriuretic peptide (NT‐proBNP) levels during hospitalization and within 90 days after discharge. The BIA‐guided group showed a remarkable lower incidence of severe AKI, although no significant differences were found (41.4% vs. 16.7%; P = 0.057). The proportion of patients who achieved levels of NT‐proBNP

El presente artículo analiza las vías que el ordenamiento jurídico español ofrece para restringir el acceso de los menores a contenido pornográfico en internet, que actualmente puede caracterizarse como un acceso sin trabas y generalizado. En primer lugar, se presentan los derechos e intereses constitucionales en conflicto a la hora de restringir el acceso a la pornografía en internet. A continuación, se analizan las normas vigentes en nuestro ordenamiento que podrían ofrecer una solución al acceso de los menores a la pornografía, y se discute su utilidad práctica. El artículo se cierra con unas conclusiones en las que se incluyen algunas propuestas de mejora normativa.

We report the case of a 24-year-old male presenting with obstructive renal failure, characterised by imaging evidence of a cystic lesion contingent upon the seminal vesicle and concurrent renal agenesis. Initial management involved urinary diversion, followed by outpatient monitoring and subsequent recurrence. Subsequent diagnostic assessments led to the identification of Zinner's syndrome, accompanied by retroperitoneal fibrosis. We present the clinical course, diagnostic methodology and the efficacious implementation of medical-surgical therapeutic interventions, yielding favourable outcomes.

Trans‐Saharan migrants often spend a large proportion of their annual cycle wintering in the Sahel. Advances in fieldwork and tracking technology have greatly enhanced our ability to study their ecology in these areas. Using GPS‐tracking we aimed to investigate the little known non‐breeding movements of the lesser kestrel Falco naumanni in sub‐Saharan Africa. We segment non‐breeding tracks (n = 79 tracks by 54 individuals) into staging events (131 ± 25 days per non‐breeding cycle), itinerant movements between staging sites (11 ± 10 days), and non‐directed exploratory movements (6 ± 5 days). We then describe timing and directionality of itinerant movements by male and female kestrels throughout the non‐breeding season. Regardless of sex, lesser kestrels spent on average 89% of the non‐breeding season staging at two (range = 1–4) sites in West Africa. At the end of September, kestrels arrived along a broad front throughout the northern Sahel. By December, however, they congregated into two distinct clusters in Senegal and along the Malian–Mauritanian border. The birds stayed for longer periods and showed greater daily activity in the latter areas, compared to their first and intermediate ones. Among 24 individuals tracked along multiple annual cycles, 20 individuals consistently used the Senegalese or Malian–Mauritanian cluster. The remaining four birds either used these clusters in the 2nd or 3rd year of tracking or alternated between them across different years. The eastward and westward itinerant movements of lesser kestrels during the non‐breeding season, coupled with their tendency to cluster geographically towards the end, differ from the southward movements of other insectivorous raptors in West Africa. While 31% of Spanish lesser kestrels converged in Senegal, where roosts of > 20 000 birds are known, 68% moved into the Malian‐Mauritanian border region where more groundwork is needed.

En el presente artículo, y en el contexto de la recuperación de la memoria trans en nuestro país en las últimas décadas, pretendemos realizar una aproximación a las vidas trans españolas de la denominada Edad de Plata (1902-1936). Este periodo, poco trabajado en la hispanística desde la óptica de los Trans Studies, brinda interesantes textualidades que son fundamentales para trazar una genealogía. Para nuestra investigación exponemos, en primer lugar, la aproximación metodológica, centrándonos en la terminología de búsqueda empleada en los repositorios bibliográficos y hemerográficos, y en los campos en los que podían hallarse las fuentes primarias. Seguidamente, clasificamos el corpus resultante en torno a tres núcleos temáticos: la medicina y la criminología, el mundo de los imitadores de estrellas y el espectáculo, y la literatura. En cada apartado analizamos los textos reunidos y problematizamos diferentes aspectos sobre la representación trans en esos años. Damos cuenta, asimismo, de las posibles interrelaciones entre ellos y de las claves que arrojan para comprender y trabajar una historia cultural trans española.

