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Evaluation of THC-induced neurotoxicity via oxidative stress in undifferentiated SH-SY5Y cells
No full textThe increasing global consumption of cannabis, particularly high-THC products, has raised public health concerns due to potential neurotoxic effects, although its association with oxidative stress remains a subject of debated. Some studies link THC-rich cannabis to increased oxidative damage, while others highlight antioxidant properties of cannabinoids. This study aimed to evaluate whether THC concentrations observed in real-world scenarios, specifically in the blood of drivers involved in traffic accidents, can induce neuronal damage through oxidative stress in vitro. Human undifferentiated SH-SY5Y neuroblastoma cells were exposed to 0.66, 20, 73.75, and 150 ng/mL THC. High concentrations (73.75 and 150 ng/mL) significantly reduced cell viability (to 76.5 % and 64.6 % at 48 h) and caused morphological changes. THC exposure increased ROS, peaking at 116.5 % at 150 ng/mL, disrupted glutathione balance (GSH/GSSG ratio decreased by 69.2 %), and moderately increased lipid peroxidation (34.5 %). Activities of antioxidant enzymes (CAT, SOD, GR, GPx) declined concentration-dependently. Additionally, nuclear condensation and mitochondrial membrane depolarization indicated early apoptosis. These findings suggest that high THC levels can trigger neurotoxicity via oxidative stress and mitochondrial dysfunction.Ministerio de Sanidad (España)Depto. de Farmacología, Farmacognosia y BotánicaFac. de FarmaciaTRUEpu
What do flexural normal faults tell us about fold-and-thrust belts and foredeep flexures? Cantabrian zone (Ibero-Armorican Orocline core) examples
No full textThis work describes how flexural normal faults related to a flexure produced in the foredeep of a fold-and-thrust belt develop, how they can be recognized, especially when they formed in early or intermediate stages of development of the fold-and-thrust belt, what information provide about the fold-and-thrust belt and the foredeep flexure, and different procedures to obtain it. The application of these methodologies to a natural example is shown through the detailed analysis of normal faults preceding the folds and thrusts in the western part of the Cantabrian Zone, the foreland fold-and-thrust belt of the Variscan Orogen in the northwest portion of the Iberian Peninsula. These faults are interpreted as flexural normal faults formed during the fold-and-thrust belt development. The strike of the longitudinal flexural normal faults illustrates the orientation of the old fold-and-thrust belt front, resulting in an arcuate distribution consistent with the geometry of the Ibero-Armorican or Asturian Arc. The low fracturing intensity due to the longitudinal faults indicates that the flexure curvature and the flexure inclined-limb dip were very gentle, and that the flexure interlimb angle was very high. This may suggest that the fold-and-thrust belt weight was low at that time. The timing of these flexural normal faults indicate that the thrusts propagated following a forward-breaking or “piggy-back” sequence, as deduced by other authors employing different methods. Finally, the transverse flexural normal faults are interpreted as a result of large oblique/lateral thrust ramps in some thrust sheets located in the southern part of the Cantabrian Zone.Ministerio de Ciencia e InnovaciónDepto. de Geodinámica, Estratigrafía y PaleontologíaFac. de Ciencias GeológicasTRUEpu
Next-generation MOFs for atmospheric water harvesting: the role of machine learning techniques
No full text© 2025 The Authors.
