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The diverse physiography of the Portuguese land and marine territory, spanning from continental Europe to the Atlantic archipelagos, has made it an important repository of biodiversity throughout the Pleistocene glacial cycles, leading to a remarkable diversity of species and ecosystems. This rich biodiversity is under threat from anthropogenic drivers, such as climate change, invasive species, land use changes, overexploitation, or pathogen (re)emergence. The inventory, characterisation, and study of biodiversity at inter- and intra-specific levels using genomics is crucial to promote its preservation and recovery by informing biodiversity conservation policies, management measures, and research. The participation of researchers from Portuguese institutions in the European Reference Genome Atlas (ERGA) initiative and its pilot effort to generate reference genomes for European biodiversity has reinforced the establishment of Biogenome Portugal. This nascent institutional network will connect the national community of researchers in genomics. Here, we describe the Portuguese contribution to ERGA’s pilot effort, which will generate high-quality reference genomes of six species from Portugal that are endemic, iconic, and/or endangered and include plants, insects, and vertebrates (fish, birds, and mammals) from mainland Portugal or the Azores islands. In addition, we outline the objectives of Biogenome Portugal, which aims to (i) promote scientific collaboration, (ii) contribute to advanced training, (iii) stimulate the participation of institutions and researchers based in Portugal in international biodiversity genomics initiatives, and (iv) contribute to the transfer of knowledge to stakeholders and engaging the public to preserve biodiversity. This initiative will strengthen biodiversity genomics research in Portugal and fuel the genomic inventory of Portuguese eukaryotic species. Such efforts will be critical to the conservation of the country’s rich biodiversity and will contribute to ERGA’s goal of generating reference genomes for European species.

Hedgehogs, Erinaceus spp., are commonly admitted to rescue centres in European countries. However, there are still few studies on parasitological fauna and treatment possibilities, including for E. roumanicus. This study aimed to evaluate parasitism in 34 hedgehogs directly after their admission to the Budapest Zoo and Botanical Garden Wildlife Rescue Centre, as well as the efficacy of fenbendazole treatment. The Mini-Flotac method was used to quantitatively evaluate and assess the efficacy of treatment with fenbendazole (100 mg/kg PO. BID for 7 days) in five selected individuals. Faecal samples were analysed at D0 and D14 after the beginning of the treatment. Globally, the prevalence of positive animals was 76%. Capillaria spp. were the most prevalent (68%), while coccidia showed a prevalence of 32%. Considering the range of action of this benzimidazole, the treatment provided an efficacy of 100%, eliminating all forms of Capillaria spp. Considering the high number of hedgehogs admitted to rescue centres and the potential effects of parasitism in morbidity and mortality during recovery, it is essential to improve our knowledge with regard to the parasitological fauna of these species and to attain effective treatment protocols.

The marine waters around the Azores archipelago have been studied for quite a long time. Deeper areas, however, were historically poorly accessible and only now previously unreported species are recorded regularly. Our monitoring efforts of the Azorean ichthyofauna have recently revealed two cases of indirect evidence of the presence of a cookiecutter shark (Isistius sp.). The evidence, documented photographically, was in the form of explicit bite marks on two dolphins representing two separate species: the Atlantic spotted dolphin, Stenella frontalis (Cuvier, 1829) and the short-beaked common dolphin, Delphinus delphis Linnaeus, 1758. The two dolphins swam close to Terceira Island. No specimens have yet been collected. The shape, and size of the wounds observed suggest that they were inflicted by a cookiecutter shark. The fresh state of the injuries suggests they were sustained recently in the proximity of the Azores.

The genus Erinaceus is commonly found in rescue centres across the European continent despite the reported decline in some countries. Parasite infections are frequently detected in rescued hedgehogs, leading to increased morbidity and mortality and consequently conditioning their recovery. Some of the most frequent parasites include respiratory nematodes, such as Crenosoma striatum and Capillaria spp., which may lead to important pneumonia. Moreover, some of these agents have zoonotic potential, such as Cryptosporidium spp., Sarcoptes spp., and several species of ticks and fleas, which may transmit different vector-borne pathogens. This review provides a brief guide on hedgehogs’ internal and external parasitology, as well as some suggestions for diagnosis and treatment that are relevant for wildlife veterinarians, biologists and other researchers.

Animal welfare and reducing stress during procedures are key objectives for success in animal production. Anesthesia has been used for procedures to reduce animal stress and its negative impact on welfare. This study aimed first to refine the concentrations of the anesthetic clove-oil (CO) and lidocaine (L) in gilthead seabream (Sparus aurata) juveniles (56.0 ± 15.09 g) and then combine clove-oil and 2-phenoxyethanol (2PHE) with the refined concentration of lidocaine. The concentrations of clove-oil (30, 45, and 60 mg L−1), and the concentrations of lidocaine (2.5, 5, and 7.5 mg L−1), were evaluated in the refinement trial. Based on these results, a second trial was performed with 45 mg L−1 CO or 0.4 mL L−1 2PHE as anesthetics alone or combined with 2.5 mg L−1 of lidocaine. Results from this work showed an improvement in induction times for 2-phenoxyethanol when lidocaine was added (2PHE 179.53 ± 63.21 s; 2PHE + L 130.65 ± 40.16 s). Recovery time also showed a reduction for clove-oil when lidocaine was used (CO 349.90 ± 123.69 s; CO + L 250.11 ± 51.99 s). The use of lidocaine showed better results, reducing lactate and histological progressive alterations. Lidocaine showed stress-induced oxidative alterations when it was combined with 2-phenoxyethanol. Lidocaine exposure increased ALT, AST, histological regressive alterations for both anesthetics, and gene expression of hsp70 in the gills when clove-oil was used. Further studies are necessary to comprehend the synergistic effects of lidocaine when combined with synthetic and natural anesthetics and to discern potential acute or chronic toxic responses in fish. These insights will be crucial for refining anesthesia protocols and ensuring the well-being of aquatic species in aquaculture practices and research settings.

