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Background: The glycemic index (GI) and glycemic load (GL), indicators of carbohydrate quality (CH), have been associated with the development of obesity. However, its relationship with abdominal obesity (AO), considered the pathophysiological basis of metabolic syndrome, has not been studied enough. Objective: To evaluate the relationship between the quality of dietary CH and AO in the adult population of the city of Córdoba in 2020. Materials and methods: A population-based, cross-sectional study was conducted. Individuals over 18 years old from the city of Córdoba, selected by multistage random sampling. 522 participants were interviewed, with prior informed consent, about their sociodemographic and food intake characteristics using a validated food frequency questionnaire. Weight, height, and AO indicators as waist circumference (WC), neck circumference (NC) and waist/height ratio (WHR) were assessed. When one of these indicators were over the recommended values, the presence of AO was considered. The socioeconomic level (SES) was constructed by combining the occupation and the educational level of the main breadwinner in the household. For each subject, the weighted average of the GI of all the CH foods consumed was calculated, as well as the dietary GL, and the amount (g/day) and frequency (times/week) of high GI foods (>70). The relationship between the variables of interest was analyzed through the Chi2 test, correlation analysis and multiple logistic regression (MLR). The study was approved by the Institutional Ethics Committee. Results: The prevalence of obesity was 24% and 63% of the participants presented AO, being more frequent in people with low SES (70%, p= 0.049). The average GI of the population\u27s diet was 73.3, positively correlating with the WC, NC and WHR indicators (p<0.05). However, according to the MLR, there was no association between the exposure variables and the presence of OA (p>0.05).  Conclusion: The food GI is related to higher values in AO indicators. It is necessary to study more deeply the quality indicators of CH as possible predisposing factors of AO, thus reducing the risk of other non-communicable diseases.Introducción: El índice glucémico (IG) y la carga glucémica (CG), indicadores de calidad de los carbohidratos (CH), han sido asociados al desarrollo de obesidad. Sin embargo, su relación con la obesidad abdominal (OA), considerada la base fisiopatológica del síndrome metabólico, ha sido poco estudiada. Objetivo: Evaluar la relación entre la calidad de los CH dietarios y la OA en la población adulta de la ciudad de Córdoba en el año 2020. Materiales y métodos: Se condujo un estudio de base poblacional y corte transversal. Individuos mayores de 18 años de la ciudad de Córdoba, seleccionados mediante un muestreo aleatorio multietápico. 522 participantes fueron encuestados, previo consentimiento informado, sobre sus características sociodemográficas y de ingesta mediante un cuestionario de frecuencia alimentaria validado. Peso, talla e indicadores de OA: circunferencia de cintura (CC), de cuello (CCue) e índice cintura/talla (ICT) fueron valorados. Con alguno de estos indicadores sobre los valores recomendados, se consideró presencia de OA. El nivel socioeconómico (NSE) se construyó combinando la ocupación y el nivel de instrucción del principal sostén del hogar. Para cada sujeto se calculó el promedio ponderado del IG de todos los alimentos con CH consumidos, la CG alimentaria, además la cantidad (g/día) y frecuencia (veces/semana) de alimentos de alto IG (>70). Se analizó la relación entre las variables de interés a través de test de Chi2, análisis de correlación y regresión logística múltiple (RLM). El estudio fue aprobado por el Comité Institucional de Ética. Resultados: La prevalencia de obesidad fue de 24% y un 63% de los participantes presentaron OA, siendo más frecuente en personas de NSE bajo (70%, p=0,049). El IG promedio de la alimentación de la población fue de 73,3, correlacionando positivamente con los indicadores CC, CCue e ICT (p<0,05). Sin embargo, acorde a la RLM, no hubo asociación entre las variables de exposición y la presencia de OA (p>0,05). Conclusión: El IG alimentario se relaciona con mayores valores en indicadores de OA. Es necesario profundizar en el estudio de los indicadores de calidad de CH como posibles factores predisponentes de OA reduciendo así el riesgo de otras enfermedades no transmisibles.

