Spatio-temporal evaluation of metals and metalloids in the water of high Andean livestock micro-watersheds, Amazonas, Peru.

Cattle ranching is a fundamental economic activity in northern Peru, where proper management of water resources is crucial. This study, a pioneer in the region, evaluated water quality and its suitability for human consumption, vegetable irrigation, and livestock production. It is also the first study to document the presence of metals and metalloids in vulnerable areas because they are located at the headwaters of river watersheds. The spatiotemporal evaluation of physicochemical parameters, metals, and metalloids was performed in five micro-watersheds (Cabildo, Timbambo, Pomacochas, Atuen, and Ventilla) from water samples collected in the dry season (October 2017) and wet season (March 2018). The parameters were analyzed using microwave plasma atomic emission spectrometry. The results were contrasted with international and Peruvian quality standards related to dairy cow production. The highest values of pH, total dissolved solids, and electrical conductivity were reported during the dry season, and the highest turbidity during the wet season. Of the metals evaluated, arsenic (As) was omnipresent in all the micro-watersheds, followed by lead (Pb). In contrast to World Health Organization regulations, concentrations of As, cadmium (Cd), Pb, and iron represent a risk; according to Peruvian regulations, As and Pb exceed the concentrations established for use in animal drinking water and vegetable irrigation, and according to water guidelines for dairy cattle, concentrations of As, Pb, Cd, and Al exceed the permitted limits. The high concentrations of these metals in the study area are attributable to a synergy between natural factors, such as Andean geology and livestock activity. The data reported will allow for proper water resource management, pollution prevention, and the design and adoption of mitigation measures.

Progress of patients hospitalized with acute heart failure treated with empagliflozin.

Aim: To describe the epidemiological, clinical and laboratory characteristics and clinical progress of patients hospitalized with heart failure (HF) who started treatment with empagliflozin before discharge. Methods: We performed a retrospective observational study of patients aged ≥18 years admitted to the Internal Medicine Department of University Hospital Jaen, Jaen, Spain with acute HF between 1 May 2022 and 31 May 2023. Patients had to have a life expectancy of ≥1 year and have started treatment with empagliflozin during admission. Results: We included 112 patients (mean age, 85.2 ± 6.5 years; 67.9% women; 35.7 and 31.3% in NYHA functional classes III and IV; 73.2% with HF and preserved ejection fraction). Before admission, 80.4% were taking loop diuretics, 70.6% renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system inhibitors, 49.1% betablockers and 25% mineralocorticoid receptor antagonists. At admission, 94.6% were taking furosemide (15.2% at high doses, 36.6% at intermediate doses). The dose of furosemide was reduced at initiation of empagliflozin. At the end of follow-up, 13.4% of patients had died, 93.8% of the survivors continued treatment with empagliflozin and 26.8% had attended the emergency department with signs and symptoms of HF. Conclusion: Introduction of empagliflozin before discharge from hospital in patients admitted with HF made it possible to reduce the dose of diuretics during admission. The frequency of complications was as expected, and treatment was largely maintained.

English tweets on allergy: Content analysis and association with surveillance data.

BACKGROUND: Analysis of X (formerly Twitter) posts can inform on the interest/perceptions that social media users have on health subjects. In this study, we aimed to analyse tweets on allergic conditions, comparing them with surveillance data. METHODS: We retrieved tweets from England on "allergy," "asthma," and "allergic rhinitis," published between 2016 and 2021. We estimated the correlation between the frequency of tweets on "asthma" and "allergic rhinitis" and English surveillance data on the incidence of asthma and allergic rhinitis medical visits. We performed sentiment analysis, computing a score informing on the emotional tone of assessed tweets. We applied a topic modelling approach to identify topics (clusters of words frequently occurring together) for tweets on each assessed condition. RESULTS: We analysed a total of 13,605 tweets on "allergy," 7767 tweets on "asthma," and 11,974 tweets on "allergic rhinitis." Food-related words were preponderant on tweets on "allergy," while "eyes" was the most frequent meaningful word on "allergy rhinitis" tweets. We observed seasonal patterns for tweets on "allergic rhinitis," both in their frequency and sentiment - the incidence of allergic rhinitis medical visits was moderately to strongly correlated with the frequency (ρ = 0.866) and sentiment (ρ = -0.474) of tweets on "allergic rhinitis." For tweets on "asthma," no such patterns/correlations were observed. The average sentiment score was negative for all assessed conditions, ranging from -0.004 ("asthma") to -0.083 ("allergic rhinitis"). CONCLUSIONS: Tweets on "allergic rhinitis" displayed a seasonal pattern regarding their frequency and sentiment, which correlated with surveillance data. No such patterns were observed for "asthma."