Social deep-diving odontocetes face the challenge of balancing near-surface proximity to oxygen and group members with foraging in the deep sea. Individuals rely on conspecifics for critical life functions, such as predator defence, but disperse during foraging to feed individually. To understand the role of social acoustic mediation during foraging in deep-diving toothed whales, we investigated the context of social burst-pulse call production in Risso’s dolphin (Grampus griseus) using biologgers. Dolphins produced context-specific burst pulses predominantly during daytime foraging, preceding or following foraging dives and in the early descent of daytime deep dives. Individuals applied differential short and long burst-pulse calls intended for either near-surface receivers (horizontal transmission) or deep-foraging receivers (vertical transmission). Our results show that deep-diving toothed whales are reliant on acoustic communication during certain foraging contexts, to relay information including foraging conditions or an individual’s location. Moreover, they accentuate the importance of maintaining acoustic contact with conspecifics, specifically when dispersed during deeper foraging. It also signifies that our oceanic top predators may be specifically vulnerable to the current strong increase in anthropogenic noise. Potential masking of the signals from group members communicating at a distance could undermine their social cohesion, and hence their capacity to maintain vital life functions.

A utilização de recursos tecnológicos imersivos como a Realidade Virtual (RV) e vídeos em 360º, com a proposta de aproximar o usuário da história e tornar os conteúdos mais atrativos, tem provocado uma reconfiguração da narrativa jornalística e gerado questionamentos éticos que confrontam paradigmas da profissão. A partir da análise do vídeo 12 Seconds of Gunfire (2019), animação em 360º publicada pelo jornal The Washington Post, buscou-se perceber como o real e o ficcional, que se cruzam de forma mais evidente no jornalismo narrativo, se fazem presentes nestes relatos. Espera-se contribuir para as pertinentes discussões sobre o jornalismo digital e as inovações nos formatos narrativos em um cenário de transformações tecnológicas que desafiam a prática jornalística e que tornam mais complexa a distinção entre informação e ficção.

Heat exchangers are essential for various thermal applications, and their performance could be improved by optimization of layout/operating conditions or materials. The layout/operating conditions optimization has been widely subjected to research and development, while the implementation of different materials has been limited to the available joining solutions. Joining by forming allows to circumvent the existent limitations, since it utilizes plastic deformation to produce multi-material mechanical joints between thin sheets and thin-walled tubes. Here, joining by forming is adopted for the first time, to manufacture multi-material transversal finned tube heat exchangers. The numerical-experimental analysis explores the production of tube compression beads obtained by plastic instability to fix and support fins, and therefore manufacture a novel design of finned heat exchanger with improved performance. A case study is carried out with the help of computational fluid dynamics simulations to find an optimal layout. Then, finite element simulations are employed to analyse the joining by forming process. A prototype model of transversal finned tube heat exchangers was finally manufactured and experimentally tested. Results show considerable gains in comparison with conventional finned tube heat exchangers made from steel tubes and fins, being the multi-material heat exchanger effectiveness doubled with respect to traditional designs.

The experimental limitations with optics observed in many microscopy and astronomy instruments result in detrimental effects for the imaging of objects. This can be generally described mathematically as a convolution of the real object image with the point spread function that characterizes the optical system. The popular Richardson-Lucy (RL) deconvolution algorithm is widely used for the inverse process of restoring the data without these optical aberrations, often a critical step in data processing of experimental data. Here we present the versatile RedLionfish python package, that was written to make the RL deconvolution of volumetric (3D) data easier to run, very fast (by exploiting GPU computing capabilities) and with automatic handling of hardware limitations for large datasets. It can be used programmatically in Python/numpy using conda or PyPi package managers, or with a graphical user interface as a napari plugin.

Abstract The COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted a debate about whether marginalized communities suffered the disproportionate brunt of the pandemic’s mortality. Empirical studies addressing this question typically suffer from statistical uncertainties and potential biases associated with uneven and incomplete reporting. We use geo-coded micro-level data for the entire population of Sweden to analyze how local neighborhood characteristics affect the likelihood of dying with COVID-19 at individual level, given the individual’s overall risk of death. We control for several individual and regional characteristics to compare the results in specific communities to overall death patterns in Sweden during 2020. When accounting for the probability to die of any cause, we find that individuals residing in socioeconomically disadvantaged neighborhoods were not more likely to die with COVID-19 than individuals residing elsewhere. Importantly, we do find that individuals show a generally higher probability of death in these neighborhoods. Nevertheless, ethnicity is an important explanatory factor for COVID-19 deaths for foreign-born individuals, especially from East Africa, who are more likely to pass away regardless of residential neighborhood.

Abstract Implicit biases - differential attitudes towards members of distinct groups - are pervasive in human societies and create inequities across many aspects of life. Recent research has revealed that implicit biases are generally driven by social contexts, but not whether they are systematically influenced by the ways that humans self-organize in cities. We leverage complex system modeling in the framework of urban scaling theory to predict differences in these biases between cities. Our model links spatial scales from city-wide infrastructure to individual psychology to predict that cities that are more populous, more diverse, and less segregated are less biased. We find empirical support for these predictions in U.S. cities with Implicit Association Test data spanning a decade from 2.7 million individuals and U.S. Census demographic data. Additionally, we find that changes in cities’ social environments precede changes in implicit biases at short time-scales, but this relationship is bi-directional at longer time-scales. We conclude that the social organization of cities may influence the strength of these biases.

The utilization of an axial sheet bending-unbending cycle was previously utilized to produce mechanical joints of sheets to rods at ambient temperature by two subsequent operations. In this research, that joining process is now extended to produce a hidden mechanical joint between a sheet and tube that may not have protrusions both at the sheet surface and at the inner tube wall (if a mandrel is inserted there during the joining operation). The process is performed at ambient temperature and starts with the axial bending of a sheet with a pre-drilled hole of smaller diameter than that of the external diameter of the tube. That hole will be enlarged until a point where its diameter matches the external diameter of the tube to allow for its insertion. In a following operation, the sheet is unbent back to its original form, which will force the sheet material near the adjacent region of the hole to flow into a circular slot previously machined in the tube.Although the joining process is successful, the feasibility of the first axial sheet bending operation can be compromised, since it relies on a predetermined vertical displacement to ensure that its pre-drilled centre hole has the same diameter as the external diameter of the tube or rod that is to be inserted inside that hole, so that the mechanical joint is produced after the unbending of the sheet. To address those limitations, a modification is also proposed to the joining process where a redesigned punch tool allows to calibrate the hole diameter and guarantee that the tube or rod can be inserted correctly inside that hole for every joint to be produced while keeping tight tolerances.The combination of numerical modelling and experimentation allowed to determine the working parameters and their respective influence in the overall mechanics of the process. Unit test cells were utilized to prove the feasibility of the new concept and evaluate its pull-out destructive performance, although the joining process can easily be extended to larger tube and sheet dimensions since the plastic deformation is localized.

