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Advancements in multiresidue pesticide analysis in fruits and vegetables using micro-flow liquid chromatography coupled to tandem mass spectrometry
No full textBackground: A reliable analysis of pesticide residues in fruits and vegetables is crucial for food safety and regulatory compliance. Traditionally, analytical-flow liquid chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry (LC-MS/ MS) has been the gold standard but, shifting to low-flow LC-MS/MS presents an improved alternative that enhances sensitivity, reduces the injected amount of sample and aligns with the principles of green analytical chemistry. Operating at micro-flow rates significantly reduces solvent consumption and organic waste, which is particularly important for routine control laboratories. This approach maintains high sensitivity, robustness, and
performance, addressing the critical need for greener, efficient, and reliable methodologies for multiresidue pesticide analysis. Results:
This study assessed the performance of a micro-flow LC system operating at a flow rate of 50 μL min-1, coupled to a triple quadrupole mass spectrometer, for the multiresidue analysis of 257 pesticides in tomato and orange matrices, in compliance with the ISO 17025. The method showed excellent retention time stability, with deviations under 2.1 s across 50 injections. Peak area repeatability was robust, with relative standard deviations of 3.4 % for tomato and 2.9 % for orange. The instrumental limits of quantification demonstrated high sensitivity, with 89 % of pesticides identified at very low concentrations (0.001–0.002 mg kg-1), outperforming the traditional analytical-flow LC-MS/MS method, which identified 75–81 % of compounds. Matrix effects were minimal, with less than 20 % signal suppression or enhancement for most compounds. The method was sucessfully tested through the analysis of proficiency tests samples, and the analysis of 39 real samples proved its applicability for routine food monitoring.
Significance: This work establishes micro-flow LC-MS/MS as an innovative method for multiresidue pesticide analysis in fruits and vegetables, combining high analytical performance with significant sustainability advantages, reducing solvent consumption by over fivefold compared to the conventional analytical-flow method. These benefits underscore micro-flow LC-MS/MS as a promising, efficient, and environmentally friendly option for multiresidue pesticide analysis, positioning it as a valuable tool for broader adoption in food safety analysis
Development of a digital tool for semi-quantitative assessment of pesticide exposure risk in greenhouses
Full text linkAccurate assessment of occupational exposure to plant protection products in greenhouses poses specific challenges due to confined environments, operator variability, and the limited suitability of existing models under real working conditions. This study presents the development of a digital tool that implements a semiquantitative model for evaluating pesticide exposure risk among greenhouse workers. The model integrates task-specific variables across four exposure scenarios: mixing and loading, application, maintenance and reentry; and applies a logarithmic scoring system to calculate an exposure index. This index is then combined with a toxicity score derived from product hazard classifications to obtain a comprehensive risk level, interpreted using a five-tier classification scheme with corresponding preventive recommendations. The application includes a preliminary questionnaire to ensure basic safety conditions are met and incorporates an automated update mechanism that maintains an up-to-date list of authorized products based on official registries. The tool was developed with a focus on usability and structured logic, supporting efficient data entry and interpretability of
results. Field testing was carried out in different greenhouses under commercial production located in southeast Spain, confirming the coherence and functionality of the tool under practical conditions
Potent HIV-1 miniprotein inhibitors targeting highly conserved gp41 epitopes
Full text linkThe viral envelope glycoprotein (Env) mediates HIV entry to the cell. During this process, its gp41 subunits must assemble into a highly stable six-helix bundle (6HB) by association between their N-terminal and C-terminal heptad repeats (NHR or HR1 and CHR or HR2, respectively), bringing the viral and cell membranes into close proximity. Further interactions involving the gp41 fusion peptide and the membrane proximal external region (MPER) facilitate membrane fusion. Disrupting 6HB formation is a strategy to inhibit HIV. Previously, we reported chimeric miniproteins (termed covNHR-N) that mimic the first half of gp41 NHR and potently inhibit HIV-1. Stabilization of these miniproteins with disulfide bonds was essential for high inhibitory activity. Here, we introduce newly designed covNHR-N miniproteins, further stabilized by polar-to-hydrophobic mutations. Moreover, we incorporated additional structural motifs that interact with the MPER, a target of broadly neutralizing antibodies (bNAbs). These novel miniproteins showed increased binding affinity for gp41-derived peptides and improved HIV-1 inhibitory activity, particularly against infectious primary viruses on peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC). Furthermore, they exhibited strong synergy with bNAbs and reduced HIV-1 replication in ex vivo experiments with cells from infected donors. These miniproteins could be developed as part of drug compositions against HIV-1
