Universidad CLAEH

Abstract Cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF) is a strong indicator of overall physical health, but its relevance for mental and neurocognitive health across the life course remains unclear. Here we synthesize evidence from cohort studies examining the associations between CRF and the risk of mental and neurocognitive disorders across all age groups in the general population. Twenty-seven studies comprising 4,007,638 individuals were included. Compared with low CRF, high CRF was associated with a reduced risk of depression (hazard ratio (HR) = 0.64; 95% confidence interval (CI), 0.56–0.74), all-cause dementia (HR = 0.61; 95% CI: 0.55–0.68) and psychotic disorders (HR = 0.71; 95% CI: 0.65–0.77) in adults. A one metabolic equivalent of task (1 MET; 3.5 ml kg −1 min −1 ) higher level of CRF was associated with lower risks of depression (HR = 0.95; 95% CI: 0.92–0.98) and all-cause dementia (HR = 0.81; 95% CI: 0.67–0.98). Overall certainty of evidence ranged from very low to moderate. These findings suggest that CRF may be a useful marker for identifying adults at increased risk of depression, dementia and psychotic disorders, highlighting the need for further large-scale longitudinal studies.

The widespread presence of estrogenic pollutants in aquatic environments poses a significant threat to ecosystems and human health, necessitating the development of efficient and sustainable removal technologies. This study aimed to develop a cost-effective biocatalyst for estrogen biodegradation using a fungal laccase. The enzyme was produced by the native strain Dichostereum sordulentum under semi-solid-state fermentation conditions optimized using a statistical Design of Experiments. The design evaluated carbon sources (glucose/glycerol), nitrogen sources (peptone/urea), inoculum size, and Eucalyptus dunnii bark as a solid support/substrate. The resulting laccase was entrapped within a hydrogel made of lignocellulosic biopolymers derived from a second-generation bioethanol by-product. Maximum laccase production was achieved with a high concentration of peptone (12 g/L), a low amount of bark (below 2.8 g), 8.5 g/L glucose and 300 mg/flask of inoculum. The subsequent immobilized laccase achieved 98.8 ± 0.5% removal of ethinylestradiol, outperforming the soluble enzyme. Furthermore, the treatment reduced the estrogenic biological activity by more than 170-fold. These findings demonstrate that the developed biocatalyst not only valorizes an industrial by-product but also represents an effective and sustainable platform for mitigating hazardous estrogenic pollution in water.

Arctic ecosystems are undergoing major changes as a result of climate change that in many cases results in habitat loss for many species. However, glacial retreat also creates new habitats, such as lakes and ponds, providing an opportunity to test how communities and food webs assemble. Here, we studied the topology of the food webs and analyzed potential drivers such as environmental variables in 16 fishless ponds of contrasting age (8 young < 50 years, 8 old > 150 years) located in an area of rapid glacial retreat on the west coast of Greenland. We tested for differences in beta diversity and nestedness of prey and consumers related to the age class of the ponds. Based on gut content analysis of zooplankton and benthic macroinvertebrates we constructed food webs and investigated the extent to which food web metrics related to pond age and environmental variables. The food items of zooplankton and benthic macroinvertebrates in the young ponds represented a subset of those present in the old ponds' food webs. Food webs of old ponds had higher taxonomic richness, higher linkage density and lower connectance, indicating higher stability. Pond age class was the main explanatory factor for most food web metrics followed by productivity, here assessed by proxies, total nitrogen (TN) and phytoplankton chlorophyll‐a (Chl‐ a ). Food webs in old ponds did not show any significant association with environmental factors. In contrast, in young ponds, connectance and trophic niche overlap were significantly related to TN and Chl‐ a . The different complexity patterns indicate that food web topology in newly created ponds becomes more complex and independent of environmental conditions as ponds age. These differences likely make food webs of young ecosystems more unstable and vulnerable to external disturbances than those of older ecosystems.

En 2016, al cumplirse el cincuentenario del fallecimiento de Louis-Joseph Lebret (1897-1966), fundador y promotor del movimiento Economía y Humanismo en Francia, el CLAEH y la Red Internacional de Economía Humana organizaron un seminario cuyo objetivo fue, partiendo de la inspiración lebretiana, abordar los desafíos actuales de un desarrollo humano y sustentable. El P. Lebret fundó en 1941 en Marsella el centro de investigación y acción Economía y Humanismo, cuya labor continuó desde París a través del IRFED (Institut International de Recherche et de Formation en vue du Développement Harmonisé), contribuyendo a iniciar una visión alternativa al economicismo y proponiendo un desarrollo integral y armonizado.

