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The awareness information in collaborative systems supports the interaction between people. However, traditional awareness systems are limited to mechanisms that display data often isolated from the context of social interaction and do not fully reflect the individual relevance of a person (social presence) in the collaborative activity. Therefore, proposing more dynamic and efficient tools to facilitate the acquisition and presentation of social presence information is convenient. This research proposes a social presence visualization system and its conceptual architecture and develops a user-centered prototype. The prototype integrates functions that let the user select different representations of social presence (pictogram, bar chart, donut chart, and radial). We used the prototype in a collaborative video game (AssaultCube-CX) to study the effects of social presence visualization on users' performance. We studied the social presence of 12 Mexican volunteers by recording their activities during the tests to analyze their social presence. The social presence quantitative analysis indicates that the visualization of social presence during the collaborative activity increase awareness of social presence and improves team performance in most cases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Balamuthia mandrillaris is the causative agent of granulomatous amoebic encephalitis, a rare and often fatal infection affecting the central nervous system. The amoeba is isolated from diverse environmental sources and can cause severe infections in both immunocompromised and immunocompetent individuals. Given the limited understanding of B. mandrillaris, our research aimed to explore its protein profile, identifying potential immunogens crucial for early granulomatous amoebic encephalitis diagnosis. Cultures of B. mandrillaris and other amoebas were grown under axenic conditions, and total amoebic extracts were obtained. Proteomic analyses, including two-dimensional electrophoresis and mass spectrometry, were performed. A 50-kDa band showed a robust recognition of antibodies from immunized BALB/c mice; peptides contained in this band were matched with elongation factor-1 alpha, which emerged as a putative key immunogen. Besides, lectin blotting revealed the presence of glycoproteins in B. mandrillaris, and confocal microscopy demonstrated the focal distribution of the 50-kDa band throughout trophozoites. Cumulatively, these observations suggest the participation of the 50-kDa band in adhesion and recognition mechanisms. Thus, these collective findings demonstrate some protein characteristics of B. mandrillaris, opening avenues for understanding its pathogenicity and developing diagnostic and therapeutic strategies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Archaeological studies carried out in recent decades have demonstrated that the Pre‐Pyrenees, a mountain range in north‐east Iberia, were regularly frequented by several human groups during the Late Pleistocene. The Cova del Parco archaeological site is an example of this large‐scale and regular human presence. The site was discovered and first excavated in the 1970s, and since the 1980s, a team from the University of Barcelona has been conducting archaeological work. So far, we have found that the site was at least frequented from the Middle Magdalenian upon historical times. In this paper, we present the results of the archaeopetrological, geochemical and geographic information system (GIS) analyses of chert tools ascribed to the Middle Magdalenian sequence. The textural, micropalaeontological and geochemical analysis of the lithic artefacts has allowed us to identify several chert types from local, regional and long‐distance sources. Some of these cherts had their origin in the northern slopes of the Pyrenean chain, suggesting that this mountain chain was regularly crossed by Magdalenian groups. Next, we performed GIS analyses to determine the paths and connections that may have linked the archaeological site with the different chert outcrops, and to identify the best routes for crossing the Pyrenean Mountain range. Moreover, this study provides a larger vision of the mobility and the complex economic interactions between the different Magdalenian groups that settled Cova del Parco at the end of the Late Pleistocene. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Neurosurgical training continuously seeks innovative methods to enhance the acquisition of essential technical skills for neurosurgeons worldwide. While various training models have been employed, few truly replicate real-life conditions optimally. Human placenta is a good model for neurosurgical microsurgery training due to its anatomic similarities to neurovascular structures. Placental vessels exhibit a branching pattern and caliber comparable with intracranial vessels, making them suitable for practicing microsurgical techniques. The study aims to delineate the anatomic zones of the placenta and propose a segmented training model, resulting in a reproducible, cost-effective, and realistic neurosurgical microsurgery training environment. Twenty human placentas were meticulously prepared, injected with dyes, and categorized into zones on the basis of anatomic features. Measurements of placental vessels were recorded and compared with cerebral vessels. The placenta was divided into 4 quadrants to facilitate specific training techniques. Our results revealed varying vessel diameters across placental zones, closely resembling cerebral vessels. Different microsurgical techniques were applied to specific placental zones, thereby optimizing training scenarios. The applicability section described exercises such as membrane dissection, vessel skeletonization, aneurysm creation, vascular bypass, and tumor dissection within the placental model, providing detailed guidance on the zones suitable for each exercise. Human placenta serves as an effective microsurgical training model for neurosurgery, enhancing neurosurgeons' skills through anatomic segmentation. Integrating this model into training programs can significantly contribute to skill acquisition and improved surgical outcomes. Further research is warranted to refine and expand its utilization, complemented by clinical experiences and other simulation tools. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This is a base investigation in which the objective of estimating the Approximate Sustainability Index (IAS) in La Paz, San Ramón, Costa Rica was set. To collect data, a housing census was applied between August 2016 and March 2017. The IAS result was 0.7856. The results reflected that eight indicators have a very acceptable condition, three indicators were acceptable, two indicators in a regular condition and one of the indicators is in a totally unacceptable condition. The social parameter obtained the lowest partial index with 0.583, the environmental and economic parameters share a value of 0.875, while the institutional parameter reached 0.75. The research marks a starting parameter for future studies that allow monitoring sustainability in the area. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, the photocatalytic activity of coating mortars with synthetized and commercial TiO2 nanoparticles added has been evaluated at 2, 3 and 5% by weight of cement by calculating the degradation efficiency of methyl orange and red wine dyes exposed to both visible-light and UV radiation; also, the self-cleaning effect of coatings exposed to weather conditions (warm sub-humid climate) was assessed. TiO2 nanoparticles were synthesized via the sol–gel method to a low synthesis temperature and characterized via X-ray diffraction (XRD) and Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM). The results show synthesized TiO2 particles in anatase phase with a crystallite size of 14.69 nm, and hemispherical particles with sizes of submicron order. The addition percentage with the best performance in the coating mortars was 3%, with both commercial and synthesized TiO2; however, coating mortars with synthesized TiO2 exhibited the highest degradation efficiency for both dyes when they were exposed to visible light, while mortars with commercial TiO2 exhibited the highest degradation efficiency when exposed to UV radiation. In addition, in coating mortars with synthesized TiO2, the self-cleaning effect was evident from the beginning of exposure to weather, reaching the largest dye-free surface at the end of exposure. The compressive strength increased significantly in mortars with TiO2 addition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The objective was to evaluate the increasing use of garlic, sesame, and cinnamon oil in the production of CH4 in 60 d in vitro regrowth of Koronivia grass. The addition of 0, 2.5, 5.0, 5.0, 7.5, and 10 % garlic, cinnamon, or sesame oil was evaluated in an in vitro fermentation using a 60-d regrowth of Koronivia grass as substrate. The variables evaluated were cumulative CH4 production at 12, 24, 36, 36, 48, and 72 h; dry matter degradation (DMD), and CH4 production kinetics estimators (A= CH4 production potential, b= CH4 production rate constant, and k= lag time). The CH4 production and the DMD were analyzed with a completely randomized experimental design and orthogonal contrast. The estimators were subjected to a descriptive analysis. An increase of garlic oil and cinnamon linearly reduced CH4 production at 12, 24, 36, 48, and 72 h. The DMD decreased linearly with the use of any of the three oils (P<0.05). The highest value of A was obtained with 2.5 % garlic oil, and the highest value of k and b, with 10 % cinnamon oil. In conclusion, the use of garlic and cinnamon oils resulted in a linear decrease of Koronivia grass CH4 and Koronivia grass DMD under in vitro conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

When a person suffers a stroke, they require rehabilitation to recover from the consequences caused by this event. In order to carry out the rehabilitation, a multidisciplinary team of specialists intervenes, providing care from diverse areas such as neurology, nutrition, psychology, and physiotherapy. In the rehabilitation process, physicians interact with medical computing software and devices. The interactions represent medical activities that follow rehabilitation. However, there is no clear conception of how specialists coordinate to carry out medical activities. There are no specific communication channels that allow multidisciplinary collaboration for complete rehabilitation. This paper presents a systematic review of the state of the art that addresses this problem. On the other hand, a collaborative software architecture is proposed to support this area, which allows the monitoring medical activities from human-computer multimodal interactions. The architecture is composed of 3 layers: (1) to perceive the interactions and to monitor the activities, (2) to control the multidisciplinary access and share the information, and (3) to analyze and evaluate the execution of the multidisciplinary activities. Evaluating how the activities are carried out will help the physicians make decisions regarding the execution of the treatment plan. Therefore, we propose an activities representation diagram that facilitates this evaluation. Finally, we developed a prototype with a user-centered design that perceives human-computer interactions supported by the architecture. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we describe a model for the automatic generation of literary sentences in French. Although there has been much recent effort directed towards automatic text generation in general, the generation of creative, literary sentences that is not restricted to a specific genre, which we approached in this work, is a difficult task that is not commonly treated in the scientific literature. In particular, our present model has not been previously applied to the generation of sentences in the French language. Our model was based on algorithms that we previously used to generate sentences in Spanish and Portuguese and on a new corpus, which we constructed and present here, consisting of literary texts in French, called MegaLitefr. Our automatic text generation algorithm combines language models, shallow parsing, the canned text method, and deep learning artificial neural networks. We also present a manual evaluation protocol that we propose and implemented to assess the quality of the artificial sentences generated by our algorithm, by testing if they fulfil four simple criteria. We obtained encouraging results from the evaluators for most of the desired features of our artificially generated sentences. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recent research on the relation between learning and cognitive control has assumed that conflict modulates learning, either by increasing arousal and hence improving learning in high-conflict situations, or by inducing control, and hence inhibiting the processing of distracters and their eventual association with the imperative responses. We analyse whether the amount of conflict, manipulated through the proportion of congruency in a set of Stroop inducer trials, affects learning of contingencies established on diagnostic trials composed by neutral words associated with colour responses. The results reproduced the list-wide proportion of congruency effect on the inducer trials, and showed evidence of contingency learning on the diagnostic trials, but provided no indication that this learning was modulated by the level of conflict. Specific analyses conducted to control for the impact of episodic effects on the expression of learning indicated that contingency effects were not driven by the incremental processes that could be expected by associative learning, but rather they were due to the impact of the most recent trial involving the same distracter. Accordingly, these effects disappeared when tested selectively on trials that required a non-matching response with respect to the previous occurrence of the distracter. We interpret this result in the context of the debate on how learning and memory interact with the processes of cognitive control. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The object of this paper is to establish the meaning and relevance of recovering the contents of pagan religion practiced by ancient Roman Republic, as the basis of the civil lifestyle conceived by Machiavelli in his idea of a mixed republic, through Discourses on Livy, one of his most mature political works. Here we can determine that Machiavelli, while searching to establish a civil religion model, found that not all Roman tradition was equally useful to him. Thus, ruminations on Roman religious tradition by authors such as Cicero or Lucretius, enable him, on the one hand, to sharpen his critical thinking regarding to the role played by religious beliefs and practices as forms of domination achieved through manipulation of fear and superstition. On the other hand, through Roman history and tradition while following Titus Livy, he finds that such critical stances are the expression of the crisis of the Republic, lead towards a dead-end, weaken legitimate authority, cause turmoil, and culminate in tyranny. Consequently, within the narrative of the Paduan historian, Machiavelli finds the model he was seeking for, an instrumentum regni that brings together all levels of society, helps to recognize authority, legitimizes hierarchies, and educates both dominated people and dominators, civitas becoming the beginning and end of all things. By following the search undertaken by Machiavelli it is possible to understand his purpose, that is to say, to refine his criticism of the period's dominant religion: Christianity. Therefore, far from seeking a reestablishment of paganism (something that would have been absurd at the time), his goal was not to destroy or replace Christianity, but to reform and adapt it to the conditions and needs of the new concept of a mixed republic. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Epistemology is undoubtedly one of the most fruitful areas of philosophy. Law does not seem to escape from its considerable influence, which permeates various fields of human knowledge. Hence, in this paper, we intend to show how in the legal field there is an epistemological component, which is closely related to the facts in law, that is, to its factual elements. Likewise, the need for truth in the legal field is highlighted, indicating the different stages of truth and how and where it is possible to reach it through suitable means of proof. The methodology used is descriptive, with a qualitative approach, making use of the hermeneutic method proper to the interpretation of legal and philosophical texts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present acticle had with objective to reflect about the lidership as an opportunity for the Education Management, whereas leadership is based on the culture of the organization, the processes of fundamental changes for the transformation of Educational Management, highlighting the importance of being a leader who cares about the reality of education that has sufficient tools to make arrangements that allow interpersonal relationships, achieving improvements with actions of interest to Educational Institutions. Books, scientific articles and other documents of interest have been selected that have helped to interpret two aspects as a central theme, starting with the role of Leadership in Education, emphasizing that each one from their functions helps to fulfill their work, to achieve goals set in pursuit of an education focused on equity and quality, in addition the types of leadership were analyzed. Through this research, a new type of leadership was created called "LiderazgoTekoverã" (Leadership for life), which allows the student to be trained in values, in order to prepare and acquire the necessary tools to interact with society. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The effects derived from the global crisis caused by the pandemic have strongly affected different social strata, from which the educational field has not been able to escape. Specifically, the so-called educational policies have been marked by the effects that the confinement of the populations has had, which has clearly had an echo in the learning processes of the student and which has required political decisions to face the challenges of maintaining the educational action without detriment to its quality. In such a way that, far from the natural and logical catastrophism that occurs after this difficult situation the world is going through, the educational micro-society comes out strengthened and with renewed arguments in terms of methodologies and resources to continue in the task of training the population before the needs of reference societies in this global context. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Humans are able to anticipate abstract task demands and prepare attentional sets accordingly. A popular method to study this ability is to include explicit cues that signal the required level of cognitive control in conflict tasks (e.g., whether or not word meaning will correspond to the task-relevant font color in a Stroop task). Here, we demonstrate that this ability is more limited than assumed by most theories. Starting from a recent finding that implicit cues on the previous trial do not aid task performance, we demonstrate that these cues remain inefficient even when participants are explicitly instructed about their meaning, when the cue-stimulus interval is prolonged, or when the cues are deterministic and blocked (Experiments 1-4). In fact, the cues sometimes even impaired performance. Extending cue-information into the intertrial interval did not help (Experiment 5), and even though we replicated previous cueing effects using explicit cues in between trials in the vocal Stroop task (Experiment 7), this effect disappeared when using manual responses or presenting the cue in the preceding trial (Experiments 6, 8, and 9), and only benefited congruent responses when the intertrial interval was reduced (Experiment 10). Together, these findings point to important boundary conditions in cued control: The ability to prepare for control demands on a trial-by-trial basis is restricted to situations in which cues are presented alone, and where the task involves a nonarbitrary stimulus-response mapping. We discuss these findings in light of recent theories that emphasize the role of event boundaries and the value of cognitive control. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The study aimed to compare two grouping strategies for unknown parents or phantom parent groups (PPG) on the genetic evaluation of growth traits for Mexican Braunvieh cattle. Phenotypic data included birth (BW), weaning (WW) and yearling (YW) weights. Pedigree included 57,341 animals, fhe first strategy involved 12 PPG (G12) based on the birth year of the unknown parent's progeny and the sex of the unknown parent, while the second involved 24 PPG (G24) based on the birth year of the unknown parent's progeny and 4-selection pathways, fhe animal models included fixed effects and the random direct additive genetic effect; WW also included random maternal genetic and maternal permanent environmental effects. Product-moment correlations between EBV from GO (no PPG) and G12 were 0.96, 0.77 and 0.69 for BW, WW and YW, respectively, and between EBV from GO and G24 were 0.91, 0.54, and 0.53, respectively. Corresponding rank correlations between GO and G12 were 0.94, 0.77, and 0.72, and between GO and G24 were 0.89, 0.61, and 0.60. Genetic trends showed a base deviation from the genetic trend of GO, except for B W of G12. The results did not support the use of the two grouping strategies on the studied population and traits, and further research is required. Introducing PPG to the model, enough phenotype contribution from descendants to PPG, and avoiding collinearity between PPG and fixed effects are important. Genetic groups should reflect changes in the genetic structure of the population to the unknown parents, including different sources of genetic materials, and changes made by selection over time. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The objective of the research is to identify the level of existing scientific publications on the adoption of e-commerce in the last 5 years (2014 - 2018) within the databases of Scopus and Web of Science. The research was based on a metaanalytical literature review. The type of sampling was intentional by conducting two searches: the first with the use of two keywords "E-commerce and Electronic Commerce" yielding a total of 537 scientific articles and the second with three key words "E-commerce, Electronic Commerce e -commerce adoption ", identifying 13 publications for further analysis. The most relevant results were the predominance of empirical studies on non-empirical studies, the inclination of research towards the SMEs sector and the scarce amount of studies focused on South American realities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper claims that the patriarchal system establishes inequalities between the bodies, power relationships and social dynamics among the homosexual men living in San Cristobal de Las Casas, Chiapas, due to a misogynous, androcentric and heteronormative local logic. Through a theoretical framework based on the theory of imaginaries and a methodology that includes direct and participant observation, in-depth interviews and discussion groups, we looked for gender violence in this particular homosexual world. Therefore, we found that the intra group gender violence is heteronormative and that it permeates consciously and unconsciously deep into their socio-corporeal practices, intra group relationships and even in their identity construction to perpetuate the local hetero patriarchy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In case of emergency public authorities can take extraordinary measures, which alter the balance stricken between the relevant constitutional principles in ordinary situations. This has also an effect on procedures for the adoption of administrative rules and decisions. This chapter studies five typical manifestations of this process in view of the measures taken to cope with the health, economic and social crisis: acceleration, simplification, replacement, suspension and suppression of administrative procedures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recent proposals emphasize the role of learning in empirical markers of conflict adaptation. Some of these proposals are rooted in the assumption that contingency learning works not only on stimulus–response events but also on covert processes such as selective attention. In the present study, we explored how these learning processes may apply to trial-to-trial modulations of selective attention, mirroring the sequential nature of congruency sequence effects. Two groups of participants performed a four-choice Stroop task in which the color to which they responded on each trial acted as a probabilistic predictor either of the external response to be emitted on the next trial, or the congruency level (and therefore control demands) on the next trial. The results showed clear effects of sequence learning for external responses, but no evidence of learning about sequential stimulus–conflict associations. The implications of these results are discussed in relation to other learning-based phenomena of conflict adaptation and suggest that learning of stimulus–control associations is strongly constrained by event boundaries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mutual recognition is a shorthand for the obligation of authorities of jurisdiction A to give effect to legal rules or acts passed by authorities of jurisdiction B. Thus, mutual recognition gives rise to cross-border effects of general or individual decisions. Such an obligation can arise from an agreement reached by those jurisdictions, or from a higher law that imposes it upon them. In this paper, I explore the role of mutual recognition between Spanish autonomous regions. The case of Spain is interesting from a comparative standpoint because regions enjoy important competences in the field of market regulation, the implementation of which can create risks in terms of market integration. These risks have traditionally been managed with the principles of cooperation and market unity. In 2013, the Spanish Parliament decided to go beyond that and passed a law establishing a region of origin rule. This was subsequently declared unconstitutional by the Constitutional Court, by virtue of the principle of regional autonomy under Article 2 of the Spanish Constitution. The story of Spain shows the scope, limits and constitutional problems of mutual recognition in a multilevel administrative State. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recent research on the dynamics between attentional and memory processes have outlined the idea that applying control in a conflicting situation directly leads to enhanced episodic memory of the processed information. However, in spite of a small subset of studies supporting this claim, the majority of the evidence in the field seems to support the opposite pattern. In this study, we used a face–word Stroop task to enforce different control modes either from trial to trial or in an item-specific manner. Both manipulations of congruency proved to be effective in making participants' responses to conflicting stimuli more efficient over time by applying a trial-specific control mode. However, these manipulations had no impact on memory performance on a surprise recognition memory test. To our knowledge, this is the first attempt at measuring the memory consequences of the application of specific control modes at the trial level. The results reported here call for caution and possibly reconceptualization of the relationship between cognitive control and memory. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A methodology for the experimental modelling of the electric actuators of a multirotor is presented in this work. These actuators are usually brushless DC motors which are driven by electronic speed controllers in an open loop. The duty cycle of a PWM signal, generated by the electronic control unit, is the input of the electronic controller. However, during the control design procedure for the multirotor, it is important to account with a model of the actuators as its dynamical features define the closed-loop performance of the overall aircraft. Hence, a procedure, based on low-cost electronic components, to obtain approximated transfer functions of the actuators of a multirotor is presented. Moreover, as the proposed signal processing algorithms are simple, the computational capabilities of the required embedded system are also low. Given that different control schemes require different information from the actuator, two models were obtained: a duty cycle vs. angular velocity transfer function and a duty cycle vs. consumed current transfer function. The effectivity of the proposal is validated with experimental results on common electric actuators of a multirotor. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article describes the Europeanisation of Spanish administrative law as a result of the influence of the EU law general principle of legitimate expectations. It examines, firstly, whether the formal incorporation of the principle of legitimate expectations into national legislation and case law has modified the substance of the latter, and if so, secondly, whether this has led to a weaker or a more robust protection of the legal status quo. To carry out that examination, the article considers the influence of the principle of legitimate expectations in two different areas: in individual administrative decision-making, and in legislative and administrative rulemaking. Our conclusion is that the Europeanisation of Spanish administrative law through the principle of legitimate expectations has been variable and ambiguous. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article explores the European Union (EU) response to the health emergency we are currently confronting has led to very different measures. Here, we will focus on one of them: Commission Implementing Regulation 2020/402, which imposes restrictions on exports of personal protective equipment with effect from 15 March 2020, for a period of six weeks, ending on 26 April 2020.

The study presents a qualitative analysis of the reality of the Paraguayan university in the face of society's challenges. The purpose was to interpret the relationship of the University of Paraguay to the challenges that society demands, in order to propose alternatives to optimize the articulation between the different dimensions of the university mission and the current challenges, in the process of transformation of society. The role of the universities of Paraguay in fulfilling their duty was analyzed, the style of institutional leadership that the Paraguayan universities possess and the perception of the key actors in the university field regarding the institutional relationship with society. The methodological design approach was non-experimental, qualitative, based on a descriptive study. The target population was the universities of Paraguay, made up of 55 universities, 9 from the public sector and 46 from the private one. The analysis unit was composed of universities, the information unit was made up of actors from this field, managers, teachers, graduates and key referents of higher education. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: R is a multi-platform statistical software and an object oriented programming language. The package archive network for R provides CRAN repository that features over 15,000 free open source packages, at the time of writing this article (https://cran.r-project.org/web/packages, accessed in October 2019). The package ggroups is introduced in this article. The purpose of this package is providing functions for checking and processing the pedigree, calculation of the additive genetic relationship matrix and its inverse, which are used to study the population structure and predicting the genetic merit of animals. Calculation of the dominance relationship matrix and its inverse are also covered. A concept in animal breeding is genetic groups, which is about the inequality of the average genetic merits for groups of unknown parents. The package provides functions for the calculation of the matrix of genetic group contributions (Q). Calculating Q is computationally demanding, and depending on the size of the pedigree and the number of genetic groups, it might not be feasible using personal computers. Therefore, a computationally optimised function and its parallel processing alternative are provided in the package. Results: Using sample data, outputs from different functions of the package were presented to illustrate a real experience of working with the package. Conclusions: The presented R package is a free and open source tool mainly for quantitative geneticists and ecologists, who deal with pedigree data. It provides numerous functions for handling pedigree data, and calculating various pedigree-based matrices. Some of the functions are computationally optimised for large-scale data. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tula is a monumental complex arranged in terraces and platforms, where the stone architecture is decorated with anthropomorphic and zoomorphic carvings, and polychromed stone reliefs. As a first step for designing appropriate restoration and conservation strategies, the characterization of the color palette of the reliefs was performed. The simultaneous occurrence of salts, conservation materials and pollution represented a major challenge that required a combination of non-destructive in situ analyses and laboratory tests on a limited number of samples. The pigments identified include Maya blue, hematite, jarosite, black earth and calcite, while gypsum was present both as part of the pictorial technique and as an alteration product. Finally, environmental pollution together with water availability was found responsible for the salt damage of the painted surfaces. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The object of this paper is to analyze the different measures that have been framed by Member States under the Sixth Directive, in the fight against the VAT fraud, by the examination of the rulings of the Court of Justice of the European Union, which have impelled the Member States to modify their national norms by virtue of soft law, even in those cases where resolutions do not affect their national regulation. Eventually, we have questioned whether the Proposal for an amendment to the Sixth Directive, currently on the table in Brussels, will definitively end the problem related to the loss of VAT rights. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article focuses on the imprisonment of Bishop Rolando José Álvarez Lagos in Nicaragua and the political repression under President Daniel Ortega's regime. Topics include the condemnation of the sentence by Latin American bishops and the European Parliament, the arbitrary detention of members of the Roman Catholic Church, and the broader context of human rights abuses and limitations on democratic spaces in Nicaragua.

Abstract Little is known about the prevalence of Balamuthia mandrillaris within the environment due to its difficult isolation, but once an axenic culture is established, it is relatively easy to maintain. As most of the time researchers are interested mainly in isolating B. mandrillaris from environmental samples, the flora that accompanies it becomes second in importance. Therefore, this study aimed to determine which potentially pathogenic free-living amoebae, in addition to B. mandrillaris , could be found co-inhabiting a source of natural thermal water called "Agua Caliente" (Mexico), where this amoeba has previously been detected twice by molecular methods. A third sampling from this same source was carried out to try to isolate B. mandrillaris and other free-living amoebae using 37 and 45 °C as isolation temperatures. For PCR techniques, specific primers were used for B. mandrillaris , Naegleria fowleri , and Acanthamoeba species, plus a universal primer set for the eukaryotic 18S SSU rRNA gene for other isolated amoebae. PCR products were sequenced for final identification. 42 strains of the primary isolate were obtained, but only 34 could be kept in culture. Of them, 23 strains were identified as Naegleria lovaniensis , eight strains as Acanthamoeba jacobsi , two strains as Stenamoeba sp. and only one was identified as Vermamoeba vermiformis. The isolation of B. mandrillaris was once again not successful, but the presence of potentially pathogenic and nonpathogenic free-living amoebae is reported for the first time in this type of water in Mexico thanks to molecular methodology. Graphical abstract Image Highlights • Pathogenic amoebae isolated from one natural thermal source water. • Balamuthia mandrillaris was identified by PCR in two different years from the same source water. • Acanthamoeba jacobsi and Stenamoeba spp. are reported for first time in Mexico. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The presence of free-living amoebae of the genera Naegleria , Acanthamoeba and Balamuthia , which contain pathogenic species for humans and animals, has been demonstrated several times and in different natural aquatic environments in the northwest of Mexico. With the aim of continuing the addition of knowledge about immunology of pathogenic free-living amoebae, 118 sera from children and adolescents, living in three villages, were studied. Humoral IgG response against B. mandrillaris , N. fowleri and Acanthamoeba sp. genotype T4, was analyzed in duplicate to titers 1: 100 and 1: 500 by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Children and adolescents ages ranged between 5 and 16 years old, with a mean of 9 years old, 55% males. All tested sera were positive for the 1: 100 dilution, and in the results obtained with the 1: 500 dilution, 116 of 118 (98.3%) were seropositive for N. fowleri , 101 of 118 (85.6%) were seropositive for Acanthamoeba sp. genotype T4, and 43 of 118 (36.4%) were seropositive for B. mandrillaris . The statistical analysis showed different distributions among the three communities and for the three species of pathogenic free-living amoebae, including age. Lysed and complete cells used as Balamuthia antigens gave differences in seropositivity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The high incidence of Diabetes Mellitus in low-income regions has promoted the development of low-cost alternatives to replace blood-based procedures. In this work, we present a bienzymatic paper-based sensor suitable for the naked-eye detection of glucose in saliva samples. The sensor was obtained by a stamping procedure and modified with chitosan to improve the colorimetric readout. The bienzymatic reaction of GOx-HRP coupled with 2,4,6-tribromo-3-hydroxy benzoic acid was applied for the detection of glucose within a range from 0 to 180 mgdL–1 in buffer and artificial saliva solutions. The visual readout was perceived by the naked eye and registered with an office scanner to evaluate the analytical performance. The results showed a limit of detection of 0.37 mgdL–1 (S/N = 3) with an R.S.D. of 1.69% and a linear range from 1 to 22.5 mgdL–1 with an R2 of 0.99235. The analysis of human saliva samples was performed without pre-processing, achieving recoveries from 92 to 114%. The naked-eye detection was evaluated under two different light settings, showing average recoveries of 108.58 and 90.65% for standard and low illumination. The proposed device showed potential for easy-to-use, sensitive, low-cost, fast, and device-free detection of salivary glucose suitable for untrained personnel operation and limited facilities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose:The aim of this study was to realize whether soil mulching, with different plastic mulch colors, is a suitable practice for the culture of pickling cucumber. Materials and Methods:The crop was