COVID-19 personal protective equipment (PPE) contamination in coastal areas of Granada, Spain.

The use of disposable personal protective equipment (PPE) as a control measure to avoid transmission against COVID-19 has generated a challenge to the waste management and enhances plastic pollution in the environment. The research aims to monitor the presence of PPE waste and other plastic debris, in a time interval where the use of face mask at specific places was still mandatory, on the coastal areas of Granada (Spain) which belongs to the Mediterranean Sea. Four beaches called La Rijana, La Charca, La Rábita and Calahonda were examined during different periods. The total amount of sampled waste was 17,558 plastic units. The abundance, characteristics and distribution of PPE and other plastic debris were determined. Results showed that the observed amount of total plastic debris were between 2.531·10-2 and 24.487·10-2 units per square meter, and up to 0.136·10-2 for PPE debris, where face masks represented the 92.22 % of the total PPE debris, being these results comparable to previous studies in other coastal areas in the world. On the other hand, total plastic debris densities were in the range from 2.457·10-2 to 92.219·10-2 g/m2 and densities were up to 0.732·10-2 for PPE debris. PPE debris supposed 0.79 % of the weight of total waste and the 0.51 % of total items. Concerning non-PPE plastic waste: cigarettes filters, food containers and styrofoam were the most abundant items (42.95, 10.19 and 16.37 % of total items, respectively). During vacation periods, total plastic debris amount increased 92.19 % compared to non-vacation periods. Regarding type of beaches, the presence of plastic debris was significantly higher on touristic/recreational than in fishing beaches. Data showed no significant differences between accessible and no-accessible beaches, but between periods with restrictive policy about mask face use and periods with non-restrictive policy data suggest significant differences between densities (g/m2) for PPE litter. The amount of PPEs debris is also correlated with the number of cigarettes filters (Person's r = 0.650), food containers (r = 0.782) and other debris (r = 0.63). Finally, although interesting results were provided in this study, further research is required to better understand the consequences of this type of pollution and to provide viable solutions to this problem.

On the use of plastic precursors for preparation of activated carbons and their evaluation in CO2 capture for biogas upgrading: a review.

In circular economy, useful plastic materials are kept in circulation as opposed to being landfilled, incinerated, or leaked into the natural environment. Pyrolysis is a chemical recycling technique useful for unrecyclable plastic wastes that produce gas, liquid (oil), and solid (char) products. Although the pyrolysis technique has been extensively studied and there are several installations applying it on the industrial scale, no commercial applications for the solid product have been found yet. In this scenario, the use of plastic-based char for the biogas upgrading may be a sustainable way to transform the solid product of pyrolysis into a particularly beneficial material. This paper reviews the preparation and main parameters of the processes affecting the final textural properties of the plastic-based activated carbons. Moreover, the application of those materials for the CO2 capture in the processes of biogas upgrading is largely discussed.

Modified Rapid Emergency Medicine Score-Lactate (mREMS-L) performance to screen non-anticipated 30-day-related-mortality in emergency department.

BACKGROUND: The aim of this study was to compare the ability to predict 30-day in-hospital mortality of lactate versus the modified Rapid Emergency Medicine Score (mREMS) versus the arithmetic sum of the mREMS plus the numerical value of lactate (mREMS-L). METHODS: A prospective, multicentric, emergency department delivery, pragmatic study was conducted. To determine the predictive capacity of the scales, lactate was measured and the mREMS and mREMS-L were calculated in adult patients (aged>18 years) transferred with high priority by ambulance to the emergency department in five hospitals of Castilla y Leon between 1 January 2020 and 31 December 2021. The area under the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve of each of the scales was calculated in terms of mortality for 30 days. RESULTS: A total of 5371 participants were included, and the in-hospital mortality rate at 30 days was of 11.4% (615 cases). The best cut-off point determined in the mREMS was 7.0 points (sensitivity of 67% and specificity of 84%), and for lactate, the cut-off point was 1.4 mmol/L (sensitivity of 88% and specificity of 67%). Finally, the combined mREMS-L showed a cut-off point of 7.9 (sensitivity of 83% and a specificity of 83%). The area under the ROC curve of the mREMS, lactate and mREMS-L for 30-day mortality was 0.851, 0.853, and 0.903, respectively (p < 0.001 in all cases). CONCLUSIONS: The new score generated, mREMS-L, obtained better statistical results than its components (mREMS and lactate) separately.

