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In this paper we describe the archaeological and archaeometric analysis of a Third Pompeian Style assemblage from the Blanes dump in Mérida (Spain). Based on the pottery context, the material would have been part of the decoration of a public or private space remodelled towards the end of the 1st century AD. Several samples from to the middle area of the assemblage, including panels, inter-panels and a frieze, were selected and studied using X-ray diffraction (XRD), X-ray fluorescence (XRF), Raman, gas chromatography and petrographic analysis. The results revealed the use of hematite, cinnabar, minium and goethite in different panels, as well as goethite, Egyptian blue, calcite, glauconite and carbon for the decorative motifs. They allowed us to define the painting techniques used and how they have affected the degradation of the pigments.

Abstract From early in medical school, students need to learn about patient safety, and how to prevent and reduce risks, errors and harm that occur to patients during health care provision. Cinemeducation is a teaching methodology that uses fragments of feature films or TV series in medical education. We hypothesized that cinemeducation could help simplify the comprehension of complex situations for students, aiding in the learning of patient safety and the understanding of human behaviors that impact it. This concept stands as an integral component within a comprehensive medical humanities approach. The study population was the 70 medical students of the second course of a six-year undergraduate program. In a 2-h class, after learning objectives were established, students watched a fragment from TV series The Resident centered on adverse events, and discussed them afterward. To measure learning achievements, we administered a 10-question multiple-choice pre and post-test and a 2-question open-essay post-test. Given the complexity of the concepts related to patient safety, we used a mixed quali-quantitative approach. An exploratory descriptive and content analysis was performed. Sixty-eight students participated and completed the questionnaires. Despite high pre-intervention scores, post-intervention scores improved (mean difference 0.779, 95% CI: 0.475–1.083, p

Objective: To investigate whether a combined hip and knee muscle strengthening program is superior to a knee strengthening program for people after lateral patellar dislocation (LPD). Design: Single-blind, superiority, randomized controlled trial with 48 weeks follow-up. Setting: Physiotherapy out-patient clinic. Participants: Forty individuals aged 16 or older, with a history of non-traumatic LPD were randomized to a knee-based strengthening (KBSG) or quadriceps and hip strengthening exercise (HQSG) program (N=40). Inclusion criteria included a positive apprehension sign, pain on palpation along the medial retinaculum, and J sign. Exclusion criteria included restricted range of motion (

In this article, two multibeam reflectarray antennas are presented for Ka-band in a multi-feed configuration. Both feature a wide-angle scanning range with very low scan losses. They are designed using an iterative optimization process based on a phase-only optimization (POO) which allows fine control over the gain for each beam. The phase responses of the lattice cells are selected taking into account the illumination levels and radiation requirements of all feeds in the system. Minimization of scanning losses and overall antenna compactness are prioritized in the design. The feeding elements are placed along a tilted arc with a low F/D of 0.58. Compared to other beam scanning reflectarray designs in the literature, inter-feed blockage is avoided and thus simultaneous multibeam operation is supported. The two reflectarray designs are implemented using a unit cell with low losses and high angular stability, and they operate in different orthogonal linear polarizations. They are manufactured and measured, showing very low scan losses of 0.5 dB and 1.4 dB across a ±45-degree scanning range, while having maximum gain levels of 28.2 dBi and 29.4 dBi respectively. Moreover, they present extremely low beam squint across the evaluated 3 GHz band, and a measured 1 dB fractional bandwidth over 6.8% and 10%.

This work presents a reflectarray-based base station antenna to integrate both backhaul (BH) and fronthaul (FH). The reflectarray operates at 28 GHz in dual linear polarization, using one polarization for the BH and another for the FH. The BH is a pencil beam of maximum gain pointing in a certain direction, while the FH defines the coverage for a femtocell. The FH is used to generate the coverage within the near field radiated by the base station. The synthesis of the FH is carried out by means of a near-field phase-only synthesis (NF-POS), while the BH is analytic. Both phase-shift distributions are physically implemented using a unit cell based on a double-layer topology of coplanar dipoles. The reflectarray is manufactured and evaluated in a spherical range (far field) and a planar range (near field). The measurements agree with the simulations, showing that a single antenna based on a reflectarray can be used to implement the dual link FH and BH.