cultured or not with black, silver/black, white/black, and aluminum/black plastic films, treatments were evaluated in randomized complete block design, to determine their effect on soil temperature, gas exchange, nutrient concentration, growth, and fruit yield. Results and Conclusions:Black, silver/black, and aluminum/black plastic mulches were higher (p ≤ 0.05) in plant height, leaf area, and shoot dry weight than bare soil at 15 days after sowing, whose results were similar than using white/black film. Maximum, minimum, and mean soil temperatures were higher with all plastic mulches except for aluminum/black, in which the maximum soil temperature was similar to the one in bare soil. There was no difference in net photosynthesis and there was very little difference in nutrient concentration between plants in plastic mulches and plants in bare soil; however, early and total yield showed a higher (p ≤ 0.05) yield in all plastic mulches, and lower with bare soil and white/black plastic mulch. Our results confirm that soil mulching impacts the pickling cucumber yield. We suggest a carefull selection of the color plastic mulch. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Objective: From a review of published information on genetic association studies, a meta-analysis was conducted to determine the influence of the genes κ-casein (CSN3) and β-lactoglobulin (LGB) on milk yield traits in Holstein, Jersey, Brown Swiss, and Fleckvieh. Methods: The GLIMMIX procedure was used to analyze milk production and percentage of protein and fat in milk. Models included the main effects and all their possible two-way interactions; not estimable effects and non-significant (p>0.05) two-way interactions were dropped from the models. The three traits analyzed used Poisson distribution and a log link function and were determined with the Interactive Data Analysis of SAS software. Least square means and multiple mean comparisons were obtained and performed for significant main effects and their interactions (p<0.0255). Results: Interaction of breed by gene showed that Holstein and Fleckvieh were the breeds on which CSN3 (6.01%±0.19% and 5.98%±0.22%), and LGB (6.02%±0.19% and 5.70%±0.22%) have the greatest influence. Interaction of breed by genotype nested in the analyzed gene indicated that Holstein and Jersey showed greater influence of the CSN3 AA genotype, 6.04%±0.22% and 5.59%±0.31% than the other genotypes, while LGB AA genotype had the largest influence on the traits analyzed, 6.05%±0.20% and 5.60%±0.19%, respectively. Furthermore, interaction of type of statistical model by genotype nested in the analyzed gene indicated that CSN3 and LGB genes had similar behavior, maintaining a difference of more than 7% across analyzed genotypes. These results could indicate that both Holstein and Jersey have had lower substitution allele effect in selection programs that include CSN3 and LGB genes than Brown Swiss and Fleckvieh. Conclusion: Breed determined which genotypes had the greatest association with analyzed traits. The mixed model based in Bayesian or Ridge Regression was the best alternative to analyze CSN3 and LGB gene effects on milk yield and protein and fat percentages. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This work describes a systematic process design for triethyl citrate production by direct esterification of citric acid with ethanol via simultaneous reaction-separation technologies. The design methodology includes simultaneous optimization of controllability and profitability criteria. With a novel approach, the conceptual feasibility analysis of the intensified processes was carried out by extending the reactive residue curve maps (RRCM) to mixtures with six components by implementing a substitution degree parameter. The RRCM have been also extended to the conceptual design of dividing wall columns. The configuration of both, traditional and dividing wall reactive distillation columns, were obtained from the conceptual analysis. The processes were simulated using experimentally validated models, and further optimized using a nature inspired multi-objective algorithm. A triethyl citrate production capacity of 10 kTon/yr was used as process specification. Final designs evidenced citric acid conversions above 99.9%, energy consumption from 3-5 MJ/kg, and a TEC production costs of c.a 1.5 USD/kg. Controllability assessment was performed by evaluating the condition number of the proposed operating schemes. Pareto diagrams indicate that the minimization of total annual costs and controllability are conflicting goals in both production schemes. Nevertheless, both alternatives withstand large perturbations over the main process variables. The reactive dividing wall column scheme results in large energy and cost savings over a traditional reactive distillation process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this study was to determine if plastic mulch films may have positive effects on bell pepper plants grown under shade house conditions. The experimental design was split-plot, where large plots contained four plastic mulch films (black, aluminum, silver, and white) compared to bare soil and small plots contained two bell pepper cultivars. Plant shoot dry weight was higher in plastic mulch treatments than in bare soil. The net photosynthesis rate in the cultivar SWG-46 exceeded in net photosynthesis with respect to the cultivar SWG-42 in one of three sampling dates. Nutrients in leaf showed a similar behavior in plastic mulch treatments than the control but the total content of nitrogen (N), potassium (K), and sulfur (S) was increased. The total yield was higher in black plastic mulch than in the other plastic mulch colors and lowest in the control. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]