Efectividad de la inhibición suboccipital combinada con corriente interferencial en pacientes con cefalea tensional crónica: un ensayo clínico controlado aleatorizado / Effectiveness of suboccipital muscle inhibition combined with interferential current in patients with chronic tension-type headache: a randomised controlled clinical trial

Introducción: Se ha demostrado que la terapia manual reduce los síntomas autoreportados en pacientes con cefalea tensional crónica (CTC). Sin embargo, la aplicación simultánea de la técnica de inhibición muscular suboccipital y corriente interferencial no se ha investigado previamente. Este estudio evalúa la efectividad de la inhibición muscular suboccipital y la corriente interferencial en comparación con los cuidados habituales sobre el dolor, la discapacidad y el impacto de la cefalea en pacientes con CTC.MétodosLos pacientes se asignaron al azar al grupo de cuidados habituales (n = 13) o experimental (n = 12) que consistió en 20 minutos de inhibición muscular suboccipital y corriente interferencial dos veces por semana durante cuatro semanas. El resultado primario fue el dolor, y los resultados secundarios incluyeron la discapacidad producida por el dolor de cabeza y el impacto del dolor de cabeza que se valoraron por un evaluador cegado al inicio y después de cuatro semanas.ResultadosLos análisis mostraron diferencias entre los grupos a favor del grupo experimental a las cuatro semanas para la discapacidad producida por el dolor de cabeza (Neck Disability Index: g-Hedges = 1,01; p = 0,001; Headache Disability Inventory: g-Hedges = 0,48; p = 0,022) e impacto del dolor de cabeza (HIT-6: g-Hedges = 0,15; p = 0,037) pero no para el dolor autoreportado (Numerical Rating Scale: g-Hedges = 1,13; p = 0,18).ConclusionesLa aplicación simultánea de inhibición muscular suboccipital y corriente interferencial en pacientes con CTC no reduce significativamente el dolor autoreportado a las cuatro semanas. Sin embargo, mejora la discapacidad y el impacto del dolor de cabeza en la vida diaria. Estas mejoras superaron el mínimo cambio clínicamente importante de las mediciones, destacando su relevancia clínica. (AU)

Introduction: Manual therapy has been shown to reduce self-reported symptoms in patients with chronic tension-type headache (CTTH). However, simultaneous application of suboccipital muscle inhibition and interferential current has not previously been investigated. This study evaluates the effectiveness of combined treatment with suboccipital muscle inhibition and interferential current compared to standard treatment for pain, disability, and headache impact in patients with CTTH.MethodsPatients were randomly allocated to receive either standard treatment (n = 13) or the experimental treatment (n = 12), consisting of 20 minutes of suboccipital muscle inhibition plus interferential current twice weekly for 4 weeks. The primary outcome was improvement in pain, and secondary outcomes included improvement in headache-related disability and reduction in headache impact, which were assessed at baseline and at 4 weeks by a blinded rater.ResultsStatistical analysis showed improvements in the experimental treatment group at 4 weeks for headache-related disability (Neck Disability Index: Hedges’ g = 1.01, P = .001; and Headache Disability Inventory: Hedges’ g = 0.48, P = .022) and headache impact (6-item Headache Impact Test: Hedges’ g = 0.15, P = .037) but not for self-reported pain (numerical rating scale: Hedges’ g = 1.13, P = .18).ConclusionsCombined treatment with suboccipital muscle inhibition and interferential current in patients with CTTH did not significantly improve self-reported pain but did reduce disability and the impact of headache on daily life at 4 weeks. These improvements exceed the minimum clinically important difference, demonstrating the clinical relevance of our findings. (AU)

Effectiveness of suboccipital muscle inhibition combined with interferential current in patients with chronic tension-type headache: a randomised controlled clinical trial.