The rise in antifungal resistance among medically important fungi causing severe infectious diseases has underscored the urgent need for developing more effective antifungal agents. Growing evidence suggests that compounds combining functional antifungal groups with metals are promising candidates and may well be the key to addressing this global challenge. In this work, a range of new azole-containing tertiary amine compounds were prepared from three N-alkylamine azole skeletons appended with a 2,4-dihalogenobenzene function and one of the five different metal-binding motifs pyridine, quinoline, 8-hydroxyquinoline, 2-methoxyphenol, and 4-bromophenol. The copper(II) binding of these azole compounds was studied by spectrophotometric titrations in buffered aqueous medium to determine the metal binding equilibria and to comparatively characterize the copper(II)-binding ability of the compounds. The activity of all compounds against the opportunistic fungal pathogen Candida glabrata was also evaluated, allowing us to draw important conclusions about structure–activity relationships that will guide the future design of more effective metal-binding antifungal compounds.

Abstract There is currently no evidence to support the use of antiseizure medications to prevent unprovoked seizures following stroke. Experimental animal models suggested a potential antiepileptogenic effect for eslicarbazepine acetate (ESL), and a Phase II, multicenter, randomized, double‐blind, placebo‐controlled study was designed to test this hypothesis and assess whether ESL treatment for 1 month can prevent unprovoked seizures following stroke. We outline the design and status of this antiepileptogenesis study, and discuss the challenges encountered in its execution to date. Patients at high risk of developing unprovoked seizures after acute intracerebral hemorrhage or acute ischemic stroke were randomized to receive ESL 800 mg/d or placebo, initiated within 120 hours after primary stroke occurrence. Treatment continued until Day 30, then tapered off. Patients could receive all necessary therapies for stroke treatment according to clinical practice guidelines and standard of care, and are being followed up for 18 months. The primary efficacy endpoint is the occurrence of a first unprovoked seizure within 6 months after randomization (“failure rate”). Secondary efficacy assessments include the occurrence of a first unprovoked seizure during 12 months after randomization and during the entire study; functional outcomes (Barthel Index original 10‐item version; National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale); post‐stroke depression (Patient Health Questionnaire‐9; PHQ‐9); and overall survival. Safety assessments include the evaluation of treatment‐emergent adverse events; laboratory parameters; vital signs; electrocardiogram; suicidal ideation and behavior (PHQ‐9 question 9). The protocol aimed to randomize approximately 200 patients (1:1), recruited from 21 sites in seven European countries and Israel. Despite the challenges encountered, particularly during the COVID‐19 pandemic, the study progressed and included a remarkable number of patients, with 129 screened and 125 randomized. Recruitment was stopped after 30 months, the first patient entered in May 2019, and the study is ongoing and following up on patients according to the Clinical Trial Protocol.

Design thinking (DT) has been a subject of extensive debate and application across diverse knowledge domains, including the realm of food; nonetheless, its precise definition remains unclear. This systematic review comprised two components. Firstly, it examined the evolving understanding of DT by aggregating pertinent studies selected based on their representativeness, determined by the volume of citations. This process was deployed using citation mapping software, complemented by an analysis of the most pertinent reviews within this domain. Secondly, it investigated the Food Design Thinking (FDT) approach. The review encompassed a total of 22 references and reviews in the first segment and 27 studies in the second segment. In Part 1, the results revealed the emergence of two principal areas of investigation, namely education and management, stemming from the foundational DT theory. Furthermore, the findings highlighted that DT has assimilated the knowledge gathered from these domains. In Part 2, the outcomes illustrated the utilisation of FDT to address a multitude of food-related issues, including education, sustainability, health and wellbeing, and the development of food products. From this analysis, it is notable that this approach presents contextual variations while emphasising the notion of integration of the consumers throughout the FDT process.

Abstract There is a growing recognition that responding to climate change necessitates urban adaptation. We sketch a transdisciplinary research effort, arguing that actionable research on urban adaptation needs to recognize the nature of cities as social networks embedded in physical space. Given the pace, scale and socioeconomic outcomes of urbanization in the Global South, the specificities and history of its cities must be central to the study of how well-known agglomeration effects can facilitate adaptation. The proposed effort calls for the co-creation of knowledge involving scientists and stakeholders, especially those historically excluded from the design and implementation of urban development policies.

Resumo Este artigo reflete sobre o impacto que o mundo digital tem no quotidiano dos indivíduos, procurando identificar caminhos que promovam a capacidade de viver com sabedoria, pensar em profundidade e amar com generosidade (cf. Laudato Si’, 47). Parte de uma reflexão epistemológica que permita abordar este assunto na perspetiva teológica, vendo até que ponto o discurso religioso pode contribuir para uma ecologia sustentável. A resposta a este desafio é possibilitada pela abordagem simbólica da mediasfera digital, refletida a partir do pensamento de Marshal McLuhan e Roland Barthes, onde o “meio” e o “mito” são vistos como o suporte da comunicação. Resumen Este artículo reflexiona sobre el impacto que el mundo digital tiene en la vida cotidiana de las personas, tratando de identificar formas de promover la capacidad de vivir con sabiduría, pensar profundamente y amar con generosidad (cf. Laudato Si', 47). Parte de una reflexión epistemológica que permite abordar este tema desde una perspectiva teológica, viendo en qué medida el discurso religioso puede contribuir a una ecología sostenible. La respuesta a este reto es posible gracias al enfoque simbólico de la mediateca digital, reflejado en el pensamiento de Marshal McLuhan y Roland Barthes, donde el "medio" y el "mito" se consideran el soporte de la comunicación.