The aim of this study is to assess the possible effect of olive seed oil (OSO) and destoned and dehydrated olive oil (DDOO), in comparison with extra-virgin olive oil (EVOO), on some cardiovascular biomarkers in an experimental model of diabetes mellitus. Diabetic animals showed evident alterations in biomarkers involved in the evolution of diabetic vasculopathy, marked by increases in biomarkers that favor vascular damage, which was between 1.5 and five times as many as those in non-diabetic animals, and a smaller number of biomarkers that protect against such damage (25–75% less than in healthy controls) was observed. The three oils administered decreased the concentration of biomarkers of vascular damage (35–45% in the serum lipid profile, 15–40% in early biomarkers of vascular inflammation and 20–60% in platelet aggregation and in thromboxane/prostacyclin imbalance). The greatest effect was by the antioxidant, both in the inhibition of lipid peroxidation and in the increase of glutathione. DDOO showed a significantly greater effect on oxidative stress and on thromboxane/prostacyclin imbalance than those shown by OSO and EVOO. This greater effect may possibly be explained by its higher triterpenoid content (913 mg/kg, compared to 113 mg/kg in OSO and 75 mg/kg in EVOO). We conclude, in the light of the results of this study, that these oils meet two basic conditions: they could improve the yield of the olive industry, and they equal, and may even increase, the beneficial effects of EVOO on cardiovascular disease.

Obesity is a multifactorial disease with both genetic and environmental components. The prevailing view is that obesity results from an imbalance between energy intake and expenditure caused by overeating and insufficient exercise. We describe another environmental element that can alter the balance between energy intake and energy expenditure: obesogens. Obesogens are a subset of environmental chemicals that act as endocrine disruptors affecting metabolic endpoints. The obesogen hypothesis posits that exposure to endocrine disruptors and other chemicals can alter the development and function of the adipose tissue, liver, pancreas, gastrointestinal tract, and brain, thus changing the set point for control of metabolism. Obesogens can determine how much food is needed to maintain homeostasis and thereby increase the susceptibility to obesity. The most sensitive time for obesogen action is in utero and early childhood, in part via epigenetic programming that can be transmitted to future generations. This review explores the evidence supporting the obesogen hypothesis and highlights knowledge gaps that have prevented widespread acceptance as a contributor to the obesity pandemic. Critically, the obesogen hypothesis changes the narrative from curing obesity to preventing obesity.

Cinemeducation has been used for diverse teaching objectives in medical education. To our knowledge, there are no published accounts of using cinemeducation in combination with simulation. We designed a pedagogical activity combining cinemeducation and simulation in a programme to teach patient safety. This paper aims to describe the design and implementation of the activity, analyse its feasibility, and assess students' opinions of its usefulness. A total of 70 second-year Spanish medical students participated; 31 (44.3%) completed a survey assessing the activity. Most expressed total or partial agreement with statements indicating activity was useful. The combined activity facilitates the reflective process by applying the emic/etic perspective. While simulations and cinemeducation share experiential learning techniques, adding cinemeducation helps overcome some of simulation's limitations in reproducing complex professional scenarios. This combined approach is feasible and well accepted. Combining these two approaches promises to be useful in other disciplines.

The aim of this study is to describe the actions carried out by school management to promote inclusion and the learning of all students, from the perspective of teaching staff (members of management teams and teachers), and to find out whether these initiatives are determined by the school environment, the educational stages taught, and the positions held by the members of the management teams. The questionnaire, 'Liderando la Educación Inclusiva en Centros de Educación Obligatoria (LEI-Q)-Equipo Docente' ('Leading Inclusive Education in Compulsory Education Schools -- Teaching Staff') was answered by 420 teaching-staff members. The psychometric properties of the questionnaire have been confirmed using exploratory and confirmatory factorial analysis. Descriptive analysis and nonparametric regression have also been carried out. The results show that in the schools analysed, the management teams are undertaking actions in favour of educational inclusion, with the most implemented being those aimed at managing the teaching-learning processes and professional development, and the least implemented being those that aim to make the school an inclusive community. These actions are influenced by the educational stages taught in the school, the district where they are located, and the position held by the school leaders.

In a peer-review of teaching (PRT) program, we aimed to i) use pre- and post-observation questionnaires to enhance self-reflection, and ii) perform a nominal group technique (NGT) to agree on improvements. The questionnaires showed that PRT helped discovering new weaknesses but not new strengths, and that preconceived negative feelings vanished during the teaching observation. The NGT highlighted that ensuring the pairs of teachers belong to different knowledge areas and offering information to future participants may improve the PRT program and increase faculty participation. In conclusion, questionnaires along the PRT program promoted self-reflection and important improvements were made by the NGT.

