University of Huelva

Traffic signaling systems play a crucial role in improving driver attention and reducing road speed. Nevertheless, most available solutions face challenges such as limited commercial availability, high infrastructure costs, lack of intelligence, and incomplete coverage for all road users. To address these obstacles and bolster road safety, this manuscript introduces an innovative intelligent crosswalk featuring speed bumps with integrated light signaling, facilitating precise pedestrian detection through artificial intelligence. The design methodology incorporates resins, aggregates, and reinforcing fibers, cold-injected into an aluminum mold. Notably, the system operates autonomously on solar power, ensuring sustainability and robust protection against environmental elements. To validate the crosswalk, quantitative indicators of road safety improvement are compared against a conventional crosswalk and a prior system based on fuzzy logic. A comprehensive ROC analysis of the implemented machine learning techniques revealed an accuracy rate of 99.11% in pedestrian detection, representing a substantial leap forward in road safety. In addition, a study assessing the system’s impact on user behavior found a 46.5% improvement in pedestrian trajectory, along with speed reductions observed for both pedestrians (10.24%) and drivers (32.83% during the day, and 70.6% at night). The study was further completed with an analysis of the opinion of users who perceived a significant improvement in safety and compliance with regulations with the intelligent crosswalk, highlighting the potential of the system to significantly contribute to the enhancement of road safety.

As medical staff, orderlies are at danger of showing negative signs of psychological health. They are exposed to many stresses that may have a negative impact on their personal lives, and they have also been subjected to the difficult condition of COVID-19 in their workplace. However, since they are not considered to be medical professionals, very few studies and interventions are focused on them. The aim of the present research was to detect the interactions among the work and family environments, as well as to analyze self-perceived mental health and burnout in people who worked as orderlies during the pandemic in public healthcare centers in Huelva (Spain), considering a set of sociodemographic variables. The field work was conducted between April and June 2020. Systematic random sampling was carried out. Information from 84 contributors was gathered through the SWING, MBI-HSS, and GHQ-12 forms. Univariate and bivariate analyzes and correlation tests were carried out. The data were analyzed and correlations were established. The majority of the participants obtained a negative interaction result of work over family. Those who had had contact with SARS-CoV-2 situations presented greater proportions of positive outcome in GHQ-12, bad work-family interaction, burnout, emotional exhaustion, and depersonalization. The men presented a worse general mental health state than the women. Orderlies of Huelva who have had contact with COVID-19 in their workplace present worse indicators of psychological health and greater negative interaction of work over family than those who have not had any contact with these circumstances.

Individual dietary specialization, where individuals occupy a subset of a population’s wider dietary niche, is a key factor determining a species resilience against environmental change. However, the ontogeny of individual specialization, as well as associated underlying social learning, genetic, and environmental drivers, remain poorly understood. Using a multigenerational dataset of female European brown bears (Ursus arctos) followed since birth, we discerned the relative contributions of environmental similarity, genetic heritability, maternal effects, and offspring social learning from the mother to individual specialization. Individual specialization accounted for 43% of phenotypic variation and spanned half a trophic position, with individual diets ranging from omnivorous to carnivorous. The main determinants of dietary specialization were social learning during rearing (13%), environmental similarity (5%), maternal effects (11%), and permanent between-individual effects (9%), whereas the contribution of genetic heritability (3%) was negligible. The trophic position of offspring closely resembled the trophic position of their mothers during the first 3–4 years of independence, but waned with increasing time since separation. Our study shows that social learning and maternal effects were more important for individual dietary specialization than environmental composition. We propose a tighter integration of social effects into studies of range expansion and habitat selection under global change.

Kerr parametric oscillators are potential building blocks for fault-tolerant quantum computers. They can stabilize Kerr-cat qubits, which offer advantages toward the encoding and manipulation of error-protected quantum information. The recent realization of Kerr-cat qubits made use of the nonlinearity of transmon superconducting circuits and a squeezing drive. Increasing nonlinearities can enable faster gate times, but, as shown here, can also induce chaos and melt the qubit away. We determine the region of validity of the Kerr-cat qubit and discuss how its disintegration could be experimentally detected. The danger zone for parametric quantum computation is also a potential playground for investigating quantum chaos with driven superconducting circuits.

The paper and pulp industry annually generates approximately 170 million tons of black liquor, yet research directly targeting its utilization remains scarce. Addressing this gap, our study tackles the challenge of revalorizing black liquor through innovative techniques. Concurrently, the lubricant industry’s pursuit of eco-friendly alternatives necessitates effective thickeners for semi-solid lubricant formulations derived from vegetable oils. Our research focuses on revalorizing weak black liquor via supercritical water hydrolysis, presenting a novel avenue for semi-solid bio-lubricant production. We obtained and treated four lignin waste fractions, including original black liquor and depolymerized variants through supercritical water hydrolysis, followed by additional processes such as spray-drying, oven-drying, and ethyl acetate extraction. These lignin fractions were then incorporated into epoxy-modified vegetable oils to formulate sustainable lubricants. Evaluation of these formulations revealed promising rheological and tribological properties. The resulting castor oil-based bio-lubricants not only exhibited excellent stability and appearance but also demonstrated notable performance improvements in rheological and tribological tests, noticing a maximum wear scar size reduction of around 50%, while maintaining friction factor values. Our findings highlight the potential of depolymerization hydrolysis in enhancing the lubricating properties of castor oil-based formulations, thus advancing the revalorization of weak black liquor. Graphical Abstract

Background: The profile of metal (loid)s in human milk is essential for infant growth and development, yet its impact on the development of the infant microbiota remains unclear. Elements such...