IntroductionLupins and other legumes have been considered as alternative plant-based protein sources to soybeans for both humans and livestock. Furthermore, they can contribute to more sustainable agricultural systems. The productivity and chemical composition of legumes is highly variable between species, cultivars, and with the edaphoclimatic conditions.MethodsThis work evaluated the adaptability of seven Lupinus cultivars in two different sowing locations, during two consecutive years, through the characterization of their seed, as a means of investigating their suitability to be used as a source of food and/or feed.Results and discussionLupinus angustifolius cv. Tango and Lupinus luteus cv. Acos were the most stable genotypes across the environments when considering the seed and protein production, while L. luteus cv. Alburquerque and L. luteus cv. Mister showed less variation in the total alkaloid content across the environments. The edaphoclimatic conditions affected seed and protein yields, as higher rainfall resulted in high productivity. The lower temperatures observed in the first year at both locations caused a reduction in the production of alkaloids in L. luteus cv. Acos and Cardiga. Due to the high alkaloid content of some of the studied cultivars their use as food or feed can pose some safety concerns. However, these cultivars can have high levels of resistance to herbivore and insect attacks, which can be of the utmost importance for the use of these crops for recovering poor or exhausted soils.

Strategies for obtaining deep slots in soft materials can vary significantly. Conventionally, the tool travels along the slot, removing material mainly with the side cutting edges. However, a “plunge milling” strategy is also possible, performing the cut vertically, taking advantage of the tip cutting edges that almost reach the center of the tool. Although both strategies are already commonly used, there is a clear gap in the literature in studies that compare tool wear, surface roughness, and productivity in each case. This paper describes an experimental study comparing the milling of deep slots in AA7050-T7451 aluminum alloy, coated with a novel DLCSiO500W3.5O2 layer to minimize the aluminum adhesion to the tool, using conventional and plunge milling strategies. The main novelty of this paper is to present a broad study regarding different factors involved in machining operations and comparing two distinct strategies using a novel tool coating in the milling of aeronautical aluminum alloy. Tool wear is correlated with the vibrations of the tools in each situation, the cycle time is compared between the cases studied, and the surface roughness of the machined surfaces is analyzed. This study concludes that the cycle time of plunge milling can be about 20% less than that of conventional milling procedures, favoring economic sustainability and modifying the wear observed on the tools. Plunge milling can increase productivity, does not increase tool tip wear, and avoids damaging the side edges of the tool, which can eventually be used for final finishing operations. Therefore, it can be said that the plunge milling strategy improves economic and environmental sustainability as it uses all the cutting edges of the tools in a more balanced way, with less global wear.

Musculoskeletal injuries such as equine osteoarthritis, osteoarticular defects, tendonitis/desmitis, and muscular disorders are prevalent among sport horses, with a fair prognosis for returning to exercise or previous performance levels. The field of equine medicine has witnessed rapid and fruitful development, resulting in a diverse range of therapeutic options for musculoskeletal problems. Staying abreast of these advancements can be challenging, prompting the need for a comprehensive review of commonly used and recent treatments. The aim is to compile current therapeutic options for managing these injuries, spanning from simple to complex physiotherapy techniques, conservative treatments including steroidal and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, hyaluronic acid, polysulfated glycosaminoglycans, pentosan polysulfate, and polyacrylamides, to promising regenerative therapies such as hemoderivatives and stem cell-based therapies. Each therapeutic modality is scrutinized for its benefits, limitations, and potential synergistic actions to facilitate their most effective application for the intended healing/regeneration of the injured tissue/organ and subsequent patient recovery. While stem cell-based therapies have emerged as particularly promising for equine musculoskeletal injuries, a multidisciplinary approach is underscored throughout the discussion, emphasizing the importance of considering various therapeutic modalities in tandem.

Most current surface fire simulators rely upon Rothermel’s model, which considers the local properties of fuel, topography, and meteorology to estimate the rate of spread, and utilises the concept of elliptical growth to predict the evolution of the fire perimeter throughout time. However, the effects of convective processes near the fireline, which modify fire spread conditions along the fire perimeter, are not considered in this model. An innovative fire prediction simulator based on the concept of fireline element displacement, which is composed of translation, rotation, and extension, rather than a point-by-point displacement, is proposed in this article. Based on the laws of convective heat fluxes across and along the fireline and on laboratory experiments, models to estimate the angular rotation velocity and the extension of the fireline during its displacement are proposed. These models are applied to a set of laboratory experiments of point ignition fires on slopes of 30° and 40° and, given the fact that the rate of spread of the head, back, and flank fire are known, the evolution of the fire perimeter can be predicted. The fire spread model can be applied to other situations of varying boundary conditions provided that the parameters required by the model are known.

In the last decade, a considerable number of studies have broadened our knowledge of the nociceptive mechanisms of pain, a global health problem in both humans and animals. The use of herbal compounds such as eugenol, menthol, thymol, and carvacrol as analgesic agents has accompanied the growing interest in this area, offering a possible solution for this complex problem. Here, we aimed to explore how these natural substances—at three different concentrations (2, 5 and 10 mg/L)—affect the pain responses in zebrafish (Danio rerio) larvae exposed to 0.05% acetic acid (AA) for 1 min. By analysing the activity of acetylcholinesterase (AChE), 5′-ectonucleotidase and NTPDases, as well as aversion and exploratory behaviours, it was observed that that although all substances were effective in counteracting the pain stimulus, the concentration range within which they do so might be very limited. Eugenol, despite its acknowledged properties in fish anaesthesia, failed to alleviate the pain stimulus at low concentrations. Contrastingly, menthol exhibited the most promising results at the lowest concentrations tested. Overall, it is concluded that menthol might be a good analgesic for this species, qualifying it as a substance of interest for prospective studies.