A presente pesquisa desenvolvida no ano de 2020 teve como objetivo conhecer o perfil de estudantes com laudo médico em uma Escola Estadual de Ensino Médio do município de Serra, Espírito Santo. Foi desenvolvido um estudo documental que permitiu análise de fichas de matrícula e laudos médicos de 21 estudantes do ensino médio. O levantamento de dados apontou que todos os alunos do estudo compunham o Atendimento Educacional Especializado da escola. Destes, 71% eram do sexo masculino. Quanto aos dados raciais, 61% se autodeclararam pardos ou pretos. Já quanto aos diagnósticos, 57% possuíam o diagnóstico de Retardo Mental, que, somados aos 19% com Deficiência Intelectual/Cognitiva, totalizaram 76% dos alunos pesquisados. Concluiu-se que, conforme o perfil dos alunos e os diagnósticos identificados, parecia haver na escola e nos diagnósticos médicos uma concepção que aponta para naturalização do desenvolvimento humano a partir de olhares atravessados por determinantes biológicos e individualizantes, demonstrando, como em vários outros estudos, que o cotidiano escolar tem sido constituído por meio de uma história marcada pelo preconceito e pela homogeneização, em que são os meninos, negros e pobres, os que mais sofrem com essa lógica.

The native Spanish Merino breed was the founder of all the other Merino and Merino-derived breeds worldwide. Despite the fact that this breed was created and improved to produce the highest quality fine wool, the global wool market crisis led to the wholescale crossing of most of the herds with breeds for meat purposes. Nevertheless, there are still some purebred animals with a high potential for producing quality wool. The objective of this study was to characterize the current wool quality of the breed and identify genes associated with these parameters. To achieve this, over 12,800 records from the most representative animals of the breed (registered in the herd book) were analyzed using the Australian OFDA 2000 system, for parameters such as fiber diameter (FD), standard deviation (SD), coefficient of variation (CV), fibers over 15 microns (>15%), staple length (SL), and comfort factor (CRV). Additionally, animals with the most extreme FD values were whole-genome sequenced using NGS. Genome-wide association studies (GWAS) determined the association of 74 variants with the different traits studied, which were located in 70 different genes. Of these genes, EDN2, COL18A1, and LRP1B, associated with fibers over 15%, and FGF12 and ADAM17, associated with SL, play a key role in hair follicle growth and development. Our study reveals the great potential for recovering this breed for fine wool production, and identifies five candidate genes whose understanding may aid in that selection process.

Abstract A wideband dual-reflector 3D-printed antenna is proposed to operate in the mm-Wave band. The design is based on a Cassegrain reflector optics but including a dielectric piece for merging the feeding system and the support structure of the subreflector. The operational principle of this antenna is presented, as well as the design parameters. Then, a prototype to operate at Ka-band is manufactured combining a 3D-printed technique using PLA as printable material and a spray to coating the antenna, providing a low-cost affordable solution. The different pieces of the antenna are evaluated, and the antenna is also measured in a spherical compact range. An excellent agreement between simulations and measurements is obtained, resulting in a $$48.2\%$$ 48.2 % of operational bandwidth. These results validate the use of coating procedures and the design technique at these demanding frequencies. Its operation shows a stable gain in the entire Ka-band (including $$28$$ 28 and $$39 \mathrm{GHz}$$ 39 GHz ), which makes the antenna as a suitable light, low-cost, and broadband solution for mm-Wave applications.

Although archaeological excavations have recovered a large number of vessels used to hold perfumes or ointments in ancient Rome, little is known about the chemical composition or origin of the substances they contained. Most available information pertains to ointment and/or cosmetic bases rather than to essences. The discovery in 2019 of an ointment jar (unguentarium) made of rock crystal (quartz) that was sealed with a stopper and contained a solid mass in a Roman tomb in Carmona (Seville, Spain) was a rather unusual finding. This paper reports the results of an archaeometric study of the unguentarium stopper and its contents. Based on them, and on comparisons with commercially available patchouli and nard oil standards, the perfume held in the unguentarium was probably patchouli. To our knowledge, this may be the first time a perfume from Roman times has been identified, which is a major advance in this field. The unguentarium stopper consisted of dolomite, a material also unknown in this type of use, and bitumen was used to seal the unguentarium with the stopper.

El proceso de construcción de género es un proceso intra- e interindividual que se desarrolla como consecuencia de un proceso de interacción constante del sujeto con su contexto social y cultural, en el que se adquieren creencias y actitudes sobre lo que es típico de hombres y mujeres. El presente estudio, desarrollado en Melilla, ciudad española multicultural situada al norte de África, analiza los estereotipos de género basados en esas creencias culturales de adolescentes, teniendo en cuenta el sexo y su procedencia cultural. Para esto, se ha seleccionado una muestra de 1837 estudiantes de 1.º y 3.º de Educación Secundaria Obligatoria (eso) y 1.º de bachillerato, a los que se les solicitó contestar un cuestionario elaborado ad hoc para esta investigación. Los resultados, después de la aplicación de la prueba t y el análisis multivariado de covarianza, indican que los chicos tienen más arraigados los estereotipos de género que las chicas, y en ambos casos es elevada su interiorización. Además, la procedencia cultural influye en la consolidación de estas creencias de género como consecuencia de los estilos de crianza y valores culturales en los que se han socializado.

