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Biofuels offer significant potential for reducing carbon emissions and enhancing energy sustainability, but their efficient purification remains a significant challenge. In this study, the performance of a hydrophobic zeolitic imidazolate framework, ZIF-71(ClBr)-SE, in the adsorptive separation of butanol from single- and ternary-component systems (acetone, butanol, and ethanol) was investigated and compared with ZIF-8 and ZIF-71. Physicochemical characterization techniques, including XRD, SEM, BET, TGA, and DVS, confirmed that the modified ZIF-71 is hydrophobic, isostructural with ZIF-71, and has a higher surface area. Adsorption tests in aqueous solutions revealed that ZIF-71(ClBr)-SE unexpectedly showed a higher affinity for acetone over butanol. DFT molecular simulations provided insights into solute-ZIF interactions, highlighting preferential sites for ZIF interaction.

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BACKGROUND: The integration of Artificial Intelligence (AI) into various aspects of daily life has sparked growing interest in understanding public attitudes toward this technology. Despite advancements in tools to assess these perceptions, there remains a need for culturally adapted instruments, particularly in specific contexts like that of Peruvian nurses. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the psychometric properties of the AIAS-4 in a sample of Peruvian nurses. METHODS: An instrumental design was employed, recruiting 200 Peruvian nurses. The Attitude toward Artificial Intelligence in Spanish (AIAS-S), a cultural and linguistic adaptation of the AIAS-4, involved data analysis using descriptive statistics, confirmatory factor analysis (CFA), and invariance tests. RESULTS: The Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA) confirmed a unidimensional factor structure with an excellent model fit (χ2 = 0.410, df = 1, p = 0.522, CFI = 1.00, TLI = 1.00, RMSEA = 0.00, SRMR = 0.00). The scale demonstrated high internal consistency (α = 0.94, ω = 0.91). Tests of invariance from configural to strict confirmed that the scale is stable across different demographic subgroups. CONCLUSIONS: The AIAS-S proved to be a psychometrically solid tool for assessing attitudes toward AI in the context of Peruvian nurses, providing evidence of validity, reliability, and gender invariance. This study highlights the importance of having culturally adapted instruments to explore attitudes toward emerging technologies in specific groups.

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Background: Diabetes education is an integral part of the treatment for the metabolic control of patients with diabetes. The use of the Internet as a tool for diabetes education, as well as its acceptance, is still under study. Aim: To assess the usability of the educational website "I understand my diabetes" designed for patients with type 2 diabetes attending primary care clinics. Material and method: A cross-sectional study was done in 110 patients with type 2 diabetes from two family medicine clinics, each of whom was assigned a user account on the educational website "Entiendo mi diabetes." The web site assigned a user name and password to each patient. They were able to access the educational website at home. After a 15-day review period, participants were asked to evaluate usability using the Computer System Usability Questionnaire. Additionally, we developed an eight-item questionnaire usability focusing on diabetes care. Sociodemographic data, blood pressure, and anthropometric measurements were recorded. Glucose levels and lipid profiles were also measured. Results: The patients with diabetes had a mean age of 52.7 years and a median of 5 years since they were diagnosed with diabetes. The website received a good usability rating from 89.1% of participants, with favorable assessments in all three dimensions: 87.3% for information, 85.5% for quality, and 88.2% for interface. Regarding usability specifically for diabetes care, 98.2% rated it as having good usability. Conclusion: The website for education about the disease in patients "I understand my diabetes" had an adequate usability evaluation by patients, so they also considered it very useful for diabetes care. The diabetes care instrument had adequate usability and reliability.