BackgroundEmbodied conversational agents (ECAs) are advanced human-like interfaces that engage users in natural face-to-face conversations and interactions. These traits position ECAs as innovative tools for delivering interventions for promoting health-related behavior adoption. This includes motivational interviewing (MI), a therapeutic approach that combines brief interventions with motivational techniques to encourage the adoption of healthier behaviors. ObjectiveThis study aims to identify the health issues addressed by ECAs delivering MI interventions, explore the key characteristics of these ECAs (eg, appearance, dialogue mechanism, emotional model), analyze the implementation of MI principles and techniques within ECAs, and examine the evaluation methods and primary outcomes of studies that use ECAs providing MI interventions. MethodsWe conducted a scoping review following the PRISMA-ScR (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses Extension for Scoping Reviews) methodology. Our systematic search covered the PubMed, Scopus, IEEE Xplore, ACM Digital, and PsycINFO databases for papers published between January 2008 and December 2022. We included papers describing ECAs developed for delivering MI interventions targeting health-related behaviors and excluded articles that did not describe ECAs with human appearances and without the necessary evaluation or MI explanation. In a multistage process, 3 independent reviewers performed screening and data extraction, and the collected data were synthesized using a narrative approach. ResultsThe initial search identified 404 articles, of which 3.5% (n=14) were included in the review. ECAs primarily focused on reducing alcohol use (n=5, 36%), took on female representations (n=9, 64%), and gave limited consideration to user ethnicity (n=9, 64%). Most of them used rules-driven dialogue mechanisms (n=13, 93%), include emotional behavior to convey empathy (n=8, 57%) but without an automatic recognition of user emotions (n=12, 86%). Regarding MI implementation, of 14 studies, 3 (21%) covered all MI principles, 4 (29%) included all processes, and none covered all techniques. Most studies (8/14, 57%) conducted acceptability, usability, and user experience assessments, whereas a smaller proportion (4/14, 29%) used randomized controlled trials to evaluate behavior changes. Overall, the studies reported positive results regarding acceptability, usability, and user experience and showed promising outcomes in changes in attitudes, beliefs, motivation, and behavior. ConclusionsThis study revealed significant advancements in the use of ECAs for delivering MI interventions aimed at promoting healthier behaviors over the past 15 years. However, this review emphasizes the need for a more in-depth exploration of ECA characteristics. In addition, there is a need for the enhanced integration of MI principles, processes, and techniques into ECAs. Although acceptability and usability have received considerable attention, there is a compelling argument for placing a stronger emphasis on assessing changes in attitudes, beliefs, motivation, and behavior. Consequently, inclusion of more randomized controlled trials is essential for comprehensive intervention evaluations.

Abstract In this paper, we establish the stability and strong convergence theorems, for the three-step iteration with perturbations for a T-Ciric quasicontraction, in the environment of the CAT(0) space. Finally, an application to the integral-type contraction and an example are shown.

The social networks and the rapid development of new technologies have led to considerable changes in the tourism industry. Artificial intelligence, in particular natural language processing (NLP), presupposes a significant advantage in obtaining information on the mass content generated by online users concerning tourism services and products. This work presents a systematic review of the use of NLP in the tourism industry and research. We used the well-known PRISMA methodology, and 227 relevant studies over the last decade have been reviewed. Our analysis identified the main methodologies, tools, data sources, and other relevant features in the field. One of the principal contributions of this study is a taxonomy for using NLP in tourism. In addition, metadata were examined using a threefold approach: (i) general statistics, (ii) abstract text analysis, and (iii) keyword networks. Automatic analyses have identified six major topics in applying NLP to tourism issues and have shown that China, the United States, Thailand, and Spain share similar tourism issues or approaches.

After the COVID-19 pandemic, messenger RNA (mRNA) has revolutionized traditional vaccine manufacturing. With the increasing number of RNA-based therapeutics, valuable new scientific insights into these molecules have emerged. One fascinating area of study is the formation of double-stranded RNA (dsRNA) during in vitro transcription (IVT) which is considered a significant impurity, as it has been identified as a major trigger in the cellular immune response pathway. Therefore, there is a growing importance placed to develop and optimize purification processes for the removal of this by-product. Traditionally, efforts have primarily focused on mRNA purification after IVT through chromatographic separations, with anion exchange and reverse phase chromatography emerging as effective tools for this purpose. However, to the best of our knowledge, the influence and significance of the quality of the linearized plasmid have not been thoroughly investigated. Plasmids production involves the growth of bacterial cultures, bacterial harvesting and lysis, and multiple filtration steps for plasmid DNA purification. The inherent complexity of these molecules, along with the multitude of purification steps involved in their processing, including the subsequent linearization and the less-developed purification techniques for linearized plasmids, often result in inconsistent batches with limited control over by-products such as dsRNA. This study aims to demonstrate how the purification process employed for linearized plasmids can impact the formation of dsRNA. Several techniques for the purification of linearized plasmids based on both, resin filtration and chromatographic separations, have been studied. As a result of that, we have optimized a chromatographic method for purifying linearized plasmids using monolithic columns with C4 chemistry (butyl chains located in the surface of the particles), which has proven successful for mRNAs of various sizes. This chromatographic separation facilitates the generation of homogeneous linearized plasmids, leading to mRNA batches with lower levels of dsRNA during subsequent IVT processes. This finding reveals that dsRNA formation is influenced not only by RNA polymerase and IVT conditions but also by the quality of the linearized template. The results suggest that plasmid impurities may contribute to the production of dsRNA by providing additional templates that can be transcribed into sequences that anneal with the mRNA molecules. This highlights the importance of considering the quality of plasmid purification in relation to dsRNA generation during transcription. Further investigation is needed to fully understand the mechanisms and implications of plasmid-derived dsRNA. This discovery could shift the focus in mRNA vaccine production, placing more emphasis on the purification of linearized plasmids and potentially saving, in some instances, a purification step for mRNA following IVT.

