University of Seville

In this paper, the b-coloring problem is solved for every subdivision-edge neighbourhood corona of paths, cycles, stars and complete graphs. In addition, some exact values and sharp bounds are established for the b-chromatic number of subdivision-edge neighbourhood coronas of these graphs with any other graph.

The accumulation of volatile fatty acids (VFAs) over anaerobic digestion (AD) leads to malfunctioning of industrial reactors, hence decreasing biogas production. Real-time monitoring of VFAs is a challenge due to the complexity and high cost of current methods for their quantification. For this reason, this research evaluated the application of near infrared (NIR) spectroscopy to quantify volatile fatty acids as a tool for AD reactors monitoring. To do that, 129 samples from various AD reactors fed with olive oil pomace were taken and their NIR spectra were acquired with a hand-held spectrometer. After performing grid search, three spectral variable selection methods, namely competitive adaptive reweighted sampling, uninformative variable elimination (UVE) and successive projections algorithm, were assayed before developing PLRS models to correlate the NIR light transmittance through the samples at the wavelengths selected by those methods with their VFAs concentrations. UVE led to the best performance for all the VFAs assayed. Thus, R2 of validation of UVE-PLSR models for acetic, propionic, butyric, valeric and total VFAs were 0.895, 0.622, 0.866, 0.898 and 0.871, respectively. The predictive model for total VFAs achieved the highest accuracy (RMSEV = 539.5 mg/L), explained by the correlation between the light absorption at the wavelengths selected by UVE and the chemical characteristics of VFAs. All in all, the prediction errors achieved suggest that a portable near infrared spectrometer can be used for monitoring VFAs in AD processes.

Expression of concern for ‘Unprecedented inhibition of glycosidase-catalyzed substrate hydrolysis by nanodiamond-grafted O-glycosides’ by Aloysius Siriwardena et al., RSC Adv., 2015, 5, 100568–100578, https://doi.org/10.1039/C5RA21390H.

Chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS) is a clinical syndrome defined by typical sinonasal symptoms persisting for at least 12 weeks. CRS is divided into two distinct phenotypes, CRS with nasal polyps (CRSwNP) and without (CRSsNP). The aim of the review is to provide an update on the current knowledge in CRS endotypes. The prevailing hypothesis regarding the pathogenesis of CRS suggests that dysfunctional interactions between the host and environmental stressors at the mucosal surface drive the diverse inflammatory mechanisms. Genetic and epigenetic variations in the mucosal immune system are believed to play a significant role in the pathomechanisms of CRS. Various environmental agents (such as microbes and irritants) have been implicated in CRS. In a healthy state, the sinonasal mucosa acts as a barrier, modulating environmental stimulation and mounting appropriate immune responses against pathogens with minimal tissue damage. Different endotypes may exist based on the specific mechanistic pathways driving the chronic tissue inflammation of CRS. There is a need to understand endotypes in order to better predict, diagnose, and treat CRS. This literature review provides an update on the role of the endotypes in CRS and the limitations of endotyping CRS in clinical practice. Understanding of the pathogenesis and optimal management of CRS has progressed significantly in the last decades; however, there still are several unmet needs in endotype research.

Objectives Emergency department (ED) crowding is a widespread problem that positions patients at risk. The desire to improve the ED throughput requires novel approaches. Point-of-care testing (POCT) has emerged as useful technology that could contribute to create more efficient patient flow and better timeliness in the ED. The main objective of our study is to demonstrate, in a multicenter study, that POCT benefits care timeliness in the ED. Methods We conducted a multicenter and cluster randomized study. A total of 3,200 patients. We randomly assigned patients to a POCT group or Central Laboratory Group. The primary outcome was the ED time to clinical decision. The secondary outcome included the length of stay and the laboratory turnaround time. Readmission within the seven after discharge was also calculated. Results The primary finding of this study is a strategy based on POCT that aims to significantly improve care timeliness in the ED. We found significant reductions in all outcomes regardless of presentation reason, patient disposition or hospital type. Time to clinical decision decreased by 75.2 min (205–129.8), length of stay by 77.5 min (273.1–195.6) and laboratory turnaround time by 56.2 min (82.2–26) in the POCT group. No increase in readmission was found. Conclusions Our strategy represents a good approach to optimize timeliness in the ED. It should be seen as a starting point for further operational research focusing on POCT for improving throughput and reducing crowding in the ED.