Objective Patients transported by Helicopter Emergency Medical Services (HEMS) suffer a series of haemodynamic changes, mainly in terms of blood pressure, heart rate, and oxygen saturation, which worsen at different stages of the flight. The aim of this study was to identify haemodynamic changes in adult patients transported by the Helicopter Emergency Medical Service. Methods A systematic review of studies published between January 2013 to April 2023 was conducted following the PRISMA 2020 guidelines criteria in the Pubmed, Scopus and Web of Science electronic databases. Methodological quality was assessed using the critical appraisal tool for non-randomised studies of the Joanna Briggs Institute (JBI). The followed protocol has been registered in the International Prospective Register of Systematic Reviews (PROSPERO) with code CRD4202222355798. Two independent reviewers read and extracted the information of the studies. Results Eight studies were included in the review, which showed significant haemodynamic changes during transport by HEMS. All studies recorded readings at three points of the mission: pre-flight, in-flight, and post-flight. The greatest change in physiological variables is visible in oxygen saturation, during the in-flight phase, with a decrease in this value. Blood pressure mainly increased in various phases of the mission, especially in the in-flight phase. Heart rate also changed across the mission phases, mainly in the pre-flight and post-flight phases, increasing and decreasing during the flight. Conclusion Patients transported by helicopter undergo haemodynamic changes during the different stages of evacuation (pre-flight, in-flight, and post-flight). However, there is a need for further studies on helicopter transport of patients due to the paucity of publications on this topic.

Objective To identify variables related to perceived stress and resilience of international migrants. Method Multicenter, observational, cross-sectional study carried out with 403 migrants residing in Brazil, Spain, or Portugal. The following instruments were used to collect data: Perceived Stress Scale and Resilience Scale. Student's t-test and analysis of variance were applied in the analysis. Results Perceived stress was related to: living in Brazil or Portugal; shorter stay in the host country; being black or brown; and having no religion. Greater resilience was related to: not being divorced; having less education and lower family income; being from developing countries; living in Spain; and having a religion. Conclusion Aspects such as host and origin country, skin color, income, marital status, education, length of stay in the host country, and religion are related to the level of stress and/or resilience of migrants. Knowing this profile is useful for developing public integration policies and interventions that seek to reduce stress and improve resilience. DESCRIPTORS Resilience, Psychological; Stress, Psychological; Transients and Migrants; Emigration and Immigration; Migrant-Receiving Society; Multicenter Study

Objective To identify variables related to perceived stress and resilience of international migrants. Method Multicenter, observational, cross-sectional study carried out with 403 migrants residing in Brazil, Spain, or Portugal. The following instruments were used to collect data: Perceived Stress Scale and Resilience Scale. Student's t-test and analysis of variance were applied in the analysis. Results Perceived stress was related to: living in Brazil or Portugal; shorter stay in the host country; being black or brown; and having no religion. Greater resilience was related to: not being divorced; having less education and lower family income; being from developing countries; living in Spain; and having a religion. Conclusion Aspects such as host and origin country, skin color, income, marital status, education, length of stay in the host country, and religion are related to the level of stress and/or resilience of migrants. Knowing this profile is useful for developing public integration policies and interventions that seek to reduce stress and improve resilience. DESCRIPTORS Resilience, Psychological; Stress, Psychological; Transients and Migrants; Emigration and Immigration; Migrant-Receiving Society; Multicenter Study

Introduction. Nursing education involves a robust blend of theory and hands-on practice, crucial for cultivating the intricate abilities required to safely progress from being a student to becoming a proficient nursing professional. This training process was disrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic when the imposition of lockdowns compelled the transition of classes from in-person to online formats. Aim. This study aimed to assess the challenges in clinical training for nursing students during the COVID-19 pandemic, specifically examining how reductions in hands-on clinical practice have impacted their job satisfaction upon entering the workforce. Methods. It was an exploratory, descriptive, and cross-sectional study, using the Font Roja Questionnaire on job satisfaction as an instrument for data collection. The population was made up of Spanish nurses who graduated in 2020, 2021, and 2022. Results. The sample consisted of 390 nurses, 81.5% female, averaging 24.35 years old, with 76% having missed at least one month of clinical practice during their training. We found significant levels of dissatisfaction with job pressure and professional competence (52.3% and 40.8%, respectively). Statistically significant differences were found between gender, job pressure, year of graduation, and professional competence. Conclusion. The loss of clinical practice periods, a vital element in nursing education, has influenced the early careers of these nurses, particularly affecting certain aspects of their job satisfaction such as job pressure and professional competence.

