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We here study the multi-band properties of a kiloparsec-size superbubble in the late-type spiral galaxy NGC628. The superbubble is the largest of many holes seen in the early release images using JWST/MIRI filters that trace the Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbon (PAH) emissions. The superbubble is located in the interarm region ~3 kpc from the galactic center in the south-east direction. The shell surrounding the superbubble is detected in HI, CO, and Halpha with an expansion velocity of 12 km/s, and contains as much as 2x10^7 Msun of mass in gas that is mostly in molecular form. We find a clear excess of blue, bright stars inside the bubble as compared to the surrounding disk on the HST/ACS images. These excess blue, bright stars are part of a stellar population of 10^5 Msun mass that is formed over the last 50 Myr in different star formation episodes, as determined from an analysis of color-magnitude diagrams using a Bayesian technique. The mechanical power injected by the massive stars of these populations is sufficient to provide the energy necessary for the expansion of the shell gas. Slow and steady, rather than violent, injection of energy is probably the reason for the maintenance of the shell structure over the kiloparsec scale. The expanding shell is currently the site for triggered star formation as inferred from the JWST 21 micron (F2100W filter) and the Halpha images., Comment: 18 pages, Accepted for publication in MNRAS

Teachers’ roles have changed dramatically over the last decades – from traditional spoon-feeders to facilitators of learning. Teacher education institutions play a huge role in getting them ready for the field. Thus, this study probed the 21st century teaching skills and teaching standards competence level of the CTE graduates of Mindoro State College of Agriculture and Technology (MinSCAT) who graduated in the years 2016, 2017 and 2018. Two hundred and fifteen (215) participating teachers (MinSCAT Graduates) and their immediate supervisors answered a two-part questionnaire through Google Forms exploring the extent of the graduates’ skills and competence. The data collected were sorted and subjected to t-Test, ANOVA and multiple linear regression. The results showed that the teachers’ skills and competence are of high to very high extent. Specifically, the graduates received high ratings on their effective communication skills, life and career skills, and personal growth and professional development. The teachers showed remarkable performances in the light of these indicators. One way ANOVA revealed that there are significant differences in the level of the graduates’ 21st century teaching skills and teaching standards competence level in terms of their indicators. The study recommends for the CTE faculty and students to hold frequent dialogues and consultations to ensure the development of potential and acquisition of 21st century teaching skills and teaching standard competence of the CTE students and to address students’ challenges. Consistent sensitivity to the needs of the faculty and the students should be given preferential attention to develop the culture of excellence in the department.

This study sought to identify the learning styles of the Grade 5 learners along the visual, aural, reading and writing, and kinesthetic styles (VARK MODEL), and found out the scores in the pre-test and posttest results of the learners and proposed lesson exemplars for teachers in implementing lesson with differentiated learning-style to be used in the school/district. A quasi-experimental method of research was used in the completion of this research. The collected data were statistically analyzed, using percentage score, 90% - 100% interpreted as outstanding, 85%-89% very satisfactory, 80%-84% satisfactory, 75%-79% fairly satisfactory and below 75% did not meet expectations which were based on DepEd Order No.8, s.2015. On the other hand, the difference between the pre-test and post-test of the learners was statistically analyzed using paired sample t- test. The respondents of the study were the 37 grade 5 learners who answered assessments from validated lesson exemplars and adopted VARK questionnaire. Findings revealed that the majority of the respondents is composed of the aural while the minority was composed of the kinesthetic learning styles. The pretest scores of below 75%, Did Not Meet Expectations increased in the posttest with 90%, Outstanding. There was a significant difference in the pre-test and posttest scores in English 5 with the differentiated learning style-based lessons with (p-value = 0.001) at 0.05 and at 0.01 level of significance. And, the proposed lesson exemplar in differentiated instruction for English 5 should cater the identified learning style needs of the learners that are planned along the principle of equity in all parts of the lesson. Based on the conclusions, it was recommended that school/s use VARK tool to identify learners’ learning styles, vary the number of items and difficulty in the different types of tests that are aligned with the Proposed Supervisory Plan with Monitoring Tool and Lesson Exemplar.