Individuals' attitudes toward digital mental health apps and implications for adoption in Portugal: web-based survey.

BACKGROUND: The literature is consensual regarding the academic community exhibiting higher levels of mental disorder prevalence than the general population. The potential of digital mental health apps for improving access to resources to cope with these issues is ample. However, studies have yet to be performed in Portugal on individuals' attitudes and perceptions toward digital mental health applications or their preferences and decision drivers on obtaining mental health care, self-assessment, or treatment. OBJECTIVE: This study aims to understand the determinants of digital mental health applications use in the Portuguese academic community of Porto, along with potential adoption barriers and enablers. METHODS: A cross-sectional, web-based survey was delivered via dynamic email to the University of Porto's academic community. Data collection occurred between September 20 and October 20, 2022. We used structural equation modeling to build three models, replicating a peer-reviewed and published study and producing a newly full mediation model shaped by the collected data. We tested the relationships between use of digital mental health apps and perceived stress, perceived need to seek help for mental health, perceived stigma, past use of mental health services, privacy concerns, and social influence. RESULTS: Of the 539 participants, 169 (31.4%) reported having used digital mental health apps. Perceived stress and a latent variable, comprising perceptions of mental health problems and coping strategies, were positively associated with mental health app use, while privacy concerns regarding one's information being accessible to others were negatively associated. Perceived stigma, need to seek help, and close relationships did not have a statistically significant direct effect. CONCLUSIONS: These findings can inform product and policy development of new, better-targeted digital mental health app interventions, with implications for researchers and academia, industry, and policymakers. Our study concludes that, to maximize adherence to these apps, they should have low to no financial charges, demonstrate evidence of their helpfulness and focus on the timely delivery of care. We also conclude that to foster digital mental health app use, there is a need to improve mental health literacy, namely regarding self-awareness of one's conditions, acceptable stress levels, and overall behavior towards mental health. TRIAL REGISTRATION: RR2-10.2196/41040.

The influence of carvedilol posology timing on clinically significant portal hypertension: insights from elastography measurements.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Carvedilol has emerged as the preferred ß-blocker for treating portal hypertension. However, there is still a debate in dosing regimen, with a potential lower bioavailability in once-daily regimens. The aim of this study is to assess the acute effects of carvedilol posology in patients with clinically significant portal hypertension (CSPH), as a surrogate marker of bioavailability. METHODS: In this experimental study, 34 patients with CSPH receiving carvedilol twice daily were asked to suppress the night dose of carvedilol, creating a standardized 24-hour dose interval. Spleen stiffness measurement (SSM) and liver stiffness measurement (LSM) by transient elastography (TE) were performed, with the exact interval between the last carvedilol administration and TE measurements consistently maintained at 24 hours and compared with values prior and under treatment. RESULTS: Thirty-four patients were included, predominantly male (82.9%). SSM after suspending carvedilol for 24 hours [mean, 73.9kPa (SD, 17.0)] was significantly higher ( P < 0.001) than under treatment [mean, 56.3kPa (SD, 13.2)] and was not significantly different ( P = 0.908) from SSM prior to introduction of carvedilol [mean, 74.5kPa (SD, 12.4)]. Differences were also found in stratified analysis for carvedilol dosage, D'Amico classification stages, MELDNa scores, MELD3.0 scores, Child-Pugh class A and CSPH due to alcoholic cirrhosis. LSM after suspension was not significantly different from both under treatment and prior to treatment. CONCLUSION: The differences in SSM after skipping one dose of carvedilol show both the importance of strict adherence to the prescribed dosing regimen to achieve the expected therapeutic benefits and the impact of twice daily prescription in bioavailability throughout the day.

Regional, sex, and age inequities in asthma hospital admissions in Spain and Portugal.