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Background: Medical education represents a complex field of study, influenced by various psychological, demographic, and contextual factors. Academic motivation, essential for educational success, has been linked to critical decisions in medical careers and can be modulated by contextual elements such as socioeconomic and geographical environments. The theory of self-determination has provided a solid framework for understanding the multidimensional nature of motivation. Objective: To evaluate the psychometric properties of a Spanish version of the Short Scale of Academic Motivation among Peruvian medical students. Methods: Using an instrumental design, the factorial structure, reliability, and gender invariance of the SAMS-S were assessed. A confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) was conducted to validate the scale's structure based on seven dimensions. Additionally, reliability was assessed through Cronbach's alpha coefficient and omega coefficient, and gender invariance was determined through multi-group confirmatory factor analysis. Results: The Peruvian version of the SAMS-S showed a good fit in the CFA with satisfactory goodness-of-fit indices. However, challenges in discriminant validity among certain dimensions were detected, suggesting the presence of a second-order factor. The proposed second-order model yielded an adequate fit (χ2 = 198.26, df = 70, CFI = 0.92, TLI = 0.90, RMSEA = 0.08 [90% CI: 0.07-0.1], SRMR = 0.07), validating the factorial structure of the SAMS-S. The scale's reliability and its subscales were within acceptable ranges. Furthermore, the gender invariance of the SAMS-S was confirmed at all levels, from configural to strict. Conclusions: The second-order model of the SAMS-S presents as a valid and reliable tool for measuring academic motivation among medical students in Peru. Its robustness and adaptability make it relevant for future research in similar educational contexts and can serve as a basis for interventions aimed at improving academic motivation in this specific group.

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Introduction: In the modern era, the maternal perception of children's nutritional status has emerged as a critical area of study, given its potential influence on nutritional interventions and long-term child health. The relationship between this perception and children's Body Mass Index (BMI) by age is particularly intriguing, as it may reveal discrepancies between perception and reality. Objective: The aim of this study was to evaluate Peruvian mothers' perception of their children's Body Mass Index (BMI) in relation to age and to determine how this perception associates with the children's cardiovascular risk. The study also analyzed sociodemographic factors that might influence this perception. Methods: The study included 130 mothers of schoolchildren aged 5 to 11 from a school in Lima. Mothers' perceptions of their children's weight were assessed using pictograms, and sociodemographic characteristics were collected through a questionnaire. Weight and height measurements were taken to calculate BMI, and waist circumference was measured to classify cardiovascular risk. Results: A total of 57.4% of the schoolchildren presented with excess malnutrition, and 51.5% of the mothers incorrectly classified the actual BMI/Age of their children (kappa 0.11; p ≤ 0.05). Additionally, it was found that the schoolchild's age is associated with the mother's failure to accurately perceive her child's weight (OR 1.59). Lastly, there was a significant association between maternal perception and cardiovascular risk (p ≤ 0.05). Conclusion: There is a significant discrepancy between maternal perception and the actual nutritional status of children, which can increase cardiovascular risk. It is necessary to implement intervention and education strategies targeted at parents to enhance the recognition and management of childhood overweight and obesity.

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PURPOSE: To describe the epidemiology, clinical features, and classification of uveitis in a large cohort of Colombian patients. METHODS: Data were collected from seven ophthalmological referral centers in the four main cities in Colombia. The study included patients with a confirmed diagnosis of uveitis from January 2010 to December 2022. Information on demographics, ophthalmic examination findings, uveitis classification, and etiology was recorded. RESULTS: The study reviewed 3,404 clinical records of patients with uveitis. The mean age at diagnosis was 41.1 (SD 19.0) years, and 54.2% of the patients were female. Overall, 1,341(39.4%) were infectious, 626 (18.4%) non-infectious, and four masquerade syndromes (0.1%). The most common types of uveitis were unilateral (66.7%), acute (48.3%), and non-granulomatous (83%). Anterior uveitis was the most common anatomical localization (49.5%), followed by posterior uveitis (22.9%), panuveitis (22.3%), and intermediate uveitis (5.2%). A diagnosis was established in 3,252 (95.5%) cases; idiopathic was the most common cause (27.7%), followed by toxoplasmosis (25.3%) and virus-associated uveitis (6.4%). The age group between 30 and 50 exhibited the highest frequency of uveitis. CONCLUSION: This multicenter study comprehensively describes uveitis characteristics in Colombian patients, providing valuable insights into its demographic and clinical features. The study findings emphasize the need to continue updating the changing patterns of uveitis to improve diagnosis and treatment strategies for diseases associated with intraocular inflammation.