The bleak Alburnus alburnus is a medium body-size leuciscid fish that is naturally distributed across central European and western Asian fresh waters. However, during the last two decades A. alburnus has been widely introduced elsewhere in Europe and in northern Africa, mostly as a forage species for game fishes. Given its relatively recent history of invasion in non-native Eurasian waters, where it can become highly abundant, A. alburnus poses a serious risk to native communities where introduced. This study provides a review and meta-analysis of the biological traits of A. alburnus coupled with insights into its invasiveness. In its native range, A. alburnus has a moderate lifespan, inhabiting lakes or still waters in medium-to-large rivers, where it feeds mainly on zooplankton. However, non-native A. alburnus populations display high phenotypic plasticity in their biological attributes. Thus, growth, reproductive and/or dietary traits have adapted to local environmental conditions, with the species also invading lotic (stream) ecosystems. Feeding changes to benthic invertebrates, plant material and detritus when zooplankton is scarce. Such plasticity, including broad physiological tolerance, is likely to facilitate the species' adaptation and invasion of new habitats in the near future.

En este artículo se presenta el diseño del CANSAT Heliospectrum[1] desarrollado para su aplicación en percepción remota y análisis de imágenes para competir en el concurso anual realizado por la Sociedad de Sistemas Electrónicos y Aeroespaciales (AESS), capítulo Colombia. El equipo Helios, desarrollador del CANSAT, hace parte del grupo de investigación ASTRA de la Universidad de Antioquia. El diseño se realizó siguiendo las restricciones impuestas por el concurso, en las cuales el picosatélite debía asemejarse a una radiosonda con transmisores, componentes electrónicos, sensores con medición de aceleraciones, presión atmosférica, temperatura, campos magnéticos y aptitud para volar a 1.000 metros de altura (como mínimo), caer libremente y aterrizar con la ayuda de un paracaídas. Así mismo, cumple con los requerimientos necesarios para hacer del CANSAT una plataforma multipropósito con énfasis en percepción remota para aplicación en agricultura de precisión. Se implementó una cámara RGB como carga útil que, con ayuda de un algoritmo de análisis de imágenes que implementa el Excess Green Index (ExG) y el espacio de color Hue, Saturation, Value (HSV), permitió obtener resultados cualitativos de índices de vegetación. El CANSAT está conceptualizado en cinco subsistemas: computadora de vuelo, telemetría, estructura, descenso y recuperación, y potencia. En la aviónica del picosatélite se encuentran componentes principales como el microcontrolador Teensy 3,5, GPS GY-NEO6MV2, IMU GY-89 y en el sistema de recuperación un paracaídas expulsado con un servomotor. El prototipo de CANSAT fue fabricado y probado con éxito por el equipo, resultando ganador de la categoría “Cóndores” de la competencia CANSAT Colombia de la AESS. [1] CANSAT con designación HELI0513 en el concurso CANSAT Colombia 2020.

As the number of introduced species keeps increasing unabatedly, identifying and prioritising current and potential Invasive Alien Species (IAS) has become essential to manage them. Horizon Scanning (HS), defined as an exploration of potential threats, is considered a fundamental component of IAS management. By combining scientific knowledge on taxa with expert opinion, we identified the most relevant aquatic IAS in the Iberian Peninsula, i.e., those with the greatest geographic extent (or probability of introduction), severe ecological, economic and human health impacts, greatest difficulty and acceptability of management. We highlighted the 126 most relevant IAS already present in Iberian inland waters (i.e., Concern list) and 89 with a high probability of being introduced in the near future (i.e., Alert list), of which 24 and 10 IAS, respectively, were considered as a management priority after receiving the highest scores in the expert assessment (i.e., top-ranked IAS). In both lists, aquatic IAS belonging to the four thematic groups (plants, freshwater invertebrates, estuarine invertebrates, and vertebrates) were identified as having been introduced through various pathways from different regions of the world and classified according to their main functional feeding groups. Also, the latest update of the list of IAS of Union concern pursuant to Regulation (EU) No 1143/2014 includes only 12 top-ranked IAS identified for the Iberian Peninsula, while the national lists incorporate the vast majority of them. This fact underlines the great importance of taxa prioritisation exercises at biogeographical scales as a step prior to risk analyses and their inclusion in national lists. This HS provides a robust assessment and a cost-effective strategy for decision-makers and stakeholders to prioritise the use of limited resources for IAS prevention and management. Although applied at a transnational level in a European biodiversity hotspot, this approach is designed for potential application at any geographical or administrative scale, including the continental one., This research was supported by the LIFE INVASAQUA project (Aquatic In- vasive Alien Species of Freshwater and Estuarine Systems: Awareness and Prevention in the Iberian Peninsula) (LIFE17 GIE/ES/000515) funded by the EU LIFE Program. The Fundación Biodiversidad (Government of Spain) and the Government of Navarre financially support specific actions into the LIFE INVASAQUA. F.R. is supported by Foundation for Science and Technology through an individual contract (CEEC/0482/2020). J.E. has a Ph.D. scholarship (SFRH/BD/140556/2018) funded by FCT, Portugal. F.B. is supported by Foundation for Science and Technology through an individual contract (CEEC/01896/2021).