BACKGROUND: Asthma presents a significant health challenge, imposing a considerable burden on healthcare services. Discrepancies in asthma-related hospitalisations may reflect underlying health disparities. We aimed to analyse inequities in asthma hospital admissions in mainland Portugal and Spain, from a regional perspective and considering sex and age. METHODS: We conducted a retrospective study using data from the Spanish and Portuguese national hospitalisations databases. We calculated crude national and regional yearly hospitalisation rates according per Nomenclature of Territorial Units for Statistics region. Additionally, we calculated hospitalisation rates adjusted for asthma prevalence and the female-to-male ratio in asthma hospital admissions per age group, considering the female-to-male ratio in the overall population. RESULTS: Between 2012 and 2016, there were 92,084 asthma hospital admissions in mainland Spain and 7717 in mainland Portugal. There was a trend for a higher-than-average rate of asthma-related hospitalisations in the Northern regions of both countries. Women had a hospitalisation rate that was 3.2 times higher than men. Age was associated with higher risk for asthma hospitalisation, with individuals aged 65 and older displaying a hospitalisation rate 4.5 times higher than those under 65. Additionally, while hospitalisations in women aged <65 years were 2.3 times more likely than in men of the same age, hospitalisations in women aged ≥65 years were 3.5 times higher than in men aged ≥65 years. CONCLUSION: This study suggests that marked regional inequities in asthma hospital admissions exist in Spain and Portugal. Additionally, women are particularly at risk of hospitalisation due to asthma, and such risk increases with age.

Residual cardiovascular risk: When should we treat it?

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) still being the most common cause of death in worldwide. In spite of development of new lipid-lowering therapies which optimize low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-c) levels, recurrence of CVD events implies addressing factors related with residual cardiovascular (CV) risk. The key determinants of residual CV risk include triglyceride-rich lipoproteins (TRLs) and remnant cholesterol (RC), lipoprotein(a) [Lp(a)] and inflammation including its biochemical markers such as high sensitivity C reactive protein (hs-CRP). On the other hand, unhealthy lifestyle habits, environmental pollution, residual thrombotic risk and the residual metabolic risk determined by obesity and type 2 diabetes (T2D) have a specific weight in the residual CV risk. New pharmacologic therapies and pathways are being explored such as inhibition of apolipoprotein C-III (apoC-III) and angiopoietin-related protein 3 (ANGPTL3) in order to explore if a reduction in TRLs and RC reduce CVD events. Therapeutic target of inflammation plays an attractive way to reduce the atherosclerotic process and to date, approved therapies as colchicine plays a beneficial effect in chronic inflammation and residual CV risk. Lp(a) constitutes one of the most residual CV risk factor due to linkage with CVD and aortic valve stenosis. New and hopeful treatments including antisense oligonucleotides (ASO) and small-interfering ribonucleic acid (siRNA) which interfere in LP(a) codification have been developed to achieve an adequate control in Lp(a) levels. This review points out the paradigms of residual CV risk, discus how we should manage their features and summarize the different therapies targeting each residual CV risk factor.

Lower Urinary Tract Symptoms (LUTS) as a New Clinical Presentation of Histamine Intolerance: A Prevalence Study of Genetic Diamine Oxidase Deficiency.

Lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS) are highly prevalent, and their treatment is mainly focused on the control of symptoms. Histamine intolerance (HIT) has been related to a variety of systemic symptoms. DAO deficiency has been identified as a significant factor contributing to histamine intolerance (HIT). Preclinical evidence indicates the involvement of histamine in the lower urinary tract. This study aimed to assess the prevalence of diamine oxidase deficiency (DAO) in a prospective cohort of 100 patients with at least moderate LUTS. A genetic study of four single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) (c.-691G>T, c.47C>T, c.995C>T, and c.1990C>G) was performed. HIT was found in 85.9% of patients. The prevalence of at least one minor allele in the SNPs analyzed was 88%, without gender differences. Storage symptoms were more intense in the presence of HIT as well as asthenia and neurological and musculoskeletal symptoms. The presence of minor alleles of the AOC1 gene was associated with a higher intensity of symptoms. Minor alleles from c.-691G>T and c.47C>T SNPs were also associated with a greater severity of obstructive symptoms. Thirty-one percent of patients presented the four SNPS with at least one associated minor allele. The relationship between HIT and LUTS in a mixed population of men and women found in this study supports further investigations to define the pathophysiology of histamine in LUTS.

Oxidative stability and physicochemical changes of dark chocolates with essential oils addition.