The compressibility effects of the gaseous atmosphere on bubble bursting and collapse on a liquid surface, with emphasis on their implications for sea spray aerosol production and the atmosphere, are analyzed in this work using numerical simulation. The Ohnesorge number (Oh) is maintained around a critical value (Oh ∼ 0.033) corresponding to optimal conditions for the generation of smaller droplets at higher velocities. Numerical simulations show that despite reaching local densities around 40% of the atmospheric baseline during the late stages of bubble collapse, the surrounding gas density has minimal effect on the size and number of ejected droplets as the high-speed jet emerges, and no significant deviations from previous incompressible gas models are observed. However, the number and size of ejected droplets vary with the level of numerical discretization. In this regard, our simulations show that the number of droplets at the smallest length scales reached can be orders of magnitude larger than previously reported. This is observed almost independently of the level of discretization, as long as sufficient accuracy is ensured, and implies that factors, such as the variability of local conditions and the presence of contaminants, or even thermal fluctuations at this smallest scale, could further influence ultrafine aerosol production. These results reemphasize the role of bubble-bursting jets as key players in the critical droplet size spectra from the sea surface that affect primary and secondary aerosol and cloud formation.

Cortical hypometabolism on FDG-PET is a well-established neuroimaging biomarker of cognitive impairment in Parkinson’s disease (PD), but its pathophysiologic origins are incompletely understood. Cholinergic basal forebrain (cBF) degeneration is a prominent pathological feature of PD-related cognitive impairment and may contribute to cortical hypometabolism through cholinergic denervation of cortical projection areas. Here, we investigated in-vivo associations between subregional cBF volumes on 3T-MRI, cortical hypometabolism on [¹⁸F]FDG-PET, and cognitive deficits in a cohort of 95 PD participants with varying degrees of cognitive impairment. We further assessed the spatial correspondence of the cortical pattern of cBF-associated hypometabolism with the pattern of cholinergic denervation in PD as assessed by [¹⁸F]FEOBV-PET imaging of presynaptic cholinergic terminal density in a second cohort. Lower volume of the cortically-projecting posterior cBF, but not of the anterior cBF, was significantly associated with extensive neocortical hypometabolism [p(FDR) < 0.05], which mediated the association between cBF atrophy and cognitive impairment (mediated proportion: 43%, p < 0.001). In combined models, posterior cBF atrophy explained more variance in cortical hypometabolism (R² = 0.26, p < 0.001) than local atrophy in the cortical areas themselves (R² = 0.16, p = 0.01). Topographic correspondence analysis with the [¹⁸F]FEOBV-PET pattern revealed that cortical areas showing most pronounced cBF-associated hypometabolism correspond to those showing most severe cholinergic denervation in PD (Spearman’s ρ = 0.57, p < 0.001). In conclusion, posterior cBF atrophy in PD is selectively associated with hypometabolism in denervated cortical target areas, which mediates the effect of cBF atrophy on cognitive impairment. These data provide first-time in-vivo evidence that cholinergic degeneration represents a principle pathological correlate of cortical hypometabolism underlying cognitive impairment in PD.

Purpose : To compare the acute effects on mechanical, metabolic, neuromuscular, and muscle contractile responses to different velocity-loss (VL) thresholds (20% and 40%) under distinct blood-flow conditions (free [FF] vs restricted [BFR]) in full squat (SQ). Methods : Twenty strength-trained men performed 4 SQ protocols with 60% 1-repetition maximum that differed in the VL within the set and in the blood-flow condition (FF20: FF with 20% VL; FF40: FF with 40% VL; BFR20: BFR with 20% VL; and BFR40: BFR with 40% VL). The level of BFR was 50% of the arterial occlusion pressure. Before and after the SQ protocols, the following tests were performed: (1) tensiomyography, (2) blood lactate, (3) countermovement jump, (4) maximal voluntary isometric SQ contraction, and (5) performance with the load that elicited a 1 m·s ⁻¹ at baseline measurements in SQ. Results : No “BFR × VL” interactions were observed. BFR protocols resulted in fewer repetitions and lower increases in lactate concentration than FF protocols. The 40% VL protocols completed more repetitions but resulted in lower mechanical performance and electromyography median frequency during the exercise than the 20% VL protocols. At postexercise, the 40% VL protocols also experienced greater blood lactate concentrations, higher alterations in tensiomyography-derived variables, and accentuated impairments in SQ and countermovement-jump performances. The 20% VL protocols showed an increased electromyography median frequency at postexercise maximal voluntary isometric contraction. Conclusions : Despite BFR-accelerated fatigue development during exercise, a given VL magnitude induced similar impairments in the distinct performance indicators assessed, regardless of the blood-flow condition.

