Urban green indicators: a tool to estimate the sustainability of our cities

[EN] In Europe, more than 70% of the population lives in an urban area. All the challenges related to land use conflicts, demographic changes, climate resilience and human well-being are concentrated inside the cities, since the population is already living in urban areas, which are more and more compact and dependent on grey infrastructure. In this context, urban green infrastructure represents a sustainable solution to maintain the benefits and services provided by urban ecosystems and an efficient urban planning tool to face the urban challenges. The sustainability of our cities can be reached adopting an innovative vision using the concept of ecosystem services of the urban green infrastructure. Different initiatives to assess the benefits provided by green infrastructure have emerged in the last decade. However, very few take into account the whole range of services provided by urban green infrastructure. The present article provides a systematic search and synthesis of the most important literature to review indicators of urban green infrastructure. The main goal is to give an insight of how urban green infrastructure is measured in practice. Results show the set of ecosystem services that are being considered when assessing sustainability of green infrastructure and identify the most recurrent indicators at the different scales. This work is expected to contribute to the improvement of the evaluation of green infrastructure effectiveness for providing benefits for urban dwellers.This work was supported by the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under the project Green Cities For Climate and Water Resilience, Sustainable Economic Growth, Healthy Citizens and Environments with reference 730283.Tudorie, CM.; Gielen, E.; Vallés-Planells, M.; Galiana, F. (2019). Urban green indicators: a tool to estimate the sustainability of our cities. International Journal of Design & Nature and Ecodynamics. 14(1):19-29. https://doi.org/10.2495/DNE-V14-N1-19-29S192914

Towards a Greener University: Perceptions of Landscape Services in Campus Open Space