INTRODUCTION: Manual therapy has been shown to reduce self-reported symptoms in patients with chronic tension-type headache (CTTH). However, simultaneous application of suboccipital muscle inhibition and interferential current has not previously been investigated. This study evaluates the effectiveness of combined treatment with suboccipital muscle inhibition and interferential current compared to standard treatment for pain, disability, and headache impact in patients with CTTH. METHODS: Patients were randomly allocated to receive either standard treatment (n = 13) or the experimental treatment (n = 12), consisting of 20 minutes of suboccipital muscle inhibition plus interferential current twice weekly for 4 weeks. The primary outcome was improvement in pain, and secondary outcomes included improvement in headache-related disability and reduction in headache impact, which were assessed at baseline and at 4 weeks by a blinded rater. RESULTS: Statistical analysis showed improvements in the experimental treatment group at 4 weeks for headache-related disability (Neck Disability Index: Hedges' g = 1.01, P = .001; and Headache Disability Inventory: Hedges' g = 0.48, P = .022) and headache impact (6-item Headache Impact Test: Hedges' g = 0.15, P = .037) but not for self-reported pain (numerical rating scale: Hedges' g = 1.13, P = .18). CONCLUSIONS: Combined treatment with suboccipital muscle inhibition and interferential current in patients with CTTH did not significantly improve self-reported pain but did reduce disability and the impact of headache on daily life at 4 weeks. These improvements exceed the minimum clinically important difference, demonstrating the clinical relevance of our findings.

Recovery, separation and production of fuel, plastic and aluminum from the Tetra PAK waste to hydrothermal and pyrolysis processes.

The establishment of a method of separation of materials from Tetra Pak waste to obtain products for use as raw material, fuel or other purposes was investigated in this study. First, the feasibility of hydrothermal treatment for the production of a solid fuel (hydrochar) and solid fraction formed by polyethylene and aluminum, called composite was analyzed. The results indicated that hydrothermal treatment performed at 240 °C yield the formation of hydrochar with good properties for its use as fuel and a composite of polyethylene and aluminum. The best conversion and separation of the cardboard and polyethylene/aluminum were obtained using 120 min as operating time. Then, the recovery of the aluminum fraction from the composite by using spent olive oil waste was studied. A partial separation of the composite layers (polyethylene and aluminum) was accomplished with improved aluminum purity for higher operating temperatures. Finally, the operating conditions of the pyrolysis process for the production of a solid (char) and high purity composite (aluminum) were optimized. The characterization results indicated that both char and aluminum resulting from the pyrolysis of the Tetra Pak at 400 °C still have a significant amount of polyethylene while higher purity levels of aluminum can be obtained at temperatures equal of higher than 500 °C.

Environmental status of marine plastic pollution in Spain.

The excessive use of plastic in our society is causing a massive accumulation, since it is a non-biodegradable product and with still poor recycling rates. This effect can be observed in the seas, which more and more plastic waste are accumulating. The present work is a critical review, based on all currently available literature, that reports environmental status of marine plastic pollution, especially microplastic pollution, in Spain. The three Spanish water areas with the highest presence of plastics are the Alboran Sea, the Gulf of Alicante and the vicinity of Barcelona probably related to fishing and industrial activities and high population densities. With regard to microplastic contamination on beaches in Spain, annual monitoring by the Spanish government shows contamination along the entire coast of the country, with particularly high concentrations in the Canary Islands (between 800 and 8800 particles/m2 in spring). Between 40 and 50% of the particles analyzed were pellets and the main factors postulated for the distribution of these particles are marine currents and the geomorphological characteristics. With regards to biota, ingestion of microplastics by fish has been intensely confirmed and, important differences were observed between the locations of the sampling, being bogues (Boops boops) one of the fish species more studied in Spain. Finally, the work includes a revision of European and Spanish legislation about plastics and marine pollution and some strategies to reduce this kind of contamination in Spain.

Liquid Hot Water Pretreatment and Enzymatic Hydrolysis as a Valorization Route of Italian Green Pepper Waste to Delivery Free Sugars.