Estudio bibliométrico de la investigación educativa en las universidades de Andalucía en el SSCI (2002-2010)

The ten Andalusian public universities have a total figure of 1312 professors linked to departments related to educational research. According to this, it could be said that there are enough research staff to make educational scientific production visible. Despite the fact that there are previous studies on Spanish educational production, these are not focused in Andalusia as a whole. The goal is to analyse the educational production, indexed in the Social Sciences Citation Index database (SSCI), carried out by researchers affiliated to some of the Andalusian universities. In particular, we analyse co-authorship patterns, diachronic production, language of the publication and the production per university. We utilize usual bibliometrical techniques for collecting and analysing data. We make the search in the SSCI from which we filter the information and download it. We used a local relational database made for this purpose. A standardization process of the author name and institution was made. An exponential rise of the production analysed is observed, partially due to the increment of educational journals that are indexed by the SSCI along the period studied. Spanish journals have the highest production rate. Likewise, a collaboration networks between Andalusian universities and others was revealed. The research articles are the 89.7% of the whole production analysed. The resulting collaboration index is slightly higher than others found in previous studies in the fields of Social Sciences and Education. In addition, it is shown that the collaboration among the Andalusian universities is low

Subtidal macrozoobenthos communities from northern Chile during and post El Niño 1997–1998

Despite a large amount of climatic and oceanographic information dealing with the recurring climate phenomenon El Niño (EN) and its well known impact on diversity of marine benthic communities, most published data are rather descriptive and consequently our understanding of the underlying mechanisms and processes that drive community structure during EN are still very scarce. In this study, we address two questions on the effects of EN on macrozoobenthic communities: (1) how does EN affect species diversity of the communities in northern Chile? and (2) is EN a phenomenon that restarts community assembling processes by affecting species interactions in northern Chile? To answer these questions, we compared species diversity and co-occurrence patterns of soft-bottoms macrozoobenthos communities from the continental shelf off northern Chile during (March 1998) and after (September 1998) the strong EN event 1997–1998. The methods used varied from species diversity and species co-occurrence analyses to multivariate ordination methods. Our results indicate that EN positively affects diversity of macrozoobenthos communities in the study area, increasing the species richness and diversity and decreasing the species dominance. EN represents a strong disturbance that affects species interactions that rule the species assembling processes in shallow-water, sea-bottom environments

Estudio bibliométrico de la investigación educativa en las universidades de Andalucía en el SSCI (2002-2010)

The ten Andalusian public universities have a total figure of 1312 professors linked to departments related to educational research. According to this, it could be said that there are enough research staff to make educational scientific production visible. Despite the fact that there are previous studies on Spanish educational production, these are not focused in Andalusia as a whole. The goal is to analyse the educational production, indexed in the Social Sciences Citation Index database (SSCI), carried out by researchers affiliated to some of the Andalusian universities. In particular, we analyse co-authorship patterns, diachronic production, language of the publication and the production per university. We utilize usual bibliometrical techniques for collecting and analysing data. We make the search in the SSCI from which we filter the information and download it. We used a local relational database made for this purpose. A standardization process of the author name and institution was made. An exponential rise of the production analysed is observed, partially due to the increment of educational journals that are indexed by the SSCI along the period studied. Spanish journals have the highest production rate. Likewise, a collaboration networks between Andalusian universities and others was revealed. The research articles are the 89.7% of the whole production analysed. The resulting collaboration index is slightly higher than others found in previous studies in the fields of Social Sciences and Education. In addition, it is shown that the collaboration among the Andalusian universities is low

Aicardi-Goutières Syndrome of neonatal onset simulating a congenital infection

Dismorfología y Genética ClínicaAicardi-Goutières Syndrome (AGS) is a genetic disorder with autosomal recessive aetiology characterized by an early developed encephalopathy with severe physical and mental handicaps. The neonatal form (20% of the cases) shows a phenotype similar to a congenital infection, hence there exists the possibility of misdiagnosis and misinformation to parents about the risk of recurrence. We present a new case of AGS with a neonatal onset and also review clinical patterns, laboratory and neuroimaging findings, and new advances in geneticmolecular diagnosis that have allowed us to delineate the phenotypic spectrum and confirm the aetiology in more than 80% of cases.N

Fossil Carder Bee's nest from the Hominin locality of Taung, South Africa

The Buxton-Norlim Limeworks southwest of Taung, South Africa, is renowned for the discovery of the first Australopithecus africanus fossil, the ‘Taung Child’. The hominin was recovered from a distinctive pink calcrete that contains an abundance of invertebrate ichnofauna belonging to the Coprinisphaera ichnofacies. Here we describe the first fossil bee’s nest, attributed to the ichnogenus Celliforma, from the Plio-Pleistocene of Africa. Petrographic examination of a cell lining revealed the preservation of an intricate organic matrix lined with the calcitic casts of numerous plant trichomes–a nesting behaviour unique to the modern-day carder bees (Anthidiini). The presence of Celliforma considered alongside several other recorded ichnofossils can be indicative of a dry, savannah environment, in agreement with recent work on the palaeoenvironment of Plio-Pleistocene southern Africa. Moreover, the occurrence of ground-nesting bees provides further evidence that the pink calcrete deposits are of pedogenic origin, rather than speleogenic origin as has previously been assumed. This study demonstrates the potential value of insect trace fossils as palaeoenvironmental indicators

