A problem in post-harvest of avocado (Persea americana Mill.) is the heterogeneity in fruit ripening, due to differences in the time of fruit set and the inability to ripen on the tree, a situation that causes inconsistencies in quality and differences in the response to preservation and processing technologies. In postharvest, the application of ethylene gas in hermetic chambers has been used to advance ripening; however, the use of ethylene releasers in liquid form (ethephon) has been proposed as an alternative, mainly for the treatment of low volumes of fruit. The present work was carried out in the production zone of Salvador Escalante (Michoacán, Mexico) with the objective of evaluating the effect of the application of two concentrations of ethephon on the time and homogenization of fruit ripening of avocado cultivars (cv.) Hass and Méndez. Fruits with 23.4% (cv. Hass) and 24% (cv. Méndez) of dry matter were harvested; one group was immersed in a solution of ethephon 500 mg/L and the other in 1,000 mg/L, both for 5 minutes; the treated fruits plus a control were stored at 20 °C for 11 days. Changes in respiration, ethylene production, weight loss, firmness, epicarp and pulp color, total phenol, chlorophyll and total carotenoid concentrations were evaluated. The results showed that ethephon doses of 1,000 mg/L in cv. Hass and 500 mg/L in cv. Méndez presented a ripening process 2 days earlier than the control.

The development of the maize agribusiness system is highly dependent on the role of social capital in facilitating interaction among actors in the chain of activities ranging from the provision of farm supplies to marketing. Therefore, this research aimed to characterize the key elements of social capital specifically bonding, bridging, and linking, as well as to demonstrate their respective roles. Data were collected from farmers and non-farmers actors engaged in various activities in the maize agribusiness system. The data obtained were processed using ATLAS Ti, applying open, axial, and selective coding techniques. The results showed the roles played by bonding, bridging, and linking social capital in the interaction between farmers and multiple actors in activities such as providing farm supplies, farming production, harvesting, post-harvest, and marketing. The combination of these social capital forms acted as the glue and wires that facilitated access to resources, collective decision-making, and reduced transaction costs. These results have theoretical implications, suggesting that bonding, bridging, and linking should be combined with the appropriate role composition for each activity in the agribusiness system.

The livelihood of ethnic minority households in Vietnam is mainly in the fields of agriculture and forestry. The percentage of ethnic minorities who have jobs in industry, construction, and services is still limited. Moreover, due to harsh climate conditions, limited resources, poor market access, low education level, lack of investment capital for production, and inadequate policies, job opportunities in the off-farm and non-farm activities are very limited among ethnic minority areas. This paper assessed the contribution of livelihood diversification activities to poverty reduction of ethnic minority households in Son La Province of Vietnam. The analysis was based on the data using three stages sampling procedure of 240 ethnic minority households in Son La Province. The finding showed that the livelihood diversification activities had positively significant contribution to poverty reduction of ethnic minority households in Son La Province. In addition, the factors positively affecting the livelihood choices of ethnic minority households in Son La Province of Vietnam are education level, labor size, access to credit, membership of associations, support policies, vocational training, and district. Thus, improving ethnic minority householder’s knowledge through formal educational and training, expanding availability of accessible infrastructure, and enhancing participation of social/political associations were recommended as possible policy interventions to diversify livelihood activities so as to mitigate the level of poverty in the study area.

This study aims to examine the pathways through which the user experience (UX) of ChatGPT, a representative of generative artificial intelligence, affects user loyalty. Additionally, it seeks to verify whether ChatGPT’s UX varies according to a user’s need for cognition (NFC). This research proposed and examined how ChatGPT’ UX affect user engagement and loyalty and used mediation analysis using PROCESS Macro Model 6 to test the impact of UX on web-based ChatGPT loyalty. Data were collected by an online marketing research company. 200 respondents were selected from a panel of individuals who had used ChatGPT within the previous month. Prior to the survey, the study objective was explained to the respondents, who were instructed to answer questions based on their experiences with ChatGPT during the previous month. The usefulness of ChatGPT was found to have a significant impact on interactivity, engagement, and intention to reuse. Second, it was revealed that evaluations of ChatGPT may vary according to users’ cognitive needs. Users with a high NFC, who seek to solve complex problems and pursue new experiences, perceived ChatGPT’s usefulness, interactivity, engagement, and reuse intentions more positively than those with a lower NFC. These results have several academic implications. First, this study validated the role of the UX in ChatGPT. Second, it validated the role of users’ need for cognition levels in their experience with ChatGPT.

The present paper discusses the case of the Madrid Nuevo Norte Project (MNNP) in order to examine the relation of this mega-project with the city’s sustainable development. For this reason, the study used a qualitative approach using semi-structural interviews with experts (Madrid’s town hall, Madrid State, and the program management office and other external) that relayed strongly with MNNP. The expert panel requirements are split in six expertise areas: sustainability, urban development, urban planning, government or public affairs, project management or Madrid Nuevo Norte (MNN) key stakeholders. The study highlighted the vital importance of MNNP as a flagship sustainable project for the rest of Europe, that meets sustainability criteria for contributing substantially in the improvement of the quality of life of final users and for the community in general. For instance, it contributes to the regeneration of the city’s degraded area, to the interconnection of an isolated part of the city and public transportation connection, improving the external image of Madrid. Despite of it, there are some challenges that should be carefully managed such as applying sustainable solutions from other cities not properly tailored to Madrid, housing pricing accessibility increase due to the lack of terrain in Madrid and the politization of the project as discussion topic between local parties. In this context, local authorities should give particular emphasis in complying with the principles of sustainability for improving the overall performance of MNNP, ensuring social justice and prosperity for the people of Madrid.

Problem: in recent years, new studies have been published on biological effects of strong static magnetic fields and on thermal effects of high-frequency electromagnetic fields as used in magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Many of these studies have not yet been incorporated into current safety recommendations. Method: scientific publications from 2010 onwards on the biological effects of static and electromagnetic fields of MRI were searched and evaluated. Results: new studies confirm older work that has already described effects of static magnetic fields on sensory organs and the central nervous system accompanied by sensory perception. A new result is the direct effect of Lorentz forces on ionic currents in the semicircular canals of the vestibular organ. Recent studies on thermal effects of radiofrequency fields focused on the development of anatomically realistic body models and more accurate simulation of exposure scenarios. Recommendation for practice: strong static magnetic fields can cause unpleasant perceptions, especially dizziness. In addition, they can impair the performance of the medical personnel and thus potentially endanger patient safety. As a precaution, medical personnel should move slowly in the field gradient. High-frequency electromagnetic fields cause tissues and organs to heat up in patients. This must be taken into account in particular for patients with impaired thermoregulation as well as for pregnant women and newborns; exposure in these cases must be kept as low as possible.