University of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria
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Look past the cooperative eye hypothesis: reconsidering the evolution of human eye appearance
No full textThe external appearance of the human eye has been prominently linked to the evolution of complex sociocognitive functions in our species. The cooperative eye hypothesis (CEH) proposes that human eyeballs, with their weakly expressed conjunctival and scleral pigmentation, are uniquely conspicuous and evolved under selective pressures to behave cooperatively, therefore signalling attentiveness to conspecifics. Non-human primates are instead assumed to display less-salient eye morphologies that help mask their gaze to facilitate competitive, rather than cooperative actions. Here, we argue that the CEH, although continuing to be influential, lacks robust empirical support. Over the past two decades, multidisciplinary research has undermined its original rationale and central premises: human eye pigmentation does not uniquely stand out among primates, it is not uniform at species level and the available evidence does not conclusively suggest that it facilitates gaze following to notable extents. Hence, the CEH currently provides a theoretical framework that risks confusing, rather than informing, inferences about the evolution of human external eye appearance and its selective drivers. In a call to move past it, we review alternative hypotheses with the potential to elucidate the emergence of the human ocular phenotype from the considerable spectrum of diversity found within the primate order.174,34711,0Q1Q1SCI
Exploring passengers' preferences for high-speed rails: a CiteSpace bibliometric analysis
No full textSince passengers' preferences (PP) for high-speed rails (HSRs) play a fundamental role in optimizing service quality, enhancing user experience, and fostering the sustainable growth of HSR systems, understanding PP for HSRs becomes increasingly crucial. To determine the research status quo and reveal the emerging trends in PP for HSRs, this study for the first time conducted a bibliometric analysis underpinning PP within the HSR domain by adopting the CiteSpace software for visualization. The data was retrieved from the two wold-leading citation databases, Web of Science (WoS) and Scopus, by following the search strategies: Topic = TITLE-ABS-KEY ("high speed rail*" or "high speed train*") AND (a combination of terms that focuses on understanding preferences or choices made by passengers, travelers, commuters, tourists, or users of a transportation system), from 1998 to 2023. A total of 135 qualified articles written in English and Chinese were used for generating knowledge maps and visualization analysis of co-authorship, co-citation, and the keywords co-occurrence. The results showed (1) Francesca Pagliara is the prolific author; (2) Daniel Albalate is the highly cited author; (3) Beijing Jiaotong University (China) is the core research institution; (4) China stands as a leading place in this research field; (5) Transportation Research Part A ranked first among other high-quality journals; (6) The top keywords are air transport, China, and competition, except railroad transportation, high-speed rail/train; and (7) The "integration of air and HSR systems", "consumer behavior and demand modeling", and "transportation infrastructure and capacity" have recently attracted researchers' attention and will continue to be a focus of future research. This study contributes to helping scholars, policymakers, and stakeholders interpret and comprehend the HSRs PP state-of-the-art, providing researchers with potential academic opportunities and international collaborators, and inspiring them for future studies.4127151,7426,3Q1Q1SSCI10,9ERIH PLU
Automated Transformer Selection for RFIC Design: Accelerating Development with a Comprehensive Database
No full textThe design of transformers, a key component of radio frequency integrated circuits (RFICs), is traditionally carried out through an iterative process involving extensive electromagnetic simulations. While process design kits (PDKs) offer tools based on interpolation or fitting equations to simplify parameter estimation, these tools are restricted to standard geometries, leaving designers to manually simulate and optimize custom designs. This approach is inefficient and resource intensive. This paper proposes an automated process to generate a database containing the physical and electrical parameters of a wide range of transformers. This database is part of a tool designed to efficiently identify the desired transformer. To evaluate the tool's effectiveness in reducing the time required for design, a millimeter-wave (mm-Wave) 69.4-74.2 GHz differential low-noise amplifier (LNA) is designed using GlobalFoundries 45 nm silicon-on-insulator (SOI) technology. This circuit demonstrates a noise figure (NF) of 4.1 dB, a gain of 10.1 dB, an input third-order intercept point (IIP3) of -10.78 dBm, and a power consumption of 4.7 mW from a 0.406 V DC supply. Moreover, the simulated performance achieves these specifications within a highly compact area of 0.12 mm2. The transformer selection process for the circuit takes only a few seconds, whereas the conventional method of manual transformer design and electromagnetic simulation would require a significantly greater amount of time.176,