This study aimed to examine the employment status of patients who have experienced ischemic heart disease one year after undergoing cardiac rehabilitation. For this, a quasi-experimental pre-post study without a control group of active workers aged 18 to 65 years diagnosed with ischemic heart disease and included in a cardiac rehabilitation programme was conducted. Sociodemographic and occupational data, cardiovascular risk factors and clinical-therapeutic data on heart disease were collected. A total of 214 patients were included, of which 115 patients returned to work. Several clinical factors contributing to return to work were identified: preserved left-ventricular ejection fraction (≥55%), < 3 obstructed coronary vessels, and stent revascularisation. Socio-occupational factors that may positively influence return to work were identified: age < 50 years, absence of anxious-depressive symptoms, higher level of education, and occupations with low physical strain. Cardiac rehabilitation is effective in improving cardiac function and health-related quality of life in workers with ischemic heart disease. Return to work and duration of temporary incapacity were associated with clinical-therapeutic variables and psycho-socio-occupational factors, such as type of job, physical strain, anxiety and depression, and age of the worker.

Aim This systematic review and meta‐analysis aimed to analyze studies that examined the relationship between psychological capital and burnout in registered nurses. Background and introduction Registered nurses are subject to high rates of burnout, with negative consequences on health, well‐being, and quality of care. Psychological capital could be an important element in preventing or reducing this condition. Methods This research is based on the Joanna Briggs Institute Guidelines and Preferred Reporting Items for systematic reviews and meta‐analysis. A total of 180 studies on psychological capital and burnout were retrieved from Web of Science, Scopus, PubMed, Medline, and PsycINFO. The articles were written in English, Spanish, French, and Portuguese. Then, 23 studies were included in several meta‐analyses (random‐effects models) performed with the R statistical program. Results Analysis of the 23 studies revealed that psychological capital and burnout are significantly correlated. The Psychological Capital Questionnaire (PCQ) and the Maslach Burnout Inventory (MBI) were the most used scales to measure psychological capital and burnout, respectively. The meta‐analyses showed an inverse correlation between psychological capital and burnout ( r = −0.44, 95% CI [−0.51, −0.36], n = 6092), and emotional exhaustion ( r = −0.32, 95% CI [−0.42, −0.21], n = 3349). Conclusion This review provides evidence of the negative relationship between psychological capital and burnout in registered nurses. Therefore, enhancing psychological capital is an effective strategy to prevent and reduce burnout in nurses. Implications for nursing and health policy Psychological capital is a personal resource open to development over time and susceptible to interventions aimed at promoting optimism, efficacy, hope, and resilience. In that sense, training aimed at improving psychological capital, as a protective mechanism to prevent and reduce burnout and emotional exhaustion, should be considered together with organizational measures to promote nurses' health and well‐being.

Objectives The aim of this study was to comprehensively assess how COVID-19 affected the levels of different mental health variables in prison inmates. Methods A systematic review was conducted following the PRISMA format in the Pubmed, Scopus, Web of Science, PsycINFO, and ScienceDirect electronic databases between August and September 2023. Methodological quality was assessed using the critical appraisal tools for studies of the Joanna Briggs Institute. Results Thirteen studies were included. The studies found increased levels of stress, anxiety, fear, depression, and negative emotions associated with lack of information about the pandemic and isolation leading to reduced social interaction. In addition, lack of access to common recreational spaces, limited access to support resources, especially mental health resources, fear of contracting the virus, and lack of trust in prison staff and in themselves to be protected were identified. Conclusion Further research may be necessary in prison populations with added vulnerability, such as the elderly, women, transgender and non-binary persons, to determine specific interventions, after assessing the prevalent psychological sequelae. Prevention strategies and mental health promotion are also encouraged.

Introduction Artificial intelligence is revolutionizing English language teaching with personalized assessments and advanced tools, though more studies are needed on its effectiveness and equitable accessibility. Method A systematic literature review (SLR) was conducted using articles from Web of Science, Scopus, and ERIC to establish theoretical foundations. Results AI in learning English as a second language offers personalized tools such as chatbots, pronunciation improvement apps, and platforms that adapt content according to student progress. Discussion The study highlights how AI is revolutionizing English learning by personalizing lessons, improving pronunciation, and promoting cultural understanding.

In this article, we analyse a lesson on Thales’s theorem in a Chilean secondary school classroom through the combination of two theories: Mathematics Teachers’ Specialised Knowledge (ThMTSK) and Mathematical Working Spaces (ThMWS). Both theories, first separately and then in relation to one another, are used to analyse two tasks proposed by the teacher in the classroom following a cross-methodology for networking of theories. Through a single case study research design, a content analysis of the transcript of the video recording of the lesson was conducted. The joint analysis of this lesson allows us to better understand the mathematical work taking place in the classroom. In particular, the results show the scope of each model and their complementarity through the detection of meeting points and blind spots, through the role of proof, representations, and the change between geometrical and numerical work in teaching Thales’s theorem. This allows for a deeper understanding of a teacher’s practice and teaching. Ultimately, relationships between the theoretical elements of both theories are established to show their complementarity. We conclude that networking between theories can contribute to the development of these theories by raising questions that involve examining their foundations and assumptions in greater depth.