Integrating trees and shrubs into agroecosystems increases soil nutrients and organic matter, which helps in the recovery of degraded tropical soils. However, selecting the most appropriate tree and shrub species as sources of nutrients and organic matter requires knowledge of their productive potential. The study aimed to evaluate litter productivity and nutrient input to the soil of three tropical silvopastoral fodder bank species. Litter input from Tithonia diversifolia, Leucaena leucocephala, and Moringa oleifera was quantified monthly for one year. We found that the litterfall amount was greatest (p < 0.05) from T. diversifolia (1.81 t ha–1 yr–1) compared to L. leucocephala (1.26 t ha–1 yr–1) and M. oleifera (118 t ha–1 yr–1). Indeed, T. diversifolia had a greater (p < 0.05) input of biomass from leaves (1.36 t ha–1 yr–1) compared to L. leucocephala (0.901 t ha–1 yr–1) and M. oleifera (0.869 t ha–1 yr–1). The highest biomass input (p < 0.05) occurred in September to the three species, T. diversifolia (0.516 t ha–1), L. leucocephala (0.243 t ha–1), and M. oleifera (0.233 t ha–1), and the lowest biomass input occurred in March. Furthermore, the greatest annual input of carbon (0.687 t ha–1 yr–1), nitrogen (0.030 t ha–1 yr–1), and phosphorus (0.006 t ha–1 yr–1) to the soil originated from T. diversifolia. Our study showed that T. diversifolia had the greatest capacity to produce biomass that potentially can reintroduce nutrients and contribute to the recovery process of degraded soil due to its high litter productivity, besides, a combination of these three species also improves soil nutrients in fodder banks when do not hauling forage for livestock, contributing to sustainability of system.

Objectives/Goals: Male urogenital tract development is influenced by hormonal signals, which may be disrupted by endocrine-disrupting chemicals like lead. This observational study investigates the potential link between lead exposure and hypospadias rates in Puerto Rican boys, focusing on regional hotspots of hypospadias. Methods/Study Population: Lead levels from water plants across Puerto Rico were analyzed using PR Aqueduct and Sewer Authority water quality certificates. Hypospadias rates in seven health regions were obtained from the Puerto Rico Department of Health’s Birth Defects Prevention and Surveillance System. Data were from Puerto Rican boys born to women aged 15 years or older from 2017 to 2022. Rates were calculated using 2020 Census data, and statistical analyses were conducted using Intellectus. Results/Anticipated Results: Significant differences in hypospadias rates and lead levels were found across health regions, with the highest rates observed in Bayamón and Arecibo (5 cases per-100,000 births). Bayamón had the highest average lead concentration (14.33 ppb). A Kruskal–Wallis test showed significant regional variation in lead levels (χ²(6)  =  16.82, p  =  0.010) and hypospadias rates (χ²(6)  =  16.53, p  =  0.011). Post hoc analyses revealed key differences between regions, notably Bayamón and Metro. Discussion/Significance of Impact: These findings suggest a potential spatial link between prenatal lead exposure and hypospadias risk, underscoring the need for targeted public health interventions. Future studies will explore anti-Müllerian hormone expression in lead-exposed Sertoli cells to better understand the biological mechanisms behind these patterns.

Previous studies have shown the importance of self-perceptions of aging in predicting psychological distress throughout the life cycle. However, little is known about the processes through which self-perceptions of aging influence distress. The aim of the present study is to analyze the potential indirect effects of perceived control and pleasant activities in the association between self-perceptions of aging and depression and anxiety symptoms in middle-aged and older adults. A total of 315 people over 40 years of age (Mage = 58.8; SD = 10.8; 67.9% women) participated. Two indirect effects analysis models were conducted in serial with the aim of analyzing the role of perceived control and pleasant activities in the relationship between the self-perceptions of aging and depressive (model 1) and anxiety (model 2) symptomatology. A direct effect was observed between self-perceptions of aging and depressive, and anxious symptomatology. In addition, indirect associations through the variables perceived control and pleasant activities were significant. The tested models explained 46.1% of the variance in depressive symptomatology and 34.8% of the variance in anxiety. The results of this study confirm the association between self-perceptions of aging and psychological distress. This association is exerted through lower perception of control and fewer pleasant activities. Interventions aimed at promoting effective coping strategies that favor perceived control, activity and emotional well-being should include a module on identifying and modifying of negative self-perceptions of aging in middle-aged and older adults.

Maize (Zea mays L.) is one of the main staples in the Peruvian Andes. Phenotypic diversity is extremely high in terms of plant morphology, grain colour, grain size and uses. However, little is known about the genetic component of the Peruvian maize. Genotyping-by-sequencing was used, for the first time, to infer the genetic diversity and population structure of 25 accessions of maize collected from two ecoregions of the departments of the Peruvian highlands, Cajamarca and Huancavelica, to provide a basis for the conservation and breeding of this crop genetic resource. A total of 29,332 single-nucleotide polymorphisms were identified along all 10 chromosomes of maize. STRUCTURE analysis revealed two clusters (open-pollinated cultivars and landraces). Principal coordinate analysis and our dendrogram showed that these accessions of Peruvian maize do not group based on their geographic origin but on their improvement status, however, this is weakly supported. Average genetic diversity was very high (0.35). Analysis of molecular variance showed a reduced variation between populations (2.85%) and indicated that variability within populations is 97.15%. The lowest population divergence was zero for populations of Colcabamba versus Pichos and Daniel Hernandez versus Colcabamba and the highest population divergence (0.041) was observed for population Cajamarca versus Santiago de Tucuma. As expected, FIS values were positive. Additional samples from other Andean and west coast Peruvian localities are needed to provide a better understanding of the genetic components of this important crop aiming to develop a modern breeding programme of maize in Peru.

