Growth Performance and Immunity of Broilers Fed Sorghum-Soybean Meal Diets Supplemented with Phytases and Β-Mannanases.

Most grains and vegetable feedstuffs used in commercial poultry feed contain phytates and polysaccharides-non-starchy chemical structures that are not degraded by digestive tract enzymes. Exogenous enzymes optimize the use of dietary ingredients. This study aimed to determine whether combining ß-mannanases (400 g/ton) and phytases in broiler sorghum-soybean diets could improve performance and immunity in broilers. Four diets were randomized in a 2 × 2 factorial design, with two phytase levels (500 or 1500 FTU/kg) and ß-mannanase supplementation (0-400 g/ton; 158 million units/kg minimum enzyme activity). Six replicate battery cages of 10 chicks were fed each diet ad libitum. To assess cellular and humoral immune responses, 10 birds per treatment were euthanized on day 21. Supplementation with ß-mannanase enzymes led to increased body weight and a higher feed conversion index (FCI) (p < 0.05). The phytase factor improved the FCI at 1500 FTU/kg (p < 0.05). Supplementation with ß-mannanases improved the immune response by increasing the IgA concentration in the duodenum (95%) and total serum immunoglobulins (p < 0.05). The morphometric index increased in all organs (p < 0.05), and the heterophile/lymphocyte ratio (HLR) decreased by 50% (p < 0.05). Supplementing broilers with ß-mannanases in sorghum-soybean meal diets with phytases improved their performance and immunity.

Effect of pH on metabolic pathway shift in fermentation and electro-fermentation of xylose by Clostridium autoethanogenum.

Clostridium autoethanogenum can to convert waste gases (CO2, CO, H2) and xylose from hydrolyzed biomass into acetate, lactate, formate, ethanol and 2,3-butanediol, being a candidate for the transformation of waste streams of lignocellulosic biorefineries. Electro-fermentation (EF) modify the pattern of traditional fermentations resulting in improved product yields as has been shown when using Clostridium strains. The aim of this work was to evaluate the influence of pH on microbial growth and product distribution during fermentation and EF of xylose by C. autoethanogenum DSM10061. Fermentation and EF were carried out in a H-type reactor at three controlled pH: 5.0, 5.5 and 5.8, and at a fixed potential of -600 mV (versus Ag/AgCl) in the EF. The experiments showed that maximum biomass concentration increased as the pH increased in fermentation and EF. In accordance with maximum biomass reached, the highest substrate conversion was observed at pH 5.8 for both systems, with 76.80 % in fermentation and 96.18 % in EF. Moreover, the highest concentrations of acetic acid (1.41 ± 0.07 g L-1) and ethanol (1.45 ± 0.15 g L-1) were obtained at the end of cultures in the EF at pH 5.8. The production of lactic and formic acid decreased by the application of the external potential regardless of the pH value, reaching the lowest productivity at pH 5.8. In contrast, the specific productivity of acetic acid and ethanol was lower in both fermentation and EF at the lowest pH. Furthermore, the presence of 0.06 g L-1 of 2,3-butanediol was only detected in EF at pH 5.8. The results revealed that EF modulated microbial metabolism, which can be explained by a possible increased generation of NADP+/NADPH cofactors, which would redirect the metabolic pathway to more reduced products.

Interpretación psiquiátrica forense de la fórmula de inimputabilidad del nuevo Código Penal cubano de 2022 / Psychiatric forensic interpretation of non-imputability formula in the new 2022 Cuban Penal Code

Resumen: En 2022 el Código Penal cubano incorporó una nueva fórmula de inimputabilidad. Este artículo aborda el problema de cómo interpretarla y aplicarla durante las pericias psiquiátricas a imputados. Es su objetivo analizar desde la Psiquiatría dicha fórmula penal para su interpretación forense. Se muestran las críticas que, en publicaciones y ámbitos académicos, fueron hechas a la anterior fórmula; así como la norma complementaria del organismo rector para su interpretación pericial. Se expone y analiza la actual fórmula, elaborada con asesoría de psiquiatras al proceso legislativo, para superar aquellas críticas, pero que, precisamente por diferente, demanda actualizar su interpretación y los métodos periciales para calificar casos acertadamente, detectar simulación y ser controlable como prueba por los jueces. Un criterio de interpretación fue elaborado por el autor y se le sometió a grupos de expertos para consensuar una propuesta final normativa, consistente en considerar pericialmente pretenso inimputable a quién actuó ilícitamente por un trastorno psicótico diagnosticado que se manifestó directamente en el delito, lo que debe quedar demostrado en el informe. En su generalidad, estos criterios pueden aplicarse a valoración de inimputabilidad según otros códigos penales.

