An Overview of Thirty Years in the Digital News

UIDB/05021/2020 UIDP/05021/2020Background: Resveratrol’s health benefits have received wide media coverage. Since resveratrol is usually associated with wine, informative texts about it should be prepared very carefully, since inaccurate website content could easily change people’s wine consumption behavior. This study aimed to assess the quality of informative texts related to resveratrol on science journalism websites. Methods: We analyzed 125 resveratrol posts on Science Daily, WebMD, and EurekAlert! published between 1990 and 2020. Results: A higher number of posts was published in the years in which the number of people looking for information on the internet also increased. The increase can also be related to David Sinclair’s notoriety, a fact that we called the “Sinclair effect”. Most of the posts are replications of universities’ press releases, mainly reporting resveratrol’s health benefits, which resulted from preclinical studies and cannot be translated to humans. Most of them mention wine in the text and some in the title. Conclusions: Wine is usually mentioned in headline resveratrol news, which could potentially influence wine consumption behavior. Scientists must intensify their efforts to communicate with the public to increase people’s health literacy. Online news portals should have science journalists skilled in exploring scientific data and their translation into a simple and accurate language.publishersversionpublishe

LEAD ACCUMULATION AND SUBCELULAR DISTRIBUTION IN THE SCALLOP AEQUIPECTEN OPERCULARIS

The scallop Aequipecten opercularis accumulates high concentrations of lead (Pb) in its tissues, what has led to the ban of its extraction in the Ría de Vigo (Galicia, Spain) for feeding purposes. The Ría de Vigo presents higher levels of Pb than other industrialized Galician Rías, mainly due to a ceramic factory that was operating in the inner part of the Ría from 1961 to 2001 (Álvarez-Iglesias et al., 2003). This study aims at testing the dynamics of bioaccumulation of Pb in this species, its tissue distribution and the subcellular partitioning Pb, with the aim of enhancing our understanding of the mechanisms that provoke the high Pb levels reached in its tissues. Scallops originating from a clean area were exposed in cages in two places in the Ría de Vigo (one harbour and a less impacted location) and 10 individuals were collected every month over a three months period. The bioaccumulation of Pb and other metals was studied including its distribution in several tissues: gills, digestive gland, kidney, muscle, gonad and rest. The results showed that scallops accumulated similar levels of Pb in both locations, and that about 76% of the Pb was found in the kidney. Subcellular partitioning of kidney samples additionally showed that around a 60-70% of Pb in the kidneys was included in metal rich granules, indicating that this is probably the reason of the high levels of Pb observed in this species, as occurs for other bivalves (Darriba and Sánchez-Marín, 2013). Concerning other metals analysed, it was observed that Zn was also mainly accumulated in the kidney, while Cd content was highest in the digestive gland. Cu and Ni were preferentially accumulated in the digestive gland or kidney, depending on the location, and As was mainly found in the muscle. Results will be discussed on the basis of metal pollution in both locations and according to detoxification strategies used by scallops

Preschool teachers' well-being. Impact of relationships between happiness, emotional intelligence, affect, burnout, and engagement for their initial and permanent training