[EN] Universities are showing a growing interest in becoming green institutions and improving campus open space management. Well-designed urban landscapes guided by green criteria integrate eco-friendly infrastructure which may be effective in facing urban challenges in the context of climate change. Student preferences and uses of campus outdoor environment should draw the attention of campus landscape planners. This study aims to analyse how the university community perceives landscape services provided by the Spanish Universitat Politecnica de Valencia's campus open space. An online questionnaire was sent to the university community to check its opinions, level of satisfaction, and their demands related to the current situation of the outdoor areas. Campus open spaces with different urban green infrastructure have a high potential to provide cultural, provisioning, and regulation landscape services. Respondents perceive the main benefits provided by campus open spaces to be that they are a place to relax, meet friends, and pass through. Their needs related to the welfare of outdoor areas and their preferences differ according to age, occupation, and time spent at the campus. This paper intends to help the university to meet environmental guidelines and to help other universities in their endeavour to reach sustainability and ensure the university community's well-being.This research was funded by European Commission, European Union's Horizon 2020, Green Cities for Climate and Water Resilience, Sustainable Economic Growth, Healthy Citizens and Environments; grant number 730283.Tudorie, CA.; Vallés-Planells, M.; Gielen, E.; Arroyo-López, MR.; Galiana, F. (2020). Towards a Greener University: Perceptions of Landscape Services in Campus Open Space. Sustainability. 12(15):1-26. https://doi.org/10.3390/su121560471261215Raising the standard. The Green Flag Award guidance Manual 2016 http://www.greenflagaward.org/Universidad de Navarra https://www.unav.edu/web/horizonte-2020/green-campusCommon International Classification of Ecosystem Services (CICES) V5.1 Guidance on the Application of the Revised Structure, UK https://cices.eu/content/uploads/sites/8/2018/01/Guidance-V51-01012018.pdfSpeake, J., Edmondson, S., & Nawaz, H. (2013). Everyday encounters with nature: students’ perceptions and use of university campus green spaces. HUMAN GEOGRAPHIES – Journal of Studies and Research in Human Geography, 7(1), 21-31. doi:10.5719/hgeo.2013.71.21McFarland, A. L., Waliczek, T. M., & Zajicek, J. M. (2008). The Relationship Between Student Use of Campus Green Spaces and Perceptions of Quality of Life. HortTechnology, 18(2), 232-238. doi:10.21273/horttech.18.2.232Gulwadi, G. B., Mishchenko, E. D., Hallowell, G., Alves, S., & Kennedy, M. (2019). The restorative potential of a university campus: Objective greenness and student perceptions in Turkey and the United States. Landscape and Urban Planning, 187, 36-46. doi:10.1016/j.landurbplan.2019.03.003Abu-Ghazzeh, T. M. (1999). Communicating Behavioral Research to Campus Design. Environment and Behavior, 31(6), 764-804. doi:10.1177/00139169921972344Hanan, H. (2013). Open Space as Meaningful Place for Students in ITB Campus. Procedia - Social and Behavioral Sciences, 85, 308-317. doi:10.1016/j.sbspro.2013.08.361Lau, S. S. Y., Gou, Z., & Liu, Y. (2014). Healthy campus by open space design: Approaches and guidelines. Frontiers of Architectural Research, 3(4), 452-467. doi:10.1016/j.foar.2014.06.006Caselles, V., L�pez Garc�a, M. J., Meli�, J., & P�rez Cueva, A. J. (1991). Analysis of the heat-island effect of the city of Valencia, Spain, through air temperature transects and NOAA satellite data. Theoretical and Applied Climatology, 43(4), 195-203. doi:10.1007/bf00867455Patrimonio Cultural Inmaterial https://ich.unesco.org/esFood and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) http://www.fao.org/news/story/en/item/1252906/icode/2029Memoria del Curso Académico 2017–2018 https://www.upv.es/organizacion/la-institucion/memoria-curso-upv-es.htmlVallés-Planells, M., Galiana, F., & Van Eetvelde, V. (2014). A Classification of Landscape Services to Support Local Landscape Planning. Ecology and Society, 19(1). doi:10.5751/es-06251-190144Ibrahim, N., & Fadzil, N. H. (2013). Informal Setting for Learning on Campus: Usage and Preference. Procedia - Social and Behavioral Sciences, 105, 344-351. doi:10.1016/j.sbspro.2013.11.036Schipperijn, J., Stigsdotter, U. K., Randrup, T. B., & Troelsen, J. (2010). Influences on the use of urban green space – A case study in Odense, Denmark. Urban Forestry & Urban Greening, 9(1), 25-32. doi:10.1016/j.ufug.2009.09.002Bonthoux, S., Chollet, S., Balat, I., Legay, N., & Voisin, L. (2019). Improving nature experience in cities: What are people’s preferences for vegetated streets? Journal of Environmental Management, 230, 335-344. doi:10.1016/j.jenvman.2018.09.056Pasini, M., Berto, R., Brondino, M., Hall, R., & Ortner, C. (2014). How to Measure the Restorative Quality of Environments: The PRS-11. Procedia - Social and Behavioral Sciences, 159, 293-297. doi:10.1016/j.sbspro.2014.12.375Urban GI Components Inventory Milestone 23. Green Surge Project https://ign.ku.dk/english/green-surge/Larson, L. R., Keith, S. J., Fernandez, M., Hallo, J. C., Shafer, C. S., & Jennings, V. (2016). Ecosystem services and urban greenways: What’s the public’s perspective? Ecosystem Services, 22, 111-116. doi:10.1016/j.ecoser.2016.10.004Gauthier, T. D., & Hawley, M. E. (2007). STATISTICAL METHODS. Introduction to Environmental Forensics, 129-183. doi:10.1016/b978-012369522-2/50006-3Laake, P., & Fagerland, M. W. (2015). Statistical Inference. Research in Medical and Biological Sciences, 379-430. doi:10.1016/b978-0-12-799943-2.00011-2Armstrong, R. A. (2014). When to use the Bonferroni correction. Ophthalmic and Physiological Optics, 34(5), 502-508. doi:10.1111/opo.12131University Libraries. SPSS Tutorials: Pearson Correlation https://libguides.library.kent.edu/SPSS/PearsonCorrUlrich, R. S., Simons, R. F., Losito, B. D., Fiorito, E., Miles, M. A., & Zelson, M. (1991). Stress recovery during exposure to natural and urban environments. Journal of Environmental Psychology, 11(3), 201-230. doi:10.1016/s0272-4944(05)80184-7Nikolopoulou, M., & Lykoudis, S. (2007). Use of outdoor spaces and microclimate in a Mediterranean urban area. Building and Environment, 42(10), 3691-3707. doi:10.1016/j.buildenv.2006.09.008Rahnema, S., Sedaghathoor, S., Allahyari, M. S., Damalas, C. A., & Bilali, H. E. (2019). Preferences and emotion perceptions of ornamental plant species for green space designing among urban park users in Iran. Urban Forestry & Urban Greening, 39, 98-108. doi:10.1016/j.ufug.2018.12.00