Introduction: In 2022 a new Cuban Penal Code incorporated a new requirement of non-imputability. This article approaches to the problem of how to interpret and apply this new non-imputability formula to the psychiatric examination of defendants and has the objective of analyzing it in forensic interpretation. It shows the academic and publisher's criticism made of the previous Cuban non-imputability formula and the complementary precept of the health ministry for forensic interpretation. The new non-imputability formula, elaborated with psychiatrists' assistance during a legislative process to surpass those previous criticisms, is exposed and analyzed. This new different penal requirement put under obligation to change in forensic interpretations and methods to identify criminal non-imputability, pretenders and to be a clue controlled by judges. A new forensic interpretation criterion was elaborated and submitted to groups of psychiatrist experts, to obtain a normative proposition that considered in possible non-imputability of the person who committed the crime during a diagnosed psychotic disorder that was the certain direct determinant of the fact. The psychiatric report may show all mentioned below and, in general view, according to other penal codes, these criteria can be applied in the forensic expertise relative to non-imputability.

Production of poly (3-hydroxybutyrate) and extracellular polymeric substances from glycerol by the acidophile Acidiphilium cryptum.

Acidiphilium cryptum is an acidophilic, heterotrophic, and metallotolerant bacteria able to use dissolved oxygen or Fe(III) as an electron sink. The ability of this extremophile to accumulate poly(3-hydroxybutyrate) (PHB) and secrete extracellular polymeric substances (EPS) has also been reported. Hence, the aim of this work is to characterize the production of PHB and EPS by the wild strain DSM2389 using glycerol in shaken flasks and bioreactor. Results showed that maximum PHB accumulation (37-42% w/w) was obtained using glycerol concentrations of 9 and 15 g L-1, where maximum dry cell weight titers reached 3.6 and 3.9 g L-1, respectively. The culture in the bioreactor showed that PHB accumulation takes place under oxygen limitation, while the redox potential of the culture medium could be used for online monitoring of the PHB production. Recovered EPS was analyzed by Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy and subjected to gas chromatography-mass spectrometry after cleavage and derivatization steps. These analyses showed the presence of sugars which were identified as mannose, rhamnose and glucose, in a proportion near to 3.2:2.3:1, respectively. Since glycerol had not been used in previous works, these findings suggest the potential of A. cryptum to produce biopolymers from this compound at a large scale with a low risk of microbial contamination due to the low pH of the fermentation process.

Convergent trends and spatiotemporal patterns of Aedes-borne arboviruses in Mexico and Central America.

BACKGROUND: Aedes-borne arboviruses cause both seasonal epidemics and emerging outbreaks with a significant impact on global health. These viruses share mosquito vector species, often infecting the same host population within overlapping geographic regions. Thus, comparative analyses of the virus evolutionary and epidemiological dynamics across spatial and temporal scales could reveal convergent trends. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: Focusing on Mexico as a case study, we generated novel chikungunya and dengue (CHIKV, DENV-1 and DENV-2) virus genomes from an epidemiological surveillance-derived historical sample collection, and analysed them together with longitudinally-collected genome and epidemiological data from the Americas. Aedes-borne arboviruses endemically circulating within the country were found to be introduced multiple times from lineages predominantly sampled from the Caribbean and Central America. For CHIKV, at least thirteen introductions were inferred over a year, with six of these leading to persistent transmission chains. For both DENV-1 and DENV-2, at least seven introductions were inferred over a decade. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE: Our results suggest that CHIKV, DENV-1 and DENV-2 in Mexico share evolutionary and epidemiological trajectories. The southwest region of the country was determined to be the most likely location for viral introductions from abroad, with a subsequent spread into the Pacific coast towards the north of Mexico. Virus diffusion patterns observed across the country are likely driven by multiple factors, including mobility linked to human migration from Central towards North America. Considering Mexico's geographic positioning displaying a high human mobility across borders, our results prompt the need to better understand the role of anthropogenic factors in the transmission dynamics of Aedes-borne arboviruses, particularly linked to land-based human migration.

Quantifying ventilation by X-ray velocimetry in healthy adults.