This research aimed to evaluate the oxidative stability and rheological properties of dark chocolates with the addition of essential oils (EO) of Cymbopogon citratus, Pimpinella anisum, and Mintostachys mollis. For this purpose, before the inclusion in chocolates, the EO were chemically characterized to identify the most important volatile compounds. We added essential oils of P. anisum, C. citratus and M. mollis to dark chocolates (cocoa 70%) at doses of 10, 12 and 14 µL per 500 g, separately. These chocolates were evaluated for oxidative activity, hardness, microstructure, rheological and melting properties and antioxidant capacity. It was found that C. citratus EO (10 µL/500 g of chocolate) improve the oxidative stability of the chocolates at 90 days of storage at 25 °C (230 meq O2/kg), while higher concentrations promote lipid oxidation. The incorporation of essential oils improves the antioxidant capacity, likewise, it changes the rheological, thermal, and microstructural properties. Therefore, essential oils can improve the physicochemical characteristics of dark chocolates allowing greater stability in oxidative fat and thus increase the shelf life.

Changes in bioactive compounds during fermentation of cocoa (Theobroma cacao) harvested in Amazonas-Peru.

Cocoa (Theobroma cacao) is the main raw material for the production of chocolate; it is considered the food of the gods, as it possesses a diversity of bioactive compounds beneficial to human health. The abundance of bioactive compounds, among others, is conditioned by the post-harvest processing of cocoa beans, and fermentation is a major step in this regard. Consequently, this research evaluated the changes in phenolic compounds and methylxanthines occurred in the fermentation of Criollo and CCN-51 cocoa beans, varieties of great commercial interest for the cocoa-growing areas of Peru. For this purpose, samples were taken every 12 h of cocoa beans under fermentation for 204 h in which phenols (gallic acid, caffeic acid, catechin, and epicatechin) and methylxanthines (theobromine, caffeine and theophylline) were quantified by ultra-high performance liquid chromatography (UHPLC); total polyphenols by Folin Ciocalteu; antioxidant capacity by DPPH free radical capture method; total anthocyanins; pH; titratable acidity; and fermentation rate of beans. We found that during fermentation, phenolic content, antioxidant activity, and methylxanthines of cocoa beans decreased; on the other hand, the anthocyanin content increased slightly. Indeed, at distinctly degree, fermentation influences bioactive compounds in cocoa beans, depending on the variety cultivated.

COVID-19 Contact Tracing as an Indicator for Evaluating a Pandemic Situation: Simulation Study.

BACKGROUND: Contact tracing is a fundamental intervention in public health. When systematically applied, it enables the breaking of chains of transmission, which is important for controlling COVID-19 transmission. In theoretically perfect contact tracing, all new cases should occur among quarantined individuals, and an epidemic should vanish. However, the availability of resources influences the capacity to perform contact tracing. Therefore, it is necessary to estimate its effectiveness threshold. We propose that this effectiveness threshold may be indirectly estimated using the ratio of COVID-19 cases arising from quarantined high-risk contacts, where higher ratios indicate better control and, under a threshold, contact tracing may fail and other restrictions become necessary. OBJECTIVE: This study assessed the ratio of COVID-19 cases in high-risk contacts quarantined through contact tracing and its potential use as an ancillary pandemic control indicator. METHODS: We built a 6-compartment epidemiological model to emulate COVID-19 infection flow according to publicly available data from Portuguese authorities. Our model extended the usual susceptible-exposed-infected-recovered model by adding a compartment Q with individuals in mandated quarantine who could develop infection or return to the susceptible pool and a compartment P with individuals protected from infection because of vaccination. To model infection dynamics, data on SARS-CoV-2 infection risk (IR), time until infection, and vaccine efficacy were collected. Estimation was needed for vaccine data to reflect the timing of inoculation and booster efficacy. In total, 2 simulations were built: one adjusting for the presence and absence of variants or vaccination and another maximizing IR in quarantined individuals. Both simulations were based on a set of 100 unique parameterizations. The daily ratio of infected cases arising from high-risk contacts (q estimate) was calculated. A theoretical effectiveness threshold of contact tracing was defined for 14-day average q estimates based on the classification of COVID-19 daily cases according to the pandemic phases and was compared with the timing of population lockdowns in Portugal. A sensitivity analysis was performed to understand the relationship between different parameter values and the threshold obtained. RESULTS: An inverse relationship was found between the q estimate and daily cases in both simulations (correlations >0.70). The theoretical effectiveness thresholds for both simulations attained an alert phase positive predictive value of >70% and could have anticipated the need for additional measures in at least 4 days for the second and fourth lockdowns. Sensitivity analysis showed that only the IR and booster dose efficacy at inoculation significantly affected the q estimates. CONCLUSIONS: We demonstrated the impact of applying an effectiveness threshold for contact tracing on decision-making. Although only theoretical thresholds could be provided, their relationship with the number of confirmed cases and the prediction of pandemic phases shows the role as an indirect indicator of the efficacy of contact tracing.