We introduce a versatile high-repetition-rate solid tape target system suitable for relativistic laser-plasma driven secondary sources. We demonstrate the operation and stability monitoring based on a petawatt laser focused at 1 Hz. Experiments were carried out at the VEGA-3 laser system of the Centro de Láseres Pulsados facility where results for different tape materials and thicknesses are presented. Experimental proton spectra were recorded by a Thomson parabola spectrometer and a time-of-flight detector. In addition, non-invasive detectors, such as a target charging monitor and ionization chamber detectors, were tested as metrology for the stability of the source. Degradation of the proton signal at high-repetition-rate operation was observed and it was solved by online optimization of the relative focus position of the target and laser beam parameters. We report the use of the tape target for bursts of 1000 shots at 1 Hz with mean cut-off energies of about 10 MeV in optimized interaction conditions.

Based on the theories of radical education, this article discusses the education of electronic music in Venezuela. After a historiographical review of the state of music education in the country, which shows that there is little information on the subject, the institutional life that has promoted electroacoustic music in Venezuela is approached from a critical perspective. This documentary research gathers and analyses data provided by a bibliographic review and unstructured interviews with experts in the field. Among the most salient findings is the discontinuity in the teaching of electroacoustic music, as well as a critical review of the notions of radical education in the case of Venezuela, where the educational system shows stagnation in the face of the global context.

We report the first high-repetition-rate generation and simultaneous characterization of nanosecond-scale return currents of kA-magnitude issued by the polarization of a target irradiated with a PW-class high-repetition-rate titanium:sapphire laser system at relativistic intensities. We present experimental results obtained with the VEGA-3 laser at intensities from $5\times {10}^{18}$ to $1.3\times {10}^{20}$ W cm${}^{-2}$. A non-invasive inductive return-current monitor is adopted to measure the derivative of return currents of the order of kA ns${}^{-1}$ and analysis methodology is developed to derive return currents. We compare the current for copper, aluminium and Kapton targets at different laser energies. The data show the stable production of current peaks and clear prospects for the tailoring of the pulse shape, which is promising for future applications in high-energy-density science, for example, electromagnetic interference stress tests, high-voltage pulse response measurements and charged particle beam lensing. We compare the target discharge of the order of hundreds of nC with theoretical predictions and a good agreement is found.

Toxoplasma gondii has at least 318 genotypes distributed worldwide, and tropical regions usually have greater genetic diversity. Campeche is a state located in the southeastern region of México and has favourable climate conditions for the replication and dissemination of this protozoan, similar to those in South American countries where broad genetic diversity has been described. Thus, in this study, 4 T. gondii isolates were obtained from tissues of stray dogs and free-range chickens in Campeche, México, and were genotyped by Mn-PCR-RFLP with 10 typing markers (SAG1, altSAG2, SAG3, BTUB, GRA6, c22-8, c29-2, L358, PK1 and Apico) and 5 virulence markers (CS3, ROP16, ROP17, ROP18 and ROP5) to provide new information about the distribution and virulence prediction of T. gondii genotypes. Two isolates of T. gondii genotype #116 and 2 of genotype #38 were obtained from stray dogs and chickens, respectively. The parasite load found in these species was between <50 and more than 35 000 tachyzoites per mg of tissue. Virulence marker genotyping revealed a recombinant 1&3 ROP5 RFLP pattern in 2 ToxoDB #116 isolates with no prediction of virulence in a murine model, while in the 2 ToxoDB #38 isolates, the ROP18/ROP5 combination predicted high virulence. Considering all the typed markers, there is a predominance of type I and III alleles, as constantly reported for the isolates characterized in various regions of México. It is crucial to determine their phenotype to corroborate the genetic virulence profile of the T. gondii isolates obtained in this study.

The effects of ultrasound treatment on the mean particle size, crystal structure, crystallite dimensions and specific surface area of natural muscovite and biotite samples have been investigated. Sonication of macroscopic flakes of muscovite and biotite produced a drastic particle-size reduction. The conditions for the preparation of micron and submicron-sized muscovite and biotite particles of narrow particle-size distribution by sonochemistry are described. The effect of sonication on particle-size reduction is more significant for muscovite than for biotite. Thus, for long sonication times (100 h), submicron and micron particles are predominant in muscovite and biotite, respectively. The resulting materials are crystalline, as assayed by X-ray diffraction, only broadening of the diffraction lines due to size-reduction was observed. Nuclear magnetic resonance studies revealed that the coordination of Al and Si was not modified by the treatment. Chemical analysis showed that the composition of the sample was not affected by the sonication except for a small contamination by Ti from the tip cup of the sonication instrument.

The ability to quickly refresh gas-jet targets without cycling the vacuum chamber makes them a promising candidate for laser-accelerated ion experiments at high repetition rate. Here we present results from the first high repetition rate ion acceleration experiment on the VEGA-3 PW-class laser at CLPU. A near-critical density gas-jet target was produced by forcing a 1000 bar H$_2$ and He gas mix through bespoke supersonic shock nozzles. Proton energies up to 2 MeV were measured in the laser forward direction and 2.2 MeV transversally. He$^{2+}$ ions up to 5.8 MeV were also measured in the transverse direction. To help maintain a consistent gas density profile over many shots, nozzles were designed to produce a high-density shock at distances larger than 1 mm from the nozzle exit. We outline a procedure for optimizing the laser–gas interaction by translating the nozzle along the laser axis and using different nozzle materials. Several tens of laser interactions were performed with the same nozzle which demonstrates the potential usefulness of gas-jet targets as high repetition rate particle source.