Review of the concentration, bioaccumulation, and effects of lanthanides in marine systems

Rare earth elements (REEs) or lanthanides are often found together in nature, and they are used in multiple anthropogenic activities from green energy and medical technologies to telecommunications and defense systems. However, the current understanding on the concentration and behavior of REEs in oceans and marine organisms is limited, and no regulatory information or limits have been settled. Here, we present a review of the concentrations of lanthanides in marine waters and biota. REEs reach aquatic ecosystems mainly by continental contributions, and the maximum reported concentrations of REEs are found on the platform surface near the coast due to their continental origin. For coastal waters, we find maximum REE levels in the surface water that decrease with depth until a certain stability. Their concentrations diminish as they move toward the open ocean, where concentrations tend to increase vertically with depth in the water column. Only cerium (Ce) showed different patterns from other REEs caused by Ce different redox states: III and IV, reflecting the oxidation of dissolved Ce (III) to particulate Ce (IV) when reacting with the O2 to form CeO2. In seawater, heavy REEs tend to remain in solution forming complexes usually unavailable for organisms, while light REEs are most likely to be assimilated by them, posing potential biological implications. Bioaccumulation of REEs decreases as marine trophic level increases, showing a trophic dilution pattern. Generally, higher concentrations are found in organisms such as phytoplankton, zooplankton, and algae species, while the lowest concentrations are found in mollusks, corals, and fish species. According to the current trend in the REE industry, the increasing anthropogenic emissions are a fact; therefore, more studies will be needed regarding their fractionation, the transformation processes with which they become bioavailable, and their pathways in marine systems.Spanish Government IJC2019-041160-I IJC2018-035056-I RYC2019-027949-IJunta de Andalusia Researcher Program E-RNM-444-UGR20 FEDER UHU-20202

Factorial invariance, differential item functioning, and norms of the Orgasm Rating Scale

Background/Objective: Orgasm Rating Scale (ORS) assess the subjective orgasm experience in context of sexual relationship. It is composed of four dimensions attributed to the orgasm (Affective, Sensory, Intimacy, and Rewards). The purpose is to analyse the factorial invariance of the ORS across groups, to examine the metric equivalence across sex, and to present the standard scores. Method: A total of 1,472 Spanish adults (715 men and 757 women) were evaluated. They were distributed across age groups (18-34, 35-49 and 50 years old and older). Factorial invariance across different groups and the differential functioning of the items across sex were analyzed, internal consistency was examined, and the standard scores were developed. Results: The structure of the ORS showed strict measurement invariance across sex, relationship status, sexual orientation and education level. It also reached a scalar measurement invariance across age range and duration of the relationship. Some items showed a differential functioning between sexes. Conclusions: The Spanish version of the ORS is invariant across different groups at a factorial level, and it shows equivalence across sex in most of its items at a metric level. The standard scores allow a more accurate assessment of the subjective orgasm experience in context of sexual relationship

Validity evidence and norms of the Spanish version of the Hurlbert Index of Sexual Fantasy

Background: Sexual fantasies are described as thoughts or mental images with sexual content. The Hurlbert Index of Sexual Fantasy (HISF) evaluates the positive attitude towards sexual fantasies. The objective of this study was to provide validity evidence of the Spanish version of the HISF and to present its standard scores. Method: The sample was composed of 3,458 adults from the general Spanish population (1,641 men; 1,817 women), distributed across age groups (18-34, 35-49, and over 50 years old). Results: The unifactorial structure of the Spanish version of the HISF showed strict measurement invariance across sex, age range, and education level. Positive attitudes towards sexual fantasies signifi cantly correlated with erotophilia, sexual assertiveness, sexual desire, and sexual functioning. Also, the scale was useful for differentiating between individuals with sexual functioning diffi culties and individuals with no diffi culties. Finally, the standard scores were obtained based on sex and age range. Conclusions: The Spanish version of the HISF is a reliable, valid, and invariant scale for assessing a positive attitude towards sexual fantasies in people with different sociodemographic characteristics.Evidencias de validez y baremos de la versión española del Hurlbert Index of Sexual Fantasy. Antecedentes: las fantasías sexuales constituyen pensamientos o imágenes mentales con contenido sexual. El Hurlbert Index of Sexual Fantasy (HISF) evalúa la actitud positiva hacia las fantasías sexuales. El objetivo de este estudio fue aportar evidencias de validez a la versión española del HISF y presentar sus baremos. Método: la muestra estuvo compuesta por 3.458 adultos de la población española general (1.641 hombres, 1.817 mujeres), distribuidos en tres grupos de edad (18-34, 35-49 y 50 años o mayores). Resultados: la estructura unifactorial mostró nivel de invarianza estricta por sexo, rango de edad y nivel educativo. La actitud positiva hacia las fantasías sexuales correlacionó signifi cativamente con erotofi lia, asertividad sexual, deseo sexual y funcionamiento sexual. Además, la escala mostró capacidad para diferenciar entre individuos con y sin difi cultades en el funcionamiento sexual. Finalmente, se presentan las puntuaciones baremadas por sexo y rango de edad. Conclusiones: la versión española del HISF es una escala fi able, válida e invariante para evaluar la actitud positiva hacia las fantasías sexuales en personas con diferentes características sociodemográfi cas