In this work, liquid hot water pretreatment (autohydrolysis) was used to improve enzymatic hydrolysis of a commonly consumed vegetable waste in Spain, Italian green pepper, to finally produce fermentable sugars. Firstly, the effect of temperature and contact time on sugar recovery during pretreatment (in insoluble solid and liquid fraction) was studied in detail. Then, enzymatic hydrolysis using commercial cellulase was performed with the insoluble solid resulting from pretreatment. The objective was to compare results with and without pretreatment. The results showed that the pretreatment step was effective to facilitate the sugars release in enzymatic hydrolysis, increasing the global sugar yield. This was especially notable when pretreatment was carried out at 180 °C for 40 min for glucose yields. In these conditions a global glucose yield of 61.02% was obtained. In addition, very low concentrations of phenolic compounds (ranging from 69.12 to 82.24 mg/L) were found in the liquid fraction from enzymatic hydrolysis, decreasing the possibility of fermentation inhibition produced by these components. Results showed that Italian green pepper is an interesting feedstock to obtain free sugars and prevent the enormous quantity of this food waste discarded annually.

Effectiveness of the "Mente Sana [Healthy Mind]" Cognitive Training Program for Older Illiterate Adults with Mild Cognitive Impairment.

Aging can lead to functional and cognitive alterations, sometimes limiting older adults in their social development, especially illiterate groups of older adults who receive poor attention from healthcare systems. In this context, the present investigation proposes the cognitive training program "MENTE SANA [HEALTHY MIND]" to improve the cognitive functions of illiterate older adults in Arequipa (Peru). It is a type of quasi-experimental research with a pre-test/post-test design with a homogenous control group. The sample was made up of adults 60 years old and above and of female gender. The Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) test was used to detect the level of cognitive decline in illiterate older adults. The 50-sessions program was applied to all the older adults with mild cognitive impairment that were selected for the study, on a daily basis. It was found that the tested group improved their cognitive functions compared to the control group. These results help to propose adapted cognitive training programs for illiterate people.

Effectiveness of suboccipital muscle inhibition combined with interferential current in patients with chronic tension-type headache: a randomised controlled clinical trial. / Efectividad de la inhibición suboccipital combinada con corriente interferencial en pacientes con cefalea tensional crónica: un ensayo clínico controlado aleatorizado.

INTRODUCTION: Manual therapy has been shown to reduce self-reported symptoms in patients with chronic tension-type headache (CTTH). However, simultaneous application of suboccipital muscle inhibition and interferential current has not previously been investigated. This study evaluates the effectiveness of combined treatment with suboccipital muscle inhibition and interferential current compared to standard treatment for pain, disability, and headache impact in patients with CTTH. METHODS: Patients were randomly allocated to receive either standard treatment (n = 13) or the experimental treatment (n = 12), consisting of 20 minutes of suboccipital muscle inhibition plus interferential current twice weekly for 4 weeks. The primary outcome was improvement in pain, and secondary outcomes included improvement in headache-related disability and reduction in headache impact, which were assessed at baseline and at 4 weeks by a blinded rater. RESULTS: Statistical analysis showed improvements in the experimental treatment group at 4 weeks for headache-related disability (Neck Disability Index: Hedges' g = 1.01, P = .001; and Headache Disability Inventory: Hedges' g = 0.48, P = .022) and headache impact (6-item Headache Impact Test: Hedges' g = 0.15, P = .037) but not for self-reported pain (numerical rating scale: Hedges' g = 1.13, P = .18). CONCLUSIONS: Combined treatment with suboccipital muscle inhibition and interferential current in patients with CTTH did not significantly improve self-reported pain but did reduce disability and the impact of headache on daily life at 4 weeks. These improvements exceed the minimum clinically important difference, demonstrating the clinical relevance of our findings.

Wisconsin Card Sorting Test-Learning Potential: Usefulness for Assessing Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder.

