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Impact of Ad Libitum Hydration on Muscle and Liver Damage and Electrolyte Balance in Ultra-Trail Events: A Heatmap Analysis of Biomarkers and Event Characteristics—A Pilot Study
Get PDFUltra-trail events (UTs) pose significant challenges to maintaining hydration and electrolyte balance, with risks of dehydration (DH), overhydration (OH), exercise-associated hyponatremia (EAH), and exertional rhabdomyolysis (ER). This study examined the effects of ad libitum (ADL) hydration on hydration status and muscle damage during a nine-stage UT (635 km, 40,586 m elevation gain). Four highly trained male athletes participated. Hydration was assessed via body weight loss (BWL), urine specific gravity (Usg), and serum sodium ([Na+]), while muscle damage markers included creatine kinase (CK), lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), and calcium (Ca), and liver damage biomarkers included aspartate aminotransferase (AST) and alanine aminotransferase (ALT). Our results showed no cases of EAH or hypernatremia ([Na+] > 145 mmol·L−1), with serum [Na+] maintained above 135 mmol·L−1. BWL exceeded the 2% DH threshold in early stages (p = 0.029), and Usg remained elevated (>1.020 g·mL−1). LDH and CK significantly increased at all stages (p < 0.05), persisting for 48 h post-event. Correlations showed BWL aggravated muscle damage (r = 0.47 with CK) and hypocalcemia (r = −0.68 with Ca). Elevation gain/loss amplified fluid loss and muscle injury. While ADL hydration mitigated EAH, it did not fully address DH or muscle damage. Personalized hydration and recovery protocols are crucial to optimizing performance and health in UT events
Spatial distribution and drivers of renewable energies in European regions
No full textThe energy transition is a complex process that varies significantly among European regions. This research uses spatial econometric panel models to investigate the evolution of wind and photovoltaic (PV) energy in Europe throughout the 21st century by identifying the main drivers (socioeconomic, institutional, geographic and demographic factors) of renewable energy capacity in European regions. The study reveals high heterogeneity in the development of these renewable energy sources. GDP per capita shows a positive relationship with both technologies, while the opposite is found for population density. While natural resource factors considered here do not seem to considerable impact the location of wind and PV farms, the pattern of territorial technology diffusion through spatial spillovers stand out as a determining factor in the wind and photovoltaic energy place-based evolutionary processes
SeqIA: A Python framework for extracting drought impacts from news archives
No full textDrought is a hazard that causes great economic, ecological, and human loss. With an ever-growing risk of climate change, their frequency and magnitude are expected to increase. While there are many indices and metrics available for the analysis of droughts, assessing their impacts represents one of the best ways to understand their magnitude and extent. However, there are no systematic records outlining these impacts. To help in their ongoing creation, we present a software framework that leverages raw newspaper articles, identifies any drought-related ones, and automatically classifies them according to a set of socioeconomic impacts. The information is provided to the user in a structured format, including geographical coordinates and their date of reporting. Our approach employs state-of-the-art Transformer-based Natural Language Processing (NLP) techniques, which achieve great accuracy. We currently support newspaper articles in the Spanish language within Spain, but our framework can be expanded to other countries and languages
Weather Conditions and Daily Commuting
No full textClimate change and global warming are severe threats that currently affect the daily lives of the world population. One of the human behaviors that can be most affected by weather conditions is that of personal travel, including commuting, an activity that millions of workers worldwide engage in daily. Within this framework, we analyze the relationships between weather conditions and daily commuting in the US. To that end, we use twenty nationally representative American Time Use Surveys, combined with daily weather data at the county level, spanning the period from 2003 to 2023. The analysis reveals significant relationships between daily weather conditions and commuting mode choices. Specifically, rainy days, high temperatures, and elevated snowfall are positively associated with an increased probability of using cars as the primary commuting mode. In contrast, these weather conditions exhibit a negative relationship with alternative modes of transport, such as public transit or walking. Further findings suggest that these estimates are predominantly driven by days characterized by extremely high temperatures, heavy precipitation, and light snowfall. Finally, our results suggest adaptation to higher temperatures in warmer regions. These results are important for the design of policies aimed at mitigating the mobility consequences of climate change