Appropriateness of antibiotic use in nursing homes for suspected urinary tract infections: comparison across five European countries
No full textPurpose: Antibiotic use is the main driver of bacterial antimicrobial resistance. Urinary tract infections (UTIs), for which antibiotics are often prescribed, are among the most common infections among residents in nursing homes. This study aimed to estimate and compare the appropriateness of antibiotic use for suspected UTIs among nursing home residents across five European countries. Both the decision to treat and the choice of antibiotics used were explored. Methods: This cross-sectional study used the Audit Project Odense (APO) method. The appropriateness of the treatment decision for UTIs was evaluated according to symptom presentation in residents without indwelling urinary catheters. The choice of antibiotic used for treatment was evaluated according to the first-line antibiotic recommended for the treatment of UTIs in the respective countries. Data were collected through an institutional sign-up questionnaire and a clinical case registration chart. All residents in new or ongoing treatment with systemic antibiotics were registered during a 6-week period between February and April 2022. Results: A total of 70 nursing homes or wards registered 508 antibiotic treatments for suspected UTIs. The proportion of antibiotics prescribed for UTIs to nursing home residents with no specific UTI symptoms varied from 10% in Poland to 68% in Spain. The proportion of treatments with the first-line choice of antibiotics for UTIs also varied from 28% in France and Poland to 55% in Spain. Conclusion: There was a substantial proportion of potentially inappropriate antibiotic treatments, with notable variation among the countries studied.121,0193,5Q1Q2SCIE8,
CNN-Based Human Detection and Identification in Indoor Optical Camera Communication Systems Using a Wearable LED Strip
No full textIn this paper, we present a proof of concept for an indoor optical camera communication (OCC) system utilising a deep learning network to detect and identify humans wearing light-emitting diode (LED) strips. Specifically, we propose using the You Only Look Once (YOLO) version 8 object detection algorithm, which is built on convolutional neural networks (CNNs), to identify wearable LED transmitters in challenging scenarios such as low visibility, mobility and multiple users, followed by image processing to effectively decode the transmitted data. The red-green-blue (RGB) LED strip's colours (red, green, blue and white) serve as indicators of the user's status. By combining communication and monitoring functionalities, the LEDs facilitate not only the transmission of user data but also accurate detection, tracking and identification within the environment. This demonstrates the feasibility of utilising widely available devices like LED strips and cameras, commonly found in many buildings, with potential applications in high-risk environments where monitoring individuals' physical conditions is crucial. The obtained results indicate our system's effectiveness, as it achieved up to 100% success of reception (SoR) in a static experimental setup, 96.2% in a walking experimental setup with one user and showed no effectiveness with two users.0,4592,3Q2Q
Adaptive reproductive strategies of limpets in a harvest-influenced environment
No full textLimpet harvesting is a size-selective activity that primarily removes the largest individuals, leading to reduced reproductive output. This study investigates the fecundity strategies of two limpet species, Patella aspera and Patella crenata, inhabiting the rocky shores of Gran Canaria. Between September 2023 and April 2024, a total of 288 P. aspera and 364 P. crenata specimens were sampled from four coastal settlements. Both species exhibited determinate fecundity with synchronous spawning, as evidenced by the progression of dominant oocyte cohorts and the corresponding changes in oocyte size and number throughout the spawning season. Orientation and substrate type significantly influenced fecundity, with the North coast showing a higher number of vitellogenic oocytes, particularly in artificial substrates for P. crenata. Natural substrates on the North coast were associated with larger vitellogenic oocytes. Additionally, sex proportions were significantly affected by substrate type, with natural substrates containing a higher proportion of females. In artificial substrates, P. crenata exhibited notably higher gonadosomatic index values. The analysis of the gonadosomatic index and oocyte dynamics highlights the adaptive strategies of these limpets to local environmental conditions, contributing to our understanding of reproductive ecology in intertidal habitats. This research not only enhances our understanding of reproductive dynamics in limpets under varying environmental conditions but also emphasizes the importance of habitat and seasonal factors in shaping fecundity strategies. Such studies are crucial for conservation efforts, as they provide essential insights into how environmental pressures and human activities, like harvesting, impact the reproductive success and sustainability of these commercial species.170,7761,9Q1Q2SCIE11,
Jorge Rodríguez Padrón et le théâtre (1963-1977) : essai et critique
