Search Results (369)

This article examines the Maritime Cultural Landscape (MCL) of the Colombian Caribbean (CC) through a participatory and interdisciplinary approach that integrates historical cartography, a legal framework, images, collective memory, and community-based knowledge. Using case studies from Cartagena de Indias, Barú Island, and the Archipelago of San Andrés and Old Providence, the research combines workshops with young participants and academic discussion sessions with local communities to explore how maritime spaces are interpreted and socially constructed. The findings show that MCL cannot be understood only as archaeological remains, but as a dynamic framework shaped by the relationship between communities and the sea. Participatory cartography proved effective in activating local memory and revealing multiple maritime landscapes, while also highlighting tensions between formal coastal representations and lived territorial experiences. The study also incorporates legal and environmental perspectives, including public goods, coastal governance, and climate change. One of its contributions is the concept of “Cultural and Legal Maritime Landscapes” (CLML), which interprets legal frameworks as part of the relationship between maritime landscapes, local communities, and the sea. This research contributes to more inclusive approaches to maritime heritage and introduces a conceptual and methodological framework for understanding the CC as a socially constructed and contested seascape. Full article

Arterial corridors present complex safety challenges because signalized intersections, access points, mixed traffic movements, and speed variation can increase the likelihood of severe crash outcomes. Although Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS) are becoming increasingly common in modern vehicles, limited evidence exists regarding their safety performance in real-world arterial environments. This study investigates crash injury outcomes involving ADAS-equipped vehicles along the US-98 corridor, in Panama City, Florida. Police-reported crash records from 2022–2024 were integrated with vehicle-level ADAS data derived from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) Vehicle Product Information Catalog (vPIC) VIN decoding. Multinomial Logistic Regression (MNL) and Random Forest (RF) models were used to examine factors associated with injury severity. MNL results indicate that crashes involving ADAS-equipped vehicles were associated with an approximately 59% lower relative risk of severe injury, while no statistically significant association was observed for moderate injury outcomes. Speeding, alcohol involvement, intersection-related crashes, dark–not-lighted conditions, and rural roadway context were associated with elevated severe injury risk. These findings suggest that ADAS technologies may contribute to severe injury mitigation, but their safety relevance depends on broader behavioral, environmental, and roadway conditions. Full article

Environmental enrichment is widely recognized as an important strategy for improving the welfare of laboratory rodents by promoting species-specific behaviors, reducing stress, and enhancing physiological adaptation. In the present study, animals were maintained either under standard housing conditions without enrichment or exposed to different combinations of commercially available maple cardboard, cardboard rolls, and Kraft paper. Welfare was assessed using a multidimensional approach that included anxiety-related behavioral tests, hematological and biochemical analyses, and growth performance measurements. The results demonstrate that the welfare benefits of environmental enrichment are influenced by the type and combination of materials provided, highlighting the importance of selecting enrichment strategies that are appropriate for the specific housing conditions. Full article

The dynamics and transient response of fuel cell systems are critical aspects, especially in commercial applications where an immediate response to fluctuating power demands is required. This study presents experimental results obtained from evaluating the dynamic behavior of a 1.2 kW Ballard Nexa fuel cell, subjected to various operational disturbances, including startups, shutdowns, step load increases, irregular and constant loading, and system purging operations. The variables analyzed include voltage, current, and temperature, both in individual cells and in the entire system. The results indicate that the temperature exhibits an attenuated response with an arc-like evolution, but with an upward trend correlated with the increase in the demanded current. Meanwhile, when multiple load steps are applied, the system exhibits rapid responses in both cell and stack voltages, with transient overshoot and undershoot peaks whose magnitudes increase proportionally with the applied current. Regarding the purge system, tests show that its activation improves operational efficiency, resulting in approximately 0.3 V of voltage increase per operation. Furthermore, it is observed that the purge frequency increases with higher external load levels, suggesting a direct interaction between energy demand and active waste gas management in the system. Full article