The quest for microbial cellulases has intensified as a response to global challenges in biofuel production. The efficient deconstruction of lignocellulosic biomass holds promise for generating valuable products in various industries such as food, textile, and detergents. This article presents a systematic bioprospection aimed at isolating actinomycetes with exceptional cellulose deconstruction capabilities. Our methodology explored the biodiverse oligotrophic region of Cuatro Cienegas, Coahuila, within the Chihuahuan Desert. Among the evaluated actinomycetes collection, 78% exhibited cellulolytic activity. Through a meticulous screening process based on enzymatic index evaluation, we identified a highly cellulolytic Streptomyces strain for further investigation. Submerged fermentation of this strain revealed an endoglucanase enzymatic activity of 149 U/mg. Genomic analysis of strain Streptomyces sp. STCH565-A revealed unique configurations of carbohydrate-active enzyme (CAZyme) genes, underscoring its potential for lignocellulosic bioconversion applications. These findings not only highlight the significance of the Chihuahuan Desert as a rich source of cellulolytic microorganisms but also offer insights into the systematic exploration and selection of high-performing cellulolytic microorganisms for application in diverse environmental contexts. In conclusion, our bioprospecting study lays a foundation for harnessing the cellulolytic potential of actinomycetes from the Chihuahuan Desert, with implications for advancing cellulose deconstruction processes in various industries. The findings can serve as a blueprint for future bioprospecting efforts in different regions, facilitating the targeted discovery of microorganisms with exceptional cellulosic deconstruction capabilities.

Nuevo León es el sexto productor de toronja en México; destina una superficie de 2,039 hectáreas con un volumen de producción anual de 10,085 toneladas. El cultivar sobresaliente es Río Red, con periodo de cosecha de noviembre a febrero. Es importante ofrecer a los productores cultivares que ofrezcan rendimiento y calidad para su comercialización. Por ello, el objetivo del presente estudio fue caracterizar un grupo de siete cultivares de toronja, mediante parámetros que determinen la calidad del fruto como: peso fresco, diámetro polar y ecuatorial, espesor de cáscara, número de semillas, sólidos solubles totales (SST), contenido de jugo y firmeza del fruto. Para ello, se evaluaron siete cultivares de toronja del Banco de Germoplasma de Cítricos, establecido en el Campo Experimental General Terán. Los resultados indican que el cultivar Rio Red presentó características sobresalientes en: peso del fruto (674.00 g), pocas semillas, alto contenido de jugo (294.70 mL) y SST (10.70 °Brix). Sin embargo, los cultivares Shambar y Red Blush Nuc. presentaron características similares, pero con mayor SST (11.9 y 12.65 °Brix). Los resultados indican que es posible diversificar la producción de toronja en la región citrícola del estado de Nuevo León y no depender de un cultivar. DOI: https://doi.org/10.54167/tch.v17i3.1257

African swine fever (ASF) is a contagious disease of wild boar and domestic pigs notifiable to the World Organisation for Animal Health due to its high socio-economic impact. ASF is caused by the complex ASF virus (ASFV), and it can present different clinical manifestations that can be confused with other diseases; for this reason, laboratory testing is necessary for the proper diagnosis of clinically suspected animals. Despite the efforts put into it over decades, no treatment or safe vaccine is globally available, and disease control is based on early diagnosis and the implementation of strict biosecurity measures. In this context, rapid tests have the potential to accelerate and facilitate the identification of infected animals by giving fast on-site results. In this work, we improved the available point-of-care assays for the diagnosis of the disease by the development of a more specific antigen test and a more sensitive antibody test. This antibody detection test allowed for the earlier detection of infected animals than two commercial indirect ELISAs (statistically significant). Moreover, we developed a combined dual rapid test, unifying, in the same cassette, an antigen detection strip and an antibody detection strip. In this study, we confirmed that this combo approach is a useful tool for implementing rapid tests in the field since it increases the percentage of positive samples detected, even when PCR turns negative, while maintaining a good specificity.

Today, maintaining an Internet connection is indispensable; as an example, we can refer to IoT applications that can be found in fields such as environmental monitoring, smart manufacturing, healthcare, smart buildings, smart homes, transportation, energy, and others. The critical elements in IoT applications are both the Wireless Sensor Nodes (WSn) and the Wireless Sensor Networks. It is essential to state that designing an application demands a particular design of a WSn, which represents an important time consumption during the process. In line with this observation, our work describes the development of a modular WSn (MWSn) built with digital processing, wireless communication, and power supply subsystems. Then, we reduce the WSn-implementing process into the design of its modular sensing subsystem. This would allow the development and launching processes of IoT applications across different fields to become faster and easier. Our proposal presents a versatile communication between the sensing modules and the MWSn using one- or two-wired communication protocols, such as I2C. To validate the efficiency and versatility of our proposal, we present two IoT-based remote monitoring applications.