From a Positive Psychology model applied to Education, the objective is to analyze emotional and motivational competencies of 82 preschool teachers, using the TMMS-24, PANAS, UWES, SHS and MBI and to establish recommendations for teacher training and student’s well-being. High levels of happiness, commitment, emotional intelligence and positive affect were found. Results ratify relationships between emotional intelligence, positive affect, engagement and personal accomplishment observed by studies in that population. Strong correlations (p> .01) were found between clarity, repair and positive affect, repair and vigor, and between vigor, dedication, absorption, and personal accomplishment. The 40.6% of the variance in teacher well-being was explained by emotional intelligence and affective competencies, with positive affect and repair competence the most important to predict happiness level. These results allow us to identify the competencies that should be included in pre-service university plans and in permanent training centers.Desde un modelo de Psicología positiva aplicado a la Educación, el objetivo es analizar las competencias emocionales y motivacionales de 82 docentes de Infantil, utilizando las pruebas TMMS- 24, PANAS, UWES, SHS y MBI y establecer recomendaciones para la formación docente y el bienestar del alumnado. Se encontraron altos niveles de felicidad, compromiso laboral, inteligencia emocional y afecto positivo. Los resultados también ratifican, en esta población, las relaciones encontradas por otros estudios entre inteligencia emocional, afecto positivo, implicación en el trabajo y compromiso personal. Se encontraron altas correlaciones (p> ,01) entre claridad y reparación y afecto positivo, y entre reparación y energía, y entre energía, dedicación, absorción y compromiso personal. El 40,6% de la varianza del bienestar docente (felicidad) se explicó por las puntuaciones en inteligencia emocional y afecto, siendo la capacidad afectiva positiva y la de reparación emocional las que mejor predijeron el nivel en felicidad. Estos resultados permiten identificar las competencias que deberían incluirse en los planes universitarios y en los centros de formación permanente

VineSens: An Eco-Smart Decision-Support Viticulture System

[Abstract] This article presents VineSens, a hardware and software platform for supporting the decision-making of the vine grower. VineSens is based on a wireless sensor network system composed by autonomous and self-powered nodes that are deployed throughout a vineyard. Such nodes include sensors that allow us to obtain detailed knowledge on different viticulture processes. Thanks to the use of epidemiological models, VineSens is able to propose a custom control plan to prevent diseases like one of the most feared by vine growers: downy mildew. VineSens generates alerts that warn farmers about the measures that have to be taken and stores the historical weather data collected from different spots of the vineyard. Such data can then be accessed through a user-friendly web-based interface that can be accessed through the Internet by using desktop or mobile devices. VineSens was deployed at the beginning in 2016 in a vineyard in the Ribeira Sacra area (Galicia, Spain) and, since then, its hardware and software have been tested to prevent the development of downy mildew, showing during its first season that the system can led to substantial savings, to decrease the amount of phytosanitary products applied, and, as a consequence, to obtain a more ecologically sustainable and healthy wine.Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad; TEC2013-47141-C4-1-RMinisterio de Economía y Competitividad; TEC2016-75067-C4-1-R

Loneliness and Psychosocial Resources among Indigenous and Afro-Descendant Older People in Rural Areas of Chile

(1) Background: loneliness is a problem that becomes increasingly acute in old age, with greater repercussions among socially disadvantaged groups such as indigenous and Afro-descendant older adults. The aim of this research is to analyze the psychosocial variables related to loneliness in old age. (2) Methods: a multi-ethnic sample was involved, with the participation of eight indigenous peoples and Afro-descendant tribal people (n = 1.348). Various gerontological scales previously validated among the Chilean population (De Jong Gierveld Loneliness Scale, Brief Resilient Coping Scale, Health Problems Questionnaire, and Family APGAR questionnaire) and a model are contrasted, establishing the relationship between psychosocial variables and loneliness. (3) Results: Structural equation modeling (SEM) showed the existence of indirect relationships between health problems, via family functioning and resilience, and loneliness. Resilience and family functioning were directly related to loneliness (WLSMV-χ2 (df = 345) = 875.106, p < 0.001; CFI = 0.992; TLI = 0.991; RMSEA = 0.034 [C.I. 90% = 0.031–0.037]). (4) Conclusions: loneliness has cross-culturally affected older Chilean people living in rural areas and it appears that the COVID-19 pandemic has had a negative effect on well-being. This study proves that loneliness is related to several psychosocial variables that can be intervened.Fac. de Trabajo SocialTRUEAgencia Nacional de Investigación y Desarrollo (ANID, Chile) FONDECYT Regularpu

Constraining a possible time-variation of the gravitational constant through "gravitochemical heating" of neutron stars