Background and Objectives: Diabetic kidney disease (DKD) is one of the leading causes of chronic kidney disease (CKD) worldwide. Individuals over 65 years of age with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) constitute a growing age group that is frequently underrepresented in randomized clinical trials. Finerenone has been shown to reduce renal progression and cardiovascular events in patients with albuminuric DKD. To evaluate the clinical and laboratory characteristics as well as the therapeutic response and safety profile of finerenone in patients over 65 years of age with DKD, based on data from the FINDKDLATAM observational study cohort. Materials and Methods: Subgroup analysis of a real-life, retrospective, multicenter observational study—the FINDKDLATAM cohort. For the present analysis, patients aged ≥ 65 years were stratified. Sociodemographic, clinical, paraclinical, and treatment variables and adverse events were evaluated. The descriptive analysis used medians with interquartile ranges (IQRs) for continuous variables of non-parametric distribution and absolute and relative frequencies for categorical variables. The comparison of baseline parameters and those at six months of follow-up was performed using non-parametric tests, with statistics. Results: Of the total of 347 patients included in the original study, 157 (45.2%) were ≥65 years of age. The median age was 72 years. The baseline profile showed a median glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) of 38.0 mL/min/1.73 m² (IQR: 30.0–50.75), as well as elevated albuminuria (ACR 327.0 mg/g; IQR: 186.5–805.5). In addition, the patients had a high burden of comorbidities. 58.0% of patients received finerenone at a dose of 10 mg and 42.0% at a dose of 20 mg. After six months of follow-up, a significant reduction in the median ACR was observed, decreasing from 327.0 mg/g (IQR: 186.5–805.5) to 78.0 mg/g (IQR: 27.5–143.0), corresponding to a decrease of 76% (p < 0.0001). Regarding safety, hyperkalemia occurred in 20.3% of patients, although, in all cases, it was mild hyperkalemia (potassium between 5.1 and 5.5 mEq/L), with no serious episodes or treatment suspensions attributable to this event. Conclusions: In this cohort of Latin American adults over 65 years of age with albuminuric DKD, finerenone demonstrated good efficiency given the clinically significant reduction of albuminuria with stable renal function at six months of treatment, also demonstrating a safety profile, with a low risk of hyperkalemia. Full article

In this study, the valorization of poly(lactic acid) (PLA) waste as well as rice husk into sustainable materials was explored. To simulate the industrial valorization of defective PLA parts, scraps and burrs, PLA was reprocessed (rPLA) by melt extrusion and further plasticized with 15 wt.% of acetyl tributyl citrate (ATBC) and reinforced with rice husk (RH) or rice husk biochar (RHB) in 1 or 3 wt.%. The melt flow index was determined to assess the effect of reprocessing and the addition of RH or RHB on the material degradation. The obtained films were characterized in terms of their structural, mechanical, and thermal behavior. The water-related behavior of the materials was evaluated by measuring the static water contact angle and the water vapor transmission rate (WVTR). Compostability was proposed as an end-of-life option, therefore disintegration under composting conditions was assessed. Reprocessing increased the MFI and slightly reduced the strength and the modulus, consistent with chain scission. ATBC facilitated the processability, improved the particles’ dispersion and provided ductility to the final materials. RH and RHB acted mainly as nucleating agents and strongly modified the surface wettability. A low RHB loading improved the WVTR, whereas a higher filler content and ATBC generally increased the WVTR. All the films were completely disintegrated within 18 to 21 days. These results show practical valorization routes to obtain rPLA films with tunable properties and to preserve the inherent composting disintegration of PLA. Full article

Geisha coffee (Coffea arabica L. cv. Geisha) is internationally recognized for its exceptional sensory quality; however, its functional properties and bioactive composition remain insufficiently explored. This study evaluated the phytochemical profile, antioxidant capacity, vascular bioactivity, and toxicological safety of an aqueous extract of roasted Geisha coffee (AErGC) from the Chiriquí highlands, Panama. The chemical composition was determined using HPLC-PDA. Antioxidant activity was assessed using DPPH, ABTS, and lipid peroxidation assays. Vascular effects were studied in rat aortic rings, and safety was evaluated through Artemia salina and a single-dose acute oral toxicity model in rats (OECD 423). Chemical characterization was performed by HPLC-PDA, revealing notably elevated levels of caffeine (69.5 ± 6.4 mg/g) and 5-O-caffeoylquinic acid (74.5 ± 6.9 mg/g). The extract exhibited strong free radical scavenging capacity, with an IC₅₀ value of 14.7 ± 4.9 µg/mL in the DPPH assay, and inhibited lipid peroxidation by 72.71 ± 1.63% at 15.6 µg/mL. In endothelium-intact rings, AErGC induced a concentration-dependent vasorelaxant effect, reaching a maximum relaxation of 70.84 ± 2.9%. Toxicological results showed an LC₅₀ > 1000 µg/mL in A. salina and an oral LD₅₀ > 2000 mg/kg, classifying the extract as Category 5 (low toxicity). These findings highlight Panamanian Geisha coffee as a promising functional beverage with antioxidant and vascular protective properties, supporting its potential as a nutraceutical. Full article