Circulating tumor cells (CTCs), and particularly circulating cancer stem cells (cCSC), are prognostic biomarkers for different malignancies and may be detected using liquid biopsies. The ex vivo culture of cCSCs would provide valuable information regarding biological aggressiveness and would allow monitoring the adaptive changes acquired by the tumor in real time. In this prospective pilot study, we analyzed the presence of EpCAM+ CTCs using the IsoFlux system in the peripheral blood of 37 patients with hepatocellular carcinoma undergoing transarterial chemoembolization (TACE). The average patient age was 63.5 ± 7.9 years and 91.9% of the patients were men. All patients had detectable CTCs at baseline and 20 patients (54.1%) showed CTC aggregates or clusters in their peripheral blood. The increased total tumor diameter (OR: 2.5 (95% CI: 1.3–4.8), p = 0.006) and the absence of clusters of CTCs at baseline (OR: 0.2 (95% CI: 0.0–1.0), p = 0.049) were independent predictors of a diminished response to TACE. Culture of cCSC was successful in five out of thirty-three patients, mostly using negative enrichment of CD45− cells, ultra-low adherence, high glucose, and a short period of hypoxia followed by normoxia. In conclusion, the identification of clusters of CTCs before TACE and the implementation of standardized approaches for cCSC culture could aid to predict outcomes and to define the optimal adjuvant therapeutic strategy for a true personalized medicine in hepatocellular carcinoma.

Ponds are among the world’s most endangered freshwater ecosystems. A comprehensive knowledge of pond biodiversity is urgently required to inform effective pond management and conservation actions. Most studies about pond biodiversity focus on aquatic taxa, while the terrestrial biodiversity, especially of birds, has been little studied. Moreover, the few studies existing on pond biodiversity do not account for different detection rates of species, thus yielding biased results. Here, we apply a hierarchical Bayesian modelling technique to data obtained from visual censuses to estimate bird species richness associated with small ponds in a semiarid region, considering the imperfect detection of species. The model incorporates specific responses to site characteristics (pond typology), landscape (environmental heterogeneity) and at regional scale (mean annual precipitation). The studied ponds were used by two thirds of the terrestrial breeding bird community of the study region. Our modelling approach increased by an average of 7.5 species the observed site-specific richness. Drinking troughs supported a greater richness than other pond types. Environmental heterogeneity was positively related with species richness, whereas no clear relation was observed between richness and precipitation. In addition to ecosystem services provided by ponds to human welfare, our results suggest these small isolated habitats may act as key landscape elements for terrestrial birds in semiarid regions.

A robust knowledge of biodiversity distribution is essential for designing and developing effective conservation actions. The choice of a suitable sampling method is key to obtaining sufficiently accurate information of species distribution and consequently to improve biodiversity conservation. This study applies multi-method occupancy models to 36 common bird species associated with small ponds in the province of Murcia (south-eastern Spain), one of the most arid regions of Europe, in order to compare their effectiveness for detecting different bird species: direct observation, combined observation and video monitoring and mist netting captures. The results showed that the combined method and direct observation were similar and most effective than mist netting for detecting species occupancy, although detection rates ranged widely among bird groups, while some large species were poorly detected by all the methods used. Average detectability did not increase during the breeding period. The chosen approach is particularly applicable to both single- and multi-species bird monitoring programmes. However, we recommend evaluating the cost-effectiveness of all the available methods in order to reduce costs and improve the success of sampling designs.