In this paper, we propose a performative account of hinge epistemology to make the case for a feminist hinge epistemology. We characterize it as follows: 1) there are hinges that enable and govern our ordinary epistemic practices, functioning as rules; 2) these hinges are enacted and actualized in the specific actions of agents that participate in such practices; 3) this makes room for the transformation and emergence of hinges; 4) against this background, we argue in favor of the possibility of feminist hinges. This novel account opens the way for hinge epistemology to be useful for feminist goals in epistemology, which we believe is the ultimate criterion for hinge epistemology to be legitimately feminist.

A new bis(tetrabutylphosphonium) hexachlorodimercurate (II) [(C4H9)4P]2Hg2Cl6(1) was synthesized by slow evaporation method at room temperature and characterized by single-crystal X-ray diffraction (XRD), Hirshfeld surface analysis, UV–Vis spectroscopy, and complex impedance. The synthesized compound adopts the triclinic symmetry and crystallizes in the centrosymmetric space group P $\overline{1}$ with the following unit cell parameters: a = 11.877 (5) Å, b = 15.346 (6) Å, c = 15.417 (6) Å, α = 69.13 (2)°, β = 73.28 (2)°, and γ = 74.89 (2)°. The dimers [Hg2Cl6]²⁻ and the tetrabutylphosphonium cations [(C4H9)4P]⁺ are related together by C–H⋯Cl hydrogen bonds and electrostatic interactions. The Hirshfeld surface analysis was used to discuss the strength of hydrogen bonds and to quantify the intermolecular contacts (two-dimensional (2D) fingerprint plots). The optical absorption measurement showed a semiconductor behavior with a band gap of approximately 3.26 eV. Moreover, the dielectric properties and ac conductivity have been investigated to explain the nature of the transport mechanism and relaxation process in our material.

Currently, the incorporation of technology for enhancement in the sports domain is a reality. Furthermore, the utilization of artificial intelligence for problem solving is on the rise. In this study, we merged these two aspects, leveraging artificial intelligence to enhance the performance of padel tennis players. Thus, in this research, we employ machine learning algorithms, specifically ensemble learning algorithms, to categorize various padel tennis shots and player skill levels. The data used correspond to samples collected by a gyroscope and an accelerometer on the player’s arm. For the classification, we utilize diverse algorithms including Multi-Layer Perceptron, Decision Tree, K-Nearest Neighbors, Support Vector Machine, voting classifier, Bagging, Random Forest, AdaBoost, and Gradient Boosting. According to the results achieved, the best ensemble classifier in both classification problems is the voting classifier, that obtains an accuracy higher than 92% in padel shots classification and 96% in skill levels. Nevertheless, other algorithms achieves similar results employing less training an prediction time, as extremely randomized trees or pasting classifiers.

We consider flow through a finite-length flexible-walled channel formed by removing a portion from one wall of a wide rigid channel and replacing by a pre-tensioned hyperelastic sheet of finite thickness. The flow is driven by a prescribed upstream flow rate which is uniform along the channel inlet, and so with periodic boundary conditions in the transverse direction the system admits a steady state with a wall profile which is deformed in the streamwise direction but spatially uniform in the spanwise direction. Identical to the planar case, this system exhibits two stable static configurations: an upper branch where the flexible wall is mostly inflated and a lower branch where the wall is highly collapsed. We consider the stability of these steady states to spanwise perturbations, showing that both can become unstable to distinct families of self-excited oscillations. In particular, for large spanwise wavenumbers, these steady states are unstable to oscillatory normal modes where the perturbation wall profile has a single oscillating hump in the streamwise direction, not previously seen in collapsible channel flows driven by fixed upstream flux. Furthermore, for sufficiently large wavenumbers and no wall pre-tension in the spanwise direction, this system is always unstable to a new spanwise non-uniform static configuration, which arises due to the merging of a pair of unstable oscillatory normal modes. However, with non-zero spanwise wall pre-tension, there is always a region of parameter space where the spanwise uniform steady state is stable for all wavenumbers.