Background/Objectives: Arboviruses including dengue virus (DENV), Zika virus (ZIKV), chikungunya virus (CHIKV), yellow fever virus (YFV), and West Nile virus (WNV) co-circulate across the Americas, generating overlapping febrile syndromes that challenge etiological diagnosis based solely on clinical criteria. Cartridge-based multiplex molecular platforms offer potential for decentralized testing in hyperendemic settings, yet independent real-world evaluations of their clinical and analytical performance remain limited. Methods: A retrospective two-phase analytical study was conducted. Phase 1 assessed clinical diagnostic accuracy for dengue using 163 de-identified serum samples classified using a composite reference standard consisting of Panbio NS1 ELISA reactivity (≥11 Panbio units) combined with compatible clinical and epidemiological data, operationalized in accordance with the PAHO 2023 laboratory confirmation algorithm for dengue; RT-qPCR was not routinely available for all archived samples, and reported sensitivity should therefore be interpreted as a conservative lower-bound estimate; Phase 2 evaluated analytical sensitivity across all eight panel targets using characterized arboviral reference strains in serial dilution experiments, with reference RT-qPCR assays as the comparator; this phase was incorporated to characterize detection thresholds for targets not represented by clinical specimens. Results: In Phase 1, the M10 demonstrated sensitivity of 96.0% (96/100), specificity of 100% (63/63), overall accuracy of 97.5%, and near-perfect agreement with the reference standard (Cohen’s κ = 0.95). DENV-3 was the predominant serotype (74/96; 77.1%), followed by DENV-1 (16.7%) and DENV-4 (6.3%); DENV-2 was not detected. In Phase 2, operational LoDs (defined as the lowest concentration yielding a detectable Ct in all triplicate reactions for the RT-qPCR, and from a single cartridge per dilution point for the STANDARD M10) were equivalent or superior to reference RT-qPCR for six targets (DENV-1, DENV-3, DENV-4, ZIKV, WNV, YFV; range 1–5 PFU/mL), while DENV-2 and CHIKV showed 20-fold higher operational LoDs (20 PFU/mL vs. 1 PFU/mL for the reference RT-qPCR); formal LoD₉₅ estimates were not determined. Conclusions: The STANDARD M10 Arbovirus Panel shows high clinical accuracy for dengue and adequate analytical sensitivity for most targets, supporting its use as a complementary decentralized molecular tool. Reduced sensitivity for DENV-2 and CHIKV and the absence of formal LoD₉₅ estimates remain key limitations to be addressed in future validation studies. Full article

Manual arc welding is highly dependent on operator skill, leading to variability in weld quality and an increased risk of defects; therefore, reliable monitoring methods for Shielded Metal Arc Welding (SMAW) are required, particularly in manual environments where process variability and environmental noise are inherent. This study proposes a monitoring approach for classifying SMAW process parameters using airborne acoustic signals generated by the welding arc. Welding experiments were conducted on carbon steel plates of different thicknesses (3, 6, and 12 mm) using E6010, E6011, E6013, and E7018 electrodes under Alternating Current (AC) and Direct Current (DC) configurations; acoustic signals were recorded in real time and processed using Mel-Frequency Cepstral Coefficients (MFCCs) and deep audio embeddings from pre-trained VGGish and YAMNet models as inputs to artificial neural network classifiers for multi-output classification of welding process parameters. Model performance was evaluated using per-target metrics (accuracy and macro F1-score) and joint multi-output metrics (Exact Match and Hamming Accuracy). MFCC-based models significantly outperformed embedding-based approaches, achieving up to 94.51% Exact Match and 97.88% Hamming Accuracy, while reducing computational costs. These results demonstrate the feasibility of SMAW monitoring using arc sound, suggesting that spectral features are an effective solution for welding-process monitoring and a promising foundation for future weld-quality monitoring systems. Full article