Resumen Objetivo Determinar las prevalencias ajustadas por edad y sexo de concentraciones bajas de colesterol HDL (cHDL-bajo) y de dislipidemia aterogenica (DA), y valorar sus asociaciones con factores de riesgo cardiovascular, enfermedad renal cronica, enfermedades cardiovasculares y cardiometabolicas. Metodos Estudio observacional transversal de base poblacional realizado en atencion primaria, con sujetos adultos seleccionados aleatoriamente. Se considero DA si los pacientes tenian hipertrigliceridemia (trigliceridos ≥ 150 mg/dL) y cHDL-bajo ( Resultados Poblacion de estudio con 6.588 adultos (55,9% mujeres) con edad media de 55,1 (± 17,5) anos. Las medias de cHDL fueron 49,2 (± 12,6) mg/dL en hombres y 59,2 (± 14,7) mg/dL en mujeres. Las prevalencias crudas de cHDL-bajo y de DA fueron 30,8% (IC95%: 29,7-31,9), y 14,3% (IC95%: 13,5-15,2), respectivamente. Las prevalencias ajustadas de cHDL-bajo fueron 28% en hombres y 31% en mujeres, y de DA fueron 16,4% en hombres y 10,6% en mujeres. El 73% de la poblacion con DA tenia riesgo cardiovascular alto o muy alto. Los factores independientes asociados con cHDL-bajo o con DA fueron diabetes, tabaquismo, obesidad abdominal y obesidad. Los principales factores asociados con cHDL-bajo y con DA fueron hipertrigliceridemia y diabetes, respectivamente. Conclusiones Casi un tercio de la poblacion adulta presentaba cHDL-bajo y la mitad de ellos cumplia criterios de DA. Los factores cardiometabolicos se asociaban con cHDL-bajo y DA, destacando la hipertrigliceridemia con el cHDL-bajo, y la DM con la DA.

Objective: To compare the accuracy of the Birmingham Vasculitis Activity Score (BVAS), version 3, and the Five Factor Score (FFS), version 1996 and version 2009, to assess survival in antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibody–associated vasculitis (AAV). Methods: A total of 550 patients with AAV (41.1% with granulomatosis with polyangiitis, 37.3% with microscopic polyangiitis, and 21.6% with eosinophilic granulomatosis with polyangiitis), diagnosed between 1990 and 2016, were analyzed. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves and multivariable Cox analysis were used to assess the relationships between the outcome and the different scores. Results: Overall mortality was 33.1%. The mean ± SD BVAS at diagnosis was 17.96 ± 7.82 and was significantly higher in nonsurvivors than in survivors (mean ± SD 20.0 ± 8.14 versus 16.95 ± 7.47, respectively; P < 0.001). The mean ± SD 1996 FFS and 2009 FFS were 0.81 ± 0.94 and 1.47 ± 1.16, respectively, and were significantly higher in nonsurvivors than in survivors (mean ± SD 1996 FFS 1.17 ± 1.07 versus 0.63 ± 0.81 [P < 0.001] and 2009 FFS 2.13 ± 1.09 versus 1.15 ± 1.05 [P < 0.001], respectively). Mortality rates increased according to the different 1996 FFS and 2009 FFS categories. In multivariate analysis, BVAS, 1996 FFS, and 2009 FFS were significantly related to death (P = 0.007, P = 0.020, P < 0.001, respectively), but the stronger predictor was the 2009 FFS (hazard ratio 2.9 [95% confidence interval 2.4–3.6]). When the accuracy of BVAS, 1996 FFS, and 2009 FFS to predict survival was compared in the global cohort, ROC analysis yielded area under the curve values of 0.60, 0.65, and 0.74, respectively, indicating that 2009 FFS had the best performance. Similar results were obtained when comparing these scores in patients diagnosed before and after 2001 and when assessing the 1-year, 5-year, and long-term mortality. Correlation among BVAS and 1996 FFS was modest (r = 0.49; P < 0.001) but higher than between BVAS and the 2009 FFS (r = 0.28; P < 0.001). Conclusion: BVAS and FFS are useful to predict survival in AAV, but the 2009 FFS has the best prognostic accuracy at any point of the disease course.

