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The total energy demand in the transport sector represented 48.80% of the total consumption in Ecuador throughout 2016, where 89.87% corresponded to the road transport sector. Therefore, it is crucial to analyze the future behavior of this sector and assess the economic and environmental measures towards sustainable development. Consequently, this study analyzed: (1) the total energy demand for each vehicle class and fuel type; (2) the GHG (greenhouse gas) emissions and air pollutants NOx and PM10; and (3) the cost attributed to the fuel demand, between 2016 and 2035. For this, four alternative demand scenarios were designed: BAU: Business As Usual; EOM: Energy Optimization and Mitigation; AF: Alternative Fuels; and SM: Sustainable Mobility using Long-range Energy Alternatives Planning system. After analysis, the EOM, AF, and SM scenarios have advantages relative to BAU, where SM particularly stands out. The results show that SM compared to BAU, contributes with a 12.14% (141,226 kBOE) decrease of the total energy demand, and the economic savings for this fuel demand is of 14.22% (26,720 MUSD). Moreover, global NOx and PM10 emissions decreased by 14.91% and 13.78%, respectively. Additionally, accumulated GHG emissions decreased by 13.49% due to the improvement of the fuel quality for the vehicles that mainly consume liquefied petroleum gas, natural gas, and electricity.

This article studies the particularities of the creation and operation of foreign investment Joint Ventures in dictatorial regimes, with special emphasis on the relationship between dictatorship and investors. The hotel business in Cuba is studied in depth as a case study, since it is a paradigmatic example that shows the crossed interests in this type of operations. Thus, the dictatorial government seeks access to foreign currency to operate in the international market and exercise political control over the foreign business and its local workers. On the other hand, the foreign investor will want to develop his business without bureaucratic obstacles and to easily return the profits of the business to the parent company in the country of origin. Likewise, this article shows the legal structure of Joint Ventures from a technical point of view, bringing clarity to the creation and development of these operations, generally unknown due to their confidentiality and complexity.

“Growing old” is the most common cause of hearing loss. Age-related hearing loss (ARHL) (presbycusis) first affects the ability to understand speech in background noise, even when auditory thresholds in quiet are normal. It has been suggested that cochlear denervation (“synaptopathy”) is an early contributor to age-related auditory decline. In the present work, we characterized age-related cochlear synaptic degeneration and hair cell loss in mice with enhanced α9α10 cholinergic nicotinic receptors gating kinetics (“gain of function” nAChRs). These mediate inhibitory olivocochlear feedback through the activation of associated calciumgated potassium channels. Cochlear function was assessed via distortion product otoacoustic emissions and auditory brainstem responses. Cochlear structure was characterized in immunolabeled organ of Corti whole mounts using confocal microscopy to quantify hair cells, auditory neurons, presynaptic ribbons, and postsynaptic glutamate receptors. Aged wild-type mice had elevated acoustic thresholds and synaptic loss. Afferent synapses were lost from inner hair cells throughout the aged cochlea, together with some loss of outer hair cells. In contrast, cochlear structure and function were preserved in aged mice with gain-of-function nAChRs that provide enhanced olivocochlear inhibition, suggesting that efferent feedback is important for long-term maintenance of inner ear function. Our work provides evidence that olivocochlear-mediated resistance to presbycusis-ARHL occurs via the α9α10 nAChR complexes on outer hair cells. Thus, enhancement of the medial olivocochlear system could be a viable strategy to prevent age-related hearing loss.

Behaviour management represents a complex dimension of the teaching profession, especially in contexts of high social vulnerability. This instrumental case study qualitatively analysed the experiences of four teachers from a technical–professional high school in Santiago, Chile, focusing on how they construct and sustain behaviour management in everyday classroom work. Data were generated through semi-structured interviews and analysed using qualitative content analysis. Findings foreground a central tension in which reactive management predominates over preventive strategies, shaping how teachers sustain pedagogical continuity under recurrent disruption. Teachers describe this work as a reflective construction negotiated between routines and adaptation to contingencies, supported by bonds of trust with students and informal peer collaboration within an institutional structure perceived as fragmented. These insights can inform teacher education by strengthening practice-oriented preparation for behaviour management and can support the refinement of educational coexistence policies in context-sensitive ways.

This study presents a technical case study aimed at evaluating the emission performance and regulatory compliance of a low-level ethanol–gasoline blend (E5) produced from cocoa mucilage, applied in a spark-ignition vehicle applied in a spark-ignition vehicle without a catalytic converter, evaluated as a technical case study representative of aging fleet conditions. A controlled within-vehicle experimental design was employed to compare three fuels: Extra gasoline, Super gasoline, and an E5 blend (95% gasoline–5% bioethanol). Exhaust emissions carbon monoxide (CO), hydrocarbons (HC), carbon dioxide (CO2), oxygen (O2), and excess air ratio (λ) were quantified under standardized operating conditions (700 and 2500 rpm), following the Ecuadorian standard NTE INEN 2204:2017. Results demonstrate that the E5 blend improves combustion efficiency, reducing CO and HC emissions while increasing CO2, indicating enhanced carbon oxidation. A systematic shift toward leaner combustion conditions (higher λ and O2) was also observed, associated with the oxygenated nature of ethanol and improved air–fuel mixture homogeneity. However, regulatory assessment revealed only partial compliance, as all fuels met CO limits but exceeded thresholds for HC, λ, and O2. Quantitatively, the E5 blend reduced CO emissions by approximately 10–15% compared to Extra gasoline and decreased HC emissions by approximately 15–25%, depending on the operating condition. Additionally, CO2 emissions showed a slight increase, indicating improved combustion efficiency, while λ and O2 values reflected a shift toward leaner combustion conditions. Overall, the findings highlight the dominant influence of vehicle mechanical condition on emission performance.