Rapid urbanization has intensified congestion, environmental pressures, and transport inequities, thereby increasing interest in Smart Urban Mobility (SUM) as an approach that combines digital technologies, sustainable transport strategies, and data-informed decision-making to respond to these challenges. However, the evaluation of SUM remains fragmented due to the absence of harmonized assessment frameworks and the diversity of methodologies applied across smart city contexts. This study presents a systematic literature review of evaluation approaches and indicator architectures for SUM in smart city contexts. Using a PRISMA-guided screening process, 33 eligible studies were selected from 412 retrieved records. Three main methodological groups were identified: quantitative approaches, multi-criteria decision-making methods, and qualitative or participatory frameworks. A total of 273 indicators were organized into eight factor categories, confirming the multidimensional nature of smart mobility assessment while also revealing limited consistency in indicator selection and application across studies. Across the selected studies, current evaluation practices are increasingly linked to project prioritization, planning, and decision support; however, their effectiveness remains constrained by data inconsistencies, governance fragmentation, and insufficient user inclusion. These findings highlight the need for assessment frameworks that are sufficiently comparable to enable cross-city learning, yet flexible enough to reflect local contexts and institutional realities. Full article

Characterizing the specific interactions of Leishmania species with different host systems is essential for the development and validation of experimental infection models and for identifying potential therapeutic targets. Leishmania parasites elicit diverse host immune responses that result in different levels of disease severity. Here, we developed a murine model of L. panamensis infection and compared the responses of BALB/c and C57BL/6 mice following intradermal ear inoculation. BALB/c mice developed progressive ulcerative lesions associated with high parasite burden, whereas C57BL/6 mice exhibited a transient edema and maintained low parasite levels detected only at early stages of infection. C57BL/6 mice displayed early production of IL-13, IL-4, and IL-10, followed by delayed IFN-γ secretion. In contrast, BALB/c mice showed a mixed Th1/Th2 response at later stages of infection. Humoral responses also differed between strains, with BALB/c mice developing an early and sustained IgG1-dominated response, while C57BL/6 mice exhibited weak and delayed antibody production. These findings suggest that resistance to L. panamensis infection in C57BL/6 mice is associated with an early and transient Th2/regulatory response accompanied by a weak and delayed antibody production. Full article

Monitoring ambient air quality is essential for assessing environmental conditions and examining relationships among pollution indicators. This study presents a cross-sectional comparative analysis of key air quality indicators (PM_2.5, O₃, NO₂, SO₂, CO, and volatile organic compounds), together with a contextual variable related to pollution exposure (household solid fuels), across countries in Latin America and the Caribbean for the year 2024. The objective is to characterize air quality profiles by analyzing the interrelationships among indicators and the relative positioning of countries, integrating both elements within a multivariate framework. Multivariate statistical techniques, including HJ-Biplot and cluster analysis, were applied to provide an integrated representation of the data. The results indicate differences in the configuration of air quality indicators across countries, with some Caribbean countries associated with lower levels of pollution indicators, while several South and Central American countries are associated with higher levels. These results also suggest associations between air quality indicators and factors such as industrial activity proxies, population density, and the use of household solid fuels. Given the cross-sectional nature of the data, these findings should be interpreted as associations rather than causal relationships. Full article

