Search

En Europa las cooperativas de energía renovable están experimentando un renacimiento, especialmente en los Países Bajos, donde tienen una tradición consolidada. No existen artículos en castellano que demuestren una comparación de las cooperativas de energía renovable con las comunidades energéticas en el contexto neerlandés a pesar de existir una definición clara para ambas, lo que es fundamental para entender sus roles distintivos en la transición energética y optimizar las políticas de apoyo. Este artículo explora las dinámicas y características específicas de dichas cooperativas, así como los mecanismos de financiación pública a los que acceden. Mediante un análisis cualitativo de 184 casos, seleccionando veinte ejemplos representativos, se investiga cómo estas entidades se integran en el esquema de apoyo nacional. Se desvela que aún falta explorar en profundidad los requisitos específicos y características que deben cumplir estas cooperativas para beneficiarse de la financiación pública. Este estudio no sólo arroja luz sobre las prácticas actuales, sino que también ofrece valiosas lecciones para otros países europeos que buscan mejorar sus políticas y estrategias en materia de energía renovable. Esta investigación resulta de interés para empresarios y promotores de proyectos, proporcionando un marco para entender cómo acceder a subsidios y apoyos para la producción de energía renovable.

Abstract Objective Cenobamate is a recently approved antiseizure medication that proved to be safe and effective in randomized controlled trials. However, little is known about its impact on some areas frequently affected by epilepsy. For this reason, we explored the effects of cenobamate on cognitive performance, as well as on negative affectivity and quality of life in a sample of patients with drug‐resistant epilepsy. Methods Two prospective cohort studies were carried out. In Study 1, 32 patients (22 men and 10 women) underwent a baseline (T0) and a short‐term (T1) neuropsychological assessment after 3 months of cenobamate administration. In Study 2, 22 patients (16 men and 6 women) from the T1 sample also underwent a baseline and a follow‐up evaluation (T2) 6 months after T0. Results No significant differences were found in cognitive variables, negative affectivity, and quality of life either in Study 1 or Study 2. Similarly, based on the reliable change index, it was found that most patients showed no changes in these variables. Significance These results suggest that cenobamate is a safe antiseizure medication in terms of cognition, negative affectivity, or quality of life since no adverse events have been found after 3 and 6 months of treatment. Plain Language Summary Cenobamate is a new antiseizure medication. In patients with epilepsy, cenobamate seems to not affect cognition, anxiety, depression, or quality of life.

Abstract This paper proposes the utilisation of the direct matrix converter (DMC) to regulate the power transfer between a permanent magnet synchronous generator (PMSG) based wind energy conversion system (WECS) and the power grid. By connecting the PMSG at the output terminals of the DMC, control actions are simplified, implementation is facilitated since fewer sensors are required, and a WECS with a more compact structure is achieved because it is not necessary to use a transformer to compensate for the DMC voltage ratio. The DMC operation is controlled by the singular value decomposition (SVD) modulation technique and the four‐step switching strategy. For power regulation, an maximum power point tracking (MPPT) algorithm based on the wind turbine power curves technique is used in conjunction with the field‐oriented control technique and a proportional‐integral compensator. In the developed prototype of the WECS described, modulation, MPPT, four‐step current switching, control algorithms, and signal measurements are implemented on a single microcontroller unit. Finally, experimental results demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed WECS in regulating the transfer of active and reactive power adequately and simultaneously with the power grid.

Tooth color is a determining factor in the fabrication of dental prostheses. The aim of the present study is to compare two measurement methods used in the field of dentistry: dental guides and spectrophotometry. A total of 2768 natural teeth were measured using the Vita Classical and Vita 3D-Master dental guides (Vita-Zahnfabrik, Bad Säckingen, Germany), as well as a Vita Easyshade Compact spectrophotometer (Vita-Zahnfabrik). The measurements were carried out by one operator under suitable illumination conditions at 5500 degrees Kelvin. The obtained results show that the measurements obtained with the Vita Classical dental guide classifies teeth into the A-B categories, while the spectrophotometer preferentially classifies teeth into the B-C categories. The correlation coefficients obtained with the dental guides ranged from −0.32 to −0.39 (p < 0.01), while those for the spectrophotometer ranged from −0.35 to −0.55 (p < 0.01). Therefore, we can conclude that the spectrophotometer is more reliable and reproducible in its measurements than the dental guides.