App Grow Green: un instrumento para la innovación docente en la formación ambiental

[ES] Hoy en día, resulta imposible enseñar y educar como antaño a una nueva generación de estudiantes que vive conectada a la tecnología. Una visión moderna del aprendizaje requiere la adaptación de estrategias y métodos clásicos de enseñanza. Este estudio propone la introducción de una aplicación móvil lúdica como recurso tecnológico de apoyo al aprendizaje, que fomente la educación y la conciencia ambiental en los estudiantes del Campus de Vera de la Universitat Politècnica de València. La aplicación Grow Green es una herramienta innovadora, que tiene el potencial de conseguir objetivos educativos y de sostenibilidad, más allá del mero entretenimiento. Este proyecto de gamificación desea ayudar a los estudiantes a conocer elementos de la biodiversidad local mediante diferentes rutas de flora (árboles y arbustos) y fauna (aves) urbana, experimentar la movilidad sostenible, disfrutar de los beneficios suministrados por elementos de infraestructura verde y descubrir estrategias verdes para la resiliencia urbana. El compromiso ambiental es otro contexto prometedor para la gamificación, facilitando la participación de la comunidad universitaria en censos de aves. La implantación de la aplicación Grow Green fomentará la adquisición de competencias específicas y transversales, que proporcionan un valor añadido a los estudiantes y otorgan un mayor atractivo al currículo docente.[EN] Nowadays, it is impossible to teach and educate a new generation of students who lives connected to technology in the same way it was done before. A modern vision of learning requires the adaptation of classic teaching strategies and methods. This study proposes the introduction of a gamified mobile application as a technological resource to support learning, in order to promote environmental education and awareness among Vera campus students of Universitat Politècnica de València. Grow Green App is an innovative tool, which has the potential to achieve educational and sustainability goals, beyond its mere entertainment. This gamification project aims to help students find out the local biodiversity through different routes of urban flora (trees and shrubs) and fauna (birds), experience the sustainable mobility, enjoy the benefits provided by green infrastructure elements and discover green strategies for urban resilience. Citizen awareness is another promising context for gamification, facilitating the participation of the university community in bird censuses. The implementation of the Grow Green app will promote the acquisition of specific and transversal competences, that will provide an added value to students and will make courses more attractive.Tudorie, CM.; Vallés-Planells, M.; Gielen, E.; Galiana, F. (2020). App Grow Green: un instrumento para la innovación docente en la formación ambiental. En IN-RED 2020: VI Congreso de Innovación Educativa y Docencia en Red. Editorial Universitat Politècnica de València. 581-592. https://doi.org/10.4995/INRED2020.2020.11963OCS58159

Food addiction in Bulimia Nervosa: Analysis of body composition, psychological and problematic foods profile