A hypothetical time-variation of the gravitational constant $G$ would cause neutron star matter to depart from beta equilibrium, due to the changing hydrostatic equilibrium. This forces non-equilibrium beta processes to occur, which release energy that is invested partly in neutrino emission and partly in heating the stellar interior. Eventually, the star arrives at a stationary state in which the temperature remains nearly constant, as the forcing through the change of $G$ is balanced by the ongoing reactions. Comparing the surface temperature of the nearest millisecond pulsar, PSR J0437-4715, inferred from ultraviolet observations, with our predicted stationary temperature, we estimate two upper limits for this variation: (1) $|\dot G/G| < 2 \times 10^{-10}$ yr$^{-1}$, if we allow direct Urca reactions operating in the neutron star core, and (2) $|\dot G/G| < 4 \times 10^{-12}$ yr$^{-1}$, considering only modified Urca reactions. Both results are competitive with those obtained by other methods, with (2) being among the most restrictive.Comment: 4 pages, including 2 figures. Accepted for publication in Phys. Rev. Lett. Revised version includes minor changes in the wording, and more substantial changes in the last 2 paragraphs (Discussion and Conclusions). Equations, figures, and results are unchange

Evolution of Gaseous and Particulate Pollutants in the Air: What Changed after Five Lockdown Weeks at a Southwest Atlantic European Region (Northwest of Spain) Due to the SARS-CoV-2 Pandemic?

[Abstract] Due to the exponential growth of the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic in Spain (2020), the Spanish Government adopted lockdown measures as mitigating strategies to reduce the spread of the pandemic from 14 March. In this paper, we report the results of the change in air quality at two Atlantic Coastal European cities (Northwest Spain) during five lockdown weeks. The temporal evolution of gaseous (nitrogen oxides, comprising NOₓ, NO, and NO₂; sulfur dioxide, SO₂; carbon monoxide, CO; and ozone, O₃) and particulate matter (PM₁₀; PM₂․₅; and equivalent black carbon, eBC) pollutants were recorded before (7 February to 13 March 2020) and during the first five lockdown weeks (14 March to 20 April 2020) at seven air quality monitoring stations (urban background, traffic, and industrial) in the cities of A Coruña and Vigo. The influences of the backward trajectories and meteorological parameters on air pollutant concentrations were considered during the studied period. The temporal trends indicate that the concentrations of almost all species steadily decreased during the lockdown period with statistical significance, with respect to the pre-lockdown period. In this context, great reductions were observed for pollutants related mainly to fossil fuel combustion, road traffic, and shipping emissions (−38 to −78% for NO, −22 to −69% for NO₂, −26 to −75% for NOₓ, −3 to −77% for SO₂, −21% for CO, −25 to −49% for PM₁₀, −10 to −38% for PM₂․₅, and −29 to −51% for eBC). Conversely, O₃ concentrations increased from +5 to +16%. Finally, pollutant concentration data for 14 March to 20 April of 2020 were compared with those of the previous two years. The results show that the overall air pollutants levels were higher during 2018–2019 than during the lockdown period.This work was supported by Ministerio de Ciencia, Innovación y Universidades (MCIU), Agencia Estatal de Investigación (AEI) and Fondo Europeo de Desarrollo Regional (FEDER) (Programa Estatal de I+D+i Orientada a los Retos de la Sociedad, ref: RTI 2018-101116-B-I00), Xunta de Galicia (Programa de Consolidación y Estructuración de Unidades de Investigación Competitivas ref: ED431C 2017/28-2017-2020) and FEDER-MINECO (UNLC15-DE-3097, financed together (80/20%) with Xunta de Galicia). Joel Sánchez-Piñero acknowledges the Xunta de Galicia and the European Union (European Social Fund-ESF) for a predoctoral grant (ED481A-2018/164). María Fernández-Amado acknowledges the Ministerio de Ciencia, Innovación y Universidades (PTA2017-13607-I)