This work presents the HSS-Cognitive project, which is a Healthcare Smart System that can be applied in measuring the efficiency of any therapy where neuronal interaction gives a trace whether the therapy is efficient or not, using mathematical tools. The artificial intelligence of the project underlies in the understanding of brain signals or Electroencephalogram (EEG) by means of the determination of the Power Spectral Density (PSD) over all the EEG bands in order to estimate how efficient was a therapy. Our project HSS-Cognitive was applied, recording the EEG signals from two patients treated for 8 min in a dolphin tank, measuring their activity in five experiments and for 6 min measuring their activity in a pool without dolphin in four experiments. After applying our TEA (Therapeutic Efficiency Assessment) metric for patient 1, we found that this patient had gone from having relaxation states regardless of the dolphin to attention states when the dolphin was presented. For patient 2, we found that he had maintained attention states regardless of the dolphin, that is, the DAT (Dolphin Assisted Therapy) did not have a significant effect in this patient, perhaps because he had a surgery last year in order to remove a tumor, having impact on the DAT effectiveness. However, patient 2 presented the best efficiency when doing physical therapy led by a therapist in a pool without dolphins around him. According to our findings, we concluded that our Brain-Inspired Healthcare Smart System can be considered a reliable tool for measuring the efficiency of a dolphin-assisted therapy and not only for therapist or medical doctors but also for researchers in neurosciences.

Using cyclodextrins (CDs) in packaging technologies helps volatile or bioactive molecules improve their solubility, to guarantee the homogeneous distribution of the complexed molecules, protecting them from volatilization, oxidation, and temperature fluctuations when they are associated with polymeric matrices. This technology is also suitable for the controlled release of active substances and allows the exploration of their association with biodegradable polymer targeting to reduce the negative environmental impacts of food packaging. Here, we present a fresh look at the current status of and future prospects regarding the different strategies used to associate cyclodextrins and their derivatives with polymeric matrices to fabricate sustainable and biodegradable active food packaging (AFP). Particular attention is paid to the materials and the fabrication technologies available to date. In addition, the use of cutting-edge strategies, including the trend of nanotechnologies in active food packaging, is emphasized. Furthermore, a critical view on the risks to human health and the associated updated legislation is provided. Some of the more representative patents and commercial products that currently use AFP are also listed. Finally, the current and future research challenges which must be addressed are discussed.

The fungi of the genus Alternaria are among the main pathogens causing post-harvest diseases and significant economic losses. The consumption of Alternaria contaminated foods may be a major risk to human health, as many Alternaria species produce several toxic mycotoxins and secondary metabolites. To protect consumer health and extend the shelf life of food products, the development of new ways of packaging is of outmost importance. The aim of this work was to investigate the antifungal capacity of a biodegradable poly(lactic acid) (PLA) package filled with thymol or carvacrol complexed in β-cyclodextrins (β-CDs) by the solubility method. Once solid complexes were obtained by spray drying, varying proportions (0.0%, 1.5%, 2.5%, and 5.0 wt%) of β-CD–thymol or β-CD–carvacrol were mixed with PLA for packaging development by injection process. The formation of stable complexes between β-CDs and carvacrol or thymol molecules was assessed by Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). Mechanical, structural, and thermal characterization of the developed packaging was also carried out. The polymer surface showed a decrease in the number of cuts and folds as the amount of encapsulation increased, thereby reducing the stiffness of the packaging. In addition, thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) revealed a slight decrease in the temperature of degradation of PLA package as the concentration of the complexes increased, with β-CD–carvacrol or β-CDs–thymol complexes acting as plasticisers that lowered the intermolecular forces of the polymer chains, thereby improving the breaking point. Packages containing 2.5% and 5% β-CD–carvacrol, or 5% β-CD–thymol showed Alternaria alternata inhibition after 10 days of incubation revealing their potential uses in agrofood industry.

Blackberries and raspberries are highly perishable and fragile products, which limits their shelf life. The effect of biodegradable active packaging of blackberries and raspberries containing 2.5% and 5.0% weight (wt%) of thymol or carvacrol complexed in β-cyclodextrins (β-CDs), successively added to poly (lactic acid) (PLA), and melt-processed by injection molding was evaluated under stored conditions at 4 °C for 21 days, using as reference commercial clamshell and PLA package control samples. Thus, physicochemical, headspace, microbiological, and sensory quality studies were carried out in order to compare the efficacy of the different packages. Concerning weight loss, color, and total phenolic and soluble solids content, significant differences were detected when compared with commercial clamshell packaging. The results show that the PLA packages containing thymol and carvacrol complexes maintained the color, weight, and phenolic content of berries until day 21, with a score up to 45% better compared to commercial clamshell. The headspace analysis detected 101 mg L−1 (ppm) of thymol and 35 ppm of carvacrol on the first day of refrigeration; these concentrations decreased with time. This release mechanism of carvacrol and thymol into the PLA package modified the initial atmosphere composition. After 21 days of storage, the berries had 4.25 degrees of acceptance, without adverse perception of aroma or flavor for both carvacrol and thymol compounds. A general microbial inhibition was observed for yeast and molds, which increased with the concentration of monoterpene in PLA packages, and showed an inhibition of 3.5 log units for PLA packages containing thymol, and of 3 log units for those containing carvacrol. Overall results show that PLA/β-CD-thymol 5.0% packages prolonged raspberries’ and blackberries’ shelf life by one more week at 4 °C, compared with commercial clamshell packaging.

This article explores and validates the integrated use of the viable system model (VSM) and the partial least squares path modeling (PLS-PM) approach to assess the sustainable management of RAMSAR sites carrying out economic activities. This work adopts a systems-thinking approach integrating systemic methodologies in three phases: (1) the VSM was first used to develop a conceptual model of the organisational problem; (2) PLS-PM was used to propose a construct to outline a solution, as well as to statistically validate the relationships proposed in the conceptual model; finally, (3) through the VSM, the relationships between actors were rethought in order to promote sustainable performance. The results obtained suggest that the joint use of VSM and PLS-PM is an effective approach that aids in the identification of relational and structural pathologies affecting the observed RAMSAR systems. It also proved useful to suggest that relationships can lead to the sustainable performance of the sites under study. It should be noted that the framework of systemic tools is constrained in its application to the organisational domain: assessing two RAMSAR areas in Mexico. Methodologically, this is the first application of the integrated use of VSM and PLS-PM to analyse the management and viability/sustainability of RAMSAR areas from an organisational perspective, opening a new avenue for the analysis and optimisation of management of such areas. This study provides tools to support actors and academics related to RAMSAR sites and opens up a discussion on how to rethink the organisational interactions in order to improve RAMSAR sites’ adaptive capabilities.