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Background: The life satisfaction and job performance of nursing professionals are affected by a multitude of factors, including work engagement, self-efficacy, and depression. The Job Demands-Resources (JD-R) model provides a theoretical framework to explore these relationships. Objective: Our study aimed to analyze the primary goal of this research, which is to examine the mediating role of work engagement in the relationship between depression, professional self-efficacy, job performance, and their impact on life satisfaction in nurses, using the JD-R theory as a guide. Methods: This cross-sectional study involved 579 participants aged between 21 to 57 years (M = 39, SD = 9.95). Mediation analysis was used to examine the influence of depression, self-efficacy, and job performance on work engagement, and in turn, its effect on life satisfaction. Results: Findings indicated that work engagement plays a crucial mediating role between depression, self-efficacy, job performance, and life satisfaction. Interventions to increase work engagement could assist nurses in better managing depression and improving their performance and life satisfaction. Conclusions: Our study highlights the need for workplace policies and strategies that foster work engagement and self-efficacy among nurses while effectively managing job demands to prevent depression. Moreover, these findings underscore the importance of the JD-R theory to understand and improve nurses' job satisfaction and performance, and suggest areas for future research, including exploring other potential factors and applying these findings across different contexts and cultures.

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Introduction: Within the context of the COVID-19 pandemic, children were confined to their homes. The Buenos Aires Metropolitan Area (AMBA) region has the highest urban density in Argentina and has been the epicenter of COVID-19 infections and deaths. The objectives of this study are to characterize the habits of screen use, sedentary lifestyle and physical activity and describe their associations, in children under six years of age from AMBA, Argentina. Methods: analytical and cross-sectional study, in which data from the online survey (Google Forms®) were used. Through a non-probabilistic convenience sampling, fathers, mothers, legal guardians, and caregivers of children under six years of age were invited to participate. The survey was available during four months of the quarantine period and was made up of 31 questions about screen use, physical activity, and sedentary lifestyle of children. Results: 256 surveys were answered, the majority (79.6%) were female and 50.8% in the age range of 31-40 years. Conclusion: The television is the most used and children begin to use touch screens from one year. The play time of adults with children and the time that they usually carry out activities such as reading a book or drawing is one to two hours per day. There was an association between owning the screen and using it for more hours. The lower the income level, the more time adults play with their children.

Introducción: Dentro del contexto de la pandemia de COVID-19, los niños se quedaron confinados en sus hogares. La región del Área Metropolitana de Buenos Aires (AMBA) concentra la mayor densidad urbana de la Argentina y ha sido el epicentro de contagios y muertes por COVID-19. Los objetivos del presente estudio son caracterizar los hábitos del uso de pantalla, de sedentarismo y de la actividad física y describir sus asociaciones, en niños menores a seis años, del AMBA, Argentina. Métodos: estudio analítico y transversal, en que se utilizaron los datos de la encuesta en línea (Google Forms®). Mediante un muestreo no probabilístico por conveniencia, se invitaron a participar padres, madres, tutores legales y cuidadores de niños/as menores de seis años. La encuesta estuvo disponible durante cuatro meses del periodo de cuarentena y estuvo conformada por 31 preguntas sobre uso de pantalla, actividad física y sedentarismo de los niños. Resultados: fueron respondidas 256 encuestas, la mayoría (79,6%) era del género femenino y 50,8% en el rango etario de 31-40 años. Conclusión: La televisión es la más utilizada y los niños empiezan a usar pantallas táctiles a partir de un año. El tiempo de juego de los adultos con los niños y el tiempo que ellos suelen realizar actividades como leer un libro o dibujar es de una a dos horas por día. Hubo asociación entre ser dueño de la pantalla y usarla por más horas. Cuanto menor el nivel de ingreso, más tiempo los adultos juegan con sus niños.

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Brazil follows the trend of countries that went from high fertility to below replacement level; in many countries, fertility rates continue to fall, often to levels well below population replacement, especially in Europe and Eastern Asia. Since 2006, Brazil has presented rates below the population replacement level, with regional variations. The shift to a pattern of late motherhood is central to understanding this phenomenon, as well as the increased use of reproductive technologies and the global market for assisted reproduction. Demand for services based on Assisted Reproductive Technologies (ART) has increased in European countries and the United States. Also, in Brazil, there is a growing demand for assisted reproduction services, which private clinics offer at a significantly high cost. This article provides an overview of these issues. It raises new questions and dimensions of analysis by problematizing the socio-demographic, legal, and ethical aspects of assisted reproduction, which need to be explored in future population studies.

