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Reasoning for complexity is a fundamental competency in these complex times for solutions to social problems and decision-making. The purpose of this paper is to demonstrate the validity and reliability of the eComplexity instrument by presenting its psychometric properties. The instrument consists of a Likert-type scale questionnaire designed to measure college students' perceptions of their mastery levels of complex reasoning competency as well as the subcompetencies that comprise it. The instrument was applied to higher education students in different countries of Latin America and Spain. The questionnaire articulates four types of thinking: systemic, scientific, critical and innovative and consists of 25 items. The methodology used was instrumental and psychometric, which seeks to demonstrate the validity and reliability of the eComplexity questionnaire. The results obtained from the research were as follows: The exploratory factor analysis indicated a Kaiser-Meyer-Olkin index (KMO) > 0.80, a significance of p< 0.05 and a Cronbach's Alpha value of 0.93. Likewise, a Confirmatory Factor Analysis was carried out and was possible to corroborate the internal structure validity of the instrument. In addition to Cronbach's Alpha coefficient, McDonald's Omega, and Guttman's Lambda coefficients were calculated to calculate reliability. With the results obtained it was possible to conclude that the instrument is valid and reliable, can be used in various university contexts to support integrated training necessary to address current challenges and contribute to educational research. It is recommended for future studies that the research can be expanded by using an instrument that can move from perceptual terms to measuring levels of complex reasoning mastery, but it is valuable to contrast with the students' perception to have a broader vision.

IntroductionWe investigated the associations of leptin markers with cognitive function and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) measures of brain atrophy and vascular injury in healthy middle-aged adults.MethodsWe included 2262 cognitively healthy participants from the Framingham Heart Study with neuropsychological evaluation; of these, 2028 also had available brain MRI. Concentrations of leptin, soluble leptin receptor (sOB-R), and their ratio (free leptin index [FLI]), indicating leptin bioavailability, were measured using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays. Cognitive and MRI measures were derived using standardized protocols.ResultsHigher sOB-R was associated with lower fractional anisotropy (FA, β = -0.114 ± 0.02, p

INTRODUCTION: Vascular contributions to cognitive impairment and dementia (VCID) represent a major factor in cognitive decline in older adults. The present study examined the relationship between cerebrovascular reactivity (CVR) measured by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and cognitive function in a multi-site study, using a predefined hypothesis. METHODS: We conducted the study in a total of three analysis sites and 263 subjects. Each site performed an identical CVR MRI procedure using 5% carbon dioxide inhalation. A global cognitive measure of Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) and an executive function measure of item response theory (IRT) score were used as outcomes. RESULTS: CVR and MoCA were positively associated, and this relationship was reproduced at all analysis sites. CVR was found to be positively associated with executive function. DISCUSSION: The predefined hypothesis on the association between CVR and a global cognitive score was validated in three independent analysis sites, providing support for CVR as a biomarker in VCID. HIGHLIGHTS: This study measured a novel functional index of small arteries referred to as cerebrovascular reactivity (CVR). CVR was positively associated with global cognition in older adults. This finding was observed in three independent cohorts at three sites. Our statistical analysis plan was predefined before beginning data collection.