This study analyzes the Wisconsin Card Sorting Test-Learning Potential (WCST-LP) in children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) versus children with typical development (TD). Its main aim was to assess: the test's construct validity; the effect of IQ on its pretest and LP scores; and whether the WCST-LP held any relationship to cognitive/EF and social abilities. Participants were 105 children (43 with ASD/62 with TD). Results showed evidence of construct validity in an ASD population (improvements from pretest to posttest), that full IQ influenced pretest performance but did not affect LP, and that a relationship between LP and verbal and social abilities existed only in children with ASD. Conclusions indicate the appropriateness of the WCST-LP in ASD prognosis assessment.

Differential analysis of executive functions in children from disadvantaged families vs. children with autistic spectrum disorder / Análisis diferencial de las funciones ejecutivas en niños pertenecientes a familias desfavorecidas vs. niños con trastorno del espectro autista

Executive Functions (EF) are considered necessary for dealing with new situations and for controlling one's behavior. Studies have confirmed EF difficulties in children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and in children from disadvantaged families (DF). This study aimed to examine EF difficulties in the two populations -ASD and DF children- with respect to EF in children who show typical development (TD). A total of 89 children between the ages of 7 and 12 years participated, divided into three groups: 28 with ASD, 36 from DF and 25 with TD. Assessments were made with different measures of EF (executive attention, cognitive flexibility, inhibition and working memory) and central coherence. In general, the children from DF obtained the lowest scores in all measures, although differences were not significant with respect to the other groups in all cases. Children with ASD obtained similar scores to the TD group in executive attention and working memory, and higher scores in central coherence. In comparison to the children from DF, the ASD children did better on all measures. These results would indicate that intervention programs designed for the two groups must be focus on different kind of tasks

Las Funciones Ejecutivas (FE) se consideran necesarias para afrontar nuevas situaciones y para controlar la propia conducta. Diversos estudios han confirmado que poblaciones tan diferentes como niños con Trastorno del Espectro Autista (TEA) y niños de familias desfavorecidas (FD) muestran dificultades en las FE. Este estudio pretende examinar las dificultades en FE en esas dos poblaciones con respecto a las FE en niños que muestran un desarrollo típico (DT). Un total de 89 niños de edades comprendidas entre los 7 y 12 años, divididos en tres grupos, participaron en el estudio: 28 con TEA, 36 de FD y 25 con DT. La evaluación se realizó con diferentes medidas de FE (memoria de trabajo, flexibilidad cognitiva, inhibición, planificación y autorregulación) y coherencia central. Los resultados muestran que, en general, los niños de FD obtuvieron las menores puntuaciones en todas las medidas, aunque las diferencias no fueron significativas en todos los casos. Los niños con TEA obtuvieron puntuaciones similares al grupo DT en planificación y memoria de trabajo, y mayores puntuaciones en coherencia central. Además, cuando se les compara con los niños de FD, los niños con TEA obtuvieron una ejecución mayor en todas las medidas. Estos resultados indican que existen diferencias entre grupos y, por tanto, que los programas de intervención diseñados para cada uno de ellos deben centrarse en diferentes tipos de tareas

Effectiveness of Cognitive Interventions in Older Adults: A Review.

(1) Introduction: With older adults, cognitive intervention programs are most often used for preventing or reversing a decline in cognitive functions, but it has been recently noted that there are insufficient high-quality research studies that report the effects of cognitive intervention on the cognitive functioning of older adults. (2) Objective: To analyze the available evidence concerning the effect of cognitive interventions for improving or maintaining the general cognitive status of older adults who present different cognitive levels. (3) Method: a review of studies published between 2010 and 2019 using the following databases: PubMed, PsycINFO, Cochrane, Google Scholar, ProQuest and Medline. (4) Results: We selected 13 systematic reviews and/or meta-analyses. The results showed that the cognitive intervention programs improved general cognitive functioning and specific cognitive functions regardless of the initial cognitive level; that cognitive decline was slowed in older persons with dementia; and there was improvement in activities of daily living. Regarding duration of the results, benefits were maintained for periods of 2 months to 5 years. (5) Conclusion: Cognitive interventions have proven effective for maintaining and/or improving cognitive functioning in older adults regardless of their initial cognitive status. Even so, there are few studies that follow up these results to see whether they are maintained in the long term and whether there is transfer to other skills of daily life. However, we were able to observe in the present review how the participants' cognitive level varied according to sociodemographic differences, and to identify which components of cognitive programs make them more effective. Based on the results found, we highlight the importance of designing cognitive intervention programs that meet these effectiveness criteria, in order to maximize the positive effects of such programs when working with a population of older adults.