Application of LC-MS/MS for the analysis of highly polar contaminants in infant formulas: occurrence, exposure assessment, and unknown analysis
Full text linkGrowing a greener future: A bibliometric analysis of green innovation in SMEs
Full text linkGreen innovation (GI) has attracted growing interest in academia, society and business due to its importance for environmental protection, quality of life, environmentally friendly products and economic results, especially among small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). Consequently, given the vast literature, a bibliometric analysis of GI in SMEs is presented to evaluate their conceptual structure using Scopus and Web of Science databases through performance and bibliometric mapping with VOSviewer and R software. The results show that this topic is a growing area of research, with 496 articles developed by 1373 authors, 218 journals and 63 countries. The structure shows that the main research topics relate to sustainable business development, green business transformation, sustainable business innovation and performance, sustainable production, barriers, drivers and outcomes, eco-innovation and sustainability, and innovation and knowledge management. This work offers updated and exhaustive information on advances in this field that serve as a guide for SMEs to make informed decisions about innovation strategies, as well as more effective practices and lessons learned from other similar companies. In turn, governments can take these results and design policies and programs to support GI.
Finally, this article highlights gaps in the literature that suggest possible avenues for follow-up studies
NADES-assisted dispersive liquid-liquid microextraction with solidification of floating organic drop for biopesticide determination in environmental waters
Full text linkThe principles of green analytical chemistry recommend the use of less polluting and more sustainable solvents, as well as extraction techniques that require minimal sample size and solvent consumption. In this study, the extraction of multi-class biopesticides from water samples was studied using more sustainable solvents such as natural deep eutectic solvents (NADES). A novel dispersive liquid-liquid microextraction method based on the solidification of floating organic drop (DLLME-SFOD) was used, employing 1-dodecanol as the extraction solvent and choline chloride:urea:water (ChClUH, molar ratio 1:2:3) as the NADES-based dispersive solvent. The
extraction procedure was optimized through an experimental design, which yielded optimal conditions of 120 μL of 1-dodecanol, 1.8 mL of ChClUH, 0.5 g of amount of salt (Na2SO4), and an extraction time of 20 min. Biopesticides determination was performed using ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography (UHPLC) and gas chromatography (GC) coupled to high resolution mass spectrometers (quadrupole (Q)-Orbitrap). Under these conditions, biopesticides such as pyrethrins, rotenone, and some monoterpenes such as 1,8-cineole exhibited low limits of quantification (LOQ, 1–25 μg/L), recoveries between 70.9 and 109.1 %, and suitable precision values of
1.8–15.8 % (intra-day) and 3.9–18.1 % (inter-day). The extraction method proved to be efficient, reproducible, and greener, as confirmed by multiple green analytical metrics. Analysis of eight water samples from different sources such as environmental water (groundwater, spring, etc.) or irrigation water confirmed the absence of target biopesticides in all cases. These results demonstrate the potential of NADES-assisted DLLME-SFOD as a sustainable and effective tool for the monitoring of biopesticides in environmental water samples
Hungrier than a schoolmistress: gender wage gap analysis since mid-nineteenth century in Vera
Full text linkPara conocer la evolución de la figura de la maestra de escuela y el proceso de feminización docente en la España decimonónica es fundamental conocer la situación económica de las docentes de la época. A partir de diversos documentos de archivo histórico y del estudio de la legislación en materia educativa del siglo XIX, en este trabajo se lleva a cabo la estimación y posterior análisis de la brecha salarial de género en el sector educativo en el municipio almeriense de Vera. A partir de este estudio de caso, podemos conocer la evolución de las diferencias salariales e indagar acerca de las causas que estaban detrás de la segregación dentro del magisterio español
Cálculo de la Densidad Léxica (R y Python): Documento Técnico
Full text linkEste informe técnico presenta el procedimiento computacional para calcular la densidad léxica
en producciones verbales, una métrica fundamental en lingüística y psicolingüística que
cuantifica la proporción de palabras léxicas respecto al total de palabras producidas. Esta
medida se utilizó en el estudio 'Creative thinking and lexical richness development and
the impact of cooperative learning over time' (Segundo-Marcos et al., 2025) como
indicador complementario para analizar la relación entre riqueza lingüística y
pensamiento creativo durante el desarrollo escolar.
