University of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria

Mg-Zn alloys are a promising type of biodegradable material for orthopedic devices, combining the natural advantages of Mg with the properties provided by Zn. This study examines how temperature affects the behavior of three MgxZn alloys (x = 1.4: 6.1 and 7.8) obtained by induction levitation. Normal temperatures of 20–25 °C and 40 °C simulating fever conditions were selected. Microstructural characterization and microhardness tests were conducted to characterize the alloys. Corrosion behavior was analyzed by open circuit potential, linear polarization, and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy. The balance between matrix softening and intermetallic formation becomes more sensitive when the alloys are exposed to elevated temperatures when microstructural heterogeneities become more influential. Although higher Zn content can facilitate the formation of more stable Zn-rich films, excessive Zn content, as in the 7.8%Zn alloy, also promotes micro-galvanic corrosion through increased MgZn intermetallic phase content, meaning that temperature amplifies both the beneficial and detrimental effects of Zn.

Abstract Background and Aims There is a high prevalence of overweight and obesity in patients on hemodialysis (HD). Bioimpedance is a method of studying body composition, widely used to assess the state of hydration. One of the problems of the technique is that the values of lean mass and fat mass can be altered if the patient is not normohydrated, in addition to not differentiating between subcutaneous and visceral fat, whose cardiovascular impact is different. For this reason, it is important to combine it with other assessment tools that are not influenced by hydration status, such as abdominal ultrasound. The objective of the pilot study is to determine the usefulness of nutritional ultrasound for the assessment of abdominal fat and to determine whether implantation in the dialysis room is feasible. Method A total of 22 patients were evaluated in HD, a nutritional ultrasound was performed where abdominal fat was evaluated, differentiating between superficial fat (SF), deep fat (DF) and pre-peritoneal fat (PPF). Data from the medical history related to cardiovascular health such as cholesterol (COL) or triglycerides (TG) were collected. Results 17 men, Xage 69.68 ± 12.57 years (Males: 68.35 ± 12.06, vs females: 74.20 ± 14.67 years P = 0.373). We found differences between men and women with respect to SF, and DF, both being greater in men, but not with PPF. We found greater length of fat tissue in patients over 65 years of age (SF: 0.88 ± 1.07 vs 2.61 ± 1.69, P = 0.008; PF: 3.98 ± 5.46 vs 8.60 ± 5.24, P = 0.064; PPF: 3.35 ± 4.82 vs 4.24 ± 3.88, P = 0.665). With respect to biochemical markers, we did not find a statistically significant correlation between the length of adipose tissues and the different biochemical parameters, although we found a direct correlation between total cholesterol, LDL cholesterol and TG with tissue length and inversely with HDL cholesterol (Table 1). We did not find a relationship between tissue fat measurements and a history of ischemic heart disease, heart failure, arrhythmias or diabetes mellitus, which we relate to sample size. Conclusion Nutritional ultrasound is a good tool to determine abdominal fat, since it is not influenced by hydration status, more studies are needed in which the sample size is larger.

The manufacturing industry, in general, and the plastic industry, in particular, have been developing new materials and process methods that need a correct study and optimization. Nowadays, the main approach to optimize these processes is using numerical methods and, in the case of particulate materials, the Discrete Elements Method to estimate the particles interactions. But those mathematical models use some parameters that depend on the material and must be calibrated, thus requiring an important computational and experimental cost. In this study, we integrate different speed-up procedures and present a general calibration method of Low-Density Polyethylene particles, to obtain the calibrated solid density and Poisson’s ratio of the material, the restitution, static and rolling friction factors in the particle-to-particle and particle-to-wall interactions, and the contact model variables (damping factor, stiffness factor, and energy density). For this calibration, four different tests were carried out, both experimentally and with simulations, obtaining the bulk density, the repose and shear angles, and the dropped powder. All these response variables were compared between simulations and experimental tests, and using genetic algorithms, the input parameters (design variables) were calibrated after 85 iterations, obtaining a Mean Absolute Percentage Error of the response variables lower than 2% compared to the experimental results.

This study presents an innovative bimodal approach for laboratory partial discharge (PD) analysis using a YOLOv8-based convolutional neural network (CNN). The main contribution consists, first, in the transformation of a conventional DDX-type electrical detector into a smart and autonomous data source. By training the CNN, a system capable of automatically reading and interpreting the data from the detector display—discharge magnitude and applied voltage—is developed, achieving an average training accuracy of 0.91 and converting a passive instrument into a digitalized and structured data source. Second, and simultaneously, an optical visualization system captures direct images of the PDs with a high-resolution camera, allowing for their morphological characterization and spatial distribution. For electrical voltages of 10, 13, and 16 kV, PDs were detected with a confidence level of up to 0.92. The fusion of quantitative information intelligently extracted from the electrical detector with qualitative characterization from optical analysis offers a more complete and robust automated diagnosis of the origin and severity of PDs.

El análisis de la relación entre la innovación, la internacionalización y los resultados empresariales de las empresas de base tecnológica, se ha convertido en un área de estudio relevante para comprender la importancia de esta tipología de empresas en el panorama económico actual. Los resultados obtenidos tras el estudio de estas empresas en el contexto español revelan que tanto la estrategia de innovación como de internacionalización influyen en los resultados empresariales de las EBT. Se observa que, a mayor innovación de la empresa, mayor es su internacionalización y mayores sus resultados empresariales. Por su parte, a mayor internacionalización, los resultados empresariales también aumentan.