BackgroundAccording to the World Health Organization, approximately 15% of the global population is affected by mental health or substance use disorders. These conditions contribute significantly to the global disease burden, which has worsened because of the direct and indirect effects of COVID-19. In Mexico, a quarter of the population between the ages of 18 and 65 years who reside in urban areas present a mental health condition. The presence of a mental or substance abuse disorder is behind a significant percentage of suicidal behaviors in Mexico, where only 1 in 5 of those who have these disorders receive any treatment. ObjectiveThis study aims to develop, deploy, and evaluate a computational platform to support the early detection and intervention of mental and substance use disorders in secondary and high schools as well as primary care units. The platform also aims to facilitate monitoring, treatment, and epidemiological surveillance ultimately helping specialized health units at the secondary level of care. MethodsThe development and evaluation of the proposed computational platform will run during 3 stages. In stage 1, the identification of the functional and user requirements and the implementation of the modules to support the screening, follow-up, treatment, and epidemiological surveillance will be performed. In stage 2, the initial deployment of the screening module will be carried out in a set of secondary and high schools, as well as the deployment of the modules to support the follow-up, treatment, and epidemiological surveillance processes in primary and secondary care health units. In parallel, during stage 2, patient applications to support early interventions and continuous monitoring will also be developed. Finally, during stage 3, the deployment of the complete platform will be performed jointly with a quantitative and qualitative evaluation. ResultsThe screening process has started, and 6 schools have been currently enrolled. As of February 2023, a total of 1501 students have undergone screening, and the referral of those students presenting a risk in mental health or substance use to primary care units has also started. The development, deployment, and evaluation of all the modules of the proposed platform are expected to be completed by late 2024. ConclusionsThe expected results of this study are to impact a better integration between the different levels of health care, from early detection to follow-up and epidemiological surveillance of mental and substance use disorders contributing to reducing the gap in the attention to these problems in the community. International Registered Report Identifier (IRRID)DERR1-10.2196/44607

The use of renewable energies contributes to the goal of mitigating climate change by 2030. One of the fastest-growing renewable energy sources in recent years is wind power. Large wind generation systems have drawbacks that can be minimized using small wind systems and DC microgrids (DC-µGs). A wind system requires a control system to function correctly in different regions of its operating range. However, real-time analysis of a physical wind system may not be feasible. An alternative to counteract this disadvantage is using real-time hardware in the loop (HIL) simulation. This article describes the implementation of an HIL platform in an NI myRIO 1900 to evaluate the performance of control algorithms in a small wind system (SWS) that serves as a distributed generator for a DC-µG. In the case of an SWS, its implementation implies nonlinear behaviors and, therefore, nonlinear equations, and this paper shows a way to do it by distributing the computational work, using a high-level description language, and achieving good accuracy and latency with a student-oriented development kit. The platform reproduces, with an integration time of 10 µs, the response of the SWS composed of a 3.5 kW turbine with a fixed blade pitch angle and no gear transmission, a permanent magnet synchronous generator (PMSG), and a three-phase full-bridge AC/DC electronic power converter. The platform accuracy was validated by comparing its results against a software simulation. The compared variables were the PMSG currents in dq directions, the turbine’s angular speed, and the DC bus’s voltage. These comparisons showed mean absolute errors of 0.04 A, 1.9 A, 0.7 rad/s, and 9.5 V, respectively. The platform proved useful for validating the control algorithm, exhibiting the expected results in comparison with a lab-scale prototype using the same well-known control strategy. Using a well-known control strategy provides a solid reference to validate the platform.

Organic farming is growing rapidly worldwide since it is perceived as more respectful of the environment than conventional farming. In this sense, organic agriculture is highly appreciated by consumers since consumers around the world believe that organic food has a higher content of beneficial compounds for health and consider it of higher quality. For that reason, the objective of this research was to evaluate the nutritional, sensorial, and functional quality of the ‘Fino 49’ lemon grafted on Citrus macrophylla in conventional and organic cultivation. Fatty acids, amino acids, total phenol, and polyphenols were quantified, antioxidant activity was measured, and sensory descriptive analysis was performed. Conventional farming led to an increase in amino acid content (641 mg L−1) and an increase in polyunsaturated fatty acids (254 mg 100 g−1) and monounsaturated fatty acids (37.61 mg 100 g−1). On the other hand, organically produced lemon fruits had better sensory profile (highlighting overall aroma (6.5), lemon odor (6.8), sourness (5.8), floral (0.6), and fresh lemon flavor (9.8)), and lower thrombogenicity index (0.15). The type of cultivation (organic and conventional) had no influence on the antioxidant activity (~1.60, ~3.08, and ~4.16 mmol Trolox L−1 for ABTS+, DPPH•, and FRAP, respectively) and polyphenols content (85.51 and 86.69 conventional and organic, respectively). However, to establish the advantages and disadvantages of different types of cultivation on lemon quality more studies are needed.

Purpose: This paper aims to assess extrinsic motivation in the Spanish labor market. We focus on evaluating whether remuneration programs have a sufficient prevalence in the Spanish context to be considered in research models. Besides, we are also interested in identifying which are the factors that might affect the adoption of those programs. Design/methodology/approach: We gather the data from three waves (2006, 2010, and 2014) of the salary structure survey (EES) conducted by the Spanish National Institute of Statistics (INE). We use Descriptive Statistics for identifying the incidence and intensity of remuneration programs in the Spanish context. We use the Generalized Linear Model (GLM) for exploring which factors are affecting the implementation of remuneration programs. Findings: Our results show that both degree of use and intensity of remuneration programs related to extrinsic motivation are low. There are not important differences between the three series of data. It seems that the rigidity of the Spanish labor legislation influences the salary structure. In this sense, the basic salary and fixed payments are the central part of the monthly gross amount. Finally, few of the factors under study have a substantial effect on the intensity of variable retribution. Research limitations: Our research uses only official data provided by company payroll records and many economic participation programs are grouped into a single category within the survey, which limits the possibility of analysis. In addition, the cross-sectional nature of the data limits the possibility of establishing causal relationships. Practical implications: We have concluded that remuneration programs related to extrinsic motivation are not being widely used in the Spanish context. This fact is relevant since many studies point out that employee involvement is essential for the success of organizations in the current context Originality/value: The importance of the study lies in its focus on the salary structure to assess whether extrinsic motivation mechanisms are used in the Spanish labor market. We have studied the salary structure composition in Spain in a disaggregated way, focusing on variable remuneration, whereas most of the previous research considers the salary as a whole (total gross salary without dividing by retribution concepts). Also, we have identified which factors are affecting the implementation of remuneration programs.mic programs. Also, we have clarified several issues related to the salary structure in Spain