The moral geographies of migration maps: spatial order as a normative basis for border control
Get PDFThe politics of migration management is peppered by maps promoting specific spatial imaginaries of human mobility and its control. These maps are key sites where a space to be bordered is constructed and reaffirmed. Building on the insights of critical cartography, this piece examines the development of maps of ‘migratory routes’ on the part of EU-based actors focusing on FRONTEX's maps and their evolution over time. The role of institutional cartographies is understood as prefiguring sites of the border where action must take place and resources allocated. In this regard, this paper engages the literatures on moral geographies and moral economies to analyze the implicit normative plea in these maps. FRONTEX maps serve as a powerful visualization, such that researchers of migration management cannot avoid referring to the spatial imaginaries they enshrine. These maps are imbued with a moral order of the world that has a strong postcolonial legacy. This order, and the action it requires are referred to as an Accepted Moral Spatial Order. Engaging this spatial order requires a self-reflexive perspective by researchers attuned to how norms and values contribute to knowledge production on borders and the longer histories that underlie these maps of purportedly recent events
More digitalization does not always imply more technology transfer: an analysis within the horizon Europe strategy
Get PDFDigitalization plays a pivotal role in today’s economies, facilitating global collaboration by overcoming geographical barriers and enabling technology exchange. Conventional wisdom holds that digitalization directly impacts technology transfer (TT). However, this relationship is not always straightforward. This research challenges this assumption by arguing that countries with higher levels of digitalization may be less effective in TT activities than countries with intermediate digital performance. Drawing on data from Horizon Europe and the Digital Economy and Society Index, the study conducts a two-stage analysis (first a network analysis, followed by a clustering and ANOVA) covering 411 collaborative projects in 31 countries, involving 2,890 participating organizations. Our findings confirm that countries with intermediate levels of digitalization emerge as leaders within the TT network. Furthermore, the study sheds light on specific digitalization indicators (connectivity, human capital, and the integration of digital technology) that can improve the position of European countries within the network
Assessment of pig welfare at slaughterhouse level: A systematic review of animal-based indicators suitable for inclusion in monitoring protocols
Get PDFPig welfare constitutes a strategic pillar of sustainability within the pork industry. Consequently, there is a need to identify, develop and/or validate indicators for assessing pig wellbeing under commercial conditions. A systematic review following PRISMA guidelines identified 95 pig welfare indicators (PWIs) categorized into physiological, behavioral, health and post-mortem, and product quality. The review evaluated their validity and feasibility (V&F) for use in abattoirs to measure welfare during transport and slaughter. Thirty V&F indicators were found: one physiological (body temperature), 12 behavioral (human-animal relationship, aggression, falling, vocalization, slipping, panting, lying down, sitting, turning back), 13 health and post-mortem (presence of entry points, hernias, body lesions, ear lesions, tail lesions, pericarditis, pneumonia, bursitis, lameness, dead animals, walking and non-walking animals), and four product quality (pH, bruises, body condition, carcass weight). This information might help to identify the factors that affect the risk level of particular pig welfare problems, thereby aiding in the application of risk-based strategies
Light-induced magnetic switching in a coumarin-based Tb single molecule magnet