Food safety concerns related to pesticide residues in fruits and vegetables have increased globally, particularly in regions where monitoring programs are scarce or inconsistent. This study provides the first multi-year evaluation of pesticide contamination and associated dietary risks in Cape Verde, an African island nation increasingly reliant on imported produce. A total of 570 samples of fruits and vegetables-both locally produced and imported-were collected from major markets across the country between 2017 and 2020 and analyzed using validated multiresidue methods based on gas chromatography coupled to Ion Trap mass spectrometry (GC-IT-MS/MS), and both gas and liquid chromatography coupled to triple quadrupole tandem mass spectrometry (GC-QqQ-MS/MS and LC-QqQ-MS/MS). Residues were detected in 63.9% of fruits and 13.2% of vegetables, with imported fruits showing the highest contamination levels and diversity of compounds. Although only one sample exceeded the maximum residue limits (MRLs) set by the European Union, 80 different active substances were quantified-many of them not authorized under the current EU pesticide residue legislation. Dietary exposure was estimated using median residue levels and real consumption data from the national nutrition survey (ENCAVE 2019), enabling a refined risk assessment based on actual consumption patterns. The cumulative hazard index for the adult population was 0.416, below the toxicological threshold of concern. However, when adjusted for children aged 6-11 years-taking into account body weight and relative consumption-the cumulative index approached 1.0, suggesting a potential health risk for this vulnerable group. A limited number of compounds, including omethoate, oxamyl, imazalil, and dithiocarbamates, accounted for most of the risk. Many are banned or heavily restricted in the EU, highlighting regulatory asymmetries in global food trade. These findings underscore the urgent need for strengthened residue monitoring in Cape Verde, particularly for imported products, and support the adoption of risk-based food safety policies that consider population-specific vulnerabilities and mixture effects. The methodological framework used here can serve as a model for other low-resource countries seeking to integrate analytical data with dietary exposure in a One Health context.

Island electrical networks often face stability and resilience issues due to their weakly meshed structure, which lowers system inertia and compromises supply continuity. This challenge is further intensified by the increasing integration of renewable energy sources, promoted by decarbonization goals, whose intermittent and variable nature complicates grid stability management. To address this, Red Eléctrica de España—the transmission system operator of Spain—has planned several improvements in the Canary Islands, including the installation of new wind farms and a second transmission circuit on the island of La Palma. This new infrastructure will complement the existing one and ensure system stability in the event of N-1 contingencies. This article evaluates the stability of the island’s electrical network through dynamic simulations conducted in PSS®E, analyzing four distinct fault scenarios across three different grid configurations (current, short-term upgrade and long-term upgrade with wind integration). Generator models are based on standard dynamic parameters (WECC) and calibrated load factors using real data from the day of peak demand in 2021. Results confirm that the planned developments ensure stable system operation under severe contingencies, while the integration of wind power leads to a 33% reduction in diesel generation, contributing to improved environmental and operational performance.

ABSTRACTAimHow communities of organisms come together has long fascinated scientists, with renewed interest in using functional and evolutionary patterns to infer mechanisms of community assembly. Ecological theory predicts that biotic interactions could lead to either divergence in the event of niche partitioning or convergence through the exclusion of competitively inferior species, but most macroecological studies attribute the latter to environmental influences. Here, we investigated the relative importance of these two opposing mechanisms across broad spatial gradients. We hypothesised stronger signals of: (i) convergence at high latitude owing to ecological generalism and (ii) divergence at low latitudes owing to specialisation.Major Taxa StudiedReef‐associated bony fishes.LocationGlobal.Time Period2006–2019.MethodsWe used a global dataset on marine reef fish assemblages comprising 2476 species at 3325 sites to disentangle the biotic drivers of community assembly across > 100° of latitude. We then applied a framework to remove environmental influences before examining whether any signs of biotic interactions remained in the trait and phylogenetic diversity of local communities relative to the (environmentally constrained) regional species pool, drawing on six functional traits and a phylogeny of bony fishes.ResultsLocal fish assemblages were more functionally and phylogenetically similar to each other than expected based on the regional species pool at higher latitude reefs (i.e., show greater convergence). This pattern was evident after accounting for major sources of local environmental variation, suggesting exclusion of weak competitors. Functional convergence was mainly driven by traits related to resource acquisition, with high‐latitude assemblages converging towards more energetic carnivorous and planktivorous diets.Main ConclusionsOur results suggest that biotic interactions drive greater trait and phylogenetic convergence from tropical to temperate zones. Likely mechanisms include increasing generalism and overlap in ecological strategies towards the poles, leading to the exclusion of weak competitors.

Heartworm disease, caused by Dirofilaria immitis, often leads to pulmonary hypertension (PH), a serious cardiovascular complication in infected dogs. PH may impair renal function through hemodynamic and inflammatory mechanisms, even when traditional biomarkers such as serum creatinine and blood urea nitrogen (BUN) remain within normal ranges. This study aimed to assess urinary neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin (uNGAL) levels in dogs naturally infected with D. immitis, with and without PH, to evaluate its potential as an early biomarker of renal dysfunction. Forty-two infected dogs were included and divided into two groups based on the presence (n = 14) or absence (n = 28) of PH, diagnosed via echocardiography. uNGAL concentrations were significantly higher in dogs with PH (mean 66.49 ± 6.67 ng/mL) compared to those without PH (mean 49.01 ± 14.48 ng/mL; p < 0.0001), despite normal creatinine and BUN values. No significant associations were found between uNGAL and sex, age, breed, or clinical signs. These findings suggest that uNGAL may serve as a sensitive biomarker of early renal impairment in dogs with heartworm disease and PH, even in the absence of overt azotemia, supporting its use in clinical evaluation and the monitoring of disease progression.