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Exploring educational ecosystems: insights from the implementation of SchoolWeavers tool in Catalonia
No full textEducation has undergone significant changes, leading to more complex and collaborative approaches that recognize schools as ecosystems where diverse stakeholders interact. Consequently, new processes and tools are needed to promote leadership within these ecosystems. To guide school leadership teams, we developed and piloted the online tool ‘SchoolWeavers’, which fosters relationships and collaboration across the ecosystem to improve learning and well-being. This study examines the initial outcomes of using SchoolWeavers as a school leadership strategy in five schools in Catalonia, Spain, by surveying 1,615 members of the ecosystem, including teachers, leaders, staff, families, students, and community professionals. The aim is to investigate school ecosystem dynamics through the domains addressed by the tool, such as empathy, trust, shared purpose, innovation, collaboration, equity, and personalized learning, identifying opportunities for improvement and ways to foster stronger educational ecosystems. Leadership teams showed the highest scores and positive perceptions, while students rated the domains lower. Community professionals had low participation, indicating weaker collaboration with the community. Trust and equity received the highest scores, whereas innovation and personalized learning were less valued. This study highlights the need for tools to strengthen educational ecosystems and identifies areas for improvement, particularly in innovation and student agency.info:eu-repo/semantics/acceptedVersio
Effectiveness of Interventions for Reducing Sedentary Behavior in Older Adults Living in Long-Term Care Facilities: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis
No full textObjectives: To evaluate the effectiveness of interventions aimed at reducing sedentary behavior
(SB) and/or increasing physical activity (PA) among adults aged _60 years residing in long-term
care facilities (LTCFs).
Design: Systematic review of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) and pre-post interventional
studies targeting SB reduction and/or increase in PA, following PRISMA guidelines.
Setting and Participants: Six studies conducted in LTCFs across Europe and North America,
involving 403 participants aged ≥60 years.
Methods: We searched 7 databases (Cochrane Library, PubMed, Scopus, PEDro, ScienceDirect,
ClinicalTrials.gov, and Google Scholar) up until January 2025 and screened reference lists for
additional articles. Two independent reviewers screened titles, abstracts, and full texts, resulting
in the inclusion of 6 studies: 3 prepost interventional studies and 3 RCTs. The primary outcome
was time spent in SB, measured via device or self-report, whereas secondary outcomes included
quality of life, depression, physical health (physical function, cardiovascular and metabolic
health, adverse events), and social isolation.
Results: One RCT found that the intervention reduced SB compared to usual care, whereas the
other studies reported nonsignificant improvements. Notably, interventions focused on SB rather
than PA showed potential positive effects on reducing sedentary time. However, limitations such as small sample sizes, heterogeneity, and risk of bias were common, highlighting the need for
further research.
Conclusions and Implications: In conclusion, this review emphasizes the uncertainty surrounding
the effectiveness of SB reduction interventions in LTCFs. Future research should refine
methodologies, standardize interventions and outcome measures, and build a stronger evidence
base to guide intervention development and improve well-being in LTCF residents. Findings also
suggest that SB-focused strategies may be more effective than PA-based ones alone and could
inform policy and practice development in LTCFs.info:eu-repo/semantics/acceptedVersio
Shaping Techniques' Influence on the Electrochemical Properties of BaCe0.6Zr0.3Y0.1O3-δ proton conductor
No full textHydrogen's significance as a clean and high-energy source spans various industries, driving
advancements in fuel cell technology, transportation, and renewable energy storage systems. In
particular, solid-state proton conductors like perovskite-type materials exhibit promising attributes for
applications such as fuel cells and hydrogen sensors. However, conventional shaping techniques like
uniaxial pressing impose limitations on device scalability and geometry. To address these challenges,
alternative methods are gaining traction, like cold isostatic pressing or additive manufacturing. Each
technique offers distinct advantages in shaping materials, impacting their structural and morphological
properties. In this study, pellets of BaCe0.6Zr0.3Y0.1O3-δ (BCZY) solid-state electrolyte were fabricated
using four different shaping techniques: uniaxial pressing, cold isostatic pressing, 3D extrusion, and
lithography. Characterization via X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, and electrochemical
impedance spectroscopy provided insights into changes in crystalline structure, sintering quality, and
electrochemical properties, respectively.info:eu-repo/semantics/acceptedVersio
Absolute environmental sustainability assessment of emerging working fluids in organic rankine cycles
