Promoting social and blue entrepreneurship and sustainability skills in higher education by transversal competencies.

This study examines the presence of “Effective Communication” (EC) and “Teamwork/Cooperative Learning” (TW&CL) competencies in undergraduate university programmes using a blue entrepreneurship approach, within the framework of a social and sustainable economy. As seen in previous studies, these two competencies are highly relevant to promote sustainable and blue entrepreneurship in undergraduate programmes. Eighty-one curricula were collected in nine Spanish public universities in southern Spain. QUAN (qual)→QUAL mixed methodology was used, which included a qualitative analysis and a quantitative comparative analysis form, aiming to build theoretical frameworks through explanatory diagrams to understand how EC and TW&CL are promoted in university programmes. The study found that EC and TW&CL competencies are highly valued and widely incorporated in university curricula. The qualitative analysis revealed the components and interconnections of these competencies, highlighting the importance of effective communication, critical thinking, and interdisciplinary teamwork. The survey shows the complementary nature of EC and TW&CL and suggests their integration in educational contexts. This study therefore contributes to the recognition of these specific competences in university degrees by providing data on their presence, type and relationships, so that educational institutions can better prepare students for future careers

Effects of Dietary Phytoestrogens on Hormones throughout a Human Lifespan: A Review

Dietary phytoestrogens are bioactive compounds with estrogenic activity. With the growing popularity of plant-based diets, the intake of phytoestrogen-rich legumes (especially soy) and legume-derived foods has increased. Evidence from preclinical studies suggests these compounds may have an effect on hormones and health, although the results of human trials are unclear. The effects of dietary phytoestrogens depend on the exposure (phytoestrogen type, matrix, concentration, and bioavailability), ethnicity, hormone levels (related to age, sex, and physiological condition), and health status of the consumer. In this review, we have summarized the results of human studies on dietary phytoestrogens with the aim of assessing the possible hormone-dependent outcomes and health effects of their consumption throughout a lifespan, focusing on pregnancy, childhood, adulthood, and the premenopausal and postmenopausal stages. In pregnant women, an improvement of insulin metabolism has been reported in only one study. Sex hormone alterations have been found in the late stages of childhood, and goitrogenic effects in children with hypothyroidism. In premenopausal and postmenopausal women, the reported impacts on hormones are inconsistent, although beneficial goitrogenic effects and improved glycemic control and cardiovascular risk markers have been described in postmenopausal individuals. In adult men, different authors report goitrogenic effects and a reduction of insulin in non-alcoholic fatty liver patients. Further carefully designed studies are warranted to better elucidate the impact of phytoestrogen consumption on the endocrine system at different life stages

A randomized clinical trial to assess the efficacy of a psychological treatment to quit smoking assisted with an app: study protocol

Abstract: Numerous studies have shown the efficacy of smoking cessation interventions. However, some challenges, such as relapse rates, remain. The availability of information technologies (ICTs) offers promising opportunities to address such challenges. The aim of this paper is to describe the protocol followed to assess the efficacy of a face-to-face cognitive–behavioral intervention for smoking cessation using a smartphone application as a complement, compared with a control group. A single blind, two-arm, randomized controlled trial is proposed (NCT04765813). The participants will be smokers over 18 years old, who smoke at least eight cigarettes per day. Participants will be randomized to one of two conditions, using a 1:1 allocation ratio: (1) cognitive–behavioral smoking cessation treatment along with an App with active therapeutic components (SinHumo App); or (2) cognitive–behavioral treatment along with the use of a control App (without active components). The experimental App will be used during the eight treatment sessions and for 12 months after the end of treatment. The primary outcome measures will be 7-days point-prevalence abstinence at 12-months follow-up. We expect the experimental App to obtain higher abstinence rates at the end of treatment and at one-year post-treatment follow-ups and lower relapse rates, compared to the control AppThis research was supported by the Spanish Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación (Project PID2019-109400RB-100) and co-financed by FEDER (European Regional Development Fund). The Spanish Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación had no role in the study design, collection, analysis or interpretation of the data, writing the manuscript, or the decision to submit the paper for publicationS

Physical Activities in the Natural Environment. Impact on teacher training and its teaching at Secondary Education

El bloque de contenidos de Actividad Física en el Medio Natural (AFMN) es uno de los que menos se incluye en las programaciones de Educación Física (EF) en Enseñanza Secundaria Obligatoria (ESO), lo que, unido a la escasa preparación en dichos contenidos recibida en los estudios de formación de profesorado de EF, dificulta su enseñanza-aprendizaje en esta etapa educativa. Por tal motivo el objetivo de esta investigación es averiguar porque el profesorado de ESO no desarrolla o trabaja poco las AFMN. Para ello, se aplicó una entrevista semiestructurada de respuestas abiertas a trece docentes de diversas localidades andaluzas para averiguar cómo se trabaja el bloque de contenidos de AFMN. Los datos recogidos concluyen que la mayoría del profesorado trabaja la orientación y el senderismo como únicas actividades dentro del bloque 5º (AFMN), argumentando la falta de medios, dificultad de organización de salidas y el riesgo que suponen este tipo de actividades.The contents about the physical activity in the natural environment are one of the least visible in the educational programming for the Andalusian physical education teachers, mainly during the Obligatory Secondary Education. Therefore, we are trying to clarify the major reasons that lead teachers to ignore this type of content. For that purpose, a qualitative research is conducted by interviewing thirteen teachers from different Andalusian locations. The data collected conclude that most teachers work orienteering and hiking as the only activities within the fifth block, arguing the lack of means to support the activities, difficulty in organizing trips to the natural environment and the risk posed by these activities. In this research, we also try to simplify the difficulties encountered by teachers when physical activities are practiced in the natural environment. It is assumed that the training received due to the qualifications required to work as a physical education teacher does not train them to practice the activities in the natural environment