The potential of microplastics as carriers of metals.

Microplastics can adsorb chemical pollutants such as metals or pharmaceuticals, and transferred them along the food chain. In this work, an investigation of the adsorption of Cd, Co, Cr, Cu, Ni, Pb and Zn by five different types of microplastics was performed in Milli-Q water and natural waters (seawater, urban wastewater and irrigation water) via a series of batch adsorption experiments. The effects of concentration of metals and physicochemical characteristics of polymers were particularly studied. Results revealed a significant adsorption of lead, chromium and zinc on microplastics, especially on polyethylene and polyvinyl chloride. In the case of polyethylene terephthalate, it showed little adsorption capacity. Specific surface, porosity and morphology are characteristics that affect the molecular interactions. The adsorption isotherms were better described by Langmuir model, which indicates that the main adsorption mechanism might be chemical adsorption. Finally, results obtained in natural waters indicated that dissolved organic matter may play a major role on metal adsorption on microplastics. Results showed an enhancement of metal adsorption in waters with high chemical and biological oxygen demands as urban wastewater and irrigation water.

Physical-chemical characterization of microplastics present in some exfoliating products from Spain.

Plastic pollution in oceans is a global problem, with growing research efforts focusing on the threat of microplastics (<5 mm fractions). A source of microplastics pollution is derived from personal care products that contain polyethylene micro-spheres which are not captured by wastewater plants. In this work, ten personal care products (mainly scrubs) containing microplastics and marketed in Spain, were physico-chemically characterized. The obtained results proved that those microplastics had different particle size and are presented in high percentages in some cases, between 6 and 7% of the total product. Products with smaller particles usually showed higher concentrations than products with larger particles. Although all the microplastics were shown to be polyethylene, some impurities were observed that demonstrated the presence of silicates and oxides in the microplastics. Regards to morphology, the shape of the particles was irregular in general, although some completely spherical particles can be observed.

Effectiveness of an evidence-based protocol for the control of stress-induced hyperglycaemia in critical care. / Efectividad de un protocolo basado en la evidencia para el control de la hiperglucemia por estrés en cuidados intensivos.

AIM: To assess the effectiveness of the implementation of a protocol for glycaemic control in critical care, in terms of maintenance of a pre-established target of blood glucose level, reduction of hyperglycaemia and prevention of severe hypoglycaemia. METHOD: Prospective "pre-post" quasi-experimental study carried out in a general critical care unit. Adult patients treated with intravenous insulin were included. We recorded all glycaemic tests performed from November 2014 to August 2015 (pre-intervention) and from November 2015 to August 2016 (post-intervention). The intervention consisted of the implementation of an evidence-based glycaemic control protocol to achieve glycaemic levels in a range of 140-180mg/dl. Main variables analysed were: proportion of glycaemic tests in the target range, proportions of severe hypoglycaemia (under 40mg/dl) and hyperglycaemia over 200mg/dl. RESULTS: We analysed 7864 glycaemic tests from 125 patients, 66 pre-intervention and 59 post-intervention. Average age was 66.24±13.99 years, 64% of patients were male. The proportion of tests within the target range was higher in the intervention group (38.82 vs. 44.34 p<.001). Only one case of severe hypoglycaemia was identified, which happened in the pre-intervention period. The rate of severe hyperglycaemia was lower in the post-intervention group (19.19 vs. 16.28 p=.001). CONCLUSIONS: Our experience shows that implementation of evidence-based interventions can improve glycaemic control during critical illness. We found higher glycaemia levels in the target range. The protocol proved useful in the prevention of severe hypoglycaemia. Nurse-led interventions based on clinical data improved health results in our patients.