RATIONALE: X-ray velocimetry (XV) has been utilized in preclinical models to assess lung motion and regional ventilation, though no studies have compared XV-derived physiologic parameters to measures derived through conventional means. OBJECTIVES: To assess agreement between XV-analysis of fluoroscopic lung images and pitot tube flowmeter measures of ventilation. METHODS: XV- and pitot tube-derived ventilatory parameters were compared during tidal breathing and with bilevel-assisted breathing. Levels of agreement were assessed using the Bland-Altman analysis. Mixed models were used to characterize the association between XV- and pitot tube-derived values and optimize XV-derived values for higher ventilatory volumes. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: Twenty-four healthy volunteers were assessed during tidal breathing and 11 were reassessed with increased minute ventilation with bilevel-assisted breathing. No clinically significant differences were observed between the two methods for respiratory rate (average Δ: 0.58; 95% limits of agreement: -1.55, 2.71) or duty cycle (average Δ: 0.02; 95% limits of agreement: 0.01, 0.03). Tidal volumes and flow rates measured using XV were lower than those measured using the pitot tube flowmeter, particularly at the higher volume ranges with bilevel-assisted breathing. Under these conditions, a mixed-model based adjustment was applied to the XV-derived values of tidal volume and flow rate to obtain closer agreement with the pitot tube-derived values. CONCLUSION: Radiographically obtained measures of ventilation with XV demonstrate a high degree of correlation with parameters of ventilation. If the accuracy of XV were also confirmed for assessing the regional distribution of ventilation, it would provide information that goes beyond the scope of conventional pulmonary function tests or static radiographic assessments.

Caracterización de la autonomía como indicador clave en las habilidades de aprender a aprender en estudiantes de medicina

Fundamento: la autonomía permite a los estudiantes pensar por sí mismos, con sentido crítico e independencia, tener en cuenta diferentes puntos de vista y actuar en correspondencia con ellos. Constituye un indicador necesario en el estudio de las habilidades de aprender a aprender. Objetivo: caracterizar la autonomía como indicador de las habilidades de aprender a aprender en estudiantes de medicina. Métodos: se empleó un diseño mixto de investigación del tipo explicativo secuencial. La investigación se realizó de octubre de 2021 a marzo de 2022 en la Universidad de Ciencias Médicas de Cienfuegos. La muestra no probabilística, intencionada, quedó constituida por 255 estudiantes del primer año de la carrera de Medicina. Para la recolección de información se utilizó el cuestionario que evalúa el nivel de formación de las habilidades de aprender a aprender, observaciones a actividades docentes y grupos focales. Resultados: la autonomía está presente en el 45,4 % de los estudiantes, según cuestionario. En los grupos focales algunos estudiantes reconocen presentar insuficiencias en algunos indicadores de la autonomía, lo que se corresponde con los datos obtenidos en las observaciones a las actividades docentes. Conclusiones: la autonomía como indicador clave de las habilidades de aprender a aprender en los estudiantes del primer año de la Universidad de Ciencias Médicas de Cienfuegos se caracterizó por una baja expresión en los procesos de aprendizaje de los estudiantes de medicina.

Background: autonomy allows students to think for themselves, critically and independently, take into account different points of view and act accordingly. It constitutes a necessary indicator in the study of learning-to-learn skills. Objective: to characterize autonomy as an indicator of learning-to-learn skills in medical students. Methods: a mixed research design of the sequential explanatory type was used. The research was carried out from October 2021 to March 2022 at the Cienfuegos University of Medical Sciences. The intentional, non-probabilistic sample was made up of 255 Medicine first-year students. The questionnaire that evaluates the learning to learn skills training level, observations of teaching activities and focus groups were used to collect information. Results: autonomy is present in 45.4% of the students, according to the questionnaire. In the focus groups, some students acknowledge presenting deficiencies in some autonomy indicators, which corresponds to the data obtained in the observations of teaching activities. Conclusions: autonomy as a learning to learn skills key indicator in the Cienfuegos Medical Sciences University first-year students, was characterized by a low expression in the medical students' learning processes.