Long term extension of a randomised controlled trial of probiotics using electronic health records

Most randomised controlled trials (RCTs) are relatively short term and, due to costs and available resources, have limited opportunity to be re-visited or extended. There is no guarantee that effects of treatments remain unchanged beyond the study. Here, we illustrate the feasibility, benefits and cost-effectiveness of enriching standard trial design with electronic follow up. We completed a 5-year electronic follow up of a RCT investigating the impact of probiotics on asthma and eczema in children born 2005-2007, with traditional fieldwork follow up to two years. Participants and trial outcomes were identified and analysed after five years using secure, routine, anonymised, person-based electronic health service databanks. At two years, we identified 93% of participants and compared fieldwork with electronic health records, highlighting areas of agreement and disagreement. Retention of children from lower socio-economic groups was improved, reducing volunteer bias. At 5 years we identified a reduced 82% of participants. These data allowed the trial's first robust analysis of asthma endpoints. We found no indication that probiotic supplementation to pregnant mothers and infants protected against asthma or eczema at 5 years. Continued longer-term follow up is technically straightforward

In situ edge engineering in two-dimensional transition metal dichalcogenides

Exerting synthetic control over the edge structure and chemistry of two-dimensional (2D) materials is of critical importance to direct the magnetic, optical, electrical, and catalytic properties for specific applications. Here, we directly image the edge evolution of pores in Mo1-xWxSe2 monolayers via atomic-resolution in situ scanning transmission electron microscopy (STEM) and demonstrate that these edges can be structurally transformed to theoretically predicted metastable atomic configurations by thermal and chemical driving forces. Density functional theory calculations and ab initio molecular dynamics simulations explain the observed thermally induced structural evolution and exceptional stability of the four most commonly observed edges based on changing chemical potential during thermal annealing. The coupling of modeling and in situ STEM imaging in changing chemical environments demonstrated here provides a pathway for the predictive and controlled atomic scale manipulation of matter for the directed synthesis of edge configurations in Mo-1_xWxSe2 to achieve desired functionality

Boolean dynamics revisited through feedback interconnections

Boolean models of physical or biological systems describe the global dynamics of the system and their attractors typically represent asymptotic behaviors. In the case of large networks composed of several modules, it may be difficult to identify all the attractors. To explore Boolean dynamics from a novel viewpoint, we will analyse the dynamics emerging from the composition of two known Boolean modules. The state transition graphs and attractors for each of the modules can be combined to construct a new asymptotic graph which will (1) provide a reliable method for attractor computation with partial information; (2) illustrate the differences in dynamical behavior induced by the updating strategy (asynchronous, synchronous, or mixed); and (3) show the inherited organization/structure of the original network’s state transition graph.publishe

Naupliar and Metanaupliar development of Thysanoessa raschii (Malacostraca, Euphausiacea) from Godthåbsfjord, Greenland, with a reinstatement of the ancestral status of the free-living Nauplius in Malacostracan evolution

The presence of a characteristic crustacean larval type, the nauplius, in many crustacean taxa has often been considered one of the few uniting characters of the Crustacea. Within Malacostraca, the largest crustacean group, nauplii are only present in two taxa, Euphauciacea (krill) and Decapoda Dendrobranchiata. The presence of nauplii in these two taxa has traditionally been considered a retained primitive characteristic, but free-living nauplii have also been suggested to have reappeared a couple of times from direct developing ancestors during malacostracan evolution. Based on a re-study of Thysanoessa raschii (Euphausiacea) using preserved material collected in Greenland, we readdress this important controversy in crustacean evolution, and, in the process, redescribe the naupliar and metanaupliar development of T. raschii. In contrast to most previous studies of euphausiid development, we recognize three (not two) naupliar (= ortho-naupliar) stages (N1-N3) followed by a metanauplius (MN). While there are many morphological changes between nauplius 1 and 2 (e.g., appearance of long caudal setae), the changes between nauplius 2 and 3 are few but distinct. They involve the size of some caudal spines (largest in N3) and the setation of the antennal endopod (an extra seta in N3). A wider comparison between free-living nauplii of both Malacostraca and non-Malacostraca revealed similarities between nauplii in many taxa both at the general level (e.g., the gradual development and number of appendages) and at the more detailed level (e.g., unclear segmentation of naupliar appendages, caudal setation, presence of frontal filaments). We recognize these similarities as homologies and therefore suggest that free-living nauplii were part of the ancestral malacostracan type of development. The derived morphology (e.g., lack of feeding structures, no fully formed gut, high content of yolk) of both euphausiid and dendrobranchiate nauplii is evidently related to their non-feeding (lecithotrophic) status