Phenological regulation is a key determinant of barley adaptation. In South America, late planting often exposes barley to high temperatures, limiting the adaptation of late-flowering European germplasm introduced for yield and malting quality. To inv

Rupture of the cranial cruciate ligament is the oldest and most prevalent cause of osteoarthrosis (OA) of the patellofemoral joint (PFJ) in canines, being 75% of all PFJ surgical pathologies. To assess the long term clinical, radiological and orthopaedic results of a modification of Hulse’s technique for intracapsular surgical correction of cranial cruciate ligament rupture (CrCLR). A heterogeneous population of 12 canines who had undergone surgery for CrCLR was called for the study, of which 3 underwent surgery on both PFJs. The technique was modified by using a pre folded crochet needle and a tiny lateral arthrotomy performed just under the lateral collateral ligament. This study was done after 20 months on average from de surgery (range 8 to 36 months) and all the surgeries were performed by the same surgeon. All animals were monitored during the study period, which lasted 4 months. A blind radiological assessment of 3 observers was performed using the Bioarth scale, an orthopaedic assessment to quantify the degree of claudication and PFJ angles (goniometry) and two scales were also used for the assessment of chronic pain and animal welfare i.e., Helsinki's scale and CPBI (canine pain brief inventory). The radiographic assessment of OA yielded a mean of 9.13, with SD of 5.50 and a SE of 1.42. The average subjective assessment of OA according to the Bioarth scale was moderate. The qualitative orthopedic assessment showed that 7 patients did not present claudication, 4 patients showed grade 1 claudication and one grade 2. The CPBI and Helsinki animal welfare scales showed an excellent subjective assessment by the tutors. The Hulse technique, modified with a crochet needle, was sufficient to surgically correct the CrCLR in an heterogeneous population of 12 canines, achieving that all patients functionally used the operated limb or limbs, possessing a very good to excellent quality of life according to their owners, despite having evidenced a moderate degree of OA with an average of 9.13 on the Bioarth scale.

Efforts have been made to address climate change and improve people's lives; however, the psychological outcomes of climate change have not been adequately explored. While environmental and economic impacts have been widely studied, the mental health consequences of climate change continue to affect communities, particularly vulnerable populations. This study examined the perceived psychological outcomes of climate change among youth and adults in Kinondoni District, located in the Dar es Salaam region of Tanzania. A total of 360 respondents aged 15 years and above participated in the study. The research employed a convergent parallel design with a mixed-method approach, allowing for the simultaneous collection of both quantitative and qualitative data. Data were collected using structured questionnaires with closed-ended questions and in-depth interviews with key informants, while a documentary review of written and electronic materials was conducted for secondary data analysis. The findings indicate that flooding and increased temperatures were reported at moderate levels, posing significant challenges to daily life and well-being. Furthermore, psychological outcomes such as depression, anxiety disorders, stress, grief, and trauma were found to be moderately prevalent among respondents. The study recommends that the government, through the Ministry of Health, Community Development, Gender, Elderly, and Children, should collaborate with non-governmental organizations (NGOs), community-based organizations (CBOs), and local authorities to develop targeted interventions addressing climate-induced mental health challenges. Psychological support services should be integrated into disaster response mechanisms to ensure timely assistance for individuals experiencing climate-related anxiety, stress, depression, and trauma. Keywords: Psychological outcomes, climate change, mental health, Tanzania 

The variance-mean scaling in population abundance or Taylor's power law (TPL) has been reported hundreds of times and is related to ecological processes such as competition, dispersal or territoriality. In this sense, the TPL was extensively validated to resume population variability and to show the action of ecological mechanisms. Baumgartner and Peláez (2024) combine databases of fish dynamics along the United States, species traits, species phylogeny and climatic conditions, estimating the TPL for 180 species along 972 populations. The observed scaling suggests that the variability of the population decreases with abundance. Notably, 68% of the variation in the variance-mean scaling was explained by species traits and environmental conditions. Specifically, the life history of the species, associated with its body size, was the main explanation for the TPL, also reporting that the variability of the population increased faster with mean abundance in the headwaters than in other river sections. Equally important, the diversity of the community in which the species were inserted did not affect the scaling. These results provide overwhelming evidence on the nature of TPL on large geographic scales and how they are affected by species biology and environmental conditions. A contribution that should motivate further empirical and theoretical analysis of the TPL and its determinants.