IntroductionFood Addiction (FA) has been related with eating disorders (ED), especially Bulimia Nervosa (BN). BN + FA may have different physical characteristics than patients with BN without the comorbidity, such as body mass index (BMI) or body composition, and psychological as emotion regulation. However, the relationship between psychological and physical aspects, connected by problematic food and its influence on body composition, has been barely studied. Therefore, the aims of the present study are: Aims(a) To explore the differences in body composition between FA positive (FA+) and negative (FA-) in women with BN; (b) to identify problematic relationship with certain food types, according with the foods mentioned in the YFAS scale questionnaire, between FA+ and FA- patients; (c) to know the psychological characteristic differences between FA+ and FA- patients, considering emotion regulation, personality traits and general psychopathological state; (d) to identify the relationship between physical and psychological traits, and the identified problematic foods, in patients with BN and FA. MethodologyN = 81 BN women patients, with a mean age of 29.73 years +/- 9.80 SD, who completed the questionnaires: Yale Food Addiction Scale V 1.0 (YFAS 1.0), Eating Disorder Inventory-2 (EDI-2), Symptom Checklist-90 Items-Revised (SCL-90-R), and Difficulties in Emotion Regulation Strategies (DERS). YFAS problematic foods were grouped considering their principal nutrients sources. Body composition and difference in metabolic age was determined using bioimpedance analyzer. ResultsThe 88% of patients with BN presented FA+. Patients with BN who were FA+ self-reported more problematic relationships with sweets and starches. Also presented higher emotion regulation difficulties, general psychopathology and eating symptomatology severity, than those without FA. Finally, emotional regulation difficulties were positively associated with higher eating disorder symptomatology and more types of foods self-reported as problematic, which increased indirectly fat mass. ConclusionThe results suggest that BN + FA presented more eating and psychopathology symptomatology and higher problems with specific food types. As well, the path analysis emphasized that emotion regulation difficulties might be related with problematic food relationship in BN, impacting over the ED severity. ImplicationsThe results may impact the development of precise therapies for patients with BN + FA

Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease in Elderly Patients with Acute and Advanced Heart Failure: Palliative Care Needs—Analysis of the EPICTER Study

Introduction: There are studies that evaluate the association between chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and heart failure (HF) but there is little evidence regarding the prognosis of this comorbidity in older patients admitted for acute HF. In addition, little attention has been given to the extracardiac and extrapulmonary symptoms presented by patients with HF and COPD in more advanced stages. The aim of this study was to evaluate the prognostic impact of COPD on mortality in elderly patients with acute and advanced HF and the clinical manifestations and management from a palliative point of view. Methods: The EPICTER study (Epidemiological survey of advanced heart failure) is a cross-sectional, multicenter project that consecutively collected patients admitted for HF in 74 Spanish hospitals. Demographic, clinical, treatment, organ-dependent terminal criteria (NYHA III-IV, LVEF <20%, intractable angina, HF despite optimal treatment), and general terminal criteria (estimated survival <6 months, patient/family acceptance of palliative approach, and one of the following: evidence of HF progression, multiple Emergency Room visits or admissions in the last six months, 10% weight loss in the last six months, and functional impairment) were collected. Terminal HF was considered if the patient met at least one organ-dependent criterion and all the general criteria. Both groups (HF with COPD and without COPD) were compared. A Kaplan-Meier survival analysis was performed to evaluate the presence of COPD on the vital prognosis of patients with HF. Results: A total of 3100 patients were included of which 812 had COPD. In the COPD group, dyspnea and anxiety were more frequently observed (86.2% vs. 75.3%, p = 0.001 and 35.4% vs. 31.2%, p = 0.043, respectively). In patients with a history of COPD, presentation of HF was in the form of acute pulmonary edema (21% vs. 14.4% in patients without COPD, p = 0.0001). Patients with COPD more frequently suffered from advanced HF (28.9% vs. 19.4%; p < 0.001). Consultation with the hospital palliative care service during admission was more frequent when patients with HF presented with associated COPD (94% vs. 6.8%; p = 0.036). In-hospital and six-month follow-up mortality was 36.5% in patients with COPD vs. 30.7% in patients without COPD, p = 0.005. The mean number of hospital admissions during follow-up was higher in patients with HF and COPD than in those with isolated HF (0.63 +/- 0.98 vs. 0.51 +/- 0.84; p < 0.002). Survival analysis showed that patients with a history of COPD had fewer survival days during follow-up than those without COPD (log Rank chi-squared 4.895 and p = 0.027). Conclusions: patients with HF and COPD had more severe symptoms (dyspnea and anxiety) and also a worse prognosis than patients without COPD. However, the prognosis of patients admitted to our setting is poor and many patients with HF and COPD may not receive the assessment and palliative care support they need. Palliative care is necessary in chronic non-oncologic diseases, especially in multipathologic and symptom-intensive patients. This is a clinical care aspect to be improved and evaluated in future research studies

