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Effectiveness of the NOLA Dry Field device as an isolation system for bonding lower lingual retainers
No full textPublisher Copyright: © Medicina Oral S. L. C.I.F. B 96689336 - eISSN: 1989-5488Background: The retention stage has been the most controversial phase of orthodontic treatment, as there are no specific guidelines regarding the type, mode and duration of retention. The detachment of a retainer creates urgen cy, necessitates additional consultation time and increases the risk of tooth movement. Therefore, ensuring the sta bility of a retainer and preventing detachment is crucial, particularly as saliva moisture poses a risk during bonding. Material and Methods: This pilot study employs an epidemiological, observational, descriptive and longitudinal design to compare the failure rates of lower lingual retainers cemented with the NOLA retractor against those ce mented with the Spandex retractor. The sample comprised 32 participants, with 16 each in the NOLA group and the relative isolation group. The NOLA group included 10 men (62.5%), while the isolation group had only 3 men (18.7%). The normality of the data was assessed using the Shapiro–Wilk test, and the Student’s t-test was applied to compare changes between the NOLA and relative isolation groups. Results: The failure rate was higher in the relative isolation group (37.5%) compared with the NOLA group (25.0%), although this difference was not statistically significant (p = 0.446). A progressive and significant increase in the Little’s Irregularity Index values was observed in both groups over time. While there was a greater increase in values in the NOLA group, the difference did not reach statistical significance (p = 0.108 at 3 months and p = 0.284 at 6 months). Conclusions: Both isolation methods demonstrated similar success rates in retaining fixed retainers over the analy sed time period.Peer reviewe
New technologies in education. The case of Spain
Full text linkPublisher Copyright: © 2025 The Author(s). Published by Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group.The use of active learning methodologies in higher education is a priority objective within the European Higher Education Area. The paradigm shift towards education in competences requires new teaching strategies focused on giving greater protagonism to students, putting them at the centre of their own learning process. In this transition, information and communication technologies (ICT) are playing a fundamental role. Virtual teaching has specific characteristics that make it possible to tailor the teaching-learning process in ways that are impossible by other means. Self-learning or ‘learning to learn’, promoted by the new paradigm of education in competences, is inseparable from the use of virtual learning tools. An analysis of data on the growth and prevalence of e-learning in Spain is conducted in the paper, and using new methodologies based on fractional integration we offer important insights into the growth of e-learning in volume and importance with respect to traditional teaching methodologies. This growing relevance has important implications for educators, educational institutions and governments that will have to adapt to the needs of a growing public that demands this type of training.Peer reviewe
Effectiveness of soft skills curricular subjects : a case study of two universities, Spain and Mexico
No full textPublisher Copyright: © The Author(s) 2025.Personal competencies are regarded as essential within the framework of lifelong learning, particularly those that are cross-cutting nature in. Currently, few universities include mandatory courses for the development of these competencies. This research presents two cases of universities in Spain and Mexico that have implemented subjects specifically aimed at promoting the development of these competencies. The aim of this study is to assess the effectiveness of the curricular subjects designed ad hoc for the development of intrapersonal and interpersonal competencies of university students. For this purpose, three studies were carried out: two at a Mexican university and one in a Spanish university. The total sample comprised of 1,353 students, with 675 from Spain and 678 from Mexico. The three studies employed a quasi-experimental pretest/post-test design, without a control group, during the 2022–23 academic year. A reliable and valid instrument, the Basic Generic Competencies Questionnaire (BGCQ), was used to assess transversal competencies. The results show that these programs have a significant impact, especially in the development of intrapersonal competencies. This greater impact on intrapersonal competencies may be related to the methodologies used in the programs, especially the individual mentoring sessions.Peer reviewe
Human beings, machines and sufferingsa prospective from Simone Weil
Full text linkPublisher Copyright: © PENSAMIENTO.La identidad del ser humano está cuestionada por una sociedad tecnológica que pone en jaque los fundamentos de la antropología cristiana. El artículo expone el pensamiento de Simone Weil sobre la dominación de la máquina y el sufrimiento del obrero en la fábrica del siglo XX. Se muestran los puntos de unión que tiene el análisis de la filósofa con la lógica tecnológica actual. El artículo incide en el punto de inflexión que está en la renuncia del ser humano a ejercer su libertad en favor de mecanismos técnicos. Como consecuencia, la persona se rebaja al nivel del objeto, se considera a sí misma como una herramienta y cae en la desesperación. Frente a esta situación, la virtud de fortaleza desarrollada por Josef Pieper permite alimentar la resistencia intelectual.The identity of the human being is questioned by a technological society that challenges the foundations of Christian anthropology. The article presents Simone Weil's thoughts on the dominance of the machine and the suffering of the worker in the 20th century factory. It reveals the common ground between the philosopher's analysis and today's technological logic. The article focuses on the tipping point which lies in human's renunciation to exercise their freedom in favor of technical mechanisms. As a result, the individual reduces themselves to the level of an object, considering themselves as a tool, and falls into despair. In the face of this situation, the virtue of fortitude developed by Josef Pieper allows for nourishing intellectual resistance.Peer reviewe