No full textNew working fluids (WFs) have been recently proposed to enhance the environmental performance of Organic Rankine Cycles (ORCs) in waste heat recovery systems. However, a critical gap remains in the comprehensive evaluation of their environmental impacts, particularly those associated with the production of these compounds and their use in ORC systems. This study performs a comprehensive absolute environmental sustainability assessment (AESA) to evaluate the environmental trade-offs of replacing traditional WFs, such as R245fa, with emerging alternatives in ORC systems. An innovative methodology, integrating process simulation, life cycle assessment (LCA), prospective analysis, and the planetary boundaries (PBs) framework, is employed to provide a holistic sustainability assessment. The results show that using emerging WFs reduces 85% of the carbon footprint of ORCs. Although this transition shifts environmental burdens to the ozone depletion impact category, the system remains within the PBs’ safe operating space. The burden of the other environmental impact categories studied is reduced by more than 15%. The prospective analysis highlights that the transition from current to alternative WFs for ORC systems could cut around 237 million tons of annual CO2 emissions by 2050.info:eu-repo/semantics/acceptedVersio
A geometric and morphometric methodology for evaluating low-cost 3D facial acquisition and reconstruction techniques
No full textRecent studies in neuropsychiatry have highlighted the correlation between facial and brain dysmorphologies. One way of simultaneously analysing the brain and the face of a subject is by reconstructing a whole-head 3D model from structural magnetic resonance imaging (sMRI). However, the use of different reconstruction protocols generates undesired orthogonal rotations of the 3D models. This is a likely situation in multicentric studies that hampers the combination of data from different centers. Although the original sMRI files contain the subject orientation, it is not always possible to access this data. To solve this issue, in this work we propose a novel method to estimate the orientation of 3D heads with rotations of 90º or multiples thereof around any of the three Cartesian axes as a required step for generating a normalised dataset in terms of orientation. Our proposal creates 2D images from orthogonal projections of the 3D object, transforming orientation estimation into an image classification problem. Experimental results show that our method, using three orthographic views of the 3D head to create the projection image and ResNet50 for classification, achieves an accuracy of 99.7%, which corresponds to 0.15 mean absolute error in rotation, outperforming state-of-the-art point cloud registration methods like DeepBBS and PRNet.info:eu-repo/semantics/acceptedVersio
Evaluating the effectiveness of public subsidies for energy-efficient retrofit: a comparative study of two next-generation programs with standard market interventions in Catalonia
Full text linkAssessing the impact of past and current renovation efforts is essential for refining decarbonisation mechanisms and ensuring the effective use of public resources. In this context, this paper examines the effectiveness of two Next Generation subsidy schemes implemented in Catalonia between 2021 and 2024. It evaluates their impact on energy demand, non-renewable energy use, and CO2 emissions, while also assessing the associated investment costs. In addition, the analysis compares subsidised interventions with a reference sample of standard market interventions carried out without financial support. The analysis revealed that the subsidies reached 35% of the region and 15% of low-income municipalities, with a scope comparable to that of standard interventions. The study also emphasises that the impact of the samples remained broadly similar, noting only a few minor differences when more restrictive conditions were introduced. Furthermore, the study shows that although in some cases there is a clear improvement in the Energy Performance Certificates, in many others the impact is significantly lower, with some even remaining in conditions clearly below the decarbonisation objectives. The assessment also identifies a lower effect on energy demand compared to overall energy consumption and emissions, as well as a correlation between energy savings and climate, with colder climates yielding greater results. Finally, territorial urban–rural disparities in terms of investment costs are revealed. These findings underscore the need to redesign the instruments to consider geographic and social aspects, effectively engage more of the population, particularly the vulnerable groups, and facilitate integral interventions that surpass conventional market practices.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio
Diagnostic BioFire® FilmArray® Pneumonia Panel Plus versus standard microbial culture in bronchiectasis exacerbations
Full text linkBackground
The diagnostic performance of the BioFire® FilmArray® Pneumonia Panel Plus (FAPP) compared to standard microbial culture (SMC) during bronchiectasis (BE) exacerbations is unknown.
Objective
To compare the microbiological diagnostic performance between FAPP and SMC during BE exacerbations.
Study design and methods
A prospective observational study was conducted in adults with a BE exacerbation at the Hospital Clinic of Barcelona (Spain) June 2020 to April 2022. All sputum samples underwent processing using both the FAPP and SMC (n = 109) but we focused in good quality samples (n = 73).