No full textJorge Rodríguez Padrón es uno de los principales ensayistas y críticos en la historia de la literatura canaria. Su obra ha sido un referente esencial e imprescindible para comprender, sobre todo, el devenir de la poesía y la narrativa de los últimos sesenta años, pero apenas se conoce su producción destinada al pensamiento teatral que proviene de su primera época. En el presente trabajo se analizará por primera vez su visión personal del teatro, que abarca un diagnóstico de los problemas esenciales en el país (incluyendo una especial consideración de la realidad canaria) y su propuesta de soluciones, a través de 21 ensayos, artículos y reseñas publicados en la prensa española, entre septiembre de 1963 y mayo de 1977.Jorge Rodríguez Padrón is one of the leading essayists and critics in the history of Canary Island literature. His work has been an essential and indispensable reference for understanding, above all, the development of poetry and narrative over the last sixty years, but his contributions to theatrical thought from his early period are scarcely known. In this work, his personal vision of theater will be analyzed for the first time, which includes a diagnosis of the essential problems in the country (including a special consideration of the Canarian reality) and his proposal for solutions, through 21 essays, articles and reviews published in the Spanish press, between September 1963 and May 1977.Jorge Rodríguez Padrón est l’un des principaux essayistes et critiques de l’histoire de la littérature canarienne. Son oeuvre a été une référence essentielle et fondamentale pour comprendre, avant tout, l’évolution de la poésie et du récit au cours des soixante dernières années, mais sa production destinée à la pensée théâtrale issue de sa première période est à peine connue. Dans cet ouvrage, on analysera pour la première fois sa vision personnelle du théâtre, qui comprend un diagnostic des problèmes essentiels du pays (y compris une considération particulière de la réalité canarienne) et sa proposition de solutions, à travers 21 essais, articles et critiques publiées dans la presse espagnole, entre septembre 1963 et mai 1977.159143170,173Q1ESCIQ232,070,0Q19,9ERIH PLU
Burdens of type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease attributable to sugar-sweetened beverages in 184 countries
No full textThe consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages (SSBs) is associated with type 2 diabetes (T2D) and cardiovascular diseases (CVD). However, an updated and comprehensive assessment of the global burden attributable to SSBs remains scarce. Here we estimated SSB-attributable T2D and CVD burdens across 184 countries in 1990 and 2020 globally, regionally and nationally, incorporating data from the Global Dietary Database, jointly stratified by age, sex, educational attainment and urbanicity. In 2020, 2.2 million (95% uncertainty interval 2.0–2.3) new T2D cases and 1.2 million (95% uncertainty interval 1.1–1.3) new CVD cases were attributable to SSBs worldwide, representing 9.8% and 3.1%, respectively, of all incident cases. Globally, proportional SSB-attributable burdens were higher among men versus women, younger versus older adults, higher- versus lower-educated adults, and adults in urban versus rural areas. By world region, the highest SSB-attributable percentage burdens were in Latin America and the Caribbean (T2D: 24.4%; CVD: 11.3%) and sub-Saharan Africa (T2D: 21.5%; CVD: 10.5%). From 1990 to 2020, the largest proportional increases in SSB-attributable incident T2D and CVD cases were in sub-Saharan Africa (+8.8% and +4.4%, respectively). Our study highlights the countries and subpopulations most affected by cardiometabolic disease associated with SSB consumption, assisting in shaping effective policies and interventions to reduce these burdens globally.5645521319,04558,7Q1Q1SCIE10,
Author Correction: Burdens of type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease attributable to sugar-sweetened beverages in 184 countries (Nature Medicine, (2025), 10.1038/s41591-024-03345-4)
No full textCorrection to: Nature Medicinehttps://doi.org/10.1038/s41591-024-03345-4, published online 6 January 2025. In the version of the article initially published, in the eighth paragraph of the Discussion, the text “Among large nations, the largest increases in SSB-related T2D burdens were in Mexico, Thailand and the United Kingdom, and in CVD burdens, Colombia, Nigeria, Thailand and Russia. These changes align with rises in SSB consumption in these nations12. Similarly, declining SSB-related cardiometabolic burdens in Brazil, the United States and the United Kingdom (for CVD) are consistent with their decreasing SSB consumption from 1990 to 202012” was incorrect and has now been updated to “Among largely populated nations, the largest increases in SSB-related T2D incidence was in Colombia, USA and Argentina; and in CVD incidence, Nigeria, Russia, Colombia and Thailand. These changes generally align with rises in SSB consumption in these nations, except in the US where slight declines in SSB consumption were offset by increased burdens of diabetes 12. Similarly, declining SSB-related cardiometabolic burdens in Turkey, Brazil, and the United States and the United Kingdom for CVD are consistent with their decreasing SSB consumption from 1990 to 202012.” Additionally, Supplementary Data 1 and 2 have been updated to remove decimals in values greater than 100. These corrections have been made to the HTML and PDF versions of the article.696696119,04558,7Q1Q1SCIE10,