Background/Objectives: This paper presents a bi-objective mathematical programming model for sizing hybrid renewable energy systems (HRESs) in isolated mini-grids and compares the optimized solutions with the first-year operation of a real system deployed in La Miel, Panama. Methods: The model minimizes the levelized cost of energy (LCOE) and the expected energy not served (EENS), using an $\epsilon$-constraint approach over a one-year time series (8760 h) of measured demand. For La Miel, the annual demand is 132,578 kWh with a peak load of 28.4 kW. Four configurations are evaluated: (A) diesel-only, (B) photovoltaic (PV)+diesel, (C) PV+batteries, and (D) PV+diesel+batteries. The results are compared with the installed plant (E) including 107 kWp PV, a 40 kVA diesel generator, and lead-acid battery banks (4560 Ah nominal capacity). Results: The optimized hybrid configuration (D) achieves near-zero EENS with an LCOE of 41.4–41.8 cts-USD/kWh, compared to 56.6 cts-USD/kWh for diesel-only. The real system achieves EENS = 0% with LCOE = 48.3 cts-USD/kWh and an annual renewable penetration of 53.2% (up to 68.4% in March 2020), while the optimized case reaches 79.6% on average (up to 95.3% in March). Conclusions: The distinctive contribution of the study is the direct ex ante versus ex post comparison between optimized planning outcomes and the documented first-year operation of the installed system. Operational constraints observed on site (e.g., minimum battery SoC of 60% to comply with voltage quality limits) and demand growth explain part of the LCOE gap between optimized and real performance. Full article

The Petaquilla gold mine in Panama was abruptly closed without restoring the site. The objective of this study is to assess mine soils from a geochemical perspective, identify potential contaminants, and conduct a human health risk assessment (HHRA). Soil samples were analysed to determine pH, EC, OM, texture, hydrocarbons (TPHs), enzymatic activity (DHA), and the following potentially toxic elements (PTEs): As, Ba, Cd, Cu, Hg, Sb, Pb and Zn. The Igeo, PLI and HHRA indexes were evaluated. The Igeo indicates that the processing zone has atypical values of Cu (1.47), indicating moderate pollution (1 < Igeo ≤ 2), Zn (3.80), indicating strong pollution (3 < Igeo ≤ 4), and Pb (7.62), indicating extreme pollution (Igeo > 5), with enrichment due to mining activity. The PLI map shows that the affected areas are surrounding the Molejon River (1.62) and the processing zone (1.21), which are slightly contaminated (1 ≤ PLI < 2), and one site in the processing zone with moderate to considerable contamination (PLI ≥ 3) at the warehouse (6.07). Regarding TPHs, the processing area in front of transformer (54,844.47 mg kg⁻¹) and the workshop entrance (2045.26 mg kg⁻¹) have values above industrial use (620 mg kg⁻¹) due to visible hydrocarbon spills. In terms of HHRA, the non-carcinogenic risk associated with exposure to PTEs exceeds the reference threshold for both children and adults under a residential exposure scenario, whereas the non-carcinogenic risk for TPHs remains below the acceptable limit. Regarding carcinogenic risk, exposure to Pb and As remains within acceptable limits for both receptors. With a view to restoring the mine’s soil, the processing area and the workshop entrance are the first areas that need to be addressed. Full article

Although lightweight deep learning models have shown promise for livestock monitoring, there is still limited evidence regarding their comparative performance and practical deployment under real broiler production conditions characterized by high stocking density, severe occlusion, and constrained computational resources. In this context, the present study aimed to evaluate three lightweight object detection architectures for broiler monitoring and to determine their suitability for low-cost edge deployment in settings relevant to small and medium-sized producers. A novel dataset, publicly released through Zenodo to support reproducibility, was constructed from images acquired in both a prototype farm and a high-density commercial facility. These environments captured the visual complexity of intensive broiler production, where overlapping individuals and frequent occlusion challenge detection performance. YOLOv10s, Faster R-CNN, and EfficientDet-D0 were trained and evaluated for detection accuracy and computational efficiency. YOLOv10s achieved the best results, with a mean Average Precision (mAP) of 0.95, whereas Faster R-CNN and EfficientDet-D0 were less suitable for crowded scenes due to region proposal saturation and limited feature-extraction capacity. The selected model was further implemented on a Raspberry Pi 5, achieving a stable latency of 392.17 ms. These results demonstrate that YOLOv10s provides a robust balance between accuracy and efficiency for local broiler monitoring on affordable hardware, while also indicating that active thermal management is necessary to maintain operational stability under real-world conditions. Full article