Elemental Concentration in Serpentinitic Soils over Ultramafic Bedrock in Sierra Bermeja (Southern Spain)

Although the presence of potentially toxic metals in soils is normally associated with human soil pollution, these elements also appear naturally in environments in which the lithological base contains ultramafic rocks such as peridotites. Serpentinitic soils tend to develop on substrates of this kind, often containing metals with few or no known biological functions, which in some cases are toxic for most plants. This study assessed the level of potentially toxic metals and other elements in an endorheic basin discovered in Sierra Bermeja (Southern Spain), one of the largest peridotite outcrops on Earth. In this location—of particular interest given that basins of this kind are very rare on peridotites—six geomorphoedaphic sub-units on three different substrates were identified. The distribution of microelements in these sub-units was analyzed, and stratified random sampling was performed to identify the major ions with essential functions for living organisms and the potentially toxic metals. The lowest values for macronutrients appeared in the soils formed on ultramafic materials. When analyzing the load of potentially toxic metals, no significant differences were detected between the soils formed on serpentinite and peridotite substrates, although different values were obtained in the soils formed over acidic rocks.This research was funded by the Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness of the Government of Spain through the ULTRAFORESTS (Ref. CSO2013-47713-P) and PALEOPINSAPO (CSO2017-83576-P) Projects

Effects of aging and soil properties on zinc oxide nanoparticle availability and its ecotoxicological effects to the earthworm Eisenia andrei

To assess the influence of soil properties and ageing on the availability and toxicity of Zn applied as nanoparticles (ZnO NPs) or as Zn2+ ions (ZnCl2), three natural soils were individually spiked with either ZnO NPs or ZnCl2 and incubated for up to 6 months. Available Zn concentrations in soil were measured by pore water extraction (ZnPW), while exposures of earthworms (Eisenia andrei) were performed to study Zn bioavailability. ZnPW was lower when Zn was applied as nanoparticles than as ionic form, and decreased with increasing soil pH. ZnPW for both Zn forms were affected by ageing, but varied among the tested soils, highlighting the influence of soil properties. Internal Zn concentration in the earthworms (ZnE) was highest for the soil with high organic carbon content (5.4%) and basic pH (7.6) spiked with ZnO NPs, but the same soil spiked with ZnCl2 showed the lowest increase in ZnE compared to the control. Survival, weight change, and reproduction of the earthworms were affected by both Zn forms, but differences in toxicity could not be explained by soil properties or ageing. This shows that ZnO NPs and ZnCl2 behave differently in soils depending on soil properties and ageing processes, but differences in earthworm toxicity remain unexplained

Incorporation of chemical and toxicological availability into metal mixture toxicity modeling: State of the art and future perspectives

In the real world, metals are generally present as mixtures, but evaluating their mixture toxicity is still a daunting challenge. The classic conceptual models of concentration addition (CA) and independent action (IA) have been widely used by simply adding doses and responses to predict mixture effects assuming there is non-interaction. In cases where interactions do occur in a mixture, both CA and IA are no longer applicable for quantifying the toxicity, because interpretation of the observed joint effects is often limited to overall antagonism or synergism. In metal mixtures, interactive effects may occur at various levels, such as the exposure level, the uptake level, and the target level. A comprehensive understanding of the mechanisms of joint toxicity is therefore needed to incorporate the interactive effects of mixture components in predicting mixture toxicity. With this in mind, numerous bioavailability-based methods may be considered, with diverse mechanistic perspectives, such as the biotic ligand model (BLM), the electrostatic toxicity model (ETM), the WHAM-F tox approach, a toxicokinetic-toxicodynamic (TK-TD) and an omics-based approach. This review therefore timely summarizes the representative predictive tools and their underlying mechanisms and highlights the importance of integrating mixture interactions and bioavailability in assessing the toxicity and risks of metal mixtures

The Impact of Intimate Partner Violence on Sexual Attitudes, Sexual Assertiveness, and Sexual Functioning in Men and Women

Background: Intimate Partner Violence (IPV) causes physical, sexual, or psychological harm. The association between psychosexual (sexual assertiveness, erotophilia, and attitude towards sexual fantasies) and sexual function (sexual desire, sexual excitation, erection, orgasm capacity, and sexual satisfaction), and the experience of physical and non-physical IPV was assessed. Methods: Data from 3394 (1766 women, 1628 men) heterosexual adults completed the Spanish version of the Index of Spouse Abuse, scales measuring psychosexual and sexual function, and demographic characteristics were collected. Results: For men, poorer sexual health was associated with an experience of physical abuse (F = 4.41, p < 0.001) and non-physical abuse (F = 4.35, p < 0.001). For women, poorer sexual health was associated with physical abuse (F = 13.38, p < 0.001) and non-physical abuse (F = 7.83, p < 0.001). Conclusion: The experience of physical or non-physical abuse has a negative association with psychosexual and sexual functioning in both men and women.Spanish Government SEJ2007-6182

