Publications by authors named "Fernandez D"

One challenging task to produce rice that comply with the increasing demanding regulations, is to reduce, simultaneously, grain bioaccumulation of As, Cd, and Pb. A 3-year field experiment was conducted in a Mediterranean environment, to evaluate the effects on As, Cd, and Pb bioaccumulation in rice grain, of the adoption of two levels of alternate wetting and drying (AWD) irrigation conditions: moderate and intensive (reflooding at -20 kPa and -70 kPa soil matric water potential, respectively), relative to the traditional permanent flood irrigation. Plots were prepared with or without a one-time holm oak biochar application (35 Mg ha), in the first year of the study.

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We present the complete chloroplast genome of the eelgrass from Monterey, California. The genome is circular and 144,675  bp in length. It consists of 82 protein-coding, 31 transfer RNA, and 8 ribosomal RNA genes and is 99.

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Purpose: The aim of this study was to determine whether a soccer match affects the rapid force-generating capacity of the hamstring muscles, given their key role in both horizontal ground reaction force production during sprint biomechanics, and in the deceleration of the shank during the late swing phase, where rapid force production is essential owing to time constraints. Therefore, the research objective was to determine soccer match-induced hamstrings residual fatigue and recovery through rate of torque development (RTD) and associated biochemical parameters.

Methods: The recovery kinetics of hamstrings RTD metrics by the 90°:20° test, together with serum biomarkers (creatine kinase, mitochondrial creatine kinase, transaminases, malondialdehyde, irisin), were assessed in 19 male, regional first-division soccer players (age = 20.

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In cases of cervical facet dislocations, traction is typically delivered in the acute setting with tongs attached to the skull via two pins. Although the pins are recommended to be inserted symmetrically in a neutral loading position, erroneous asymmetric pin placement has been documented in case reports, but its biomechanical implications are unknown. The current study utilized a human surrogate to evaluate the influence of asymmetrically placed pins in the axial or frontal planes.

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Honokiol is a natural product with an interesting array of biological effects, including significant anti-tumor properties. However, full exploration of its therapeutic potential is hampered by its modest pharmacokinetic profile and by the lack of synthetic methods that allow to obtain specifically designed derivatives with improved properties. In addition, the specific molecular targets of honokiol remain poorly understood, a fact that limits the search of alternative hits for subsequent optimization programs.

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  • Immune checkpoint inhibitor (ICI) therapies used in cancer treatment may elevate the risk of heart-related issues in cancer survivors by worsening atherosclerosis, a condition affecting artery health.
  • Researchers have identified a network of immune cell interactions within atherosclerotic plaques that can be targeted by ICIs, where a specific group of dendritic cells plays a significant role in immune signaling.
  • The study also indicates that factors like type 2 diabetes and lipid-lowering medications can alter how immune cells interact, potentially affecting plaque inflammation and highlighting the need for strategies to reduce heart disease risk in patients undergoing ICI treatments.
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The impact of cognitive biases on decision-making in the digital world remains under-explored despite its well-documented effects in physical contexts. This paper addresses this gap by investigating the attractiveness halo effect using AI-based beauty filters. We conduct a large-scale online user study involving 2748 participants who rated facial images from a diverse set of 462 distinct individuals in two conditions: original and attractive after applying a beauty filter.

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Acute undifferentiated febrile illness (AUFI) is the main cause of medical attention in the tropics worldwide. Malaria, arboviral diseases, and leptospirosis are the most important etiologies. These are highly endemic in the Urabá antioqueño, Colombia, being the main causes of fever in several municipalities in this region.

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Objective: Early detection of cognitive impairment is critical for patient outcomes, yet cognitive impairment is under identified in primary care settings largely due to time constraints. The Quick Mild Cognitive Impairment (Qmci) screen was developed to address the need for a short cognitive screening instrument (< 5 min) that is sensitive to early cognitive change but has not been validated in the United States (US). The objective of this study was to examine the classification accuracy of the Qmci in participants from two memory specialty (e.

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Background: Shorter telomeres are associated with increased risk of cognitive decline and age-related diseases. Developing interventions to promote healthy aging by preserving telomere integrity is of paramount importance. Here, we investigated the effect of an 18-month meditation intervention on telomere length (TL) measures in older people without cognitive impairment.

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Sexual desire is a complex construct with important implications for sexual functioning and well-being. In this research, we translated the Sexual Desire Inventory (SDI-2), a widely used scale for assessing sexual (desire), into 25 languages from English and used data from the International Sex Survey (ISS) to (a) investigate its psychometric properties (i.e.