Actualmente, las micro y pequeñas empresas (Mypes) son objeto de gran interés para los investigadores debido a su importancia en el desarrollo económico y social de los países, especialmente en América Latina. Con la llegada de la emergencia sanitaria a raíz del virus sars Cov2(Covid-19), la competitividad de estas empresas se ha visto significativamente afectada. Esto ha llevado a los directivos a descubrir, desarrollar y fortalecer habilidades internas, como el liderazgo, para mejorar su desempeño y diferenciarse en la nueva normalidad. El propósito de este artículo es examinar la relación entre el liderazgo transformacional y el desempeño empresarial en las Mypes colombianas. Este estudio empírico, con enfoque cuantitativo y diseño transversal, se llevó a cabo con una muestra de 210 micro y pequeños empresarios de la ciudad de Guadalajara de Buga, Colombia.Se aplicó un cuestionario tipo encuesta a través de entrevistas personales a los gerentes o dueños de este tipo de negocios durante febrero y marzo de 2023. Los resultados indican que el liderazgo transformacional incide de manera significativa en el desempeño empresarial de las Mypes en la región. Los hallazgos encontrados tienen implicaciones importantes para los tomadores de decisiones de este tipo de empresas, quienes deben priorizar el planteamiento de estrategias que fortalezcan su gestión empresarial para promover el crecimiento y desarrollo de su empresa.

This research aims at analyzing the effects of entrepreneurial orientation (EO) on absorptive capacity (ACAP) and open innovation (OI) in small Colombian businesses, while also determining whether ACAP significantly influences OI. Additionally, it intends to measure the mediating effect of ACAP on the relationship between EO and OI. The study employed a quantitative approach and cross-sectional design, utilizing structural equation modeling. Data was gathered from a sample of 145 business owners in the department of Bogota, Colombia, using a simple random sampling technique and a self-administered questionnaire. The results indicate that EO strongly influences ACAP. Although no direct significant influence on OI was found, a significant indirect effect was observed. Furthermore, EO has a significant total effect on OI. ACAP was shown to significantly influence OI, demonstrating a full mediating effect on the relationship between EO and OI. These findings have important implications for entrepreneurs and decision-makers and contribute to the development of dynamic capabilities theory.

Abstract Energy is key in achieving sustainable societies. There have been great efforts towards improving energy access worldwide. Despite the advances in energy access, energy poverty remains a major problem in many parts of the world, particularly in rural communities. Modern energy, in particular electricity, can help rural communities develop through improving education and health. During the last two decades, there have been improvements on bioenergy technological innovations, e.g. electricity generation from bioenergy from residual biomass from several agricultural crops in biorefineries. Most research has focussed on large biorefineries, with limited research on small-scale gasifiers’ location and contribution to energy poverty. This paper is aimed at assessing technological options to generate electricity in situ from biomass to reduce energy poverty of rural communities. This is done using four analysis methods: (1) crops availability data; (2) poverty and marginalisation data; (3) electricity provision/distribution; and, (4) GIS/Geographical latitude and longitude to locate municipalities in Mexico. The results shows that the generating potential for electricity using residual biomass with gasifiers could improve the welfare of almost 10 million people communities using residual biomass from crops harvested in such communities. This research provides location solutions on the best places to locate small-scale biorefineries. The research also provides systemic analysis to reduce energy poverty through in situ electricity generation using cheap accessible small plant technologies and biomass as raw material, as well as their location. Generating electricity in a decentralised way through agricultural residual biomass can help lift rural communities from poverty and improve their well-being, and, thus, make societies more sustainable.

IntroductionClostridioides difficile infection (CDI) is the main cause of nosocomial diarrhoea in developed countries. Recurrent CDI (R-CDI), which affects 20%-30% of patients and significantly increases hospital stay and associated costs, is a key challenge. The main objective of this study was to explore the role of the microbiome and calprotectin levels as predictive biomarkers of R-CDI.MethodsWe prospectively (2019-2021) included patients with a primary episode of CDI. Clinical data and faecal samples were collected. The microbiome was analysed by sequencing the hypervariable V4 region of the 16S rRNA gene on an Illumina Miseq platform.ResultsWe enrolled 200 patients with primary CDI, of whom 54 developed R-CDI and 146 did not. We analysed 200 primary samples and found that Fusobacterium increased in abundance, while Collinsella, Senegalimassilia, Prevotella and Ruminococcus decreased in patients with recurrent versus non-recurrent disease. Elevated calprotectin levels correlated significantly with R-CDI (p=0.01). We built a risk index for R-CDI, including as prognostic factors age, sex, immunosuppression, toxin B amplification cycle, creatinine levels and faecal calprotectin levels (overall accuracy of 79%).DiscussionCalprotectin levels and abundance of microbial genera such as Fusobacterium and Prevotella in primary episodes could be useful as early markers of R-CDI. We propose a readily available model for prediction of R-CDI that can be applied at the initial CDI episode. The use of this tool could help to better tailor treatments according to the risk of R-CDI.

Nosso estudo tem como objetivo investigar qual é o impacto dos atributos do conselho de diretores na divulgação ambiental das empresas. A amostra foi composta por 1.037 empresas da Austrália, Canadá, Irlanda, Nova Zelândia, Reino Unido e Estados Unidos, entre 2015 e 2018. Os resultados revelam que a porcentagem de auditores independentes, o tamanho do conselho e a presença do comitê de sustentabilidade influenciam positivamente a divulgação ambiental. Nossos achados mostram que maior diversidade no conselho é um fator importante para que as empresas divulguem mais informações de suas emissões. Nós concluímos que as empresas devem dar maior atenção às características de seus conselhos de diretores, porque isso determina o engajamento das empresas às questões ambientais. Esta pesquisa apresenta um índice de divulgação ambiental menos suscetível a greenwashing. Os resultados também trazem contribuições para a Teoria da Dependência de Recursos e Teoria da Agência.