Arbovirus-Derived piRNAs Exhibit a Ping-Pong Signature in Mosquito Cells

The siRNA pathway is an essential antiviral mechanism in insects. Whether other RNA interference pathways are involved in antiviral defense remains unclear. Here, we report in cells derived from the two main vectors for arboviruses, Aedes albopictus and Aedes aegypti, the production of viral small RNAs that exhibit the hallmarks of ping-pong derived piwi-associated RNAs (piRNAs) after infection with positive or negative sense RNA viruses. Furthermore, these cells produce endogenous piRNAs that mapped to transposable elements. Our results show that these mosquito cells can initiate de novo piRNA production and recapitulate the ping-pong dependent piRNA pathway upon viral infection. The mechanism of viral-piRNA production is discussed

Spread of a SARS-CoV-2 variant through Europe in the summer of 2020

[EN] Following its emergence in late 2019, the spread of SARS-CoV-21,2 has been tracked by phylogenetic analysis of viral genome sequences in unprecedented detail3,4,5. Although the virus spread globally in early 2020 before borders closed, intercontinental travel has since been greatly reduced. However, travel within Europe resumed in the summer of 2020. Here we report on a SARS-CoV-2 variant, 20E (EU1), that was identified in Spain in early summer 2020 and subsequently spread across Europe. We find no evidence that this variant has increased transmissibility, but instead demonstrate how rising incidence in Spain, resumption of travel, and lack of effective screening and containment may explain the variant’s success. Despite travel restrictions, we estimate that 20E (EU1) was introduced hundreds of times to European countries by summertime travellers, which is likely to have undermined local efforts to minimize infection with SARS-CoV-2. Our results illustrate how a variant can rapidly become dominant even in the absence of a substantial transmission advantage in favourable epidemiological settings. Genomic surveillance is critical for understanding how travel can affect transmission of SARS-CoV-2, and thus for informing future containment strategies as travel resumes.S

Global disparities in surgeons’ workloads, academic engagement and rest periods: the on-calL shIft fOr geNEral SurgeonS (LIONESS) study

: The workload of general surgeons is multifaceted, encompassing not only surgical procedures but also a myriad of other responsibilities. From April to May 2023, we conducted a CHERRIES-compliant internet-based survey analyzing clinical practice, academic engagement, and post-on-call rest. The questionnaire featured six sections with 35 questions. Statistical analysis used Chi-square tests, ANOVA, and logistic regression (SPSS® v. 28). The survey received a total of 1.046 responses (65.4%). Over 78.0% of responders came from Europe, 65.1% came from a general surgery unit; 92.8% of European and 87.5% of North American respondents were involved in research, compared to 71.7% in Africa. Europe led in publishing research studies (6.6 ± 8.6 yearly). Teaching involvement was high in North America (100%) and Africa (91.7%). Surgeons reported an average of 6.7 ± 4.9 on-call shifts per month, with European and North American surgeons experiencing 6.5 ± 4.9 and 7.8 ± 4.1 on-calls monthly, respectively. African surgeons had the highest on-call frequency (8.7 ± 6.1). Post-on-call, only 35.1% of respondents received a day off. Europeans were most likely (40%) to have a day off, while African surgeons were least likely (6.7%). On the adjusted multivariable analysis HDI (Human Development Index) (aOR 1.993) hospital capacity &gt; 400 beds (aOR 2.423), working in a specialty surgery unit (aOR 2.087), and making the on-call in-house (aOR 5.446), significantly predicted the likelihood of having a day off after an on-call shift. Our study revealed critical insights into the disparities in workload, access to research, and professional opportunities for surgeons across different continents, underscored by the HDI