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  • HPV16, a type of Human Papillomavirus, requires a specific endocytic process involving actin to infect epithelial cells, although the exact mechanisms of this process are not fully understood.
  • This study identifies WAVE1 and WAVE2 proteins as key players in actin polymerization that facilitates HPV16's entry into cells, demonstrating their importance through gene silencing and genome editing techniques.
  • Observations showed that HPV16, WAVE1, WAVE2, and actin localize together on the cell surface, and HPV16 activates the formation of filopodia—extensions of the cell membrane—during the viral entry process, underscoring the role of actin dynamics in viral infection.
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Great Salt Lake is a critical habitat for migratory birds that is threatened by elevated metal concentrations, including mercury (Hg) and lead (Pb), and is subject to severe hydrologic changes, such as declining lake level. When assessing metal profiles recorded in Great Salt Lake sediment, a large data gap exists regarding the sources of metals within the system, which is complicated by various source inputs to the lake and complex biogeochemistry. Here, we leverage Hg and Pb stable isotopes to track relative changes in metal source contributions to Great Salt Lake over time.

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  • The Borg5 protein, part of the Borg family, normally promotes stress fibers and contractility but actually limits these functions in mature MDCK cell layers.
  • Depleting Borg5 disrupts the lateral arrangement of F-actin, encourages microtubule-dependent lamellae, and causes uneven shapes of cell surfaces in tightly packed cells.
  • Borg5 reduces the interaction between septin proteins and microtubules and also interacts with myosin IIA, suggesting it counters septin activity to control contractility in MDCK cells.
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  • Recent reports suggest some strains of a common bacterium have shown reduced susceptibility to antibiotics, but the significance of this resistance is uncertain due to varying testing methods.
  • The EUCAST has proposed a standardized method for antibiotic susceptibility testing, which this study applied to evaluate the effectiveness of 11 antibiotics on 347 poultry isolates.
  • Findings indicated that all poultry strains were sensitive to most antibiotics, with only one strain showing resistance to benzylpenicillin, confirming previous studies that antibiotic sensitivity in food-related populations remains stable.
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Researchers often use outcome-dependent sampling to study the exposure-outcome association. The case-control study is a widely used example of outcome-dependent sampling when the outcome is binary. When the outcome is ordinal, standard ordinal regression models generally produce biased coefficients when the sampling fractions depend on the values of the outcome variable.

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  • - The paper introduces a budget-friendly electronic system designed to estimate ground reaction forces (GRF) during walking by utilizing a master node and two slave nodes connected to insole sensors placed in participants' shoes.
  • - The system employs 14 piezo-resistive sensors in each insole to collect data, which is then transmitted to a PC via USB after the walking session is completed, allowing for easy data retrieval through Wi-Fi.
  • - Validation against force platforms shows promising accuracy in dynamic situations, and future improvements will leverage machine learning models to enhance estimation precision.
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  • The study investigates how a high-volume sprinting session affects sprint performance and risk factors for hamstring strain injuries in male amateur soccer players.* -
  • Results show significant decreases in sprint performance and posterior chain muscle strength for up to 72 hours post-sprinting, indicating that such sessions can lead to fatigue and increased injury risk.* -
  • The findings highlight the necessity for careful management of sprinting volume in training to minimize the risk of injuries while maintaining performance levels.*
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YcjN is a putative substrate binding protein expressed from a cluster of genes involved in carbohydrate import and metabolism in Escherichia coli. Here, we determine the crystal structure of YcjN to a resolution of 1.95 Å, revealing that its three-dimensional structure is similar to substrate binding proteins in subcluster D-I, which includes the well-characterized maltose binding protein.

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This paper examines the role of temporality in the negotiation of unplanned adaptive tasks that were part of the health system response to the Covid-19 pandemic in Colombia. While research has been carried out on the temporal aspects of emergency preparedness, we argue that there is an empirical gap concerning how health care organizations responded with temporal urgency to Covid-19. The dataset (118 interviews) from which a subset of interviews were analysed for this paper was collected during the first wave of the pandemic in Colombia in 2020.

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YcjN is a putative substrate-binding protein expressed from a cluster of genes involved in carbohydrate import and metabolism in . Here, we determine the crystal structure of YcjN to a resolution of 1.95 Å, revealing that its three-dimensional structure is similar to substrate binding proteins in subcluster D-I, which includes the well-characterized maltose binding protein (MBP).

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Acynodon adriaticus, a small eusuchian from the Late Cretaceous of Italy, is known for its well-preserved cranial and postcranial material. Despite its excellent preservation, many details remain hidden due to the physical overlap between the elements and matrix obliteration. We used Micro-CT scans to reveal previously overlooked anatomical features and describe in detail the cranial and dental anatomy of this taxon, shedding new light on its palaeoecology.

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