Aproximación a las mediciones a nivel nano, con énfasis en la biomedicina

Este artículo pretende alertar acerca de la relevancia de las nanociencias y la nanotecnología acompañada por la nanometrología para el desarrollo de las naciones en el siglo XXI. Se utilizó SciElo como base de datos, con las palabras clave: nanotecnología, nanomedicina, unidades de salud cubanas. El artículo realiza una aproximación a la nanotecnología con enfoque internacional y regional. Describe algunas aplicaciones de las nanotecnologías, con énfasis en la nanomedicina, así como los dilemas y consideraciones éticas asociadas a estas. Advierte acerca de la nocividad para la salud del hombre de algunos de estos desarrollos. Defiende la idea de que la nanometrología, resulta imprescindible para el logro de desarrollos tecnológicos, con mayor relevancia en el campo de la nanomedicina, así como que la nanotecnología debe ser tratada como la ciencia del siglo XXI por el impacto social, cultural y económico que tendrá, y con esto puede cambiar al mundo.

This article aims to alert about the relevance of nanosciences and nanotechnology accompanied by nanometrology for the nations development in the 21st century. Scielo was used as a database, with the keywords: nanotechnology, nanomedicine, Cuban health units. The article makes an approach to nanotechnology with an international and regional approach. It describes some applications of nanotechnologies, with an emphasis on nanomedicine, as well as the dilemmas and ethical considerations associated with them. It advises about these developments' harmfulness to human health, also defends the idea that nanometrology is essential for the technological developments achievement, with greater relevance in the nanomedicine field, as well as that nanotechnology should be treated as the 21st century science due to the social, cultural and economic impact that will have, and this can change the world.

A sustainable-circular citrus closed-loop supply chain configuration: Pareto-based algorithms.

Configuration of sustainable supply chains for agricultural products has been a well-known research field recently which is continuing to evolve and grow. It is a complex network design problem, and despite the abundant literature in the field, there are still few models offered to integrate social impacts and environmental effects to support network design decision-making to support the configuration of the citrus supply chain. In this work, the citrus supply chain design problem is investigated by integrating the production, distribution, inventory control, recycling and locational decisions in which the triple bottom lines of sustainability, as well as circularity strategy, are addressed. Accordingly, a novel multi-objective Mixed-Integer Linear Programming (MILP) model is proposed to formulate a multi-period multi-echelon problem to design the sustainable citrus Closed-Loop Supply Chain (CLSC) network. To solve the developed model, the ε-constraint approach is employed in small-sized problems. Furthermore, Strength Pareto Evolutionary Algorithm II (SPEA-II) and Pareto Envelope-based Selection Algorithm II (PESA-II) algorithms are used in medium- and large-sized problems. Taguchi design technique is then utilized to adjust the parameters of the algorithms efficiently. Three well-known assessment metrics and convergence analysis are regarded to test the efficiency of the suggested algorithms. The numerical results demonstrate that the SPEA-II algorithm has a superior efficiency over PESA-II. Moreover, to validate the applicability of the developed methodology, a real case study in Mazandaran/Iran is investigated with the help of a set of sensitivity analyses.

Newborn Screening Program for Cystic Fibrosis in Cuba: Three Years' Experience

ABSTRACT In Cuba, newborn screening (NBS) for cystic fibrosis (CF) was introduced in January 2019. The results from the first three years of the CF NBS program are presented. An IRT/IRT protocol was followed using a cut-off value of 50 ng/mL. In this period 281,717 neonates were screened, 2,197 samples had increased IRT values, and a second sample was necessary (recall rate=0.78%). In 686 (0.24%) neonates, IRT was still elevated, and they were referred for clinical evaluation. Twenty-one children were confirmed by sweat test and molecular biology. Eighteen newborns presented variant F508del. A false negative case was reported. Demographic data of 32,764 neonates were collected. The average age of sampling was six days with results available at 11 days of life, but 1.7% of the samples were collected 20 days after birth. The mean IRT value was 12.7±11.7 ng/mL (ranging 0-283 ng/mL) with a calculated 98.5 percentile value of 42.4 ng/mL. On average, the samples were processed five days after collection and two days after they were received at the laboratory. Although CF NBS program in Cuba is just beginning, it can be predicted that CF will be one of the most frequent inherited-metabolic diseases in the Cuban population.

Feeding spray-dried plasma to broilers early in life improved their intestinal development, immunity and performance irrespective of mycotoxins in feed.