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Background: Healthy habits contribute to the prevention of diseases and, therefore, improve the health-related quality of life of people. However, stress is one of the main risk factors associated with serious health problems in the individual. Therefore, the literature suggests a relationship between healthy habits, stress, and health-related quality of life. Objective: To assess the factors of healthy habits and stress associated with health-related quality of life in a Peruvian adult population. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted with a sample of 540 Peruvian citizens aged between 18 and 60 years. A questionnaire was applied on the Google Forms platform to be completed online, using the "Healthy Lifestyle Questionnaire" and the PSS-4 to assess healthy habits and stress, respectively. Health-related quality of life was evaluated using the EuroQol-5D. Results: In the multivariate analysis, stress was the most associated factor with quality of life. Physical activity, drug consumption, tobacco consumption, rest habits, and a balanced diet were healthy habits associated with quality of life. Conclusion: Physical activity, rest habits, and a balanced diet improve health-related quality of life, while drug or tobacco consumption and stress are associated with a lower health-related quality of life.

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Corn contamination with Fusarium verticillioides (Sacc.) Nirenberg is a worldwide problem that affects yield and grain quality resulting in severe economic losses and implications for food safety. Control of F. verticillioides is a challenge, but lactic acid bacteria (LAB) has high potential as a biological control agent. In this study, the antifungal effect of Limosilactobacillus reuteri (formerly Lactobacillus reuteri) LR-92 against F. verticillioides 97L was investigated. Cell-free supernatant (CFS) from L. reuteri showed concentration-dependent fungicidal and fungistatic activity against F. verticillioides 97L. The antifungal compounds from CFS showed heat stability and pH dependence, and antifungal activity was not affected by treatment with proteolytic enzymes. High-performance liquid chromatography analysis indicated that L. reuteri LR-92 produces lactic and acetic acids. After liquid-liquid extraction, electrospray ionization mass spectrometry analysis of the active ethyl acetate fraction containing antifungal compounds revealed the production of 3-phenyllactic acid, cyclo-(L-Pro-L-Leu), cyclo-(L-Pro-L-Phe), and cyclo-(L-Phe-trans-4-OH-L-Pro). L. reuteri LR-92 has potential as a biocontrol agent for F. verticillioides and contributes to food safety.

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BACKGROUND: The academic and emotional challenges faced by medical students can affect critical thinking and may also contribute to the development of increased generalized anxiety. Similarly, critical thinking and generalized anxiety can impact study satisfaction through the mediating mechanism of academic self-efficacy. OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to assess the mediating role of academic self-efficacy between critical thinking and generalized anxiety in study satisfaction among medical students. METHODS: A cross-sectional and explanatory study was conducted involving 259 Peruvian medical students aged between 18 and 35 (M = 20.29, SD = 2.84). The evaluation was based on self-reported questionnaires covering critical thinking, generalized anxiety, academic self-efficacy, and study satisfaction. Furthermore, a structural equation modeling (SEM) and mediation approach was employed to examine the relationships between variables. RESULTS: The results showed an adequate fit of the model [χ2 (87) = 155, p < 0.001, CFI = 0.93, TLI = 0.92, RMSEA = 0.05 (CI: 0.04-0.07), SRMR = 0.07], demonstrating the impact of critical thinking and generalized anxiety. It was confirmed that academic self-efficacy has a positive effect on study satisfaction. Moreover, the mediating role of academic self-efficacy was confirmed between critical thinking and study satisfaction, as well as between generalized anxiety and study satisfaction. CONCLUSIONS: Due to the high academic load on medical students, academic self-efficacy plays a mediating role in the relationship between critical thinking, generalized anxiety, and satisfaction with studies. The development of educational strategies will help to promote critical thinking and academic self-efficacy, as well as provide support to students with generalized anxiety, to enhance study satisfaction.