Deep learning based deconvolution methods : A systematic review
Full text linkPublisher Copyright: © 2025 The Author(s)Within this systematic review we examine the role of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Deep Learning (DL) in the development of cellular deconvolution tools, with an special focus on their application to the analysis of transcriptomics data from RNA sequencing. We emphasize the critical importance of high–quality reference profiles for enhancing the accuracy of the discussed deconvolution methods, which is essential to determine cellular compositions in complex biological samples. To ensure the robustness of our work, we have applied a rigorous selection process following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta–Analysis (PRISMA) guidelines. Through the review process, we have identified several key research gaps, highlighting the necessity for standardized methodologies and the improvement of the interpretability of the models. Overall, we present a comprehensive, up to date overview of the different methodologies, datasets, and findings associated with DL–driven deconvolution tools, paving the way for future research and emphasizing the value of collaboration between computational and biological sciences.Peer reviewe
Some new evidence using fractional integration about trends, breaks and persistence in polar amplification
No full textPublisher Copyright: © The Author(s) 2025.This paper uses fractional integration methods to obtain new evidence on polar amplification. The adopted modelling framework is very general since it allows the differencing parameter to take any real value, including fractional ones, and provides useful information on both the short and the long run. The analysis is carried out using monthly temperature anomaly data for both the Arctic and the Antarctic, as well as the Northern and Southern Hemisphere, which have been obtained from the NOAA (National Center for Environmental Information) archive. The main findings can be summarised as follows. There is evidence of Arctic amplification, since the upward trend in the Arctic data is more pronounced compared to that in the Northern Hemisphere series, but not of Antarctic amplification, where the opposite holds. Also, the effects of forcings are more long-lived in the Arctic/Northern hemisphere than in the other pole/hemisphere. These results are robust to whether or not seasonality is explicitly modelled. In addition, temperature changes in the poles have bigger effects on those in the corresponding hemisphere if they occur in the Antarctic rather than in the Arctic.Peer reviewe
Effects of a priming session with heavy sled pushes on neuromuscular performance and perceived recovery in soccer players : a crossover design study during competitive microcycles
No full textPublisher Copyright: © Institute of Sport – National Research Institute.This study compared the effects of a sled push priming session on performance in 20 m sprint times, vertical jump, and perceived recovery, in comparison to a control condition, during competitive microcycles. Sixteen young semi-professional football players completed two conditions: priming (heavy sled pushes and MD-1 training) and control (only MD-1 regular training), in a crossover design. Twenty-metre sprint times and countermovement jump (CMJ) were assessed 24 hours following the completion of the experimental sessions. The distribution of training load (TL) was similar between the two microcycles on each training day (p > 0.506). At 24 hours, 20 m sprint times were lower (p < 0.001; ES = -1.41), and jump height increased (p = 0.001; ES = 1.11) in the priming condition compared to the control. Individual response analysis showed that 62.5% of the participants ran faster, and 81.3% jumped higher 24 h after priming compared to the control. Furthermore, the added sled push priming exercise did not alter the recovery values perceived by players at 24 hours (p = 0.310). These findings support the use of priming exercises within competitive microcycles by incorporating these sessions on MD-1, as they appear to improve 20 m sprint time and vertical jump without impacting perceived recovery. These results contribute to the understanding of the effects of a low-volume priming session based on heavy sled push on delayed potentiation in sprint and CMJ.Peer reviewe
Time trends and persistence of the return difference between growth and value investment strategies
No full textPublisher Copyright: © 2025 Monge et al. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.This paper examines the dynamic disequilibrium between value investing and growth strategies, focusing on the structural changes induced by the COVID-19 pandemic. Using fractional integration and Markov-switching dynamic regression (MS-DR) models, we analyze persistence and regime shifts. The results reveal that, prior to March 2020, the return difference was in a regime of high persistence and no reversion to the mean, making the deviations long-lasting. After the pandemic, the system shifted to a regime of moderate persistence with reversion to the mean, indicating that the return differences now tend to correct over time. This regime shift, confirmed by the Markov switching model, highlights a permanent change in the dynamics of value and growth strategies, which significantly affects their long-term equilibrium.Peer reviewe