Introduction: Fungi that produce mycotoxins can grow on certain food products, such as grains and feed, and can cause a variety of health issues if consumed by animals, including chickens. The use of spray-dried plasma (SDP) is one strategy for combating the health problems caused by mycotoxins. Materials and methods: In the present study, Ross 308 chickens (n = 960) were divided into four treatment groups. T1 group was given a control diet (corn-soybean meal), T2 group was given a control diet +2% SDP, T3 group was given a control diet +2% SDP + mixture mycotoxins and T4 group was givena control diet + mycotoxin mixture. Results: The presence of SDP resulted in weight gain and decreased feed efficiency, whereas mycotoxins resulted in weight loss and increased feed efficiency. SDP increased the thymus' relative weight. The presence of mycotoxins increased the heterophile/lymphocyte ratio. The presence of mycotoxins reduced the production of IL-2 and macrophage inflammatory protein-3 Alpha (MIP-3a), whereas the presence of SDP increased the production of macrophage colony-stimulating Factor (M-CSF). SDP resulted in higher IgA concentrations in the intestinal and tracheal washes than mycotoxin. Finally, adding SDP to broiler diets boosts weight gain, feed efficiency, and immune system development. Discussion: Our results provide information supporting that SDP is a promising tool for improving poultry immunity and performance.

Continuous and Pulsed Ultraviolet-C LED on Germicidal Effect and Energy Consumption in Fresh Products: Applications in Tomatoes as a Model.

Nowadays, lifestyle change is one of the problems of the new world economic order, and the procedures of feeding, purchasing, preparation, and the storage of food products, are forcing authorities to establish more rigorous methods concerning the control of food quality and safety. Owing quality in the agro-food sector is a complex and global issue, due to the distance between production and final consumption, as well as the new demands of society on food. Contributing to the bacteria minimization during their path in the supply chain, the objective of this research is the use of an UV-C LED artificial lighting system with emission in continuous light (CL) and two of pulsed light (Mode 1 and Mode 2) for fresh products' disinfection. A mathematical model is introduced as a reference to establish the equivalence dose of continuous and pulsed UV-C LED irradiation. The doses applied were 5, 15, and 25 mJ cm-². The configured parameters per each technique were the irradiance, time also the frequency (500 Hz), and duty cycle (30, 50, and 80%) for Mode 1 and Mode 2. The germicidal effect (GE), energy consumption, and effective germicidal effect (EGE), were evaluated for the different techniques. According to the results, the technique Mode 1 was the best in the GE with 1.06 ± 0.01 and 1.08 ± 0.01 Log reduction by 25 mJ cm-2 at 30 and 80% duty cycle, correspondingly. The CL and Mode 1 showed an outstanding performance with the EGE. Finally, Mode 1 reduced 11% in energy and the GE is comparable with CL. The pulsed light technique Mode 1 constitutes a powerful method against the microorganism's destruction and a strategy for saving energy during the treatment. The UV-C LEDs proved to be an excellent alternative in the disinfection of fresh products with pulsed light emission in the real process.

Indoor Vegetable Production: An Alternative Approach to Increasing Cultivation.

As the world's population is increasing exponentially, human diets have changed to less healthy foods resulting in detrimental health complications. Increasing vegetable intake by both rural and urban dwellers can help address this issue. However, these communities often face the challenge of limited vegetable supply and accessibility. More so, open field vegetable production cannot supply all the vegetable needs because biotic and abiotic stress factors often hinder production. Alternative approaches such as vegetable production in greenhouses, indoor farms, high tunnels, and screenhouses can help fill the gap in the supply chain. These alternative production methods provide opportunities to use less resources such as land space, pesticide, and water. They also make possible the control of production factors such as temperature, relative humidity, and carbon dioxide, as well as extension of the growing season. Some of these production systems also make the supply and distribution of nutrients to crops easier and more uniform to enhance crop growth and yield. This paper reviews these alternative vegetable production approaches which include hydroponics, aeroponics, aquaponics and soilless mixes to reveal the need for exploring them further to increase crop production. The paper also discusses facilities used, plant growth factors, current challenges including energy costs and prospects.

SEIR-FMi: A coronavirus disease epidemiological model based on intra-city movement, inter-city movement and medical resource investment.