MSCA-101154984-PHOTOWATAtmospheric Water Harvesting (AWH) using Metal-Organic Frameworks (MOFs) has emerged as a highly promising approach to mitigate water scarcity, especially in arid and semi-arid regions. The development of high-performance MOFs for AWH hinges on materials that exhibit optimal water uptake capacity, rapid adsorption-desorption kinetics, and robust hydrolytic stability. However, the structural complexity of MOFs and the inefficiencies of traditional experimental screening have made data-driven approaches, particularly machine learning (ML), increasingly indispensable for accelerating materials discovery. Among the ML techniques applied to MOF-based AWH, models such as Random Forest (RF), Random Forest Regression (RFR), Neighbor Component Analysis (NCA), Genetic Algorithms (GA), and Machine-Learned Atomistic Cluster Expansion (MACE) have demonstrated outstanding predictive performance. These models are especially valued for their ability to capture non-linear dependencies, improve interpretability, and optimize design strategies across diverse application domains. This review presents a comprehensive analysis of ML-assisted MOF discovery for AWH, focusing on the roles of explicit and latent descriptors, evaluation metrics, dataset curation challenges, and comparative model performance. By emphasizing the superior predictive capabilities of RF, MACE, NCA, RFR, and GA, this work highlights the transformative potential of ML in driving the rational design of next-generation MOFs for efficient and scalable AWH.European CommissionNew York University Abu DhabiDepto. de Estructura de la Materia, Física Térmica y ElectrónicaFac. de Ciencias FísicasTRUEpu
Cyclist Still Lives (Review)
No full textMuerte de un ciclista (1955), dirigida por Juan Antonio Bardem, es considerada un verdadero «film événement” por su impacto cultural, político y cinematográfico en la España franquista. Presentada en el Festival de Cannes antes de estrenarse en España, se convirtió rápidamente en un símbolo del cine disidente. Su proyección durante las Conversaciones de Salamanca marcó un antes y un después en la historia del cine español, generando un intenso debate entre creadores, críticos e intelectuales. El análisis de la profesora María Marcos Ramos ofrece una lectura profunda del filme y del contexto en que emergió, destacando su relevancia continua incluso setenta años después. Su libro funciona como una guía para sumergirse en las múltiples capas de significado que ofrece la obra. A través de este estudio, se reafirma que Muerte de un ciclista sigue viva en la memoria cultural y en el debate sobre la función del cine. Su mensaje y su estética mantienen una vigencia que trasciende su tiempo y lo convierten en una obra imprescindible.Muerte de un ciclista (1955), directed by Juan Antonio Bardem, is regarded as a true “film événement” due to its cultural, political, and cinematic impact in Francoist Spain. Premiered at the Cannes Film Festival before being released in Spain, it swiftly became a symbol of dissident cinema. Its screening during the Conversaciones de Salamanca marked a turning point in the history of Spanish cinema, provoking intense debate among filmmakers, critics, and intellectuals. Professor María Marcos Ramos’s analysis offers an indepth reading of the film and the context from which it emerged, underscoring its enduring relevance even seventy years after its release. Her book serves as a guide to navigating the multiple layers of meaning the work presents. Through this study, it is reaffirmed that Muerte de un ciclista remains alive within the cultural memory and in ongoing discussions about the role of cinema. Its message and aesthetic continue to resonate, transcending its original era and establishing it as an essential and enduring piece of cinematic history.Depto. de Ciencias de la Comunicación AplicadaFac. de Ciencias de la InformaciónTRUEunpu
Transient receptor potential channel 4 (TRPC4) in boar sperm: Immunolocalization and functional analysis using the specific inhibitor ML204
No full textCredit authorship contribution statement
