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Ion channels play key roles in human physiology and are important targets in drug discovery. The atomic-scale structures of ion channels provide invaluable insights into a fundamental understanding of the molecular mechanisms of channel gating and modulation. Recent breakthroughs in deep learning-based computational methods, such as AlphaFold, RoseTTAFold, and ESMFold have transformed research in protein structure prediction and design. We review the application of AlphaFold, RoseTTAFold, and ESMFold to structural modeling of ion channels using representative voltage-gated ion channels, including human voltage-gated sodium (NaV) channel - NaV1.8, human voltage-gated calcium (CaV) channel - CaV1.1, and human voltage-gated potassium (KV) channel - KV1.3. We compared AlphaFold, RoseTTAFold, and ESMFold structural models of NaV1.8, CaV1.1, and KV1.3 with corresponding cryo-EM structures to assess details of their similarities and differences. Our findings shed light on the strengths and limitations of the current state-of-the-art deep learning-based computational methods for modeling ion channel structures, offering valuable insights to guide their future applications for ion channel research.

English teachers' professional development responds to individual needs and societal discourses about teaching, learning, and language use. This paper reports the findings of a case study that explored the factors that increased or limited the active and committed participation of nine Colombian teachers of English in professional development programs. Findings suggest that English teachers are invested in their professional development if they may develop three imagined identities--as proficient English speakers, ELT experts, and ICT competent users--and their affiliation to an imagined community of "bilinguals." The teachers' journey to the imagined identities and the imagined community is full of conflicting emotions amidst the socio-political context of their work and the country's language education policies.

We present a conversational social robot behaviour design that draws from psychotherapy research to support individual self-reflection and wellbeing, without requiring the robot to parse or otherwise understand what the user is saying. This simplicity focused approached enabled us to intersect the well-being aims with privacy and simplicity, while achieving high robustness. We implemented a fully autonomous and standalone (not network enabled) prototype and conducted a proof-of-concept study as an initial step to test the feasibility of our behaviour design: whether people would successfully engage with our simple behaviour and could interact meaningfully with it. We deployed our robot unsupervised for 48 h into the homes of 14 participants. All participants engaged with self-reflection with the robot without reporting any interaction challenges or technical issues. This supports the feasibility of our specific behaviour design, as well as the general viability of our non-parsing simplicity approach to conversation, which we believe to be an exciting avenue for further exploration. Our results thus pave the way for further exploring how conversational behaviour designs like ours may support people living with loneliness.

