Ignatius of Loyola University (Spanish: Universidad San Ignacio de Loyola) (USIL) is a private university located in Lima, Peru, part of a group of educational institutions founded in 1995 by former Peruvian Vice President Raúl Diez Canseco, along with an institute and two schools. Its Undergraduate Programme consists of 8 schools and 33 careers, though it does have a Graduate Programme. USIL has a strong focus on entrepreneurship and hospitality management, consistent with its mission statement, which is "to shape competent entrepreneurial professionals who are socially responsible and capable of performing successfully, both domestically and internationally".
Calcium carbonate derived from scallop shells (SCC) represents a sustainable mineral filler for asphalt applications, offering environmental benefits through the valorisation of marine by-products generated by aquaculture and seafood-processing activities in Peru and other coastal countries. Hydrated lime (HL) is widely used to enhance adhesion and moisture resistance in asphalt mixtures; however, in Peru its acquisition and commercialisation are subject to administrative controls due to its regulated status. In this study, SCC was obtained through a physical processing route and evaluated against commercially available HL at the asphalt mastic (binder–filler) scale. Both fillers were characterised using Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray fluorescence (XRF), and X-ray diffraction (XRD). FTIR and TGA confirmed the chemical stability and thermal resistance of SCC under typical asphalt production temperatures, while SEM revealed compact granular particles favourable for binder–filler interaction within the asphalt mastic. The higher alkalinity of HL was associated with stronger chemical affinity, favouring adhesion and moisture resistance, whereas SCC exhibited high purity and a stable calcite structure, providing a physically compatible and thermally stable filler phase. Rheological characterisation of asphalt mastics using multiple stress creep recovery (MSCR) and Linear Amplitude Sweep (LAS) tests showed that SCC produced lower non-recoverable compliance (Jnr) and higher elastic recovery (R), indicating improved resistance to permanent deformation, while HL exhibited superior fatigue performance under cyclic loading. Overall, this study establishes a binder- and mastic-level predictive basis for assessing the mechanical behaviour of SCC-filled systems within a circular economy framework.
In the course of this investigation, a brand-new noisome-encapsulated 2,5-diketopiperazine (BHPPD) was developed, synthesized, and assessed. Utilizing CCK-8, invasion screens, MTT test, flow cytometry, and cell cycle analysis, we evaluated the anti-breast cancer properties of niosome-encapsulated BHPPD. Apoptosis-related gene expression and cytotoxicity was measured using quantitative real-time PCR and MTT assays. This meta-analysis showed a significant drug-binding affinity for intestinal protease. The spherical mean diameters of the free BHPPD, the F1 niosomal-BHPPD, and the F2 niosomal-BHPPD were all determined to be108.91 ± 4.2, 129.13 ± 7.2 nm, and 149.43 ± 3.2 nm, respectively. Also, it was found that the entrapment efficiency (EE
This systematic literature review examines the rapid growth of research on the use of drones applied to smart agriculture, a key field for the digital and sustainable transformation of the agricultural sector. The study aimed to synthesize the current state of knowledge regarding the application of drones in smart agriculture by applying the Kitchenham protocol (SLR), complemented with Petersen’s systematic mapping (SMS). A search was conducted in high-impact academic databases (Scopus, IEEE Xplore, Taylor & Francis Online, Google Scholar, and ProQuest), covering the period 2019–2025 (July). After applying the inclusion, exclusion, and quality criteria, 73 relevant studies were analyzed. The results reveal that 90% of the publications appear in Q1 journals, with China and the United States leading scientific production. The thematic analysis identified “UAS Phenotyping” as the main driving theme in the literature, while “precision agriculture,” “machine learning,” and “remote sensing” were the most recurrent and highly interconnected keywords. An exponential increase in publications was observed between 2022 and 2024. The review confirms the consolidation of drones as a central tool in digital agriculture, with significant advances in yield estimation, pest detection, and 3D modeling, although challenges remain in standardization, model generalization, and technological equity. It is recommended to promote open access repositories and interdisciplinary studies that integrate socioeconomic and environmental dimensions to strengthen the sustainable adoption of drone technologies in agriculture.
OBJECTIVES:This is a protocol for a Cochrane Review (intervention). The objectives are as follows: To assess the effects of evaluating and providing cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk scores in adults without prevalent CVD on cardiovascular outcomes, risk factor levels, preventive medication prescribing, and health behaviours.
Postural balance is a foundational component of human motor behavior, yet it remains conceptually ambiguous and methodologically heterogeneous across the clinical, educational, and sport sciences. This narrative review aims to provide an integrative framework that clarifies key concepts (postural control vs. postural balance), synthesizes the main sensorimotor and biomechanical mechanisms underpinning balance, and organizes current assessment approaches and functional implications across populations. Narrative literature synthesis was conducted to integrate evidence covering multisensory integration and sensory reweighting, central neural control (spinal, brainstem, cerebellar, and cortical contributions), neuromuscular and biomechanical strategies (e.g., ankle/hip/stepping), and cognitive influences (e.g., dual-task effects). We further summarize commonly used instrumental outcomes derived from force-platform center-of-pressure metrics and widely adopted clinical and functional balance tests, highlighting their typical applications and limitations across the lifespan including pediatric, general adults, older adults, and athletic populations. This review proposes a closed-loop, systems-based model in which postural balance is conceptualized as an emergent functional outcome arising from distributed postural control processes shaped by task, environmental, and individual constraints. In conclusion, integrating mechanistic understanding with population-specific assessment enhances interpretability and supports more precise, context-sensitive balance evaluation and intervention in both health and performance settings.