María José Martinez-Alborcia: Writing – review & editing, Methodology, Conceptualization. Alejandro Vicente-Carrillo: Writing – review & editing, Methodology, Funding acquisition, Conceptualization. Manuel Álvarez-Rodríguez: Writing – review & editing, Supervision, Software, Project administration, Methodology, Funding acquisition, Conceptualization. Eduardo de Mercado: Writing – original draft, Software, Project administration, Methodology, Funding acquisition, Formal analysis, Conceptualization. Sonia Sánchez-Rodríguez: Writing – original draft, Methodology, Formal analysis. Adrián Martín-San Juan: Writing – review & editing, Software, Methodology, Formal analysis. Helena Nieto-Cristóbal: Writing – original draft, Software, Methodology, Formal analysisThe TRPC4 channel is related to the movement of calcium within cells, and therefore possibly to sperm motility, capacitation and the acrosome reaction. This study investigated the presence and localization of TRPC4 channels in frozen-thawed boar sperm by direct immunofluorescence. In addition, different concentrations of the specific inhibitor ML204 were tested to evaluate its effect on post-thaw sperm motility and multiple sperm quality parameters assessed by flow cytometry, under conditions that promote motility recovery, such as caffeine supplementation or incubation in a basic extender. Our results confirmed that the presence of TRPC4 in boar sperm is independent of the use of ML204 and located in the midpiece and post-acrosomal regions. At the highest concentrations (22 µM), channel inhibition with ML204 caused a significant reduction in total and progressive motility, as well as in mitochondrial membrane potential, without a clear detrimental effect on the measured cytometry parameters. The loss of motility was exacerbated under co-incubation conditions with caffeine (2 mM), possibly due to an imbalance between calcium influx and demand via the cAMP/PKA pathway activated by this methylxanthine. Our results, however, when the thawing medium had a basic pH (8.2), motility was comparable to the control, likely because other pH-dependent channels compensated for the reduced calcium and cation influx. In conclusion, the TRPC4 channel is present in porcine sperm and appears to play an important role in regulating motility and maintaining mitochondrial membrane potentialMinisterio de Ciencia, Innovación y Universidades (España)Universidad Rey Juan CarlosGeneralitat ValencianaEuropean CommissionDepto. de Producción AnimalFac. de VeterinariaTRUEpu
Human-Intelligent Trajectory Optimization for Robotic Manipulators with Hybrid PSO-PS Algorithm
No full textIndustry 5.0 is driving a new era in industrial automation, where the collaboration between artificial intelligence (AI) and human supervision enables the development of smarter, more adaptive, and more efficient systems. Robotic trajectory generation is a clear example of this new paradigm. Metaheuristic techniques help automatically generate optimized trajectories, thereby improving operational efficiency. However, optimizing trajectories using AI alone also presents limitations. Starting from random trajectories, the optimization process becomes computationally expensive, especially in complex environments. In this context, initial input from human experts plays a crucial role: expert-defined trajectories provide structured, feasible, and contextual starting points that guide AI more effectively toward high-quality solutions. Therefore, this work proposes a novel human-guided trajectory optimization algorithm. In this way, human knowledge, Particle Swarm Optimization (PSO), and Pattern Search (PS) are efficiently combined. The results demonstrate that this approach significantly improves robotic system performance, achieving cycle time reductions of up to 16.69% compared to expert-defined trajectories. This approach establishes a solid framework for intelligent automation in Industry 5.0, promoting the development of more efficient, sustainable, and adaptive robotic systems.European CommissionDepto. de Arquitectura de Computadores y AutomáticaInstituto de Tecnología del Conocimiento (ITC)TRUEpu
Comparative evaluation of three culture media for domestic cat in vitro embryo production and their effects on blastocyst development
No full textCredit authorship:
contribution statement Ana Munoz-Maceda: Writing – original draft, Methodology. Eva Pericuesta Camacho: Supervision, Methodology. Andrea PriegoGonzalez: Writing – original draft, Methodology. Carolina Núnez- ˜ Puente: Methodology. Nuria Martínez de los Reyes: Methodology, Data curation. Joaquín Cerdeira: Writing – review & editing, Supervision, Methodology, Funding acquisition. Ana Sanchez-Rodriguez: Writing – review & editing, Methodology, Investigation, Conceptualization. Priscila Ramos-Ibeas: Writing – review & editing, Supervision, Formal analysis, Data curation, Conceptualization. Dimitrios Rizos: Writing – review & editing, Validation, Supervision, Investigation, Funding acquisition, Conceptualization. Alfonso Gutierrez-Ad ´ an: ´ Writing – review & editing, Validation, Supervision, Data curation, Conceptualization. Eduardo R.S. Roldan: Writing – review & editing, Validation, Supervision, Investigation, Conceptualization. María