[Translated article] Evaluation of the antibiotic prescription in a hospital emergency department: Pilot study.

OBJECTIVE: A study about the adherence of the antimicrobial prescriptions to the local guidelines of treatment of infections was conducted in a hospital emergency department to study the clinical and epidemiological characteristics of the patients who received these treatments. Conducting a feasibility study for supporting the design and execution of future studies, addressing specific aspects of the appropriateness of the antimicrobial prescription. METHOD: Observational, descriptive and cross-sectional pilot study, with retrospective data collection about the antimicrobial prescription in a hospital emergency department. Seven cross sections were made, corresponding to seven different days of the week, in seven consecutive weeks. INCLUSION CRITERIA: patient over 14 years of age, with at least one first dose of antimicrobial treatment prescribed on the day of recruitment. The main variable was the inappropriate antimicrobial prescription according to the local guidelines. Epidemiological and clinical parameters of the patients were collected as secondary variables. In order to determine inappropriate prescription a revision was carried out by two specialists in emergencies, two pharmacists and one specialist in infectious diseases, all unrelated to prescriptions. RESULTS: 168 patients with 192 prescriptions were evaluated. Seventy-six (39.6%) of the prescriptions were not conformed to the local treatment guidelines. Of these, 55% were with active antimicrobial coverage against the microorganism but not recommended, 23.5% with inactive drugs, 13.7% presented an inappropriate dose and 7.8% were unnecessary treatment. The strength of agreement in the evaluation of the adequacy of treatment between doctors and pharmacists was high (kappa = 0.71). CONCLUSIONS: A high rate of inappropriate antimicrobial prescriptions was obtained in a hospital emergency department according to local guidelines. The hospital pharmacist has an opportunity to improve the use of antimicrobials in this area.

Evaluation of the antibiotic prescription in a hospital emergency department: Pilot study. / Evaluación de la prescripción de antibióticos en un servicio de urgencias hospitalarias: estudio piloto.

OBJECTIVE: A study about the adherence of the antimicrobial prescriptions to the local guidelines of treatment of infections was conducted in a hospital emergency department to study the clinical and epidemiological characteristics of the patients who received these treatments. Conducting a feasibility study for supporting the design and execution of future studies, addressing specific aspects of the appropriateness of the antimicrobial prescription. METHOD: Observational, descriptive and cross-sectional pilot study, with retrospective data collection about the antimicrobial prescription in a hospital emergency department. Seven cross sections were made, corresponding to 7 different days of the week, in 7 consecutive weeks. INCLUSION CRITERIA: patient over 14 years of age, with at least one first dose of antimicrobial treatment prescribed on the day of recruitment. The main variable was the inappropriate antimicrobial prescription according to the local guidelines. Epidemiological and clinical parameters of the patients were collected as secondary variables. In order to determine inappropriate prescription a revision was carried out by 2 specialists in emergencies, 2 pharmacists and one specialist in infectious diseases, all unrelated to prescriptions. RESULTS: One hundred sixty eight patients with 192 prescriptions were evaluated. 76 (39.6%) of the prescriptions were not conformed to the local treatment guidelines. Of these, 55% were with active antimicrobial coverage against the microorganism but not recommended, 23.5% with inactive drugs, 13.7% presented an inappropriate dose and 7.8% were unnecessary treatment. The strength of agreement in the evaluation of the adequacy of treatment between doctors and pharmacists was high (kappa=0.71). CONCLUSIONS: A high rate of inappropriate antimicrobial prescriptions was obtained in a hospital emergency department according to local guidelines. The hospital pharmacist has an opportunity to improve the use of antimicrobials in this area.