Resumen Todos los continentes están atravesando actualmente transiciones energéticas hacia economías bajas en carbono, impulsadas por las fuentes renovables. Uno de estos continentes es África, donde la población y el crecimiento económico representan una quinta parte del total mundial. Si bien el continente africano tiene la menor responsabilidad por el calentamiento global -con menos del 3 % de las emisiones-, ya enfrenta severos impactos del cambio climático. Por lo tanto, este trabajo tiene como objetivo analizar el desarrollo hidroeléctrico en Etiopía, Tanzania, Zambia y Zimbabue, con el fin de examinar el uso de esta fuente renovable y sus proyecciones. Estos países fueron seleccionados debido a su amplia proyección hidroeléctrica. En ellos, se ha invertido una cantidad significativa en hidroelectricidad; sin embargo, el impacto del cambio climático aumenta el riesgo de sequías, lo cual genera preocupación debido a las variaciones en los patrones climáticos. Las compañías eléctricas no solo necesitan pronosticar la generación futura de energía, sino que también adoptar medidas de mitigación y adaptación para mantener sus inversiones. Además, el cambio climático es un parámetro externo que desempeña un papel importante al proporcionar datos de referencia para futuros proyectos, por lo que es necesario evaluar las operaciones de energía hidroeléctrica y los embalses en función de un conjunto de variables (temperatura, precipitación, humedad, caudal de los ríos, cuencas, entre otros).

Inborn errors of metabolism can cause epileptic encephalopathies. Biallelic loss-of-function variants in the ITPA gene, encoding inosine triphosphate pyrophosphatase (ITPase), have been reported in epileptic encephalopathies with lack of myelination of the posterior limb of the internal capsule, brainstem tracts, and tracts to the primary visual and motor cortices (MIM:616647). ITPase plays an important role in purine metabolism. In this study, we identified two novel homozygous ITPA variants, c.264-1 G > A and c.489-1 G > A, in two unrelated consanguineous families. The probands had epilepsy, microcephaly with characteristic magnetic resonance imaging findings (T2 hyperintensity signals in the pyramidal tracts of the internal capsule, delayed myelination, and thin corpus callosum), hypotonia, and developmental delay; both died in early infancy. Our report expands the knowledge of clinical consequences of biallelic ITPA variants.

Air quality in Guadalajara has deteriorated in recent years, becoming a serious health concern for the local population. In response, this project seeks to mitigate the impact of pollution by developing a prediction platform based on ARIMA models implemented in Python. The system will analyse historical pollutant levels—including PM₂.₅, PM₁₀, SO₂, NO₂, O₃ and CO—enabling the anticipation of high-pollution episodes. Armed with this information, both citizens and authorities will be able to take timely preventative measures. Given the growing interest in air quality and its implications for health, this tool will furnish valuable data for informed decision-making. Moreover, it will facilitate trend analysis and permit short-term forecasts, helping to identify potential pollution episodes before they occur.

The integration of artificial intelligence and satellite remote sensing provides an innovative approach to sustainable ocean management. This study demonstrates how oceanographic sensors and AI‑driven predictive models enhance the monitoring and governance of Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) and sustainable fishing zones. Multivariate datasets are used to map areas of high primary productivity in the Gulf of Mexico, employing QGIS and ArcGIS for spatial analysis. Long Short‑Term Memory (LSTM) and Gated Recurrent Unit (GRU) neural networks trained on historical time series forecast ecological risks, including hypoxic zones and harmful algal blooms. Unsupervised clustering and dimensionality reduction identify anomalies relative to natural oceanographic patterns, supporting more adaptive and precautionary ocean governance.The integration of artificial intelligence and satellite remote sensing provides an innovative approach to sustainable ocean management. This study demonstrates how oceanographic sensors and AI‑driven predictive models enhance the monitoring and governance of Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) and sustainable fishing zones. Multivariate datasets are used to map areas of high primary productivity in the Gulf of Mexico, employing QGIS and ArcGIS for spatial analysis. Long Short‑Term Memory (LSTM) and Gated Recurrent Unit (GRU) neural networks trained on historical time series forecast ecological risks, including hypoxic zones and harmful algal blooms. Unsupervised clustering and dimensionality reduction identify anomalies relative to natural oceanographic patterns, supporting more adaptive and precautionary ocean governance.   Smart citations: https://scite.ai/reports/10.61467/2007.1558.2026.v17i2.1291Dimensions.Open Alex.