Jesús Sanchez-Calabuig: ´ Writing – review & editing, Validation, Supervision, Methodology, Investigation, Funding acquisition, Formal analysis, Data curation, Conceptualization.In vitro embryo production (IVP) in felid species faces difficulties derived from their conservation status, challenging reproductive traits and low success rates during in vitro maturation (IVM), fertilization (IVF) and culture (IVC). This study aimed to evaluate different IVC strategies for domestic cat IVP, as a model to improve assisted reproduction techniques (ARTs) in wild felids. Three IVC media were compared: (i) synthetic oviductal fluid (SOF) supplemented with fetal bovine serum (“FBS”); (ii): SOF supplemented first with bovine serum albumin (BSA), followed by FBS addition (“BSA-FBS”); and (iii): a commercial IVC human medium (IVC-CULT®) (“COM”). A total of 1064 in vitro matured cat oocytes were fertilized with frozen-thawed epididymal spermatozoa, and 813 presumptive zygotes were cultured in the three experimental groups. Expanded blastocysts (n = 108) were snap-frozen or fixed for differential cell count and quantitative analysis of pluripotency-related gene expression. One-way ANOVA was used to assess differences in IVP rates and blastocyst developmental parameters. No significant differences in cleavage or blastocyst rates were found among groups, nor in total blastomere count (P > 0.05). However, the FBS group showed higher SOX2 pluripotency marker expression compared to the other groups, while BSA-FBS exhibited a more balanced SOX2/OCT4 ratio, linked to blastocyst competence in other species. Furthermore, a tendency was found towards a lower proportion of cells in the inner cell mass (ICM) in the FBS group. Our results suggest that elevated SOX2 expression alone may not reflect improved developmental competence in the domestic cat blastocysts. Instead, early BSA supplementation followed by FBS might enhance ICM differentiation, benefiting first from BSA's fatty acids and later from FBS's antioxidants and growth factors. Lastly, the commercial medium yielded comparable embryonic developmental outcomes to BSA-FBS, offering a viable alternative. Thus, this research represents a contribution to the refinement of IVP protocols in the domestic cat, promoting standardization that could be adapted for wild feline conservationComunidad de MadridMinisterio de Ciencia, Innovación y Universidades (España)Depto. de Medicina y Cirugía AnimalDepto. de FisiologíaFac. de VeterinariaTRUEpu
A new approach for measuring productivity gaps across groups: an application with historic footballers from FC Barcelona and Real Madrid
No full textThe assessment of the productivity gap between two or more groups of production units that operate an equivalent production process in different settings is a common challenge in the field of production analysis. These groups need to determine whether they should keep operating in the same manner to sustain their better performance levels or decide which managerial practices should be altered to close the gap with respect to best practices in other groups. The aim of this paper is to propose a new tool for measuring the productivity gap across different groups based on the use of a synthetic reference group uniformly distributed within a unit hypercube. Besides, as the productivity gap can be decomposed into two components, efficiency gap and global technical gap, this method fulfills the circular test and is independent of a base-reference technology. Thus, it outperforms other traditional approaches. To illustrate the usefulness of this methodology, we analyze the productivity gap between Spanish football’s two biggest rival clubs: FC Barcelona and Real Madrid. We use data on the performance of the most important players in the history of both clubs, divided according to their position on the pitch. The period of analysis covers the last 70 years, from the beginning of European competitions to the present day, i.e., from the 1954/55 to the 2023/24 season. Results show that, to date, Real Madrid’s goalkeepers and midfielders were more productive than those playing for FC Barcelona, there is a tie for defenders, while the productivity of FC Barcelona’s forwards was higher than those playing for Real Madrid.Depto. de Economía Aplicada, Pública y PolíticaInstituto Complutense de Análisis Económico (ICAE)TRUEpu
Diagnóstico de infecciones nosocomiales en niños tras cirugía cardíaca: comparación de un test molecular con hemocultivos convencionales