El documento incluye scripts reproducibles en R y Python que permiten automatizar el
cálculo de esta métrica a partir de conjuntos de textos organizados por sujeto. Ambos
scripts utilizan procedimientos de tokenización, limpieza del texto y clasificación entre
palabras funcionales y léxicas sin requerir dependencias externas, lo que garantiza su
accesibilidad en distintos entornos académicos y de investigación
Experiences of Females With Late Diagnosis of Autism: Descriptive Qualitative Study
Full text linkBackground: On the autism spectrum is diagnosed less frequently and later in female sex, particularly in those with intellectual capacities equal to or above the average. Females with autism have greater co-occurring of health problems and use of healthcare services than the neurotypical population, posing distinctive challenges and hurdles in order to received supportive and sensitive care tailored to their individual needs.
Aim: To explore the experiences and perceptions of female subjects with late diagnosis of autism in terms of coping with and managing the diagnosis as part of neurodiversity.
Methods: A descriptive qualitative study was conducted between December 2022 and March 2023 using semi-structured interviews. Fourteen female subjects with late-diagnosed autism were recruited using a purposive and snowball sampling. ATLAS.ti v.9 software was used for a thematic analysis of the interview data. The study and results were reported in accordance with the recommendations for reporting qualitative research (SRQR).
Results: Three main themes emerged from the analysis of results: (i) getting a diagnosis: fitting into the norm; (ii) resources for effectively accessing healthcare and managing diagnosis; and (iii) navigating the distinct significance for autistic females. Representative quotations were used to illustrate both the main themes and the subthemes.
Conclusion: The results of this study elucidate how masking and camouflaging emerge as predominant coping strategies, likely contributing to delays in diagnosing autism in female sex. Additionally, there is a conspicuous presence of social and health stigma associated with autism in females, with significant implications for the increased risk of abuse, harassment, or mistreatment stemming from these females desire to conform to the neurotypical society. Nevertheless, the study also acknowledges positive aspects and potential areas for improvement, such as enhancing access to specific resources and support groups, and bolstering tailored training programs for healthcare professionals
Control del confort térmico mediante aprendizaje por refuerzo en edificios
Full text linkEl confort térmico se puede definir como la sensación que garantiza la satisfacción de una persona con el ambiente térmico que le rodea. Por tanto, garantizar esa sensación de bienestar de forma eficiente es un factor clave desde el punto de vista del ahorro de energía, ya que minimiza los costes y el impacto ambiental derivado de asegurar un ambiente confortable. En este trabajo, se propone un controlador que utiliza aprendizaje por refuerzo para mantener el confort térmico de los usuarios del centro de investigación CIESOL. Para ello, se ha hecho uso de un modelo lineal simplificado de la temperatura del aire interior de una habitación, que ha sido validado con datos reales del edificio. Además, se han entrenado dos agentes diferentes: un agente de Gradiente de Política Determinista Profunda (DDPG) y un agente de Gradiente de Política Determinista Profunda de Doble Retardo (TD3). Los resultados obtenidos en simulación muestran cómo el controlador propuesto es capaz de mantener la temperatura interior en la referencia establecida, incluso ante la presencia de perturbaciones. Finalmente, el desempeño del controlador propuesto se ha comparado con un clásico controlador Proporcional-Integral-Derivativo (PID)