The Spanish Version of the Sexual Opinion Survey (SOS-6): Evidence of Validity of a Short Version

The aim of this work was to provide validity evidences of the short Spanish version of the Sexual Opinion Survey (SOS-6). First, a psychometric study was performed to examine the factorial invariance of the scale across different groups. A sample of 1,500 heterosexual adults (50% men, 50% women) from the general Spanish population, aged 18 to 80, was examined. Results showed that the unidimensional model of the SOS-6 is invariant across sex, age range, relationship status, and educational level. Secondly, a laboratory study was performed to determine the relationship between erotophilia and objective and subjective sexual arousal in response to sexual stimuli. The sample consisted of 130 young Spanish university students (46.92% men, 53.08% women) with heterosexual orientation. In men, erotophilia was related to subjective sexual arousal; in women, erotophilia was related to subjective sexual arousal and estimation of genital sensations. In conclusion, this work provides validity evidences of the short version of the SOS-6 and describes the factorial equivalence of the scale across groups and its concurrent validity.El objetivo de este trabajo fue aportar evidencias de validez a la versión española breve del Sexual Opinion Survey (SOS-6) mediante dos estudios independientes. En primer lugar, se realizó un estudio psicométrico para examinar la invarianza factorial de la escala por diferentes grupos. Se empleó una muestra de 1.500 adultos heterosexuales (50% hombres, 50% mujeres) de la población española general de entre 18 y 80 años de edad. Los resultados mostraron que el modelo unifactorial del SOS-6 es invariante por sexo, rango de edad, estatus de relación de pareja y nivel de estudios. En segundo lugar, se realizó un estudio de laboratorio para determinar la relación de la erotofilia en la excitación sexual objetiva y subjetiva ante estímulos sexuales. La muestra estuvo compuesta por 130 jóvenes universitarios (46,92% hombres, 53,08% mujeres) de nacionalidad española y con orientación heterosexual. En los hombres, la erotofilia se relacionó con la excitación sexual subjetiva; en las mujeres, la erotofilia se asoció tanto con la estimación de la excitación sexual como con la valoración de sensaciones genitales. Como conclusión, este trabajo aporta evidencias de validez a la versión española breve del SOS-6, mostrando su equivalencia por grupos y su validez concurrente

Proyecto de creación de una empresa recicladora de plástico en la ciudad de Guayaquil

El presente proyecto muestra la factibilidad de una empresa recicladora de plásticos con ubicación en la ciudad de Guayaquil. Para la investigación se utilizó información disponible acerca del reciclaje y su desarrollo, permitiendo conocer la situación del mercado y aportando a la realización de la investigación cualitativa y cuantitativa del proyecto. Además se profundizó en el reciclaje del plástico, efectuando el análisis técnico para determinar la localización de la planta, tomando en consideración las disposiciones legales, también se detalla otros activos y recursos necesarios para la producción; asimismo la exploración de las etapas del proceso de producción. Finalmente se elaboró el análisis financiero, en el cual se logra concatenar toda la información antes recabada, utilizando criterios de evaluación a través de los cuales se demuestra la viabilidad y rentabilidad del proyecto, y llegando a conclusiones positivas acerca del emprendimiento del proyecto debido a la generación de aspectos que beneficiarían al sector empresarial y a la sociedad

Ecotoxicological Assessment of Polluted Soils One Year after the Application of Different Soil Remediation Techniques

This research was funded by the project RTI 2018-094327-B-I00 (Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation) and by the project E-RNM-444-UGR20 (Operating Research Program FEDER 2014- 2020). The APC was funded by E-RNM-444-UGR20.The following supporting information can be downloaded at: https: //www.mdpi.com/article/10.3390/toxics11040298/s1, Table S1: Guideline values (mg/kg) to declare a soil as potentially polluted by legislations of different countries [51–54,90]The present work evaluated the influence of eight different soil remediation techniques, based on the use of residual materials (gypsum, marble, vermicompost) on the reduction in metal(loid)s toxicity (Cu, Zn, As, Pb and Cd) in a polluted natural area. Selected remediation treatments were applied in a field exposed to real conditions and they were evaluated one year after the application. More specifically, five ecotoxicological tests were carried out using different organisms on either the solid or the aqueous (leachate) fraction of the amended soils. Likewise, the main soil properties and the total, water-soluble and bioavailable metal fractions were determined to evaluate their influence on soil toxicity. According to the toxicity bioassays performed, the response of organisms to the treatments differed depending on whether the solid or the aqueous fraction was used. Our results highlighted that the use of a single bioassay may not be sufficient as an indicator of toxicity pathways to select soil remediation methods, so that the joint determination of metal availability and ecotoxicological response will be determinant for the correct establishment of any remediation technique carried out under natural conditions. Our results indicated that, of the different treatments used, the best technique for the remediation of metal(loid)s toxicity was the addition of marble sludge with vermicompost.Ministry of Science and Innovation, Spain (MICINN) Spanish Government RTI 2018-094327-B-I00Operating Research Program FEDER 2014-2020 E-RNM-444-UGR2