Increase of 4-Hydroxybenzoic, a Bioactive Phenolic Compound, after an Organic Intervention Diet

Consumption of organic products is increasing yearly due to perceived health-promoting qualities. Several studies have shown higher amounts of phytochemicals such as polyphenols and carotenoids in foods produced by this type of agriculture than in conventional foods, but whether this increase has an impact on humans still needs to be assessed. A randomized, controlled and crossover study was carried out in nineteen healthy subjects aged 18-40 years, who all followed an organic and conventional healthy diet, both for a 4-week period. Analysis of biological samples revealed a significant increase on the excretion of 4-hydroxybenzoic acid (4-HBA), a phenolic metabolite with biological activity, after the organic intervention. However, no changes were observed in the other variables analyzed. © 2019 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland

Encapsulation of copper nanoparticles in electrospun nanofibers for sustainable removal of pesticides

Producción CientíficaThe excellent catalytic properties of copper nanoparticles (CuNPs) for the degradation of the highly toxic and recalcitrant chlorpyrifos pesticide are widely known. However, CuNPs generally present low stability caused by their high sensitivity to oxidation, which leads to a change of the catalytic response over time. In the current work, the immobilization of CuNPs into a polycaprolactone (PCL) matrix via electrospinning was demonstrated to be a very effective method to retard air and solvent oxidation and to ensure constant catalytic activity in the long term. CuNPs were successfully anchored into PCL electrospun fibers in the form of Cu2O at different concentrations (from 1.25 wt % to 5 wt % with respect to the PCL), with no signs of loss by leaching out. The PCL mats loaded with 2.5 wt % Cu (PCL-2.5Cu) almost halved the initial concentration of pesticide (40 mg/L) after 96 h. This process was performed in two unprompted and continuous steps that consisted of adsorption, followed by degradation. Interestingly, the degradation process was independent of the light conditions (i.e., not photocatalytic), expanding the application environments (e.g., groundwaters). Moreover, the PCL-2.5Cu composite presents high reusability, retaining the high elimination capability for at least five cycles and eliminating a total of 100 mg/L of chlorpyrifos, without exhibiting any sign of morphological damages.Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación (PID2021-127108OB-I00)Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación (MCIN/AEI/ 10.13039/501100011033)EU NextGenerationEU/PRTR program (PLEC2021-007705)Ministerio de Ciencia, Innovación and Ministerio de Universidades - FEDER (RTI2018−098749−B-I00 and RTI2018−097367-A-I00)Junta de Castilla y León and EU-FEDER program (CLU-2019-04 and VA202P20

Search for new particles in events with energetic jets and large missing transverse momentum in proton-proton collisions at root s=13 TeV

A search is presented for new particles produced at the LHC in proton-proton collisions at root s = 13 TeV, using events with energetic jets and large missing transverse momentum. The analysis is based on a data sample corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 101 fb(-1), collected in 2017-2018 with the CMS detector. Machine learning techniques are used to define separate categories for events with narrow jets from initial-state radiation and events with large-radius jets consistent with a hadronic decay of a W or Z boson. A statistical combination is made with an earlier search based on a data sample of 36 fb(-1), collected in 2016. No significant excess of events is observed with respect to the standard model background expectation determined from control samples in data. The results are interpreted in terms of limits on the branching fraction of an invisible decay of the Higgs boson, as well as constraints on simplified models of dark matter, on first-generation scalar leptoquarks decaying to quarks and neutrinos, and on models with large extra dimensions. Several of the new limits, specifically for spin-1 dark matter mediators, pseudoscalar mediators, colored mediators, and leptoquarks, are the most restrictive to date.Peer reviewe

Combined searches for the production of supersymmetric top quark partners in proton-proton collisions at root s=13 TeV

A combination of searches for top squark pair production using proton-proton collision data at a center-of-mass energy of 13 TeV at the CERN LHC, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 137 fb(-1) collected by the CMS experiment, is presented. Signatures with at least 2 jets and large missing transverse momentum are categorized into events with 0, 1, or 2 leptons. New results for regions of parameter space where the kinematical properties of top squark pair production and top quark pair production are very similar are presented. Depending on themodel, the combined result excludes a top squarkmass up to 1325 GeV for amassless neutralino, and a neutralinomass up to 700 GeV for a top squarkmass of 1150 GeV. Top squarks with masses from 145 to 295 GeV, for neutralino masses from 0 to 100 GeV, with a mass difference between the top squark and the neutralino in a window of 30 GeV around the mass of the top quark, are excluded for the first time with CMS data. The results of theses searches are also interpreted in an alternative signal model of dark matter production via a spin-0 mediator in association with a top quark pair. Upper limits are set on the cross section for mediator particle masses of up to 420 GeV

Probing effective field theory operators in the associated production of top quarks with a Z boson in multilepton final states at root s=13 TeV

Peer reviewe

Measurement of the W gamma Production Cross Section in Proton-Proton Collisions at root s=13 TeV and Constraints on Effective Field Theory Coefficients

A fiducial cross section for W gamma production in proton-proton collisions is measured at a center-of-mass energy of 13 TeV in 137 fb(-1) of data collected using the CMS detector at the LHC. The W -> e nu and mu nu decay modes are used in a maximum-likelihood fit to the lepton-photon invariant mass distribution to extract the combined cross section. The measured cross section is compared with theoretical expectations at next-to-leading order in quantum chromodynamics. In addition, 95% confidence level intervals are reported for anomalous triple-gauge couplings within the framework of effective field theory.Peer reviewe