Peroxiredoxin 6 (Prdx6) repairs peroxidized membranes by reducing oxidized phospholipids, and by replacing oxidized sn-2 fatty acyl groups through hydrolysis/reacylation by its phospholipase A2 (aiPLA2) and lysophosphatidylcholine acyltransferase activities. Prdx6 is highly expressed in the lung, and intact lungs and cells null for Prdx6 or with single-point mutations that inactivate either Prdx6-peroxidase or aiPLA2 activity alone exhibit decreased viability, increased lipid peroxidation, and incomplete repair when exposed to paraquat, hyperoxia, or organic peroxides. Ferroptosis is form of cell death driven by the accumulation of phospholipid hydroperoxides. We studied the role of Prdx6 as a ferroptosis suppressor in the lung. We first compared the expression Prdx6 and glutathione peroxidase 4 (GPx4) and visualized Prdx6 and GPx4 within the lung. Lung Prdx6 mRNA levels were five times higher than GPx4 levels. Both Prdx6 and GPx4 localized to epithelial and endothelial cells. Prdx6 knockout or knockdown sensitized lung endothelial cells to erastin-induced ferroptosis. Cells with genetic inactivation of either aiPLA2 or Prdx6-peroxidase were more sensitive to ferroptosis than WT cells, but less sensitive than KO cells. We then conducted RNA-seq analyses in Prdx6-depleted cells to further explore how the loss of Prdx6 sensitizes lung endothelial cells to ferroptosis. Prdx6 KD upregulated transcriptional signatures associated with selenoamino acid metabolism and mitochondrial function. Accordingly, Prdx6 deficiency blunted mitochondrial function and increased GPx4 abundance whereas GPx4 KD had the opposite effect on Prdx6. Moreover, we detected Prdx6 and GPx4 interactions in intact cells, suggesting that both enzymes cooperate to suppress lipid peroxidation. Notably, Prdx6-depleted cells remained sensitive to erastin-induced ferroptosis despite the compensatory increase in GPx4. These results show that Prdx6 suppresses ferroptosis in lung endothelial cells and that both aiPLA2 and Prdx6-peroxidase contribute to this effect. These results also show that Prdx6 supports mitochondrial function and modulates several coordinated cytoprotective pathways in the pulmonary endothelium.

BACKGROUND: Elephant seals exhibit extreme hypoxemic tolerance derived from repetitive hypoxia/reoxygenation episodes they experience during diving bouts. Real-time assessment of the molecular changes underlying protection against hypoxic injury in seals remains restricted by their at-sea inaccessibility. Hence, we developed a proliferative arterial endothelial cell culture model from elephant seals and used RNA-seq, functional assays, and confocal microscopy to assess the molecular response to prolonged hypoxia. RESULTS: Seal and human endothelial cells exposed to 1% O2 for up to 6 h respond differently to acute and prolonged hypoxia. Seal cells decouple stabilization of the hypoxia-sensitive transcriptional regulator HIF-1α from angiogenic signaling. Rapid upregulation of genes involved in glutathione (GSH) metabolism supports the maintenance of GSH pools, and intracellular succinate increases in seal but not human cells. High maximal and spare respiratory capacity in seal cells after hypoxia exposure occurs in concert with increasing mitochondrial branch length and independent from major changes in extracellular acidification rate, suggesting that seal cells recover oxidative metabolism without significant glycolytic dependency after hypoxia exposure. CONCLUSIONS: We found that the glutathione antioxidant system is upregulated in seal endothelial cells during hypoxia, while this system remains static in comparable human cells. Furthermore, we found that in contrast to human cells, hypoxia exposure rapidly activates HIF-1 in seal cells, but this response is decoupled from the canonical angiogenesis pathway. These results highlight the unique mechanisms that confer extraordinary tolerance to limited oxygen availability in a champion diving mammal.

Abstract Background Astronauts in Earth's orbit experience microgravity, resulting in a decline of skeletal muscle mass and function. On Earth, models simulating microgravity have shown that the extent of the loss in muscle force is greater than the loss in muscle mass. The reasons behind this disproportionate loss of muscle force are still poorly understood. In the present study, we hypothesize that alongside the loss in skeletal muscle mass, modifications in the expression profile of genes encoding critical determinants of resting membrane potential, excitation‐contraction coupling and Ca2+ handling contribute to the decline in skeletal muscle force. Methods Healthy male volunteers (n = 18) participated in a 5‐day dry immersion (DI) study, an Earth‐based model of simulated microgravity. Muscle force measurement and MRI analysis of the cross‐sectional area of thigh muscles were performed before and after DI. Biopsies of the vastus lateralis skeletal muscle performed before and after DI were used for the determination Ca2+ properties of isolated muscle fibres, molecular and biochemical analyses. Results The extent of the decline in force, measured as maximal voluntary contraction of knee extensors (−11.1%, P

