María Teresa

Department of Microbiology, Instituto Nacional de Enfermedades Respiratorias Ismael Cosío Villegas, Mexico City 14080, Mexico

Silver tarnishing in museum environments depends on multiple, interacting factors that are not often studied in situ. With the aim of addressing the problem in real-world scenarios, this study presents a one-year assessment at the National Archaeological Museum of Spain, in Madrid, a museum that houses a significant collection of silver objects. Pure Ag coupons were placed in four display cases—two designs with different airtightness—and in an adjacent gallery. Tarnishing was quantified by colorimetry, gravimetry, and galvanostatic reduction, and analyzed in relation to environmental parameters (T/RH) and gaseous pollutants (H2S, SO2, HF, HCl, formic and acetic acids), measured with passive samplers. Coupons showed different degrees of tarnish, with annual corrosion rates ranging from IC1 (very low) to IC2 (low), without a straightforward relation to hydrogen sulfide concentrations. Electrochemical profiles and XPS on representative coupons identified Ag2S as the dominant product, with AgCl and minor Ag2SO4 in the coupons exposed outside the airtight cases, indicating different contributions inside and outside the cases. Findings highlight that sulfide concentration is not the sole driver; case airtightness, internal materials, cleaning products used on adjacent areas, and, possibly, other aspects influence silver tarnishing.

The consumption of virgin olive oil has been associated with a broad spectrum of beneficial effects. These health outcomes are attributed not only to its high monounsaturated fatty acid content but also to its bioactive components. Nowadays, the flavoring of olive oil has gained popularity to improve its antioxidant properties, modify its sensory characteristics, and enhance its oxidative stability. This study explores spectrofluorometry as a fast, non-destructive, and eco-friendly tool to monitor oxidation and predict shelf life in virgin olive oils (VOOs). Both unflavored and flavored rosemary and basil samples were studied. Over nine months of storage, monthly autofluorescence measurements at 330 nm excitation revealed dynamic spectral changes. These changes were mapped into three distinct emission zones (I, II, and III), providing a spectral fingerprint of oil freshness and stability. Autofluorescence analysis revealed that oxidation-related emission increased while pigment-related emission decreased over time, especially within the first five months. Rosemary and basil flavoring slowed degradation due to antioxidant migration from the herbs. It is proposed that a ratio between the fluorescence intensity of Zone III/Zone II of the spectrum of less than 0.6 indicates oils stored for more than three months.

Department of Didactics, Faculty of Educational Sciences, University of Cádiz, 11510 Puerto Real, Spain Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.

by Elena G. Arias-Salgado María Teresa Álvarez Román Ihosvany Fernandéz-Bello Elena Monzón Manzano Maria Isabel Rivas Pollmar

by Eduardo Pérez-Campos Mayoral Laura Pérez-Campos Mayoral María Teresa Hernández-Huerta Hector Alejandro Cabrera-Fuentes

Background: Handball involves unilateral, high-demand actions that increase injury risk. The Windlass mechanism (WM) is a position-dependent plantar fascia tensioning system, activated by dorsiflexion of the first metatarsophalangeal joint, which increases medial longitudinal arch stiffness and contributes to foot stability. WM activation can be mechanically simulated using hallux wedges to induce controlled dorsiflexion, allowing graded engagement of the mechanism under standardized conditions. The primary aim of this study was to investigate how different wedge inclinations, with and without visual biofeedback, affect foot muscle activity during squats in elite female handball players. Methods: Seventeen elite female handball players performed squats at 65% of one-repetition maximum under six conditions combining three wedge inclinations (0°, 10°, 30°) with the presence or absence of visual biofeedback. Electromyographic activity (RMS and %MVC) of intrinsic and extrinsic foot muscles was recorded. Results: A significant increase in left abductor hallucis activation with the 10° wedge without biofeedback. Visual biofeedback significantly increased RMS and %MVC in intrinsic foot muscles and increased RMS in the left gastrocnemius (p < 0.05). No significant interaction was observed between wedge inclination and biofeedback. Conclusions: Controlled activation of the WM via hallux wedges and the use of visual biofeedback modulate foot muscle activity during squats. These strategies may be considered in training programs aimed at improving foot stability and reducing injury risk in elite female handball players.

by Gaetano Distefano Ossama Kodad Chiara Catalano Leonardo Paul Luca María Teresa Espiau Ramírez Jerome Grimplet

Background: Epidural obstetric analgesia is the standard of care for labor pain relief; however, its impact on neonatal cerebral oximetry remains debated. Objective: We aimed to evaluate whether epidural analgesia modifies cerebral regional oxygen saturation (CrSO2), measured by near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS), in term neonates from low-risk deliveries. Methods: We conducted a prospective comparative observational cohort study, including 48 term newborns: 25 delivered under epidural analgesia (EA) and 23 without epidural analgesia (NE). CrSO2 was monitored using NIRS (INVOS 5100C, Somanetics/Medtronic, Troy, MI, USA; OxyAlert NIRSensor Cerebral/Somatic Infant–Neonatal Sensor CNN/SNN) during the neonatal transition up to 15 min after birth (primary outcome), and its relationship with neonatal well-being parameters (umbilical cord pH, Apgar score, and other analytical and obstetric indicators) was explored. Results: Median CrSO2 at 15 min was 79.52 [76.40–82.64] in the EA group and 78.65 [74.21–83.09] in the NE group. Both groups exhibited a similar temporal pattern characterized by a progressive increase, a peak at 10 min, and stabilization by 15 min. Mean (SD) CrSO2 in EA/NE were: 2 min, 57.64 (14.8)/60.04 (14.4); 5 min, 79.56 (10.9)/79.39 (12.2); 10 min, 82.28 (8.1)/81.13 (9.7); 15 min, 79.52 (7.6)/78.65 (10.3). No significant between-group differences were detected at any time point using a linear mixed model (p-values: 2 min, 0.57; 5 min, 0.96; 10 min, 0.66; 15 min, 0.74). Conclusions: These findings indicate that epidural obstetric analgesia does not alter cerebral oximetry parameters in term neonates from low-risk deliveries during the early transitional period.

Tiniakou et al perform DNA methylation profiling on menstrual blood stem cells from healthy and endometriosis participants to identify epigenetic biomarkers. They find differentially methylated regions that distinguish cases from controls with high accuracy in machine learning models and influence gene expression, supporting biological relevance.