Resumen El Grupo de Trabajo de Metabolismo y Nutricion de la Sociedad Espanola de Medicina Intensiva, Critica y Unidades Coronarias (SEMICYUC) ha revisado y actualizado las recomendaciones del tratamiento nutrometabolico en el paciente critico (previamente publicadas por el grupo en el ano 2011) con la finalidad de ayudar a la toma de decisiones en la practica clinica diaria. Para su elaboracion, llevada a cabo entre marzo de 2016 y febrero de 2019, se ha contado con un panel de expertos dedicados a la Medicina Intensiva con amplia experiencia en el tratamiento nutricional de los pacientes criticos. Para cada una de las recomendaciones se ha establecido un nivel de evidencia basado en la metodologia del grupo GRADE (Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation Working Group) y un grado de recomendacion que ha tenido en cuenta el impacto clinico de la recomendacion, independientemente del nivel de evidencia establecido por la escala GRADE.

The Metabolism and Nutrition Working Group of the Spanish Society of Intensive and Critical Care Medicine and Coronary Units (SEMICYUC) has reviewed and updated the recommendations for specialized nutritional and metabolic support in critically ill patients published by the Group in 2011, with the primary aim of helping decision making in daily clinical practice. The recommendations have been formulated by an expert panel with broad experience in nutritional and metabolic support in critically ill patients, and were drafted between March 2016 and February 2019. A level of evidence has been provided for each of the recommendations, based on the GRADE methodology (Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation Working Group). A grade of recommendation has also been produced, taking into account the clinical impact of the recommendation, regardless of the level of evidence established by the GRADE scale.

Heat exchanger network (HEN) synthesis methodologies aim at developing cost effective designs with the best possible topology and optimal values of the decision variables. Although most of the HEN synthesis approaches have focused on obtaining network designs with utilities placed in extreme positions, several works have recently tackle the synthesis problem pursuing an optimal placement of utilities within the heat exchange sequences of the process streams. To this purpose, extended HEN superstructures with sophisticated mixed-integer nonlinear programming models and solution algorithms have been developed. However, due to the combinatorial and nonconvex nature of the problem, sub-optimal designs are frequently obtained even for relatively small synthesis problems. In this work the optimal placement of utilities within HEN designs is reconsidered as a final stage of HEN synthesis methodologies in which a base network design has already been produced. An optimization and utilities relocation approach is presented to explore the generation of improved network designs, with modified topologies that place heaters and coolers in alternative challenging positions with respect to their original placement in the base network design. Four illustrative examples are presented to show that enhanced designs with reduced total annual costs can be developed with the proposed methodology.

Annonaceae, like Annona cherimola Mill., are recognized by alternative medicine for their therapeutic properties, but little is known about the compounds that can provide such activity.Because the edible portion of this fruit is the pulp, in this work the antioxidant capacity was evaluated through an organic aqueous extraction and the antitopoisomerase activity in ethanol (ME) and ethyl acetate (MA) extracts of cherimoya pulp lyophilized, finally the active extract was characterized by gas chromatography coupled to masses (GC/MS). The cherimoya pulp showed a concentration of total soluble phenols (TSP) of 145.5713 mg GAE / g, in the ABTS▪ + assay (128.6991 µg TE/g) and in the FRAP assay (43.7257 mM TE/g). We proved that MA extract inhibits the clonal expansion of a mutant of Saccharomyces cerevisiae by inhibition of topoisomerase I (22 %). The characterization of the MA extract by GC/MS revealed the presence of two diterpenes of the family of Kaurenes (kauran-15-ol and kauran-16-ol) and gummiferolic acid, which have demonstrated antiproliferative activity through the inhibition of topoisomerases in other studies. In this way, it was possible to elucidate a probable mechanism through which the pulp of this fruit has a healthy effect due to its antioxidant capacity and the presence of secondary metabolites with the capacity of inhibit the topoisomerase I activity.