No full textWe present the intriguing magneto-optical properties of the lanthanide complex [Tb(coum)3(batho)]·[0.7EtOH], named Tb–batho, based on coum = 3-acetyl-4-hydroxylato-coumarin and batho = bathophenanthroline ligands. Tb–batho displays visible-range luminescence with a notable quantum yield (58%) upon sensitization of the “antenna” ligands. Employing a SQUID magnetometer equipped with a magneto-optic option, we conducted comprehensive in situ measurements of light-induced magnetization changes across varied magnetic fields, temperatures, and frequencies, utilizing light wavelengths ranging from 275 to 800 nm. A reversible magnetic modulation of magnetization is observed upon toggling the light “on” and “off,” particularly pronounced at 380 nm excitation, resulting in a magnetization change ΔM(off/on) = 0.376μB fu−1 (ca. 42.6% of the magnetization) at 1.8 K and 1 kOe. Although Tb–batho exhibits field-induced single ion magnet (SIM) behavior, characterized by a thermally-activated process with an activation energy of Ueff/kB = 16.6 K @ 3 kOe and a slow direct process influenced by bottleneck effects, light irradiation does not noticeably alter its dynamic properties. All in all, Tb–batho emerges as a versatile multifunctional molecular material integrating SIM behavior, luminescence and light-induced magnetic switching, holding interest for diverse electronic applications, sensors, or quantum computing
Sizing-up the aromatic system of a Cyclometalated n-Heterocyclic Carbene in a luminescent platinum-based sensor to xanthine
No full textA cyclometalated N-heterocyclic carbene platinum(II) complex comprising a phenanthrenyl moiety has been prepared and used to synthesize neutral and cationic luminescent complexes containing different ancillary ligands: [Pt(PhenˆC*)(acac)] (5), [Pt(PhenˆC*)(CNXyl)2]PF6 (6) and [Pt(PhenˆC*)(PˆP)]PF6 (PˆP: 1,1-bis(diphenylphosphino)methane, dppm 7; 1,2-bis(diphenylphosphino)ethane, dppe, 8, 1,2-bis(diphenylphosphino)benzene, dppbz, 9). Structural characterization by NMR and single-crystal X-ray studies endorsed the proposed molecular structure for these complexes with the formation of a six-membered platinacycle. Photophysical and computational studies for 5-9 disclosed the ligand-centered nature of the triplet state, mainly governed by the extended aromatic system of the PhenˆC* ligand. Immobilized in ethyl cellulose (EC) films, compound 5 shows elevated quantum yield and long decay times in argon atmosphere and high sensitivity to molecular oxygen. Blends of 5 and EC (C5) were tested as a luminescent oxygen probe for the determination of xanthine (Xn), showing good photo stability and reversibility. The RSD is 0.9% (n=3) for 3·10-4 M and the detection limit achieves values of ∼ 2·10-5 M. This platinum-based sensor delivers better results than the ones obtained with [Ru(bpy)3]Cl2·6 H2O, a typical luminophore used in commercial oxygen sensors. To improve the feasibility of the Xn determination, the sensor was implemented in a smartphone adapted device to be used as a in-situ Xn control
Natural-based UV-shielding additives to protect photosensitive pesticides: Production of nanoparticles from the co-self-assembly of lignin and tannin
No full textThis work explores the development of a renewable, carbon-neutral, light-colored UV-shielding film to protect photosensitive pesticides from solar radiation, as these chemicals are easily degraded under UV light, substantially reducing their efficiency and causing soil and water pollution. The abundant benzene rings in lignin and phenolic hydroxyls in tannin boosted the co-self-assembly of lignin and tannin into composite nanospheres by the simultaneous π-π stacking and H-bonding interactions between these two biopolymers. These lignin-tannin (LT) composite nanoparticles were used as natural UV-shielding additives to coat a poly-vinyl-alcohol (PVA) film, endowing the PVA-LT film with an excellent UV-shielding ability (>95 % efficiency) due to the strong π-π stacking and concentrated phenolic hydroxyls. Typical photosensitive pesticides covered with the PVA-LT film significantly increased their remaining rate by 1.5 times compared to those under the uncoated film. Besides, intensive intermolecular hydrogen bonds were generated between PVA and the abundant phenolic hydroxyl groups exposed on the hydrophilic shell of the LT coating, enhancing the mechanical properties and water vapor retention of the composite film. Our biodegradable composite film derived from natural plant extracts not only protected photosensitive pesticides from UV irradiation but also allowed the transmission of visible light to guarantee the photosynthesis process of crops