Introduction. Stress is a disorder that causes physical and psychological damage in most people, it can be generated not only by emotional aspects but by demands of a social nature and threats from the individual’s environment that require the ability to adapt and respond quickly to problems. Objective. In this sense, the goal of this research was to identify and describe the level of stress existing in the students of the higher level of the Autonomous University of Baja California. Material and Methods. The scope of the research is descriptive and non-experimental, cross-sectional, and with a quantitative approach. The sample under study consisted of 272 female students distributed in eight semesters of the bachelor’s degree in Nursing, who provided the information through the SISCO inventory evaluation instrument with 5 Likert scale style response options. Results. The results indicate that the level of academic stress has a significant and inverse relationship, that is, the higher the level of stress, the lower the academic performance, and vice versa. Conclusions. The students presented very high levels of stress and those with the greatest presence were related to the progression of the semesters. This situation was manifested by the confrontation and emotions of themselves and others, to reflect actively on personal practices, a remarkable aspect for the formation of criteria in students of the higher level in the town of Tijuana, Baja California, Mexico.

Abstract Machine learning for financial risk prediction has garnered substantial interest in recent decades. However, the class imbalance problem and the dilemma of accuracy gain by loss interpretability have yet to be widely studied. Symbolic classifiers have emerged as a promising solution for forecasting banking failures and estimating creditworthiness as it addresses class imbalance while maintaining both accuracy and interpretability. This paper aims to evaluate the effectiveness of REMED, a symbolic classifier, in the context of financial risk management, and focuses on its ability to handle class imbalance and provide interpretable decision rules. Through empirical analysis of a real-world imbalanced financial dataset from the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, we demonstrate that REMED effectively handles class imbalance, improving performance accuracy metrics while ensuring interpretability through a concise and easily understandable rule system. A comparative analysis is conducted against two well-known rule-generating approaches, J48 and JRip. The findings suggest that, with further development and validation, REMED can be implemented as a competitive approach to improve predictive accuracy on imbalanced financial datasets without compromising model interpretability.

Abstract The concept of sustainability has become a crucial concern for safeguarding the planet. The current research has focused on developing affordable and eco-friendly mortar by using industrial wastes. This study explores the use of fly ash (FA) and ground granulated blast furnace slag (GGBFS), byproducts of steelmaking and coal burning, in mortar production. It examines their impacts on the compressive strength and setting times, when utilizing varying proportions of the materials. The study also evaluates water requirements for the workability, thus demonstrating the sustainability of these waste products in construction. The cementitious materials were employed in finely ground form and were replaced with further tertiary mixes including both supplements at 10%, 30%, and 50% of each. The mixtures were allowed to cure for 7, 14, and 28 days by immersion in water. The results showed improvements in the compressive strength of mortar samples incorporating FA and GGBFS at various curing ages. However, the water requirement and workability of mortar samples were altered as a result of utilizing these supplementary cementitious materials (SCMs). These findings will serve as a standard for environmentally responsible mortar using GGBFS and/or FA as SCMs.

Introduction: The objective of the present study was to determine if emotional intelligence and family stress are predictors of satisfaction with studies in university students. Method: Cross-sectional predictive study with a quantitative approach. The population was made up of 414 university students of both sexes who applied the TMMS-24 Emotional Intelligence Scale by Salovey and Mayer Family Stress Scale, the original version of Olson, and the Brief Satisfaction with Studies EBSE scale. Results: When performing statistical processing, it was evident that family stress has a standardized beta coefficient [beta] = -0.116; p < 0.05 indicates a low, statistically significant, indirect prediction. In other words, the greater the family stress, the lower the satisfaction with studies. In the same way, the standardized beta coefficient that represents the prediction of emotional intelligence on satisfaction with studies, which was [beta] = 0.470; p < 0.05, showed a direct, moderate, and statistically significant predictive value. Discussion and Conclusions: The results establish that emotional intelligence and family stress predict satisfaction with studies. The areas that are part of emotional intelligence, such as perception, understanding, and regulation, are related to family stress levels, and these influence the degree of satisfaction with studies. The greater the emotional intelligence, the greater the satisfaction with studies and different life stages.