Background: The object is to analyze the influence of the nocturnal period and lunar phases on the frequency of obstetrical events in pregnant women. Methods: This was a retrospective, transversal observational study of 1409 births in a hospital from northwest Spain (α = 0.05; precision = ±2.65%). A review of patients’ clinical records was performed recording the following data: labor onset type, date of last menstrual period, parity, gestational age, duration of pre-labor and labor, type of delivery, the hour, work shift, and lunar phase pattern of events. Statistical evaluation included descriptive and inferential analysis. Results: Labor was spontaneous in 58.3% of all cases; spontaneous deliveries accounted for 54.2% of the total and 19.2% were instrumental. In the cases of spontaneous labor onset, 48.5% began during the nocturnal period. The early labor phase was less than 6 hours in 62.7% of cases (44.8% during the full moon phase). During the nocturnal period, rupture of membranes and dilation periods of less than 3 hours were more common, with 32% of spontaneous membrane rupture occurring during a full moon. A significant dependence was observed between the labor type and nocturnal period, as 40.8% of all spontaneous births, 36.2% of instrumental births and 46.9% of emergency cesarean sections occurred during the night shift. Furthermore, 66.3% of precipitous deliveries (

To date, the need for biomaterials capable of improving the treatment of chronic skin wounds remains a clinical challenge. The aim of the present work is to formulate and characterize chitosan (Cs)/hydrolyzed collagen (HC) films as potential biomaterials with improved mechanical and hydration performances compared to single component formulations. Films were made by the solvent casting method, with or without glycerin and/or PEG1500 as plasticizers, resulting in a total of eight formulations. All films were characterized by their physico-chemical characteristics and their mechanical and hydration features. A full factorial design was also used to statistically assess the effect of HC concentration, type and concentration of plasticizers and their possible interactions on mechanical and swelling behaviors. Solid state characterization confirmed the hybrid nature of the films, with suggested electrostatic interactions between Cs and HC. Mechanical and swelling properties, along with the analysis of the experimental design, allowed the identification of formulations containing high HC concentration (2% w/v) and glycerin or glycerin/PEG1500 as more suitable candidates for skin wound treatment. Finally, viability assay of immortalized human keratinocytes (HaCaT) showed no statistical differences in cell survival compared to the complete culture medium, suggesting their potential as a promising tool for biomedical applications.

Background: Attention to mothers during pregnancy, childbirth, and postpartum has focused on the physical aspects, overlooking mental health, which is critical to maternal well-being and childbirth. The aim of this study was to analyze the levels of anxiety experienced during labor and within the first 24 hours post-delivery, in order to identify the associated social and clinical factors associated with such anxiety. Methods: We performed a prospective observational follow-up study involving 448 women. Validated state and trait anxiety questionnaires, namely State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI), which were employed in the study participants. All tests were performed with a bilateral approach. The p-values < 0.05 were considered significant. Statistical analysis was performed with the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS, v.22.0, IBM Corp, Chicago, IL, USA). Results: State anxiety was more frequent among primiparous pregnant women, individuals who did not attend maternal education classes, and those with a history of prior abortion or cesarean section. Additionally, a significant association was observed with a history of mental disorder. Concerning Trait anxiety, significantly higher levels of anxiety were found in women with lower levels of education and in patients with a history of mental health issues. At 24 hours postpartum, elevated anxiety was more frequent in primiparous and significantly more frequent in patients with difficult deliveries, women whose infants were admitted to the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU), those lacking skin-to-skin contact, and those with previous mental health disorders. Conclusions: Insufficient maternal education, along with a complicated birthing process requiring infant hospitalization, both contribute to elevated levels of postpartum anxiety.

Contemporary societies are increasingly multireligious, multiethnic, and multicultural, but to what extent are they ready for coexistence? This paper evaluates the competencies for intercultural and interreligious dialogue in two very different contexts: Barcelona and Melilla, two cities with great ethnic and cultural diversity, in which it is easy to have contact with people of different cultures and religions. To this end, we worked with a total of 1353 adolescents and young people, and four scales were used to evaluate intercultural and interreligious sensitivity, conflict management skills, and prejudices towards unaccompanied migrant minors. The findings suggest that in neither of these two contexts do adolescents and young people form relationships with these minors, despite accepting religious diversity and being educated at school in topics relating to coexistence and spirituality. In fact, participants showed a high level of prejudice towards this population. Implementation of more effective intervention programs in both cities is therefore recommended.