Abstract Human development is a complex process involving interactions between individuals and their socioeconomic, biological, and physical environments. It has been studied using two frameworks: the “Capabilities Approach,” implemented at the national scale, and the “Neighborhood Effects Approach,” implemented at the community scale. However, no existing framework conceptualizes and measures human development across geographic scales. Here, we unite the two approaches by localizing the Human Development Index (HDI), and demonstrate a methodology for scalable implementation of this index for comparative analysis. We analyzed patterns of development in the United States, characterizing over 70,000 communities. We found that, on average, larger cities have higher HDI (higher standard of living) but exhibit greater disparities between communities, and that increases in community HDI are associated with the simultaneous reduction of a diverse set of negative neighborhood effects. Our framework produces an interdisciplinary synthesis of theory and practice for sustainable, equitable urban health and development.

Abstract This paper studies the performance improvement of the IEEE 802.15.4 non‐beacon‐enabled mode originated by the inclusion of the Request‐To‐Send/Clear‐To‐Send (RTS/CTS) handshake mechanism resulting in frame concatenation. Under IEEE 802.15.4 employing RTS/CTS, the backoff procedure is not repeated for each data frame sent but only for each RTS/CTS set. The maximum throughput and minimum delay performance are mathematically derived for both the Chirp Spread Spectrum and Direct Sequence Spread Spectrum Physical layers for the 2.4 GHz band. Results show that the utilisation of RTS/CTS significantly enhances the performance of IEEE 802.15.4 applied to healthcare in terms of bandwidth efficiency.

Fullerenes are reactive as dienophiles in Diels–Alder reactions. Their distinctive molecular shape and properties result in interesting and sometimes elusive reaction patterns. Herein, to contribute to the understanding of fullerene reactivity, we evaluate the energies of reactions for Diels–Alder cycloadditions of C60, C70, and IC60MA with anthracene (Ant), by means of DFT computational analysis in vacuum and solution. The methods used showed little differentiation between the reactivity of the different fullerenes. The C70-Ant adducts where addition takes place near the edge of the fullerene were found to be the most stable regioisomers. For the IC60MA-Ant adducts, the calculated energies of reaction increase in the order: equatorial > trans-3 > trans-2 ≈ trans-4 ≈ trans-1 > cis-3 > cis-2. The change in the functional suggests the existence of stabilizing dispersive interactions between the surface of the fullerene and the addends. HOMA (harmonic oscillator model of aromaticity) analysis indicated an increase in aromaticity in the fullerene hexagons adjacent to the bonded addend. This increase is bigger in the rings of bisadduct isomers that are simultaneously adjacent to both addends, which helps explain the extra stability of the equatorial isomers. Solvation by m-xylene decreases the exothermicity of the reactions studied but has little distinguishing effect on the possible isomers. Thermal corrections reduce the exothermicity of the reactions by ~10 kJ∙mol−1.

Food security and sustainable development of agriculture has been a key challenge for decades. To support this, nanotechnology in the agricultural sectors increases productivity and food security, while leaving complex environmental negative impacts including pollution of the human food chains by nanoparticles. Here we model the effects of silver nanoparticles (Ag-NPs) in a food chain consisting of soil-grown lettuce Lactuca sativa and snail Achatina fulica. Soil-grown lettuce were exposed to sulfurized Ag-NPs via root or metallic Ag-NPs via leaves before fed to snails. We discover an important biomagnification of silver in snails sourced from plant root uptake, with trophic transfer factors of 2.0–5.9 in soft tissues. NPs shifts from original size (55–68 nm) toward much smaller size (17–26 nm) in snails. Trophic transfer of Ag-NPs reprograms the global metabolic profile by down-regulating or up-regulating metabolites for up to 0.25- or 4.20- fold, respectively, relative to the control. These metabolites control osmoregulation, phospholipid, energy, and amino acid metabolism in snails, reflecting molecular pathways of biomagnification and pontential adverse biological effects on lower trophic levels. Consumption of these Ag-NP contaminated snails causes non-carcinogenic effects on human health. Global public health risks decrease by 72% under foliar Ag-NP application in agriculture or through a reduction in the consumption of snails sourced from root application. The latter strategy is at the expense of domestic economic losses in food security of $177.3 and $58.3 million annually for countries such as Nigeria and Cameroon. Foliar Ag-NP application in nano-agriculture has lower hazard quotient risks on public health than root application to ensure global food safety, as brought forward by the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.

Sugarcane, a globally cultivated crop constituting nearly 80% of total sugar production, yields residues from harvesting and sugar production known for their renewable bioactive compounds with health-promoting properties. Despite previous studies, the intricate interplay of extracts from diverse sugarcane byproducts and their biological attributes remains underexplored. This study focused on extracting the lipid fraction from a blend of selected sugarcane byproducts (straw, bagasse, and filter cake) using ethanol. The resulting extract underwent comprehensive characterization, including physicochemical analysis (FT-IR, DSC, particle size distribution, and color) and chemical composition assessment (GC-MS). The biological properties were evaluated through antihypertensive (ACE), anticholesterolemic (HMG-CoA reductase), and antidiabetic (alpha-glucosidase and Dipeptidyl Peptidase-IV) assays, alongside in vitro biocompatibility assessments in Caco-2 and Hep G2 cells. The phytochemicals identified, such as β-sitosterol and 1-octacosanol, likely contribute to the extract’s antidiabetic, anticholesterolemic, and antihypertensive potential, given their association with various beneficial bioactivities. The extract exhibited substantial antidiabetic effects, inhibiting α-glucosidase (5–60%) and DPP-IV activity (25–100%), anticholesterolemic potential with HMG-CoA reductase inhibition (11.4–63.2%), and antihypertensive properties through ACE inhibition (24.0–27.3%). These findings lay the groundwork for incorporating these ingredients into the development of food supplements or nutraceuticals, offering potential for preventing and managing metabolic syndrome-associated conditions.