In this paper, we propose a coronavirus disease (COVID-19) epidemiological model called SEIR-FMi (Susceptible-Exposed-Infectious-Recovery with Flow and Medical investments) to study the effects of intra-city population movement, inter-city population movement, and medical resource investment on the spread of the COVID-19 epidemic. We theoretically derived the reproduction number of the SEIR-FMi model by using the next-generation matrix method and empirically simulate the individual impacts of population movement and medical resource investment on epidemic control. We found that intra- and inter-city population movements will increase the risk of epidemic spread, and the effect of inter-city population movement on low-risk areas is higher than that on high-risk areas. Increasing medical resource investment can not only speed up the recover rate of patients but also reduce the growth rate of infected cases and shorten the spread duration of the epidemic. We collected data on intra-city population movement, inter-city population movement, medical resource investment, and confirmed cases in the cities of Wuhan, Jingzhou, and Xiangyang, Hubei Province, China, from January 15 to March 15, 2020. Using the collected data, we validated that the proposed SEIR-FMi model performs well in simulating the spread of COVID-19 in the three cities. Meanwhile, this study confirms that three non-pharmaceutical interventions, namely community isolation, population mobility control, and medical resource aid, applied during the epidemic period are indispensable in controlling the spread of COVID-19 in the three cities.

Patient compliance and satisfaction with topical benzoyl peroxide gel prior to shoulder surgery.

Background: Cutibacterium acnes is a common pathogen leading to postoperative shoulder infections. Many centers are utilizing 5% topical benzoyl peroxide (BPO) gel to decrease cutibacterium acnes bioburden prior to surgery. The purpose of this study was to evaluate patient compliance, tolerance, and side effects of applying BPO to the shoulder prior to surgery. Our hypothesis was that BPO would be well tolerated with few, minor side effects, and patients would comply with a regimen of 5 treatments spanning 48 hours prior to surgery. Methods: All patients undergoing operative intervention, either open or arthroscopic, about the shoulder from August 7, 2020, through July 15, 2021, by a single surgeon were instructed to apply BPO to the shoulder after showering, on dry skin, in the morning and evening, starting 48 hours before their surgical date. Patients were instructed to apply a half-dollar-sized quantity for each treatment. There were a total of 5 topical applications. On the day of surgery, patients were given a 6-question survey regarding side effects experienced, BPO treatments missed, ease of treatment, and a scenario question. Demographic information was collected, and a satisfaction survey was administered upon study completion. Results: A total of 183 patients out of a possible 284 eligible patients (64.4%) completed the survey. The median (interquartile range) age at surgery was 59.9 years. Sixty-four participants (35%) in the study cohort were female. One-hundred thirteen (61.7%) had an arthroscopic surgical approach, whereas 70 (38.3%) underwent open shoulder surgery. Most patients (N = 152, 83.5%) experienced no side effects from the topical 5% BPO gel treatments. Twenty-two (12.0%) patients missed 1 treatment, 10 (5.5%) missed 2 treatments, 1 (0.5%) missed 3 treatments, 3 (1.6%) missed 4 treatments, and 4 (2.2%) missed all 5 treatments. The majority of patients, 143 (78.1%), completed all 5 treatments. When prompted to choose between serial skin preparation treatments at home leading up to surgery or a single light-based decolonization procedure in the preoperative holding area on the day of surgery, 111 (60.7%) preferred to undergo antimicrobial treatment at home and arrive for surgery as otherwise scheduled. Conclusion: Serial preoperative applications of topical 5% BPO gel are well tolerated by the majority of patients. Over 20% of patients missed at least one application of BPO. Most patients prefer home-based antimicrobial treatments compared with arriving earlier on the day of surgery for a single light-based antimicrobial treatment.

Role of systems engineering attributes in enhancing supply chain resilience: Healthcare in context of COVID-19 pandemic.

In recent years, the area of supply chain resilience has received heightened attention as a plethora of new risks, ranging from climate change to cybersecurity and infectious diseases, have emerged as serious threats to operational performance. The COVID-19 pandemic, in particular, has exposed the fragility of global supply chains in many sectors. Given these concerns, supply chain networks, including those designed based on the principles of lean philosophies, are increasingly being re-examined as firms grapple with the challenge of strengthening the capacity to withstand, absorb, and rebound from unexpected shocks. Addressing the urgency of this imperative, this study presents a novel framework-based on theories and concepts in the systems engineering (SE) and supply chain resilience domains to enhance the resilience implementation capabilities that are lacking in many of today's firms. By applying a Grounded Theory methodology, this study develops and validates a conceptual model that identifies six core attributes fundamental to developing resilience capabilities in complex supply chains. The study concludes by providing examples of, and insights into, the role of these attributes in building supply chain resilience.

Identifying contributing factors to China's declining share of renewable energy consumption: no silver bullet to decarbonisation.