No full textTesis inédita de la Universidad Complutense de Madrid, Facultad de Medicina, leída el 26/02/2024Nosocomial infections are a prevalent cause of death and complications in critically ill children, especially bloodstream infections (BSI). Complex congenital heart diseases (CHD) require surgical or interventionist treatment, often in neonatal period, with posterior admission in Pediatric Critical Care Units (PICU) and these patients have a high risk of nosocomial infection. Conventional blood cultures are able to detect only up to 25% of BSI in children with clinical and analytical signs of invasive bacterial infection. Several studies have suggested that molecular tests, such a multiple polymerase chain reaction (PCR), could be a faster and more effective tool for detection of bacterial infections. However, there is a lack of studies comparing molecular tests with conventional cultures in hospital-acquired infections, especially in pediatric population...Las infecciones nosocomiales son una importante causa de morbilidad y mortalidad en pacientes pediátricos críticos, en particular las bacteriemias. Las cardiopatías congénitas complejas requieren tratamiento quirúrgico o intervencionista, muchas veces en el periodo neonatal, con recuperación posterior en la Unidad de Cuidados Intensivos Pediátricos (UCIP) y son pacientes con un alto riesgo de infección nosocomial. El aislamiento de microorganismos con los hemocultivos convencionales, raramente supera el 25% en niños con signos clínicos y analíticos indicativos de infección bacteriana invasiva (IBI). Muchos estudios han sugerido que las técnicas de detección molecular, como la realización de reacción en cadena de la polimerasa (PCR) múltiple, podrían ser una herramienta más rápida y más efectiva para el diagnóstico de infecciones bacterianas. Sin embargo, faltan estudios que comparen estas pruebas moleculares con los hemocultivos convencionales en las infecciones nosocomiales, en especial en población pediátrica...Fac. de MedicinaTRUEunpu
Archimedes' screw helps optimize fish catching, welfare and product quality
No full textCredit authorship contribution statement:
Alvaro ´ De la Llave-Propín: Writing – original draft, Methodology, Data curation. Andrea Martínez Villalba: Writing – review & editing, Methodology. Ruben ´ Bermejo-Poza: Writing – review & editing, Conceptualization. Morris Villarroel: Writing – review & editing, Validation, Supervision, Data curation, Conceptualization. Concepcion ´ Perez: ´ Writing – review & editing, Methodology. Elisabeth Gonzalez ´ de Chavarri: ´ Writing – review & editing, Methodology. Almudena Cabezas: Writing – review & editing, Methodology. Roberto Gonzalez ´ Garoz: Writing – review & editing, Methodology. Montserrat Fernandez-Muela ´ Garrote: Writing – review & editing, Methodology. Jesús De la Fuente: Writing – review & editing, Funding acquisition, Conceptualization. María Teresa Díaz: Writing – review & editing, Validation, Supervision, Data curation, ConceptualizationEfficient fish handling during pre-slaughter is essential to ensure both animal welfare and product quality. However, the effects of different mechanized catching systems, such as Archimedes screws and vacuum pumps, on stress and flesh characteristics in farmed fish remain insufficiently understood. This study evaluated the physiological and quality-related impacts of three methods, manual netting (N), Archimedes' screw (A), and vacuum pump (V), on rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) under two water temperatures: 10 °C (winter) and 17 °C (summer). A total of 240 fish were sampled and analyzed for plasma stress indicators (cortisol, glucose, lactate, triglycerides, non-esterified fatty acids, lactate dehydrogenase and creatine phosphokinase-CPK enzymes), muscle and liver enzyme activities, skin and liver color, fillet color at 0 and 24 h post-mortem, pH, and rigor mortis. Compared to the vacuum pump, the Archimedes screw significantly reduced stress responses (e.g., lower cortisol, lactate, and CPK), improved fillet appearance (higher L* at 24 h), and preserved muscle enzyme activity, particularly in summer. In contrast, fish caught with the vacuum pump showed greater metabolic disruption, reduced acetylcholinesterase activity, and more variable tissue coloration. However, under colder conditions, the screw's higher physical demands led to increased energy expenditure and stress indicators. Overall, results suggest that the Archimedes screw is a more fish-friendly mechanized method than the vacuum pump, offering better outcomes for welfare and product quality, especially when used at optimal water temperatures for the speciesMinisterio de Agricultura, Pesca y Alimentacion ( España)Depto. de Producción AnimalDepto. de FisiologíaFac. de VeterinariaTRUEpu