Horses are high-performance athletes prone to sportive injuries such as tendonitis and desmitis. The formation of fibrous tissue in tendon repair remains a challenge to overcome. This impels regenerative medicine to develop innovative therapies that enhance regeneration, retrieving original tissue properties. Multipotent Mesenchymal Stem/Stromal Cells (MSCs) have been successfully used to develop therapeutic products, as they secrete a variety of bioactive molecules that play a pivotal role in tissue regeneration. These factors are released in culture media for producing a conditioned medium (CM). The aforementioned assumptions led to the formulation of equine synovial membrane MSCs (eSM-MSCs)—the cellular pool that naturally regenerates joint tissue—combined with a medium enriched in immunomodulatory factors (among other bioactive factors) produced by umbilical cord stroma-derived MSCs (eUC-MSCs) that naturally contribute to suppressing the immune rejection in the maternal–fetal barrier. A description of an equine sport horse diagnosed with acute tarsocrural desmitis and treated with this formulation is presented. Ultrasonographic ligament recovery occurred in a reduced time frame, reducing stoppage time and allowing for the horse’s return to unrestricted competition after the completion of a physical rehabilitation program. This study focused on the description of the therapeutic formulation and potential in an equine desmitis treatment using the cells themselves and their secretomes.

Current consumption drivers, particularly those related to health and wellbeing, have been influencing trends for the lower consumption of cereals, particularly rice, due to their typical high glycaemic index (GIs) and consequent impacts on obesity. To satisfy this consumer concern, more food innovations that promote healthy eating habits are required. Such innovations must be consumer-oriented to succeed, understanding the dynamics of consumer habits and responding to consumer expectations. This study explored these habits, from acquisition to consumption practices, and the expectations of the European market from the perspective of the major European consumer, Portugal, to obtain insights that support the development of low glycaemic index (GI) rice products. A mixed-methods approach was applied. For the first quantitative questionnaire, 256 Portuguese rice consumers aged 18–73 years were recruited. Twenty-four individuals were selected according to their gender and rice consumption profiles for in-depth interviews. The results confirmed that rice was the main side dish for the participants and was mainly consumed at home, cooked from raw milled rice. The drivers of consumption differ according to the provisioning process stage. In the acquisition stage, participants reported benefits from the rice’s dynamic market by comparing products on price, brand, and rice types. In the preparation stage, participants reported the adequacy of the recipe and occasion, while in the consumption stage, participants enhanced their sensory preferences, depending on the rice dish. Although the GI concept was unknown to half of the participants, it was perceived as interesting and positive for healthy eating. Consumers showed concern about the taste and naturalness of the product, preferring it to be as close to a homemade dish as possible. The negative perceptions we verified were interpreted to be due to a lack of knowledge about the GI concept. Therefore, awareness actions and informative campaigns are recommended to promote low-GI rice products.

2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid (2,4-D) is a widely used herbicide worldwide and is frequently found in water samples. This knowledge has prompted studies on its effects on non-target organisms, revealing significant alterations to liver structure and function. In this review, we evaluated the literature on the hepatotoxicity of 2,4-D, focusing on morphological damages, toxicity biomarkers and affected liver functions. Searches were conducted on PubMed, Web of Science and Scopus and 83 articles were selected after curation. Among these studies, 72% used in vivo models and 30% used in vitro models. Additionally, 48% used the active ingredient, and 35% used commercial formulations in exposure experiments. The most affected biomarkers were related to a decrease in antioxidant capacity through alterations in the activities of catalase, superoxide dismutase and the levels of malondialdehyde. Changes in energy metabolism, lipids, liver function, and xenobiotic metabolism were also identified. Furthermore, studies about the effects of 2,4-D in mixtures with other pesticides were found, as well as hepatoprotection trials. The reviewed data indicate the essential role of reduction in antioxidant capacity and oxidative stress in 2,4-D-induced hepatotoxicity. However, the mechanism of action of the herbicide is still not fully understood and further research in this area is necessary.

Let G=(V,E) be a directed and weighted graph with a vertex set V of size n and an edge set E of size m such that each edge (u,v)∈E has a real-valued weight w(u,c). An arborescence in G is a subgraph T=(V,E′) such that, for a vertex u∈V, which is the root, there is a unique path in T from u to any other vertex v∈V. The weight of T is the sum of the weights of its edges. In this paper, given G, we are interested in finding an arborescence in G with a minimum weight, i.e., an optimal arborescence. Furthermore, when G is subject to changes, namely, edge insertions and deletions, we are interested in efficiently maintaining a dynamic arborescence in G. This is a well-known problem with applications in several domains such as network design optimization and phylogenetic inference. In this paper, we revisit the algorithmic ideas proposed by several authors for this problem. We provide detailed pseudocode, as well as implementation details, and we present experimental results regarding large scale-free networks and phylogenetic inference. Our implementation is publicly available.

It has increasingly been recognized that electrical currents play a pivotal role in cell migration and tissue repair, in a process named “galvanotaxis”. In this review, we summarize the current evidence supporting the potential benefits of electric stimulation (ES) in the physiology of peripheral nerve repair (PNR). Moreover, we discuss the potential of piezoelectric materials in this context. The use of these materials has deserved great attention, as the movement of the body or of the external environment can be used to power internally the electrical properties of devices used for providing ES or acting as sensory receptors in artificial skin (e-skin). The fact that organic materials sustain spontaneous degradation inside the body means their piezoelectric effect is limited in duration. In the case of PNR, this is not necessarily problematic, as ES is only required during the regeneration period. Arguably, piezoelectric materials have the potential to revolutionize PNR with new biomedical devices that range from scaffolds and nerve-guiding conduits to sensory or efferent components of e-skin. However, much remains to be learned regarding piezoelectric materials, their use in manufacturing of biomedical devices, and their sterilization process, to fine-tune their safe, effective, and predictable in vivo application.

The relationship between virulence and pathogen clearance is not well understood. Here, using bacterial infections in Drosophila melanogaster as a model system, the authors demonstrate an approach to disentangle the drivers of virulence and assess their relation to pathogen clearance rate.

Abstract Storm sewerages are crucial infrastructures in water management. In this paper, a system was developed to detect the blockage of the sewerage and the presence of illegal spills in Storm sewerages. Different nodes with sensors measuring the water level, turbidity, conductivity, and oil presence are scattered in the sewerage. These nodes are connected to a master node for processing the information with a rain sensor. The rain and water level sensors are used to determine one of the four possibilities regarding the presence of water in the sewerage and whether it is raining. According to the combinations, it can be determined whether it is a normal situation or there are spills or blockages. It is shown that there are differences between sewerage with and without blockage via the water level. This can be used to determine the presence of a blockage. The identification of an illegal spill is performed with the use of conductivity, turbidity, and oil sensors. The authors determined that yellow and infrared light can determine the oil concentration in the oil sensor in a range of 0–2.2 mL oil/L water with yellow light and 0.4–20 mL oil/L water with infrared light. Finally, the conductivity sensor can determine water conductivity from 0.526 to 58.4 mS/cm.

The use of hydrogen (H2) as an energy carrier may have an important role in the near future. Nowadays, H2 is mostly produced from fossil fuels, thus, it is urgent to prove the viability of alternative and sustainable processes to obtain H2. Gasification of renewable sources like biomass that are widely available, inexpensive and carbon-neutral is considered a viable technical, economic and environmental alternative for H2 production. The first step of biohydrogen (bio-H2) production through biomass gasification is the production of syngas (gasification gas). Syngas cleaning and upgrading procedures are essential to remove undesirable compounds and to increase bio-H2 content. Steam reforming and water gas shift reactions are also crucial to increase bio-H2 content in syngas. Next, bio-H2 separation from other gaseous compounds is needed to finally obtain bio-H2 at the required purification level. Although some of the mentioned technologies are proven and available on the market for similar applications, some drawbacks and technological challenges for the overall process need to be overcome to improve the overall techno-economic feasibility. This paper aims to analyse and discuss different bio-H2 production routes from biomass gasification to c the most promising ones.

ObjectiveThe objective of this study was to explore the sense of job security and its influencing factors among healthcare workers in Guangdong, China.MethodsThis cross-sectional study used stratified random sampling to enroll healthcare workers employed by hospitals across Guangdong province between September 2020 and October 2020.ResultsA total of 4,173 questionnaires were distributed, and 4,076 were returned for an effective recovery rate of 97.68%. The overall score for the sense of security was 64.85 ± 20.09, and the item means score was 2.95 ± 0.91. Multiple-linear regression analysis showed that work experience (years), education level, job position, specialty unit, employment type, marital status, job satisfaction, WPV frequency, daily sleep duration, weekly overtime hours, average monthly earnings (RMB), hospital level, and region were significantly associated with senses of poor security among healthcare workers (all P < 0.05).ConclusionsHospital workers in Guangdong reported relatively low levels of job security. Levels of job security were significantly associated with multiple factors which could be addressed by hospital practices to improve the sense of job security among healthcare workers.

The aim of this research work is to study the effect of salt mist ageing on the physico-mechanical properties of two ignimbrites from the Canary Islands (Spain). Due to their insular nature and extensive coastlines, these regions are highly susceptible to atmospheric salt aerosols, which is a significant weathering agent for building materials. The ignimbrites analysed are marketed under the names “Azul Lomo Tomás de León” and “Marrón de Abades” and are widely used as building stones. Petrographic, mineralogical and chemical properties were obtained via polarisation microscopy, X-ray diffraction and X-ray fluorescence. The samples were subjected to 60 cycles of a salt mist environment, following relevant European standards. Scanning electron microscopy images of the specimens were analysed along with physical properties, including apparent density, open porosity, water absorption, colourimetry and ultrasound propagation velocity, initially and after every 20 cycles, allowing us to assess their evolution during the ageing test. Mechanical properties were evaluated using uniaxial compressive strength and flexural strength under concentrated load tests on two groups of specimens: one unaged and the other subjected to 60 ageing cycles. With the exception of apparent density, the other properties show a decrease between 5% and 30%. However, open porosity increases and is one of the properties most affected by the ageing test.

Wound infection is a common complication of chronic wounds. It can impair healing, which may not occur without external help. Antimicrobial dressings (AMDs) are a type of external help to infected chronic wounds. In this study, highly porous membranes made of only chitosan and containing the antiseptic polyhexanide (poly(hexamethylene biguanide); PHMB) were prepared by cryogelation, aiming to be used in AMDs. These membranes exhibited a water swelling capacity of 748%, a water drop penetration time of 11 s in a dry membrane and a water vapor transmission rate of 34,400 g H2O/m2/24 h when in contact with water. The best drug loading method involved simultaneous loading by soaking in a PHMB solution and sterilization by autoclaving, resulting in sterilized, drug-loaded membranes. When these membranes and a commercial PHMB-releasing AMD were assayed under the same conditions, albeit far from the in vivo conditions, their drug release kinetics were comparable, releasing PHMB for ca. 6 and 4 h, respectively. These membranes exhibited high antibacterial activity against Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus and Pseudomonas aeruginosa, which are bacterial species commonly found in infected wounds and blood clotting activity. The obtained results suggest that these membranes may have potential for use in the development of AMDs.

Chefs often say, “You eat with your eyes first.” This means that, while taste, smell, and vision are distinct senses, visual stimuli generate expectations through learned associations, and these expectations exert cognitive top–down influences that can and sometimes do alter assessments of taste and flavour. This study investigates the intangible values associated with the visual assessment of high-end pastry cakes among individuals from diverse food cultures. Using word association, the study explored the emotions, sensations, and impressions evoked by the visual representation of five high-end pastry cakes. Thematic content analysis was conducted to interpret and group the evoked words into dimensions. Across all cultures, “Organoleptic properties” emerged as the most highly rated dimension, aligning with expectations for food product visual assessments.

This paper discusses the importance of fraternity in building more fair and humane societies. The globalised world poses new challenges to the understanding of fraternity, especially when it is seen as an attack on the dignity of each person. Religions are considered to have an important role to play in responding to the dehumanisation that a certain type of globalisation can promote. To this end, we reflect on the threats and opportunities that the globalised world offers and how religious thought can make a positive contribution. Based on Pope Francis’ challenges, we will respond to what the “something greater” is that fraternity has to offer the world. The answer is developed using sources from the sacred scripture and the patristics to understand Christianity, where it is concluded that the model of relationships between people, in the thought of the magisterium in the light of sacred scripture, aims to awaken the awareness of a social friendship, which will grow to the extent that one offers what is best for the other, simply by loving them and being who they are.

Despite being rich in starch, over half of acorn production is undervalued. High hydrostatic pressure was used to modify the properties of Q. pyrenaica (0.1 and 460 MPa for 20 min) and Q. robur (0.1 and 333 MPa for 17.4 min) acorn starches to obtain high-valued ingredients. Pressure significantly altered the span distribution and heterogeneity of the acorn starch granules depending on the species, but their morphology was unaffected. Pressurization increased the amylose/amylopectin ratio and damaged starch contents, but the effect was more prominent in Q. pyrenaica than in Q. robur. However, the polymorphism, relative crystallinity, gelatinization temperatures, and enthalpies were preserved. The pressure effect on the starch properties depended on the property and species. The solubility, swelling power, and acorn gels’ resistance towards deformation for both species decreased after pressurization. For Q. pyrenaica starch, the in vitro digestibility increased, but the pseudoplastic behavior decreased after pressurization. No differences were seen for Q. robur. Regarding the commercial starch, acorn starches had lower gelatinization temperatures and enthalpies, lower in vitro digestibility, lower resistance towards deformation, superior pseudoplastic behavior, and overall higher solubility and swelling power until 80 °C. This encourages the usage of acorn starches as a new food ingredient.

An emergent volume electron microscopy technique called cryogenic serial plasma focused ion beam milling scanning electron microscopy (pFIB/SEM) can decipher complex biological structures by building a three-dimensional picture of biological samples at mesoscale resolution. This is achieved by collecting consecutive SEM images after successive rounds of FIB milling that expose a new surface after each milling step. Due to instrumental limitations, some image processing is necessary before 3D visualization and analysis of the data is possible. SEM images are affected by noise, drift, and charging effects, that can make precise 3D reconstruction of biological features difficult. This article presents Okapi-EM, an open-source napari plugin developed to process and analyze cryogenic serial pFIB/SEM images. Okapi-EM enables automated image registration of slices, evaluation of image quality metrics specific to pFIB-SEM imaging, and mitigation of charging artifacts. Implementation of Okapi-EM within the napari framework ensures that the tools are both user- and developer-friendly, through provision of a graphical user interface and access to Python programming.

Abstract Sustainable urban systems (SUS) science is a new science integrating work across established and emerging disciplines, using diverse methods, and addressing issues at local, regional, national, and global scales. Advancing SUS requires the next generation of scholars and practitioners to excel at synthesis across disciplines and possess the skills to innovate in the realms of research, policy, and stakeholder engagement. We outline key tenets of graduate education in SUS, informed by historical and global perspectives. The sketch is an invitation to discuss how graduates in SUS should be trained to engage with the challenges and opportunities presented by continuing urbanization.

BackgroundCOVID-19 pandemic has entered a normal stage in China. During this phase, nurses have an increased workload and mental health issues that threaten the sense of security. Poor sense of security may have a considerable impact on turnover intention through low work engagement. It was challenging to maintain the nurse workforce. Fewer studies have been conducted on the effect of nurses' sense of security on their turnover intention in that phase. This study aimed to investigate the interrelationship between nurses' sense of security, work engagement, and turnover intention during the normalization phase of the epidemic in China and to explore the impact of sense of security on turnover intention.MethodsA cross-sectional survey was conducted from September 2020 to May 2021 in Guangdong Province, China. Data were collected online using Sense of Security Scale for Medical Staff (SSS-MS), Utrecht Work Engagement Scale (UWES), and Turnover Intention Scale. Pearson's correlation analysis was used to assess the correlation between sense of security, work engagement, and turnover intention. The hypothesis model used multiple linear regression models and the bootstrapping procedure to analyze the relationship between these variables.ResultsData were collected from 2,480 nurses who met the inclusion criteria. Over half(64.5%) of nurses had a high and very high turnover intention. After controlling the demographic and working variables, sense of security (β = 0.291, P < 0.001) had a direct positive effect on work engagement. Sense of security (β = −0.447, P < 0.001) and work engagement (β = −0.484, P < 0.001) had a direct negative effect on turnover intention. Sense of security and all of its components were associated with turnover intention through the partially mediating effects of work engagement.ConclusionsNurses' turnover intention was at a high level during the normalization phase of the epidemic. Sense of security and its components act as positive resources to reduce turnover intention by improving work engagement. Policy makers and managers may pay attention to the needs of nurses' sense of security, which may be a new perspective to help managers reduce their turnover intention and stabilize the nurse team.

Background: Complete fractures of the third metacarpal / metatarsal bones (Mc/t3) are not common, but can occur in various situations and all types of horses, contributing for approximately one third of all long bone fractures in the horse, mostly related to external trauma or to high energy injuries. To stabilize Mc/t3 fractures in the horse, conservative management with walking casts and/or open reduction and internal fixation techniques are referred in the scientific literature, these last one generally by double platting application to bone surface in 90º. In the present case will be described a Mt3 complete diaphyseal fracture stabilization on an adult pony from a circus by applying only one bone plate. This work pony could return to its previous activity fully recovered 3 months after fracture stabilization. Case Description: A 7-year-old, male, Shetland pony (103 kg), used for performance work at a circus was admitted to the Veterinary Teaching Hospital of UTAD, presenting on lateral recumbency after being struck by a truck. On physical examination a penetrating wound of small dimension was detected at the medial aspect of the right hindlimb. After radiographic examination, a complete diaphyseal fracture with slight obliquity of the right Mt3 was confirmed. The owner opted for surgical repair thus fracture stabilization was achieved by the placement of just a single 8-hole 4.5 mm broad dynamic compression plate applied to the lateral face of Mt3 in compression function with 7 cortical screws (4.5 mm). Post-operatively a full limb cast was performed and maintained for 4 weeks while the animal was kept under movement limitation at the hospital facilities for this period of time although the animal stayed until his full recovery 3 months’ post-surgery. Conclusion: A complete recovery was achieved and the animal returned to the previous level of exercise without any significant postoperative complications or degree of lameness. In the authors knowledge, this is the first case report where stabilization of a complete Mt3 diaphyseal fracture was attain using a single compression plate contoured to the lateral face of the bone, instead of double plating, on an adult work pony from a circus subjected to a very demanding and intense physical activity.