Renewable energy consumption (REC) holds the key to sustainable development. Therefore, many studies have considered the role of REC. However, the factors influencing the REC share in total energy usage (SREC) are not well investigated. Especially, the factors of China's fast-shrinking SREC are understudied. This research void on the world's largest renewable energy producer and consumer, i.e., China's decreasing SREC, is alarming and requires thorough investigation. Our study intends to fill this gap by analyzing the factors of China's decreasing SREC. The study uses both the conventional (descriptive and directional correlational analyses) and some unconventional (automatic linear modeling (ALM) and Artificial neural network (ANN) multilayer perceptron (MLP)) approach to investigate the factors of China's decreasing SREC. The initial hypothesis testing and most reliable model validation were achieved via directional correlational (Pearson and Spearman) and ALM analyses. The ANN MLP (two hidden layers) indicated that the most critical factor is "Combustible renewables and waste," with a 100% normalized importance. It was followed by "urbanization (64.2%), gross savings (56.1%), and alternative and nuclear energy (38%)," respectively. It is suggested that the Chinese government and private investors prioritize their investments based on factors' importance ranking.

Titanium Increases the Antioxidant Activity and Macronutrient Concentration in Tomato Seedlings Exposed to Salinity in Hydroponics.

Global climate change affects agriculture and tends to aggravate the effect of various environmental stress factors including soil salinity. Beneficial elements such as titanium (Ti) may improve the performance of plants facing restrictive environments such as saline soils. This research work evaluated the individual effect of sodium chloride (0, 50, and 100 mM NaCl) in solution, that of leaf-applied Ti (0, 500, and 1000 mg L-1 Ti), and their interactions on physiological, biochemical, and nutritional variables of tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.) seedlings cv. Rio Grande in a factorial design in greenhouse hydroponics. NaCl reduced seedling height, stem diameter, leaf area, SPAD units, and sugar and K concentrations, and increased antioxidant activity in stems and roots, photosynthetic pigments, sugars. Titanium increased the N, P, K, Ca, Mg, and Ti concentrations in leaves, but the concentration of total sugars in leaves was reduced when applying 500 mg Ti L-1. Under moderate salinity conditions (50 mM NaCl) the application of Ti increased the antioxidant activity in roots, while, at all salinity levels tested, Ti increased the concentrations of macro-nutrients and Ti in leaves. Titanium is concluded to have a positive effect on the antioxidant activity and nutrition of seedlings under saline stress conditions.

Biomédicos y desarrollos tecnológicos: binomio indispensable para las unidades de salud en tiempos de COVID-19

RESUMEN La preocupación que tiene la sociedad en todos los países acerca de la salud sigue siendo mayor que sobre cualquier otro aspecto. Una calidad de vida óptima solo es posible con una salud favorable. Ante los recientes eventos de la COVID-19, la importancia de la tecnología médica en la atención del paciente ha resultado evidente. El trabajo pretende mostrar el relevante papel que juega la rama biomédica, su influencia e impacto en los procesos de las unidades de salud. Resume algunos de los desarrollos tecnológicos logrados desde el contexto internacional hasta el local en el complejo escenario epidemiológico en el que se encuentra el planeta. Describe la necesaria cronología del sistema electromédico en Cuba con énfasis en Cienfuegos. Defiende la idea de que es necesario un cambio conceptual acerca del importante papel que juega la rama biomédica, su influencia e impacto en los procesos de las unidades y que los ingenieros biomédicos y electromédicos, así como los licenciados y técnicos en electromedicina, merecen un adecuado reconocimiento ante la comunidad científica por sus tangibles logros en tiempos de Covid-19. Ellos también salvan vidas.

ABSTRACT The concern that society has in all countries about health continues to be greater than about any other aspect. An optimal quality of life is only possible with favorable health. Given the recent COVID-19 events, the importance of medical technology in patient care has become apparent. The aim of this work is to show the relevant role played by the biomedical branch, its influence and impact on the processes of health units. It summarizes some of the technological developments achieved from the international to the local context in the complex epidemiological scene in which the planet finds itself. It describes the necessary chronology of the electromedical system in Cuba with an emphasis on Cienfuegos. It defends the idea that a conceptual change is necessary about the important role played by the biomedical branch, its influence and impact on the processes of the units and that biomedical and electromedical engineers, as well as electromedical graduates and technicians, deserve an adequate recognition before the scientific community for their tangible achievements in Covid-19 times. They also save lives.