Evaluación de la prescripción de antibióticos en un servicio de urgencias hospitalarias: estudio piloto / Evaluation of the antibiotic prescription in a hospital emergency department: Pilot study

Objetivo: describir la adecuación de las prescripciones de antimicrobianos a las guías de tratamiento locales de infecciones, en el área de urgencias hospitalarias, así como conocer las características clínicas y epidemiológicas de los pacientes que reciben dichos tratamientos. Llevar a cabo un estudio de viabilidad para el diseño y la ejecución de investigaciones que aborden aspectos específicos de la inadecuación de prescripción de antimicrobianos.Métodoestudio piloto observacional, descriptivo y transversal, con recogida de datos retrospectiva de prescripción de antimicrobianos en un servicio de urgencias hospitalario. Se realizaron 7 cortes transversales, correspondientes a los 7 días diferentes de la semana, en 7 semanas consecutivas. Criterios de inclusión: paciente mayor de 14 años de edad, con al menos una primera dosis de tratamiento antimicrobiano prescrita el día del estudio. La variable principal fue la prescripción de antimicrobianos inadecuada según las guías locales. Como variables secundarias se recogieron parámetros epidemiológicos y clínicos de los pacientes. La evaluación de la adecuación la realizaron 2 especialistas médicos de urgencias y 2 especialistas en farmacia hospitalaria, más un tercer evaluador, especialista en enfermedades infecciosas, todos ajenos a la prescripción.Resultadosse evaluaron 168 pacientes con 192 prescripciones. Setenta y seis (39,6%) de las prescripciones no se ajustaron a las guías de tratamiento locales, de estas el 55% fueron con cobertura antimicrobiana activa frente al microorganismo, pero no recomendada, el 23,5% con fármacos inactivos, el 13,7% presentaban una dosis inapropiada y el 7,8% eran tratamientos innecesarios. La fuerza de la concordancia en la evaluación de la adecuación del tratamiento entre médicos y farmacéuticos fue alta (kappa=0,71). (AU)

Objective: A study about the adherence of the antimicrobial prescriptions to the local guidelines of treatment of infections was conducted in a hospital emergency department to study the clinical and epidemiological characteristics of the patients who received these treatments. Conducting a feasibility study for supporting the design and execution of future studies, addressing specific aspects of the appropriateness of the antimicrobial prescription.MethodObservational, descriptive and cross-sectional pilot study, with retrospective data collection about the antimicrobial prescription in a hospital emergency department. Seven cross sections were made, corresponding to 7 different days of the week, in 7 consecutive weeks. Inclusion criteria: patient over 14 years of age, with at least one first dose of antimicrobial treatment prescribed on the day of recruitment. The main variable was the inappropriate antimicrobial prescription according to the local guidelines. Epidemiological and clinical parameters of the patients were collected as secondary variables. In order to determine inappropriate prescription a revision was carried out by 2 specialists in emergencies, 2 pharmacists and one specialist in infectious diseases, all unrelated to prescriptions.ResultsOne hundred sixty eight patients with 192 prescriptions were evaluated. 76 (39.6%) of the prescriptions were not conformed to the local treatment guidelines. Of these, 55% were with active antimicrobial coverage against the microorganism but not recommended, 23.5% with inactive drugs, 13.7% presented an inappropriate dose and 7.8% were unnecessary treatment. The strength of agreement in the evaluation of the adequacy of treatment between doctors and pharmacists was high (kappa=0.71). (AU)

Morphological, phylogenetic, and genomic evidence reveals the causal agent of thread blight disease of cacao in Peru is a new species of Marasmius in the section Neosessiles, Marasmius infestans sp. nov.

The thread blight disease (TBD) of cacao ( Theobroma cacao) in the department of Amazonas, Peru was recently reported to be caused by Marasmius tenuissimus (sect. Neosessiles). This same species is known to be the main causal agent of TBD in West Africa. However, some morphological characteristics, such as the presence of rhizomorphs, the almost exclusively white color, and pileus sizes less than 5 mm, among others, differ to the description of M. tenuissimus. Therefore, we aimed to conduct a taxonomic revision of the cacao-TBD causal agent in Peru, by using thorough micro and macro morphological, phylogenetic, and nuclear and mitochondrial genomic approaches. We showed that the causal agent of TBD of cacao in Amazonas, Peru, belongs to a new species, Marasmius infestans sp. nov. This study enriches our knowledge of species in the sect. Neosessiles, and strongly suggests that the M. tenuissimus species complex is highly diverse.

Efficient System for Delimitation of Benign and Malignant Breast Masses.