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Background: Nurses face high levels of stress and work demands, which can affect their work engagement and psychological well-being. Resilience and self-efficacy have been identified as important resources to improve nurses' adaptation and work engagement. Objective: This study aimed to evaluate the mediating role of self-efficacy in the relationship between resilience and stress on work engagement in Peruvian nurses. Methods: A cross-sectional design was used, and data were collected from a sample of 459 nurses. Self-report questionnaires were administered to measure self-efficacy, resilience, stress, and work engagement. SEM analyses were performed to examine the relationship between these variables, and a mediation analysis was conducted to evaluate the role of self-efficacy as a mediator in the relationship between resilience, stress, and work engagement. Results: The results indicated a positive relationship between resilience, self-efficacy, and work engagement, as well as a negative relationship between stress and work engagement. Additionally, self-efficacy mediated the relationship between resilience and work engagement, as well as the relationship between stress and work engagement in nurses. Conclusion: Personal resources such as self-efficacy are a key factor in the relationship between resilience (work resources), stress (work demands), and work engagement of Peruvian nurses. Strengthening self-efficacy and resilience can improve work engagement and personal satisfaction of nurses. Hospital administrators and nursing managers should consider the importance of resilience, stress, work engagement, and self-efficacy in registered nurses and develop effective strategies to improve them. This can have a positive impact on the quality of care provided to patients and on the job satisfaction of nurses.

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Background: English is a global language used to communicate with members of the international community. Self-efficacy in learning English is an important factor that is influenced by perceived importance, interest, and beliefs about the ability to successfully perform tasks in English. Objective: The aim is to develop and validate a measurement instrument to assess English self-efficacy. Methods: A total of 453 students from different Peruvian universities participated, with ages ranging from 18 to 60 years (M = 23; SD = 6.18). Statistical techniques for latent variables were used and recommendations for educational and psychological tests were followed in its construction. The sample was divided into two groups to perform exploratory factor analysis (EFA) and confirmatory factor analysis (CFA). Results: The English Self-Efficacy Scale (ESS-P) is representative and relevant in terms of its item content (Aiken's V > 0.70). Its internal structure is organized into three first order factors and a second order factor that are consistent with the theoretical proposal and was confirmed through CFA with excellent goodness-of-fit indices (χ2 = 1184.9, gl = 626, CFI = 0.92, TLI = 0.92, RMSEA = 0.06 y SRMR = 0.04). It also has adequate internal consistency in its three factors (Reading α/ω = 0.96), Oral Communication (α/ω = 0.95), and Writing (α/ω = 0.97) and the whole scale (α/ω = 0.98), is invariant with respect to sex, and has a conceptual relationship with variables such as academic self-efficacy and exam anxiety. Conclusion: The ESS-P is a measurement instrument with evidence of validity, factorial invariance, and good reliability of its scores. Therefore, it can be used in future studies in the academic context.

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During 2020, the Covid-19 pandemic unleashed a socioeconomic crisis in most countries, as well as strict restrictions on mobility and social distancing were implemented. The pandemic brought a severe socioeconomic shock -decreasing economic activity- and forced policy responses that affected the education sector -notably school closures-. There is scarce evidence on the implications of the pandemic and its socioeconomic consequences on learning inequality, particularly in the Latin-American context. The aim of this paper is to measure the change in learning inequality during the years of the pandemic (2020-2021) in Colombia. To measure learning inequality, we use the results of a standardize exam taken by all upper secondary education graduates in the country. To capture inequality, we use secondary-level students' characteristics, their households, and schools' characteristics. Our econometric results suggest an increase in learning inequality between 48% and 372% depending on the dimension studied, except for gender where learning inequality decreased. Moreover, through dynamic specifications, we determine that for all the analyzed dimensions the 2020-2021 period represents a change in the trend of learning inequality as in the periods prior to the pandemic inequality gaps decreased or, at least, remained constant. We conclude with concrete and immediate policy recommendations to target the learning processes of vulnerable students and bridge learning gaps.