Results
The FAPP detected pathogens in a higher percentage (n = 64, 88%) compared to SMC (n = 41, 56%). This increase was higher in samples from patients receiving empiric antibiotic treatment (n = 24, 89% and n = 10, 37%, for FAPP and SMC, respectively). The FAPP identified in 29 sputum (40%) more than one microorganism, while by SMC were all monomicrobial (n = 73, 100%). In 93 out of 109 BE exacerbations (85%), clinicians used the FAPP results for treatment decisions. According to the pathogen found by FAPP, immediate change of empiric treatment occurred in 15 out of 38 patients (40%) receiving empiric antimicrobial at time of exacerbation. Early treatment adequacy likely contributed to the low rate of treatment modifications observed by day 5 of exacerbation when the overall rate of treatment changes was low (8%) and treatment failure was noted in only 2% of the total population.
Conclusion
The FAPP demonstrated significantly higher microbiological diagnostic performance compared to SMC, regardless of prior antibiotic exposure. Improved pathogen detection using FAPP enabled more accurate initial antimicrobial therapy, which was associated with low rates of treatment failure.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio
Inscribing Impact: Measurement Practices in the Making of Moral Markets
Full text linkMoral markets, designed to generate positive impact on pressing social and environ-
mental challenges, are transforming traditional market practices by including more than eco-
nomic considerations in their operations. The importance of these markets continues to grow
as investors, regulators, and consumers increasingly put pressure on companies to account for
their broader social and environmental impacts. However, the absence of standardized norms
and tools to measure impact may erode trust and lead to ‘impact washing’. This paper examines
the process of impact inscription – how actors embed their principles, objectives, and values into
artefacts such as measurement tools that shape moral market practices. Drawing on qualitative,
in-depth data from Spain’s emerging impact investing market, we unpack impact inscription
and identify three key mechanisms: demarcating moral market boundaries, accounting for social
issues, and redefining governance structures. By driving changes in scope, roles, and incentives,
these mechanisms influence the emergence of moral markets and can result in either disruptive
change (with the risk of paralysis) or incremental change (with the risk of goal displacement).
Our study also prompts a deeper reflection on how measurement tools embed value judgments,
shaping how markets internalize social and environmental externalities and integrate them into
market exchanges.info:eu-repo/semantics/acceptedVersio
An automated classification pipeline for tables in pharmacokinetic literature
Full text linkPharmacokinetic (PK) models are essential for optimising drug candidate selection and dosing regimens in drug development. Preclinical and population PK models benefit from integrating prior knowledge from existing compounds. While tables in scientific literature contain comprehensive prior PK data and critical contextual information, the lack of automated extraction tools forces researchers to manually curate datasets, limiting efficiency and scalability. This study addresses this gap by focusing on the crucial first step of PK table mining: automatically identifying tables containing in vivo PK parameters and study population characteristics. To this end, an expert-annotated corpus of 2640 tables from PK literature was developed and used to train a supervised classification pipeline. The pipeline integrates diverse table features and representations, with GPT-4 refining predictions in uncertain cases. The resulting model achieved F1 scores exceeding 96% across all classes. The pipeline was applied to PK papers from PubMed Central Open-Access, with results integrated into the PK paper search tool at www.pkpdai.com. This work establishes a foundational step towards automating PK table data extraction and streamlining dataset curation. The corpus and code are openly available.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio
A scoping review on mycotoxin-induced neurotoxicity
Full text linkMycotoxins are toxic secondary metabolites produced by toxigenic fungi. Acute and chronic dietary exposure to toxigenic mycotoxins can cause various adverse health effects in humans and animals and thus are relevant food and feed contaminants. Despite many years of research and efforts on good agricultural and manufacturing practices, there remains a global challenge in the prevention of mycotoxin contamination and its effects on human and animal health. This leads to significant global economic losses. Research has established that these toxic mycotoxins are carcinogenic, genotoxic, mutagenic hepatotoxic and nephrotoxic. Toxigenic mycotoxins have a significant risk to the central nervous system, with potential long-term consequences on cognitive, and behavioural outcomes and neurological disorders, particularly in children. The most common mycotoxins aflatoxin B1, ochratoxin A, T-2 toxin, deoxynivalenol, zearalenone, and fumonisin B1 induces neurotoxicity via different mechanisms including disruption of neuronal signalling pathways, DNA damage, epigenetic modifications, impaired neurogenesis, oxidative stress, autophagy, disruption of neurotransmitter systems, mitochondrial dysfunction, and neuroinflammation. Exposure to mycotoxins has been associated with cognitive impairments, learning difficulties, behavioural abnormalities, and neurological disorders. The severity of neurological disorder outcomes associated with mycotoxin exposure can vary depending on the dose, duration, and timing of exposure. This review thus discusses the health effects of neurotoxic mycotoxins, their neurotoxicity and mechanisms of action.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio