Juan Ignacio

Summary Cipher Digital is transforming from a Bitcoin miner to a hyperscale data center landlord, targeting AI infrastructure demand.

Energy gels are widely used by athletes to maintain performance during endurance activities; however, their acidic composition may pose a risk to dental health. This study aimed to evaluate the pH of four commercial energy gels at different dilutions with artificial saliva and to assess the potential neutralizing effect of casein phosphopeptide–amorphous calcium phosphate (CPP–ACP). An in vitro experimental design was conducted using four commercial gels (FullGas Hydrogel, ENA Energy Gel, UltraTech Gel, and Maverick Race Gel). Serial dilutions with artificial saliva (1:2, 1:5, 1:7, and 1:10) were prepared, and pH was measured using indicator strips at 0, 15, and 30 min at 37 °C. The effect of CPP-ACP was evaluated in the 1:2 dilution. Undiluted gels showed highly acidic pH values ranging from 2.0 to 3.0. Dilutions of 1:2 and 1:5 remained significantly more acidic than artificial saliva (p < 0.001). From 1:7 dilution onward, pH values increased and approached salivary levels (approximately 7.0), with no significant differences compared with artificial saliva. The addition of CPP-ACP significantly increased pH in the 1:2 dilution (p < 0.05), although the effect was limited in more diluted conditions. These findings suggest that commercial energy gels may represent a source of acidic exposure under in vitro conditions, which could be relevant for dental health. Adequate dilution, particularly ≥1:7, was associated with a reduction in acidity under the experimental conditions tested, although its clinical relevance cannot be directly inferred, while CPP-ACP may provide a limited buffering effect under concentrated exposure conditions.

Background: Care for knee osteoarthritis (KOA) is frequently fragmented, and pathway-level decisions within Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation (PM&R) are influenced by local organizations. The objective of this study was to identify areas of agreement and disagreement among PM&R experts and to translate these into a clinically interpretable, function-oriented care pathway for knee osteoarthritis (KOA) within rehabilitation services. Methods: A two-round Real-Time Delphi study was conducted using the SmartDelphi web platform. A steering committee of five PM&R physicians developed a 37-item questionnaire covering referral/access, functional and outcome assessment, conservative management, escalation/referral thresholds, and follow-up/discharge. Round 1 was online (SERMEF osteoarthritis working group; 46 invited, 40 completed; 87.0%) with responses collected until 30 April 2025. Round 2 was an in-person, facilitated validation round on 30 May 2025 at the SERMEF Congress (A Coruña; 85 invited, 70 completed; 82.4%). Items were rated on a 6-point Likert scale; consensus strength was defined by interquartile range (IQR): strong (0–1) vs. weak (≥2). No patient-level data were collected; participant characteristics were comparable across rounds, suggesting consensus refinement reflected deliberation rather than panel shifts over time. Results: Consensus supported a longitudinal, function-first pathway that was structured into five phases: entry/referral to PM&R; comprehensive functional assessment using a minimum outcomes dataset (pain VAS/NRS, WOMAC function, quality-of-life scale); multimodal conservative rehabilitation combining exercise/physiotherapy, education/self-management support, and indicated oral/topical therapies; reassessment-guided escalation in non-responders, reserving interventional PM&R techniques, multidisciplinary musculoskeletal pain-unit management, or orthopedic evaluation for persistent pain and/or functional limitation; and longitudinal monitoring with defined discharge criteria. Conclusions: SERMEF PM&R experts converged on an implementation-oriented, outcomes-driven KOA itinerary centred on functioning, conservative multimodal care, structured reassessment, and explicit discharge planning.

The transition to a circular economy creates winners and losers, challenging the assumption that green growth is inherently inclusive. While environmental benefits are documented, the distributional consequences remain poorly understood. This study analyzes how socioeconomic and labor inequalities shape the effectiveness of circular economy policies. Using panel data from 90 countries (2019–2024) combined with global governance indicators, we employ fixed-effects models, instrumental variables, and configurational analysis (fsQCA) to identify causal mechanisms. The results reveal a critical institutional threshold: circular economy policies reduce inequality only in countries with high institutional quality (WGI > 1.39). In contexts with weak institutions or positive Skill Structure Balance (SSB), these policies are regressive. Social protection and digital financial inclusion moderate these effects, acting as buffers against distributional risks. These findings challenge the “automatic social benefits” narrative, suggesting that environmental ambition requires parallel investments in institutional capacity and human capital to achieve a just transition.

Bacterial quorum sensing (QS) signals an increasing threat during pathogenesis. How plants deploy timely defenses through QS perception is poorly u...

Laboratory of Analysis and Innovation in Tourism (LAInnTUR), University of Jaen, 23071 Jaen, Spain

Aims Agricultural cover materials can generate particulate residues in soil. Polyethylene covers may contribute persistent microplastic fragments, whereas paper-based covers may generate more degradable residues whose microbial effects remain less understood. However, microbial responses to these residues can be difficult to distinguish from natural time-driven community succession during incubation. Here, we compared polyethylene microplastics and paper-based microfragments in agricultural soil microcosms to determine how particle type and concentration influence bacterial and fungal communities relative to time-matched untreated controls. Methods Polyethylene microplastics and paper-based microfragments were applied at low and high concentrations to plant-free soil microcosms established with agricultural soil from the Fataca region, Portugal. Untreated controls were included at each sampling time to separate amendment-associated effects from incubation-driven microbial succession. Bacterial 16S rRNA gene and fungal ITS communities were characterized after two and six months of incubation using amplicon sequencing. Each incubated treatment was represented by six independent biological microcosms. Results Bacterial communities were mainly structured by incubation time. Untreated controls showed a marked richness and diversity decline after two months followed by recovery after six months, indicating a strong temporal baseline. Relative to these time-matched controls, polyethylene microplastics and paper-based microfragments produced comparatively modest bacterial shifts, including high-dose increases in Acidobacteriota after two months, increased relative abundance of Bradyrhizobium in polyethylene microplastic treatments, and reduced Bacilli/Bacillota across amended soils after six months. Fungal communities showed clearer amendment-associated responses. High paper-based microfragments reduced observed fungal richness by approximately 22% relative to the two-month control and by approximately 49% relative to the six-month control. This treatment also promoted high-dominance fungal communities, with early enrichment of Chytridiomycota and later dominance of Ascomycota, especially Sordariomycetes, Chaetomiaceae, and Parachaetomium. Conclusions Under plant-free microcosm conditions, bacterial responses were dominated by temporal succession, whereas fungal communities showed stronger amendment-associated responses, particularly under high paper-based microfragment addition. These results indicate that residues from plastic- and paper-based agricultural covers can affect soil microbial trajectories in different ways, and that particle type, concentration, and incubation time should be considered when evaluating cover-material residues.

by and Dentistry Department, Medicine and Health Science Faculty, Catholic University of Valencia, 46001 Valencia, Spain

The cancer is the second leading cause of death worldwide and remains an enigma for researchers and medical doctors.