Impacto del uso de la APP GROW GREEN, como recurso tecnológico didáctico, en la población educativa del distrito de Benicalap

[ES] La motivación y la implicación del alumnado para el aprendizaje son fundamentales en su formación y en el desarrollo de las competencias propuestas por el Espacio Europeo de Educación. La introducción de materiales docentes innovadores en el uso de la infraestructura verde urbana como entorno educativo son estrategias didácticas, descritas con éxito en la literatura, y que pueden ayudar en ese sentido. El objetivo es analizar el impacto del uso de la APP GROW GREEN, como recurso tecnológico didáctico en la población educativa del distrito de Benicalap. En concreto, se presenta una propuesta de estrategia de captación de población con el objetivo de educar al público formal e informalmente usando una herramienta eco-consciente, que es el resultado de una de las acciones de divulgación de los proyectos pilotos del proyecto H2020 Grow Green. Con el fin de difundir el uso de la app, desde febrero de 2020 se han organizado una serie de actividades y talleres con la app, y se ha observado un incremento en la frecuencia general de visitas y en la interacción con los puntos de interés (localización de flora y fauna local), especialmente los que están geolocalizados dentro del parque de Benicalap y en la zona de los proyectos piloto. La app ha sido usada como recurso de educación formal en una actividad en el parque de Benicalap, por los alumnos de primaria y se ha observado una satisfacción y motivación general para el aprendizaje a través de los juegos. La intención es buscar otras vías de difusión para ampliar su uso fuera de las actividades docentes organizadas por centros escolares, porque la app tiene potencial en el fomento de la participación en procesos de enseñanza-aprendizaje, en el seguimiento de los beneficios de las estrategias verdes y en los estudios de impacto social.[EN] The motivation and involvement of students in learning are fundamental in their training and in the development of the competences proposed by the European Education Area. The introduction of innovative teaching materials in the use of urban green infrastructure as an educational environment are didactic strategies, successfully described in the literature, which can help in this sense. The objective is to analyse the impact of the use of the APP GROW GREEN, as a didactic technological resource in the educational population of the district of Benicalap. Specifically, a proposal is presented for a population recruitment strategy with the aim of educating the public formally and informally using an eco-conscious tool, which is the result of one of the dissemination actions of the pilot projects of the H2020 Grow Green project. In order to disseminate the use of the app, a series of activities and workshops have been organised with the app since February 2020, and an increase in the overall frequency of visits and interaction with the points of interest (location of local flora and fauna) has been observed, especially those geolocated within the Benicalap park and in the area of the pilot projects. The app has been used as a formal education resource in an activity in the Benicalap park by primary school pupils and a general satisfaction and motivation for learning through the games has been observed. The intention is to look for other ways of dissemination to extend its use outside the educational activities organised by schools, because the app has potential in promoting participation in teaching-learning processes, in monitoring the benefits of green strategies and in social impact studies.Tudorie, CA.; Vallés-Planells, M.; Gielen, E.; Galiana Galán, F.; Beltrán, G.; Diaz Maiquez, J. (2023). Impacto del uso de la APP GROW GREEN, como recurso tecnológico didáctico, en la población educativa del distrito de Benicalap. Editorial Universitat Politècnica de València. 261-269. https://doi.org/10.4995/INN2022.2023.1574126126

The lipid network of plasma extracellular vesicles reveals sex-based differences in the lipidomic profile of alcohol use disorder patients

Code and data used for the bioinformatics approach. language R Contains the code used to carry out this project. It presents the different sections: 00Data 01Functions 02Preprocessing_&_ExploratoryAnalysis 03DifferentialAbundanceAnalysis 04ClassAnnotation 05LSEA 06LINE