Lopezia racemosa is known as a "mosquito flower or perlilla." It is commonly found in corn crops. In traditional Mexican medicine, this plant is used to treat stomach cancer and urinary tract infections. Likewise, compounds and extracts isolated from plants have shown cytotoxic and anti‐inflammatory effects. The objective of this study was to evaluate the photochemoprotective effect of topical treatment with the methanolic extract of L. racemosa (MELR) as a photochemoprotective agent against the harmful effects of UV irradiation (UVR) on a bacterial model and hairless mice. The MELR components were separated and analyzed via HPLC‐UV‐ESI‐MS. Antioxidant activity was evaluated by the ability of MERL to scavenge DPPH and ABTS free radicals and by its FRAP capacity. The toxicity of MELR was evaluated in keratinocyte cultures. The photoprotective capacity of MELR was assessed through challenge experiments using models with bacteria and hairless CD1 et/et mice; cytokines related to the damage caused by UVR were also measured. In the methanolic extract of L. racemosa, five metabolites were detected and identified: two isomers of quercetin 6‐C glycoside, orientin, quercetin 3‐(6″‐acetylglycoside) and quercetin 3‐(6″‐galloylglycoside) 7‐(2,3‐dihydroxytetrahydro‐2H‐pyran‐4‐yl acetate). MELR exhibited DPPH and ABTS radical scavenging properties, in addition to Fe ion reducing activity. MELR showed a photoprotective effect against UVB radiation‐induced death in Escherichia coli bacteria. At the histological level, topical treatment of CD‐1 et/et mice with MERL reduced the damage caused by UVR. Quantification of interleukins in the blood of mice revealed that the expression of IL‐12 was greater in the control group treated with ultraviolet radiation than in the group protected with MELR. The methanolic extract of L. racemosa has photochemoprotective properties. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Gray mold, caused by Botrytis sp., is a significant disease in Colombian rose crops and its control depends primarily on the intensive use of chemically synthesized fungicides. Despite the importance of this pathogen, there is limited information in Colombian floriculture about molecular taxonomy of species, fungicide resistance of populations and their genetic mechanism of resistance. In this study, we analyze 12 isolates of this fungus collected from rose-producing crops in the Department of Cundinamarca and conducted phylogenetic analysis using HSP60, G3PDH, and RPB2 gene sequences. Additionally, we realize phenotypic and genotypic characterization of resistance to the fungicides fenhexamid, carboxin, and prochloraz, evaluating the in vitro EC50 and presence of mutations of target genes of each isolate. All isolates were characterized as Botrytis cinerea in the phylogenetic analysis and presents different levels of resistance to each fungicide. These levels are related to mutations in target genes, with predominancy of L195F and L400F in the ERG27 gene to fenhexamid resistance, H272R/Y in the SDHB gene for carboxin resistance, and Y136F in the CYP51 gene for prochloraz resistance. Finally, these mutations were not related to morphological changes. Collectively, this knowledge, presented for the first time to the Colombian floriculture, contribute to a better understanding of the genetic diversity and population of B. cinerea from rose-producing crops in the department of Cundinamarca, and serve as a valuable tool for making informed decisions regarding disease management, future research, and improving crop management and sustainability in the Colombian floriculture industry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Type 2 diabetes is a major public health issue in Mexico due to its high prevalence and its projection for the coming years for this disease. Findings on multidisciplinary care related to chronic diseases have proven effective, based on measurement of patient-centered outcomes, The Center of Comprehensive Care for Patients with Diabetes (CAIPaDi) is a multidisciplinary program focused on reducing diabetes complications. This case study aims to illustrate the results of implementing health outcomes measurements and demonstrate the beneficial effects of establishing a comprehensive model of care through a patient-centered approach. Methods: A descriptive analysis of the comprehensive care indicators of patients with type 2 diabetes treated in the CAIPaDi program between 2013 and 2023 was conducted. The results were structured according to the standard set of outcomes for diabetes proposed by the International Consortium for Health Outcomes Measurements (ICHOM). Results: The baseline and prospective registration of consultations was completed for five years, complying with 25 of the 26 indicators of the ICHOM set. In diabetes control, 56.5% of patients had A1c ≤ 7%, 87.9% had BP ≤ 130/80 mmHg, 60.9% had LDL-cholesterol < 100 mg/dl, and obesity rates decreased from 42.19% to 30.6% during annual consultations. Fewer years of diagnosis before the first visit is key to overall improvement in program adherence (P = 0.02). In acute events, a hyperglycemic crisis occurred in only two cases and severe hypoglycemia episodes in 8 patients. For chronic complications, no lower limb amputations occurred. Cardiovascular outcomes occurred in < 1%. Periodontal disease was analyzed, and periodontitis decreased from 82.9% to 78.7%. Mortality reports were low, with COVID-19 being the main cause of death. Patient-reported outcomes demonstrated reductions in anxiety, depression, and diabetes distress during follow-up. Conclusion: Registering quality-of-care indicators is feasible in a comprehensive care program. It allows improving the medical, mental health, and lifestyle outcomes of patients with type 2 diabetes and provides relevant data for planning health programs. A quick diagnosis before program adherence is crucial for overall improvement in patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A H ∞ robust adaptive nonlinear observer for state and parameter estimation of a class of Lipschitz nonlinear systems with disturbances is presented in this work. The objective is to estimate parameters and monitor the performance of nonlinear processes with model uncertainties. The behavior of the observer in the presence of disturbances is analyzed using Lyapunov stability theory and by considering an H ∞ performance criterion. Numerical simulations were carried out to demonstrate the applicability of this observer for a semi-active car suspension. The adaptive observer performed well in estimating the tire rigidity (as an unknown parameter) and induced disturbances representing damage to the damper. The main contribution is the proposal of an alternative methodology for simultaneous parameter and actuator disturbance estimation for a more general class of nonlinear systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In an effort to become more competitive in the global market, Colombia, as many other Latin American countries, has declared English the dominant foreign language to be taught in schools and universities across the country. To support this measure, in the last 16 years, the government, through its National Ministry of Education, has launched a series of programs such as National Program of Bilingualism 2004-2019; the Program for Strengthening the Development of Competences in Foreign Languages; The National English Program: Colombia Very Well 2015- 2025; and most recently, Bilingual Colombia 2014-2018. Results from studies conducted by local researchers across the country suggest that the regulation has posed a series of challenges for public primary school teachers, which these programs have not been able to address. These challenges can be divided into two categories: professional and work related. The purpose of this article is twofold: First, the article intends to provide a critical overview of the four programs that the Colombian government has launched since 2004. Second, the article aims to present some conclusions and recommendations for language policy design and implementation in Colombia.