Durante la primera mitad de este siglo, los diferentes gobiernos occidentales implementaron en sus países impuestos indirectos a las ventas de tipo cascada o de tipo monofásico, pero no fue sino hasta el año 1954 cuando Francia adoptó el sistema del "Impuesto al Valor Ajustado".

Violence exercised by children against their parents has increased significantly, affecting society both directly and indirectly. This type of violence is one of the least investigated and least exposed by the media. The aim of this work is to examine how the media have portrayed this problem, by means of a qualitative methodology and a multidimensional analysis of journalistic and literary texts. News related to violence committed by children against parents published from 2010 to 2020 were sourced from the following Spanish newspapers: El País, ABC, El Día, El Mundo, La Vanguardia, El Periódico, La Provincia, Canarias 7, 20 Minutos, and Diario de Avisos. The text corpus was subsequently analyzed with the open access software IRaMuTeQ. The results show a total of 204232 words (number of occurrences), of which 4561 appear only once (number of hapaxes). The words “violence,” “father,” and “son” are those that appear most frequently in the analysis of the texts and present a strong co-occurrence among them. It should be noted that child-to-parent violence is described as a problem confined to the family environment. The importance of prevention strategies against violence within the family context is shown in this paper.

The heating of the chromosphere in internetwork regions remains one of the foremost open questions in solar physics. In the present study, we tackle this old problem by using a very-high-spatial-resolution simulation of quiet-Sun conditions performed with radiative MHD numerical models and interface region imaging spectrograph (IRIS) observations. We have expanded a previously existing 3D radiative MHD numerical model of the solar atmosphere, which included self-consistently locally driven magnetic amplification in the chromosphere, by adding ambipolar diffusion and time-dependent nonequilibrium hydrogen ionization to the model. The energy of the magnetic field is dissipated in the upper chromosphere, providing a large temperature increase due to ambipolar diffusion and nonequilibrium ionization (NEQI). At the same time, we find that adding the ambipolar diffusion and NEQI in the simulation has a minor impact on the local growth of the magnetic field in the lower chromosphere and its dynamics. Our comparison between synthesized Mg ii profiles from these high-spatial-resolution models, with and without ambipolar diffusion and NEQI, and quiet-Sun and coronal hole observations from IRIS now reveal a slightly better correspondence. The intensity of profiles is increased, and the line cores are slightly broader when ambipolar diffusion and NEQI effects are included. Therefore, the Mg ii profiles are closer to those observed than in previous models, though some differences still remain.

Con el objetivo de identificar los periodos de mayor o menor precipitación y sus respectivas variaciones, se analiza las precipitaciones hídricas en la ciudad de Riobamba, usando datos de precipitación diaria y mensual entre 1978 a 2019. Empleando métodos estadísticos no convencionales, para establecer la normalidad de los datos se aplica el método de Kolmogorov Smirnov, que demuestran la necesidad de usar estadística robusta en el análisis, la cual se complementa con el método Bootstrap, lo que permitió consolidar los resultados estableciendo las tendencias de los datos y sus rangos de variación, el análisis con el método robusto nos proporciona la tendencia de los datos a lo largo del año que coincide con los resultados hallados con los métodos Bootstrap. Los meses de febrero, marzo, abril y mayo presentan más regularidad en sus precipitaciones, con mayor precipitación en el mes de abril y menor precipitación en el mes de julio, identificando dos estaciones con mayor precipitación, entre enero y mayo, así como entre octubre y diciembre, mientras que de junio a septiembre se tiene menor precipitación, épocas conocidas en los primeros caso como temporadas húmedas y en el último temporada seca.

Optimal container loading provides efficiency, lower costs, and fundamental benefits for any supply chain. However, obtaining these benefits remains an unsolved problem for many companies. SIC (Sistema Inteligente de Cubicaje, Intelligent Packing System in English) has been developed with the user in mind, with extensive possibilities for creating, defining, saving, editing and exporting container loading instances by performing clear, precise and concise interactions. SIC is a consumer-grade open-source application developed using the Unity game engine that generates packing patterns from user-defined instances of the Container Loading Problem (CLP). SIC can create packing patterns for boxes and convex polyhedra employing optimization algorithms. SIC also intends to contribute to the development of new CPL algorithms since its modular structure allows the optimization engine to be easily changed, thus allowing the academic community interested in CPL to save time in creating software, focusing that time on conceiving better solution algorithms. The default optimization modules included in SIC for boxes and connected polyhedra have been tested against the best methods in the literature, showing similar results in run time and container usability. For the future of SIC, we intend to create a web application so that users can run it from any computer, allowing them to access their loads and load spaces. Additionally, it pretends to include more complex CPL constraints.