In this study, a high-performing scheme is introduced to delimit benign and malignant masses in breast ultrasound images. The proposal is built upon by the Nonlocal Means filter for image quality improvement, an Intuitionistic Fuzzy C-Means local clustering algorithm for superpixel generation with high adherence to the edges, and the DBSCAN algorithm for the global clustering of those superpixels in order to delimit masses' regions. The empirical study was performed using two datasets, both with benign and malignant breast tumors. The quantitative results with respect to the BUSI dataset were JSC≥0.907, DM≥0.913, HD≥7.025, and MCR≤6.431 for benign masses and JSC≥0.897, DM≥0.900, HD≥8.666, and MCR≤8.016 for malignant ones, while the MID dataset resulted in JSC≥0.890, DM≥0.905, HD≥8.370, and MCR≤7.241 along with JSC≥0.881, DM≥0.898, HD≥8.865, and MCR≤7.808 for benign and malignant masses, respectively. These numerical results revealed that our proposal outperformed all the evaluated comparative state-of-the-art methods in mass delimitation. This is confirmed by the visual results since the segmented regions had a better edge delimitation.

Physical, functional and sensory properties of bitter chocolates with incorporation of high nutritional value flours.

Due to the growing demand for healthy food products, the industry is seeking to incorporate inputs with high nutritional potential to traditional products. The objective of this research was to evaluate the effect of incorporating Lepidium meyenii, Chenopodium pallidicaule, Amaranthus caudatus, Sesamum indicum and Salvia hispanica flours on the physical, chemical, rheological, textural and thermal characteristics, and the degree of sensory acceptance of dark chocolate bars (65% cocoa). To this end, chocolate bars were made with the incorporation of five flours in four doses (1, 2, 3 and 4%), obtaining 20 different formulations compared with a control treatment (without flour addition). It was found that as flour incorporation levels increased, viscosity, antioxidants and particle size of the chocolates increased, but hardness and pH decreased. The addition of the flours also affected the acceptability and microstructure of the chocolate bars. The incorporation of up to 4% of the flours studied improved the degree of acceptance of the chocolates. Consequently, the incorporation of grain flours with high nutritional value can enhance the characteristics of dark chocolates, becoming a technological alternative for the chocolate industry.

Optical design optimization for improved lamp-reflector units in high-flux solar simulators.

High flux solar simulators are artificial solar facilities developed to imitate the on-sun operations of concentrating solar power technologies but under a well-controlled lab-scale environment. We report the optical enhancement of different high flux solar simulators for solar thermal and thermochemical applications. The solar simulator enhancement is numerically conducted by optimizing the geometry of ellipsoidal reflectors at focal lengths of 1600, 1800, and 2000 mm. The Monte Carlo ray-tracing technique is employed to evaluate the optical performance of different reflector designs. The typical seven-lamp solar simulator arrangement in hexagonal configuration is modeled to analyze the optical performance at different focal lengths. In addition, different xenon arc lamps are modeled with rated powers of 3000, 4000, 4500, and 5000 W for assessing the radiative flux characteristics of the proposed solar simulators. After the optimization, theoretical results show that peak fluxes and radiative powers of 7.2-14.3MW/m2 and 5.06-10.4 kW, respectively, can be achieved with the proposed designs of solar simulators for the different rated powers. Compared with a commercial reflector, theoretical peak flux and power can be improved up to 36% and 17.9%, respectively, with the proper combination of lamp-reflector units. We provide design alternatives to select a more suitable light source at low-rated powers (≤5000W) and different focal lengths of the reflector, which simplifies the complexity of the design and improves the performance of solar simulators.

Tree diversity in agroforestry systems of native fine-aroma cacao, Amazonas, Peru.

Cocoa cultivation is of considerable economic and social importance to the Amazonas region and is commonly associated with forest species in the region. However, the diversification level and composition of cacao agroforestry systems in Peru are poorly understood. The objective of this study is, therefore, to describe the diversity of tree species in cocoa AFS by plantation age. Accordingly, the number of species of 15 plots covering a total of 1.5 hectares was recorded. Moderately low levels of tree species diversity were reported (H´ ranged 0.89-1.45). In total 17 species were reported throughout the study area. The most abundant botanical family was represented by a single Musa sp. species. The dissimilarity indices show a moderate similarity between the age ranges evaluated (over 62%). Additionally, the IVI indicates that the most important species are used for food and timber apart from providing shade, additionally major of this species are introduced intentionally for the farmers. Based on the observations, it may be concluded that the farmer's interest in obtaining further benefits from the plot, mostly economic benefits affect the diversification of cocoa agroforestry systems.