IntroductionDrug-resistant epilepsy has been proposed as a chronic stress model. Stress can be measured in terms of chronicity (epilepsy duration) and intensity (comorbidities), with depression and anxiety among the most important comorbidities in epilepsy due to its prevalence and its relationship with cognitive functioning and quality of life. This study aims to establish phenotypes according to how patients face a stressful condition (epilepsy) and examine differences in cognition and quality of life depending on these phenotypes. We hypothesize that there will be an interrelationship between epilepsy duration and negative affectivity, and these variables will influence cognition and quality of life.Methods170 patients (82 men and 88 women) underwent a neuropsychological evaluation in which trait anxiety, depression, attention and executive function, verbal and visual memory, language, emotional recognition, and quality of life were assessed. Hierarchical clustering was performed using z-scores for three variables: trait anxiety; depression; and epilepsy duration.ResultsThree clusters were found: vulnerable (high negative affectivity and short duration); resilient (moderate negative affectivity and long duration); and low-impact group (low negative affectivity and short duration). Results show that the vulnerable group had poorer cognitive functioning and quality of life than the other groups. Specifically, the vulnerable group had poorer scores than the low-impact group on verbal memory, visual confrontation naming, and quality of life (except seizure worry). Furthermore, resilient patients had better scores than the low-impact group on cognitive flexibility variables, but lower scores on some quality-of-life subscales (i.e., overall quality of life, emotional well-being, and energy). Finally, the vulnerable group had poorer scores than the resilient group in executive functioning, naming, and quality of life.DiscussionThese results suggest that dealing with stress in patients with epilepsy is related to cognitive performance and quality of life. These findings underline the relevance of considering comorbidities in epilepsy and may be useful for detecting vulnerable or resilient profiles as risk or protective factors for cognitive and quality of life decline.

Background Acute respiratory syndrome due to coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) is characterised by heterogeneous levels of disease severity. It is not necessarily apparent whether a patient will develop severe disease or not. This cross-sectional study explores whether acoustic properties of the cough sound of patients with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), the illness caused by SARS-CoV-2, correlate with their disease and pneumonia severity, with the aim of identifying patients with severe disease. Methods Voluntary cough sounds were recorded using a smartphone in 70 COVID-19 patients within the first 24 h of their hospital arrival, between April 2020 and May 2021. Based on gas exchange abnormalities, patients were classified as mild, moderate or severe. Time- and frequency-based variables were obtained from each cough effort and analysed using a linear mixed-effects modelling approach. Results Records from 62 patients (37% female) were eligible for inclusion in the analysis, with mild, moderate and severe groups consisting of 31, 14 and 17 patients respectively. Five of the parameters examined were found to be significantly different in the cough of patients at different disease levels of severity, with a further two parameters found to be affected differently by the disease severity in men and women. Conclusions We suggest that all these differences reflect the progressive pathophysiological alterations occurring in the respiratory system of COVID-19 patients, and potentially would provide an easy and cost-effective way to initially stratify patients, identifying those with more severe disease, and thereby most effectively allocate healthcare resources.

IntroductionClostridioides difficile infection (CDI) is the main cause of nosocomial diarrhea in developed countries. A key challenge in CDI is the lack of objective methods to ensure more accurate diagnosis, especially when differentiating between true infection and colonization/diarrhea of other causes. The main objective of this study was to explore the role of the microbiome as a predictive biomarker of CDI.MethodsBetween 2018 and 2021, we prospectively included patients with CDI, recurrent CDI (R-CDI), non-CDI diarrhea (NO-CDI), colonization by C. difficile, and healthy individuals. Clinical data and fecal samples were collected. The microbiome was analyzed by sequencing the hypervariable V4 region of the 16S rRNA gene on an Illumina Miseq platform. The mothur bioinformatic pipeline was followed for pre-processing of raw data, and mothur and R were used for data analysis.ResultsDuring the study period, 753 samples from 657 patients were analyzed. Of these, 247 were from patients with CDI, 43 were from patients colonized with C. difficile, 63 were from healthy individuals, 324 were from NOCDI, and 76 were from R-CDI. We found significant differences across the groups in alpha and beta diversity and in taxonomic abundance. We identified various genera as the most significant biomarkers for CDI (Bacteroides, Proteus, Paraprevotella, Robinsoniella), R-CDI (Veillonella, Fusobacterium, Lactobacillus, Clostridium sensu stricto I), and colonization by C. difficile (Parabacteroides, Faecalicoccus, Flavonifractor, Clostridium XVIII).DiscussionWe observed differences in microbiome patterns between healthy individuals, colonized patients, CDI, R-CDI, and NOCDI diarrhea. We identified possible microbiome biomarkers that could prove useful in the diagnosis of true CDI infections. Further studies are warranted.