Microrrelatos inéditos

Online learning is quickly becoming a popular choice instead of traditional education. One of its key advantages lies in the flexibility it offers, allowing individuals to tailor their learning experiences to their unique schedules and commitments. Moreover, online learning enhances accessibility to education, breaking down geographical and economical boundaries. In this study, we propose the use of advanced natural language processing techniques to design and implement a recommender that supports e-learning students by tailoring materials and reinforcement activities to students’ needs. When a student posts a query in the course forum, our recommender system provides links to other discussion threads where related questions have been raised and additional activities to reinforce the study of topics that have been challenging. We have developed a content-based recommender that utilizes an algorithm capable of extracting key phrases, terms, and embeddings that describe the concepts in the student query and those present in other conversations and reinforcement activities with high precision. The recommender considers the similarity of the concepts extracted from the query and those covered in the course discussion forum and the exercise database to recommend the most relevant content for the student. Our results indicate that we can recommend both posts and activities with high precision (above 80%) using key phrases to represent the textual content. The primary contributions of this research are three. Firstly, it centers on a remarkably specialized and novel domain; secondly, it introduces an effective recommendation approach exclusively guided by the student’s query. Thirdly, the recommendations not only provide answers to immediate questions, but also encourage further learning through the recommendation of supplementary activities.

Abstract Aims There are controversial data on the ability of the components of mineral metabolism (vitamin D, phosphate, parathormone [PTH], fibroblast growth factor‐23 [FGF23], and klotho) to predict cardiovascular events. In addition, it is unknown whether they add any prognostic value to other well‐known biomarkers. Methods and results In 969 stable coronary patients, we determined plasma levels of all the aforementioned components of mineral metabolism with a complete set of clinical and biochemical variables, including N‐terminal pro‐brain natriuretic peptide (NT‐proBNP), high‐sensitivity troponin I (hs‐TnI), and high‐sensitivity C‐reactive protein. Secondary outcomes were ischaemic events (any acute coronary syndrome, stroke, or transient ischaemic attack) and heart failure or death. The primary outcome was a composite of the secondary outcomes. Median follow‐up was 5.39 years. Age was 60 (52–72) years. Median glomerular filtration rate was 80.4 (65.3–93.1) mL/min/1.73 m2. One‐hundred and eighty‐five patients developed the primary outcome. FGF23, PTH, hs‐TnI, and NT‐proBNP were directly related with the primary outcome on univariate Cox analysis, while Klotho and calcidiol were inversely related. On multivariate analysis, only PTH (HR 1.058 [CI 1.021–1.097]; P = 0.002) and NT‐proBNP (HR 1.020 [CI 1.012–1.028]; P 85.5 RU/mL) (P

Abstract Cryoablation is safe and effective for the treatment of atrial fibrillation (AF) in controlled clinical trials, but contemporary real-world usage and outcomes are limited. The Report of the Spanish Cryoballoon Ablation Registry (RECABA) was designed to evaluate acute and 12-month outcomes of cryoballoon ablation for the treatment of AF in Spain. Patients from 27 Spanish centers were prospectively enrolled. Patients were treated with cryoballoon ablation and managed according to standard of care protocols at each center. The primary endpoint was ≥ 30 s freedom from AF at 12-month after a 3-month blanking period. Secondary endpoints included a description of patient characteristics, cryoablation procedural strategy and safety, and predictors of efficacy. In total, 1742 patients (71.4% PAF, 68.8% male, mean age 58.02 ± 10.40 years, 76.1% overweight or obese, CHA2DS2-VASc index 1.40 ± 1.28) were enrolled. Patients received 7.2 ± 2.67 cryo-applications. PV potentials could be detected in 61% of the PVs during ablation, with a mean time to block of 52.9 ± 37.02 s. Acute PVI was observed in 97% of PVs with 75.8% isolated with the first cryo-application. Mean procedural time was 113 ± 41 min. Acute complications occurred in 4.4% of the cases. With follow-up in 1628 patients, AF-free survival was 78.5% (PAF: 80.6% vs PersAF 73.3%; p

El equipo TRASCIENDE surge a partir de la necesidad de articular un proyecto de colaboración entre Plena inclusión-CLM y la UCLM para la transformación social, científica, académica y profesional en materia de discapacidad, inclusión y ciudadanía. A raíz de la situación sociosanitaria provocada por la COVID-19, el equipo TRASCIENDE se ha visto implicado en el cambio social que ha producido el confinamiento, desarrollando, necesariamente, un rol de observador del cambio. Esta situación global nos lleva a formularnos preguntas que pretenden iniciar procesos de investigación en la práctica: ¿de qué manera este confinamiento ha afectado a las prácticas en Atención Temprana? Para responder a esta pregunta se decide adoptar una perspectiva de investigación cualitativa para explorar las percepciones de familias y profesionales (logopedas, fisioterapeutas, estimuladoras y coordinadoras) de equipos de Atención Temprana, sus dificultades y sus fortalezas en esta situación de cambio. El trabajo describe un proceso de exploración de las prácticas durante los primeros meses del confinamiento, prácticas que se han dirigido, en muchos casos, hacia la teleintervención. Los datos han sido recogidos mediante entrevistas etnográficas (familias) y grupos focales (profesionales) y han sido tratados mediante análisis temático (Attride-Stirling, 2001). Los resultados muestran la percepción de las familias y los profesionales articulados en tres focos de redes temáticas: la reacción personal y colectiva a la nueva situación, lo que puede permanecer de la teleintervención (con sus matices) y lo que subyace a las prácticas en esta modalidad. El estudio abre, además, nuevas líneas de investigación futuras que evidencian la dificultad del proceso de transformación hacia modelos verdaderamente centrados en la familia.