Aß42 Peptide Promotes Proliferation and Gliogenesis in Human Neural Stem Cells.

Amyloid-ß 42 [Aß1-42 (Aß42)] is one of the main Aß peptide isoforms found in amyloid plaques of brains with Alzheimer's disease (AD). Although Aß42 is associated with neurotoxicity, it might mediate several normal physiological processes during embryonic brain development and in the adult brain. However, due to the controversy that exists in the field, relatively little is known about its physiological function. In the present work, we have analyzed the effects of different concentrations of monomeric Aß42 on cell death, proliferation, and cell fate specification of human neural stem cells (hNSCs), specifically the hNS1 cell line, undergoing differentiation. Our results demonstrate that at higher concentrations (1 µM), Aß42 increases apoptotic cell death and DNA damage, indicating that prolonged exposure of hNS1 cells to higher concentrations of Aß42 is neurotoxic. However, at lower concentrations, Aß42 significantly promotes cell proliferation and glial cell specification of hNS1 cells by increasing the pool of proliferating glial precursors, without affecting neuronal differentiation, in a concentration-dependent manner. At the molecular level, these effects could be mediated, at least in part, by GSK3ß, whose expression is increased by treatment with Aß42 and whose inhibition prevents the glial specification induced by Aß42. Since the cellular and molecular effects are known to appear decades before the first clinical symptoms, these types of studies are important in discovering the underlying pathophysiological processes involved in the development of AD. This knowledge could then be used in diagnosing the disease at early stages and be applied to the development of new treatment options.

Discrepancies When Assessing Interpersonal Problem-Solving Skills in Autism Spectrum Disorder: A Diagnostic Indicator.

In children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), there are often discrepancies between direct assessment and third-party reports. We compared these children with groups with/without difficulties in interpersonal problem-solving skills in order to determine whether these discrepancies appear and if they could be a diagnostic indicator for ASD. There were 91 participants (ages 7-13): 28 children with ASD, 36 in a high family risk situation, and 27 typically developing children, all tested with direct measures and third-party reports. Results showed discrepancies only in the ASD group. Consequently, direct performance measures and third-party reports seem to be evaluating different constructs in children with ASD. In addition, both types of measures discriminate between groups, such that both are needed, especially in diagnostic assessments.

Removal of heavy metals from acid mining effluents by hydrolyzed olive cake.

The present study aims to solve two major challenges of the current society. On the one hand, it investigated the heavy metal removal from mining wastewater. On the other hand, it proposed an alternative use for olive cake. Firstly, a physic-chemical characterization of real wastewater and hydrolyzed olive cake was carried out. Secondly, a study of the affinity of the material for the different metals (chromium, manganese, copper, zinc, nickel and lead) was performed. The hydrolyzed olive cake showed a low content in ash (3.08%) and in water-soluble compounds (2.80%). The material presented the highest retention capacity for the lead (41.54 mg/g) and the lowest for the manganese (3.57 mg/g). After that, biosorption experiments in fixed-bed column were carried out using mining real water. In order to improve the biosorption capacity, the water pH was raised up to 6. The results were quite satisfactory with respect to others similar studies.

Optimization of the sugar hydrothermal extraction process from olive cake using neuro-fuzzy models.

The optimization of the hydrothermal extraction step in the biorefinery scheme in order to obtain sugars and antioxidants from olive cake was carried out. This process using water and low temperatures for the olive cake has not been previously studied by other authors. Central Composite Design of experiments was carried out. Four variables and three levels for each variable were tested: temperature (50, 70 and 90 °C) time (60, 120, 180 min), average particle diameter (0.42, 0.96 and 1.5 mm) and solid/liquid ratio (0.15, 0.20, 0.25). The main aim was to understand the relationship between the process variables and the yield of extraction of glucose, xylose, polyphenols and oligomers. The variables which most influenced the process were particle diameter and solid/liquid ratio. The experimental values were adjusted to a classical polynomial model and to a neuro-fuzzy system. The neuro-fuzzy demonstrated to be much more accurate when predicting the experimental values.