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Sweet peppers are consumed worldwide, and traditional uses have sparked interest in their applications as dietary antioxidants, which can be enhanced in plants using elicitors. These are endowed with phytochemicals with potential health benefits such as antioxidants, bioavailability, and bioaccessibility. The trend in metabolomics shows us chemical fingerprints linking metabolomics, innovative analytical form, and bioinformatics tools. The objective was to evaluate the impact of multiple stress interactions, elicitor concentrations, and electrical conductivity on the concentration of secondary metabolites to relate their response to metabolic pathways through the foliar application of a cocktail of said elicitors in pepper crops under greenhouse conditions. The extracts were analyzed by spectrophotometry and gas chromatography, and it was shown that the PCA analysis identified phenolic compounds and low molecular weight metabolites, confirming this as a metabolomic fingerprint in the hierarchical analysis. These compounds were also integrated by simultaneous gene and metabolite simulants to obtain effect information on different metabolic pathways. Showing changes in metabolite levels at T6 (36 mM H2O2 and 3.6 dS/m) and T7 (0.1 mM SA and 3.6 dS/m) but showing statistically significant changes at T5 (3.6 dS/m) and T8 (0.1 mM SA, 36 mM H2O2, and 3.6 dS/m) compared to T1 (32 dS/m) or control. Six pathways changed significantly (p < 0.05) in stress-induced treatments: aminoacyl t-RNA and valine-leucine-isoleucine biosynthesis, and alanine-aspartate-glutamate metabolism, glycoxylate-dicarboxylate cycle, arginine-proline, and citrate. This research provided a complete profile for the characterization of metabolomic fingerprint of bell pepper under multiple stress conditions.

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Chronic lead exposure can generate pro-oxidative and pro-inflammatory conditions in the blood, related to high platelet activation and aggregation, altering cell functions. We studied ADP-stimulated aggregation and the oxidant/antioxidant system of platelets from chronically lead-exposed workers and non-exposed workers. Platelet aggregation was low in lead-exposed workers (62 vs. 97%), who had normal platelet counts and showed no clinical manifestations of hemostatic failure. ADP-activated platelets from lead-exposed workers failed to increase superoxide release (3.3 vs. 6.6 µmol/g protein), had low NADPH concentration (60 vs. 92 nmol/mg protein), high concentration of hydrogen peroxide (224 vs. 129 nmol/mg protein) and high plasma PGE2 concentration (287 vs. 79 pg/mL). Altogether, those conditions, on the one hand, could account for the low platelet aggregation and, on the other, indicate an adaptive mechanism for the oxidative status of platelets and anti-aggregating molecules to prevent thrombotic problems in the pro-oxidant and pro-inflammatory environment of chronic lead exposure.

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OBJECTIVES: This study investigated the impact of cancer diagnosis status, individual feelings of preparedness, and other covariates on objective emergency preparedness among women diagnosed with gynecological cancers before or after the 2017 Hurricanes Irma and Maria in Puerto Rico. METHODS: This study included 240 women who were interviewed by telephone from 9/2019-11/2020. Objective emergency preparedness was assessed using a list of six items. Subjective emergency preparedness was assessed by asking the women how prepared they felt (well, somewhat, or not at all) to face an emergency. Crude and multivariable logistic regression analyses were conducted to assess the associations (odds ratios [ORs] and 95% confidence intervals [CIs]) between variables of interest and objective preparedness. RESULTS: Before and after the hurricanes, 60% and 66% of women, respectively, were objectively prepared. Before the hurricanes, women reporting feeling well-prepared (vs. not prepared) (OR=9.31, 95%CI:3.96-21.91) and those who were diagnosed before (vs. after) the hurricanes (OR=1.71, 95%CI:0.95-3.09) were more likely to be objectively prepared. After the hurricanes, self-perceived well-preparedness (OR=2.46, 95% CI: 1.10-5.51) was positively associated with emergency preparedness when compared to feeling unprepared. CONCLUSIONS: Perceptions of emergency preparedness and having a cancer diagnosis increased the likelihood of being objectively prepared for an emergency. POLICY SUMMARY: This study demonstrates the need for state, territorial, and federal governments to include emergency preparedness plans for cancer patients in the Comprehensive Cancer Control plans. The study also indicates a need for cancer specific emergency preparedness information to be readily available for patients.

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