Aim of study: Wild mushrooms are among the most widespread non-wood forest products in the Mediterranean region contributing to the rural economies. However, the wild mushroom sector still faces problems along its supply chain that can compromise its future in a scenario of increasing demand. The aim of this study was to analyse the current epigeous wild mushroom sector. Area of study: Representative countries of the Mediterranean region: Spain, France, Italy, Croatia and Greece. Materials and methods: The analysis was carried out through a structured Delphi survey conducted in two rounds, with a questionnaire divided into four groups: 1) supply chain description, 2) sectorial SWOT analysis, 3) future challenges and 4) sectorial resilience increase. The Delphi survey started with the selection of an expert panel that included 14 representatives of the wild mushroom supply chain such as forest owners, mushroom pickers, processing industry and consumers. Main results: The results obtained from the expert panel confirmed the complexity of the wild mushroom supply chain with the following sectorial challenges: i) Traceability and sustainability is fundamental for the final consumer, ii) Sectorial administration should be more coordinated, iii) Mushroom picking should be regulated, as the grey market will decrease. Research highlights: The study identified the most important actions that will strengthen the links among sectorial actors and interconnect gastronomy with mushrooms sector. The creation of a common EU list of commercial mushroom species and the development of a taxation system together with the product traceability were also addressed.

La escritora argentina Diana Bellessi se embarcó en un viaje por el continente americano a fines de los años sesenta y comienzos de los setenta del siglo pasado. Como resultado de su viaje publicó en 1981 el poemario Crucero ecuatorial. Está compuesto de veintiséis poemas donde podemos observar un yo poético que, al recorrer la geografía del continente, nos hace partícipe de una memoria colectiva de un espacio común, donde aparecen una serie de voces que ejemplifican la diversidad de la dimensión social latinoamericana; voces de la pobreza, de la emigración, voces de mujeres perdidas en un mundo dominado por hombres, voces de gentes y costumbres que son una ventana a la que asomarnos y poder entender cómo es la técnica poética de Bellessi, cómo define el espacio donde viaja, a partir de lo cual podemos extraer y entender el sentido último del poemario, ¿Quién es Diana Bellessi? Abstract Argentinian author Diana Bellessi embarked on a journey throughout the Americas at the end of the 1960s and beginning of the 1970s. In 1981 she published the poetry collection Crucero ecuatorial inspired by her travels, comprised of twenty-six poems. The poetic voice draws us in to experience the collective memory of a common space, where a series of voices emerge that exemplify the diversity of the social dimension of Latin America: voices of poverty, voices of emigration, voices of women lost in a world dominated by men, voices of people and customs that are a window through which we can decipher the poetic technique of Bellessi and understand how she defines the space in which she travels. From this perspective, we can extract and understand the ultimate goal of the collection, which is to address the question: who is Diana Bellessi?

Reseña del libro Una retórica constructivista. Creación y análisis del discurso social (Castelló de la Plana, Publicacions de la Universitat Jaume I, 2022), de David Pujante y Javier Alonso Prieto (eds.)

BackgroundThe consumption of alcohol and drugs, particularly in adolescents and young adults, has increased worldwide in the last several years, representing a significant public health challenge. Serious games have the potential to support preventive and treatment interventions for substance use, facilitating the acquisition of relevant knowledge and the motivation for changes in attitudes and behaviors regarding substance consumption. ObjectiveThis scoping review aims to analyze a set of 7 relevant characteristics of current serious games designed to support the prevention and treatment of alcohol and drug consumption in adolescents and young adults—the substance addressed, the type of intervention, the theoretical basis, the computational techniques used, the mechanism for data security and privacy, the evaluation procedure followed, and the main results obtained. MethodsThe review was performed by following the PRISMA-ScR (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses extension for Scoping Reviews) guidelines. Data were retrieved from January 2010 to May 2022, using PubMed, Scopus (Elsevier), IEEE Xplore, and ACM Digital as data sources. The eligibility criteria included studies that described serious games designed to support the prevention or treatment of alcohol and drug consumption, targeted a population aged between 12 and 30 years, and included an evaluation procedure. Authors (JMM and IEEC) individually screened the titles and abstracts, and then full articles were reviewed for a final inclusion decision. ResultsA total of 629 records were obtained, and 29 (4.6%) fulfilled the inclusion criteria. Most of the serious games (14/29, 48%) were focused on the prevention or treatment of alcohol use. The type of intervention that was the most supported was prevention (18/29, 62%), and most studies mentioned the theory, theoretical construct, or therapeutic technique used as a foundation (22/29, 76%). Most of the studies only provided information about the platform for execution (23/29, 79%), and few described the use of computational techniques, such as virtual reality or motion-based interaction (5/29, 17%). A small set of studies (10/29, 34%) explicitly mentioned how data security and privacy were addressed. Most of the reported evaluation protocols were pilot studies (11/29, 38%), followed by randomized controlled trials (10/29, 34%), and the reported results were positive in terms of acceptability, usability, and efficacy. However, more research is needed to assess long-term effects. ConclusionsGiven the increasing interest in the use of serious games as digital interventions to support the prevention or treatment of substance use, knowing their main features is highly important. This review highlights whether and how current serious games incorporate 7 key features that are useful to consider for the further development of the area.