Mango is one of the main subtropical crops growing in southern Spain. Spanish mango fruit production can be efficiently transported to the rest of Europe, and these mangoes are very appreciated for their quality and flavour. However, postharvest rots have been detected in stored mango fruits, making their commercialization difficult. The causal agents associated with such rot symptoms have been isolated and identified. Because the mango crops used to share the same growing area with avocado crops, fungal presence on surrounding asymptomatic avocado fruits was also analysed to detect potential cross infections. Artificial inoculation with Neofusicoccum parvum and N. mediterraneum was able to reproduce rot symptoms in mango but was also able to induce rots in avocado fruits. To approach a biological control strategy against these rot-producing fungi, two very well-known antagonistic biocontrol bacteria, Pseudomonas chlororaphis PCL1606, and Bacillus velezensis UMAF6639, were tested. The obtained results revealed that both bacteria can control the fungal rots on stored mango and avocado fruits under controlled conditions. Additionally, the strain B. velezensis UMAF6639 showed the ability to persist on the fruit surface of adult commercial trees in experiments under open field conditions, helping to prevent the appearance of these postharvest diseases.

ABSTRACT The overuse of antibiotics in humans and livestock has driven the emergence and spread of antimicrobial resistance and has therefore prompted research on the discovery of novel antibiotics. Complestatin (Cm) and corbomycin (Cb) are glycopeptide antibiotics with an unprecedented mechanism of action that is active even against methicillin-resistant and daptomycin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus. They bind to peptidoglycan and block the activity of peptidoglycan hydrolases required for remodeling the cell wall during growth. Bacterial signaling through two-component transduction systems (TCSs) has been associated with the development of S. aureus antimicrobial resistance. However, the role of TCSs in S. aureus susceptibility to Cm and Cb has not been previously addressed. In this study, we determined that, among all 16 S. aureus TCSs, VraSR is the only one controlling the susceptibility to Cm and Cb. Deletion of vraSR increased bacterial susceptibility to both antibiotics. Epistasis analysis with members of the vraSR regulon revealed that deletion of spdC, which encodes a membrane protein that scaffolds SagB for cleavage of peptidoglycan strands to achieve physiological length, in the vraSR mutant restored Cm and Cb susceptibility to wild-type levels. Moreover, deletion of either spdC or sagB in the wild-type strain increased resistance to both antibiotics. Further analyses revealed a significant rise in the relative amount of peptidoglycan and its total degree of cross-linkage in ΔspdC and ΔsagB mutants compared to the wild-type strain, suggesting that these changes in the cell wall provide resistance to the damaging effect of Cm and Cb. IMPORTANCE Although Staphylococcus aureus is a common colonizer of the skin and digestive tract of humans and many animals, it is also a versatile pathogen responsible for causing a wide variety and number of infections. Treatment of these infections requires the bacteria to be constantly exposed to antibiotic treatment, which facilitates the selection of antibiotic-resistant strains. The development of new antibiotics is, therefore, urgently needed. In this paper, we investigated the role of the sensory system of S. aureus in susceptibility to two new antibiotics: corbomycin and complestatin. The results shed light on the cell-wall synthesis processes that are affected by the presence of the antibiotic and the sensory system responsible for coordinating their activity.

This paper presents investigations on reflectarray antennas using non-periodic element distributions. The study involves the analysis and design of two reflectarrays based on quasi-periodic lattices with rectangular and pentagonal profiles, whose performance is compared with equivalent reflectarrays comprised of regular grids of elements. The characterization of these antennas is performed using a tailored analysis technique for reflectarrays with periodical and quasi-periodical grids. The proposed technique uses the Method of Moments under local periodicity conditions (MoM-LP) to compute the field on the surface of each cell and then the far field radiated by the aperture. In both aperture profiles, the quasi-periodic lattices are designed to provide an optimal adjustment, with the edge of the reflectarray maintaining an inter-element spacing similar to the regular grids of elements. This is particularly useful in non-canonical profile apertures, where the regular lattices do not adjust properly with the shape of the reflectarray and therefore exhibit less control of the reflected field in the aperture. The reflectarrays comprised of quasi-regular lattices achieve similar performance in terms of beam shaping, SLL and crosspolar discrimination to those based on regular grids. However, they show an improvement in fractional bandwidth between 7.4% and 11.3%.