Pan‐cyclin‐dependent‐kinase (CDK) inhibitors are a new class of targeted therapies that can act on multiple CDKs, with dinaciclib being one of the most promising compounds. Although used as a monotherapy, an interesting approach could be to combine it with radiotherapy. Here, we show that dinaciclib increases radiosensitivity in some experimental models of lung and colon cancer (A549 or HCT 116) but not in others (H1299 or HT‐29). Dinaciclib did not alter serine‐protein kinase ATM signalling or cell cycle profiling after ionising‐radiation exposure, which have been described for other CDK inhibitors. Interestingly, in terms of apoptosis, although the combination renders a clear increase, no potentiation of the ionising‐radiation‐induced apoptosis was observed. Mechanistically, inhibition of CDK12 by dinaciclib diminishes BRCA1 expression, which decreases homologous recombination (HR) and probably promotes the nonhomologous end joining repair process (NHEJ), which ultimately promotes the induction of ionising‐radiation‐associated cellular senescence in a TP53‐dependent manner, explaining the lack of effect observed in some experimental models. In conclusion, our report proposes a molecular mechanism, based on the signalling axis CDK12–BRCA1, involved in this newly identified therapeutic effect of dinaciclib, although other players implicated in HR should not be discarded. In addition, our data provide a rationale for more selective and personalised chemo/radiotherapy treatment according to the genetic background of the tumour.

The 23rd FEBS YSF was held from 26th to 29th June 2024 in Pavia, Italy. Over 100 PhD students and early postdoctoral researchers from around 30 different countries came together at the inspiring rooms of the University of Pavia for a four‐day event. This year's topic was ‘Biochemistry for bridging the gap’, meaning the opportunity to have a comprehensive perspective on all biochemistry applications. Four renowned keynote speakers presented their latest research, accompanied by four career‐focused speakers, as well as additional sessions on academic career opportunities, including fellowships, women in science, and laboratory sustainability. Additionally, 10 selected YSF participants gave short talks to a large audience, while the remaining attendees shared their research findings through flash talks and two dedicated poster sessions. Scientific exchange and networking were encouraged during the poster sessions, breaks, and the social events. The meeting was a prelude before attending the 48th FEBS congress, celebrated in Milan. The success of the series will be continued during the 24th YSF edition: ‘Inspired by nature, driven by science’, which will take place from 2nd to 5th July 2025 in Sapanca, Türkiye.

Understanding the main ecological constraints on plants' adaptive strategies to tolerate multiple abiotic stresses is a central topic in plant ecology. We aimed to uncover such constraints by analysing how the interactions between climate, soil features and species functional traits co‐determine the distribution and diversity of stress tolerance strategies to drought, shade, cold and waterlogging in woody plants of the Northern Hemisphere. Functional traits and soil fertility predominantly determined drought and waterlogging/cold tolerance strategies, while climatic factors strongly influenced shade tolerance. We describe the observed patterns by defining ‘stress tolerance biomes’ and ‘polytolerance hotspots’, that is, geographic regions where woody plant assemblages have converged to specific tolerance strategies and where the coexistence of multiple tolerance strategies is frequent. The depiction of these regions provides the first macroecological overview of the main environmental and functional requirements underlying the ecological limits to the diversity of abiotic stress tolerance strategies in woody plants.

This study presents a low-voltage bulk-driven CMOS operational transconductance amplifier (OTA) operating in the subthreshold region designed to drive loads up to 10 nF, which is the largest value for this class of amplifiers. To meet this goal, the solution exploits the body terminal of various active devices leveraging local positive feedback to enhance the input transconductance gain and implementing dynamic threshold voltage control in the output transistors. This, along with a Slew Rate Enhancer section, significantly improves the OTA current driving capability. Experimental measurements conducted on a prototype, implemented in a 60-nm technology and supplied from 0.35 V, confirm the expected performance demonstrating a SR of 1.1 V/ms for a 10-nF load with a limited quiescent current consumption of 1.4 $\mu$ A.