Abstract External factors such as geography and weather strongly affect bird migration influencing daily travel schedules and flight speeds. For strictly thermal-soaring migrants, weather explains most seasonal and regional differences in speed. Flight generalists, which alternate between soaring and flapping flight, are expected to be less dependent on weather, and daily travel schedules are likely to be strongly influenced by geography and internal factors such as sex. We GPS-tracked the migration of 70 lesser kestrels (Falco naumanni) to estimate the relative importance of external factors (wind, geography), internal factors (sex) and season, and the extent to which they explain variation in travel speed, distance, and duration. Our results show that geography and tailwind are important factors in explaining variation in daily travel schedules and speeds. We found that wind explained most of the seasonal differences in travel speed. In both seasons, lesser kestrels sprinted across ecological barriers and frequently migrated during the day and night. Conversely, they travelled at a slower pace and mainly during the day over non-barriers. Our results highlighted that external factors far outweighed internal factors and season in explaining variation in migratory behaviour of a flight generalist, despite its ability to switch between flight modes.

African swine fever (ASF) is a viral disease of swine with a huge impact due to its high mortality. Lately, the disease has actively spread around the world, affecting new areas from which it had been eradicated long ago. To date, ASF control is carried out by the implementation of strict biosecurity measures such as the early identification of infected animals. In this work, two fluorescent rapid tests were developed to improve the sensitivity of point-of-care diagnosis of ASF. For antigen (Ag) detection in blood, a double-antibody sandwich fluorescent lateral flow assay (LFA) was developed, employing a newly developed recombinant antibody to the VP72 of the virus. To complement the diagnosis, a double-recognition fluorescent LFA was developed using the VP72 for the detection of specific antibodies (Ab) in sera or blood. Both assays statistically improved the detection of the disease when compared to the commercial colorimetric assays INgezim® ASFV CROM Ag and INgezim® PPA CROM Anticuerpo, respectively, with higher statistical significance between 11 and 39 days post-infection. From the observation of results, it can be concluded that the combination of both Ag-LFA and Ab-LFA assays would facilitate the identification of infected animals, regardless of post-infection time.

Abstract Background The prediction of biogeographical patterns from a large number of driving factors with complex interactions, correlations and non-linear dependences require advanced analytical methods and modeling tools. This study compares different statistical and machine learning-based models for predicting fungal productivity biogeographical patterns as a case study for the thorough assessment of the performance of alternative modeling approaches to provide accurate and ecologically-consistent predictions. Methods We evaluated and compared the performance of two statistical modeling techniques, namely, generalized linear mixed models and geographically weighted regression, and four techniques based on different machine learning algorithms, namely, random forest, extreme gradient boosting, support vector machine and artificial neural network to predict fungal productivity. Model evaluation was conducted using a systematic methodology combining random, spatial and environmental blocking together with the assessment of the ecological consistency of spatially-explicit model predictions according to scientific knowledge. Results Fungal productivity predictions were sensitive to the modeling approach and the number of predictors used. Moreover, the importance assigned to different predictors varied between machine learning modeling approaches. Decision tree-based models increased prediction accuracy by more than 10% compared to other machine learning approaches, and by more than 20% compared to statistical models, and resulted in higher ecological consistence of the predicted biogeographical patterns of fungal productivity. Conclusions Decision tree-based models were the best approach for prediction both in sampling-like environments as well as in extrapolation beyond the spatial and climatic range of the modeling data. In this study, we show that proper variable selection is crucial to create robust models for extrapolation in biophysically differentiated areas. This allows for reducing the dimensions of the ecosystem space described by the predictors of the models, resulting in higher similarity between the modeling data and the environmental conditions over the whole study area. When dealing with spatial-temporal data in the analysis of biogeographical patterns, environmental blocking is postulated as a highly informative technique to be used in cross-validation to assess the prediction error over larger scales.

El incumplimiento por un Estado miembro de la Unión Europea de la obligación de transponer a su ordenamiento jurídico una directiva comunitaria ha constituido uno de los problemas más importantes a los que ha tenido que hacer frente el Tribunal de Justicia de la Unión Europea. Para garantizar el cumplimiento de las directivas, desde la sentencia de 17 de diciembre de 1970, asunto SACE (C-33/70), el citado Tribunal ha venido atribuyendo una serie de efectos a las mismas y reconociendo a los particulares el derecho a actuar directamente contra su Estado por la no transposición o por la transposición deficiente de la directiva, con la finalidad de lograr su efecto útil, esto es, de evitar que su operatividad se vea alterada por la eventual inejecución de las labores de incorporación al ordenamiento jurídico de los Estados miembros.